Jesus Disciples

Blog number 2. This is starting to become fun.  Couldn't wait to get to the pc and write about my day.  This was an amazing experience.  It's about church... about buildings... about people... All those things and how it links up with God.

The background:

Yesterday I was asked to play some songs acoustically at Jesus Disciples in Kempton Park. Andre told me that it was for a some of his friends, so  I was quite relaxed.  Didn't think too much of it.  Thought maybe 4 songs. Done. This morning when we spoke again, 5 hours before the "gig".  He told me that it was a church event and there would be a couple of people performing as well as a band.  That's when I started to stress.  So I grabbed my acoustic and started to plan a 30-40 minute set. Lined up a couple of songs from my album as well as some older praise and worship songs.  

When I arrived there, it was a small church building, not even a building, with about 50 chairs packed outside the building.  It used to be a rustic bar, and the christian bikers who originally were on the property next door, prayed for them to go out of business.  So it happened. Just as they prayed. (Ask and you will receive)

Jesus Disciples' church

The experience:

There were probably about 40 people at the event and it started with a girl on her acoustic singing with 3 of her friends.  She was playing a Ritmuller and hasn't been playing for so long. They were singing "Shout to the Lord", "Lord I lift Your name on high" and a couple of songs they wrote. The sound was giving a lot of feedback.  Some harmonies were out, guitar chords sounded out of tune and rhythm was lacking, but none of that mattered.  They were worshiping God.  They were giving the best they have.  That's all that we have to give. God deserves our best. No matter at what level our best is.



Inside the church



Then it was my turn.  I started teaching them "None like You",  "All I do" and then it was time for "Look what the Lord has done"(an oldie but a favourite of mine).  People were standing, singing and praising God. I sang "On my knees" followed by "I could sing of Your love forever", then "Saved" and "He loves us". I prayed a prayer and ended with "My redeemer lives".

It was me, a mic, an acoustic guitar and not the best sound.  There were no lights. No screens. No fancy visual effects.  No smoke machines.  But guess what... The people didn't care. They were worshiping God.  When I sang "Saved" there were people crying.  God was there.  He doesn't need fancy equipment to touch lives in worship.  He doesn't need the best singers to get the message across.  He doesn't need a huge building.

I think some of us have become spoiled in church.  I have and it's wrong and for that I repent.  Today was one of the best worship experiences I have had in a long time.  Being in the presence of bikers in a small, one room building with two fireplaces. 

After it all I sat in the presence of a guy that went to jail at 19, accused of 40 counts of murder, drug trafficking and soliciting prositutes.  God saved him.  This guy changes lives with his testimony in schools and wherever he goes. 

So the thing I want to say is: 

We don't need lights and great sound to worship.  We don't need to belong to a big church to change lives.  We need to be Jesus' followers.  He saved us no matter who we were so that no matter where we are, we can be the difference.