Pastor Appreciation 2023 - Bro Jamie Ellington 10-22-2023

I like to say, along with the home Church here with Jay our pastor

this morning, his precious wife, First Lady the church. And you know,

I was thinking, Brother Hal, one of the hardest things I've ever

had to do is let go of my daughters, turn them loose to another

man, and trust them with somebody that you don't really know as good as

you'd like to know. And of course the Lord has blessed my two daughters

to have I reckon two of the best son in laws, two of the

best husbands. I got two of the best son in laws I could ever.

I never could imagine it being as good as it is. Yeah,

of course that's a reflection of Pastor and First Lady. Their their good job,

of great job of raised the godly young man. But it was hard

for me to let her go. Leah and Grace's will and I reckon Lee

might have been a little bit harder because she's so far away, and look

at it from my point of view, I mean, we're five hundred miles.

Whatever it is, I don't know, but it's been a consolation to

know that my daughter's in a place where she has a shepherd that loves her

and preaches to her and watches over her. That's been a consolation to me.

And I thank you, as her how on the first Lady Hall for

that. And I still miss her tremendously, we all do, but the

comfort of knowing she's in a good place, and I do appreciate. I

appreciate your pastor and your pastor's wife this morning, and thank you pastor for

asking me to come and have a part of this service. And I feel

honored. I feel unworthy to do this, but but I thank you for

it. I thank it. I told him too, he had he had

sent me a wreck he'd called a voice text. We was here last time,

wanting to know if we would be able to come back for this service,

and uh, I thought, I can't help, but believe too that

he's wanting to give me some more time with my family. And I appreciate

that. That's that means a lot, okay, man, But we're glad

to be here this morning and appreciate the church. And I know I feel

certainly that he appreciates you at least as much as you appreciate him. And

but we are, we are glad to be here this morning. We will

not try to be too long, but I do feel a little something on

my heart. I enjoyed the Sunday school lesson this morning with our cap done

such a great and I just kind of like to carry on when the direction

he went talking about a different Bible character. I want to read for a

text this morning in the Book of Psalms, chapter seventy eight and verse seventy

through seventy two, just three verses for our text this morning, and I

would you pray for it this morning. I don't have a whole lot of

voice. This month has been very busy since since we was here last I've

been to Alabama two Sundays in a row, reached a midweek service, and

then when I got home from Alabama's Sunday Monday morning about four o'clock. This

past week, we started a violent My brother lost church and I didn't get

a night off. Brother. How they made me preach every single night.

So I don't have a whole lot of voice here this morning. So if

I'm a little slow or maybe not my normal self, please understand. I

want you to hear what I've got to say. And I want to give

honor to our pastor in the first lady this morning Psalms, Chapter number seventy

eight, Verse seventy through seventy two. He chose David also his servant,

and took him from the sheep folds from following the Ughes great with young.

He brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance. So he

fed them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skillfulness

of his hands. I want you to know this verse seventy. It says

he chose David. The Lord chose David. Amen. I want to talk

about that. This morning, the Lord chose David. The Lord chose your

pastor. This morning. If you would, let's go to the Lord and

pray Father, be family, love, our ship, gration, goodness,

blessings to the Lord. That mail adds chore you thank your Lord, pastor

and pastor wife this morning betray your blessed sam strengthened him. Oh God,

Oh God, be praik. Help us to see and understand and be thank

Lord again, Great pastor and pastor life Jesus, Amen. Amen. In

our text, I read to you where the Bible said that God chose David.

That word chose means acceptable. It means to a point it means it

was God's selection. It was God's choice. Amen. Also there's another definition

for chose, and it means an article of personal property. Before God gave

you your pastor and his wife, they belonged to God first. Amen.

And he and I like what brother road Cap said, he give you the

gift of a great pastor and pastor's wife. They are God's personal property.

In fact, in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, I read

where John saw Jesus standing in the midst of the seven gold candlesticks, and

in his hand that I was said he had those seven stars. And the

Bible said they were the angels of each church. You study that they were

literally the pastors of each church. Amen. You didn't know you had an

a pastor. That's an angel, right. Amen. He was holding those

pastors in his hands. He was saying their mind, they belonged to me.

Amen. I read what Charles Burgeon said about this verse, and he

said it was an election of a sovereignly gracious time. How many those God

is sovereign and God knows what we need better than we know ourselves. Now,

I'll just be honest with you. I have I've pastored several places,

and you know, in a lot of those places that I've had mastor,

they would have pastor calling. And not only that, they would have it

on a you know, a routine basis, sometimes a year, two years,

three years. I just tell you, I don't believe God's in that.

