Celebrating the Past and Looking forward to the Future

This morning I am doing something that will be different for you as well as for me. Our annual meeting is today following the service, and as part of my duties as pastor, I am to provide a report. I have found that when the report is done in written form, very few people outside the governing board read the report. Sometimes even the members of the board do not read the entire report in its written form.

So this year, the pastor’s report is being given right now, in the form of a hybrid sermon, report of things to celebrate from the past year, and also a look forward to where we are going as God’s church here at Oasis. There are several reasons I have chosen to do it this way. For one, it will make the member’s meeting following the service a bit shorter.

But perhaps more importantly, we have many people who attend our services who are not members and may not stay for the meeting, and also there are people online who can hear this but will be unable to observe our member’s meeting. Of course, anyone is welcome to attend our member’s meeting, although they may not vote if they are not members, but nevertheless, they can attend the meeting as an observer.

Many Sundays, we have visitors who may wonder what Oasis church is all about, so if that is you, or if you are visiting our church online to see what we are all about, y hope is that you will have a better understanding of what Oasis church is all about, and if your heartbeat for the things we are about matches our heartbeat, then perhaps we may be a step closer to you becoming more involved at Oasis with us.

What we can learn from Candy Canes

Now, you may see this next slide about Candy Canes, and you may be thinking, oh, he is going to tell us about one of the legends surrounding the candy cane, what the stripes mean, and so on. No. If you haven’t already heard something about that, or seen an article on social media, you can look it up and learn stuff like that.

What I am interested in is a question I asked myself recently that may seem weird, but I ask myself all kinds of weird questions. I’m just a weird sort of guy, but often I make an observation that becomes a question, and that question becomes a focus of research. Now, usually, if I am talking to you about these questions, it has something to do with a doctrine or a scripture passage, but this particular curiosity I developed actually on its face has nothing to do with the Bible, but nevertheless, I thought it could be used as an illustration to flow through this report.

The question I was pondering was this: Why are the colors red and white associated with Peppermint? The peppermint plant, or leaf, has no red or white, it is a green leaf. And yet, if I handed you a red and white candy cane, or one those round little candies, or one of the softer red and white candies, you would have a certain expectation of what it should taste like. If I handed you a piece of candy with that well-known shade of red against white, and it tasted like something other than peppermint, you would be surprised.

I’m not sure if it is the same in other countries, but I can tell you, having traveled to many states in this country, that whenever I see a red and white hard candy, whether one of those little round ones, or a candy cane, or a peppermint stick, I know before I put it in my mouth what I should expect it to taste like.

If I was handed a round red and white candy, such as those they used to give sometimes after your meal at a restaurant, and it tasted like licorice, or like Dr. Pepper, I would feel a fraud had been done on me. On the flip side, if I handed you a purple candy, or a black or yellow piece of candy, and told you to try it, it tastes like peppermint, you would probably be very suspicious. And why would these things be?

Because for some reason, in our culture, the peppermint flavor, at least when it comes to candy, is in our minds and senses completely linked to those colors, red and white. As I pondered why this was, I could not find a definitive answer. One article I found said that a candy maker had always made his peppermint candies white, and for a change added some red stripes. Or some say it was a happy accident, that some candy maker spilled some red coloring into the mix and liked it.

And some say that the red was to represent the blood of Jesus and the white his purity. But I could not find a conclusive reason that satisfied me about why the colors white and red are so linked with peppermint that we would all feel put out if they were suddenly unlinked.

What does this have to do with Oasis Church, or us, or anything? Well, here is what I have been thinking. If we, Oasis Church, would have some quality that was so clearly linked to us, as individuals, as a church body, that like peppermint with the colors red and white, people would know us with certainty, and connect us clearly with our Lord Jesus, what would that be?

What traits, what characteristics, should we have such that people, whether other faithful believers in other churches, or unbelievers we encounter in our families, our workplaces, our schools would say, “Oh yes, I have heard of Oasis Church, and when I see you, when I talk with you, when we are together, I am always reminded that you are in Christ and part of Oasis Church?

