Down But Not Out

Last night I caught an interesting documentary on television about the creation of the Rocky movies. Sylvester Stallone wrote, directed, and starred in the movies. The first movie had a shoe string budget and had to be shot in less than a month to cut costs. As a child and even as an adult those movies have been some of my favorites with the exception of Rocky V.

The character Rocky Balboa is a man with a great deal of courage, guts, and heart. When he gets knocked down by Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang, or Drago he gets back up and fights to the finish. He doesn't win every fight. That is not what endures his character to us. It is his ability to keep getting up after getting knocked down that we love. We love how the character refuses to back down from the challenge. We love his ability keep getting back up.

At times I feel that is what endures me to people. I have had no super star rise in ministry success or fame. Brenda and I have been called to walk a hard road. We have been knocked down more times than I can count but we have not given up on God or the local church. We love God as much today as we ever have.

The first church I served as pastor grew fast for two years and then attendance plummeted for three years. No matter how I prayed or what I did the church never grew again while I served there. I took three cuts in salary and sought to stay the course. At times I served as the pastor, youth pastor, worship pastor and janitor. To this day I have never sung in a church again since that church. The memories are too painful.

I left that church to travel full time and said I would never pastor again. Several years of living out of suitcases, living on the road, and leaving Brenda and the boys behind softened me. There were some very lean years during that time. Many weeks I had no invitations to preach while other friends filled their calendars years in advance. My ministry did always receive a warm reception. I preached hard and called people to repentance. This message did not sit well with many folks. The longer I traveled the more I began missing the local church and wanted to pour my life into one flock.

After four years the Lord led me to start a church. We gave all our souls into that effort. There were many good days and the dream of CentrePointe Community Church flourished. Then the wheels came off and Brenda and I found ourselves with no church and no salary. Our financial partners pulled their support and the church disbanded after three years. For the next year and a half Brenda and I struggled and lived from prayer to prayer. In this time we were officially turned down by over thirty churches. We spent our time teaching a little left over remnant from CentrePointe who could not find a church home. We met in my living room for much of the next year and a half. They gave their tithes for us live on. God sent many others to send financial support to sustain us during those days. Those eighteen months were some of the hardest. It felt like we got knocked down time and time again. We kept getting back up. We never stayed down. We did not give up.

No matter what we did in ministry it seemed over and over again we were knocked down on the canvas. Confused I sought the Lord. I sought him in tears, desperation and perseverance. No matter how many times we got knocked down we got back up again. We trusted God for His help. For eighteen months we had no salary. We lived on what God supplied.

In 2005 the First Baptist Church of Paradise, TX came calling. For the first time in our ministry we experienced sustained success for four wonderful years. Suddenly God called us to leave. We experienced more successs in our all too brief time at First Baptist Church of Seminole, TX. We thought the days of getting knocked down were behind us.

The call to start Faith Community Church came and along with it some of the most severe trials we have ever known. We obeyed and walked in faith. We got knocked down. We got back up and continued walking with God. We testified of His faithfulness and got knocked down again. Like a prize fighter clutching the ropes for support we clung to God as we climbed back to our feet. We sang His praises, moaned and whined at times, but we kept getting back up. We are still on our feet fighting for our King.

Today many of the dreams have faded. I have not written any best selling books but I keep writing. I have often preached to barren altars and small crowds but I keep preaching. I have never lead a mega church but I keep leading where I sense God leading me. We have not become famous but we are loved by the flocks we have served. We are not rich but God has provided what we have needed. The road has not been easy to traverse but God has made it straight.

We have been knocked down over and over again. When the enemy has sought to deliver the knock out blows and stood over us counting to ten, God has pulled us to our feet. I think our enduring legacy is that we keep getting back up. Though we have been pummeled by trials of every sort we keep getting up to fight for our King. There are times when it looks like we are down for the count. We may be down but we are not out.

If my life could inspire others to keep getting up trusting and serving God, even in the midst of hardships, I would consider my life and ministry a success. I want to be a ministry Rocky. No matter how hard it gets or how difficult the challenges I want to keep getting up. I want to keep trusting. I want to keep believing. I want to keep serving, preaching, and writing leaving the results to God. Maybe each time I get up helps someone else who has been knocked down trust God for the strength to rise. We may be down from time to time but we are not out.

"Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure." [II Thess 1:4] May this be my lasting legacy. Down but not out!