[0:00] Good morning brothers and sisters. Today is a good day to gather, amen. Today is a day of rejoicing, but on my heart it is a day of some sorrow as well.
[0:11] It's a bittersweet Sunday. And that's the way that this Sunday should feel, as part of this body is leaving. It should be painful. But at the same time, we rejoice together because God is working in this church.
[0:26] And the heart of Lampstand Gospel Church is to make the name of Jesus great on the South Hill. In 4th Memorial, you are the ones who have made that happen. So thank you.
[0:38] Let's sing together. Let's raise our voices. Let's make much of our Savior. Let's respond to Him in worship because His grace is good. Praise the Lord, His mercy is more.
[0:58] Stronger than darkness, new every morning. Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more.
[1:15] I just broke a string. So we're going to do this acapella this morning. Let's do verse 1. But love could remember no wrongs we have done. Omniscient all knowing He counts not their sum.
[1:33] Throne into a sea without bottom or shore. Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more.
[1:45] Praise the Lord, His mercy is more. Stronger than darkness, new every morning.
[2:00] Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more. What patience would wait as we constantly roam.
[2:11] What father so tender is calling us home. He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor.
[2:22] Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more. Praise the Lord, His mercy is more.
[2:39] Stronger than darkness, new every morning. Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more.
[2:50] What riches of kindness He lavished on us. His blood was the payment, His life was the cost.
[3:01] We stood near the debt we could never afford. Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more.
[3:14] Praise the Lord, His mercy is more. Stronger than darkness, new every morning.
[3:29] Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more. In Christ alone, my hope is found.
[3:43] He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
[3:59] What heights of love, what depths of peace. When fears are stilled, when striving sees.
[4:10] My comforter, my all in all, here in the love of Christ I stand.
[4:22] In Christ alone, who took on flesh, fullness of God and helpless babe. This gift of love and righteousness scored by the ones He came to save.
[4:43] Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.
[4:54] For every sin on Him was laid. Here in the death of Christ I live.
[5:06] There in the ground, His body lay. Light of the world by darkness slain.
[5:17] Then bursting forth in glorious day. Up from the grave He rose again.
[5:28] And as He stands in victory, since curse has lost its grip on me.
[5:39] For I am His and He is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ.
[5:51] No guilt in life, no fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me.
[6:02] From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.
[6:13] No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand till He returns or calls me home.
[6:30] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand. Amen. Join me in a word of prayer.
[6:44] Heavenly Father, this morning we declare your praises because you are good and your mercy endures forever. You are the sovereign God who created all things.
[6:56] You hold all things in your hands. You are holy and eternally worthy of our praise. But Father, none of us would be able to stand here and sing your praises this morning without the work of your Son, Jesus Christ.
[7:14] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. And by His blood He has redeemed for Himself the people for His name.
[7:25] This morning we stand because of the blood that Christ shed on the cross, of His victory over sin and death. Father, I pray that this morning would be a morning of glory to the name of Christ.
[7:40] That His holiness and His righteousness and His majesty would be made known among us. Not man, not our works, but your works. In your name be praised.
[7:53] Be praised and glorified this morning we pray. And all God's people said, Amen. You may be seated.
[8:08] Well, Josh, brother, I'm not even mad that you broke a string because that was really awesome to sing acapella with you all.
[8:19] Good morning. I get the privilege to share briefly with us from God's Word. And I'm going to be reading a passage that is probably very familiar to many of us.
[8:36] And it's a passage that every believer in every church should hold dear because it informs our mission. It straightens our perspective and it gives us focus.
[8:52] It is tenderly called by many the great commission of Jesus Christ. And it's found in Matthew chapter 28. We're going to read verse 16 through 20.
[9:03] So if you turn your Bibles there, Matthew 28 verse 16 to 20, we're going to read this together. Now the 11 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
[9:18] And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, All authority and heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[9:38] Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.
[9:49] This is Jesus' final word to his disciples. The ones who followed him, spent three years with him.
[10:05] The ones who have dedicated their lives to this man named Jesus. The ones who witnessed and watched their Savior die, were washed clean of their sin, because of that substitutionary death.
[10:24] And are the same ones whom Jesus appeared to after resurrecting from death. These are the ones whom Jesus looks at and says, Go.
[10:39] And what I'd love for us to see in this passage, is an incredible sense of collectiveness, that Jesus intends, as we fulfill this mission to make disciples.
[10:57] Is there an individual element to this? Absolutely. That each one of us, myself, you, individuals would go and fulfill this, no question. But I want us to see something.
[11:09] And it's that Jesus' design for disciple making has always been with the church in mind. Notice the elements of the church that are present here in this passage.
[11:25] Jesus says to go. The church is called to be mobilized for his mission. Go. Making disciples. The church is the very place where disciples are made.
[11:38] It is the underlining mission of every church body to make disciples. Baptism, the ordinances, that as a saved, redeemed, washed body of Christ, we remember him and his glorious gospel by taking of the ordinances, by baptizing people.
[12:01] But not only this, verse 20, we are to teach one another to observe the teachings of Jesus.
[12:12] The church teaching the truth of God. And then finally, perhaps the greatest identifier of what a church really is, is this.
[12:25] We possess the presence of Jesus. He is with us to the end of the age.
[12:36] And what I want to share with us this morning is that I believe that the church is Jesus-intended outpost for disciple making in all of the world.
[12:48] From the highest mountain to the lowest valley, from ocean to ocean, in the most remote place on the planet, to the most populated place on the planet.
[13:02] The church is Jesus' beloved bride that he has washed, cleansed, and laid his life down for. The church is the actual place that his spirit dwells.
[13:17] It fills the temple through us, his redeemed. The church is the place where Jesus has given all authority that he himself had.
