In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of men rising up to fulfill the will of God. He encourages the audience to aim high and shoot for the stars, as it is the clear revelation of God's will for every man. The speaker also gives a charge to a young man named Daniel, urging him to be an example of the believers in various aspects of his life. The purpose of the message is to challenge, bless, strengthen, encourage, and inspire all the men present to become leaders and contribute to the ever-expanding kingdom of God.

Let's pray. Father in heaven, that's not a song, it's a prayer, Lord. Thank you, Father. Thank you for such a sweet meeting already here, God. Thank you for a family. Thank you, Lord, for giving me a family so much deeper, so much richer than any blood family could be, Father. Thank you for giving me a family, God. We just want to bring the next part of the service to Thee, Lord, the ordination of our brother Daniel, the sending of these other dear families, God, the preaching of a sermon. Lord, you know what we need this morning. You know what I need, Father. You know I need this message as much as everyone else, God. I just pray you'll have mercy upon us and speak to all of our hearts, God, and do such things in our hearts that will bring us to services like this again and again and again. In Jesus Christ's name I ask it. Amen. You may be seated. Well, it's a joyful, tearful meeting. I wonder, you brothers, Marvin, where are you at now that you're sitting down again? Where's Marvin? I don't see him. How old is brother Marvin? Who knows? 32. Irvin, how old are you? 29. Daniel? 28. Maybe you think that's a little young. I was 33 when we started here. So, it's a joy to see those three families standing up here and to look back and remember, remember when they first came, see some of them get married and watch the little ones come and what a blessing. I'd like us to open up our Bibles to 2 Timothy this morning, kind of tailoring a message here this morning to cover several different aspects of our church life. Here we have an ordination this morning. We're ordaining our brother Daniel to the ministry of a deacon to go and take responsibility of the church that is starting out in Mitchell, South Dakota. We also have these other families that are leaving us. Brother Marvin's are going along with Daniel's to help them. Brother Irvin is going up to the work up in Union County and so we're gearing our message for those things, but also for us here because we are also going forward. We're not just staying in one place, we're going forward. God's work continues to expand and we continually feel the need to give the same kind of direction to us that we give to these brothers and their families as they're going away. We need to hear the same thing I thought about this morning. I need to hear the same thing. The challenges that I give to them and the challenges that I give to you, I need to hear them also. So the title of my message this morning is Paul's vision for more leaders and in light of that and in light of the ordination we're having here this morning, I'd like us to read in 2 Timothy chapter 1 from verse 6 to 14, then chapter 2 verse 1 and 2. Then we'll have some introduction and eventually come back to a bit of a exposition of these verses. But Paul says these words to Timothy and he says them to us also this morning and may I say it, he says it to all of us men that are in this room this morning and I counted the men in this congregation 16 years old and up and if I figured it at all right, there's about 120 of us, 120, 16 years old and up going. Wherefore, I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Daniel, before the world began. Fathom that. Talk about the depths of God and not understanding them before the world began. Here you are sitting today, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to life through the gospel whereunto I am appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles for the which cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed. I know him that I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in us. Chapter two, verse one, thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses. The same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. My heart is thrilled this morning because of the nature of this service. It is a send-off service. Brethren are moving out with their families. Properties have been sold. Jobs have been released. Businesses have ceased and brethren are moving out. Hallelujah! We are here this morning to have an ordination of our brother Daniel Esch to the responsibilities of the work out in Mitchell. He'll be given a charge as a deacon with those overseeing responsibilities. Also, Brother Marvin and his family, they're going along to the work. What a joy to see those two brothers' hearts just draw together as they prepare to go. And also, Brother Irvin is moving, going away. Dear Brother Irvin and Sister Ruthie, now I think about you too. I remember the first time you walked in here. Ruthie, I remember. Brother Irvin, I remember your wedding. What a joy. Then I had to think also, you know, I don't know if Andy is here today, but you know, Brother Andy, Zelinsky and their family, they're leaving in just a few weeks. Just a few weeks, they'll also be gone. That's three cell group leaders. You have come. You have learned. You have served. You have matured. And now you're going away, sent with the blessing of the church upon you, who will miss you all very much. My mind goes back to two years ago when we selected 15 men. If you remember that, brethren, to train and disciple cell group leaders. We selected those men to help bear the load and the responsibilities of the work that was here. But this is what we had in mind. While it's true that we felt the need because of the burden of the work that was here, we felt the need to select some men and draw them into the work and work with them and train them. We also had this in mind when we began two years ago that there would come a day when those cell group leaders would go away from here. So that's a joy to our hearts as a ministry. You