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Take your Bible if you would 
please, and turn to 1st 

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Thessalonians chapter 5. 
As we look at verses 12 to 15 

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this morning, and as you're 
turning, I'm reminded of a of a 

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parable written by Karen Maines 
that she entitles A Brawling 

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Bride. 
She paints A vivid scene 

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describing A suspenseful moment 
in a wedding ceremony. 

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Down front stands the groom in a
spotless tuxedo, handsome, 

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smiling, full of anticipation, 
shoes shined, every hair in 

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place, anxiously awaiting the 
presence of his bride. 

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All the attendants are in place,
looking joyful and attractive. 

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The magic of moment finally 
arrives as a pipe organ reaches 

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full crescendo and the stately 
wedding March begins. 

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Everyone rises and looks toward 
the door for their first glimpse

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of the bride. 
Suddenly there is a horrified 

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gasp. 
The wedding party is shocked. 

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The groom stares in embarrassed 
disbelief. 

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Instead of a lovely woman 
dressed in elegant white, 

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smiling behind a lace veil, the 
bride is limping down the aisle.

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Her dress is soiled and torn, 
her legs seems twisted, ugly 

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cuts and bruises cover her bare 
arms. 

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Her nose is bleeding, one eye is
purple and swollen, and her hair

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is dishevelled. 
Does not this handsome groom 

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deserve better than this? 
Asked the author. 

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And then the clincher. 
Alas, his bride. 

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The church has been fighting 
again, calling the church a 

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bride. 
Paul says these words in 

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Ephesians 5. 
Christ loved the church and gave

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himself up for her to make her 
holy and clean so that he could 

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give her to himself as a 
glorious church without a single

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spot or wrinkle or any other 
blemish being holy and without a

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single fault. 
That's the plan, to present a 

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beautiful bride unscathed, 
spotless, blameless to his 

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Father in heaven. 
And positionally that is true. 

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That's exactly what's going to 
happen. 

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But practically everyday life is
a lot different in the life of 

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the bride. 
Instead of being spotless, she 

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is filled with anger and 
bitterness, infighting, 

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quarreling, arguing, conflict, 
unresolved happening all the 

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time, making her a bride that's 
completely dishevelled and 

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unlike the bride that will be 
presented to his Father in 

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heaven. 
It is true that the bride does 

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survive the blows of the world. 
All the things the world froze 

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at. 
The bride she she can handle. 

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But it's the infighting that 
makes the bride so unattractive.

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Puritan Thomas Brooks once 
penned these words. 

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He said for wolves to worry 
lambs is no wonder, but for 

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lambs to worry one another, this
is a natural and monstrous. 

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So Paul in his own way is going 
to address how the church is to 

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function, to show that the model
life is one that adapts to each 

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and every situation with the 
leadership and with the 

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membership, so that the 
fellowship of the bride, the 

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fellowship of the church, is all
that God designed it to be. 

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And so Paul pins these words in 
First Thessalonians chapter 5, 

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verse 12 by saying this. 
But we request of you, brethren,

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that you appreciate those who 
diligently labor among you and 

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have charge over you and the 
Lord, and give you instruction 

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that you seen them very highly 
in love because of their work. 

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Live in peace with one another. 
We urge you, brethren, admonish 

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the unruly, encourage the faint 
hearted, help the weak. 

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Be patient with everyone. 
See that no one repays another 

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with evil for evil, but always 
seek after that which is good 

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for one another and for all 
people. 

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Fall very simply sums up how we 
as brethren behave and react and

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adapt to those who lead us and 
to those around us, so that the 

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Church can be that which God 
designed it to be. 

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So the model life is not just 
one of abstinence in chapter 4, 

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verses 1 to 8, or aspiration in 
chapter 4, verses 9 to 12, or 

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anticipation in chapter 4, 
verses 13 to 18, or alertness 

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chapter 5, verses 1 to 11, but 
adaptability, flexibility, the 

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ability to get along one with 
another within the body of 

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Christ. 
And so he requests, He said that

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in chapter 4 verse #1 as well. 
He appeals to them, first of all

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in their relationship to the 
leadership and then in the 

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relationship to one another. 
Now, whether there was conflict 

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in the church, we don't 
necessarily know, but we know 

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that the Church of Thessalonica 
was a young church, and so those

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who led in the church were young
in the Lord. 

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They weren't mature men who had 
been around and seasoned in 

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their lives and walk with the 
Lord over a period of time. 

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They they were young like 
everyone else was young in the 

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Lord, in the church. 
And so these men, young and the 

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Lord were appointed by Paul to 
lead in the church, doesn't call

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them elders, but he says they do
have charge over you. 

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So they have some kind of 
leadership responsibility and 

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maybe there was conflict between
some of the members in the 

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church. 
So he gives them exhortation as 

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to how it is you are to respond 
to the leadership. 

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And then he gives them 
exhortation on how you are to 

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respond to the membership one 
one another. 

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And then he says this is how the
fellowship of the church will be

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all that God wants it to be. 
So when it comes to the 

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leadership, in verses 12 and 13,
he gives 3 exhortations, 3 

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responses, three ways that you 
are to deal with them. 

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Number one is appreciation for 
the person. 

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Number 2 is admiration for his 
position and #3A preservation of

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the peace. 
First of all, he says there 

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needs to be an appreciation for 
the person. 

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Look what he says. 
He says very clearly in verse 

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12, We request of you, brethren,
that you appreciate those who 

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diligently labor among you and 
have charge over you in the Lord

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and give you instruction. 
The reason you appreciate them 

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is because of the fact that they
labor among you. 

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They lead you, and they look 
after you. 

