To God's Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
One of the many things I marvel at is that God has chosen to use humans to do His will and to be a blessing. We really are His hands and feet, for He has chosen His church, His people, to do His work here on earth. This week, in 1887, a 20 year old arrived to try to help someone who many had given up on. Helen had been born healthy, but at 19 months was hit with a severe illness that left her without sight or hearing. Helen was 6 when Anne arrived, and was described as uncontrollable, unable to communicate in a helpful way, and really a young lady whose life had no hope. Anne not only came to look after this precious 6 year old, but she actually cared, and over time through tender love, taught her to read and write and communicate and this precious 6 year old grew older, and Helen Keller changed her world and ours. Anne Sullivan was used to impact one person who was used to impact a society. Amazing, and worth admiring both of these great ladies...even more worth learning from them.
You might know someone who is perceived as beyond hope. You might see people around you as uncontrollable and in chaos. If you do, learn from Anne, and choose to love and impact the one or two around you that you can see (even if they cannot). It took time, it was not easy, and spelling things with your finger on someone's hand that does not know how to read or write a LONG process, but with patience and a tender touch, Anne blossomed Helen, and our world has changed our view on those who are disabled. Who has God placed in your sphere of influence that He has a plan for you to tenderly care for and blossom. If each of us is eagerly looking for opportunities to do the good works which He has prepared in advance for us to do, then perhaps some Anne's will produce some Helen's and not only will our view of people here on earth be changed, God will use us to increase the population in heaven.
He has a plan, and if you know Him, you are a part of that plan.
Often I am asked by people how we are doing as a church. How do we measure that? When they are asking this question, they are wondering, are we growing, and the answer to that is encouraging if we are talking numbers for we are growing. Sometimes they are asking about our finances, which seem to be doing well right now (or at least getting better), so we are doing well. But are we? What are the measurements that God uses to see how His church is doing? I do think people matter (so numbers matter), and I do believe strongly in stewardship and investing our resources in eternity (so dollars matter), and there is more.
I think there are four measurements that are hard to define, but essential to pursue, that I pray for us, and I think we are doing well on all of them and could improve.
L. LOVE: A first love relationship with God. He wants us to love Him with all we are and all we have, and to be driven and defined by this relationship. Are you here in longing and growing in life? Are we a church filled with people who LOVE GOD more than life, with all that we are and all that we have? If someone was to watch you from the sidelines would they see a defining love for God driving your game?
O. ONE: This is a unity around our love for God and passion for His mission. We are In Him, and as such we love one another. We want to impact our world together, and we choose to prefer one another. Are you growing in your love for your brothers and sisters at CBC? Do we choose to prefer one another, and forego our preferences for the unity of the church and the good of brothers and sisters? Are we actively pursuing Word saturation so that we are unified with the MIND of the Spirit?
V. VISION: We are seeking to accomplish the Vision He has given us in joyful dependence. Growing In HOLINESS, LOVE, TRUTH, and MISSION. We are conforming to the image of Jesus and He is using us to share His love with others, and His Gospel with our world. The dependence part of this is that we are a people that prays continually! Are you consistently praying for God's people here? Are we a church that goes to God first, and always? Are you/we growing in Holiness, Truth, Love, and God's Mission?
E. EAGER servants: This describes a people who are eager to find places of need to serve, and to use their gifts to build up the body of Christ. Are you serving in God's family? Do we have ministries that are filled with Eager Servants, and more people that roles?
I think these four measurements are as important as # and $. I think we are a healthy church, BUT we have a long way to GROW! The only way for us to do this is if each of us, alive and empowered by the Spirit personally engage in praying for and pursuing L.O.V.E.. It is easy to wonder if others have these, and coast...my longing is that we would choose Christ and not coasting, and together choose to become healthier and healthier as a church body. Each one eagerly engaged in L.O.V.E..
Will you join us in PRAYING FOR THIS, and pursuing it personally and with other people?
Sunday Is Coming:
Title: Life In The Spirit
Text: Romans 8:5-30
Keep reading Romans 8 every day, and allow it to shape how you think about yourself, the Holy Spirit, and others.
This Sunday, God willing we will look at the role that God the Holy Spirit has in our lives, and ways we can keep in step with Him.
Come prayerfully seeking a Spirit Filled life, and God's Word will not return void.
A Fellow Servant Of The King,
Pastor Rob