My Favorite Part Of The Meeting Last Night

I preached a revival meeting last night. I never feel more alive and like I am living in my sweet spot than when I am preaching or teaching God's word. In those sacred moments I feel I am doing what I was born to do. God burdened my heart with a message for last night. I prayed all throughout the day for His anointing to deliver it. I pleaded with Him to help people. 

During the worship I sat on the front pew with my head bowed buried in my hands begging God to help me. After all these years I know I cannot help anyone. I cannot preach. I cannot produce any  miracle. After 32 years of preaching I am still dependent on Him to use me. I have no special gifts or talents. It is all Him. He gives the inspiration and insight for messages. He opens the doors of opportunities to preach them. He empowers the preaching. He applies His words to the needs of the people. I am just a vessel. 

So on the front pew last night I pleaded with God to help me again. I felt so inadequate to deliver His word. In those moments, as the last song came to a close, I wanted Sherman to keep singing so I could keep praying for help. 

The song did end and I did get up before the congregation. Still unsure as to how to begin I prayed a public prayer asking God for His help. Then it happened. I cannot explain it. Other preachers would know of what I am about to explain. I got locked in. I got in the zone where the hand of God touched me and empowered me to deliver His truth. In those moments I feel I am one with the text of scripture, with the Holy Spirit, and His people listening. I feel like I am living in the text. I feel it. I feel the weight of scripture down in my soul. 

I get so locked in those moments I lose track of time and distractions. In those moments I can see God working on people. I can see conviction come or tears gently brushed off cheeks depending on the nature of the message. I can see people being drawn to God. 

I live for such moments. After such services I have hared people say, "That was a good sermon." Others comment, "That was a wonderful message. That was meant just for me. That was the right message for today." In each case I try to immediately deflect all the praise and glory back to God. It is Him. He does the work. I am nothing and can nothing without Him. 

As much as I felt His hand on me last night, as much as I could see Him ministering to His people, that was not my favorite part of the service. Not even close. 

After a closing prayer I stood ready to pray for people and more importantly with people. What a precious privilege to minister to people one on one in such settings. I prayed for one carrying a heavy burden. Then another came and we approached the throne of grace about a need. 

Then I saw him sitting alone. He was near the front. Others were doing business with God and he sat in his pew all alone. I know this young man. He is a high school student. I could see his heavy heart. While the rest of the church gathered around their pastor and his wife to pray over them I slipped away to this young man. I laid my hands on his shoulders from behind and bowed to pray close to his ears. This big strong teenager started to weep. Deep pain came flowing out from deep within his soul. Heavy burdens were laid before the throne of grace. I don't know how long I prayed. I do know God allowed me to feel his pain in those moments. When I finished praying I hugged that young man and told him I loved him. 

While the rest of the church continued praying for their pastor I sunk into a front row pew to the side. Content. Grateful for such a sweet and tender service. Humbled that God would use me again. Thankful for the opportunity to be His minister. 

My favorite part of the service was not the worship songs. It was not the preaching. It was getting to pray with hurting heaven laden people during the invitation. That has always been my favorite part of what God allows me to do. 

This is a side few people know about me. I often preach hard calling people to repentance. Brenda says when I preach I do so with my whole body. It is intense. Many times people do not feel they can approach me after such peaching. This breaks my heart. What I long for is God to allow me to minister to people one on one after the preaching. I want to be accessible to people even after the invitation. 

Many preachers love to be in the spotlight. They can get on stage and  perform. They shine under the bright lights. I rarely even preach on stage. I tried this week to stand behind the pulpit I found myself coming down to the floor where I feel more at home like I am on the same level with the people. When the spotlight is on come preachers shine. They are gifted. They dazzle. They amaze. B

What is disappointing is I have seen some preachers disappear after the sermon and the service. They are no longer available once they step off the stage. They are inaccessible. Especially if they are well known. In my estimation the real work of ministry happens after the message and at times after the service concludes. It is those one on one encounters with people that mean so much to me. It is an honor to enter into people's pain and pray for God to help them. I want to be available to people. 

My favorite part of the service the night before did not happen during the worship or during the preaching either. It happened even after the invitation. Many gathered to talk to me after the service ended. I noticed a man standing in the back alone. I could tell he wanted to talk to me but would not do so because of all the others. 

I broke away from the fellowship of those around me as soon as I could and approached the young man in the back. He had dark hair and a dark beard. He wore slacks and a sports coat holding a Bible in his hand. I shook his hand and introduced myself. Then he began sharing his heart. He is a young evangelist. He told me his favorite verse is Romans 1:16. He told me God called him to preach when he was only 17. He is now 24. He also told me about different sermons he loves to preach. 

I could tell he was special, a little different than most people, but He loved Jesus and He loved God's word. He told me about spending hours and hours studying and reading scripture. I didn't know how often God allowed him to preach. 

I felt impressed to pray for Him. I prayed for God to open doors for him to preach and for God to protect him and the  call on his life. That little encounter in the back of the church meant more to me that night than the preaching of the sermon. 

Those precious encounters make it all more personal. That is what I see modeled in Jesus. He walked slowly through the crowds ministering to those He encountered. He did not get in a hurry. He did not brush off little children, lepers, crippled, blind, demon possessed, or sinful immoral people. He was accessible. He prayed with people. He comforted. He delivered. He healed. He loved. And many of those encounters are captured in the four gospels. Those are the stories I am drawn to. 

Getting to be used in those one on one encounters by Jesus to help His people are my favorite part of revival meetings, youth camps, retreats, and the Sunday after Sunday ministry among the sheep I lay my life down to shepherd. So next time, go ahead. No matter how hard I preach go ahead and approach me. I would love to hear your story and pray with you. That will be my favorite part of that ministry opportunity.