What should we be known for? What should stick to us like red and white on a peppermint stick? I think it is this: A love for God’s Word and desire to grow in God’s Word and a passion to share God’s Word with others. You see, what I love, when I am thanking God in my prayers, to thank him for the work He is doing in your hearts and giving you a common love for these things. Just as Paul told the church at Corinth about something he thanked God for in 1 Cor 1:4-9

1 Corinthians 1:4–9 ESV

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

So let us thank God together for a moment as we reflect on some things he has done in and through the believers at Oasis Church this past year.

Some Great New Beginnings

I have said before, that in a sense, Oasis Church is like a church in redevelopment. A lot of transition in a fairly short time. A big change was pastoral transition.

Pastoral Transition

It can be rough on a church any time there is a pastoral transition. For Oasis Church, you went through two pastoral transitions in less than two years. First, Pastor Randy and his wife Alicia felt called back to their role as international workers in Uruguay. In the wake of Pastor Randy leaving, Pastor Michael was brought on as a transitional, or interim pastor. Eventually the church offered him the position to stay, but he was unable to stay, and so the pastoral search team began the process all over again. They eventually called me and I got here last June.

You who have been here throughout these transitions deserve to be recognized, because you beat the statistics. You see, the normal statistics are that roughly 1/3 of the church body will leave when the pastor leaves. Now, I would argue that should not be the case, but inevitably, people will leave during pastoral transitions. For a church that had 2 such transitions in a short time, the potential was there for the church to go into dramatic decline.

However, our sovereign God is not yet done with Oasis Church, and so he had appointed some of you to be here throughout the transition, and many of you helped with keeping the ministry going, whether keeping facilities maintained, or helping with administrative tasks, or serving on a board.

I especially want to recognize your elders, including Winston, Ron, Kevin, and Brandon, for staying the course, and also for the Pastoral Search team, who did months of work before offering Pastor Michael the permanent job only to find out he needed to move out of state for family reasons. They then got back to work, and in a very careful and deliberate process filtered through many candidates. Many of you may not realize how much work these board members and committee members did, and they deserve your thanks.

Re-starting after Covid

Churches around the world faced many challenges with the pandemic. These challenges included how to respond, for some churches, to unreasonable government demands to not meet, or distancing requirements, or mask requirements, and so ojn.

The biggest challenge among this, however, was that many members within the body of Christ disagreed about the best way to live with the Corona Virus. Sadly, many people have had bitter disagreements about these things, from mask use, to vaccinations, to church functions and activities. I have spoken with pastors who had people leave the church because they asked people to wear masks.

Other pastors had people leave the church because they chose not to require masks. I’m thankful that at Oasis Church, where I know there remains disagreement on the handling of the virus, yet there remains unity in the main things. That is, our unity comes from being in Christ, not what camp or tribe we fall in, whether it comes from our understanding of the virus and how to live with it, or from other disagreements that are secondary to our main focus, which is that we are one in Christ.

We are those Paul wrote of Eph2.13-16

Ephesians 2:13–16 ESV

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

While we have chosen not to be legalistic regarding virus protocol, I believe we can all agree that to the extent possible, we need to be in comunity with one another, remembering Heb10.24-25

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

So I want to thank all of you, some who are well aware of the disagreements some may have regarding those things, because being one in Christ, we can show the world how we can live among each other, even in unity, even when we disagree on matters that are not doctrinal.

Obeying Scripture with D6

Perhaps one of the biggest things I have been thanking God for is the participation of many of you in our D6 program. We have chosen to make this a pillar of our ministry. One of the things that I hope will stick to our Oasis family like red and white on peppermint is that we, as obedient servants of Christ, are going to continue to make the teaching, explaining, and challenging through the Word of God among our highest priorities. Of course we are choosing to obey the scripture that D6 is named for, but here is something to keep in mind if someone asks you what Oasis Church is all about.

