Being a Pacesetter

Last night at our prayer meeting I introduced a new list which focused more exclusively on missions. In addition to praying more for the foreign missionaries I’d asked everyone think about home missions to by jotting down three people to pray specifically for so that they’d be saved or come to church. Then I asked if they would like us to as a church give us the names and pray collectively for them. Immediately up went the hand of one of the children with three names (one of his teacher, a friend at schoo,l and then his unsaved brother).

It is thrilling as a pastor to see such enthusiasm and desire to see folks saved in a child.  He was unafraid to not only speak out but he thought of three folks right away and desired them to be prayed for.  I think we are guilty though as adults of many times allowing others things to crowd out that childlike faith and so we lose our zeal for seeing the unsaved come to Christ. We trudge along in our days going to work, paying the bills, raising the family yet God’s agenda is slighted.  Can you think of three people right now who you are regularly praying for to be saved or come to your church?   If so, fantastic but if not how is God’s church ever going to really grow and how is our world ever going to be bettered?

If the world we leave for our kids is going to be better for them doesn’t it make sense  WE set the tone by being enthused about the things of God? We should be setting the example and the tone by raising our hand first and showing them we do care about the Lord, moreso than occupying a pew.  The Thessalonian believers had a wonderful example in Paul,  “And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.” (1Thess.1:6) but note they weren’t content to be spoon fed or sit on their spiritual laurels as it says next in verse 7 “So that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.” !!!

They took seriously their responsibility to apply what they seen and learned from Paul and lived out the same before others God gave them opportunity to affect !   When you read your Bible, listen to a sermon, or a Bible study are you letting it really affect you so that God is then reaching out through your life as an example and an evangelist?    In car races, they typically begin with a pace car that runs the other cars around the track before the race officially starts and then once that flag to start is waved, the pace car veers off and the others pass on by and commence the race. Today, run your race well, don’t expect someone to run it for you !!