Skip to main content

Creating the Space for God to Move [Inaugural Second Service]

I will not be saying too much tonight. I do want to encourage us with a well known, oft quoted text.


Isaiah 54: 1-3: “Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the Lord.

2  “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.

3  For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.


This is one of the most famous verses in the Bible, usually associated with building projects. But there is something here for us.


When Isaiah prophecies this the children of Israel were captives in Babylon. The circumstances were not ideal. It comes directly after the prophecy of the suffering servant, about Jesus on Isaiah 53.


Things were not going well for them. They felt barren, suppressed, oppressed and distressed. But they were to enlarge the place of their tent. This would have seen the wrong time for them to try and take territory and make economic and societal inroads. 


What does this have to do with us:


The Right Time?

We have started here tonight a second service, is it the right time to do so? Well, there lots of church growth material that would affirm that the time to do this is when you are at 80% capacity of your building.


There is no ideal time though. It involves more work, more effort, more costs. It would be easier to be content and do nothing. Extending something takes effort and intentionality.


The Right Space:

The reason Isaiah’s prophecy is relevant to us is because he was calling them to expand their thinking and faith before God could move amongst them. They would need more space than Babylon.


We have the need for more space in several areas.


Space in our hearts: We need a fresh encounter with God. We will be offering more prayer opportunities, time to linger in worship. We need bigger hearts for what God is doing.


Space for more people: Physical space is an issue. We have a large building but the space is not that big. Holding another service potentially makes the space double in size without doubling the size of the building.


Space to equip: We have to create a way to raise up new tech, new worship teams, new speakers and others. Some evenings we will be giving opportunities for those who are developing. That’s a risk! I preach today because someone took a risk on me. My first messages were awful! They may not have improved. We need to make space for these others too.


Wrapping this up:

So we are taking a step faith. We are hopeful that God will fill this new space with His presence.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chasing Rainbows 1: The local church and the LGBTQI+ Community

  Under Pressure - LGBT and the Local Church I acknowledge much of my sourse material is from these two books: Embodied: Transgender Identities, the Church, and What the Bible Has to Say; Preston M. Sprinkle, Kindle Edition;  JK Balswick and JO Balswick, Authentic Human Sexuality, (IVP, Downers Grove, 3rd ed.,) 2019. Billy has spoken about sexuality in the traditional, Christian context. Next week we will share the platform to continue this subject. At the end of the month we will have a Q&A session via technology, but that Sunday will not be livestreamed. We will provide details then. Today we are going to consider a minefield of a subject: LGBTQII++ and the Local Church. We will address the following: What Does it Mean to Be Trans? What the Bible says about this. What Our response should be towards the LGBT Community? Before we go there, let’s say a few things by way of introduction: I’m not going for cheap amens!  My concern in sharing these thoughts today is not to
Post a Comment
Read more

The Generous Church (Philippians Part 7)

Today we wrap up our series on Philippians with some unexpected results. In the end of the book Paul gives his blueprint for living as a result of the monetary gift sent to him by the Philippian church. Paul’s personal situation was tough. But he is not the victim of circumstances but the victor over circumstances: I can accept all things (Phil. 4:11); “I can do all things” (Phil. 4:13); I have all things (Phil. 4:18). Paul did not have to be pampered to be content; he found his contentment in the spiritual resources abundantly provided by Christ. Contentment is not escape from the battle, but rather an abiding peace and confidence in the midst of the battle. “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” (Phil. 4:11). Two words in that verse are vitally important—“learned” and “content.”   The verb “learned” means “learned by experience.” Paul’s spiritual contentment was not something he had immediately after he was save
Post a Comment
Read more

Holding With an Open Hand (Philippians Part 3)

  Philippians 2:1–11:  Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.   5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  6 Who, being in very nature God,  did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  7 rather, he made himself nothing  by taking the very nature of a servant,  being made in human likeness.  8 And being found in appearance as a man,  he humbled himself  by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!  9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place  and gave him the name that is above
Post a Comment
Read more