AM Sermon preached at Syria Christian Church January 30, 2005
Famous Last Words: Follow Paul’s Advice
[SHOW SLIDE WITH WATER JUGS DURING COMMUNION----TITLE SLIDE DURING OFFERING]
In 2 Timothy 4, verses 6-8 we read what many believe are Paul’s most famous last words----
[SCRIPTURE SLIDES]
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
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Ah famous last words. I used an internet search engine and in a couple of minutes found I could access nearly 400,000 websites that had sections devoted to famous last words. At 30 seconds per site it would have taken me ten weeks to see them all. I wasn’t up to that challenge but I did check out about 10 websites. One website had a humorous list of what might prove to be someone’s last words----
among their list of dozens of famous last words----were these:
[SLIDE] Don’t worry I never get lost.
[SLIDE] It tastes okay to me.
[SLIDE] I see baby bear. I wonder where momma bear’s at?
[SLIDE] Nice Doggie.
[SLIDE] Hmmmm. That’s odd.
[SLIDE] Oops!
As clever as that website’s list was I found I was much more entertained and intrigued by last words actually spoken by real people. For example----
[SLIDE] That was the best ice-cream soda I ever tasted.
~~ Lou Costello, comedian, d. March 3, 1959
[SLIDE] They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist. . . .
Killed in battle during US Civil War.
~~ General John Sedgwick, Union Commander, d. 1864
And one of my personal favorites on the lighter side---
[SLIDE] Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.
~~ Oscar Wilde, writer, d. November 30, 1900
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Today I close the books on my ministry with Syria, Siree, Sorry----oh you know what I mean---12 and one half years and as much as I love you guys I still struggle with calling a church "Sorry." As I thought about what I would say to you this morning I found myself digging through the scriptures looking at many of the closing statements the Apostle Paul made in his letters. And in this last sermon I’ve chosen to combine some of Paul’s thoughts with my own. There are many things I hope this church will do or continue doing after my departure but I made myself limit the number of things I’d share with you today to seven.
[SLIDE WITH 1ST SERMON POINT]
The first is this. I want to encourage you to receive my replacement with open hearts and open arms. I can almost imagine some thinking well of course I’ll do that---Darren doesn’t need to tell me to do that. Truly folks I hope none of you feels insulted by this request. I just make it because I know some of the realities of ministry. I remember seeing problems with minister attachment as a youth minister---when the preacher of seven years left some of the people he was closest too never gave the next guy a chance. I’m confident that some people who were very fond of Terry Kemp never gave Larry Richardson a chance. And I know that there were some people very close to Larry Richardson who never gave me a chance. I also know that more times than not a long ministry is followed by a short ministry. In fact the guy who follows a long term preacher is often labeled "a sacrificial lamb" in ministry magazines. But it doesn’t have to be that way. More than likely you’re the ones who will make or break the next minister having a long tenure.
I find in scripture that Paul encouraged the churches and individuals he worked with and loved to have open hearts and arms.
[SLIDE] In Philemon 17 Paul wrote--- So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
[SLIDE] In Colossians 4:10 Paul writes: My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.}
And writing about Epaphroditus in Philippians 2:29 [SLIDE] Paul encourages the church at Philippi--- Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,
Now on top of all that’s been said, I’d add that short ministries are usually hard on churches. I want things to go well with you and so I encourage you to welcome my replacement with open hearts and open arms.
[SLIDE WITH 2ND SERMON POINT]
Secondly I want to encourage you to: Welcome changes aimed at reaching new people for Christ. I’ve preached the need for change here since from the start. Some of you have bought into the idea---some have told me point blank they’ve grown sick of my bringing it up. In leaving today I do hope you all understand that I didn’t preach change to spite anyone---I preached it only because I believe it’s necessary for the growth and outreach of this body. Look around and you can see the closed doors of churches that refused to change. You can see the Amish, a dedicated God-fearing people, but a dying breed who win very few outside of their own with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Through the years friends I’ve compared life in this area to living in Mayberry. And there’s good and bad in that. For the most part I’d say this is a safe place. I never rushed home from the office because I was afraid I forgot to lock the door to our house. I won’t feel that same ease of leaving things unlocked in the big city. This area has high moral standards and cherishes family life. I realize in leaving that I may never again have the privilege of opening a high school varsity game with prayer. Some of my references to living in Mayberry have been complimentary. But to be honest I’ve also used that idea in ways that weren’t complimentary---such was often the case when I talked with friends in the ministry about the difficulties I had in bringing about change. There’s no doubt in my mind that my hardest moments in ministry here, the ones that caused me the most stress and lost nights of sleep were over changes I was trying to get implemented. And I’m not talking here about changes in times of services or programs---whether or not we sing two choruses and three hymns or two hymns and three choruses---issues over those things if they arose were all secondary---no, I’m talking more about changes in attitude, focus and leadership approaches to problem solving.
