Tomorrow we begin a 13-month adventure. We share a common goal to serve our church family with excellence during this very important interim season. We share a common focus to advance the mission of the kingdom, namely reaching the lost, training devoted followers of Christ, and sending them unto the harvest fields. We must not simply maintain during this season. There is a rising sense of urgency during this hour! This is a defining moment for our movement and everywhere I go people are eager to engage. We will either become an irrelevant institution or a mighty spiritual force!
In 1998, Hurricane Mitch wrecked havoc across Central America, especially in Honduras. The casualties were steep: 5,600 people perished, 12,300 were injured and 8,600 people disappeared. The infrastructure of roads was decimated and 150 bridges were destroyed or damaged. The Choluteca Bridge, built by Japanese engineers and donated to the Hondurans, was the most modern bridge in the region and it remained intact. While it was not damaged, the bridge was no longer necessary because the hurricane changed the flow of the river that once ran beneath it (view a photo).
A bridge typically spans a body of water and connects two pieces of dry land. When the water beneath it no longer flows, you can hardly call it a bridge. Without water, a bridge has lost its purpose. It is simply a monument to a past feat of engineering but it has no current relevance. Some critics of the church say it is like that bridge, without purpose and relevance. On many fronts The Foursquare Church is experiencing some incredible gains while in other areas we need to ramp up our missional efforts. Jesus challenged us in Matthew 9:38 to “pray for laborers”! Let’s commit ourselves anew to that critical prayer as well as intensifying our efforts to be the relevant wineskin into which Jesus will pour new wine.
Your partnership is critical. You play an indispensable part in this great symphony and no one else can play your part. Let our song rise to the Lord as it did for Israel in Old Testament times. Let our song declare His Majesty; let it declare our dependency on Him; and let it declare our hope for the days before us!
