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Carley’s dog did not sign our group covenant, but he somehow managed to sneak into the team picture we took at our house Sunday night. Man, is this a good-looking group, or what? We love these people and cherish our friendships and are so thankful to our Lord for bringing us together the way he has. We still have a couple more dinners and a lot more prayers to share over the next several days. And, Andrew, I’m going to need about a case of your family salsa to take to Midland.
Peace,
Allan
I’m always going to do the very best I can to listen for God’s voice. I’m going to answer his call, I’m going to follow his way. I’m going to try. Through prayer and study and conversations with others and careful reflection, I try to be open and receptive to our Father’s leading.
Over the past several months, it’s become clear to Carrie-Anne and me that we needed to be open to whatever other possibilities God might have in store for us. It has been made evident in some surprising ways recently and in some ways that have been building for quite some time. But, after many weeks and months of difficult discernment, we have made the very hard decision to leave our church family at Central.
At the same time, our faithful Father has opened a door for us in Midland. I have accepted the role of Senior Minister at the Golf Course Road Church of Christ and will begin my work there sometime next month. Carrie-Anne and I have been praying that God would send us to the church that needs us the most. Whatever gifts I might have, whatever I’ve got that I can humbly offer in service to the Lord and to his people, please send us where that is needed the most. That’s why we’re moving to Midland.
Of course, we leave Central with a great deal of sadness. My heart is very heavy today. Being the preacher at this church has been the great honor of my ministry. I feel so privileged by God to have served together with you here. I have been able to experience the Gospel and to participate in God’s salvation work in ways we just can’t at most other churches. We’re all very spoiled around here. When I think about what our God has done in us and through us together over the past ten years – within our congregation, in our city, and around the world – it’s just incredible. I feel very lucky and very blessed to have been in the middle of those things with you. I am grateful to our shepherds here for their trust and partnership, to the ministers here who are my closest co-laborers in Christ, and to all of you.
I thank God for you. You have nurtured me. You have supported me, encouraged me, and walked with me. You have prayed for me and with me. You’ve shown me great patience and understanding. You’ve helped me. Since the very first day we arrived in Amarillo, you have lovingly embraced my whole family. The way you love Whitney – I can’t begin to describe to you what an answer to prayer that has been for Carrie-Anne and me and how much that means to us. I am so grateful that Valerie and Carley grew up at Central. It has shaped each of them profoundly in beautiful Gospel ways. And Carrie-Anne and I have always felt that most of you loved us most of the time. And we love you, too. More than I know how to say right now.
As for Central, I know the timing seems odd – bad, even. It’s been a rough couple of months around here. But all the moves that have been made are the right moves for this church. I did not establish this church. Neither did you. This church was cruising along for over a hundred years before I got here and it’ll be just fine a hundred years from now. This is God’s church. God established this congregation and he put right here in downtown Amarillo for his specific purposes. He placed Central right here to be a light to this community. He placed it right here and he placed you here so people in Amarillo will experience his forgiveness and mercy, his love and grace. This is God’s church. And I know our shepherds here are committed to following him. And I know you are, too.
Our shepherds have graciously allowed me a last opportunity to preach here next Sunday. I need a final time to encourage you, to bless you, to affirm my deep love for you, and to remind you of God’s marvelous plans for you. That’ll be my last sermon here.
In my very first sermon at Central, ten years ago, I told you I would probably disappoint you somewhere along the way. I’m human. It’s bound to happen. At some point I was going to let you down. And I’m sure I have. I’m certain I’ve disappointed you somewhere. I’m sorry. But I said then at the beginning and I’ll say it again now at the end, I promise you I never messed anything up because I wasn’t giving enough effort or not trying with everything I have to both live and speak faithfully to you a Word from our God. On that first day, I read to you from 2 Corinthians 12, “I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.” I have done that here to the best of my abilities, by God’s amazing grace, to his eternal glory and praise.
Carrie-Anne and the girls and I love you deeply. We love you and we love this church forever. You and your families and the Central church are in our continuous prayers. Please keep us in yours.
May our God’s will be done and may his name be praised in and through Central just as it is in heaven. Amen.
