Farewell

Debbie and I moved to Indiana 29 years ago, and we moved to Fort Wayne at that point. We stayed there for about a little more than seven years before it came time to move, and the opening presented itself here in Indianapolis. And so in June of 1990, we moved to Indianapolis. So it's been 21 years since we've been here, moved into the same house we're still in today over here, just 10 minutes away, and enrolled our kids in the Centigrade School System.

And it's been a good 21 years. A lot has happened. As I was preparing my sermon here and what to say here in this sermon, I stopped and looked back. Certainly last week in Fort Wayne 29 years, I was – all but five of those years, we were up in – we had been involved with many of the brethren up in Fort Wayne.

That's a long time. 21 years with many of you here in Indianapolis, that too is a long, long time. When we moved here in June of 1990 – just think about this for a minute – Bill Clinton was still president of the United States. That may seem like ancient history for some of our – some of you sitting out here, but he was president.

Bobby Knight still coached at IU. And the Colts were a losing football team. And we've come full circle on that one. None of us carried cell phones. If you had used the word internet back then, we would have thought that it might have been something to catch fish with. We'd never heard the term internet. That was way off.

As I said, we put our children – one in elementary school and one into high school. Some of you in this audience were not yet born, and others of you were teenagers. All of us were just a whole lot younger than we are today. And a lot has happened in the church and in our own personal lives during that time. I was not giving sermons on iPads, but today, for the second time, I'm going to give my sermon on my iPad. So that's how technology, life, and so much has changed.

Twenty-one years ago, I remember the first sermon I gave. We were in what was called the West End. How many of you remember the West End when I mentioned that name? Up here in town on 10th Street, I believe it was, wasn't it?

And we had the church in Indianapolis had divided into a north and a south congregation at that point in time. And I had moved in about six months after. Well, it didn't divide into that configuration until after we moved here in July. And I remember the first sermon that I gave.

I remember several points that I even made. But I do remember, I believe I made a comment, and I quoted an old Arab proverb which says that something like this, you never really know someone until you've eaten a peck of salt with them. And you stop and think about a peck of salt, that's a lot of salt. It takes a long time to eat a peck of salt. And I had no idea. At that point, I thought I'd be here maybe five, six, seven years tops, but now that turned into 21 years.

And we've eaten a lot of salt together during that period of time. In fact, we've eaten so much salt together that we have high blood pressure problems. And so we need to stop eating as much salt. At least I do as well. But as I say, a lot has happened. Many changes have taken place. And as I sat down to consider what to say to you here in this final sermon as your pastor, this is not my last time to see you.

We will see each other, some of us, in many different ways. Weekends, activities here and there. We haven't seen the last of each other, although I do happen to stop and think that for some of you, maybe it will be the last time we will see each other. As life happens, we never know what will happen. So it probably will be the last time for some, but for others it won't be.

And so this is not just a farewell or goodbye, it's just a see-you-later type sermon. Okay? And the way I look at the way this will go. But as I thought about what to say, there are many things that I could say. I've given sermons and Bible studies, covered so many different topics, covered all the basic doctrines and sermons on marriage and child rearing and personal relations and biblical studies and history and prophecy and all the sermons that you would give in a normal course of time.

When I consider what to say today, I boiled it down to three points, three lessons that I'd like to leave with you here in this last sermon that I give to you as pastor. And it reflects at least where I am right now and what I've observed about various time in the ministry working with you. And three points, three lessons that I'd like to leave with you at this particular point in time. And it won't take long to go through three points.

I promise you that. We'll get to the turkey and whatever else is back there for us to enjoy. First lesson is this. Brethren, treasure, guard, and cultivate your integrity, both spiritual and physical. Guard your integrity, both spiritual and physical integrity.

We see so many examples, and just since I wrote this sermon, we've seen a couple on the national scene erupt in the last few days, whether it was in politics or college sports that just speak to problems with integrity on an individual level as well as an institutional level. And shocking, sad, unfortunate, not surprising, surprising, all kinds of reactions, but integrity. Your integrity, my integrity, whether it's spiritual or physical, there's no price that we can put on that. We live in a time of cheap compromise and shallow experiences in this world and in this life.

