WEBVTT 00:00:04.789 --> 00:00:16.030 Thank you Paul. Well, what a special morning 00:00:16.030 --> 00:00:19.510 this has been. And I want to express my sincere 00:00:19.510 --> 00:00:22.809 thanks to Paul and his talents and music staff 00:00:22.809 --> 00:00:25.429 and our gifted musicians for coming in a little 00:00:25.429 --> 00:00:28.929 early in this season and blessing our hearts 00:00:28.929 --> 00:00:31.329 and leading us in worship today. What a rich 00:00:31.329 --> 00:00:38.600 morning it has been. It's hard to know in the 00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:41.619 final few minutes of my speaking to you just 00:00:41.619 --> 00:00:47.340 how to express the way I want to, my heart feelings 00:00:47.340 --> 00:00:51.939 for you. I was thinking of Paul's words in 2 00:00:51.939 --> 00:00:55.539 Thessalonians, which express pretty well what 00:00:55.539 --> 00:00:59.560 I want to say. Excuse me. Let's make that first 00:00:59.560 --> 00:01:06.280 Thessalonians. Where he says, who? Who is our 00:01:06.280 --> 00:01:11.260 hope or joy or crown of exaltation? Is it not 00:01:11.260 --> 00:01:14.640 even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus at 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:20.680 His coming? For you are our glory and joy. And 00:01:20.680 --> 00:01:24.900 this morning that is my heart for you. That you 00:01:24.900 --> 00:01:31.000 are my glory and my joy. And I thank you for 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:34.060 your love which you have expressed in so many 00:01:34.060 --> 00:01:37.579 ways. to all of us in the Call family. We all 00:01:37.579 --> 00:01:41.420 thank you for that. And in these last weeks, 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:45.400 many of you have sent notes by email or on a 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:49.079 card or through voicemail to express your thoughts. 00:01:49.099 --> 00:01:53.519 And I thank you for your kind thoughts. I wish 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:56.140 that I had time to answer each one of them personally 00:01:56.140 --> 00:01:59.739 and be able to reflect back to you how much you 00:01:59.739 --> 00:02:02.730 mean to me personally. But in the midst of all 00:02:02.730 --> 00:02:04.609 that's going on right now, that's impossible 00:02:04.609 --> 00:02:07.969 to do. So forgive me that I can't. But just know 00:02:07.969 --> 00:02:11.969 that my heart is full. My heart is overflowing 00:02:11.969 --> 00:02:16.210 with you this morning. And in the presence of 00:02:16.210 --> 00:02:22.889 our Lord Jesus, for He is here, I express to 00:02:22.889 --> 00:02:27.530 you that you are my joy. And in His coming, when 00:02:27.530 --> 00:02:34.680 He returns, my crown of rejoicing. Today I want 00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:37.860 to think with you regarding this matter of change 00:02:37.860 --> 00:02:41.280 once more and to do that would you open your 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:48.259 Bible with me to 1st Peter chapter 5? Peter was 00:02:48.259 --> 00:02:50.879 a man who was acquainted with change because 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:56.400 of his relationship with Jesus Christ. May I 00:02:56.400 --> 00:03:01.590 say to you that if you want an adventure If you 00:03:01.590 --> 00:03:04.610 want a life that has change in it that is good 00:03:04.610 --> 00:03:08.590 and exciting and full of purpose, engage in a 00:03:08.590 --> 00:03:11.449 relationship with Jesus Christ through faith 00:03:11.449 --> 00:03:15.490 in Him. Because wherever Jesus goes, He is a 00:03:15.490 --> 00:03:18.949 change agent. He was that way certainly in the 00:03:18.949 --> 00:03:21.710 life of Peter and He is that in the life of every 00:03:21.710 --> 00:03:25.889 person who trusts in Him. Peter was changed from 00:03:25.889 --> 00:03:29.729 being a fisher of fish to being a fisher of men. 00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:35.259 He was changed from being a man who lived in 00:03:35.259 --> 00:03:41.159 a provincial, private situation to a man who 00:03:41.159 --> 00:03:46.300 was involved in very public controversy and notoriety. 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:51.919 He was changed from being a disciple to an apostle. 00:03:52.919 --> 00:03:55.800 He was changed from being a follower of Jesus 00:03:55.800 --> 00:03:59.400 to being a leader among the people of Jesus. 