Moving to a Building
December 5, 2007
I am not a fan of moving. When I was in school, my dad and I counted it one day and realized that we had moved over 30 times (and that was just in my lifetime). He was in the military and other circumstances, but regardless, that is a lot of moving. Last week my family moved once again. This moved seemed a little different though. Our little church is moving into a building and we are moving (literally) across the street from it. As the pastor, I am very excited.
A few months ago, our family made one of the biggest decisions of our life. It was a jump into the unknown. We found out that God is the unknown. It is in the unknown that God does some of His best work. Noah building a boat because it’s going to rain. Gideon fighting a war with just 300 men. Over and over throughout the Bible God used people who stepped into the unknown to follow Him with all of their heart and God ALWAYS came through. We believe that He will do the same for us and our church.
Our desire as a church is to create an atmosphere of authentic worship. We are tired of the show that most churches put on. We want people to come to our place and truly have an encounter with their Creator. So many people are tired of church and “organized religion” and in some ways I completely understand. However, if I could take you in a time machine back to the 1st century and introduce you to this guy named Jesus I want you to know that you would really like Him. In turn you would find that He would really love you. Whether you have been hurt by a church before or by “so-called” Christians, don’t let that get in the way of the greatest relationship that you could ever have and this is with your Heavenly Father.
January 18, 2008 at 4:26 am
As a minister myself, and having a similar past as you and your family, moving too, was a great part of my family’s life. There is an old Negro spiritual entitled, “Children, Go Where I Send Thee” which identifies those whose calling by our heavenly father includes not only our willingness, but our obedience in fulfilling God’s command to go, by faith, where He leads us.
Many times, I remember becoming frustrated after following his command, just afer a few months or within a year, God would once again speak to me about moving on, just as my family and I had gotten situated, established our new mission field, begin making new friends, and having thoughts within my heart that God was finally going to allow me to settle down- But only to remind me not to drive my stakes too far in the ground. If my desire was to truly fulfill the Great Commission, why would I complain when God would command me to move to another location.
Strangely enough, my dreams at the very beginning of my ministry included becoming a pastor of a large congregation, having a large Christian church family that would love me, as their pastor and his family, have a church known for their love for the lost and proved it by their “go tell” lifestyle and attitude. Instead, my life has been filled with countless orders from God to “pack up and move to another location.”
After many years now of simply obeying God’s directions, I have been reminded by God that the large congregation I once sought for can be found in the nummerous believers presently serving at the many locations to which He lead me to go. That soul winning church I dream of is found in the heart of every true believer that He enabled me to bring to saving knowledge of the Savior, Jesus Christ, that now shares the same redemptive message to the lost of their local communities.
Now that I am getting older, things are much more physically challeging when it comes to “going for God”. I do admit I feel at times that I have seriously disappointed my Saviour in fulfilling His plan within my life. But, I can now say, even though there is much left to do, I understand that I have not failed God by all the different moves. For in each move, seeing lost souls brought to Christ, young Chritisan men called to preach the Gospel, local churches strengthened and encouraged by the proclamation of the Gospel and the testimony that God allowed me to share concerning His marvelous grace and mercy, God has used me in preserving the spreading of the Gospel.
For each of us who have stepped out into this land of faith, even having been asked to sacrifice close personal ties and even the loss of a spouse and children, IT WILL BE WORTH IT ALL, WHEN WE SEE JESUS! May God bless you as you begin your journey of faith. Remember always, without faith, it is impossible to please Him, BUT with faith, all things are possible.
Go With God! Pastor Phil.