January 23, 2008

UP & DOWN FAITH – Pastor Jim Stevanus is presently teaching through Genesis on Wednesday's during the mid-week service. This week he was in chapter 16 dealing with Abram and Sarai’s misstep in faith when Sarai offered her handmaid Hagar to Abram to bare them a son. Abram conceded in this effort of taking the matter into their own hands of obtaining the children God had promised them that would lead to an innumerable progeny. We look upon this failure of faith as another of Abrams up and down events of his life where he took matters into his own hands rather than trusting God. The practice was not unheard of in those days when barrenness was looked down upon. It was a matter of man taking things into his own hands rather than trusting and accepting God’s plan for their lives. As I thought about this matter I began bringing the matter to our present day circumstances, wondering about how often mankind takes similar steps today. Barren couples turn to sperm banks or sometimes transferring the husband’s sperm to a surrogate for a fee. These modern day capabilities are well known and reported in the news and seem to be considered acceptable practices with few, if any looking down on such procedures which in my mind are comparable to what Abram and Sarai did. Individual desires to have children often drive young couples to participate in such practices. (Now here is where I will probably get into trouble with some people.) Do we ever consider the possibility that God may not intend for certain people to have children, but they take the matter into their own hands rather than waiting upon God’s leading and working out matters? There may be circumstances in the future that prove detrimental to the couple and the children so propagated through these means. Perhaps God may have intended for such barren couples to find a blessing by providing care for the orphaned. Or, God may have a plan whereby the couple might be free of the burden of raising children in order to minister to others in special needs and circumstances. I had an aunt that could not have children and they didn’t feel led to adopt. Instead they ministered to the children of others in various church ministries. They were a blessing to all the nephews. So, my question to my readers is this, Are we taking matters into our own hands rather than waiting upon the Lord when we consider the matter of sperm banks and surrogate mothers, etc.? I am not judging anyone, just asking questions relating to faith. I often fear that we go through our ups and downs, having highs and lows of faith in our lives, as did Abram and Sarai relating to our walk of faith.

PRAYER REQUEST – My grandson Benjamin, the father of Logan that we have asked you to pray for that has the brain stem tumor, was taken to the hospital in Portland, Oregon today. He has cardio-myopathy and has a lot of fluid to get off. This is also stressing his liver. This is a genetic problem in our family that took my first wife and Ben’s brother David. My son John also struggles with it. Your prayers for him will be greatly appreciated.

ORDINATION – I leave for Kansas in the morning to attend the ordination council and ordination of my grandson Albert Armitage IV this weekend. Pray he will do well as he takes this step in ministry. He is the minister of music at Olivet Baptist Church at Westwood. What a joy when you know your children and grandchildren continue to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have to cut this “Musing” short due to travel.

Below is my sermon from Albert's ordination service:

Albert Armitage IV’s Ordination Service – January 20, 2008
Olivet Baptist Church – Westwood, Kansas (Shawnee Mission)
Topic: Ministry For All

The Apostle John wrote to his “beloved” friend “Gaius (III John 4), “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” I am sharing that same joy today as I have come to participate in the ordination council and ordination service of my grandson Albert Armitage IV. It is a great joy to my heart to know that my children, and grandchildren are save and serving our Lord. To be able to participate in the ordination of a grandson is one of the great delights of my life. Pastor Anderson has asked that I speak briefly on the subject of ministry during this ordination service.

I noticed when reading through Albert’s Doctrinal Statement that he repeatedly ended each doctrine with a verse from a hymn. I’d like to begin my message on “Ministry For All” by quoting from a hymn, “I’d Rather Have Jesus.” The hymn starts out with that familiar stanza, “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold:” But when it moves toward and on into the chorus it reads, “I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand than to be the king of a vast domain.”

This is how I feel about ministry. I’d rather be a servant of Jesus Christ than to be “the king of a vast domain” or the President of these United States. I have heard others make similar statements and they may not be understood by a world made up of people seeking positions of power and authority, but the thought found in this hymn expresses the heart of a true servant of Jesus Christ. Serving Christ is more important and should be more desirable to the born again Christian than any other vocation in the entire world. Few Christian servants that give their all to Christ’s ministry end up with “silver or gold.” They will however, inherit eternal life and enjoy the glorious presence of their God and Savior for all eternity in the new Heaven and Earth.

