Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world.
So that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church, located in Kernersville, North Carolina. Want to thank so many of you for comments and well wishes and. Text and messages to the family, to Kevin, to Joanna. to meet, to our church, to our staff.
We appreciate it so much. And um this is um Unique time. Not often does a church have a 50-year pastor. And Brother Joe was pastor here for 50 years. the longer that you are here and pastoring, the harder it would ever be to describe it.
Um to explain it. To even encapsulate it in one service and one funeral and whatever the case might be.
So there's just no possible way. Um to do that.
So we kind of threw out of out the window anything we had planned kind of for this weekend and Uh we as a church just um We just want to love on each other and enjoy the day and look back. And I think as a church, we should always look ahead.
Sometimes it's okay to look back. to be thankful. Um for how good God Um has been. Just to reiterate, the funeral will be Tuesday at 10 o'clock. I believe the family is actually meeting with the funeral home right now.
So, because of that, we put out what we can, but we can't give all details just because it has to be kind of set in stone. But the funeral, Lord willing, unless something drastically changes, the family decided will be Tuesday, 2 o'clock, right here in this audit. 2 Peter chapter 1. And let's look at verse 1, if you don't mind. 2 Peter chapter 1.
And verse one. or title today comes out of this first part. Verse 1. Simon Peter. A servant.
Let's pray. Lord, I thank you for all that you've done. And Lord. We have the, I guess, advantage to Kind of sit and almost look at a whole person's life. Because of the timing of this, we can Look at Brother Joe's younger years and the years pastoring here and all that.
In whatever stage each of us are in in our life. I pray that you would, as this chapter describes, to me, so much of what Brother Joe gave his life for. I pray that you would help us to decide that we want to do this with our life.
Now you don't call all of us to do the same thing. But you have called all of us under the same gospel. You've given all of us the same task to go into all the world and preach the gospel.
So, Lord, I pray that you would help us this morning. As we talk about a servant. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. I want you to notice in this passage, first, a lot of subjects are introduced here, but first.
We see the place where God calls. Look if you would at verse 1. Simon Peter, it says, a servant. and an apostle. of Jesus Christ.
To them that have obtained like precious faith with us, Through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Christ. Notice here, Peter describes what God has called him to. The place where God has called them. Notice first, he says, I'm a servant of Christ.
Paul, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul says first, I mean, he said, Peter here, we're talking, I'm a servant of Christ. Notice, secondly. I'm a spokesperson. Christ.
I'm an apostle. I I I'm not just. A servant But I should be telling others. My life should not just be to serve him. Because let's be honest, if you're going to serve him, you're going to have to tell others.
That's what serving him is. Serving Christ is telling others about Christ.
So notice this. Peter says, I'm a servant of Christ. I'm a spokesperson of Christ. But notice last, he says, I'm sent to people. Notice this, to them.
to them that have obtained like precious faith. You know, Brother Joe's life, I found over the years that as wonderful as Brother Joe. saw his responsibility as being sent to people. The way you live out your love to Christ is through people in a sense. The way you live that out is not just in your relationship with Christ, but it's in.
the love you have for people. Because people are the ones that Christ died for. And so Brother Joe was always a servant to people, but here's what Brother Joe always taught me and always kept in perspective: that he was a servant to Christ. Listen, if you do what you do for people, you do it for the people, you're gonna quit. Right.
mishandle you. People can abuse you. And we're all susceptible of that. We always say that as if people can do that. Hey, we can do it too.
We can mishandle people. We can abuse. We don't even mean to, but we're flesh and we're human. And you know what, Brother Joe? I think the way you go through 50 years of pastoring, and not just, you know, Brother Joe pastored 50 years, then he went back to his lifestyle.
Brother Joe was who Brother Joe was.
Now, he pastored here for 50 years, but he was the same in the pulpit, same out of the pulpit, and he was the same when he was done with the pulpit. Why? Because he was a servant of Christ. And I want to encourage you today: listen, are you a servant of Christ? Is He your motive?
Is He your end all? Is he the reason? Is he the motivation? Is it serving Christ? Peter says, before I even go on, you need to understand who you are in Christ.
before you move forward. I'm a servant of Christ. I'm a spokesperson of Christ. But I've been sent to people. Notice here, secondly, not just the place where God calls, but the peace that God provides.
Look at verse 2. Grace and peace be multiplied. Unto you.
Now that sounds great. Grace to you. Peace to you. Listen, just because I tell somebody, listen, grace to you, doesn't mean they get grace. Just because I look at somebody and say peace unto you doesn't mean they have peace Look at the verse.
