Pastor Philip Miller’s Installation

The Word of God is constant, even as generations of its preachers come and go. Today, we mark a turning point in the history of Moody Church. From Chicago, this is The Moody Church Hour, a weekly broadcast of worship and teaching that's been on the air for many decades. Today, we invite you to join us for the installation service of Philip Miller, the next Senior Pastor of The Moody Church. Here now with a preview is Pastor Erwin Lutzer, along with Pastor Philip Miller. You know, Dave, it's such a privilege for me to introduce to our audience Pastor Philip. Pastor Philip succeeded me as Senior Pastor, and that's why it is that we're talking about the installation service. And Pastor Philip, tell us a little bit about your background, your call to the ministry, your heart for preaching. Let us get to know you better.

Well, it's a privilege to be here. You know, I grew up in Wisconsin. I gave my life to Christ when I was like four years old. I remember my mom tells me I prayed one evening with her. But it really wasn't until my early teen years when I'd done a little bit of sinning and I began to realize that I needed help, that I really understood the gospel, that Jesus had died for me and my only hope before God was in him and him alone. And that really grabbed my heart. And I think that real experience of grace is what God used to start developing a sense of call to ministry. I initially resisted that. I thought a call to ministry was a call to misery, and I didn't want that kind of a life.

I had dreams of what my life would be and that didn't fit it. But you know this, when God calls you, you can't resist. You know, Pastor Philip, you told me that you grew up listening to Christian radio.

That's true. So when I was young, I had to go to bed early and I couldn't sleep sometimes. And my mom said, well, you can listen to Moody radio. And so Christian radio became kind of the diet of my every evening as I fell to sleep. And I listened to sermons and preachers, including you. And God used that to deeply shape my own spiritual formation as a young disciple of Jesus and to foster that call to ministry. As a matter of fact, we had a moment in the mid 90s when you came and preached at a pastors conference and I bought your book, Hitler's Cross. And you don't remember this, but after your talk, I came up and you were kind enough to sign that book with my name in it and everything.

I still have it up in my office. And I often think that had to be a special moment for God just to say he knew what he was going to do, but we didn't. And he probably was just smiling at that little moment. And, you know, what's exciting is to see the way in which God led you, the way in which you blended into The Moody Church, so to speak, because of your past history and also for you to have a deep conviction to preach the word of God. And Pastor Philip is going to be the new voice on The Moody Church Hour.

I will continue on with running to win, but Pastor Philip, I want to tell you this, that when your name was suggested, what I decided to do is to contact Pastor Chuck Swindoll because you had served under him in Dallas when you were at Dallas Theological Seminary. So Pastor Swindoll said that he didn't know you well, but he knew people who did, and they wrote back to me, and I don't have the list right here, but they gave you such a high recommendation. They said that you were faithful, relatable, you and your dear wife Krista, and when I read what these pastors said about you and your earlier ministry, I was so excited about you coming here to The Moody Church. I think that's very kind. I think one of the things that was most special to me about this installation service back in September of 2021 was to have people like that, mentors in my life, people who had been a part of my story, my upbringing, come and just celebrate with us.

That was one of the sweetest things, and we were really touched by that. And you know, now it's our privilege to go to the platform of The Moody Church. Pastor Larry McCarthy is going to introduce the service with prayer.

Our executive pastor, Pastor Burchy, is going to lead us, and we'll be hearing from a number of different people who have impacted Pastor Phillip's life. Good morning, good morning, good morning! On behalf of the elders and the pastoral staff, we want to welcome you to The Moody Church, and a very special welcome to those who are worshiping with us online this morning. Now, I trust you have come here this morning with a heart intent on hearing from the living God. Amen?

There are lots of things that tend to distract us. We live in a really complicated world, but at this time, in this place, at this hour, we come to unite our hearts to proclaim the truth that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and God is in control. Amen? I want to invite you then, if you would please, to stand as we pray. Father, we come into your presence with the hope of hearing from you today, and we come into your presence acknowledging that you're a God who keeps promises, and so we ask now that you would help us push away anything that would distract, anything that would disturb, anything that would distort our ability to hear your word and to hear the truth. Now be glorified this morning, we pray, in the matchless name of Jesus, and amen. Now be glorified this morning, we pray, in the matchless name of Jesus, and amen. Morning, new mercies I see, all I have needed I have planned for thine own. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

Summer and winter, springtime and harvest. Sun, moon, and stars, their voices above. Join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Come, O sinner, peace that endureth, thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide.

