The smiley face you see to the right represents my day yesterday. It was a good one.I'll admit that as I walked to the Rothwell Baptist church building yesterday morning, I felt nervous. That, in turn, made me feel disgusted with myself. Anyone stepping into a pulpit should be nervous; however, those nerves should exist because of the responsibility of preaching in front of God.
When it came time to preach, I tried to focus on the biblical text. Unfortunately, I was somewhat distracted. This is because I quickly spotted where the search committee was sitting. However, when I realized that they looked like pretty much everyone else in the building, I began to relax. I'd like to say that I forgot they were there as the sermon progressed, but that is not the case.
After the conclusion of the service, several of the home folks came up to me to thank me for the sermon (the theme was unity from Philippians 2:1-4). They said the church really needed to hear about that. I was pleased that the people heard something decent from the pulpit considering the situation. The search committee came up to meet me after most of the people had departed. We talked for a while and they said they enjoyed the sermon. They also said we would talk later.
The best part of the day happened in the evening. That's when I preached again at Chevis Oaks Baptist in Savannah. The people there have been very kind to us. The Lord has allowed me to preach there a total of ten times in the last few months. Chevis Oaks is also currently without a pastor. After the service, I joined several of the members for some excellent chicken barbecue. Yum.
This entire process is teaching us several things. The first is to be patient. I'll be honest - it's not easy. The second is to wait upon the Lord. The third is to rest in the sovereignty of God. If we really want to be where God wants us to be, then we'll trust in Him to lead us to the proper place.
Thank you for praying. Please keep praying.
7 comments:
Eric,
What an awesome responsibility and privilege God gives us to stand before, sit with, or walk with His people and exposit His Word! "Nervous"? Glad you were! And pleased that all went well.
Preaching committees don't have the the last word on the matter, God does. What a comfort that is!
His sovereign "proper place" for us, as I discovered a lifetime ago, is often the deep end, way above one's head, but He is there, all the way!
John,
Thank you for your kind words.
I'm much more concerned about being faithful to God's word than I am about a search committee. I certainly hope to not have this sort of distraction too many times.
We will keep praying for your family!
As for the barbeque... you haven't had barbeque unless you have been to Kansas City.
you're right, attempting to tell others what God's word means should not be taken lightly, no matter what out calling is.
Bethany,
Thank you so much for praying!
As for the barbecue, that sounds good. Next time I'm in MO, I'll get some.
Brian,
Amen to that!
Eric,
That's exactly the point of my comment.
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