00:04:01.780 --> 00:04:06.280 Peter was intricately connected to what we called 00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:09.680 a few weeks ago the big transition. That is, 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:13.139 when Jesus left this earth and the ones that 00:04:13.139 --> 00:04:18.680 he had chosen to be his own. Indeed, as we look 00:04:18.680 --> 00:04:21.120 at Peter's words in this epistle that he wrote 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:26.019 by the Spirit, we can see that Peter was thinking 00:04:26.019 --> 00:04:29.480 of that change. when Jesus went back to heaven 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:31.439 as he writes these words, or at least it seems 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:35.160 so to me. Because here in the fifth chapter of 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:39.220 1 Peter, we see several allusions to the big 00:04:39.220 --> 00:04:42.819 transition, to when that big change took place 00:04:42.819 --> 00:04:47.439 in his relationship to Jesus. In verse 5, he 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:51.019 commands that we clothe ourselves with humility 00:04:51.019 --> 00:04:56.300 toward one another. clothing ourselves with humility 00:04:56.300 --> 00:04:59.120 reminds us that Jesus took upon himself that 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:03.339 evening the towel of a servant and he went around 00:05:03.339 --> 00:05:07.180 washing the feet of his disciples in humility 00:05:07.180 --> 00:05:10.019 and he told them that they were to follow the 00:05:10.019 --> 00:05:12.420 example that he had given to them that night 00:05:12.420 --> 00:05:17.660 in serving one another. In verse 8 he reminds 00:05:17.660 --> 00:05:21.310 us to be sober and to be on the alert because 00:05:21.310 --> 00:05:23.889 we have an adversary who walks about seeking 00:05:23.889 --> 00:05:28.610 to devour us. Peter was perhaps reminded of the 00:05:28.610 --> 00:05:31.209 time when he himself was tempted of Satan and 00:05:31.209 --> 00:05:35.829 did, in fact, deny the Lord Jesus in the time 00:05:35.829 --> 00:05:41.810 of Jesus' sufferings. In verse 1, he says that 00:05:41.810 --> 00:05:47.209 he was a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings 00:05:47.209 --> 00:05:51.110 of Christ. And so Peter has in mind here all 00:05:51.110 --> 00:05:53.750 the events that took place during that last week 00:05:53.750 --> 00:05:56.810 of Jesus' life and particularly the cross where 00:05:56.810 --> 00:06:01.170 Jesus suffered for his sins and our sins. And 00:06:01.170 --> 00:06:03.250 then later in the verse he says also that he's 00:06:03.250 --> 00:06:06.629 a partaker of the glory that is to be revealed 00:06:06.629 --> 00:06:09.350 reminding us of Jesus' resurrection from the 00:06:09.350 --> 00:06:14.410 dead. And then in verse 2 he says to these leaders 00:06:14.410 --> 00:06:19.629 of the church, shepherd the flock of God. echoing 00:06:19.629 --> 00:06:23.850 the words that Jesus gave to him on that Galilean 00:06:23.850 --> 00:06:26.189 morning when they had breakfast together after 00:06:26.189 --> 00:06:30.269 Jesus' resurrection. And Jesus asked Peter, do 00:06:30.269 --> 00:06:36.449 you love me? And to that response that Peter 00:06:36.449 --> 00:06:40.449 gave, Jesus went on to say, then feed my sheep, 00:06:41.189 --> 00:06:46.370 shepherd my sheep. And so it seems to me that 00:06:46.370 --> 00:06:49.810 as Peter is writing, this book, this letter, 00:06:51.610 --> 00:06:55.589 across the canvas of his mind is painted this 00:06:55.589 --> 00:06:59.089 picture of the big transition when Jesus left 00:06:59.089 --> 00:07:03.569 this earth and went back to heaven. And I believe 00:07:03.569 --> 00:07:05.889 there's a reason that that was on Peter's mind 00:07:05.889 --> 00:07:08.410 is because Peter knew that these saints he was 00:07:08.410 --> 00:07:11.870 writing to were also experiencing a transition. 00:07:13.290 --> 00:07:16.939 While their lives had been involved with some 00:07:16.939 --> 00:07:20.879 suffering to this point, now they were beginning 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:25.180 to enter into heavy persecution. The full weight 00:07:25.180 --> 00:07:27.680 of the Roman government was coming down upon 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:31.639 them. They were in the midst of change themselves. 00:07:31.819 --> 00:07:34.879 And so Peter wants to write to people who are 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:37.540 apprehensive and insecure in the light of their 00:07:37.540 --> 00:07:41.399 situation. And he wants to write to them so that 00:07:41.399 --> 00:07:45.290 he can encourage them and encourage us in the 00:07:45.290 --> 00:07:52.230 midst of change. Change requires courage. Change 00:07:52.230 --> 00:07:57.230 is exciting, but change also poses risk and uncertainty. 00:07:59.449 --> 00:08:01.610 Now this morning, because of the change we're 00:08:01.610 --> 00:08:05.670 undergoing, there is sadness in our hearts. There 00:08:05.670 --> 00:08:08.990 is sadness in my heart today. And I know there's 00:08:08.990 --> 00:08:12.649 sadness in the hearts of many of you. And that's 00:08:12.649 --> 00:08:17.449 normal. It's OK. But while there is sadness, 00:08:17.610 --> 00:08:23.050 let there not be fear. Let there not be uncertainty 00:08:23.050 --> 00:08:27.610 as we each enter into the next chapter of our 00:08:27.610 --> 00:08:31.889 lives in our ministry. Indeed, we can take courage 00:08:31.889 --> 00:08:34.289 as we enter into this transition. And here's 00:08:34.289 --> 00:08:39.659 why we can, Peter tells us. He says that we can 00:08:39.659 --> 