We're not always willing to put in the time that it takes to build character, this really sterling type of character that it takes to withstand the challenges that life throws at us and the difficulties and the challenges that we have. So many of our experiences, so many of our philosophies and our approach to life is just cheap and shallow. God's truth, God's calling to us is the deepest, most important, most spiritual walk and knowledge and understanding that we can have. And we can't measure it by what the world teaches us and even the standards of the world. We have to measure it by God's standards. As a people in the faith, at times we shy away from even among ourselves. We shy away from the pursuit of holiness and the holiness that God has called us to. And the type of life where we live really a life of devotion to God and to His way of life and living a spiritual life. Sometimes for us it's a challenge and we shy away from that. All too often we play church once a week when it's convenient. And we don't always relate to everyone and every situation throughout the rest of the week and everything we experience at home, work school or with friends from a perspective of the holiness of God. Holy people called to a holy way to live a holy law before a holy God. And that's how we are to live. That's how we have to approach everything that comes to us. The words of our lips. We post on Facebook, we post on Twitter, and we think we've communicated. And all too often we haven't. But God has called us to be a holy people. And our spiritual, physical integrity is so important. And the holiness that God has called us to represent, His holiness, is the essence of the Kingdom of God. If you will, please turn over to 1 Samuel 12. I'd like to read just a portion of an address that the prophet Samuel made to the people of Israel at a time when they had wanted a king and they had rejected God. 1 Samuel 12. They said, Give us a king like all the other people have. Samuel said, Well, they've rejected me. And God said, No. Samuel, don't take it personal. They haven't rejected you. They've rejected me. To request this king. And so God made it known to Samuel who that choice would be. It was a man named Saul and he was brought before them. And in this episode here, Samuel brings them and says, Here's the king walking before you. Verse 2. And then he pauses and he reflects personally. And he said, I am old and gray-headed. Samuel had been with Israel in a position of holiness and responsibility since he was a child. Remember, his mother, Hannah, took him to the temple when he was young and dedicated him to the service of the temple. And he said, I've been with you and now I'm old and gray-headed. My sons are with you and I've walked before you from my childhood to this day. Here I am. He kind of maybe spread his arms before them and just said, This is me. There's nothing complicated. This is who I am. Witness against me, he said, before the Lord and before his anointed. And he's basically saying, If you've got proof, if you've got a witness of anything contrary to what I say I am and what I have done as I've walked before you all these years, then bring that witness. And he said, Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I cheated? He raised the question.

And the answer was that nobody. They couldn't bring a witness on those matters. He had not taken a bribe. He said, Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? Again, another question. He didn't take any bribes. He couldn't be bought. He had integrity. He made the decisions in the individual affairs that he judged based on the word of God, the law of God. And he had done it year in and year out with integrity, honesty, fairness, according to the standard of God's law. And he didn't want something that wasn't his. If he had a donkey or an ox, he paid for it. And he said the answer, of course, was there was no witnesses. And he leaves by saying, I will restore it to you. And they said to him, verse 4, You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have taken anything from any man's hand. This was the answer. They knew his character. Then he said to them, The Lord is witness against you and is anointed his witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. And they answered, He is witness. He had his integrity intact. And the case was closed. He anointed Saul as a king. And Samuel, in a sense, took a secondary role for a while, at least with the king in place. Samuel could stand before the people here with clean hands and a conscience. Brethren, so can I. I can stand before you with clean hands and a clean conscience. And I say to you, guard your spiritual integrity, guard your physical integrity in every aspect of your life. And I say to you, guard your integrity in every aspect of your life. Don't compromise. Don't take a bribe. Don't let someone bribe you with words, emotion. Don't let your desires, your lust, or whatever it might be, and desire for something even on a physical level cause you to compromise with any aspect of the law of the land or the physical principles of God's way of life. And don't compromise spiritually. Be honest. Be true. Recognize that we have a great spiritual enemy, Satan, who can exploit the slightest compromise we might make. And when he sees us compromise, he will exploit it. He will see that something, some one, some thought, some temptation will be there to drive a wedge into our character and cause us in some way to veer off of the straight and narrow path of holiness before God. We cannot afford to be ignorant of his devices. He can spot the weakest spot in our armor. So I encourage you all to live honest lives filled with sincerity and with truth.

