You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace.
Join us.
Amen.
Thank you all.
I love that song.
It's a reminder that the calling of God on Peter's life that we celebrate today is a
unique one.
It's also one that many aspects of are for all of us too.
Not just for the preacher, but for all of us following Christ to make his name great.
What a great joy that we get to be a part of that together.
We are celebrating Peter's ordination here in just a few minutes.
Part of that celebration is getting to invite a pastor who's a friend of yours to come and
open God's word for us.
Peter obviously didn't know many.
He picked someone who's been to Oxford, Mississippi and Columbia, South Carolina.
So apparently the pickings were slim.
We're sorry about that.
But that's not the only places Justin has lived.
He also overlapped with us in seminary in St. Louis.
So he and his wife Missy are friends of me and Christy.
But he and Peter go back to Maryland.
None of those other terrible places where Justin served on staff at that church with Peter.
And so they're friends.
And we're so excited.
As much as I would like to give Justin a hard time for his football history, he's a great
pastor and a great friend.
And I'm delighted for you to get to hear God's word from him this morning.
Thank you, Justin.
Thanks, Paul.
Appreciate it.
I invite you to open your copy of God's word if you have one to Ephesians chapter 3.
Ephesians 3.
And in just a moment, I'll read verses 14 through 21.
Ephesians 3, 14 through 21.
And before diving in, I do just want to say that I am deeply humbled by and thankful for
the opportunity to preach this morning.
As Will alluded, Peter and I go back to around 2010.
That's when I was called out of seminary to serve as an assistant pastor at Providence
Presbyterian Church in Salisbury, Maryland, which is where Peter and Emily were members.
And it's the church in which Peter also spent many of his formative years along with his
family there.
And when I got there, Peter was a part-time, if memory serves, volunteer youth director.
And so I got to know him a little bit in that relationship.
And after about a year, Peter was hired to be the full-time youth director there, which
meant that the door to his study was about eight feet away from the door to my study.
And so I feel for those of you who have to work in close proximity with Peter for reasons
that perhaps have already become obvious.
And if they haven't, I assure you they will.
There's nothing like having the doorknob to your study tied to the doorknob of the closet
across the hall so that you can't get out of your own study, among many other things.
And after about a year of that, Peter in his full-time capacity, I talked him into going
to seminary because I just couldn't take it anymore.
And so he and Emily moved to St. Louis.
No, he and Emily made the very prayerful decision to go to Covenant Seminary in St.
Louis to pursue training for further ministry.
And that was a decision that I, and more importantly, the leadership of the church, were happy to
affirm and are excited to see how the Lord has led since then and has faithfully brought
you to this point this morning.
Peter, after getting over the initial elation of being invited to preach this service, my
attention quickly turned to the text that I would be preaching from.
And that decision took all of about two seconds because it was merely a matter of asking, what
is the text that has most profoundly impacted me personally and pastorally since my own ordination
to the ministry?
And I can say without reservation and without hesitation that it's Ephesians 3, beginning at
verse 14, where the apostle Paul writes, and God's word says,
For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and
on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened
with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts
through faith.
That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the
saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth.
And to know the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the
fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to
the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
forever and ever.
Amen.
This is God's holy word.
May he add his blessing to the reading and the preaching of it.
I invite you to pray with me as we open his word together.
Our gracious God and heavenly Father, we come and we ask that by your Spirit you'd use the
reading and the preaching of your word to convince and to convert anyone here who might not know
you this morning.
We pray that you would use your word in the lives of your kids to build them up in holiness
and comfort through our faith in your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.
Amen.
Well, the context of this passage will help us to see why it's such an appropriate text
for an occasion like this one this morning.
We're at the end of Ephesians chapter 3.
Paul has spent these first three chapters extolling all of the glories of God's grace toward his
people in the gospel of his Son, Jesus Christ.
The way that he has sovereignly loved them, his electing grace toward them, his adoption of
them, the riches that are theirs by virtue of their union with his Son, Jesus, and on and on
we could go.
And in the verse immediately following our passage this morning, Paul turns his attention
to how God's people are to live their lives in light of God's grace toward them in the gospel.
The way that he says it is he's going to tell them how to walk in a manner worthy of the calling
with which they've been called.
And he devotes his attention to that throughout the end of his letter.
And after focusing on God's grace in that way, again, he tells them how they're to live lives
of obedience by doing, you know, really pretty easy things like maintaining unity in the body
and speaking the truth in love and living lives of holiness and righteousness.
Being angry but not sinning.
Not stealing but working honestly and sharing generously.
Speaking graciously to those you interact with.
Forgiving others as Christ has forgiven you.
