...CommentsThe Pastor's Vision
"Pulling Down Strong Holds and Building Up Relationships" (2 Co. 10:3-8)
January 09, 2000
Here Am I
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" and I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
Isa 6:8 (NIV)
Here is a simple verse, the verse comes in the midst of a life crisis for Isaiah. I believe God does not wait for us to get everything together in order to call us into service. Let me clarify this. Once God has saved us He immediately beginnings toequip us. At the very same time we may be dealing with what we consider our own issues. Remember even though you are going through some things God wants you and I to answer His call. When we answer the call of God we are expressing out trust in God to work out the details of our lives. Are you standing behind a load of cares and don't believe God can see you? The reason why He is calling you is because He can see you.
Antioch the 21st Century looms before us. We can be overwhelmed by it or we can know that the end of any great journey begins with the first step. In the next few weeks we shall set our course for 2000 and beyond. Our indebtedness will be at 300.000 by the time we finish our worship investment. Let us remember that God has seen us through in the past and He will see us through our present endeavors. What God presses on us is to stand and say, "here am I." We are like Ester – we have come into the kingdom for such a time as this. Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. Can God count on you and I to carry out His will? Can God call you beyond the cares of every day living? Can God snatch you out of the fire of sin? Basically can God rely on you?
My vision of Antioch is a bold group of believers who are always attentive of god saying daily, "Lord, here am I". The logical continence is, Send me! God has a Kingdom Agenda and we must rise to the challenge set before us. Antioch we are looking to you for solutions to the deterioration of our community, the destruction of the family, the degradation of education, and for the dismantling of our moral inferstructure. God wants us to challenge the laxity in life-style. God wants us to stand for what is right no mater what the price may be. This is the year for each of us to say, Here am I!