There Has Got To Be More!
I wrote this down a few years ago after breakfast with Scott Sistrunk.
Scott tole me there was a mega-church near where he was planting a church. The Lord told him to go to a service at the church. After several times the Lord prompting him, he finally went to one of the three service times available on a Sunday.
The music was pretty good. The guy leading the service taking care of preliminaries did fine. They take a few minutes to take up the offering.
The pastor presented a strong biblical message on repentance. I felt like if he would have made an altar call, people would have come forward. Instead, he wraps it up by flashing a slide with information and informs the crowd,
“If you want to find out more about our church this is what you need to do.”
As he was walking out with that crowd of people as the next crowd was walking in, the Lord impressed on his heart, “Those that are satisfied with this they are getting here; you will not reach them.”
However, those who are not satisfied are the ones you can reach. Those with the thought, “There has got to be more.”
Looking for those dissatisfied with this well-planned and organized version of Christianity.
Reminded me of a story I was told by Stewart Lassiter. A missionary of many years told me his testimony and journey into the pentecostal experience and doctrine. Bro Lassiter grew up in Clinton, Mississippi, and was a member of the First Baptist till they moved to Kentucky. When they moved to Kentucky, he was a professor at the University of Kentucky and went to the big baptist church in town. After a season, he and his wife just felt like there had to be more available than they were experiencing. They began to pray and seek God with sincere hunger for all God had for them.
One day a family moved next door to them. When they met them, they were told, “We are here to start a pentecostal church.” Through this, God showed them what they were missing and in time experienced the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Bro. and Sister Lassiter became the first members of that church.
Think of that. God moved a man and his family to that town and directed their house selection to live right next door to a family praying for a greater understanding and experience of truth!! Not long after they went on the mission field, that church they were the first members in, ceased to exist. It would seem God sent that Man and family to reach Bro. Lassiter and family.
The seen long-term results became one family that would influence the world through their witness and ministry in world missions. I believe every city has people who are dissatisfied with their experience with God. Sincere, devout, faithful with what they know, and praying, thinking, and seeking what they feel is missing in their walk with God.
My prayer today is, Lord, help us connect to and reach for those hungry for more than what they have in the city I live in and the communities around me.
Further, I pray that everyone in the congregation I pastor, as well as every other Apostolic Church, the people would be prayerfully open and reaching for those hungry souls they live beside, work with, and meet throughout their week.