Being sexually pure.
Being content and not covetous of other people.
Making the best use of the time that God has afforded you.
Men, loving your wives as Christ loved the church.
Wives, respecting your husbands.
Parents, diligently training up your children in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord.
And then how to be a diligent prayer warrior in Ephesians 6 as he closes out the letter.
Just easy stuff like that.
Are you kidding me?
How do you begin to do those things faithfully?
In some of those cases, how do you begin to even want to do some of those things faithfully?
To put a bit finer point on it this morning for you, Peter, in light of your calling to the ministry,
how are you going to live up to just this one vow that you're going to take in a few moments?
To engage, to be a faithful and diligent minister of the gospel in the exercise of all your duties as a Christian and as a minister.
Whether personal or relational, private or public.
And to endeavor to adorn the profession of the gospel in your manner of life.
And to walk with exemplary piety before the flock.
And for the rest of y'all, how are y'all going to faithfully receive the word of truth with meekness from Peter's mouth
and encourage him in his labors and assist him in his endeavors?
What's the secret to walking in a manner worthy of your respective callings?
Well, the secret is in Ephesians 1 through 3.
More specifically though, what do you need?
What do you need in order to do what sounds so very daunting?
And what you need is what Paul prays for you in our passage this morning.
That in verse 16, according to the riches of God's glory,
he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
That you, being rooted and grounded in love.
And we'll pause right there for just a moment.
Now some of that could potentially be confusing.
Because Paul has already affirmed back in chapter 1 that these people have already been sealed with his promised Holy Spirit.
But you'll notice there that he's not praying that they be granted the Holy Spirit.
He prays for them and by extension prays for you and me that through the Holy Spirit who's already in them,
that they would be given strength in their inner being.
And then our Bibles say,
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
What's interesting about that is that in the original language,
the words so that aren't there.
Not there.
Not there at all.
And so the way that it literally reads is,
Strengthen with power through his spirit in your inner being,
Christ to dwell or Christ dwelling in your hearts through faith.
So it's not that Christ dwelling in your heart through faith is the result of the spirit's strengthening of you,
but rather that the spirit dwelling in your inner being with power and Christ in your heart through faith are one and the same reality.
That the spirit is the spirit of Christ.
The spirit of God's son, as Paul describes in Galatians 4.
The spirit is the one who applies to you the redemption purchased by Christ.
Christ by working that faith in you.
And thereby unites you to Christ in your effectual calling,
as you remember, I'm sure, from the shorter catechism.
He unites you to the Christ who's the source of all the strength that you need.
And what's the result of that, does Paul say?
That those who the spirit has united to Christ by faith have been, as Paul says,
rooted and grounded in love.
You've been rooted and you've been grounded in love.
Y'all have been rooted and grounded in love.
It's the language of planting and of building.
And what Paul is saying here is that the foundation that stabilizes you
and the soil from which you derive nourishment as you individually and collectively grow
into all that God wants you to be in Christ is God's great love for you.
So what do you need to know to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you've been called?
You need to know, brother, and y'all need to know beyond the shadow of a doubt,
that your heavenly Father loves you.
That if he could say nothing else, I think he would cup your collective faces
in his tender fatherly hands and look into your eyes and he would say,
I love you.
And that's what he wants you to know.
That's the fuel and that's the foundation of all your obedience to him.
And without that, you have little hope of walking worthy of your calling.
Will mentioned earlier my affiliation with the University of South Carolina
and your bulletin mentions that I played football there.
That's sort of true.
I was a walk-on on the football team for the four years I was there,
which means I practiced a lot.
I played somewhat sparingly.
And it's kind of pretty this morning.
The implications of the gospel are being played out before your very eyes.
I mean, Paul was right when he said,
here there is not Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, game cock, tiger,
tide, war eagle.
Well, we're all one in Christ.
It's a beautiful thing.
A very beautiful thing.
But anyway, I was on the football team there.
Coach Lou Holtz was our coach.
And one of the things that he incessantly drove into us
was the necessity to always be in what he called a football position.
Okay, that's your feet slightly wider than shoulder width,
your knees over your toes, your butt down, your back arch,
your head and shoulders back, your eyes up.
That was the foundation, that that was the position
from which you could best deliver a blow.
And that was the position from which you could best receive a blow.
And one day I got reminded of that the hard way.
I was playing fullback in a practice,
in a short yardage and goal line situation.
And my target was right off the tight end's backside.
And as soon as I got there,
there was supposed to be a linebacker waiting to meet me there.
And I was supposed to kick him out.
Well, the ball gets snapped.
And for one reason or another, I got off track.
May have been because the tight end didn't seal his block well enough.
