A year ago, we celebrated our 10th anniversary.
As I concluded the message last anniversary Sunday,
I used an analogy of a 747 in describing our
church and I said we were something like a 747
that is filled with people lumbering down the
runway which had not quite yet gained power to
take off. I did not realize at the time what
that picture seemed to spark in many hearts.
It's been referred to a number of times over
the last year. This morning, I am pleased to
be able to say to you that something dramatic
is in the process of happening at Grace Church.
By God's goodness, that 747 is picking up speed.
and is approaching the point of takeoff. What
has happened to create this change in the last
year? I would point to a number of things. First
of all, I would say that there has been an increased
response in the heart of many people toward prayer.
Over the last year, we've had perhaps a half
dozen church -wide prayer meetings. which have
been attended by 20 to 50 people depending upon
the night and the occasion. Another one is coming
up shortly in just two weeks. Those times of
concentrated prayer together have been precious
in the sight of God. And I believe that God has
answered prayer in the last year in our midst.
In the spring last year we talked about becoming
shareholders in the work of God. We've called
us 621 shareholders based upon Matthew 621. Where
your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Hundreds of us made specific commitments before
God to indicate that we in fact see ourselves
as shareholders in His work in the world and
in our local church. In the last year, a number
of new staff members have come. We've had new,
key, gifted leadership arrive on the scene. And
that has begun to spark something brand new.
We've attempted some innovative approaches to
ministry, including the summer outdoor worship
service that was widely received in our congregation,
which we plan to do again. I believe the survey
indicated that something like 80 % of you voted
to continue. the summer outdoor worship service
as a significant ministry in our church. There
is a broadening involvement in evangelism, which
is most encouraging. And Bob was correct this
morning in saying that the mission that we've
articulated in the last three weeks is not new.
Perhaps we're saying it in a bit of a different
way, but that has been our goal from the beginning,
the fulfillment of the Great Commission. And
increasingly we are seeing more and more people
in our church involved in that in some significant
way. The forming of that mission statement, the
use of the vision diagram that we've been talking
about seems to have captured a lot of hearts.
God is doing something new in our midst and the
things I've just talked about are bits and pieces
of that. But at the root of it all is the work
of God. is the work of the Holy Spirit stirring
us up in a fresh way. Last year I described to
you a church that I would envision. A church
known for practicing prayer, for penetrating
culture, prioritizing missions, perfecting holiness,
preserving peace, providing acceptance. and proclaiming
Christ as Lord. And I believe that that church
is more realized today in Grace Church than it's
ever been in our 11 years. We certainly haven't
arrived. We have a long way to go. But God is
working. The journey is underway. And since this
747, if I may continue that analogy at least
for today, is nearing the point of takeoff, we
need to get our bearings for the journey. I hope
in the last three weeks we have learned something
more about our destination, about our goal as
a church, where we're off to. But we need to
get our bearings this morning so that we don't
miss the destination, the mission, the purpose
that we've tried to talk about and articulate.
We need a guidance system that will unfailingly
get us to our destination, that will enable us
by God's grace to fulfill our assignment. I invite
you to open your Bible with me to 1 Samuel chapter
12 as we examine a crucial point in Israel's
history. A time of transition in that ancient
nation. Samuel has just anointed Saul to be the
king of Israel. You may recall that that was
not God's perfect will for the nation. He was
their king. But they asked him for a king, and
so God graciously exceeded to their request,
though they had gotten ahead of God's plan. Samuel,
in obedience to God, anointed Saul to be the
king. and he has just gained the first great
victory for the nation. The question arises in
the heart of Samuel, will this nation now trust
in their King, who has given them the victory,
or will they trust in the Lord? And so he calls
them together at a significant place called Gilgal.
And there he met with them. And he spoke God's
heart to them, reminding them of what God had
done in their history. And at a point of what
seems to be something of a new beginning for
the nation, at least a new era, he establishes
with them what some have called a constitution.
He reminds them that they are to trust the Lord.
and obey the King. God confirmed the words of
Samuel by sending a storm that was completely
out of season. And when the people saw this storm,
they knew that God was speaking through Samuel.