I don't believe God's in that, No, sir, I believe when

God sends a man and he ought to be able to stay until the Lord's

through with him and let God do the directing. What you know, we

live in a day and age where where the ministry really nothing, not only

and I know there's a lot of men that that treat the ministry as a

career. I don't believe you've got one of those here this morning. And

that's wrong. It's not a career choice, It's not uh you know,

what is it What can I get out of this? Amen? Is what

what can I give? That's the heart of ministry, not what can I

get, but what can I get? But there's a lot of churches that

have that mentality that that a pastor and a preacher and a shepherd is is

a career. I was told by one man. I remember there was a

situation, and and I just basically said, you know, uh, you

know, I'm God sent me here and I don't want to get stuck.

But he said, he says, you're here because we voted you in and

we could vote you out, and y'all, y'all be around me enough to

go. I'm not. I'm I don't like confrontation. I mean, I

try to be careful what I say. When I told him, I said,

Sir, I may not preach in this church no more, but I'll

preach a man because God called me. Because it's not a career, it's

a calling. God chose him. Amen, God chose David James and vosst.

Brown said, God's sovereignty was illustrated in this choice. And I don't

believe that it's any less but that it's just as much the sovereignty of God

that he chose your pastor and your pastor's wife to be here, not only

them. But I want to say this, they're precious children. Church.

Name God for this wonderful family that you have. Amen. You are blessed

to have the Hole family here this morning. Amen. I noticed what it

says in verse seventy. He chose David. Also notice what it says next

his servant, his servant. Amen. I tell you, if you're not

willing to serve pastor, your work, evangelism, missionary work is not what

you want to do. Because really, in the grand scheme of things,

what your pastor does is served. He serves. What your pastor's wife does,

they serve. Amen. They are servants. That's what a minister is.

A servant. And David was a servant. And I believe this morning

Pastor Hall and his precious wife is a servant and they have a servant's heart.

If you don't have a servant's heart, Amen, you'll you'll never be

able to do to do the ministry. But when you have a servant's heart,

that's when God says, that's the kind of person that I can use.

Amen. David was God's servant. You remember Saul before he became king.

He seemed to be a man of humility. In fact, when they

went to annoying him to be king, and they couldn't find him because he

hid himself among the stuff. But when they finally found him, an annorted

in king and had seen things went well for a little while. But when

Saul, God lifted up in pride, and when Saul no longer leaned on

God and what God's will was for the people, and begin to do it

his way instead of God's way. The Bible tells us that God rejected Saul,

and it was during that time that samuelus mourning and his heart is broken

because Saul has fallen from God. Saul has abandoned the leadership of God.

And the Lord tells Samuel ask him the question, how long wilt thou mourn

for Saul? See I have rejected him from reigning over his fill that horn

with awe and go, and I will send thee to Jesse the Methlehemite,

or I provided be a king among his sons. You know how I appreciate

what the brother said. I beca't remember his name, his brother right here.

He's had several pastors, and and you know the how things changed when

pastors change, and transition isn't easy. It's difficult. Sometimes sometimes it's good,

sometimes it's fad. But from what I can gather, he felt like

when the Lord said, pastor Hal and his wife here, and that was

a transition that was nethl. It was a transition that was necessary and it

was good for the church. Amen. And so this is a time of

transition. And God tells Saul quit weeper our Samuel, quit weeping over Saul.

I've projected him. But you don't have to worry, you don't have

to fret. I've got a man. I've got a man. You go

down to Jesse's house, feel nine hard with all I provided me a king

among his sons. Bible said he told Jesse to call his boys, and

they came, seven of them men. The Bible said that first of all

Aliah the illness came. And even Samuel thought, surely Lord's annoying. It

is before him. This has got to be him. But God says to

him, looking not on his countenance or on the height of his stature,

because I have refused him. Now, I don't think your pastor will take

offense to this. But he's not a six foot four foot wide soldered man.

Amen, he's a small guy. I'm jealous, brother. I mean,

I need to be wearing a coat, but I can't because I outrowed

all my Why the thing I'm swelling? Amen, But I don't know how

to say it. Listen kind of small, frank God, Amen? But

oh, in character and intranty. Amen, he's a mighty man about don't

you I'm not listen. I'm not trying to burn you up. Brother.

