The "All IN"

The Bible tells multiple stories of people who set themselves apart - apart from their culture, apart from their nation, even apart from their religious system.
One of my favorite stories is the story of Phinehas in Numbers chapter 25.  This man is who we have named our youngest child after.  Phinley and Phinehas both mean "Zealous Warrior".
In Numbers 25, Phinehas, Moses, and the nation of Israel are in the midst of a self-inflected plague because they are intermarrying and worshiping with the Moabites. Moses comes out in the midst of them and delivers God's judgement, saying that from that point forward anyone who continues in this wrong action is to be killed on the spot.  The Bible says that, while Moses was still speaking, a son of Israel and a daughter of Moab go into the tent and began to disobey in the very way God through Moses had just forbidden.
Phinehas is ALL IN! One of my favorite verses is Number 25:7. It says "when Phinehas saw IT".  In order for something to become an "IT" that quickly means everyone knows what "IT" is.  This means that everyone saw "IT", but only Phinehas acts.  Scripture continues to say that after he saw it, he alone rose from the middle of the congregation, which was at the tent of meeting mourning over the plague and asking the Lord for relief.  Where we could accuse Phinehas of being brash, or extreme (heck, he ends up piercing the both through like a Shish-Kebabs), that is not the Lord's response to him. 

God says in verse 11-12, 

“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace," 

"God said it, so lets go"!  People who respond like that are in a unique group of people.  I like to call this group "the ALL IN". Peter gives another great example of this one stormy night when he thinks he could be speaking to Jesus or to a ghost.  He says to Jesus, who is walking on the water, "If it's you tell me to come". The ALL IN seem to be a people who listen quick, but I think it's more than that.  I think this group of people have another similar characteristic - the Holy Spirit operating at a high percentage in their lives.  The fact that they are listening to what God says shows that they are pausing to hear.  In the pause we do two things: we submit our thoughts and opinions and we listen to His.  We as the (C)hurch say these things and genuinely hope to do them but we often say these things in the midst of a Sunday that is so over-programmed and filled with our own pace that the day makes the words futile.  Pace is everything in our culture but it is very spiritual. We all need a space to pause, to belong, and then to respond. This is very counter-cultural, just like the church was intended to be. #SetApart For those who believe in Jesus and follow Him, we should kill any "pace" we have set ourselves and submit to the "pace" of God.  This is what our city needs so much right now.  We need to believe with our ALL that the answer, the fix, the healing, the restoration for every broken thing can not have anything of me in it.  I can't set any pace.  I can't have my own vision!

There is a word in the Bible that speaks to this.  The word "Selah" in scripture is a word that has been discussed by many as to exactly it means.  The majority of people would say it means a spiritual pause.  We find it primarily in the Psalms and it usually follows after a statement that we should reflect on.  Since my high school years, I have always been fond of this word. Religion tells us to respond first, then we can belong, and then when/if we find time, we can pause.  But God does this equation so much differently than we do.  The (C)hurch and the city of Memphis are known for grinding out their work ethic. Don't get me wrong; work ethic is healthy.  But everything in scripture points to letting a spiritual pace set our physical lives. To pause means to give space for the Holy Spirit to speak.  In that relationship I belong, and when I am confident in belonging to something bigger than myself, that's when I respond by using the gifts the Spirit has given.

So, God has called our family to a new church start here in the city we love.  Not "Ryan's church"!  Not "The Mullins' vision"!  A Jesus Church with HIS Kingdom vision.  Selah Memphis!

Selah Memphis is a Jesus Church where it is His vision we carry.  We are launching a new family that desires to create a space to pause, belong, and respond.

We create a space for spiritual pause by gathering together to be encouraged, hear from God, and respond to the Holy Spirit.

We create a space to belong by building communities focused on friendships that encourage spiritual growth.

We create a space to respond by discovering how God has gifted each of us to love one another with the love of Jesus.

A space so inspiring because of Jesus, it creates a spiritual pause inviting even the greatest skeptic to cry out for grace.  Jesus offers grace to all!

A space that loves families so well that it creates a spiritual breath of fresh air for over-scheduled, stressed-out families. Jesus provides rest for the weary!

A space where both those who are outcast and those who have much influence discover how God gifted them and gives them space to fulfill their ministry according to that gifting.  Jesus is delighted by our gifts!

A space filled with compassionate people who give to the point of absurdity and are known by all for their generosity.  Jesus is generous to the point of absurdity!

A space that trusts the Jesus pattern of relationships - creating a community where relationships naturally make disciples, rejecting apathy while embracing rest in spiritual growth.  Jesus daily gives his life away!

A space where those away from the grace and love of Jesus in our city are our problem, while revival in our city is God’s responsibility.  Jesus loves all people!

A shame-free space that believes in forgiveness and redemption so much that we consider it an honor to help one another with the junk in our lives and don't need to hide or pretend. Jesus is for us!

A space filled with broken people who don’t shy away from others who are broken because of the healing Jesus provides for all.   Jesus runs to the broken!

Stay updated at www.selahmemphis.com