Topsy-Turvy

I Thes. 1:4-6

Sometimes when our plans change, we become discouraged.  We may even feel like quitting, giving up. 

Paul didn’t want that to happen to the Thessalonian Christians.  So he declares something exciting about the Thessalonians.  He says, “We know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.”  He reminded them of the exciting birth of their church and praised them for continuing the work of sharing the gospel.

The Gospel’s Exciting Affirmation

Can you imagine how that filled these new Christians with confidence?  Despite the change of plans—which really wasn’t, they’d just mistakenly believed God’s timetable was briefer than it turned out to be—they could be certain of God’s love and that he had a purpose for them.

Some people get a little nervous when they read this verse; they see words like “elect” in some translations or “chosen” in other translations and begin to imagine that God has arbitrarily chosen some individuals for salvation, while leaving others to face condemnation. 

Now, if any Power in the universe has the power to arbitrarily choose those who will be saved, it would be God.  But, is this what the Bible tells us that God has done?  For centuries, Christians have wrangled over this issue.  It is not simply a matter of Calvinist versus Arminian; both groups believe in some form of election.  The difference is how that election takes place. 

Some Calvinists so ardently believe in election they disapprove of evangelists, like Billy Graham, who offer broad, public “invitations” to any and all to become believers.  On the other hand, there are those who somewhat simplistically define election in such terms as:  “God votes for me, Satan votes against me; I cast the deciding ballot.”  Neither position seems to square with the complexity of the issue.

I side with those who look at the entirety of the New Testament and see two recurring themes:

--The New Testament seems to assume our responsibility to respond to the gospel and the corresponding peril of rejecting that gospel.  Believing the Spirit creates the atmosphere in which that response is possible does not preclude the response being our responsibility.

--The New Testament consistently portrays God as being One who “does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to come to repentance.” 

In the interest of consistency, I think the references to election are to the sovereign God’s grace-driven choice to choose those who believe—whoever they may be—for salvation.

         In the end, I think what Luther said about election’s near cousin, predestination, applies here.  Pointing out that discussions of predestination often lead to fear and dread, the reformer said, “I believe in the Lord Jesus:  What does it matter to me whether I’ve been predestined?”  

         Whatever Paul has in mind, when he looked at the Thessalonian Christians he saw evidence of God’s grace at work in their lives.  When at their best, the Calvinist, the Arminian, and all those in-between admit they are saved, redeemed, on the way to heaven only because of God’s grace.  Paul wanted the Thessalonians to rejoice in that truth rather than mope over any disappointment that Christ hadn’t returned on their schedule.

Evidence of the Gospel at Work

What did Paul see when he looked at the Thessalonian church?

He saw a people who had embraced the good news of God’s love, a people whom God had chosen to choose.  But, what identified them as such people?  What is the evidence of the gospel at work?

1.  They accepted the message.

They believed what Paul, Silas, and Timothy preached.  In fact, they rested their hope of salvation on what they taught.

Despite the almost certain persecution that would follow their becoming Christians, they committed themselves to the Christ who was central to the word preached to them.   Craig Keener talks of how pagans reacted angrily to those who converted to Judaism;  those who converted to the upstart Christianity would have suffered even more.

There were no nominal Christians here.  They stood their ground, despite being novices to the faith.  By the way, there’s an important lesson here:  Success in evangelism does not require the best of circumstances.  The Thessalonians took the gospel to heart, even though doing so placed them in the persecutor's sights.  The same has happened for decades in China.  Despite the concerted effort of the government to destroy Christianity, the church has grown.

At the same time, in spite of any trials they may have faced, the Holy Spirit inspired joy within the new believers.  Paul links this joy to their accepting the message.  He says, “You welcomed our message with a joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, in spite of the painful persecutions it brought you.”

Joy is rooted in what Christians know to be true.  Even though our emotions might be an outlet for our joy, joy is not centered in our emotions.  Christian joy begins in the mind, a mind open to allow God’s Spirit to impress God’s truth upon it.

2. They reordered their lives. 

There lives changed after hearing the gospel.  They could not go on living as they had lived.  So, they began to model their lives according to what they saw in Paul and his team and what they learned from them of Jesus.  In a day when they couldn't buy a New Testament at the corner grocery, new Christians learned how to live Christianly by observing more mature believers.  Since the vast majority of Christians around the world are desperately poor and may not own Bibles or other Christian literature, many new believers still must learn from the example of others.  I’m glad the Bible is readily available to us in the West, but I hope those of us who are more mature Christians might still provide inspiration to others on how to live for Christ.

For some of the Thessalonians the change was probably one of attitude rather than action, looking at their Gentile brothers and sisters in a new way, for example.  For others the change was drastic as they “turned to God from idols.”

