The Heart of a Thankful Pastor

Good morning, church. If you are here brand new or a guest, I am David Quarante, and I have the joy of being a pastor here.

And yes, you did hear rightly that this is my last sermon here at SBC preaching in Squamish, and it is a joy to be able to bring the Word of God to you this morning.

And I would love to meet you if you're new. I would love to encourage and strengthen you of why SBC will continue to have a special place in my heart, in our hearts, and why you continue to grow and learn and mature in Christ. And this sermon will certainly help with all of those realities here.

But before we get into the Word of God, let's pray together. Father, we've come to worship you. We've come to praise Jesus Christ.

We've come to exalt you in the plan of redemption. That you would draw a sinner who is unworthy and bring them to the most glorious and worthy Savior.

And that you would unite these unworthy sinners to a worthy Savior together. And in that it would glorify you.

And as we come to your Word, these are these truths that are unchanged. They don't shift with culture or time or nation.

You sit on your throne in heaven and earth is your footstool. So I pray as we come to your Word, this is not about a man or a ministry.

But ultimately about what you have done in a people. What you do in your church. So would you glorify yourself today, Father.

In this time and place, through these people we ask. In Christ's name. Amen. Well, please grab your copy of God's Word and turn to Philippians chapter 1.

Philippians chapter 1.

And if you have been with my ministry over the past 11 years, you will remember. Hopefully you do. This was the first book we ever walked through an exposition together.

So it's fitting. Fitting that we are here in chapter 1. Going to start in verse 3. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.

Always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all. In view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I'm confident of this very thing that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all. Because I have you in my heart. Since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partakers of grace with me.

For God is my witness. For God is my witness. How I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. Jesus. And this I pray.

That your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge. And all discernment.

So that you may approve the things that are excellent in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ. Having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ.

To the glory and praise of God. Sermon this morning is going to be part exposition. Part walk through memory lane.

Part thank you letter to all of you. For your impact that you have made in our lives. But most importantly for the kingdom of God.

And for the work of the gospel. It's a divine mystery when you think of what it means to be connected as a pastor to a congregation.

It's a glorious design in the life of the church that God has given. So that his glory would be seen throughout all the nations through the life of a church.

For the great commission. I know we would long and part of me would still long. That every single pastor in every single place would live and die in a single place.

Fortunately that's not the reality. Paul himself was a transient man. A transient pastor. It was part of his calling. He even sent his apprentices.

His disciples. The men that he trained up. To different places. And to different churches. So what do we take away from that? What do we take away when people come in and leave churches.

Hopefully for good and faithful reasons. Which we've all experienced here in Squamish. The Lord knows how to build his church. The Lord knows how to build his church.

Through his Savior. His Chief Shepherd. And. His children. He takes each and every one of us.

Whether leader. Or non-leader. He knows how to build his church. He uses us as instruments. And he knows how to use us to glorify himself.

This is about what God has done with all of us together. And what he's going to continue to do. As we separate. This unique connections have with pastors and congregation.

It's a divine connection. It can't be something that is engineered or manufactured. Just by human relational mechanisms. Doesn't work like that.

The biblical illustration is a sheep. With a shepherd. Appointed for your growth. Leading you to heaven.

This is much different than a boss or a CEO. The experiences that we walk through together are unique. Because they focus on heavenly realities. They last forever.

Whatever. What you do in your job is here today and gone tomorrow. They focus on the things that are unseen. The eternal things that truly matter to God.

For a pastor or leadership team. The people who he serves with is unique. Because it's a specific group of people. Specific backgrounds. Gifts are given. Philippi was a special place for Paul.

If you remember. It is a special and unique place. Because of what it meant to him personally. Paul's first missionary journey to Europe. Started in Philippi.

He was obedient to the call of the Macedonian vision. He was going to go up to another place. And God said. No I've got different work for you to do. You've got to go over to this place.

You've got to go over to Macedonia. Which is essentially modern day Europe. You find that in Acts 16. And the gospel is preached. And this is sort of a whole new chapter of the gospel going to the nations.

