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This is the video of Dr. Mullins first sermon he preached after resigning as senior pastor of Central Baptist Church in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He preached this message on Sunday evening, November 9, 2008, at Wallace Memorial Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. The title of Bro. Bobby's message is "When God Says Go" from the Book of Jonah. When God says "Go" you can either say, "No," or "Let's Go." This message deals with those two answers and the negative consequences of saying "No" and the positive benefits of saying "Let's Go." I have included this message as a featured sermon on my web site because this is a time of uncertainty economically in our country and world. I did not expect at 57 years of age to be an unemployed Southern Baptist preacher when I had just completed the best year statistically of my pastoral tenure in my sixth year as senior pastor of Central Baptist Church, Oak Ridge, where I was joyfully content at a church I would rather be at than any other church, and where I believed our greatest years as a church were still ahead of us. But, in one of those "lean not unto your own understanding" (Prov. 3:5-6) faith moments, the Lord revealed to me that He wanted me to "go" elsewhere, and I did not even know where the elsewhere was! At least Jonah knew where God wanted him to go and preach! God's Word and principles do not change although we live in an ever changing world. One other time in my life, as a 36 year old married man with two children, I resigned a full-time position as minister of youth at a church where I was enjoying serving the Lord, to enter seminary full-time with no job or ministry position to go to. It was one of those "lean not unto your own understanding" faith moments. Wanda and I stayed true to God's Word and the principles we had believed and heeded throughout our lives up to that point, and the God who said He would never leave us or forsake us if we wholly followed Him, made the way for us. We believe that we can identify with many today who have lost their jobs, who are starting over again vocationally or in some other way, who are facing decisions that they never dreamed they would be faced with at this time in their lives, and we know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God will see you through, if you will stay true to Him. Ironically, the one other time in my life when I gave up a solid, full-time position with no certainty about how our needs would be provided for other than trusting in the One who holds tomorrow, I was the minister of youth at Boulevard Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, where Mike Boyd was the pastor. About twenty-two years later, my good friend, Dr. Mike Boyd, senior pastor of Wallace Memorial Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, asked me to preach the first Sunday I was available to preach somewhere else. As he did for me twenty-two years ago, Dr. Boyd's confidence in me, his prayers for me and my family, and his being there for me as an encourager and friend are examples of the greatest blessings and support that one can give to someone facing difficulties and uncertainty in times like these. Thank you, Dr. Boyd, and many others whose prayers, gifts, and support are helping me to go wherever the Lord leads me. |
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