“Communion Meditation”
Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2 Corinthians 12:9, John 17:4, Luke 12:48, Jude 1:24-25
Sermon Transcript for January 15, 2006
By Rev. Mike Beck
Numerous people over the last several weeks have asked me the question, “How are you doing?” And I’ve been trying to figure out how to answer that question feeling kind of numb and experiencing every emotion known to man. But this week, the Lord gave me a five-word answer that kind of wraps around it pretty good —“Hanging in there, happy, hopeful”. Words are inadequate to express our love and appreciation to this congregation for all the expressions of love that have come for us. Wednesday evening was literally one of those nights that one will never forget and cherish for the rest of our lives. Thank you for your prayers. In fact, this week at home Wednesday evening, one of the precious gifts we’ve received was probably 40 or 50 of these cards that you see on the back of the altar here made by our children for us. And it was impossible to put them all up there, but I put about half a dozen of them there and asked Reverend Dan if he would leave them there for the next month or so because prayer is so important and so powerful and prayers of our children lead us. So let it be a visual reminder for you as we take the rest of the cards with us of the prayers that link us.
I just revealed recently how incredibly good God has been to Mickey and I and to our family and how incredibly good God has been to Grace Church. We know that you are going to miss us and we appreciate the privilege we’ve had over 8 ½ years to partner with God and partner with you in His ministry. But, again, I say this morning how thrilled I am at the appointment of Bob and Joyce Coleman to be your new Senior Pastor and spouse. You are getting outstanding leadership and nothing would make me more proud than to get the newsletter a year from now and see that under Bob and Joyce’s leadership you‘re running 550 in worship and all of the wonderful new things that are happening. That would please us more than anything and would simply say to us that we laid a good foundation for others to build upon.
I mentioned to you in the sermon last week that one of the things I was thankful for was the fact that very seldom did I hear the words “Well, we’ve never done it that way.” Now, I don’t want Bob to hear this phrase, “Well, that isn’t the way Reverend Mike did it!” So, carry on and you have wonderful leadership to help you do that.
We want to close our ministry with you by serving you communion. But prior to having that privilege I want to share with you a few brief Scriptures and thoughts. First of all from Ecclesiastes 3:1. We are told, “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.” Persons have often asked us, “Mike, which of the three churches that you have served did you like the most?” And I said, “That’s easy to answer. The one I was serving at that particular time for they were all wonderful experiences.” There is a time and season. And our time and season here at Grace is now coming to a close. But there, to me, is nothing sadder than to see a person trying to go back and relive the past or to see a person who gets stuck in the past. In words of the Gaither chorus, “Yesterday’s gone, tomorrow may never come, but we have this moment today.” This is the moment God calls you to live.
I’ve enjoyed all my cards, but I appreciate the sentiment behind the card I got yesterday from the Johnson County Ministerial Association. Probably, though, the card indicates that I haven’t taken the time to go to any of their meetings—it was a Happy Retirement card! I said to myself, “That’s not the reason I’m headed to Arizona.” I want to be able to continue doing what God has gifted me to do. And neither is this a fair ball thing. It’s a kind in which our formal ministry at Grace comes to a close but we’re going to be returning to our home in Franklin in June. We’ll remain there until at least this fall or early next year when the time comes that we are able to say to the Bishop, “Send me where you would have me go and where I am most needed at this time.” But we’ll see you then. And I know Bob well enough that I expect he might say to me, “This fall I am going to be on vacation, Mike. Would you like to fill the pulpit for me?” And I will jump at that chance if he affords it to me.
But in terms of this church, I want to thank the many retired adults here at Grace because Mickey and I have only 10 or 12 years now from retirement. What you have taught me about how to live that period of life to its fullest! 2 Corinthians 12:7 comes at the passage where Paul talks about his thorn in the flesh and God says to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect not in strength but in weakness.” And we marvel at what God has done during much time in which I have felt weak and inadequate. But it has just been a reminder to me; it isn’t my ministry any more than it is your ministry. It’s God’s ministry; He just chooses to use us. Sometimes He works even through weakness.
There is a sense in which I have found God’s healing for the last 13 years every day of my life as I see God continue to work despite the struggles physically. But I do believe there is a breakthrough that God has coming in the weeks and months ahead. I’ve never heard God’s voice audibly, but the closest I ever came was when we were vacationing down at Fairfield Lake in Tennessee and for some reason or other, and this is not like me at all, I got up at 5:00 a.m. in the morning and went in to have some quiet time. And again it wasn’t audible, but as clear as a bell God said to me, “I will take care of you. I will take care of your ministry. There are things I have to teach you. You will experience my healing but it will be in my way, in my time. Just be thankful.” And when God’s healing has come in the days ahead in new and powerful ways and I’m able to return to active ministry, my prayer is that I will never forget the principle that this verse expresses that God has taught me so much over these past years.
In John 17:4 Jesus said to His disciples, “I brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” There is more that He could have done to His disciples. There were more miracles that He could have done, there were more people that needed to be healed, but His prayer was these words to His disciples were: “Look, I’ve done the work that you called me to do.” And there is sense in which I feel I’ve done the work here at Grace that God called me to do these 8 ½ years. You’ll remember Jesus said to His disciples it is actually good for you that I go away. Even greater things are going to happen that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t gone away. I feel that same way for you. We went with a couple of dear friends this year to the Yuletide Celebration there at the Circle Theater. We’ve been five or six times but it had been a number of years since we had been there. They had a new conductor. But you know what, the music and the orchestra was just as beautiful as I had remembered it under the previous conductor. I brought glory and honor by completing the work you gave me to do.
In Luke 12:48, I believe this phrase is found in all four if not at least three of the Gospels. Jesus very clearly and emphatically said, “From whom much is given, much more is expected. Don’t become weary in well doing.” Those goals that the Church Growth Task Force diligently laid out, that roadmap and now involved overseas in that process provides the next stage of the journey for you. Out in the lobby this morning you’ll see that display of what we trust is an annual group from Grace Church going to Uganda. Some of you need to be hearing God say “take that step of faith this summer”. Complete that Youth Center! The youth have led us in so many ways. Keep that momentum going! And if I have one caution for you, when a church goes through a building program it is pretty tiring. But you have to be on guard that you don’t become comfortable. It is okay to rest for a moment, but always be aware because to whom much is given, much more is expected. After you’ve caught your breath, don’t become comfortable but say to God, “What is the next challenge out there you want us to meet.”
Keep the main thing the main thing. And to me the main thing us two fold—reach the lost-- those people on your street and in your neighborhood that do not know Christ as Savior, who don’t know the joy of being a part of a family of faith. Win them to Christ. But that is just the beginning—then make disciples! That’s a lifetime calling. Keep the main thing the main thing. We try to summarize what the main thing is through our Mission Statement. It is on your bulletin every week and I am going to invite you to read it with me again. This is why we are here. Would you join me? “The mission of Grace Church is to worship God; proclaim Christ as Savior; encourage growth in Christ as Lord; fellowship together; and care for those in need.”
And then I leave you with these words from the small little Book of Jude. “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy to the only God, our Savior, it is to Him that be the glory, the majesty, the power and the authority through Jesus Christ, our Lord now and for evermore. Amen.”
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