It's a joy to be with you tonight. I am honored to preach this sermon in this wonderful occasion of Eugene's installation as your pastor. It is a privilege to be here and to preach God's word. I'm not going to preach a long sermon tonight because we've got a lot of things to do to get Eugene installed. I recently retired as the pastor of Back Creek Presbyterian Church, which is in the great state of Mount Ullah, North Carolina, a little hole in the road near Salisbury and Mooresville.
But uh I I just love to preach, and thank you again, brother, for this honor. It's a great honor. When Eugene called and asked me, I was in my devotion times, kind of reading through the scriptures, and I was. pretty close to Luke 24, and that's really what came to mind when I thought about an installation sermon.
So if you'll turn there in your Bibles, we will read the scripture. And I don't know if y'all stand or do you stay seated for scripture reading. What do y'all do? We normally sit, so you can just remain seated if you want to. In my former congregation, we'll call.
I'm going to read from the ESV tonight. And I want to give credit for the sermon, not my outline. It's not my outline. It's the outline of a great English preacher named Martin Lloyd Jones.
Now, how many of you have ever heard of Martin Lloyd Jones? Amen. Amen. A lot of hands going up. I'm just stealing his outline.
That's all, not his sermon. But his outline I love. I've loved this sermon for years. And I would encourage you to go online. You can just type in on the internet Martin Lloyd-Jones, Disciples Road to Emmaus, and his sermon will come up.
It's about a 50-minute sermon, but it's really one of my favorite sermons to listen to and be fed the Word of God.
So I would direct you to that sermon.
So, I'm going to begin reading in verse 13. Read a little faster tonight than maybe I normally do, but this is. God's holy. inspired inerrant, infallible, sufficient. Word.
This is what God says tonight. That very day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself. drew near and went with them.
But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk? And they stood still Looking sad. Let me give a little note on a textual matter right here. The King James reads this.
What is this conversation that you're holding as you each walk together and are sad? They put the quotation in Jesus' own lips of saying to these disciples, why are you sad? Jesus saying that. Little textual differences between the KJV and the ESV. Then one of them named Cleopas answered him.
And here's a long quote. Are you not the only visitor to Jerusalem? Who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? And he said to them, What things? And they said to him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, A man who was a prophet, mighty indeed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him.
This is key, verse 21. But we had hoped. But we had hoped. that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things have happened.
Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning. And when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had seen a vision. of angels. who said that he was alive.
Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the woman had said, but him. They did not see, and then you have the end of the quotation there. And then Jesus speaks. And he said to them, O foolish ones, the King James reads, O fools. and slow of heart.
to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Was not it necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory and beginning with Moses and all the prophets? He interpreted to them He preached to them a sermon. He expounded to them all the scriptures, the things that were concerning himself. And so they drew near to the village to which they were going.
He acted as if he were going further, but they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us. For it is toward evening and the day is now far spent, so he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were open. And they recognized him.
And he vanished from their sight. And they said to each other, Did not our hearts burn? Within us Did not our hearts burn within us? While he talked to us on the road. While he opened the scriptures.
Is anyone here tonight in God's house? Let me pray before I preach. Let's pray. Father, apply this word to my heart. I'm hungry for you and...
These Dear Members of the Grace Church in Harrisburg are hungry for you. Feed our souls this night. Thank you for your use of Eugene, these other brothers who preach and teach your word on a regular basis, for allowing us the privilege of feeding souls.
So bless us, we pray. Thank you for this word. We give you glory. In Jesus Christ's precious name we pray. Amen.
Amen. The title of the sermon is The cardiologist, the pastor as a cardiologist.
Now, I've been a pastor for about 35 years and know that as pastors, we think a lot about your hearts. We think about your heads, what we're teaching. We want to fill your heads with wonderful truth, but we also think about what's happening inside of you. I visit a cardiologist once a year. Does anyone else in here visit a cardiologist?
Do you? I take a little medicine from my heart, you know, the cholesterol medicine. And about a year ago, I was told I needed to have a stress echocardiogram. And a stress echocardiogram involves getting on a treadmill. Working for about 15 minutes kind of gets you sweating and your heart pumping, and then you jump on a table, stick the Echocardiogram thing on you, and then they look at your heart to see what it's doing.
I think that's what's partly happening with these men on the road to Emmaus.
Someone's looking at their hearts. It's our Lord Jesus who's looking at their hearts. And we're going to make application tonight to the pastorate and to your installation from this passage. You're a spiritual cardiologist, Eugene. You look at the heart of this congregation.