As I was entering my last year of seminary. Wondering where the Lord was going to lead us. Knowing that I wanted to come back to Canada.

Being born in Ontario. I distinctly remember getting the email. As I walked back from my job to the train station in Jupiter, Florida.

I was in Boynton Beach at that time. I got an email from Lance Quinn. About this church in Squamish. Being from Ontario.

Southwestern Ontario. Squamish seemed like a foreign country to me. BC kind of felt like a foreign country to me. Haven't been out at all in my growing years.

I had no idea what the church was like. I had no idea what the needs were. And then 11 years later. We get to look back and see the marvelous hand of God.

Christ building his church. In my heart is like the heart of Paul. Where thankfulness rises to the surface. Because of what has been done here. Both at 99 and now together as SBC.

That's what's happening in this text. Paul is reminding the Philippians of his thankful heart towards them. Because of what God has done. A thankfulness to God for his work in a specific people.

In a specific place. Whom he had the joy to serve. Fellowship. Love. Grow. And mature. So that God's praise.

And his glory. Would ring. So we're going to find in this text this morning. Three reasons. For a pastor's thankfulness to God.

Three reasons for a pastor's thankfulness to God. The first reason is going to be. A joy of a specific people. And God's work in them. Secondly. We're going to see a love for a specific people.

And his work with them. The pastor's work with them. And then thirdly. The maturity in a specific people. And the praise God receives from them.

Three reasons for a pastor's thankfulness to God. This first reason is a joy of a specific people. And God's work in them. Look at the text here in verse 3.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. Always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all. In view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

For I am confident of this very thing. That he who began a good work in you. Will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

This is kind of the main point over the whole passage. Paul's thankfulness. His thankfulness to God. Everything around this passage is subordinate. And ultimately this book is one giant thank you letter for Philippi.

Because of the way that they supported Paul in his ministry. Even when he was not there in person serving them. It causes Paul to pray.

And when he prays. In his prayers. There is a joy that he has as he remembers them. And how the kingdom of God was being accomplished through them.

If you look down at the text. I thank my God in verse 3. This word thankfulness is the Greek word eucharisto. And maybe you can even understand that word in its language.

The Eucharist. How it sounds. You may even recognize it. To you. It's a word used in the gospels. He took the cup and gave thanks.

It gives context to this word and this verse. For what I think Paul is gaining towards. And what thankfulness really means. Why do you take the Lord's supper? Why do you take the Eucharist?

Do this in remembrance of me. We come to the Lord's table. And we thank God for his salvation. Thankfulness is in remembering the sacrifice of Christ.

Your need of salvation. Something you can never do on your own for yourself. Christ gave everything you needed for salvation. And because of that. As you remember him.

A thankfulness ought to surface. This word for Eucharist also has an obligation to it. You're obligated.

You're actually responsible to express thankfulness. Because without it you'd still be in your sin. Without the death, burial, and resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ.

You have no way to save yourself. Others can't save you. Governments can't save you. Nations can't save you. Only Christ can save you.

So you come. And Jesus, as Paul reminded Corinth, As often as you do this, remember me. You take the cup.

You remember. I think Paul's taking this thought process with this beloved congregation. Think of Philippi.

Give thanks. Think of Philippi. And an obligation to feel thanks comes up.

You can't not thank God because of what Philippi meant to Paul. And then when he thinks of them, joy swells in the heart. Every time.

This will be me. This will be our family. Remember Squamish. Be thankful.

Remember 99. Remember SBC. And feel this obligation in my soul to be thankful to God for you.

It will be near impossible. As I pray for you. Think about you. To not have a smile on my face.

As any memory comes to mind about what you mean to the work of God. And to my heart. But why? What's the motivating factor in this thankfulness?

Look down at verse 5. Because you just did what your pastor said for you to do. No.

In view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. In view of, because of, a thoughtful, considerate reality as they minister the reality of the gospel.

In the same manner we can't create salvation. So we have to give thanks to God for all of Christ's work. Paul cannot take any credit for the work that's being done in them.

Paul, as I do, look back and say, wow. Look at what God has done. Look at what God is doing.

