Everything eventually comes to an end and the same is true with my time as the Interim pastor at Excelsior Springs Baptist Church. Sunday afternoon many tears were shed as, for the last time, I left the pulpit in that church but my time there my family will never forget. This has been an unbelievable 2 months serving in a capacity that allowed me to influence and be influenced by the loving people of that congregation. Both Heather and I will continue to pray for this church as she continues her search for the next Senior Pastor.
As for the Sermon, again this week we spoke about your Shadow Mission. The definition of a “Shadow Mission” is my authentic Mission given by God hijacked by my Ego and my wounds. There is no Jesus in it.” Another way to put it is “the motive behind what actions you take in your life.” Are they for Jesus and His Kingdom advance or ultimately about you?
This definition continually reminds me of what I am actually capable of in my life and I have great friends that remind me also. So I this week I continued to pass on this same concept to the people of ESBC and now on to you.
My prayer is that it causes us to review our lives in light of the Gospel and focuses us to stay on mission for the Kingdom.
Audio:
[audio https://somajc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/06-overcoming-the-shadow-misson-through-the-gospel.mp3]I was so excited to attend the Leadership Summit in 2007 and the event did not disappoint. I was blown away by leaders such as Carly Fiorina, Colin Powell, Dr. Floyd Flake, and Marcus Buckingham but the talk that left the deepest impact was given by a Pastor named John Ortberg. That day Ortberg began a conversation that has plagued me since to this very day and it’s one about my Shadow Missions.
The definition of a “Shadow Mission” is my authentic Mission given by God hijacked by my Ego and my wounds. There is no Jesus in it.
This definition continually reminds me of what I am actually capable of in my life and I have great friends that remind me also. So I this week I began to pass on this same concept to Excelsior Springs Baptist Church. My prayer is that it causes us to review our lives in light of the Gospel and focuses us to stay on mission for the Kingdom.
Audio (a little degraded this week):
[audio https://somajc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/subverting-the-gospel-through-a-shadow-mission-esther-1-4.mp3]Text Esther Chapter 1 – 4
In 1863 the famed Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon stood in the pulpit of Metropolitan Tabernacle and proclaimed,
“Why do we stay here, then, at all, but that we may be salt in the midst of putrefaction—light in the midst of darkness—life in the midst of death? The Church is the world’s hope! As Christ is the hope of the Church, so the Church is the hope of the world! The saints become, under Christ, the world’s saviors. Then we must not marvel, being here for this very purpose, if Christ does throw us like a handful of salt, just where the putrefaction is the worst! Or if He should cast us, as He has often done with His saints before, where our influence is most needed.”
Every time I read, hear, or even say that statement it settles in even deeper how true it is. The question for me is do I believe it. Well this was the basis for this weeks sermon and I really hope that you think about that statement… because it is completely true.
Audio:
[audio https://somajc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/04-how-the-gospel-changes-the-church-matt-16_16-19.mp3]Thank you for you continued patronage of my blog and friendship. Please enjoy the audio below as we have substantially upgraded the sound & please subscribe in the sidebar.
Over these last 3 weeks it has been stressful and challenging in more ways than I thought were possible. As many of you well know I am the current Interim pastor at Excelsior Springs Baptist Church (located about an hour from where we live now, and about 15 minutes outside of KC metro area, about 150 people attend). They have asked me to come be their interim pastor “in view of a call”, which is really just a fancy way of saying they are calling me to be their next Pastor. This upcoming Sunday (Oct. 16th) the congregation will vote (90%) after a pot luck (in proper small church tradition) and a Q & A with my wife and I. Both Heather and I and really excited about this opportunity and are falling in love with the people and the tenacity of this church. This is not what we thought God had planned, we thought it would be a few years before I would EVER be called as a Senior Pastor. However, we know He can only get the credit for what is about to happen at this church. If this process was easy we would not rely on Him. He wants and deserves the Glory! Sometimes I think that our life would get easier however, it’s just going to be another kind of hard. We have peace we are walking in His plan however, and that is a very good place to be.
Things we need you to be praying about as we move forward:
Thank you for you continued patronage of my blog and friendship. Please enjoy the audio below as we have substantially upgraded the sound & please subscribe in the sidebar.
Audio
Grace is meant to be scandalous. If it doesn’t appear scandalous, then our sins do not appear equally as scandalous in contrast to a holy God. The scandal is that my scandal has been written off and forgiven when it justifiably deserves wrath. This scandalous plan of forgiveness finds men like the women here, blind and helpless to do anything about their plight, and wipes their slate clean, reconciles them to God, and awards them with the wealth of heaven.
I hope that you are able to hear this as I bring yet another message to Excelsior Spring Baptist Church (ESBC). The point that I’m trying to get accross sis simple, I fervently believe it’s God’s intent for every believer to be:
In order to begin to accomplish these goals together it only makes sense to begin with the Gospel. I really hope that this series helps you reevaluate where you are in Christ.
The Audio is so much better this week please enjoy:
Text: Luke 7:36 – 50