preaching the call - tmh - 030710

8/9/2019 Preaching the Call - TMH - 030710

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Preaching the Call

Tom Harr

March 7, 2010 Evening Service

I turned on the radio the other night to hear the end of an interview with Heidi Durrow, whose recent

debut fictional book, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, has received a great deal of critical acclaim.

They were talking about Heidis experience being bi-racial having an African Americanserviceman father and a white, Danish mother. I didnt hear the main part of the interview but thelast question she was asked was, What do you prefer to be called when people ask you about your

racial background? And she thought about it and said, Well, sometimes I say mixed andsometimes I say bi-racial and theyre fine. But lately Ive started saying, Im a story.

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A story.

Tonight what Id like to do is share with you a little of my story a bit about my life and background

my call to pastoral ministry and how God has brought me and Stacey and our family to this place.Im hoping that youll find that helpful. But even more than that, Id like to do it in a way that helps

you to see that my story and by applicationyourstory is a part of a much grander story. Thestory of how Jesus enters a world made perfect but gone horribly wrong, and makes it right. Its this

story that will be the only basis for successful ministry for me or anyone else in this church. And itsthe only story that will make a difference in changing our lives now and for eternity.

I want to do it in three segments: Prologue, Preparation and Promise.

Prologue Paul I once was lost

If there was anyone who could have claimed to have had a good upbringing and to have had

everything together in his life it was Paul. Paul was raised to be a good person. He was very

religious and before Jesus radically changed his life by invading his story very, very lost. This iswhat he writes about his background in his letter to the Philippians:

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcisedon the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; inregard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic

righteousness, faultless. (Philippians 3:4-6)

As a child and a teenager, I was nowhere near the outward righteousness of Paul. I was no religioussuperstar. But in a sense I can relate. Probably my biggest problem growing up was that I didnt

think I was all that bad. I mean, relatively speaking, I thought I was a pretty good kid. I grew up in

a wonderful family in South Jersey the oldest of four children: two brothers and then my sister isthe youngest. I went to Sunday School and even sang in the choir for a few years. I obeyed myparents most of the time and got along with my brothers and sister (most of the time). I never

hung out with the bad kids. I did well in school and was thought well of by adults. All in all, Ithought I had things under control.

1Reimagining The 'Tragic Mulatto' - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124244813


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I never thought too much about God because I didnt see much need. I believed in Him in anabstract sense, I suppose, but saw no need for any real relationship with Him. If you had asked me

who Jesus was, I might have said Savior or the Son of God because I had heard people say that alot. But most likely, I would have meant that Jesus was a good man, a good teacher someone who

helped people, taught them how to live and told them things they couldnt do.

My perceptions about Jesus were first challenged on a Sunday morning in the fall of my junior yearof high school when my Sunday School teacher at the Haddonfield United Methodist Church shared

the Gospel with our class.

This is what he did. He passed around index cards and asked us to write on them where we thoughtwed go when we died. Now I was a good student and did okay at taking tests. I was sitting in

church. The answer duh was heaven. God has to take me, I reasoned. I mean, if you gradeon the curve how bad could I be?

But others in the class were more honest. A lot wrote, I dont know or Im not sure. And right

there, the teacher said, Folks, before we start this school year, we need to get some things straight

you can KNOW where youre going when you die. And he proceeded to tell us about Jesus howall of us good kids were a lot worse than we thought and how the penalty for our worse-ness hadbeen paid by Jesus. He told us how God offers that forgiveness freely to be received by simple faith

not on the basis of what I had done but because of what Jesus had done.

It was the first time I had ever heard the Gospel clearly articulated the first time I had ever heardsomeone challenge my assumption that being good enough would get you into heaven.

What did I do with this new knowledge of Jesus? Regrettably, not much. I said the words that

day professed faith and prayed the prayer but a close look at my life would have revealed nopractical difference at all. Im not sure I told anyone what happened there that day. There was no

brokenness and no real repentance. I still believed that I was in control.

However, looking back now I can clearly see how God began to move in my life to make me moreaware of my need for Him.