Lesson number two. Live by the Bible and stand behind its word, not yours. That was a piece of advice I received by my mentor in the ministry, Vernon Hargrove, years and years ago. I haven't forgotten it. Many times I've applied it. There have been times when I forgot, veered off of it in my speaking, teaching, preaching. But I have learned after 38 years in the ministry of Jesus Christ not to preach my own opinions. When I do that, I always get in trouble because I'm preaching in an official role before the people of God in a service that we've asked God's presence in and to speak from the Bible. It's all too tempting to quote a verse, quote a story, a passage from the Scripture, and bend it to the situation of the moment, the hour, the season, and read into it something that isn't there, or to use it to beat somebody over the head with in a kind of a message type of approach.

As a minister, I can't do any better than what God's Word has said. When I preach the law of God, teach the principles from God's Word, and stand there and let it speak for itself, that's powerful enough for any one of us to make a point for us how to live, how to conduct ourselves. I can have passion. I can raise my voice. I can have opinions.

I can have experience. Yes. And all have their point in place, but I have to be careful just to stand by God's Word and explain what it says, and I've learned more times than not that when I do, I'm on safe ground. And you will be, too, if you learn to live by the Bible and stand upon its Word, and not yours, and not what you think it says. Don't compromise with it. In Acts 20, the Apostle Paul was with the elders of the church in Ephesus, and he was having a farewell meeting with them. In Acts 20, he called them together, and in verse 18 he said, when they had come to him, you know that from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, and with many tears and trials, which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews. How I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly, from house to house, testifying to the Jews and to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And he says, and see that now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy in the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And indeed now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching, the kingdom of God will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. It echoes back to what Samuel had said. He was innocent of there.

He had taught, he had conducted himself with integrity. And yet what he says in verse 27 is the point that I wanted to make. He says, For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. And Paul was basically saying to them that he taught them from the word of God, not his own opinion, not his own bias, not his own twist on Scripture, no private interpretation of the Scriptures, except his God's Spirit had led him in the unique way and calling that he had to open to a fuller understanding the Scriptures of the Old Testament and to show how they applied here and there to Jesus Christ and to his crucifixion and his resurrection and to fill those out in that sense, which he did in sermons and in writing. But he's saying, I have declared you the whole counsel of God. And again, if we stick to the Bible, if we stick to the word of God, we're on safe ground. As we live our lives, obey God, and come before him. That's what's most important. Certainly it is for a minister to do. And as I say, I've, you know, so many different sermons over the years that I've given. I could look back on, in this move, I have begun clearing out a whole lot of stuff. And I've thrown away a lot of my files. I had two file drawers, just of paper-based sermons. And over the years, many of those kind of migrated into digital based on my computer. And I have all of them, at least since about 1995 or 96, I think, on most of the ones that I've given. But I've, over the years, maintained paper files, notes of sermons and all. But I've started to clear a lot of those out, because I would never use them again. Maybe there were some ideas there. But I've had them categorized according to holy days, each of the holy days, a whole separate file on the Sabbath. I've had a whole separate file on fundamental doctrines and sermons that I've given over the years on those subjects.

Sermons about the church, sermons about God. And that pretty thick file, as it rests in my particular file drawer at this time. And as I think about all the different headings that I've got in my file drawers, they're basic doctrines of God and of the church and of what we believe. And they have been covered, many of them multiple times. I will confess to you, in 21 years, I've given you some sermons more than once. And sometimes when I've done that, I'm saying, who would have been around when I gave that the first time? And I wonder if they'll remember. And there's one or two of you that I know you will remember. If I gave that sermon 12 years ago, you will know it. And so I have to be very, very careful to, you know, do a little bit of changing it around. Some of the sermons stand the test of time that you can do that. Others you get, I gave once and I see the notes and I think, did I really give that as a sermon? Why did I give that one? And that one gets crumpled up and thrown out. But we've gone over certain topics many, many times. I am looking forward in my new life of being able to write one sermon and maybe give that one sermon three or four or five times in different locations, as I may have an opportunity to visit and be a visiting speaker, but not have to do a different sermon every week, or at least every other week, as it has kind of evolved in the circuit here between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis.

