This man of God fits the description of a modern day apostle.
I first observed him when I was a young boy. I lived directly across from Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa on Church Street in Costa Mesa.
As I would be returning from the Catholic church over on Orange Avenue I had to pass the little church of Calvary Chapel on my way home.
One day as I was returning from a Catholic Mass, that was always in Latin back in those days, I saw something that caught my attention. On the steps of Calvary Chapel there was a man who seemed to glow with joy as he greeted the people. It was Pastor Chuck.
A few years later in a small school house on Sun Flower street that they had converted into a chapel I once again saw the joyful man. His first words that I ever heard him say were, "Kids, Jesus Christ loves you." Now this was something that I had never heard anyone in the Catholic church say. Latin did not convey much to anyone at the Catholic church.
I first observed him when I was a young boy. I lived directly across from Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa on Church Street in Costa Mesa.As I would be returning from the Catholic church over on Orange Avenue I had to pass the little church of Calvary Chapel on my way home.
One day as I was returning from a Catholic Mass, that was always in Latin back in those days, I saw something that caught my attention. On the steps of Calvary Chapel there was a man who seemed to glow with joy as he greeted the people. It was Pastor Chuck.
A few years later in a small school house on Sun Flower street that they had converted into a chapel I once again saw the joyful man. His first words that I ever heard him say were, "Kids, Jesus Christ loves you." Now this was something that I had never heard anyone in the Catholic church say. Latin did not convey much to anyone at the Catholic church.
"A remarkable pattern kept repeating itself. As soon as we moved into a new building, our fellowship would already be too big for the facilities. In two years we moved from our original building (one of the first church buildings in Costa Mesa) to a rented Lutheran church overlooking the Pacific. Soon thereafter we decided to do something unprecedented at the time and move the church to a school that we had bought. The building did not match up to code so we tore it down and built another. But by the time the sanctuary of 330 seats was completed in 1969, we were already forced to go to two services, and eventually had to use the outside courtyard for 500 more seats. This was all fine in good weather.
But by 1971 the large crowds and the winter rains forced us to move again. We bought a ten-acre tract of land on the Costa Mesa/Santa Ana border. Orange County was quickly changing and the once-famous orange orchards were making way for the exploding population of Los Angeles. Soon after buying the land, we again did the unprecedented and erected a giant circus tent that could seat 1,600 at a stretch. This was soon enlarged to hold 2,000 seats. Meanwhile we began building an enormous sanctuary adjacent to this site.
By the time Calvary Chapel fellowship had celebrated opening day in 1973 moving into the vast new sanctuary of 2,200 seats, the building was already too small to contain the numbers turning out. We held three Sunday morning services and had more than 4,000 people at each one. Many had to sit on the carpeted floor. A large portion of floor space was left without pews so as to provide that option."
By the time Calvary Chapel fellowship had celebrated opening day in 1973 moving into the vast new sanctuary of 2,200 seats, the building was already too small to contain the numbers turning out. We held three Sunday morning services and had more than 4,000 people at each one. Many had to sit on the carpeted floor. A large portion of floor space was left without pews so as to provide that option."
I got saved and attended every service that I could get to at Calvary Chapel. I got to observe the growth and expansion of the Calvary Chapel movement. So I know firsthand the fruit of Pastor Chuck Smith from the beginning. And I can say that truly this is a man of God!
Check out how many Calvary Chapels there are around the world today...
How many pastors have done so much for the kingdom of God?
And even now this man of God continues to plow the fields for they are ripe unto harvest.