know, I thought about it. You know, the cell group leaders, there are three of them that are leaving. If you if you take brother Mark away from that, those cell group leaders, because he's also ordained here and brother Malin and brother Paul Lapp, who are cell group leaders, that only makes 12 cell group leaders. And so out of 12, we send three. That's 25 percent. May God do it all over again. All over again, I am overjoyed with the cell groups. I know that some of the cell groups, I know you're finding your way. Some of them are not as good as other ones. I know all those things. But the cell groups are doing beautiful things in the lives of the men in this congregation. It's giving you responsibilities, maybe things that at times you don't want to do, maybe at times you think, I can't do that. But it's giving you responsibility and not just the cell group leaders, because I know they throw the ball to other men all the time. Here you do it tonight. It's beautiful. These cell groups provide a structure to train leaders. And I think that's one of the main focuses of a congregation to raise up leaders. I said in a sermon a couple of years ago, if you want many leaders in your congregation, you must provide a structure that produces leaders. You can have a structure that does not produce leaders. You can have a structure and there are many, many congregations that way where it's a one man show and it's one pastor and he preaches a sermon and he teaches a Sunday school lesson and everyone else sits on the bench and listens and that produces very few leaders. Or you can have a structure that produces leadership. It gives room for men to grow. It stretches them into responsibilities that maybe they wouldn't even do. I appreciate one of the cell group leaders who was, we appealed to one of the brothers here in the congregation to take one of these cell groups. And, you know, he didn't want to do it. You know, he said he doesn't think so. He doesn't think that he can handle that. But, you know, I think he must have gone out in the field somewhere and listened to the voice of God and God said, well, you can't do it, but I'll help you do it. And that's exactly what we have in mind. Welcome to the ministry. You can't do it. So what else is new? You can't do it, but God can. God can do it. And if there's any lesson that we wanted all of us leaders to learn, it is that you can't do it, but God can. So go and get a hold of God and see what God can do. So we must provide a structure that produces leaders, that gives them room to grow, that gives them responsibilities which stretches them and even gives them room to fail. And I know that many of you have failed a few times, but that's okay. Brother Daniel, I would encourage you this morning to do the same. Provide a structure in that fellowship out there in Mitchell that will produce more leaders. That's my encouragement to you. You know, that is exactly what Jesus did. If you just turn with me a bit for a reading over in Matthew chapter nine, Matthew chapter nine in verse thirty six, in the beginning of Jesus ministry, his earthly ministry, he began to see very quickly. Oh, the work was great here in Matthew chapter nine in verse thirty six. But when he, Jesus, saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. And Leonard Ravenhill says that in those days there were twenty thousand priests in Israel, yet the people were out on the hillside like sheep having no shepherd. Jesus was moved with compassion. Then says he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers unto his harvest. And then it jumps right into chapter ten where Jesus called the twelve apostles and sent them out into the work. The very thing that we're here doing today, he gave them something to do and then called them back to talk and gave them some more teaching and sent them out to do something and then called them back to talk some more. And if you'll read the account in, I believe it's Luke chapter six, you miss something here. In between this seeing of this multitude and Jesus being moved with compassion and exhorting those men to pray to the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth the laborers, in between that and this chapter ten verse one, Jesus went up into the mountain. He was there all night alone with God and he prayed the whole night through and came down out of that mountain and selected those twelve. That was our Lord Jesus' response to an ever expanding kingdom. Get some men and train them and produce yourself again in someone else. Jesus saw the need and his eyes affected his heart. He was moved or motivated by the compassion within him because he saw the needs that were all around him. From there he presented the needs to those that were around him. He didn't just carry that burden himself, but he turned right away and said, look at those fields. Look at all those sheep out there. Look at them out on all the hillsides. He presented the need to other men and admonished them to pray that the Lord would raise up laborers. Isn't it interesting that he said those words to the very men whom God would raise up to be those laborers? And how often it is just like that when we begin to pick up the burden of something and we begin to pray for it. We find ourselves in the same place that William Carey was in as he was praying over the world and concerned about the heathen while he was working there in his workshop, making shoes. And all of a sudden, one day God said, you go. He was praying, Lord, send somebody. And one day he dropped his hammer for a moment and listened to the voice of God. And God said, William, you go. But here Jesus lays it upon them. Pray that the Lord of the harvest will prepare and send laborers into his harvest field. Interesting that he gave them that prayer request. Then he went and prayed all night, came down, chose the twelve and entered into three years of leadership training. The great shepherd of the sheep made twelve shepherds in three years. This was Jesus' response to the expanding kingdom. He didn't work harder. He was already working night and day. You come to the place where you can't run any faster. You can't do any