Teaching
The Word Of God...
A
note from Pastor Brett ...
Pastor Brett Teaching at
Coastland Christian Bible College and
University - www.ccbcu.edu
To
drink of the good things of the Lord, to serve
Him and the Church in humility and strength,
to be a man who loves with the love of Jesus -
these are my goals, but I didn't learn these
easily...
When
I first became a Pastor in 1985, I was
unreachable, proud, and very self absorbed. I
had to learn that being a Pastor is being a
servant. It’s sharing your life with those
whom God has placed in your care. How did I
finally learn this?
Let
me share a few thoughts with you... First, how
can I explain the joy of being called into the
Ministry? The feeling is almost paradoxical,
for your flesh wants to well up with pride and
self importance, yet both of these feelings
are contrary to being a successful Pastor or
Christian.
Of
all the problems Pastors face, this is one of
the hardest. On one hand you have to
completely die to yourself and be a humble
servant, and on the other you feel God's power
flow through you and experience His
inspiration and begin to feel like God uses
you because you are special. This is where
pride sneaks in and your head begins to swell.
This is what happened to me. God had to humble
me many times before I finally learned how to
be a servant. I came to understand that for
God to work through you and anoint your words,
you have to completely die to self and have
the humility to know that it is not you who
lives and does, but Christ living and working
through you that accomplishes the work of
ministry.
It
was then that the fountain of Living Water
began to flow in me and through me to others!
I finally began to live in a position of being
accessible to anyone who has a need. To truly
love them with the love of the Lord. As we
live in humility, God pours out His blessing
on our lives and the ministry.
I
have come to realize that it's not my
greatness that makes me successful in life,
but Gods greatness flowing through me! As I
live in a state of humility on the inside and
power on the outside (God's power - for His
glory), God fills me with that Living Water.
I
have to admit that after I give a message,
and I am praying for people and greeting
them after the service, there is that need
for someone to say 'good job'.
After the closing prayer, in my heart, I
remind myself that I just delivered God's
message to His people - it's not about how
me. So I can then greet people without
having to ask anyone 'how did I do?'.
The important question is one that only I
can answer - 'did I deliver God's message
today?' If the answer is yes, or even
I tried to, than it was a successful sermon,
no matter what anybody else thinks about how
well I delivered that message!
1Co
2:1-5
And when I came to you, brethren, I
did not come with superiority of speech or
of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony
of God.
(2)
For I determined to know nothing
among you except Jesus Christ, and Him
crucified.
(3)
I was with you in weakness and in
fear and in much trembling,
(4)
and my message and my preaching were
not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
(5)
so that your faith would not rest on
the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
Every
Pastor I know struggles with this -
but if sermons begin the basis of your self
worth and the reason you are in ministry, it
will destroy your effectiveness in the
Kingdom. Ministry is your life - and
Sunday's message is for you as much as it is
for the Church - because it's God's message
you are delivering. It is my weekly
goal to finish a message, lift my eyes to
the Lord, and say - 'Great message God!
Amen!!'
This
is spiritual integrity. It took me 7 years to
finally come close to this place of balance
(my wife would most assuredly say I have not
even come close) and I had to go through the
humbling process several times since that
wonderful day in 1981, when I was called into
ministry. The road has been long and at times
hard, but it has been worth it all! Jesus is
calling you to integrity and humility. He
desires to fill you with His Living Water - to
quench your thirst and give you the tools to
celebrate life and experience His peace.
I
really want to help you in any way I can.
What's your story? I would love to hear what
God is doing in your life - email
me!
Love
and Prayers,
Pastor
Brett
Pastor
Brett was the Administrator of Calvary Chapel
Bible College in RSM and Jerusalem.
Currently he is President of Coastland
University. He is also the Battalion 7
Chaplain for the Orange County Fire Authority..
