Farewell Sermon

Church…The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

There are too many things that I’ve learned from Southside in these past 5 years for me to even fit a quarter of them into today. So I tried to boil it down to 3 or 4 things I’ve learned and some challenges for all of us to carry forward into the future.

Welcoming and Loving

I want to tell you first off that there has never been one minute that my family and I haven’t felt welcomed and loved in this place by all of you. That is something that I have learned from all of you. To be welcoming to all and to show love to every single person who walks through these doors Let’s look at what Paul writes to the Colossians in chapter 3

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 3:12–14.

I mean if you look at all of those lofty and great characteristics for us as believers to strive for patience, kindness, compassionate hearts, humility, forgiveness. But there is one trait that far surpasses all of those in its importance and its kingdom value

Point 1- Above all the wonderful traits and characteristics of the Christian life is Love.

You see it was love that drew my family into this place, it was love that kept me going when trial and tribulation came, it was love that called me into the ministry and it was love that chased me down when I was as far from God as I could be and saved my soul.

Even knowing that being welcoming and loving is probably the most important thing I have learned in the past 5 years another thing I have learned is to be patient. My patience has gotten better over the years but believe me when I tell you it’s a struggle. I struggle to be patient to wait on things. But what I’m really talking about is being patient with people. And there are several different types of patience with people. Some people get on your nerves and you have patience with them. But I’m talking about something much deeper and more profound that I learned here.

Point 2 - We have to learn to be patient with everyone. Everyone is at different stages of their journey of faith.

Not everyone is on the same place in their journey of faith. Some are at the starting point, some haven’t walked up to the starting line yet, some are sprinting in the first turn and some are on the home stretch. I have learned that this church is one of the most patient churches, earnestly praying that we reach the lost with the message of the Gospel. We are patient because patience has been modeled to us by Jesus and our leadership here. Check out what Paul says in his letter to Timothy: Chapter 1

12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Ti 1:12–17.

You see Jesus was oh so patient with me and He still is. And I have witnessed firsthand that level of patience from this church body and have seen it produce a lot of fruit from those who honestly were not expecting patience from church but judgement. You see it’s intimidating to walk into the doors of a church for a lot of people. It’s scary. It can produce anxiety and fear.

The thing for a lot of us is that we don’t grasp or understand that. But think back to how long you’ve been in the church. But that’s what I love about this church and I’ve learned patience from watching the patience for others that all of you have modeled.

Patient

Crisis Warriors

Even though I definitely learned more than just 3 things from Southside if I talked about all of them we would be here all day. Yall you know I got to eat at some point. So the last thing that I learned from Southside is how to be a warrior in crisis. You see I have watched and had crisis come up and this church moves and rallies like no other.

This church battles for it’s people. This church circles around it’s people. This church prays for its people and gathers together to wage spiritual battle for it’s people.

But more than that this church cooks for it’s people. This church moves heaven and earth to help those who are in crisis and does it not with a groan but with a smile and a triumphant smile knowing that we are doing Kingdom Work.

Point 3 - Sometimes we have to put on the full armor of God not just for ourselves but for the others around us.

You see I have watched this church go to battle when others were to weak to battle for themselves. And That is what the church does. That is Southside. That is what will stick with me. You see I have watched others strap on the full armor and go to war for people in this church. Here is what Paul wrote in Ephesians:

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 6:10–18.

Sometimes we can’t stand. Sometimes we falter. Sometimes crisis shows up and brings us to our knees. But here is what I have learned and what I know. This church, Southside Community Church, will put on the full armor and go to battle. This church, Southside Community Church having done all it can do to stand WILL THEREFORE STAND. Even if one of us is struggling the rest of us will stand and close ranks and battle for that one that is hurting and struggling.

Having said all that I want to issue a challenge for the church. Not just this church but every church and maybe just maybe this fire will be lit in Paragould Arkansas and go around the world. Who knows right. Here is the challenge.

Challenge Going Forward

Community -

The Church can not simply sit inside 4 walls waiting for the broken and the lost to come here. We need to be about The Father’s business going into the streets of our communities and telling everyone we see the good news of Jesus Christ. You see he left the 99 to go after the 1. We need to go find our one. Who is your one.

I remember I conversation I had with Randy Alvord probably right after I started here. We were talking about reaching the lost and Randy told me that his prayer was always for God to bring him one. Just one. And when God brought that one He would pray for God to bring him another one. And so on and so on. It starts with one.

Can you go find one. If every Christian in every Church went and found one how much of an impact could we make. How great of a transformation could we have. You want to talk about a war on drugs how about a spiritual battle on drugs where we go out into the community armed with the Gospel and filled with the Holy Spirit to find the one.

Embrace the Next Generation

If the church can see the next generation as the solution to the problem instead of a problem we could be so much more effective. You see this works both ways. Those of you who are in the younger generation take a look around you at those who are paving the way for you. Those who have sacrificed to build up a church, take care of it, improve it and care for it. Yes it’s a building but we need those.

Thank them, learn from them, they have been through the fires of life and can teach you things believe me you’d rather learn it from them than have to live through them.

Older generation embrace the younger generation. All their weirdness and different ideas remember yall used to be weird too. Remember when yall first started going to church you had hymnals and pianos and organs. Now we have drums and electric guitars. There aren’t just the future of the church they are the now of the church. Their children and grandchildren are the future of the church. Teach them, mentor them, invest in the younger generation.

Build The Kingdom

Through those two steps we can help build the Kingdom. We can make huge strides to a church that spreads the Gospel, baptizes new brothers and sisters in Christ, watch life change, and make disciples. This is how we as the CHURCH build the Kingdom.

LOVE

My Last Challenge is also the first thing I learned in this church. Love. Jesus said this in Matthew’s Gospel:

English Standard Version Chapter 22

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Here is the most simple form I can break it down. Love God, Love Your Neighbor. That’s it. That’s the last challenge. Love God with everything you have....and love others.

Yes the weird ones, yes the one’s who haven’t cleaned up yet, yes the ones who get on your nerves, yes the ones who don’t understand doctrine yet, yes the ones who have more and more questions, yes the one’s who believe but need help with their unbelief, yes the one’s who don’t have it all figured out and yes your enemies too. The world will know we belong to Jesus by our love.

Stop expecting the world to act like the church. You see we can’t expect the world to act like something that it’s not especially when we won’t show them who the church is and who we belong to by our love for others. We get so caught up in what the world is doing sometimes we forget that we walk in victory. That same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is alive in each one of us who are Christ followers and He has given us a command to love God and Love others. If I could leave the church with one last charge that is it. Show the WORLD whose you are by your love for them and one another.