Lorna and I will have been married for 19 years in October. However, when we have guests visiting our home and they see our wedding photos they almost without exception ask “who’s that with Lorna?” One person even thought it was Lorna and her brother! Why the confusion, it would be fair to say that since getting married I’ve had to upgrade my clothing size a few times. Some people call it marriage contentment! In Isaiah 54 we see a wonderful prophetic picture of the church being prepared for a size upgrade! Listen to what the prophet has to say:
“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations …” (Is 54:2-3, ESV)
Enlarge, stretch, do not hold back, lengthen, strengthen, these are God’s imperatives to us as a church! A Bible commentator put it like this “The church is to spare no labour in obedience to these commands. She need not retrench but must make room for great posterity … To much cannot be done to enlarge tents, so gracious is the Lord in the promises of a large increase” (Young).
I believe these verses have a number of challenges implications for us as a church:
1. Enlarging starts in our thinking. I would suggest that often it is not external circumstances that are any more opposed to the growth and advance of the kingdom (because they always will be!), but rather our own thinking or view on things. Do you see the church like my wedding photo – all skin and bones? If so these verses are challenging you to allow your view of what God has for Kingsgate to put on weight and grow. He has called us be an instrument in his hand to see this Borough and surrounding towns and villages Transformed! He has called us to build a community of grace and love that will impact every community and neighbourhood in this area! This is huge, but what an adventure!
2. Enlarging also means stepping out of what is comfortable and into the unknown. Nothing of any significance is done without taking some form of risk! Hebrews 11 lines up one person after another as hero’s of the faith, who risked much but by faith lived a blazing life and glorious life. The past few years have been learning how to step out of the comfortable into the uncomfortable. Let’s remain faithful in living this way!
3. Enlarging and stretching by their very nature can apply additional pressure for a season. For example, we’re being very intentional in the way we’re looking to build teams of teams across the church. This is a slower process than just allowing a few people to get on a do the ‘stuff’, however, if we’re going to enlarge and stretch we can’t rely upon a few people, we’ve got to invest, train, equip and give space for lots and lots of people to grow and develop.
4. Finally enlarging means making space in the family home for new people. Over the last year we’ve had loads of guests amongst us. How will these guests ever become part of this growing family? Only when you and I invite them to our discipleship group or back to our home for lunch or coffee. Friendships and community doesn’t just happen they are the result of people grasping hold of this prophetic picture and creating space in their diary to enlarge the circle of their friends! In addition, many of these new people coming among us have significant gifts to contribute to what God is doing in and through us. This will mean making space for them to grow and develop. At times this could feel uncomfortable, but this is part of the process of the tent to be stretched out.
My hope and prayer is that we will continue to look back over previous ‘photos’ of Kingsgate and and ask who’s that? Why, because God has enlarged us as we are respond to his programme of growthor as we say in the Bradley household “we had to upgrade”!
by Adam Bradley