In December of 2020, I preached a sermon in response to a call to become the Pastor at FBC Starkville. The title of the message was God Our Great Reward from Genesis 15, where God confirmed his call to Abraham by calling him to number the stars.
I told the congregation on that day,
I realize this is a trial sermon. "Do your best," they say, and they are right. But there is something far greater at stake than the vote at the end of this moment. Of first importance is magnifying, exalting King Jesus through this moment of proclamation.
A little later, I said,
Often, in my life, people come to me and say things like, "God is going to use you." All the while remembering what the Bible says, "The fool believes every word," and the words said by Jesus in John 2 when folks came to believe in him at the Passover Feast because they saw the signs he was doing. Then the text says, But Jesus on His part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
The words of encouragement and affirmation by others eventually became a nuisance. I would hear them be thankful for them but then look at my circumstances and say, What will you do for me, Lord?
Mrs. Cathy (of the pastor search committee) noted in her report that what drew her to consider me was my sermon preached in another context from a series in Isaiah. I wrote in my journal back in August (2020) as I was preparing for the September series in Isaiah, "This series is going to change things." I didn't know what that meant. Katie and I had been preparing to leave our present place and praying God would open a door that would fit our desires to be used by Him and for Him. I wasn't sure if the change God would bring meant a change in our circumstances or simply drawing us closer to God; either way, we were ready. Either way, we knew God was working.
Then, one night, I received a phone call from the committee chairman, Kevin, who said they wanted to proceed with presenting me as a Candidate for Senior Pastor. I took that call with the moonlight coming through the Georgia pines. It was a moment when God said, "Count the stars."
I know I am not Abraham, but I do know that I serve the God of Abraham. If God can cause faith to arise in Abraham's heart, he can cause faith to arise in my heart and in your heart, and he delights to do so.
Fast forward to where we are nearly four years later, and God is stirring in our church! We see tremendous Great Commission growth. People are being saved, baptized, and discipled. Every preacher hopes to have a full house to preach to so that someone fills every seat to hear the Word of God, and for a long while now, we have been past the levels of comfort in both services. The parking lot is full each Sunday. God is changing me, pulling me close, drawing me near.
We can feel the gospel-centered, Spirit-filled, Jesus exalting, momentum the Lord is providing.
Last evening, I spoke with a few of our faithful at First Baptist. One lady, a young mother, told me with tears in her eyes how grateful she was to be part of what God is doing at First Baptist Starkville. This is where many of you are, too. The Lord is not only preparing us for more; he is giving us more right here and now, and I do not want us to miss this moment!
I read Spurgeon this morning, and Spurgeon provides a focus for us at this moment in our time. From Isaiah 8:14, He will be a sanctuary; but for the two houses of Israel, he will be a stone to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Spurgeon remarks,
You can never have an acceptable worship of the Most High except through Jesus Christ. Too often we try to worship God without Christ. It will never do; it cannot succeed. If you ever leave a worship service feeling that in all the worship there has been no sense of Christ's presence, no thoughts of his precious blood, then that worship service has been worthless, and the time has been wasted. (Spurgeon Study Bible, CSB, 2017)
Christ is making the difference in our hearts at First Baptist Starkville. The Spirit is stirring our affections, leaving us with a desire for more and more of him. Let's continue to plead for his presence. We have yet to see how far he wants to take us or how deep he wants us to go.
We have gotten so far so fast. The Lord is doing a new thing, and we are part of it now. We have heard about revival and renewal, and we are in the midst of it as he stirs our hearts. Can you feel it? We will experience His presence if we are sensitive and obedient to his leading.
May the Lord continue to keep us desperate for his presence. Do it again, Lord. Be with us, Lord. Amen.