Farewell

This is my last Sunday with the Naples Church of Christ. Ya’ll get the tissues ready. I’m not letting you off easy.

Today, we’re going to experience some nostalgia, together. But I also want to remind us of our focus on Jesus what he done for & among us, and give you hope for the future.

I want to echo Paul’s words in Colossians as I speak to you today.

Paul didn’t likely start the church in the small city of Collossae, but he had great influence with it. He likely converted, Epaphras, a Colossian while Paul was doing ministry in Ephesus. Epaphras, took the good news of Jesus home to Collossae and started a church there. But Paul had influence there through Epaphras and so he decides to write a letter to this church to encourage them and address their needs. I feel that I can identify with many of Paul’s words and so I want to share them with you this morning as an encouragement.

Colossians 1:3–10 NIV

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

I want to unpack this passage a bit, but first I want to tell you about how I heard about Naples, TX.

Steve and I just made a recruiting trip to Harding. Getting to see old professors and meet potential candidates really brought out the memories I have of my season of searching for a church to minister with.

It was my spring semester of my 5th year of college. My plans of going to grad school had shifted due to financial restraints. So suddenly, I knew that instead of continuing my education, I would be jumping right into church ministry. I checked all the ministry boards and went to work sending out my resume. I sent out dozens of resumes. I had interviews with several churches.

3 weekend interviews back-to-back. It was very exhausting. All while I was finishing up my last semester of college, while Jessica was in her first year of teaching, and while training a wild new puppy.

When we came to Naples, we arrived at Damon & Donna’s house late at night on a Friday. We had NO clue where I was going. This was the FIRST time in my life that I had ever entered the state of Texas. We stopped for Whataburger on Stateline in Texarkana to commemorate the experience.

Around 10 pm that Friday night we get off of HWY 259 and get on one of those CRs heading to D&Ds. In case you didn’t know, for a city-slicker like me - those roads are bumpy. We had no clue where we were, it was dark, scary, and unfamiliar.

We pass cow pastures, chicken farms, horses galore. We pull up in their driveway and I see more horses than i’ve ever seen in my life. and I’m worried a myth about Texans I’ve heard might be true - that they all travel by horseback everywhere they go.

We arrive at their D&D’s and have a wonderful visit with them and Casey & Jonathan. throughout that weekend we got to meet and fall in love with some other great people. That’s the truth. We didn’t fall in love with the towns, the buildings, it was the people. You guys have big hearts. We love that about you.

I can echo Paul’s words - Jess and I ALWAYS thank God the father when we pray for you!

I would like to share a few more memories with you guys at this time.

slideshow

Thank you for the great memories! I’m proud of the time I’ve got to serve here as your youth minister. I think I was able to do some good.

I want to continue looking at Paul’s words this morning.

Colossians 1:12–14 NIV

and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

this is the God we serve! The God who rescues us, brings us into the kingdom and gives us redemption. I’ve made a lot of memories here, but what I want to do, is not JUST be nostalgic, I want to praise GOD. I have seen miracles at this church. Will you praise GOD with me!

We have access to endurance, patience, and joy. The reason - because of what God has done for us and among us.

Colossians 1:9 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,

that has been and continues to be my prayer for you.

Colossians 1:10 ESV

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;

These spiritual concepts---being filled with knowledge of God’s will, spiritual wisdom/understanding, bearing fruit, knowledge of God. These are not qualities that are obtained in a day. They are produced over a lifetime.

One of my “jobs” was to help produce lasting faith in our students. I’m thankful the leadership here didn’t judge me or my effectiveness by small-view metrics.

Spiritual formation does not occur overnight.

Growth/fruit funfacts

Jessica - our garden

My dad - landscaping the whole yard. trees in the whole lot.

PawPaw Tree - 2-8 years of growth and maturity before it produces fruit.

It needs pollination - it’s can’t produce fruit on it’s own, in isolation. So not only does it need pollinators, it needs genetically distinct partners.

Great metaphor for spiritual growth

We need time

We need the church to produce fruit and we need each other.

I’m thankful that this church didn’t expect me to do all this by myself.

time lapse video

time-lapse

Seeds taking root and growing - it takes time.

I want us to think back on the past sever years and consider your growth.

I have grown so much in my time here.

It’s been seven years how have you grown?

divorce/weddings, funerals/births, baptism/faithlessness. life change - good and bad

30+ baptisms

Faith? how have you grown?

Tune up?

Let’s look to Jesus to get us back on the right track

Colossians 1:15–23 (NIV)

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Jesus is CENTRAL to our growth.

God gives us LIFE through Jesus.

Our evil behavior has consequences. Let’s be realistic about ourselves. I don’t expect any of us here to be perfect, I know I am NOT.

My hostility towards God acts as a wedge between me and God. Jesus came to take that wedge away. He reconciles. I love that word. This is one of my favorite story themes. when an evil character is reconciled. They repent of their evil ways and return to the fold. (if it’s star wars, they’ll probably die soonafter).

We are reconciled with God! We are instructed to continue and remain in our faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope we have in Christ.

this is also a daily task. In our days we have a lot to do. Always. It feels like we add more and more to ourselves without anything being released from our responsibility.

Is there anything more important than for us to remain in Christ? What is more important than us growing into the person God wants us to be? I hope our answer is nothing.

Following Jesus should be our greatest goal in life! It should be more important than ANYTHING. More important than your hobbies, your job, your families.

What’s cool, is that Following Jesus doesn’t mean we have to abandon or hobbies, jobs, and families. Rather it means Jesus is preeminent - greater than all others, following Christ means we follow Christ in every aspect of our lives.

I also want to echo Paul’s words here. Today is possibly my last chance to make an impact among this church. As I was reflecting on what I’ve accomplished and what I feel I still could do, I joked with myself. I hope everyone knows the things I love. It’s not hard to strike up a conversation with me about star wars, hockey, my family, but I hope it’s clear Jesus is my love.

Paul’s words in the next paragraph strongly resonate with me.

Colossians 1:24–29 ESV

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

Serving the church is my calling. I’m thankful, so thankful for the time I’ve had here to proclaim, admonishing, and teaching about Jesus. None of us here are fully mature in Christ. But I believe there has been tremendous growth.

As I transition to a new ministry in Sulphur Springs, I am excited to continue on that path. But I have hope for you. You guys already know, that you’ll be fine. This is a passage I’m pretty sure I discussed in one of my first sermons.

it’s taken out of context a bit, but it’s in another letter from Paul to the church in Philippians. But I believe the same God who was at work there is at work here. These are Paul’s words.

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

We are all works in progress. Every day is a day closer to death. Yay. It’s also a day closer to our joyous reunion with God. When we’re made complete. Are you growing? Where are you going?

Look at the Faith Journey Map one last time.

Go GROW!

I want to see you grow! We’re not going far, so I’ll get to check-in and see snapshots of your growth.

Let me continue borrowing from Paul. Later in Colossians 3 he gives some heart-felt pastoral wisdom to this church. Let me encourage you with these words.

Colossians 3:12–17 ESV

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 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. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Thank you for the ways you have loved me and formed me. We are not done, yet.

GO GROW!