End Well

Paul spent more time at the church in Ephesus than any church plant he was involved in starting. To be a church planter, you can’t stay in one church too long. That is why I would be a very bad church planter. I like to stay at one place and one congregation for a really long time. As I reflect on my two local ministries, I truly believe God blessed me more than I ever deserved. The last thirty years of preaching ministry have been greater than I could have ever imagined. As I closed out my ministry at Kissimmee Christian Church this past December, I shared with the congregation Paul’s words in Acts 20. As he prepares to leave them, he reflects on his role and responsibility while working side by side with them for the last three years. As I was preparing my last sermon to be preached to the folks my family and I have ministered with for the last thirteen plus years, I saw so many similarities in Paul’s farewell message and what I wanted to convey in my message. 

First, Paul reminds them that from the first day he arrived the manner he tried to live (vs. 18). Being in ministry is a lot like living in a giant fishbowl. Your life becomes public knowledge. It can be a bit intimidating for sure, but my family embraced that challenge and tried to be the best example of Christ to our church that we could. My encouragement to every preacher is this, “Don’t compartmentalize your ministry.” Be the same person at church that you are at home. Paul was confident because of his consistency. 

In verse 19 Paul states, “Serving the Lord with all humility with many tears and trials, which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews.”i Ministry comes with trials and tribulations. That will never change. I reminded our church how we were all faced with the devastating fallout of Covid-19. We lost wonderful servants of the Lord over the years and wondered how we would ever replace them. Every church at war with the devil will face persecution. Yet God brought us through in so many wonderful and diverse ways. One author stated this: “Epic victories come with epic challenges and epic setbacks.” Yet Paul reminds us, “We will reap a harvest if we don’t give up.” KCC was a church that refused to give up. One reason why we were able to start and maintain the five language groups, along with a huge outreach ministry to the homeless and displaced was due to the “never give up” attitude. Throw in the Christian Academy, the Ministry Training Institute, the Recovery programs, and Foster Care and Widow Ministries, and you see a church that knew how to overcome and win! 

Paul then reminds the church in Ephesus, “I kept back nothing that was helpful.” In fact, Paul states this in verse 27: “I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” 

One of the toughest challenges in ministry is standing in a classroom full of members or behind a pulpit on a giant stage and preaching what you know is very uncomfortable for most audiences in contemporary culture to hear. The tendency is to understate the information or just completely exclude uncomfortable passages from your sermon. I get it. I have wrestled with those thoughts on many occasions. I had folks leave the church because they felt I was too conservative or too legalistic. Yet, I didn’t want to be the preacher that “tickled ears.” I reminded them often that they are a mature church, and a mature church can handle the truth if it is presented in love. As of my last Sunday, December 1, 2024, we had experienced 85 precious souls baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of sins! Paul also contributed the growth of the churches he planted to the pure, powerful, uncompromising message of the cross. 

Paul then reminds the elders in verse 24: “None of these things move me, nor for I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy.” Wow! Did you get that? Yes, preacher you can minister for years and years and do it with joy! I didn’t want to be “that preacher.” You say, who is “that preacher?” You know exactly who “that preacher” is … it’s the guy who should have retired years before he did. It’s the guy who crawls up in the pulpit every week and bores the boots off his flock. It’s the preacher who bemoans every responsibility he must fulfill. It’s the preacher who would do anything else if he could. No, I did not ever want to go about my ministry with any attitude but absolute joy. If Paul could go through as much punishment on behalf of the church as he did and minister with pure joy, I figured I could as well. I truly felt this way in both of my ministries. I was blessed to preach at First Christian Church of Winter Park, Florida, for seventeen years before coming over to Kissimmee Christian Church. I loved it! Yes, every heartache and every struggle. Yes, every conversation in the foyer between services and every hospital call late at night or at the crack of dawn. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. (Ok, maybe a thing or two.) However, the fact remains ministry is what you make it to be. I reminded myself of this statement many times: “It’s ok to be tired in the ministry just don’t get tired of the ministry.” 

Finally, Paul warns the church leaders in Ephesus as he prepares to leave of the “savage wolves” waiting to come into the church after his departure and destroy the work. No lie, I do pray every day God will send the next preacher who can out-dream me and out-preach me and out-lead me. I also pray the savage wolves who would love to destroy the work God has started will be destroyed. We have a lot of great preachers in our movement who are planning on transitioning out of their pulpits over the next few months. We must pray God will bless those churches with strong, sound men to take the baton and run with biblical consistency. 

Paul then prays with these fellow warriors of the faith, hugs, and kisses them and sets sail. I won’t lie to you: leaving KCC was one of the most difficult decisions my family has had to make. We love that church. God has great things in store for them. However, we are ready to start a new chapter in our lives as well. 

Fred Smith was a great preacher in several Florida communities. He preached at Englewood Christian Church for over forty years. He planted many sister churches in Duval County as well as starting Central Florida Bible College. When asked what his recipe was for a successful ministry, he simply stated this, “Love God and love people.”  I think Paul would echo that. In fact, we should all echo that. Starting ministry with a bang is great. Ending well is better.