“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about (we are surrounded by, we are being watched by or observed by) with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us (giving us a picture of a runner in a race who has taking off every bit of heavy clothing or any items that would slow him down in the race – or the sin that so that so easily grips a hold on us – in other words, if there is anything blocking you from getting from where you are right now to where God wants you to be, get rid of t, get it out of the way, lay it aside) , and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
In 1969-70, some folks working a Bus Ministry for 4th Street Baptist Church in Hartsville, SC, came to my home and asked my parents if they could pick-up me and my brother and take us to church. My parents, though they had no intention of going church, felt it was a good idea for us kids to go. So, we became bus kids. I remember as if it were yesterday my Sunday School Teachers – Freddie and Claudia James. They taught me about the Lord, and when I felt I was less than the other kids – they shared with me how God loved me.
I remained a bus kid in my home church until 1979, when my church voted to do again with the bus ministry because us “bus kids” were not what they wanted in their church. I was devastated – what I had known and loved all my young life was instantly gone. I rebelled against God and the church. At 17, I joined the US Military and ran as far away from God as I could – only to find that He was there waiting for me.
When I was 24 years old, a home missions preacher came by my house to see if we would be interested in visiting. I wasn’t home at the time, so my wife told him he would have to come back when I was there. Well – he did. So, to get him off my back, we visited the church. I will never forget it. He asked the question “What are you gonna do with Jesus?” My heart was pounding – all the sin, all the bitterness in my heart came crashing down on me. I got out of there as fast as I could. All week long that question came back to my mind, “What are you gonna do with Jesus?” So, after struggling all week, I woke my family up and told them we were going riding. I was going to do anything I could to avoid going back to that church. Somehow, God steered our vehicle right back there. I can’t even remember what the preacher was preaching that morning, as my heart was pounding, all I could do was think, “Joe – what are you gonna do with Jesus.” When we were leaving that day, the preacher caught me. He told me he doesn’t know why he was supposed to tell me this, but God wanted me to know HE loves me. I told that preacher there was no way God could love me, He had no idea what I had done in my life. That preacher told me, “I don’t care what you’ve done in your life – God loves you.” I broke down crying right there. I just couldn’t hurt the LORD anymore – and I rededicated my life to Christ.
6 years later, we had become a fully self-supporting church, I had nearly 14 years in the Army, God was dealing with me about preaching. I had a plan all worked out though – I was gonna retire from the military, have a pension, then I would go preach – to me seemed like a noble plan. However, that was not God’s plan. Shortly after this great plan of mine, I was seriously injured. During my recovery, I remember sitting on the steps of our church one Sunday morning, and I will never forget seeing a lot of molehills in the yard. Somehow, the Spirit of God spoke to me and said, “Joe, there are men, women, boys and girls walking all over Christians on their way to hell – just as easily as people walk over those molehills.” I asked, “Well Lord, why is it so easy for them to walk all over us on their way to hell?” And that verse in II Peter 3:9 came flooding to my mind (25 years after I memorized it) “The LORD is not slack concerning His promise as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” It occurred to me that if people were walking all over us on their way to hell, it wasn’t God’s fault – it was our fault – and more in particular – it was MY fault. I knelt down on the steps of that church and prayed, “LORD, I’m tired of being a Molehill Christian, Make me a Mountain.” I departed the military and attended Bible College.
After graduating College, I pastored for 8 years. In 2002, I was at the height of my ministry. Our church was growing, we were running a little bus ministry, I was working on a Th.M. Degree when out of no-where, my home was rocked by sin. I was so busy in the ministry I couldn’t even see what was happening in my home. I went before the church and poured my heart out to them it. For a while, things seemed to be OK. Then there seemed to be constant battles inside the church – I was fighting a deacon board, trying to do things right, trying to finish my Degree program. And little by little, I found myself in the Gutter. I found myself in a place where I didn’t want to be around anyone – I just wanted to leave. I began looking at the potential of rejoining the military – I just wanted to get away. Before I knew it, I allowed sin to come in my life and completely destroy my home, destroy my marriage, and destroy the ministry God had entrusted me with.