Usually I could give one sermon in Fort Wayne, then hold it over and give it down here.

So a couple sermons a month. But now I'm looking forward to just kind of being able to focus on one topic, give it once, maybe refine it, redo it as you give it. Sometimes you haven't known this, but the way I give a sermon in the afternoon, if I've given it twice in the same day in the morning in Fort Wayne, come down here, by the time I get here, it's changed. Or it's not the same sermon that I gave in Fort Wayne in the morning. That has often happened. I've never completely did a completely different topic. I'm not that smart. So when I get something prepared, I have to stay with it. So I don't think I've ever trashed one sermon from the afternoon, morning to the afternoon. But invariably, it has changed. But my point, I guess, is that I've given you teaching that I'm not ashamed of and taught you faithfully from the sound doctrine, the whole counsel of God, as I've understood it, and according to my particular growth patterns, at this point in life. So you've had those. He goes on and he says other things by warning, which I'm not going to get into here to the elders at Ephesus, but he reminded them that he declared to them the whole counsel of God. And, brethren, when we stay close to the word of God, and we take that as our standard, we're on safe ground. Make sure that you do that.

Lesson number three.

Let no man take your crowd.

Let no man take your crown. You will recognize that as Christ's statement from Revelation chapter three to the church at Philadelphia. Let no man take your crown. How many times have we referred to that in our own mind and memorized that scripture? We know that one pretty well. I know that that's probably one memory verse that just about 80-90 percent of the members of the church of God have, because it is in the context to the church at Philadelphia, is one reason. Another reason is that it speaks something to us all in, perhaps, different levels. And we've shouted that out. We've repeated it. We've quoted it. Don't let any man take your crown. At various times over the years, situations come up. You've referred to it. You've remembered it. You've heard it preached. And it is a statement that Christ makes to the church and to us individually. Don't let a man take your crown. Now, I've come to realize that that lesson that Jesus makes to us there is one that takes a long time and a lot of maturity to fully grasp in the depth of how he meant it, because it is one that really grows on us. To not let a man take our crown in any different number of ways by which human relations and the issues that we have as human beings can cause us to stumble, can cause us to miss out on achieving that crown of life. And that's what he's talking about. He's talking about the crown that, as Paul said in his final letter, he said, there awaits for me a crown of righteousness for me after my passing. He understood that he'd run the race, kept the faith, and there was a crown of righteousness awaiting him. And so when Jesus makes this statement, we know that he's talking about eternal life.

Don't let a man take your crown. Don't let a man rob you of eternity. Think about it. Eternity.

Eternity. Living forever in the family of God. As a child, as a converted, as a spirit being in the family of God, living forever. That's what that crown really means. Sharing eternity with God.

God has invited us into eternity with him, to live forever. The rich young ruler said, what must I do to gain eternal life? The reason you and I do what we do is to get that crown, to obtain that crown. We want to live forever. That's what it's all about. Don't let any man take that crown. The biggest problems that I've had over the years with individuals have been when someone wanted something from me that I could not or would not give. Sometimes it was when someone fixed their hopes on me as a man, and certainly as a minister, and I disappointed them. Because for whatever reason, I didn't live up to it.

Or they found that I was human.

And I bled. And I forgot. Or I made mistakes. Or I wasn't what perhaps their view and gaze had fixed upon me as a man and as a minister. We are all hero worshippers. We want heroes.

