Rev. John T. Hucks, Jr., Ph.D.

President of The Southern Methodist Church

Family:      Married to Sarah Lea Daughters: Ellen, Rachel and Hannah

FOLLOWING THE FAITHFUL

Hebrews 6:9-12 “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

After much thought and prayer, I have chosen for our theme for the 2007-2008 conference year – Following the Faithful, based on Hebrews 6:12, “Be … followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” In other versions, we read: “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (NKJV); “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (NIV).

If God has called us to follow the faithful, then we must ask and answer the question, “Who are the faithful?” Dictionary.com gives the following definitions:

1. Strict or thorough in the performance of duty, as in a faithful worker.
2. True to one’s word, promises, vows, etc.
3. Steady in allegiance or affection; loyal, constant, as in faithful friends.
4. Reliable, trusted, or believed.
5. Adhering or true to fact, a standard, or an original; accurate as in a faithful account or a faithful copy.
6. Full of faith; believing.

Next to definition #6, “full of faith, believing” is the word “obsolete.” In other words, in the opinion of Dictionary.com, we don’t describe the faithful anymore in terms of being full of faith or believing. Have we really come to that place that we don’t understand the concept of bring faithful in that manner anymore, in the manner that I wish to describe in this message? The other definitions are good, but we must never forget that the faithful and first and foremost men and women who are full of faith.

Who are the faithful, the men and women full of faith, believing in the promises of God, that we are to follow? We can answer that question in a number of ways. We can talk about the great Old Testament saints, such as Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Elijah, Elisha, etc., or read the testimony of the Old Testament saints given in Hebrews, chapter 11. We can talk about the great New Testament saints like the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul. We can talk of great saints in church history, like John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, who in the eighteenth century exercised faith in the promises of God, won thousands to Jesus Christ, and left behind 130,000 people called Methodists when he graduated to glory. We can talk of great Christians we have known in our lifetime, who are no longer with us having gone to heaven, but whose memory still makes a strong impression on our minds and souls.

First of all, God has called us to follow, literally imitate, the saints of the past who were able to inherit God’s promises.

The little word “be” is a word that conveys much meaning here that we must not overlook. Verse twelve states, “that you might not become one thing (something we will talk about later in this message), but become something else instead. The verb in the Koine Greek (the language of the original New Testament) does not mean be in the sense of being something that you already are, but be in the sense of something coming to pass, changing, or happening in your life. Understand be in the sense that a boy becomes a man or a girl becomes a woman. You remember watching on film how Clark Kent became Superman or how Peter Parker became Superman when the situation presented itself. We are to be or become followers understanding the exhortation in terms of being something different than we have been in the past, and specifically, becoming followers of the saints of the past who inherited the promises of God. That is the situation that presents itself to us as believers this day.

The word “follow” means to imitate or mimic; striving to resemble others. A number of entertainers in my life time have been very successful in learning to mimic famous personalities in the political or entertainment world. I watched on television just a few weeks ago as an entertainer on a show called “America’s Got Talent” won $1 million by imitating or mimicking the singing of Garth Brooks and Roy Orbison using a puppet. Amazing. God has called us to be followers, imitators, mimics of those saints of the past who inherited the promises of God. Notice the challenge in other verses of Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 “And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost so that you were examples to all.” Do you see as I see that there is a natural four step process that God ordains here. First, there is the Lord. Second, Paul describes how he and his company followed the Lord. Third, Paul challenged the believers of the church at Thessalonica to follow the Lord and Paul’s company. Fourth, Paul challenged the believers to set the appropriate example for others to follow them. What a powerful illustration for us to become followers and to become examples for others to follow. In two other verses, we read:

2 Thessalonians 3:7 “For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us:”

Hebrews 13:7 “Remember those who rule over you (your leaders), who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct” (NKJV).

Second, in order to do so, we must overcome any tendency to become slothful.

See how God brings us to a fork in the road in Hebrews 6:12: become followers or become lazy. You and I are called upon to travel down the road of following the saints or following those instead who are described as slothful or lazy.

Slothful means lazy, slow, sluggish, either physically, mentally, or spiritually, and is a Greek word used only one other time in the New Testament: Hebrews 5:11. “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull (slothful, lazy) of hearing” (KJV). I believe that we at times are not being the followers of the saints of old because we are lazy to hear the Word of God. II Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us of the manner in which the Word of God is to help us become perfect, complete, and become the followers that Hebrews 6:12 challenges us to be. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Profitable for doctrine – Hearing the Word of God will teach us what we need to know.

Profitable for reproof – Hearing the Word of God will tell us what is wrong in our lives and what needs to be changed.

Profitable for correction – Hearing the Word of God will help us make the day to day corrections that we need in life in order to please God and to do His will.