I can't do any of that. I can't create what God creates. It's not my sermons. It's not my Bible studies.

It's not necessarily my shepherding. It's not my hand in saving people we are witnessing to. It's not any of those things in and of me or myself.

Or any pastoral leadership team. It's wow. Look what God has done. Look what he's doing in his church. Look what he's doing in these people. And in their lives.

Because you're not doing it for me. You're not doing it for a pastor. You're not doing it for a man who is just flesh and blood. In view of your participation in the gospel.

For the gospel. For the sake of souls. For the sake of building the church. For the sake of making disciples in all the nations.

And it's always been that way. Verse 5. From the first day until now. Since God saved them. Since the church was formed. Since they gathered together.

It's been about the gospel. It's been about the foundation that Christ has laid to make disciples. It's about being salt and light to the world. I didn't have any doubts about that.

Day one. That's why Paul's joy. And my joy. And the heart of every pastor. Can be thankful with joy.

Because of the work in the people of God. When being faithful. Is for the cause of the gospel. For the great commission. For how it works out.

In eternity. Not for a pastor's agenda. Not for a singular church. Or denominational agenda. But what Christ is doing in the gospel.

In the souls of his people. For the sake of redemption in all of the world. That's what I'm most thankful for. God's work.

In a specific people. Right here. In Squamish. One that I didn't create. One that I didn't save. One that I don't sanctify. But what God is doing.

In the fellowship. That we share. In the gospel. Doesn't matter where we're born. Doesn't matter where we're from. It's the gospel that unites us. It's the gospel that gives shared unity.

Shared purpose. Shared vision. And from the moment that we met together. In 2014 and 15. To when we will see each other again. Or until glory. The gospel does that.

Not a pastor. Not a doctrinal statement. On a website. For a church. There has been a love. For the gospel here. And the desire to see the gospel spread.

So that people would believe in Christ. And so that the church would be built up. And so Paul can confidently say in verse 6.

Because as I think of you. As I remember you. A joy swells in the heart. Because of the participation. And what the gospel does around the world. I'm confident of this very thing.

That he who began a good work in you. Will perfect it. Until the day of Christ. Jesus. Paul's confidence. Paul's confidence is unwavering.

Absolutely persuaded. That those who he served with. Would see the ultimate joy. Of a glorious transformation. Because that's the end of the gospel. Of what the gospel produces.

A perfection in Christ. He will bring his children home. He will gloriously transform you. To be like your savior. And you will receive all of the fullness.

Of the glory of the son. And what he did in salvation for you. Paul can say that. Because the evident work.

Of what the gospel is doing. In your heart. As he experienced it. Paul has a confident hope. Not this wish. Well I hope they make it. Or an anxiousness.

About their eternal future. Well I don't know. I think they're going to do it. I think they may cross the finish line. By the skin of their teeth. No. I'm confident.

How can this not bring you joy. Not simply as a pastor. But as a believer. That when the gospel is cherished.

Defended. Proclaimed. That is where the true hope lies. And where it leads. Perfection and glory. No matter what happens on this earth.

We will have heaven together. Because of the fellowship. That we have in the gospel. And as I continue to pray.

As we continue to pray for you. There will be a joy. Because we will be eternally connected. Because of what the gospel has done. In each of our hearts. That only work. The only the work that God can do in it.

So not only does a thankful. Pastor's heart. See a joy. In a specific people. In God's work in them. But also a love. For a specific people.

And his work with them. Verse 7. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all. Because I have you in my heart. Since both in my imprisonment.

And in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. You are all partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness. How I long for you. With all the affection.

Of Christ Jesus. We have a thankful joy. As pastors and leadership. But we also have this affectionate love. And Paul felt this way.

Because it wasn't just about the work that God was doing in them. But the work that God does. And calls us. And what we are all called together to do. In the participation of the gospel.

Gospel ministry is personal. It's relational. It's interactive.

It's social. It's cooperative. It's interdependent on one another. And we have done this all together.

This fellowship word. And this word partakers. So you have the participation in the gospel. That's the word for fellowship. And then in verse 7.

