“For such a time as this…”
Mordecai spoke those words to Esther regarding her position of power and the providence of God. That was a specific phrase for a specific situation. Those words cannot be ripped away from the context and perfectly applied to someone’s situation. There is probably no person reading this article who came from a harem of a world leader, was chosen by them to be Queen, and then proceeded to risk their life to rescue the entirety of their people group in a specific area.
These words are fairly limited in direct application. Yet these words do always apply to us. In a different way. Let me explain.
Application
The Lord is always leading every moment to the next. He calls us to live “today” in full confidence that He will take care of tomorrow. His transformative work is a present work. In a very real sense, all of our lives have been leading to the very moment when we read this sentence.
Yet sometimes these words seem more appropriate to consider.
As I am writing this piece, our world (did you read that – our whole world) is going through a pandemic. Hopefully, it is the first and only pandemic any of us will ever have to experience. Life does not feel normal. Most of the articles and broadcasts focus on circumstances and they cause us fear. People are afraid of what is happening, and what could happen. Most of the world is merely thinking about survival, not starting new endeavours. There is a general frailty that shrouds all of life.
And yet, what if all of life was leading to this point? Remember, we already agreed that it was. Or at least I wrote that it was, and since you read it, I just assume that you agreed with me.
Planting
Right now, I know of a small team considering planting a church in the middle of our global storm. This could be seen as reckless, especially in a time when so many churches have been shaken and questioning whether they will make it through this crisis. But the need for gospel-centred churches has not decreased. The need has become more evident for disciples to be making disciples in different ways than we are used to. No one knows what “normal” will be after the pandemic is over.
So, what if the call is not to wait to find out the meaning of a post-pandemic “normal?”
Church planting does not happen because of our abilities, successes, gifts, opportunities, or wisdom. Church planting happens because the Lord invites His people into His mission to see people from every tribe, tongue, nation, and people come to know Him as Saviour and Lord. Church planting happens when we say “Yes” to whatever seemingly crazy opportunity the Lord is asking us to obey.
Church planting has always been impossible. No one has ever been able to shape a church plant from nothing. Only the Lord can do that. The reality of COVID-19 means that if new churches are going to start, it will take a new way forward. At least for a time. And I don’t think we can wait.
Share
There are so many that need Jesus. Now is not the time to hunker down and hope we make our budget. Instead, it seems like the time to strategically share who Jesus is, disciple people to follow Him, baptize them (figure that out with social distancing), and then rely on the Lord’s wisdom through His Word, His Spirit, and His people to structure a church that can not physically meet together!
If church planting were up to us, then I would counsel people to wait. But it is the Lord who builds His Church, and He said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it! Since He rose from the grave, He has been working in impossible situations and hearts to flex who He really is! The pandemic provides another opportunity for His glory to be sewn into the fabric of this world in new ways!
Let me finish by returning back to the story of Esther. She never should have been heard by the king. The Jewish people should have died in mass numbers. But she was made queen for such a time as this.
Is now the time for you to start a new church?
Is it the time for you to begin training toward that end?
Is now when you finally realize that you can’t control anything and that all the plans you thought were going to come true will not happen?
So, will you consider throwing your gifts, abilities, skills, wisdom, and willingness into the work of a new church?
Maybe you were led to this place “for such a time as this.”
If you are interested to further investigate whether church planting might be for your or for your church, please tune in to Acts 29 Canada’s free event, The Calling, which starts Sunday, July 5th and spans six consecutive Sunday evenings. You can find out all the necessary information for the event here.
