A recent study on the early church in the Book of Acts led to this lesson on the need for pollen in our Christian lives. As I learned about how the early church was scattered and the disciples spread the good news, I was reminded about the importance of pollen. I charge today’s local church to produce pollen and today’s church member to pollinate the world.
There are basically two types of pollen. I see no need to give you the scientific names, so let’s just call them “light” pollen, and “sticky” pollen. Plants use both types to reproduce.
You see, a plant is “planted” and by definition is not able to move around and transport its seed. So in order to reproduce, it must find a way to get its seed to other plants. Thus, the purpose of pollen. The local church is like the plant.
The light type of pollen is blown by the wind and is carried away from the host plant by the whims of the breezes. When it lands on a suitable entity, it begins the process of reproduction.
Now, pollen is not the actual seed, but the vessel that the seed is carried in. In the church, the word of God is the seed, but it must be carried via a vessel. I liken the light pollen to things like radio or TV ministries, the CD or web-hosted ministry, flyers, advertisements, billboards, signs and “word of mouth”.
The church has a message, and that message gets spread, but like pollen in the wind, who can really say when or where it will land? But it must be scattered in order to reproduce.
Now sticky pollen is the kind we associate with honey bees. When a bee lands on a plant, to partake of its nectar, the sticky pollen attaches itself to the bee. As the bee then travels from plant to plant, the pollen goes with it and can then be deposited on other plants to begin the reproductive cycle.
In my mind, the people of God are the bees. When they come to the local church to partake of the goodness of God, the sweetness of fellowship, and to be nourished by “host plant”, they should pick up some pollen. Something with the ability to produce life should stick to them!
Then wherever they go, that spiritual pollen can be spread.
As they walk in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, self-control, etc. they can be a carrier of the good news! Like the honey bee covered in sticky pollen, it should be obvious that they have been in a pollen rich environment. They do not look like normal bees! They have pollen all over them and that pollen is steady trying to latch onto to someone else!
The local church I charge to be that pollen rich environment. The members of the church I challenge to be the honey (aka “worker”) bees; partaking of the “nectar” and spreading it everywhere you go. It is our God given mission to pollinate a dying world, so stop “buzzing” around and land somewhere and start spreading the good pollen of God’s kingdom.
Everyday God... 