00:08:42.080 take courage in the midst of change because in 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:45.799 the first place, your faithfulness to God will 00:08:45.799 --> 00:08:50.159 be rewarded. He says in verse 1, I exhort the 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:52.480 elders among you as your fellow elder and witness 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:55.059 of the sufferings of Christ, and they partake 00:08:55.059 --> 00:08:58.519 also of the glory that is to be revealed. Shepherd 00:08:58.519 --> 00:09:02.360 the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, 00:09:02.500 --> 00:09:05.879 not under compulsion but voluntarily, according 00:09:05.879 --> 00:09:09.539 to the will of God. and not for sordid gain, 00:09:09.559 --> 00:09:13.480 but with eagerness, nor yet as lording it over 00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:15.960 those allotted to your charge, but proving to 00:09:15.960 --> 00:09:19.519 be examples to the flock. And when the chief 00:09:19.519 --> 00:09:23.039 shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading 00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:29.320 crown of glory." It may be that these folks that 00:09:29.320 --> 00:09:32.580 Peter is addressing in chapter 5, particularly 00:09:32.580 --> 00:09:36.269 the elders, We're beginning to lose focus of 00:09:36.269 --> 00:09:40.649 their ministry because of change. Suffering can 00:09:40.649 --> 00:09:44.789 do that for you. It can cause you to become distracted. 00:09:45.750 --> 00:09:51.009 But for that matter any kind of change can. When 00:09:51.009 --> 00:09:53.389 things are stable it's easy for us to remain 00:09:53.389 --> 00:09:56.929 focused on what we're about. But in the midst 00:09:56.929 --> 00:10:02.200 of change we tend to wander a bit. We begin to 00:10:02.200 --> 00:10:07.200 glance around and to lose that focus. And so 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:10.200 Peter is writing to them as he would exhort us 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:14.480 as well to serve the Lord in the midst of this 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:18.440 transition. Remember what you're about. Remember 00:10:18.440 --> 00:10:23.100 your responsibility before the Lord. See your 00:10:23.100 --> 00:10:27.360 circumstances not as obstacles, but as opportunities 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:31.840 to serve Him. Take hold of this moment. Don't 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:37.559 loosen the grip. Find God's place for your active 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:41.899 ministry and participation in His service. He 00:10:41.899 --> 00:10:44.659 is saying to them and to us that God is sovereign, 00:10:45.220 --> 00:10:49.580 that there is nothing that surprises Him. He 00:10:49.580 --> 00:10:51.879 has a personal assignment for each one of us, 00:10:51.879 --> 00:10:55.000 doesn't He, in life. And what we need to do in 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:58.700 the midst of change is to keep focused on what 00:10:58.700 --> 00:11:02.440 the Lord wants us to do. And as he says here, 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:07.679 to do that voluntarily. He says, don't have to 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:12.139 be bagged or prodded or cajoled or coerced into 00:11:12.139 --> 00:11:16.080 service. See it as a privilege to serve the Lord 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:20.080 in the midst of change. Do it voluntarily. And 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:23.700 he says, do it passionately. He says, don't expect 00:11:23.700 --> 00:11:28.250 some reward for it. He says, be eager in your 00:11:28.250 --> 00:11:34.250 spirit. Take a step forward. Do it without any 00:11:34.250 --> 00:11:37.789 thought of what's coming back to you. Be passionate 00:11:37.789 --> 00:11:40.269 about serving the Lord in this time of change. 00:11:41.429 --> 00:11:45.649 And he says, do it humbly. Not with a pompous 00:11:45.649 --> 00:11:48.889 attitude. Not with an attitude that's comparing 00:11:48.889 --> 00:11:51.110 what you're doing to what others maybe aren't 00:11:51.110 --> 00:11:56.259 doing. But do it humbly before God. Because God 00:11:56.259 --> 00:12:00.620 has a way of rewarding faithfulness. And your 00:12:00.620 --> 00:12:03.480 faithfulness to God in serving Him in the time 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:06.100 of change will be rewarded by the Chief Shepherd. 