That's what's been so devastating for the people at Penn State this week. When Joe Paterno was shown to have feet of clay. An 84-year-old man, sad situation. Just what facts have come out, just make you shake your head and you just want to go kind of vomit and walk away from college football and big-time sports. And you know, just to recognize what was done in the name of what was done to 10-year-old boys in the name of athletics at that level. And what seems to have been done just to preserve an institution. So, so tragic. And a man who was a week before a hero for his wins and his longevity and his stature is torn down. Our culture does that today. And there's so many dimensions to analyze that. And every human being is going to eventually make a mistake. And as I look at the situations that I've had to work with and deal with over the years, I've come to that conclusion. And so I say to you, be very careful what you fix upon any other human being. Minister, President of the United States, President of the United States, authority figure here, even husband and wife. I mean, and our wives and our husbands are the ones upon whom we are going to fix our, fix our deepest affection. And then our children and our families and our, you know, those family relationships.

As we all know, sometimes those things disappoint us too, don't they? When we find out things or people let us down or whatever. And we have to struggle with that and move on through it.

And the biggest lesson is to recognize that it is that relationship with God and Jesus Christ that we better have firmly fixed. And number one, beyond even any other human being, isn't that what Jesus said? When he said, you know, if you don't love me more than all these other relationships, you're not worthy to take up the cross and follow me. And so he said, don't let a man take your crown.

Don't let a man cause you to get angry, cause you to get bitter, cause you to get even over-trusting.

And yet we want to trust and we should trust and we should have confidence. That's why I say, guard your integrity, spiritually and physically. I'm only human and I will disappoint. Then I have. It's inevitable. And someone else will be as well. And so will you.

And that's why Jesus said, don't let a man, don't let a human being get between you and eternity, you and God. It's been when someone transferred their anger or frustration on me, that we've had sparks at times and we'll be always be like that. And I've done the same.

And I've done the same. When I do it, I will have conflict with people as well.

This is a lesson I've learned. I'm sharing it with you. Don't let a man take your crown.

None of us can afford to do that. It's all said and done. It's God's favor, God's esteem that we want. Not someone else. Because we won't always get enough to truly satisfy us.

I remember in the first weeks that I was here, as a pastor in what was then the Indianapolis South and Columbus congregation, I had a situation fall in my lap with someone who was attending. I don't think they were even a baptized member, but because I wasn't fast enough to deliver, I had this big barrage of anger just dumped on me. This person didn't hang around very long.

But I remember being shocked at how this person had transferred anger that quickly on someone they didn't even know. They never had it quite happen that way. I've had others since then.

But it was a shock. Sometimes we transfer our anger on someone else and our frustration, and that happens. I've done it too, and recognize that when I've done it, I've had to repent of it, get myself reconciled back with God. In 2 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 12, Paul says, we are not wise when we compare ourselves with others.

And I'm going to quickly turn to that.

I can get to it real quick here, folks. I didn't put that full quote in my notes.

2 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 7, it says, Look at what is before your eyes.

If anyone is confident that he is Christ, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ, so also are we. For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed.

I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters, for they say that his letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak in a speech of no account. Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent we do when present, nor that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. For when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

And that's what we do so often. We measure ourselves by someone else. We measure our own success, our own level of happiness against what someone else is or has, or we think they have, or they are. And it discourages us or it makes us think we're not living up to some standard and someone else's or a false standard we've been set for ourselves. Any time we compare ourselves with another human being or we look to another human being for some emotional satisfaction, self-esteem, something in any degree or another, we will be disappointed. And Paul says that we do that and we lack understanding and we are not showing proper wisdom. As I said, that anger sometimes comes out.

When I moved here 21 years ago, I was surprised not with the anger that I saw from the one individual, but I will share something. I was also very shocked at the level of anger that I saw in the entire Indianapolis congregation at that time. And those of you that were there at the time will know why.

And there was a great deal of it. And I didn't understand the depth of it. I had no idea.

Had I known that, I think I would have gone someplace else.

But it was too late.

And I spent a number of years saying I'm sorry for someone else's mistakes, for the way someone else was. And I made a lot of apologies through the years, and even into recent times. But I felt that that was my duty. That was my responsibility. But I was really, and over the years, I felt that we made a lot of strides toward overcoming that and people removing it from their life.

But in recent times, I've been shocked at how close to the surface it still is for some. And that's why I say, God says, be angry, but sin not. Don't let the sun go down on your wrath.