And I'll tell you, someone who just retired from being a pastor. I can't quite describe to you what that burden is like. Eugene just doesn't visit you or see you here or concerned about your health or about your mind, he's concerned about your whole person. And that's the burden of a pastor. We have a flock, it's called sheep, and we're just burdened for that.
And so you're a spiritual cardiologist, each of you pastors here, you're spiritual cardiologists. In the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis chapter 6, We read these words. And this is why being a pastor is so difficult. It said, the Lord saw that the wickedness of man on earth was great. And that the intentions and thoughts of his heart.
We're only evil. Continually. And that's kind of how the Bible goes after the fall.
So tonight we're going to look briefly at the heart. Martin Loy-Jones' sermon had three parts. The first one is looking at what we would call the sad heart. These men were depressed, we would say. We can understand that.
because Jesus had been crucified on Friday. And what day was this? Let's go ahead and time stamp the passage. What day is it? It's Easter morning.
Now granted. These men had heard a report, we read that, from some women. They'd seen a vision of angels. Jesus wasn't in the tomb. But these men had, to begin with, sad hearts.
And then we'll look at what Jesus said about their hearts. What did he say? He said they had a heart problem. They had slow hearts. He said, Oh, you're slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
He said, You have a heart problem. And then afterwards, after he preaches a sermon to them. And he leaves them at that dinner table that night and he just vanishes. They said, weren't our hearts Birding. within us as he talked with us on the road and opened up the scriptures to us.
A sad heart. If you look at verse 21, look at your text. Verse 17 mentions the sad heart. It says, when they were walking along discussing the things together, and in the NIV, I'm reading from that right now, it says, they stood still and their faces were downcast. You could read it on these men that.
They were in a very low state, a state of depression, a state of sadness. How many of you have had someone to die? that's close to you. We all have. And this is three days.
They had probably spent three, four years with Jesus. And he had been crucified. Brutally crucified by the Roman authorities. And they had probably seen it in Jerusalem. They were heading to Emmaus, which was kind of west, about seven miles or so.
And they were notably shaken. And Jesus could see it on their face because in the King James, the actual translation says, what is this conversation you're holding with each other as you walk and are sad?
So he saw it on them.
Now Jesus knows all things. But he could see it in their faces. Why were they sad? It was because they had a misplaced hope. It says so in verse 21.
Look at verse 21. It says But we After they said, Jesus of Nazareth, a man, a prophet, mighty indeed and word, before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped, we had hoped that he was going to be the Messiah, the one who would. Help us. Redeem us.
and get those nasty Romans off of our back. That's what they were thinking. They put their hope in the wrong Savior, didn't they? Jesus didn't come to conquer the kingdom of the Romans, did he? He came to conquer a far more impenetrable kingdom.
What kingdom did Christ come to conquer? The very kingdom that we're discussing in this text tonight. Jesus came to be the divine cardiologist. to conquer the kingdom. of the human heart.
And that's what's an issue in this passage. These men are sad. They are Uh wondering what's going to happen next.
So let me talk speak to you about Eugene for just a moment. Uh Do not put your hope in Eugene. You will be sad. I've never seen him walk on water. Have you?
I've never seen him multiply a child's lunchbox and feed 5,000 people. Have you seen him do that? No. Have you seen him raise the dead? I have not.
Sometimes on Sunday morning, we feel like that's what we're doing when we're preaching, right? We're trying to raise the dead. They had a misplaced hope. Don't put your hope in your pastor. You can't even put your hope in your church.
Where must your hope be? In Christ. In Christ alone. He's the hope of our heart. He's the one that comes and conquers that thing that Genesis 6 says is filled from birth with wickedness and depravity.
He's the only one who can straighten all that out. It's too big of a mess. The government can't do it. Don't put your hope in Trump. Don't put your hope in Washington.
Don't put your hope in that. Put your hope in Christ. Put your hope in His Word. Jesus is going to tell us about that in a minute. That's the first point here that sad hearts.
Number two. If you look at verses 25 and 27. They went through that long paragraph where. They're giving a lot of facts about things as they happened, all the way from verse 19 down to verse 24. They had the reports that the tomb was empty.
And so In our pastoral counseling courses that we had in seminary, people would have told us in this moment. Jesus was only dead three days. They saw him crucified. They were in a state of grief. What would people tell you we should do with those two men on the road to Emmaus who were in a blue funk?
We should give them a big bear hug. And we should just say Now tell me about how you're feeling. I've been told so many times that when people are in grief, you shouldn't talk to them. You should just come alongside of them when they're in the throes of grief. You should put your arm around them and just be there.
