Climb The Tree

Climb the Tree!

Scriptures: Isaiah 6:8; Luke 19:1-10

Luke 19:1-4 says, “(1) Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. (2) Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. (3) And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. (4) So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” (Luke 19:1-4) The title of my message this morning is “Climb the Tree!”

To all of you who are viewing this service via live stream, I want to let you know that this will be our last broadcasted service. We have chosen to close our Church after our service on next Sunday. Now before your minds start wondering and rumors start I want to clarify that we did not lose our building nor are we being forced to close. Our Church building was paid off eight years ago so this decision was not related to finances. This decision was made after a year of prayer and seeking God to ensure we are in alignment with Him – and we are.

So New Light, today as we are enter the final stage of our transition as a Church body, I do not know about you, but I am getting very comfortable being in the dark and looking forward to what God is going to do next in my life. I know for some this is a time of reflection and even sadness and that is understandable. But remember, when you are walking with God and following as He leads, you can rejoice even in the midst of sadness as you reflect on past things that we all shared together. As I said though, and I can only speak for me, I am getting very comfortable being in the dark at this stage of my transition while also experiencing some excitement as I wonder “what is God doing now.”

New Light, we have been blessed to worship in a place with people who truly love God. We were able to worship in a place that we brought and paid for when some thought it could not be done. We got to worship in a place where for the most part we understood the hearts of those around us; realizing that none of us were perfect, yet we stood with one another in good times and the not so good times. We got to worship in a place where for a time we witnessed our young people not only participating in the service, but actually taking a leading role in conducting the service. Yes, we experienced times when we lost members for a variety of reasons, but we continued on until God said it was time to stop.

I have shared with you previously how I share my sermons for others ministers and/or lay people to use. I have had people come up to me and tell me that they found my sermons on that site and they have been using them. While I was home for my sister’s wedding a minister who was in attendance at the wedding that I did not know approached me and told me that she had been viewing my sermons on that site. Since pastoring here, I have shared 636 sermons and Bible study lessons on that site and to date I have had approximately 5 million views of my material covering the globe. These are things that are taking place outside of these four walls and will continue to be a part of my ministry going forward. I will continue to write sermons and post them and Barry and I will continue to write and record Bible study lessons. I am not in the dark about this part of my ministry going forward, but the other things that God has planned for me – I am eagerly waiting for them to be revealed to me. What about you? What are you going to continue doing when you leave here? What are you going to do with God when you walk out of these doors for the last time? Will your ministry gifts and service cease to exist when you walk out these doors or are you going to allow God to take you to a place where you can continue to be utilized and grow? What will your testimony be?

This morning I want you to know that my testimony to God and to each of you is this: “Lord, where is my next tree to climb because whatever you are doing in this season, please don’t do it without me!” In Isaiah 6:8 the prophet Isaiah wrote, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’” (Isaiah 6:8) As I am standing here before you, waiting, just as you are, I am telling God that whatever He is doing right now, I want to be a part of it. So that means that I am available to go where He needs me. I am available to do what He wants me to do. Yes, I could profess that I have been in ministry leadership for thirty-eight years and pastoring for twenty-one years so I deserve some rest, but I want my testimony to be, “Lord, where is my next tree to climb because I want to be a part of what You are doing!” What is your testimony going to be when these doors close for the last time? Are you going to become an internet worshipper or a stay-at-home service of the day worshipper? Are you going to stay comfortable in your home and allow your gifts to go silent or are you going to find another place that need you? I hope and pray that your gifts do not go silent when you leave here.