People of God: 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

Transcription

1 Final Instructions Responsive Reading 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 Gary: 12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. People of God: 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. Gary: 14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. People of God: 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Gary 19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. People of God: 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil.

2 2 Gary: 2 3 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 2 5 Brothers, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Today I want to do something that preachers rarely if ever do. I want to tell you from the get-go what I want to say to you. Usually we preachers take 30 minutes or so before we get around to saying what we really want to say. So I'm going to say it, and then we are going to come back and see if we can reconstruct some support for the statement. So are you listening? Are you ready? I want you to take a deep breath. Okay here's the statement I want you to understand. Marsha and I are stepping back in our roles as lead pastor of City View, but we are not leaving City View. Someone asked me if I knew it was Pearl Harbor day. I hope you don't feel like a bomb just went off. And now that I've dismantled, I want to see if I can reconstruct. This has been a long, hard decision for us. I have been dealing directly with the decision for approximately one year. That sense grew in my spirit throughout the Spring and by June of this year I was pretty convinced the time was about to arrive. It was then that I called our overseer and my mentor Dudley Hall and discussed the possibility with him. Dudley, as always, gave me good counsel and committed to pray with me. I

3 3 decided at that point that I would push the decision off to the fall of this year. Upon arriving there I began to know that it was time. I shared my feelings with my family and three of my very trusted friends. I listened, I prayed, and prayed some more, and about six weeks ago I became absolutely certain. I then called a meeting with our elders and shared our news with them and explained to them my reasons as to why Marsha and I felt we needed to take this step back from primary leadership. There are three reasons: one minor, one major, and one imperative. First the minor. Those of you who made this trip with us know that it has not been easy one. We moved to this property with a dream of taking our 65 acres, keeping 20 or acres for the church, and selling off the rest to eradicate most if not all our debt. And then the recession hit, and it hit us hard financially. I was blessed to be among pastors who were willing to move from deriving all of their income from the work of the ministry to becoming bi-vocational. I will always be indebted to the sacrificial spirits of people like David and Colleen Eppler, Bruce Menefee, Rance Bland, and Linda Cornelsen who hung with us during our toughest days. For the past six years or so we are thankful that we have been able to work, at times without salary, and at the same time hold jobs that provided us with the income needed to make it. But starting most days very early and ending them quite late has taken some toll on me on both physically and emotionally. I have become weary, but that weariness only arrived this fall, but again this was only a minor part of the decision. While I'm here let me say that I'm very thankful for the opportunity that has been afforded me to be a tent-maker and

4 4 still be able to preach and teach the gospel and lead the Lord's church. I wouldn't change a thing. It's been good for me, and I have a new level of respect for the countless number of pastors who are bi-vocational. Be especially good to bi-vocational pastors when you get the chance because most you require fulltime, vocational attention. Now let's move to the major reason. I deeply, passionately sense it's time for City View to have some fresh legs as it pertains to leadership and ministry. Our message will never change, but the methods and the way we do things may need to change. That's why I along with our elders feel so very good and so very confident about naming Marc Sharp as our new lead pastor and David Walt as our associate pastor. Marc Sharp and his family have been a blessing from God. One of the best decisions we ever made took place in April of 2013 when we made Marc our Executive Pastor. Marc has tenacious administrative skills. Marc is smart. I would say he's sharp, but that is a very weak pun. He is well read; he is just up on the latest stuff. Beyond all of that God has given him the grace to pastor and to shepherd people. If the truth be known he has been the primary pastor of City View for the last year and a half. But here's the kicker-he has a passionate zeal for the gospel and loves to communicate the good news. He will serve us well. And Ginger complements Marc so well. Her only negative is that she doesn't play the piano, and pastor's wives are suppose to be able to do that. But take heart Marsha doesn't play either. It will be our privilege to set the Sharps into place on Sunday, January 11. You should be receiving information about that this week. David and Caty Walt are no less incredible. First of all they come from good stock both having parents who have been

5 5 actively involved in vocational ministry and missions for years. Dave stepped up to rally our praise band when Bruce and Ruth Menefee forsook us for Egypt, excuse me Dallas-Ft. Worth about 18 months ago. Johnny Newman recently said in one of our meetings, "When David Walt was presented to the elders as possibly serving as our associate pastor I was all in because being in the praise band, I have watched his passion for leading us to God." I would suggest that you have been in a cerebral coma if you have not recognized his unique ability to communicate and proclaim the gospel to us on Sunday mornings with great power and passion. Dave will retain his job as physical therapist and will become a bi-vocational pastor among us. He and Caty will serve us well. Minor reason, major reason, imperative reason. Here's the imperative. God has spoken to me about all of this and has led me into this so I must obey. Obedience is sometimes a hard thing; sometimes it's hard to understand it all. But I have this rising, peaceful faith, that the God who has lead us this far as a church family for fourteen years will continue to lead us. For an undetermined period of time, Marsha and I will step completely back from all our leadership roles. We will endeavor to be good church members, supporting our leaders and listening for the direction of the Lord. After that "undetermined period of time," we, I am sure, will reengage at some level. If it is still the desire of Pastor Marc and our elders I will then continue my role as a ministering elder of City View. We have also discussed the possibility of me preaching occasionally. Now let me be absolutely clear. I'm about to share something with you that you can take to the bank. I am pleased with everyone; I am not upset at anyone except Dan Gobin; we feel

