Importance of the Gce

Since I mentioned the next week is the annual meeting of the General Conference. I wanted to take a few minutes here before I get into my sermon to give you just a few details of some of the business matters and some of the items that are on the docket. I haven't had a chance to talk to you about it here. I did up in Fort Wayne last week, but I won't go on to all the details. But, of course, every year a mandated meeting of the General Conference of Elders, and it's always, in recent years at least, been held down at the home office location in Cincinnati. And there's always a number of items of business that we vote on in addition to the budget and the operations plan and the Council of Elders. Openings, we also vote on the, usually every year, we voted on a number of amendment items that are put forth. And this year, we also will be voting again for the second year in a row on the issue of the home office relocation. I think most of you realize that there were five members of the Council of Elders who put forth a resolution to rescind last year's vote, which was a very narrowly approved vote to approve relocating the home office facilities and operations to North Texas at that time. And that was voted on a year ago. And then since that time, a number of matters have come up. And in the fall of last year, the five Council members, according to the bylaws and the procedures that are part of the governing documents of the United Church of God, whereby either 25% of the general conference or 25% of the Council of Elders can put forth an issue again before the general conference of business. And so this was done. It was actually, could have been done on both counts. There were 25% of the elders that had signed up to vote on this a second time, as well as the number of Council members. But it's the Council members' resolution that went forward. And it is a resolution to rescind last year's ballot by the general conference of elders in dealing with relocation of the home office. There's a – I'm not going to read it all to you. This was – there was kind of a two-page document.

But let me just bring down to a couple of effects. If this would be turned back, what this does is it does not do away with the critical needs that we have in the church facing us in terms of training our ministers and educating our young people at Ambassador Bible Center or anything like that.

It would have the net effect, after everything is said and done, if it were to be rescinded, of having a new study relative to the location of the home office in connection with the strategic plan that we have. And it would also be – involve a study that would include, in consideration, the feasibility of the home office remaining in the greater Cincinnati area within the parameters of the newly ratified strategic plan.

So, bottom line is we will be voting a second time on this next week. And I think probably all of us in the general conference will be glad to get this issue behind us so we can move forward whatever the decision will be made. We've had quite a number of months on this issue, and we need to get it behind us, and we will get it behind us, one way or the other, in regard to the business of the church.

So, you should be praying about that. I haven't changed my approach from what I've told you in the past in terms of how I feel about it. But all the elders will have one additional opportunity. I think it's been a healthy conversation that we have had. This has all been done legally within the bylaws that we have that can be done. I'm totally comfortable in the way it's been handled. But I will be glad to get it behind us so that we can move on with the remainder of the business of the church. There are a number of other amendments that have been put forth, and I will just refer to one that's probably been the most discussed on our elders forum. It will be one of the more far-reaching amendments should it pass. That is, an amendment to Article 9.1 of our bylaws, which would restrict operations managers other than the President of the United Church of God. It would restrict operations managers from holding their job as an operations manager and holding a position on the Council of Elders at the same time. If it would pass, an operations manager could not hold two positions at the same time, and they would have to choose should they be a Council member or ever elected to the Council in that case. Now, to amend our bylaws, it takes two-thirds of the general conference to vote on that. That's 66%. That's a very high threshold. That's what we set for amending our documents at the very beginning of the United Church of God.

I think that's a reasonable threshold for those documents and doctrines and teachings of the Church as well, and that's a very high threshold. That's been probably the one most commented on in terms of the elders within the Church.

There are others that deal with some other matters regarding reporting of the minutes of the Council of Elders meetings, as well as statements for or against the various amendments that come forth every year. All of this had been handed out, and you had an opportunity to look at that prior to that. I would be glad to make any copies of the proposals, if anybody would like to see it.

We had those available back during the process earlier this year when members had a chance to give input regarding that. In addition to the operations plan and the budget, those are the items of business that we will be discussing. Then, of course, we also have the nominees for the Council of Elders. Every year there are four seats that come up vacant or for re-election on the Council.

One is in the international area. This year the international nominees are Leon Walker and Paul Kiefer from Germany. Mr. Walker, of course, has been responsible for the Latin American work. There are three international seats that are open, and there are six nominees.

The nominees are Jim Franks, Larry Salyer, Doug Horchak, Robin Weber, Aaron Dean, and me. This is the first year I've been a nominee for the Council of Elders members, so you pray accordingly. That's all I can say about that. I will be honest with you. I am surprised and humbled to be selected by my peers to be a nominee for the Council of Elders. We did the process a little differently this year. Anyone who wanted to be considered for a seat on the Council had to put their name forward. In the past, we've always just received a three or four page sheet with every elder in the United Church of God listed. Then selections were made from that. This year, they said that you had to make a conscious effort to put your name forward. I put my name forward along. I think there were about 50 or 55 other elders who put their name forward. Those were the six actually eight that were then nominated for the Council of Elders this year. We'll be handling all the business affairs of the Church next Sunday morning in our annual meeting.

