The Great Banquet

I am starting my Sabbatical by attending "The Great Banquet" retreat at Zionsville Presbyterian Church from Thursday, October 1st to the 4th. For those that don't know, The Great Banquet is a weekend retreat for woman and men (at separate times) and is comprised of discussion, prayer, fellowship, music, worship and fun. The leaders cover the clocks so you don't know what time it is, and give you your absolute fill of home-cooked meals and little "God loves you!" gifts. You can read the website for more detail, but simply put, The Great Banquet is a 72-hour, locked-in, spiritual retreat where the guests are loved by The Great Banquet community the way God loves us.

From what I hear it will be like when you attended church camp during the summer, except that it's designed for an adults schedule and it takes place, in different communities and denominations, all over the world.

I am going because several people have encouraged me to be a part and I think it will be a great way to start the Sabbatical. I really don't know what is going to happen while I am there, but I am looking forward to experiencing Christ's presence in a fresh way and establishing some new relationships with people from different walks of life.

Click here if you want more information about The Great Banquet I am attending.

Sabbatical

Why I need a sabbatical and what to do on sabbatical?

This past Sunday I talked to our congregation about taking a sabbatical during the month of October. The deacons of our church have agreed to let me take this time off. So, for four Sundays during October, Heidi and I will be taking a break.

Mark 2:27-28

27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

I'm sure you are wondering why? And that's part of my purpose for writing this in my blog. I wanted to journal my thoughts to inform you of my intent and to help process why and what we are doing. I hope this answers some questions you may have concerning this sabbatical. There are three reasons as to why I am taking a month sabbatical.

Run out of Gas

Have you ever ran out of gas while driving? Back in our college years, Heidi and I had visited her mother in Oklahoma and was traveling along Turner Turnpike back to Springfield, Missouri when we ran out of gas. We sat there stranded not knowing what to do. I walked along the turnpike until a bus stopped and picked me up and took me to the nearest gas station. Sometimes in life you just run out of gas and you need a refilling. The purpose of this sabbatical is to get refilled. God designed us to stop once a week from our "driving around" and go to a local gas station to get refilled. If you don't get filled you can't go on and you have nothing to give. I am going to get filled with God, so I can have something to give. Elijah ran out of gas (1 Kings 18-19). God told him to go Mt. Horeb and God would refill him. This passage has always been my mantra for discouragement. I simply don't want to run out of gas. When you run out of gas you exhaust more energy than what you have to give out. I am going to stop the car and refill the tank.

Reshaped, Refocused, Re visioned

A few Sundays ago I preached about being on the Potter's Wheel. In this message God takes the clay and reshapes it into the pot He sees best. I am taking this next month to be reshaped so I can be a vessel that is useful to God.

I am also taking this next month to refocus myself. One of the hardest things for me to do was to turn down the coaching job for 6th grade basketball this year. You know my love for sports and coaching. In my heart I felt like I needed to focus on God, family and church. I didn't want to expand my energy, which is low right now, on other things. So I had to eliminate some non essentials. This is were "priorities" come into play. What is more important? Jesus said that we are to "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." I had to eliminate some things to get refocused.

The Bible says, "Without a vision the people perish." Without a vision people die, a church dies, a family dies. Vision is the key. I need to see where God wants this church to go. I need to get re visioned.

Revelation and Direction from God

This sabbatical is not a vacation, even though there will be some resting going on, it's for revelation and direction. We need direction for two things. One, I need direction for our lives and ministry. Some of you may worry that we are leaving. Let me reassure you that that is not our intent. Although we are open to follow God's will. We are not preaching at other churches to pursue a different position. We are seeking direction for our life and ministry here at Kirklin Assembly of God. We love you and this place.

Two, I need direction for the church. The Biblical illustration that comes to mind is Moses going up to the mountain to get revelation and direction from God. Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai with God receiving and chiseling out instructions, direction and revelation for the nation of Israel. While he was there, God inspired him to write the ten commandments. I plan on taking a pen and paper and writing whatever it is God inspires me to write. Habakkuk 2:2 "Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it."

What are you going to do during this time? Here is a list of things I am going to do while on this sabbatical.

• I am not going to Preach. The first one is what I'm not going to do. I am not preaching at other churches. You can't listen to God if you are speaking. I am going to keep my mouth closed and ears open this month. In essence I am fasting from preaching.


• I am meeting with a coach and some mentors. I need someone who has walked where I have already walked and can speak into my life. I need a "Jethro;" a coach that can tell me what I need to do. I need a "Paul;" a mentor who can impart what he has done. I need a "Barnabas;" a co-laborer who encourages. I need a "Timothy;" a person I can download into.