Profitable for instruction in righteousness – Hearing the Word of God will allow God to teach us in the same manner as a parent teaches the child whom he or she loves, and to teach that child the importance of righteousness or holiness.

God brings us to a fork in the road and we must choose. I challenge you today to choose the right path, the path that God calls us to travel, and that is the path of following and not the path of laziness.

Third, we must become followers of those who have inherited the promises of God.

God has called us to become followers of the ones inheriting the promises, inheriting in the sense of ones receiving something as heirs. John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave power, the right to become the sons of God, the children of God, even to them that believe on His name.” Who is eligible to inherit the promises of God? The answer – anyone and everyone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Let me give several examples of the promises of God.

The promise of forgiveness of sins. 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The promise of eternal life. John 3:14-15 – “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

The promise of God’s blessing if we obey Him. Deuteronomy 11:26-27 – “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:”

I love the description of the Old Testament saints given in Hebrews 11:13-16 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises (the promises given to the New Testament saints), but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (parenthetical notes mine).

Fourth, we inherit the promises of God through faith.

What does it mean to inherit the promises of God through faith? I like the definition given in the Amplified Bible: “leaning on the entire personality of God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness.”

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb 11:6 NKJV).

Hebrews 11:1-5 elaborates and illustrates. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

Hebrews 13:7 “Remember those who rule over you (your leaders), who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct” (NKJV).

The challenge here is clear – it is only though faith we can inherit the promises of God and see those promises impact our lives and our ministries. David Roper says, “Faith never gives up. It knows that despite appearances, all is well. It can wait without signs or significant indicators that God is at work, because it is sure of Him” (Our Daily Bread, 7/29/07).

Fifth, we inherit the promises of God through patience.

What is patience? This particular word for patience, makrothumia, literally means long-temperedness, long-enduring, the ability to defer, postpone emotional reactions; “the practice of patient endurance and waiting” (Amplified Bible). It is a word that describes the strong feelings produced by our emotions, feelings that at times can be negative and prompt us to quit believing God and to quit following in the steps of the saints who have gone before us.

The Holy Spirit desires to produce patience within us. Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

We must also choose patience as an important discipline of the Christian life. Colossians 3:12-13 “Put on therefore (as you would put on your clothes), as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (parenthetical note mine).

James 5:10 “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.”

We must address the enemies of both soul and spirit that can render us sluggish or even totally ineffective: anger (leading to short-temperedness), discouragement, and other negative emotions.

Conclusion

God has called us to follow, literally imitate, the saints of the past who were able to inherit God’s promises. We can look to the Bible for examples of those who were able to inherit the promises of God and accomplish great things for His kingdom; we can also look to John Wesley and the Methodist movement for the same. In order to do so, we must overcome any tendency to become slothful. Slothful means lazy or sluggish, either physically, mentally, or spiritually. We inherit the promises of God through faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb 11:6 NKJV). We inherit the promises of God through patience, literally long-temperedness. We must address the enemies of both soul and spirit that can render us sluggish or even totally ineffective. Will you join me in a commitment to follow or imitate the faithful men and women of God of the past in order to address the needs of the present and future?

THE ASKINGS PROGRAM

2007-2008 CONFERENCE YEAR

Dr. John Hucks, Jr., President

I would like to give you an update on how the Askings Program will be used this conference year to promote the kingdom of God and the ministry of the Southern Methodist Church. I am asked from time to time how the askings given by the churches is used and I want all Southern Methodists to know. I believe that the more information we communicate, the greater the willingness will be to support this important program. I know that most people are more comfortable giving when they know where their gift is going and how their gift will be used.

The General Conference Board of Administration has approved a budget of $260,000 for the 2007-2008 church year. A detailed copy of the budget is available upon request. I am going to break the budget down in terms of each dollar given to the program. How is the money spent? Here is the answer:

23 cents - General Conference Staff (2 employees)

20 cents - President’s Salary & Housing

15 cents - Annual Conference Ministry

14 cents - Southern Methodist College

11 cents – Ministries Office: Utilities, Maintenance, Insurance, general operations, etc.

8 cents - Ministerial Retirement Program

4 cents - Foundry Press Christian Book Store & Resource Center

3 cents - President’s Travel & Denominational Promotion

1 cent - Christian Education

1 cent - All other appropriations

How is the General Conference Ministry funded? What we have agreed to do as a denomination and what is published in our Discipline is the following: “Each local church is expected to assume its fair share of support for the various departments and institutions of the Annual and General Conference” (Southern Methodist Discipline, Para. 342). Each church is asked to give a recommended 10% of general local church income on a monthly basis. If a church cannot give the recommended 10%, we ask that the church prayerfully give what it can. Thank you for your past support and thank you in advance for your financial support this conference year.