Then we'll also have another day of seminars and classes that have been prepared, as we normally do on Monday. Then the conference will conclude. You'll be able to be at least part of the Sabbath services. Clyde Kylo, President of the United Church of God, will be giving the sermon. He'll be your speaker next week. Come prepared for all of that, and we will get into the business matters in that way. Since I took some time to do this, and we are coming up on what is a very important vote, obviously, with the issues regarding the recension of the decision to relocate to the home office, which has been probably in 10 years within the Church, probably the biggest issue that has been before us.

I thought today that I would go back over some points that I've covered with you in the past in regard to the importance of the general conference meeting and some of the lessons that we learned leading up to our very first organizational meetings within the United Church of God and the importance of these things that we have to go through so that we don't forget. We are reminded of a few basic things that really do underline and undergird our whole approach to the way we operate within the United Church of God and talk frankly about some of these things and help us to remember and be reminded regarding the work of the ministry in the Church and the work of the entire Church.

I'd like to begin by turning over to 1 Thessalonians 5. This is a scripture that we should be very familiar with, but it is a positive instruction from the Apostle Paul regarding the way we approach the office of an elder within the Church.

1 Thessalonians 5 and 12. Paul writes, He says, We urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you. So know who they are or recognize them, acknowledge them, say hi to them when you pass them.

Verse 13, To esteem them very highly in love for their works' sake and be at peace among yourselves. It seems that peace is a byproduct of this admonition, this encouragement to properly respect those who labor among you, those who labor and work in that sense for their works' sake. So, regarding the office of an elder within the Church, there are other scriptures we could turn to, but this is important that we apply it in that way and stretch our minds and our hearts toward what God has placed in our lives, to guide the Church, to love the Church, to work within the Church, and to be frank about it, to provide a sacrificial work of one's life for the Church.

And in many, many ways, and in varying degrees, that indeed is the case. Any elder who takes up the mantle of that position, responsibility within the Church, whether they're a salaried elder or a non-salaried elder, it is a sacrificial work. It has unique aspects to, again, either a pastor who is in the employ of the Church or an elder who volunteers and gives their time.

Both, in all, have to sacrifice in various ways at various times. And so it is indeed a sacrificial calling that impacts and directs our life and our work in many different ways. And so when Paul makes this comment here, it is important for us to note. And we understand also the principles that underlie the need for what we do every year when we get together in our annual conference to conduct a business of the Church, to renew friendships and acquaintances, and to focus at least for a few hours over a few days toward the goals and the mission of the Church and the welfare of God's people, and to ensure that that is done in a smooth way and that we all learn the various lessons that we need to learn for the Church and for our individual lives.

The Council of Elders, or the Conference of Elders, the general body of the elders within the Church, have some very definite laid-out responsibilities within our organization. We've broken it down, and I could read from our bylaws exactly what the duties are of the elders of the United Church of God. But one statement I will read that I think kind of sums up as an overall approach, which is probably most important in connection with the other things that we do, but we state at the beginning of that part of our documents that talks about the office of an elder, it says that God has established the office of elder to provide care and oversight in the congregations.

God has provided that. It's not something that we feel we have done ourselves. We feel that it is what God has done. He's established the office, and it is to care for and to give oversight for the congregations. And that's a two-way street. That very wording is important because it establishes the reality that congregations have needs that need to be taken care of. Formal worship, gathering on a regular basis for the Sabbath and for the Holy Days, in a place of peace and calm, and in a proper atmosphere to learn to worship God, and to be directed on a regular basis to God and to His Word.

This is what we are charged to do, and the ministry is trained and educated to do that and prepared in that way. And we have an understanding of the bond between the administration and the local congregations, a two-way avenue of respect and communication, all endeavoring to work to provide for the unity of the people of God and the Church of God. And so the pastor and the elders in the congregation are in a place ready to be assured that the congregations hear from the administration, that the administration hears from the congregations, and that everything works together, fits together, and all the dots are connected at every aspect and at every level of the operation.

And we've worked and endeavored at that for 13 years. And some of the things we kind of take for granted as time goes along, I think we probably, I don't know how many of you would have taken the time a few months ago to go to the back table and to look at the amendments that were, had been put forth and chose to make a comment. Some members do, but over the years we get on with our life and the things that in 1994, 1995, in a sense, kind of galvanized us and brought us to the attention of a lot of things, doctrine, the way we operated, the way we're organized.

We tend to take for granted after a period of time as long as things are going smoothly. And I think that's just part of human nature and human organizations. We all are glad for peace and smooth operations. But on the other hand, there is a time and a place and a need for us to engage and certainly take care of our individual duties and responsibilities.

I will admit that there are things that, as an elder, a member of the general conference, I don't always pay attention to. As it comes across my desk, you get busy with other things, life and the care of the churches and other issues, matters that you get involved with.

