Who’s In the House?
When we started Rock Bridge 5 years ago we studied what other churches were doing and we looked at various models and methods for doing ministries. Some people said you have to do music a certain way, do small groups, be casual, be creative, etc. etc. I would say that those type of issues are important and to be be “contextualized” based on each church’s mission & vision.Â
However, I think there is one thing that is much more important than traditional or contemporary music, casual or formal dress, live teaching or video, Sunday School or small groups, expository or topical preaching, etc. … it is what Moses was talking about here and David here – churches must be filled with the Presence of God. Â
I have been so convicted at the amount of time I’ve spent studying systems, programs, the order of service, and staffing models versus the amount of time I’ve spent talking with God and seeking His Presence for my life and the church I am called to serve! I’m not saying those other areas are not important and don’t have huge strategic implications for churches (because they do!) … but I am saying that above all else, the one thing I want most for my life and for Rock Bridge is to be marked by the Presence of God!!Â
- We can be creative, contemporary and trendy but without God’s Presence what seperates us from Vegas or Disney? (Moses realized that only God’s Presence made Israel ‘distinct’ from the other nations.)
- Moses asked God for His presence and God granted it … WOW!! (I think this is a specific and special responsibility placed on church leaders, especially Senior Pastors. At RBCC we’ve built this into our staffing strategy).
- The first ‘church’ was told to do nothing but WAIT until God’s presence arrived!!! (Acts 1:4)
- God promised to give His Spirit to those who asked with persistence and faith! (Luke 11:5-13)
- What do people in a lost, fallen, & broken world need most – to be restored to our “original” status … able to enter into God’s Presence!
- Most churches I know do some sort of review or critique of their worship services. We ask what worked and what didn’t … everything from cleanliness to the sound mix to the attendance figures … when is the last time we’ve asked, “Was God in the house?”