...CommentsThe Pastor's Vision
February 20, 2000
Joel 2:28-32 (NJV)
As pastor I am burdened with our understanding of our covenant god and His covenant people. To be very clear Antioch we are God's covenant people. With this in mind there is a question that haunts my mind. What will a covenant God do to a covenant peopl e when they walk away from Him? This question is meant to impact us both collectively and individually. If you examine our past seven years what will you conclude God is saying to us? I believe God is saying grow up! God brings hardships upon us as a body to purge us. God does not bring these hardships so that we can point fingers at one another.
I have said before we are at a turning point. I say again, we are at a turning point! There will be many who will be uncomfortable with these pastoral state ments. I believe it is time for us to stand up for the direction of God. God through His Son said, "Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us." The challenge is to stand on the same side. When we believe the world more than God then we ha ve broke the covenant of our God. It is impossible to say I believe the principles of God then live opposite of those principles. There is dishonesty in this position that is inexcusable. We wonder why the church is ineffective it is because we will no t do what the Master says.
Just as the locus devour everything in the book of Joel we are beginning devoured today. I don't want us to shift our attention to some other church but to deal with our church. In seven years we have come a long way. Now we st and at the door once again, the door of leadership and the door of our future. Some will say we are not doing good, but I say we are doing great because God has re-established our light. Some will say we care too much about money, but I say God tells us to be good stewards. Some will say we are going in the wrong direction, but I say God' s people parish with no vision. When we as God's people do not stand for God's way, we will be devoured even as we are today.
Let me share with you the movement of God in Waterloo. This week a believer came to me and said God told me that I needed to talk to you (Rev. Coleman). This was much to my surprise. We proceeded to talk for the next several hours. As I spoke with this believer God revealed unto me why he sen t them to me. This is a humbling experience because it should not be a thing taken lightly when one presumes to speak on God's behalf. My words concluded thus, to do what God says will not be popular but it is your responsibility to answer God's call on your life, know what God has said concerning your issue, and submit to the authority of the church where God has placed you. As pastor I believe these three simple yet Devine directives would serve Antioch well.