More likely because I'm just not terribly athletic to begin with.
One way or another, when I arrived at the point of contact,
I was not in a football position.
I did not have the proper foundation underneath me.
And the linebacker was there.
And he blew me up.
I mean, I think the first thing that hit the ground
was probably my big numbers.
And once they did, to the great delight of the defense
and to many other onlookers,
the first two words out of this linebacker's mouth were,
football position.
A not so subtle reminder
that I was not ready for that
because I was not in a football position.
I did not have the proper foundation beneath me.
And so I couldn't do
what I had been called upon to do.
Walking in a manner
worthy of the calling to which you've been called
requires you remembering
that you have been rooted
and you have been grounded in love.
It's a fact of who you are
because of your union with Jesus.
But sometimes we forget it.
And we have to remember that.
You have to remember that.
That you have been rooted
and you have been grounded in love.
Not in guilt.
As though by some debtor's ethic
you could somehow repay
the debt of love that you owe the Father.
Not in fear.
As though he may one day reject you
or he may withhold love from you
because you haven't performed up to his standards
but you have been rooted
and you have been grounded
in his great love for you.
A love that is guaranteed
by your union with Christ
and by the working of the Spirit in you.
And as a brief but important aside
to those of you who are here this morning
who haven't yet trusted in Christ
those riches are all on offer to you as well.
If you'll turn from your sin
if you'll turn to Christ
and you'll place your faith in him
and plead forgiveness from him
and pledge allegiance to him
you'll be united to him
by his Spirit.
And you too will know
the riches of being rooted
and grounded
and the love that the Apostle Paul
speaks of here.
That's who you are.
But you have to remember it.
And often you'll be tempted to doubt it.
And perhaps never more so
than when you sin.
That's when Satan most likes to
as we sang a little while earlier
tempt you to despair.
When you sin you can question
the love that's there.
The reality is that
you are just as rooted
and grounded in God's love
when you sin as at any other time.
And there's a Puritan
who's helped me to remember this.
A guy named Thomas Goodwin.
He wrote a little book
called The Heart of Christ.
And in it he says
these scandalous words.
Your very sins
move him more to pity
than to anger.
Yea, his pity is increased
the more toward you
even as the heart of a father
is toward a child
that has some loathsome disease.
His hatred
shall all fall
and that
only upon the sin
to free you of it
by its ruin
and destruction.
And this
as much when you lie
under sin
as under any
other affliction
therefore fear not.
What shall separate us
from the love of God
in which you've been
rooted
and grounded?
Nothing.
Nothing can separate you
from that love.
His vast
unmeasured
boundless
love for you
is the only thing
that will sufficiently
stabilize you
and satiate you
as you seek to walk
in a manner
worthy of your calling
and as y'all seek to walk
in a manner worthy
of your
respective calling.
So know
that that love
is yours
in Christ
and know
that that's true
and that's what you
are rooted
and you're grounded in.
And as good as that news is
it gets even better
in the middle of verse 17
that you
he says
being rooted
and grounded
in love
may have strength
to comprehend
with all the saints
what is the breadth
and length
and height
and depth
and to know
the love of Christ
that surpasses knowledge
that you may be filled
with all the fullness
of God.
So not only does God
the Father
love you
but Christ
loves you.
Not only does Christ
love you
but the Spirit
is the one
who strengthens you
to know of that love
and by whom
that love
is poured
into your heart.
And not only does God
love you that way
Father, Son
and Holy Spirit
but he wants you
to know more
of that love
every single day.
You see
because this prayer
that's in Ephesians 3
is inspired by God
we know that it's not
just Paul's
personal sentiments
that he's praying
for this particular
congregation
though it's certainly
no less than that
because it's inspired
by God
we can know
that it actually
reflects God's
desires for his own
people.
It reflects God's
desire for you
that he wants you
to be strengthened
with power
through his Spirit
in your inner being
as it says
in verse 16
and that strength
is in verse 18
for you to be able
to comprehend
what is the breadth
and length
and height
and depth
and to know
the love of Christ
that surpasses
knowledge.
Now listen
we praise God
that a weak faith
can lay hold
of a strong Christ
for the salvation
of sinners.
And I'm sure
as you remember
from your recent readings
of the confession
that this saving faith
is different
in degrees
weak
or strong.
And one of the things
this text makes clear
is that God doesn't want
our faith to remain
weak.
He wants it to grow.
He wants it to strengthen
by the power
of his Holy Spirit
so that our conviction
that he loves us
will deepen
so that we'll believe it
more and more
that we are loved.
Because here's the truth
to the extent
that you believe
that Christ
loves you
you will
abandon yourself
to his will
and to his word
and to his ways.
