A Farewell Sermon

The following is a transcript from the AM worship service on my last Sunday as pastor of Montrose Baptist Church- March 7, 2010.

When Emily, the kids and I came to Montrose more than three years ago, we were told that Montrose Baptist Church has a history of training preachers. I was assured that the members here understood how to work with and train young ministers. I was told of how this church saw numerous young men from Clarke College come through its doors- and how they received experience and guidance as to how to be a good pastor.
And so we came with excitement. We came with the hope and expectation that this church- the people of Montrose Baptist Church would be able to help us make some sense out of the Christian ministry.
Let me thank you for your patience and investment over these past few years. I believe that I have learned some invaluable lessons from you. You have taught me that a pastorate is more than a title or a managerial position. I have learned first hand, from you, how much love a pastor can feel- and how much he can, in turn, store in his heart toward his congregation.
You’ve always met me with grace, mercy, and trust. You’ve graciously obliged all of my crazy ideas and whims. You’ve offered support and encouragement at those very times that I needed it most. You’ve patiently waited as I’ve clumsily stumbled through all of ministry’s firsts with you.
Thank you.
As I began to prepare for this morning, I took a trip down memory lane. You have been the home to nearly all of my ministry firsts. My first sermon in view of a call was in this pulpit. My first attempt to moderate a business meeting was in this very room. My first Sunday as a pastor anywhere was right here. My first marital counseling session was held in my office here. My first wedding was during my tenure here. My first associational position came while serving here. Even my first attempt to officiate a funeral service came from this pulpit.
So many of my first experiences in the ministry have happened with you. And this morning is no different. I realized that even today is another first. Today is my first last Sunday. Today, I will preach my first last sermon.
So even in this time of transition, we are still experiencing firsts together.
As I was searching for a text and for the topic this morning, I realized something extraordinary. First sermons are easy. Well, if you take out the nerves and fear, they are easy. At that point, you are fresh. The church has never heard you. All of life seems so full of possibilities. Those first messages are full of hope and anticipation.
But then you eventually get to the last message. And I’m discovering those are not as easy. What do you say to the people that you love on that last day? What do you share with them? What would you share and feel comfortable that they would understand your love and appreciation and still be directed to follow God’s plan for their lives? What do you say if there is the chance you won’t get to personally share with them again?
Now, I’ll put you at ease. That sounds like a lead-in to a very long sermon. And that is not my goal this morning. Additionally, we are going to meet again. I hope that I will be invited back at some point in the future for a homecoming or a revival. I hope that we may see some of you when you’re on vacations. But even if not, you’re still not going to be rid of us that easily.
As I was considering this occasion and what needed to be said, I believe that Paul gives us a fitting passage. He provides the benediction that I longed to give, but proved too ineloquent to write.
I would invite you to join with me at the conclusion of Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth.

Read text. (2 Corinthians 13:11-14)

If we wanted to use a Pauline benediction, he gives us plenty of possibilities in each of his letters. In each letter, he gives a farewell benediction. In fact, there is one Pauline farewell that seems to used most often on an occasion such as this. In Acts 20, Paul says farewell to the Ephesian elders. I started to use that text this morning, but I was afraid that there were too many differences between his situation and ours.
The most obvious difference came in the fact that in that farewell to the Ephesian elders was a definitive final goodbye. Paul upon his final prayer, cried, hugged and kissed his fellow believers- and we are told that they were most grieved because they would never see his face again.
This morning, while our season together is coming to a close, I anticipate circumstances like those present in 2 Corinthians. Paul was concluding his letter. He was giving a benediction. Yet, he was anticipating the next time that he would see them.
This morning, as we go through this farewell time, I would urge you to approach it with that same understanding. While this may be a farewell, this is not a definitive end. We will still have future encounters. My love for you will not end. I will look forward to times when our paths will cross again.
So in this time, what did Paul share with his Corinthian brothers and sisters? What was his farewell and conclusion? How did he sum up his instruction and his hope for those people that he loved?
We actually find three primary sections of his farewell and benediction. First, we note…

1.) A Call to Refinement
“Finally, brothers, good-bye. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal…”Paul realized the importance of this time in the lives of the people. He recognized that he could not merely say “good-bye” without reiterating those things that were really important.
When you read Paul’s letters, they are often littered with little stories and remembrances of things that occurred during his visits or during encounters with representatives of the various churches. Paul could have easily been sidetracked and spent his time simply reminiscing. He could have simply said, “I miss you all. I’ll see you later. We’ll catch up on the good times.” However, he recognized that there were issues that needed to be addressed. He understood that his final words would often be those most remembered and so he shared his greatest concerns briefly.
He begins his farewell, his message of closure with a call to refinement.
He tells the people at Corinth, “Aim for perfection.”
Now, we live in a society that either loves or hates, the “P word” as Emily has titled it. Some urge and even demand perfection. Others regard it is something that cannot be attained, and even see harm in requiring perfection.
Regardless of our current attitudes toward the topic, Paul urges the church to aim for perfection. Now, does this mean that they are going to reach that goal? Certainly not. We know that there has only been one perfect person- one perfect sacrifice- one blameless being in the history of humanity. However, that reality should not stop us from taking a high aim.
Paul expected, he demanded that the church fervently pursue the goal of holiness, righteousness, and godly living. He expected that they set high standards. He expected that they would demand the most of themselves.
Paul was not pacified with menial Christian living and growth. He was an all or nothing kind of guy. And if they were going to carry the name of Christ to a lost and dying world, if they were going to be the church, then he expected that they would do so with fervor and passion.
This morning, can I share with you my desire is the same for Montrose Baptist Church. Aim for perfection.
Do not be satisfied with doing whatever it takes to get by. Don’t settle for whatever keeps your reputation up within the church and community. Be passionate and fervent in your journey after Christ. Require the utmost dedication from yourself. Demand the best of yourself and for yourself. Keep your eyes on Jesus, use Him as your model and standard, and refuse to make a single compromise in God’s standard and expectation for your life.
Now, I don’t pretend that I am an intimidating figure. I don’t pretend that you do certain things just because I am here. However, it must be noted that traditionally in the absence of a pastor, it gets easier to allow yourself certain privileges and compromises. It’s easier to miss a Sunday service if the preacher isn’t going to be there to notice and hold you accountable. Don’t allow yourself to fall victim to that temptation. Aim for perfection. Continue to live for and to chase after Christ.
Paul told the church to aim for perfection and to secondly, “listen to [his] appeal.” Paul was essentially telling the church, “Take note of what I’m saying and remember what I’ve taught you.”
I would share the same with you this morning. These times that we’ve spent together over the past three years were not just service times that we had to fill. The lessons that we’ve learned together are meant to continue on even in my absence. Remember what we’ve discovered together in God’s Word.
Paul begins with a call to refinement. He deals with the topic of the relationship between God’s people and the Heavenly Father. Then he progresses. He moves to the relationships between God’s individual people. He issues…

