Find A Way
When Pastor Randy King was here in September, he told many stories of people in churches who found a way to reach their community with the gospel. Remember the lady who became a school bus driver, the teens who painted the city’s fire hydrants, and the ladies who began an after school program.
All of these ideas resulted in people getting saved and families joining the churches where these ideas originated. With these illustrations, Pastor King encouraged us to find a way to reach people with the gospel and help them become members of our church.
In 1 Ki 22:19-22 we see an assembly of all the host in heaven. They were standing by the Lord. He wanted them to find a way to persuade Ahab to go into battle and fall at Ramothgilead. In this passage, we see how the Lord listened to various ideas until he heard one that would accomplish his will. We can follow the same pattern here to find a way to reach more people with the gospel.
The Lord clearly stated the objective. “Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead”?
I believe the objective before us is to find a way to reach the families in the neighborhoods surrounding our church. When the school bus stopped across the street recently, I saw about a third of the bus get off. There are many kids living in the new houses over there. How can we reach them?
Several of the host contributed ideas. “And one said on this manner, and another on that manner”.
Initially, any idea is worth consideration. The right plan wasn’t the first one someone mentioned. We need to be okay with putting forth some ideas that may not be accepted. They get other people thinking about a plan that might work. There shouldn’t be any pride in “authorship”. We are working together to find a way.
A spirit confidently came forth with a plan. “There came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him”.
If you’re not confident enough in your idea that you aren’t willing to put forth the effort to make it work, then it probably isn’t going to be a good plan. This spirit said, “I will persuade him”. He was willing to work his plan. And he was confident that his idea would work.
The Lord asked him how it would work. “And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith”?
We say he “vetted” the plan. To vet is to evaluate for possible approval or acceptance. When an idea is under consideration, it should stand up to some scrutiny before it is enacted. We don’t want to get started on a project and then stop because we didn’t think it all the way through.
The spirit explained the details of the plan. “And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets”.
This turned out to be the perfect plan. When Jehoshaphat insisted that the kings inquire at the word of the Lord, 1 Ki 22:5, Ahab gathered his 400 prophets to advise him. And they all said, “Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king”. They were so persuasive that even Micaiah’s true prophecy didn’t convince the kings to stay home.
The Lord approved and blessed the plan. “And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so”.
We must trust that the Lord will help us to recognize the right plan. And that he will lead us to pursue the right way that will help us reach our neighbors with the gospel. We want to see them get saved and get settled into a good church.
Conclusion: Let’s pray and discuss some ideas until we find a way that God will use to help us reach the lost around us. I trust that the Lord will use someone here to come up with a good plan.