Scripture
– Joshua 4:1-7
For those of you who came today expecting to hear the
next sermon about Jesus’ words from the cross, I’m sorry. It will pick back up
next week. But today, we needed to do something special. Today is a day when we
need to look to see what is behind us, and what is in front of us. I have
sensed a sort of common theme among this congregation at times, a sort, “We are
a small church, there’s not much we can do, when we grow, when we’re a big
church, THEN we can do big things. What possible impact can we have?”
But I want to tell you, and better
yet, I want to SHOW you today that this church is right where God wants it
right now. We are where we are supposed to be, and we are doing what we are
supposed to be doing for Him, even though we don’t always notice it. And what
we do now for God, what we are doing for Him and what we have done, it all
becomes a part of our history and our legacy. And just like the stones that
Joshua had pulled from the Jordan river stood as a reminder of the legacy that
God had with the Israelites, this church has living stones, people whose lives
have been changed, by God, through you. And some of them would like to share
their stories with you, not to tell you how great you are, but to thank you for
allowing God to use you to do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
(At
this point we shared a letter from Douglas Scripps, and Testimonies from Bill
Credicott and Brandi Young).
I’m sure there are countless other stories like the
three that we have heard today. The people who received flood buckets in
August. Neil and Cheryl McGinley, who received a Habitat house thanks to your
prayers, financial gifts, and hard work. The children in
Open
Mic sharing
There
is one more letter I would like to share before we sing our final hymn.
Dear
Van Buren UMC,
We
haven’t met yet. You don’t know me and I don’t know you. But sometime soon, I
will need God’s help. I’ll be at a place in life where I don’t know where else
to turn. And you will have the opportunity to help me, to be the hands and feet
of God in my life. You may be the only Bible I ever read and the only Jesus I
ever meet.
I beg
you not to sell yourself short. You CAN make a difference for the better.
Without your willingness to serve and sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel, I
may not make it. I may need something simple, like a few dollars or a car ride.
But I may need something big. Something life-changing. Something that will take
a huge leap of faith on your part. I hope and I pray that you have enough faith
to save my life. God has put you where you are for a reason. He has given you
these reminders today of what you have already been able to do through his
strength for a reason. Because very soon, you and I will meet, and for a brief
moment, the thought will race across your mind, “But what can I possibly do to
help?” And the answer is, “With Christ, you can do anything.” I’m looking
forward to the opportunity to be the next chapter in the legacy of Van Buren
UMC.
Sincerely,
A
future person in need of Christ’s love
May the living stones we have heard
from today, and the legacy that has already begun, give us the faith and
confidence in ourselves to let Christ use us to be his hands and feet tomorrow
and in the days to come.
Van Buren United
Pastor Dan Metzger