There are lots of things along the way, but he began to drive the point home in two primary ways.

First, the Lord made me realize how little control I actually had over my own life. During my

sophomore year at the University of Delaware, I began to have problems with my stomach. Itwasnt anything medically serious at all, but for me it was a source of great anxiety. My philosophy

of illness is, Give me a cough or a headache or the aches and chills of the flue, but please dont letme get sick to my stomach! Whenever it would bother me, I felt totally and completely out of

control. And slowly, the truth of that feeling became real to me I was notin control! It was anunmistakable message from God delivered through my frailty.

The second thing the Lord used to open my eyes was His Word. I decided during college, more out

of self-conceived piety than real hunger, that I would begin to read the Bible regularly. I began inthe New Testament with Matthew and started reading. As I went along, I dont remember anything

really hitting me or sinking in until I got to that well-known verse in 1 Peter 3 Always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in you. A little background when I was at

Delaware, I loved debating ideas and politics. I participated in formal debates on campus about


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abortion, foreign policy, fiscal policy, all kinds of things But what I realized I could not do was

defend (even a little) my faith (professed, at least) in Christ.

That conviction by the Holy Spirit led me to join a weekly Bible Study my Junior year with a groupof guys in my dorm. The regular study of the Word brought light to my darkness, illuminating the

depths both of my sin and of Gods grace.

So it was during the spring semester of my Junior year that by Gods grace I finally submitted toJesus. Unlike Paul, I wasnt blinded and knocked to my feet one day on the way to Damascus (or to

the Dining Hall.) No flash. No dazzle. I cant pinpoint the moment. But a quiet and firm resolutionbegan to fill my heart that my life belonged totally and completely to Jesus. He had invaded my

story. Something had changed.

So thats the Prologue

Preparation Moses Nothing Wasted

Moses was first confronted with the need to do something on behalf of his fellow Israelites when hewas a younger man. Though he was a Hebrew, he had been raised in the court of Pharaoh with all ofthe privileges that accompanied it. One day (Ex 2:11--), he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one

of his own people. So what did he do? He killed the Egyptian and hid the body. He had the rightidea to start. He saw the injustice. The Hebrews, his own people, were being unjustly treated by the

Egyptians and he desired to be their defender. But he acted rashly. He wasnt ready. Regardless ofwhat Moses may have thought about readiness for leading the Israelites, God knew better. So He

sent Moses into exile in the land of Midian and there prepared Him until the time was right.

----------------------------------

At the end of my junior year at the University of Delaware, I began attending Glasgow ReformedPresbyterian Church (GRPC) with a friend. It wasnt intentional. I didnt know what specifically I

ought to be looking for in a church doctrine and such but the church seemed like a good fit.

When I returned to the UD for my senior year, I became involved with InterVarsity ChristianFellowship. I began to hunger for Gods Word and eagerly look forward to Tuesday Bible studies

and Friday corporate gatherings. In the Spring Semester, I helped lead a mens small group in mydorm. In retrospect, I was probably not yet qualified for the role, but the Lord used the opportunity

to reveal in me an early desire to teach His Word and shepherd His people.

After graduating in May 1996, I went to work in Philadelphia for Sunoco but continued to live inDelaware. I lived in Claymont before that first year out of school and actually considered attending

Faith at the time. In fact, Pastor Brown visited me in my apartment back in the Fall of 1996 and wehad a long talk about finding the right church.

Ultimately, I decided to stay at GRPC for the time being. They had just begun a House Church

ministry like community groups in our terminology here -- and one had begun meeting inWilmington that I really wanted to be a part of. In 1997, it was this Wilmington House Church that

was given the vision of planting a multi-ethnic church in the metropolitan Wilmington area.


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Gradually, the Lord moved me into positions of more responsibility giving me a heart for

ministering to people from all over the world and providing an opportunity to sense and test ministrygifts of teaching, administration, shepherding and discipleship.

