[Diligent]

Luke,

Just a quick, short comment. In reading over your posts what comes to mind first:

Proverbs 28:21 To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.

You need to stop tying your own faith and walk up with another man. Whether or not you are disappointed with him and whether or not you should or shouldn't be concerned about what he does, the fact is that your own walk is not about him, it's about the Lord Jesus Christ.

[KingSolomon1611]

Well in that case you have to go-it-alone. The gospel must be preached with or without him. God commands ALL of us to preach the gospel brother. When it seems like you are alone (like Elijah felt-false feeling thought) keep doing right. You better not be waiting on your pastor to give you permission to witness because at the Judgement Seat of Christ we can't point to others. If you are a babe find someone to go with you. Heck if you lived close we'd have to have to get together and tear up the town for Jesus Christ so they'd would have know that there hath been a prophet among them.

I feel bad for you. My church is not perfect either on some issues I believe are important. I have been contemplating going elsewhere for around 2 years but God has left me handfulls of purpose it seems. I wish I was back in Pensacola at times where the fellowship was sweet and we had like minded brothers at every turn. But God has us in specific places at specific times like Esther,

Esther 4:14
14-... and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

I'll be praying for you. Feel free to email me with your salvation doubts. I think you need to get that squared away so that won't interfere with your witnessing. How can you tell others about how to be saved if you aren't sure yourself? I wen't through doubting my salvation around 12 years ago and got it settled by the word of God.

1 John 5:10-13
10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (Do you have the Son?)
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

If you have the Son you HAVE eternal life. You recieve the Son by faith. By believing that Christ died for your sins, was buried and rose from the grave.

[Hayseed]

The church I attend is not perfect either Luke,neither is the Pastor or any of us.Sometimes we can assume that the Pastor has a cushy life,but if we were to get along side of him during his day and evenings for a week we probably would see he has alot more to deal with than we thought.

We are all responsible for soul winning and perhaps you could get some like minded soul winners together from your church to reach out into the community.
A Pastor shepards the flock,the sheep have lambs .. there maybe many lambs out there for you sheep to muster in.

[peopleoftheway]

* The pastor will let me preach on "men's ministry nights". I get to preach to a crowd of 10 people who are already saved. That's all good and well to feed the flock, but I want to preach to the lost as well.

You don't need a Church or a Pastor to do the latter Brother, you just need the word of God. Regardless of what modern preachers / pastors / evangelists believe about the "readiness" to preach the Gospel, the need for a great speaking voice or extreme confidence is needed to stand in front of a lost soul and proclaim the Gospel is just not true. I have seen pastors who seem shy and reserved and very softly spoken outside of a pulpit, but when they stand up there in front of their flock, Gods flock, it is not them that is preaching, but By his spirit it is the Lord Jesus Christ himself and that shy reserved humble man of God proclaims Gods word by Gods spirit!
The Apostle Paul never boasted of great confidence in his own speech, but through the Holy Ghost he set the truth on fire!

1 Corinthians 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

1 Corinthians 4:19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.

2 Corinthians 10:10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.

2 Corinthians 11:6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

* He will tell me my faithfulness to everything is paramount.

Brother, you don't need to submit yourself to any pastor, you don't need to prove to any man that you are faithful enough to believe and to proclaim Gods word. If you aren't happy and you have tried and tried with no success, LEAVE. You are under no obligation to any man. You know what your best step is Brother, forget the adult lost for a minute (not completely of course) consider starting a Sunday School, preach to the Kids and I can guarantee you God will set you on fire for his word when you see him magnified in their faces. The rest will follow suit and you will find yourself being led in all humility by Gods Spirit. Preach to kids, look at their faces and excitement when you proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ and his written word and Brother I can guarantee you WILL be humbled. TRY it.

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.