Wow, I'm getting real sporadic with this lately! Much has happened since my last entry. Kevin has been voted in as our new Pastor, and we couldn't be happier. I'm excited about the days and years ahead.
We've hired a high school pastor as well, but he is not due to join us until mid-April. Kevin and a few other pastors have been teaching the high school Bible study on Wednesday nights, and about a week ago Kevin asked me if I'd mind covering for him and teaching it March 30. "I'd be happy to," I told him. In the 11+ years I've been at Hebron, I've preached in front of the church, the middle school ministry, various adult ministry events, HCA, etc., but never the high school ministry! I was looking forward to the opportunity, but also a little anxious about it. How would they receive/respond to their old children's pastor speaking? We'd soon find out...
I got Awana started, then joined the high school worship time already in full swing. The worship band was fantastic, really brought the students into God's presence.
Then it was my turn. They had already told the crowd that "Mr. Rob is speaking tonight", so I just walked up with my Bible stand to begin. While walking up, a guy shouted from the back, "Go Mr. Rob!!!" then everyone clapped and yelled. Whew, I felt welcomed. I spoke on "Hypocrites & Traitors", using the Matthew 23 & 26 passages to talk about Jesus' attack on the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and Judas' betrayal of Jesus into their hands. We looked at the definitions of a hypocrite and a traitor, and how sadly, our churches are full of both. There are four kinds of people in churches- nonbelievers, hypocrites, traitors, and Christ-followers. I challenged the students to examine where they are, and confess & surrender to Him as Lord. I stepped down, took a seat, and the band led in a final worship song. The students, one-by-one, started coming to the stage, falling on their knees, and soon the stage area was flooded with them. It was an amazing sight. Some students sought out adults in the room, for salvation, prayer, help. God was moving.
A girl named Morgan came up to me, and asked to talk. We sat down over to one side, and she told me she had come to my children's ministry as a child, and remembered my teaching. I was thrilled to hear it. She confided that she had prayed silently once when I gave a Gospel explanation, but was never baptized and never went through our new Christian class for kids. She told me she had struggled over the years with whether or not she really understood what she was doing, and wanted to make sure. She said, "I don't want to be a hypocrite, or a traitor. I want to follow Jesus completely. Will you help me?" We bowed our heads, she confessed her sins, confessed Jesus as Lord, and surrendered her whole life to Him. It was a wonderful, sacred moment. She opened her eyes, and I could see a peace and assurance that was not there moments before. I shared some verses to help her take the next steps of following Christ, and told her I'd be honored to baptize her when she was ready.
I talked with several other students before I left that wanted to be baptized, wanted to get more serious about walking with Christ. It was the perfect end to an amazing evening.
I drove home thinking about it all, and thanking God for the special opportunity to open His Word with these high schoolers. It was exciting & humbling to see so many on their faces before God, in brokenness and worship, then to talk with a young lady I had influenced as a child, and now allowed to influence again. Why God chooses to use me, I'll never understand. But I'm so thankful He does.