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That's why you appreciate them. 
And the word appreciate means to

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to know intimately. 
And it's really interesting 

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because Paul is exhorting the 
church to know the leadership 

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intimately. 
Usually the leaders are exhorted

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to know the church intimately, 
but here the church is exhorted 

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to know the leadership 
intimately. 

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He puts a responsibility on the 
church to appreciate those who 

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lead them, who are over them in 
a way that they would know them 

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in an intimate manner. 
And so he puts the 

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responsibility of the church to 
know them and to appreciate 

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them. 
Why? 

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Number one is because they 
diligently labor among you, not,

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not over you, but but among you 
that they're working hard in the

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word. 
They're working hard to, to, to 

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treat you in a way that honors 
the Lord. 

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They're working hard at at 
leading you in in the proper 

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way. 
It it was used to Paul earlier 

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in chapter 2 when he said these 
words in verse #9 for you 

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recall, brethren, are labor and 
hardship. 

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How working night and day so as 
not to be a burden to any of 

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you. 
We proclaim to you the gospel of

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God. 
He says, you know, brethren, how

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we worked hard among you. 
In fact, in chapter 2, we talked

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about the model leader. 
He says, you know this about us.

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You know that about us. 
You are witnesses about us. 

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You know us intimately because 
this is how we behaved among 

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you. 
And so now he's telling the 

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church at Thessalonica to 
appreciate those who lead them, 

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who labor among them, that they 
might understand their 

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responsibility in terms of their
walk with the Lord. 

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Now, I've been around a long 
time, and I've seen a lot of my 

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friends and colleagues in 
pastoral ministry go through 

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churches unbelievably fast 
simply because they did not 

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sense any appreciation from 
those they led. 

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And there are various reasons 
for that, and I understand that.

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But I'm a firm believer that you
work through those situations 

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that that you stay long where 
you're at, that you just don't 

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come and because of conflict or 
because of somebody who's 

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irritated with you or doesn't 
like you, you end up leaving 

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because you can't get along with
people. 

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No, you need to work through 
those situations. 

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I'm a firm believer that every 
pastor needs to stay in one 

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church and one church only. 
I'm a firm believer that I don't

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think you ought to change 
churches to churches. 

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I think that's wrong. 
I think that's instability for 

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the people. 
I think it's not good for the 

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church. 
You need to stay where God has 

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called you to minister. 
But even with some of those men 

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who stayed a long time, they 
were running out of the church. 

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Take for example, Jonathan 
Edwards. 

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He was the the author of the 
Great Awakening, the the 

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greatest revival in American 
history, probably the greatest 

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theologian of his day. 
He pastored the same church for 

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23 years. 
So you're a part of this church 

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and in the 1700s, and you have 
Jonathan Edwards as your pastor,

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and he's the greatest 
theological mind of his day. 

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He's preaching and teaching, 
working hard, laboring among you

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to teach you the truth of God's 
Word. 

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And in the 23rd year of his 
ministry, the people ran him out

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of the church, ran him out. 
They were done with them in the 

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end of this ministry, teaching a
dozen Indians the simple gospel 

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message. 
The church that he pastored for 

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23 years did everything they 
could to soil his reputation so 

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no one would hire him as their 
pastor. 

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Think about that. 
The greatest theological mind of

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the 17th century or the 1700s 
was booted from his church. 

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It gets worse. 
Move to the 1800s, You had the 

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greatest preacher, whoever 
lived, the Prince of Preachers, 

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Charles Spurgeon. 
He was a part of his church for 

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over 30 years. 
He was so popular, he was so 

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great, that when he was done 
preaching, they would edit his 

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sermons, put them on every ship 
that left England so that the 

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world would hear the gospel 
message preached by the Prince 

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of Preachers. 
Think about that. 

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How long would it take a ship to
leave England, to get to where 

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you live? 
You'd be waiting weeks, months 

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to hear that message that was 
preached by Spurgeon. 

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But that's what they did. 
And they ran off all these 

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copies and they put them on the 
ships and they moved them out 

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all around the world. 
Here he was pastoring the church

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in England, and after 30 years 
of ministry, the Baptist Union 

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voted him out. 
And you know who the final vote 

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was? 
It was his associate pastor, who

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just happened to be his very own
brother. 

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And he was booted out after all 
those years of ministry simply 

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because of a stand on truth and 
his uncompromising conviction of

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the on the word of God. 
Think about that. 

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You see, it's one thing for a 
man to be in a church for two or

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three years and move on. 
It's nothing for a man to be in 

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church for a long period of 
time, 2 decades, 3 decades, 4 

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decades and the church rise up 
and say we're done with you, you

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got to go. 
And Paul says to those in 

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Thessalonica, I I want you to 
appreciate those who labor among

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you. 
I want you to know them 

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intimately. 
I want you to value them. 

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I want you to realize the task 
before them. 

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You see, one of the one of the 
problems with with laboring 

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among the people is not so much 
the work involved, it's the 

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loneliness involved. 
I tell people all the time, 

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listen, you want to go into the 
pastorate, that's great. 

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But I want you to know you must 
learn to love loneliness to be a

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pastor, to be any kind of leader
worth any salt. 

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You must learn to love 
loneliness because you're 

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isolated, you're on an island, 
you're going to make decisions. 

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Leaders are decision makers. 
You make a decision. 

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People are not going to like the
decision you made. 

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There'll be up in arms against 
your decision. 

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So you can't make decisions on 
basing what you do to please 

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people. 
You do it based on pleasing the 

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Lord and, and sometimes you're 
going to make decisions that 

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people are not happy with, but 
it requires great loneliness. 

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Paul experienced that. 
Remember over in Second Timothy 

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chapter 1, Paul says these 
words. 

