Corona Devo 3245

During church service over the weekend, our pastor got off topic.  And there was rejoicing in Heaven because of it!

I don't just mean that the pastor lost his place in his sermon notes, or went down a "rabbit hole" with an unrelated story.  

I mean that as he was speaking about the assigned Scriptures, he paused and shared with us that he felt the Holy Spirit leading him to discuss salvation: and so he did.

The pastor left his (Biblical) topic), and he switched-gears mid-sermon (and mid-sentence!) into the Lord's (at that moment) topic.

Something and someOne spoke to his heart about getting off topic, and he obeyed.  

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”  ~Isaiah 30:31

Our pastor discerned (in real time) the voice and the way...and he walked in it.  

Somewhere during the sermon the Holy Spirit whispered to our pastor that there was one who needed to hear the hope of Jesus and to accept Christ in their heart that day, and our pastor heard the Holy Spirit, and obeyed.  

He got off topic and left 2 Samuel, and went to Luke 15, because the Holy Spirit told him to. 

Then Jesus told them this parable: (4) “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? (5) And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders (6) and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ (7) I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.  ~Luke 15:3-7

Our pastor went searching for the "one" during the middle of his sermon.  He got off the topic of 2 Samuel and went to John 3:16. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  ~John 3:16 

Then he got off the topic of John 3:16 and went to Romans 3:23:

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...  ~Romans 3:23

And then he asked our (couple hundred people) congregation to bow our heads and close our eyes for prayer, and he continued to get off of the 2 Samuel topic by inviting people into Romans 10:19. 

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  ~Romans 10:19

~~~

During church service over the weekend, our pastor got off topic.  

He made a (Holy Spirit-led) side-note about salvation and Christ's sacrifice for us...and what became of that "detour" was powerful and Kingdom-enlarging!  

And there was rejoicing in Heaven because of it! 

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.  ~Luke 15:7

Our pastor got off topic because the Holy Spirit led him away for the one sinner, and he obeyed the Holy Spirit and went off topic.

But there was not one sinner sitting in our church service that day...there were twenty-four.  

Twenty-four people were ready to admit their sin to God, and accept Christ's sacrifice, and be blessed by God's salvation over them...all because one man got off topic and listened to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in his heart.

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  ~John 16:13

~~~ 

It was a powerful thing to be a part of that moment, when our pastor sensed the Holy Spirit's prompting and obeyed it.  We saw the spiritual fruit that was harvested in that moment.

But it is not just pastors who hear the Holy Spirit and walk in His ways.  It is us also.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  ~Acts 1:8

Brothers and Sisters, we must be open to getting "off topic" in our normal-lives today, and to hearing what God is saying to our hearts through the Holy Spirit.  And when we hear it, we must obey.  

Someone's eternal life might depend on it...and someone's eternal death may also depend on it.  The choice is theirs, but today might be the day for them to make that choice, and we don't (ever) want to miss an opportunity to introduce someone to the Lord.

~~~

I am so blessed that our pastor got off topic in church.

Twenty-four people had their lives (and deaths!) changed because our pastor got off topic in church!

When was the last time that we heard the Holy Spirit?  Did we obey, even if we were in the middle of something?  Are we willing to get off topic for the Lord today?

Our pastor was in the middle of a sermon.

Someone is in the middle of a hopeless, purposeless, pointless life.  The Holy Spirit is trying to use us to introduce them to Jesus.  Are we listening for the Holy Spirit?  Will we obey?   

(When prompted by the Holy Spirit), let's speak the word of God boldly today!

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.  ~Acts 4:31


Blessings,

sarah 

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com

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