Strength for today and rightful for tomorrow. Blessings, O mine, through ten thousand resigned. Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, morning by morning, new mercies I see.

All I have needed I have planned for thine own. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, morning by morning, new mercies I see.

All I have needed I have planned for thine own. Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, morning by morning, new mercies I see. Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, morning by morning, new mercies I see. Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, morning by morning, new mercies I see.

All I have needed I have planned for thine own. and demonstrating his goodness and his care for us. And through some special guests, men who have had an influence in Pastor Philip, we're going to hear a little bit more about him and why it is that God called him here to The Moody Church. So we're going to begin right now with a message of greeting from Alistair Begg, who was Pastor Philip's childhood pastor growing up in Ohio. It is my privilege to extend our warmest Christian greetings to you as a congregation at Moody Church, as you install as your pastor Philip. He, as you know, was a young boy here.

His family are still here. And we had some small part, I think, in the early days of his Christian pilgrimage. And now, what a privilege has been entrusted to him, and what a responsibility given to the church to care for him. Be assured of our ongoing interest in you and our desire to see you succeed in every good and right way. There's hardly a day goes by that I don't remind myself of what I will leave with you—namely, to Timothy 4-5, where Paul says to Timothy, Keep your head, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and discharge all the duties of your ministry. And all of this, of course, by the strength that Christ supplies. God bless you, and may this ministry be rich in every way.

Amen. Dr. Paul Dixon is the chancellor of Cedarville University, where both Philip and Christa attended as undergraduates. And so, Dr. Dixon, tell us a little bit about what you can, about a young pastor Philip, and maybe what you saw in him that would lead him to ministry.

This was one very unusual young man. As I talked to faculty and others at Cedarville, they talked about how bright he was. He was a very intelligent man, young man, but he was really mature beyond his years, and he was committed to being teachable. And that's why you find the humility in him. He is still very teachable.

Amen. Dr. Yerbero, you are the president of Dallas Theological Seminary, where Pastor Philip and Christa both graduated. As many might know, our senior pastor of almost 40 years, Dr. Erwin Lutzer, also was a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary. It was a privilege to have both of them on campus, and it was an amazing thing. In a faculty meeting, when I mentioned that, there was a round of applause of affirmation for two faithful individuals that we've had a privilege of interacting with and being a small part of their lives. And so, I would say a phrase that we have around Dallas campus on a regular basis is caruxantan legan, which, as you well know, Philip, is preach the Word. In today's world, we certainly continue to adhere to that mantra and make that charge to teach truth and to love well. Wonderful.

Thank you so much. And Dr. Mark Young is the president of Denver Seminary, but you knew Philip back at Stone Briar Church. You actually were one of its key professors at Dallas Theological Seminary and actually oversaw the program where Philip was an intern.

It was always a package deal. It was always Philip and Christa. And when they came to the church, they were both interns. They worked together. And that, for me and my wife, is a wonderful signal, a wonderful sign, a statement that God calls both of them to minister. They call both of them here. And my exhortation is that you honor them both in the roles and the gifts that God has given them. Together, they are a powerhouse.

Amen. And then finally, Scott Rideout, who is a friend and mentor of Pastor Philip for the last several years. You may know him better than any of us. Well, I think if you look at Philip's life and ministry, you see something I call Holy Spirit grit. There's a tenacity to him. He's trying to figure things out. He's trying to trust God. And honestly, he's just an ordinary guy who's trying to figure out how to live life in the power of the Holy Spirit, the wisdom of the Word, how to walk through life with his wife, how to raise his kids, and how to honor God in the ministry that he's been given. I just admire the last number of years we've worked together, the church he was at in Washington, and how he just wanted so badly for that congregation to walk with Christ, to know Christ, and to make an impact in Christ's name. Dr. Mark Jobe is the president of Moody Bible Institute, has been since 2019.

He has been married to his wife, Dee, 32 years, and this is the 35th anniversary as a senior pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago, with sites all over the city, and a passion to reach the lost with the gospel. Pastor Mark, thank you for being here. There has never been, since I have been pastoring for 35 years in the city of Chicago, a more challenging time to be a pastor, to lead, to shepherd, to preach the gospel with integrity and without compromise.

This is an extraordinary moment for our world, for our nation, for the city of Chicago. Moody Church has had an incredible impact, historic impact in the city. It is your responsibility, Moody Church, to continue to be that witness in the city during this time more than ever before. First Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 12 and 13, we ask you brothers to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Pastor Philip and Christa, would you stand?

