ricky.merrefield

This passage really jumped out at me when I read it. The Pharisees of the day are doing their normal routine of trying to show up Jesus with their knowledge, then Jesus hits em with this gem:

Matthew 21:28-31 (NIV)
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what the father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.

After another quick story, Jesus hits them again:

Matthew 21:43 (NIV)
“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

I get a kick out of people who say that the church should do their best to not offend anyone. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure those Pharisees Jesus was talking to were a bit offended by what he had to say. In fact, that passage goes on to say that the Pharisees started plotting ways to have Jesus arrested. People generally don’t do that if they like what they hear.

That was just a side note. That one was free.

There are two big things I take away from this passage. The first is that God doesn’t give a crap about your past. He cares about your present. He told the religious leaders of the day that prostitutes and tax collectors were going to heaven before them. I can imagine that upset a few people. If a prostitute starts living for God and gets their life turned around, God hold them in higher regard than a hypocrite who follows God with their words and not their actions.

The second point I get disturbs me more than the first. If we are not living in a way continually advances the kingdom of God, God will move on and find someone willing to be used to do great things. My fervent prayer is that I will never get to the point where God is tired of waiting for me to get in gear, and move on to someone else who will.

I don’t think you have to be a bible scholar to get that one. No Greek or Hebrew necessary.

God has been speaking to me a lot lately about his vision for me and for Revolution Church. Don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying he’s given me the vision for Revolution, that’s Gary’s department - just that I’ve seen the vision more clearly lately than I’ve ever seen it. I, along with all who attend Revolutoin, was blessed immensely by the One Prayer series, and blessed by the men who preached during the series. We had the privelige of hearing from Steven Furtick, Greg Rohlinger, Perry Noble, and, of course, Gary Lamb. They laid out the vision of God’s church so plainly that I cannot help but have an increased passion and vision for reaching those far from God.

Yesterday, Gary laid out a huge vision for Revolution Church to be running 10,000 people by year 10. Revolution started in 2004, so year 10 is 2014. Six years from now. Revolution is running around 1,000 a week right now, so we’d have to average a growth of 1,500 people a year over the next six years. That’s a big, hairy, uncomfortable vision to have. The sad part is that I have no doubt that the majority of churches today would simply say that vision is impossible - especially in a town of roughly 20,000 people (though Canton will certainly grow larger over the next six years).

I have no doubt in my mind that God can accomplish this through Revolution. I have no doubt in my mind that God could blow that number out of the water over the next six years. I believe that the moment we tell God that he cannot accomplish the incredible, God moves on to find someone who is willing to be used to accomplish the impossible. There is no way that Gary, the staff, and the people of Revolution can accomplish this vision - but God can. God has already accomplished what virtually everyone said was impossible in Canton through Revolution. Who am I to say he can’t step it up? Who am I to say Revolution can’t step it up? Who am I to say I can’t step it up? If God says he can accomplish anything through the faithful, then doubting myself or doubting Revolution is the same as doubting God.

I get a kick out of people who complain about churches being all about numbers. As Gary says, Revolution is all about numbers because numbers represent people, and people represent lives that need to hear the message of Jesus Christ. The more people that walk through the doors of Revolution Church, the more lives we have the opportunity of impacting for Christ. Even Paul focused on numbers when he said in Acts that the church was added to daily. How many churches today can claim that they have numbers added to them daily. If the church in Acts can do it, why can’t the church today do it? I believe it can, and I believe Revolution will.

Gary said yesterday that when the church gets interested in what God is interested in, then God gets interested in the church. Jesus plainly said that he “came to seek and to save that which was lost.” When the church stops focusing on its committees and spaghetti dinners, and starts focusing on reaching those far from God, I believe God will blow the doors off that place so fast they won’t see it coming. The biggest problem that Revolution church has had is having enough space to seat everyone who comes. That is a good problem to have. I’d rather be in a church that seats 500 running 1,000 people that in a church that seats 1,000, but unable to grow past 500. When the church has a singular mission to reach the lost, it won’t be able to build a building big enough to hold everyone.

My heart is to see God do something amazing, incredible, and seemingly impossible through Revolution church - and every other church. My heart is to see God do the same through me, personally. Steven Furtick inspired me when said that he was called into action through the thought that life might pass him by without him being used mightily of God. I believe God can and will mightily use everyone who believes and is willing to be used of God. That is my heart. That is what I live for. That is my God.

Let’s take a look at the evidence, shall we?

Isaiah 20:2-4 (NLT)
the LORD told Isaiah son of Amoz, “Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals.” Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot. Then the LORD said, “My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for the last three years. This is a sign - a symbol of the terrible troubles I will bring upon Egypt and Ethiopia. For the king of Assyria will take away the Egyptians and Ethiopians as prisoners. He will make them walk naked and barefoot, both young and old, their buttocks bared, to the shame of Egypt.

So God basically made Isaiah become a nudist for three years just to get the word out that he was about to lay the smack down on Egypt and Ethiopia. I suppose that could be a good conversation starter, but I think that, personally, I would shy away from anyone nude in public.

I like to think that I’d follow wherever God leads, but I might draw the line there. I would at least log some above-average prayer time, and perhaps enroll myself in a few confidence-building courses first. I know God likes to get us out of our comfort zones, but this one would be out of my comfort universe.

Perhaps there should have been a “Lord, Make Us Criminally Insane” message during the One Prayer series. This would have been a good example. Maybe next time around. I claim credit for that title if anyone uses it.

Oh, and let’s take a look at verse five, on…

Isaiah 20:5-6 (NLT)
Then the Philistines will be thrown into panic, for they counted on the power of Ethiopia and boasted of their allies in Egypt! They will say, ‘If this can happen to Egypt, what chance do we have? We were counting on Egypt to protect us from the king of Assyria.”

So God made Isaiah a nudist to warn of the impending doom of Egypt and Ethiopia just to make the Philistines wet their pants? If I were in Isaiah’s shoes (or out of them, as the case may be), I would be suggesting that a little fire and brimstone would be more effective, and a lot less humiliating. I suppose, though, that would have removed the human element. For some reason, God likes to use us insignificant humans to get his point across.

I think that got the point across.