[0:00] Take your Bible, turn with me to the book of... This is Mitch's deputation message.
[0:13] I picked that on purpose because I'm not sure if he's read any other part of his Bible the last two years. I do want to charge you, Mitch, though.
[0:24] I know it's a familiar passage. It's one that we all should know well. But I want to charge you a few things from this. David was a giant killer. And you are being ordained to be nothing less.
[0:37] That is what we are ordaining you to do. We are ordaining you to kill giants. In the life of David, we found some requirements that were given to him in order to get to that point.
[0:49] You know, we know the story. He was ordained to be the king. And his dad didn't even bring him out to the line when the prophet came. And he was overlooked. He was in the field keeping the sheep.
[1:00] And after he was anointed to be king, what did he do? Go straight to the throne? No. He went right back to the field. And he was faithful every day to do the job that he was given to do. If you were going to kill giants, you're going to have to be faithful.
[1:13] Faithful in what some people call the small things, but they're the big things. You're going to be faithful in your marriage. Work on it every day. You're going to be faithful in your walk with God. Read your Bible. Pray. Be faithful in your skills.
[1:28] You know, work at being the best preacher that you can be. The best man of God you can be. Be faithful. The next thing that was required of David in order to get to even face Goliath is he had to kill a lion and he had to kill a bear.
[1:41] When he stood before Saul and he said, I'm going to go kill that Philistine, Saul said, no, you're not. You're a little kid and he's been killing people since he was a kid. You're not going to stand before Goliath.
[1:53] And he said this. Read 1 Samuel 17 verse 37. David said, moreover, the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of the Philistine.
[2:04] And Saul said unto David, go. It was at that point that he was allowed to stand before Goliath. When I read this, I can't help but think of the fact that God has delivered deputation into your hand.
[2:14] You worked your tail off. I know that personally. I know a lot of people give the Rasmussen name a lot of credit on that, and it's true. But I know how hard you worked. I know how many flights you took, mainly because I was picking you up from the airport most of the time.
[2:28] I know how many miles you drove. I know the conversations that we had late at night because you were doing something stupid, trying to get from Connecticut to California in one night. It's physically impossible.
[2:41] But I know how hard you worked. COVID and all, you knocked it out in amazing time. It's because you worked hard. And you killed that lion, but there's a big bear coming up.
[2:52] There's some big things that you're going to do. You're going to lead people to Christ. You're going to start a church. You're going to train men. You're going to start more churches. There's some massive, massive things.
[3:04] There's giant things. I think that's right on the back of your prayer card. There are giant things that you're going to do. But before you do that, you've got to learn the language. There's a bear that you've got to kill to even stand before Goliath.
[3:14] Before you start killing giants, you've got to kill the lion and you've got to kill the bear. That's the requirements. Then the second thing, the real hero. And I did alliterate just to make you mad. You read the story.
[3:28] He said, moreover, the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion. He said, he will deliver me out of the hand of the Philistine. Verse 46. This day, he's talking to Goliath now.
[3:39] He's saying, this day the Lord will deliver thee. The real hero is Jesus Christ. First, this is not the Mitch story. This is not David and Goliath. This is the story of God killing giants through his man.
[3:51] You are his man, and God is going to kill giants. Listen, you know what I love about the lion and the bear? They gave him the confidence. Not the confidence that he had spent enough time in the slingshot range. They gave him the confidence that God was going to do something big in his life.
[4:05] Whenever he stood before Goliath, he said, You know when God delivered the lion into my hand? I remember that. And he's going to do it again. And God delivered the bear into my hand? I remember that. He's going to do it again. Listen, you need to remember all those days when your plans, when a pandemic took place and your plans just went to pot.
[4:22] And you need to remember that God still took care of you. And God still provided you and led you. We talked about it last night. You know, there are times when you had your perfectly laid out plan, and it crumbled, and then God did bigger and better things than what you could even imagine.
[4:35] You work like it all depends on you. But you trust like it all depends on God, because it all depends on God. He's the real hero. One day, great things are going to happen, and don't you steal a bit of his glory.
[4:48] You give it all to him. Then the third thing, the reason. You know this. Verse 46, This is not about spreading the McCormick name or even the Rasmussen name into Arequipa.
