Why I haven’t quite recovered

It’s Wednesday and I still haven’t recovered.

I witness something this weekend that I have never seen before in my life. 

Children, retirees, teens, men, women, college students, marrieds, singles. It didn’t matter. No one walked away unaffected. 

As a church, Harvester Christian has been reading Not A Fan by Kyle Idelman. Pastor Brian implored us to figure out what we had really said yes to or what we had turned down. This past Sunday was Commitment Sunday, sort of a line in the sand if you will, of whether we would become committed followers of Christ or just continue to stand on the sidelines as a fan of Jesus. 

http://www.notafan.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=22

Somehow, in less than 40 minutes Brian preached an entire baptism class, re-dedication class, surrender for salvation class. You can watch it here ===>http://www.harvesterchristian.org/messages-media/sermons/

I was present at 3 out of the 4 services. I saw and felt the same thing over and over again. I would come through the double doors in the front to serve as a prayer partner at the end of each sermon and the electrical force in the auditorium would almost drop me to my knees. Not any weird way but I promise you the Holy Spirit was doing His thing. But don’t get me wrong. There were other forces present also. You could feel the battle as Satan tried to convince people to stay concreted in their seats. Their crossed arms and stony faces were proof. But then God would win. There was an incredibly powerful movement going on.

Somewhere around 114 people committed their lives to Christ through the public demonstration of baptism. I prayed with a family that mama and daddy had been baptized the night before. Their two daughters were baptized on Sunday. The daddy told me it was because their youngest daughter had been coming to church with a friend. I told the little girl she had changed the course of their family for generations. I thought it would freak her out. She looked me dead in the eye with old soul wisdom and said “I do know.”

I prayed with teens, single moms, newly marrieds, I prayed with people that didn’t want to stand on the sideline anymore. They were embarrassed to see themselves as users and consumers of the church. They wanted to be committed to Christ outside of Sunday morning. 

I share this as point of joy and celebration. It was amazing. It was so poignant and emotional. But I also share this because on Saturday night at a soccer game,  I sat near a big old college kid who I just assumed because he went to my church and because who his parents were that he had already committed his life to Christ.

Guess who I had to stand on fully extended tippy toes

to hug on Sunday morning after his baptism. 

I am so excited what this means for our church going into the new year. I’m still celebrating with those who surrendered to Christ. But it also serves as a reminder for the committed Christian to not make assumptions. To not assume just because a group of people show up at the same place at the same time that we are all under the blood of Christ. 

Search out the seekers. Love them in their journey. Grant them continual grace in their process. Simply guide them through God’s word.