Here is what I have been telling people. In fact, just a week or two ago, I shared with a visitor as we spoke in the foyer, do you know what Oasis church is all about? That - and I pointed to the poster out there with Deut6.4-9

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 ESV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

This is what we are committed to obeying, and already, I have had many of you tell me that you are growing, and parents telling me that their kids are engaged in the learning,

Celebrating New members

We were also blessed this year to welcome 11 new members, and I have already heard form others who are interested in membership as well. We will have a connections class after the holidays for those interested in membership. Adding new members is a great sign of health. Of course, only the adults are members, so along with the 11 new members we also welcome several children as well. 3 couples that became new members have young children, and this is a wonderful thing.

Oasis’ Ministries in 2022

OCC

Prison Ministry

Bible Studies

Youth Ministries

Deacon Ministry

Deaconesses

We Must Continue our Faithfulness to Scripture

Colossians 1:9–14 ESV

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Taking One More Step

Philippians 3:12–14 ESV

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Go One Step Deeper into Scripture

Get involved in D6 or a Bible Study if you haven’t already.

Develop a reading plan if you haven’t.

Plan a discussion about what you are learning about the Lord each week.

Get to Know One More Neighbor

“who is my neighbor?”

In and our of the church.

Reach out to someone in the church you don’t know well. People who have been here a while, make plans for fellowship with our new members.

New members, too! Gary Wileman, a former pastor of mine, even on vacation as a visitor, would welcome people.

Visitors, go beyond your shyness, and ask someone how you can get involved.

And who is your neighbor? All of humanity. Get to know another human. Make that your goal. Don’t start with a goal that says, I will know 12 new people by next month. One at a time may seem slow, but in time, if everyone here intentionally worked to get to know one more neighbor, the reach and impact of Oasis church would be amazing.

One Step Beyond your Comfort Zone for Jesus

Again, both in the church and outside the church. This gets beyonf just knowing the person’s name, occupation, and hobbies. We need to have a boldness to share the gospel with those in desperate need of it.

One Step beyond the Church Walls

Sometimes it is easy to give within the church where you are comfortable. There is nothing messy about giving a check, or even a shoebox, so long as you don’t have to deal with someone’s pain or tragic circumstances first hand. We can get a sort of therapeutic, or cathartic experience when we give to support a mission that is in another country or to make sure the church has a pastor paid or elders to deal with the difficult situations.

But all believers are called to uncomfortable situations, where we help annoying people, or stinky people, or people who can’t seem to get their lives together, and yet we are called to bring the gospel to bear in their lives. All of this goes back to goal number one, for us to grow in and know the scriptures. How can we guide someone with deep spiritual needs if we are not well ourselves? Physician, heal thyself.

If you were taught that the Christian life is some comfortable life of ease, you have been taught wrong. My district superintendent in the North Central district challenged us pastors to embrace our discomfort. Embrace the awkwardness of having difficult conversations, of dealing with someone’s pain and sorrow.

Every Believer an Evangelist

Some of you know I once served in the USMC. I mean, it may not be obvious to you based on my physique, but I was. the Marines have a saying, “Every Marine a rifleman”. In other words, no matter what occupation you had within the Corps, every Marine must be proficient to fire a weapon.

For believers, every believer is called to evangelism. This is an area I want to really have Oasis Church step up in. We now have a great framework of biblical preaching and teaching in our regular get togethers. I’m thankful for that. But we have not done much in the area of personal evangelism, or community evangelism, so in the coming year we are going to talk more about this, and not just talk about it, but take action. My hope is for us to have many opportunities as individuals, as groups, as teams, to bring the gospel to others.

Let’s all agree to keep a prayer focus on evangelism, that God would fill our hearts with a passion for the lost, and give us the training and opportunities to present the gospel.

Every Believer a Disciple Maker

Just as every believer is called to evangelism, every believer is called as well to make disciples. In fact, sometimes we forget that the Great Commission is not simply to share the gospel, but to make disciples. Matt28:18-20

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus, who has all the authority, commissions each of us to go and make disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe all that Jesus himself has commanded. And this with the reminder that He is with us.

Finances

I want to thank you for your faithful giving. Because of your faithful giving, our reliance on lease income has been greatly reduced this past year. It would be great if we were able to come to a point by next year’s meeting where we do not have to rely on any lease income. With God’s help, I think we can get there. We will have more information about next year’s budget during our meeting.

One More Step Together

There are many other ways we can take one more step together.