"Leadership Retreat" message
Dean AngellOctober 20, 2001
Well folks, this has been a strange fall for me.in several ways. Emotionally I've been up and down. My confidence has been up and down. And my passion has been very up and down. Yet spiritually I'm feeling very connected. Very loved by God and full of the Spirit.very attentive. Let me begin to describe what God is doing in me - in my heart and in my mind.
Last year Marvin Wojda (Sr. Pastor) from Elim Tabernacle asked me to go with him to a conference put on by Jack Hayford at "The Church on the Way" in California.(charismatic, pentecostal church). And so I said no - but all year I felt God kept calling me back to it.So in May when Marvin asked again - I prayed and felt cleared to go by God.But it was September 24-30 - absolutely the worst time of the year. I never go away when the new year is beginning.and I had already said yes to another time away. It was bad timing and with a bunch of charismatic people.I just did not want to go.but I did and God spoke into my life with great power that week - He began to open my heart and mind to a new sense of His Holy Spirit leading - and somewhat of a new direction for us together.
I have had much trouble and a great challenge putting these thoughts in order or in line so that I could communicate them clearly to you.and I'm not fully there yet. But God further clarified by His Spirit to me this week at a Free Methodist Pastor's gathering - that I was to speak this weekend - whether it was clear or not
He led me last Thursday to this verse in Psalm 139 - "You discern my thoughts from afar" and it simply spoke to me that He would continue to give focus and clarity to me as I continued to listen to Him and lead you people.
So.4 or 5 things.
1. A new level of spiritual understanding and worship.
God has given me a clearer understanding and a deeper hunger for this body - for this community - a hunger for us to see God and the life we have in Christ in great and deeper ways than we ever have before.
Let me explain this if I can. I believe that we in the past 10 to 15 years have not done and been all we could have been as a church and I was convicted of that - strongly convicted. For me - for past leaders and for us as present leaders - I was clearly broken by my own sense and our sense of how little we know about who God is and what He wants from me and us and how little I know about what amazing things He has in store for me and us.So, I spent time and very consciously, slowly and meaningfully confessed to God what I felt we had not done as a church in the past - mostly this had to do with a limited view of presenting what the whole gospel was and then calling people to a full picture of maturity and commitment to life as a disciple of Jesus Christ - to life in the Spirit.
Now - don't overreact to that - I believe that was more for me and my leadership than for you - so let the past go - and whether or not we've done all we could or should have.Just relax and hear what I think God is calling us to in the future.
Let me talk about freedom in worship:
Here's what I mean - not just raising our hands or singing louder or better --but a freedom that comes from a deep connection between Creator and creation - A freedom that is derived out of a very clear sense of listening and responding to God in love and out of a sense of awe...A freedom that comes from a deeper understanding of what worship is.What does that look like? - I'm not sure.But it's a ways down the road from where we are now and it's more than just music - it's a way of life. And that kind of depth and freedom will be transforming - it's the call of God on every disciple and we must find that place of worship together. Folks, we have no idea how far God wants to take us in worship together and separately. And you have no idea of the burden He has place don my life to help get us through as a church. It may take a lifetime to become a church that worships.not a church in a worship service. A worshipping church is what He desires. That's what He calls us to.
2. Depth of Knowledge
I believe strongly that God is calling us to new and deeper levels in our understanding of who He is and our knowledge of what His Word says about How we are to live.
Lakeview has never been considered, (or considered itself) a deep church when it comes to Biblical knowledge and application. We have focused our energies on outreach primarily for at least 12 years and whether or not we like to say it - knowledge has taken a back seat. So I believe God is calling us to take our lives and the lives of the next crop of new followers to a whole different level of knowledge and then life application of the Word of God. Hear that - knowledge is useless without application.and it is our lives made alive with the Word of God that He wants from Lakeview Church.
So in these next years, I believe we must hold the Word of God higher and value learning more.as we become all that God would have us become.
3. Prayer
Wow - let me try and describe what I think God is calling us to in prayer. This is quite possibly where God has been speaking to me most - about becoming a praying church.not a church with a prayer ministry - but that every one of us would not only have an active - real - powerful - individual prayer life. But that we would also learn how to seek God together in prayer and hear from Him together.Listening together for His direction for the church and then acting together on what He says. People hear that - this is a new way to focus and decide direction as a church. And it's a new way to understand the importance and place of prayer in the life or the church.
