Church Planting Journey Pt. 2

"We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction."

--1 Thessalonians 1.2-5

I didn't even know church planting was still a thing the first time I came across recently planted churches.

My pastor had taught me and a few other guys over the course of a year some key doctrines and key insights to the scriptures. Part of that teaching came as we read through the book of Acts. It really struck me learning about what Paul went through when planting the Thessalonians church. His movie-like escape. All that.

So naturally, my very first sermon was taken from 1 Thessalonians. When the church planting bug hit me around 2010, it’s no wonder that my time in Acts left a deep stain on my mind and soul.

The apostle Paul once wrote to this particular church plant about his prayers. Those prayers consisted of his thankfulness for them and 3 specific things: their work, labor, and endurance. Automatically, if I was in that congregation, I would've been ecstatic. Be in that congregation beaming.

This is what so many people in this world want more than anything. To be recognized. But this recognition is different because it’s attached to the faith, hope, and love of all believers who are in Jesus.

All that to say, this has created great expectations for me as a church planter. To have a group of Jesus followers whose work is produced by faith. Whose labor is prompted by love. Whose endurance (which is hardly ever mentioned nowadays) is inspired by hope. I desire to pen my own Paul Letter to the people of Jubilee. 

I’m also filled with great expectations because I honestly have no idea what any of what Paul experienced really looked like or felt like. But I cannot wait to experience it. Paul went on to say their gospel came to them with words and power. Many will stop there and focus on their favorite. But Paul continues in saying the gospel came with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction! These are other things that motivate me. A group of believers with deep conviction, with the Holy Spirit, with power, and with words DOING things like work, labor, and enduring with faith, hope, and love. 

And I think these words were kept for us so that we would be encouraged and inspired to witness these things, and then worship God for it. Witness them because they are common for believers today as they were then, and then worship. What's worship? Worship can be an expectation of experienced appreciation. God is still at work today, folks. We should expect God to meet with us. 

I expect God to meet with me, especially as I plant Jesus to see it become His church.