Farewell Bethel Students
Notes
Transcript
Farewell
Farewell
Hey all!
How are we doing?
Awesome.
I know that we are suppose to finish our series on purpose tonight, but we are going to shift a bit.
I hope that is okay with you.
We will talk about purpose next week I promise.
You good with that?
Sweet!
Alright so tonight I want to share with you a couple of things.
First, I want to tell you what the Lord has been doing in my life.
So let’s dive into that.
I was offered a new role, as an associate pastor, at a church in Jefferson City, MO.
I have accepted this position at Freshwater Church and I start January 15th 2023.
Meaning that my family and I will be leaving Bethel in the upcoming months.
I would like to tell you a bit of how I got here.
About a year ago I felt the Lord shifting my heart.
I have loved being in student ministries.
This role that I have been in for the last 5 years has been amazing.
And many of you were here when I started.
But over the past year, I have felt the Lord preparing me to exist this role.
I can’t explain it, but it was a feeling in my soul that I would be moving out of this position in the next couple of years.
And that was all I knew.
That meant, I didn’t put resumes out, or even sought to find a new job.
It was the exact opposite, I said, cool God, that would be awesome but right now I can’t leave because everything here is amazing and I don’t want to lose what we have.
Brittni and I have been so blessed to be apart of the Galesburg community.
And the Bethel family.
You all know that my parents are in Des Monies and Brittni’s are in FL.
So we don’t have family around.
Which means that you all became our family.
And let me tell you something, I don’t like leaving our family.
But I felt the Lord at least preparing me to move at some point.
But I told God that He would have to move me, because I was not going to put anything out there nor was I going to be looking.
Now let’s fast forward.
A little over 3 weeks ago on October 13th.
A friend of mine who is a senior pastor, that I went to school with sent a message to me asking if I would be interested in an Associate Pastor Role.
So I agreed to have a conversation.
Which lead to us praying for closed doors, that if the Lord was in this then He would have to open all the doors and keep them open.
which he did as it lead to us having more conversations, then more prayer— which led to more conversations, and then more prayer and fasting— which lead to Brittni and I going to Jefferson City last weekend for a formal/informal interview and meet and greet.
We got to experience a Sunday morning at Freshwater.
And got to have some really good conversations.
Which then lead to us praying which then lead to a job offer that I accepted on Wednesday.
With how God has moved and directed us and kept opening doors, we believe that without a shadow of doubt that to not go would be an act of disobedience.
I then proceeded to tell Dave Christensen who is our chairmen of the elder board.
and our staff.
Which lead us to tonight, and telling our leaders, and telling you.
I wanted to do this in person, to the people that matter most to me.
It is our leader and you, our students.
At 7:30pm tonight an email will go out to the rest of Bethel telling them everything that I am telling you now.
You don’t have to keep it the DL, and let’s be real, as soon as I told you guys, the rest of the church was going to know anyways.
I know that this may come as a shock, I’m still shocked, and even I haven’t processed this all the way.
You may have lots of questions and you may need time to process this as well.
I get it.
So that is what the Lord has been doing in my life.
Secondly, I want to tell you what is going to happen in the next couple of months.
Over the next couple of weeks and months, we are going to continue on.
Like I said my first day isn’t until Jan 15th 2023.
It means that I am going to be here until after snowblast.
So get signed up!
We are going!
We are going to talk about sex, dating, marriage, all of it!
Our theme is heartbeats as well look into the different ways men and women love.
It is going to be amazing!
Get signed up ASAP!
So I am going to be here for that.
In the next couple of weeks I am going to meet with our leaders and get them up to speed on what the next several months look like.
Teaching plans, summer camp, and other different events we have.
What does make this easier, is that we have an incredible group of leaders who can lead this ministry for the foreseeable future.
I have seen them step up and into different situations with grace and confidence.
And I have no doubt that they will be able to do it here as well.
I will have more details about all of this in the upcoming months.
So that is what is going to happen in High school student ministries.
In Junior high, those who are leaders we will talk on Wednesday about a plan moving forward.
So I know that this is a lot to take in.
So I am going to breath for a second and now lastly I want to try my best to encourage you tonight.
In the book of Acts, Paul, you know the guy who wrote most of the NT and planted a ton of churches, was blinded by God on the road to Damascus.
We have an account in Acts, about a farewell he give.
And as I was wrestling with how to tell you guys about this new, I went and looked at what Paul said in Acts 20.
We aren’t going to read it all, but I want to share with you some of my thoughts on Acts 20.
Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. And when they came to him, he said to them:
“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul always spoke the truth of the gospel.
He did not back away from hard topics or hard conversations.
Paul was in this place for about 3 years and lived with the people and rubbed shoulders with them.
Over these past 5 years, we have covered some deep topics, we have had uncomfortable conversations, but one thing I believe we have done over and over again is preach the Gospel.
That this world is broken and it needed a savior.
