Service

The past few years as your pastor have been incredible. This year, my first year as your pastor at Sandridge Baptist Church, has been incredible. Throughout this year, there have been many pleasant surprises and Joys, but the greatest joy has been seeing different ones of you encounter God while you have served Him upon different Mission Fields. The Joy of seeing someone discover that God can use them that God does have a purpose for their Life- and that no matter the age God can begin a new fresh work.

Over this year it is not been hard to figure out some of the areas that I am passionate or excited about. One of those areas is missions. Throughout this month, missions will be emphasized in many different ways. It is my personal hope that by the end of this month fresh commitments will be made by individuals and families. Commitments that will foster a deeper commitment to be On Mission with God.

So what does it mean to be On Mission with God

It begins first with the realization that it flows out of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

God loved us so much that he gave his only son to be our sacrifice that we might have eternal life. We hear that phrase so often that we become numb to the awesome incredible sacrifice God made for us. Romans 5:8 spells it out that while we were yet sinners Christ Died for us. Romans 3:10 say that there is no one who does Good not one and Romans 3:23 Spells it out even further when it states that we have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.

Even our best attempt at being good falls way short. The only hope the only way was and is through Jesus.

A story is told, be it truth or legend, that helps us grasp the significance of the sacrifice God made on our behalf. The story states that back in the days of the Great Depression a Missouri man named John Griffith was the controller of a great railroad drawbridge across the Mississippi River. One day in the summer of 1937 he decided to take his 8 year old son, Greg, with him to work.

At noon John Griffith put the bridge up to allow a ship to pass and he sat on the observation deck with his son to eat lunch. Time passed quickly. Suddenly he was startled by the shrieking of a train whistle in the distance. He quickly looked at his watch and noticed it was 1:07 - the Memphis Express, with 400 passengers on board was roaring toward the raised bridge!

He leaped from the observation deck and ran back to the control tower. Just before throwing the master lever he glanced down at the ships below. There a sight caught his eye that caused his heart to leap pounding into his throat. Greg had slipped from the observation deck and had fallen into the massive gears that operate the bridge. His left leg was caught in the cogs of the two main gears!

Desperately John’s mind whirled to devise a rescue plan. But as soon as he thought of a possibility he knew there was no way it could be done.

As the train drew nearer he tries to yell and scream for the train to stop. He tried waving his hands up in the air, but some who noticed only thought he was being friendly. Finally He looked down at his son and up at the train barreling down the track- He could hear the clicking of the locomotive’s wheels on the tracks. That was his son down there - yet there were 400 passengers on the train. John knew what he had to do, so he buried his head in his left arm and pushed the master control switch forward. The great massive bride lower it’s gears crushing his son, as the Memphis express began to roar across the river.

How many of those passengers even knew of the father’s sacrifice that saved their lives? John 3:16 spells it out: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.

And yet many still ignore or deny this supreme sacrifice. Only because if this sacrifice, can we have hope and life, and that’s not all he wants to enter into a personal relationship with Him that will direct, lead, change, correct, and transform our lives But many would rather study about Him than enter a personal relationship with him. Today pray that God would give you fresh eyes and appreciation on the cross of Jesus and the sacrifice that it took. This morning if you are trusting in anything other than a personal relationship with Jesus you are on the wrong boat. Don’t wait until it is too late.