Crowned at His Coming Pastor Bates

Crowned at His Coming

(Pastor Bates)

It was about 9 years ago that Pastor Bates first invited me down to speak. I’ve had the privilege to speak here on several occasions. And I consider it a privilege to perform his eulogy today. It is an honor to celebrate this man of God.

One of the first scriptures that came to mind when I heard was 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Many of you were thinking the same thing. I saw it quoted on quite a few posts. His was a life well lived. It may not have been easy, but he walked with God. That is the most important thing any of us can do.

He leaves an amazing legacy. A wonderful legacy. Most of all a God pleasing legacy. He lived for God and not himself.

I just want to touch on a little of his life and how it lined up with what God had called him to.

I. THE CONFLICT

“I have fought a good fight.” Life is full of conflicts. Job 14:1 “Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble. All of us face troubles. It is a part of living in a fallen world. Sin is the root of all trouble. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior we have some help in the fight. We don’t have to fight alone. We don’t have to depend on man. Nor ourselves. Jesus fights for us!

1.The Good Fight. A fight for the Word. God’s word is the most powerful weapon in spiritual warfare. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2-4 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. Pastor Bates wouldn’t compromise the word. He wasn’t into tickling people’s ears with what they wanted to hear. But rather giving them what they needed to hear. A fight to watch. v. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. A fight for the Word. “Do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” Because he was willing to stand, he faced more affliction. The world is not going to be happy when you stand with God. Because he stood out for God, the enemy was going to come at him. But he continued to stand.

2.The Great Faith. Vs 6-8 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. The faith that achieves. Faith that assures. The faith that abides. We live by faith: we labor in faith; and we look in faith.

3.The Glorious Finish. “I have finished my course.” He had not fainted but finished. He had not failed but finished. He had not forsaken but finished. He did what God called him to do! He did it well!

II. THE CROWN

You all did a good job of honoring him and letting him know how much you appreciated him while he was here. He knew you all loved him.

1.“A crown of righteousness.”. Philippians 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; He sought it. He secured it. He served in it.

2.The Reward. “Which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day.” A reward for love. A reward for labors. A reward for living.

3.The Reign. His crowned saints shall reign with Him in glory. Romans 8:17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

III. THE COMING

2 Timothy 4:8 “But unto all them also that love his appearing.” When you love someone, you look forward to their coming. Aunt Minnie and Uncle Alfred. Look forward to him visiting. I know he looked forward to the family reunions. Jesus also is coming back. Everyone is not going to be happy when He shows. But those of us who love Him will. We wait in anticipation. Knowing that it can be any day and any time.

1.We love His appearing. Love prepares for His coming. Love prays for His coming. Love has the promise of His coming. John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. Pastor Bates is with His savior. His Lord. His redeemer. The one who loved him the most! I know you all loved him. But no one can love you like Jesus!

2.We look for His appearing. “Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time” (Heb. 9:28). The devoted shall be raptured. The dead shall be resurrected. Pastor Bates will get his new body. The disobedient shall be rewarded (2 Thessalonians 1:8–9).

3.We shall be like Him at His appearing. “When he shall appear, we shall be like him” (1 John 3:2). Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2) That will be a great day!

No more of the problems that we face today. New bodies. New minds. New outlooks. New thoughts. No more pain. No more death.

I thought about how October is pastor’s appreciation month. It is also a time of harvest. For the last few weeks farmers have been reaping what they have sown. How fitting it is that God chose to bring Pastor home at this time. He had fulfilled God’s plan and purpose. God knew he was tired. His battle had been fought and won. It was time for him to come home and rest. God knows. God understands. And most of all God loves. Pastor Bates spent years preaching and teaching about the goodness of God. God had planted him here in this corner of St Louis. As a light for those who were walking in darkness. He finished his leg of the race. But this is a relay race. Someone passed the baton to him years ago. He has passed it on to some of you. What are you going to do with it? Will you run on to your reward?