[13:31] The church is the place where disciples are made, where the gospel is preached, where life is transformed, and the spirit does his majestic work to bring sinners unto God through the work of Jesus Christ.
[13:49] And you and I get to be a part of these outposts that we call the local church. So I want us to see in this commission that when Jesus says to go and to make disciples, that it is a mission for each individual church.
[14:12] Forth Memorial Church. I have witnessed this church be faithful in making disciples.
[14:24] And my commission to you would be Jesus' commission that this building houses the church of God here in this place. And the people of this church make up the outpost that God is using to make disciples right here in the Logan neighborhood in the Spokane and beyond.
[14:46] So Fourth Memorial Church, I want to challenge you in love to continue on in making disciples following after the very Jesus that has made you a disciple.
[15:02] But also, Lambstand Gospel Church, we get to go to a new area and we get to proclaim the same gospel and be an outpost of Jesus Christ's love up in the Moran Prairie neighborhood.
[15:22] And that by the grace of God, in the city of Spokane, another outpost of disciple making will be made.
[15:39] All of this is only possible because of Jesus. The very one who speaks to his disciples, the very one that loved them to the end, is the very one that says, I am with you, I am with you, always to the end of the age.
[16:02] If we had nothing else, church, we would have enough. Let's pray. Jesus, we recognize this morning that your presence is all we need to be faithful.
[16:21] It's all we need to be washed, to be redeemed, to be made righteous in your sight, oh Lord.
[16:32] Thank you for the righteousness of Jesus, for the love of Jesus, for the grace of Jesus, for the eternal service that He provides to us, your saints, through His perfect work and His perfect death and His perfect resurrection.
[16:50] Would you remind us daily of your presence with us, that we might fulfill this commission, that we might make disciples, and that we might, at the end of all things, glorify our Father who is in heaven, by exalting your son Jesus.
[17:09] Amen.
[17:25] If you have a copy of God's word, if you return to Romans, let's go to Acts instead. Acts 13.
[17:37] Thank you, Eric, for that encouragement and challenge, to remain faithful and be reminded that the Lord's presence is enough.
[17:49] What I want to begin with is an encouragement and try to share with you the privilege and blessing it is to be a sending church. The privilege and the blessing it is to be a sending church.
[18:03] In Acts 13, we find a sending church here, and in the first three verses, you can follow along and read with me. It says this, Acts 13, verse 1.
[18:14] Now, there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon, who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Menon, a lifelong friend of Herod, the tetrarch and Saul.
[18:26] And while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work which I have called them. Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
[18:40] I want to be reminded. Think of how the church may have felt when the Spirit said to the church there at Antioch, set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work that I have called for them.
[18:54] What loss that would have been to that church. So the big idea here I want to focus on is this, is God's glory among all peoples is greater than any loss. God's glory among all peoples is greater than any loss.
[19:08] But let's recall how Barnabas and Saul got to the church at Antioch. If you recall, the church at Jerusalem, they're the brothers, the leadership of the church at the time there in Jerusalem.
[19:20] They heard that up in Antioch some Hellenistic Jews had come to faith in Christ. And so could the gospel possibly even convert the Hellenistic Jews?
[19:31] And so the council at Jerusalem was meeting and so they dispatched Barnabas to go check that out. So Barnabas goes and ensure he finds out it is true. And he encourages them to be faithful to the Lord and to what he was doing into the gospel.
[19:48] And so Barnabas, that's how Barnabas first came in contact with this church at Antioch. And so he had been there from the very beginning to legitimize yes, the gospel can even reach Hellenistic Jews.
[20:00] Greek-speaking Romanized culture Jews who were not just speaking Hebrew. The gospel could even save them.
[20:11] And he legitimized them and encouraged them. And it says this of Paul, or sorry, Barnabas. It says he's a good man full of the spirit and of faith. And it says after that a great number of people were being added unto the Lord in Acts chapter 11.
[20:26] But then as the church is growing, it must have, Barnabas is an encourager. It must have been the weight of ministry.
[20:37] It may have been too much for him to handle. And so he thought this church would richly benefit by a teacher, someone who knows the Lord and who could teach God's word like no one I've ever met.
[20:50] And he recalled down in Jerusalem an instance when Saul of Tarsus, this persecutor of the church who after being converted at the road of Damascus went to Arabia for three years and the Lord taught him there.
[21:06] And he shows up at the church of Jerusalem and the brothers are a little bit afraid of him. And Barnabas upon hearing him encouraged the brothers to say he indeed knows the Lord.
[21:21] And he remembers this guy, Saul of Tarsus. And so he goes and finds him up in Tarsus, modern day Turkey. He finds him up there and he brings them to the church at Antioch.
[21:33] And then it says, this is how Paul and Barnabas, Saul and Barnabas got to this church at Antioch. And it says, and a great number of people came to know the Lord in Acts chapter 11 verse 36.
[21:46] The church is booming and these two men were integral in the founding of, not the founding of the church, but the establishing of the church and the growth of the church.
[21:57] These two men were incredibly valuable to the church at Antioch. And to have the Holy Spirit say, oh yes, and send them, the only way that church could feel comfortable with that would be to be convinced that God's glory among all peoples is greater than any loss.
[22:20] And so why do we send some of our best? Saul of Tarsus and Barnabas, they were mentioned in the list of five individuals in verse one.
[22:32] Wasn't all of the church, or wasn't all of the leadership of the church, but they were at least two of five. And so we send Lambstand Gospel Church and the only way that keeps us from viewing this as a loss is being convinced God's glory among all peoples is greater than any loss.
[22:54] And notice Luke, he doesn't focus on the loss. Luke just, he just says, yep, set apart for me. And so then the first and second and third missionary journeys commenced out of the church at Antioch and they are sending and they have an understanding that the greatness of a church is its sending capacity, not its seeding capacity and they're convinced of this, God's glory among the nations and the peoples is greater than any human loss, loss of individuals.
