This Sunday was week two in our Satisfaction series at North Side. The whole morning focused on never-ending work. King Solomon, in Ecclesiastes 2:18-26, spoke of his disappointment with his search for satisfaction in the means of his job. He stated that he worked tirelessly to achieve contentment, but he could never attain through that work.
We live in a 24/7 society. Many people work more than 40 hours a week. Even after that, our lives seem so busy. Especially for men, we expect to find significance in our job. We want promotion, approval, or the recognition of others for what we do and not who we are. When we don’t find satisfaction in our relationship with Christ, we end up looking for it in an unhealthy place. I know so many people who stress to achieve satisfaction through their work, that they will do anything, hurt anybody, attempt any means to find contentment through the means for which they get paid. If you weren’t there, make sure you go to the website to get the sermon audio.
I’ll have to do that too. I was actually on the road to Kentucky that morning away from the North Side family. I had originally planned on leaving for my class at seminary after the last service, but the weather was threatening snow flurries on the way to Kentucky on Sunday, so I was admonished by my two-most trusted voices in my life (Amanda and my boss, Jeff) to go ahead and get on the road.
So it was an interesting experience. The last two services at North Side were worshipping with the following songs:
• All We Need – Charlie Hall
• Everyday – Hillsong United
• Enough – Chris Tomlin
• Everlasting God – Chris Tomlin
• Came to My Rescue (Reprise) – Hillsong United
But I was on the road. I had prayed and helped plan those services but unable to be there. So I prayed. At 11:20, I sang worship with you. I was driving through Tennessee mountainous roads and joining you and millions of other people at that moment giving praise to Jesus. What a mighty God we have! Have you ever thought about the scope of his influence and power? Have you ever thought about how many lives he has changed in this week alone?
So I did worship with you through all three services. I prayed for Jeff. I prayed for people to truly encounter God. I prayed for some new people to come today and have a desire to get connected. It was a good experience for me to have to rely on prayer for my scope of ministry on this Sunday. I actually had more confidence in what God was doing on Sunday than what ever I could do in my presence.
I also had a couple of great calls. Amanda and Jamie both called me and said how smoothly things went on Sunday. That was the best news to hear. If you didn’t know, two of our own, Adam and Wes, both have moved to different churches within the last month and they both played pivotal roles on Sundays. With me being gone, there should have arisen a panic or anxiety concerning the quality of the logistical nature of the service. But honestly, I didn’t. I trust our group of volunteers so much! They are so talented. They are so passionate about ministry. They love serving the body of Christ through sitting in a booth with no recognition. Well, I appreciate our volunteers, but God appreciates your service even more! Thank you guys that I could have so much confidence in the best volunteers in the world.
See you next Sunday as we continue on through the Book of Ecclesiastes in our Satisfaction series.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.