Moody Church, I'm going to encourage you all over this auditorium to stand as well. And in a symbolic way, would you extend your hand to this couple? As you extend your hand, you are committing together as a body that we will do what's in our power to bless, to honor, to respect, to follow, to encourage the leadership of the senior pastor of this church.

Not as a perfect couple, not as a couple that doesn't have issues to work in and grow in, but as a couple that's called of God at this time, for this season, in this difficult, challenging time. What a great time to be followers of Jesus. So Father we, today, before heaven, before your presence, we ask in Jesus' name that you would empower this couple, Father. We ask, Father, that you would protect them from the onslaught of the enemy. We know that there's a great target on their backs as they lead this church.

We know that the enemy would love to derail, distract, discourage. We thank you, Father, that you have a clear and powerful calling on this couple. And we pray in Jesus' name, God, that you would empower Pastor Philip to lead with courage, with boldness, with clear, unwavering commitment to the word of God. We pray that you would fill him with your Holy Spirit, that you would empower him with the gifts and the tools that he needs at this time to lead in this city and in this congregation. We believe, God, that you have an extraordinary mission for this church at this time.

And so we pray, Father, that you would fulfill it, that you would amplify it, that the impact of this church under Pastor Philip's leadership would continue to expand and grow on the shoulders of the men and women that have come before. And we pray this in the glorious, powerful the name of Jesus that we proclaim that we know that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. In his name we pray, amen and amen. Speak, O Lord, as we come to you, to receive the room of your Holy Word. Speak, O Lord, as we come to you, to receive the room of your Holy Word. Speak, O Lord, as we come to you, to receive the room of your Holy Word. Speak, O Lord, as we come to you, to receive the room of your Holy Word. Speak, O Lord, as we come to you, to receive the room of your Holy Word. Speak, O Lord, as we come to you, to receive the room of your Holy Word. Speak, O Lord, as we come to you, to receive the room of your Holy Word. Speak, O Lord, as we come to you, to receive the room of your Holy Word. Speak, O Lord, as we come to you, to receive the room of your Holy Word. Speak, O Lord, as we come to you, to receive the room of your Holy Word. Speak, O Lord, as we come to you, to receive the room of your Holy Word.

Speak, O Lord, as we come to you, to receive the room of your Holy Word. It's a privilege for me this morning to introduce to you someone most of you know very well, Pastor Erwin Lutzer, who was our senior pastor for almost 40 years. For many of you, he was the pastor under whose ministry you came to know the Lord and you grew in your faith. And I just want to personally thank him and Rebecca for their leadership and modeling what it means to follow Christ with integrity for so long.

People would ask me, well, what's he really like? I said, you know, Pastor Lutzer is the real deal. He is the real deal. A man who loves Jesus, who loves his family, a man of prayer, a man who wants to see those who are far from the Lord come to him. And we were, as a congregation, wonderfully blessed to have him as our senior pastor and now as our Pastor Emeritus. Thank you, Pastor Erwin. What a delight it is for me to be back at this pulpit and to speak briefly. It's a tremendous privilege that I never took for granted. And Bill, thank you for that very fine introduction.

Appreciate it very, very much. Pastor Philip, where are you here? Would you raise your hands? You're just right there. And I want to be able to look into your eyes and I can't seem to find you in the sanctuary. There you are. Pastor Philip, this is a talk just between you and me and Krista.

But we're going to allow other people to listen in. You and I both know that ministry, being a pastor, being a preacher, being a shepherd, is not something that we simply volunteer for. I believe that it is a special calling of God.

Martin Luther said, Though thou wouldst be wiser than Solomon and Daniel, and yet were thou not called, flee the ministry like hell and the devil. If God hath need of thee, he shall know where to find thee. And I believe that God found you. I believe that God called you.

I believe that God gifted you. And I believe very deeply that you have been led here to The Moody Church. And I rejoice today that you are my successor in this wonderful ministry. And I give God praise.

Now, because Rebecca and I are still members here at The Moody Church, that means that you are our pastor and we honor you as such. The words that I want to leave with you are actually found in First Timothy, chapter six. I'm going to be zeroing in very briefly on verses 11 and 12.

In verse 11, the Apostle Paul says, Flee these things. Well, what in the world, what things is he talking about? Well, if you look at the context, he's talking about people who are lovers of money, who sacrifice their souls in order that they might get money. He's also talking about prideful people.

