God placed the vision in my heart over eight years ago to plant 217church and this weekend we celebrate all the PROGRESS towards that vision!  The first 4 years of those 8 years, the vision wasn’t shared, not one person was baptized, and no money was given towards it.  Essentially NOTHING happened.  But just because we were delayed in the vision, it didn’t mean we were denied.  We didn’t know where, we didn’t know how, but slowly God began to reveal the place, the people and the how and what we were going to do.  In the waiting, I needed to learn some things.  I didn’t like going through it, but now I am thankful for it.

The vision is happening right in front of us…

“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”

Habakkuk 2:3 ESV

Those first four years of seeing no fruit was painful.  There was a time when I began to ask the question, “God, did I hear you right?”  Have you ever been there? Waiting is perhaps the most difficult thing to do, especially if you are a “let’s go” person like me!  I remember days and nights of frustration and confusion, feeling like I was at the end of my rope.  Patience may be a virtue, but not one that I am good at.  So let me ask you, “What are you waiting for?

How To Wait For The Vision…

#1 Pray Continually – Prayer cultivates dependance on God.  Great, just what you wanted to hear.  Since God’s timing usually isn’t my timing, I’m supposed to pray?  What for?  I mean, can’t God just be on our timeline for once?  Praying through the vision helped me to see “why not now.”  There were circumstances that needed to change, skills I needed to sharpen and experience that needed to gain for God to make me ready.  Whenever you get impatient, discipline yourself to pray.  Then pray some more…and some more.  Wait for it…

#2 Plan Diligently –  Planning refines the strategy God gives you.  I am eternally thankful for the “lag” time in my life between getting the vision and implementing the vision.  217church was prepared meticulously way before we ever held a public worship service or held our first 217group.  It allowed me valuable time to hone the gifts, strategy, philosophy and timing of what we needed as we started the church.  It wasn’t just about me, but I wasn’t ready.  In that time, God wanted to give us a gift named Lydia!  Planting a church with a pregnant wife would have been, well, CRAZY!  God also wanted me to wait so I could have the right team to plant with me, to reach the people we were supposed to meet.  By the time we launched, our plan was so well prepared, we just needed God to show UP!  Wait for it…

#3 Prepare Your Heart – God wants you develop your character deeper than you think you can go.  This is a HUGE blind spot for most of us.  We think we are ready and we have the message and so we go.  Show me someone who has learned the art of being content in waiting for God, and I will show you a person with character.  God cares more about you than what you can do for Him.  As a matter of fact, God doesn’t need you to fulfill his vision.  He chooses if you will be used and it’s not up to you, but HIM.  Wait for it…

#4 Persevere Through Disappointment – Your disappointments may be God appointments.  At the beginning I thought I had it figured out and ready to go and there were some disappointments.  Not only did we want to plant sooner, but some people we thought were going to come with us to start the church said no to us.  There were some tough days of uncertainty and confusion, but God allowed us to get to where we are now.  Wait for it…

We are JUST GETTING STARTED!  This Sunday we will celebrate baptisms #151 and counting.  We will celebrate lives transformed and 20 small groups meeting to rebuild lives in their neighborhoods.  We will celebrate families reunited, the gift of each other and countless stories of people who used to feel neglected but now feel accepted. We will celebrate an additional location starting in October in East Windsor and anticipate many more people coming to meet Jesus!  I know it’s tough but Wait for it… God has greater things in store!

Josh

217church is a contemporary church in Mercer County, NJ serving singles and families in the following townships in Mercer County and Bucks County areas (Hamilton, Lawrenceville, Allentown, Trenton, East Windsor, West Windsor, Princeton, Hightstown, Chesterton, Bordentown, Monroe, Robbinsville, Mercerville, Yardville, Yardley, Newtown, Langhorne and more!).