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He says to Timothy, You are 
aware of the fact that all who 

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are in Asia turned away from me.
Here's the apostle Paul all 

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right, and all those in Asia 
turned away from me, among whom 

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are fragilis and homogeneous. 
The Lord grant mercy to the 

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House of onociferous, for he 
often refreshed me and was not 

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ashamed of my chains. 
In other words, there were those

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who deserted him because they 
were ashamed of Paul and ashamed

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of the fact that he was in 
prison. 

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But not onosiferous, whose name 
means bringer of prophet. 

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Onosiferous one to bring prophet
to Paul. 

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So he says these words. 
But when he was in Rome, verse 

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17, he eagerly searched for me 
and found me. 

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The Lord grant to him to find 
mercy from the Lord on that day.

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And you know very well what 
services he rendered at Ephesus,

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Paul says as he's riding away in
this Mamertine prison in Rome. 

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Everybody in Asia has forsaken 
me, but there is one guy on 

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Luciferous who searched for me 
and found me. 

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00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:14,720
The Lord granted mercy to his 
household, but Paul was isolated

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because he was in prison. 
Look what it says earlier in 

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chapter 4. 
Later in chapter 4, he says in 

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verse #9 make every effort to 
come to me soon, For Demas, 

238
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having loved this present world,
has deserted me and gone to 

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00:18:30,360 --> 00:18:35,280
Thessalonica. 
Demas deserted him, He left him.

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00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:41,240
Demas was a disciple of the 
apostle Paul, but there were so 

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00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:46,160
many people that would desert 
him and leave him isolated. 

242
00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:51,160
And the later it says this in 
verse #16 at my first offense, 

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no one supported me. 
No one but all deserted me. 

244
00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,720
Everybody left me. 
I was all alone. 

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00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:06,720
May it not be counted against 
them. 

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00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:08,200
This, this is so good. 
Listen. 

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But the Lord stood with me and 
strengthened me so that through 

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me the proclamation might be 
fully accomplished, and that all

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00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:20,320
the Gentiles might hear, and I 
was rescued out of the lion's 

250
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:22,520
mouth. 
The Lord will rescue me from 

251
00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:26,040
every evil deed, and will bring 
me safely to His heavenly 

252
00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:29,160
Kingdom. 
To him be the glory forever and 

253
00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,160
ever. 
Amen. 

254
00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:35,240
So here's Paul at the end of his
ministry, and he's in this 

255
00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:38,640
memory team prison in Rome, and 
he's talking to young Timothy 

256
00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:42,720
because Timothy needs to be 
prepared for the fact that he's 

257
00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,920
going to be deserted. 
He's going to be left alone. 

258
00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,960
It's going to happen. 
If you're going to lead, this is

259
00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:51,960
what takes place. 
But know this, that the Lord 

260
00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,040
stood with me. 
The Lord will always stand with 

261
00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:59,440
the leader who stands alone, and
the Lord will stand with that 

262
00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:03,800
man and rescue him as he rescued
the apostle Paul and 

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00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:06,880
strengthened him to God be the 
glory. 

264
00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:11,240
And so you got to realize that 
the labor in the ministry is not

265
00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,520
so much the, the preparation, 
the counseling, the teaching, 

266
00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,800
the late hours. 
The Paul would say to those in 

267
00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:20,760
in Ephesus. 
I labored day and night with 

268
00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:24,880
tears. 
Acts Chapter 20, verse #31 

269
00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:27,600
Because I wanted you to hear the
gospel. 

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00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:31,560
And that's that's hard work, 
that's labor, that's strenuous 

271
00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:34,320
work. 
But but the hardest work is when

272
00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:39,640
your friends desert you and they
leave you and they walk away 

273
00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:43,160
from the ministry and they want 
nothing to do with you anymore. 

274
00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:47,800
And Paul experienced that all 
the time. 

275
00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:53,400
And so Paul says, and 1st, 
that's the way it's five. 

276
00:20:53,400 --> 00:21:00,320
I want you to appreciate those 
who, who labor among you. 

277
00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:07,080
And then he says this. 
Not only do they labor among 

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00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:15,880
you, he says, but he says they 
have charge over you in the 

279
00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:22,280
Lord. 
They have charge over you in the

280
00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:23,520
Lord. 
In other words, they stand 

281
00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:27,200
before you. 
They, they stand ahead of you. 

282
00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:29,480
Why? 
Because they're examples. 

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00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:34,040
They're leaders. 
See all, all, all leaders are, 

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00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:37,720
are examples. 
I, I want you to appreciate them

285
00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:43,080
because they set themselves up 
as standing before you as 

286
00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:44,680
examples that they're, they're 
leading you. 

287
00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,560
You can't, you can't lead unless
you're, you're in front. 

288
00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:51,280
And so that they're in front, so
you can see their lives. 

289
00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,160
That's just so important. 
That's why Paul told Timothy in 

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00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:56,960
First Timothy 412. 
Timothy, I know you're young, 

291
00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,640
but let no man look down upon 
your youth, but be thou an 

292
00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:04,680
example in your life, in your 
love, in your, in your faith, in

293
00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:06,880
your, in your purity, in your 
devotion. 

294
00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:12,000
Make sure you set yourself up as
an example for everyone to see, 

295
00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:14,240
because that's the power of 
leadership. 

296
00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:16,600
It's influence, it's impact, 
right? 

297
00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:18,880
You know what? 
This has fathers, right? 

298
00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:21,360
You can, you can tell your 
children all kinds of things, 

299
00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:24,240
but if you don't lead by 
example, then they're not going 

300
00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:27,480
to follow. 
You have to lead by example. 

301
00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:29,960
You have to show them the way to
go. 

302
00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:31,960
Just can't tell them the way to 
go. 

303
00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:33,760
You got to show them the way to 
go. 

304
00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,000
And this is what this is what 
Paul does. 