[23:24] They're convinced of this. And so Luke doesn't even talk about the loss per se, just the excitement of being able to send them on their way and seeing the Gospel transform the nations and the peoples as they go.
[23:44] And so I actually would like to substitute a word now instead of loss, because this is how I think Scripture sees it and this is how I see this of what is happening today is that God's glory among all peoples is more valuable than any investment, not a loss, is greater than any investment.
[24:07] Today culminates our capital campaign, the REACH initiative that we have started over a year ago to raise money for three projects. One of them is the funding of Lampstand Gospel Church, this church plant.
[24:23] And so today concludes that and I'll give a full, more robust financial report next week. But you have sacrificed and invested into this church, and why would you give money to see a church established in the Moran prairie here in Spokane?
[24:42] Because you're convinced that God's glory among all peoples is greater than any investment that you have. So you've given graciously and generously to see this.
[24:56] Secondly, you have prayed. Thank you. Part of the REACH initiative is not only would you give, but would you also commit to praying.
[25:07] And let us continue to pray for not only Lampstand Gospel Church, but all the churches in Spokane, and for his name to be among all nations. So thank you for your commitment and prayer.
[25:23] I would like for it to be said, a great number of people came to know the Lord. And that because people, it is the Lord alone who initiates someone coming to faith in Christ, who draws people to himself.
[25:40] It isn't us. It isn't Lampstand Gospel Church. And so let's pray. God, would you save? Draw people to yourself. Convert the lost.
[25:53] God's glory among all peoples is more valuable than any investment. And even the investment of some of the flock. So we send a portion of our flock to go.
[26:09] Because we're convinced God's glory among all peoples is greater value than any investment we could ever send. And we will send something that will cost us much, a portion of our flock to go.
[26:22] Because God's glory is worth it. And we give and we invest even our very lives of our devotion to Him, to serve Him at great cost, personally, our very lives.
[26:40] Who else is worthy of living your life for? There is no one. Isaiah 26.8. I love how Isaiah sees this.
[26:51] He says, yes, Lord, walking in the way of your truth, we wait for you. Your name and your renown is the desire of our hearts. That's the only reason Isaiah sees living for the Lord.
[27:04] Yes, Lord, walking in your ways of your truth, we wait for you, your name and your renown, your glory, it's worth it. May we have that heart that Isaiah had.
[27:18] And I just want to conclude, I was reading Psalm 115 this week, earlier in the week. And I thought, one caution I would have for us is this.
[27:31] Is we could think well of ourselves and think, yep, fourth, look what we get to do, and that's all true. But I want to make sure that no glory goes to fourth memorial church, that we get to do this.
[27:47] Psalm 1151 says this, I was reminded of this, not to us, oh Lord, not to us, but to your name, give glory. And so the whole reason why we get to do this is we want to praise the Lord.
[28:01] Lord, thank you so much that we get to be ascending church, and it's for your name and your glory we live, and we cherish that far more than anything else.
[28:14] For your sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness, the psalmist says. So not unto us, oh Lord, not unto us, but we give glory to your name.
[28:25] And it is this reason why we get to be ascending church. And so we have this blessing and the privilege of being ascending church, just like this church in Antioch who sent some of their best, and today we get to send some of our best.
[28:40] So Eric and Brooke, I want to name them Morse, your daughters Bryn, Sadie, and Camille. We get to send you Witt and Kelly Bindewald, their children Wayland, Wilhelm, Albany, Wiley, Haley, and Maisie, Kate and Matthew, and Matthew and Kate Townsend, your children Ella, Benjamin, Jonathan, and William.
[29:08] Paul and Tina Hill, with Daphne and Daniel, and John and Maggie, with David and Heather Wilson, your children Simian, Nathan Jordan, and Bethany, Josh and Kate Kieber, Colin and Daisy Rourop, and their son Theodore, Matthew and Emily Mansfield, Elizabeth Hess, Paige Anderson, Isaac Dunmore, Kat Lawrence, Bryce Lamar, and Emmie Price.
[29:43] We get to send some of our best. But the glory of the Lord is worth more than any investment.
[29:54] But we would come to a conundrum at this point, and what is the conundrum? First, I want to try to put us in tension a little bit and describe what is like a definition of a local church.
[30:09] The local church is God's redeemed people. I appreciate Pastor Eric making the distinction between the building that the church is housed in, because the church, the building is not the church. The building is just simply a structure, a tool that the church is housed in.
[30:24] Who are the people? So it is God's redeemed people who have repented and believed, who have covenanted together. That is, they have recognized their responsibilities both unto the Lord and to one another, who gather to worship and to hear the preaching of God's word, who observe the ordinances, baptism in Lord's Supper, and who willingly submit themselves to the loving oversight of qualified elders. That is who a church is.
[30:47] And so fourth memorial church, we are God's redeemed people who have covenanted together, who have gathered to worship for the Lord, and hear the proclamation of God's word, who observe the ordinances, baptism in Lord's Supper, who willingly submit to themselves to the loving oversight of elders. That is who we are as a church.
[31:03] And why does that put us in tension? Because those among us who we are going to send unto Lampstand Gospel Church, who are going to send, they will next Sunday gather as God's redeemed people to worship Him and to hear the proclaimed word.
[31:19] They will next Sunday observe the ordinances for the very first time and be baptizing people as they trust in Christ for salvation. But what is missing for this group of people who are among us as fourth memorial church members is that they have not yet covenanted together and recognize their responsibilities to one another and unto the Lord, that articulates their commitment to the loving oversight of the elders.
[31:45] And they have not yet done that. So it is at this time that the members of Lampstand Gospel Church would like to do that publicly at this time and become a church. And so I have asked Pastor Eric, would you please come? And may I ask the members of Lampstand Gospel Church, would you please stand here at the front of the stage?