In context, he talks about those who are conceited. And, you know, Pastor Philip, I've come to really appreciate your humility. I trust that it will always be that way when you think of the various snares that pastors often fall into.

Pride is usually number one. I remember the words of Tozer, who said that even the donkey that came down the Mount of Olives on what we call Palm Sunday, knew that all of the shouting and the adoration and the palm branches that were laid there for him, even the donkey knew that it was not for him, but for the person that was on his back. God has really gifted you. He's given you a sense of leadership, fine expositor of the word.

You're going to hear a lot of compliments, a lot of good things, perhaps also some not good things. But in the midst of it, don't allow those things to settle in your heart. Remember, it's always about Jesus, and it's never about us. And, of course, there are so many other pitfalls that pastors fall into.

You and I know exactly what we need to flee. There are those who are called, there are those who are gifted, but they don't live up to their calling and their giftedness. So Paul's first word in 1 Timothy 6, verse 11, is flee. His second word is follow. Follow these things, he says.

Pursue these things. Righteousness, holiness, love, gentleness. Pastor, he's talking about the inner man. He's talking about who we are really as persons. Because all of us know that the real person that we are is known but to ourselves and to God. And who we are on the inside is the most important thing about us, because it is more important to be the right person than it is to even minister and to do the right thing. So always remember this in the midst of all of these pressures, all of these expectations.

Cultivate the inner man. Follow these things, says Paul. And then the next word is actually in verse 12 of the passage, he says fight. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life to which you have been called. You know that when we think of our present culture and we think of our present day, never before has it been so important for a pastor to be able to fight. And how do we fight? In Ephesians chapter 6 the Bible says very clearly that we stand with the armor of God and we stand and we take the attacks and we stand there.

And we don't have to gain any territory. We stand in the territory that Jesus Christ has already purchased for us. And today, Pastor Philip, it's really a different world than even when I was installed. And by the way, the last time there was an installation service here at The Moody Church was before you were born, 40 and one half years ago. And you're not even that old.

And I hope that there won't be another installation service for an awful long time. But here's the point. What we must do is in a day of pressure that is even far worse than when I became a pastor, a time when we have cultural pressures, we have legal pressures, we have so many pressures regarding the issues of our day, and the desire for churches to capitulate to those pressures is tremendously strong, I pray that you will remain standing and this fine congregation will stand with you. Stand. Paul says fight. So you flee, as Paul says elsewhere, abstain from all appearances of evil, all kinds of evil. You flee, you follow, and you fight. What does a man do when he looks around and sees no reason to believe that God is on his side?

I'll tell you what a person does. He believes God's bare word. He preaches it, he teaches it, and he trusts the word of God.

Another reference to Luther. At the Diet of Orms, when he was deciding whether or not he would deny the faith, the night before he had no sense of the presence of God, he prayed and says, God, I don't know where you hide, I don't know whether or not you're with me through this experience because he expected to be put to death. But finally he decided, I will decide on the basis of the word of God and take the consequences. And you remember he said those memorable words, Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise, so help me God. And Pastor Philip, Christa, our prayer for you is that you might stand firm in a time when the foundations are crumbling. I end, of course, with the words of 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 24. Faithful is he who called you, and God has called you, who also will do it.

As I think my translation says, faithful is he who has called you, and surely he will bring it to pass, and he will. Would you come up here now, Pastor Philip, and join me here on the platform? Welcome, welcome to my pastor, Pastor Philip. God bless you. Thank you.

Thank you for being here and enjoying this celebration together. Yesterday I was telling Christa that I was feeling surprisingly nervous about this weekend. And she said, Why?

You've already got the job. And I was reflecting on it and I realized, I think it's because this means so very much to me. You know, this journey started in an odd sort of isolation and solitude. I came here, I candidated right here, and there were 3,800 empty chairs and a camera right there.

I preached to an empty sanctuary for nine months. So to be here today with all of you here, with our pastors, family, friends, heroes, mentors, this is really special. It's deeply moving to my heart.

It's very precious. I want to thank you for the honor of being your pastor. Thank you for loving our family well. Thank you for helping us feel right at home. Thank you for making our ministry a joy.

You chose me, and I want you to know that I choose you. Moody Church is a special place, uniquely, supernaturally, strategically placed in one of the greatest cities in the world to be a beacon, a beacon for the good news of Jesus Christ, that His fame and renown might be seen in all places, that all people everywhere might come to place faith in Jesus Christ and worship Him forever. Moody Church is a big deal.

