Will The Word Continue?

Let me add my greeting to you good morning to the church We have much reason to rejoice this day.

Do we not I? was thrilled and Unfortunately somewhat surprised to see

Ruth Burchett yesterday at the workday and where's

Ruth Raise your hand Ruth. I can't see you How blessed you are

Ruth Ruth isn't even looking at me. You know Jesus says Through the Apostle Paul that it's

God who determined our times and our borders and in his blessing She was put into these borders and these times when such an operation as possible and then blessed her with up and around I was just so amazed to see her and I shouldn't because we've seen

God do amazing things so many times But we have reason to rejoice in that Emmanuel Rosanna Gorilla just became something new because before there were manual one thing and Rose and another and God made them one flesh

And they were successfully wed. Yes. I can't wait to see them come back We have much reason to rejoice here in this church.

And today we rejoice but in somewhat of more Sober way as we're going to ordain

Tim mullet to this pastor. And so that's reason for rejoicing Thank you.

That's also reason for some sobriety It's a somber occasion as well as God has blessed us once again and shown us that this work is

By his grace and through his blessing going to continue

My message this morning comes from 2nd Kings chapter 2 and I'll read verses 9 through 15 for you, and then we will

They will begin So when you have that, please stand with me 2nd

Kings chapter 2 verses 9 through 15 When they had crossed

Elijah said to Elisha Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you and Elisha said

Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me And he said you have asked for a hard thing yet If you see me as I'm being taken from you, it shall be so for you

But if you do not see me, it shall not be so and as they still went on and talked behold chariots of fire and horses of fire

The horses of fire separated the two of them and Elisha went up by a whirlwind into heaven and Elisha saw it and he cried my father my father the chariots of Israel and his horsemen and he saw him no more

Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces And he took up the cloak of Elisha that had fallen from him and went back and stood at the bank of the

Jordan Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water saying

Where is the Lord the God of Elijah? And when he had struck the water the water was parted to the one side and to the other and Elisha went over And please be seated

So today after the preaching Pastor Owens and I on behalf of you all

Are going to lay hands on Tim mullet and ordain him as our newest pastor here at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church And I'll present the question to you this morning

What does it mean to ordain a man of God to lead the people of God?

I? Mean ultimately, what's the meaning of what we're going to do here today? Are we just ordaining a man we just saying well now we have another man

Is it just putting a person in place? It's going to fill this pulpit most of the time

No, you see it means something much more than that It means something much deeper than that it means

That the Word of God Through men of God now soon to be three men of God here in this place

It's going to continue to be proclaimed from this pulpit It means that Jesus Christ is true to his word for example in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11 that pastors

Are his gift to the church? It means that here at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church You will soon have three men of God to teach this word to you to preach this word to you

You're going to have three men of God to counsel you with the word Three men to be living examples of what it means to follow

Jesus Christ in his word You know when the Lord through the

Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 4 That pastors are among his gifts that he showers upon his church as he builds his church

It is for that very purpose that he does that To have his word proclaimed

To have his people you taught his word

Shown his word counseled his word His word brought to bear on all facets of our life and the fact that we are ordaining a new man this morning

Means that by Jesus Christ's grace and through his power and his promise to build his church

It is going to continue here in this one small dot on this great globe

An ordination is a celebration of Christ and his faithfulness to his own word An ordination is an assurance to us of continuity

It tells us that Jesus Christ is continuing his work of building up his body and that this local body

We few who meet here in this one place have not escaped his notice We've not fallen beneath the radar as we say today the

Lord's provision To us to us all of another pastor is a sure sign that the

Word of God will continue here in this place So long as the Lord tarries in sending his son

Again, we began with this really

Magnificent moment in in church history in second Kings when Elisha is taken away in the whirlwind

And we have those chariots of fire and those horses of fire But you know

Elijah's final moment on earth and the way he was translated from earth and taken up into heaven

It's really only a footnote on what the real issue is there in second Kings Or we see those pictures.