They repented of their error, of getting ahead
of God. They were concerned about their sinfulness.
God gives them some words of reassurance through
Samuel. Whatever the past had included, whether
it be times of faithfulness or times when they
had gotten ahead of him and failed him as they
had in asking for a king, God would still bless
their future if they would be obedient. The chapter
concludes with these words that we'll read beginning
in verse 22 of 1 Samuel 12. For the LORD will
not abandon his people on account of his great
name, because the LORD has been pleased to make
you a people for himself. Moreover, as for me,
far be it from me that I should sin against the
LORD by ceasing to pray for you. but I will instruct
you in the good and right way. Only fear the
Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart,
for consider what great things he has done for
you. But if you still do wickedly, both you and
your king shall be swept away." Samuel tells
the nation, your future is still secure. But
it depends upon three parties, each of whom had
a contribution to make to that future and that
security. There was God. There was Samuel himself
as the prophet -priest, Samuel who was the transition
figure from the time of the judges in Israel
to their kingdom. And then there was the congregation,
the people, along with their king. I believe
by way of application a similar assurance is
given to us today as well as a similar warning.
The future of Grace Church Roseville is secure
and will be blessed by God depending upon three
parties who each have a contribution to make.
to that future. There's God. There is the spiritual
leadership of the church. Obviously there's not
an exact parallel to a prophet priest like Samuel
in our day. But we do have spiritual leaders
in our church. And then there is all of us as
a congregation. Those are the three parties.
You and I are on a great journey with God. As
a congregation of people in a certain sense,
on this, our eleventh anniversary, we are just
beginning a new era of ministry. Our bearings
for the journey that is before us, that is still
in our future, are found in the three contributions
that each of these parties that I've named must
make. great jet liners as they fly over the ocean
have highly advanced systems of guidance. The
officers in the cockpit punch in certain codes
to the computer and that navigation system that
is in the plane locks into celestial bodies or
into satellites And the result is, because of
the comparison of the readings punched into that
computer in the plane, as it flies out over the
thousands of miles of the ocean, it does not
lose its place. And it arrives at its destination
safely, because it had its bearings for its journey.
What I want to talk to you about this morning
are the bearings for our journey. Each of the
three parties that I've named has a bearing to
give for our journey. Let's think about the contribution
of God, God's part. In His faithfulness, God
will preserve us. We have that blessing. We have
that word of assurance. Regarding ancient Israel,
God had chosen them to be His people. And that
emphasis is clear in verse 22. They were His
people, identified with Him. And so it is true
today. According to God's free and sovereign
choice, we are His people. Not only we, but we
are one church of God's people. God has identified
His testimony, His name in the world with us
as a congregation. Now that's sobering. We, in
a similar sense as ancient Israel, are identified
with the name of God. So great is God's act of
redemption on our behalf that He is pleased to
tie His reputation to you and to me. Therefore,
God has made a commitment to us. And to us, as
He said to ancient Israel, I will not abandon
you, for my name is identified with you. Jesus
said, all power is given to me. Go, therefore,
make disciples, baptizing, teaching them. And
lo, I am with you always to the end of the age."
That's His promise. Here's God's part. In His
faithfulness, God will preserve us. God will
bless us. Now that's like the North Star. in
our bearing. It doesn't move. It's always there.
That's God's part. He said, I will never leave
you or forsake you so that we may boldly say
the Lord is our helper. That's God's part. You
and I can find assurance and guidance in this
truth. It is one of the bearings for our journey.
Let's lock onto it. That God is faithful, as
we have just sung. And God will not abandon His
people for His great name's sake. We need a second
bearing for our journey and it's provided by
the spiritual leaders of our church. In their
faithfulness, our spiritual leaders will support
us. The prophet -priest Samuel acknowledged his
responsibility to them before God. A responsibility
that he boiled down to two. To pray for them
and to teach them the good in the right way.
That is the way of God, the Word of God. That
is the essence of the responsibility of spiritual
leaders in this age as well. To pray for the
people of God and to teach the people of God
the way of the Lord. Now today we are all priests.