Sometimes the legalities and the technicalities of our business that we have to take care of, they're not always interesting and exciting, and you will forget about them. I will admit, this year, as I looked through the amendments, I learned some things about our governing documents that I will vote accordingly that I did not know. And I feel do need to be amended for what I feel will be a more balanced view of issues before the church.

But I didn't realize that certain things were the way they were. And you technically, you normally don't, at times, until some other issues arise that will force you to look at a particular issue. I will remember the advice that one of our elders gave me at the beginning of the United Church of God. This was the first time we had a set of documents, bylaws, and a constitution in front of us, to know how we were going to operate.

We just didn't have that in the past. And we voted on it, we ratified it. And one of our elders, it was John Robinson up in Fort Wayne, who has been around the church for years and years, and also a successful businessman, and more attuned to those documents. He passed on a piece of advice that I've always remembered.

And it was some advice he got from a lawyer that he was having to work with on a business operation. And the advice is this. The best set of bylaws that any group ever comes up with are the kinds that you agree to, and you sign off on, and then you put them in a drawer, and you shut the drawer, and you don't have to open that drawer up every so often. Those are the best sets of agreements that you do your business by.

And I've remembered that, and I found it to be a true statement whenever we can move on. But we've been in years of organization and growing and developing, and we, time to time, have to pull these things out and look at them. But that's part of the conversation. That's part of the experience. And I think that's part of what God expects us to do as we move through. But all this began in 1995, remember? We were at a point organizationally where things weren't working. And because a very, very small group of people had decided to change the teaching of the church and impose that upon the entire church rather than just quietly going off on their own and living as they had the freedom to do, it became something that had to sweep through the entire church.

And doctrines were changed, and lives were upset, and things were done that led, ultimately, to at least those of us in the United Church of God in 1995, to gather right here in Indianapolis to have a founding conference and to begin to reorganize the work of God. We'd prayed, we'd fasted, and those of us that were around at that time well remember what we had to do. But it was very much reminiscent of what we see in Acts, Chapter 15, where there was a gathering of ministers and a conference. This time it was over an issue of doctrine, teaching, and administering teaching within the church as the church was expanding and growing.

But it was over circumcision that was the trigger that brought these ministers together. But in verse 2, after the issue of circumcision came up in Acts 15 and verse 2, the solution is something that we took a page from in 1995 and continue to learn from. It says in verse 2, "...therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.

So being sent on their way by the church, they passed through the cities and the regions of Phoenician Samaria describing the conversion of the Gentiles, and they caused great joy to all the brethren. When the church left beyond its walls of Judaism and started including Gentiles, and it was very clear and very evident that Gentiles were to be brought into the church, the questions and the issues that then had to be solved and dealt with at that time created some problems. And there were problems of prejudice and other things that had to be dealt with, and how, especially on points of circumcision and things, they had to deal with.

But you'll note two points from this in verse 2, that there was no small dissension. There was no small dissension among the people, and they had to go and get it resolved. That means that there was a lot of discussion. Sometimes that discussion may have gotten rather heated, but it doesn't say anything about division, doesn't say anything about people being thrown out or dismissed from the fellowship of the church.

Their solution, as mature Christians, was to come together and to take it to a group and to a gathering of other elders, and the apostles and elders, to be resolved. And so it says that, in verse 3, a second poetry member, was that the church, in this case, in Antioch, sent Paul and Barnabas to this council, to this conference. So in a sense, in 1995, when ministers got together in Indianapolis, we were sent by some cases, we didn't even have organized congregations at that time, but we were sent by groupings and in some cases congregations.

And every year, in a sense, you send the elders to the general conference meeting for the business of the church and all the other issues and discussions and matters that go on. So in spirit, that is still being done, like in the book of Acts, in order to bring together a joint response and a joint purpose of working between the members and the ministry in a unique way. And we draw our example here from the book of Acts in this way.

As then it is saying today, we need God, we need one another, and we need to work together in that way. When we got here 13 years ago, there was no designated leader. We were kind of thrust into a unique atmosphere. And I remember voting for the first time in any type of a congregational ministry or role.

And I remember pausing. I think we were voting on the name of the church at that time. And we were sitting at round tables over here at Jonathan Bird's. And I remember kind of pausing and thinking, this was kind of a crossing of the Rubicon for me. This was a no-turning-back issue. It was completely different.

And we did it, and lightning didn't fall upon us from heaven, and we lived. And we came up with a name, and we voted on other matters. And it was new ground for us, sad to say, in the church. But there was a humility. To be honest with you, there was a flattening of the ministry at that particular point in time that was unique to that point. And many times I wished we could recapture the spirit and that particular attitude in those initial months that we had when there was a humility and a desire to work together as brothers in arms in the ministry and reorganize and do the work.

And that lasted for some time going forward at that particular point. And it was a unique period. There was a great deal of stress. We'd want to live through it again. But in terms of what we learned and what we saw among ourselves, it did produce some very good fruit. But we were seeking to each other's counsel and a multitude of counselors following biblical proverbs with the ultimate goal of seeking God's will and the way we conducted ourselves through balloting in order to determine the guidance of God's Holy Spirit by some tangible means to understand what He wanted us to do within the clear intent of the Scriptures and the guidance of God's Holy Spirit.

