Ordination Service | James Repp

Invite the elders, James and Joyce to the front row.

Matt Hardy

Recently, Matt and Tracy Hardy and their family moved to Merritt Island.

With that move we agreed together that it is good and wise for them to transition their fellowship to the Cape congregation.

We also recognized that it would probably be a good time to take a step back from his service as an elder …

… to invest in a season of rest

… to establish himself in a new community and congregation

… and to await an appropriate time for the congregation at Cape to reaffirm him and install him again to eldership.

I’ve often joked with Matt Hardy when he’d plug a cord into the wrong slot in the sound system or show up 2 minutes late for setup, or some other silly thing …

… “That’s it, your fired!”

He’d always reply, “You mean it’s that easy?”

Friends, no one in this church has had more opportunities just to walk away because the ministry of church planting is just too hard than Matt Hardy.

In the partnership covenant there is this little phrase …

… even in the messiness of a church plant.

Matt has seen every single second of all of that mess.

And he has never shrunk back from what the Lord is doing there.

You see, it is in the mess of our lives, even the mess of the ministry of the church …

… that we see the Good News of Jesus Christ shine with all of its redemptive glory.

Matt hasn’t just been here for all of the mess …

… he has also been here in the front row seat to watch the grace of our God play his redemptive tune.

Matt, here is the good news.

As a partner in the gospel we get to continue our shared mission of pointing our communities to Jesus Christ together.

It turns out, getting out eldership for a season is easy, but getting out of partnership …

… we’re not gonna let you go that easy.

Romans 12:10 (ESV)

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Brother, the church loves you.

We thank God for you.

But we also honor you, as the Holy Spirit of God has made you a man of honor among us for all these years.

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Interestingly, one of the last acts Matt took as an elder was to receive the congregation’s affirmation of James Repp as an elder.

While James isn’t replacing Matt …

… that’s just not how eldership works at CPCoast

… James is stepping in at a unique moment of transition for us.

And so, this morning, we have the joy of celebrating the ordination and installation of James Repp to the office of elder.

EXPLANATION AND CHARGE

When the apostle Paul left Crete he left behind a young pastor named Titus.

Titus was left to put into order this young movement of church plant congregations.

His first order of business was to appoint elders for each congregation.

This responsibility to raise up elders has been handed down

… from one generation to the next … from one town to the next … and from one church planting movement to the next

… throughout the history of the church.

JAMES REPP

Part of this celebration is to thank God for what he has done during the course of the whole of James’ life.

We must remember that not one of us is born into the faith.

And certainly none of us is born an elder.

The Lord uses many years, and many people, many sufferings and many labors …

… to mold the clay that is a human life

… into the form of the Lord’s own usefulness.

The Lord has shaped James through churches and pastors and brothers and sisters in Christ who have invested in him for years before he ever stepped into any ministry capacity.

The Lord shaped James in the ministry of worship …

… through ministry in a foreign land, in Japan

… through pastoral ministry in Virginia

… and even as he has faithfully partnered here at CPCoast.

But I don’t think that I am wrong when I say that no one here has had a greater impact in James’ life …

… or been more present with him in all of these other ministries and trials

… than his wife, Joyce.

Joyce, as we celebrate the ordination of James today …

… I want you to know that the church of CrossPointe Coast

… offers a special prayer of thanksgiving for your impact in James’ life.

The Lord has truly made the two of you together a couple uniquely fashioned for the proclamation of his gospel and the shepherding of his church.

Finally, I want to take a moment to thank those of you here in the congregation who have been faithful, above all things, to pray for James in recent years, and particularly during his elder candidacy.

According to the mystery of sovereignty, God has used those prayers to bring the grace of Jesus to bear on James’ life, …

… to lift him out of times of sin and weakness and to strengthen him in seasons of faithfulness and growth.

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Elder Candidacy

At CrossPointe Coast we believe an elder is at his core a partner in the congregation who has partnered well.

