Setting The Stage

As I was doing my quiet time one night, I felt God speaking to me about something that has been always close to my heart. You see, as the years pass by, I realise more and more that my passion has been in the media and design side of things, and to see it all happen in its best at church. No longer should we accept church brochures and flyers as it is. This is no longer the "As Is" section of Ikea, church design should be right in the most expensive showroom in the house.

So, as I was just reading the Word, I felt God speaking to me about "Setting The Stage". What exactly are you talking about? Well, this is the thing: There are so many times when we're asked to worship lead in life group, when we're scheduled to serve visitors a drink, when we're arranging the chairs or when we're physically setting the stage where the worship band plays. Yet, there are countless times when we would feel negatively over these tasks or wished someone else are doing it instead. C'mon, let's be real right.

Yet, when we read in the Bible, we see who was the greatest stage setter of all times. Countless times, we see the heroes of faith setting the stage and creating the atmosphere to move. We read in the Gospels that when Jesus was travelling back to His hometown one day, He was amazed at their lack of faith. And consequently, Jesus (the Master and Creator of the universe) could not move! Why is this? Simply because, the people's disbelief hindered Him from doing so. In other words, the people did not manage to set the stage and create the atmosphere for Jesus to move. How crazy is that...

Now, back to this main question of setting the stage. And this is what I felt God spoke to me about in the early hours of the morning. He said there were many times, when we are asked to set up the stage, so usher, to clean the floor, to serve the drinks and we complain whether verbally or not. Yet when we look at the Bible, we see God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords setting the stage. Probably the most important stage of all times right from the beginning.

Look at Genesis 1. God specifically listed down all the thing He has done in the first chapter of the Book. He created the waters, the land, the mountains and rivers and even each of the animals, no matter how diverse and different they all are. God Himself took 6 full days carefully planning and then setting up the stage, called Earth before He even put us on it. Think about that, guys. There were so many time when we complain about the 6 or 7 hours we give in setting up once in a while, but yet God took time to make sure everything was beautiful and perfect before He created us.

We see in Genesis 1, everytime after He created something, he would say "It was good". How many time do we set up the stage for Him to move and say it was good. Or do we just brush it off and say "well, as long as it looks ok, it's ok". God Himself had the spirit of first class. He would not even create His people, us, if everything He saw was good enough. Now this is a new thought: God probably felt, if it was good enough for Him, it will be good enough for us. Wow... Think about that.

I wanna challenge myself and I want to challenge you. Whoever you are, to lift the standard on setting the stage on God to move. Whether you're a musician, an usher, a hospitality person, a set up or pack down team member, do your best! For the simple but yet most powerful reason because we're doing this as a stage for God to move. When a person walks into the church hall, do they go wow or do they snicker at the lack of standard in the House of God. Ask yourself this question.

When I think of setting the stage for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords to move and change lives forever. Everything I do is worth it.