We really, truly had an understanding that we could not do this alone. We needed God's help. We needed the backing and the support of all the members that we were there representing. Many of whom were praying and fasting back home and hanging on any news that was coming out at that particular time.

I think we understood the power. We came to understand the power of prayer and a real belief in seeking God's will. And that was another factor that brought us all together. Prayer is always a glue that binds together God's people in a time of crisis to serve His purpose. As long as we're seeking to serve God's purpose and not our own individual agenda, prayer and fasting is going to accomplish that.

And, brethren, if you would ask your prayers this coming week for the next week's meeting. But if you would like to fast along with us as we prepare ourselves for the meeting, then I would certainly encourage you to do so. But certainly be praying for us and asking God to guide us in these meetings coming up so that we can reach a consensus. The issue of the relocation has been a problematic issue for us over the last more than a year now. Just be blunt about it. And it is important that we reach a consensus on that that allows us to move forward.

One way or the other, we are going to move forward. I have no question about the outcome in terms of however the vote will go. We are going to move forward because I think the ministry is dedicated to the principle to support the decision of the whole for the sake of unity and a harmonious effort. I think it's important. Consensus is one of these terms that maybe it depends on which book you turn to to define it. But essentially it is an approach of there is a very strong majority acceptance of any particular decision made by a group. It is really what a definition of consensus is in order for a group to move forward. But at some point everyone has to accept the decision that is made and then accept that it is going to work and work to make it work for the good of the entire group. I have no doubt in my mind and heart that that is not going to happen when we come to next Sunday night and the results of all the discussions and balloting are finally decided, especially on this one particular issue. I am confident that things are going to be able to move forward. Because of the number of principles that are always at the back of our minds and should be, one of which is over in Philippians 2. I would like for you to turn there in Philippians 2. Let's begin in verse 1. Paul writes, That is a powerful dose and prescription right there. Paul writes some of the most hard to accomplish matters right there for any of us, especially in verse 3. That the things we do are not motivated or dominating by ambition or conceit.

We all are human. We have our own desires. We have our own way we'd like to do things, see things done, places we'd like to go, whether it's the way the family is run, or the business we might be involved with, or a group of friends that are out and trying to decide what to do on a Sunday. You know, we sometimes have to sublimate our desires and our agenda to that of others for the good of the group or whatever.

Paul here says, whatever you do, it's got to be done in a lowliness of mind, which is speaking about a humility where we esteem the others better than ourselves. That gets to how we look at each other. Where we do look at each other with high regard, with love, with concern, not to manipulate, not to abuse, not to ignore, not to pass by, but that we really do consider one another. And as he goes on in verse 4, let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. You know, over the years, we could go back and there's not a need to go through year by year, or even all the highlights of the 13 years of our experience in the United Church of God. But we've had our ups and downs. We've had our issues, and we've had many things we've had to work through. I've been encouraged by this particular matter in terms of the way we're working through it, in this relocation issue. To me, it shows a measure of growth in many ways that I hope everybody else sees the same thing. But, you know, some, you know, I don't see a problem or an issue or a fear of division or anything like that coming out of this. What I see is a conversation that has continued. But over the years, we've had situations where not everyone has been able to continue with us. And we've had, as a result, people spin off and leave and start other organizations and matters. And it has had its share of hurt. And, you know, we've had this flux going through the...this ebb and flow, I should say, going through the church over the years. And as I look at what has happened, as I look at my part in all of this, and as I look at any part that I have going forward, I know that probably the biggest problem we have had to deal with is not so much personality oriented as it is oriented inside of our mind, ourselves, in our own heart. And it all comes down to a matter of one word, pride. Pride. Pride is something that is so insidious and so problematic for us. It's been a key source of the problems as I've looked back and looked at things and looked at myself. And what I have to grapple with my own mind is pride. That we have to surmount more than anything else. As a church, as a minister, as individuals, we are all subject to what has been called the most venomous of sins, and that's pride. None of us have ever experienced getting snake bent, do we? You go out hiking in the woods in certain areas, if you're smart, you take a snake bite kit.

I remember one time, years ago, down in Tennessee, we had a church outing at the camp out at one weekend in the mountains of East Tennessee. And we all got up early after breakfast and we went out along this old railroad trestle on a hike. And we were all kind of fat, dumb, and happy from the breakfast and just down for a nice stroll.

And we weren't 50 yards down this old trail when our leader up front killed his first copperhead.

And we kept on going. And another 25 yards or so down the trail, there was another copperhead.

And that one, I remember him just leaving. He killed the first one and hung it up on his walking stick for everybody to look at. The other, he began to leave. And every few yards or so, we'd see a copperhead. Now, you know what you start doing after, on a walk like that? You start tiptoeing and looking very carefully at every step you take because copperheads hide. They don't make any noise. They blend right in. That's what makes a copperhead a copperhead. And when they bite, there's no warning. And they leave a pretty nasty hole. I don't know, I suppose, if they charged you with enough venom, it might kill you. But normally, from my limited understanding of the woods is that they can leave a pretty nasty sword and take a long time to get over it. Regardless, I didn't want to get it.