Have you seen them where Elijah Elisha is looking? he's looking away from the fire and there's Elijah going up and he's got the chariots of fire and the horses of fire and it's

Just all magnificent. I'm sure it was mind -blowing as we would say today as Wonderful and as magnificent as that was

Just a minor footnote In what's really happening there? Because the question is this whole tour and we didn't read the whole thing in second

Kings But this whole tour that Elijah took Elisha on remember he kept saying you stay here.

Let me leave you I've got to go on the Lord send me another place and we're gonna mention this again in a few moments and Elijah says no

I'm going with you. I'm going with you. Why is that? What is going on there? the question is

Will the Word of God continue in Israel? Will the Word of God continue to be proclaimed to that apostate

Pagan really nation the way they worship like the pagans. There was one torchbearer of the

Word of God Elijah and when Elijah is taken away

Will the Word of God continue that is what was at issue here It was a crisis

Will the Word of God be no more because Elijah had been that soul torchbearer for the

Word of God Wherever Elijah went whether was it at the brook

Chirith or to the widow? Wherever he went the

Word of God went with him His departure from Israel's borders that time he spent at the brook that time

He spent at the with the widow were really judgments upon Israel Because when

Elijah was gone so also was the Word of God and This brings us to that crisis

Elijah knows he's going to be taken away Elisha knows Elijah is going to be taken away the the school of prophets know that he's going to be taken away

And it's not just a shrug of the shoulders. Hey, did you know he's gonna go today? Yes, I knew Will the

Word of God continue? Will that word be proclaimed from the Lord through his spirit to a man or is it going to be a

Famine of the Word of God as Amos puts it in that land You see if it was a judgment against Israel that wherever Elijah went the

Word of God was with him It was no more where he was which was Israel if that was judgment upon the house of Israel What then does it mean when the

Word of God continues in a place? It's God's sure sign that his word will continue its continuity.

He's going to keep going so let's understand that continuity in the leadership of the church is a blessing from God as a gift from Jesus of immeasurable worth

For a church to have leaders committed to the Word of God to teaching it accurately to preaching it boldly to living it

Faithfully is a sure sign of Christ's pleasure upon a work upon our work

I would say of his power of building his church of the sure work of the Holy Spirit amongst us

What does it mean to ordain a pastor today I would say it means that we can be sure of Christ's blessing upon this place and a sign from him according to his word that his word will

Continue to be proclaimed from here and to you You know the

Lord Jesus himself. He he prayed all night before naming the men who would take up the work after he was gone

The men he called the many trained the many certified the the men who founded the church the

Apostles the church Which is his body the men who would preach this the forgiveness of sins by G by faith in Christ The men who had testified to his resurrection each one chosen by God himself by Jesus Christ You see men men don't just wake up and find themselves miraculously qualified to carry on the work of the

Lord Even Jesus Hebrew Hebrews 5 8 tells us learned obedience even though he was

God's Son When we look for someone to conduct the gospel ministry we look for men who've been refined in the furnace of life

We look for men whose rough edges have been smoothed out by experience men who know when someone needs a gentle arm

On their shoulder or a stiff reboot rebuke from the scriptures Let's say our soon -to -be pastor

Tim Mullett is such a one He has served the Lord for the last five years at Providence Church.

He was first ordained in 2014 at Cherokee Baptist Church He's the host of a podcast called

Bible bashed where he deals with deep and hard to answer and some controversial Bible questions

He's been through it brethren He's put his life into commitment for the

Lord Jesus Christ, and he's committed to this place And that's no small blessing.

