Viewing a problem as an opportunity

Sometimes we face situations that are in our eyes a problem. So for example as a church we face a situation where through no fault of ours or the schools we may no longer be able to use the building we rent on Sunday mornings. How are we to think about such things?

As we have been studying Acts we have seen again and again that problems are actually opportunities. For example Acts 2:13 some of the crowd mistake the filling of the Holy Spirit for drunkenness - that seems like a problem. But it is an opportunity and Peter takes it to preach to thousands and God through his Holy Spirit saves 3,000. Then in acts 3 the problem that presents itself is the lame man - but it is an opportunity for them to prove Jesus is alive as they heal in his name and the preach the gospel to the onlookers. That leads to another perceived problem - they are arrested and held in jail then taken before the Sanhedrin - again it is another opportunity as they preach the gospel to the high priest and others.

This pattern continues throughout Acts, every problem provides an opportunity. This has to change how we think of problems. God has not changed he is still sovereign and the gospel is still powerful to save. His purpose will be worked out - our challenge is to trust and follow his direction.

So back to the problem/opportunity being posed with where we meet. Whilst we wait to find out for sure whether we can meet there long term or not we are being given an opportunity to depend on God - he is encouraging us not to trust in location or get too comfortable. But he is also discomforting us so we think about it as a gospel opportunity, it is making us as a church think things through.

Is it right that we keep meeting there? What are its positives and drawbacks? What are the alternatives: moving to a slightly different area, using another school, doing something radically different? Where does LightHouse fit in - is it a model we could replicate on Sunday mornings or is a gathered meeting better? How would the gospel best be served?

It is also making us pray - Father God reveal to us your will so that we can best glorify you as we engage with a world desperately in need of the gospel.

Engaging at Easter

We always seem to take Christmas as being the time to share the gospel with our friends and it feels a little like Easter is the poor relative in that regard. But isn't Easter in many ways the better opportunity.

Why do I say that? Because actually it confronts us with our sin and forces us to work out exactly who the baby in the manger claims to be. The baby is quite safe and cuddle, but the battered, bloodied, and beaten man on the cross confronts us with rebellion against God.

Christmas is a manically busy time of year, but Easter seems to be a little calmer with more time for reflection. Ask people what Christmas is about and they can usually tell you, ask them about Easter and actually I think there is more that they are unaware of.

I'm not saying don't make much of Christmas, but make more of Easter. Easter confronts people with the man on a cross and the question who is he, and if he is the Messiah why is he hanging there? It confronts us with the awful bill for our rebellion and gives us stark choices to make about what we will do with such a sacrifice.

Will you use Easter this year? Will you have tracts ready to give out? Are you ready to engage with friends, family and work colleagues?

Building a bridge

If one of the problems we face is that people view the Bible and Christianity as irrelevant to their lives then we must do something that shows them its relevance.

We need at the very least to be a bridge that brings those who view Christianity as irrelevant together with those who live in the light of its relevance. Dinner parties, nights out, Barbeque's, parties etc... provide an ideal opportunity to do this. As well as taking opportunities ourselves to show others its relevance as we face up to the same struggles in life which are common to everyone. We need to do this and talk to our friends about them in a way which brings to light the Bible's relevance, rather than keep this to share in our home group or church.

We also need to be aware of opportunities to bless the community. Random Acts of Kindness are becoming a bit of a fad at the moment. Just randomly doing something for someone you have never met and may never meet again. How much more should the church be involved in this? When was the last time your church put something on that was just for the community and did not ask anything in return?