It talks about being partakers of grace with me. This is the same word for fellowship. But adding another word on top of it.

Together with. We fellowship. But we fellowship together. It's a purposeful. Intentional. Action. To be beside each other.

In everything that God is doing. Chelsea and I love to get out for walks. When we can together. And one of the things I love.

Maybe even unbeknownst to her. Is that when we're walking. And I've got my hands in my pocket. We're not out there as an intense workout. But just a stroll. To think about life and ministry together.

She grabs my arm. Puts her arm through mine. As a sign. And as a gesture. To me personally. Saying whatever the trial. Whatever the struggle.

Whatever the pressures. Or even all the joys in life. We're in this thing together. There's an intimate affection. That only Christians have.

With one another. That the world cannot replicate. But the world tries. With every ounce. Every fiber of their being. To replicate. Togetherness.

Working together. Together. And what that means. To the inner life. And to the soul. Of each other. No biking group. Or running group. Or hiking group.

Or yoga group. Or political activist group. Can manipulate. What Christians have. Together. In view of the participation.

Of the gospel. And the grace. That they have. Together. It only comes. Through the Holy Spirit. Spirit. An affection. That comes deep.

Within the heart. And the soul. And a love. That is given to us. By Christ. For his people. Because we partake. In the same grace.

A pastor. And a congregation. A sheep. And a shepherd. Have equal parts. Grace given to them. In the work. That they do together. We share God's spirit.

We share God's power. We share giftings. We share the same purpose. We share the same goals. It's an internal. Spiritual.

Personal. Emotional. Connection. To that specific group. That God gave that pastor. To serve. I say emotional connection.

Because. Look at what Paul says. In the text. Remember. Verse 7. I have you. In. My heart.

Verse 8. How I long. For you all. With the. Affection. Of Christ Jesus. That word. Affection. Means. Gut level.

Human experience. That comes from within. If you would ever wonder. Why church can be. So hard. Sometimes. And then. So amazing. Other times. This is it.

If you've ever wondered. Why people leave the church. After one experience. And never want to go again. But they can go from job. To job. To job. To job. To job. No matter what that boss. Or whatever their co-workers do.

But the moment. One thing happens to them in church. They struggle. Never want to do it again. It's this right here. This deep. Abiding. Emotional. Spiritual.

Personal. Personal. Connection. That happens in the life. Of the church. Because that's the design. That God gives. Between believers. And also between sheep.

And shepherd. It's a total. Physical. Spiritual. Material. And immaterial. Experience together. Because that's the way. God designed it.

In Paul's case. That shared grace. Was Philippi serving him. In the trenches of his apostolic call.

In his imprisonment. And in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. Everything that Paul was doing. As an apostle. He was called to proclaim.

And he was called to suffer. And Philippi was along. For that whole faithful ride. He supported Paul.

In whatever scenario. God ordained. Whether he was in prison. Or whether he was free. Whether he was preaching. To a Roman guard. Or whether he was out planting churches.

And raising up pastors. And sending them out. Or ministering to a flock himself. They worked with Paul. They cared for him.

Whatever the Lord was calling him to do. Now me. Or any New Testament pastor. We don't have an apostolic call. The same way that Paul did.

But we do have a biblical call. We're called to preach the word. In season and out of season. We're called to shepherd. The flock of God. Exercising oversight with humility.

We're called to make disciples. Equip the saints. Instruct in sound doctrine. And rebuke those who contradict. We're called to have a faith worth imitating. And work to present each person complete in Christ.

It's hard to be a shepherd without any sheep. Hard to be a pastor without a congregation. It's hard to grow in love without a people to love. I love your love for your pastors.

I love your support. I love your pastors. Please continue to have this deep abiding love for your leadership here.

Because of their love for you. Their love for the gospel. Their love to see you love Christ. Paul calls a people.

I'm sorry. God calls a people. And a pastor or a leadership to work together to bring about his purposes. And from that should be affection.

A deep abiding affection. A love should grow between both sheep and shepherd. Because of the first point.

