My Dream “job” - who wants to join me?

 

How many jobs have you had over the years? I did a quick count this morning and I have had 16 different jobs in my 64 years of life. So, I have had numerous “dream jobs.” It’s kind of funny how those dream jobs have changed. A lot of people don’t know I was in the Cable TV industry for years in construction and then managing technicians and installers. That was most of my early life. I then got into education. I taught math for a while, became an athletic director and then went back to teaching. Out of all my jobs in education, my last couple of years teaching were my favorite. I know that might come to a shock to many. It wasn’t because of the job itself, it was the students I got to work with that made those last two years the best. The students pictured above brought me such great joy. (AND THERE WERE OTHERS!). If I could have just focused on the students, building relationships with them, loving them, and helping them reach their goals,  I would still be in education today. I have often said, if we could take the adults out of education it would be the best job in the world. I treasure the relationships and continue to maintain those relationships today. But, my DREAM JOB has changed.

Stephanie might be the only one who knows of this dream, so this should be headlines for many of you. LOL! God placed it on my heart to start this ministry in Bluffton, IN. We love discipling, teaching, and building relationships with people as they draw closer to the Lord. I treasure these lasts three years as much as any time in my life. I really want others to catch the same vision and do exactly what we are doing right now! We are hosting 8 groups throughout the week. I am max capacity and if we are to continue multiplying, we need workers!

This morning, as I was reading Luke 9 my thoughts turned to my dream job. Here is the story that caught my attention:

“One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.’Take nothing for your journey,’ he instructed them. ‘Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change in clothes. Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town. And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.’ So they began their circuit of villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.” (Luke 9 1-6)

So, here is my dream. 

I would love to lead a church of about 50 people. 50 people who deeply love the Lord and are filled with the desire to share the gospel, multiplying disciples. YES, we would have a gathering on Sunday Mornings, and YES, I would get the opportunity to preach once a week. But the entire focus of this small gathering of believers would be reaching people for Jesus, NOT adding members to the church. This “church” would come together to encourage each other, support each other, teach each other, AS THEY GO to grow the KINGDOM. 

Did you notice the scripture in Luke didn’t say anything about growing a church? Don’t get me wrong, I love my church. I love it dearly and this dream is BECAUSE of the church I attend. That seed comes straight from my home church, the message and the heart of its leaders and members. But I think the church universal has lost the desire to fulfill the great commission. I think much of the church has turned inward and the majority of our efforts are at maintaining the kingdom and not growing the kingdom. There is certainly a place for maintenance and I am not criticizing them as much as you think I am. But, we need to look to use some “new wine skins,” so to speak!

When Jesus gave his disciples the instructions to go and not to take anything with them, he was saying, DON’T MAKE THIS COMPLICATED, THE NEED IS VAST, AND THE MISSION IS URGENT! You do not need a seminary degree, you do not have to be a biblical scholar. You do not need a complicated program training people. WE NEED WORKERS! (Matthew 9:35-38) All you need is the power of the Holy Spirit and a desire to share the Good News. My dream job is helping people to access the power of the Holy Spirit and providing support for them as they GO INTO ALL THE WORLD teaching and baptizing those that are far from God. 

All of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message or reconciliation. SO WE ARE HIS AMBASSADORS; GOD IS MAKING HIS APPEAL THROUGH US. WE SPEAK FOR CHRIST WHEN WE PLEAD, “COME BACK TO GOD!” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20, emphasis added)

Who wants to join me?