Message
The most important thing that I can say personally about Max **** is that he has made me a better minister and a better man.
Let me share two reasons for that assessment:
There was more to Max than first impressions. When I visited FCC for an interview weekend, nearly 19 years ago, I remember sitting in the parlor for an interview with the Elders. As I left that meeting, there was one person who I had a few inhibitions about, and it was Max. I just knew that this guy was a powerbroker that could make things difficult.
In an Elder’s meeting about 10 years ago, the Elders were taking time to chat before launching into our business of the evening. In the midst of the conversation, Max said, “I don’t think anyone is afraid of me.” To which, I responded, “Max, my first five years on staff here, I was scared to death of you.” Max, looked across the table at me with an honestly puzzled expression, and asked, “Really?”
As I got to know Max, I came to understand that he and I had a lot in common. I learned much about myself from observing him.
One thing I learned is that we could be easily misunderstood. While Max could give the appearance that it was all about business underneath lay a tender heart that was not always clearly seen.
Twice I have seen Max cry. Once was when we visited Barbara in the hospital a few years ago following her stroke. The other was when Max had inadvertently hurt someone’s feelings. When I called Max to tell him about the injury, I was moved to see how overwhelmingly he was bothered that he had hurt another.
The last conversation of more than a Sunday passing word was a few weeks ago when Max expressed concern that my weight was back up, and that I needed to do something to get it back down. When, I got into the office the next day, just after getting settled, I got a call from Max. He wanted to apologize if he offended me. He was concerned about my health because he wanted me to be around to lead the church.
We both tend to operate with an agenda, a list of things that need to be accomplished; and occasionally we could miss the people for the agenda. Sometimes that task-orientation is mistaken for a lack of regard for people.
Max was not just someone who got things done which was obvious. He also cared deeply for people, which could often be missed. I am so glad that I got to know the man beyond the first impression.
Secondly, Max helped me become a better leader – As I look back over those who have served to mentor me in ministry, I never really considered Max a significant influence until I was preparing this message. Max and I never had a formal dialogue about leadership and the church, or purpose and programs. Yet, I can think of few others that have helped to shape how I do ministry at the management level.
As I prepared a proposal or presented a report, I always knew Max would be there and if no one else did, Max would be ready with the hard questions. He didn’t want the church engaging in half-thought ministry. He wanted to know how the proposal would advance to cause of kingdom. He wanted details, rationales, budgets, outcomes … so I would always have to give time to thinking through the details beforehand because I knew the questions were coming.
Max was never sardonic. He did not desire to make others look badly. Max had such a gracious sense of humility that he actually didn’t understand the power that he wielded. He simply wanted the church to effectively achieve her purpose.
Let me share with you a couple of thoughts from Scripture. Barbara asked that I share this verse, and let me quickly share two thoughts from it:
So, do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
This passage occurs in the latter pages of Isaiah. After Isaiah has warned of the destruction that would befall Israel because of its disobedience, even in the midst of that cataclysm God provided this word of assurance – two words that are meant to sustain his people when walking through the most difficult life experiences. As his people faced this devastation, there would be times when faith would falter. They needed a word to help them along.
The death of a loved one is one of those experiences ... An experience that can often be made much more difficult when well-meaning but misguided statements like “It was God’s will” are uttered. Death and sickness were never God’s will. They are the results of living in a world that has been shattered by sin. Peter reminds us of what God wills when he shares that God desires that none will perish, but all will be brought to eternal life.
So today, as we stand on this side of Max’s physical passing, when we wrestle with the question, “why,” how do we continue to walk in faith? Here are two thoughts to treasure
Thought #1: When faith is frail - Don’t lose heart – God is on your side.
Consider again the first two lines of this verse:
So, do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
It is interesting that the emphases of these two lines, God’s presence with his people and God’s claim on his people, are the same emphases as God’s eternal announcement in Revelation 21:
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev 21:3-4)
Yet, we need to understand that these words of reassurance, as penned by John, were not for those who stood at heaven’s banquet. They don’t need to hear them. They know the splendor of heaven. These words are written to those of us who are continuing to battle through life, continuing to wrestle with despair and fear. This glimpse into the banquet of heaven is meant to speak a word to us.
What do you do when confronted with those life situations that make you cry out, “Why?” Are you one who tends to faint into despair? Are you one who wonders if you can or even want to keep on going?
Here quite simply is the word for us. When in the face of things like death and illness, grief and loss, which have the capacity to cut the legs out from under our faith, remember that God is still present, and that we are still his loved children. Do not despair. God has not left us. He is still here.
Here is the second thought:
Thought #2: When faith falters – Lean hard on God – He will sustain you.
Here again those second pair of lines:
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous hand.
Some people, when faith falters, find that they not prone to giving into despair. They simply try harder themselves. If I just do more. If I just try harder … everything will work out.
Sometimes those of us not directly touched by grief indirectly express that mistaken belief to those who are walking in dark shadows. We might say something like, “When are you going to get passed this?”
This is something different than just being a hard worker. Max was a hard worker. Even into retirement, I have never known someone who had so many appointments and meetings that continually crowded his schedule.
What we are talking about are not hard workers, but those who think that they can do something about the desperation of their situation through their own efforts … that they can regain that sense of peace and hope.
But elsewhere Isaiah reminds us that we will never be able to accomplish that. We can’t walk ourselves through the valley of the shadow of death. The best that we can accomplish is nothing more than filthy rags.
What we have in these two lines is the picture of father and son. The boy has just gotten his feet under him, and learned to walk. But the walk they took is much further than his little legs could carry him. So dad takes him in his arms, hoists him over his shoulders and finishes the journey.
So we have to lean hard on God. It is his hand that will sustain us. It is his strength that will hold us up when we grow weak and our fragility of our faith becomes apparent. It was reliance on God that brought down a giant in the face of a young man. It was reliance on God that brought the Israelites through the sea. It was reliance on God that brought victory to a rag-tag mercenary crew of 300 over tens of thousands. It was reliance on God that allowed Peter and John to say we will continue to speak about Jesus in spite of any threats we receive. It was reliance on God that allowed Paul to continue his missionary work in the face of beatings, stonings, shipwrecks and such.
It is the same reliance on God, the leaning into the safety and security of his gentle arms that will sustain us through our present grief, but also the battles that are to come in the ensuing years of our lives.
Barb, you and the rest of the family, are now walking that tight rope where you faith will be tested. You will have moments when your faith is frail and seems like it may fail. You still have more tears to cry, more heartache to heal.
But God will continue to be with you through this. His strong arm is able to sustain you. When the sun is shining, or when the clouds gather, he will hold you up, shore up your faith and give you reason to continue to hope in him.
