What this world needs ...

2 posts in 2 days ... I know.  Something's wrong ...

What does this world need?  No, don't worry, this isn't one of Andrew's 'hey, let's fix the world' rants.  Really, it's not.

But seriously.  What does this world need?

I've been really encouraged by the writing and music of Chris Tomlin lately (and actually Hillsong's Latest - This is our God!  Wow!).  But I just picked up a book written by Chris Tomlin yesterday called The Way I was Made, and I'm quite blown away by it.  Can I be honest?  My whole life, I've been working so hard trying to make the connections, write the music, sing the songs and develop the gifts that will get me from point A (being a musician who desires to lead worship to thousands) to point B (leading worship for thousands).  Now, to some who don't know my path in getting to this point, you may take that last comment as one that sounds prideful or arrogant, why aren't you satisfied with leading worship for 5 people, Andrew??  For those of you who are thinking that, just go with me here.  There more behind the story of my life and my dreams than just wanting it ... I promise you that.

Something that Tomlin wrote in his book was something that hit me pretty hard was that (in my own paraphrase) it's not a bad thing to desire to make God famous!  We should all have a desire to make God famous!  Some people are wired for the large scale presentation of this desire and others are wired for the much more intimate presentation in their work places, or wherever they are!   Tomlin admitted that he was wired for the large scale stage thing!!  I've always felt so guilty for desiring that so much.  Ya, my heart desires more than anything to be up there for the purpose of seeing others connect with God on a deep and intimate level ... and if that can be done without me being seen at ALL ... Praise the God who is capable of that working in their lives!!!!  I honestly don't desire the mainstage for people to know me.  I desire the large stage so that MORE people will know GOD!  Large stages have always excited me ... and I've always felt guilty for that.  But, God has been doing a work in my heart here over the last couple of days and I'm really starting to think that God has wired me for the purpose of getting excited for the ministry that He has before me.

Now, again, that sounds presumptuous ... I'm going to be performing at the level of Tomlin one day!  No, that's not what I'm saying.  Although that really excites me if it were to be true, I can't be living for the day when I'm on the mainstage.  I have to be taking advantage of the now and living a life of worship so that others may know him today!!  Not so that I can be used in 5-10 years.  

So, back to the beginning.  What does this world need??  First off, it needs people who are desiring to make God famous ... and for them to unashamedly live their lives with a radical freedom to proclaim HIS fame, not caring about their own.  Whether that's on a large scale or a smaller scale, it DOES NOT affect your influence!  A person in an office helping one particular person could influence millions by building into that specific, strategic (intentional or not) individual who has this vision!!  Or on the contrary, a person who speaks to millions, sings to thousands can have very little impact if they're living to glorify themselves.  It's all about our approach and the willingness to let the Spirit move in and through us!!!

So, 1, the world needs radical Christians desiring to bring the fame of God to the world!!

But I've also learned another thing while reading more of Tomlin's story!  I always thought of Tomlin as a sole leader who made it on his own (with the help of the spirit of course) and is now an influential leader because of his talent and writing (not minimizing the work of God in that)!  But, that's certainly not the case.  I never realized what an influential role a man named Louie Giglio played in Chris Tomlin's life.  You may have heard of him.  He is one of the founders of the Passion Movement across this world.  It's a movement focused on Young Adults (college / University age) to stir up a passion for God!!  It started with a vision.  And not a vision of, 'hey, let's focus on this university and stir up their hearts and maybe God will bless that into something bigger!'  There's nothing wrong with that, but that's not the vision that Louie had.  His vision from the beginning was "Let's bring the young adults of this WORLD to a place of passionate powerful relationship with God!"  There's something different there.  There's the obvious difference of the magnitude of the vision, but there's also the other potential element of fear in there.  Maybe there's someone who has a vision for a specific group of people and wants to pour into them specifically ... if so, God bless you in your ministry there!  But maybe someone who's reading this has a desire to reach the WORLD but has minimized their dreams to something more manageable so that you don't look like a fool if it doesn't happen!  Please, join with me in making the decision right now to stop that foolishness!!  

This very instant, I'm making a commitment to stop putting God into a box and start letting HIM mould my dreams into what He wants them to be!  I don't have to know the way to get there, but I know that God is thinking a much larger scale of influence than what I could possibly formulate in my mind!  As a radical Christian, who cares if things change down the road and make a turn for the unexpected!  We trust that God is at work in and through it right!?  If that's the case, then it's exciting ... not embarrassing!!

So, 2, this world needs radical Christians who don't put God into a box and limit HIS dreams for you!  Cause HE wants those plans for you more than you want those plans for yourself!!!!!

But, I've been trying to get to this third point for a long time ... and I'm running out of time here, so I'll just put it out there!!  

God works through people working together!  As I was trying to say with Christ Tomlin meeting and beginning to work with Louie Giglio, they're a team that is being used to stir up the hearts millions of young adults, which in turn are influencing millions of others!   This world is being transformed through the work of a few people!!  Those who have vision, look for others, or let God open your eyes and make those connections for you that will fulfill not your dreams for yourself, but God's dream's for glorifying Himself!!

God bless those ministries that are in place making a difference in this world for the purpose of making GOD famous while willing to be invisible in the process!!

... so with that said, anyone want to take over the world??  hahaha.