Why?

Why?..

A good question to ask yourself.

Today I was thinking about this question, and I began to ask myself 'why'?

Why do I want my church to be bigger? Why do I want us to have state-of-the-art equipment? Why do I want amazing, anointed people up leading worship? Why do I want a big youth ministry with tons of things going on each work, with dozens of student leaders and Youth leaders, with small groups happening all over this city, with groups of students gathering in schools praying? Why do I want our church to grow beyond the walls that we've been in for the last 12 years? Why do I want to see our building PAYED OFF, even though I've only been there for a YEAR and it seems like I'm the ONLY ONE WITH A VISION FOR IT? Why do I LONG for a CHURCH that is DYNAMIC and utilizing every resource to increase the Kingdom of God in my city? Why is what we've been doing for all these years JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME? Why am I not satisfied with what we're doing now? Do I think all the faithful people who've been coming to this church YEAR after YEAR, FAITHFULLY GIVING, FAITHFULLY GOING TO OUR PRAYER MEETINGS are NOT GOOD ENOUGH? Why do I think we need a new sound guy, new sound equipment? Can't I appreciate how FAITHFUL the one who we have now has been? Why did I think we needed a new pulpit? DON'T I KNOW THAT THE ONE WE USED TO HAVE WAS GRACIOUSLY DONATED BY AN AMAZING CARPENTER WHO USED TO GO TO THE CHURCH?! Can't I appreciate that? Can't I see how AMAZING the people who go to this church are? How DEEP their roots in Christianity are? Can't I see all the fruit this church has produced over the years? The dozens and dozens and dozens of disciples that have been produced from this church? The young people who've been raised and taught up, and released into the ministry?

Why do I burn inside for more? Why do I BURN INSIDE to see new revelation, new outpouring of the Holy Spirit, why do I BURN inside for truth to be spoken and received by those who've never been able to hear it before?

Why do I WISH people would stop being FATALISTIC and stop crying about how dim the future looks, and do something about the CRAP HEAP that they're living in? Why do I wish people would stop LOOKING AT THE PAST, LOOKING AT THE OLD EMPIRE and WISHING that things could go back to the WAY THEY WERE?!

Why do I wish my leadership wished all these things? Why do I wish my leadership would stand up and do something. Why do I have to be submitted, and watch helplessly. Why do I have to say, "Ok, Pastor. Whatever you want to do."? I want SO BADLY to take the reins. I want SO BADLY to say FINE, IF YOU WON'T DO IT I WILL! But I CAN'T. Because I have to be submitted. I have to be obedient. That's not what God called me to do. And I know that He has me where I am for a reason. I know that if I tried to do that it would probably end up a horrible mess. God has me where He has me, and I know He's going to bless this youth ministry, and I know He has amazing plans for us.

But MAN, I feel like we're struggling for it on our own over here. I feel like if the whole church could just get behind the vision of being bigger than we are now, if the our whole church could just catch a glimpse of where God could take us, man, we'd come alive. I don't want to be a church where we all just sit in our chairs, where we get excited because the Holy Spirit ACTUALLY shows up one morning. I don't want to be a church that is stagnant. I don't want to be a church where the TIDE OF BLESSING IS JUST OUT RIGHT NOW. Oh, sorry, God's not in right now, you'll have to wait for your blessing until later. NO! I want to be a church that believes, "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."

I want to be a church that BELIEVES that God is ABLE, "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."

God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us. Through his mighty power at work within us!

THAT is what I want for our church. I want God to be moving, through his mighty power at work within us to accomplish INFINITELY more than I can even ask or think here in our city, in our church, in our county.

I want our church to be a place where JESUS is. I want us to be more than singing songs, and hear a "hermeneutic-ally"correct sermon, I want our church to be a place where we've done everything we possibly can to invite and allow the Holy Spirit to be there, where we are not satisfied with one freaking salvation a year. I want our church to be a place where HUNDREDS of people are being taught how to be disciples! Not a handful! I want our church to have enough hands where we can do practical things to change the culture from a culture of hurting others and pain and hatred to a culture of love and glorifying God and giving. I want our church to be a church that can say to the mountains in this world MOVE! And BELIEVE that they will move! I want our church to be a place that raises people with that kind of faith.

I could type until my fingers turn into bloody stumps, but I have to tie my shoes and move forward and believe on all these things will happen, and do my best to allow God's mighty power to work through me to see things that are even greater than my vision come to pass.