There are some things that you just want to avoid. And pride is like the venomous bite of a reptile.

Once it gets in there, it can do a lot of damage to your life. It is very hard to get rid of. It is destructive. It affects every one of us. And it's so important to understand and to look at as to how it impacts our lives. If there's one vice that no person is totally free of, it is pride.

It's been called even the mother of all other sins.

And when you really understand it, that's exactly true. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular and no fault that we see in someone else that makes us not like that person.

When you see pride in someone else, and it creates a visceral reaction in you, it's a pretty good indication that you, too, have a lot of pride.

I've thought about that, and I found it to be true.

When we see it in others and we don't like it, and it really bothers us, it's a pretty good indication that we've got enough of it charging around in our own life and in our own mind.

Pride is the opposite of humility. I'd like to talk just for a minute here in this sermon about pride.

Remind ourselves of a few matters because it is the essential vice.

There are a lot of other vices, sexual immorality, anger, greed, drunkenness, addictions, and in one sense, those are small in comparison.

You know, immorality can cause all kinds of problems through a family, through a person's life.

But at some point, it seems to be easier, at least, to recognize and to identify. And even for the person caught in the sin, there's a recognition that there's a problem.

Drunkenness is the same way, or anger.

A person can have a problem of flying off the handle and not being able to control their emotions and getting angry at the drop of a hat.

And that can be readily identified.

It may not still be hard to deal with and overcome, but it can be identified.

In comparison to pride, pride isn't always that easy for us to identify within ourselves.

Whereas we might at least recognize we've got a problem with certain other issues of alcohol or anger or whatever it might be, but we are not able to identify the pride that we might have.

And it is a very chief vice that is also kind of an anti-God attitude.

In Isaiah 14, the Scripture that describes Lucifer and what led to his downfall is a description of pride.

Isaiah 14.

The Bible says, beginning in verse 12, in this classic section dealing with pride, as the attitude of Lucifer, it says, How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning, how you are cut down to the ground, you who weaken the nations.

For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.

Lucifer had a particular position. He had a position of responsibility, and it wasn't enough. He wanted more. He took it to upon himself to say that I will ascend to heaven. I will exalt myself, my throne above the stars of God.

I will also set on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north.

You can take this language and you can begin to apply it in so many different manners and ways to our own attitudes and other things that we might see.

As an exact description of an attitude of mind and heart that we have to at times fight, but we don't always recognize.

He says, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the grave, to the lowest depths of the pit.

When we know and understand that story from Ezekiel and a couple here in Isaiah 14, we understand exactly what did happen to Lucifer.

But this section of Isaiah, probably as well as any other, puts out the spirit and the attitude, and it is one of pride, that caused him to exalt himself above God, to want to have something that was not His, to thank Him of God less than He should.

This is a perfect example of not esteeming God in the way He should be esteemed, as Paul said back in Philippians 2. Lucifer did not esteem God in His position.

So often, when we are bitten by the sin of pride, we are envious. We don't have the joy. We want something that's not ours.

We look at ourselves as having abilities that may be not quite as good as we think they are.

And that may have been fed by a parent, by someone else, or even by our own accomplishments.

And we mistake what we can do. And certainly, in the end, we lose sight of God.

The Bible has a lot to say about pride, the attitude that is there.

In Proverbs 6, it's listed as one of the seven things that God hates. Proverbs 6. In verse 16, it lists six things the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to Him.

Proverbs 6 and verse 16. And the first thing on the list, number one, is a proud look.

God doesn't have to have ten. This is not a top seven list.

We don't need to look at any of these things. We don't have to work our way backwards.

We can start right at number one to make the point that it is a proud look.

Pride. It's more than just the way one looks. It's the way one thinks.

It's what's in our mind. It's in how we look at other people and how we look at ourselves.

And it's top of the list of what God hates.

It can lead to these other problems that are mentioned here of lying and false witness and sowing discord.

But another reason to think of it and realize it is kind of the essential vice that is right there.

Pride ends in shame. In Proverbs 11 and verse 2, it says, When pride comes, then comes shame. But with the humble is wisdom.

It can lead to shame. Not just for the individual, maybe for the whole family.

Maybe it can derail a reputation of a whole family or a whole organization, even the whole church.

Pride can lead to some shame that is brought upon a congregation because of problems that confess and develop.

So it can lead to shame. It can lead to destruction. In Proverbs 18 and verse 12, Before destruction, the heart of a man is haughty. And before honor is humility.

Pride is described here as something that is being haughty. You can't talk to them. You can't talk to that person.

Have you ever run across a person that will not receive instruction, you can't deal with a person on the job?

