September 27, 2009 John 3:14-15

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September 13, 2009 John 3:1-13

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It’s not every week that you get to see 4o people give their lives to Jesus Christ.  But that’s exactly what we saw this week at FBC  Henryville.  If you were not here this week you might be thinking that we had some high energy speaker with an emotional appeal to the audience, but you would be wrong.  Eric is a great speaker, but all he did was simply present the gospel and people believed.  The first night when the invitation was given my eyes got big and my jaw dropped.  That’s sad when the preacher is surprised that people are responding to the gospel in a positive way.  Later I felt convicted for my lack of faith.  I mean really, should not God’s people expect God to move in their presence.  Should not the preacher expect God to save people.  I felt like the young preacher who went to Charles Haddon Spurgeon for advice one day.  He asked Spurgeon how come no one was getting saved at his church.  He told Spurgeon, “I preach the gospel every Sunday but no one is giving their life to Christ.  Do you think something is wrong with my preaching?”  To which Spurgeon replied, “Young man, do you expect someone to get saved every time you preach?”.  The young preacher thought Spurgeon was consoling him, so he replied well of course not.  Spurgeon said, “well that’s what wrong”.  You preach the gospel that has power to change people’s lives, but you don’t really believe its going too.  I knew this story before this week began.  God have mercy on me for not expecting Him to change peoples lives.

I want to thank all of you for your hard work this week.  It has been so great watching all of you do the work of the ministry together.  The most exciting thing for me to see happen in Church is someone being born again, but the next most exciting thing is seeing God’s people coming together to glorify Christ through  praying, teaching, counseling, and leading people to Christ.  I believe that is what it means to be a great commission church.  We are taking the gospel to our community, and in January we are taking the gospel to India.   I really believe that God has done and is going to do, great things here at First Baptist Henryville.

Our next step is follow up.  I really believe that in order to fulfill the great commission we must disciple those who believed the gospel.  Jesus said,” go into all the world and make disciples.”  However, that’s not all that He said.  He says, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”  I don’t want you to look at this as a job that we must do, but a privilege that we are blessed to be able to do.

Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me.  Bless His Holy name.  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus sweetest name I know!!!!

In Christ,

Toby Jenkins

I’m so excited to see the way God is moving amongst His people here at Henryville.  I can’t wait to see what He does in our public school this week.  It so amazing to think that Christ has the power to change lives.  He has the power to change their lives forever.  They won’t be the same.  I’m so thankful that He changed my life.

I want all of you to know that it makes me so proud to hear the evangelistic say that you guys did such a great job preparing for this event.  My thanks goes out to everyone of you!  However, there is much work still to do, so please keep up the good work.  As a pastor, its so awesome to see your people roll up their sleeves, doing the work of the ministry.  If one person is transformed by the power of  the Spirit it will not have been in vain.  In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say that even if no one is saved, the work was not in vain.  The seed has been scattered, and we have been obedient to the great commission.  The Lord says obedience is greater than sacrifice.  He also says that His Word will not go out void but will accomplish that which He sent it out to accomplish.

Please continue to pray, and please come and be involved in this weeks out reach.  If you don’t know where you could help; please come see me and I’ll plug you in where you feel comfortable.

To God be the glory for the great things He has done and is doing.

In Christ,

Toby

I am sorry for the delay in putting up a new post.  I hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to the crusade this coming week.  I’ve been talking with Eric Ramsey, and he and his family are excited about coming.  Please continue to be in prayer as there are so many aspects to this event.  I realize things every week that I’ve not thought of.  We are really going to need everyone to be involved.  Tonight we are going to go over some more positions that we need people to fill.  Also tonight the youth and adults are going to have a prayer meeting to specifically pray for God to move, work, and save people.  That is the main thing that all of us need to realize is that salvation is the work of God and not ours.  Our job is to throw out the seed, the Word of God, and leave the results up to God.  So please continue to pray for God to move in such a way that when people see, they will say there is no other explanation for what is happening, except the power of God has fallen down in Henryville.

His servant,

Toby Jenkins

September 6, 2009 Sermon on John 3:1-8

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The weight is so heavy!  The task of shepherding the people of God is no small task.  The concerns of a shepherd for a flock are many.  The Apostle Paul talks about loosing sleep because of his concern for the flock of God.  I know what that feels like, but I know that is the call of God for every pastor.  However, I must say, the weightiest of all the tasks of the pastor is preaching to His Bride, the Church.  I mean you’re the mouth piece of God.  This isn’t just some group of people, it’s His Bride.  I’m supposed to wash her with the water of His Word, so as to, present her clean to Him who has called me.  The weight is so heavy that I must crawl into His pulpit merely begging  Him to use me to this end.  Knowing that if He leaves me to myself it will be the worthless babbling of an idiot.  Knowing that unless He speaks no one will be changed.  May God in His mercy deliver me this morning and glorify Himself.  May He deliver all His preachers this morning.

Because of the Lamb,

Toby

Sonia and I went visiting yesterday on a Harley.  It was so much fun, but we stayed around Henryville.  The bike belongs to my neighbor Doug.  He is very gracious to let us go off on his Harley like that.  I really didn’t think Sonia would like it, but guess what.  We are about to eat hot dogs and then we are riding the Harley out to see Gene and Rita.  So please pray for a safe journey.  And yes we wear helmets.  Who knows, we may show up Sunday wearing all leather.

In Christ,

Toby

PS.  Wouldn’t ya’ll like it if my wife bought me a bike?

If you have prayer requests for your brothers and sisters in Christ to lift before the Lord during August, please leave them below in a comment.  Click on Prayer Requests for August 2009 above.

Jesus instructed His disciples to pray without ceasing.  I would implore you to do the same.  We are rapidly approaching the outreach into Henryville School.  I really want everyone to be praying for God to open the hearts of those children, but I also want you to be praying for God to send out workers into the harvest.  Also be in prayer for our deacon nominations.

It’s been a good but busy week so far.  I wrote a post Monday but had to leave before posting it.  When I got to my office this morning I realized that I shut down the website and lost my post.  Is wasn’t any good any way.

Update: Wayne is home now, but according to his twitter he still feels bad.  Quinton’s surgery went good, but we found out that he is allergic to just about everything.  I’m about to leave the office head  to the hospital to see Elizabeth and then to see Paul.

So please pray, pray, pray

In Christ,

Toby Jenkins