Now, I understand that well as a pastor. And that is appropriate. That is very appropriate when people are in a state of grief. But our Lord Jesus didn't practice that. Hell yeah.
Okay. When he saw the condition of these two men who were obviously despondent. over the death of Jesus. who they believe to be their Messiah. The first words out of Jesus' mouth are, what?
Oh, fools. Oh, fools. And slow. of heart. To believe all that the prophets have spoken.
And so begins Jesus' sermon to these two men. He didn't offer them an arm around the neck, he didn't give them a bear hug. He just launched into a sermon. He preached a sermon seven and a half miles maybe from Jerusalem to Emmaus, wherever Emmaus is, we're not quite sure. Maybe a two, three hour sermon?
He's talking. We'll get to that in a moment. You see, Eugene, he will not come to you in this pulpit as your pastor. He has not done that in the past. Since 2005, I guess you've been preaching some years since 2005.
You know this man well, and that's a good thing. But he will not. Mount this pulpit and begin to talk to you about what Sigmund Freud has to say. He won't talk about Frederick Nietzsche. Or some other philosopher.
He won't do that. He won't bring you sociology. He won't be bringing you Uh Anything like that, you know what he'll be bringing you? He'll be bringing you. The living and powerful and sharper than a double-edged sword.
Word. Of God. And that's what I need, and that's what you need. You need the scriptures, and we'll get to that in the last point here. You see, he will preach to you the word.
The medical world, there are two ways that heart conditions are dealt with. My dad had two. Open heart surgeries, five bypasses both times: one at 59, another one at 69. He died at 81. One time in the ICU, His heart rate got up to about 200 after his second heart surgery.
with five bypasses being done. I was run out of the room really quick when that happened. He was fearful and they came in and they used the defibrillators on him. Not because his heart stopped. But because his heart was going too fast.
And they had to shock his heart. And in this passage, Jesus takes out two paddles. The two paddles of the defibrillator. And one, they're the words of Moses. He says it right here.
He says, and O foolish ones and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Verse 27, look at that. And beginning with Moses and all the prophets.
So he takes the first five books of the Old Testament, and then he takes the last, I guess it's 17 books of the Old Testament, and it's like he applies that word to the heart of these despairing. Disciples. They needed a sermon. And they got one. And you need a sermon, and I need a sermon.
I need to be fed the word of the living God.
So be thankful that you have a man. Who is Preaches the Word of God and not all those other things that I mentioned just a moment ago. They were slow of heart. They needed a remedy. One of the other methods that doctors use and cardiologists use is something called cardioversion.
Y'all familiar with that? Cardioaversion is where your heart has an arrhythmia. It's just kind of out of whack a little bit. And they do shock your heart to get it back in rhythm. And I think sometimes as pastors, that's what we're doing when we bring forth the word of God.
We're kind of shocking the heart and saying, Come back. the word. Come back to Christ. Put your hope. where your hope should be.
How foolish. Jesus said, you are. You're slow of heart. not to believe all that the prophets have spoken. He was saying this.
You know the Old Testament. You know your Bible. I hope Grace Church knows your Bible. But you just don't believe it. You know it.
There are. Liberal people. I grew up in a liberal church, a very liberal church. And the people knew their Bible. They just didn't believe it.
They might have known it as well as we do. But they just didn't believe it. And so that's what Jesus was speaking to these men about. The slowness of heart wasn't because they didn't know Moses and the prophets. It was because they didn't believe it.
He said, how slow of heart you are to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
So after diagnosing their heart condition, they had sad hearts, didn't they? They were down. They were depressed. They were walking probably with their heads hanging down. It says in verse 32, I'm jumping over some verses here.
Uh I'm not gonna say anything about the mystery of Jesus' disguise, how he disguised himself so they didn't recognize him, or the mystery of how when they ate the meal he was recognized, but I will say this. Every time Eugene or one of us brothers has preached a sermon, We're serving you a meal. We hope you come with an appetite. We hope you get four. We want you to be fat with what we preach.
That's what he, at the meal, they were serving this physical meal, and Jesus blessed those, the food at the meal, and it says their eyes were what? They were opened. And they realized It was Jesus.
So Eugene, as you preach that word. What do we want people to see in it? Jesus. We want him to see the Lord Jesus Christ in all of the scriptures as you preach it. But verse 32, we get to that.
So Jesus disappeared. It says they uh Verse 31. And their eyes were open. They recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.
And they said to each other, Did not our hearts Burn. Did not our hearts Burn. Within us. While he talked with us, And opened. The scriptures.
to us. There were two things that happened. The first one was, they said he just talked with us.
