Turning Nothing into Something!

To those who read my blogs,

Do I have a story for you! This week, was a bit of an eye-opener. Not only did I write the sermon in a half sleeping/half awake state, but I saved doing my sermon to the last minute (as per usual) and realized that my sermon required an alter call. Well, this means a few things. It means I have to ask the worship leader to do one more song at the end, it means I have to get spiritually strong people to help me pray for anyone who comes to the front, and it means I have to be willing to explain this thing that this church has never done before!

Well, I did it anyways, got the people involved and put it together last minute, and this is where it hits me. I am a pastor now, and I am not a very good one! I left everything to the last minute, got people involved far too late, and did something that may have turned out really wrong! Lord help me, I am a mess! I looked out to the crowd when I did the sermon, and it didn't look like people were getting it. I looked to my far left and up the stairs, and I saw the senior pastor looking (quite literally) down on me. I thought to myself, 'BAIL BAIL BAIL'! but I stayed the course and was willing to lie in the bed that I had made.

I finished the sermon, (which I felt was a mediocre one at best) and explained the alter call. The worship band came up and I stood at the front praying, not necessarily for someone to go up, because to be truthful I did not expect anyone to come up, but for God to be in that place, and He was, and I should never ever doubt Him or His ability to turn nothing special into something spectacular!

Three people came up. Three. Now keep in mind that my Church is not that big to begin with. Also keep in mind that this Church has never done an alter call before. I would have considered it a success if one person showed up at the alter, but three did! Then the confrontation came. That's right, I got confronted about my sermon. The girl confronting me told me it was the best sermon she has ever heard. What the heck am I supposed to do with that? Well, I'll tell you what I am supposed to do with that, blame it on God. There is no way my hurried sermon, rushed so I could meet a deadline and written while I was super tired, could have been anything special, but for some reason it was and for that I blame God! It's His fault, He only chose to use me (which sometimes I wonder why me).

I really felt God speak to me in this experience. He was saying, 'it's ok, you can rely on Me. I won't let you down, but the thing is, you are now participating in your calling, which means you have responsibility'. Today was the day I told my parents that I am a pastor, and today (even though I have led an English Ministry at another Church and was basically their pastor and even though I have been a pastor at this Church for a few weeks now) today I became a pastor, devoted to bringing the flock God's given me to a better understanding of Him. Let's just hope I don't screw it up, but I have a feeling that even if I do, God can still take my nothing and turn it into His something!

- Joshua