We talked about that a few weeks ago. We are
all royal priests. We are a holy priesthood unto
God. There isn't someone like Samuel in that
sense today. We all have direct access to God.
He's opened the way to himself through the sacrifice
of Jesus on our behalf. But God has appointed
within the holy priesthood order and organization.
God has appointed in this age that there be two
offices established within his priesthood. The
office of elder, the office of deacon. The elder
is the one who is responsible for superintending,
for overseeing the work of God, for giving guidance,
ruling over, in a godly sense, the people of
God. The elder. The one who is to be esteemed
and loved because of his work. And then there
are deacons. The word means servants. Those who
in some manner come alongside the elders and
help carry out the function of leadership within
the church. Who administrate and manage the royal
priesthood of God. Those who are filling the
offices of elder and deacon in the church need
to do so with the grace of God upon them. exhibiting
the fruit of the Holy Spirit as well as the Holy
Spirit's power. Those who are the spiritual leaders
of the Church are to establish the direction
of the Church. They're responsible to God for
that. They're shepherds. And they are to minister
to the body by both prayer and teaching. I think
we see that illustrated in Acts 6 when the Apostles
appoint a group of people to look after a certain
issue that had arisen in the church, giving us
a foreshadowing, I think, of the purpose of deacons,
so that they, the apostles, could give themselves
to the Word of God and to prayer. Now, elders
are not apostles, but they share that same kind
of responsibility as apostles had in the early
age of the church. The Word of God and prayer,
that's the heart of their responsibility. For
their part, the spiritual leaders of Grace Church
Roseville in faithfulness need to and I believe
will support us as a congregation of people.
If they fail, we will not come to our destination.
We will get off course. that spiritual bearing
is essential. But there's a third party that
is involved in ancient Israel and today. There's
the part of the congregation, the contribution
that all of us make together. In faithfulness,
we, by the grace of God, will honor the Lord.
What does it mean to honor the Lord? Well, Samuel
seems to outline for us what I would summarize
as meaning honoring the Lord. He says to the
congregation, only fear the Lord. There's where
it begins. Fear. Not terror, but respect. Reverence
is the word I would use as a synonym. What does
it mean to have the fear of the Lord? It means
to have reverence of the Lord. to have a sober
realization of who God is and what our relationship
to Him is. I hope as a result of the last year
of preaching, as we talked about the God that
we worship and the good gifts God has given to
us and the new us, who we are in light of that,
that there's a deeper sense of the fear of God
in our hearts. Having understood some of these
things, that we are now giving God more and more
His proper place in our lives. To serve Him,
to worship Him, to place Him above all others.
To fear the Lord means to see all of life in
relation to God. And to let our respect of who
God is and our reverence for God be the driving
motivation of all that we do. That's what it
means to honor the Lord, that's our part. But
there's more, he says, secondly, serve the Lord.
First we started with reverence, now we come
to responsibility. It's more than an attitude
of heart, it must be expressed in the life. Life
itself is a stewardship. God has committed to
us abilities and privileges and opportunities
and resources So that we might make a difference
in the world So that we might touch the lives
of others and do good What does it mean to serve
the Lord? Means to see all of life as lived unto
the Lord Not just part of it that we would call
sacred and the rest of it is secular but seeing
all of life as sacred and as our duty unto God
because we are priests. And he tells us to do
that in truth. That is, sincerely and faithfully.
To do it with all of our hearts, holding nothing
back. To do it wholeheartedly. As the people
of God, we want to honor Him by our reverence,
by our deep sense of responsibility, and thirdly,
by Samuel's words here, by our remembrance. Samuel
says to them, remember, consider what great things
He has done for you. The word consider is a very
broad word. It means to see, to look, to appear,
to show. The idea is to keep in your mind's eye
what God has done for you. Don't lose sight of
that. And show it to yourself over and over again.
And show it to others. Consider what the Lord
has done for you. That's why it's good for us
to have occasions like anniversaries. When we
look back and we see the hand of God. As you
and I do this, we will be encouraged in our faith
in the trying moments of future days. It's interesting
to me that Samuel called the people to come to
Gilgal for this time of renewal in their commitment.