Now I want to put in a good word for what you as a congregation can do to help your pastor. One sermon a week. Or maybe two, y'all have Sunday night, y'all have Sunday night sermon, and that's not enough to live on. What if you only ate one day a week? You'd be you'd be malnourished.
You have to read the Bible. I encourage you to spend as much human time as you can reading the Word of God. Read the Bible. I believe you do. I believe you're a church that does.
When you do, Jesus is speaking to you. I always like to say this, when I read the Bible, I don't like to read the Bible and say, well, this is a book that's written in the past. This is him speaking. This is God speaking now when I read the Bible. He is speaking to me now when I read the Bible.
Does that make sense? I hope you agree with that. Every time you pick up the Bible, it's not like you go, well, this is what God spoke in Isaiah. No. This is what God is speaking now to me in Isaiah.
And that's because of the reality. of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in us as we read. And so it's as if God is speaking to us. presently.
when we read our Bibles.
So Jesus, it says, spoke to them. It says Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us? That's what God does in His Word. He talks to us in His Word when we read it. And while he opened the scriptures to us.
And that's what you want your pastor to do. To open up. The precious scriptures. We're whole Bible Christians, aren't we? It says he began with Moses, he began with the prophets.
Later on in the passage, it says that he expounded the Psalms to them. and preached everything about himself. And so it's one of the wonders of our Bibles. that throughout the scriptures We find our Lord. and our Saviour.
Jesus Christ. He opened the scriptures to them.
Well, that's it. Pretty good, isn't it? How'd they start off? Say it? Hearts, right?
It doesn't have to be because Jesus got crucified, but someone here has a sad heart. I have a sad heart from time to time. I know in our my former congregation we had people that struggled with depression. The answer to it is not found in psychology or. all kinds of other things.
It's found in simply hearing the word of God. When someone's depressed, sometimes they'll say, I can't come to church because I'm sad. I can't come to church.
Well, that's where you need to be. When you're saved, you need to hear a sermon. You need to hear God speaking. You need the scriptures expounded.
So these men had sad hearts. Jesus said their hearts were slow. Slow to believe. Don't be those. Please don't be those.
Be those who are quiet. Quick. to embrace all all that Eugene preaches from the precious scriptures to you. and to take that into your life. And make that living and active word come alive in you so that you will leave.
This congregation, when you come on Sunday morning, with what kind of heart? A burning heart. I left out one part of the sermon for the close. I left out the devil. The devil is in this passage, is he not?
You don't see him. He's not physically present. But the devil is in this passage. He's discouraging these men. Jesus had told them what?
He would be rejected of men. He would be turned over to the authorities. He would be tried. He would be convicted. Jesus said he would be killed.
He told them. And then what was the next thing Jesus told him? But on the third day This day. I will rise. Amen.
Amen. We're not Seventh-day Adventists. I'm glad we're not. Today is Resurrection Sunday. We think Easter is, right?
No. Today is Resurrection Sunday. Because every Sunday is Resurrection Day. And I can be in the heart, the shoes of these disciples just as easily as you can. My heart heavy.
depressed, sad. And God comes and says, Believe. I know it sounds kind of trite, but he says just. Trust. My word.
Trust in the Lord with what? All Your You know it. All your Heart. And lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways, acknowledge him. And he'll make your paths straight, firm, and everything else that they need to be.
The devil was on these two men. He wanted them. sad of heart. Jesus said, You're slow of heart. to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
In our closing hymn. In just a moment. We'll read these words if I can get this bulletin back in order. There it is. I get sad sometimes because this world is filled with devils.
And demons. That wants to destroy the Christian church. They want to destroy us as Christians. But old Martin Luther wrote that hymn. He mentions the word.
And that's what this passage has been about. Their hearts burned. Not when Jesus revealed himself to them. Their hearts burned when he spoke to them and opened the scriptures to them. Do you see that?
We don't need the physical presence of Jesus. For our hearts to burn. We just need him to speak to us in the word. And we need those scriptures opened up to us as Eugene. does and will do.
And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us. We will not fear, for God hath willed his truth. That's what Jesus brought to these men. He brought the truth to them. And the hymn says, Uh For God hath willed his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness, Grim, they're the disciples, Grim. Sad, depressed. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him, his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure, one little word shall fail him. What word is that? It could be Jesus the word, John chapter 1.
Or it can be the whole of the scriptures. It doesn't take, but one word of the scriptures. to put the devil. to flight. Amen.
That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them abideth. The Spirit and the gifts are ours. Through him. Who with us Let goods and kindred go. This mortal life Also Our bodies, even our bodies.