Before I go further I want to inject a truth that is sometimes missed. We are here recognizing the call of God upon a young man to full time Christian ministry. When I speak of Christian ministry I do not limit it to those who enter full time ministry. It is my conviction, and I believe supported by Scripture, that all believers in Jesus Christ should consider themselves to be in the ministry, serving the Savior. Too many Christians have a leave it to the pastor, missionary or evangelist attitude. Every believer is saved to serve and to be a witness whether in a full time ministry or fitting their ministries into their every day work-a-day life. I believe it is God’s plan to have his chosen people intermingled in all the varied vocations and circumstances of life.

In I Timothy 6:12 Paul wrote to young Timothy, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

It seems all too easy to some to read such a verse and think, “That was the Apostle Paul writing to Timothy and the command is to him, not us.” But I am here to tell you that the “also called” of this verse may be applied to every saved soul throughout history. We are all “called” to this salvation by the workings of God’s Holy Spirit as commissioned by the Father and the Son. No one gets into the family of God without His call and we are thus commissioned to serve and to be a witness of God’s grace, forgiveness and salvation.

I remember a dear Christian lady coming to me following a service and telling me how wonderful it was for me to stand behind the pulpit and preach and that I would have a great reward in Heaven. When that happened I turned to that lady and reminded her that without her aid and participation, as well as that of others, I would not be able to stand behind that pulpit preaching the Word. We are to be ministering together and supporting one another in ministry. Any believer that is not so committed to the service of Christ is a failure to their calling!

· I am to be a witness!
· You are to be a witness!
· Albert Armitage, as he is ordained, is to be a witness.
· We are all to be servants, ministering, serving and witnessing together in the same cause!

When Jesus told the first disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and low, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” it became applicable to all believers in Jesus Christ. ALL OF US SHOULD READ TOGETHER THAT “AMEN” AT THE END OF THE TWO VERSES FOUND IN MATTHEW 28:19 & 20.

When you as a church ordain Albert Armitage to the ministry you are committing yourselves to ministering and standing together with him in that ministry. The work that he does should find you serving and ministering together with him and having the same purpose of mind and heart to edify the saints and to winning the lost to Jesus Christ. Recognizing his calling to ministry should also recognize your part and responsibility in that same ministry.

I would now like to take you to a statement of the Apostle Paul relating to ministry that should be the determination of every true believer in Jesus Christ, I Corinthians 2:2:

“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

Since we are called to be “witnesses,” of Jesus Christ this spirit and attitude of the Apostle Paul should be our attitude as well. Our “witness” and our “servant hood” is to be centered in the Person of Christ. We are not called to be witnesses to our own position or accomplishments but rather to the purposes and accomplishments of Jesus Christ. I believe this is true when standing behind a pulpit, going to a foreign land or to your place of employment. Our real boss is not the owner of the establishment through which you are employed but rather Christ. Christ is head (boss) and director of our lives!

· He is the reason for our existence.
· He is the One who sacrificed Himself to pay the price of our sins.
· He is the One Who provided our forgiveness and salvation.
· He is the One Who has given us entrance into His eternal heavenly presence.
· He is the Sender of the Holy Spirit to seal us and guide us in our daily life.
· He is the supplier and sustainer of our lives.

Does this mean we do not have a mind of our own? Does this mean we cannot enter in to life and it’s many associations or activities? Does this mean we are automatons? No! It simply means we will be representatives of Jesus Christ in whatever areas of life that we enter and participate. We will not follow untruth or participate in false religions or leaders who deny our Lord Jesus. Whatever our vocations we enter them with Jesus Christ at our side and as a participant in every activity of life.

We are responsible to make this determination of allowing Jesus Christ crucified to be central to our purposes and undertakings. We are to be seeking opportunities to share Him with others as the Holy Spirit gives us opportunity and occasion to do so.

We have examined Albert Armitage IV to his capability to so live and serve in the ministry of Jesus Christ. You as a church are ordaining him to this end and with the commitment to stand behind him and to encourage him in that ministry. To do otherwise is to fail in understanding of what this weekend has been all about!

Our prayers are to be to this end that God will use Albert mightily and enabling us to be a part of that same calling and ministry of Jesus Christ as fellow laborers.

The Apostle Paul often spoke of his “fellow prisoners,” “fellow laborers” and “fellow soldiers” (Philemon 1:23-24 & elsewhere) and we should think of one another in the same light.