[5:12] It's not about building the Vision Baptist brand. This is about the name of Jesus Christ going all over the world. Listen, this is bigger than Arequipa. This is bigger than Lima.
[5:23] This is bigger than Peru. This is a worldwide mission, and you're God's man to get it done. And I believe that with all my heart. I got time.
[5:34] I'll give you two bonuses. We all know what happened later on in David's life. Love your wife. There are too many good men who are not on the battlefield because they didn't take care of their marriage.
[5:49] You love your wife. You're going to get frustrated with the language. You need to love your wife. She's going to get homesick. You need to love your wife. You're going to worry about the boys. You need to love your wife. Good times are going to come, and they're going to start singing your praises.
[6:01] Don't get drunk on the songs of the ladies. You love your wife. Then the second thing, and I'm done. There's a big difference in David's story and your story.
[6:13] His dad didn't even get him out of the field. His dad didn't send him to battle. His dad didn't believe in him. He talked to his brothers, and they said, shut up and go home. They didn't believe in him. Everyone he talked to did not believe in him.
[6:25] He stood before Saul, and Saul said, kid, go home. And he didn't believe in him. That's not your story. I want you to know that I believe in you. As much as I believe in anybody on this planet, I believe in you.
[6:40] This ordating council believes in you. This church believes in you. Your wife believes in you. I even think the Rasmussons believe in you now.
[6:51] It took a little while. We are confident that you're going to go to Peru, and you're going to knock out the language like you knocked out deputation.
[7:05] And then you're going to start a church just like you killed the lion, and you killed the bear. And we are going to hear about giants falling every day because God is using. Mitch, when Mitch was a little kid, and he said tonight in the council that God still works miracles at Mitch's in the ministry.
[7:22] Amen. I already like him. I just met him. Amen. Come on, Fritz. Amen. Well, thank you. It's a privilege to be here. Thank you, Pastor Gardner, for your ministry here.
[7:33] Thank you, Vision Baptist Church, for your care of Mitchell and Jacqueline and their family. I bring you greetings from Michigan. This past Sunday, we got three inches of snow. And so, thankfully, it's all gone, but it's good to get out of the north a little bit and experience some warm weather.
[7:48] And so, thank you for the invite. I so appreciate it. As Pastor Gardner said, I've known Mitchell a long time, most of his life, and it's just been a joy to see him grow in his walk with the Lord.
[8:00] And I'm excited about what God has for him. And so, I want to thank you, Vision Baptist Church, for all the time, the energy, and the effort that you put into training Mitchell and Jacqueline and just loving on them.
[8:12] It's been exciting to see their growth in the Lord. If you would, turn with me. Ephesians chapter number four tonight. And it's just a privilege to be a part of this ordination service.
[8:25] In Ephesians chapter number four, look with me down at verse number one. The Bible tells us, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.
[8:38] With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering and forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.
[8:49] Mitchell, this evening, I want to give you just three thoughts and three things that I've learned and I've watched other men of God and just three thoughts I think would be an encouragement to you this evening as you move forward in your ministry for the Lord and I'm excited.
[9:05] If you'd have known Mitchell when he was a kid, I could tell you this, the last thing that he probably would have ever thought of was being a missionary to Peru and it's just exciting to see God working.
[9:17] But just three thoughts that I've learned over the last several years and I've observed watching other men of God is this, if you're going to be successful in the ministry, be successful serving the Lord and just the busyness that comes with the ministry, we can get caught up in all the programs, we can get caught up in doing all the things, but Mitchell, let me tell you, if you're going to serve the Lord successfully, you've got to do, first of all, you've got to love God's Word.
[9:46] You've got to love God's Word. There's a lot of things that we do, but we can't ever fall out of love with God and His Word. In Timothy, we find that the Apostle Paul writing Timothy says, study to show thyself approved unto God.
[10:00] Don't get so busy in ministry that you neglect studying the Word of God. Don't get so busy doing things that you forget the most important thing and that is knowing God better.
[10:14] The book of Psalms tells us this, if you want to follow me over there just quickly. In Psalm 1, we find in Psalm 1, just at the beginning of this psalm, as we consider loving God's Word, we must study God's Word.
[10:28] Mitchell, you must study God's Word. But Psalm 1 tells us this, blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
[10:40] But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. So we consider loving God's Word, it's more than just a five-minute do your devotions, read your Bible, prayer time, and you're done for the day.