They may kill. But what abideth still? His kingdom, his truth. God's truth abideth still his kingdom. Yes.
Forever. If you came here tonight with a sad or a slow heart, I bid you to listen to your pastor. as he opens the scriptures. And as he expounds those. and by Grace Church in Harrisburg.
Be a place known. We're the brothers and the sisters. Have hearts. That burn for God the Father. For God the Son.
And for God the Holy Spirit. Amen? Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word. I confess my own sin to you in the close of this sermon.
Knowing that my heart is often slow. and often sad. And Lord, I have no one to really blame but myself. You give me and my brothers and sisters the precious. Holy Word of God.
And then you you give us preachers. It will expound that word and open it up to us.
So I pray God as I've tried to do that. with this text that you would Enable us, by the working of your own spirit, To have hearts. that burn. For you. Lord Jesus.
Give us grace this night as we have charges, as we have. prayers, the laying on of hands for my brother. Dear brother Eugene. May you get all the glory. Honor and praise.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Good evening. Bill, thank you. That word Setting the the weight and the gravity of what we're gathered here tonight to do.
Pointing us to the truth: that it's not Eugene, it's not any of us. But it is the word of God. It's my privilege. To represent the commission tonight for the Catawba Valley Presbytery as we install my brother Eugene. And it is an honor to be here tonight with you.
It is an honor to gather and worship our great God and Saviour. And we must recognize that it is he who is called Eugene. to lead this church here at Grace Harrisburg. This worship service While it is a function of the Catawba Valley Presbytery, it is More importantly. A recognition Of God's calling you, Gene, to a new work within you and among you.
The Presbytery Commission gathered, recognizes, and we record this installation, but make no doubt. that it is God himself who is called Eugene. And it is God who sovereignly ordains this installation tonight. Our participation in this service of installing Eugene to the office of senior pastor. is in itself a form of worship.
Allowing us to praise and to thank God for His faithfulness to His church. and to his body heare it grace. The vows of both Eugene and that you will take the laying on of hands with prayer. The extending of the right hand of fellowship and the charges all find basis in Scripture, and as such, are the ways in which we demonstrate our faith. and obedience to the one who has promised to build his church.
that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Brothers and sisters, it is in this attitude of worship we now continue. As we install Eugene. God's servant. to the role of senior pastor here at Grace Church.
Will and Eugene, will you please come forward? Eugene has several questions to ask you. Remember this: that's the first time that we have a question. God sets you apart for a de robe. A grace church.
It's his doing. As Paul and Barnabas were first sent out. The brothers prayed for it and fasted, and I know people have been praying and fasting here. And then the second journey, Paul and Silas went out and Barnabas and John Mark went out, and that church was also praying. And sending.
So God is calling you.
So I'm going to ask these questions to you. These are vows, and please ask you. To answer in the affirmative with I do. Gene Odom, are you willing to take charge of this congregation as their pastor? agreeable to your declaration in accepting its call.
I am. Do you consciously believe and declare, as far as you know, your own heart, that in taking upon you this charge, you are influenced by a sincere desire to promote the glory of God and the good of the church. I do. Do you solemnly promise that? By the assistance of the grace of God, You will endeavor faithfully to discharge all the duties of a pastor to this congregation.
And will be careful to maintain a deportment in all respects becoming. becoming a minister of the gospel of Christ. agreeable to your ordination engagements. I do. Thank you.
Now I have questions for the congregation. for you to make a commitment. I ask you to stand. These questions are in your bulletin. But I will ask you to answer these.
In the affirmative. Do you, the people of this congregation, Continue to profess your readiness to receive Reverend Eugene Odom. whom you have called to be your pastor. Do you promise To receive the word of truth from his mouth with meekness and love, and to submit to him in the due exercise of discipline. Do you promise to encourage him in his labors and to assist his endeavors for your instruction and spiritual edification?
The answer is: Do you engage to continue to him while he is your pastor that competent worldly maintenance which you have promised? and to furnish him with whatever you may see needful for for the honor of religion and for his comfort among you. You maybe see it. In the book of Acts. Chapter 13, verse 3, it records the church.
setting aside Barnabas and Saul, Paul, for the work God had called them to. They did this by fasting and prayer with the laying on of hands. It is therefore right and proper for us this evening that we pray for our brother. and that we do so by the laying on of hands, so that I would ask that Any ruling or teaching elder here this evening come forward. as we pray for our brother, Eugene, if you would come to the front.
Father God, we pray, please, as you confirm the call on Eugene's life to be the senior pastor. Lord, first and foremost, I pray that you would continue to do the miracle of preserving Eugene to persevere to be him. Lord, keep him a Christian, more than anything else, more even than this. Lord, do not let him ever make a shipwreck in his faith. But Lord, as you supply by your Spirit, Lord, would you uphold him, would you help me?