Never forget that the Spirit was involved in that change as these believers opened themselves to his transforming work.

What an exciting picture of the Thessalonian church.  But how did this all begin?  It began when some excited believers couldn’t keep quiet about Jesus.  In fact, they were so excited that one of the charges their opponents brought was “who have turned the world topsy-turvy" are here. 

Principles for Sharing the Gospel Effectively.

How was the Gospel brought to the Thessalonians?

…our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

If we would present the gospel effectively, we must do so…

1.  With substantive content.  Williams translation is helpful, "our preaching the good news came to you not entirely in words..."

Luke’s story of the founding of the church in Thessalonica takes only nine verses.  We don’t get a lot of detail about what Paul preached but Luke gives a hint. 

 Paul as usual went in and for three consecutive Sabbaths developed the arguments from scripture for them, explaining and proving how it was ordained that the Christ should suffer and rise from the dead. "And the Christ", he said, "is this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you."(Acts 17:2-3)

It’s clear Paul focused on Jesus Christ and his role as the God-appointed Redeemer. 

At the same time, it’s clear the gospel did come with words;  you can’t really share the gospel without words.  Luke’s language suggests this was a presentation marked by careful logic and reasoned explanation:   “Paul …developed arguments from Scripture for them.”  How Paul’s presentation to the non-Jews of Thessalonica may have differed from his presentation in the synagogue we're not told, but we can be sure Jesus was at the center of what he said.   His preaching had content which pointed to Jesus; his message was deep and thought-provoking, challenging their preconceptions.

In writing to the Thessalonians, Paul refers to “our gospel.”  Contrary to some modern writers, including authors of popular novels, Paul is not saying his team preached a gospel which was different from the gospel preached by other Christian evangelists, Peter or John, for example.  The fundamental elements were the same.  Paul certainly wasn’t saying he had created the gospel he preached.

By saying “our gospel” or “my gospel,” as he does in other places, Paul was declaring his commitment to the gospel that he preached, the gospel he ultimately knew as “the gospel of God.”

At the same time, it was clear Paul believed what he was saying.  New Testament translator and commentator James Moffatt said Paul’s preaching showed “personal conviction and unfaltering confidence on the part of the preachers.”

This doesn’t mean that before you can share the gospel with someone, you have to have every question answered and every puzzle solved.  It means you need to be convinced of the core affirmations of the gospel.  We come to that kind of conviction as the Spirit works in us.

2.  With spiritual power.  There is no mention of miracles in the Thessalonian crusade; people may have been healed, etc. but it isn't cited here. But the Holy Spirit backed up their preaching in other ways. 

When Paul mentions that the message came with “the Holy Spirit and full conviction,” he was referring both to how the Spirit gave the preachers an assurance which came through in everything they said and to the way the Spirit impressed upon the hearers the truth of what Paul and the other were saying.  Williams:  “No preaching can be effective without the infusion of divine power (touching all concerned—the preacher and the hearer alike).”

 When you and I share the gospel with another person, we need to be concerned that what we say represents the substance of the gospel but we shouldn’t imagine that our words, no matter how carefully crafted, will win a person to Christ.  We need to depend on the Spirit to work through us and in that person who needs to come to Christ.

Fortunately, the Spirit is always more than willing to be there to give power and conviction to our words.

Because Paul and his team had to leave the city so quickly after the came, those left to lead the church were not fully prepared.  Yet, despite this, the church continued to grow and have influence.  No doubt, they had early learned to depend on the Spirit.  Interestingly, one of Paul’s concerns mentioned in the letter suggests that the Thessalonian Christians may have begun to question the Spirit’s effectiveness.  Paul moved quickly to remedy that.

We need to depend on God’s Spirit if we are going to have an effective witness.

But remember something else.

3.  With simple integrity. 

Paul had faced hardship and trial carrying out his mission as a traveling missionary, taking the gospel to so many new places.  Yet, there were always those ready to criticize and condemn him.  Evidently, this was happening in Thessalonica.  There were those questioning his motives and behavior.

In answer to his critics he said, “You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

Not many of us would be so bold as to offer such evidence of our integrity.  We would wrack our minds trying to recall if there were any instances in which we might have behaved in a less than Christian manner.  If Paul had such hesitation, we don't see it here. 

For several weeks the Thessalonians not only heard Paul, they observed Paul and his coworkers.  Their lives backed up what they said.  They walked the walk.  That made an impact.

Paul speaks of the Thessalonians following the example set by himself and his team and the Lord.  What does this mean?  It may simply mean that the Thessalonians were first convinced of the team's integrity and followed their example of trusting Christ, thereby becoming followers of Christ.

It's an awesome thought for any person doing the work of evangelism, that those who need Christ may be inspired to believe, not so much by our words--though those are important--as by our example of faith.