With all that is within me I urge you to Welcome changes aimed at reaching new people for Christ. Never change the message of the cross but welcome changes in methods that are necessary to stay culturally relevant. Again the precedent for doing so can be traced back to Paul who in describing his approach to ministry wrote: [SCRIPTURE SLIDES]
1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
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By the way for those who think Paul was a bit too radical about change---I hope they’ll keep in mind that Paul got the of trying new and innovative approaches from God. Most Bible scholars believe Paul wrote the book of Hebrews and this is how that book begins... [SCRIPTURE SLIDES] Heb 1:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
Even God’s into doing things in new ways to get the message across to those who need to hear it.
[SLIDE WITH 3RD SERMON POINT]
Third---Let the past teach you how to have a brighter future. I know I’ve made mistakes in the years I’ve been with you. I’ve made some poor leadership decisions. I’ve mishandled some situations. I failed to address some problems in a timely manner. It’s not that I’ve done everything wrong---it’s just that I know I’m not the perfect minister. But hey for 12 1/2 years that’s been okay because I’ve not been working with the perfect congregation or the perfect leadership---right? My hope for myself as I began in a new ministry is not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Rather I hope that I have learned from them so that I will do better in the future. And my hope for you is the same.
Paul reveals something of his perspective on the past in Philippians 3 where he writes: [SCRIPTURE SLIDES]
13 ....one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
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In a nutshell Paul is saying---don’t live in the past or get so hung up on it that you allow it to keep you from making progress towards a better future in Christ. Let the past teach you how to have a brighter future.
[SLIDE WITH 4TH SERMON POINT]
Fourth I want to encourage you to fight the good fight. Differences of opinion. Tradition. Leadership styles. Worship Wars. Grudge bearing. Territorial face-offs. The list of diversions Satan has infiltrated and often paralyzed the church with is almost endless. Paul was aware of these things and so as we have learned in the opening verses he advised Timothy, the younger minister whom he was mentoring, to chose his conflicts wisely. You see, Paul didn’t right "Fight over matters of opinion" Nor did he right "Fight tradition." Paul’s words weren’t "fight change" His words to Timothy were "fight the good fight." Paul wasn’t saying never get involved in a struggle over matters of opinion---and he wasn’t saying never buck tradition. Paul wasn’t saying never try to stop a proposed change either. What Paul was saying is this---enter into conflict cautiously and prayerfully making certain that what you’re seeking is God’s will and not your own. Paul wanted Timothy to courageously confront practices, programs, preaching and even people whenever they were hindering or keeping the church from doing what God created her to do.
I want to encourage you to do the same. "Sorry"---there I said it--- (for those unfamiliar with the church I served in So. Indiana---though the name is spelled Syria like the country---the older locals INSISTED on pronouncing Syria as "Sorry." And even at the end of 12 years of ministry with them, because of the poor connotations involved I had a very difficult time pronouncing the church’s name the way the old locals did it) "Sorry" is no different from any other imperfect church....she’s got her problems and some of them are the result of wrongly focused fighting. And I know that this is so there are people here today harboring ill feelings towards me and others in this church. And I confess to you there was a time when I allowed my own emotions to lead me into harboring sinful anger. But I have forgiven those who have wronged me whether it was done by design or not. And if I have wronged anyone I will say in all good conscience I did not do it knowingly or intentionally and I would ask of those who feel I wronged them, if you bear anger against me---to let that anger go rather than take it to your grave and hell with you. What’s more I want to encourage any of you who harbor ill will towards anyone else in this body to surrender those feelings to Jesus. Far better that you should forgive than burn. Remember Jesus said, [SCRIPTURE SLIDE] Matthew 6:15 "....if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." If you’ve been fighting the wrong battles, stop. If you’ve not been fighting the right battles, start. Fight the good fight.
[SLIDE WITH 5TH SERMON POINT]
Fifth, I encourage you to stay the course. Hang in there during the tough times ahead. And there will be tough times. I’m not saying this because I believe there will be tough times as a result of my leaving....I’m saying this because it’s simply a fact of spiritual warfare. The church has in Satan an enemy who won’t give up until that time when Christ returns and forever casts him into the lake of fire. Jesus warned his disciples that in this world they would have troubles. But Jesus also assured his disciples that if they remained faithful to him in spite of those troubles they’d be rewarded with an eternity in heaven. That same promise holds true for us as well.