305
00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:42,720
He says, look, they are those 
who who stand before you, they 

306
00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:46,120
lead you, not only the labor 
among you, but but they lead 

307
00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:48,360
you, they're in front. 
And so learn to know them 

308
00:22:48,360 --> 00:22:50,800
intimately. 
But that's just so important. 

309
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:55,200
Let me give you an example. 
Number of years ago, a lady came

310
00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,920
up to me after our first service
and she says, you know, I, I've 

311
00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:02,040
heard you talk about your wife 
over the years and say things 

312
00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:04,000
about her. 
But but I've been coming to the 

313
00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:08,880
church for a long time, but I've
never ever seen your wife. 

314
00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:17,640
So I just am curious as a 
pastor, why is that I never see 

315
00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,760
your wife? 
I said that's a great question. 

316
00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:25,800
I said my wife, she works in the
two and three-year old in the 

317
00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:28,680
first service. 
That's why you don't see her. 

318
00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,200
I said I assume you only come to
the first service. 

319
00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:34,440
She said yes, I just come to the
first service. 

320
00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:38,320
I said if you would come to the 
second service you would see her

321
00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:42,720
sitting down front with me. 
I said better yet, you could go 

322
00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:47,440
to the first service and serve 
alongside of her in the twos and

323
00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:50,800
threes. 
Then you would know her 

324
00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:56,520
intimately and then you could 
come and worship beside us in 

325
00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,360
the second service and you would
see her. 

326
00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:02,880
Or even you could come on 
Wednesday nights. 

327
00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:05,880
Do you come on Wednesdays? 
She says no. 

328
00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:09,320
I said, well, if you came on 
Wednesdays, you would see her in

329
00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:11,560
the Bible study. 
You would see her here. 

330
00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:18,680
I said it's important that you 
ask the question because as a 

331
00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:23,000
leader, if you don't see my 
wife, there is a problem. 

332
00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:30,400
As an elder, if you don't see my
wife, that's the problem, right?

333
00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:32,880
Why? 
Because you need to see how we 

334
00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:37,400
interact, how we worship 
together, how we pray together. 

335
00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:41,400
You need to see the physical 
affection that we have one for 

336
00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:43,920
another that provides an 
example. 

337
00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:46,720
You need to be able to see my 
children. 

338
00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:49,000
Why? 
Because it's the leader. 

339
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,400
You're in a bubble, right? 
And everything about the leader 

340
00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:56,480
is magnified in the bubble. 
And so you have to be able to 

341
00:24:56,480 --> 00:25:00,320
say, look, follow me as as I 
follow Christ. 

342
00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:05,000
And so as people look into the 
bubble, everything is magnified 

343
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,320
and bigger than than normal. 
But you must be able to see the 

344
00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:10,920
leader's wife and you must be 
able to see the leader's 

345
00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:15,000
children because you want to 
know how he functions at home, 

346
00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:17,280
right? 
Does he lead his family? 

347
00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:20,600
Are his children in submission 
to his authority that he follow 

348
00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:24,800
his leadership right. 
Why because they are set before 

349
00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,000
you. 
They are examples, Paul says I 

350
00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:28,920
want you to appreciate these men
Why? 

351
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:31,280
Because they labor among you and
they lead you. 

352
00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,240
They're in front of you. 
Watch their lives, see their 

353
00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:38,920
lives, because you have to 
examine their lives and examine 

354
00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,640
them in light of the Scripture 
and, and to see the man's wife 

355
00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:44,600
and to see the man's children 
and see how he interacts with 

356
00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:46,080
them. 
Because that's the essence of 

357
00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:48,360
leadership, right? 
Because if a leader's 

358
00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:56,000
effectiveness at home is 
minimized, then the ministry in 

359
00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:57,840
the church will never be 
maximized. 

360
00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:04,600
It will always be minimized. 
People need to be able to see. 

361
00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:09,040
And so therefore I told the 
lady, I said, that's a great 

362
00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:11,720
question that holds me 
accountable and I want to be 

363
00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:13,960
accountable to you for that. 
That's great. 

364
00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,920
But I said, if you come to the 
second service, my wife will be 

365
00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:22,400
right down here with me sitting 
right here and you won't miss 

366
00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:24,880
her and you can, I'll introduce 
her to you. 

367
00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,640
And a couple of weeks later, she
decided to come to the second 

368
00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:33,080
service and I introduced her to 
my wife. 

369
00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:36,120
She didn't get involved in 
serving at all, but she just 

370
00:26:36,120 --> 00:26:38,680
came to 1 service. 
And that's OK, at least at least

371
00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:41,240
she came, right? 
But you see that that just 

372
00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:44,200
reminded me of the 
accountability that elders have 

373
00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:48,120
that leaders have in the church 
to make sure that they are out 

374
00:26:48,120 --> 00:26:51,320
front leading the way in their 
marriage with their children, 

375
00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:55,160
seen by the people of the 
church, so that the church can 

376
00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:59,360
observe the leadership of the 
man in his family. 

377
00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:08,320
That is so incredibly important.
And Paul says these men are out 

378
00:27:08,360 --> 00:27:13,160
in front. 
Appreciate them for their way 

379
00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:15,000
they lead you. 
Appreciate them for the way they

380
00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:18,000
labor among you and pre 
appreciate them. 

381
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:22,840
Thirdly, simply because they 
looked after you. 

382
00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,760
He says they they give you 
instruction. 

383
00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:32,640
In other words, they put into 
mind those things you need to 

384
00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:34,720
know. 
That's very important. 

385
00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:39,200
Appreciate them because they're 
going to correct you, they're 

386
00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:42,080
going to instruct you, they're 
going to teach you. 

387
00:27:43,120 --> 00:27:45,920
The reason you appreciate your 
leaders is because they want to,

388
00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:47,800
they want to feed you the word 
of God. 