more. Jesus was at that place and he turned his attention on twelve men. He divided the work out to others and trained them to help carry the load. Think about it, Brother Daniel. Moses discipled Joshua. We saw it there today in the text that you gave us. Moses discipled Joshua. Elijah discipled Elisha. Barnabas discipled Paul. Paul discipled Timothy. John discipled Polycarp. And the list goes on and on and on. How this thing gets done. Moses laid hands on 70 men. Elijah and Elisha had their school of the prophets. Paul had a group of men around him. This was his vision. He didn't try to do all the work himself. It's very clear studying Paul's pastoral epistles. That's 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy and Titus. And even if you follow his life through Acts chapter 13 to 28, you will see that Paul was always raising leaders. He was constantly raising up other men to take his place. And in fact, when he lost his head there at the end of his life, Titus, Timothy, Epiphras, Stephanus and many others carried on the work after he was gone. No worry. No worry that Paul's going to lose his head and go out of this world and on to his reward. No worry about the church. No worry about all the churches that he started because he left behind Timothy, Titus, Stephanus, Epiphras and many more. He left them behind. Leaders was a major focus of his work. We unite with that vision this morning. We elders here of the fellowship. And let me just give some of the purposes of this message so that it reaches all the places where it needs to go this morning. First of all, to give a challenge and a charge and instruction to you, Brother Daniel, as you go to the work out in South Dakota. Secondly, to bless all of you men and families who are standing up here this morning to bless you and send you off with our love and with our blessing and our support. Thirdly, to strengthen our own structure that produces leaders to keep that structure in its place because there's much work to be done all over the world. Number four, to encourage men who carry the load. I know there are a lot of men in this room this morning who do know what it is to carry the load. We want to encourage you also. So you take this for your own heart this morning. It is not just for Daniel. It is also for you. And lastly, to inspire and challenge all of us men to rise up by God's grace and be leaders. The ever expanding kingdom of God calls us to rise up. Oh, men of God, have done with lesser things. Give heart, give soul, give mind and strength to Christ, the King of kings. You'll never be sorry if you'll do that. You'll never be sorry. I promise every one of you suffering. I promise you misunderstandings. I promise you lonely nights. But you'll never be sorry. You did it. Have done with lesser things. Give mind and soul and heart and strength to Christ, the only king of kings. You will never be sorry if you will. The church here is still growing. There are families moving in. God is at work here locally. Look and see how far the seats go to the back. There are more open doors now than ever before. Rise up. Oh, men of God, have done with lesser things. There are ripe harvest fields in every direction, just waiting for prepared laborers who can put their hand on a sickle and go out there into that field and just harvest the wheat. Let's look at the text this morning in light of this theme of leadership that we're following here. Let's look at the text over here in Timothy. Second Timothy, verse six. Brother Daniel, you don't need verse six this morning, but you're going to need verse six this morning. No problem. The fire is burning. No problem. But you're going to need verse six later. Wherefore, Paul says to Timothy, I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. Paul and other presbyters laid their hands upon Timothy. And God, through those presbyters, put things in Timothy that Paul is reminding him of. And Paul says to Timothy, Timothy, you know what was put in you. Stir it up. I studied that word stir up afresh and new this morning. I've studied it many times. I've preached on this verse a dozen times, but I studied that word again this morning. It was so precious to look at it. It means keep the fire alive. It means to rekindle afresh. It means to revive something that is already in you. Dear brother, you just do what you told us this morning. And that fire will just stay there in your own heart. But we must admit, all of us leaders, that sometimes the flames die down a bit. They die down a bit. And thus we're reminded. Stir them up. The picture is the picture of a man who gets up in the morning. And you know, maybe he has a coal fire burning. Or maybe it's a wood fire. And he gets up in the morning and the fire is died down. And there's just a few little hot coals in there. And maybe he throws a bit more coal on the top of it and shakes that old grater, you know, that shakes everything up and causes the air to go up through those few coals. And those few coals touch all those other coals. And pretty soon there's a blazing fire inside that little furnace. That is the picture that we have here in this verse. There are many ways that we can stir up that fire in our hearts. We won't speak about them here this morning. It would take us too long. But the admonition is given to you, brother. Remember it. Stir it up. Keep the fire alive. And I want to say something here also about the the imparting of gifts by the laying on of hands. That that is a mysterious thing that I do not understand. But I know that it's so because I know it in my own life and I've seen it in many other lives and it happens. And I'm sure if I know your heart this morning, Daniel, you are praying that it will happen because you don't know what you're going to do if it doesn't happen. Gifts are imparted by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. We don't understand that, but it happens. What you need, God will give you. You needn't worry about it. But once God gives it to you, my brother, you still have the responsibility to stir that gift up so that it will function beautifully for the ministry that God is charging you to. That is