In fact, when the evangelists’ enemies tried to stir up trouble for them, they had to distort the Christian message to get a hearing from the authorities.

   Integrity is especially essential today, when so much negative information about the church, both justified and unjustified is available.  There is hardly anything more important than this in doing evangelism today.

  The fact that the divorce rate among Christians is shamefully high, that our church leaders are the focus of websites about church scandals, that our girls seek abortions alongside unchurched girls, that the businessmen in our pews and on our deacon boards engage in questionable practices all undercut our effectiveness.  Lack of integrity certainly lessens our chances of hearing said about us what was said about the evangelists in Thessalonica:  Those “who have turned the world topsy-turvy" are here. 

Can you see the connection between the character of Paul’s ministry and the character of the Thessalonian church?  Paul lived with integrity, the church, following his example, lived in light of the gospel Paul had preached.  The pattern recalls a comment by John Stott:  “No church can spread the gospel with any degree of integrity, let alone credibility, unless it has been visibly changed by the gospel it preaches.”

Conclusion

Although Paul was writing to a church struggling with a change of plans--disappointment that things didn't work out as hoped, what he says applies to us as individuals.  We, too, in the face of changed plans, still need to remember God has great things in store for us.  Most likely they are greater than we might imagine.  We, too, can rejoice in God's grace.  We, too, can rely on the Bible's promises.  We, too, can expect God's power to be somehow displayed in our lives.  But, we, too, must live with integrity in the face of disappointment for our personal witness to the reality of the gospel rests on how we respond.  We, too, can be effective.

     What does Paul say to today's churches?  It’s hard to imagine the church turning the world topsy-turvy today.  The church is such a part of the culture we hardly notice it.

Being a church member is respectable, as long as you don’t get too excited about it.

But the world needs to be turned topsy-turvy, doesn’t it?

How do we go about it?

Our methods may change but the principles are the same as those seen in the first century.   Whatever method we use, we must focus our message on Jesus.  Whatever method we use, we must rely on God’s Spirit. Whatever method we use, we must live with integrity before a watching world.

 Only then will we see new believers who accept the message and allow it to transform their lives. 

Change of Plans The Original

I Thessalonians 1:1-3

While I am no longer preaching regularly, I plan to continue to maintain my blog.  I am hoping to begin with a series of messages I preached on First Thessalonians in 2006.  I have updated and repeated some of these messages in recent years.  For example, an abbreviated version of this message appeared in September.  This is the longer, fuller version.   It contains much more background information for the study of First Thessalonians.

It occurred to me the other day that mine may be the only dissertation written for a Baptist seminary that mentions “Billy the Kid.”

I mentioned Billy when I sketched the historical background of the Texas Panhandle just prior to the period I focused on in my dissertation.

Billy, the infamous murderous outlaw, and Pat Garrett, the lawman who eventually shot him, hung out in a wild and wooly town called Tascosa.   Throughout its active history Tascosa never had a church, the first church in the community was established well after the once bustling town began its decline.  Contrast that with the community called Clarendon.  It was founded as a temperance community by several retired Methodist ministers.  No alcohol was allowed there, prompting the local cowboys to dub the town “Saints’ Roost.”  Today, if you happen to be traveling between Amarillo and Wichita Falls, you’ll pass through Clarendon and you’ll see it has its share of liquor stores. 

The railroad changed things for both towns.  It bypassed Tascosa, leaving it to shrivel and die;  the railroad came through Clarendon, making it impossible for its founders to control who could move into the area.

The community of Dawn, where I served as pastor before coming here, didn’t make it into my dissertation but I had a chance to review its history when the community celebrated its centennial in 1988.   I saw a copy of the original plans for the city.  It included parks, schools, and a wide street through it called Grand Boulevard.  Dawn’s streets have no names; you just don’t need them in a village of 80 people.  [Update Note: In recent years, though the village hasn’t grown, the streets have been given names to meet the demands of UPS, FedEx, etc.]

Someone has said “life is what happens when you’re making other plans.”  The folks in Tascosa, Clarendon, and Dawn were all making other plans.  Things didn’t happen they way they planned.

The church in Thessalonica had other plans as well.  They expected things to work out differently.

   Somehow, these new Christians had concluded Christ’s return would occur during their lives.  Some of these folks were so confident Christ’s Return was just around the corner they stopped working, making them a burden on there more industrious fellow-believers.  Others began to worry when some of their fellow Christians died, wondering if they had somehow missed out on God’s plan for them. 
            Paul wrote to tell these Christians they would have to remain in a sometimes hostile world longer than they planned.

Of course, Paul had to address some other matters as well.  Someone, either in the church or on the outside, began to spread rumors that Paul wasn’t trustworthy.  Others in the church began to fall back into the old pagan lifestyle.  And, others began to form cliques which led to division in the church. This was truly a shame because the Thessalonian church had been a model of how the gospel brought men and women of diverse backgrounds together in a common commitment to Christ.   