Here's what's fantastic about this: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you. Notice this: through. Yep. Through what? Notice, the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
You see, we can wish peace and grace on people all we want to, but grace and peace in our life comes through the knowledge of God's word, the knowledge of Christ, the knowledge of him. That means this. Brother Joe spent 50 years getting up here every Sunday morning, every Sunday night, every Wednesday night, and all kinds of ways in between, teaching and preaching the word of God. Why? Because the more we learn the word, the more we get to know Christ, the more grace and peace we have in our life.
That's right. Yes, sir. Listen, you come and say, listen, ma'am. Pray for my kids. They need peace in their life.
Well, let me tell you what they need. They need God's word. Pray that they'll get in church. Pray that they'll get in God's Word. And by the way, if you're here and you see, you know, I don't really have peace in my life, I'll tell you why.
You don't have the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The more you get to know him, the more you get in his word. It's amazing. The more you submit to him, the more peace you have. It's amazing how it works.
So here we have Peter says, the place that God calls, the peace that God gives. Notice thirdly, The power that God gives. Look at verse 3. According. What does that word according mean?
This is how it all takes place. This is how it all happens. And can I give you a little bit of a hint? It doesn't happen because of your power. It doesn't happen because of your strength.
Notice the verse. Peter says, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things. that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him. That has called us to glory and virtue. May I say something, Brother Joe made it very clear.
He lived out the power of God. We've been, you know, we didn't have long to work on this because of the timing of when Brother Joe actually passed away so fast. once he got to hospice. And by the way, I say Thank God. Thank God.
Many of you have seen the opposite. Many of you And, you know, there's no good way for a family to have to deal with the loss of a loved one. I've sat with people that lost a loved one through a tragic car accident.
Something happened immediately and they've lost that loved one. I've dealt with people that lost loved ones that watched them sit and suffer for two, three years with cancer and illness and things. And listen, it's never easy. I will tell you this, that the people that they have loved ones that die in a car crash, all you can tell them is, listen, they didn't have to suffer for years upon ends. They didn't have to deal with disease.
They didn't have to deal with whatever. It was God's timing in their life. And you don't have to have those kind of memories.
So thank God for that. And the people that loved ones have to go through years of suffering. You can say, listen, at least thankful God gave you that time with them. My mom, I watched her suffer for a couple of years and different things. And a little bit the same with my dad.
Listen, there's no good way to deal with anything. But I do know this, that Brother Joe, over the years, made it very clear. The only way you do anything for God, and the only way you stay faithful to anything of God, and the only way you accomplish anything in your life. life is through the divine power of God. And if you don't have that, you don't have anything.
And may I say this morning, it could be well possible that there's just some in this room that are trying to do what you're doing right now in your power. Look at this verse. According as His divine power hath given us all things. that pertain unto life. That's the key.
Yeah. It's God's power. You say, well, how am I going to do this? How am I going to accomplish this? God's power.
God's power. God's power. Notice if you would member 4 here in verse 4 we see the promises that God gave. The place where God calls, the peace that God provides, the power that God gives, but notice. the promises that God gave.
Whereby? are given unto us. Exceeding great and precious promises. That by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature. Can I tell you something?
It is not always. Sunshine and roses to be part of the divine nature. See, part of the divine nature, part of being like Christ is facing suffering. going through difficult times. But here's what it says: the reason you and I can go through those things, the reason you and I can face some of the things that Jesus faced and identify with his sufferings and all those things is because of the promises God has given.
Brother Joe spent his lifetime not preaching his opinion on things, but he got God's word and he preached, these are the promises. I will never leave you nor forsake you. You cannot be separated from the love of God. Greater is He that is in me than He that is in. You know, we must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
It's promises. We have faith in the promises of God. That's the only way we're going to get through this. It's the only way we're going to come through this and not be Bat crazy.
Some people already are. None in this room. Except for this one. It's the promises of God. I watched Brother Joe.
claim the promises of God. I've sat in his car many times over 50 years. Where you'd sit down and you could just tell he's burdened, he's hurting. Maybe it's disappointment in people, maybe it's just disappointment in circumstances, whatever the case might be. And he would talk and he would tell about how he's feeling and he would tell about the difficulty it is, but then he would always say, But God says.
Here's a promise. Here's a promise. Listen, you need to get a hold of the promises of God. Claim them, keep them. I want you to notice in verse 5.
He next gives us the plan that God laid out.
Now once you notice this process, we're almost done. In verse 5, it says, And beside this. Beside what? The beside were being what God's called you to be. Beside the power that He's given you, the promises that He's given you, all these things beside this, notice this.
Giving all diligence adds to your faith virtue. In other words, God does all this, but there's something that you're expected to do. You're going to have to make some effort in this thing. God's given promises, God's going to provide the power, God's called you to a place, God's done all this. But there still is a responsibility for you.