To the degree
that you doubt
Christ's love
for you
you will withhold
affection
and allegiance
and obedience
to him.
That's why
Paul prays
that you would know
more and more
and more
of his love
for you.
It's why
old cold-blooded
John Calvin
could say something
like this
that the love
of Christ
is held out
to us
as the subject
which ought
to occupy
our daily
and nightly
meditations
and in which
we ought
to be wholly
plunged.
He who is
in possession
of this
alone
has enough.
He's effectively
saying
you can't
think too much
about how much
Christ loves you.
You can't meditate
on that truth
enough.
You can't pray
for it enough.
No matter how hard
you try in this life
even with the
strengthening help
of the Holy Spirit
there is no way
that you'll be able
to scale
its sky-surpassing
heights.
There's no way
you'll be able
to plumb
its fathomless
depths.
No way you'll be
able to reach
to its widest
widths.
No way that you'll
be able to run
to its limitless
lengths.
It's inexhaustible.
Paul says
it surpasses
knowledge
and yet he says
I want you
to know it.
How can you
know what
surpasses
knowledge?
Well in the
ultimate sense
you can't
on this side
of the world
but you can
do what
Paul does
in this passage.
You can pray.
I guess this
might be the
first point
of application
for you Peter
that you pray
even as Paul
does that God
would give you
strength to know
how much
he loves you.
this is a
three by five
card and
I keep a stack
of these
and at the
top of each
one is
the name of
someone for
whom I pray
regularly
and you've got
one in that
stack.
This one isn't
yours.
This is mine.
It just says
me at the
very top
and the very
first prayer
request on there
when I get
around to
praying for
myself is
this.
It says
enable me to
know how
much you
love me.
enable me to
know how
much you
love me.
Peter that's
worth praying
every single
day.
Not
God help me
to love you
more and
still less
not God
help me to
do better
but God
help me to
know how
much you
love me
which will
then enable
me to love
you more
and then
enable me to
go and do
better.
Knowing how
much Christ
loves you
is what will
enable you in
the course of
your ministry
to be
appropriately
gentle with
yourself
when you
fail to
meet your
own or
others
expectations.
Knowing how
much Christ
loves you
is what will
best enable
you to love
Emily.
Knowing how
much Christ
loves you
is what will
best enable
you to love
Charlie and
Hosea and
Miles and
Whit.
Knowing how
much Christ
loves you
is what will
best enable
you to love
your students
and their
families and
this congregation.
Knowing how
much Christ
loves you
is what will
enable you to
receive the
criticisms that
will come
without hating
either yourself
or your
critics.
Knowing how
much Christ
loves you
is what will
best enable
you to walk
in a manner
worthy of
the calling
to which
you've been
called.
So pray
it for
yourself
that daily
God would
give you
to know
more and
more how
very much
he loves
you.
The second
thing I
would say
is don't
just pray
it for
yourself
pray it
for your
people.
Pray it
for your
students,
their families
and for
this
congregation.
It's
exactly what
Paul did
for these
Ephesians
that God
would give
them an
ever deepening
apprehension of
his love
for them.
not only is
there no danger
in doing
that,
it's actually
a detriment
to them
if they
don't know
how much
God loves
them in
Christ.
Because again
to the degree
that these
people doubt
God's love
for them,
their obedience
to him is
going to be
short-circuited.
