REFLECTIONS

REFLECTIONS January  2, 2000 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] God's leading and provision God's leading and provision always begin with the "urge" to pray. That is to say, when God's will is being revealed, He is always about giving us "hints" of what to pray for. Why? Three reasons: He wants to accomplish His good and perfect will, He wants to involve us in the process, and He wants to get the glory for what he does. So He doesn't just DO things and then get the glory for it, because that would leave out the involvement of His people. Nor does He just turn everything over to His people, because He wouldn't get the glory for what is done in the rare case that His will was done through us on our own. So, he sets up a "co-op" with His children, wherein He comes up with the plan, then sets about finding creative ways to get us involved. The first way He involves His people is - He gives them leads and hints about what He wants to get done, and He encourages His faithful servants to pray and believe for this part of His will. Amos 4:13 - He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth--the Lord God Almighty is his name. In the scripture, there are three specific groups of people to whom the Lord reveals mysteries: his prophets (I do nothing without first revealing to my servants, the prophets); his believers who are walking in His Spirit (the Spirit reveals things that no eye has seen nor ear heard nor mind conceived to us by his Spirit); children (Jesus prayed thanks to the Father that He revealed hidden things to little children, because this was His good pleasure). We must always posture ourselves to hear from the Lord by listening as closely as a prophet, by walking continually in the Holy Spirit (who reveals all things), and by maintaining the humble and faith-filled attitude of children. About two years ago, there was this sense among the leadership that it was time to seek the Lord concerning future facilities for a worship and training center for MECF. This sense was not born out of some urgency about the prospect that two years hence our lease was running out at 2011 West Highway 50. It was a "tickling" from the Lord. We heard it, not because the leadership of this church is so prophetic, spiritual, faith filled and humble, but because we were trying to get God's wisdom for this congregation. In direct response to that, I believe, He stirred us to ask Him, more than 20 months before we needed it, for a new location for our worship and training center. Within a couple of months, as we opened this intercessory need to the congregation, the Lord led us to some land. Within 10 months of discovering the 13.5 acres on Ashland Drive, we were signing an agreement with the bank, putting down $60,000 as down payment. And there was immense agreement that it was the Lord. But that really got us no closer to having a new worship and training facility by December 31, 1999--which was then only eight months away. So we continued to pray. Nothing seemed to be happening, but God was at work in the heart of a pastor right across the street who had been trying to sell his church's land and building so they could downsize commensurate with their church's needs. Regardless of what all led to the need of Redemption Fellowship Church to sell their property, God was storing it up for us. The attempts to sell their property to commercial interests for the asking price of $1.4 million came to naught, their frustration and need grew, and they felt they heard from the Lord to sell to us for 40 cents on the dollar. The deal was struck and God allowed us to seal the deal and move in here with His blessing. All this stuff was a mystery two years ago, but not to God. He moved on the leadership of this church concerning the need, He invited us to pray for His will, and He granted it. His leading and provision always begin with an "urge" to pray. And then He sent us confirmation. That's what I want to talk with you about this morning. Confirmation. When you find your way into God's will in a matter (whether by prayer and calculated effort or by just "stumbling into it"), you will always find confirmation. All week long I have been meditating on the confirmation of the Lord regarding this move. I'd like to share those ruminations with you and at the same time point out some biblical precedents and teachings along the way. Geographic Consistency As I was talking with someone the other day I was reminded of something truly startling. Again yesterday brother Brent and I crossed paths and he also brought it up. Let me explain by stepping back some seven years. That is when MECF was still meeting in a catering hall in south Belleville (*which is now a laser-tag place--wouldn't THAT be a fun place to set up for worship on a Sunday morning?) After over two years of cleaning up after whatever party had occurred the night before, and tuning up for worship amid the smell of stale beer and chicken and roast beef leftovers, we began to pray for a place where we could occupy all week long, set up offices and offer more training opportunities. We prayed for wisdom about what we would need, and four criteria stood out: 1) at least 10,000 square feet (enough space for the 120 people then in the church family and classroom space), 2) more than adequate parking, 3) most