Perhaps someone that you run across in your life? I've been watching a series that was on PBS a few weeks ago.

I love DVRs now. You can just program that and watch it whenever you want. PBS had a series where they, I think, had a nine or ten part series called Carrier.

The film crew went aboard the USS Nimitz and spent months at sea with the crew of the Nimitz going everywhere, filming just about everything they could.

It's been a fascinating watch. So far, I'm only about four hours into it because I find the time to watch it.

The other night I was watching it and they were focusing for a period of time, far too long, I thought, on one of the lowly seamen, a young man probably no more than 19-20 years of age, which a lot of the people on the naval ship like that, they're barely out of high school. It's amazing what you learn about the Navy and about the people running these ships.

They focused on this one person who had a problem with racism and alcohol.

He was a self-described racist redneck.

He would not respect the blacks, the Filipinos, the Asians, anybody else that he had to work with, live with in the close quarters of the carrier.

He deliberately over-prepared for several weeks and on shore leave and everything, got himself court-martialed.

They showed his officers trying to talk to him, other fellow seamates trying to talk to him, and they spent quite a bit of time with this individual.

He would not learn. He wouldn't learn to respect the other person, to respect another race, to respect the Navy, his shipmates.

It was amazing, at least probably 20 minutes or so, they spent chronicling this individual.

It was a haughtiness where he would not learn.

Finally, the captain, you were brought before what is called Captain's Mast in the Navy on a ship.

That is the court-martial or court of last resort. He got what he wanted, fired up the helicopter and flew him off the ship.

It will not impact the rest of his life. He will be held back the rest of his life because of that court-martial.

He would not learn. That is what this is talking about here.

This haughtiness, before destruction, the heart of a person can be haughty.

They cannot learn. They won't learn. They won't be taught.

They are the way they are, because their daddy was this way, their granddaddy was this way, and they were raised this way, and they just can't come to a point where they will change.

Destruction is the result of that.

Pride works in that way. Pride can keep us from seeing a need to change, from seeing a need to change the whole way we think, and cause us to be full of ourselves.

That is really what it boils down to.

There is a story about politicians.

Politics can be a tremendous reservoir of pride.

Church can too. The ministry can as well.

I am not talking so much about the ministry today, or focusing on that so much, in a generic sense.

I think we can pull an example or two off of a politician from the news current or years past that has met their downfall because of pride.

There is a story, I don't know if it is true or not, but it is a story of a newly elected politician who comes to Washington before being sworn in as a congressman.

He is talking to a senior congressman who is trying to show the ropes and how things are done in Washington, D.C.

As the story goes, they are both standing in the senior congressman's office, looking out, and from that particular office in the Capitol building or one of his offices, they can see the Potomac River, which runs through Washington, D.C.

The senior congressman looks out and sees an old rotting log floating down the Potomac.

He says to the rookie, he says, you see that log out there? He says, well, yeah, I can see it floating by.

The senior congressman says, Washington, D.C. is like that. It is like that old log.

The rookie says, what do you mean?

And the congressman says, well, he said, on that old rotting log, there are hundreds and thousands of grubs, ants, and all kinds of critters.

And every one of them thinks that he or she is steering that log. He said, Washington, D.C. is a lot like that. A lot of people with offices and titles and seniority and every one of them thinks they're running the show.

That is not just true of Washington, D.C. They can be true of a lot of other places.

They can be true of any of us in God's Church, collectively or individually.

And it is something for us to watch and to be aware of.

Pride can vanish when we understand one very important lesson spiritually in our life.

And that is the central role of Jesus Christ and what he plays in our life.

We turn back to Revelation 3. I spent some time this week in Revelation 3 while I was teaching the new pastors, or some of the old pastors, that are in for training at the Ambassador Bible Center.

When I go in every year to teach at ABC now, I also get a chance to spend about three hours with the pastors that are in for training.

One pastor who was there has been in the ministry for about 48 years, and he was going back for some training.

Glenn White, from up in Montana, he figured he needed to get in and get trained right now because if they waited until they got to him, his seniority, he'd be dead.

So he's been coming in with about 14 other pastors over the last few months for about 10 days at a time as they go through some various training.

Richard Penelli wanted me to talk to him about church history. They sat in on my church history class, and then we also have about a three-hour session where we talk about Revelation 2 and 3 in church eras and matters there, and a little bit more of church history.

So we were talking about Revelation 3 and the Laodicean message here to the church at Laodicea.

So that's on my mind. And you look at this message to this church, we tend to think about Laodicea as being lukewarm, and they were.

That was a problem that Christ said, you're not cold or hot. I would that you were either cold or hot.

And keep in mind that cold water has its purpose and hot water has its value.

It's not that either one is bad. The problem with Laodicea was that they weren't either one, Jesus said. They were lukewarm, and it was pretty insipid.

And you look at the spirit, the attitude here, verse 17, because you say, I'm rich and have become wealthy and have need of nothing, you see a spirit of pride.

That is at the heart of the problem here of the message to this church at Laodicea.