So pray for
them that they
would be given
strength to
comprehend with
all the saints
what is the
breadth and
the length
and the height
and the depth
of the love
of Christ
for them
third thing
I would say
is this
don't just
pray it for
yourself
preach it
to yourself
mine
not just
this text
of scripture
but all
of the other
texts of
scripture
which repeatedly
remind you
and me
how much
God
loves us
in Christ
I don't
think there's
any truth
that Satan
more likes
to call
into question
than this
one
I don't
think there's
anything
about which
he more
likes to
say
did God
really
say
to which
you and I
and we
need to be
able to
respond by
saying yes
he really
said
for example
that the
mountains may
depart
and the
hills be
removed
but my
steadfast love
shall not
depart from
you
and my
covenant of
peace
shall not
be removed
says the
Lord
who has
compassion
on you
yes he
really did
say
I have
loved you
with an
everlasting
love
yes he
really did
say
I so
loved you
that I
gave my
son for
you
so that
by believing
in him
you might
not perish
but have
everlasting life
yes Satan
he really did
say that
so you can
go to
you can
get on
somewhere
he said
it
preach that
to yourself
remind yourself
of that
regularly
and then
preach it
to your
people
preach it
to your
family
preach it
to your
students
and their
families
as you
have
opportunity
preach it
to this
congregation
here
a preacher
that we
both know
and love
and respect
Dr. Brian
Chappell
writes this
about this
passage
he says
when Christian
leaders see
this wonderful
truth of
scripture
our calling
becomes
very clear
it is our
duty
our privilege
our delight
to engender
in those
that we want
to grow
in grace
and holiness
and ever
greater
love
for Christ
how do
we do
this
we engender
love
the way
that the
apostle
does
we proclaim
how great
is Christ
love
for us
preach
that
that's
what will
do your
people good
it's what
will best
enable them
to walk
worthy
of their
calling
despite
the claims
of some
to the
contrary
despite
what many
have said
throughout
the ages
and what
specifically
some said
to John
Bunyan
as he
was
in the
Bedford
jail
for 12
years
for his
refusal
to conform
to the
dictates
of the
church
of England
the story
is well
known
but it's
also well
worth
repeating
that there
were those
in prison
with Bunyan
who told
him
you can't
keep assuring
God's
people
of his
love
and his
mercy
and his
grace
toward them
if you
do that
they'll do
whatever
they want
to
which
Bunyan
very
wisely
replied
no
that's
not
true
of
God's
people
you
keep
reminding
God's
people
of his
love
for them
and assuring
them
of his
grace
toward
them
and his
mercy
toward
them
and then
they'll
do
whatever
he
wants
and then
you
and
and then
y'all
collectively
will begin
to be
all that
God
desires
you to
be
in Christ
or as the
apostle Paul
describes it
be filled
with all
the fullness
of God
in closing
there's a
great quote
that's painted
on the wall
of your offices
in there
saw it last
night
and I would
encourage you
to ponder it
as often
as you pass
by it
from C.S.
Lewis
who said
this
to be loved
by God
not merely
pitied
but delighted
in
as an artist
delights
in his
work
or a
father
his son
it seems
impossible
a weight
or burden
of glory
which our
thoughts
can hardly
sustain
but it
is so
and because
our
thoughts
can hardly
sustain it
and your
hearts
can hardly
sustain it
as you
seek to
walk
in a
manner
worthy
of your
respective
callings
may God
give you
strength
to comprehend
what is the
breadth
and length
and height
and depth
and to know
the love
of Christ
which surpasses
knowledge
that you may
be filled
with all
the fullness
of God
and may
the deep
love
of Jesus
be to you
the love
of every
love
the best
may it be
to you
an ocean
vast
of blessing
and may it be
to you
a haven
sweet
of rest
let's pray
together
gracious God
and heavenly
father
how grateful
we are
for all
that you've
done
for us
in Christ
we thank you
that you don't
call us
to obedience
without first
rooting us
and grounding
us in your
great love
for us
in Christ
that we might
be sufficiently
sustained
and nourished
and strengthened
for the task
that you call
us to
please impress
these truths
indelibly
on Peter's
heart
as he enters
into the
ministry
that you've
called him
to
please impress
it indelibly
on the hearts
of all the
saints here
at Southwood
Presbyterian
Church
for your
great glory
and then
father
do far
more abundantly
than all
that we
could ask
or think
according to
the power
that's at
work
within us
and to
you be
the glory
in the
church
and in
Christ
Jesus
both now
and forever
more
amen
thank you
Justin
as we
move into
the
ordination
portion
of this
service
I want
to introduce
to you
the
commission
of
Providence
Presbytery
that is
here
to
ordain
Peter
we are
a
church
that is
not
alone
but
connected
to
many
others
and our
presbytery
our geographical
grouping
of churches
is the
one where
your pastors
are members
the ones
we're
accountable