That's no small work of God in the spirit of a man That's a blessing to be recounted and rejoiced in And what does it tell us it tells us that Jesus provides for the continuity

Excuse me that the church needs to have and we see this all over the Bible that this idea of continuity

I I could even say secession except that Tim's not replacing anyone Conley and I are still here with this idea of continuity

Excuse me Joshua did for example Moses could not do as his successor

He took the people into the promised land. He led them to victory after victory We might even say that Joshua did greater and more works than his master

Moses had done Well that said

It was most I still have a dry spot my throat excuse me fat could somebody grab my canteen There's a canteen right on the it's a great one.

It's right on the desk there The canteen

I need the canteen. Thank you so much all better What was

I saying? It was Moses who had led them out of Egypt Moses can only go so far though He was not allowed in the promised land after 40 years of wilderness survival though.

He did something for Joshua He had if you think of it this way trained up and developed

After 40 years of wilderness survival the toughest army that the world had ever seen And we could see that and what he handed to Joshua these tough trained rugged men who would take that promised land

I think of Solomon Solomon did what David could not do he built the temple

But it was David who handed his son secure borders a brimming over Treasury and detailed plans for God's house

Elisha we were talking about just a few moments ago from second King second Kings Elisha did what

Elijah could not he prophesied judgment on the sinful Kings houses and saw to it to be done

He did more miracles in his teacher Elijah even Elisha's bones We read in second

Kings 13 when touched by a corpse brought that corpse back to life Well, Tim is not here to do what

Colleen I cannot do He's here to add his gifts and his skills to ours

So that we three acting as one might serve you all the better and bring you all closer to Christ all of us closer to Christ But it's coming here proves how deeply

Jesus cares for the continuity and the secession in his church It was

God who chose Joshua just it was he who told Elijah that Elisha would be next It was

God who chose Solomon to complete the work that had been on David's heart The work of proclaiming

God's Word this gospel of our Lord. Jesus is going to continue as long as God wills it to continue

But let me say again Let me reinforce this let me be repetitive about this

The fact that we're able to ordain a man this morning You're going to have three pastors who are going to love you and care for you and preach to you and counsel you and visit you with all the three varying gifts and personalities

Tells you something it tells all of us something that this work

Can continue that this work has Christ's hand of blessing upon it?

because I believe as Conley and I work to find a candidate and Interviewed him and prayed about it and brought him to you and presented him to you and you all prayed about it

Recently we all fasted for the day, and then we had a prayer vigil about this we followed the scripture

We can be confident that having followed Christ's Word Not out of rope, but out of love for Christ and desire to honor him

That we do have God's hand of blessing upon the proceedings this day Continuity variety of gifts

What a blessing Christ is bringing to us This work of proclaiming

God's Word this gospel of Jesus Christ is going to continue Until G until the father tells the son go back and bring your people here

It's Christ it's Jesus Christ It's God's Son who was building his church as he told

Peter in Matthew 16 Upon this confession upon this word because flesh and blood did not teach you this

Peter But only my father in heaven revealed this to you and what was that that you pointing to Jesus?

He saw him in the flesh You are the Christ the Son of the Living God and add to that the resurrection of the

Christ the Son of the Living God and upon that confession upon that truth

Christ is building his church, and we'll continue here to build his church So we've humbled ourselves before God with our fasting

You know fasting does not make God hear us all the better it makes us ready to hear

God Fasting reminds us of our need for God of our weakness before God of the fact that anything

We have that makes us strong enough to even get up in the morning and go about our duties and our regular routines

Is a blessing from God every good and perfect gift is from above and we've humbled ourselves by Remembering that all this is from God So we humbled ourselves through fasting we prayed we followed the scripture

Old Testament and New Testament We're fasting in prayer where the necessary preparation for major occasions

In a few moments by prayer and laying on of hands We're going to confirm that the Lord Jesus Just as he did for Israel raising up Joshua Just as he did when he ensured the continuance of his word through Elisha Just as he did for his children when he commissioned

Solomon to complete his father's hearts hearts desire Just as he did 20 years ago

When this church ordained me Five years ago when this church or church ordained pastor

