The Way Forward for the Church of God

There's a quote that I want to open with that to me fit. I had it in the back of my mind, even though I was writing my sermon. It got done with my sermon and I want to look it up. It's one that I've read about a number of times. It is from Abraham Lincoln. It was said during his second inaugural address in April of 1864. His second inaugural address was very short. It's a classic of American literature. I'll just read one paragraph, as he said.

Keep in mind this was as the Civil War was winding down. On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending Civil War. All dreaded it. All sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war, seeking to dissolve the Union and dividing effects by negotiation.

Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came. This is an extraordinary time in the history of God's Church. Our fellowship is going through a time of struggle and separation that is tearing at our hearts and our soul. Families and friends are being separated over issues that do not justify the action.

Yet it has come. For months, I could see it gathering, and I sought, with all my human efforts, to prevent it. We met, we talked, we explained, and we made apologies. Yet it has come. A year ago, I saw a plague develop and begin to sweep through the Church.

Warnings were made, and sincere attempts were made to quench its wrath. Yet it has come. As a shepherd, standing watch by night and giving warning so that none here would be affected, I have done my best to protect and to guide you. Yet it has come, and some have been affected. So how do we move forward? Today, I want to state what will be the way forward. For those of us here in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, and I hope for all of the congregations of the United Church of God. Point number one. I didn't plan it this way, but I have seven. Always good to have seven. Point number one.

We will not let our love grow cold. In Matthew 24, we read the Olivet Prophecy, which too often we read and think is talking about the world, horsemen riding the war and plague. Certainly, that's part of it. But when you get past the first few verses and references to a tribulation and all, you get down into the heart of Matthew 24, you have to step back and realize that Jesus is speaking about the Church and conditions among His own followers.

Actually, the Olivet Prophecy rolls right into Matthew 25 with the parables of the wise and the foolish virgins and talents. Chapter 25 is part of the Olivet sermon as well, or Olivet Prophecy. But here in Matthew 24, in verse 10, Jesus said, speaking after the tribulations, that will kill you and you will be hated by all nations for my namesake. And then many will be offended and will betray one another and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. False teachings, heresy. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold because of sin, because of iniquity.

We've often applied that to sin and iniquity in the world, causing the love in general in the world to grow cold. And certainly that is an application, but we're not going to be immune from that in the Church in any way, shape, or form. When you drop down to verse 49 of Matthew 24, you get into a part of it that really is unmistakably talking to the Church. Verse 45 talks about who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his master made ruler over his household to give them food in due season. Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

Assuredly I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, my master is delaying his coming and begins to beat his fellow servants. Verbally, through whatever means or method it could be, but to beat his fellow servants, to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at that hour that he is not aware of and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. A description of the times and, quite frankly, what has to be, when we put this with other prophecies and other statements as well, he is speaking a warning to the church that we don't beat each other.

That we don't beat each other up and we don't let our love grow cold. We must be very careful that we resist that happening to us. What it all has said and done at the end of the day, you and I make the decision as to whether our love will grow cold. We can't always control what other people do, what other people say to us, what other people even do to us. It's always how we choose to react.

It's how we ultimately choose to be as Christians in our relationship with God inside us that will determine whether or not our love, the agape love, the real deep love of God in us by his spirit, will be extinguished. We will not let our love grow cold. I don't think we will. I know that's going to be a challenge. When accusations and offenses and false statements are made, there has to be correction. There has to be explanation. They have to be done with great care.

I've lived with a lot of it for a few years now. And I've had my share. Others have had a whole lot more than me. It's been an experience. It's been a real trip, as they say, through this. Leadership, I'm talking about just having the opportunity to be in a leadership role. But I'm fighting just like you. And I don't think I'll let my love grow cold. It's been tugged at. But especially in the last year, that has really, really been on my mind. No, brethren, we have too much time invested in one another. I'm speaking right here in this congregation. We've got too much time invested in one another. Some of us have been with some of you for 20 years. You've been with each other for longer than that in some cases. Since the beginning of the United Church of God, we've been here 15 years together. Getting to know one another, offending one another, trying to figure each other out. Some come, some go, some come and check us out. But you know, we've got a lot invested in each other. We are a family. We, like every other family, we don't like each other sometimes. Or we wish we had been born into another family. I went through that stage as a young person. In my late pre-teen, early teen years, I remember looking and thinking, I wish I had somebody else's parents. It was short-lived, but it was a period of time. Everybody has gone through that. But that's what families do, don't they? And yet, we still are here. We do have a lot invested, and we are a family. And Satan would love to destroy what we have. It's my prayer every day that he will not do it. Point number two, we will suffer patiently. We will suffer patiently. In 1 Peter 4, 1 Peter 4, verse 12.

