Church Safety Conference

Introduction

Thank you to James and Mike for the opportunity to speak with you and thank you for being apart of this amazing conference.

The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." - Ralph Nader

If you haven’t got the opportunity to know James you are missing out. He and I have been connected over the last year or so through a podcast he worked with me on and I’ve met few men with his integrity and humility.

This community is blessed with leaders like him and Mike who say they don’t apologize for telling someone to be more focused on Christ before they take an active shooter class.

Today has already been a wealth of knowledge and information so I know you are going back with full notebooks.

Tonight my intention is to help you go back with full hearts.

Character-tired and overworked

What I’ve learned in ministry is that often times those most involved and dedicated can find them struggling as they run on empty.

How many of you love what you do in service to the churches you serve at?

The service you provide for the ministries you serve at is invaluable. It’s necessary. and it can also be exhausting.

However what you will find exhausting is not so much the procedures or policies you have to develop or implement, the methods in which you conduct security for the ministry, often times the most exhausting problems come from the people.

Problem-exhausted with people

I don’t know about you but I didn’t get into ministry so I could write policy or just do a job. I got into ministry so I could serve people.

THis is what Jesus did right? He came to serve and not to be served.

However the people we serve with and the people we serve can often times cause us the greatest burdens.

This has been happening throughout time.

Often, the reason we get exhausted with others is the fact we are not taking care of ourselves.

Does this sound like you?

Work countless hours at a secular job and then volunteer your free time, effort, energy, and money to support the ministry you are apart of?

Developed policy and procedures based on the best informatio you can gather only to have someone who hasn’t done the research tell you it’s not enough or needs to be adjusted?

You worked with some one, you invested into them and developed them to serve in the ministry you love so much only for them to do something to cause you headache, heartache, or worse just up and quit on you for no reason at all?

Agitated-Mental, physical, and emotional damage

When these events take place on top of everything else you have going on in life man they can be draining.

Multiple people in scripture experienced this exhaustion

Moses felt it when he came down from the mountain top and the people had turned on him

Joseph felt it when the people in prison he helped turned on him

Jesus often got away from people to spend time with the father

The apostles delegated to deacons so they could focus on the word and prayer

When we don’t take care of ourselves mentally, emotionally and physically and we contiue to allow the stresses of life pile up believing we are invincible we will quickly find out we are not.

John 15:4 “4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”

Solution- Live with Jesus not for Jesus

Don’t do all that you do for approval, for acceptace, for success, or for others. Don’t overwhelm yourselves with the work God has called you to do to the neglect of the people God has called you to serve.

Guide- Elijah

Elijah did just this.

Elijah had done some great things for God.

he had been used by God to hold back the rain, called down fire, and brought the rain.

If there was someone who should have been on an emotional mountain top, it was Elijah.

However, that’s not where we encounter him in one of the more famous stories of his time as a prophet.

Journey- 1 Kings 19:4-10

1 Kings 19:4 “4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.”

Have you ever felt like this in life or ministry?

I’ve done all I can, I’m overwhelmed, I’m just not cut out for this, someone else should be doing it, I should just quit.

I want you to know tonight, your not alone. Many have felt that way. most have felt that way at some point.

Tonight if that’s you, I want you to see from this piece of Elijah’s journey what can help you come out the other side.

If you aren’t in this position, i want you to see that what gets you through is also what can keep you out of it.

While in this cave notice Elijah’s interaction with the angels God sends

1 Kings 19:5–7 “5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.

Elijah was in despair, he had been serving the nation of israel and was now on the run.

He had just had one of the highest highs…and now he’s down. ever been there? GReat event, amazing sunday, wonderful training, or conference and then you feel liek you on rock bottom.

He had been busy. He had just called down fire, and then ended a drought, and then gets news the queen wants him dead.

Busy life, focused on helping others, serving everyone, and then hit with a problem.

Elijah had been so busy, just like you.

the first thing you have to do to live with jesus and not for jesus, is

1. Take care of your schedule

Has anyone ever told you that your too busy? Maybe you’ve got too much going on?

How do we feel when we get told that? maybe a sense of pride…yea i am busy but im making it. I’m going it. I’m able to get it done.

Without verbalizing it there may be a feeling of “Yea, i’m capable, i’m able to do all of this…”

The truth is though, more often than not, your succeeding at failing in what God has called you to.

How many of you lead ministries here?

Most leaders find themsevles to be type-a, driven, ambitious, go getters.

As gospel centered leaders we have to take that mentality and apply to not only our careers or ministries but in all areas of our lives.

When we don’t, there will be consequences

6 month story

I believe that Elijah was suffering from something similiar here.

I believe you have been there or been close as leaders in ministry.

your breaking point.

and i believe it can be avoided.

but it’s only avoided when we begin to surrender more than just our careers or ministires to Jessus and we surrender our lives to JEsus.

the most neglected part of many of our lives is that of our physical health.

2. Take care of your body

Maybe that’s what you need in this time away, maybe you don’t need a bunch of content, maybe you’ve heard a lot of it before. Maybe you just need to breathe, relax, eat something good for you, and relax.

"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." - Anne Lamott

Have you ever heard that the bible doesn’t tell us to pursue happiness but to have the joy of the Lord?