He said, and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Pride is very hard to see.

That's why it is such an insidious problem. You can't see it. And that is at the heart of their problem.

He said, I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich, and white garments that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed, and anoint your eyes with eyesab that you may see.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, therefore be zealous and repent.

And to me, the real problem or the real cause for their problem, and therefore at the same time the solution for Laodicea is what is in verse 20.

He says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he with me.

The reason Laodicea was full of pride, lukewarm, useless to Christ, was that they could not see Jesus Christ.

This is a very graphic picture of Jesus standing outside the door knocking.

And they don't hear it.

He knocks again, and they ignore it.

They think it's woodchucks or raccoons up under the house or something, you know?

And he keeps knocking, but they either don't hear it, refuse to listen to it, and ignore it, and are filled with themselves.

Who they are, their message, their pride, their position, all these things that he says here, and they don't need him.

And the reason they're that way is because they are not listening to Jesus Christ.

They do not see his role in the church, in this message here, and they have their problems.

But that's really what's important to focus on.

The Laodicea, it doesn't matter about the era, or about who's Laodicea, or calling some group or some individual Laodicea.

That's wrong. That misses the point. The point is what verse 20 tells us.

This is the point to focus on.

For you, for me, for any of God's church, any part, any aspect of the body of Christ, is to focus on the fact that he stands at the door and he knocks, and he says, if anybody hears, I will come in and dine with him, and he with me.

And he will sit down and he will teach us, and there will be a communal relationship.

And that's what's important to strive for.

And that is being able then to see and understand Jesus Christ at the center of the church, the center of our life, to help us avoid feeling haughty, full of ourselves, thinking we have everything that we need. We know everything there is to know.

We've learned all there is to learn. Nobody can teach us because of who we are, what we've been through, years of seniority, accomplishments, titles, this or that, whatever it might be that lifts us up in pride, in whatever situation, church, school, family, job, life.

And we cannot and will not learn. And it all comes down to this.

This is what kept another servant of God from getting lifted up with pride. If you turn back to John 1, and you look at John the Baptist, a minister, a prophet, baptizing people, having hundreds, if not thousands, of people come out to listen and to watch what he's doing.

When you look and you put together the story of John the Baptist, he shot on the scene, didn't have to pay his dues, and had instant audiences because of his message that he was preaching and teaching.

And John the Baptist could have been lifted up with pride, especially when Jesus Christ came on the scene.

Because John had been there first. John had the draw. He had the crowds. He was baptizing. He was doing something in God's name. And yet when Jesus appeared, look at verse 27 of John chapter 1.

What did he say? It is He who coming after Me is preferred before Me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.

He was speaking about Jesus. I'm not worthy to even take off his sandal, much less wash it.

Because perhaps the implication.

When we all kneel down before each other every year at the Passover service, depending on how we do it, we may help them take off their shoes and their socks.

We wash their feet and dry it off. It's a service of humility that we go through with one another.

To teach us this very important lesson. To learn to esteem each other better than ourselves.

But John said that he wasn't even worthy to kneel down and take off the strap of the sandal of Jesus.

He could have made some other quip. He could have dismissed Jesus and said, Well, you know, jump in, the water is fine. Let's see how many He draws.

Or he could have had his territory all staked off and sent word back, don't tread on Me. Don't come this way. But he didn't. He didn't have that problem when he approached the work that Jesus was yet to do.

He said on another occasion, I must diminish and he must increase.

He had a sense of who he was. He had a very clear sense of his role. He was a forerunner.

He was one going in advance, preparing the way for someone else to come who was going to do a greater work than him.

And he would diminish. And he would, in a sense, almost become a footnote to the story.

Maybe he didn't really know that, but he knew that he would diminish and that for a brief period of time, when he put the chronology together, John the Baptist's ministry only lasted a few months.

It was a very short time that the work was done and it was all over.

And how did he die? How did John the Baptist die?

On the east side of the Jordan, in a palace of Herod, they served his head up on a platter, beheaded, an ignominious death.

And he was, in a sense, forgotten, in that sense.

Because Christ then becomes at the center of the whole story.

And so it's a very important lesson for all of us to look at in terms of what John did, but also the way he handled himself.

That he knew there was a time when he must hand off and then he would just kind of have to walk off into the sunset.

And his role would be finished.

If he had been filled with pride, he would not have been able to do that and fulfill that particular role.

If he had been filled and lifted with pride, he wouldn't have had God would not have sent the people coming to him, including his own son, to be baptized.

The story of John the Baptist is very instructive for us in that way.

It's important we distinguish between pride and what God is doing, and false pride in what we do. Whatever it might be as we work among ourselves.

And if I can bring it back down to the work of the church, the work especially of the ministry.

As I said when I started to talk here about pride, looking back over the years, that's probably been an area where it has been the biggest time of downfall for any minister that has begun to think of himself more highly than he should. And whatever role or capacity that he had. And sometimes those problems spill over and lead to other problems for a congregation or for the church as a whole.