[32:14] So our membership covenant is the things that we are committing to doing as a community to live in accountability with one another.
[32:25] And so we would love to read this together for you and it will be up on the screen so we can face this way guys. That TV up there is really tiny.
[32:40] Having been brought by God. Thank you.
[33:40] Thank you. Thank you.
[34:40] Thank you. Thank you.
[35:40] Thank you. Thank you.
[36:15] If I could just share one thing with you Lampstand Gospel Church, it's this. Fourth Memorial Church sends you in a certain way to be a church accountable to the Lord.
[36:30] And so I just have some statements of the kind, the task that we are sending you out in to be faithful to, that we want you to be accountable to as well. And so I have just four statements if you would follow that by we will and would be an appropriate response.
[36:46] But will you agree to be mutually accountable to the fellow members of the biblical obligations of this covenant? Will you protect and uphold the essential elements of the church, the regular corporate gathering of the saints, the preaching of God's word, the ordinances of the Lord's Supper, the ordinances Lord Supper and baptism, the offices of Elder and Deacon and the exercise of restorative church discipline.
[37:07] Will you do this? Will you faithfully work to proclaim the good news of the gospel as faithful ambassadors of Jesus Christ? And then will you faithfully work to advance the kingdom of God in the Moran Prairie neighborhood in the city of Spokane and to the nations as a unified local church dedicated unto the Lord?
[37:26] Amen. I feel like a little bit of a wedding official at this point and here's why. A wedding officiant at the end of the wedding says, now we have the privilege of presenting to you, Mr. and Mrs. so and so.
[37:41] And what that does is it's recognition that under God's sight this is a brand new family now. And so if you will, Fourth Memorial Church, we just have now two churches under one roof.
[37:55] Fourth Memorial Church and Lampstand Gospel Church because they've covenanted together for these things that they've committed to and these covenant commitments. And so it's a great privilege of mine to present to you Lampstand Gospel Church.
[38:09] And so. Thank you.
[38:34] David Wilson with Mendevalde, Josh Keeper and Pastor Eric. Would you guys please join me on stage, please?
[38:52] Whit, Josh, Eric and David. Matthew, I'm going to get to you in a moment. You are the ones who Fourth is sending to serve as elders and pastors of Lampstand Gospel Church.
[39:10] And you guys have talked a lot about covening together and your body just did that. And but we wanted to send you with a gift and as an expression of our gratitude to you, but also this one of the main tasks that an elder pastor has.
[39:26] The main ways that an elder shepherds at the flock of God that is among them is through the proclamation and teaching of the God's word. And so today we have a gift for you of God's word and please accept this as a gift as something tangible to remain faithful to the proclamation.
[39:48] And Matthew, as a deacon of Lampstand Gospel Church, you have been faithful serving here. Your family has been here at fourth for over 20 years for almost 20 years. You're you have served this church well in the role of a deacon and Pastor Eric already tells me how well much you were being used at Lampstand and in the service of the church.
[40:10] One of the things deacons do is they have a nose for disunity and whenever disunity arises like we see in Acts chapter six. There is a distribution that is being neglected that there's a few will the deacons who come in and serve and they have a way of diminishing disunity.
[40:29] But they do that through the practical, tangible service of the body. But they do it informed by God's word. And so we want you also to have a copy of God's word to say would you please shepherd the flock of God among you with the word of God.
[40:45] And so thank you very much. And I'm going to miss you deeply. I'm grateful for you. Yeah, and you guys now can have a seat. I have friends. You have to say that when you have none.
[41:08] So pastor, I'm grateful to have a pastor join us today, a guest with us.
[41:20] A friend who is a pastor at Indian Trail Church. He is a pastor that Kate Kieber grew up in. And he has served in that church.
[41:32] Well, he's a church that pastor Josh has interned under and he has been integral in the spiritual shaping of these two individuals and I'm grateful for him as a man as a friend as a pastor.
[41:48] One of the things about Kyle I've shared with you about is the inland Northwest Cooperative, the INC. And the INC is a group of 21 churches who have gathered together for the purpose of planting seen that churches are planting for for the revitalization of existing churches and for the strengthening of pastors in the inland Northwest.
[42:14] And so I'm grateful to serve with him and on the inland Northwest team part of the team there. And let me also remind us that as a part of the funding of Lampstand Gospel Church, those 21 churches give money.
[42:33] Part of their resources annually to fund these endeavors and so Lampstand Gospel Church is a recipient of $100,000 given through these cooperating 21 churches of whom Kyle serves in leadership of that as well.
[42:48] And I just am grateful for you Kyle. And I would like to invite you to come and share with us at this time.
[43:04] Well, first, let me thank you all for the opportunity. Thank you, Scott, for the invitation to be here and to celebrate God's work with you. God is certainly at work in this place. If you have a Bible, I'll just invite you to turn to Colossians chapter three.
[43:32] Pastor Scott invited me to come and in some sense represent the joint work of the gospel in the city as you just heard a few years ago. Our church had the privilege of gathering with some other churches to start the inland Northwest cooperative or the INC.
[43:50] The goal from the beginning was to join like-minded churches that believe the same gospel, want to proclaim Christ faithfully and share important theological distinguishing marks of historic orthodoxy.
[44:06] And the goal from the beginning was to gather these churches from sort of a local radius around Spokane, North Idaho, churches and pastors that could know one another, encourage one another, hold one another accountable, and we started to do that.
[44:20] And we dreamed of being in a position where we could begin to plant churches, where we could begin to train men together, where our congregations could begin to mutually encourage one another.
[44:31] And by God's grace, all of that is happening. As it turns out, even though we started a few years ago, Lampstand Gospel Church is the very first church sent out by the INC with its support and blessing.