Grace & Peace,
Allan
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” ~1 John 3:1
Our God does not measure his love to us. He doesn’t weigh it on the scales or scoop it out with a spoon. He doesn’t give us just enough of his love to get us by or just as much of his love as we might deserve. He floods us with his love! We have more of his love than we could ever ask for or imagine! That’s the one thing you can ask God to do that’s just impossible – God, will you love me more? Nope. Can’t. Impossible. He lavishes us with his love.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” ~Ephesians 1:7-8
Our Father lavishes us with his grace. We sing about it. God’s amazing grace. God’s matchless grace. God’s grace that reaches even me!
God’s forgiveness is over the top. It’s not that you’re forgiven of some of your sins or you’re forgiven of most of your sins or all the little sins or every sin except that one sin. It’s not that you’re forgiven if you do this one thing or keep these sets of rules or say this particular creed. In Jesus Christ, God’s forgiveness is total and complete and forever! In Jesus, every single one of your sins – all of ’em, name ’em! – are all gone forever. They are removed from you as far as the east is from the west. They are hurled to the bottom of the sea, never to be dredged up again. God doesn’t put your sins up on the top shelf in the corner of a dark closet just so he can pull them out and hold them against you at the worst possible time. God’s forgiveness is lavish and complete.
Lavish love. Limitless grace. Inexhaustible forgiveness. Unmerited favor. Eternal glory. Our God is passionate about you and me. And he holds nothing back.
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I’m not writing anything here today about the Mavericks. I don’t want to jinx it.
Peace,
Allan
There’s a great line by Christian author Philip Yancey: “American Christians have become the kind of men and women people appreciate as neighbors but don’t want to spend much time with.” By great, I mean the line is penetrating and painful. Ouch.
I’m afraid to ask what people think when they hear the word “Christian.” Whatever they might think, we have only ourselves to blame.
At the Christian college, there’s a crusty theologian with a long face and a loud voice lecturing on the imperatives of the faith. At the Christian newsletter, there’s a prideful group of guys writing papers to counter other papers that were written twenty years ago which were written to oppose papers that were written a hundred years ago. On Christian TV, there’s a mess of evangelists with every dyed hair perfectly in place naming the current Antichrist and pointing our their own healthy and wealthy lives as the way to salvation. All over the internet and social media – God help us! – there’s the religious right talking about their issues, their great morality. and their hardline stances on what’s absolutely right and absolutely wrong with the world.
We’re so eager to point out how good we all are, I fear we’re neglecting the very basic fact that the Gospel is a spectacularly good things that is happening to spectacularly bad people.
G. K. Chesterton famously wrote, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult, and left untried.”
We are failing the Good News of Jesus Christ when we run around acting like we’ve got everything figured out, like we’ve got all the answers, like there’s no more mystery, no need for divine grace. We distort the Gospel and do violence to the Scriptures when we proclaim that God sent his Son to establish my vision of my church or my version of the United States as a beacon of Truth to the rest of the world.
As children of God and disciples of his Christ, if we have any answers at all to what’s wrong in this world, it has nothing to do with our morals, our laws, or our political positions. The solution to what’s wrong is not found in anybody’s constitution or declaration or form of government or economic system or military strategy. What’s wrong with the world is sin. And the solution is only found in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus.
God revealed himself in Christ Jesus to show us how he’s fixing things. It’s in sacrificial service. It’s through unconditional love. It’s by forgiveness and reconciliation. Gentleness. Peace. Obedience. Prayer. Worship. Suffering. Death.
Politicians are not going to save the world. Parties and platforms and partisan positions are not going to change this country. This country and this world are not going to be won by votes or armies or news networks or being woke. Only our God in Christ can save the world – God alone!
And his way is the way of death. His way is the way of suffering and sacrifice and service. His will is to change people and save people, not by force or through threats, not out of anger or with an attitude, but with humility and love and forgiveness and grace. And peace.
This world will change, not when more Christians vote, but when more Christians serve. This country will change, not when Christians get their man or woman in the White House, but when Christians get suffering and sacrifice in their hearts. This world will change, not when the Church is in power, but when the Church is persecuted for righteousness’ sake and suffers for doing good. This country will be changed, not when our enemies are shot and bombed and destroyed, but when our enemies are forgiven and prayed for and loved.
Of course, you already knew that. This is not new information. You’ve known it for a long time. It’s just that it’s very difficult. And mostly untried.
