"But you will receive power (and ability) when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.""
ACTS 1:8 AMP
The EASIEST Door to open...
Without a doubt, the easiest door to open, is one that has already been opened for you! So, with that said, let me ask, have you received the "Power" promised in Acts 1:8... yet? Be prepared here, because the truth may surprise you. According to Scripture, from Pentecost forward, this promise is actually an already opened door, that all believers, everywhere, have access to. So, if you have personally trusted Jesus as your Savior, and have asked and invited him into your life, the answer, and your personal reality as a believer, is "Yes, you have access to both the Power promised, and access to the availability of more power than you can even begin to imagine!" (Acts 2:17-21, 38-39, Romans 8:9-11, 10:9-10). In other words, that promise of God’s Holy Spirit is an existing open door to the supernatural meeting of every need God’s Church and you personally will ever face! And, if you honestly feel like you don’t have it, then please understand, you can simply ask for it (Luke 11:13) and then you can trust that you have received, and you can start living like you have what you asked for. And, if you still (or ever) feel like you need more of God’s Spirit, more of God’s strength, more of God’s power, then ask for that too! Whatever the need, there is more than enough Holy Spirit, more than enough power, more than enough gifting, more than enough God... to accomplish that which God desires in, and through, and for you... be specific, and, again, just start living like the need you have, the Holy Spirit, the power and the giftings you have asked for, have/has been provided.
If you still don’t "feel" like you have it, then go to an Altar of prayer and ask for it there, or go to someone in whom you see the obvious empowerment of the Holy Spirit that is evidenced in their lives and ask them to pray over and for you as you personally ask the Lord for what you need (with them in agreement in prayer with you, and as a witness to your prayer request). Remember what Paul said to Timothy regarding the gifting he had received through the laying on of Paul’s hands in 2 Timothy 1:6.
In my personal experience and understanding, God has provided us an open door to His Holy Spirit, His Power and His Gifts. And there is always more power and there are always more giftings available to us. Always! Not only that, but God’s Word even encourages us to desire more or additional empowerment and giftings (1 Corinthians 12:31 & 14:1). I truly believe God desires to pour His power through this door He has opened for us and into us so abundantly that others will see and believe, and that ultimately the church would be empowered and be continuously being built up (Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 12:7 & Ephesians 4:12) through the giftings and empowerment God provides.
Remember, it’s not about "feeling" like you’ve got it, it’s about living like you’ve got it. It’s about knowing what God’s Word says about what God has given and provided for you, and living like you believe it. Again, in my personal experience, I have found that my "positive feelings" follow faithful action, they don’t usually come before it. Even the 70 whom Jesus sent out in Luke 10 "came back" rejoicing (Luke 10:17) and the Scriptures even record that Jesus "rejoiced" as He celebrated their triumphant return and their obedience to His Word (Luke 10:21). So, regarding the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, Ask for it, Wait for it, Believe you have Received it, and... Go for it!
"The DOORS"
In 1966, the Psychedelic Rock band, "The Doors" wrote "Come on Baby Light My Fire." The song was predominantly written by Doors guitarist, Robby Krieger, with Jim Morrison actually only contributing the second verse and his signature vocals. The song was recorded in August of 1966, and officially released in January of 1967. Upon release, it was not only an instant classic, but in many ways became the sound of a generation, and is even today considered one of the top 100 best Rock songs of all time. Rolling Stone Magazine ranks it #37 in it’s "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."
But, what does all this have to do with Church Planting and "Difficult Doors?" "Light my Fire" is a song all about the impulsive abandonment of cultural and personal inhibitions in exchange for the flames of passion, regardless of the possibility of... even death.
