The Inheritors

The Inheritors

Membership Banquet 2007

Pastor Don Jones

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Introduction

How many of you know the name, Edward Kimball? All I can tell you is that he was a very soft spoken man. He was also very timid when it came to people. He volunteered at his church for what needed to be done. He also taught a Sunday school class, the youth class. We will get back to Edward Kimball in a minute.

Challenge or Comfort

Who would leave their comfortable church to start a mission work? The individuals who built this church left their established ministries to carry out the work of the Lord. There wasn’t a one of them that was an expert, but they did know that God was working in their hearts and that they needed to be sharing Christ in this nieghborhood. We are the inheritors of their hard work. We also inherited their purpose. Here is our purpose statement,

"Together, Building the Kingdom, one life at a time"

They chose the challenge instead of the comfort. Our challenge is not to build a physical building but the body of Christ. We are to be Kingdom builders. But let me take a minute to get back to the story.

I’m wondering who in their right mind asked a man that was timid and soft spoken to teach a Sunday school room full of youth. And I’m also wondering what Edward Kimball thought when he was asked. I bet he thought, "No way."

When you are asked to serve do you think to yourself, "If they really knew me they wouldn’t even ask me to do it?" Do you feel totally inadequate to do the things of God?

When I look around I see a room full of people who are inadequate to reach this community. We don’t speak the language of many, we do not have adequate monies to really do all encompassing ministry, and you have two pastors that are disabled. Most of all, we will never have enough. There is a reason for that. In our weaknesses He is glorified. He wants us in situatins and ministries that reveal Him not us.

"Together, Building the Kingdom, one life at a time"

Together with our Lord, empowered by His Spirit, in unity with each other we build and further His kingdom. "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done". We do not do anything alone. With God all things are possible. Let’s check in on Edward Kimball.

Edward Kimball accepted the call to serve as Sunday school teacher to a group of teens, all boys. He must have had a special brand of wisdom or patience or maybe he was just plain crazy. He got teen boys who knew nothing about church and had to teach them about Jesus. You might imagine the kind of boys he got, they don’t want to be in church, they sleep through the service, generally don’t pay attention to what’s going on. You might’ve known of few or even been one. Amazingly he did it anyway.

We do His will not in our own power but His. He requires me to show up and be willing to yield ourself to Him. He is the One who takes care of the rest. "Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit", says the Lord.

"All things are possible with God" and "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" are true but you really wouldn’t want me to do brain surgery on you and if you did you might need brain surgery. When the Lord puts a task before us we are able to accomplish it through Him. He is the enabler in all we do in life.

Edward Kimball, Sunday school teacher, was not one of the ordinary type. Mere literal instruction on Sunday did not satisfy his ideal of the teacher’s duty. He knew his boys, and, if he knew them, it was because be studied them, because he became acquainted with their occupations and aims, visiting them during the week. It was his custom, moreover, to find opportunity to give to his boys an opportunity to use his experience in seeking the better things of the Spirit. The day came when he resolved to speak to the young man about Christ.