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:10.899 So take courage. God will reward you for your 00:12:10.899 --> 00:12:15.539 faithfulness. This is your moment. This is the 00:12:15.539 --> 00:12:20.340 time of your test. This is exam time. And Jesus 00:12:20.340 --> 00:12:24.390 is going to reward you. So pass the test. Keep 00:12:24.390 --> 00:12:29.570 focused on serving the Lord. Secondly, he says 00:12:29.570 --> 00:12:31.789 that we can take courage in the midst of change 00:12:31.789 --> 00:12:35.629 because our circumstances are familiar to God. 00:12:36.509 --> 00:12:39.490 Verses five through seven. He says, you younger 00:12:39.490 --> 00:12:42.090 men likewise be subject to your elders and all 00:12:42.090 --> 00:12:44.309 of you clothe yourselves with humility toward 00:12:44.309 --> 00:12:47.429 one another. For God is opposed to the proud 00:12:47.429 --> 00:12:50.950 but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves 00:12:50.950 --> 00:12:54.059 therefore under the mighty hand of God that He 00:12:54.059 --> 00:12:57.480 may exalt you at the proper time, casting all 00:12:57.480 --> 00:13:02.220 your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you. 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:06.539 Peter says in the midst of change, humble yourselves 00:13:06.539 --> 00:13:14.179 before God. Wait upon the Lord. Don't rush ahead 00:13:14.179 --> 00:13:18.559 of God. Don't take steps that are unwise. Don't 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:22.960 make hasty decisions. He says, God knows your 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:26.399 circumstances. They're familiar to him. Therefore, 00:13:26.620 --> 00:13:32.519 trust in the mighty hand of God. The hand of 00:13:32.519 --> 00:13:35.500 God speaks of his ability to act on our behalf, 00:13:37.059 --> 00:13:40.000 his ability to come through and to meet our needs. 00:13:41.940 --> 00:13:44.919 He says, trust in the mighty hand of God. And 00:13:44.919 --> 00:13:48.720 in the due time, at the proper time, he will 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:53.029 exalt you. He will meet your need. He will come 00:13:53.029 --> 00:13:58.169 through for you. But humble yourself. The word 00:13:58.169 --> 00:14:01.509 humble here doesn't mean to be resigned to your 00:14:01.509 --> 00:14:06.190 situation, but it means rather to be positively 00:14:06.190 --> 00:14:13.049 reliant upon God. So positively rely upon the 00:14:13.049 --> 00:14:18.730 hand of God, the mighty hand of God. Secondly, 00:14:18.850 --> 00:14:23.639 he says, trust in the caring heart of God. He 00:14:23.639 --> 00:14:27.899 cares for you. Therefore you can cast all of 00:14:27.899 --> 00:14:32.580 your care upon Him. Just throw the whole of your 00:14:32.580 --> 00:14:37.320 anxieties upon the Lord. Your circumstances are 00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:40.820 familiar to God and He cares about you. So take 00:14:40.820 --> 00:14:45.500 courage in the midst of the change that is ahead 00:14:45.500 --> 00:14:47.919 and this change is going to take a number of 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:51.580 months. You need to be prepared for a year or 00:14:51.580 --> 00:14:55.759 more before you come through this interim time 00:14:55.759 --> 00:15:00.139 and call a new pastor. I know some of you would 00:15:00.139 --> 00:15:02.139 like to think, oh, it won't happen that way here. 00:15:02.440 --> 00:15:07.179 We'll do it in three months. Well, if that's 00:15:07.179 --> 00:15:08.899 what you think, you're going to be mighty shocked. 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:12.419 The process will hardly be started in three months. 00:15:13.480 --> 00:15:15.960 In fact, my daughter Kelly goes to a church in 00:15:15.960 --> 00:15:19.210 California that's been at it two years. I would 00:15:19.210 --> 00:15:24.789 say to you, don't be that long. The process can 00:15:24.789 --> 00:15:28.690 go on too long because of circumstances. But 00:15:28.690 --> 00:15:30.889 understand this is going to take time. And during 00:15:30.889 --> 00:15:35.409 that time, don't give up. Trust in the mighty 00:15:35.409 --> 00:15:38.629 hand of God. Trust in the caring heart of God. 00:15:39.629 --> 00:15:42.450 God knows exactly what you're going through. 00:15:42.769 --> 00:15:44.850 And you know, during this time, however long 00:15:44.850 --> 00:15:48.490 it be, nine months, a year, year and a half, 00:15:47.870 --> 00:15:50.629 I don't know how long it's going to be. But during 00:15:50.629 --> 00:15:53.889 that time, God is going to be working in you. 00:15:55.389 --> 00:15:57.909 He's going to be doing subtle things, changing 00:15:57.909 --> 00:16:01.350 the spirit of this congregation, tuning it in 00:16:01.350 --> 00:16:04.490 a little bit of a different way to prepare you 00:16:04.490 --> 00:16:06.970 for the one who's going to come to be your next 00:16:06.970 --> 00:16:10.149 pastor. And that's exciting to think about, what 00:16:10.149 --> 00:16:14.070 God is about, what God is going to do. But take 00:16:14.070 --> 00:16:16.649 courage. Your circumstances are familiar to God. 00:16:16.889 --> 00:16:22.070 You can trust in Him. 3 Peter says that we can 00:16:22.070 --> 00:16:24.590 take courage because our faith will resist the 00:16:24.590 --> 00:16:28.470 enemy. Verses 8 and 9, be of sober spirit. Beyond 00:16:28.470 --> 00:16:31.250 the alert, your adversary, the devil, prowls 00:16:31.250 --> 00:16:34.330 about like a roaring lion seeking someone to 00:16:34.330 --> 00:16:40.289 devour. But resist him firm in faith, knowing 