Evidence of God's True Sending #1

Because of the way the church has been led by people more than Jesus, we have a problem.  The problem is that people have launched into ministries by their own momentum, or the momentum of a ministry who sends them.  Obviously this causes disagreement and outrage to think what they are doing 'for the Lord' is not the Lord's sending at all.  So that it's not just an opinion, let's look at the scriptures to explore the nature of God's sending.

When God does anything He always creates an empty void for Him to speak into. The first few verses of Genesis are no idle poetry!  It is information on how God creates.  When a person is truly sent by God, an empty void must be created.  'Tohu and Bohu' are the Hebrew words used and relay the idea of a 'desolate vacuum.'  A 'formless void'  is the KJV, we can get the idea of the necessary canvas that God works with.  I have met people who are convinced they are sent by God to do a work but there was never the formless void 'canvass' that God speaks into.  Where else do we find this 'formless void' in Scripture before God does His unique work?

In 2 Kings 3 we find the story of the kings joining together to fight the Moabites.  Elisha is somewhat reluctantly with them but when the come across difficulties they call upon Elisha.  The word of the Lord was to 'dig deep ditches.'  This is a physical way of creating a formless void for God to act. Then, God filled the ditches with water. He had them create a space for Him to then fill.  The water filled ditches became the means of the victory when we read on.  

How do these things translate into our walk as New Testament believers?  The general observation from the Bible is a Spirit-led period of 'waiting.'  The Disciples were asked to wait for the Holy Spirit.  Paul had 14 years before He was sent to the Gentiles (Gal 2:1).     When we look at Moses and his 40 years of shepherding before he was sent to Pharaoh, we must ask why are these great men of God required to wait?   God is creating a formless and empty void within them.  He is excavating the heart, digging deep ditches!  Paul or Moses saw need and probably had opportunities to meet them. but both had determined that they will not move until the Lord fills the void and forms the sending.  

For God to issue forth from a person He must destroy what fills the space in the heart of a man.  Secret ambition, lust for power, the chase for 'get and gain' are all standard resident heart attitudes of fallen man, to name but a few.  So often, when a person has self-sent themselves into a ministry these unchallenged heart attitudes come out.  A formless void was not created by God within their hearts. They were not sent by God.   There are those who have yielded to God's process of digging deep ditches and they have waited for His processes to be complete.  God is still speaking into these formless voids and creating a sending!  This is very good news as His power and grace can issue forth into this dark world causing wonderful works to be done.

One huge error in the church is the idea that the primary mission of the church is to do works.  Someone hires a hall, gets a crowd then states the purpose.  Its been done for years and years but we need to think differently.  Works are the other side of the 'faith' coin but it is strictly the issuing forth of God's works, not ours.  So is everyone sent, is everyone a potential Apostle?  No.  But to be part of a genuine Apostolic work is something the Lord leads people in.  

Give yourself to the Lord and allow him to excavate your heart.  Resist filling the space with the stuff of earth.  Allow God to send you in His way, His time and His purpose.

Gary Ward