[10:56] It's a meditating and it's a ruminating on the Word of God day and night. It's almost like breathing. You must meditate on God's Word.
[11:08] If you're going to last in the ministry, at the heart of your ministry is studying and loving God's Word. And I want you to notice, secondly, as we consider this, not only, Mitchell, must you love God's Word, but you must express God's Word.
[11:24] And you've got a unique calling upon your life and not everybody gets this calling, but you've been called by the Lord to preach the Word of God. And in 1 Timothy chapter 4 and verse number 14, the Bible says, neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on the hands of the presbytery.
[11:47] I was there when Mitchell was just learning how to get up in front of people and expound upon the Word of God. I think I heard mention of it, the first five-minute devotional that he had given and you all survived that.
[12:01] I remember he was interning at a church. He told me not to tell the story, but it's too funny not to tell. He'd come to our church and he was working there during the summer in between college years and we said, hey, Mitchell, why don't you come?
[12:16] Why don't you teach and preach to the young people on Wednesday night? And he said, oh yeah, I'd love to. He gets in there and he pulls his notes out, puts them on the podium, takes his Bible, closes it, and he says, I don't need that.
[12:27] And me and the other youth were just like, what? What are you talking about? You're preaching here. You need that. And he had it all written out, all the verses he was going to written out, typed out.
[12:42] And so, but he learned that's probably not the best thing to say and do when you get in the pulpit. But you know what? As an individual that has recognized the call of God on your life, you must and you are qualified to express God's word.
[13:00] We express God's word and we find even in Timothy where the Apostle Paul tells Timothy to preach the word in season, out of season. And that's the calling, Mitchell, that God has placed in your life to preach the word.
[13:16] Preach the word. You preach the gospel to the lost. And then you encourage and exhort those that know Christ as their personal savior. We find that as we think about expressing God's word, even Timothy would tell us that all scripture is given by inspiration of God.
[13:34] And it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. And we find out the why that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished into all good works.
[13:47] You preach the word to the lost. You encourage those who know Christ as their personal savior. Follow me over to John chapter 15. In John chapter 15, we look just about halfway down through the chapter here.
[14:03] John chapter 15, look with me at verse number 16. In John 15 and verse 16, the scriptures tell us, and this is Jesus speaking here.
[14:14] He says, You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
[14:33] Vision Baptist Church is ordaining you tonight. They're putting their stamp of approval upon your ministry, upon your life. But you've been ordained by God. He's called you.
[14:44] You're ordained by God to preach the gospel and then bear fruit for the cause of Christ. And bear fruit that would remain. I shared a verse when we were in the council there in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 58 where it tells us, therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.
[15:11] And that verse closes out that you may know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. You know, Mitchell right here for me is proof that our labor is not in vain in the Lord.
[15:22] You know, there's going to be discouraging times in your ministry for both Mitchell and Jacqueline. There will be difficulties in ministry, but you keep on. There's going to be people that lets you down, but you keep on going.
[15:37] And you know, you'll find that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Thirdly, here this evening, not only, Mitchell, must you love God's word. And you've been given a unique gift to express God's word, but you must live God's word.
[15:54] And that brings us to Ephesians chapter 4, where we began. In Ephesians chapter 4, we find here in verse number 1, where Paul says, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye should walk worthy of the vocation of the vocation wherewith ye are called.
[16:18] And then we see the how to walk worthy with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering for bearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
[16:33] Mitchell and Jacqueline, what the people that you minister to, what they need to see is you living God's word. Not just speaking God's word.
[16:45] Not just knowing God's word, but that you're putting God's word into practice in your life. And people, they need to see that in you. Love God's word, express God's word, and then live God's word.
[16:59] I want to share with you just one final thought, and it's from 2 Timothy chapter 3. In 2 Timothy chapter 3, we have here the Apostle Paul addressing this young preacher in the faith, Timothy.
[17:16] And he says this in 2 Timothy chapter 3 in verse 14. He says, But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
[17:32] Mitchell, for years, you lived in California, Jacqueline in California. Mitchell at Mountain Avenue Baptist Church and Calvary Christian School, you had people that invested their lives into you, teaching and training you.
[17:48] Jacqueline at Faith in Canoga Park, you had people investing their life into you. And I would say to you tonight to continue. Both of you went to Pensacola Christian College where once again there were individuals that poured their life into you, continue in what you have learned.