00:16:40.289 --> 00:16:44.059 that the same experience of suffering experiences 00:16:44.059 --> 00:16:46.759 of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren 00:16:46.759 --> 00:16:51.039 who are in the world. He says here, your faith 00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:55.659 will resist the enemy. The intimidation of the 00:16:55.659 --> 00:16:59.019 devil, the roaring of this lion, will not succeed 00:16:59.019 --> 00:17:04.519 if only you stand guard against him. He can only 00:17:04.519 --> 00:17:09.359 do what you let him do. Now let's face it, as 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:12.700 we said a couple of weeks ago, This kind of a 00:17:12.700 --> 00:17:15.740 period in a church is a vulnerable time in certain 00:17:15.740 --> 00:17:21.000 respects. And you can be sure that Satan, our 00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:24.140 spiritual enemy, is going to be prowling around 00:17:24.140 --> 00:17:28.160 seeking to get a foothold somewhere, seeking 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:33.980 to devour someone, seeking to disrupt this wonderful 00:17:33.980 --> 00:17:37.940 church body, this family. But you don't have 00:17:37.940 --> 00:17:40.980 to be afraid of him because your faith will resist 00:17:40.980 --> 00:17:45.880 the enemy. Stand firm in your faith. Be on the 00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:50.099 alert. Be thinking. Be of sober spirit. Just 00:17:50.099 --> 00:17:53.759 be watching for him and resist him at every turn 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:57.579 and the result will be that he will be defeated. 00:17:58.759 --> 00:18:02.220 So count on the devil to be around. But secondly, 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:05.480 count on your faith in Jesus Christ to protect 00:18:05.480 --> 00:18:09.700 you. Take courage. Because you are not a victim. 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:13.220 You are not a defenseless prey. You are a victor 00:18:13.220 --> 00:18:17.240 in Jesus Christ and able to defeat any schemes 00:18:17.240 --> 00:18:20.099 that the devil may throw at you in the coming 00:18:20.099 --> 00:18:24.019 months. So you don't have to be afraid. You don't 00:18:24.019 --> 00:18:28.759 have to be uncertain. Be courageous. Take courage 00:18:28.759 --> 00:18:33.720 in this time of change. There's a fourth reason 00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:35.940 that Peter shares with us as to why we can all 00:18:35.940 --> 00:18:39.369 take courage. And that is that our situation 00:18:39.369 --> 00:18:42.589 is not unique. He says, what you're experiencing 00:18:42.589 --> 00:18:45.970 is accomplished by your brethren who are in the 00:18:45.970 --> 00:18:49.450 world. There were others who were suffering besides 00:18:49.450 --> 00:18:53.170 the ones that Peter is writing to. He tells them 00:18:53.170 --> 00:18:55.150 earlier in the book, don't think it's strange 00:18:55.150 --> 00:18:58.710 that this happened to you. He says, this is not 00:18:58.710 --> 00:19:00.829 foreign. This is what you're to expect in the 00:19:00.829 --> 00:19:05.130 world. So here he reminds them that others also 00:19:05.130 --> 00:19:07.549 are suffering. And if I may say to you, there 00:19:07.549 --> 00:19:10.269 are other churches that have and are going through 00:19:10.269 --> 00:19:12.650 the very same transition that you're going through. 00:19:14.410 --> 00:19:18.650 To paraphrase a certain bumper sticker, pastoral 00:19:18.650 --> 00:19:25.410 changes happen. Pastoral changes happen. I mean, 00:19:25.410 --> 00:19:28.609 that's part of what life is about. That's part 00:19:28.609 --> 00:19:31.210 of what being in the Lord's family is about. 00:19:32.380 --> 00:19:35.039 Your situation is not unique take courage in 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:38.700 that and learn from others experiences now some 00:19:38.700 --> 00:19:40.480 of you have been through this before in other 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:43.319 churches and you've seen the good and the bad 00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:46.400 and the ugly and I would encourage you to learn 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:48.460 from that experience and bring the important 00:19:48.460 --> 00:19:51.539 lessons of that to bear in this interim time 00:19:51.539 --> 00:19:55.440 But also know this you can lean upon the prayers 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:59.059 of others even as you pray for others There are 00:19:59.059 --> 00:20:01.160 people right here in our community who've already 00:20:01.160 --> 00:20:03.970 said to me They're going to be praying for you 00:20:03.970 --> 00:20:08.950 and for me during this time of change. People 00:20:08.950 --> 00:20:11.630 care about you. You're not alone. You're not 00:20:11.630 --> 00:20:14.269 an island cast out into the sea by yourself. 