Inconsistencies

I have the privilege to serve as a messenger for Brook Hills next week at the Southern Baptist Convention. I laugh that the words, "privilege" and SBC are in the same sentence coming out of my mouth because when I was little I was dragged to the convention and even served as a messenger as a child. All of the "best" pastors and speakers are on the calendar of events for the convention and the Pastors Conference, including my own pastor, David Platt.

I'm so thankful for a pastor who adopts children without parents, downsizes his home, gives up "preaching" cruises, doesn't't take royalties from a book he writes, etc. Where were the leaders like him when I was growing up? Oh wait, he was in diapers when I was in diapers, ha! Seriously, sometimes I wonder if I would have wasted away my "youth" (not that I'm not still young, I'm just referring to pre-30 years) if I had been under the leadership of someone like him? I'm not blaming the church for my rebellious ways, I take personal responsibility for all of my sins, I'm just saying... I sometimes wonder how different I may or may not have been.What kind of decisions might I have made differently if my childhood pastors had been more consistent with their teachings and actions? Would I have lived differently? I hate those unanswered questions! However, I am thankful that I am still young enough to make a change.

I  know pastors and church leaders that drive Lexus', have chauffeurs, live in gated country clubs, have affairs, do bad things to kids, preach, have armed body guards, spend ridiculous amounts of money on clothes, etc. You get my point. I can't help but think how inconsistent their actions are with what the Word of God clearly says (especially about wealth, greed and caring for the poor). It's frustrating and somewhat embarrassing. It confused me growing up and I'm sure it confused others, too. No one seems to step up, though, and say how wrong this is and what a detriment it is to the spread of the gospel. Satan LOVES this!

It's so refreshing to be a part of a church that strives to spend less on ourselves and more for the sake of urgent physical and spiritual needs of others. I would have never considered moving to East Lake/Gate City or adopt an orphan if people weren't't showing me what it looks like to follow Christ.

I don't think people realize how true it is that people are watching you so you better be practicing what you preach. So please pray this weekend and next week for the thousands of pastors at the convention. Pray that God raises up more leaders whose actions are in line with God's word. I know pastors are human, too, but lets face it, they are in leadership positions and people are watching them! Like I said, I would never consider doing some of the things God is calling me to do if my pastor wasn't doing this, too.

Pray for Pastor David as he delivers his message on Monday night. He is the last sermon of the Pastor's Conference so pray that people stay through the end and don't skip out early. Praise God he has the last message, I would love nothing more than for him to go into "Secret Church" mode and pull a late nighter, HA!! You can pray for that, too. Seriously, that would be AWESOME!