importantly, a "metro-east" location, and 4) something we could afford. I will shorten the story by simply asserting that we ended up in a storefront on the second busiest four-lane road in the metro-east. We were so much not a part of any particular city that, when we moved in, there was still confusion whether our address was Fairview Heights or O'Fallon. Think along with me--since that move, the Lord has led us unmistakably to buy property for longer range building plans just four blocks to the west of that location, and one year later He led us to purchase short-term facilities just one-tenth of a mile to the east of that facility. Let me ask you--do you think the Lord wants us in this neighborhood. DUH! Not only does this tight proximity of worship center locations stand out as providential, but it also lends credence and confirmation to each of the moves along the way. The Leadership Certainty I've said on several occasions how good it is to work with our leadership at this church. From the moment that Joe Kniepman and Billy Mathews stepped into their roles as elders of this church there has been a stability and self-evident "rightness" about the Leadership Team God had put together. We have not always agreed on things. We have often shared differing opinions, but we have always been dedicated to the biblical principles laid out in our "Covenant of Leadership Unity" (copies on back table). While there have been minor differences in our approach and thoughts on various matters, there has more importantly been an astonishing sense of unity and agreement. When we come to terms, it is not because we have fought something through or two of us has kow-towed to the strong assertion of the third man. It has always been through dedicated seasons of prayer and thorough research. My favorite term for this decision-making process is "Pray and Do Your Homework". I said there has always been an astonishing sense of unity and agreement, and that is true, but rarely has there been such a level of agreement on anything as there was on this particular move. Once the idea had been prayed over and researched, we KNEW this was where we were to set up our next Worship and Training Center. It was established in faith. The next thing was to share the idea with the Team Leaders and Cell Leaders, asking them to pray and seek the Lord on the matter with us. There was almost instant agreement (same pattern as in 1998 re: Ashland Drive). Most of you will remember when we brought the idea to the congregation just a few months ago. There was the expected series of questions--some we had anticipated, and some we had not anticipated. A little more research, some answers, and it wasn't long before everyone was not only convinced it was right, but actually excited about the move. When the Body of Christ comes into agreement about something, that is the Holy Spirit's premium method of confirmation. You can read about it in the Book of Acts--the only place in the scriptures where we actually have record of the minutes of church meetings. Yes we do--Acts 6 where the problem of the feeding of Grecian widows was brought the attention of the leaders, who prayed over the matter. They brought their answer to the attention of the church and verse 5 says, "This proposal pleased the whole group." Then there's the meeting of the teachers and prophets in Acts 13, who were praying and they felt a strange leading--that two of their best leaders should be sent out on missionary work indefinitely! Notice, this leading occurred in the midst of worshiping and fasting. The fasted and prayed some more, came to confirmed agreement, and they laid their hands on Paul and Barnabas and sent them off. And the church prospered. In Acts 15, the leaders of the wider church came together on tough issues, prayed, discussed and decided. And the church prospered. The unity and agreement of the body, particularly among the praying leaders, is the strongest single confirmation of God's leading the church gets from the Holy Spirit. If there is no unity at the leadership level--don't go there! All the better when that consensus is found among the whole body of the church. There was the Geographic Consistency, the Leadership Certainty, and the third confirming feature is the Church Unity In two months MECF is eleven years old. In those 130 months this church has been in existence, I have never seen the level of unity and cooperation so high as I have in the past three-to-four weeks. This was, among other things, God's confirming word on the move to this facility. I said "among other things"--and by that I meant that the unity of the believers is much more than simply a confirmation of the correctness of a move. The unity of the church if nothing short of the WILL OF GOD. We are commanded, according to Ephesians 4 (and elsewhere) to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. There is nothing like a congregation of people working together in a common direction. The psalmist described it in these terms, Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity! This unity is not some ecclesiastical decision to merge two denominations, or a bunch of churches coming together to help support the Billy Graham Crusade or hold a community Thanksgiving service (as good and appropriate as that is). With a little work, you can