A Tapestry

Today we worshipped at East Lanier, where our pastor preached on the importance of church planting. It was wonderful to worship again with this body and to see many familiar faces and friends. Ralph preached from Acts 8:4, from which he encouraged us to preach the Gospel as we are going. Often I think of preaching the Gospel as an event, but from both this passage as well as the Great Commission passage in Matthew, we see that we are to make disciples “as we are going.” This means that it is not an event in our lives, but a way of living our lives. We are to live out the Gospel. One of the things that I’ve come to appreciate through this trial of cancer is how God is in the midst of interweaving so many tapestries “as we are going.” We never know who has gone before us and who will come after us. As we live out the Gospel, which more than often should include us sharing the Gospel with our words, God is at work in the lives of those around us, bring our actions and those of others in the Body, together for His glory. We’ve seen this at work in the ministry of those caring for us. So many people have done so many individual acts of ministry, but God has woven them together to meet every need we’ve had. I often think of wanting to do everything for others. There are so many needs around us. But God has gifted me to do just certain things, as He has others, and He gets the glory for bringing them all together. The same is true in church planting. God scatters his people out to do that which He has enabled us to do. When we obey, we see His work in all its glory. As the Scripture says, some sow, some water, and some reap. When we fail to obey, it doesn’t tie God’s hands. He still works, which is a beautiful thing. He is gracious, carrying out His will beyond our mistakes. But oh the pleasure we can enjoy when we obey Him. When we walk by the Spirit, and follow His leading, we get to witness the tapestry of His glory. One of the songs we sang this morning, from Psalm 73 I believe, dealt with the selfishness we often find ourselves in as we see others who apparently are thriving. We wallow in self-pity, asking “why me?” It is easy for us to do this, whether we are dealing with cancer, death, financial struggles, or relational difficulties. But when we walk by the Spirit, the scales are peeled back from our eyes so that we get small glimpses of what God is doing. Our struggles aren’t about us, any more than our victories. Both are to be lived through, for the glory of God. He is using both, weaving them together, weaving them with the lives of others, to proclaim His great name and His great worth. When we preach the Gospel, as we are going, where we are in the place God has put us, we have the opportunity to revel in His work. When we wallow in self-pity, and ask “why me?” we continually miss what God is doing. He doesn’t cease His work because we disobey. He is the King. He still works. But we can enjoy the tapestry He is weaving, and stand in awe of who He is and all that He is, when we simply obey Him. So today, as you are going, live out the Gospel. Ask God to give you His perspective. When you feel like life is flopping, plead with God to give you eyes to see. He is at work. It’s a glorious thing!

Tomorrow Leslie begins pre-planning. Please pray for strength for her this week. Pray that God would protect her body from the bugs that like to float around elementary schools. But more than anything, pray that as she goes about her work that the fragrance of the Gospel would emanate around her so that others see her not with eyes of pity, but with eyes of appreciation for our great God!