I feel that way my heart, Amen, Lord of God. And he

said, don't you look on his height, don't you look on his count

its amen? The Lord seeth not this man seeth for man looking on the

outward appearance. But the Lord looketh on the heart. Ain't you glad that

God knows our heart? Came out the Lord looking on the heart. Jesse

called up in a dad the second eldest stuff, and he passed by,

the Lord said this ain't him. And then he calls seven to pass five,

and the Lord said this ain't neither hath the Lord chosen this? And

again seven of his sons passes by, and the Lord said, I've not

chosen anyot these. And I could see a confused look on the prophet's face.

Is this all your children? Is this all of them? And Jesse

says, well, there's one more left, but I and I've had this

in here. But I surely wasn't a thought. I surely wasn't the thought

that hit him in the one he said, you go call that young man?

Were not sitting down, and he gets here, and when David came

in, Oh glory to God. The Bible said, when David came in,

Uh, he was with all of the beautiful ruddy, with a beautiful

countance, and goodly to look too. And the Lord said, arise,

annoying him for this is he? Amen O. Did you see the look

on those other brothers? Amen? When when God was saying, you're not

the ones boy, so, but that little baby brother, you'res you not

to get called little baby body years that's your daughter, but just the lady

of the bunch. That's the one God chose. That's the one God's called.

That's the one that God has ordained. And I like them, sir,

because when the Bible says, sanguel except the one and annoyed him in

the midst of his brethren, at that very moment, the spirit of the

Lord came upon David. Not only do we see David the servant, don't

we see David the annoyed. Now, there's no questions about it. Tonight

today everybody in this church getting in here enough to know a man that's your

past her has been annoyed by God. Do you want to thank God?

For Ansa. You ought to praise God for that. And I'm only to

the older when I talk about these things. I'm also talking about his bride

as well. Amen. She's a servant, and there's an annoying on her

life, right what I referd, So for me to see, pastor,

I've noticed your wife is a quiet don't say a whole lot. I'm sure

when God gets older she probably does, but she seems quiet. She just

seems like an example of what a pastor's wife want to be. Right,

all right, well over talking to her husband, come on, damn.

But there's an anoying there that cannot be denied. David the servant, David

the anoying. Amen. And then in chapter seventeen, the Bible tells us,

you know, the philictings have gathered together. They're armies to battle,

and they're on one side and this is on the other side, and there's

a valley between them and this felicting, this giant comes out for forty days

and you know the story, and he presents the challenge, and nobody's willing

to stand up to the challenge. And it was at this setting, at

this time, that the Bible said that Jesse tells his son David. David

has already spent time with Saul and appears playing the heart, but he's back

home taking care of the sheet now, and Jesse tells David, and I

want to read this. He says, take now for thy brethren, and

ifa a fine flower or parks corn rather, and these ten loaves, and

run to the camp of thy brethren, and carry these ten cheeses unto the

captain of their thousands. That really goes along with the servant. That really

goes along with being a servant. Amen. But notice he goes, and

the Bible says verse twenty, David a rose early in the morning and left

the sheet with a keeper, and took and went as Jesse had commanded him.

And he came to the trench. I'm like that he took and he

went a man. Not only was David the servants and the anointed, but

David was the encourager. Hey man. When he came to the battlefield,

he didn't come into handed. He knew those boys had been on the battlefield,

he knew those soldiers had been friding. And he came at something to

encourage the Ombah. He came and something to strengthen the Ombah heard by the

road capped saints and not today. How many messages you made reference to?

He came with parts torn, he came with cheese, He came with bread.

And you were hungry, and you were thirsty, and you were weak

and wearing you from a cause you had a pastor that is an encourager.

I didn't come in had I had a prayer for you, saw the face

of God. And you got there now with the messas west fringe stuff.

Amen, you doing that? And now aymen that God had provided had made

away for you. Amen. He brought something with him. He was like

that that lad that had five loads and two fishes. That was people hungry.

Amen. And they disciples said, send them more to the way.

And the Lord said, oh we're gonna feel them. Amen. Well,

how we're gonna do that? All we got is five loads? Amen.

I like what the Bible says. In John, who wasn't the said it

was a Philip, Maybe I can't remember. He said there's a lad here

that has five loads. Hey, there's somebody here that brought something. How

many times did you leave field because your pastor brought something? David the encouragement

Hey, I don't even come to church here on a regular basis, But

brother, I've been blessed last time, not the last time, but before

when you preached tremendous, wonderful, great and it helped me, administered to

me a man. God loved me enough to deal with a man ten hours

away. And so when I got to the church, there was corn and

bread and cheese. Amen. It's not gonna be much longer here this morning,

amen. But David was an encourager. Ain't you thankful that you've got

a pastor that comes with something to offer a And then it was during this

time that Golith comes out as he'd done days before, and hissues the challenging

David here is brother saying what life is saying. Right, And he looks

around and he sees people that are supposed to be soldiers. Right. He

looks at his elder brother and the three the two others that are on the

battle filled with him, and he notices they're not standing up to the challenge,

right, They're not standing up. And he looks around and even Saul

is scared and afraid. Him being hidden chords above everybody else should have been

leading by example for the termah, but oh he's scared too. Amen.