[44:46] Now, Lord willing, it will not be the last. Many will follow in its wake. I'm personally thankful that Lampstand Gospel Church is the first INC supported church.
[44:59] First, because, brother, you deeply exemplify everything that we are about. Humble submission to God's word, a desire to proclaim Christ from all the Bible, to shepherd faithfully.
[45:11] You embody sound, historic, reformed orthodoxy that we prize together, and you believe, like we believe, that the gospel is the power to save sinners and to sanctify them unto the end.
[45:24] And so I am just so thankful and humbled that Eric is our first to be sent out. But I'm also very, very thankful that Fourth Memorial Church is the first of the INC sending churches.
[45:42] I think it's fitting. Why? Well, history is not lost on me. I have a personal stake in Fourth Memorial Church. Or maybe it's better to say that Fourth has a stake in me.
[45:57] Most of you don't know this, but I was saved in a church that wouldn't have existed apart from Fourth Memorial 25 years ago. I came to faith and almost immediately began to work in ministry at another church called Valley Fourth Memorial Church.
[46:17] In other words, one of the reasons that I'm in ministry today is because in 1973 Fourth Memorial Church was already a planting church. Shortly after beginning in ministry, I knew I needed training. I knew I didn't know the Bible, and someone told me there was a place that trained people in the Bible.
[46:35] So one Thursday night I came into that hallway back there and tried to understand Dr. John T. McMath, even though I mean, I thank you.
[46:47] Some of you know him. I was like, I'll never, it's never going to happen. But that was the first night of my training at Moody. And four years later, I was walking down this aisle to graduate.
[46:58] Shortly after graduation, the Lord called me to another church called Indian Trail Church. I came there. I've been there 17 and a half years, but that too I owe to Fourth Memorial Church.
[47:13] Because Indian Trail Church was planted in 1993 by Northview Bible Church, which was started in the late 70s by Fourth Memorial, not long after Valley Fourth.
[47:24] So friends, my journey in ministry starts and Lord willing will end because of this church.
[47:35] Because of this church's commitment to the kingdom, this church's commitment to the gospel, this church's commitment to press out and forward for the sake of Christ and His kingdom. It's not lost on me and it shouldn't be lost on you. Your faithfulness over the years has been used and will be used by the Lord.
[47:56] There are many other things that I could say to honor the faithful work of this church as a pillar in our community. But today I think I do it best by simply telling you that this moment really couldn't fit any better into God's plan for this place.
[48:13] Let me also say a word just to honor your sacrifice. It's tough to see people go. While we say things like, well, this really won't change our bond. This really won't change our relationship. The functional reality is clear.
[48:28] We're not together, Lord's Day after Lord's Day anymore. We lose time with people we love. We're physically separated. The church as an organization loses valuable gifted members. But remember two principles for Memorial Church as you send Lampstand Gospel.
[48:47] First, no sacrifice is forgotten before God. He sees all. He knows all. He understands all. He empowers all.
[49:00] Every single hardship and tear you lay upon the altar for His glory will be seed for eternal gospel, fruit, and your own eternal enjoyment in Christ.
[49:12] Second, you can never out give God. I've seen and continue to see that the more we hold precious possessions and relationships and comfort loosely, the more we allow Him ownership of everything, then the more He pours back in.
[49:30] The church has long been willing to sacrifice for God's kingdom, and today is another example of that. Fourth Memorial Church, don't lose heart. Don't lose heart next week when you gather in this space.
[49:47] Next week it's in the other space. Isn't that right, Scott? Next week you're gathering in the other space. You don't see some people you would normally see. You don't hug some people you would normally hug.
[49:59] Lay that at the altar and know you can't out give God. And Fourth Memorial Church, don't lose heart. It's going to hurt, and you might think, I never want to do this again. You should pray, Lord, please let us do this again.
[50:20] To those departing, let me encourage you with a couple of things. First, never again say that you're a church plant.
[50:34] Scott had an amazing definition of a church that is theologically and biblically sound. As of today, when you walk out of the service, maybe even more theologically, when you gather around the Lord's table in your covenant, you are not a church plant.
[50:51] You are a church. Small, maybe. New, yep. The newest I know of.
[51:03] Hoping for growth always. Learning, yeah, humbly. But you are a church. And the Lord Jesus Christ reigns over your church, over your fellowship, just as He does this one, just as He does the one I pastor.
[51:24] Second, oh, I told you, Colossians 3. Here you are. Colossians 3 verse 16.
[51:39] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
[51:55] Lampstand Gospel Church, don't ever, ever, ever, ever, ever outgrow your need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
[52:12] Your minds and hearts will be pulled to other things, other concerns, but it is Christ that we need. We needed Him the day we saw our sin. We need Him until the day He finally returns or He takes us home to Himself.
[52:25] Charles Spurgeon said, Christ is the whole Gospel. Keep your eyes focused upon Him. Keep your hearts upon Him. If I read my Bible right, the surest way for Christ to remove a lampstand is to lose their love and their focus on Jesus Christ, their commitment to the Lord Himself.
[52:48] And the surest way for a church to thrive is to wrap their arms around Christ, to celebrate and proclaim His Gospel, and to live in it every single day. And to do that forever, Lampstand Gospel Church.
[53:05] Let me pray. Thank the Lord for you. Lord, I am thankful to be in this space. I'm thankful for the long history of faithfulness, a fourth memorial church.
[53:16] I'm thankful, Lord, that I am standing here in some sense as a Christian and as a pastor because of this church. And to see this church once again sacrifice and invest for the sake of Christ, for the sake of His glory, for the sake of the Gospel, for the sake of many lost souls on top of the South Hill.