to
the men
who are
here
this morning
are teaching
elder
Ron Brady
who's
honorably
retired
teaching
elder
William
Plott
from Valley
Presbyterian
Church
and
three
ruling
elders
from
Southwood
along
with
me
ruling
elder
Todd
Gandy
ruling
elder
George
Mayer
and ruling
elder
Ray
Shepard
I want
to tell
you how
seriously
the
presbytery
feels
about a
man being
called
to steward
the mysteries
of God
to minister
God's word
to God's
people
that's a
big deal
presbytery
examined
Peter
in all
these
areas
his
testimony
and call
to the
ministry
his
personal
character
and
family
management
his
knowledge
of
Greek
and
Hebrew
his
knowledge
of
Bible
content
of
theology
of
the
sacraments
of
church
history
of
PCA
history
book
of
church
order
theological
paper
an
exegetical
paper
on a
particular
passage
a
sermon
having
examined
him
on
all
of
those
things
the
presbytery
enthusiastically
and
unanimously
approved
Peter
and God's
call
in his
life
to be
a
steward
of
the
mysteries
of
God
his
call
to
the
gospel
ministry
and so
it's
our
great
privilege
on
behalf
of
the
presbytery
to
celebrate
this
ordination
with
you
Peter
if
you'll
come
stand
up
front
and
session
of
Southwood
if you
will
come
as
well
and
sit
on
the
front
row
teaching
elder
plot
is
going
to
come
and
ask
both
of
you
some
questions
it's
great
to be
here
today
to
celebrate
with
you
Peter
this
is
a
culmination
of
your
calling
seminary
training
ordination
exams
this
will
be
your
final
and
easiest
exam
in
fact
I'm
going
to
give
you
the
answers
I
do
I
will
I
have
and
if
all
else
fails
just
say
Jesus
this
is
going
to
be
your
easiest
exam
but
your
most
important
as
the
words
have
been
already
alluded
to
this
morning
this
is
a
weighty
moment
in
your
life
and
I
have
the
joy
and
pleasure
of
asking
you
these
questions
so
consider
them
deeply
as
we
go
through
them
Peter
do
you
believe
the
scriptures
of the
Old
and
New
Testament
as
originally
given
to be
the
inerrant
word
of
God
the
only
infallible
rule
of
faith
and
practice
do
you
sincerely
receive
and
adopt
the
confession
of
faith
and
the
catechisms
of this
church
as
containing
the
system
of
doctrine
taught
in the
holy
scriptures
and
do you
further
promise
that if
at any
time
you find
yourself
out of
accord
with
any
of the
fundamentals
of this
system
of
doctrine
you
will
on your
own
initiative
make
known
to your
presbytery
the
change
which
has
taken
place
in your
view
since
the
assumption
of
this
ordination
vow
do
you
approve
of
the
form
of
government
and
discipline
of
the
presbyterian
church
in
America
in
conformity
with
the
general
principles
of
biblical
polity
do
you
promise
subjection
to
your
brethren
and
the
Lord
have
you
been
induced
as far
as you
know
your
own
heart
to
seek
the
office
of
the
holy
ministry
from
the
love
of
God
and
sincere
desire
to
promote
his
glory
in
the
gospel
of
his
son
do
you
promise
to
be
zealous
and
faithful
in
maintaining
the
truths
of
the
gospel
and
the
purity
and
peace
and
unity
of
the
church
whatever
persecution
or
opposition
may
arise
unto
you
on
that
account
and
finally
do
you
engage
to
be
faithful
and
diligent
in
the
exercise
of
all
your
duties
as
a
Christian
and
minister
of
the
gospel
whether
personal
or
relational
private
or
public
and
to
endeavor
by
the
grace
of
God
to
adorn
the
profession
of
the
gospel
in
your
manner
of
life
and
to
walk
with
exemplary
piety
before
the
flock
of
which
God
has
made
you
an
overseer
great
well
you may
be seated
for a
moment
I'm
going to
ask
the
members
of
the
session
to
just
stand
where
you
are
Peter
is being
called
as an
assistant
pastor
and
there's
a
unique
relationship
between
the
session
and
assistant
pastors
and so
these
questions
will go
to the
session
and through
you
to the
whole
congregation
but
your
session
is going
to respond
to these
questions
I'm not
giving you
guys the
answers
this
morning
all
right
here
are
the
questions
do
you
the
session
of
this
church
continue
to
profess
your
readiness
to receive
Peter
render
as
assistant
pastor
do
you
promise
to
receive
the
word
of
truth
from
his
mouth
with
meekness
and
love
do
you
promise
to
encourage
him
in
his
labors
and
to
assist
his
endeavors
for
your
instruction
and
spiritual
edification
do
you
engage
to
continue
to
him
while
he
is
your
pastor
that
competent
worldly
maintenance
which
you
have
promised
and
to
furnish
him
with
whatever
you
may
see
needful
for
the
honor
of
religion
and
for
his
comfort
among
you
amen
all right
I'm
going to
ask
Peter
to
come
before
us
and
kneel
and
I'm
going to
invite
all
the
ruling
and
teaching
elders
who
may
be
present
here
this
morning
to
come
down
and
lay
hands
on
Peter
let's
pray
father
we
praise
you
and
give
you
thanksgiving
for
your
faithfulness
to
us
this
day
time
after
time
you
have
extended
your
hand
of
mercy
and
grace
to
your
people
and
have
placed
a
unique
and
purposeful
calling
on
those
you've
called
we
are
especially
grateful
for
how you
have
brought
Peter
to
this
day
of his