You need to give place to the devil. Don't let anger kill you and eat you out and eat you alive. It will not do you any good. That was the one emotion and characteristic that I saw when I came here and tried to work with and worked through in so many different situations. So many of which basically just faded into the mists of the past. Because we know people have come and gone over the years and moved on to other fellowships and situations, but to be honest, I think it's a good time to give a sermon. This is one I never gave again, I don't believe.

But some of you may remember. I called it Voodoo Christianity. You do remember, don't you?

And I had a little doll because you know how a voodoo doll works in voodoo magic? They twist an arm or they stick a pin in and whoever they put that curse on feels that pain. And I remember giving that on a holy day in Days of Unleavened Bread to try to help us all to understand that move beyond it. Don't transfer your anger onto somebody else in some type of a voodoo Christianity as we try to inflict harm on somebody through other situations and from a distance.

It won't help us. It doesn't work. So if you have where there's anger, don't let it eat you alive. As I say, I've been surprised and we all have to move away from that.

Brethren, don't get yourself crossways with your new spiritual shepherd. Learn to appreciate the role that the ministry plays, that we are indeed helpers of your joy and enjoy their service, their life, their times, and what they can provide for you. If you will turn over to 1 Corinthians 3.

I could think of no better scripture to really to read than what Paul says here in 1 Corinthians 3 to explain what, and to sum up 21 years as a pastor here and what I've endeavored to do and had the privilege to do and what I look upon as a joy.

In verse 5, 1 Corinthians 3, Paul writes, Who then is Paul and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase, so that neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. Someone else planted here, someone else sowed here. I came along and had my opportunity to water and to tend to the spiritual lives of so many people. He goes on in verse 9, he says, For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field. You are God's building. It's God's work that is being done. And this is the spiritual work that God is doing.

According to the grace of God, which was given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another builds on it. And so I've had a privilege to build on a foundation laid by someone else, and I've added to it. And someone else now will come on, and he will add his share, and he will do a better job than I've done. That's just the inevitable part of it. Every minister that comes on and follows after will do a good job, and in many ways will do a better job, because of just the whole nature of how it is. That's not personally and not to take anything away from what I've done or whatever. It's just he will do a good job. And I move on to do other things. Somebody said to me that I have the opportunity to still be a pastor, but it's going to be to an electronic flock. And when he put that to me, I thought, yeah, that's it. That is. And it's a wonderful opportunity. I said some weeks back, it was one I couldn't pass up. And as it develops and shapes up, and we're in the process of even what I will have a part in and be able to help do as far as the media efforts of the church, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And I look forward to putting my whole life into that and everything that I have. But it'll be working in a sense with a digital flock. But what will be good is, as God blesses, and I fully expect his blessing on all that we do, that we as a team will see God add additional individuals to the church, and people lay their lives before God and commit to God as a result of hearing the gospel. And that will make it all worthwhile. In verse 10, Paul writes, According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another built on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. That is the ultimate foundation. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one's work will become clear. For the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss. But he himself will be saved, yet so is through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy. Which temple you are. You are God's temple. You are a part of what God is spiritually forming, shaping, cutting, fashioning, molding that will fit into a larger spiritual edifice that will in its day at the coming of Christ be revealed fully and plainly and clearly. So make sure you build with quality materials and on the right foundation, which is Jesus Christ. Don't let any man take your crown. Don't let anyone come between you and eternity. Brethren, let's finish this thing together.

And so we're going to take our leave of you. And we have served you with the best years of our lives.

Our children grew up during these years. They married here. And here, our grandchildren were born. We've lived here longer than any other place. So we leave you from here, we go from here knowing that we have your prayers and your blessing. And friends, when our life is summed up, our glory will be that we have known such people as you.

To count you as friends will be our true glory and honor.

And I'd like to leave you with a final blessing.

May the hand of the blessed God be upon all of you. May He shelter you all the days of your life.

May He keep you safe and bring you all into His eternal kingdom of peace.

God bless every one of you and keep you until we meet again. Amen.