Conley He's given us assurance That this work will continue we stand in a trajectory of Biblical history that's really pretty amazing if you stop and think about in a moment

Moses to Joshua David to Solomon Elijah to Elisha and now

Another pastor so Tim I Want to tell you personally from this place

I want to tell you with all humility and all glory to God all honor to Christ as the predecessors paved the way for those who came next so Conley and I have engendered and maintained here in this place a love for God's Word a

Love for God's Word so Tim Preach it to us Be ready in season now season because you're preaching to a group that wants to hear it all honor and glory to Christ But I would say

Colleen and I have worked hard to maintain that love of the word that anxiousness to hear the word

Know that when you come to this pulpit and Begin to declare this word to us that they want to hear it.

They want to follow it and They need to hear it and they need to be helped to follow it

So preach this word to us Tim. I think we three are like Ezra in Nehemiah chapter 8

You remember that way they had that great time when the people came together in the seventh month the first day of the seventh month

I think anticipating the day of atonement atonement, but it doesn't say that that's just what I think But we're sort of like Ezra when we come to this pulpit all three of us now

Where the people tell them bring out the book bring out the law Preach it to us as I tell us about it and the

Levites moved among the people and explained it to them made sure they Got the sense of it They wanted to hear it they knew that they needed to hear it and they knew how much they needed to hear and understand

God's Word by hearing and Understanding what God had to say in that word as does

Tim This great throng to whom you're going to preach Who you are going to care for and know this also?

This is part of my charge to you Tim These people love their pastors Colleen and I have both known the love of this group for those men who are ordained here and Proclaim this word and are committed to them here in this place.

They love their pastors. So love them Tim Love us all love

Christ first love Jesus Foremost which when we see will make our confidence in you and our security in Christ sore

We know that you love him Jesus best and therefore we are secure

Because you are in him Know that sometimes these sheep bite

But they don't gnash They don't snarl. They don't know Well, not usually

But it's a good group we hand over to you. It's a good group you're going to care for So preach this word to us

Tim and love us The way Christ would have his love us have the church be loved by their pastors

You know, there is another example in the Bible of this sort of secession that we're talking about and That's from John the

Baptist to Jesus The Baptist you see he played a crucial role in God's unfolding plans

It was the Baptist who prepared the people to understand who Jesus was and who Jesus is it was

John who completed the entire? prophetic prophetic trust of the Bible It was John the

Baptist who was able to point and say behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world

And so what did John do he preached repentance? He could even lead men to recognize their sin and repent of it as a soldier's came to and say what do we do?

He says don't intimidate people taxpayers or what do we do John repent of ever having cheated.

This is my way of saying it He could take them so far but Jesus Completed that ministry by doing what the

Baptist could not do By doing what only he would only Jesus Christ the Lamb of God could do

Which is to forgive? forgive sins That's the session.

It's continuity No, Tim again Tell us about Jesus Tell us about the

Lord Christ Portray him to us crucified for our sins raised for our justification Tell us of the man who touched broken eyes and lame limbs and putrefying flesh flesh and made them all whole again

Tell us about Jesus. We want to hear about none other in this place We would see

Jesus to the church I tell you as The Lord is blessing us with this continuity as the

Lord is giving us this sign of his pleasure upon this work Not a perfect work. We've always got room to improve.

We're always reforming But by our dating Tim this morning we do know his hand of pleasure upon us church

There is no greater joy than for a pastor to find his charges walking in the truth that he proclaims.

