As I get older, celebrating the arrival of a new year takes on less and less importance. I’m just as content spending a quiet evening at home. Staying up until midnight is no longer a priority, though my children think it’s awesome. While the celebratory nature of the New Year’s arrival may have changed for me, the one thing that hasn’t changed is the hope and anticipation that a new year brings.
Whether you make resolutions or not, the arrival of a new year is a time for reflecting on the events of the past year, affording each of us the opportunity to be thankful and build upon the blessings of 2002, but also to make some adjustments for 2003. No matter where you were or what you were doing when 2003 arrived, we all will undoubtedly face new challenges and exciting opportunities in this New Year, both individually and as a church.
As a church, 2002 was an incredible year. We welcomed 24 new members into our fellowship, half of whom professed their faith in Jesus Christ and requested baptism. For the fifth straight year, our attendance in Sunday School and in worship increased. For the fifth straight year, our financial giving exceeded our financial budget. For the fifth straight year, you will have the opportunity in this week’s business meeting to approve and support our largest budget ever. In 1997, our budget was less than $75,000, and this year it will top $200,000. 2002 was a year of incredible blessing for our church.
2003 promises to be a year of exciting opportunities and continued blessing. We have a construction team and stewardship team in place to help lead us through our building expansion. We will send a team of missionaries to Brazil. We will continue to grow our Sunday School and worship. We will expand our missions and ministries. 2003 holds tremendous promise for Chestnut Grove Baptist Church to do the work of the Living God. We will take one step in living that out later this morning, for as a congregation, you have recognized the call and gifts of Sharon Veith, and we will set her apart to serve you as a deacon, an indication that we are growing and working within the will of God.
A young shepherd boy named David was also growing and working within the will of God. David was the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons. David’s older brothers had followed King Saul into battle against the Philistines, but David was not old enough, so he stayed behind to take care of his father’s sheep. One day his father asked David to take his brothers a care package of grain, bread, and cheese, find out how they’re doing, and bring back a report.
Once he arrives on the scene, David learns that the Israelite army is cowering in fear, afraid to go out and face the giant Goliath. David starts asking around, “What’s going on? How come nobody’s fighting this guy?” David’s oldest brother hears that David is nosing around, and he confronts him, “Why have you come down here? I know of the presumption and evil in your heart.”
If I were David, I’d kind of step back and say, “Huh?” As Christians, attempting to do the will of God, this illustrates for us that there will be those, no matter what you do, who question your motives. It may be friend, it may be foe, and it may even be a member of your family.
But before we get too down on David’s brothers, we need to remember that earlier in chapter 16, God directed Samuel to go to the house of Jesse and anoint the next king. When Samuel arrived, Jesse paraded each of his big, strong sons in front of Samuel. The assumption was that the oldest son would become the next king, but as each son was paraded by Samuel, God said, “No, do not look on the outward appearance as mortals do, but look at the heart like I do.”
After the seven oldest sons had come before Samuel, he asked Jesse, “Do you have any other sons?” to which he replied, “Just the youngest who is out in the fields with my sheep.” David is ushered in, and in front of his older brothers and his father, Samuel anoints David as the next King of Israel to succeed Saul, not based on outward appearances, but because of his heart.
David’s brothers are already harboring some jealousy and bitterness, so it’s not surprising that when David shows up once again, in the midst of their territory, in the midst of their battle, asking questions, they lash out at his motives. He is obviously there to show them up once again.
Let this be a lesson for all who are called as Christians, let this be a lesson for all who are called out to serve; someone will always be there to question your motives. It doesn’t matter if you’re involved in missions and ministry on another continent or in your own backyard, someone will question your motives.
When that happens, we need to hear again what God said to Samuel when he first anointed David, “Do not look on his appearance or on his stature; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
Many times those who question someone’s motives have their own motives in mind, and they’re failing to look upon the heart. As you serve God in 2003, as we as a congregation serve God in 2003, as Sharon Veith begins her deacon ministry in 2003, let’s set aside all our motives and focus on the heart.
When David found out what was going on and that everyone was afraid, he walked right up to King Saul, “I’ll do it. I’ll fight Goliath.” You gotta love David’s confidence. Serving the Lord in 2003 will take confidence. Meeting our budget in 2003 will take confidence. Moving forward with our building expansion will take confidence. Ministering as a newly ordained deacon will take confidence.
Former French prime minister Georges Clemenceau fought many duels with various rivals. On one occasion, he surprised his associate by asking the attendant at a Paris railroad station for a one-way ticket to the duel. “Isn’t that a little pessimistic?” asked his associate. “Not at all,” Clemenceau replied. “I always use my opponent’s return ticket for the trip back.”
That’s confidence. David had confidence, and it was vital that he had confidence, because not only were his brothers questioning his motives, but there were also those who told him he couldn’t do it. The King himself said, “You are not able to go against this Philistine; you are just a boy.”
Have you ever heard that before? “You can’t do that, you’re just a…” Fill in the blank. There will always be naysayers. If you think there will be those who question your motives, there will definitely be those who tell you that you can’t do something. There will be those who will say, “Budget’s too aggressive, you’ll never meet it.” “Building’s too big and too expensive, you’ll never be able to build it and pay for it.” “You a Sunday School teacher? You a deacon? You a minister?”
When I was in my home church two weeks ago, a former youth leader in our church was there. I hadn’t seen her since I was 15. She came up and said, “So you’re a minister, now. Lord have mercy.” She then looked and pointed at my three sisters, “You were good, you were good, you were good,” and then she came to me, “And you were not so good, no, you were just energetic.” All of this was done in a jovial manner, but after she walked away, my six year-old son, Phillip, turned to Paula, “Why did that lady say my daddy was bad.”
Confidence…when you have been called out in service, you must carry confidence with you. People were questioning David’s motives, people were telling David he couldn’t do it, but he was determined and he was confident, and do you know why. Hear what he says, “Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord will save me.”
David was confident because of his faith in the Living God. David was able to overcome those who questioned his motives and David was able to overcome the naysayers, because this wasn’t so much about David. It was about the Living God working in and through David.
Budgets are lifeless and will never be met, except when the Living God is working in and through them. Buildings will never be built and paid for, unless the Living God is working in and through them. Individuals will never be called out and set apart as deacons, unless the Living God is working in and through them. You will never meet your potential for this year, unless the living God is working in and through you.
As a congregation, we will not meet the challenges and opportunities of 2003, unless the living God is working in and through us.
I like the story about a boy and his father who were planning a fishing trip for the next day. That evening as the father was putting his son to bed, the boy hugged his father’s neck and said, "Daddy, thank you for tomorrow." That’s confidence; that’s faith.
We are five days into the new year, and I want to encourage each of you to throw your arms around the neck of your heavenly father and thank him for all that He is going to do in and through you in His name in this coming year. Thank him for the good work that he has done and is going to do in and through Sharon Veith as a newly ordained deacon in our church. Thank him for the strength and confidence that He will give you to overcome the naysayers and those who question your motives. Thank him for the little shepherd boy who showed us what it means to be called and committed.