What God is doing in them in the gospel together. And Paul even brings the courtroom of heaven down. God is my witness. How I long for you.

I desire for your fellowship. I desire to continue experiencing what God is doing. We will too, beloved. We will too.

And all that we have done together in the work. And participation in the gospel. We will long to experience it again at some point. And pray that it continues to deepen and strengthen.

In the work that you will do with your leadership team here. And whoever God brings. Whomever God appoints. If that man comes in and experiences half of the love that I've experienced.

He will be well, well loved. Why is a pastor's heart able to be thankful? First reason is the joy of God's work in them.

Secondly, a love in the work with them. Thirdly, a maturity in a specific people. And the praise that God receives from them. Look at verse 9. And this I pray.

That your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment. So that you may approve the things that are excellent. In order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.

Have been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ. To the glory and praise of God. Beloved, a pastor's thankfulness flourishes in this realm.

In the maturity of God's people. In the maturity of the growing saints in the church. The goal of any pastor's ministry, any leadership's ministry ought to be this.

Christlikeness in the saints. As they grow up into all aspects of him. Christ who is the head of the church. That's why we read Ephesians chapter 4.

We've been given the task to equip you to be more like Christ. Any other purpose than that is going to taint pastoral ministry. Your love for Christ.

Your love for the truth. Your love for his church. Your love for his purposes. Would mature in your heart. This is the end of each prayer.

Each sermon. Each Bible study. Each discipleship opportunity. Each coffee. Each general meeting. Each potluck. Every encouragement. Every rebuke. Every trial. Every moment of conflict.

Every moment of comforting. All of it. So that you will love Christ more. All of it. So you'd be more like Christ. Christ. I wish I could stand here and.

Say that I've done it perfectly. I wish I could have been Jesus Christ to you. But I can't. No pastor can.

I wish I could have done it without faults. Without sin. Without weakness. But what I can say is that.

Conforming to Christ has been the goal of the ministry here in Squamish. And I pray if anything else that you think about ministry in life in Squamish. That's what it's been about. Conforming.

Conforming. To your Savior. Loving. Your Savior. And that your love. As we look down at the text here in verse 9.

Your love. For Christ. And your love for one another. Would still abound more and more in real knowledge and all discernment. Through sound doctrine.

That's real knowledge. The truth that God gives from heaven. And discernment. You can say. Sound wisdom. How you take the truth. And how you apply it into each circumstance of your life.

Every thought. Every situation. Every opportunity that you have been given to mature. I pray that that's been the reality. So if you would kind of walk with me just for a moment.

I just want to retrace some bits of steps. To remind ourselves what God has done in maturing of people. And why my heart can be overwhelmed with thankfulness and gratitude.

As I came here. As I came here. There was a very evident faith. A group of people wanting to be faithful.

After a long. Hard. Trial. There wasn't any money to pay for a pastor. Just debt. Just debt.

An ever-growing debt. But you didn't want me part-time even though I offered. You said no. We're bringing you in.

We're bringing you in to pastor. You went all in faithfully and just paid me full-time. Even though every single dollar contributed to an ever-growing overwhelming debt that we had.

No one in that search committee really had gone through the process of appointing a pastor. And I'm not sure if those guys even felt qualified to do so to begin with. You have a young pastor.

A young family. Fresh in a new post. Having no experience leading a congregation. Especially on his own. Very different backgrounds.

And I mean very different backgrounds. Cultures. Political ideologies. We had some Brits. South Africans. West Africans.

Filipinos. Germans. New Zealanders. Chinese. Indonesian. Middle Easterns. Americans. Canadians. We had the United Nations in that building. We had Baptists.

Presbyterians. Charismatics. Calvinists. Arminians. Pre-millennials. Pre-trib. Post-trib. All-millennials. And many of you had no idea what doctrine or category you even fit in.

You know I'm a sports guy and you go into a game and you see on paper this game should go a certain way.

This team should wipe out this team on paper. On paper or in a worldly thought that should not have worked at all. That ship should have sunk.

The betting line probably would have been against us. But one truth. One promise. Reign supreme in all of that.