• We are going to visit other churches. Two reasons. One is to be ministered too. The other is learn how others are "doing church" We get stuck in our own box and need to learn different ways of doing things.


• I am going to maintain the spiritual disciplines. This is a spiritual retreat. I will be doing the spiritual disciplines of praying, fasting, reading the Bible and good books. I plan on doing a Daniel Fast for twenty-one days. That is eliminating all bad foods and eating only fruits and vegetables.


• I am going on a prayer retreat. The first week in October I am going on a prayer summit at the campgrounds. On this retreat there are no musical instruments, no preaching and no plans. Just praying, communion and following the Holy Spirit.


• I will be attending a Minister's Conference. The Indiana District minister's conference is on the 19th and 20th. John Bevere and Doug Oss will be speaking at this conference.


• Getting rest and eating right....maybe some exercise! I need to take care of the body that that God has given me.


• On this Sabbatical my family is going with me. My family is a part of my ministry. We do life together. My wife and kid's life will be pretty much normal. They will go to work and school and attend church on Wednesday nights, but will go with me to other churches on Sunday.

You may have some concerns about the church during this time and about what are you going to do.

1. We have deacons in the church that are here to serve and help take care of needs. They will be taking care of the congregation. When Moses went up to the mountain of God for forty days, He left Aaron in charge. So the deacons will be in charge. If you have any concerns go to them.


2. You can still have access to me if any "major" concerns happen. Remember I am taking a sabbatical so that I can be ministered to and not to do ministry. It's not that I don't want to, but there are others that can effectively minister your needs. I will have my cell phone, email and texting. If you have any concerns as to whether or not to contact me, call one of the deacons so they can get a hold of me. Here are some major concerns you can contact me during this time....1. Death 2. Hospitalization


3. Who's going to minister on Sunday if you and Heidi are gone? Mark and Des will be sharing the pulpit. As for the worship, we are going to bring in some musicians to help lead worship.


4. Pray for your pastor. During this sabbatical please pray for me. Be an Aaron and Hur to hold up my arms.


5. Continue to support this church by your faithful attendance and tithing. Just because Pastor is gone doesn't mean you can be gone. Jesus taught that when the shepherd is gone the sheep scatter. Please be supportive of Kirklin Assembly of God during this time.

I believe if you allow me to take this time off from the church it will help me to be reshaped, refocused and re visioned. In essence it will benefit you and the church. We want to see God do some great things in your life and in the church.

The Potter's Wheel

Life sometimes spins out of control.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 says, "1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : 2 "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel."


God is the potter. We are the clay. We are on the potter's wheel. There are several lessons we learn about God and His attitude toward us in this illustration of the potter and clay.

Throw it Away



Have you ever thrown away something because it didn't seem to work or you didn't like it? In this passage The Potter made a pot that was blemished and marred. He could have discarded it, but He didn't. Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when potters are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot. The Potter still saw potential in the clay. It's still good. God doesn't discard you when you make mistakes, but reuses you shaping and forming you into what He wants you to become. Peter is a great example. He messed up. God didn't throw him away and say your no good to me. In fact, Jesus went back to Peter, reshaped him and reused him. God will still use you even when you have made mistakes.

Fresh Start


There was a flaw in the pot. It was marred. It was imperfect and blemished. When the potter didn't like what he made the first time, he started all over again. Do you need to start over? Do you need a fresh start? A do-over? God is in the business of giving you a fresh start. 2 Cor 5:17 says, "....if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" Have you made mistakes in your past? Have you committed adultery, had an abortion or premarital relations, addicted to pornography, stolen, lied or cheated? If you come to The Potter and repent, He will give you a fresh start! It's called being born again. It's a new life.

Reshaping

The Potter didn't like the first pot, so He reshaped it to what He thought was best. Do you not like who you are or what you have become? God is in the reshaping business. If you don't like what you've become God will reshape you into what He thinks is best for you.

Spinning Out of Control

Have you ever road the tilt-a-whirl at the carnival? It spins uncontrollably making you sick. The potter's wheel is similar to the tilt-a-whirl. Everything is spinning. You feel pressure. You are bending and moving in places you never felt before. When everything seems to be spinning out of control and you feel pressure, know that God is working on you making you into a beautiful, valuable and useful pot.

2 Timothy 2:20-21 "20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work."

When everything seems to be spinning out of control stay on the wheel. God is reshaping you into a beautiful vessel for Him.