6 6 loved by you, and we love you oh so very much. We are just thrilled that we can hang around and do life and ministry with you. So Roy we're aren't doing this because you are so hard to pastor. I have not pilfered funds; I have not had a moral failure, perhaps mental failure but not moral; there is not some {{other real reason 11 for taking this step back. There are only three: a minor one, a major one, and an imperative one. Is that clear? And now I would be less that a gospel preacher if I did lead us into the word. So let's fix our thought on 1 Thessalonians 5: and let the Spirit and the Word minister hope and sound judgment among us. Paul is writing this letter to the Thessalonians. Thessalonica was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. [Paul's 2nd Mission] She had a population of about 100,000 in Paul's day. Today she is Greece's second largest city. Thessalonica was and is a seacoast city. It was located on the east-west Egnatian Way, so it was key city, and was a flourishing hub of trade and philosophy. Paul preached there and then got run out of town. A few months later he sends Timothy back in to check on the new believers. Timothy then brings back a report to Paul, and Paul then dictates this letter from Corinth to the Thessalonian Church. One of the predominant themes of the letter concerns itself with the second coming of Christ. Evidently there was a lot of misunderstanding and emotion around this theme. Paul brings doctrinal correction to some stinkin' thinkin' in the church. And finally he concludes with some closing thoughts.

7 7 *Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. You have done that so well City View. Keep it up! When we first formed as a congregation the decision was made for us to be a elder-led congregation with apostolic oversight. I have had the fourteen-year privilege to serve with the finest group of elders in all of my years of ministry. We have always operated by consensus. We never took a vote. If an elder was uncertain or unsure we waited, and we prayed. If an elder was still uncertain but there was consensus among us we would ask the uncertain elder if he might be willing to follow our lead. As far as I know there was never a contentious word spoken in any elder meeting we ever had. I did get upset one time and left the meeting, but that was on me, not them. Our elders have provided and will continue to provide great leadership. Kerygma (refers heralding of the gospel) is the name of the network of churches of which we are a part. (we are stronger working together for the sake of the gospel than independently) Kerygma continues to serve as our apostolic covering and the men giving leadership to Kerygma and thereby us are some of God 1 s finest. Much of who we are as leaders and a church comes from what they have poured into us. So City View continue to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Obviously the church was struggling in doing so, or Paul would not have mentioned it. So don't do that. Let's all get behind our leadership and hold them in the highest regard.

8 8 *Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. We started City View with a vision to focus on relationships. I think that's why we love and feel loved by this congregation more than any we have ever served. Those verses speak to Christian love, Christian discipline, Christian encouragement, Christian forgiveness, and Christian kindness. And that's who this body is! *Be joyful always; I mean, you might as well be. The alternative is devastating. Of course, when we speak of Christian joy we aren't talking about a happy-upper, an ittie-giddiness, a spiritual rigor, or some kind of positive feeling. Our definition has been that joy is the commodity that does not depend on outward circumstances for its stability. Joy is the flag that is flown from the castle of the heart when King Jesus is enthroned! *pray continually; Prayer is that vehicle that affords us the privilege of communing with a holy God and to hearing his voice. Keep it up! To do so continually suggests a mental attitude of prayerfulness, continual, moment by moment personal fellowship with God, the consciousness of being in his presence throughout each day. If we could get a hold of that if would effect what we say, what we do and where we go. Amen or Oh Me? *give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

9 9 That doesn't mean that we stoop to shallow, inappropriate, or non- genuine thankfulness for bad things that happen, but we always give thanks in all circumstances because we know that God is working all things together for good for those love him. *Do not put out the Spirit's fire; Obviously some in the Thessalonian church were saying "Woah" when the Spirit of God was saying "Go," and Paul says you don't want to be part to that. *do not treat prophecies with contempt. Ever hear something you didn't like coming from this pulpit? Well *Test everything. Hold on to the good. Because as important as teachers and preachers and prophets are in the life of the Church, your relationship ultimately becomes what you do with the information. Be receptive. Listen. Test it. Weigh what is being said. Run it through the Word and by the Holy Spirit. Ferret out the not so good and hold on to the good. *Avoid every kind of evil. I was dismayed to recently read that statistics reveal that there really isn't much difference in the behavior and the morally of Christians and non-christians in America. Church, that's tragic. And we are currently watching America come unraveled. Church, a democratic republic will only remain strong and viable if built upon a foundation of Judeo-Christian principles and ethics and then practically lived out in the lives of it citizenry. Bigger government is not the answer. Better politics is not the answer. Political correctness is not the answer. A better education is not the answer. A bigger military is not the answer. The welfare state is not the answer. More policemen

10 are not the answer. More prisons are not the answer. Setting people free through the gospel of Christ is the answer! The Church, living out the Christ-life where we live, work and play is the answer! And that doesn't mean the whole nation has to Christ to effect change. Sociologists tell us that it takes about 25% of a group, a population, a nation for their to be a tipping point that effects change. So if those who call themselves Christians will take the responsibility to be the salt and light in our communities that Jesus called us to we can reclaim this country. And that is why what we teach and preach is so very important. Right doctrine leads to right practice! Right belief leads to right behavior! Listen you take a man who has been stealing watermelons off a box-car and just give him an education, he will then steal the whole blooming railroad. Amen or Oh Me? Let's understand that this group of people, the Church of the Lord Jesus is always counter-cultural, always the sandpaper of secular progressivism, always on the side of the poor, the orphan and the widow, always loving those who are marginalized and scandalized. And what our nation desperately needs is not more Washington, not more Hollywood, and not better rules and regulations. What America need is revival of the true Church. What America needs is Jesus. What America needs is you living the Christ life! And that's what Lubbock needs, and that is why Marsha and I will continue to stand with you understanding fully well that we may well be planting trees that we may never sit under. So we will plant with you! So do not despair, do not give up, hold fast, and let's all get behind our leadership and concentrate on being the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ! I want to ask you to stand. And now I am going to pray over you the Paul prayed over the Thessalonian church. 10

11 *May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss (handshake)... The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 11