An Audience of One

When God came to me and appointed me to lead my peers in a mission trip to Costa Rica He gave me a very specific purpose. He told me that I shouldn't measure the success of my trip by the overall group consensus. He told me a job well done wasn't what He had sent me there to accomplish. He told me that my purpose was to drastically alter the life of one person that I had brought with me. At the time I didn't know who it was. But from that moment forward, I made it my greatest ambition to make that come true.
God didn't send me for the many, but instead he gave me an audience of one. One soul that was willing to listen. One soul that I had the glorious responsibility of having a hand in its shaping. At the time I thought that was just my temporary mission for the trip. I'm starting to learn much much more.

Not intentionally by my thoughts, I have been living my life for that audience of one. When I engage in relationships with my peers, and with my younger friends that I try my best to mentor, it is always battle for one soul at a time. Even when I write my blogs, my target hasn't changed. Bear with me, because this entire concept is a realization that God is giving me more clearly this very moment. I'm looking back at the trajectory of my life and I see clearly the ministry of one that God has been working through me. At the time I had no clue! I see it most clearly in those I am discipling and my blogging.

Specifically with my blog is where I'd like to focus real quick. Every day I hear of my words on this medium affecting someone. Without fail my words make a difference in someone's life every day. Of course, none of this is about me, but Jesus Christ who speaks through me. But all of that time I heard different people challenged by God in different ways. I was encouraged by good friends. I was mocked by some. I was admired by those who I have never met (and still might never know). But all the while, God's words cut to the heart of one by one by one. by one. One.

God began to reveal this to me Saturday night at Winter Rush Retreat. He told me so many great things that night. I am still in awe. But this I won't ever be able to forget. Midway through the first worship session I hit my knees. I felt the Spirit pressing upon me. I let go of myself and invited Him in. I remember praying specifically, "God, show me what You want to show me." I didn't ask for Him to tell me anything, at least through words like He usually does. At this is where I really got blown away. God gave me a vision.

I'm not sure how much of it is mine to share right now. I'm not even sure what it all means. But after the vision had come to a close, He spoke directly to my heart saying this, "I will use you to speak to nations, but your audience starts with one." That sentence stuck with me. I kept mulling it over through the sermon. It was a recurring though as I listened to Tiger speak to us. I felt the Spirit moving. I felt him reaching into souls and transforming them. But this time He wasn't a wind or a wave. He was an arrow. I felt him pierce everyone in that room in a different way. I saw him use one message and worship session to impact so many people in such different ways. God worked for many audiences of one.

God continues to impress upon me this lesson. With it as a tool I have been encouraged to look back at my life and see how Christ has specifically been at work in me. I've seen my prayers do petty things like move rainclouds. I've seen my prayers be answered as friends accepted Jesus into their lives. I've seen others follow in my footsteps in too many ways to count. I've seen countless friends start blogs just like the one you are reading now. I might not have been a factor in their decisions to begin one at all, but I feel as if my example has contributed in some factor to some of them. I've seen the feeble grow into leaders. The timid have become bold. And I've been a part of all of it.

Honestly, I don't really worry too much when I don't get much of a response. God has given me faith. I trust that he will move just how he wants to move. The greatest blessing is times like this where I am encouraged to see my life making a difference. I can say today with all sincerity that I would trade my life to see any person in this world come into a life saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that my short life of 18 years has been worth it. And that feeling is the best feeling a man can ever receive.

Now don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. God has been pretty clear to me that He has clear plans for my future. But to all of you who read this, I want you to know that I pray for you every day. To my best friends who read this, I am blessed that you place my words in such high esteem. To those who know me and value what I have to say, I want you to know how grateful I am to God for you, that I am given the opportunity to share with you my heart. To tens, hundreds, even thousands of people who read this that I will never meet I would like to say this. Jesus Christ loves you. His ministry is not focused blindly on the masses. You are his audience of one. Accept Him as the Lord of your life and I guarantee you will never be the same.

Again, I thank everyone of you for reading this. I hope to meet you all someday in Heaven. I want to be walking the streets of gold and meet someone on that path. They will ask me, "Are you Matt Bartlett?"
"Yes, that's me," I will respond.
"You're words changed my life. You are the reason I am here with you today."
That's not to say that I'm any different from any of you. I'm a wretched sinner, saved by the grace of a Holy God. Join me in paradise.

I pray my feeble words have some impact on just one of you tonight.
In Christ,
-matt