And hey, David looks around and he says, who is this uncircumcised for

esteem that he used to find the armies of the Living God. And brother

Tyler, id if something rolls up in his heart and he was saying,

Hey, somebody needs to do something. Somebody needs to stand up, somebody

needs to a man answer the call and a lie his all. This fella

says, hey, what are you going down here? Any way? I

can see it now, brother Ayma, he's eating bread the same brand that

is drob ball clock time. Hey, it's criticizing David. Amen, what's

he doing down here? Anyway? We know your pride in the naughtiness of

your heart. I mean, I believe alive kipple this shoulder from the day

that God said You're not the one, am. But the right spirit says,

if I'm not, thank God, there is somebody. If it ain't

thank God, it's somebody. Oh who have you left those fusee with?

Anyway? And David sif what have I now done? What have I done

wrong? I'm here coause Daddy told me to bring you some neat that ranchet

chewing in your mouth? Right now. I've wrote it to you, boy,

and the baby brother brought you that bread. And I just I'm here

and I'm hearing this. I'm hearing what's going on? And why ain't you

doing something? Alive? Hey, God, why ain't you doing something?

Oh? Yeah, they ain't. What have I now done? It's there?

Not a reason? Is that? On a colt amans, David the

Lord host, David the servant, David do you annoyed? David the encourage

her? And David the warrior? I say, with the warrior. Then

Daven understood, without God, I'll never be able to say that faster,

and saw her about it. So he says, you can't fight against him

on my He's a champion. He's been a man of war from this youth,

and you're just a young boy. And David said, I was watching

over my father. Sheep and alive came in under that americame under and I

slow with my bare hands, and he said, more over the Lord,

that they'll ever be out of the pole of the lion, out the pole

of the bear, that's deliver under such circumcised for the state man. David

was a warrior. He didn't ride from the fighting man, come home.

What what did Lauda say about that? Harley? Ali, Amen, things

get tough. He gets gold. Yeah, when the offering gets loved.

Come on, he gets gold, but church members turn against him. He

gets gold, but not a shepherd them supersis? Is there not a call

statement me God? But old Lord die running? I don't die fighting.

Heaven was a warrior, but I lost what he says more over the Lord

and of the words, saw, You're right. I can't do it by

myself. I'm not strong enough, I'm not smart enough. I'm not capable

enough. But my Lord, my God, they may all intentioned me.

Some things counted the willness. He's been showing me rad us here and seeing

me than the loss of the world. Ay Man, he's been showing me

they not no weapon that is formed against me. Say I'm prosper but every

time that shall rise against me and judgment he said, Now shay to me.

Hey man, he's been showing me. Amen, I can't do it

money he can. He's glad this morning. That's you. Glad this morning.

You've got a pastor and a pastor's wife that when the giant stands up,

they're not looking for an exit for the moment they say, I'm staying

right here and this may be the end of me in this life. That's

okay. Amen. Oh yeah, thank you brother, thank you sister.

I'm standing up to the giants that that this young family right here that's real

precious to me, has had to face since they've been married. They ain't

told me nothing, but I'm married, so I know there's giants. You

got a warrior. You got a pastor's wife that's a warrior too, David

the warrior. You know the story, and I like, I like what

you said by the road cap, but I'm fixing the clothes. Please forgive

me my voices, give it trouble, but I feel like I feel like

I'll give you what the Lord's laid on my heart. But you said something

went with in the pastor, makes you understand it. It's not about it's

not about me, it's about him. It's it's not it's not me,

it's him, Amen, Because there's a lot of them that make it about

them, But you ought to. Thank God, You've got a pastor that

says, don't look at and I don't say this disrespectful, but don't look

at Jeremy look at Jesus, don't don't look at pastor, how the older

shepherd, but look at the over shepherd. A pastor. That's what he's

doing. He's just saying, Hey, he's entrusted me. And I wasn't.

I'd never come to this church until my daughter began to tour this young

man back here. So you know that I didn't know what to expect.

I heard good stuff. But when it's your baby, ain't nothing you here?