And for 10 years I was in the Gutter. I had no joy, I had no peace. The real problem with being in the basement is – you will look right past the 99 good things being done to laser focus on the 1 thing that’s wrong – the 1 thing you don’t like.
So, 12 years ago, there I am in the Gutter – as miserable as I could be. My granddaughter Emma (7 at the time), asked me “Papa, did you used to be a preacher?” With a lump in my throat, I said, “Yes Sweetie, Papa used to be a preacher.” After a couple of minutes, she then said, “Well Papa, will you take us to Church?” Emma’s sister Maddie chimed in, “Yea Papa, will you take us to church?”
Let me show you something here about Grandstand people – unlike Gutter people, Grandstand people will look past the 99 wrong things to find the 1 good thing!
“Wherefore (whenever you see a wherefore or a therefore, you are supposed to stop and see what it’s there for) seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
Hebrews 12:1 gives us the picture of an athlete out on the field competing. And in the Grandstands is a great cloud of witnesses, those listed in Hebrews 11, the Hall of Fame of Faith – WHAT ARE THEY DOING? They are cheering on the favorite competitor.
So, there I was 12 years ago, down on that track. I had given up any chance of winning. I had all but thrown in the towel – when my granddaughters helped remind me of the “Great Cloud of Witnesses.”
I want you to get a mental picture of this now:
- Here I am on this field with defeat on my face;
- I am on this field and I just don’t care anymore;
- The race isn’t even over and I have all but given up;
- I am on this field and I’m feeling like a failure:
- I have failed my God;
- I have failed my family;
- I have failed my kids;
- I have failed my church.
- I am Winded;
- I am gasping for air;
- I have all but lost the race;
- I am bent over with my hands on my knees, looking down in defeat.
All of a sudden I hear a familiar voice in the crowd. I glance up and see Freddie and Claudia James up in that “Great Cloud of Witnesses,” and they are yelling down to me, “Come on Joey, get up son. You can do this, God still loves you!”
Next to Claudia and Freddie, I can see my Grandma Moore, and with tears in her eyes she says, “Oh Joey, it’s OK son, God loves you and He’s forgiven you. Just get up and get back in the race.”
I can see my brother Sonny with Grandma, holding her hand and say, “Joey, I know you messed up, but it’s OK – God and loves you, and I’m here because of you and I’m waiting for you brother – so please, just get back in there and give all you’ve got.”
These are my Balcony People. And I have some Balcony people here today as well:
- My kids – Jenni and Josh – they watched their dad fail; they watched their pastor fail. Yet, they have always been there, cheering me on. They are my grandstand People.
- My Grandkids – who just wanted to see their Papa get back in the race – and they will never know the work God did through them in my life.
- My wife Kim – for years our home was a mess. We almost couldn’t even stand being around each other. But God has come to live at the Moore residence – and Kim has become one of my greatest grandstand People.
- Clay and Hope Houchins. Some of my biggest supporters in the ministry. Hope came back to a church that had hurt her daddy when he was the pastor to support my ministry. Even when I failed and left the ministry – they’ve never stopped reaching out to me – never stopped praying for me – never stopped praying for my kids. Clay and Hope are my grandstand People.
- Our family here at RPBC– faithful servants of God that have supported Kim and I and backed our ministry together. Selfless servants that are my Grandstand People.
Folks, I’m gonna tell you it’s a whole lot better facing the race of life knowing you have people in the balconies cheering for you, encouraging you – than it is laying around in the bowels of the basement!
This Invitation is threefold:
- If you are here, and you are in the Basement – I want to encourage you today to just get back in the race;
- If you are here, and you see someone you know is in the Balcony cheering you on – go to them right now and hug them and tell them thank you;
- Maybe you know someone here today that needs you to be their balcony People – go to them and let them know you are in the balcony cheering for them
Fighting for My Pea Patch 