And then Jesus came, he lived a perfect life, and then lied down His life to die for the sins of you and I, for the all of those who would repent and believe in Him.
But Jesus did not stay dead, He would rise three days later to defeat death and then return to heaven to be at the first hand of the Father.
Being our mediator, Showing time and time again that His blood has covered our sins and has made us a new creation.
That we are redeemed and made righteous because of Christ.
What I want to encourage you with is this:
1). Live out the Gospel and talk about the Gospel daily.
It is so easy to hide away in our world.
People who stand out often get rejected.
Many of us would rather not rock the boat.
But when it comes to the Gospel— rock it, speak it, and live it out.
The world will tell you to stop, but I want to encourage you to not listen.
Because the hope that is found in Christ is what the world is desperately searching more.
That’s number one.
Let’s keep reading.
And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Paul lived his life unafraid of what may happen to him.
It seems a bit bold I get it.
But Paul allowed the Holy Spirit to guide him.
He wasn't going to worry about what was ahead.
He was going to remain faithful to God through it all.
He was willing to be obedient even if it cost him his life.
I mean he said what is ahead is jail and hardships.
And he was still willing to go.
He did not see his life as valuable but what he did find valuable was being obedient to God.
Encouragement number 2:
2). Be wiling to follow God leading
I have no idea what God my be leading you to.
But no matter what it may be— follow it.
If you are unsure what God may be leading you into, pray about, seek wisdom from your leaders, and see how it all stacks up against scripture.
And if what you think the Lord is leading you to do, does not stack up against the Bible or wise counsel— run, flee, leave it.
But if it does then chase after it until the Spirit sets you on a new path.
I have no idea what is ahead.
But God is good and he is sovereign over all, I know that I can trust Him, even if he is leading me where I don’t want to go.
I hope that you understand that Brittni and I did not come to this decision easily.
And there are days where we don’t want to go.
We don’t want to leave our friends, our community, our comfort and peace.
But to not go would be an act of disobedience.
I pray that in your life you are always willing and open to where God wants to take you.
It may come with hardships but God is still good even in the hard times.
Be faithful and willing to follow.
And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
This farewell was given to the elders of the church in Ephesus.
But Paul is giving them a warning, he is saying, look in the absence of leadership, the people can be left vulnerable.
When sheep are killed by wolves it is typically because the Shepard who was suppose to be watching them failed to do so.
Paul is encouraging them to seek unity.
Paul wanted them to not be mislead, but to know the Gospel.
Know the truth of God.
He is telling them to be ready, to be on guard.
So encouragement number 3.
3). Strive for unity amongst yourselves.
I know it is easy to be clicky.
I get it.
We all gravitate towards people who have similar interest or they are in the same grade.
But seek unity as a whole group.
Hangout, get to know one another, study the Bible together.
Learn from one another, and help each other grow.
When my family and I depart there will be vacant spot.
And the enemy would love nothing more then to come and destroy what you have here.
It will come in the form of disunity.
Be unified in the Gospel.
It amazing me how when that is the center piece unity with one another is simple.
Seek Unity.
Last part of the passage.
And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
Paul is giving them a final thought here.
He is saying look God’s word is power.
It has the power to build you and to continue to sanctify you.
As in making you more into the likeness of Christ.
For you have been set apart.
For God and his purpose and His glory.
Which we will dive more into next week.
Then Paul shifts a bit and speaks to how he does not want anything from anyone.
That he is not seeking what others have.
Paul isn’t into the comparison game.
And Paul is saying, look you know I have done what I could I have given everything I have.
So my last encouragement to you is:
4.) Be ready for the season that God has you in.
Here is what I mean by that:
It can be really easy to see what someone else is doing and fall into the line of thinking that I have to do what they are doing.
And we being to compare them to ourselves.
While Paul was talking about money or apparel, I think we can get to these places as well.
That we covet what others are doing.
I would encourage you to figure out how God has wired you and then follow those passions.
Don’t try to be someone that you are not.
It never works.
In this next season be willing to give.
Be willing to serve and step up.
Far to often I hear that this generation— your generation is the chruch of tomorrow.
and I hate it.
Why?
Because you are the chruch of now, today.
You all have amazing gifts and talents and God can use you if you allow Him too.
In this next season be ready to give your to what God is calling you to do.
4 statements of encouragement:
1). Live out the Gospel and talk about the Gospel daily.
2). Be wiling to follow God’s leading.
3). Strive for unity amongst yourselves.
4.) Be ready for the season that God has you in.
Will you pray with me.
Prayer
I know that this is a lot to take in.
And maybe you are like— dude Zach— see you later.
That’s fine as well.
But I want you to know that I love you all so much.
And I am not saying goodbye yet, as there is still sometime left.
But I am acknowledging that my time is limiting.
I am happy to talk with you and process with you as are your leaders.
Thank you for listening and I hope that you have been encouraged tonight, You can head to breakout and know that you are loved.