Christ builds his church. From every tongue. And every tribe. And every nation. And receives the praise. And the glory.

For it. Christ did that. Christ produces. Fruit. Christ generates. Unity. And makes a people.

One. No matter all of these differences. Like he and the father. Are one. We walked through Philippians.

The joyful unity in the gospel. Jonah. God's mission to the nations. First John. The assurance of faith. Haggai. The renewing of the heart of worship. Mark. The victory in our suffering servant.

Ephesians. The glorious praise and salvation. Titus. Doctrine and discipleship. Adorning our savior. Philemon. The peace and forgiveness. Went through a summary of Luke.

Which was God's plan of salvation. And then we. Basically went through the first half of Acts. God's salvation to all the nations. Each book of the Old Testament.

The whole counsel of God. God's sovereign right to rule over his kingdom. For his glory. How to resolve conflict. Men's studies. Women's studies.

And. Now is a merged church. Walking through the book. Of Romans. Real. Knowledge. So that God would mature you in faith.

That you would be strengthened. Your minds would be sharpened. Your courage would have resolve. And you would be ready to proclaim the hope that is within you. With gentleness. And reverence.

Yes. But it wasn't just a studies. You don't just. Show up at a Bible study and grow. You don't just hear a pastor and grow.

You don't just talk about truth and grow. God was doing a specific work in you and in me. And we're doing that together. As we were maturing.

And we had to walk through a couple trials. Those early stages of ministry. Developing an identity through different approaches.

And perspectives. And theologies. And working that all out together. Who can forget COVID. Even though I know many of us want to.

We walked through a pastoral disqualification together. We walked through a process of a merge. And the attacks that came from that process. And in between we had a lot of conversations.

We had a lot smaller conflicts. But they were important ones to have. The combination of the truths that we learned. And the trials that we walked through.

God uses. So that we would have a real knowledge. And a discernment. So that as we walk through those things. We can approve the things that are excellent.

We can approve the things. How God wants us to think. What he wants us to believe. And we're changed by that internally. As a group of people.

So that we would have faith. And trust. What God is doing. Is building us together. Maturing us. Growing us.

So as we learned. We walked through those trials. Here's what happened. An evident growth. In the appetite for God's word.

A consistent understanding. A consistent understanding. And pursuit. Of what faithful expositional ministry looks like. Even though we had all of those different backgrounds.

And views. And perspectives. We experienced each other as a family. We love to sing. We love to sing.

God's praises. We had a longing to serve the body. Every single trial.

Helped grow. Just that little bit more. Of maturity. As we head into the next trial. To grow a little bit more. And to take the lessons from one trial to the next.

A faithful transition and emerge. A single body unifying. Together. So that more believers.

Can grow. Together. Together. A sacrificing. A giving up. Of what we had. To unify. The greater whole.

A church ready. To use resources. Physical. And spiritual. To now make a global. Impact. Right here.

Right now. With this leadership team. With this group of specific people. That God has ordained. So that God would mature.

You. So that God would mature. Us. That love would grow. That patience would develop. That forgiveness would be experienced.

Gentleness felt. And hope would increase in one direction. And that's towards Christ. Because look at verse 11.

How could all of this take place? Is it just because we. We worked together in the gospel? Verse 11.

Paul says. Having been filled. With the fruit of righteousness. Which comes through Jesus Christ. How could God.

Take a group of people. That would probably. Never hang out together. Together. Maybe even never. Actually be friends. If they chose to. Together.

Love the same Savior. Love the same truths. Grow together. And mature.

Because God has filled you. And us. With the fruit. Of his righteousness. Because this is what God does. In the collective maturity.

Of his people. And how thankful. My heart. And any pastor's heart. Can be. Observing what God has done. In each and every lesson. Each and every study.

Each and every trial. Because there's an evident maturity. And an evident growth. In it all. We've come a long way together.

But you were filled. With the fruit of righteousness. In salvation. Through Christ Jesus. Not just when a pastor.

Arrived here. But it comes through Christ. Not just simply. Righteousness. As an entity. Not just what Christ.

