This week, I'm at the Exponential Conference in Orlando, FL learning and growing as a pastor and leader. I'm convinced that no one should ever stop learning, no matter what!
Today and tomorrow, I'm attending a Pre-Conference Workshop hosted by Mark Batterson, Matt Chandler and Francis Chan focusing on the concept of being a missional church. I've taken four pages of notes already, but here are just a couple of snippets of some wonderful truth that impacted me today.
"They shall enter My sanctuary; they shall come near to My table to minister to Me and keep My charge. Ezekiel 44:16 NASB (emphasis mine)
Mark Batterson made an important point that many pastors and leaders spend their time ministering for the Lord instead of ministering to the Lord. The difference is that if we're ministering for the Lord, our ministry will eventually outgrow our spititual development. We need to spend more time ministering to the Lord through our personal praise and worship of God.
Matt Chandler made an excellent point about how we, as pastors, encounter too many people who say they've gone to church for twenty years but have never heard the Gospel. Obviously, there are some who simply have not had ears to hear. Sadly, there are many who truly have never heard the full Gospel preached from the pulpit in churches throughout this nation.
The Church must not get too caught up in preaching topical messages that meet socialogical needs and forget to preach the Gospel - over and over again, even to believers. The model is set for us by the Apostle Paul who shares the Gospel message to believers in Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians and Ephesians.
Gearing up for tomorrow's conclusion of the workshop with Chan sharing his heart on the subject.
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