To walk in faithfulness. Father God, I pray, please, that you would help him to love the word. And Lord, help him to love the system of doctrine, Lord, that this church is founded upon. Lord, help him to delight in truth and to proclaim the truth and to apply the truth. Lord, give him joy.
Lord, I pray that you would help him to love the church. Lord, even when the church is hard-working. Lord, I pray that you would please help him to keep peace with his brothers. Lord, I pray that you would help him to promote your glory in the church, in the community, and among his family. Lord, in his marriage.
Lord, we pray that you would help him to maintain the truth of the gospel even if persecution comes. Lord, we pray by your power that you would do that. Help him to discharge the duties. Of his office as a pastor. Lord, we pray that you would help him to be faithful to the promises he's taking.
Lord, burn it into his heart. Lord, help them to write it down. For a member of them. Lord, in times of trouble of heart. Lord, we pray that you would set A part of this task, and Lord, we look back with joy at this day at your movement, Lord, for your glory and for your name's sake in Christ.
It is now my privilege to make this pronouncement. On behalf of the Catawba Valley Presbytery Commission, to the congregation here at Grace. I now pronounce and declare that Reverend Eugene Oldham has been regularly elected. previously ordained and now installed pastor of this congregation. Agreeable to the word of God and according to the constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America.
and that as such he is entitled to all support, Encouragement. honor and obedience in the Lord. In the name of the Father. and of the sun and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Amen. Eugene, family, congratulations. And It's my duty to give you a charge from the Word of God. I promise you I'm not going to make this long, brother. But we have spent a lot of time together in the last 10 years.
I can confidently say that there is only one man in the PCA that I have spent weeks with in Kenya. And thika, Kenya. 23 hours on a plane with a fellow will tell you a lot about a man. I can also say that your life, brother, has commended the gospel to me from beginning to end. I've witnessed the way that you love your family and care for them.
I've benefited from your example, the way you've demonstrated Christ's likeness. and leading and guiding your first flock. You've mentored me as a father. And as a husband. I'm grateful to the Lord for your life.
But I'm also grateful to the Lord for your teaching. My family has benefited from the way you've nourished us and fed us through the years at different times and in various places. Your life has already proven useful for the kingdom of God. And that means you have a target on your back. The world, the flesh, and the devil are not going to give you a moment's rest.
And so this is your charge from 1 Timothy. Chapter four and verse sixteen. Keep a close watch. On yourself. and on the teaching.
Persist in this. For by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. If Paul's words seemed weighty, It's because they are. John Owen. on this verse says this.
The purity and the well-being of a church. depends on the purity and faithfulness of its minister. The church thrives or falls into decay. as its appointed minister. Thrives or decays.
If ministers are negligent and corrupt, the people will fall away from the gospel. The flocks will not be preserved. We're the shepherds. or negligent. Brother, it is your duty to believe.
1 Timothy 4.16 with all your might. There are two commands. Watch. and persevere. What's your life?
and your doctrine. Persevere in your life. And in your doctrine. These two areas. Paul identifies as places to give all diligent vigilance and perseverance.
When he says, Watch, I think of the Lord Jesus giving those first heralds of the gospel on the night of his betrayal. The words, watch and pray lest you fall into temptation. That word breathes an air of humility. It commends us for who we are. People who are simply carrying treasures in jars of clay.
Pray, brother. Satan is bound. He's on a leash. He cannot go any further than the Lord permits.
So, as you oversee the flock of God, pray for the flock continually. Watch and pray lest they fall into temptation. but also focus on your own life. Proverbs 4:23 says, Keep your heart with all vigilance. For from it flows the springs of life, so before anything else, watch over your own heart.
Keep a good conscience with God. short accounts with him. Seek the forgiving, merciful grace of our Lord and pursue Christ in the study, in the home, in the parish, and in the closet at any time of the day. Ask that the Lord might make you able to lift your heart before Him and know His smiling pleasure and face. Keep close communion with Christ.
We love our Presbyterian heritage. We love to Quote Those older and wiser than us. But I gained a lot of comfort from a man by the name of James Stewart, not Jimmy. A Scottish preacher of another generation, He said, You may preach Paul's Christ or Calvin's Christ and not break a single shackle of sin or bind up one broken heart. There's not enough second-hand religion to rouse the listless.
or set the captives free, But how different it is. When the apostles, when like the apostles, The 20th century, the 21st century. Preacher. Has a congregation that can say, that man has been with Jesus Christ. For me, brother, the last eight years, my successes and my failures have basically come along the line of the basics.