In a way, every one of these problems could be traced to the fact things hadn’t worked out the way the Thessalonians expected.

Even if Burns hadn’t said it, sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men get plowed under.  If that’s never happened to you or to a church you’ve been part of, I Thessalonians may not have much to say to you.  But if you’ve seen plans changed by events over which you’ve had no control, if you’ve had dreams die, what Paul tells the Thessalonian Christians may be very relevant to you.

Letter to a New Church

Paul opens this letter to a new church in a conventional way.

(1)  The sender first identifies himself.  Paul, the missionary who was venturing into Europe with the Gospel.  "Silvanus" is in the Greek name of  "Silas," Paul's long-time traveling companion.  “Timothy” the younger helper;   not mentioned in Luke’s account of the founding of the Thessalonian church but was known to those Christians.

(2)   The sender mentions the recipient.  Paul wrote to the new Christians in Thessalonica, a prosperous trading center and provincial capital.  One ancient writer said, “As long as nature does  not change, Thessalonica will remain wealthy and fortunate.”   The population when Paul visited it was probably about 200,000.  The Jewish population was correspondingly large.

 The church Paul founded had a diverse make-up.  Jews, Greeks, men and women, all came to have faith in Christ.

Acts 17: 4.  Some of the Jews believed Paul and Silas and joined them. In the synagogue there were many Greeks, known as “God-fearers” because they worshiped the true God. Many of these believed.  There were also many important women. They joined Paul and Silas, too.  Some were converted out of rank paganism. 

Luke makes special mention of the women.  In Acts 17 they are described as women of the first rank--prominent women, high women, leading women.  Williams: "gentlewomen of high rank".  Luke doesn’t say whether their husbands became believers. 

The gospel appealed to all.  The gospel offered a view of women which was unique in the ancient world.

But the Jewish leaders became jealous--this led to trouble for the church from almost the beginning.  After no more than a few weeks, Paul and Silas had to flee the city, leaving behind a infant church which was not fully grounded in the Faith.

(3) Usually the writer says something nice to or about the recipient.

This could be an occasion for a lot of flattery.  Not here.

Paul “Christianizes” this opening. 

--His wish for them to have “grace and peace” was no mere convention.  He genuinely wanted God’s best for them.

--He reminds them of God’s involvement in their very existence as a church.  They were a spiritual community.

--He let them know how thankful he was for their lives and testimony.  His statement probably means that every time he prayed for the Thessalonian Christians, he expressed his thanks for what God was doing in and through the congregation.

Why Paul was Thankful:

Verse 3 summarizes why Paul was thankful for the Thessalonian church.

William's translation:   “… for we can never for a moment before our God forget your energizing faith, your toiling love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

"your energizing faith"--something about their faith kept them going through the tough times.  Such faith kept them busy working for the Kingdom;  nothing--not trial or difficulty--shut them down.

This was a faith which allowed God to work in them and through them.

" your toiling love"--their love revealed itself in hard work.  The word “work” suggests it was intense and exhausting.

Love is not merely felt;  love is something you do.

"your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ"--the passing of time and the increase of pressure did not change their hope, hope focused on the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Paul doesn’t specify the object of their hope but it was in what Jesus had done and would do.  It would have had a view toward a better future.

It may point to their experience of trial and  persecution for the faith.  There’s no reason to believe the trouble the Christians faced ended just because the evangelists left town.

Thomas comments on this quality of endurance:  “This is an aggressive and courageous Christian quality, excluding self-pity even when times are hard.  Difficulties endurance must cope with consist of trials encountered specifically in living for Jesus Christ.  Endurance accepts the seemingly dreary ‘blind alleys’ of Christian experience with a spirit of persistent zeal…and goes forward no matter how hopeless the situation.”

This may have been the first time Paul brought together the familiar virtues:  faith, hope, and love.

What does this say to us?

What should we take away from this first look at a church which had to face an unexpected future?

A church’s identity grows out of its relationship to God through Jesus Christ.

 The word Paul uses for church was ecclesia.  We get ecclesiastical from it, a word referring to things related to the church.  But ecclesia wasn’t a religious word.  It simply referred to an assembly of people who had come together for a purpose.

The Christian assembly at Thessalonica wasn’t just any gathering of like-minded people.  It was “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Its unique character and purpose was rooted in that relationship with God. 

If we don’t keep that in mind, we risk losing our identity.  Our worship, our ministry, our prayers ought to be shaped by that reality.

Teamwork is crucial to a church’s health and prosperity.

Even though Paul was a powerful leaders, he didn’t build the Thessalonian church on his own.  He needed the help of others.