So church Hear this man as you've heard Conley and as you've heard me as you heard pastors before even me

Hear this man as he proclaims this word to you hear Tim as his words come from Christ's words

Tell Tim how it's helped you tell us him how it's affected you let him know that his preaching his teaching is something more than just words assembled into phrases and sentences and Paragraphs and finally into sermons tell him how

God's Spirit is working on you as a result of his labors Encourage him that ways you have me

As you have Conley church Pray for him

Continue to pray for me and continue to pray for Conley now We're going to add Tim into that mix you have the blessing of praying now for three men

And you know if we think about in a larger sense you have three pastors and two deacons

We have John and Albert as faithful deacons in this place Where we believe strongly in the plurality of officers

Think of it You know three pastors and two deacons so pray for him as he settles into this work

Pray for him on specific things Do not let

Tim when you come and say how you doing pastor say I'm only concerned with how you're doing

He tried that on me once He had to admit. I saw it coming. Don't let him get away with that No, how are you doing

Tim? How can I pray for you and? And let him know let all of us know but let him know that you did pray by coming back and saying

How did this work out and? How can I pray next? church pray for Elizabeth Pray for Elizabeth who's going to feel the weight of his burden as only a pastor's wife can

Hold her up in prayer And you ladies make sure you know how she's doing

Elizabeth be honest As I'm telling your husband to be now have children more children to pray for Vivian Titus Ezra Roman and Gavin so with the

Owens nine with the Burchett's five with the smoothest two You now have 21 children

Four wives and five officers to pray for you're blessed by that He's the oldest of the bunch, but yes plus Jared that makes 22

Do not be slack in this church We all need your prayers Tim came from the far off land of Alabama It's gonna take some adjusting here

Pray for him and help him pray You remember the story of Spurgeon when he was asked why his ministry was so powerful

Why was so what they called at the time successful? Well, he took the Inquirer to a room in his church

And that room was filled with members of the church who at that moment were praying for the church as the service was progressing

Prayers your prayers Are what drives this church? The power of your prayer is

Christ who hears the prayers the Spirit who works is good through those prayers We need those prayers

Now you have a lot to pray for Elijah had many chances to turn away going back to 2nd

Kings for a moment each time Elijah said stay here Please for the Lord has sent me to another place in another place in another place and each time

Elisha says as the Lord lives and as your soul is I will not leave you We just sort of reminiscent of Jesus and Peter Simon son of John.

Do you love me more than these and Peter said afraid? Not Lord. I think I'm keep on fishing. No, he said yes,

Lord You know that I love you Elisha had his chances to turn away

Peter if you think about it could have gone back to fishing. I Was once at a small or not a small but at a pre -conference meeting

Minnesota of years ago That was led by Mark Dever of the Capitol Hill Baptist Church And he was talking about success in the ministry.

You expect a guy like this. Who's a Cambridge scholar He's got this huge church at the capital He's got senators and vice presidents and all these big people coming to him powerful people notable people

He's a big guy in the in the church, isn't he? And he said and I knew he meant it you could just tell from the way he was talking to we passers

Says you all know what success is in the church And you expect some condescending thing from this big name to us unknowns wasn't like that at all

With all sincerity he said here it is Preach pray love stay

That in Christ's eye is success in the church preach and pray and love and say so brother preach for us

In season and out pray for us and teach us to how to pray be open and tell us when you need prayer

Or hands to join in rejoicing or a shoulder to offer for weeping Love us

Tim Love Jesus and because of him love us and stay Just stay we'll do anything we can to help you adjust to this wacky

Valley, but you have to tell us Love us enough to tell us and trust us and stay and so as Mark Dever put it

Succeed here with the rest of us by preaching and praying and loving and staying And pray you

Tim to have success here in the Lord's name so in a moment

Colleen I will formalize our conviction that Tim mullet is God's man for us May God be pleased to have his word continue to be faithfully proclaimed here at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church May his blessing be upon us as we three minister to you in the name of our

Lord Jesus Christ And may you all grow into the image of our Savior in love for the

Saints in Humility and ever -growing knowledge of the truth that is in Jesus And may that word continue in this place so long as Jesus cherries in his return

And God be blessed that he's added Tim to your pastoral team

And may you all be blessed by this word that will continue to be faithfully proclaimed from this place

Tim Elizabeth and all five of your children Welcome to this place God bless you for coming and may