[53:46] Lord, we thank you. God, I pray for Lampstand Gospel Church, Lord, that you would just flood them with your goodness, that they would gather a week in and week out in thankfulness, truly admonishing one another, truly looking to Christ, truly laying their hearts down in humility before Him.
[54:08] Lord, we thank you for the opportunity that they have now to be a light, a lampstand for you. Let me pray this in Jesus' name.
[54:27] Thank you, Kyle. That's a good word. You're not a church plant. That's a heavy, heavy reality.
[54:40] Well, I was asked to share about the joys and the opposition of planting a church having done it once. And I will say church planting is not for the faint of heart.
[54:53] It will require more of you than you anticipate. The apostle Paul actually said, as he was reflecting about the church in Thessalonica, that it required labor and toil, and that he worked night and day.
[55:11] Church planting is hard work. And yet there is great joy in the promise that Jesus has made, where he said to Peter in Matthew 16, 18, he says, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
[55:30] And in fact, it was the very death of Christ and His resurrection that began the work, that initiated the work of the local church.
[55:41] So, LGC, rest in that promise. Jesus has made a promise to you. He says, I will build my church. Call it to mind often. Jesus loves His church.
[55:54] Believe it. I'm going to turn my stand here because I'm basically speaking to you guys. Call it to mind often. Speak it to one another. Remind one another of that promise that Jesus has made.
[56:08] And I would say in seasons of challenge and discouragement, because there will be some of those, remind your pastor of that promise that Jesus has made to you.
[56:20] I will build my church. I have a few words to share with some different groups here. First to the families of LGC. There is great joy in serving the Lord with your family.
[56:34] Amen. One of the best things that I've done as a father is planting a church with my family. And despite perhaps smaller programs for the youth, I think my family grew to love ministry in a way that only planting a church provided.
[56:53] So it's a gift to you families to participate together. I would say to the youth, God has ministry for you. You are full participants in this church.
[57:06] Not for pride, but for joy that God would use each and every one of you. To everyone, there is great joy in watching God move.
[57:17] Answer prayers. Rescue centers. Seeing real people touched by the gospel. You have a custodian who is going to be with you every Sunday.
[57:32] He's going to hear the gospel over and over again. When I was part of a church plant, we had hired a sound technician who brought his wife every Sunday.
[57:44] Through the course of weeks, I got to pray with her to receive Christ. Brenda Yannity is a friend of mine today who loves Jesus. And it was God working in something that seemed so ordinary, and yet he was doing a work.
[58:00] So believe that God is at work, that Jesus is indeed building his church, sometimes in unperceived ways. So ordinary, it's hard to believe God's at work, and yet he is.
[58:14] I have a word for Josh. Jesus initially sent out as apostles two by two, and you are a unique gift to Lampstand, specifically to Eric.
[58:35] You along with Brooke are going to be able to encourage Eric in a way that it's hard to put into words. I wish I would have had a Josh when I planted.
[58:52] You're a unique gift to this church, Josh. So thankful that you have made covenant with Eric and are doing this together. It's just your ministry is cold, so thank you.
[59:07] The Lord has opened a door of ministry on the South Hill, but make no mistake, it's a spiritual work. And there is a real enemy that does not want to see this bulwark for the gospel to be established in Moran Prairie.
[59:22] Even Paul recognized this when he was considering the ministry opportunity that availed itself in Ephesus. He says in 1 Corinthians 16, 8, he says, but I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost for a wide door of effective work has been opened to me.
[59:37] And then he just makes this comment, but there are many adversaries. Who are these adversaries that we ought to be concerned about as we see the wide door open in Moran Prairie?
[59:53] Well, they're external, certainly. Right? Of course, we know. Right? First John 5 says the whole world lies under the power of the evil one.
[60:04] Of course, there's adversaries. The enemy doesn't want to see this gospel outpost on the South Hill. And yet, it's internally where the greatest threat lies.
[60:18] So let us not be ignorant of the enemy's designs. In the days ahead, Satan would love to exploit relational seams and so disunity, which is why Paul reminds the Ephesians to be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit.
[60:36] Nothing will take a church down faster than disunity, pride within the body. Period. How do we guard against this? It's a simple daily addition and subtraction.
[60:51] First, the addition. Believe that the gospel is for you first. Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1. He says in verse 15, the same is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am foremost.
[61:11] And it's fascinating because Paul here is speaking to Timothy and he's given him sound doctrine, he's given him the gospel, and then he inserts himself into the equation.
[61:22] He says, I am foremost. I'm a sinner saved not by my own effort, not by my own skill, goodness.
[61:34] I had a mass of sin problem and yet God rescued me. When we believe the gospel, it liberates us to serve one another.
[61:48] And we simply find joy in being useful to the Lord in any capacity that God would choose to use us. That's the addition. Believe the gospel is for you first each and every day.
[62:02] Cochial just mentioned. And that's what allows for the subtraction to occur. Where God then gets the glory, not me. It's not about any of us.
[62:14] If the gospel is for us, then life no longer has to be about us. Amen. Paul said to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, he says, but I do not account my life as any value, nor as precious to myself if only I may finish my course in the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of grace of God.
[62:40] Paul removes himself now from the equation. I need the gospel. It's for me. But now glory gets to go to Jesus. It's now not about me.
[62:53] To be loved by God for him was enough. So we preach the gospel to ourselves daily. And as we do the enemy will be without resource to sow disunity.
[63:08] We are sinners saved by grace. And it's so good. Amen. It's so good. LGC, you are in great hands with Jesus as your chief shepherd.
[63:23] You are also in very good hands with Eric as your lead under shepherd because Eric loves the gospel. And he gets that this life is not about his glory.
[63:36] The word finally to Eric. The Lord doesn't often, well, I don't think he's actually ever spoken audibly to me. But on occasion he speaks in my spirit in a way that seems it feels audible.
