Commission Weekend

Intro -

What an incredible honor it is to be here with you today.  There’s an excitement here in the room.  I could tell when I first walked in this morning.  People of the Point - how are we doing today?  My name is Tony and this is my wife Kayla, and it would be incredibly difficult to describe the amount of love and compassion that has come our way from several of you in this room and others who will be around later today.  It is truly overwhelming.   You know, Jesus said in John chapter 13 - by this all people will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.  And I’ve already gotten to know several of you by how have shown love to my family and I so far. 

Honoring David, the staff, the trustees, and pastoral leadership team

Before we go any farther, we want to take a moment to honor two people who have faithfully carried this house through an important season—David and Kristi.

Over these past months, they have led with humility, strength, and a deep commitment to God’s Word. They’ve given their time, their energy, and their hearts to make sure this church stayed grounded, healthy, and moving forward.

We are so grateful for the way they’ve served, not for recognition, but out of obedience and love for this house.

Church, would you stand with us and help us honor David and Kristi today? - please stay standing with me while we honor another group of people.

Our Trustees, the pastoral leadership team, the staff, and of course - YOU. Throughout the last season of The Point - you’ve sought the Lord, you’ve prayed, I know several of you have fasted. But, what I want you, the church, to know - our staff and leadership team are an anointed group of individuals who have walked this out prayerfully, with intentionality, and with the Holy Spirit. We are honored to have such committed men and women here, and I want to honor them as well - please if you’re not already still standing - helping me honor them.

We’ve been praying for you.  Some of you I know by name and your story.  Most of you I don’t know yet.  But - we’ve been praying for you.  Kayla spent several days with several of the women from here in South Carolina recently.  And based off of what I heard - I’m definitely praying for them, can I get an Amen?  

Don’t worry - we’re gonna get em saved.  

We have four children.  All 2 years apart.  2 boys, 2 girls. 

Hallie -  Holy Roller - that girl will pray for you whether you want her to or not.  

Parker - The Loner - autistic

Lake - the energy - autistic

Thea - the spicy one - powerful testimony

My family is my first ministry and highest priority in my life outside of my relationship with God.  I’ll pray for you, but if you’re nasty and judgy to them I won’t pray as hard haha.  We will just pray for the fruit of the spirit to be made evident in your life. 

Change like this will bring natural questions.  What am I like, what are you like, how do I teach, do I have an annoying voice (you know - the real important stuff)? 

What do I care about?  What we will emphasize now? I wanted to spend a few minutes with you today talking about that.

Remember that after church today we are having a lunch, and all of you are invited - and it’ll be a casual thing where we can get to know each other a bit better.  Im excited to meet you officially, and speak with you.  

A little about me and what I care about - God, the call to my family, the call to the church.

The first thing I want you to know about me is this: There’s nothing more important to me than having a real relationship with God, and following the will of the lord for my life as closely as I can.  I get up every morning and on most days, I don’t miss many, the first words that come out of my mouth are “you’re still here.”  

Who is?  The Holy Spirit.

I love waking up and immediately speaking to the Him as the first thing I do in the day.  I’m choosing to remember and speak to the one who speaks to me directly for things concerning my life.  If you’re a born again follower of Christ, you also have the Holy Spirit, and He’s speaking to you.  Scripture tells us that his presence within us is forever, and he will never leave us, nor forsake us.  

John 16: 13-15 NLT - this is Jesus talking

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ 

The Holy Spirit, is - as best our human words can describe it, a person.  Not some far off force.  He has a will, emotions, and intellect - Just like God the father, and Jesus.  The night before Jesus was crucified, he told his disciples that he would send another helper.  Talking about the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was the first helper, the Holy Spirit is Jesus’ successor to helping us.  By truly saying “YES” to Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, is speaking to you, and wanting to grow you.

As children of God, one of the greatest gifts in our walk with the Lord is to be lead by God’s spirit.