A true elder is a man who can be found already about the work of serving and shepherding in the context of the congregation and community long before he is ever set apart for this task.

James entered into elder candidacy about a year ago.

When the elders presented James as a candidate to the congregation we committed to train him up as an elder and to examine his life and doctrine closely.

We also asked the congregation to join us in examining his conduct that he would be found to be above reproach and qualified for the ministry set before him today.

The elders and partners at CrossPointe Coast and all who have come into contact with this congregation have been blessed by James’ faithfulness, love and sacrifice in many ways.

We have found him to walk in humility and gentleness and in grace-filled, truth-telling boldness.

10:00

The Call of an Elder

Titus 1:9 - The apostle Paul calls Titus to … … hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

Since, as an elder, it is your business to present the truth of Jesus and his gospel to the congregation and community, …

… it is essential that you also walk in that truth; that you bear out in your life the fruit of faith.

That said, we also know that you yourself are a man in need of the gospel.

It is a difficult thing to be called to the standard of being above reproach.

As an elder, you are in a unique position to bring either honor or reproach to the church and to the name of Jesus.

Your fellow elders echo the scriptures in calling you to be a one-woman man, …

We call you to live a life that is holy and above reproach

hospitable, not a lover of money

upright, not arrogant or quick-tempered

a lover of good, not violent or greedy

self-controlled, rejecting drunkenness

disciplined, not greedy

Still there remains this final admonition, …

… for there is no greater way to bring reproach to Christ and his gospel than to pretend as though you are without sin.

And so, we call you, when sin or weakness or wandering comes, to remember the grace of the gospel …

… and to point the congregation to that grace in one of the most powerful ways possible–by repenting quickly.

For, it is when you repent and believe the gospel that you show us that the grace of Jesus alone is sufficient for you.

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Roles of an Elder

As you have studied in Alexander Strauch’s book, Biblical Eldership, we believe that an elder’s role is to feed, protect, care for and lead the flock.

The elders feed the flock by teaching sound Christian doctrine.

We protect the flock by refuting false doctrine.

We care for the flock meeting practical needs and ministering to the wounded.

We lead the flock moving the church along toward the fulfillment of the vision.

Finally I want exhort you along with this summary and reflection upon 1 Peter 5:1-2

Where Peter exhorts the elders among the church …

… as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:

… shepherd the flock of God that is among you

Smell like sheep — because you are one and you are with them

… exercising oversight

overseer (interchangeably with elder and pastor)

Remember, the ministry is the work of the congregation together as partners in the Gospel.

Your work is not to do the whole of the work, but to oversee the work

by the Word

prayer

the equipping of the saints.

… not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;

As Hebrews 13:17 encourages the congregation to … Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

… not for shameful gain, but eagerly

What is shameful gain?

It is using God's flock (dare I say, prostituting Jesus' bride) for worldly gain.

not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

Our authority is not an authority of position, but of witness.

Our authority comes from the Word.

And that Word has authority over our lives just as much as the lives of those we teach.

Let us show that authority by first being elders who have been shaped by the Word.

When we exercise our authority we do not point to our title.

We point to our life’s treasure, which is Christ.

The best way to do this is to live lives that actually treasure Christ.

And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

We are reminded again that you are not the "chief shepherd."

Jesus alone is the Senior Pastor and chief shepherd.

And here is the reward for which we are eager!

Here is what compels us.

Here is our gain.

The eternal spiritual reward directly from the hands of our own Good Shepherd.

15:30

PRAYER OF COMMISSIONING

Invite elders to lay on hands.

PRAY

17:00

PRESENTATION OF ORDINATION CERTIFICATE

In accordance with our bylaws, the elders presented James Repp for affirmation as an elder at the October 10, 2021, celebration service where the received the approval of the Pineda congregation.

It is now the joy and privilege of the elders at CrossPointe Coast to present you with this certificate of ordination.

18:00