“We Have Come This Far By Faith” – A Farewell Message
Wakelee Church ~ June 12, 2005
Hebrews 12:1-2 & Ephesians 2:8-9
(quotes taken from The New King James translation unless noted)
Theme: Over these past seven years, we have lived our faith. In the future, we will need our faith even more.
Introduction – Wheelbarrows…
Illus. - A guy decided to show off his skills by walking a tight rope over a waterfall. But before he began, he asked the crowd, “How many have the faith that I can walk this tight rope?” The crowd cheered him on, and when he made it to the other side, they cheered for him again.
He then silenced the crowd and asked, “How many have the faith that I can do it blind-folded?” The crowd cheered him on, and when he made it to the other side, they cheered for him again.
He then silenced the crowd, looked toward some construction equipment where there just happened to be a wheelbarrow. He asked the crowd, “How many have the faith that I can carry this wheelbarrow over my head, blind-folded across this tight rope?” The crowd cheered him on, and when he made it to the other side, they cheered for him again.
He then silenced the crowd and said, “I want to thank you for the enormous amount of faith you have shown to me, but I am not finished yet! How many have the faith that I can walk this tight rope, blind-folded, carrying this wheelbarrow…with someone in it?” The crowd began to cheer him on, but he stopped them with one last request… “May I have a volunteer?”
At the end of seven years of ministry…I can only look back and say it these past seven years have been an awesome wheelbarrow ride.
AnnMarie and I jumped into that wheelbarrow when we decided, and God’s Spirit lead us, into full-time ministry here at Wakelee.
You know…it takes a bunch of faith to ride in a wheelbarrow. They aren’t the most stable of hauling devices. One wheel in the front causes it to tip quite easily, and the handles, no matter how good of shape they’re in, always require a great deal of strength into to get the load moving.
Riding in wheelbarrows and faith…now there’s a great farewell sermon!!!
I – We’ve wrestled with our faith…
I was thankful for Karie’s special music this morning. The song she sung is considered to be one of Charles Wesley’s greatest hymns. You heard the story read from Genesis before she sang, but let me give you the rest of the story.
In the chapters preceding the ones read, we read of how Jacob stole some livestock, wives, and servants, but was able to make an agreement with the one he stole them from. But Jacob still wanted his brother Esau’s approval.
So Jacob sent out his servants to contact Esau, and Jacob was excited to hear from his returning servants that Esau would be coming, that is, until he found out that 400 warriors were coming too.
Needless to say, Jacob became nervous, so he sent out his whole flock all through the night, a third at a time as a gift to hopefully appease his brother.
After he sent his flock out to meet and appease, the story continues in what you heard already read. Jacob and God wrestle…Jacob wants a blessing…to know God’s name. God wants Jacob’s heart and even breaks his hip to get his attention. (Yes, there are times when God does not fight fair! )
All night they went back and forth (have you ever had those conversations with God?) All night Jacob and God struggled together.
This struggle of faith reminds me of our first two weeks in this area. Moving from the bustling area of Stevensville/St. Joe/Benton Harbor to Wakelee was a culture shock for us. There was a lot of wrestling between God and I during that time.
But just as Jacob and God finally finished…God broke my negative spirit to get me to see all the positives we could experience. As I think over the last seven years, I remember new relationships being formed. I remember a church that took care of my wife during the difficult pregnancies of our children and the struggle with my father. I remember a church that helped me get through seminary and now probationary membership in the West MI United Methodist Annual Conference.
Genesis 32:28 says “And He (God) said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Just as Esau ran up to Jacob and gave him a big hug, letting Jacob know that he cared more about their relationship than his stuff, this church and this community welcomed the “traveler unknown” into their midst and for that we are grateful.
At Wakelee, I have learned that struggle, uneasiness, and sometimes pain, can strengthen one’s faith…as it has here at Wakelee for me.
II – There have been many who have guided us along the way…
Thankfully, we don’t have to wrestle all the way through it though. We’ve been blessed to
have those who have gone on before us…
During my time here at Wakelee, my records show that I’ve participated in almost 60
funerals…almost ten a year. Some of those hit closer to home than others. While they most memorial services touched me in some way, there were those others…the people I knew…these were the funerals where my voice would crack and my eyes water. These people made a difference for me. Their faith in their circumstance lead me to a greater level of faith.
And there are many other saints still living…to name one would be to miss two, so let me just say that there are so many in this congregation and community that have shown their love, their hope, and their faith in the way they’ve treated our family, their church members, and their neighbors.
As was read, “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” – Hebrews 12:1-2
In my time here at Wakelee, I have learned that faith often comes when we witness the faith of others.
III – We’ve experienced God’s grace through faith…
But wrestling with God and seeing faith in others in nothing compared to experiencing God’s grace through our faith.