ordination
to
ministry
we
thank
you
father
for
all
the
godly
men
and
women
you
brought
into
Peter's
life
and
utilize
them
to
be
instruments
that
have
influenced
and led
Peter
to
you
thank
you
for
drawing
him
and
opening
his
heart
to
a
relationship
with
you
and
giving
him
the
desire
to
point
others
to
you
and
Lord
we
pray
that
his
ministry
would
stay
true
to
you
his
teaching
would
be
true
to
your
word
and
that
he
would
have
discernment
to
teach
and
instruct
and
he
would
remain
sensitive
to
the
Holy
Spirit
and
remain
teachable
to
those
he
ministers
with
and
we
pray
also
that
his
ministry
would
that
you
would
give
him
a
vision
for
his
ministry
and
that
he
would
encourage
those
who
know
you
and
have
a
genuine
love
for
the
lost
hearted
and
may
we
his
church
family
love
Peter
well
as
well
as
Emily
and
their
boys
Charlie
Hosea
Miles
and
Whit
may
you
create
a
desire
in
the
hearts
of
those
that
would
volunteer
to
join
him
in
ministry
pray
that
may
you
use
him
as
he
ministers
to
the
families
of
this
church
father
youth
ministry
can
be
a
tough
and
laborious
battleground
for the
hearts
of
those
growing
from
dependence
to
independence
give
Peter
the
wisdom
strength
and
courage
to
lead
listen
and
love
those
that
you
bring
through
the
doors
of
this
church
father
we
know
that
we
have
an
enemy
that
seeks
to
destroy
us
and
sever
the
relationship
those
we
love
may
you
protect
Peter
and
watch
over
him
with
your
righteous
right
hand
pray
for
Peter
and
Emily
and
their
marriage
and
pray
that
they
would
continue
to
look
to
you
as
their
source
of
strength
seeking
your
guidance
for
themselves
their
marriage
and
as
parents
be
gracious
to
their
household
blessing
their
time
together
and
lastly
father
we
thank
you
for
this
time
of
blessing
as
we
lay
hands
on
with
your
spirit
blessing
Peter
and
his
ministry
from
this
day
forward
and
we
ask
this
in
Christ's
name
amen
this
takes
a
little
while
as
they're
finishing
up
let me
formally
declare
what has
happened
here
today
I
now
pronounce
and
declare
that
Peter
Rinder
has
been
regularly
elected
ordained
and
installed
pastor
of this
congregation
agreeable
to the
word
of
God
and
according
to
the
constitution
of the
Presbyterian
church
in
America
and
that
as
such
he
is
entitled
to
all
support
encouragement
honor
and
obedience
in
the
Lord
in
the
name
of
the
Father
and
of
the
Son
and
of
the
Holy
Ghost
amen
we have
the
privilege
this
morning
of
charging
Peter
and
the
session
briefly
the
kids
are
coming
in
to
be
a
part
of
this
with
us
we're
so
glad
that
y'all
are
here
as well. I will charge Peter and ruling elder Todd Gandy will charge the session and through
them the congregation in just a moment. Peter, it's such a delight to get to celebrate your
ordination, your calling by God that is confirmed today by God's people, His church. I have one
charge for you, but I'm not going to tell you what it is until the end. Justin kind of gave it away
already. First, I want you to stand up. Pretend you're being examined by Presbytery again. This
is going to be fun, right? I have one question. Can you tell me the significance of the number
2,632? That's a great answer. If I told you that it was not a biblical number, but from
the sports world, would that help at all? 2,632. Impressive. 2,632 consecutive games played
by Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken over 16 seasons. It wasn't a state that you're from, so it was
kind of easy. But every game he was there. It's called the Iron Man for his consistent faithfulness,
showing up game after game after game. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4 that the calling you receive
today is steward of the mysteries of God. And he says there that you're called not to be famous,
that's not the word he uses, not to make a name for Peter, render, but to be faithful, to make the name
of God great. You're dependent on Him and it's His name you're exalting. Paul says it's required of
stewards that they be found faithful over and over depending on and pointing to their Savior,
called to be faithful to their Master. We later find out not just for 2,632 games,
but all the way to death. As a steward, you're called to pour out God's love upon people over and over
and over. Preaching, counseling, teaching, praying. But your calling as a steward doesn't eclipse your
other callings, where you must also continue pouring out God's love upon people. You're called to love
the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. There's a big task. You're called to love
your neighbor as yourself, even your enemies. You're called to love your wife as Christ loved the church
and gave Himself for her. Emily didn't marry a pastor, but now she's married to one. She has loved,
sacrificed for, and supported you. Love her and through that your boys and your parents. You're to love them.
Then in your new calling as a shepherd, you're called to love the flock of God among you.