[18:08] And then you've been blessed to be a part of this wonderful ministry here. And how exciting it is to see all the missionaries that were up here this evening. We've had a lot of people here at Vision Baptist Church that have poured their life into you and teaching and training you for the things of the ministry.
[18:26] You've spent nearly two years traveling the country, raising support so you can go to the mission field and you've rubbed elbows with preachers around this country. Continue in what this church has taught you.
[18:39] Continue in what the pastors and pastors' wives and those that you've connected with over the last two years continue in what thou hast learned and hast been assured of.
[18:50] Knowing of whom thou hast learned them. Our dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for Mitchell, for Jacqueline. We pray that you bless them. Bless their family. God, I'm thankful for Vision Baptist Church.
[19:02] I pray that you continue to use this wonderful ministry to further your kingdom. In Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Thank you very much, Pastor Nader. If you enjoyed that, say amen.
[19:12] Amen. We're going to take our offering now. And so, if you gentlemen come forward, I'll lead in prayer. And then, looks like we've got a Peruvian special. Amen. Father, I pray you'd bless this offering.
[19:25] Touch your people's hearts, God, that we would continue to tithe and to give offerings and to support missionaries. I pray, God, that you'd help us to make a major difference with our giving. And we'll give you praise, honor, and glory for all.
[19:36] In Jesus' name. Amen. Chronicles chapter 16 and verse 9. I won't be needing this. That's something we say often at Vision.
[19:56] We're taking up a collection after church to buy him a couple of Bibles. Mitch, we love you. Jackie, we love you. Thank God for you. I hope you've known that Vision's tried to love you and that I've tried to love you.
[20:10] My wife has and so we're just grateful for tonight. By the way, in Peru, they never knew when a special would be over because back then I just really didn't care about the time and I wasn't worried about Rich Alpharidians and so I'd just say, I'll just hit that one again.
[20:25] The piano player knew to look at me and I'd just go and they'd just do it again. I'm getting old. I might go back to that and then y'all can all shoot me. 2 Chronicles 16.9 This is a verse that you know I was praying about your message and what to preach.
[20:44] I prayed about what I went through a bunch of messages. I got a bunch of them. But I said, what's for Mitch? And this is one of my favorite passages.
[20:54] I bet I preached it a hundred times in Peru all over the country. 2 Chronicles 16.9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
[21:13] Herein thou hast done foolishly. Therefore, from henceforth thou shalt have wars. This is actually a negative verse. Asa is who the story's about.
[21:28] He'd been doing a lot of good stuff for God. He'd been doing the right things. But in this verse, he had an opportunity to be used of God and he missed it. And instead of trusting God, he decided to rely on the king of Syria.
[21:41] You can find all that out above this. He was trusting his own contacts and his own abilities and who he knew and what he could do rather than the power of God.
[21:53] And Asa chooses to doubt what God can do and believe what he can do. And he thinks he can protect himself. God had defeated bigger foes in the past and God just wanted to be trusted again.
[22:09] I'll read this verse from the positive side thinking of you. I want y'all to get with me in 2 Chronicles 16.9. You'll have it memorized in the next six or seven minutes.
[22:20] But first you see God's promise. He is looking for men. One of the most thrilling things in the world to me. It says in verse nine the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.
[22:37] And God was looking and God was searching the whole world over. He said that preacher looks at Asa and said did you know God's looking for people? God just likes to show himself powerful and you really messed up here because God wanted to show himself powerful.
[22:54] God sees and knows our hearts. God knows our desires and our intentions and God has a work that God wants done and what God really wants is to show how great he is that the world might know.