389
00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:51,080
This is so important. 
You see these, these are new 

390
00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:54,000
believers, right? 
And, and, and, and Thessalonica.

391
00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:55,200
Well, what did new believers 
need? 

392
00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:58,160
What, what does your baby need? 
You, you, you have a newborn 

393
00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:01,600
baby and the baby comes out and,
and, and what is the most 

394
00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,880
important thing your baby needs?
Your hugs. 

395
00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:07,880
Nope. 
Your kisses. 

396
00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:13,360
Nope. 
A new blanket, a new car seat, a

397
00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:19,000
new stroller, a new bed. 
Those are all great things, but 

398
00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,360
that's not what they need them. 
What do they need the most? 

399
00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:25,800
They got to eat. 
If you don't feed them, they're 

400
00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,000
going to die. 
If you don't hug them, they're 

401
00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,040
still going to live as long as 
they're fed. 

402
00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:36,640
If they have the bat, a terrible
one wheeled stroller, they'll 

403
00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:41,240
still survive, right? 
If you don't kiss them, they're 

404
00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,280
still going to make it to the 
next day. 

405
00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:47,200
But if you don't feed them, 
they're dead. 

406
00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,400
You got to feed them. 
That's what babies need. 

407
00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:55,240
And Paul says you appreciate 
them because they're going to 

408
00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,520
instruct you. 
They're going to put in the in 

409
00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:00,400
the into your mind the things 
you need to know in order to 

410
00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:03,640
live the way you need to live 
for the glory and honor of of 

411
00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:09,200
the king. 
And so you appreciate them for 

412
00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:13,560
that. 
So many times people are 

413
00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,800
unappreciative of the fact that 
a leader would come to them and 

414
00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:22,400
and confront them on an issue or
talk to them about an issue and 

415
00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:25,080
they get offended. 
But they only care for your 

416
00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:27,760
soul. 
They're looking out for you. 

417
00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:30,440
They want what's best for you 
and your family. 

418
00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:35,040
So Paul says appreciate them. 
Appreciate the person because he

419
00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:40,160
laborers among you. 
He he leads you, he's out in 

420
00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:45,400
front and he looks after you. 
He looks after your soul. 

421
00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:49,920
That's why he instructs you and 
teaches you and put things into 

422
00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:54,520
your mind so you'll understand 
the way to go. 

423
00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:58,960
So there's needs to be an 
appreciation for the person and 

424
00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:02,520
then an affirmation of his 
position. 

425
00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:08,200
Look what he says. 
He says these words in verse 13 

426
00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:13,800
and that you esteem them very 
highly in love because of their 

427
00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:18,760
work, their position, what it is
they're doing. 

428
00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:23,960
There needs to be an elevation 
of them because not the person, 

429
00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:27,360
but because of their position, 
because the word God has put 

430
00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:30,240
them that that that's that's 
where they're at. 

431
00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:35,320
Esteem them very highly because 
of the work that God's given to 

432
00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:39,360
them. 
No, no, Remember Paul in Acts 23

433
00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:43,040
when he spoke out against 
Agrippa. 

434
00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:49,160
Remember what he says in Acts 23
verse #5 he says, I was not 

435
00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:53,280
aware, brethren, that he was the
high priest. 

436
00:30:53,880 --> 00:31:00,040
For it is written, you shall not
speak evil of a ruler of your 

437
00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:06,160
people. 
Paul apologized because he 

438
00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:08,640
didn't know that Ananias was the
the high priest. 

439
00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:17,440
He spoke rudely to him. 
If God thinks that speaking 

440
00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:26,600
rudely to an unbelieving ruler 
or official is wrong, what do 

441
00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:32,000
you think he thinks about those 
in the church who speak evil of 

442
00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:38,960
those who lead in the church? 
Think about that. 

443
00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:46,080
So Paul apologized, I was wrong.
This is God put him in the 

444
00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:50,960
position, God has him there, and
I was wrong to speak rudely to 

445
00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:54,720
him. 
Well, how much do you think it 

446
00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:59,880
would be in the mind of God if 
you were to speak rudely, rudely

447
00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:04,160
of those that God had placed in 
the position of leadership in 

448
00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:08,360
the church? 
He says esteem them highly for 

449
00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:11,400
their work's sake. 
What are they doing? 

450
00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:12,760
They're they're in the work of 
the Lord. 

451
00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:14,200
They're they're serving the 
Lord. 

452
00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:20,360
A A number of years ago, John 
MacArthur was asked why he loved

453
00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:24,720
the church. 
And so he began to to write the 

454
00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:29,760
reasons why he loved the church 
on a napkin in a restaurant. 

455
00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:33,520
And the very first thing he 
wrote was this. 

456
00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:41,640
He says #1 I love being a pastor
because the church is the only 

457
00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:45,920
institution Christ promised to 
build and bless. 

458
00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:50,240
Christ is only doing one thing 
in the world. 

459
00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:54,440
I know that might be shocking to
say, maybe sounds a little 

460
00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:57,240
oversimplified, but it's 
actually the truth. 

461
00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:01,480
Christ is only doing one thing 
in the world, and that is He is 

462
00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:05,520
building His church. 
God is through the Holy Spirit 

463
00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:08,920
under the Lordship of Jesus 
Christ, calling out of people 

464
00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:12,440
for His name. 
The part of history that matters

465
00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:18,280
is the redemptive part. 
All the rest of human history is

466
00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:21,760
simply backdrop. 
It's Decor. 

467
00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:27,080
It's the staging for the real 
drama, which is the drama of 

468
00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:31,320
redemption and how exhilarating 
it is to be in the middle of 

469
00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:35,680
that, to be a part of the only 
thing that Christ is doing in 

470
00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:38,240
the world and that is building 
his church. 