The greatest moments I will take from Wakelee will be those times when I have been able to be a conduit for the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit has convicted folks and they’ve come to faith when I just happened to be there (if you think you lead people to Christ…you are sadly mistaken…it’s a Spirit thing…)…when a child of the fourth and fifth and six generation family was baptized…or when that adult came forward…or when I had to privilege to invite you to the Christ’s grace-filled communion table…those were faith-building experiences for me.
I remember one particular communion service where we moved communion before the message so that our children could participate. It was so amazing. Family after family came forward and took Communion together. The parents taught the children. The families prayed together at the altar rail…it was an amazing grace-filled moment for this pastor.
And it’s been the same way in the community. I’ve seen God’s grace in the EMT or the firefighter making a sacrifice for lives and property. I’ve seen God’s grace when the post office crew had to teach a new pastor how to do bulk mail. I’ve seen God’s grace when people, instead of choosing to fight with one another, just determined its better to put up with one another…to be there even in the midst of differences. When we do it for Christ’s sake, that is grace through faith!
Paul told the church at Ephesus…“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
In my time at Wakelee, through God’s grace, I’ve been able to see that faith is a part of all
that we do!
IV – We experienced faith in the light of hope and love…
But wrestling…witnessing…and the grace-filled experiencing…of our faith cannot be accomplished if we’re trying to operate under faith alone.
I’ve found it interesting to read at the end I Corinthians 13 where Paul talks about love. He
wrote these words…“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these
is love.” – I Corinthians 13:13
Often we put the emphasis on love, but the first part of the last verse tells us that it also takes
faith and hope.
Where faith fails…hope and love are still present.
Where love fails…there is faith and hope.
Where hope fails…there is love and faith.
Do you see it?
To have the fullest sense of a Christian living…it takes all three. Hope draws your attention
to God’s promises for the future. Love, the greatest of the three, draws our attention to the relationship that Christ wants to have with us and to have us have with others. Faith, allows us to hope and to love. So that even though we can’t see the evidence, we can know it to be true.
In my time at Wakelee, I have seen that faith, hope, and love work together.
Conclusion…We have come this far by faith…
But what about the wheelbarrow you may ask?
Well, I believe that God has been piloting the wheelbarrow since day one in my ministry and since day one in Wakelee’s ministry.
On the front of your bulletin is the official pastor’s list for Wakelee Church since 1890. While you look at the names and dates, I can tell you without any doubt, that Wakelee survived each of these transitions. We’re here aren’t we?
And yes, even the community has survived them too? Amen!
Even though God was holding the handles, and even though things may have rocked back and forth a little bit as one pastor got out and another pastor got in, we came this far together by faith and faith will always move us forward.
There’s a song out there someplace and chorus line is applicable to our theme today…
We have come this far by faith, carried by everlasting arms.
We have come this far with confidence, leaning on the Lord.
And though the road be long…in His strength we’ll carry on.
We have come this far by faith, gently leaning on the Lord.
The greatest gift you could give to me today is for me to know that you’re in the wheelbarrow too. Needless to say, it is a very big wheelbarrow. That wheelbarrow consists of everyone who has turned to God for forgiveness and looked to His Spirit for leadership in their lives…across denominations, congregations, worship styles…and yes…even locations.
God wants us to jump into his wheelbarrow even though its about to go across a tight rope strung across some falls, not because God needs to show off, but because he’s looking and inviting each of his creation to be a person of faith!
And there’s always room for one more. All you need to do is ask for forgiveness and search out God’s leadership in your life and then your faith journey will begin as well.
Closing Prayer –
Heavenly Father…Gracious God…I give you thanks for our time spent here at Wakelee.
For the members of friends of this church, for the love and support they have shown to my family…I thank you.
For the community…friends made at a firehouse, relationships built around your word shared in a newspaper, for opportunities to share talents and band sectionals or Vaudeville shows…I thank you.
I am grateful for the times when my leadership has been accepted. And I ask forgiveness for those times when I have made mistakes, just as I now forgive others.
As a church family, we pray and trust that our journey of faith to this very moment, our time together and our parting, are a part of your plan…as we always we pray for your will to be done. For cherished memories, for new directions, we are thankful.
Bless this congregation and its ministry…bless this community and those who serve
within it…and may we in turn bless you with the hope love and faith that has brought us here and that will lead us forward…in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, this is our prayer…Amen.
Closing Song - #555 –Forward Through the Ages
Benediction – Paul’s Prayer for the Church at Ephesus…
…adapted for Pastor’s Greg’s Prayer for the church at Wakelee…
“My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen Wakelee by His Spirit—not brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on dimensions of Christ’s love, you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
God can do anything you know—far more than we could ever imagine or guess or request in our wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us…
Glory to God in the Church!
Glory to God in the Messiah…Jesus the Christ!
Glory to God down all the generations…
Forever and ever…Amen!”
Ephesians 3:14-21 (adapted from The Message translation)
