By Rachel Crenshaw, student news writer
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky.– “Identity, responsibility, priority and difficulty are key issues that will determine if you live a successful life with Christ,” said Dr. Hershael York, senior pastor at Buck Run Baptist Church of Frankfort, Ky., as he spoke on these four issues at Campbellsville University’s chapel Wednesday, March 5 in Ransdell Chapel.
York, former president of the Kentucky Baptsit Convention, referred to Hebrews 11: 24 -25 in which he said these few verses sum up the entire life of Moses. “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.”
York said that Moses like many other people today experienced an “identity crisis.” Moses could have introduced himself to Zipporah, his future wife, as either a Hebrew slave or a royal Egyptian. However, according to York, Moses chose to be the person that God had called him to be.
Many adolescents today seem to think they belong to the “I just don’t fit in” category of teenagers, said York. They are dealing with identity issues. He believes these teenagers are facing the negative effects of not knowing who they are or where they belong.
York said to fix this problem you have to discover who God made you to be. He said once you do this life will begin to find purpose and meaning; it will begin to dispose itself of jealously and arrogance.
“We need to quit playing the blame game,” said York as he spoke about the second issue, responsibility. According to York, in order to take full responsibility of our lives we have to choose to be a child of God rather than a fleeting character of sin.
York said we all think sin can be fun, if not we wouldn’t do it. However, York warned that your sin will always be found out — you can’t keep it hidden. He said when this happens if you truly want other people to look beyond your sins, you have to let your repentance become as notoriously known as your sin.
There are three realizations York said marked the maturity of someone taking full responsibility for their lives. First, he said you have to realize you can’t live off the spirit of another to mark your commitment toward God. This has to come from your own soul. Secondly, you can’t blame anyone one else for the direction of your life. Thirdly, he said you must realize that no one can ruin your life except for yourself and the choices you make.
Issue number three York addressed was priority. He referred to Hebrews 11:26, “Moses regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”
York said Moses rejected the value system of the world which concerns only power, pleasure and possession, and accepted God’s value system for his life which resembles peace and loving people. This put Moses right at the center of God’s will because he was looking ahead to his eternal rewards rather than present materials of the earth.
“Your values will always be determined by your visions,” said York. In addition, he said vision is the secret of precision, and precision is the secret of success. York encouraged those present to write down their top five values. York said without establishing our values we will go throughout life in default bought by the world’s value system.
The last issue York attended to was difficulty. He said while he was at college he felt coldness and deadness in his soul. “I was so backward the very name of Jesus sounded offensive to me,” said York.
He said he remembered a time when his father, who was a pastor, came to his school to bring him medicine because he was sick. He said instead of being grateful he resented his kindness. This incident made York ask himself if he was this distant from his earthly father how distant could he be from his heavenly father? He said from this moment on he began to piece his life back in place because his visions began to change.
In York’s closing prayer, he asked that all those present would continue to live for God and his purpose, and that we will accept God’s values for our lives.
York received his bachelor of arts degree in English and classical civilizations from the University of Kentucky. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude and then remained at UK and earned his master or arts in classical languages, all while simultaneously serving as associate pastor at the Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky. from 1980 to 1987.
He earned his master of divinity degree summa cum laude in 1988 from Mid-America Baptist Theological University in Memphis, Tenn. He received his doctorate in Greek and New Testament in 1993. He is the author of “Speaking with Bold Assurance,” a book for Christian communicators, and “Preaching with Bold Assurance,” named one of Preaching magazine’s best books of 2003.
York has been called one of the most effective preachers in North America by “Preaching Today,” a monthly resource of “Christianity Today,” an online news provider.
In addition to having served as the president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, he has served as chancellor of the Lexington Baptist College.
For more information, contact the Office of Campus Ministries at CU at (270) 789-5227 or e-mail Ed Pavy, director of campus ministries, at ejpavy@campbellsville.edu.
Campbellsville University is a private, comprehensive institution located in South Central Kentucky. Founded in 1906, Campbellsville University is affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention and has an enrollment of 2,405 students who represent 98 Kentucky counties, 25 states and 29 foreign nations. Listed in U.S.News & World Report’s 2008 “America’s Best Colleges,” CU is ranked 22nd in “Best Baccalaureate Colleges” in the South and eighth in the South for “Great Schools, Great Prices.” CU has been ranked 15 consecutive years with U.S.News & World Report. The university has also been named to America’s Best Christian Colleges®. Campbellsville University is located 82 miles southwest of Lexington, Ky., and 80 miles southeast of Louisville, Ky. Dr. Michael V. Carter is in his ninth year as president.