your responsibility. And I pray that God would write it on your conscience, brother Daniel, that you would never get in a place of ministry unprepared. Don't do it. Even if you have to stay up all night, don't do it. There may be times when you will be busy and it will be a Saturday and tomorrow morning you're preaching. You will find times like that. Life orders itself that way. But don't get in the pulpit unprepared. Don't do it. Go without sleep. Get up in the middle of the night and take a nap on Sunday afternoon. Amen. Verse seven. Fear. Fear. That's the one thing that probably hinders more men in this room than anything else. Fear. You know, I studied that word, brother Daniel. It's not like fear of a bear. You know, if a bear walked in this room or if a man stepped up here with a machine gun in his hand, you know, there's there's a fear. Yes. But it's not that kind of a fear. It is rather timid, cowardice, insecure type of a fear. You know, that one comes real close to home, doesn't it? For a lot of us, timid, cowardice, insecure type of a fear. How many of us do not move forward and take open opportunities which God presents to us simply because of that fear, that cowardice, that insecurity? But all to every one of us men this morning, God's comes ringing to us a clarion call out of heaven from his word. God has not given us a spirit of fear. Fear. God has not done that. God has not given you that. That which is causing you to shrink back, that which is causing you to be timid, that which is causing you to keep your mouth shut, that which is causing you to rubble your feet around and you're not sure what to do. God has not given us the spirit of fear. Fear. Shrinking away from leadership out of fear. Oh, I'm tempted to do it all the time. You may say, you? Oh, if you only knew how many times I just as soon crawl in the corner and let somebody else do it. But I don't. Fear. Shrinking away from leadership out of insecurity and timidity. Fear of man. Fear of failure. Fear of my voice. Lots of men are afraid of the sound of their voice. Therefore, they never raise their voice. God has not given us the spirit of fear. Brother Daniel, you may have some fear as you go and you face many things that you've never faced before, but don't shrink back because God has given us the spirit of power and the spirit of love and the spirit of a sound mind. And my testimony and my experience is this, Daniel. God doesn't lay it all out there for you. He just says step into the water. And if you step, he'll be right there. If you don't step, he won't be there. I wonder how many times I wonder how many hundreds of times I have sat in that bench and it was my turn to preach and my heart said I'm not ready to get up there and I don't know what I'm going to do to get up there. Oh, I wish that God would just come on me with a powerful anointing before I got up behind that pulpit. But it's not that way. But I take that step and come up those steps one more time. Just go up those steps one more time. Father, somehow, some way, you've got to help me today. Some way, somehow. You do it anyway. You just do it anyway. You look to God. And God takes care of you. The waters part again and again. Hallelujah. They do. And that's not just for our brother Daniel this morning, is it, brethren? So many responsibilities we have all the way down to leading our families and and guiding our homes and and the many, many, many responsibilities that we face at times and leading a cell group or or leading a prayer meeting or whatever it may be. God has not given us the spirit of fear. If we are holding back, we need to step forward in faith and trust in God. I was discussing with a young man just a few evenings ago. One of the most important keys to effective ministry is being able to release yourself to the spirit of God so that he can use you, to release yourself to his spirit and let him use you. Because of that, Daniel, be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Don't be ashamed. Verse nine. We want to focus in on this verse. Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, God has saved you, brother Daniel, and called you for a purpose. And I know that, you know, some of what that is. But I want you to know that we also know that and have known that for many years, many years. That purpose is holy, my brother. That purpose has been in God's heart for many, many years. In fact, before the world began, that purpose was in God's heart. It's been our responsibility for these last four years to help you along toward that purpose, to help you live out that purpose, to watch you grow and mature and encourage you along the way that you might discern what is that purpose, why you're here. See, that's the purpose of the church. That's probably why you didn't just come for one year and leave, because God had other things in mind. He was working out those purposes. And I want to thank you this morning, brother, for being faithful, for being under authority and waiting. I want to thank you and bless you for that, Daniel. Many a gifted man fails on that point. They sense something going on inside of them. They hear the voice of God in those times when they're alone. They hear that voice. But some of them say, nobody is noticing me. No one is seeing what I should be doing. Nobody is giving me something to do. I'm just going to go do it. You know, brother, I know men who have been wandering around for 15 years, trying to find that which they would have found right here. But they went. They charted their own course. They're going to go fulfill their ministry. And they've been wandering around for 15 years. And they still haven't found it. Gifted men, gifted men. I want to bless you, Daniel. It is a holy calling. It is God's calling on your life. Oh, we may have other things for you to do down the road, but for now, it is God's calling on your life. I want you to notice also these precious words. Paul says, this purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And you know, as I meditated upon this this morning, Daniel, I thought, yeah, that is what your ministry is. Go bring life and immortality to light through the