Month: July 2011

Worshippers Out Of Rebels

I’m writing this from our ministry’s biannual staff conference in Colorado. One of my favorite things about these conferences is that we spend a large of amount of time every day in worship through music and/or prayer. I love how A. W. Tozer links the purpose of Jesus’ life and ministry with our worship:

Why did Christ come? Why was He Conceived? Why was He born? Why was He crucified? Why did He rise again? Why is He now at the right hand of the Father? The answer to all these questions is, in order that He might make worshippers out of rebels; in order that He might restore us again to the place of worship we knew when we were first created. Now because we were created to worship, worship is the normal employment of moral beings.

A. W. Tozer, Worship: The Missing Jewel of the Evangelical Church

The phrase that blew me away was this: “in order that He might make worshippers out of rebels.” I had never thought about it this way before. What a wonderful way to summarize God’s purpose for His creation! As His child, all I do in both this life and the next is to be an act of worship to Him. And Jesus Great Commission to His church will be fulfilled in worship:

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
-Revelation 7:9-10 (ESV)

2011 Summer Project Report

The tours are finished, a 7-minute film has been produced, and the students have returned to their homes.

And God has been at work.

The Facts and Figures:

  • 5 teams (4 bands and 1 film team)
  • 18 days of touring
  • 13700 miles traveled
  • 52 outreaches
  • 5033 people exposed to the gospel
  • 311 indicated decisions for Christ

I helped with some training for the film team, so I was especially eager to read this story from John Gaither, their director:

As in years past, the Keynote Summer Project Film Track is a time for growing spiritually while living out our God-given passions. Still, there are always “moments.” A week before the scheduled two-day shoot the students found that a speck on the lens of Keynote’s video camera was ruining every shot. Amazingly, the Panasonic-authorized repair facility in Illinois cleaned the lens and shipped the camera back in time for the practice run. Yes!

Walking through logistics the day before the shoot, however, we discovered an important function switch had apparently been misaligned during re-assembly. When the switch jammed, the camera was rendered useless. What a great time to panic! Fortunately the Spirit gave me the presence of mind to remember that God, far from being surprised by this, already had a solution ready to be revealed.

After a series of phone calls and a discouraging string of failed scenarios, a solution finally presented itself. God provided – free of charge – another camera just like ours for the students to use! (This is an unheard-of practice in the local professional community, by the way.) Honestly, I found no enjoyment in the emotional roller coaster that day, but we all came through it unscathed.

The film shoot went on as planned, Of course, there were other “moments” that tested our problem-solving skills. These challenges only increased our reliance on the One who remains in ultimate control of all things.

Oh, by the way … we’ve also had lots of fun along the way!

In the end, these students produced a wonderful 7-minute film about emotional honesty, and they learned how to use their film (and others like it) in personal evangelism and group outreach.

Please pray for God to continue His work in and through them as they go back to their homes and campuses.

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