If our church tries to break out of the inertia which grips us, there won’t be any superheroes arriving to do what we all must resolve to do.

Even when a church isn’t perfect, there are usually reasons to be thankful for what God is doing in and through it.

As we’ll see, the Thessalonian church had problems.  Still, Paul and the others were thankful for it.

Shortly after I arrived here a woman attending the church at that time explained that she never invited friends to our church because we weren’t doing some of the things other, bigger churches were doing.

Poor woman.  She didn’t see the great things our church had to offer.  But I’m afraid her spirit was infectious.  I’m afraid the fact we don’t offer some of the same programs others churches offer, has made some feel we have nothing to offer.

That’s just wrong.  Ours isn’t a perfect church but we can be thankful for its strengths.  And we can pray that those strengths will enable us to work together to make a good church better.

When we face the reality of an unexpected future, we need to foster the qualities of faith, hope, and love.

We need a faith which will keep us going.

Let me be frank, this isn’t a faith which says, it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as your sincere.  It isn’t a faith which says, you believe one thing, I believe another, who know who’s right or if anyone is right.  Nor is it a faith which says there is only one way to believe—mine.

It is a faith which unites us in common agreement on the foundational elements of the Christian faith. 

In an age when all human problems are reduced to psychological, economic, or biological issues, we had better stand ready to affirm the biblical teaching that the great human problem is spiritual—our broken relationship with God.

In an age which denies the significance of Jesus Christ, we had better make him the central feature of our message.  We need to affirm his deity and his role as the God-appointed way to salvation.

In an age which scoffs at the church, we had better remember we are called to be salt and light in a dark and corrupt world, to be world-changers, to be the heralds of good news, the best news humanity has ever heard.

That kind of faith will bring us out on Sundays.  It will prompt us to rise censure and embarrassment to speak out for Jesus Christ.  It will shape a world-view which will challenge the culture around us.

We need a love which gives us an outward vision.

Several years ago, I heard a retired pastor tell about his experience as an interim pastor at a dying church.  Nothing he said could prompt the church to think outside its four walls.   He said that during his service there, the only significant decision the church made was voting to cut a foot off the inside ends of each pew.  The goal was to make it easier to push a casket down the aisle.

He realized most people saw the church as somewhere to wait until they died and then have a nice funeral.  It was an ingrown community.

Love, the love Jesus Christ longs to inspire within his people, will keep a church from being so self-centered it becomes deaf to the cries of a lost world.

It’s a love which will keep a church going when many say give up, quit, the people you’re trying to change aren’t worth the effort.

It isn’t really a tireless love, it’s a love that keeps going despite being tired.

Do you remember The Man of LaMancha?  Its best-known song is called The Quest.  It may not have been the author’s intention, but the song expresses the vision of one motivated by a God-inspired love.

To dream the impossible dream, to fight the unbeatable foe,

To bear with unbearable sorrow, to run where the brave dare not go,

To try when your arms are too weary, To reach the unreachable star:

This is my quest, to follow that star, No matter how hopeless,

No matter how far, to fight for the right, without question or pause,

To be willing to march into Hell for a heavenly cause.

And the world will be better for this: 

That one man scorned and covered with scars, still strove with his last

Once of courage to reach the unreachable star.

We need a hope which endures.

The Thessalonian church needed a hope which would help those Christians endure in the face of persecution.  It’s not as easy to be a Christian in America as it once was, but right now most of our churches face more urgent problems than hungry lions.

When a church realizes it has a problem, whether that problem is caused by division, by indifference, by inertia, or whatever, the caring members of that church wish the problem could be fixed in a week or two.  That doesn’t happen.   Problems which are years in the making take a while to fix.

We need a hope which will let us see beyond the now. 

Conclusion

When I first came to this church, this building was new.  Several people told me how you had planned it to be just the first phase of the building program, that you’d planned to build a new, bigger sanctuary in just a few years.  Unusually high attendance while you waited for the building to be finished prompted plans for a grand future.

Somehow, something changed.  The plan didn’t materialize.

 It probably isn’t fair to try to lay the blame on anyone.  Lots of things happened in those days.

Some were disappointed when a change they supported failed to become policy;   some were disappointed the change was even considered.

A beloved pastor moved on to another church.  Another pastor with a very different personality and temperament replaced him.  A change of pastors will sometimes attract people but more often, it will give people permission to leave.

Early on, one of you told me that, after the sanctuary was built, some seemed to take the “Field of Dreams” approach to church growth, an approach which focused on the new building.  These folks said, “If we build it, they will come.”  That didn’t happen.  But a more realistic approach to church growth didn’t replace the failed approach.

I don’t know how these things happened, but I do know that what happened to our church happened while many of us were making other plans.

