We wandered through the creepy, narrow alleyways of an old apartment complex after dark until we found the entrance. Then the two other Campus Target leaders and I (Sonny) began to climb the flights of stairs. As we approached the 4th floor, we heard a sound calling us to our destination. It was singing. We tentatively knocked on the plain, metal door. After a cautious eye peered through the peephole, the latch clicked open. The three of us were ushered into a bright clean room with six college students standing in a circle worshiping Jesus.
After worship, the meeting began. We were gathering with the leaders of this thriving young house church to plan a partnership with them to reach the students at their Top 100 universities. We planned details of working together, but as we discussed our desire to see the group multiply this year so they could reach more people, we were met with resistance. Each of the leaders began to express how worn out they were; they couldn't imagine taking on this new faith challenge.
As they poured out their hearts about this, the Lord gave me a word for the team. “You have been working in your own strength. You are not spending regular, unhurried time with Jesus. As you lean on the Spirit, you will find that Jesus' burden is truly light.”
I cringed at the thought of sharing a corrective word with these young saints in my very first meeting with some of them. But in my heart I knew I God wanted me to share. So I obeyed and gently began to correct these church leaders.
The whirlwind of tears, silence, prayers of repentance, and God's Spirit falling on the group that followed left me walking away in stunned silence. Jesus had shown up. He had called these leaders back to their First Love. And He had filled the group with faith that as we depend together on the Spirit's power, there is no limit to the revival that Jesus can pour out on that campus.