And once you and I come to a knowledge of saving faith in Jesus Christ, it doesn't mean we just get saved and we sit back and do nothing. And so for 50 years, Brother Joe would constantly prod people and encourage people and teach people and preach to people and all those things. Notice what it says. Add to your faith, virtue. To virtue, knowledge.
How are you going to get knowledge without the Word of God? To knowledge, notice this. To knowledge, temperance, self-control. To temperance, patience. To patience, godliness.
To godliness, brotherly kindness. And to brotherly kindness, charity. These things ought to be adding to your life. And Brother Joe taught these things and preached these things. And may I encourage you, Kerwin Baptist Church.
We are not to get saved to sit. We are saved to what? A servant of Jesus Christ. We are saved to serve. And we are to grow.
This morning in the Sunday school in our discipleship class. I thought, how wonderful, how wonderful. That on the weekend that we're talking about, the passing of Brother Joe, the legacy that he's left, 50 years as pastor, served God, kept the faith, finished his course, all these things, that right at the church where he spent his lifetime serving. That on Sunday school, here we are with 20-something people going through discipleship, going through the verses, learning principles of prayer, which is our lesson today, going through verse by verse, you know, area by area. Why?
Because that's what the church should do. Thank God you spend your life at a church that wants to continue doing what you told them to do. You know how many pastors spend their life, and you can't even find the church where they pastor. They don't exist anymore. I have a pastor that I worked for as an intern when I was in college.
That church doesn't even exist anymore. He retired, left, next guy came in, church folded up. They wanted to change directions, go on all this new stuff kind of a thing, and the whole church just failed, just wrapped up. And I'm telling you, thank God that Tuesday we can get up here and preach a funeral about Brother Joe, and the church that he gave his life to is still trying to make disciples from the Word of God. All of us should be involved in this.
All of us should be as to our faith. I want you to notice a verse 11. We see the place that God has prepared. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly unto the everlasting kingdom. Of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
You see, while we do all this, we got to remember. He has prepared a place for us. Brother Joe's faith has been made sight. You know how many times he preached on heaven? Why did he preach on it?
He'd never seen it. How did he know it existed? Because the Bible said so.
So his faith is now become sight. As we close, I want you to notice in verse 12. the proclamation of the truth. Verse 12, it says, Wherefore, listen to what Peter said.
Now, I want you to look at this in perspective with Brother Job today. Peter says, Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them. Peter says, I want to make sure you remember these principles, that you remember the Word of God. I know you know them. But I want them to always be in your mind.
I want them to be in your life. And what is Peter saying? I'm going to proclaim, and as long as I have breath, I'm going to proclaim and teach and preach the truth. Why? Notice verse 12: to stabilize.
He says, and be established. in the present truth. Though ye know them, why am I still proclaiming to be established in? Listen, I commit to you. For what it's worth to you.
Our pastor Emeritus is now in heaven. But as your pastor now, and I guess the only pastor that you got now, I'm sorry. And you lost the best one. I love how. People, you know, obviously honoring Brother Joe, the greatest pastor in the world, the greatest pastor.
Did you hear Brother Frank today trying to save his job? Did you hear him today? Did you hear, brother, the greatest pastor will ever have. And then how God brought Brother Daniel in. Thank God for Brother Daniel.
What a blessed church we've been. That's one thing I've noticed as Brother Joe's passed away. You can see people that are the greatest pastor in the world. And all of a sudden it just registers when I'm talking to the pastor there now.
So how do I? It's okay. He was the greatest factor in the world. He was my pastor. Listen, if there's anybody in the world that knows Daniel Hotry is not a Joe Myers, it's Daniel Hautry.
Trust me. I'm your pastor now. For what it's worth, I'm sorry, I apologize, but this is what God laid out. It's a sign of the end of time. It's part of prophecy, okay?
Things wax worse and worse, all right? It's just the way it is. But I promise to you that I am going to continue to proclaim the truth. That's what Brother Joe did 50 years here. That's why I even had a church to step into and pastor.
That's why this property's here and paid for. Because Brother Job proclaimed the truth. It's not because Brother Job was a businessman or not a businessman. It's not because Brother Job was an administrator or not an administrator. It's not because Brother Joe just could tell good stories.
It's not based on any person or anything. This place has proclaimed the truth and God has blessed it. And that's what I'm committed to do. I hope to think in 20 23 getting ready to be 2024. That we have a ministry that is not based on personality.
I feel that we have something set up here that if I died tomorrow, this thing would go on. Seamlessly. Because this is not built on Daniel Hawtry. It's just not. And I don't want it to be.
This is built on the truth. And this church will continue to go as long as someone comes in and proclaims. the truth. To stabilize. Notice, secondly, to stir up.
Look at verse 13. Yea, I think it meet. This is what meat is appropriate. I think this is the best thing. What does he say?
As long as I am in this tabernacle.