I am privileged to have served and grown under two of the most godly, spirit filled men.  Pastor Bobby Davis and Pastor Eddie Turner.  Years ago, my heart started to soften toward the idea of leading a church one day.  I shared this with Pastor Eddie who encouraged me to continue on the path I was on, and respond quickly to the Holy Spirit’s leading when presented with the opportunity to be obedient.  I wanted to dive deeper and deeper into developing as a shepherd, pastor, and leader.  Teaching as often as I could, wherever and whenever I could.  All along the way, listening for the Holy Spirit to guide the next step.  While studying and praying the Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance a scripture that helped me see the future of my life and ministry.  Now remember, In that verse we just covered Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit will tell us about the future.

1 Timothy 3: 1-2 ESV

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 

The NLT says a church leader.

I felt a warmth, a holy heaviness, an assurance that I was on the right path.  So, I dove in.  

1 Timothy 3:2-5 NLT

So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. 3 He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. 4 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. 5 For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? 

Have you ever had that kind of reflecting moment where you look back at all the things God has done for you, and you see all of the provision and development He had you in? 

For me - I needed development in several areas of my life.  Some of those things were personal and spiritual development.  Others were corporate/ministry leadership development.  Things like, where I had only over lead one employee since being in ministry,  The Lord put me in a place where I lead one of the largest staff teams.  Largest volunteer teams consisting of over 100 people at one point.  Budgets that I’d never had before and all of a sudden I’m in charge of the largest one in our entire church.  Looking back - I could see God shaping me into who HE needed me to be. 

When we encounter the Holy Spirit’s guidance, - when He’s speaking -  we receive God’s truth applied freshly to our circumstances.  He’s not speaking something apart from what God has already revealed, he’s helping us understand it on a significantly deeper level.  

In Psalm 37 the word says that if we delight ourselves in the lord, he will grant us the desires of our heart.  And what that means is as we get closer to the Lord, the things we desire are the things that he desires for us.  

I knew, through the peace of the Holy Spirit, where he was leading my life one day.  It framed my thinking, it shaped my effort, it impacted my decision and devotion.  I already possessed a zealousness to be close to the Lord, knowing what was coming one day fanned the flame in my heart.  

Years passed by, and I stayed closed to the Lord.  The further along I got, the more I started to understand the weight of the commitment.

The commitment we’re making

Understand that - My yes is to God - and you are the one who receives that promise.  Just like in marriage - when I said yes to Kayla, I was actually making a covenant to God, but Kayla is the recipient of that promise.  Scripture says in Matthew chapter 19 let no man separate what God has joined together.  I promised God that I would be the best husband I can be, the best father, a partner through sickness and health.  When I said yes to this church, I made that kind of commitment with God.   It’s not something I approach lightly or carelessly.  

Acts 20:28 - NLT

So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders

1 Peter 5:2-3 NLT

2 Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. 3 Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.

I am not a perfect man - and I’ll be the first to tell you that.  But, I am in pursuit of the one who is perfect.  He is the Lord of my life.  Not ONLY my savior.  Everyday, my decisions, my affection, every breath I take - I want them to be aligned with what the Lord is doing and saying to me, my family, and this church.  The good example I want to show you is that I will be first to serve, most willing to pray and intercede, and quick to repent when I get it wrong.  

What you can expect from my family and I

SO, here are some things you can expect from us - and me as your Pastor.  

We are here to do ministry with you.  We know that ministry is multiplication and not merely addition.  We have a heavy burden for reaching the lost people in and around our community and we will never be the people that stop doing that.  This church will grow.  We will have programs, we will have services, you will be taught the unfiltered, inerrant, infallible Word of God.

I’m not here to sell Jesus - I’m here to preach Jesus. We live in a culture where we feel like we have to sell Jesus as a benefits package in order to get people to obey - and that’s so sad! I’m here to preach Jesus! I’m going to remind you that you have a friend in Jesus IF you obey his commandments! I’m going to remind you that obedience is an identifying mark of those are already friends of Jesus - built through an understanding of the Holy Fear of the Lord.   Our teams will be strengthened.  I will love you, I will Pastor you, I’ll get into your sock drawer and tell you biblical truth that might sting but YOU need to hear them.  We will grow in spiritual depth as fast as we allow the Lord to work in us.  But we will always, always, always go after the lost outside this building.  We will invite, we will be in the community, we will be one of the first places - with the goal of being THE first place the community thinks of when a need has to be met.

