Warning: God is dealing with your pastor. The first two sessions of the convention have been great. Last night J.D. Greear, Mac Brunson, and Chuck Colson challenged us to repent of traditionalism and engage the business of making disciples.
This morning Ed Stetzer dropped an atomic bomb on the convention by calling us to unity in love for the common cause of evangelism. His message was followed by Francis Chan who told the moving story of planting a church, leaving that church, and returning. He shared with us how the picture of our churches often does not match the picture of the church in Acts. One illustration was particularly moving. A gang leader was saved at the church. (The church is located in a part of Cal. where there is a heavy gang population). The man was baptized but then did not come back. Later the pastor found out that the man was disappointed with church, because he thought it would be a family like his gang used to be. The pastor said, "It is sad when gangs resemble the church of the NT more than the church." You can imagine the silence in the room. The final message was by a man named Tom Eliff. He shared a moving story and called for forgiveness. It was one of the most remarkable services that I have been a part of for a long time. I may get the DVD for our church to watch.
The time away is a blessing. Thank you for making this trip possible. I thank God for you and for a wife who will watch the kids by herself while I am gone. God is better to me than I deserve. He is speaking to me. Over the last few weeks, we have been grieved by God over the state of Christianity in McMinn County. All over our area churches, pastors, and people are hurting. Now God is asking us: What are you going to do about it? How will we join God in this great work? Stayed tuned, because I know that God will supply the answers that we need.
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