Rededication

13,294 days ago a group of excited worshipers gathered for a special day. They had prayed and prayed for that day. They labored to see it come. They sacrificed deeply to stand at the threshold of that day. In the beginning it just started with a dream. A painted picture on the minds of a faithful few. The dream germinated and took root. The fledgling dream was carefully shared with others. People believed. Slowly the dream began turning into reality.

On April 3, 1983 the Spring Creek Baptist Church of Weatherford, TX worshiped in their brand new sanctuary for the first time. It was Resurrection Sunday! Last night I heard from a few who were in that service. They spoke about the excitement and the hard work that went into making that day a reality. That was 36 years 4 moths and 23 days ago.

In that time there have been about 1,899 worship services in that space. Lives have been saved. People have been called to preach. Burdens have been lifted. People have repented of sin. Lives have been rededicated. Spiritual victories won. Burdens laid down. Comfort given. Funerals held. Revival meetings conducted. Weddings celebrated.

Over the course of 36 plus years it would not be uncommon for the enthusiasm to fade and the excitement to wane. It has become familiar. Ordinary. Common. While close to 2,000 worship services have been held, not including special revival services or conferences, not every one of those services hasn't been filled with excitement. It's kind of like eating supper. You may not know what you ate three months ago for supper but you are sure you had something and it nourished you to keep going. So with worship and the ministry of the word. A steady diet of both nourishes the soul.

Shouldn't we be excited and expectant when we gather in God's name to exalt and seek Him? We never know when His full and weighty presence will drench and soak the temple like He did in II Chronicles.

2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (ESV)
1  As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
2  And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s house.
3  When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

God filled the Temple with His glory when Solomon dedicated it. I'm not looking for some experience or exhibition. I'm seeking God. And I wonder if sometimes we take all of it for granted. We take the gathering place for granted. We take the word  of God for granted. We take the music for granted. Worst of all we take God for granted. Worship and getting into the word can become humdrum. A duty rather than a delight. Drudgery rather than joy.

These things burned in my heart as we gathered for our evening service last night. I preached from the above scriptures. Then I submitted a very simple invitation. To huddle in small groups to prayerfully rededicate the Spring Creek sanctuary for the purposes God put us here for to begin with.

I prayed with Brenda and Turner. When we finished it moved my heart deeply to see little huddles scattered and crying out to God. Of all the scenes that have unfolded since coming back to Spring Creek none has moved me anymore deeply than what I witnessed last night.

What will God do with a rededicated people and a space rededicated for His purpose? I expect that August 25th, 2019 will be a historic day in our church. One day we will look back on that day as the day God did a new work. To Him be the glory for the great things He has done and the great things He is about to do.