471
00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:42,480
If I want to be at the epicenter
of what God is moving, then I 

472
00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:46,360
need to be in the church. 
God's purpose in the world is to

473
00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,800
call to Himself a redeemed 
people who will live to the 

474
00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:53,400
praise of His glory, to build 
His church, to build the body. 

475
00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:57,960
And there is no greater calling 
possible, conceivable than to be

476
00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:01,480
a servant of Christ and under 
shepherd in the church. 

477
00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:06,200
It is of great comfort and great
encouragement and great joy and 

478
00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:09,400
produces great gratitude in my 
heart that God has given me a 

479
00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:14,520
small part to play in the work 
of Christ, to build His church. 

480
00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:21,040
I wouldn't, he says, stoop to do
anything else. 

481
00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:26,560
What a statement. 
I'm in the epicenter of what God

482
00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:28,080
is doing this. 
God's only doing one thing. 

483
00:34:28,199 --> 00:34:31,760
He's only involved in one 
building project, the church. 

484
00:34:33,159 --> 00:34:34,960
That's it. 
Why would I do anything else? 

485
00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:39,199
Why try to accomplish anything 
else? 

486
00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:43,040
I'm involved in doing what God 
Himself is building. 

487
00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:47,400
He loved the church. 
He loved being a pastor of the 

488
00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:50,480
church. 
So for 50-6 years he remained 

489
00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:52,760
the pastor at Grace Community 
Church until God called him 

490
00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:55,920
home. 
That was his mission in life. 

491
00:34:57,160 --> 00:35:02,560
That should be the the the the 
church's leaders response and 

492
00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:04,560
everything. 
I love being a pastor because 

493
00:35:04,720 --> 00:35:08,560
this is what God is doing in the
world and I'm at the center of 

494
00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:11,880
it. 
This is so great, so grand. 

495
00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:13,440
What? 
Who can do anything better than 

496
00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:16,960
this? 
That's why it says if any man 

497
00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:25,320
desires the office of an elder, 
he desires a noble work, a noble

498
00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:26,800
work. 
Why? 

499
00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:32,240
Because you're involved in the 
building project of the Lord God

500
00:35:32,240 --> 00:35:37,560
Almighty. 
And therefore Paul says, I want 

501
00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:43,480
you to to admire these these 
people for their work's sake, 

502
00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:46,160
for the position that God's 
given to them. 

503
00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:51,800
You might not like the person, 
but admire the position of the 

504
00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:55,360
person that's there. 
Appreciate the person, get to 

505
00:35:55,360 --> 00:36:00,480
know him, get to understand 
them, get to know his family. 

506
00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:11,320
Appreciate that person, but 
admire his position because God 

507
00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:15,000
has placed him there. 
And then he says a presentation 

508
00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:20,200
of the of the peace. 
He says these words so good. 

509
00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:32,320
Live in peace with one another, 
live in peace, maintain peace. 

510
00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:35,680
The unity that you have in 
Christ, you're at peace with God

511
00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:37,840
because you have the peace of 
God. 

512
00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:41,840
Therefore, manifest that peace 
one toward another by 

513
00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:44,720
endeavouring to keep the unity 
of the Spirit and the bond of 

514
00:36:44,720 --> 00:36:46,720
peace. 
Ephesians 4, three, because 

515
00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:49,280
that's what we do. 
This is how you preserve the 

516
00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:51,440
peace. 
How? 

517
00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:56,680
By by admiring the position of 
the leader and appreciation the 

518
00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:02,440
person who leads and therefore 
there needs to be a preservation

519
00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:05,720
of the peace. 
You know Satan is is is at work 

520
00:37:05,720 --> 00:37:11,200
in the church in the series you 
did when we did it now is it was

521
00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,560
a whole series of 15 weeks 
series, 17 weeks series on the 

522
00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:16,560
church and that the church is a 
playground of the enemy of God. 

523
00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:22,680
It is Satan wants to destroy the
testimony of the church. 

524
00:37:23,240 --> 00:37:26,440
If he can get you bickering and 
arguing and, and, and looking 

525
00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:29,000
down on one another and, and, 
and being upset with one 

526
00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:31,640
another. 
If, if, if he can get you doing 

527
00:37:31,640 --> 00:37:34,680
that, he can mar the testimony 
of the church. 

528
00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:39,040
There's a warfare going on. 
That's why Paul says over in, in

529
00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:46,840
Romans 12, these words he says 
in Romans 12 verse number #9 he 

530
00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:50,200
says let love be without 
hypocrisy. 

531
00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:53,760
In other words, no hypocritical 
kind of love. 

532
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:59,040
Don't come on Sunday and act one
way and then go on Monday and 

533
00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:01,760
act another way. 
Your love needs to be genuine 

534
00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:05,160
and needs to be sincere. 
So when you come to church and 

535
00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:07,960
you gather with the people of 
God, make sure that that what 

536
00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:11,040
you're demonstrating in your 
facial expressions, in your 

537
00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:14,240
words, in your, your 
relationship with one another is

538
00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:16,880
true and genuine, not fake and 
phony. 

539
00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:20,120
We got a lot of fake people in 
the church today. 

540
00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:26,440
They come and they put on a on 
on their Sunday face on Sunday 

541
00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:30,480
morning, but their Sunday 
evening face is not one you want

542
00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:34,000
to see because it's 
diametrically opposed to the one

543
00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,400
you saw on Sunday morning. 
Say, let love be without 

544
00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:39,240
hypocrisy. 
A poor one is evil. 

