TEN YEARS OF DIVINE FAVOR

As most of you know, we have concluded ten years of ministry together (March 30). They have been the best, most blessed ten years of my life. It might be too much to say, we have enjoyed ten years of constant revival. But we have enjoyed ten blessed years of divine favor.

We have, by the grace of God, enjoyed ten years of unity and fellowship in the gospel. Regrettably, some have come, stayed a while, and left us for one reason or another. Satan always plants tares where God plants wheat. But God always separates the tares from the wheat in his time. Though some have left us, our unity as a church has remained unbroken. The Spirit of God has united us as one people in Christ. IN PURPOSE WE ARE ONE. Our purpose for existence is the glory of God. IN DOCTRINE WE ARE ONE. Our doctrine is the gospel of the grace of God. IN OUR MISSION WE ARE UNITED AS ONE. Our mission is the preaching of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the generation in which we live. This unity is the work of God the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:19-22).

I remember the first sermon I preached to you in February 1980. It was CHRIST OUR SUBSTITUTE (II Cor. 5:21). I told you then that all my doctrine is the gospel of the grace of God, summed up in substitution, and that I have only one message to preach - substitution! I have never deviated from it, even an hair's breadth.

I remember the first sermon I preached to you after you called me to be your pastor - "PROVE NOW THE SINCERITY OF YOUR LOVE" (II Cor. 8:8-9). It was a sermon on giving. I told you then that our ministry, so long as I am pastor, would be maintained by the generous, free-will offerings of God's people. I will not bring you back under the law. I refuse to compromise the gospel to raise money for any cause. A gospel ministry cannot be maintained by tithes, pledges, bake sales, rummage sales, bond sales, etc. We have never deviated from this principle.

And I remember the first sermon I preached to you when we moved into this building in July 1980. It was from Exodus 33:15 - "IF THY PRESENCE GO NOT WITH ME, CARRY US NOT UP HENCE." I told you then that the goal of our ministry would be fivefold: (1) to seek the knowledge of God, (2) to seek the will of God, (3) to seek the presence of God, (4) to seek the glory of God, and (5) to proclaim the gospel of the free and sovereign grace of God. We must never deviate from these goals.