I believe God has given me 2 pictures: Hundreds of people calling out to God together - seeking His face - asking for His Hand to clearly lead us; asking for guidance and direction; asking for protection and blessing; and listening in the silence after the cry.hundreds of people together.
Secondly, picture thousands of people praying earnestly - weekly during small group meetings - to sense the future direction of our community. Small groups are like little churches and churches are supposed to be houses of prayer. I believe God will call prayer leaders for every small group in our church.People - that will lead us to a deeper sense of discerning God's will for us.
Thought - for prayer to succeed and become greater among us, we must become better listeners - God is always speaking. But seldom are we quiet enough to hear. Individually we must learn to listen. Corporately somehow - we must learn to listen together. Then and only then will we sense the power of God unleashed among us. Folks, if you think we've seen great blessing at Lakeview in these days - catch this - we've seen nothing compared to what God will do when we seek Him in earnest and then hear and respond to His call. He's calling us to much deeper levels of prayer.
4. Caring for the poor.
Wow - I can't tell you how profoundly God has laid this on my heart in a completely fresh way these days. I'm not talking about the odd hamper or gift box your small group might put together - a couple times a year.I'm talking about a future where we, the church, incorporates the poor and needy and downtrodden into our community into our lives - so that they feel as at home as we do in our church. I'm talking about sharing homes and cars and clothes - I'm talking about not just buying your kids braces or a grad dress or a college education - but then doing exactly the same for someone else's kid who is less fortunate than you. I'm talking total integration into community - where the money is God's and we are listening so well that we know exactly how to give it - just as Jesus would.
People - it's a caring community God is calling us to - not just a church with a care ministry. Hear that. One is something we do a couple times a year. The other is a calling - it's a life - and it's caring because that's what disciples of Jesus Christ are about.
And as a church that's who we must be transformed into - a community of care. We must be Jesus to those in need.
5. Our identity in Christ.
Leaders - the most profound thing I have learned these days is this - more it's been clarified and confirmed to me by the Word of God that as followers of Jesus Christ - we are not only forgiven and cleansed of our sin. We are not simply saved from our sin by Christ's work on the cross and that's it.we're christians.- but it's what we are saved for that we must get our minds and hearts around. See, church, what we've got to realize is that when Christ saved us He saved us for a reason - a purpose - for a plan - a calling - a destiny in life. And not just in this life, but in the life to come. And it is when we fully get that picture - that fulfillment and wholeness enters our lives.When we give our lives to Christ - we become one of His children. An heir to His throne. A co-owner in His kingdom - a Holy Spirit filled child of God with authority and power and destiny. Do you know that we are called to work alongside the King and with His power and authority backing us..People, when we fully understand our position and purpose in Christ - now and in the world to come - that's when we become true followers of Jesus - that's when we'll walk in His power. That's when we'll dream God-sized dreams and live lives of purpose and wholeness and passion. It's amazing to think about.
During these next years - you'll hear those words over and over again. And I will call you to know your purpose with Christ. And then passion will follow and when you have your passion and purpose lined up, look out. You'll change the world. That's the design of God.That leads clearly into my last point:
6. Evangelism
I believe God is calling us to a fuller view of evangelism. Lakeview has been primarily about relationship based event evangelism - where we bring our friends to an outreach event - or the weekend service to hear the gospel presented and that's kinda how they figure it out. Well this will continue - no question. But we must think much bigger.
Picture this..As we, as followers of Jesus Christ, find out the purpose He has for our lives and live that purpose with passion - as we grow deeper in our knowledge of Him and then live out our lives based on that knowledge - as we have and care for needy people - as we become true worshippers who live in vital relationships with Jesus Christ - who listen when we pray and hear clearly and regularly from God - when these things line up.
Won't evangelism happen everywhere - all the time? Yes - events will still be a great tool. BUT I believe thousands will become Christians - simply by the Holy Spirit speaking through the lives of Holy Spirit-filled - purpose driven - passion filled followers of Jesus Christ.
I believe God will grow our community with numbers - there is no question. This church will be many thousands of people some day. BUT - it will happen as we humbly seek together. As we listen together - and then as we respond by faith and with faith to His call in our lives to be world changers.