gospel. What a beautiful, what a beautiful picture of the ministry. You know, some people say, oh, the ministry is such a burden. Oh, we can't bear the load. I hope I never become a minister. They have so many burdens to carry. That's not what the Bible says. What a joy to go about your life, bringing life and immortality to life, to light in the hearts and lives of other people. That's the ministry. And then Paul says in verse 11, whereunto I am appointed a preacher, apostle, and a teacher. Three different things. What is his motivation? To bring life and immortality up in full view that others can see that it's there. That's it. And look at Paul's confidence here in verse 12. For the wish cause, I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed. Look at his confidence. I am in prison, but I am not ashamed. I am accused of all kinds of evil things, but I am not ashamed. Why? Because I know him. I know him whom I have believed and I am persuaded by him that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Paul lived on the edge, brother Daniel, but yet look at the confession that came out of his mouth. Yet he lived on the edge and we know that he lived on the edge. He was at the edge of extremities continually. Yet I am not ashamed because I know him and I'm persuaded by him that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. God's going to take me all the way through to the end. But he lived on the edge and you will find yourself on the edge too. And you will find yourself on the edge too, brethren. If you're ever going to get busy for God, you're going to find yourself on the edge. So you may as well get used to standing there because God will keep pushing you over there again and again. Look at Paul's confidence. Then I'd like you to look at verse 13, brother Daniel, and just consider. Paul is describing some of his discipleship ministry to Timothy and he says these words, Hold fast to the form of sound words which thou has heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. What Paul is simply doing, he's reminding Timothy, you know all the things that I told you. You know the hours that we spent. You know all the things that you heard. Hold on to those sound words that you got from me, is what Paul is saying to Timothy. And I would say to you this morning, brother Daniel, you hold on to the things that you got here. You hold on to them. You take them out there. We had in mind that you take them with you and reproduce them again. And look at verse 14. I believe that Paul is speaking here a bit about the charge that he gave to Timothy at his ordination. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in us. The charge that we gave you, Timothy, the gifting that you received, the responsibilities that we laid upon you. Notice he called it a good thing, not a big burden, not a terrible thing. Oh, not a woe is me, but a good thing. It is a good thing, though it is a burden, though it is suffering, though you will be stretched at times. There'll be times when you'll weep because you don't know what to do. It is a good thing. It's a good thing. Keep by the Holy Ghost dwells within us. That's a good word to all of us, isn't it? Yeah. Keep by the Holy Ghost, which dwells within us. Then we're skipping up to chapter two, verse one, because really, Paul speaks a bit about when he gets to Rome and this and Onesiphorus and he mentions a few things, but then he zooms back in in chapter two, verse one, giving the admonitions like he was in the verses that we've already read. And he says these words, Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And I would just like to focus in on this little phrase, the grace that is in Christ Jesus, because Paul mentions all the way through these verses, this grace or this power of God. The grace of God is the power of God. And Paul mentions it throughout. In verse six, he says, Stir up the gift that is in thee. I believe that speaking about the grace of God. Then in verse seven, he tells him not to be afraid because God has given us the spirit of power and love and of a sound mind. That's the Holy Ghost. Then in verse eight, he tells him not to be ashamed and to be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. How? According to the power of God. What Paul is saying is simply this, Timothy, there's only one way this thing is going to get done right, and that is by the power of God. And I would just admonish you the same way, Daniel. Paul said this grace worked in him mightily, mightily. And then in verse 14, he says it again by the Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in us. Therefore, my brother Daniel, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Put that at the top of your list. That is God's mandate. Be being continually filled with the Holy Spirit. All these words lead us to the verse that I would like to focus on here this morning. And that's verse two. And the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. Think about what Paul is saying in this verse here. By the power of the Holy Ghost, those things which were given to you keep by the Holy Ghost and that which you are keeping by the Holy Ghost search for faithful men. And when you find faithful men, give that which was given to you to them and inspire them that they will also look for faithful men and give that which you gave to them to somebody else. This is God's way of propagating a sound faith over a long period of time through leaders and other leaders and another generation of leaders and another generation of leaders. This is God's way. Four generations of men are mentioned in this text. I thought about the man who was speaking these words. Let's look at his lineage a little bit. The apostles saw that Barnabas was a faithful man and he was of note among the apostles, but he was not of the twelve. And the apostles discipled Barnabas and sent him out. Barnabas met Paul and saw in Paul a faithful man and the things which were committed to him by the apostles, he also committed to Paul. Paul took those things which Barnabas gave to him and found himself in a ministry situation and he met a Timothy. And when he met Timothy, he knew