00:20:15.349 --> 00:20:17.369 There are other churches around you that are 00:20:17.369 --> 00:20:19.150 praying for you and other churches that are going 00:20:19.150 --> 00:20:21.369 through the same kind of process as you are. 00:20:22.170 --> 00:20:24.650 So take courage in that. You're not alone in 00:20:24.650 --> 00:20:26.349 change and there are others who are standing 00:20:26.349 --> 00:20:31.460 with you in it. Finally, Peter says that we can 00:20:31.460 --> 00:20:33.920 all take courage in this fact that our future 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:39.619 is secure in the Lord. He says, and after you 00:20:39.619 --> 00:20:42.079 have suffered for a little while, the God of 00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:45.819 all grace who called you to his eternal glory 00:20:45.819 --> 00:20:51.819 in Christ will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:55.779 and establish you. To him be dominion forever 00:20:55.779 --> 00:20:59.220 and ever. Amen. Folks, we're a part of something 00:20:59.220 --> 00:21:03.200 that's going on forever. The Lord's dominion, 00:21:03.259 --> 00:21:07.299 the Lord's kingdom is eternal. It doesn't end 00:21:07.299 --> 00:21:11.799 with a pastoral change. It doesn't even end with 00:21:11.799 --> 00:21:16.460 your death or mine. The Lord's kingdom is an 00:21:16.460 --> 00:21:21.900 everlasting dominion. It is forever. In the midst 00:21:21.900 --> 00:21:26.180 of that, we can be secure in the Lord. He has 00:21:26.180 --> 00:21:29.900 a future for us. You need to know that He is 00:21:29.900 --> 00:21:34.579 at work in this. He knows the outcome of this 00:21:34.579 --> 00:21:39.359 change, and He purposes your good in it. I am 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:42.099 reminded of the words that God spoke through 00:21:42.099 --> 00:21:46.319 Jeremiah the prophet in the 29th chapter of his 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:51.299 book, the 11th verse. And I remind you that these 00:21:51.299 --> 00:21:53.759 words were spoken to people who were going through 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:58.440 change. They had been taken captive by their 00:21:58.440 --> 00:22:01.200 enemy. They were going to be in Babylon for 70 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:07.420 years, God says. What tremendous change and what 00:22:07.420 --> 00:22:10.839 trauma they were going through as a people. And 00:22:10.839 --> 00:22:13.859 yet God speaks comfortably to them, and he says 00:22:13.859 --> 00:22:18.339 in verse 11, I know the plans that I have for 00:22:18.339 --> 00:22:22.619 you, declares the Lord. Plans for welfare and 00:22:22.619 --> 00:22:27.230 not for calamity. to give you a future and a 00:22:27.230 --> 00:22:31.410 hope. Listen to those words. That is the promise 00:22:31.410 --> 00:22:35.069 of God. He knows the plans that He has for you. 00:22:35.869 --> 00:22:40.809 He has a future for you and a hope. We can be 00:22:40.809 --> 00:22:44.549 secure in the Lord in the midst of change because 00:22:44.549 --> 00:22:48.089 of what we find promised here in verse 10. In 00:22:48.089 --> 00:22:50.569 the first place, we see the promise that God 00:22:50.569 --> 00:22:54.930 limits our trials. This transition, this time 00:22:54.930 --> 00:22:58.529 of testing you're entering, is not forever. It's 00:22:58.529 --> 00:23:03.589 a little while. Now it may be, as I say, a year 00:23:03.589 --> 00:23:06.329 or more. But in the broader scheme of things, 00:23:06.430 --> 00:23:10.369 that's a little while. God has a limit to it. 00:23:11.349 --> 00:23:14.710 You can be secure in that. Just as you're entering 00:23:14.710 --> 00:23:16.849 into it, one day you're going to come out of 00:23:16.849 --> 00:23:20.430 it. And then as you reflect back upon what's 00:23:20.430 --> 00:23:24.059 yet before you, you will be able to say, to God 00:23:24.059 --> 00:23:28.519 be the glory, great things He has done. You'll 00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:31.960 be able to sing, great is thy faithfulness, O 00:23:31.960 --> 00:23:36.460 God, our Father. Because God is going to do something 00:23:36.460 --> 00:23:40.599 in this little while of interim, something special. 00:23:41.500 --> 00:23:44.460 We also see that in the midst of our transition, 00:23:44.599 --> 00:23:48.259 God gives us grace, for He is the God of all 00:23:48.259 --> 00:23:53.779 grace. He will give you what you need. You will 00:23:53.779 --> 00:23:56.960 be sufficient for tomorrow's challenges. You 00:23:56.960 --> 00:24:01.259 need not fear. You're secure. Thirdly, we see 00:24:01.259 --> 00:24:05.619 that God calls us to glory. He has called you 00:24:05.619 --> 00:24:10.859 to glory in Christ, His eternal glory. God has 00:24:10.859 --> 00:24:14.630 a plan for you that goes out of this world. He 00:24:14.630 --> 00:24:16.910 suggests here the final transition that we're 00:24:16.910 --> 00:24:19.069 all going to make in which the choir sang about 00:24:19.069 --> 00:24:22.109 this morning in the Midnight Cry. And that is 00:24:22.109 --> 00:24:25.670 that time when we shall be changed and caught 00:24:25.670 --> 00:24:29.309 up together to meet the Lord in