This orientation time as they were beginning
a new era in their life as a nation with a king
and a kingdom. because it was at Gilgal that
there was a certain pile of stones which God
had them place there to be a perpetual reminder
to them for generations to come of what he had
done at the River Jordan when he brought them
across and entering the land. He wanted them
to remember that pile of stones and to remember
what God had done when they met at Gilgal. I
wonder if they didn't meet around that pile of
stones. Consider what the Lord has done for you.
Now we don't have a pile of stones here today.
We have in our hearts memories. And we can go
back to those memories and we can see what God
has done. And as we see that, we will Remember
the faithfulness of God, and when the challenges
come in the future, we can draw upon that for
strength in our faith. God has led us in the
past. God has answered prayer in the past, and
He will do it in the future. We can know that.
We can know that. So the part of the congregation
is to honor the Lord, and I want to tell you
something. If we fail, we will not get to our
destination. God can be faithful and do his part.
The spiritual leaders can be faithful and do
their part, but if we as a congregation fail,
we'll lose our way in the journey. We need all
three bearings. And as those bearings are in
place and that 747 takes off and that navigational
system kicks in, And God does His part and the
spiritual leaders are faithful in their part
and all of us as a congregation are faithful
in our part. The result is that we're going to
arrive at that destination. We'll see the mission
accomplished. We need our bearings for the journey.
It's time to start. The plane's just about in
the air. I want to close the service this morning
by doing something that no one knows about. And
when you leave here, don't tell anybody. God's
here. And God says He's going to do His part.
How do I know that? The Bible tells me so. What
about you who are spiritual leaders in our church?
I would like to ask those who are elders, who
are pastoral staff members or ministry staff
members, and who are deacons or deaconesses in
our various commissions to come forward right
here in the front and join me on the floor. Would
you do that please? Just slip out of your seat
if you're in the service. Pastoral staff members,
elders, deacons, and deaconesses. who serve as
the core of our spiritual leadership. To be sure,
the spiritual leadership is broader than this.
But here's the core of it. And I want to ask
you who are spiritual leaders in our church before
God on this, our 11th anniversary, if you are
willing to do what God wants you to do. as a
spiritual leader in our church, the heart of
which, I mean it goes beyond this as we all know,
but the heart of which is prayer and the teaching
of God's people and the shepherding of God's
people and the variety of ways in which He's
called us to serve Him. Are you willing? Amen.
I knew you would be, especially up here in front.
I didn't doubt. I want to ask you as a congregation,
are you willing to do your part? Are you willing
to say on this 11th anniversary as one of the
congregation of the people of God whom he's chosen,
I am saying by God's grace I want to seek to
honor him in my life for his glory and for the
sake of the mission, the journey that we're on
with God. I want to ask you to stand right now
where you are. If you're visiting obviously this
doesn't apply to you and we wouldn't ask you
to stand. We don't want to embarrass you and
don't feel hesitant to remain seated. This is
for our congregation. We're saying before God,
oh God, we're willing to do our part. We know
you are. Now lead on. Let's bow together. I'm
going to ask everyone to stand, please. Heavenly
Father, you see our response outwardly and inwardly.
And on this holy day as we remember and consider
what the Lord has done, and as we ponder the
future and the new era that's beginning in our
midst, we want to say to you that we, by your
grace and your working in us, will do our part.
God, we don't want to fail. We don't want to
come short. And so enable us by the Holy Spirit.
and work mightily within us so that we might
do our part. And then we pray that as the bearings
are put in place, that You will guide us clearly
and safely and directly in the direction of the
mission You've given us. When we arrive at that
place, O Lord, be glorified. And on the journey,
be glorified in our lives and in our church as
we honor you together. Let's sing together the
chorus with our heads bowed. In our church, let's
say it this way, in your church, Lord, be glorified.
In your church, Lord, be glorified. Lord, be
pleased to answer that prayer in the fullness
that you've promised, beyond all that we could
ask or think. according to the power that works
in us. In Jesus' name, Amen.