We launched into week two of this series Not A Fan yesterday. This series is for sure not for the faint of heart. It is truth, and truth has a tendency to make people uncomfortable. For 25 minuets I literally watched some people squirm in their seats as we opened the truth about baptism and surrender to Christ. In fact if I am to be honest I was a little uncomfortable with some of the truth and I was the one preaching it. But then it happened…

Now I have seen and been a part of literally hundreds of baptisms in my life as a Christ follower. However, yesterday was one like I had never experienced. We started into our decision time in Roanoke. The band began to sing words that I have had etched in my mind since church camp as a kid.

“I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to Follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back.”

I looked up and a couple people had come forward and grabbed towels. Then Julie started to move. Her movement was different. She literally pushed her husband out of the way to get out of their aisle. She walked briskly and with purpose. She bee lined for the towels and then she looked me right in the eyes and mouthed the words that she wanted to do this now. I got up and walked to the edge of the stage. I asked her if she wanted to wait for the song to finish or just go ahead and do it now? She said “NOW!!!” So as the chorus echoed behind us and as the church continued singing (now louder than before) she got in. Now you have to understand because we are mobile at our Roanoke campus we don’t have robes for baptisms. So she got in…FULLY CLOTHED!!! She had no care in the world of her cloths getting wet. There was urgency to be fully surrendered.

The horse trough (our baptistry in Roanoke) was full of warm water. She sat down and pulled her knees close to her chest. I leaned down and asked her to repeat after me. At this moment it seemed as if the world stopped even though everyone was singing and the band was playing. She repeated every word through tears. Then she took the plunge. She died to self. And then…then she rose to new life. A new life in Christ and Christ alone. Her surrender brought freedom. She got out wrapped her new towel around her and made her way to the back of the room with some friends.

No longer had I sat down to sing and gather my composer…Jimmy stepped out. Around a year ago we baptized his wife. And for whatever reason he was not there yet. But in this moment…he was ready. When he stepped out in his jeans and t-shirt he was barefoot. He was ready. He wasted no time. I did not have to ask, he just got in. There was no question that he was ready to die to self. There was not question that he was taking up his cross and dying with Christ. And then…he came out new and alive. As quickly as he got in he got out and was in the embrace of his wife. And again, fully clothed and soaking wet we saw another go from fan to follower.

Now in an effort to not make this post longer I would love to stop here, but I cannot. There were already two sets of footprints etched in water on the tile. I thought that it could not get any better than this. I walked off stage and we started to wrap up the service. The room was buzzing with shock and awe at what God had done. I made my way to the lobby and waited. The doors opened and a handful of people began making their way out. Then it happened…AGAIN!!! All of a sudden I heard cheering coming from the worship area. I literally stopped my conversation and took off running. I walked in just in time to see SuJean come up out of the water. Her friends Steve and Ceci had the privilege of baptizing her. She was brimming with excitement and gratitude. However, it was not gratitude just for those who helped her, it was a gratitude towards Christ. She had literally left fandom behind for being a Completely.Committed.Follower.

Yesterday when all the smoked cleared, more than 100 people across all three of our campuses decided to go from Fan To Follower. If you were not one of them, our prayer is that today you will remember that “today is the day of Salvation.” Today may you go from Fan To Follower.

It was Thursday. There was a buzz in the air. People were filing in from everywhere…It was time.

People were dressed to impress and were traveling with their entourages. Stages were being set up and music was starting to move through the air with grace and ease. One by one they awoke to this scene unfolding right outside their second story window. There was laughter and conversation blanketing the streets.

However, as they drug themselves out of bed they realized he was not there. They just assumed that he would be in the thick of it. Where could he be? One of them decided to go look through the crowds. Another went to the local breakfast place…but…No avail. He was no where to be found.
He sat and overlooked the masses. They expected him to rule them. He came to save them. They expected him to lead them. He came to serve them. They expected him to make them famous. He came to bring fame to Another.

As he sat and watched he became distressed. He became overwhelmed. He began to weep. What kind of guy is this? He is a man’s man. They don’t cry.  But this was no girly cry, this was a battle cry. He knew that in a few short hours it was going to happen. In fact it was going to happen unbeknownst to the masses he was weeping over. It would happen in the peace of the night. While they all stumbled in for the night he would enter the battle of a lifetime…

Theirs!!!

It was still. Light had turned to dark. The sky was clear and the stars seemed a bit brighter than normal. The moon shone like the sun. His agony was the perfect juxtaposition to the beauty of the night. Then it happened…footsteps and shadows. He knew…it was time!!! A kiss that would normally have been sweet was the now full of poison. It pierced, but he understood…it had to be this way. Nonetheless it still cut deep. They were friends…close one’s at that.

But even in this moment he kept his composure. He even healed one’s affliction caused by one of his closet friends.

Even though innocent he went without an ounce of struggle.

Even though unlawful he never claimed his rights.

Even though he could have claimed his identity to save himself he kept quiet.

Even though he committed no crime he took the beating of a criminal.

He knew how this would end, but he willingly moved forward. He could have, at any moment, ended all of this. But he cared more for them than himself. Even those condemning him had his love and affection. The great irony is, is that they had no idea. They were too consumed with themselves to see the compassion through the blood stained tears.

It was over…

None of them could believe it. They were all assembled back in the room they had all awoke from just a few short hours earlier. They were scared, upset, and confused. They thought he was the one…They had waited their whole life for him and now they felt like fools for believing it. Again they could hear the crowds…Again they could hear the conversations below…This time however…none of them went to look for him. They knew where he was…he was DEAD!!!In fact it was tough for any of them to say it or admit it, but they were all thinking it.

BUT THEN….

She came in frantic!!!

HE…IS…NOT…THERE!!!

i’m a dreamer.

i love to think about what things can be like.

i can get a vivid picture in my head and see what it looks like in reality.

in church world that can be a great commodity and dangerous at the same time.

it is great because vision must be cast out of looking from the clouds and seeing the big picture.

however, this can be very dangerous because sometimes we can get our head stuck in the clouds and never come to the dirt and put the shovel to those dreams.

the people i see doing the most good in the church are those who balance having their heads in the clouds and then parachuting down to the dirt to make them a reality.

we make all sorts of excuses for staying in the clouds.

we make lots of BUT statements…(might I add those are big but’s- #sirmixalotreferernce)

i would get in the dirt, BUT…i might get dirty.

i would get in the dirt, BUT…the clouds are nice and i don’t have to do anything but dream.

i would get in the dirt, BUT…what if others don’t understand what i saw in the clouds.

i would get in the dirt, BUT…i might fail.

i would get in the dirt, BUT…what if God let’s me down.

i would get in the dirt, BUT… i’m creative not administrative.

i would get in the dirt, BUT…my family might think i am crazy.

i would get in the dirt, BUT…

that little word is the difference between living out your dreams to do what God has called you to and staying in the clouds and never experiencing what he longs to do with you.

as much as God is in the clouds,

He is also…very much…

IN THE DIRT!!!

what dream do you need to get out of the clouds and into the dirt?

]]> http://freshairpoetry.com/2012/01/06/head-in-the-clouds-2/feed/ 0 http://freshairpoetry.com/2011/12/29/when-18-year-olds-die-and-change-lives/ http://freshairpoetry.com/2011/12/29/when-18-year-olds-die-and-change-lives/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:05:34 +0000 Trevor http://freshairpoetry.com/?p=2701