Photo credit: pipnstuff (Creative Commons)
Simple/organic churches can be inward looking. But when we seek Jesus, making him the center of everything that goes on and we ask him what is on his heart, we may find things change…
A few months ago, our simple/organic church spent time learning to listen to God. Each week we did different activities to hone those skills. One week, our activity was for everyone to spend 15 minutes alone asking the Lord the question, "What would you say to us as a group?"
When we came back together again, more than 50% of the group had heard the same message. The word came in various different ways:
"It's time to be light in the darkness, to gain a vision for your city and your people."
"I had the story from Luke 14 where Jesus said to give a banquet inviting the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind."
"The Lord showed me the verse in Romans 10:17, that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."
"John 15, that if we remain in him, we will bear much fruit, and that fruit is more disicples."
"Feed the hungry, but remain hungry for the Lord."
"Mark 16:15: we're to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every person. We're to have an impact wherever we are in our world."
Perhaps the clearest and the one that we have discussed on many occasions since then was a picture someone had of a small group of people next to a small fruit tree, which turned into a bigger group of people next to a bigger fruit tree, and finally many groups of people next to many fruit trees. The sense the person had was that if we listen to the Lord, a lot of fruit will come. As we follow his instructions, groups will multiply.
It's been interesting to watch what has happened to us since then. There are probably four new groups that are in the process of forming as people listen to the Lord and obey what he tells them to do, reaching out into the world around them.
What is God saying to your group? Have you asked him?