Peace,
Allan
The Dallas Mavericks won their first playoff game in franchise history in 1984 over the Seattle Supersonics and attempted zero three-pointers in the process. Zero three-point shots. No attempts. In the first two games against the Clippers in this current first round playoff series, the Mavs have hit 35 of 70 three-point shots to take a commanding two-games-to-none lead. Times have changed.
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If our God sees things that you can’t see and if our God chooses and uses nobodies and calls them beloved, then there is always a way for you. And God has already got it figured out.
It doesn’t matter how big and imposing the obstacles in your life. It doesn’t matter how numerous the forces trying to knock you off track or destroy you. Or destroy your marriage. Or your kids. Or your peace. Or your faith. It doesn’t matter how far back you are at the end of the line or where you are at the bottom of the pile. Or how you got there. There’s always a way for you and our God has already figured it out.
Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of God tells us, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand… My Father has given them to me… no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-30). 2 Corinthians 1 says God has delivered us, he is delivering us, and we have set our hope on him that he will continue to deliver us.
Our God is willing to break through the barriers of time and space to do the impossible, to come to earth in your flesh and blood, to put on your skin and to take on your sin and suffering to rescue you and save you right now today and forever. With humans this is impossible; but with our God, all things are possible!
As long as there is one lost sheep wandering around in the wilderness, as long as there is one dusty coin hiding in a dark corner, as long as there is one lonely child desperate and crying in a faraway pig pen, our God will do whatever it takes – he will not stop – until he finds you and brings you home! He will bring to completion the good thing he has started in you. The Bible says he is faithful and he will do it.
And I know the voices are there. You hear the voices. So do I.
You messed that up big time. You failed her big time. You let him down. You’ll never change your behavior. You’re trapped. You’re dead.
Like Goliath, those voices, those words, are there in your head every morning. They’re ringing in your ears every night. The insults, the mistreatment, the lies – penetrating your soul and just sitting there. Heavy.
You’re not a good parent. You’re not a good Christian. God hasn’t really totally forgiven you of that.
You hear the voices. You sense the size of the enemy. But there is a way for you and God has already figured it out. And he’s already done it. Jesus Christ willingly took all your sins with you to the cross. And God’s Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit who came upon David in power, raised Jesus from the grave to destroy forever the forces of sin and death and Satan and anything that might separate you from God. That same Spirit of the Lord lives inside you with that same eternal power. It’s not fate or luck – God’s Spirit is in you. God’s Spirit has taken hold of you like he did David and he won’t let you go. You can betray and stumble and sin and fail, but he will never fail!
In Jesus Christ, all your enemies have already been defeated. All of them. Name them. The voices are wrong. The enemy is dead. The way for you is clear in the Way, the Truth, and the Life in Jesus. And, to quote David, you and I and the whole world know that there is a God in Israel. And he has chosen you and he loves you and you belong to him today and forever.
Peace,
Allan
The introduction to David in 1 Samuel – his anointing at his father Jesse’s house and his battle with Goliath – tells us something very important about our God. Our Lord takes nobodies and makes them somebodies. He does incredible mind-blowing things with people he finds at the back of the line or at the bottom of the pile.
Three people are described as “big” in 1 Samuel 16-17. Eliab, the first born son who was not anointed king; Saul, the king chosen by the people but rejected by God; and Goliath, the enemy of God’s people who was killed by David. David is the “little” one in this story. But he is beloved. Just like Israel. Little and small, but chosen and loved by God. This is how our God works. Think of what you were when you were called.
“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth (he’s talking about us). But God chose the foolish things of this world… God chose the weak things of this world. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are…. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus who has become for us… our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.” ~1 Corinthians 1:26-30
David was not even a player. He’s got no potential in the opening scene. He was the youngest son and his dad completely forgot about him. But God chose him and made him king. God worked in and through David to bring salvation to his people. This is how God does things.
Through Jesus he takes a poor fisherman and makes him the foundation of his eternal Church. He takes a young man with anger issues and, through him, gives us the most beautiful words about love in the whole Bible. He takes a persecutor of the Church and a killer of Christians and makes him the greatest missionary and church planter in history. That’s exactly how our God works. Because when things happen that just don’t make sense, God gets all the glory and praise.
His power is made perfect in our weakness. And his matchless grace is received as a gift.
Peace,
Allan
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