Today, we had our send off service for the Jakarta Team. Christina said that I would tear up sometime during my sermon. I challenged her to place a bet on it. Let’s just say that I got on the stage and didn’t even say a word and I lost it. I think singing the song, “How Great is Our God” in Bahasa Indonesia prior to me preaching really got to me.
I shared about the importance of being a “sending church” and a “strong church” in order to fulfill God’s mission as HMCC. We never want to lose the heart for transformation – it always starts with our own lives and then ripples out to the nations.
There were three things that happened that really encouraged me:
2) I was able to meet a national pastor who visited our Sunday Celebration. As I was getting ready to go up to preach, I was introduced to a pastor from Pakistan. Even though I just talked with him for about 40 seconds, towards the end of the service, I felt led by the Spirit to invite him up to share something with the whole church. He gave such an encouraging word to us.
3) The whole church prayed and commissioned us. It was powerful to witness the whole church coming together to pray for us. We felt God’s pleasure today in the sanctuary. It was as if God’s Presence was just hovering over us. It was a sweet Presence. The team knows that we are not going alone. Even the churches in Chicago and Austin sent their greetings via video. Our churches have really been the wind behind our wings.
I just realized more and more that church has to be all about God. It is so easy to make it about the pastor, the leaders or even the size of the congregation but what it comes down to is that God is passionate about His Bride. He will do anything and everything to uphold His glory.
After saying all the goodbyes and praying for people, I really sensed from the Holy Spirit that He was going to take care of our church, not only in Ann Arbor but in all our sites and especially in Jakarta.
I still can’t believe God is giving me the privilege of experiencing so much of His Goodness. How can God take someone who was so lost and extend His grace and love in order that they can be a part of what He is doing all over the world? I am truly lost for words.