545
00:38:39,240 --> 00:38:41,400
Clean to what is good. 
Be devoted to one another in 

546
00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:43,840
brotherly love. 
Give preference to one another 

547
00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:47,520
in honor, not lagging behind in 
diligence, fervent in spirit, 

548
00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:50,440
serving the Lord, rejoicing in 
hope, persevering in 

549
00:38:50,440 --> 00:38:53,960
tribulation, devoted to prayer, 
contributing to the needs of the

550
00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:57,520
Saints, practicing hospitality. 
Bless those who persecute you. 

551
00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:00,440
Bless and do not curse. 
Rejoice with those who rejoice. 

552
00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:03,080
Weep with those who weep. 
Be the same mind toward one 

553
00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:05,760
another. 
Do not be haughty in mind, but 

554
00:39:05,760 --> 00:39:10,320
associate with the lowly. 
Do not be wise in your own 

555
00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:12,720
estimation. 
Associate with the lowly. 

556
00:39:12,720 --> 00:39:14,040
You ever notice that we come to 
church? 

557
00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:19,000
Who do we associate with? 
Our friends, our friends. 

558
00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:21,720
We we, we sit with our friends, 
we talk to our friends. 

559
00:39:21,720 --> 00:39:27,720
And then there are people that 
sit alone all by themselves who 

560
00:39:27,720 --> 00:39:33,840
kind of come in and and go out 
without anybody ever talking to 

561
00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:37,160
them and imposter. 
Make sure you associate with the

562
00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:43,840
lowly, those who are not the 
high position people who would 

563
00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:47,600
be good if if every one of us 
was to, to pinpoint someone 

564
00:39:47,720 --> 00:39:52,000
sitting by themselves, coming to
church by themselves, leaving by

565
00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:56,800
themselves and going after them 
and said, Hey, just want to 

566
00:39:57,480 --> 00:40:00,720
introduce myself to you. 
I'd like to take you to lunch 

567
00:40:00,720 --> 00:40:02,320
today if you're you're 
available. 

568
00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:04,400
Just so that we can get to know 
one another. 

569
00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:07,840
I don't want you to feel like 
you're all alone here at the 

570
00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:12,240
church. 
Associate with the with the 

571
00:40:12,240 --> 00:40:18,520
lowly. 
It goes on to say, do not be 

572
00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:21,320
wise in your own estimation. 
That's just so good. 

573
00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:25,720
We, we just think ourselves are 
so grand. 

574
00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:28,200
Don't we think of ourselves that
way? 

575
00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:33,400
We think we are so cool. 
We are so unbelievable. 

576
00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:38,800
And Paul says, you know what, 
you've overestimated who you 

577
00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:41,240
are. 
Don't think that way. 

578
00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:53,920
Think in a lowly, humble manner.
Having said all this, I want to 

579
00:40:53,920 --> 00:41:02,720
conclude with these words. 
I have been your pastor for just

580
00:41:02,720 --> 00:41:11,240
about 31 years, and in those 31 
years, I want to let you know 

581
00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:17,640
that I have never, ever been 
under appreciated. 

582
00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:28,240
I've never been undervalued. 
I have never been treated 

583
00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:38,080
inappropriately in 31 years. 
That is a testimony to you as a 

584
00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:45,040
church and your commitment to 
verses 12 and 13, the First 

585
00:41:45,040 --> 00:41:52,320
Thessalonians chapter 5. 
Not one time in 31 years have I 

586
00:41:52,320 --> 00:42:00,440
ever wanted to go anywhere else.
Not once, not one time in 31 

587
00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:02,200
years have I ever been 
discouraged. 

588
00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:07,160
Not once. 
Why? 

589
00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:13,440
Because there's something about 
the church that you have 

590
00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:18,400
exemplified. 
So when my wife and I, I were 

591
00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:23,800
away this week on our 
anniversary getaway, I have to 

592
00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:27,040
get up early in the morning and 
and I would study. 

593
00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:34,080
I begin to write down certain 
things that I have seen in our 

594
00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:40,840
church, never been under 
appreciated, undervalued or 

595
00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:49,840
under admired for that matter. 
But I have witnessed first hand 

596
00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:56,400
your submission to God's message
and His authority. 

597
00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:02,240
I've witnessed that. 
I've seen that in you. 

598
00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:09,640
I, I've seen you embrace the 
message, as hard as it may be 

599
00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:15,400
for some of you, but to embrace 
it and say, this is God's word, 

600
00:43:15,400 --> 00:43:19,360
this is his authority. 
And, and you're willing to 

601
00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:21,720
submit to the authority of God 
in your life. 

602
00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:24,000
It's not me you're submitting 
to. 

603
00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:26,200
It's, it's the word of God that 
you submitted to. 

604
00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:32,280
And so I sit as your pastor for 
31 years and, and, and I see 

605
00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:36,400
your submission to the message 
of God and its authority in your

606
00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:38,200
life. 
Are you perfect at it? 

607
00:43:38,720 --> 00:43:42,760
None of us are. 
But do you want to move in that 

608
00:43:42,760 --> 00:43:45,760
direction? 
Absolutely you do. 

609
00:43:47,560 --> 00:43:52,880
That's why you're here. 
And then I, I I've also 

610
00:43:52,880 --> 00:44:03,680
witnessed your adoration, your 
adoration for our Master and his

611
00:44:03,680 --> 00:44:13,160
glory. 
You love the Lord, you love him.

612
00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:17,200
Do you love him perfectly? 
No. 

613
00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:19,880
Do you love him sometimes, like 
Peter? 

614
00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:22,320
Yeah. 
And Peter said, Peter, do you 

615
00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:23,280
love me? 
Yeah. 

616
00:44:23,440 --> 00:44:27,440
I kind of like you a lot, but 
you love the Lord. 

