Have you ever been in one of those services where nothing goes as you expected? I've been in several. I remember the night a church member asked us to pray for his child, I closed my Bible, and people gathered around him to pray... for an hour! God answered that prayer. I can also remember the morning when people started going to the altar during a song. A quartet was singing and people began to get up out of their seats, come to the altar, and weep. I can remember a service when a couple confessed their sin before the church, they were broken and repentant, they asked forgiveness, people gathered to pray around them, prayed, and the church family stayed to encourage them for over an hour after we dismissed. Those services are special!
Well, we had another one of those services last night... on a Wednesday night. I've been teaching a Bible study through Romans and we've been camping on Romans 7 where Paul admitted the civil war he was having between his spirit and his flesh. Last night,we were supposed to get into chapter 8 and help people discover how to "stay up, when life gets you down." I introduced the message, told folks that we can't always live on the mountain top, and shared the story of Moses going up the mountain and coming back down to see God's chosen people worshipping and idol.
From the back, a man said, "I feel like I'm living in the valley and can't get out." Immediately, someone shared a personal story of encouragement. Then another person shared. Another shared scripture. The stories went on. The testimonies went on. The masks came off and before we knew it, there were tears and confessions, and God's Spirit was MOVING!
After 45 minutes, it was obvious that I was not going to ever get to Romans 8. Instead of my best made plans and preparation, God chose to use the testimonies of people to encourage others. My words can never convey the heart-warming and soul-stirring service we experienced. It's amazing what God can do when we just get out of the way. I wish you could have been there.
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