It's an institution. But more than that, it's a movement. It's a movement of the people of God on mission with God, lifting high the name of Jesus so that He might be known and followed everywhere. I believe that God has a special place in His heart for The Moody Church, which is why it is such a sobering thing to be entrusted with the stewardship of this next chapter in her story. And so as we begin this chapter, or continue the beginning of this chapter, however you look at it, I just want to share my heartfelt prayer for our church with you. There's three aspects to this prayer. First, I pray that we would be enraptured by the glory of Jesus. In a world that is clamoring at every turn for our attention, with distractions everywhere, on demand media, and skyrocketing social media digital addictions, I pray that somehow, by His grace, the glory of Jesus would break through into our lives and recapture our imaginations. I pray that we would behold Him as He is, true and good and beautiful and real. I pray that in His mercy, God might give us each and every week a line of sight to the glory of Jesus Christ, the soul-satisfying, life-altering, Spirit-empowering glory of Jesus Christ.

I remember the words that those Greeks had for Philip the disciple in John chapter 12 verse 21. They came and said, sir, we wish to see Jesus. Sir, we wish to see Jesus. Oh, that that would be our prayer.

Every week, sir, we wish to see Jesus. Oh, that we might be enraptured by the glory of Jesus Christ. My second prayer is that we would be enlivened by the love of the Father. That we would be enlivened by the love of the Father. Friends, if it is true that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life. If it's true that God has loved us with an everlasting love and has drawn us eternally to Himself. If it is true that we are called, beloved, and kept for Jesus Christ.

If indeed the Father has lavished His love on us that we might be children of God and that is who we are. And if perfect love casts out all fear and nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And if He desires and calls us to abide in His love so that the love that the Father has for the Son might also be abiding in us, that He might make His home with us in love, then in Jesus Christ, friends, by grace through faith, we who were once objects of wrath are now loved more than we know.

And it is His love that will take us home and make us lovely in the end. So it is my prayer that God would help us together to begin to grasp how wide and how long and how high and how deep is God's love for us in Christ Jesus. Oh, that we would be enlivened by the love of the Father. I pray that we would be enraptured by the glory of Jesus, that we would be enlivened by the love of the Father, and finally that we would be empowered by the life of the Spirit. Empowered by the life of the Spirit.

Friends, following the way of Jesus is going to get harder, not easier. As the dominant cultural values increasingly run counter to our own as followers of Jesus Christ, we must learn two things. The courage to stand in the character of the Spirit. The courage to stand in the character of the Spirit. I'm talking about the life that is full of the fruit of the Spirit, right? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Friends, listen to me. It will not matter how many cultural battles we win if we lose our Christ-like character along the way. Jesus is inviting us in this moment, this cultural moment of pressure, to learn what He means when He says, Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you.

Bless those who curse you and pray for those who harm you. That kind of Christ-likeness will only come by the empowering filling of the life of the Holy Spirit. I believe that in this generation, in this moment of cultural upheaval and spiritual unrest, that God wants to bring a revival to His church and to His people.

He wants a fresh move of His Spirit in our day to renew and awaken. But friends, it will only come when we stop relying on ourselves and learn to live in the power and dependency of God's Holy Spirit. And I pray that in His mercy, God would help us increasingly live and keep in step with the Holy Spirit. Oh, that we might be empowered by the life of the Spirit.

Enraptured by the glory of Jesus, enlivened by the love of the Father, empowered by the life of the Spirit. Amen? Amen.

Let's pray. Not to us, oh Lord, not to us, but to Your name. Give glory for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness, oh God.

Father, we adore You. We thank You for Your faithfulness to The Moody Church. You have given so many good and beautiful gifts to this place, to these people, in bringing people from every nation, tribe, and tongue, and language, gathering them together in the family of God, to the glory of Your name, that we might bless and encourage one another, spur one another on to love and good deeds, so that we might be pure and blameless and stand before You, righteous in Your Son. Make us faithful, as You are faithful to us, we pray, in Jesus' name.

And all God's people said, amen. I'm going to ask Pastor Philip to come up, the elders, along with our special guests. We are going to pray a prayer of dedication for Pastor Philip, commit him to the Lord. Pastor Philip has asked three gentlemen to pray for him.

One will be his father, Duane Miller, who actually has a special prayer, then the chairman of our elder board, Berth Peterson, and then finally, Pastor Lucer. Father in Heaven, I thank You for my son, Philip. I thank You at an early age, You drew him to Yourself, that he was reborn, and You made him into a new creation, and began to prepare him for this day.