the air. You 00:24:29.309 --> 00:24:31.450 and I can be secure in the midst of whatever 00:24:31.450 --> 00:24:34.789 this world offers us because we know that he's 00:24:34.789 --> 00:24:39.269 called us to glory. And fourthly, we have this 00:24:39.269 --> 00:24:43.660 promise that God uses our circumstances. That 00:24:43.660 --> 00:24:46.900 promise of Romans 8 28 that good that God says 00:24:46.900 --> 00:24:51.079 that he will work together in everything Is described 00:24:51.079 --> 00:24:53.640 here in the words that he himself will perfect 00:24:53.640 --> 00:24:58.660 you That is he will adjust you he will thoroughly 00:24:58.660 --> 00:25:03.059 repair you This is a word like a chiropractor 00:25:03.059 --> 00:25:06.599 would describe what a chiropractor does in adjusting 00:25:06.599 --> 00:25:10.799 your body to bring it into alignment Feel so 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:14.180 good doesn't it? You find you have spots that 00:25:14.180 --> 00:25:16.259 you didn't even know were sore until he touches 00:25:16.259 --> 00:25:18.839 there or she touches there, and then they work 00:25:18.839 --> 00:25:21.579 you over a little bit and your body feels so 00:25:21.579 --> 00:25:23.420 much better being in alignment. Well, this is 00:25:23.420 --> 00:25:26.200 the word. It was also used in that day for the 00:25:26.200 --> 00:25:28.220 mending of the fishing nets that would get torn 00:25:28.220 --> 00:25:31.019 on the rocks as they were dragged over the rocks. 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:34.680 What the Lord is going to be about in the coming 00:25:34.680 --> 00:25:40.039 weeks and months is to adjust you. He's going 00:25:40.039 --> 00:25:43.039 to... sew some things together that may be a 00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:47.059 little ragged today. He is going to perfect you. 00:25:47.619 --> 00:25:49.940 He also says that he's going to confirm you. 00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:53.920 The word confirm means to make strong, to fix 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:57.920 firmly. He says he will strengthen you, which 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:00.940 means he will confirm you in spiritual knowledge 00:26:00.940 --> 00:26:04.460 and power. I'm going to tell you, I believe with 00:26:04.460 --> 00:26:07.309 all of my heart, that a year from now this is 00:26:07.309 --> 00:26:10.910 going to be a more spiritually powerful church 00:26:10.910 --> 00:26:15.029 than it is today. And the reason for that is 00:26:15.029 --> 00:26:17.230 going to be that you're going to enter into an 00:26:17.230 --> 00:26:20.490 intensive time of prayer in the coming months. 00:26:21.049 --> 00:26:24.049 And God is going to use that to bring to you 00:26:24.049 --> 00:26:27.910 a confirmation and a strengthening of spiritual 00:26:27.910 --> 00:26:31.670 power. And then we have this word that He is 00:26:31.670 --> 00:26:34.849 also going to establish you. He's going to lay 00:26:34.849 --> 00:26:40.250 the basis for a new chapter. When we started 00:26:40.250 --> 00:26:43.289 out 18 years ago, I would never have imagined 00:26:43.289 --> 00:26:47.210 this chapter was going to be 18 years long for 00:26:47.210 --> 00:26:52.329 me. And of course, there have been a lot of paragraphs 00:26:52.329 --> 00:26:56.730 in this chapter. And maybe even some subheadings 00:26:56.730 --> 00:27:00.450 in this chapter as we have entered into this. 00:27:00.460 --> 00:27:03.259 program or that phase or we've gone through this 00:27:03.259 --> 00:27:07.519 experience or that. But now this chapter is written. 00:27:09.740 --> 00:27:13.880 This chapter has come to a close. The book is 00:27:13.880 --> 00:27:19.759 not finished. The page turns and God continues 00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:23.599 to write. And it is exciting to see what God 00:27:23.599 --> 00:27:28.039 is going to write. And as he begins to write, 00:27:28.079 --> 00:27:30.880 he's going to prepare you for the man that he's 00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:34.220 preparing. And when he comes, I want you to love 00:27:34.220 --> 00:27:38.220 him just like you've loved us. I want you to 00:27:38.220 --> 00:27:41.940 embrace him just as you have embraced us. I want 00:27:41.940 --> 00:27:46.920 you to receive him as you have received us. There 00:27:46.920 --> 00:27:49.500 is nothing that would thrill my heart more than 00:27:49.500 --> 00:27:52.640 to see you grow stronger in the coming months. 