Now, he's not talking about earthly tabernacle, he's talking about his body. As long as I'm in this tabernacle to stir you up. By putting you in remembrance, reminding you, making you remember the truths of God's word. God's word. I'm going to proclaim the truth so that I can stabilize you.
I'm going to proclaim the truth so that I can stir you up. Man, I can't tell you how many times over the years, even though I was in the ministry here and I was on staff, man, I would sit and I needed stirred up. I needed my rear end kicked. It's okay to say that, folks. With Brother Joe, he's not here, okay?
The wax worse and worse guys here. Look at me. I can't tell how many times I'm sitting. under the preaching of Brother Joe. Then I'd be stirred up.
He would remind me. of what God's word said. He would probably pray all week and study all week. And Brother Joe didn't have the advantage of technology and computer programs and apps, and copy and paste, and search out this, and search out that. I made the decision probably, I guess it's about five years ago now.
I don't even use books. People come here and they love books and study books and read books. I think, fantastic, do it. But what I found was, my tendency was to just, I'd read something, whatever, and I thought, well, hey, that sounds good. And you know what?
God's going to give me something fresh.
So I get my Bible, and every once in a while, if I was like, I want to make sure I'm heading in the right direction, I might look at a commentary. And Brother Joe just didn't have all that back then. Guess what he had? He had his Bible, and he had the Lord. And I feel like you ought to educate and you ought to study and you ought to research and do all those things.
But when I first became pastor here, I had to figure out who I was. And I had to just understand: listen, this is what it's going to be. And Brother Joe helped me through that process to stir up. Listen, The truth stirs you up. Notice Third in verse 14 to redeem the time.
Listen. knowing that shortly I must put off this tabernacle. Even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me, moreover, I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease. to have these things always in remembrance. Brother Joe did everything he could do so that when we come to Tuesday and we have a funeral service, he did everything he could do to make sure the place he spent 50 years would continue to do.
what he knew was right.
So that even after he was out of this tabernacle, even after he is deceased, even after he's gone, that this church would continue to do what he spent his life and passion doing. Notice last is to strengthen verse 16. For we have not followed cunningly devise fables. This has not been about stories and about feel-good things and tell little anecdotes.
Now, there's some churches that do that, and there's some preachers that love to do that. The Bible says, as we get closer to the time, you're going to find people that love to tickle your ears, and it sounds good, and it sounds new, and it sounds cool, and it sounds all this. But he said this: listen, I am going to make sure we have not followed fables. We have followed the truth. When we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Look at me, folks. Jesus is coming again. I think he's coming soon.
Now I'm either gonna See Brother Joe. The Lord comes while I'm living. I'm going to meet Brother Joe in the air. It might be that if it's long enough and I end up in the grave, I'll just be coming up with Brother Joe, I guess. Dead in Christ will rise first.
I'm going to tell you something. I'm going to see him again, and I'm going to see my Lord again because Jesus is coming again. Are you ready? He's coming again. Let's not forget that, folks.
Let's not forget in 2023, Jesus is coming again. Our confidence in Jesus. And then verse 19, our confidence in the Word. It won't take all the time. I want you to bow your heads and close your eyes.
Fifty years was possible because it started. Joe Myers. A servant. You know what, I'm gonna encourage you today. to be a servant.
to be a servant. Maybe today would be an opportunity just to. Recommit some things to the Lord. It's a reminder, your day is coming. Your funeral's coming.
I don't know about you, I'd rather be faithful. proclaiming the truth. We don't know how much long time we have in this tabernacle. We just don't know. but I sure am thankful that I was taught and mentored.
by a servant. Yeah. Lord, I love you. When it comes down to it, it's not about ego. It's about serving.
It's not about talent, it's about serving. It's not about ability. It's about serving. The greatest news that anyone can receive is the news of the free gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ. It is our desire for you to know him personally, Would you take a moment to hear this today?
Every man is born with a sin nature. Romans three twenty three says For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No matter how hard we try, we're not good enough to obtain God's glory. or to get to heaven. Because of that, sin carries the penalty of death.
Romans 6.23 says, For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life. through Jesus Christ our Lord. The wages of our sin, or the payment of our sin, only equals death and separation from God. But it's only through God's gift salvation through Jesus Christ that we can accept him our Saviour.
Jesus Christ paid for your sin debt. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. All you have to do is receive Christ. by faith as your Saviour. Romans ten nine says That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Verse 13 continues, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's as simple as admitting that you're a sinner believing that Jesus is the only way. and calling upon his name. Bible says whosoever that's anyone can call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior?
There is no greater day than today to take care of this. Would you accept Christ as your Savior? If you have any questions, please give us a call at 336-993-5192 or visit our website at Kerwin Baptist Church. Dot com. or visits that person at one of our three service times.
We hope you have a great rest of your day. God bless you. Mm-hmm.
