Pastor Appreciation Service

Tonight I had the honor of preaching at New Salem Baptist Church for Pastor Matt Adams 1st appreciation service. It went well, God blessed in spite of us. I am a manuscript preacher, not that I need it or really even look at it, but it is my crutch. If something goes wrong where my mind blanks out or I see a mean look or notice Satan in the sanctuary, it is my point of reference to find God again and center myself within his will.



Tonight I accidentally but providentially left my manuscript at home and did not realize it until I was in the office at the church. In the office amongst the preacher brethren chatting about this and that, I heard God speak to me in a clear and powerful way. He told me if your Manuscript was written about THE MAN, get up and talk about THE MAN and the power to preach will come from THE MAN if U will get out of the way and let the Bible be your SCRIPT.



I was delivered tonight from the burden of perfection in the pulpit. God does not bless me because my words are perfect or everything is aligned and alliterated but he blesses me because I am talking about THE MAN.



We had a great preaching experience. I was in a bad spot in between Pastor Andre A. McGhee who preached Thursday and Pastor Anthony R. Pettus Sr., who is preaching Sunday evening but God granted favor. I pray God's choicest blessing on Pastor Adams and the New Salem Church.



I preached out of John 12:1-8 although I only read the first three verses as I didn't want to give Judas any more credit than he deserved. I talked about "A Bethany Experience".



Simple structure: The World loves parties and celebrations no matter how extreme or extravagant the cost may be until someone decides to want to do something for the prophet. When it is for the man of God we in holy ceremony ask, Is it Biblical, Is it necessary, and are we doing too much? Whatever we do for Jesus can never be enough in regards for all he has done for us.



Background: Jn 12:1 starts out with the word "Then". I hate always catching a conversation in the middle of things so I had to go back and found out what happened.

JN 11: 1-16 Lazarus becomes sick, The sisters send word but Jesus sits where he was Two More Days.

JN 11: 17-44 The resurrection shows up and calls Lazarus from the grave Four days later.

JN 11:45 Some believed and were transformed

JN 11: 46 Some become bitter and told

JN11:47 Uncalled, Unscheduled and out of order church meeting is convened.

JN 11:48-57 Agenda on the table. Let's get Jesus before we lose our jobs, He becomes Jerusalem's most wanted.

JN 11:57 ends with if anyone knows where Jesus is they should report it that they may seize him

JN12:1 THEN- easy to have a party for someone when everyone likes your guest but what if Jesus is hated by the Pharisees who want to persecute and prosecute him. What will you do if people don't like your guest.

JN 12: 2 They made Jesus the center of attention, how much better would our churches, lives, and world be if Jesus, not the oldest member, head deacon, controlling family but Jesus had his rightful seat in our worship.

Long story short a Bethany Experience teaches us we should:



Give God the Best We Have, Vs 3 costly oil of spikenard



Give God All We Have Vs 3 she poured it(NIV) she didn't drip it here or there. We do have drippers in the church who like to give God as little as they can.



In spite of Judas, Never Stop Giving God What You Have, Judas committed suicide but his cousins in the family survived, they are always around to say that's too much, that's too loud, that's too long, but you don't know my story, you don't know what I been through...................... That is a Bethany Experience

Thankful

16And the twenty-four elders(A) who sit on their thrones before God(B) fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17saying, "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, (C) who is and who was,for you have taken your great power and(D) begun to reign.
Revelation 11:16-17 (English Standard Version)

As I sit at my computer to write this maiden blog, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and awe. Grateful to God that he would allow a person like me to be blessed with the honor of preaching His Gospel and pastoring His people. The Macedonia church family is a good church far better than I deserve and I am grateful to God for them.

My mother taught me that people don't have to be nice and when they are nice they don't have to be nice to you. With that said, there are some people that I need to express my thankfulness to God for allowing them to cross my path.

Wanda Dudley- My team leader over our media ministry who is finishing our website and helped me with this blog, it is not easy working so close with a pastor as many times we can be infuriating and bossy but I thank God for a great member who listens to God and always says to me what God instructs her to say. I pray she never loses the gift of listening to God because in a world where God talks all the time, there are many deaf Christians within the body of Christ.

Rev. Tony Rhone- Pastor Rhone was the leader of a group of Oklahoma preachers who grew up idolizing the "Sons of Thunder" to come out of Bishop college, Pastors Ron Carter, Kelly Booker, Tim Neal, Charles Douglas and later Pastor Joe Carter. We later watched God raise up another generation of preachers, Pastor Ricky Turner at Oakridge, Pastor Jeff Mitchell at Tabitha and Pastor Teron Gaddis at Greater Bethel Church and we wondered would it ever be our time.

Pastor Rhone taught us if we would just be faithful to God and our Pastors, God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. The Lord blessed Pastor Rhone with the Galilee Church and then blessed me with Macedonia and recently our brother Pastor Wendell Beneford with the Shiloh MBC in New Mexico. However out of all of us, there is not a better man, minister or messenger of the Gospel than Tony Rhone, his hermeneutic skills are off the chain and it makes me want to study more, I thank God for what he did for me and all the preachers of Oklahoma City.

Pastor Andre A. McGhee
Pastor Keith D. Witherspoon- My brother pastors in South Bend. I answered God's call to come here not knowing anyone here except God. My prayer was for God to help me find some good pastors who I could share the ups and downs with, to be real and honest with who wouldn't sugarcoat what they said to me but would help me grow in Christ as a person and a pastor. God answered that prayer and more in the "Bishop of South Bend" Pastor McGhee and the "Translator of the Text", Pastor Spoon.

Every young Pastor needs a seasoned Pastor because he has already been where you are trying to go, and can share things with you that will make your journey easier then theirs. I thank God everyday for them and pray for BBC and STJMBC and their ministries that God will bless and keep them always. Don't forget me on the Grand Rapids run.

Pastor A. Glenn Woodberry, Finally to the "Preacher's Preacher. My pastor and "POP". I love him more than words can say because everything I have he gave me, the love of the Word, the expository style of preaching, the burden for a connection with the audience, pulpit etiquette, for 7 years of being his assistant at the Greater Mt. Olive Baptist Church and for 22 years of being his son in the ministry.

If I fail as a Pastor it will not be because Pastor Woodberry did not show me the way. Through his success and failures, he showed me the providential nature of God. While I have done many things that has caused him to wonder will I ever amount to anything, I am grateful he never gave up on me and I love him more than words can say.

It is out of gratitude that a spirit of thankfulness rests on my heart this morning, Andre Crouch said it best:

How can I say thanks For the things You have done for me,Things so undeserved,Yet You gave to prove Your love for me.The voices of a million angelsCould not express my gratitude.All that I am and ever hope to be,I owe it all to Thee.To God be the glory,To God be the glory,To God be the glory,For the things He has done.With His blood He has saved me,With His power He has raised me,To God be the glory,For the things He has done.© 1971, Andrae Crouch