I thank You. And now I pray, Father, that You would make him wise, when the path before him is not clear. And I pray that You would make him courageous, when the path before him is daunting. I pray that You would make him humble, when You bestow Your blessings upon him. And I pray that You would make him an uncompromising preacher of Your word, that he would preach Your word in season and out of season. And Father, as the Gospel goes forward, I pray that it would do its job, that it would change lives in this church, and in this city, and indeed in the world that You made, for Your glory.

And Father, now I pray the prayer that Philip's maternal grandfather, granddad, prayed on the occasion of a previous installation of Philip as pastor. I thank You for Philip. I thank You for drawing him to You, and giving him life. I thank You for the special way that You've prepared for him to serve You.

I thank You for his education, for his training, and his experience. And now I pray that You would enable him to be an accurate, interesting, simple, and plain expositor of Your word. I pray that You would make him a wise and effective administrator. And above all, I pray that You would have him to walk in the Spirit daily, and that he would be a godly and servant leader to his family and to this flock. And I pray it in Jesus' name.

Amen. Father, I thank You for bringing Pastor Philip and his family to Moody Church. And Lord, I pray for Krista, and Claire, and Violet, Cora, and Jude. I pray for their protection.

Thank You for bringing them here. And Lord, I pray that we as a family would hold our pastor and his family up in prayer. Give him great wisdom as he pastors Moody Church, as he leaves his own home.

And Lord, I pray that the children would find friends, and that we would love him, that family, well, for their benefit and for Your glory, we pray in Jesus' name. And now, Father, for several years we sought Your face regarding who the next man would be, whom You would anoint to be the senior pastor of Moody Church. And we want to thank You so much that You have answered our prayers. We ask today, Father, that You will work in Philip, and even as Paul prayed for Timothy, that the gifts that are in him might be stirred up, that we're actually bestowed and encouraged by the laying on of hands. Grant him wisdom to go neither to the right nor to the left, but to stay the course, to be faithful, and to be able to continue to lead, direct, and guide with humility and wisdom and courage. May he be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that his work is not in vain in the Lord. And we shall give You thanks for all that You shall do through him, through Christa, through their children, for this special family.

We ask in Jesus' blessed name, amen. Well, Pastor Philip, as you look back on that day, I know that it was very special. I was so thrilled about the fact that you were succeeding me and have succeeded me here at The Moody Church.

What was that day like to you? I think the highlight for me was the prayer that my father prayed. And actually the first part of that prayer was a prayer that my grandfather, my mom's father, who had been a pastor, prayed over me at my very first pastoral installation. And so to hear his words, he's with Jesus now, but to hear those words over my life again, and then to hear the words of my own father, I think that was the most precious thing to me. Well, that really warms my heart because I also had Christian parents who prayed for me.

And it reminds us of the fact that the prayers of parents and grandparents oftentimes are answered. And I'm so excited about the fact that you are a senior pastor here at Moody Church. I like to emphasize the fact that you are my pastor because Rebecca and I continue to have our membership here.

And as you look back now, you've been here a while. What has been your impression and how have you seen God bless? You know, I keep coming back to the fact that God's faithfulness is what matters most. I think of Moses and Joshua and their crucial transition. And God says to Joshua, as I was with Moses, I will be with you.

And so the continuity and power of leadership lies not in the personalities, but in the faithfulness of God who stands behind and empowering all of that. Our confidence here at The Moody Church in the past, present and future is in the faithfulness of God. He has been faithful. He will be faithful.

And we can trust him no matter what. And so as I think of the stewardship of this historic church and the influence of the gospel around the world, I want to be faithful to that and know that God will be faithful to us. And so I want to invite our listeners back next week for our new series in Ephesians called Alive in Christ.

I look forward to being with you. On today's Moody Church Hour, the baton was passed to a new senior pastor after some 40 years of ministry with Dr. Erwin Lutzer. We met Philip Miller who, as he said, begins his ministry next week with a series from the book of Ephesians. It's called Alive in Christ.

Don't miss the word of his grace as this great epistle opens. The Moody Church Hour is made possible by the gifts of our listeners. We'd welcome your support as we extend this ministry across America and around the world. You can call us at 1-800-215-5001. That's 1-800-215-5001. Online you'll find us at moodyoffer.com. That's moodyoffer.com. Or feel free to write to us at Moody Church Media, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. Join us next week for another Moody Church Hour with Pastor Philip Miller and the Congregation of Historic Moody Church in Chicago. This broadcast is a ministry of The Moody Church.