During Catalyst Conference, Perry Noble of NewSpring Church (Anderson, SC) discussed perseverance.

If you’ve followed God long enough, you have thought, “Should I be following you? Because I am not sure this is this place I should go.”

God often leads us to places we think we shouldn’t go but then later realize it is the best thing for us.

Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord , the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.” So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.
- 1 Kings 17: 1-7

God tells Elijah to go by the brook and He will feed him by bringing food via birds. So Elijah did what the Lord told him (best ministry advice: do what God tells you). But then in verse 7, the brook dries up.

Elijah thought that brook was his supply. But God brought Elijah by the brook to learn that you don’t depend on brooks or big donors. You depend on God alone.

Have you ever been to a place where the brook was dry. God did not bring Elijah to the brook to punish him. God brought Elijah to the brook to prepare him for something bigger in 1 Kings 18 when Elijah is on top of a mountain calling fire down from heaven. Don’t give up when you are by the brook.

More time on your face and less time on Facebook will help your church.

The greatest thing that has ever happened in our ministry is unexplainable. And if it is explainable then God didn’t do it.

Don’t run from the brook. You are a follower of Jesus, and Jesus is not a quitter.

Don’t you dare give up on a God that has never given up on you.

Perry Noble of NewSpring Church (Anderson, SC) kicked Catalyst 2009 off with a pre-lab discussion of vision. This is what he said:

When God gives you a vision, it will continually take you to a place that is more and more uncomfortable. One of the biggest leadership myths is – one day everything will get easier. When God calls you into leadership, the steps are not easier.

When you begin to say things like, “We want our church to be open to everyone,” God will test you. And God has a sense of humor. Would you really invite anyone to your church? Or do you just like to say you want your church to be open to everyone.

You have to be willing to let God take you to uncomfortable places if you want to be a fully devoted follower of Christ. And if you want to be a leader, you have to be willing to put yourself in uncomfortable places.

Paul’s story in Acts 26 demonstrates the following four truths about vision:

#1 :: Vision begins with an accurate view of Jesus.

The first thing that was revealed to Paul wasn’t the plan but the person of Jesus Christ. One of the mistakes that church leaders make is they don’t even know who Jesus is anymore. Sometimes when it comes to communicating with Jesus, we have no idea who we are talking to. If you want to set your church on fire, you can’t do it without an accurate view of Jesus.

Churches don’t have resource problems; they have a Jesus problem. And when we get our eyes on Jesus, He will blow your flippin’ minds. Are you trying to teach people about who Jesus is or about who you are? You can tell a lot about the church by how many photos of the pastor are everywhere. When we make any agenda of the church anything other than Jesus, we make the church a prostitute.

#2 :: Vision calls us to action.

When the alarm goes off, it should propel us to action. World population is increasing, and church attendance is decreasing. There is a problem. None of us are waiting on God. God is waiting for us to step up and take action. God calls leaders to action.

If Andy Stanley walked into your church, what change would he make? Why wait for an expert to come?

When you lead, people will leave. If people aren’t leaving, you aren’t leading. You are going to make people mad. You don’t want to close the backdoor. In the Bible, the church is called a body. If you close the backdoor, you will constipate your church. You need a Holy Ghost enema.

For church planters, the easiest thing you’ll ever do is plant the church. It just gets more difficult from there. God will always test a church planter in the first year to find out if he is a prophet or a prostitute.

#3 Vision will impact you personally.

God is going to give a vision in direct proportion to the pain you’re willing to endure. There are too many leaders that are unwilling to allow the vision to impact them personally. When you wrestle with God, you will get wounded, but you will never forget that experience. Don’t lead from inspiration, lead from revelation. You should be able to see your vision and feel it. Vision should affect you personally.

#4 Vision will lead to victory.

A lie will paralyze you. And if you believe a lie long enough, you will start telling it to others.

LIE
God is not into numbers. As long as you just have a really good group of people that love each other, it is going to be okay.

Remember, it is called the Great Commission not the great suggestion. If God gives you a vision, it will produce fruit. Don’t say you don’t count people but then count the offering because counting shows what is important to you.