This week I read about a professor at a Christian college, who along with his son, went on a 1,000-mile backpacking trip from British Columbia to southern California. Together father and son hiked through the mountains of Washington, Oregon and California. For many days they were alone on the trail, often camping above the 10,000-foot level. They faced every sort of discouragement—lack of food and water, danger from wild animals, danger from robbers they might meet, days of rain and mud, incredible physical exhaustion, the very real possibility of physical injury, not to speak of loneliness, blisters, mosquitoes, and the extremes of heat and cold. Before leaving on the trip, the professor discovered that over 90% of those who set out to hike more than 500 miles never make it. Fifty percent never get started and 40% quit after they start. Only 10% ever finish a long-distance hike. After studying the 10% who succeed, he came to certain conclusions. Some of it involved strenuous training and meticulous logistical preparation. But there was something else involved. He discovered that those who succeeded versus those who failed understood that the biggest block was mental. They knew that their real enemy lay within, not without. Those who succeeded make two important decisions: First, they decided they would finish the trip no matter what happened, and second, they expected bad things to happen and decided they would not be surprised or dismayed. So when the rains turned the trail into a quagmire, they didn’t quit because they weren’t surprised. When black clouds of mosquitoes descended like some Old Testament plague, they didn’t quit because they weren’t surprised. When they faced days of loneliness and nights of hunger, they didn’t quit because they knew it would be like this. In essence, the successful backpackers adopted a certain mindset. They knew that the key was simply putting one foot in front of the other. You take a step and hit the mud. You take another step and see a bear. You take another step and your legs begin to cramp. You take another step and the crazy people come out of the woods. Doesn’t matter. You aren’t surprised because you knew the crazy people would show up sooner or later. So you just keep putting one foot in front of the other and eventually your journey is finished.
Friends, this was Paul’s approach to the Christian life. No matter what happened to him, he just kept moving forward by the grace of God. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time, one day at a time. He wasn’t deterred by opposition because he knew it was coming eventually. Our problem is that we’re surprised by trouble. We think the Christian life ought to be easy. It’s not easy, and it’s not supposed to be easy. Today is the day of struggle, combat, warfare. Today we march to battle in the name of the Lord. The day of rest comes later. (above illustration from sermon by Ray Pritchard) So stay the course.
And six, finish well. Most if not all of you know I’m an Illinois fan. And since this is my last sermon I figured---why not? (Put on the Illinois hat) Illinois has had an awesome start to this year’s basketball season. They’ve started great but you know what? Winning the conference this year would be exciting but as a fan I’d rather Illinois lose the conference and win the NCAA title than win the conference and lose the title. You see, I’d rather have Illinois start poor and finish well than start well and finish poor. (take off hat)
Individuals like ball teams often start well and finish poor. The Bible is full of examples as revealed in a exhaustive study of the men and women of the Bible, made by Howard Hendricks of Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Hendricks found that there are around 100 detailed biographies in the Bible---in them He found that nearly two-thirds of those men and women ended poorly. Either they turned to immorality or they drifted away from the faith or they ended their life in a backslidden condition. The Apostle Paul though was not among them. He finished well.
I believe this congregation has begun to make some of the changes needed to take her to the next level. And it’s obvious from the block walls going up on the addition that the building project is moving ahead full tilt. As a church I want to encourage you to finish well. Don’t regress or backslide into old habits, attitudes or ways that for more than 4 decades kept this church from breaking 160 in average attendance. Don’t drift away from the vision of reaching the 300, 400 or even some higher goals for average attendance of human souls gathering at this location to worship and serve God. Finish well by reaching more for God’s glory.
And to each of you as individuals I would also say "finish well." Tomorrow’s the last day of January and by that time the vast majority of resolutions made on New Year’s Day will already have been broken. The fact is in the scheme of eternity most broken New Year’s resolutions won’t matter. But the same can’t be said about people’s broken commitments to Christ. Paul didn’t just finish the race, he finished well---he kept the faith and because of that he was confident that heaven was in his future.
I don’t want today to be a goodbye. I want it to be until we meet again. Will I be back in this area---Lord willing---you know I will because although we’re moving our daughter is not. We plan to be back to visit with Shannon and Jacob. And it’s possible our paths may cross again on one of those return visits we plan on making. But there are no guarantees as to how much time any of us has remaining on this earth. Life being such as it is, our paths on earth may never cross again. Yet I hope we can spend eternity in heaven together---so I urge you "finish well."
[SLIDE WITH 7TH SERMON POINT]
And lastly I want to encourage you to pray for yourselves and pray for us. Some of Paul’s words from Colossians 4 say it all.... [SCRIPTURE SLIDES] Paul writes: 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ....
4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
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At this time, if there is anyone present who would like to make a public decision for Christ, please we would like for you to come forward as we stand and sing our hymn of invitation........[SONG SLIDES] NOTE TO THOSE WHO READ AND OR CHOOSE TO MAKE USE OF ANY OR ALL OF THIS SERMON: I am sharing this sermon with the hopes it will be an encouragement to others. I apologize for any blatant typing errors! If you find any I’d appreciate hearing from you so I can correct them. I try to give credit where credit is due, noting writers and or sources to the best of my ability. I have for years been drawing from a wealth of sources including this website. I recognize that my mind and writing processes are fallible. I may occasionally fail to properly identify a source. Please do not take offense if you see anything of this nature. I never intend to plagiarize. Having said that I want you to feel free to draw from my message. When appropriate I hope you will give credit as I do. But most of all I hope Christ will be lifted up and God will receive the glory in all things.
[P.S. This sermon series which I‘ve titled “First Things” was among the last things I said to the members of the congregation I served in Orleans, IN, at the end of a 12 year ministry with them.]