00:27:53.019 --> 00:27:56.960 and then when the new man comes in God's time 00:27:56.960 --> 00:28:00.980 that you just explode into some exciting new 00:28:00.980 --> 00:28:04.519 chapter of ministry that today we could not even 00:28:04.519 --> 00:28:12.640 dream about. God's able to do that. I think of 00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:16.400 the words of the Apostle John when he was an 00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:19.779 old man. I've been looking at some of the pictures 00:28:19.779 --> 00:28:23.190 of early days and I see that I have grown a little 00:28:23.190 --> 00:28:29.349 older in 18 years. I'm not quite as tall as I 00:28:29.349 --> 00:28:31.309 was. And I think as I'm getting shorter, I'm 00:28:31.309 --> 00:28:36.369 going this way. And the hair is changing color, 00:28:38.049 --> 00:28:46.930 a little thinner, the hair that is. And as John 00:28:46.930 --> 00:28:50.829 wrote to some of his spiritual children, he said 00:28:50.829 --> 00:28:55.779 to them, I have no greater joy than this, to 00:28:55.779 --> 00:28:59.519 hear that my children are walking in the truth. 00:29:01.619 --> 00:29:05.180 I want you to know that that's my heart as we 00:29:05.180 --> 00:29:09.799 leave you today. That in the coming months and 00:29:09.799 --> 00:29:13.319 years, there will be no greater joy to my heart 00:29:13.319 --> 00:29:18.910 than to hear that you who have received spiritual 00:29:18.910 --> 00:29:22.150 ministry from me are continuing to walk in the 00:29:22.150 --> 00:29:28.509 truth, continuing to experience God, continuing 00:29:28.509 --> 00:29:31.710 to grow in your faith, continuing to reach out 00:29:31.710 --> 00:29:34.390 in compassion to those who don't know the Savior. 00:29:35.329 --> 00:29:40.829 That would be the great joy of my heart. It is 00:29:40.829 --> 00:29:45.630 never easy to say goodbye. I have shed tears. 00:29:45.799 --> 00:29:49.859 And I will shed tears. And some of you have as 00:29:49.859 --> 00:29:55.240 well. But through our tears, let there be deep 00:29:55.240 --> 00:29:58.759 confidence in our hearts, a courage in our hearts 00:29:58.759 --> 00:30:02.460 as we approach this change. A courage that is 00:30:02.460 --> 00:30:05.380 there because of what Peter says in this fifth 00:30:05.380 --> 00:30:09.140 chapter of 1 Peter. A courage because our faith 00:30:09.140 --> 00:30:15.640 is in a God who will not fail us. To God be the 00:30:15.640 --> 00:30:20.720 glory. To Him be glory in glory, for His is an 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:26.859 everlasting dominion. Keep on being the sweet 00:30:26.859 --> 00:30:31.039 and wonderful people that you've proven to be 00:30:31.039 --> 00:30:36.380 these 18 years. And may the grace of our Lord 00:30:36.380 --> 00:30:41.960 Jesus Christ fill your hearts toward one another 00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:48.900 and toward the lost. And may His grace lead you 00:30:48.900 --> 00:30:53.119 on to greater things in the days ahead. Let's 00:30:53.119 --> 00:30:58.059 pray together. I'm going to ask you to stand 00:30:58.059 --> 00:31:01.220 together with me in closing prayer. And I wonder 00:31:01.220 --> 00:31:06.079 if we couldn't just once more hold hands across 00:31:06.079 --> 00:31:11.839 the auditorium. Paul, I'm going to ask you to 00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:15.900 use your hands, if you would, at the piano. I 00:31:15.900 --> 00:31:17.839 didn't think I wanted to do this, and I'm not 00:31:17.839 --> 00:31:21.519 sure I do now. But let's sing, God be with you 00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:25.180 till we meet again. Could we do that? Do you 00:31:25.180 --> 00:31:27.759 know the words, God be with you till we meet 00:31:27.759 --> 00:31:30.400 again? It's in your hymnal. Why don't you get 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:33.460 your hymnal off? Forget the holding hands. We're 00:31:33.460 --> 00:31:46.950 going to change gears here. 602. We'll join hands 00:31:46.950 --> 00:31:49.970 in just a moment to pray. But 602, I'd like to 00:31:49.970 --> 00:31:52.450 sing this. If you know the words, that's fine. 00:31:54.250 --> 00:33:03.960 God be with you till we meet again. And now let's 00:33:03.960 --> 00:33:17.220 join our hands. Father, as we bow in prayer, 00:33:17.400 --> 00:33:20.759 we thank you for your faithfulness as the God 00:33:20.759 --> 00:33:27.380 of all grace. As we have sung this parting hymn, 00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:31.160 God be with you, that is my prayer for this congregation. 00:33:33.390 --> 00:33:41.029 by your counsels guide, by your counsels hold 00:33:41.029 --> 00:33:48.289 them. Keep them secure, I pray, in the promises. 00:33:53.309 --> 00:33:56.490 And Father, I commend them to you and to the 00:33:56.490 --> 00:34:02.049 word of your grace, which is able to keep them 00:34:03.029 --> 00:34:07.569 and to guard them, and to give them an inheritance 00:34:07.569 --> 00:34:13.650 among all of those who are sanctified. We give 00:34:13.650 --> 00:34:15.929 thanks to you for what we've experienced together 00:34:15.929 --> 00:34:20.210 in this pilgrimage, how good and how sweet it's 00:34:20.210 --> 00:34:23.989 been. But we also give thanks to you that though 00:34:23.989 --> 00:34:29.030 we part for a while, the best is still coming. 00:34:30.469 --> 00:34:35.789 That great things are ahead. And so God, we commit 00:34:35.789 --> 00:34:40.369 ourselves to your care through Jesus Christ, 00:34:40.489 --> 00:34:46.210 our Lord, whose kingdom is forever. Amen. Amen. 00:34:46.590 --> 00:34:47.250 You're dismissed.