"Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven." Psalm 107:23-30
My pastor, mentor, and great friend, Wes Morris, shared this passage once at a staff meeting and then preached a sermon on it. It has never left my mind and it has never been more relevant in my life than it is right now.
On September 17th, at 10am, just outside of the town of Byron, Michigan, more than 100 people went down to the sea, boarded a ship and shoved off from the docks to do business on great waters. The "some" is you and I. The "ship" is The Village Church. The "sea" is our life in Christ Jesus, and "the great waters" is the work we have been called to and entrusted with. We are setting off on a journey to see God save the souls of man from eternal death to eternal life. To see people freed from the burden and bondage of sin and set free to a meaningful, abundant life with Christ.
I remember so clearly when Wes said, "Some people never untie from the docks, ya know? They just think it's great to be on the ship." Well we won't see anyone saved from the wages of their sin if we're just on the ship. We won't see anyone set free if we don't untie the dock line, put out to sea, and get out on the rough, stormy waters of peoples lives, where only God can calm the storm. I don't just want to be on the ship. I want to get out on great waters and see the deeds of the Lord and his wondrous works!
Grace & Peace,
John
(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)