By early 1999, most of the people in the Church Plants original core had moved on and Pastor Doug

Perkins of GRPC was asked by the Session and the Heritage Presbytery to assume responsibility forthe vision. As our weekly gatherings grew, Pastor Perkins increasingly entrusted me with more

administrative and ministry responsibilities writing, teaching, leading small groups.

Being a part of All Nations Fellowship focused on intentionally reaching the immigrant and thedisadvantaged -- was an amazing experience and could be a discussion all to itself. But it was here

that I began to sense for the first time a desire for full time ministry. At the encouragement of PastorPerkins, I took two classes at Chesapeake Seminary before enrolling in the distance program at

Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS). Here, I discovered a desire for theological education and adeeper interest in thinking strategically about the work of the ministry.

I began getting to know Stacey in fall of 2000 while she was serving All Nations Fellowship and we

married in May 2002. Outside of meeting Jesus, it was the best thing that has ever happened to me.

God gave me a partner. And the process of considering marriage helped confirm my call our call.After thinking it through together, we decided that the best preparation for future ministry was forme to continue distance education through RTS and for us to both be a part of the formal launch of

ANF when it started meeting for worship services in September 2002.

In 2003, I came under care of Heritage Presbytery in November 2003 and this is what I told them:

But why do I feel that the Lord is calling me to come under care of the Heritage Presbytery?Certainly if the Lord were to call me to continue doing what Im doing working as a Financial

Analyst, teaching Sunday School classes, telling people about Jesus, shepherding and discipling(perhaps someday as a ruling elder) that would be a great calling!

The only thing is I dont believe thats my calling. I love to teach and I believe that the Lord is

calling me to use the gifts hes given me to serve His church in full-time pastoral ministry as ateaching elder. The teaching, serving and shepherding I desire require the next level of

preparation.

That was in 2003. So for the next 4 years, thats exactly what we did prepared. We worked meat Sunoco and Stacey as a Physician Assistant. We studied taking classes (often listening to

lectures together) through the RTS Distance program. And we served learning all we could about practical, hands-on ministry through innumerable opportunities that come through a church plant

reaching out to the multi-ethnic community of Northern Delaware.

In November 2007, as the ministry of All Nations Fellowship was being absorbed into the vision ofHeritage Presbyterian Church down in New Castle, Austin and Davis were born an amazing

blessing that transitioned us into parenthood. In the spring of 2008 after a lot of thinking and prayerwe began attending Faith.

Unlike at All Nations Fellowship, where Stacey and I were able to jump into almost everything, twin

babies kept us from being as involved in the many opportunities for ministry here as we mightotherwise have wanted to. Then last September, our daughter Essie was born.


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But, that doesnt mean God stopped preparing us. Three children under three can be a wonderful

teacher. I might not have the opportunity to sit down and leisurely journal about my learnings butI have probably learned as much about the sin in my own heart (its a lot worse) and the constant

need for the forgiving love of Jesus and the pure joy of life sustained by Gods grace (its a lotbetter), then I have during any other period of my life.

Returning to Moses Why didnt God just send him to Pharaoh while he was already there in Egypt

the first time? Clearly Mosess passion for his people had been awakened. It would have seemedmuch more sensible. But Moses wasnt ready and it wasnt Gods time. So God sent him away

Moses got married lived some life. And when the time was right, God made it clear.

I can relate to that. Years ago, I struggled with a degree of envy of my brother, Dave. He had feltthe call to vocational ministry in college, went straight to seminary and then got married, ordained

and had children. At times, this has seemed a much more sensible, logical order and I thought thatmy path seemed out of sync with the right way to do things.

But, you know, God didnt lead me in the same way as by brother. I didnt sense any call to the

ministry in college and didnt feel final confirmation until after I had married probably because

God had things to teach me along the way. He knew that there were things I could learn at Sunoco.He knew that Stacey needed to be a part of the decision. I wasnt ready and it wasnt Gods time.

