Worship Is Freedom

Worship Is Freedom

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Suspension Bridges

There was a large suspension bridge with three arches. The arches represented the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There were also many smaller bridges, which were ministries and spiritual leaders. These bridges were disconnected and chaotic, but then the bridges began to unite together in the larger bridge.


A suspension bridge is the strongest bridge design known. They can span a distance of 7,000 feet. The strength of the bridge is due to the cables being anchored in bedrock. The pillars that uplift the cables are also planted on bedrock. God is preparing the Church to reach further than we have before and to carry the weight of a great harvest like never before, but first we must be firmly planted on the Rock.


There are many ministries doing their own thing. They fail to bridge the world to God, and they actually bring more confusion to people who are looking for God. Until we come together as one on Christ we will not reach the world for the gospel well. God is calling His people to begin to build their lives and ministries on Christ. Christ will become the true unifying factor for the Church and the only one who can sustain the move of God that will come. In the same way that the strength of a suspension bridge is not in the bridge itself, but in the rock, so we must learn to anchor in Christ. The works of man will not hold God’s Kingdom.


God is not looking for individuals and independent ministries, but team leadership. Congregations will begin to work together. Suspension bridges were originally made with chains rather than cables. If one link of a chain is weak it will be the weakness of the whole chain. One bridge was completely damaged when just one chain broke. Cables will remain strong even when many of the individual strands are weak. God is moving His people from chains of command to three fold and five fold chords of ministries working together for the kingdom.

Lessons from suspension bridges:

1) The weight is carried not by the bridge, but by the rock anchors.

2) Iron cables are strong under pressure.

3) The bridge must be able to flex and adjust as it is being built.

4) Cables can have weak links yet still be strong.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know that team buiding is a very importnat process for finding and revealing God's heart. I want to know more about team leadership. Would you tell us more of what biblical foundation of this leadership model is and how it would be applied in churches.

Patrick Carey said...

Unfortunately many church congregations have minimal gifts operating in them and this creates weakness in the body. One way we can see more balance is to bring in outside speakers regularly. Even more important than this is to allow the gifts within the congregation to operate, and to see their importance. This takes trust for one another and willingness to take risks. Consider Ephesians 4, which says the body is built up as each member does it's part. We all have something to give. When we don't see the value of the whole body of Christ we become weak and ineffective.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your further comment.
I am asking you why you use a word "risks" in your statement: ".....This takes trust for one another and willingness to take risks...."
I want to know what you mean by it. Thanks.

Patrick Carey said...

Whenever we allow people to grow in their gifts it is a risk. When someone tries something new they are not good at it, but they will not learn unless we give them a chance. When I give someone opportunity to do what God called them to it may not look perfect the first time as they try to teach, show mercy, prophesy, or pray. When we trust people it is always a risk, but it is worth it for the gift they bring.