Capital City Church International Capital City Church International

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Forget the building fund! Remember Jesus
 
Is Jesus enough? Enough for you in your life as it is currently? Can Jesus really be enough?

I know your theoretical answer of course. You’d say “Yes!” in your sleep. But what about when you have to stake your life on it? Your legacy. Your credible reason for hope. Your cry when help runs dry. Your bedroom conversation where the guards are down. Those unexpected reality moments that accompany the pressure of others’ eyes on you. Do you, then still, bank it all on Jesus?

On Sunday night, through the preaching of Leonard (http://www.3ci.co.za/sermon/father-his-heart-purposes–life-sd/), I became acutely aware of the power of a personal encounter with the Living God. There are these moments where theory tears itself loose from the pages and becomes warm, bloody and pumping in your hand.

Leonard had an experience in 1974 of meeting with God in such a way that he has been consistently preaching the gospel for 30 years as a result, whether he was threatened to stop or leave, whether there was money or not, nothing else ultimately mattered. He lived in Tanzania and South Africa, had innumerable setbacks and difficulties, and right now, he is preparing to plant a church in Canada at age 51. He is either a little crazy or driven by something of infinite worth.

I can tell you of many others, but Sunday night I saw it again, case in point. If you’ve seen your own Jesus, you consider the price tag as pure joy. If you have your own revelation, obstacles take their rightful place. Seductions can be sidelined. Discouragements can be overcome. Doubts can be doubted. Money can be given away easily. Despair can be subdued.

Our desire at 3ci is for many more 1974’s. Sadly, too many people live without divine revelation. And way too many of us think the kingdom of God consists of self-righteousness, reasonableness and happiness.

But the man who saw Jesus, and in seeing Jesus, saw his own sin, and then thrust himself upon the mercy seat of divine forgiveness, can never again “manage” his Christianity; Rather, he himself is managed by that revelation. It may sound like a worn-out cliche, but I’d rather see 12 men with a raging fire in their eyes, than the full development of our 21 acres of land into a little city.

So, we’ve released everyone from their debit-order commitments to our building fund. The thing is, those who truly want to give unto God, cannot be stopped anyway. Those who partner in radical generosity are saving up what will be credited to your own account in heaven. I love you for it! But may no man or woman in this church feel pressed to give according to an earthly ambition, with any sense of manipulation. I have no desire that we have a testimony of buildings without the greater testimony of gospel, of power, of changed lives, of “Word and Spirit” ministry, of New Testament church, of impacting our world, of loving sinners and of great, great joy!

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