Peter writes, Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you. But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached, for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. And if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Judgment always begins at the house of God. God is always judging us, putting us through a period of judgment to test us, to see our reaction, to know our hearts. As was mentioned in the sermonette, indeed, this is a time of testing of relationships. It's not doctrine. In 1995 it was doctrine. This one is not. This is about relationships. And it's hard. It is hard. But we will suffer patiently. Everyone will. I hope if we're going to follow the example of Jesus Christ, we will. Patiently. I feel that those who are separating would see their questions and concerns answered with a patient forbearance. As I've said, questions have been answered openly and as completely and exhaustively as I know in my human power to do. Apologies have been made. Forgiveness has been asked.

There's nothing that I've read or seen that justifies the steps that are being taken. But we will all have to deal with this patiently. And as we move forward, we will suffer patiently if we are going to react in the way that Christ did. Point number three. We will do what Christ did.

In 1 Peter 2. I read this from the NIV translation. 1 Peter 2 and verse 21.

Peter writes, God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted nor threatened revenge when he suffered.

He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. He did not retaliate when he left his case in the hands of God. That is where we have to leave it. That is where we have to leave every case in the hands of God. And not seek revenge, not demean, demonize. I have been trying to tell people, wherever I have gone, that we are not done with each other yet. We are not done with each other yet. Certainly God is not done with us, but we are going to see each other for a long time. There are too many ties. Family, friends, too many funerals ahead of us, too many weddings ahead of us. So there is no need to let rancor or demonization overcome us. If we can individually avoid that, then we can move forward, move ahead, and who knows what God will yet do. But if we do what and handle it the way Christ did, we will leave it in his hands, because he always judges fairly, as he had to suffer. We have to follow his steps. Point number four. We will rededicate ourselves to God. Nehemiah chapter 10. Times like this always provide opportunity for people to wake up, to rededicate themselves, to become a bit more serious about their own personal calling. I've had a number of people relate that to me in recent days, how this has been a wake-up call, just in a personal, spiritual way for them. And I think that there has been a soul-searching going on that has caused people to recognize that in some cases they've got a choice to make, as to what they're going to do. And they've used this as a wake-up call, and it has been, in their own personal life. But in Numbers chapter 10, after the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, the people came together. They rededicated themselves to the covenant of God. And all of them, in verse 28, came together, the Levites, the gatekeepers, and from the peoples of the lands, to the law of God, all who had separated themselves from the people of the lands that came to the law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, everyone who acknowledged and understood. These joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses, the servant of God, and to observe and to do all the commandments of the Lord our God in his ordinances and his statutes. Everyone joined together to make an oath to walk in God's law, a rededication to God's law, not just in an outward demonstration, but with the real intent of ensuring that those laws are being written on our hearts, as indeed they should be for every Christian with the Spirit of God, written in the spiritual intent of our heart.

And that includes all the laws of God. Every ten of the commandments to the deepest spiritual intent of those laws, as Christ outlined in the Sermon on the Mount and the New Testament, to write that in our minds and in our hearts. Because that is what we will need to endure and to see it through. One of my fellow ministers I heard gave a sermon a few weeks ago, one of his sermons that gets out on the internet, and he was saying that these are the good times. He said, these are the good times. I remember hearing that that was part of his said, I thought, oh yeah, well, I don't want to see any bad times then. But I had to stop and think and realize, you know, this is all internal. And if we can't deal with this, how are we going to run with the horses? As God said to Jeremiah in chapter 12 of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was complaining about how difficult it was and how God had kind of tricked him. He didn't really read to him the fine print. And God said, wait a minute, he said, how are you going to run with the horses if you can't run with the footmen in the plains of the Jordan? In other words, if you can't run with a bunch of men, how are you going to run with the really fast and strong horses? There are tougher times for the people of God if we and you and I live to see any type of persecution come upon us from the outside. That will pale into insignificance what we are dealing with today. That, as I even say it, I find it challenging to understand, but I read it in the scriptures when I read certain scriptures. And I know that indeed that is true. And so I have to ask myself, Darris, how are you going to run with the horses if you can't deal with this? We will deal with it. Everyone will deal with it. The judgment is how we will deal with it. And rededicate ourselves to God, to His law, to every aspect of His way of life. This is not a game. And while it is about relationships, the most important relationship is the one that we have with God the Father, Jesus Christ. That's the most important one. And if we don't get that right, then we will make a decision, right or wrong, that we'll still kick the can down the road. Someone wrote me a letter the other day and they said, you know, we can run, but we can't hide.