"The time to hesitate is through... No time to wallow in the mire... Try now we can only lose... And our love become a funeral pyre..." (Verse 2)
Practically speaking, I believe this is what we (the Church) need/needs more of today. The "Sanctified" fusion of Agape (self-sacrificial love) and Eros (passionate-pursuant desire) regarding our personal love for Jesus and our willingness to do whatever it takes to reach those He ultimately gave His life for. What might a healthy dose of "Agape/Eros" look like in and through the Church today? I think we can see it implied in places like Mark 12:30-31, John 13:35, 14:15, Romans 12:1-2 and Acts 1:8 (for a little "extra-credit" do a word study on the Greek word for "witnesses" used here), but why don’t we do better at living it out? Just imagine what might happen if we started living like we (Agape/Eros) loved Jesus and began (Agape/Eros) pursuing the lost in Jesus Name... Might we be overcome with a passion and a purpose unlike anything we have ever known?
With all of that said, in my experience, THE THREE MOST DIFFICULT DOORS TO OPEN IN CHURCH PLANTING are:
#1) Your Front Door.
- You can’t just stay home or stay inside the doors of your church meeting space or office and expect people who need Jesus to come to you. Mobile office, Meet your community, Make yourself Go!
#2) Your Car Door.
- Driving by people who need Jesus is not enough. Stop the car, open the door and walk the streets. Driving by and through makes you a commuter, get out and be part of the community.
#3) Every Door behind which the people you need to reach (in order for you to fulfill your calling as a Church-Planter) work, live and do life.
- Make yourself go... business to business, door to door, person to person. In "March Madness" terms, it’s time for a Man to Man, Full Court Press. Pound the pavement, press the flesh, own the town! To the best of your ability, There should be nobody who knows the town better than you, and nobody more well known in the town than you. Be and Go where the people are every day! If your not "good" at this, get "good" at this.
See: Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:14-18, Matthew 7:7-8
Here are a few Door Opener Actions and Questions I’ll refer to as "Tactical Door Busters."
TACTICAL DOOR BUSTER ACTIONS
Prayers - (Pray everywhere you go, and Offer to pray for those whom you meet and get to know, as the Holy Spirit prompts.)
Notes - (Send notes, emails, texts, and FB Messages, of encouragement to those whom you meet and get to know.)
Gifts - (Donuts, Cinnamon Rolls, Free Lunches work wonders! Drop by the local school office with donuts for the teachers and staff and watch the doors open up.)
Time - (Give your time to people you are meeting and getting to know.)
Service - (Volunteer to help with community, school and/or neighborhood events and activities. Be available to meet needs as they arise in the community you are a part of.)
Presence - (Be where the people in your community are: Sporting Events, School Activities, Community Events, Ribbon Cuttings, Moving Vans, City Council Meetings, Law Enforcement Ride-Alongs, Their Workplaces, Your "Mobile Office," Lunches, Suppers, Restaurants, Etc! BE CREATIVE & OBSERVANT!)
TACTICAL DOOR BUSTER QUESTIONS
As you meet people, be casual, but also personal and approachable. Ask questions as you get to know them and as you see them from day to day.
"How’s Life?"
"How Can I Help?"
"How Can I Pray For You?"
AND, if you do actually ask one or all of these questions to a person God has placed before you and brought you to a moment of divine intersection with, then remember to Shut up and listen to them long enough to find out what the NEED really is, and who the PERSON really is who is speaking it to you. Remember, People don’t care WHO you are and HOW much YOU know, until THEY can personally see and know HOW MUCH you really CARE to know WHO and HOW THEY really are.
And, When nothing really seems to be working, remember to... PRAY and KNOCK! God’s got you! Be Bold (2 Timothy 1:7-8)! And, in light of the proximity of St. Patrick’s Day to this BlogPost, remember St. Patrick’s Prayer (also known as the "Morning Prayer," "St. Patrick’s Breastplate," or "The Lorica"). Whether St. Patrick actually wrote this prayer or not is functionally irrelevant, because THIS my friends, needs to be the daily prayer of the 21st Century Church-Planter!
"I arise today
... Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.
I arise today...
Through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.
Christ shield me today
Against wounding...
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
I arise today... Through the mighty strength Of the Lord of creation."
- Keep On Keepin’ On In Jesus!
- Rob Schmutz