While I understand the sentiment, can I tell you that I’d be surprised to hear that God wants you walking around in a poor emotional state all the time.

it doesn’t take more than one google search to find the research from various institutes that have proven the mental and emotional state of a person is greatly impacted by how well you care for your health through your diet.

I remember when I first starting reading about caring for my body as a means of mental and spiritual health.

I completely dismissed it.

I had the literal thought, you hippie. What are you saying, the way I care for my body directly impacts my emotional state?

Ridicudlous. The Marine Corps didn’t teach me that. They taught me mind over matter, tell your mind to overcome your bodies issues and get the job done.

While that may work for some physical discipline or a one off mission, is a pretty unbiblical way to live out your life.

If God didn’t care about what we were eating, then why woudl he give

Have you ever heard this verse?

1 Corinthians 10:31 “31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

What is often said about this verse?

Do all things, your job, your career, and all those things right?

Now I don’t claim to be highly intelligent but I wonder if this verse could also me that when I eat or drink, I do it to the glory of God.

Does it mean I can’t have a candy bar or a soda? No, but I do believe if we are not stewarding our health as a an act of worship to God, we are in direct violation of this principle.

Some would say this is to easy, it’s not spiritual enough…

I’m afraid some are so heavenly minded that they become no earthly good.

We are here for a reason and it’s not to eat drink and be merry.

It’s to glorify God with our lives. And we can’t do that when we are suffering from medical, mental, and emotional issues that are caused becuase we don’t properly care for our body.

God cares about what you eat. He cared enough to put the dietary restrictions on the Israelites, Daniel thought it so important he chose not take part of the kings meat.

Too many are seeking to live a life for Jesus spiritually but they are neglecting the physical things of life that God also calls us to care for.

Resolution-Choose to care for yourself to care for others

You are not superhuman. You are not meant to burn the candle at both ends.

and thats ok.

It doesn’t make you less of a christian or less of a person, it makes you human.

You are a finite being made by a infinite God that desires for you do great things for Him. but you can’t do those things if you don’t take care of your mind, body, and spirit.

don’t neglect your life thinking you are doing everyone a favor.

Make your scehdule so that you are focusing on the things that rejuvinate you to help you be the best servant leader you can be.

Impact: Negative and positive

Talk 2:

Character-enjoyed a great conference

how many of oyu all had an amazing time at the conference?

Wonderful information, great fellowsihp, and now it’s time to leave this refreshing time and go back to the world.

Let’s thank James and Mike for putting on such a wonderful conference.

The content of the conference has been phenomenal but more so than that you all have made it amazing.

Men and women who are passionate about a topic, dealing with the same troubles, and able to connect on a level that you often miss outside of this setting.

problem-everyone around you motivated to people not

Everyones motivated and now your ready to go back and set the world on fire right? You’ve got things you want to implement and change in your ministries and know that God will do a great thing if only you could get just 1 thing implemented right?

That’s not all your thinking about though. You’ve probably got someone on your mind that’s going to give you issues.

You’ve got someone that might keep you from doing this big thing you want to do.

agitated-you could lose the motivation you have now, and focus on wrong things

When you leave here you might find some people dragging you down. Telling you it can’t happen or that you’ll never afford what it takes to make it work.

Maybe you’ve been impressed with the ministry first mentality here and the importance made about Jesus over security training.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for the security training and all that you have and know but before you are security professional, your a follower of Jesus.

and I want ot challenge you to find your identity in Him and live from that, not who you are or what you do as a security team leader or member.

When you do that, it changes how you lead and interact with people.

solution-focus on the people as followers of Jesus and then a security team

When I asked james to tell me about the conference he said some thigns that stood out to me

and im paraphrasing here

“discipleship is important along with motivating and engaging people for long-term service.”

James knows, what God showed Elijah in 1 kings, the life we live is not about the work we do, it’s about the people we invest in.

Guide-Elijah

When I spoke las tnight at the vip event, which if you weren’t there for, be sure to jump on that for the next conference, I spoke on Elijah after coing down from mt carmel and then going into the wilderness.

For some of you, this is mt carmel. This was an amazing time you’ve heard from God through preaching, teaching, and even seen how you can improve how you and your team serve his church as you go back to your respective ministries.

You’ve got some great stuff right now and I wan’t to help you go back and not be like Elijah was and depressed.

Journey-1 kings 19:9-18

1 Kings 19:9–14 KJV 1900

9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

God has done all these great works, and then calls elijah out in a still small voice

Have you ever felt this way?

God I’m doing all this for you, I’m making these thigns happen, Jesus I’m leading this security team for you…what more can I do?

God showed Elijah, I don’t need you to do this great work. anyone can do the work. hear me, anyone can do the work.

watch this though…

1 Kings 19:15–18 “15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. 17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. 18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.”

He reminds Elijah, I didn’t call you to the big work…

I can do the big work God says…

I’m not asking you to do the big work…I’m asking you to lead the people.

He lifts elijah up after mt carmel and says don’t go do big work, go invest in people.

and tha’ts what I want to leave wyou with today. short adn sweet.

don’t go change the world, don’t go revolutionize your security training, go love on the people you serve with.

Resolution: don’t go back only a more equipepd security leader. go back a more dedicated discipler of jesus

Impact: Negative Positive