Because they were thinking about their choice. And they said it correctly, yeah, you can run to another organization, but you can't hide. I mean, several of us in this room have been in part to... you've already been in other organizations. Some of you have been out in the cold for a number of years and you came back to faith, came back to the United Church of God. There is still a churn moving among the greater Church of God of our experience, even as we go through what we're going through here. This is a major one. But you've wound your way, some of you, through one organization after another. For some of you, this is your third organization. You're still faithful to God. And yet, you know, it's true. If I would resign today, which I'm not, and be a part of another organization, I am still the same person. I'm still Darris McNeely with all of his warts, all my faults, my inclinations, my dreams, my hopes, my desires. And I'll just have to deal with it, would have to deal with it someplace else. And so I figured, well, I might as well deal with it in the United Church of God, because there's nothing changed that would warrant it as far as I could see. And the same is for all of us. It does boil down to we have to work out our own salvation and fear and trembling. And we could move to another organization, and if someone chooses to do that, then let's all go in peace. But we are still going to be the same person. You're going to be the same woman. You're going to be the same man. Anyone will. And we will have to still get on our knees, resist our own nature, the pulls of our flesh, overcome our sins, to resist the pulls of this world, the jobs and the challenges there of life. And we will still have to resist the negative pull of Satan's nature and his broadcast in this present evil world. Nothing will change. But I recognize that if some feel that that's what they have to do, that's what they have to do. But understand, we will still be the same person. And having been through this 15 years ago, and being a minister, as I have been for 15 years, more than 37 years, I see that it doesn't matter what the name is on the door. You and I will still have to learn to love one another. You and I will still have to deal with one another. And we will still have the same choices of obedience, regardless of their... So, that doesn't change. And so, as we move forward, we're going to have to rededicate ourselves to God. Point number five. In the United Church of God, we will rededicate ourselves to our relationships. We will. I will guarantee you we will. We will have to. There is no question. You know, in the beginning of the United Church of God, we set up a lot of safeguards and processes, especially in the area of relationships. We set up a member appeal committee, whereby if a member was disfellowshipped, told to stay away from church, they could appeal that decision of their pastor to a separate group of pastors, and it would be reviewed to ensure that abuse did not take place. So, we have a member appeal committee. There's an elder appeal committee. If an elder felt that he was dismissed wrongfully, he could appeal that. And we made grand statements that we said we've not always treated each other in a godly manner. And we talked about conflict resolution. I was looking at our strategic plan yesterday. And there it is. Conflict resolution. It still processes for conflict resolution. It's part of our strategic plan. The ministry voted on that last year. It approved it.

It would be fun if it wasn't so sad. In spite of our processes and our intent to resolve conflict, we've learned that if Christ is not in us by His Spirit, then there is not going to be any resolution. Until we clear out enough of the debris of our own nature, there won't be that unity. True unity is by the Spirit. The Bible says that Christ is not divided. And He's not. The body of Christ, the spiritual body of Christ, to which you and I were all baptized, is not divided. We've got our problems down here on this level. But Christ is not divided. And our aspiration, no matter what name is on the door, our goal is always that unity. That's what we're striving toward. That's the goal. And so we will rededicate ourselves to our relationships. John 17. And verse 20. Jesus said this in His final prayer before He was arrested and crucified. John 17 and verse 20.

That was Christ's prayer for all of His disciples, for all of His believers, then and through the ages down to this present day that we might be one, as He and the Father are. But that is still our goal. And we will rededicate ourselves to that, to learn that. We have to, and we must. Point number six. We will rededicate ourselves to prepare the first fruits. There will be more opportunities in the United Church of God than ever before. As I said earlier, elders are stepping up, many non-salaried elders who have the time, even the financial wherewithal, to step into the gap right now. And across the United States, they are doing that. It is a joy to behold their faithfulness, their willingness to step in and to be shepherds in areas where pastors have resigned. They are doing it today, they will do it next week, and they will do it ongoing. With as many ministers resigning as we have, there is going to be opportunity.

Not that everybody should be lining up to become a minister necessarily, but I have a distinct feeling that existing elders are going to step up, and others will grow into the opportunity. They will grow into the role, everywhere. And so, we will continue to prepare all of the first fruits. There will be many opportunities. Point number seven. We are going to rededicate ourselves to the work of God, preaching the Gospel with a greater sense of urgency and zeal. To give hope, to warn, and to teach. These have all been embedded in our founding principles from the very beginning of the United Church of God. This is nothing new. But times like this cause us to refocus and look at how we will do it, and not despise the day of small things, nor be discouraged that it can't be done or won't be done. We will rededicate ourselves to that work of preaching the Gospel. That, as I've told you, folks, many, many times, has been a singular goal and passion that I have. While at the same time, I've never willingly or knowingly shirked the preparing of the people part of the mission as well. I recognized, 14 years ago, that we needed to start plans to train more ministers. And now, that's even greater. I was advocating that as part of a team to put together some of the first thoughts on that.

