What to Say...When You've Said It All...Continued from page 1

God led me to Ephesians 4:1-16, a passage that directly deals with both issues. The message was entitled, “Worthy of the Call.” The call, which Paul wrote about in the first three chapters, essentially is the call of salvation, and I briefly summarized those chapters in the introduction. Before the world began God predestined each person to salvation (chapter 1); this call came by grace (2:1-10); it was for all people (2:11-22); and the call was once a mystery, but now it was revealed to and through the church (chapter 3).

Beginning in 4:1, the apostle exhorted the Ephesians to live lives worthy of that calling. How does one live a life worthy of the call to salvation? First, I called on each person to keep the unity of the church (vv. 1-6). Christians are not to sit back and wait for unity to happen; they are to get involved to ensure it (v. 3). It is interesting that Paul wrote that the character traits of humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, and love ensure unity. It is not so much “doing” that ensures unity as “being.” I reminded the church that unity within the fellowship was a portrait to the world outside the church of the unity of God himself (vv. 4-6). Unity, therefore, has important implications for evangelism.

Second, I urged each person to contribute to the growth of the church both in the interim and beyond (vv. 7-16). God has provided spiritual gifts to each believer with the goal in mind that members would become more like Christ, resulting in a firm faith. Spiritual maturity leads to spiritual stability -- something the church desperately needed heading into an interim period.

Unity and service -- these two areas are critical for a church heading into that “between time,” the time of saying goodbye to one pastor and saying hello to the next. I was concerned that there would be some uncertainty and apprehension at my leaving, and after preaching that last sermon, I felt like I had done my part to at least begin to alleviate any fear the congregation had and challenge them to continued faith and service.

What do you say when you’ve said it all? How does one approach the final sermons in a church before resignation? After having to deal with this challenge a few times, let me make a few observations.

It is important to be prayerful.

That seems like a “no-brainer,” but we preachers still need reminding that sermons are to come from God and not from us. God knows exactly what message the church should hear, and it is vital the preacher get God’s mind so his message is proclaimed. As a matter of fact, I think I prayed harder during those last weeks than in many weeks because I so desired to have a message the people needed.

It is important to be positive.

My ministry had been primarily conflict-free, but that is not always the case. Often a pastor leaves a church under very difficult circumstances. At the worst there may have been a forced termination, and often at the very least there is a resignation in the midst of unfulfilled expectations. When last messages are preached under these kinds of circumstances, it is tempting to take one’s frustrations out on the congregation. A “club over the head” sermon is never a good idea, and preaching with a bitter spirit never honors God or his call on the preacher’s life.