Do you remember the first sermon I preached here at Pleasant Grove? Probably not. That’s OK. You probably won’t remember this last sermon either.
But I do hope you will remember me. I
know I will always remember and thank God for you. You have been a blessing to me and my family. Most important of all, I want you to remember how good, how faithful, how
wonderful is God.
I
have preached over 700 times since I came to PG 15 years ago. But this last sermon I only get to preach once.
So, I have prayed a long time about what I should say. And through prayer, God told me this last
sermon doesn’t need to: summarize my ministry, justify why I am leaving, or secure my legacy. Instead, I simply want to: be a witness to God’s faithfulness, trust God with what I cannot carry forward,
and release you.
Hebrews 11:8-16
8 It
was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to
another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without
knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he
reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a
foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same
promise. 10 Abraham was confidently looking forward
to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.
11 It was by faith that even Sarah was
able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed[a] that God would keep his promise. 12 And
so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with
so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore,
there is no way to count them.
13 All these people died still
believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised,
but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were
foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously
people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their
own. 15 If they had longed for the country they
came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they
were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Abraham trusted God enough to leave his homeland and go to a “Promised Land”. Abraham didn’t even know where he was going, but trusted God to show him how to get there.
Obviously, I feel a kinship to Abraham. I spent my childhood moving from town to town. Then I became a pastor who moves from church to church ever so many years at the Lord's direction. So, I I can relate to Abraham in the sense of literally following the Lord by leaving a place you love to go where the Lord is sending you.
Sarah also
had great faith. She left her hometown
too, going with Abraham. I am so thankful for my wife, Kelly. She lived in the same home for her entire childhood. Then she married me and has been moving every since, because the Lord has moved me and she has been so faithful to go with me everywhere I've gone. And that takes a lot of faith and dedication.
Sarah also trusted God to give her a son, even though she was old and barren. And He did. Sarah gave birth to a son, Isaac; and through him came countless descendants. Sarah and Abraham had many biological descendants: the 12 tribes of Israel.
But their descendants also included are many non-biological descendants. Anyone who chose to follow the God of Abraham became a one of Abraham’s children. In John 8, Jesus explained being a descendant of Abraham is not about bloodline; it’s about faithfulness.
Hebrews 11:13a says: “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it.”
These
people who trusted God with everything died without receiving what God
promised. Yet they still believed.
Now think about that. That takes some deep faith. Can you trust God even if you die before receiving and answer to your prayers? True Christian teaching holds that we are saved by God’s grace when we have
faith. God promises that all who repent of their sin and trust in the atonement on the
cross shall be forgiven their sins and welcomed into the eternal Kingdom of
Heaven. Do you believe God’s promise to you through Jesus Christ?
God has been faithful to me. 15 years ago, I was sitting in a hunting blind in the woods on a spring day, hunting turkey in Forsyth, GA. My District Superintendent called. That’s the only reason I answered the phone while hunting! He said, "I know you've enjoyed serving your church in Smarr for 5 years, but it's time to move. The Bishop plans to appoint you to Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church in Dalton."
I didn't know much about Dalton, except the made a lot of carpet. And it was on the complete opposite side of the North Georgia Conference. But I promised to go where they sent me. So, we packed up everything and moved to Dalton.
For 15
years, God’s been faithful to me as I’ve shepherded this flock. He has taken care of my family. My children each knew your love in ways that shaped them for the rest of their lives. Kelly and I have been shaped by you too. I've learned so much , grown as a pastor and a Christian from having been with you. Thank you for loving me and my family. And thank you for growing in Christ along with me.
God has
used me to bless many here in Whitfield County—not because of my talent or anything good in me. God has blessed you through me simply because I said yes. If anything good has come from my ministry here, it is because of God’s goodness
and blessing. Any mistakes or harm that's been done is on me.
Trusting God means letting go. You may have your own ideas about how things should go. But you can’t be a control freak about your life and put your trust in God. It requires letting go. You may not understand His ways, but you trust His way is always best.
It’s hard for me to let go when it comes to you. I love you.
For 15 years, I’ve focused so much of my heart on you. And I have a shepherd’s heart. I always want to protect you. I always want
to lead you in the right direction. But now God has called me to go shepherd another flock. And I trust God above
all else. And that means I have to let go. I have
to entrust you to another shepherd God will send.
So I will
not cling to you. I will not
try to meddle in your affairs after I leave. I will not compete or hinder your next pastor in any way. Because I trust God is sending you just the
right shepherd He has chosen to lead you as God wants you to be lead. So, I will be very careful not to do anything that interferes with you accepting
and following the new shepherd God brings to lead you.
I’ve spent
the last few months preparing to depart.
I’ve tried to get things ready. I’ve turned over duties to different leaders I trust so Pleasant Grove can
continue to serve God.
I’ve helped
setup a transition team to lead you until God sends a new pastor here. Amy Harris, David Crawford, Sherry Dickson, and Kelsey Ikerd have agreed to
take turns preaching on Sunday mornings.
They already have the next 8 weeks scheduled.
Rev. Don Dexheimer—a
retired Methodist minister—will cover pastoral needs that require an ordained
minister (holy communion, baptisms, funerals, etc.). He will also facilitate Wednesday night
discussions (resumes Jan 14th).
Sherry Dickson
will teach Thursday morning Bible study (resumes on Jan. 15th).
And I have
never tried to micromanage you because I know God has given each one of you a special
gift to help uplift this congregation and carry out the mission to make disciples
of Christ. So, I trust God will help each one of you to step up and support this church in
your own way.
I can’t
tie up every loose end. But I’ve done what
I can. Now I want to bless you and commend you to God. I trust Him to take care of you, just as I trust Him to take care of me and
Kelly and our family.
One of the main ideas in Hebrews 11 that really resonates with me and is so important for us is:
Home is not a place on earth.
Hebrews
11:14-16a says Abraham’s descendants were, “…looking forward to a country they
can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the
country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But
they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland.”
Whether
you've around a lot or lived in the same home your whole life, I want to leave you with this important truth from Scripture. Our true Home is yet to come. God has promised eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven for all who trust
Christ as their Lord and Savior. And
that will be our true Home, our Promised Land.
I hope I
will see you again in this life. But even if I don't, I hope we will be together for eternity in our Heavenly
Home. We will gather around the throne of God. And we will never have to leave each other again, because we will live together with God and each other in perfect harmony. And there will be no more sickness or sorrow or suffering or death.
Closing
Ceremony
As I close today,
I want to have a special ceremony to symbolically release and bless each other
as I pass the light of Christ on to you to carry it forward.
I would
like to invite some members of the transition team up to the altar.
[David Crawford, Amy Harris, Kelsey Ikerd, Don Dexheimer, and Sherry Dickson]
Pastor: “The
light that has guided us does not belong to any one pastor or season. It is the
light of Christ.”
[Light
transition team's candles from the Christ candle]
Pastor: “This
light is now carried not by one voice, but by many. And it belongs not only to
those who preach, but to all who serve.”
Pastor
Asks the Transition Team: “Will you serve faithfully in this
season, listening for God’s voice and caring for this congregation with
humility and courage?”
Transition
Team Representatives: “With God’s help, we will.”
Pastor
Asks the Congregation: “Will you continue in the worship
and mission of this church, trusting God to lead you into what comes next?”
Congregation: “With
God’s help, we will.”
Pastor
Asks All: “Will you pray for one another,
speak the truth in love, and remain open to the work of the Holy Spirit?”
All: “With
God’s help, we will.”