When the plans change, a church has to go back to the beginning, back to the place when we trusted God for our very existence, sought God for direction, allowed God to form our character, and praised God for what he does in and through us.

Final wishes

    I waited to post this Sunday's message because of its significance.  It is my final sermon as the pastor of the Worthington Baptist Church.  I hope to maintain this blog by posting sermons from the time before I began this blog.  I will probably begin with a study of I Thessalonians.  
   The personal nature of this message will be understood, given its setting.

Final Wishes

Ephesians 4:1-7

Over the years I have occasionally ended an old year or began a new year by presenting a “wish list” for the future.  Some of those wishes were very practical; some were more spiritual.  I haven‘t done it in a while because I feared it had become a gimmick. 

Still, I thought it might be appropriate to return to that practice this morning. 

Before I turn to wishes rooted in my text I want to share some that are more general.

I wish I might be able to more adequately say, “Farewell”.

In my fourth decade as a pastor, I’ll admit I’ve had a strange career or, at least, an unexpected one.  I was going to teach, you know.  There were a couple times when I thought that was going to happen.  It didn’t.  So, I was the pastor who knew more about Pietism than pastoral psychology, more about Tertullian than church administration.

Oddly, though, during those thirty-four years I have served only two churches.  That is very rare for a Southern Baptist pastor, especially when you consider the average pastorate is between three and four years.  I am leaving Worthington, as I left Dawn, with the longest pastorate in the church’s history. 

I hope this wasn’t because the Lord was saying, “It’s safest to just leave him there; but if he starts doing too much damage, I’ll move him somewhere else.”

When I left Dawn, it seemed the right thing to do.  When Cathy called on behalf of the pastor search committee I had never heard of Worthington and was not sure where Columbus was in Ohio.  She said Worthington was on the river and I assumed she meant the Ohio River.  She could not remember where the committee had found my resume and I couldn’t remember ever sending it off to Ohio. 

I’ve often told people the move proved God has a sense of humor.  Everyone in Dawn was involved in agribusiness; here people held all kinds of jobs—there were even people in  “IT” jobs and I wasn’t sure just what they did.  In Texas you could joke about Longhorns, about Aggies, about Horned Frogs; in Ohio, you apparently don’t joke about Buckeyes.  (How do Buckeyes spend their first week of fall practice?  Studying their Miranda rights.) Ultimately, though, I’ve concluded God didn’t move us to get a good laugh; He moved us to bless us.  I could list a lot but because we moved we have Mikelle and Kelly in our lives.  Because we moved we have you in our lives.

So, I’m not saying Farewell because we have a better offer.  I am saying Farewell because it seems the right thing to do; perhaps God has a younger person in mind for this church, perhaps God has a more dynamic person in mind for this church, perhaps God has a more denominationally-sympathetic person in mind for this church.  I’m sure God knows but he hasn’t told me.

2.  I wish for you a healthy balance of continuity and change.

For church’s 25^th anniversary celebration in 1997 I prepared a little booklet sketching the history of the church.  I concluded with a brief essay on the characteristics marking the church during each decade of its history.  I saw a church united, though diverse; compassionate; faithful; and resilient. I could describe the church in the same words today.

But there is also a resistance to change. An old joke asks, “How many Baptists does it take to change a light bulb?”  The answer:  “CHANGE.  Whataya you mean change.”

Churches are changing.  We’ve embraced some of those changes—though some of you may feel those changes ambushed you.  There’s still a place for Wesley and Watts but there had better be a place for Green and Grant as well.  I learned how to do the proposition/big idea sermon, the kind of sermon presented from behind a pulpit.  I’m not sure how well I can adapt to the casual—even “pointless,” as it were—messages delivered while sitting on a stool or an easy chair.  But you might need to learn how to listen to them and learn from them.  My doctorate is from a seminary where the dean cut his grass in a shirt and tie.  In the past few years I’ve dressed more casually because an insightful Christian—older than I—pointed out how a suit and tie creates a barrier that keeps some modern people from hearing.

Don’t make every change a deal-breaker or a battleground.

Speaking of change, over the years I have tried really hard to be wrapped up by 12:00 o’clock; I haven’t always been successful but I think more times than not I have.

Whoever follows me may not be so inclined.  Instead of complaining, learn to eat a bigger breakfast.  With the clock in mind, let me move on to some wishes rooted in my text. 

Remember that in Ephesians Paul is explaining how in Christ God has created one new people to live for him and work for him in the real world.  In chapter four, he is laying out a picture of how that ideal finds its expression in the church.   Paul’s wishes for the church are my wishes for you.

I wish you might each possess those qualities unquestionably marking you as Christ’s people.

He begins by underscoring those traits that ought to be found in every Christian.  Christians are to live “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love.”