immediately this is a faithful man. And he committed those things to Timothy, just like they were committed to him. And now he's telling Timothy, Timothy, go look for faithful men and give those things which I gave to you to them. And by the way, while you give it to them, inspire them to go look for some faithful man and they can also give it to them. Oh, brothers and sisters, that's how God propagates a sound faith over a long period of time. Every one of us have that responsibility this morning. Amen. Hey, that's not just for the elders in the church. We have that responsibility. All of us. Now, when Paul gave these words to Timothy, Brother Daniel, this wasn't a little command. There were dozens of commands in that one little verse, just like there are dozens of commands in the verse that God gives to us parents. Raise them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. There are dozens of commands in this one verse. And a lifetime of labor in one verse. But you'll never be sorry if you will follow this verse. You know, every now and then people challenge me about the future of this church here and I'm glad for the challenges. You know, they'll say, so what's going to happen to that church over there when Brother Denny dies? What's going to happen over there when Brother Aaron isn't around anymore? Well, that's a good challenge. Amen. Good one. But the answer is nothing's going to happen to the church. It's not Brother Denny. It's not Brother Aaron. There's all kinds of leaders around here. This church isn't going to stop. And that's exactly what God had in mind. You see, in the early church, in the days of persecution, you never knew when you were going to lose your leader. I mean, he could be gone tomorrow. Just like that, he's gone. Then what? Everything falls apart? No. There's three or four more leaders just waiting to take his place. They take their place. That is the will of God. That this fellowship be filled with men of God who are leaders, who are able to get up and take their place and lead out. Not only that, that just secures this fellowship. But there is so much work to do. There's room for 120 of you. Today, there's room for 120 of you. Young men, don't play around in your youth. God has work for you to do someday, boy. Don't play around. Don't fritter your life away in your youth. Come on. God has work for you to do. It may be 10, 12 years before you find yourself sitting on a bench somewhere. It may be 10 or 12 years before then. But have a little foresight, will you, boy? There's so much work to do. God could use every one of you. So I would encourage you, Brother Daniel, reproduce yourself. Work yourself out of a job, which, by the way, will never happen because there'll always be something else to do. But it should be your mind. I want to work myself out of a job. I want to so train others that I don't need to be there anymore. And I know that everything will keep right on going. Do that. Oh, that God would rally a band of men who would train and prepare for future ministry. And not wait until you're asked. But have enough foresight to train and prepare for future ministry now. Don't wait until you're asked. God doesn't move objects that are not moving very easy. I've learned that through the years. He takes something that's already moving and just directs it a little. I would encourage you, each one of you brothers. Here's my challenge to you, Brother Daniel. I'll give you enough work to do for the next year here, okay? It's you, it's Marvin, it's Junior, and I think Brother Tom, four. Seek the Lord with all your heart and labor over the next year to produce six men who can lead a soul to Jesus Christ. They know how to do it. Six men. Six men who can connect with visitors on Sunday morning from heart to heart. Six men who can counsel with a struggling soul and help them solve their problems by biblical principles. Six men who will find six other men and pour their lives into them for the next year to follow. Six men whose fervent spirit can infuse a prayer meeting with life and strength and inspiration. Six men. Six men who can inspire their families to be a blessing, to reach out to the world around them, and have a ministry in the church, even though they be small. Six men whose hearts unite with the vision and the direction of the church there in the Mitchell area. Six men. Six men who can connect through hospitality with their wives, with the visitors who come. And that's their heart. Would you come home to my house? Come on over and we're going to have lunch together. Let's visit. Let's share. Six men. Just six. Six men who can inspire and engage their wives to unite with the same burden and say, come on, honey, let's go. Six men who can join in to the Sunday morning service, engaging their hearts and their families. Do you know what it means to join into the Sunday morning service? It means they all come with a burden and a responsibility to affect this Sunday morning service. Six men who will be like that, whose wives will also come like that, who will inspire their children to be like that. Six men. Just six who will be a spark plug in the Sunday morning service. Six men who pray and are open to the Lord to bless the meeting in such a way that they'll get to their feet when that service is done, when the message is done. Up they go. There's another one. There's another one on their feet. They've got an inspiration. God has spoken to them. They've got something to say. Six men who are willing to do that. Six men who are in tune with God in a brother's meeting, because you'll need them in a brother's meeting, who are in tune with God, who will say this and have some input and share a word of wisdom or have a caution, give some discernment here or there. Six men. Six men who are being strengthened by their own quiet times each day and leading their families in the family altar. I think you can do that. There's already three of you. All you have to do is just reproduce yourself one time in the next year. Just one time. And what about us, Brethren? 120 men. 120 men who will do that, who will carry that, who will be alive, who will be alert, who will be plugged in with all their heart. 