Bible study. Meditation upon the scriptures. In prayer. Meditation until I'm counseled, until I'm roused in heart and mind. The more I spend time with Christ, the more effective my ministry.
Is And watch over your heart so that it's right before God and with your people. The Bible encourages us to maintain a continuing growing love. or the flock of God. The flock is not always friendly. They're not sometimes they're frustrating.
It's easy to want to distance yourself. In order to protect yourself or your family, But if we watch over our life, We're going to maintain a growing love for the flock that Christ has given us under our charge. There's just no substitute. As the ambassador of Christ. There's no substitute for your love to this flock.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul reminds us that all the knowledge and all the words in the world do not replace love.
So watch yourself. Watch your heart. Keep close communion with Christ and then watch over and persevere in your doctrine. We live in a day where doctrine is sold at a discount. There's plenty of podcasts out there talking about doctrine.
Thousands, and we can be thankful for that, and yet it seems like it's discussed on the cheap. Without any sense that true biblical doctrine deals with life and death. Heaven and hell. Be quick. in your scripture reading and preaching.
to convict people of sin. of righteousness. of judgment. Point them to Christ. Give them a fragrant knowledge of Him.
Jeremiah 3:15 says, And I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. As you pursue Christ. Placard Christ before your congregation. But make sure they're ready to receive him. Convict them of sin.
remind them of a holy God. That means that you need to be ruthlessly biblical. Preaching the Old and the New Testament. The whole council of God. Making Sola Scriptura your pole star.
for everything you do. May God bless this congregation as people walk in to know there is more Bible in this place, not less. That Christ is honored because his word is honored. Brother, this verse is weighty. Because this verse acknowledges that ministers of the gospel play a crucial role in lifting Christ before sinful men.
Salvation only comes. by faith in the person and work of Christ. But faith comes by hearing. And hearing comes by the Word of God.
So placard Christ with all your might. Convict men and women of sin and righteousness and judgment. Let your life commend the Christ that you preach. and preach him faithfully. Let's pray together.
Father, these are weighty words for any minister of the gospel. And we pray, Father, that you would so work in Eugene's life that they would present the right gravity. That they would humble him, that they would drive him to you, and that he would seek with all his might. to lift Christ high. to show the world the Savior that he prizes.
Keep him close. Draw him near to you that he may feed your people with sound preaching and teaching. and give them wise counsel in the home. As he loves this flock. For we ask it in Jesus' name.
Then all God's people said. Amen. Congregation. When Eugene asked me if I would do the charge to the congregation. I thought for a little bit and thought This should be really easy because I can tell them to do what they've done for the last 17 years.
We've been blessed at Grace Church. with preaching of the word, with Eugene and and his teaching. And I was going to leave it at that, but I thought after I talked to Bruce Brown. Should be a little bit more. And especially after I heard what he just used.
One thing that I can tell you that my relationship with Eugene congregation is he is ruthlessly biblical. And that is not in a harmful way to you, that is in a loving way to you. And so that ties this charge that I'm going to use an even more importance to you. As you receive the word that he preaches, because when it is ruthless, biblical teaching. It is going to sting.
It is going to step on your toes. And Jesus Christ. says these words in John 13. 34 and 35. A new commandment I give to you.
that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples. If you have love. for one another.
To the saints gathered here from Grace Church this evening. Jesus Christ commands us to love. one another. There can be no better charge that I can give you in this presence than those very words, because in that command of Jesus Christ, it encompasses. all the other charges that I could give you.
It encompasses all the one another verses of all of Scripture. And It means so much more than just a glossed reading. What is it that you are called to do when you love one another? You are called to bear the burdens. Of Eugene and his family, as he's called to bear the burdens of you and your family.
You're called to encourage. to uplift him. I charge you this evening to think through when we are called to love one another. It is calling us to count others more than ourselves, to look upon our pastor and be in prayer continually for him. And why?
It's because he needs to be ruthlessly biblical. And it's going to hurt. I remember when I heard I was a sinner and the Holy Spirit opened that truth. It did not feel good. It felt like the pastor was pointing out me specific.
But oh, when the Holy Spirit did move, the thanksgiving I had in my heart for that pastor who shared the truth of God's word without deflection, without easing it.
So I call you tonight. I call you, I charge you to love. Like Jesus has loved us. And in that Look to him. As Eugene Stands before you as your senior pastor.
