Last words after 30 years of preaching

On Sunday I missed my senior pastor's final sermon. A lady in our community emailed me his final words last night. These are worth not forgetting.

I wish to end with some brief personal remarks:

It has been the greatest privilege and greatest challenge of my life to serve as the preaching pastor of this church for over 30 years. It has been the greatest challenge because of God and because of you.

I say “because of God,” because I was commissioned to represent God to you. Do you realize how frightening it is to say, ―Thus says the Lord? On a name plate inside the front cover of many of the books in my office are these words: 2 Timothy 2:15 ―Do your best (―make every effort, study) to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

There is a sacred seriousness in teaching the word of God that has always weighed very heavily on me. And preaching has also been a great challenge because of you. I realized that preaching is about your relationship with God. God said, it is ―the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

I knew it to be a tragically sad waste of your time and your lives to speak of things that in the end didn‘t really matter. But preaching to you has also been the greatest privilege of my life. I inherited a congregation that desired to learn and you have continued in that desire.

Through the years there have been opportunities to pursue larger churches and seminary positions but they have never held an attraction for me. Because I could not imagine a better group of people to serve. You have been responsive to the preaching of the word. You have been generous with your encouragement. And best of all, you have used God‘s grace to you to be his grace to others.

Jesus says, ―My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

I close with a prayer for you:

Hebrews 13:20-21 ―May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Numbers 6:24-26 ―The LORD bless you, and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace. AMEN. - Jerry Nelson, January 25, 2009.