And so pride is something that all of us in the ministry have to be continually on guard about, to be honest with you.

We all do as Christians in our particular role, but I will speak as a minister for a moment, as I set the stage for this conference of ministers, wherever all the ministers get together, and realize that you've got a lot of egos. You've got a room full of ministers, you've got a lot of egos. Let's just be blunt about it.

And one of the reasons I do enjoy the times that we have like this, when we have our meetings, is certainly get reacquainted with others and friends and people that I haven't seen for a while. Some of them you only see once a year, and some of you don't see that often. And I'm blessed that I can be close by and attend every year. If it were not so, I probably would not be able to attend every year because of the cost factors, but at this point in time I can.

So it is an added benefit for us to be able to do that, and we take advantage of it as we can and make sure that we do that. As we approach our meeting next week and the weeks and the months after that, I'm convinced in my mind that the best days of the United Church of God lie ahead of us, that we will settle our business and move forward.

And we have many, many things to engage in, to be optimistic about, and I'm convinced the best days lie ahead for God's people and for the work that God will do through us.

And as long as we keep our eyes focused on the fact that it is God's Church and that Christ is the head of this Church, then that will be done and we'll be able to work through any problems that arise, whatever they might be, and work together in that way.

So to go down to the meetings is a time to work through the solutions, work through to the solutions that are there for what appear to be problems, and in some cases are problems. Sometimes they're large problems and sometimes their problems are not quite as large, but it's a reason to participate and to be vigilant in my role as a minister and to encourage you to pay attention.

And to certainly be vigilant in your role as a member. Because just as the Church at Antioch sent Barnabas and Paul to the conference in Jerusalem, you send your elders, and every congregation sends their elders to a meeting on a regular basis, on an annual meeting like this, and you are there. We are endeavoring to represent you and hoping and knowing that we have your prayers, your support, and your best wishes that everything would go well. And I will say, brethren, that if you put your heart into those prayers, and should you choose to even join us in fasting, that it will be a successful conference. Regardless of the outcome on any issue, whether it's an amendment, the recension resolution, whoever will be selected to be on the Council of Elders, it will be a successful conference for the good of the Church, and the Church will move forward. Because when it's all said and done, we go there, and if we esteem each other better than ourselves, we talk in the halls, or we'll talk over a meal. And quite frankly, that's where the real business of the meeting gets done. It's not in the actual formal sessions. Those of you that go to conferences, you know that. It's the networking that takes place. It's the conversations in the halls over a meal, over a cup of coffee. That's where things get ironed out. That's where contacts are made, things are knit together, deals are made, or whatever it may be, in whatever the business setting. It's not in the actual meetings itself. A lot of times those get rather tedious and can be downright boring, to be honest with you. I don't mean to put anybody down on that, but it's just the nature of meetings. I like sermons every once in a while, right? So it's what takes place before and afterwards and in the halls and over at the dinner tables.

But you know what? When you can go eyeball to eyeball with somebody, when you can sit down and talk, then you realize that we've got much, much more in common than any difference that might be there. And so it becomes an equalizer. And that's encouraging and that's good.

And so we go to support the work of the church, the leadership of the church, and continue the process toward unity. You know, unity is a word that we use a lot. We strive for it. We read about it in the book of Acts. And unity is always a... sometimes it's an elusive issue. People fear that if we don't have unity, thus and such might happen.

But one of the things I've learned is that if we have unity in our mission, then everything else will take care of itself.

I look back over 40, 50 years in the Church of God, and I find the times when we strayed, when the church had major issues and upheavals, it usually was because we had fought straight off of our mission of preaching the gospel. And we didn't have a unity of mission. I don't know that at any time in the Church, if we've ever had a complete unity of doctrine, we've always had people with differing ideas and this and that, that might not exist, even among ministers that were teachers or whatever. We've had a measure of unity there, but in some cases we've had to work those things out. There have been times when there have been less unity and whatever. To me, the biggest period where we've had unity is when the Church has been focused on its mission and growing in that way. Because unity is a destination. Unity is a journey. It's not always an event. You can't necessarily say, at this moment or with this event, this creates unity. Unity is a process through a series of actions, one step at a time. We can never take it for granted. We have to continue to be working at it. If we don't, then we will not have unity. But it's a process through which we go on a regular basis.

As long as we are endeavoring for that, esteeming one another in high regard, then we will be on the right track in the right direction. So let me ask you in conclusion to be mindful in your prayers and words. Psalm 133, we could turn there in conclusion. You always love to hear that, don't you? In conclusion, let's turn to Psalm 133.

Let's all be mindful of this. If I can ask, could you be prayerful about this in the coming days?

Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. If we can pray with that end, we'll go a long way toward removing some of the pride that can trip us up and expect a successful series of meetings. And beyond that, a successful period of time for the work of the United Church of God. So I ask you for that on behalf of the other elders that will gather in prayer, your prayers, for a successful, unifying experience when we get together next week for the sake of all of us before God.