[63:52] But in the days before planting the downtown church, I was outside, safeway in the middle of downtown Bellevue. And I had a sense of hearing God's voice in my spirit of J.
[64:06] I'm going to plant, I'm going to establish this church as long as this is about me and not you. And it was so clear. And on that day the Lord gave me my marching orders, John 3.30. Right. He must increase. I must decrease.
[64:20] Eric, you will preach great gospel exalting sermons. No doubt. Your ministry competency and skill we've all observed. Amen.
[64:36] But it's your humility, your character that will safeguard this church. Eric, I don't think you have been given a better gift in being sent out by 4th than really the example that Scott has left you the nine years you've served together.
[64:56] Scott is a pastor that I think exemplifies a humble servant heart. Scott wages war on his pride like no other pastor I've ever served with.
[65:09] And I don't think there's a finer gift you could receive than those nine years of co-laboring with him. Continue in that posture because as you do, Jesus will get his glory and his joy will then advance to many in Moran Prairie and beyond.
[65:28] So LGC Joy, this is a good day. Amen. This is a good day church. Amen. We have been forgiven of much. We get to tell people about a kind shepherd who delights rescue centers.
[65:46] And church, that's the best. It's the best. Let me pray. Jesus, we believe you. We believe that you said you'd build your church.
[65:58] We trust in that promise. We rest in that promise. We know that you delight to rescue centers.
[66:13] Lord, would you fill the families and individuals of LGC with your joy today? Would you share that with them? Would you let that overwhelm any sadness present?
[66:26] For we believe, Jesus, that you will do far more than even what we ask or think according to the power at work in each of us.
[66:37] So to you be all glory in the Logan neighborhood and in Moran Prairie. We love you, Jesus. It's in your name. We pray and all God's people said, amen.
[66:54] Brothers and sisters, will you stand with me?
[67:07] May the word of Christ dwell in us richly. The word about Christ, the good news of Jesus Christ. Let the people of Christ sing his praises. Sing with me.
[67:20] I once was lost in darkest night. Yet thought I knew the way. The sin that promised joy in life had led me to the grave.
[67:41] I had no hope that you would own a rabble to your will. And if you had not loved me first, I would refuse you still.
[68:04] But as I ran my hellbound race indifferent to the cause, you looked upon my helpless fate and led me to the cross.
[68:25] And I beheld God's love displayed. You suffered in my place. You bore the wrath, reserve for me. Now all I know is great.
[68:48] Hallelujah, all I have is Christ. Hallelujah, Jesus is my life.
[69:11] Now Lord, I would be yours alone and live so all might see.
[69:22] The strength to follow your commands could never come from me. Oh Father, use my ransom life in any way you choose.
[69:43] And let my song forever be my only boast is you.
[69:56] Hallelujah, all I have is Christ. Hallelujah, Jesus is my life.
[70:17] Hallelujah, all I have is Christ. Hallelujah, Jesus is my life.
[70:47] Oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer, greatest treasure of my longing soul.
[71:12] My God, like you there is no other. The true dear life is found in you alone.
[71:26] Your grace so well too deep to bathe them. Your love exceeds the heavens' reach.
[71:41] Your truth, a fount of perfect wisdom. My highest good and my unending need.
[72:06] Oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer, strong defender of my weary heart.
[72:20] My sword to fight the cruel deceiver and my shield against his hateful dark.
[72:34] My song when enemies surround me. My hope when tides of sorrow rise.
[72:48] My joy when trials are abounding. Your faithfulness, my refuge in the night.
[73:14] Oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer, gracious Savior of my ruin life.
[73:28] My guilt and cross laid on your shoulders. In my place you suffered blood and died.
[73:42] You rose, the grave and death are conquered. You broke my bonds of sin and shame.
[73:56] You rose, the grave and death are conquered. You broke my bonds of sin and shame.
[74:10] Oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer, may all my days bring glory to your name.
[74:24] May all my days bring glory to your name. Let's sing the Dalekosology one more time together.
[74:50] Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.
[75:04] Praise Him above, He heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
[75:25] Amen. Please be seated. What a memorable and sacred morning we have had. Thank you so much for being here.
[75:37] As we close, I would just like you to take your insert of your worship folder out for one moment, because as special as today was, we also need to look forward to the future.
[75:49] The future holds a remodel of the building that you are in this morning, and we will be worshiping and going back to our roots in Uden Chapel, just down the hallway from here.
[76:03] It's the original sanctuary of Fourth Memorial Church. For those of you that wonder why is it called Uden Chapel, Becky Uden, Becky would you like to wave, is sitting here in our midst, named after her father Fred, who was a faithful member and building superintendent of this place for a very long time.
[76:24] So we will be going back to Uden Chapel next Sunday morning at 9am. You can come in the south doors or the east door down here, but all of this will be under construction, speaking of construction.
[76:37] Next this coming Saturday, the June 1st is a work day, where we will be removing all of the pews from this building, taking down all of these acoustical tiles, all kinds of jobs if you are able and available.
[76:51] We would love for you to sign up on Church Center to come next Saturday at 8am and begin the work. All hands on deck for that. Underneath this carpet actually is signatures and prayers and verses of those who were a part of this construction, and we may even have opportunity to start ripping up carpet and see some of that.
[77:13] So please come on Saturday, it will be an incredibly special day. If I could have Rob Fassette come up, I want to take just a moment of gratitude to all of you going to Lampstand.
[77:27] I know that saying we're sending some of our best is true because of what all you have done. I want to say thank you to Eric and to Josh for your time, your talent, your energy, your passion, and your love that you have given this church.
[77:42] We are all better for it. For the rest of you, I just wrote down a few places where all of these people have served. Thank you for all of you that have discipled children in every classroom, in every holding of babies.