Love him. Support him. Encourage him. Hold him. to being ruthlessly biblical with you.
and speak the truth of God's word. while you attentively and lovingly accept the truth of that word because it's Christ's. In doing so, God will be glorified. and you will be built up. More and more in Christ Jesus.
I'm in charge to give the Prayer for God's blessing. And as always. Thinking upon this. I came upon A minister's prayer. In the book the Valley of Vision.
Now it's written in the first person.
So as I read through this, I want you to imagine that Eugene is praying this. And I want you to pray it along with him. Because if he prays this, And please, what it pleases for in here. This will bring Blessing to Grace Church.
So bow your heads and pray along with this. The minister's prayer. Oh my Lord. Let not my ministry be approved only by men. or merely win the esteem and affections of people, But do the work of grace in their hearts.
Call in thy elect. Seal and edify the regenerate ones. and command eternal blessings on their souls. Save me from my self-opinion and self-seeking. Water the hearts of those who hear thy word.
that seed sown in weakness may be raised in power. Cause me and those that hear me to behold thee here in light of special faith. and hereafter in the blaze of endless glory. Make my every sermon a means of grace to myself. and help me to experience the power of thy dying love.
For thy blood is balm. Thy presence bliss. Thy smile, Heaven Thy cross, the place where truth and mercy meet Look upon the doubts and discouragements of my ministry and keep me from self-importance. I beg pardon for my many sins, O missions. infirmities as a man, as a minister.
Command thy blessing on my weak, unworthy labors. and on the message of salvation given. Stay with thy people. and may thy presence be their portion and mine. When I preach to others, let not my words be merely elegant and masterly, my reasoning polished and refined.
My performance powerless and tasteless. But may I exalt thee. and humble sinners. O Lord of power and grace. All hearts are in thy hands.
all events at thy disposal. Set the seal of thy almighty will upon my ministry. God our Father, we pray now that this prayer. you would look upon and grant blessing upon Grace Church. For your glory.
In the name of the Father and of the Son. and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Brother Bill has pointed us to the wonderful truths of this hymn from Martin Luther: A mighty fortress is our God. Let's stand and sing it from the heart.
as we gather uh in Closing or a time of worship together. Almighty for treasures. Uh God. Our bold work never failing. Our helper here amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe his craft and Power are great and armed with cruel hate on earth is not easy. Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing our God, the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing. Just ask who that may be, Christ Jesus, it is He, Lord Sab is name from age to age, the same, and He must win the battle. And though this world with devils, Should threaten to undo us. We will not fear, for God hath willed this truth to triumph through us.
The primes of darkness bring we tremble not for him, his rage we can endure. For lo, his doom is sure. One little word shall fail him that word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them abide. The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sided. Let goods and kindred go this mortal life also, body they make Hill God's truth abidest still, His kingdom is forever.
this service with The Lord's benediction. I just want to First of all, thank the commission from Catawba Valley Presbytery for your participation here tonight. Each one of you just leading us in such rich, rich worship and brother bill the the message from god's word Consoling sad hearts and pointing us to the means of having burning hearts. What a tremendous word. Thank you all.
I want to thank the ruling elders of Grace Church. What a sweet, sweet privilege it is to serve alongside of you guys. Um And you've borne up under that target that Bruce talked about this last year, and it's been a privilege. to serve with you men of integrity. And I'm very grateful for you, deacons.
I'm so grateful for you, your loving service. and heart for this church. And I'm grateful for the congregation, Grace Church. What a sweet, sweet church you are. You've loved on me and my family for so many years now.
This is where I want to be on Sundays. And you're the reason why.
So I'm so grateful for you. And I just wanna. Acknowledge Scripture says, An excellent wife who can find. She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her.
and he will have no lack of gain she does him good, and not harm all the days of her life. The unspoken warrior of a pastor's life is the pastor's wife. And I'm so grateful, Laura, for you. I remember when I was finishing up my time at seminary, we had a fancy banquet with all the graduates and We're just kind of reminiscing about our days in seminary, and it dawned on me in that moment that I got to spend my days reading cool theology books and sipping on coffee and studying the Bible. My wife was at home changing diapers and laboring in the background.
Wives often get overlooked in ministry. I couldn't do what I do. None of us could do what we do in ministry without our wives. our helpmates and the Lord is good to have thought of that. And to provide such suitable help meets for us, so I'm grateful.
You're all invited to stay for time of fellowship. Uh after uh we're done here, we're gonna go. Up to the fellowship, Paul. I would love to have you all stay and just enjoy that time. But as we conclude, would you receive the Lord's benediction?
This is from Ephesians chapter 3.
Now, to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think. according to the power at work within us. To him be glory in the church. and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. And all God's people said,
