Gathering and Sending

Jesus often gathered people around Him. He also sent people out on mission for Him often. The church today seeks to gather. While a few are sent we are much more content to keep gathering and seizing into our possession those gathered without releasing them to will of God. We like to pad our attendance, offerings, and ministries. Sending means dwindling attendance, smaller offerings, and fewer volunteers for ministry.

In [Mark 6:7-13] Jesus gathers the disciples and then sends them out. That means He appointed for the disciples a place to go and and to minister. That also means they had to depart from Him. Being sent means leaving people and a places you may love. I wonder today who hears the call of God to be sent.

[Is 6:8] Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Who is praying that prayer today. Who is pleading with God jumping up and down with hand in the air saying, "God, here I am. Pick me! Choose me! I will go! Let me do it!"

That is what God is looking for. Availability. You may have remained in your holy huddle for years and now the voice of the Spirit of God is saying to you, "Will you go for ME? Will you pack up, will you sacrifice all that is safe and secure and follow ME? I am choosing you to go for ME." 

[Acts 16:9] And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; a certain man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

This is not a vision. Yet this is a preacher calling out to any serious believer willing to follow God to come help us at Faith Community Church. I am asking you to prayerfully consider that plea for help. I pray God would take this simple plea and alter the course of your life as He did mine two years ago. Will you come and help us? Would you conclude from reading this that God is calling you to come and help us preach the gospel and minister to Wise and Parker Counties? I cannot produce a vision but I can make the same plea the man from Macedonia did. Will you come and help us?

God gathered us into His fold but now He is sending us out. For some of us that has meant departing and going to an appointed place. For others that means you are about to depart to follow God to an appointed destination to serve Him. Faith Community Church is just one option. There are scores of other places you can do the same.

For those of you who already call Faith Community Church home a word of warning. The day will come when many of you will be sent to plant other churches in other regions, states and nations. God gathered us together but the day may come when God sends some out. I might be in that number and on the other hand, I might be the one grieving the loss of spiritual family as God sends you out on special assignment for Him.

I rejoice when God gathers. I also rejoice when God sends. He is Lord over both.