I helped build the camp program that we have, knowing the value of that to the next generation. What grieves me a great deal is that so many men, with whom we built that program, have felt that they, by their own conscience and decision, have to make decisions in a new organization. But the camp program will go on. It'll be different. There's no question about that. It'll have to be revamped and reorganized, but it's not going to disappear. Maybe there's a purpose in that. But what Jesus said here in John 9 is very critical. And part of this is we rededicate ourselves. Christ said in John 9 and verse 4, I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day. The night is coming when no one can work.

As far as I can see, it's still day. I see that there'll be a time when it'll be night and the work can't be done. But if I read this statement correctly, then I have to stand where Christ stands and what He says to do the works of Him who sent me while we have the opportunity, while it is day. And so that work will continue on as God gives us the ability to do it. I do encourage all of you, if the preaching of the Gospel has never been a priority in your mind, and you think that it is frivolous, wasteful, unnecessary, if you've never caught the vision that Christ gives of preaching the Gospel, I really do encourage you to think about that and study the Scriptures and pray about that. Because the preaching of the Gospel is embedded in the mission to the Church. Matthew 28, Matthew 24, doing the work of God. The Church of God cannot deny that and be the Church of God. We can't just sit on our laurels and think that we've got 20 fundamental beliefs and a whole library full of literature that documents it, and seals it up from A to Z, and think that that's all that there is. Or just have a meeting and a place for us, and the local congregation is all that there is.

God's people, God's work, the Church has always been forced to move out. You read the story of the book of Acts. He caused persecution to come upon them in Jerusalem because they were hanging around Jerusalem too much in the early days of the Church. They were eating and having a communal type of social life that they were all joyful and happy and enjoying the truth in each other, but they were just kind of focused inward. Then God drops a persecution in the middle of them to the point of having one of their leading men, Stephen, stone to death to shock them through persecution and scatter them to other cities where they took the Word. And then the Church really began to grow. So the point is, God will always push His people to do the work that they're supposed to do, of sharing the message of the truth, the gospel, the kingdom of God, and the hope that a world desperately needs. And if, you know, it's not a matter of numbers, it's not a matter of size in God's eyes, He can raise up stones to do that.

You know, a lot of you are being turned and pointed to various lists, and people are saying, look at these names. Look at these names. As if that validates something.

I have refused from the beginning of this to number the Church of God. I will not number the Church. David numbered Israel. He calculated very carefully who He had. Other men through the Bible numbered their followers. You'll read where Cora numbered 250 men of renown.

You're being pointed to lists and you say, see these names? Men of renown. Must be something here. I've been dealing with men of renown leaving the Church ever since I've been in the Church. When I was in Ambassador College, men of renown were leaving.

When I was in the early days of the first year of the ministry, a lot of men of renown, including the man that hired me, left. In 1978, the most renowned men left. People thought, how are we going to continue? He started his own organization. We continued. In 1986, the man of renown died.

The Church carried on. It's not about numbers. It's not about lists of names. It's not about numbering the people of God. I made a personal decision sometime a few weeks back, I'm not going to number this Church.

I will act on principle. I will act on conscience. I will make decisions based on the principles of our organization and upon the Word of God. As God leads me, as God moves me, and with a clear conscience, but I will not number the Church. And you should not either. You should strive for clarity of mind and unity. Because at the end of the day, our unity is in Jesus Christ by the lead of His Holy Spirit. That's the unity that the people of God have. When we have the right foundation, and that foundation being Jesus Christ, the work of God will stand and it will grow in our lives. And it will be evident by the outward example of the inner work of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that any foundation that's not based on Jesus Christ will not stand when the Flood comes. What's your foundation built on? We're going to be building on a rock. We should be. Turn to Matthew 7.

At the end of the day, there's only one name I'm looking to. That's Jesus Christ, God the Father. Two names, if you want to put it that way. That's the only name I'm looking forward to. That's the only list that I look at. God the Father and Jesus Christ.

In Matthew 7, after the conclusion of this very important sermon, Jesus said to them in verse 24, Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. There's another scripture that tells us who that rock was that they followed, and it was Jesus Christ. That is who the rock was. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell, and great was its fall. And the war came. And the war came. That's where our foundation should be, on the rock. In 1 Corinthians chapter 3.

In verse 9. Let's begin in verse 9. Paul here is talking about the foundation again, and the fact that we are God's house. 1 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 9. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field. You are God's building. 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. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. And to just overlay what we read in Matthew 7, because the winds are going to come. The flood will be there. The storm will blow. And if it's not built on a solid rock, it will fall. If anyone builds this foundation, for verse 11. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one's work will become clear. 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? And if anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. So we are at a time of storm when our foundations are being tested. And it is time upon us all to rededicate ourselves to building on the foundation of Jesus Christ as the living head of his church. And that is where our source of true unity will be, when the works of our lives will be tested, and determine whether they stand and grow. That's what's important. That's what's before us. And I hope that all of us will take these and many other scriptures that you would find in your own personal study to heart and to mind at this time in our lives as we move forward in the United Church of God.