"This past Monday morning by eight-o-clock I had been to two different hospitals and had listened to Dr. Lindsay's sermon on this passage [2 Kings 6], all before eight this past Monday morning. And God just used his message - one day down the road I'm gonna share with you something that God said to my heart out of that message but I'm not gonna do it for a while, let me get, uh, let me see if I make it here for a while, if I do I'll share with you what God said to me out of what Dr. Lindsay said. It spoke, really, to my heart..."Very interesting. Why would he tell his church that he has to see if "he'll make it here a while" before he tells us what God said to him? Why not just tell us? Was it similar to what God told him while riding the camel in the Holy Land in December 2005?
Is he saying that he might be leaving soon? Does he sense his job is in jeopardy? Or is it him signaling that he's just so fed up with his recalcitrant sheep that he doesn't know how much longer he can take it?
He leaves it up to his listeners to assume what he means. I've never heard one of our pastors plant doubt about his tenure at our church - at least not in a serious way. Mac was serious when he said it. He wasn't kidding when he spoke these words. If you want to hear the clip in its complete context, go to Mac's website http://www.inlight.org/ and you can hear it. He says it in the first two minutes of his sermon "The Iron Did Swim".
I'll go ahead and assume what he means...even though as Jim Smyrl says "assumption is the lowest form of knowledge." But Mac must want us to have to assume what he means, else why utter such a statement planting the thought with his sheep without explaining it?
My assumption is that he wants to plant the thought with his congregation that he's the embattled pastor, trying to do the right thing, but there are those out to remove him and he's not sure how much longer he can hold on. Another attempt at garnering sympathy, to tell us just how darn tough it is to be our pastor. Why tell us twice in the same sentence that he was busy visiting two hospitals and listening to a Dr. Lindsay sermon all before eight? "Here I am busting my butt to be your pastor, getting up early, visiting the sick and infirmed, and you guys want me out and I'm not sure if I'm even going to be here long."
By the way, did anyone hear the dollar amount we gave to the special offering for maintenance of our buildings? I was shocked that we didn't get an update in church yesterday. I'm sure Mac will tell us when he gets back next week.
5 comments:
That morning, Mac seemed shook up. I do not think he was making it up. He genuinely seemed to realize that the members of fbcjax were mostly blue collar. He said that as much. He seemed to realize that he must accept whatever the members gave for repairs and the Chest of Joash, fbcjax will make do with it. Remember, this is the same sentence he used when he was raising money for Media Evangelism Fund on Easter.
Something definitely happened. What it is, I do not know. He seemed very subdued. I know the sermon was bad, but he was just trying to just get through. That was the impression I had, when I listened to him that day.
I have not seen him like that, since I have been watching fbcjax web broadcasts for the past year. He did not seem to be himself, the prior week too. Watchdog, mentioned that Pastor Mac did not feel like preaching that Sunday, and was going to ask Smyrl to preach for him instead.
My gut feeling is Watchdog and his blog's commenters (self included) have contributed to this situation.
Readers - you have to check out the latest post at the Bellevue blog, you'll get a chuckle. Their pastor, Steve Gaines, preached about how Jesus "delivered to his door" via some guys in a truck that sold him furniture as an answer to prayer about a dining room table. Steve and Mac are cut from the same mold for sure! This guy, who earns a salary on par with Mac in the quarter million per year or more said they couldn't afford a dining room table, but lo and behold Jesus sent these guys selling furniture off the back of the truck! The guy didn't know it was a scam, and worse he didn't know his audience would know it was a scam and nothing to brag about or attribute to Jesus!
My advice to Steve Gaines is, to live a simpler life, draw a smaller salary and live in a smaller home.
Then he does not need to shop for a dining tables that seats 10. He said, it is all kindling anyway (when Jesus returns) or that his kids will sell it for cents on the dollar or give it away for free.
My take on this whole thing is, SG lacks discernment. The people selling furniture off a truck could be selling poorly made furniture or stolen furniture. Of course, the furniture could also be discounted, because they are not paying for the distributors and the store profit.
A very poor example to be mentioned in a sermon.
Maybe, just maybe, the leadership of this church has finally discovered they have a spine and used it. Possible they have said, your antics need to find a new home? Maybe his some long term members have decided to close their wallets and purses. Hmmmm... thins to ponder
Anon - maybe, but I doubt it.
I think his feelings were hurt, he doesn't feel "the love" from his congregation. He has preached before that men need "respect"..and he doesn't think he's getting it and he doesn't like it.
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