So thats the chapter Id loosely label preparation. Of course, I do NOT presume that I have no preparation left to do. Quite the contrary, actually. I have 6 credits of my seminary degree to

complete, Hebrew to study and licensure and ordination to pursue. And I have much to learn aboutthe practical day-to-day aspects of ministry. But God has been very good over the last 15 years

since that junior year Bible Study on the third floor of Sharp Hall at UD providing many, manyrich opportunities to grow and prepare. So hopefully, I have something to share with you right from

the start.

So we have Prologue, Preparation and finally Promise.

Promise Abraham By Faith

I just turned 36 last November. I have often been heartened by the fact that Augustine was notconverted until he was 33 and wasnt ordained until he was 37.

2I remember when I first learned

this. I told my brother Greg. And being the encouraging younger brother he is, he quickly remindedme that Calvin had published the first edition of the Institutes when he was only 27 as if to say so

dont assume you arent already washed up.

In any event, the Bible tells us that Abram was 75 when God called him to a career change thatmakes mine seem fairly insignificant. God came to him and said, Leave your country, your people

and your fathers household and go to the land I will show you. Thats in Genesis 12. And inHebrews 11:1 we read that By faith Abraham, when called to a place he would later receive as an

inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

2 http://www.online-literature.com/saint-augustine/


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Now, there is a real sense in which Stacey and I step out in faith here. I change jobs. We move.

Theres transition to work through and well need to look back to the call of God on our life and, likeAbram, trust in faith that hell work out all those things. And I expect that from many of my co-

workers as I explain this to them in the coming weeks, Ill get similar looks as Abram Godstelling you to do what?

But unlike Abram, we do know a little more about where were going.

First, we know Faith Church. We havent been here as long as many of you, but long enough to love

it. In 2008, when Stacey and I were considering where God would have us worship, we were led to join Faith because we believed it was a place where our family could minister and grow in our

relationship with Jesus. We are honored to be serving with you and are very excited about what isdoing here.

Second and really much more importantly -- we know Jesus. The Bible says that Abraham

believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Gen 15:6, Gal 3:6) so dontmisunderstand me Abrahams salvation was based on faith in Gods provision of a Savior just like

us. But, because we live A.D. in the year of our Lord we know the details contained in rest of

the story:- We know that the one in whom Abraham hoped is Jesus of Nazareth that he was born intohistory, lived on this earth, paid the penalty for our sin and that the work he came to

accomplish is, in His own words, finished (John 19:30).- Like Simeon in the temple holding the baby Jesus, we can look into the eyes of the promised

Redeemer in a way Abraham never could -- and say, my eyes haveseen your salvation(Luke 2:30).

How does that relate to a call to pastoral ministry?

When Pastor Brown and I discussed what I would do here tonight, he said that I should preach my

call. I like that phrase. Its different than give your testimony or read your biography. Thatwould be me simply recounting for you the work of God in my life. No doubt, that is the primary

focus of what I had hoped to do tonight. Thats good and hopefully you found that helpful.

But preaching is going beyond that. It tells a story and then takes that story and applies it to the livesof the listeners helping them to see the connection between the story youre tellingand the story

theyre living.

Now the whole exercise of applying the story becomes a little riskier when the story Im tellingyou is my ownbecause I make myself vulnerable. I open up parts of my life and I say to you:

Here they are use them if theyre helpful.

But that, I think, is what pastoral ministry is about the pastors willingness to apply his life toyours to say, This is my story and I dedicate it to yours.

Now, connect that back to the story of Jesus. Apart from Jesus, that could be a terrible burden

because a pastors life (as well as the life of one, like me, who hopes to be a pastor) is far fromperfect.


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But thats where knowing the beauty of the Gospel revealed in Jesus makes such a difference.

Because I know that my story is not really about me, its aboutJesus. You see, Jesus makes itpossible to apply our stories to the lives of others without ultimate risk or fear of failure.

His is the ultimate applied story. Jesus comes to us in the Bible and says, My story my

PERFECT story is applied to you. And our hearts are changed our lives transformed from theinside out our stories are given new meaning and a new, gloriously victorious, ending.

So like Abraham, we trust in the promise and believe by faith. And, because of Jesus we know

where we are going.

preaching the call - tmh - 030710

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