617
00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:33,240
And so for 31 years I have 
witnessed the the church's 

618
00:44:33,240 --> 00:44:39,880
Christ Community Church's 
adoration, adoration of the 

619
00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:45,360
Master for his glory. 
So the Bible says let there be 

620
00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:49,920
glory in the church. 
You don't want Ichabod written 

621
00:44:49,920 --> 00:44:51,800
across your church. 
The glory of the Lord has 

622
00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:54,320
departed. 
In other words, there's no 

623
00:44:54,320 --> 00:44:56,960
manifestation of God's presence 
within the assembly. 

624
00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:02,800
So I've sat back and, and I and 
I have watched not, not just 

625
00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:09,880
your submission to the message 
and it's authority, not just 

626
00:45:09,880 --> 00:45:16,440
your adoration to the Master and
His glory, but I've also 

627
00:45:16,440 --> 00:45:24,360
witnessed your demonstration of 
your maturity as you seek to 

628
00:45:24,560 --> 00:45:28,720
grow in your walk with the Lord 
each and every week. 

629
00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:38,120
I, I am truly a blessed man. 
I, I could, I could say as, as 

630
00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:42,160
Paul would say in, in First 
Thessalonians chapter 1, I 

631
00:45:42,160 --> 00:45:46,080
could, I could say, I give 
thanks to God always for all of 

632
00:45:46,080 --> 00:45:49,120
you making mention of you in our
prayers constantly bearing in 

633
00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:51,120
mind your work of faith and 
labor of love. 

634
00:45:51,120 --> 00:45:55,600
Is that fastest of hope? 
And you excel still. 

635
00:45:55,600 --> 00:46:00,920
All the more so as I talk about 
leadership in the church, as I 

636
00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:03,360
talk about your response to the 
leadership in the church. 

637
00:46:04,600 --> 00:46:09,360
I've experienced that. 
I've seen it in action. 

638
00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:15,840
I've witnessed that. 
And I am. 

639
00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:25,160
I am so blessed to be here. 
I am honored to be your pastor. 

640
00:46:27,200 --> 00:46:32,840
I am honored that you've allowed
me to come week after week after

641
00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:37,360
week after week. 
I am honored that you sit and 

642
00:46:37,360 --> 00:46:41,320
let me repeat things over and 
over and over and over again, 

643
00:46:41,560 --> 00:46:43,520
week after week after week after
week. 

644
00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:53,840
But I am truly a blessed man. 
God has done exceedingly, 

645
00:46:54,200 --> 00:46:58,680
abundantly above all that I 
could ever ask or think. 

646
00:46:59,920 --> 00:47:03,320
And I'm grateful to you as a 
church. 

647
00:47:04,760 --> 00:47:08,800
I'm grateful that the Lord has 
allowed me to be here and be 

648
00:47:08,800 --> 00:47:12,520
your pastor and will continue to
be here for as long as I can 

649
00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:15,200
breathe. 
I can still stand up. 

650
00:47:16,280 --> 00:47:23,520
My mind is still right, but I am
blessed and I just want to say 

651
00:47:24,160 --> 00:47:29,960
thank you. 
Thank you for fulfilling First 

652
00:47:29,960 --> 00:47:36,920
Thessalonians 512 and 13 because
that's what you do. 

653
00:47:38,440 --> 00:47:43,720
And I would be, it would, it 
would be wrong for me not to let

654
00:47:43,720 --> 00:47:52,000
you know how God has used each 
and everyone of you in my life. 

655
00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:56,560
And for that I will always be 
grateful to the Lord. 

656
00:47:58,480 --> 00:48:05,880
So today, I applaud you. 
I thank you for your willingness

657
00:48:07,120 --> 00:48:12,160
to do what God's Word says. 
Let me pray with you, Father, we

658
00:48:12,160 --> 00:48:17,240
thank you for today. 
I thank you that I can be here. 

659
00:48:18,720 --> 00:48:24,440
I thank you, Lord, that I had 
the opportunity to be here, that

660
00:48:24,680 --> 00:48:27,960
31 years ago you opened the door
for this to happen. 

661
00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:33,120
And through all the years, 
people have come and people have

662
00:48:33,120 --> 00:48:36,560
gone and, and they continue to 
come and they continue to go. 

663
00:48:37,160 --> 00:48:41,640
But you've sustained the 
ministry, You have maintained 

664
00:48:41,680 --> 00:48:44,840
the ministry. 
You have done great and 

665
00:48:44,840 --> 00:48:47,560
wonderful things in the lives of
people. 

666
00:48:49,240 --> 00:48:53,160
We could focus on the negatives.
That doesn't do you any good. 

667
00:48:54,760 --> 00:48:59,000
But to focus on all the 
positives and to realize what 

668
00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:07,360
you're doing is, is fabulous. 
You've healed marriages, You've 

669
00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:10,440
changed lives. 
You've saved souls. 

670
00:49:11,560 --> 00:49:14,880
You have brought rebellious 
children home. 

671
00:49:15,480 --> 00:49:23,000
You have answered prayer, You 
have done so many things, but 

672
00:49:23,000 --> 00:49:25,640
what I am thankful for, Lord, is
that what you have done in the 

673
00:49:25,640 --> 00:49:32,480
lives of your people, they would
grow to maturity in Christ and 

674
00:49:32,480 --> 00:49:34,160
wanting to grow even all the 
more. 

675
00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:41,280
For that I'm grateful and I 
thank you and praise you for 

676
00:49:41,280 --> 00:49:44,200
what you have done and what you 
are doing and what you are going

677
00:49:44,200 --> 00:49:47,720
to continue to do because of who
you are. 

678
00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:53,000
So we thank you Lord, anticipate
your soon return. 

679
00:49:54,080 --> 00:49:57,920
Until that time, may we be found
faithful in our service of the 

680
00:49:57,920 --> 00:50:01,920
King in Jesus name, Amen.