Our Amazing God, and My Lack Of Faith

I was gonna call this post "6:8 Summerfest Review", and review all the things that happened during our first annual kickoff-to-VBS/community-wide-worship-service/mini-Godstock/day-long-celebration-of-Jesus. We had games, inflatables, a dunk tank, water slides, more games, BBQ, water balloons, a MASSIVE sound system, stage with moving LED lighting, tiki torches, a birthday cake to the face, and a TON of people that came out to celebrate with us. It was the first time I had attempted planning anything of this size and nature, and it took an incredible amount of time and energy to put it all together...almost more than I had of both! There were times during the process that I thought to myself, "Is all this work truly worth it?" Boy, did God have an answer to THAT question.

I'd do it all again 1,000 times over. Why? Not because people had fun. Not because our VBS was kicking off the next week. Not because the praise band rocked it out. Not because the sound system could be heard, literally, across town. Not because Lakeside BBQ is so good it'll make you go down the road talkin' to yourself.

I'd do it again 1,000 times over because our amazing God showed up. 

When God first gave us this crazy idea, there were people that said, "there's no way HHCC can do this", or, "It's just too much work", or "insert excuse here." All I know is that God said "Do it". And we chose to listen to God, not the naysayers. 

The day that began with all these fun activities ended with a worship service. As the sun began to set, the HHCC praise band started belting out the worship of our Risen King. There was just something so incredibly powerful about singing His praises in the middle of a huge open field, and knowing that Jesus' worship had, most likely, never been as loud in Glasgow, Kentucky as it was that night. We were raising Jesus up, exalting Him, and He began to draw people unto Himself (read John 12:32). None of us could know what He was about to do.

As we continued in worship, I shared a message based on the most simple, well-known, yet perhaps most profound verse in the bible - John 3:16. (By the way, this verse blows my mind on a daily basis, and it should yours too!) As we typically do, we had an altar call at the end of the message; simply a time in which people have the opportunity to respond to the gospel. And it started.

Actually, it started earlier in the day. Perhaps I should say, it continued.

Earlier that day, one of the HHCC youth was with her friend whom she had invited to 6:8 Summerfest. The friend, a beautiful young girl, is unable to hear. Yet she experienced something in the games, in the watersides, the fun and activities that spoke to her heart. She was curious. The people at 6:8 Summerfest had something she didn't. Through sign language, she told her friend that she wanted to know about Jesus. 

Boom.

Our youth minister, through the HHCC youth (who knows sign language) presented the gospel to this beautiful child - and she made Jesus Lord of her life right then and there! WOW! I've seen some special things in ministry so far, but that was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. What we see as "disabilities" (I'm not even sure what that means), God sees as abilities. God sees them as unique gifts that can be used to further His mighty kingdom. And to top it all off, the girl that led her friend to Christ through sign language was baptized with her that night! Every now and then, we get to experience a truly special moment in ministry. Talk about gettin' all choked up!

Ok, back to the altar call. People began coming forward, responding to the gospel, realizing their need for a savior, and praying to receive Christ! We had set up our portable baptistry earlier in the day and folks began professing their faith in Jesus through baptism. We had several folks that had scheduled their baptism that night, and we began baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

And that's when God WRECKED our neat little schedule of events!

We had planned to have baptisms, a few more worship songs, and a concert by Handed Seven to finish the night. But God had other, much more incredible plans. After the "scheduled" baptisms, and as the worship band was finishing the worship set, the Holy Spirit began leading more people to come to Christ. It went sort of like this - the worship band would play a song, someone would get saved: we'd turn the field lights back on and they'd confess their faith in baptism! The worship band would play a song, someone would get saved: we'd turn the field lights back on and they'd confess their faith in baptism! This happened again and again, so much so that the worship band ran out of songs to play! By the time it was over, 19 people had been baptized! WOW!

It was one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed. Jesus, in His love and mercy, was drawing people to Himself and to a saving relationship with Him. It made the day, and the stressful, tiring weeks leading up to it SOOO worth it. And to top it all off, nine children decided to give their lives to Christ during our VBS week which followed 6:8 Summerfest - one of which was my oldest daughter! Best. Day. Ever.

In the aftermath, I was so incredibly blown away by our amazing God and His presence during a truly incredible week. But then I began to wonder why I was so shocked. I realized, in that moment, that God has NEVER changed. He's the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the One who was, is, and is to come. From the dawn of time He's desired to bring His children home to Him. I was stunned at my pathetic lack of faith. God began making His promises with Abraham and He has never stopped. He has never failed. He has never lied, and He has always come through. It's us - our hearts - that have failed Him. Our minds that have doubted Him. Our lack of faith that has disappointed Him. Our desire to be Him that breaks His holy heart.

You see, God isn't looking for self-righteous, pre-qualified, sinless, been-to-church-all-my-life people to do His work; He's simply looking for willing workers, broken workers, that He will heal, restore, and transform along the journey. God blessed the work of our hands that day, not because of what we did or didn't do; He blessed the work of our hands that day BECAUSE HE PROMISED TO. Because He's God.

We all have work to do. The words of Jesus in John 9:4 - "We must work the work of Him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work."

May we finish the work that God has called us to! It's SOOO worth it!

Working (and Telling It!) with you,

Chad