120 men that will do that. I know that's a bit idealistic. Maybe you'd say I'm shooting for the stars. But you know that's the will of God, isn't it? It may be shooting for the stars, but it's the clear revelation of the will of God for every man in this room. Let's shoot for it, brothers. And then lastly, I have this, Brother Daniel, and then I'll give you a charge. And this is a charge, but I just want to read this to you, young man. Take this from the Lord. Let no man despise thy youth. And how shall you let no man despise thy youth? Be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things, Daniel. Give thyself wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. Here's my charge to you this morning, my brother. Transplant what you have received here in Mitchell, South Dakota. Oversee and direct the church there. Establish it with sure foundation stones. Number three, keep training for the ministry. Keep training. I know you have been for years. Keep training for the ministry. Number four, work together with me and the leaders at Millbank to raise up a testimony in Mitchell that God can use to reach many souls. And lastly, make disciples both leaders and new converts for the glory of God. All right, we'll move this out of the way here. If the elders could come, Brother Roman, if you'd come also and help us, we want to pray for Brother Daniel. And don't worry if you could also just come and kneel up here. Emmanuel, Brother Aaron, Brother Mark, if you could come too. Where are you at? Yes, you can just kneel right here. That's fine. Yeah. Come over here by mommy. According to the scriptures, it is the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. That is the eldership of a local church. Our father in heaven and God, we come to you in Jesus name. Father, we lay our hands upon our brother Daniel. And God, we thank you for saving him, for calling him. And God, today we give him a charge. Which we recognize you have already ordained in his life. We recognize your work, God. We lay our hands upon our brother Daniel. And we ask you, Father, that you would lay your hand upon him in a very special way, giving him gifts, Lord, enabling him for the work of the ministry, filling him, Father, with a fresh and new view of God. Oh, Lord, we commit him to you. We trust you for these things in Jesus name. Yes, Father, in Jesus name. We agree with those prayers. We just bring our young brother to you, God, and we pray that you'll anoint him with the Holy Ghost, Father. God, we don't understand these laying on of hands things, but oh, God, we pray that you will impart to our brother the things that he needs. And God, we're trusting that you will do exactly that. Anoint him with wisdom beyond his years, Father. I pray that you'll continue to give him those beautiful revelations of your character, God. And I pray that you will make him like Jesus. I pray that you'll give him a stable home. I pray to continue to give him grace to minister to his wife and to his children, Lord. Just bring them right along like he has done so faithfully through these years here, God. We pray, Father, that you will, Lord, use him, God, to lay foundation stones in a new church out there, God. I pray, Father, that you would use him to raise up a church there, Lord, that would reach out and touch those Hutterite people, God, that are in that area, Father. Would you revive that righteous root of Anabaptism out there, Father, in Mitchell area, God? We commit him into your care for this, God, and pray that you will equip him for the task that lies ahead in Jesus' name. Amen. Yes, God, we praise you. We thank you, Lord, for we know that way back years back, you did not just see what he was, but you saw what he could be. And I praise you for that, Lord, and I know the work has only begun. But I pray, dear God, in Jesus' name, that you would fill Brother Daniel with the Holy Spirit that he cannot even contain it, but it would flow out of his life into the lives of others, into his wife's life, and into his children's lives, and into the neighborhood, Lord. I pray, dear God, that you would empower him with grace and power from above, that he can live a understanding of the scriptures and a passion to carry them out. Lord, I know that there are times when he will come to the end of himself, to where he doesn't know which way to go. As Brother Danny said, wherever he'll stand on the brink, and he knows he cannot go back, and he knows he cannot stay, God, give him grace at those moments to step forward, and the waters will part for him. Bless his life, Father, enrich his life with your presence daily. Stir up the gift that is in him already, Lord, that he would produce fruit in his life. And especially, Father, I pray you would give him the ability and the wisdom to reproduce that in others, Lord. That is such a need, God. And God, I pray for his dear wife, my daughter, Lord. I pray that you would bless her with an understanding heart, a heart, Lord, that pants after you, a heart that seeks you and your face at all times, where she can be that virtuous woman, where her children will rise up and call her, blessed Lord. I pray to God you would give her understanding at times when the devil tries her husband to the utmost, that she could come alongside of him and encourage him and bless him. Oh, God, I know that you have brought these two together. You saw that she was a woman meet for him, and I pray to God you would carry that out in her life in such a dramatic way that she can always be a strength for him when he comes home, Lord. I pray especially when times when she doesn't feel well, Father, make your face shine upon her, that as Daniel comes home, she can be that sweet wife that he so desperately needs, even when she doesn't feel well. Bless her, Lord. Bless their lives, oh Father, and increase their faith, dear God. I pray this in Jesus' name. All right. Hallelujah. God is so good to us. As these families were sharing this morning, my heart was just overwhelmed with praise to God for what he's done. And as they were sharing, you know, I just thought they're blessing us, and they're telling us