what I think I thought…

Just recently I heard someone speaking about the abundance of pastors who are falling by the wayside due to burning out…due to stress, blowing up…due to moral failure, or giving in…because the just can’t deal with it anymore.

Sadly, for most pastors, their last day is not a good day.

I am thinking about this today because I just spent the morning with a Pastor who is ending well.
As many of you know Dr. Rodgers is retiring (sort of) at the end of this month.

I met Dr. Rodgers for the first time while interviewing for the Lead Pastor position here at PCC nearly 2 years ago.  From our first interactions with him, my wife and had, were blown away.  Here are just a few of the things I have learned about Dr. Rodgers over the past two years.
•    His humble heart and kind spirit have a way of making everyone feel important in his presence.
•    His unassuming demeanor masks the reality that he is often the wisest man in the room.  But he is.
•    He is more than willing to set aside what is best for him for what is best for the Kingdom.
•    He has the gift of encouragement.  I have never of him speak poorly of anyone.
•    His integrity is impeccable.  He is the same whenever and wherever you see him.
•    His marriage of 60+ years just might make it…
•    He heart is so bent toward helping people…he has a really hard time saying no.
•    His knowledge of scripture is so vast, I can only marvel at his depth of insight.
•    He has opinions about everything…but you would never know it.  Because unless you ask he will keep them to himself.

This list could go on for pages.

But let me wrap this up by saying this:  for the last 2 years it has been my great privilege to work alongside Dr. Rodgers.  I can only image some of the thoughts he must have been thinking, as an experienced Pastor of 60 years, watching me take my first swing in a Lead Pastor position.  But I can honestly say he has been a source of strength and encouragement for me since day one.  And for that I am eternally grateful.

Dr. Rodgers, Thank you.  Thank you for your lifelong contributions to the Kingdom.  Thank you for modeling how to love your bride while serving the bride of Christ.  Thank you for not giving up on the church when things got tough.  Thank you for your leadership that has changed the lives of thousands…literally all over the world.  Thank you for your kind words, heartfelt prayers, and humble heart.  Thank you most of all for showing me what it means to end well.

You are Loved.

Had some people asked to share this from my sermon a few weeks ago about heaven…so here it is…

So what is heaven going to be like?

I don’t think you have to go further than then Garden of Eden to find out.

If you lay the first couple chapters of your Bible next to the last couple chapters of your Bible…look at what you find…

Genesis                                                                                   Revelation

God made Heaven and Earth (1:1)           New Heaven New Earth (21:1)

God made light (1:3)                                   God gives light (22:5)

Two great lights (1:16)                               The light of God and the Lamb (21:23)

It was very good (1:31)                              There is nothing impure (21:27)

Tree of Life (2:9)                                        Tree of Life (22:2)

A river (2:10)                                               Crystal clear river (22:1-2)

Gold in the land (2:11-12)                          Pure Gold (21:18, 21)

God was there (3:8)                                    God is there (21:3)

The story of God is the story of Paradise lost and Paradise restored again.

Again check out the contrast…

Genesis                                                                    Revelation

Serpent deceived them (3:13)                 Devil cast into lake of Fire (20:10)

Forced to hide from God (3:8)                See Gods face (22:4)

God increases pain (3:16)                         no more pain (21:4)

Cursed is the Ground (3:17)                    no more curse (22:3)

Death enters (3:19)                                   Death exits (21:4)

Keep from tree of Life (3:24)                 Access to tree of life restored (22:13)

Adapted from Kenny Boles study:  Heaven:  What a Wonderful Place.  College Press

I have come to realize I don’t think the phrase “losing salvation” is accurate.

That is how one question for this weekend was asked…”can a person lose their salvation?”

When asked that way I think from now on I am going to have to answer no.  I don’t think a person can lose salvation.

Because losing something implies it’s misplaced.  “Where are my keys?”  “Has anyone seen my wallet?”  “Where did I put that paper…it was right here a moment ago?”

I don’t think that concept applies to salvation.  No one is to be checking their pockets and digging through their purse looking for their salvation saying to themselves…”where did it go…it was right here?”

That just isn’t Biblical.

2 Peter 2:20-21…says this:

If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

The people spoken of here had escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,  but got entangled and overcome by it again.  Peter says it would have been better had they never known the way of righteousness. Than to have known it and…here is the big finally…TURNED THEIR BACKS on it.

They didn’t lose it.  They knew exactly where it was…it was in Jesus.  They didn’t lose it.  They walked away from it.  They didn’t misplace it.  They made a choice that they no longer wanted it.

So…do I think people can lose their salvation…NO.  Do I think people can of their own free will turn their back and walk away from it….YES.  As Peter says…when they do…it will be worse off for them at the end then it was at the beginning.