Church today was extra special and meaningful. We were accompanied by a dear cousin. It had been a long time since she had attended church. And well, our church doesn't resemble the typical church. We attend one of the campuses of McLean Bible Church, so the building we meet in used to be an office building and is very modern looking (e.g., no stain glass windows, no alter, no pews). A live band plays praise and worship music that could be considered Christian rock, and the sermon is broadcasted live (or with a slight delay) from the main campus onto big screens. I had been looking forward to her coming with us for weeks, but I fretted about whether this was the right atmosphere to reintroduce her to church. I worried about what the sermon would be about, hoping it would be something that she could relate to. Then I realized there was no need to worry! God's in control! So before leaving the house this morning, I just dropped to my knees and prayed that today's experience would be a good one for her and that she would be reminded of God's love for her. And let me tell you, God answers prayers! I could not have asked for a better day for her to visit. It began with the baptism of two school-aged children, so young, yet so eager to put their faith in Jesus and so sincere about their love for him. The music was wonderful and I felt goose bumps and the presence of God there among us while we worshiped. The sermon was so powerful and really pertinent to everyone from seekers, new believers, and long-time Christians who still have room for growth. Lon Solomon (the senior pastor of MBC) talked about change in Christ and used the example of the Apostle Paul. Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and changed his life around and became one of leaders of the early church and preached the gospel everywhere. Lon went on to show us the story of Dwayne Wade's mother to illustrate that change in Jesus is as real in today's modern world as it was 2000 years ago. I don't know anything about basketball, but apparently Wade is a big All-Star or something. Anyways, the point is that his mother used to be a drug addict and a dealer, and was in and out of prison. One day she walked into a church and found Jesus. After that she changed her life completely and even got ordained as a Baptist minister. Dwayne Wade used some of his money to buy her a church and today she preaches the Word and uses her life as an example of God's grace. This story brought tears to our eyes as we sat there and listened. God is so good and true change is possible through faith in Jesus. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)."
While sitting there I had to smile to myself also. "Ok, Lord. I get it. Change. That seems to be the theme lately." If you don't already know, when God really thinks something is important, he repeats it again and again in the Bible to make the point very clear. And I believe he does that in our lives to. It's what any parent who truly loves their children would do to teach them an important lesson. Here I sat, with my cousin beside me, praying that the story would resonate with her, and realizing that God was speaking to me too. Lon continued the sermon by applying the lesson to those of us who already believe but who need further growth. We are already new creatures in Christ, but sometimes old habits die hard. Remember my last post and how I said sometimes my temper and impatience get the better of me still? Yup, God was reminding me of that. Sitting there, I felt him challenging me to speed up the process that began 8 years ago. Luckily, today's sermon gave me the formula to do so: (1) practice spiritual disciplines; (2) practice obedience to God -- don't argue with him, just trust him and be a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1); (3) and serve God with "fervor" and "zeal" (Romans 12:11). And I also realized, this must be why I felt compelled to start this blog. It's a way to hold myself accountable for being in the Word everyday; to seek God's presence; to recognize his hand in my everyday life; to practice my obedience to him; and in the process, serve him through sharing my story.
Today's sermon hasn't been posted yet online, but should sometime tonight or tomorrow. So follow this link to get it then: http://www.mcleanbible.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=84375
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