This flock and any other flock God puts in your care. All these people here today.
I love that part of your calling to youth ministry in this season that God has called you to was your
knowing very simply that students are real people. You've said that to me. That we all need Jesus.
We all need to hear of His love in the gospel and so students and their parents need to, just like all
the rest of us, all of us are real people who need that in our lives. Young and old, all these people
love them all the time faithfully. That would exhaust even Cal Ripken. But that's the calling.
Even, Paul says, to be poured out as a drink offering for the sake of those you love.
So my charge for you is this. Never stop drinking deeply of God's love.
Justin and I didn't talk about it. I just think it's what God teaches you you need as a pastor.
Never stop drinking deeply of God's love. In His word, learn the grander dimensions of it.
The breadth and width and height and depth. In repentance, experience the freedom of it.
In relationship with others, taste the sweetness of it. In meditation upon the person and work of Jesus,
behold the fullest extent of it for you.
God's love will never run out. So never stop drinking deeply of it. It will make you humble,
grateful, worshipful, loving, and it will make you faithful.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints,
to grasp how long and wide and high and deep is the love of Christ.
And to know this love that surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Amen.
So my charge is to the session, and really to you, the congregation of Southwood.
And this is based on this verse out of 1 Timothy 2, verses 1 to 4.
Therefore, I exhort, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
who desires all men to be saved and come to knowledge of truth.
Session of Southwood, you have called Peter Render to be an assistant pastor at Southwood Presbyterian Church.
He is well trained.
He has been examined well.
But he is also a husband to Emily, a father to Charlie, Hosea, Miles, and Witt.
And for this reason, we need him to be more than just a pastor.
Eugene Peterson tweeted out this week,
If succeeding as a pastor means failing as a parent, you've already failed as a pastor.
And so our job as a session of Southwood is to make sure he's successful in both.
To make sure he has an environment where he can be successful as a parent, as a husband, as a father, and as a pastor.
And so what can we do as a session and help him do that?
And so I have three things to charge you with today.
And the first one is, is that we are to pray for Peter and his family.
And we are to pray diligently, humbly, and with a strong desire that he is successful in what he does here.
That he lives out the calling that is on his life well here at Southwood.
Peter, as a youth pastor, often is the first person to get a call.
And those calls don't come at convenient times.
They come in the middle of the night.
They come in the middle of meetings.
And it's usually a youth in crisis.
And he needs our prayers to do the job that has been placed before him.
He needs a strong group of people behind him.
So will you, my challenge to you this morning is will you pray for him?
Will you pray for Emily?
And will you pray that God continues to work a mighty way through him and with him?
Second thing I want you to do is I challenge you to be patient with Peter.
Peter's a young pastor.
Peter's going to make mistakes.
Be patient.
Allow him to learn.
Allow him to grow.
Allow him to become the man that God desires him to be.
But not instantly, but over time.
There's a great picture found in the Gospel of Luke.
And Jesus is teaching in the synagogues when a crippled woman enters in there and he heals her.
The Pharisees were upset.
You know why?
Because he healed her on the Sabbath.
But listen how the story ends.
And when he said this, all of his opponents were humiliated.
But the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
And so I ask you, Session at Southwood, focus on being delighted in the work of the Gospel that Peter is doing here at Southwood.
And less on the things that may be different or that may be something you haven't seen before.
But focus on the good that you see in his work.
And so I challenge you to pray for Peter and Emily and to be patient as Peter leads the ministry's issues.
And finally, I challenge you to participate.
To be engaged in the ministry that Peter has been called to.
Peter needs your participation.
He doesn't work as an island.
He works in community.
And so we need to lock arms with him.
We need to be the first ones to raise our hands when he needs volunteers.
He needs you to participate when he calls.
He also needs you to participate without being asked.
To come alongside and allow him to be successful in what he's here to do.
I think he has the hardest job in the church.
Ministering to our children and to our youth.
Keeping them safe.
Loving them through the Gospel.
Loving them during one of the most difficult and challenging times in their lives.
Keeping them safe from the evils of this world.
And so here I challenge you, Session of Southwood and Congregation of Southwood, to pray, to be patient, and to participate.
Let me close us in prayer.
Father God, you are good.
And I thank you for who you are.
I thank you for working in the life of Peter and bringing him to be a minister of your Gospel.
Bringing him to this church.
Now will you empower him to do what only you can do.
To preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
And to show the world that there is a better way.
Through Christ.
Father, I pray for this church that we may glorify you in what we say and do.
And I thank you for meeting with us this morning.
In Christ's name.
Amen.
For more information, visit us online at southwood.org.
Thank you.