always get Christians to cooperate on common things--for a while. But when you get a group of Christians serving together with one another for the long haul, you've got something! Let me share a couple of thoughts concerning this unity and cooperation: Cooperative unity is enhanced when people forget themselves for a while and focus on the higher good of the community. When people wake up to a higher cause than their own comfort or security they become good citizens, good neighbors and hard workers. This is what has happened the past couple weeks around this church. I am so proud of you and what you have done. I want to bring two quick exhortations in this regard: 1) if cooperative unity is enhanced when people forget themselves for a season and focus on the higher good of the community, then let's do it for longer stretches of time. Let's keep the noble spirit of Philippians 2 where no one looks only on his own needs but first on the needs of his brothers. 2) secondly, let's strive to look to the very highest of causes--that of outreach to those around us who are lost. Pulling together and working so hard to get this building ready is very good, but, I keep sensing the Holy Spirit urging us on to even higher, nobler goals like evangelism and missions. Our primary calling as a church is to expand the kingdom of God, and the acquisition and improvement and use of property and buildings are only means to that end. That's why you'll always hear your leadership referring to this building and property as a "Worship and Training Center", and not as a "church". You are the church--this building just keeps the weather out while we prepare ourselves for winning the lost world to Jesus. Before I share the second element that enhances the unity and cooperation of the body, I want to pause on this first point--people in the family working hard as they put the needs of the community before their own--and share some well-placed words of appreciation. I was around both worship centers a lot in the past few weeks and I noticed some hard-working servants who gave up a lot of their time and energy in this project. We did a lot more than just move to a new location--we renovated this place. And every time I turned around I saw some who spent many, many hours of love--people like Gary Monroe,  Sonny Theobald, Joe Kniepman Chris Daman, Ron Bersett, Marge Williams Billy Mathews, Cheryl Mathews, Mike Whitehead Chris Palmisano, Bruce Betker, Elaine Betker Steve Hampton, Matt Titcombe, Bob Claus Lori deCarvalho, Charlotte Bersett And that's not to mention dozens of others who went well beyond what was expected of them. We ALL want to say to you leaders in labor: THANK YOU! There are two others I want to mention in a special way, but let me cover this last point, as it is so pertinent. Cooperative unity in the body of Christ is enhanced by leaders who step out to serve, considering others more important than themselves, but there is another element to the cooperative unity of the body of Christ. Everything flows more perfectly and productively when the right, gifted people are working in their particular areas of strength at the right time. In the body of Christ, the New Testament says, everyone has gifts, or parts they play in the overall health of that body. When every part is functioning properly (that is, when every person is in the right place at the right time), the whole body functions well. This principle was enacted so well in the past couple of weeks. Let me mention two individuals in particular whose gifts and efforts have played such an important role in the move we experienced. During the building of the Temple in the Old Testament, there were certain artisans who were deployed to get certain important jobs done. Their expertise brought design and beauty to the whole project. The leadership of MECF determined that, simultaneous to our move we would introduce our new program for ministry to children. Playing a major role in getting that program ready, under the direction of Cheryl Mathews, was our resident artist, Dave Brandt. He did a splendid job, and if you haven't been downstairs to see what excitement awaits our children in the coming days, you will have the chance to see it as we close today. Thank you, Dave. The other person whom we need to acknowledge as a wonderful example of one who not only demonstrated dedicated service and hard work, but whose gifts and talents made him the perfect man for the job was our Facilities Team Leader, Ed Williams. God put in this man abilities of leadership, management, organization and people skills that came to the fore in such a magnificent and helpful way. If you marveled at how well things went, if you were pleased that when you got here to work, everything was ready for you, if you were amazed at the smoothness of this entire operation, then you have two to thank: God, who gifted and released Ed as our transition leader, and Ed, who said YES to the Lord and made himself available for the Lord's use. Thank you, Ed. I want to close with the reading of a selected verses from First Corinthians, chapters 12-15. Then we're going to offer prayers of dedication of this property to the Lord and His purposes through us.  1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 12:11, 12:14, 12:24b-27, 14:40, 15:58                   [Back to Top]