Provides for you. In his sacrifice. A perfect account. Of righteousness. So that. You don't have to pay back. Any of your sin. So you won't have to experience.

The wrath of God. In all of eternity. Because you rejected Christ. But a perfect standing. Before God. A perfect acceptance. From God.

As a child. But also the fruit. Of what you are. As an adopted child of God. The effects. Of being born again. The gospel seed.

That was planted. In your soul. Bears the fruit. Of that righteousness. Of that righteousness. Given to you. Righteousness is not just some. Theological.

Mysterious element. Given to you. But you don't experience. Your maturity. Is the fruit. Of God. Taking truth.

Giving you circumstances. To. Excavate that truth. To live in that truth. To grow in that truth. So that you mature.

And become more holy. In your love for him. And love for his church. Pastor can't do that. Only Christ can.

We've accomplished a lot together. But it's because we both have. The fruit of righteousness. Which comes through Christ. Christ. And the ultimate end. Is to the glory. And praise of God.

Verse 11. To the praise. To the glory. And praise. Of God. That's the ultimate end. Everything that's happened.

Here. Everything that will happen. Here. Everything that's going to happen. Here. Will have the praise. And glory of God. What is the glory. And praise of God. Glory would be seen.

As a reflection. Of the work of God. The word glory. Means to have. A weighty significance. And the effects. Of that significance. Therefore.

What has happened. In the growth. And the maturity. Of a people. Happens. Because of what God. Has produced. You can think of it. This way. You step into a dark room.

And the glory. Of that light bulb. That turns on. Is not just that little. Filament. And electricity. Going through it. The effects of the glory.

Of that light bulb. Is being able to see. What's in the room. The ability to work now. Everything. And all the effects. That light now. Produces for you. So God gets glory.

As the world sees. As the church experiences. The weighty significance. Of what God does. When he puts. A specific leadership team. And a specific congregation.

Together. And they have a specific work. To do. In a specific place. So that souls would be saved. And saints would be sanctified. God gets glory.

From that. And we praise him. Because of it. So why can a pastor.

Have a thankful heart. Why can I. Like Paul. Have a thankful heart. Because of you. Because of the joy. That comes. In the work of God.

And the gospel. In your lives. A love. That's experienced. From the heart. And the work of the gospel. That we got to accomplish together. And the maturity. That both of us.

Experienced. As we grew. Into our savior. Because of the effects. Of the gospel. So I can assure you. After 11 years.

My heart is full. My heart is thankful. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your service.

To a very. Unworthy servant. Because of a very. Worthy. Savior. Let's pray. Amen. Heavenly Father.

How 11 years. Of ministry. Can be encapsulated. Into one sermon. Is impossible. But I pray.

That this. Stirs the heart. Of the people here. To take a moment. And to reflect. And to think about. What you've done.

What you are doing. And what you will do. As you continue. To glorify yourself. In the gospel work.

And gospel ministry. In Squamish. Lord I pray. That we would reflect. Over the years.

As you have taken. A filthy sinner. Clothes of them. In pure righteousness. And grow.

And mature them. Into a faithful son. Or daughter. Grow them. In maturity. Father.

I pray. That you would get. More glory. As more disciples. Are made here. More sinners. Are called home. More saints.

Experience. Maturity. And growth. May you use this place. And this people. To continue to have a global. International. Impact.

For the sake of the gospel. Would more leaders. Be raised up. More churches. Planted.

More disciples. Made. May you strengthen. Unite. All the more. More. This leadership team.

That is here. As they continue. In these next steps. As ministry. Just continues on. It won't miss a beat. I can be assured of that. Or continue.

To get praise. And glory. From this people. Whom you love. You love more. Than any pastor. Leadership team. Could ever love. Help us to enjoy.

The fellowship. Glory in the fellowship. That we have in Christ together. And may we continue to work hard. Together.

Continue to build each other up. There's so much more work to do. And so few workers. So father would you use this place.

To generate more work in the kingdom. Together. So that your glory would be known. All over the globe. We ask.

In your son's precious and holy name. Amen.