DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT – FRIDAY: Why They Fired The Pastor.

I go out to preach with two propositions in mind. First, every person ought to give his life to Christ. Second, whether or not anyone else gives him his life I will give him mine. -- Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758).
-----------------------------------------------------------
”...that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. --1Cor 12:25-27. (ESV)

I thought I would do something a little bit different today, something that would help us all to understand that the Church needs to work together, everyone doing their part, that we might see a mighty move of God as we function together in unity!

I don't know how long he had been at the church when the members noticed. I'm certain he must have been on his best behaviour for at least a few months.Some members think that the first time they noticed was the night he failed to show up for a committee.

The next day he explained to a member that he had met a friend who had invited him to a community activity. "I knew you could carry on without me," he said with a disarming smile.When he missed the first prayer meeting is a matter of dispute. Some say one day and some another. But all agree that he failed to show up a number of times.

Not that he ever failed to provide for a speaker; it was just that, well, people kind of expect the pastor to be at prayer meeting. A member recalls one explanation: "A little job I had to get done at home," he said. "It wasn't much, but it was bugging the wife."

Then it was a Sunday evening he missed. The members do recall that date, because just the week before, he had spoken on the brotherhood of believers and the necessity of Christian fellowship -- "so much the more as you see the day approaching," he had quoted.

"The fact is," he explained to a member, "I wasn't on the program, and since the whole family was at home for once, I decided to take time out to be with them. And I was really tired and probably wouldn't have gotten much out of the service anyway."

Probably all this would have been forgiven if it hadn't been for the morning he arrived ten minutes late for the church service. And that morning he was to be the speaker. He didn't give any explanation - just marched up the aisle to the front and went on as if nothing had happened.

Before long he was late more often than not. It got so you could almost count on his walking in with the other latecomers. When a deacon ventured to speak to him about it, he just said he had gotten into the habit of starting late and it was hard to kick the habit.

The whole thing came to a head the morning he didn't show up for the service at all. On the spur of the moment, members learned later, he had decided to go for a drive, since the fall colours were so beautiful. "Not many nice days left," he said. "And I thought I'd not be missed, since I met so many members on the way."

Well, it was then that the church board met, talked over what it meant to be a minister in their church, and decided to get a dependable minister. "He doesn't even know what membership in the church means," said one board member. "He doesn't realize the importance of the church," said another.

The secretary summed it all up in the minutes of the meeting, after the vote to dismiss him had been passed. "It was clear he cannot be a minister here if he insists on acting just like the rest of the members." -- John M. Drescher. If I Were Starting My Ministry Again.

I think that this serves to illustrate that we all need to pull together and encourage one another, love one another, care for one another, carry one anothers burdens.

That we may see the unsaved ministered too and shown the love of Jesus, that we may see souls saved and the kingdom of God move together in power!

Loving Father, I thank for Jesus, my Lord and Saviour! I thank you that I am a member of the body of Christ. Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to function in the gifts that you have given to me, and to use them to build up your Church, help me to respect and honour all of my brothers and sisters in Christ, that in unity we may see the kingdom of God extended! In Jesus wonderful name I pray! Amen!