ushers

Ushers to the House of God, by Randall D. Kittle

While I was worshiping, the Lord spoke to me saying, “I am releasing My ushers into the Church. I will use them to change the churches they are a part of into transformation centers that bring salvation to the lost, adoption to the spiritual orphans, and a rekindling to those who have started slipping into lethargy.” With that, I saw two different biblical scenes. One was the apostle Andrew inviting his brother Simon (later called Peter) to come and meet the Lord, and the other was the disciples praying together as they waited for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

The ushers the Lord is releasing into the Church in these days have nothing to do with the ushers who serve in many churches. That is not meant to devalue them in any measure. The work of hospitality these dedicated servants perform as they welcome people, help them find seating, give direction, take the offering, etc. is a valuable service. So often church leadership overlooks these silent servants who help the church fulfill its calling of Romans 12:13 to “Practice hospitality.” Hospitality may seem like a small matter, but in a day when there is so little personal contact, when it can be difficult to even talk to a human being on the phone let alone actually talk to a person and have them shake your hand, the gift of hospitality is greatly appreciated by many a visitor.

We must never underestimate the power effective hospitality can have. I remember years ago when I was in a pastors’ meeting in which Randy Clark was sharing about the Brownsville Revival. He said the minute you entered the building you could just feel the presence of the Lord drawing people to Himself. When asked what stood out, what was different about what they were doing, he paused and said, “The worship and the message weren’t especially noteworthy, but I’ve never seen such hospitable ushers in my life. Their friendliness, warmth, and genuine concern for your feeling welcome and comfortable were evident to all. I believe that spirit of hospitality has not only made their many visitors feel welcome, but also the Spirit of God.” We should feel encouraged to strengthen the current role of ushers in our midst even while we look forward to the new wave of ushers He is releasing.

Two New Ushers
This new wave of “ushering” the Lord is releasing in our day is an anointing to invite others to the House of God — to come to a church service. The first part of these “ushers of the Lord” was represented by Andrew. He was one of the earliest followers of Jesus, and once he encountered the Lord, he was compelled to invite others to come and see what he had found. “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus” (John 1:40–42). Those who are truly excited about what God is doing in their midst will receive this “Andrew anointing” from the Lord. It will be easy for those to invite others to church because it won’t be for the sake of growing the church or getting new members, but for ushering anyone they know or meet who needs a fresh touch from Jesus into His presence.

Those who were together praying for an outpouring of God’s Spirit represent the second part of these “ushers of the Lord.” The early Church was birthed, protected, and advanced in a strong atmosphere of intercession. God repeatedly poured out His presence when His people prayed together (see Acts 2 and 4 for just two examples). God is releasing an “Upper Room anointing” on those who have experienced a closeness with the Lord, but are desperate for His presence in their midst to increase. Their task is to “pray the price” to usher the presence of the Lord into their service in a strong dimension … a dimension that will transform lives.

We need to be praying for the release of these “ushers of the Lord,” both those who will usher those who need a touch to the service and those who will help usher in the Lord’s presence at the service. God’s desire is to change our church services into transformation centers where lives encounter Him and are never the same again!