[23:09] And here's a thing for you Mitch start to say Jackie she raised all your support I was just going to give her all the credit for the people in the church that don't know it he's called Big Church Mitch and that's why I phrase his support but here's my thing God's promise he's looking for men he found you God found you God brought you up God raised you up God wants to use you God called you what's the sweetest thing in the world was God's looking around he picked you Mitch God found you number two the purpose was to show his power look at verse 9 for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in them whose heart is perfect toward him herein thou has done foolishly therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars God desires that the whole world know him and his character and his power he didn't want
[24:15] Asa to make worldly contacts or to show how smart he was or how well connected he was God was just looking for a man who would rely on him and watch God work and God found you you need to think on that a minute Bishon didn't find you your in-laws didn't find you your wife didn't find you you didn't find you God found you and he wants to use you to show his power in your life then there's the privilege in the verse 2nd Chronicles 16 9 for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him herein thou has done foolishly therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars God wanted to work in Asa's life and show the world how believing in God would work all God would do is say watch Asa show what happens when people believe in me imagine
[25:21] David you know God did the work when David went to fight Goliath it was God that did the work it was God that did the work imagine Daniel when he was in the lion's den it was God that closed the mouths imagine those three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace it was God that delivered them from the fiery furnace imagine a man like D.O.
[25:46] Moody with a paltry education and a nobody couldn't speak enough English to make people want to listen to him and he shook England and the United States of America think of George Mueller building children's homes and when he built the children's home he said the only reason I'm building these homes is to show that God hears and answers prayer not about the kids it's about showing the power of God and when God wanted to show himself strong God found you what a privilege that he would use you now there's a prerequisite to him using you in verse nine for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him God wanted an undivided heart towards him a heart that trusts God and not self a heart that only has one God I have had a perfect heart towards
[26:47] Betty for the last 47 years I haven't been a perfect husband but I haven't had another girl I haven't given a part of my heart to anybody else what God wants is you to give him all your heart all of it see God can use people who aren't perfect and perfect people you can mess up and have a perfect heart you can be used to God and not have a perfect heart but what God's looking for is a full complete integral heart given to him decide that God and God alone is your heart and your all when God wanted to use someone that would love him God found you to honor him and to live like he wants you to and there's a problem at the last part of the verse the last part of the verse it says but you've done foolishly and from henceforth you'll have wars
[27:48] Asa made an alliance with a worldly power to gain protection for his kingdom instead of trusting God Asa went and figured out what to do and Asa made his own alliance and he forgot to believe God things go well for Asa for a while and then God sends another preacher to see him who preaches this verse he says Asa God wanted to use you God loves showing himself powerful God looks for people to use his life but you chose not to trust God and he tells him the alliance that you have proves you don't trust God in chapter 16 and verse 17 he said because you relied on the king of Syria you have not relied on the Lord your God you chosen to trust the king of Syria he reminds Asa that God had worked before in verse 80 he says didn't we whip the Ethiopians didn't you trust me when they had a huge host and a lot of chariots and horsemen you know why it happened because you relied on me and I delivered them into your hand but this time Asa didn't trust
[29:01] God later on it starts a big downhill spin in his life because he doesn't trust God in chapter 16 and verse 12 when he gets sick God chooses to write this down you trusted doctors but you never came to talk to me about it you didn't trust me Mitch God is looking for people who will believe him and he'll show himself strong on their behalf God wants you to trust him and to believe him not believe yourself not believe your contacts not believe your family but believe God you choose what to rely on now as you go to the mission field success in this world breeds pride that gets us away from God be careful to trust only God be careful not to strike out in what you can do but what God can do when God looked for a man looked for you and he found you
[30:01] God found you so don't trust yourself don't let this problem be real in your life I'll tell you from a little bit of experience God can take a bum from Tennessee take him to that place where you're going and do big and mighty things but he only does it because of him not you Father God bless Mitch and Jackie tonight their little family God I pray for Adekipa I pray for Cusco and Urubamba and Tacna and Chico and Lima and Pura God I pray for that whole country and the desperate need they have of the gospel I pray to God that you'd use Peru to send missionaries all over Latin America and the rest of the world like you've started a small trickling of doing I just pray God you'd populate this world with missionaries God use this man God bless and bring honor to your name and glory to your name and I'll give you great honor and praise for all you do with our heads bowed and eyes closed
[31:11] Mitch he found you and I'm asking you right now to tell him in your heart God I won't do everything in my power to believe you trust you and wait on you and look for you to do something you tell him that the rest of us ought to tell him the same thing Father work tonight we'll give you praise in Jesus wonderful name amen thank you very much Mitch if you come up here if you're one of the ordained men if you're an ordained preacher or deacon from our church or a church of like faith then you can come up here thank you just one chair is all we need and this the ordained men will be praying they'll be doing a little bit of singing would you pray for Mitch and Jackie while we pray over Mitch and the ministry God's called him to