July 10, 2018
Neither the one who
plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
1Cor 3:7
Appreciate the
privilege to play any part in what God is doing to transform people’s lives.
Our first baptisms at the new church we were planting
happened BEFORE we actually launched the church! Talk about exciting … it was a huge joy to
see this couple who lived across the street come to know Jesus, get involved in
the church band, and give their lives to Christ weeks BEFORE the first preview
service of the church. Thinking back to
that whole story is amazing, but the night they were baptized in the hot tub, I
wasn’t thinking about that … It’s humiliating to admit, but I was disappointed
that another member of our team got to baptize them instead of me. (Yes – it was a terribly self-centered
moment!)
Now just for a minute imagine with me the silliness of that
thinking. I didn’t create them or knit
them into being. I didn’t take care of
their daily needs, or direct their lives.
I didn’t bring them to California and position them two doors down the
street from a new church planting team.
I CERTAINLY didn’t die on the cross for them, and didn’t write a single
word of the Scriptures that called them to salvation. Honestly, I did VERY LITTLE in their
salvation, other than move in, open up our lives to them, and try to encourage
their faith. God has done WAY MORE for
them, and for EVERY OTHER PERSON to bring them to faith than I could ever
do. If anyone should have baptized them,
it should have been Jesus! It’s just
CRAZY to imagine why Jesus would delegate ANY of the transformation process to
us!!! What an honor and privilege to be
a part of it in any way.
That self-centered moment was eye-opening to me, and changed
me forever. I made a covenant with God
the next day … Instead of looking to be the ‘baptizer’ of people, I would look
for ways to help involve others to do the baptizing. Instead of trying to be the transformer of
people, I would play whatever part the Great Transformer wanted to use me
for. Never again would I be
disappointed in who did the baptizing.
Instead, I would look for every way possible to help others baptize
people into Christ.
Over the years, God has used me in the transformation
process in hundreds of ways. It’s still
the greatest privilege to see a person give their lives to Christ and be
baptized. But more and more, I gain so
much more joy out of seeing members of our church baptizing their kids, their
spouses, their friends. There’s nothing
like it!
Whatever part we do, it’s just an amazing
blessing that God involves us in the transformation process. And just to be extra clear about it – EVERY
PERSON in a church body has a part they play in each transformation. Every attender sitting in the service helps
show trust in the Words of God. Every
servant who helps with children, ushering, hosting, greeting, playing the
music, serving the guests … each one is a transformer of people. Every family that gives generously to the
Kingdom is funding the transformation of lives!
There is no small part in transformation, and we should be honored to
help with anything God gives us to do – because after all, one transformed life
changes not only that person’s eternity, it changes hundreds & thousands of
lives forever.
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