what a blessing we've been to them. But I know here this morning I can speak for the congregation. What a blessing they've been to us, and our hearts have been enriched and comforted and encouraged to see the grace of God effectually at work in your lives, all of you. Hallelujah. I just want to say a special thank you to each of you. Like was shared, you know, it's hard to know where to stop or start, but Brother Daniel, thank you for giving yourself to God. And whenever I ask you if you'd be willing to share, thank you for saying yes. You know, I believe that's part of why you're where you are today. And I just bless God for that. Thank you for giving yourself in ministering to the young people, guiding them, shepherding them, leading out, giving direction. Thank you, brother. You're going to be missed in so many ways, in leading out in the cell group. But you know, as brother Denny said, that was our heart, that was our vision, that we knew someday you will be sent forth by God into other things. And so we we send you gladly, and we know that God is others in the congregation who will rise up and fill those places, and that's what it's about. Brother Irvin, so blessed with you. I remember, I believe, the first or second Sunday you walked through these doors. Sister Ruthie, you know, just to see what God has done. Glory to God. It thrills our hearts. It's a pastor's joy, an elder's joy, just to see the grace of God at work in your lives. Thank you, brother Irvin, leading the cell group, leading out in the youth, so many things. Sister Ruthie, Sister Dora, and the way you have stood beside your husband, faithfully serving in all that is laid out to do, you know, and God bless you. Brother Marvin Shirk, yes, that's right. I didn't know it was your first Sunday, I don't think, but I remember meeting you back there, and praise God! Brother Marvin, what's God doing in your life, you know, and oh, what a blessing. Sister Darlene, your wife Marvin and Darlene, bless you. You've been a great encouragement and blessing to this congregation. Thank you for your godly example. We want to call you forth now, Marvin and Darlene, and Irvin and Ruthie, and your families. We're sending you forth. We're behind you. We're for you. So, if you can come with your families at this time, we just want to bless you and send you forth with the blessing from the congregation here. While they're coming, was any of those things that I shared, can you identify with that? They've enriched our hearts. They've been a blessing to us. Amen. Hallelujah. So, if we can have you elders come again, brother Denny, brother Emmanuel, and brother Paul and Malin, are you close by here? Mark, we'll just gather around. Bless you. Hallelujah. Thank you, Father, for these precious souls that you have entrusted into our care here for several years. Thank you, Father, for your work of grace that you have done in their hearts and lives, saving them out of darkness and bringing them into your marvelous light. Thank you, Jesus. Taking them on step by step in their young Christian life, Lord, in their young married life. Thank you, Father, for the way that you have led them. Thank you, Lord, for these men. Amen. They have risen up as men of God. Thank you for these sisters who have supported their husbands, who stood beside them, who prayed for them. Father, these men will need their wives' prayers continually. Father, we do just now commend them into your hands and unto the Holy Ghost and say, O Lord Jesus, we give them back to you. We have given ourselves to training, to teaching, to discipling them as sons, Lord. Now, Father, we give them back to you. Take them where you want them, Lord. Amen. Put them where you want them to labor. Give them a harvest field. Give them a place to stand, Lord. Give them a place to labor, a place to work. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Father, for your love. Thank you for their faithfulness. Thank you, Father, for the Holy Ghost in their hearts and lives, making them beautiful in your sight. Bless them in Jesus' name. Amen. Oh, yes, Father in heaven, Lord, this morning we're standing up here in front of this congregation, Lord, with grateful hearts, Father, for what you have done, Lord, for what you have done in the lives of Brother Marvin and Brother Irvin and Sister Ruthie and Sister Darlene, Father. Lord, we know, Father, there's work ahead for them. Dear Father, we know, Lord, that the fields are white on the harvest, Lord, and that there's souls out there that are looking for someone to tell them about Jesus, Lord. Here stand two men and two sisters, Lord, and they're willing to go, Father, and we just pray, Father, you would lead them, Lord. We trust in you that you will, Lord, and we just give them to you, Father, this morning. Thank you for them, Lord. Thank you for what you've done in their lives, and we just trust you for their future, Lord. We pray, Father, you would lead them. Watch over them, Lord. Watch over their children, oh God, even as they're moving next week or the following week, Lord. You watch over them. You guide them every step in the way, Lord, as they get established there, as they establish a congregation there in Mitchell, Lord, and as Brother Irvin settles in there in Union County, Lord, we just pray, Father, you would establish them, Lord, there and in the faith, oh God, that they may be radiant, that they may be a light and a testimony, Lord, that their homes, Father, would be a light and a city set on a hill, Father, for all to see, Lord. Oh, Father, we thank you for them. We pray you would bless them, and we pray you would lead them, Lord. We thank you in Jesus' name, Lord. Amen. Faithfulness. A faithful man. Giftings, yes, but faithfulness. Faithfulness. So, I thank God for that. Thank the Lord for the message that we heard. Thank you for the opportunity that I have to be in a congregation where God is at work. People are wanting to go on with God, to see the Lord, not just wanting to sit in the pew, but give me something to do for God. And so today, my heart's been stirred, as Brother Denny shared, 120 men in this congregation. Yes, rise up, oh men of God.