I’m a firm believer in self reflection, repentance, and stepping into what God has for your life unapologetically.  I believe in calling men to step up into biblical authority and leadership.  Calling women to understand their worth and their purpose.    Meeting teenagers in the middle of their mess, because we’ve all been there.  Being THE church by showing up for the needy, the lost, the man or woman who lost their spouse.  Or the kids who lost a parent.  I’m going to equip you to walk in authority and understanding of who you are in christ.   We’re going to help you stand in the freedom of forgiveness.  I’m going to teach you how to discern what the Lord is speaking to you.  We are going to worship in spirit and in truth together, without fear of man or judgement in the name of Jesus.  We will have an atmosphere of repentance where we can come and confess our faults to one another so that we might be healed, in the name of Jesus.  

We will build because we ran out of room.  We will improve because we believe that’s operating in excellence.  We will fall on our knees in reverence of God and in submission to His authority.

And we will be here for you to the very best of our ability.

And when we can’t be - we will have poured our hearts and souls into the leaders of this church so that they will be there for you.  

I have an extremely soft heart for families with special needs children because we have special needs children.  We are you.  We know the stares, the judgement.  We are all too familiar with the comments and “whats wrong with this one?”  Our hearts are with you and for you.  It’s not easy - and you’re not alone.  We pray for you.

Acts 20:28 - NLT

So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders

I will not bring people to this platform that build themselves.  I will do the best I can to protect you from that.  We will preach things that are true, not just because it sounds good.  We won’t bow to culture or what’s popular.  We will stand in biblical truth without wavering.  We will let God be the truth and let everyone else be the liar.  These principals will extend to our staff, small group leaders, and as many people as possible.  

The commitment we’re asking you to make

So this is where I ask for your commitment. And it’s extremely simple. I’m not asking for ten things. I’m not asking for perfection. I’m asking for two things.

Love my family. Come with me.

Let me tell you what I mean by that, because I don’t mean put us on a pedestal. I don’t mean treat us like we’re perfect. I mean love us like we’re yours.

My family is my first ministry. Before I’m your pastor, I’m her husband, and I’m their dad. And the truth is, if my family is healthy, I will lead you better. If my family is struggling, you’ll feel it whether you realize it or not.  So love them well. Pray for them. Speak life over them. Give them room to be human. Don’t put pressure on them to perform, cover them so they can flourish.

And hear my heart on this, the greatest gift you can give this church is helping me lead from a healthy home. Because when my home is strong, this church will be strong.

And the second thing is this, come with me.

I’m not asking you to sit in a seat and watch ministry happen. I’m asking you to be part of what God is building here. Because we’re not here to maintain something, we’re here to move something forward.

We are going after lost people. We are going to grow spiritually. And we are going to take steps forward in our faith together.

That means we’re going to care about people who are far from God, not just in here, but out there. That means we’re not staying the same. We’re going to grow, we’re going to be stretched, we’re going to be challenged. And that means when God says move, we move,

even when it’s uncomfortable, 

even when it costs us something.

This isn’t my church. This is His church. And now it’s our mission. And I’m telling you right now, I’m all in.

There is territory out there that we need to take for the Kingdom of God. There are people in this community who don’t know Jesus yet, and we’re not okay with that. We’re going to be a church that reaches them, loves them, walks with them, and watches God change their life.

So I’m asking you, come with me. Not halfway. Not when it’s convenient. But fully. Let’s build something together that actually makes an eternal difference.

Because I believe with everything in me, the best days of this church are not behind us, they are ahead of us. God is doing something special here. And I don’t want you to just see it, I want you to be part of it. 

So if you’re with me - say “I’m with you, Pastor.”  

Pray with me