2.) A Call to Reconciliation
“…be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.”
One of the recurring themes in nearly all of Paul’s letters is unity and reconciliation. To nearly every church, he stresses the importance of Christian brotherhood and unity within the body of Christ.
Now, does anyone want to venture out and take a guess as to why this is such an important, recurring, volatile topic?
I believe that Paul had seen numerous instances where the church was struggling to fulfill its rightful place because of the rifts within the local congregations.
In Paul’s time, there were certainly some personal issues. You could look at the entire letter to Philemon and find a reason for personal conflict and dissension. Others were simple personality differences. Some were actually major theological and doctrinal differences.
Many of the churches in that time were still dealing with fierce doctrinal battles that had not been settled due to the infancy of the church. They were battling with Judaizers- those that longed to amend the Jewish law and tradition to the cross of Christ. There were battles between Jewish converts and Gentile converts because of social and religious preconceptions. There were battles on every front for nearly every reason.
Paul recognized that the health, longevity, integrity, and effectiveness of the local church was going to hinge heavily on their ability to look beyond differences and find common ground. He knew that their ability to draw near to God and please Him was going to hinge largely on whether they could live in peace with one another.
And nothing has changed. For Montrose Baptist Church, your health, longevity, integrity, and effectiveness is going to be determined by how well you are able to reconcile differences and bind together.
Let me challenge you in the words of Paul, “Be of one mind, live in peace.”
I believe that our church is unified in the understanding of the majority of the major Biblical doctrines. There might be some differences on certain details and convictions, but overwhelmingly, the church agrees on most interpretative issues. That is not my major concern. You have that doctrine, build on it.
My bigger concern is reconciliation within our body and community. Now, I’m going to take a little liberty here and be exceedingly honest, with the hope that you will be patient and tolerant on my last Sunday. As a church, there are ways that our corporate worship and our fulfillment of the mission God has placed on us here is being hindered because of fragile or broken relationships. Because of attitudes that are harbored, because of hurts that have not been forgiven, because of remnants of bitterness that have set in, God’s church will suffer.
Our worship, our service will not reach its full potential, we will not find the intimacy we want with Christ until we are able to pursue reconciliation.
We find a call to refinement. We see the call to reconciliation. Finally, we note…

3.) A Call for God’s Regard
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”Paul was never one to mince words. He tended to declare what he intended with boldness and clarity.
I’m certain that there were times when those messages were hard to hear and receive. However, there was an overriding factor in Paul’s ministry to the local church. While he demanded a lot of them, while he declared the truth unapologetically to them, he also loved them deeply.
Paul’s desire was not to hurt feelings. It was not to degrade or belittle those that had ways to improve in their attempt to follow Christ. Rather, he simply longed to lead them closer to their Savior. His love demanded that he share openly and honestly with them about those things that hindered their relationship.
And when all is said and done, when Paul is done reiterating his final instructions, we see evidence of his love shining through. He called for the obedience of God’s people, and then he bid God’s grace and blessing on those he loved.
Paul’s desire for this church was simply for them to find and experience all that God had for them. He wanted them to experience the magnificent freedom of Christ’s grace. He wanted them to bask in the greatest of the Heavenly Father’s love for them. He wanted them to feel the presence of God and to experience true fellowship with Him through the power of the Spirit.
I have often wondered how I would judge the success of my ministry. I’ve thought often about how I would gauge my effectiveness in fulfilling my mission as the pastor of a portion of Christ’s church. And I believe that I finally know.
I understand that there are plenty of ways that I have failed. In fact, most of my regrets are sins of omission, rather than commission. I wish that I would have found time to visit more. I wish that I could have taken a greater part in the individual lives of God’s people. I wish that I could have given more.
Yet, even with regrets, even with ways that I wish I had done better, I believe that it is still possible to be successful in ministry.
I’ve decided that the way to gauge your effectiveness in ministry is by the measure of love and the desire that you have for your people.
To you, my friends and family, I love you. And my desire for you is the same as Paul’s desire for the church at Corinth. May you experience the grace of Christ, the love of God, and the presence of the Spirit.