Did enough? Can I be honest with you? We got here,

I thought, man, this church is thriving, gods moving. Look at

those young men, look at those young ladies, look at those children coming

up. Amen, I'm telling you, boy, brother, brother, how

thriving. But it wasn't that way at one time? Wasn't How many original

is it on? If I do this? How many original members is in

here? Original members? One? Two? Three? I'm talking before the

Hall Family game? How many of you were here before the Hall Family game?

One? Is that right? Maybe? Two? H m hmm.

But how it's obvious Lord Chosen and his family and his family? How many?

How many was it was there when you came brother? As far as

your own family? I have so how many of your family. Hey,

So immediately the church went from singles to double ditchy, say the man,

who I remember I passed the little church one time, brother How. I'm

not making this about me, but I thought about that. I passed a

little church that had hit me out. And there was there was five of

us at the time, and there was four of them, so they were

not okay. But we had been there for a little while. My wife

was already expecting him about that three or four months. In about three or

four months said we had my baby boy. Don't see my baby boy,

I mean, ain't a baby no more. And I told him, I

said, we've been here three months and we not hit the double digits.

God chose David. And I say this with absolute conviction this morning. The

same God that chose David chose pastor How first lady How and this family of

his now they're married and got children. Hamn and do But God to say

things is things God, And you remember the end of the story. David

Sloop alive. David Sloop alive. David said, you come to me with

the sword and the spirit. She'll and I come to you in the name

of the Lord. And today it's going the last day. We have to

hear your lies. He slett that day. Ain't you glad you got a

pastor that's a warrior, a pastor's wife that's a warrior that doesn't war fait.

One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, like that. You

know what that is? That man kneeling with that cha that's a warrior.

Amen, that's a word. Amen. H h. He's able to stand

because he stays on his knees. He press. His pastor's wife is able

to stand because she stays on her knees. Oh, I tell you this

morning, he may thank your pastor. I haven't known you long, and

I'm starting to get to know you better, man, and I like I

like what I'm learning. Thank you for being the pastor to my dollar,

my grand dog, my son in law. He's in my family name.

We're forever connected, Brother Dan. Let's just stay this morning. I don't

know. Is there something that you'll need to do? H I tell you,

Can I can I do this? Can I Can I be the one

this morning? Pastor? Can I do this this morning? We'll be hot

him after how his wife comes up up front here? That'd be Okay,

I feel like doing this. I'll tell you the ministry is under attack,

but that was doing everything he can to hinder the ministry. And while he's

fighting your battles, you've got to understand he's fighting. They're fighting their own

battles, right, They're fighting on two fronts. This morning, they're fighting

on your front and theirs. The eye pastor. Oh, everybody, let's

just let's just pray for our pastor and and our first lady of you this

morning, and I mean really pray for them. Oh, that God would

give them what they need. Amen, all this gather around and not only

that, listen, thank God for him this year like this one pastor,

the Pst. Name no name, not m I mean, I think it'd

be all right if we find a place to pray here, amen, and

make sure we're doing our part. Then is to preacher preach. We don't

want to have a spirit of alf but we want they meant to have that

supportive spirit that would back get help and support and get in behind the Man

of God and his battles and men and in ours. I mean, listen,

Terry here and that's the Lord to see m my saying this strange turns.

Not for now, these don's gross short and hold me. I'm taking

dogs. Everything's burning, not a shame, no heavy straight in the side

things, and cerning gonna tell about those bargean. I'm taking dogs. Everything's

burner, Oh yes, shame. I'm taking no Timothy's burnt my goal in

the boy of a true painful for me, I told maybe back to Bye.

I'm taking no Timmothy's burning, say three around these rains and a very

God's testing money. I'm a pace of these races. So I'm taking notes.

Anything's burning, Oh God, the truth things hard do the same things

I'm starting. I'm keep the fai by the miles. I'm taking not tim

Thing's burner. Oh yes, Simon, I'm taking notes in the things burning

a gray probby togy by mom in the pools of the truth painful parade are

pulling me back to my cot up. I'm taking no Timothy's burning sad around

these raids they know better. God's testing boy. I'm a friends or b

these tress. I'm taking notes in the thieves burning. I've got the true.

It's the side things uncerting. I'll get to play for my my I'm

taking an all Timothy. Oh yeah, son, I'm taking old Timothy.

I'm taking all tim and T's urner. Not a shade somewhere the changed in

a seven three days of savage, not a fresh my last one of the

day. So I'll take your old Timothy's. Oh yes, I'm I'm picking

of the tim