[77:56] Thank you to those of you that have been youth leaders. Thank you for being on the worship team as musicians and vocalists. Thank you for being deacon and elders. I know that every one of you has served, and you will be greatly missed.
[78:09] And I know that you are going to continue to serve. So thank you, thank you for your investment at Fourth Memorial. Could I please have Pastor Scott with just a blank look on his face.
[78:24] I love it. Can I have Pastor Scott, Pastor Jay, Pastor Josh, and Pastor Eric please come up front. While they make their way up, a couple months ago, I had asked the congregation to fill out cards of thanks and appreciation for our pastoral staff.
[78:44] And they didn't know that those books, those notes would be compiled into books. And so every note that was written was compiled into a book that we get to give to them today.
[79:01] AW Tozer said it this way. He said, it is not enough for preachers in their pulpits to try to define love. The love that God has promised must be demonstrated in the lives of the believers in the pews. And also it must be practiced as well by the man or men who occupy the pulpit.
[79:18] First Thessalonians 5 says it this way. For us, he says, we ask you brothers to respect those who labor among you and over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.
[79:33] And so each of these books is for you. And a couple of things that you won't know, but they'll notice within these books, these books are all the same. We didn't take the notes that you wrote and divide them for Pastor Eric, Pastor Josh, Pastor Jay, and Pastor Scott.
[79:47] They are all the same. And even within these books, another thing is there is no division by chapters. There's no Eric chapter, Scott chapter, so on and so forth. Why?
[79:58] Well, the reason is because as ministry at Lampstand begins and as ministry at fourth continues, each of these men at some point, if they haven't already, which they have, will walk as they feel in the valley of the shadow of death.
[80:14] And it will be very encouraging for them to be able to look back and to be able to see, number one, the things that you have said and the ways that they have ministered specifically to you. And then number two, to be able to have the awesome privilege to be able to see what was written about the men they had the privilege of serving with.
[80:31] And so as a result, gentlemen, these are from your flock at fourth. So thank you very much.
[80:45] There's pictures also just because sometimes words get a little, you know, dry. Thank you.
[80:56] Thank you. Thank you. I just have one quick last thing before we pray together.
[81:10] I would like Pastor Eric, would you please come back? Sorry. Eric, I just want to, as you go and serve with the other elders and shepherd the flock, I want to just take a moment to say thank you.
[81:26] And this body has taken up a collection to purchase you something. And as a physical and tangible reminder that there's a whole body of believers, a whole flock of God's people at fourth who have prayed for you, have prayed for this, and will continue to pray for you.
[81:44] And so here is a bag that was special collection when we were at the Weekender in Washington, D.C. a church planter, Weekender to learn how best to do this.
[81:56] A collection was taken by the body for this gift so that every time you put your hand on that bag, you're a mobile church. You'll be meeting in coffee shops and all this thing. You don't have an office per se knowing that when you put your hand on that, you're being sent by a church who loves you deeply and is grateful.
[82:12] I want to just read Ephesians chapter one verse three. Paul is writing to the church at Philippi, but I want to direct these to you and just say, I thank my God and all my remembrance of you always and every prayer of mine for you for making my prayer with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
[82:35] Thank you, Eric, for how you've served us as a body in the ways you have. It's at this time I'm going to invite all of Lampstand Gospel Church. Would you please come to the front and I'm going to invite us as a church.
[82:46] How did the church at Antioch send those? They laid their hands on them and prayed. And so if you're physically able and would like to lay your hands on the church as they go, this will be the last thing we do today in our service.
[82:59] And I've asked Curtis to pray. And so members of the body, you're welcome. Family, friends to come lay your hands on those who are going to be sent and pray.
[83:35] Heavenly Father, we are so thankful, Lord, for what you are doing today.
[83:54] We're so thankful for all the brothers and sisters who have raised their eyes to you and said, I will. We're so thankful, Lord, that for all you have done, Lord, just starting with the love and the mercy and the grace that you have showered upon us all through your son Jesus Christ.
[84:18] And Lord, I pray as these brothers and sisters go and they establish a light on Ram Prairie. Lord, I pray that you would use them, that the light of your gospel would shine brightly on Ram Prairie.
[84:36] Lord, I pray for revival in that neighborhood. I just pray that you would use Eric, Lord, I pray that you would empower him with your spirit, that he could preach your word in a powerful way, in a way that would transform lives and bring them to the foot of the cross and acknowledge you.
[85:03] And Lord, I pray that you would protect these households, these marriages, this church from the attacks of the enemy.
[85:16] Lord, I pray that, Lord, that your spirit would encourage these brothers and sisters each day.
[85:27] And Lord, with Eric, I pray that the burden of leadership that comes from being the lead pastor, Lord, I pray that every day he would come to you for your strength.
[85:43] I pray, Lord, that when the day of discouragement comes and it will come, I pray, Lord, that he would be on his knees, turn to you, and receive all of your goodness and love and strength.
[85:59] And I pray, Lord, that those who come to this church, that they would hear your gospel, that they would feel the love that you have poured into the members of that church, that it comes pouring out of them to those in that neighborhood. Lord, I pray that you would bring many, many into your kingdom through this ministry.
[86:31] And I pray, Lord, that Eric would say faithful to submit to your word and to your will. And Lord, I pray a special protection upon this household and his marriage.
[86:47] Lord, we're just so thankful that you allow us to be part of your ministry and part of your kingdom work. We're so thankful for gospel, a lampstand gospel church. And pray, Lord, that you will do great things through these brothers and sisters, and all the glory would be to your great name. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
[87:11] A reception has been planned in the foyer. It's a good Sunday to just take our time and dismiss slowly. See you next week. The Bible is great. The Father of creation has climbed up in the earth. You've arrived in Christ. The thunder sings his praises.
[88:07] The galaxies can't help but shout his word. My soul, my singing, sing to you.