We can’t look at each trait in detail but, taken together, they describe a remarkable person.  Such a person does not scramble to be the Alpha dog; but is willing to do the menial if it benefits the church.  Such a person meets you without assuming you want his undivided opinion.  Such a person is a soothing presence in potentially explosive situations.  Such a person has marked “retaliation” out of the dictionary and written “patience” in the margins.  Such a person shows a dogged determination to start once again from square one with that spiritual slow-learner.  Such a person ties up all these qualities with Christian love.  At the same time, because the Spirit intends these qualities to make us Christlike, not nice, such a person will not allow bullies to go unchallenged and error to go uncorrected.

Imagine what church would be like if each person possessed and demonstrated these qualities.  Imagine the impact that church would make. Every Christian would be a living defense of the faith.  It’s why I wish it for you.

Of course, Paul’s own words remind us this vision is sometimes thwarted.  These qualities are too often missing from my life.  But I offer this wish because, we ought to aspire “to live worthily of the calling with which [we] have been called.”  I think Paul is reminding us we have been called to be part of a redeemed people, a changed people, a new people; a people whose lifestyle testifies to the fact God has been at work. 

I wish you might celebrate your unity as God’s People.

As Paul wished for the Ephesians, I wish you would “be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” 

Let me point out something that seems clear from Paul’s language.  If the Ephesians were “to maintain the unity of the Spirit” it’s reasonable to assume the unity was already a reality.  We know of churches were unity is gone; only animosity remains.  I believe better things of this church.  So, I want you to celebrate your unity.  But let me be very clear.  The unity worth celebrating is “the unity of the Spirit,” that unity produced by the Holy Spirit.  Since the Day of Pentecost the church had known the unifying presence of the Holy Spirit.  In Paul’s view, unity is the natural state for the church.  It’s a unity that manifests itself in “the bond of peace.”  

Peace is a big theme in Ephesians.  In the second chapter Paul speaks of the impact of Christ’s work on the cross:  “Christ himself is our peace,” he says, “Christ came and preached peace to you who were far away from God, and to those who were near to God.”

We Christians are bound together because we have peace with God and peace with each other.

So, celebrate your unity.  Learn from each other.  Let yourselves be inspired by the testimonies of those who don’t share your background.  When you look around and see someone whose accent is different than yours, whose political affiliation differs from yours, whose experience differs from yours, remember Christ is in the business of tearing down walls.

But let me remind you, there is one whose business is building walls.  So, let me add a footnote to this particular wish.  For, I wish you might understand the threats to your unity are many and you must be diligent to resist them.  Peace—even peace generated by the Spirit—can be fragile.  Paul’s words imply maintaining demands commitment and work.  Here’s the Amplified Bible’s rendering of the command:  “Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness produced by the Spirit.”

I do not know how long it may be before God sends a new pastor.  That waiting period may be a time of stress and tension.  Be on guard against that happening.  Hold onto the vision of being a united church.

The threats to unity may take various forms.  Be on guard against interpersonal relationships getting out of control.  Watch out for parties forming.  Pray you don’t allow jealousy and ambition to make you a pawn of that great Divider, Satan. 

Remember, there may come a time when you must take the mantle of peacemaker.

I wish you might treasure the essentials of the faith without obsessing over the non-essentials.

Some believe Paul might have been citing an early creed as he says,

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all

In this list Paul cites those things that ought to bind us together.  We are united in “one Body” for Christians in a local church shouldn’t behave like they belong to different churches.  We are united through “one Spirit” for the we are all received the Spirit and become more like Christ as the Spirit works within us.  We are united through “one hope” for we should share the common yearning for God to complete the work of salvation within us.  We are united through “one Lord” for it is Christ to whom all of us owe our allegiance.  We are united through “one faith” for each of us is saved “by grace through faith,” none of us can claim any other basis for our salvation.  We are united through “one baptism” for though the stories of how we may have come to that place may differ, we have each declared our allegiance to Christ.  We are all united through “one God and Father” for we are doubly privileged to be part of God’s family and to call him Father.

I think Paul is telling us that the Faith is to be experienced not just talked about.  But this doesn’t mean there aren’t essentials of the faith.  There are core elements on which our hope stands or falls.  Yes, we are united through “one Lord,” but we must be absolutely clear who that Lord is.  He was more than a wise teacher reputed to have done a lot of good things. He alone could claim that anyone wanting to know what God is like should look at him.  Ignore that and you have jettisoned much of the Christian message.

Just a few verses later, when Paul speaks of the varied ministries of the church, he stresses the importance of being grounded in these essentials.  The ministry of the church has its goal for us to

all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ…

I wish for you to treasure those essentials.  

But be careful you don’t get caught up with non-essentials.  Watch out for those who claim to know more than they can possibly know.  Avoid, as Paul warned Timothy, those who have “an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words.” (I Timothy 6:4)

I wish you might each discover your spiritual gift so you might work together to accomplish Christ’s purpose for you as his people in this place.

Once again I’m going to have to be content with broad strokes, leaving it to you to fill in the fine detail.  Listen to what Paul says:

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.  It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry…

In Paul’s discussion of spiritual gifts in I Corinthians 12, he focuses on the nature and character of the gifts.  Here, we might say he focuses on the gifted within the church, those who are both gifted and gifts.  But what’s more important than the contrast between these passages is what they have in common.

Both make it clear Christ provides what his churches need to do his work.  Do you get what that means?  Because of Christ’s provisions a small church doesn’t have to wait until it is big to do his work; a poor church doesn’t have to wait until it is rich to do his work.  And, remember, those provisions are manifested through the lives of individual Christians.  In both passages Paul tells us each believer possesses some gift (a charisma) from the Spirit.  Ironically, that means we are all charismatics but I don’t intend to pursue that notion on my last Sunday with you. 

Keep in mind how Paul uses “grace.”  It is the “unmerited favor” that opens the way to salvation but it is also a God-given enablement.  The Expanded Bible translation gets to the point:  “Each one of us has been given the special gift of grace,” where the phrase refers to a “graciously bestowed divine endowment.”  Those who possess such “gifts of grace” have no more earned them than they earned the gift of salvation.

The proper response to Christ’s gifting his people isn’t pride but an eagerness to discover and use those gifts in ways that will honor the Giver and accomplish his vision for the church. 

What’s important now is for you to understand you possess—by God’s grace—the capacity to do the work of the church even as you search for a new pastor. 

Let’s try to relate this to the text.  Good Christians differ over whether there are still “apostles” and “prophets” in the church.  We won’t resolve that this morning.   But it’s not impossible for one of you to have an apostle-like ability to so testify to your experience of Christ that new doors are opened for the gospel, doors that no “professional” minister could open.  Or maybe, in the days to come, the church will need someone with a prophet-like ability to apply the insights of God’s Word to some challenge.  Maybe that will be you. 

I don’t think it’s off base to suggest that the work of these individuals Paul lists may been done by Christians who never have the title.   You may be one of them.

While there’s no doubt an individual like Billy Graham can wear the title “evangelist,” you may discover that if you ever once ask God to help you overcome your fear, you might be able to help a friend or neighbor toward faith.  Of course, in doing this work of evangelism you will discover that some might trust Christ the first time you offer the gospel.  Others, probably most, will be brought into the Kingdom through a measured process.   All of us are to be witnesses, but you may discover God has specially graced you to do that kind of midwifery. 

Many believe when Paul speaks of “pastors and teachers,” he uses the phrase in a way that calls for a hyphen, that he is describing a single office, that of the “pastor-teacher.”  Once again, while Paul is certainly speaking of an individual who holds a specific office or role in the church, the pastor-teacher’s work is not exclusive to that office.  Obviously, the Sunday school reveals the pastor is not the only teacher in the church.  Then, too, even if you are not the pastor, you may be so gifted that you are able to relate pastorally to others.   You may be the person God uses to “shepherd” a confused believer, to comfort a broken-hearted fellow Christian.

Don’t ever assume the work of the church must cease until you’ve found a pastor.   God wants the work of the church go on; trust the God who has gifted you to make that happen.  Then, when you have found the new pastor, keep using your gifts to help the church.

CONCLUSION

Those are my wishes for you, some of them, at least.  In the days to come, remember God has wishes for you too and His wishes are always the best.

Before I finish I do want to say thank you.

Thank you to all of you who have, for almost twenty-three years, given me the privilege of serving as your pastor-teacher.  I am aware that in this age of hi-tech entertainment it is audacious to expect people to sit and listen to one person for 20 to 40 minutes.  Yet, you have.  In my preaching, I have tried to be clear, beneficial, and faithful to God’s Word.  I’ve tried hard to preach because I believed I had something you need to hear, not because it was 11:30 on a Sunday morning.

I want to thank the members of the Filipino Fellowship.  I consider it a privilege you allowed me to open the Word to you.  Getting to know you has been a joy.  And I want to thank Pastor Butch for letting his congregation come—not every pastor would do that.

I want to thank Philip and David who were willing to move across the country so I could do what I’ve done for nearly two decades.   You embraced them but outside the church, they put up with anti-Texas prejudice which they overcame with good humor and style.  We’re proud of the men they’ve become.

And, of course, I want to thank Pat.  Now, this is me speaking not her.  She has stood by me when there were challenges we felt we could tell no one about. She has been a healer to the hurting, gracious to the ungracious, a voice for the voiceless.  When you called me as pastor you never realized the treasure I’d be bringing with me.  Some of you may regret her departure more than mine.

Now, please stand and join me in prayer.