Well Done, Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, Part I

indeed our time of remembrance and reflection it's been appropriate and adequate by those who knew and loved pastor Peterson knew him much more intimately than myself and even how I stand humble to before you knowing that there are many in this congregation called to preach who could stand in this moment I share a more eulogistic word about our past emeritus we are blessed to welcome receive our brother in Christ dr. David Forbes who will be our preacher on tomorrow forgive me y'all but I I wouldn't be worthy of standing as an heir of John old Peterson if I didn't believe that there was a word from the Lord and prayerfully preparing for this moment my soul became anchored in a passage of Scripture that you've heard multiple times today of read in various places and will hear several times again it's well known you don't even have to turn your Bible to stand I'll simply tell you what it is and the master said to him well done that's enough right there I am as you all know the last of five children born to Alvin and Helene Wesley had some old school parents and one of the greatest joys if you asked them will be that they produced five children all of whom graduated high school and college on the honor rule now I say that not former self aggrandizement it wasn't because we were all so smart it wasn't because we were intellectually disciplined wasn't because image we were some type of prodigy or just knew so much and did so well we weren't nerds we weren't geeks the reason we did well in school is because we were afraid for you see I was raised by dad who told us that the only grades that could come through his house we're a x' and bees and with four older siblings I found out very quickly watching them matriculate through academies that a a and a B not only brought you reward but prevented some Swift and severe punishment a C would get you put on punishment but a D would cause daddy to go to that closet and get that belt that nobody even wore and he'd tear you up until you felt like being a better student you can imagine the horror and shock in my life when in the sixth grade round about October of that year we got our midterm grades and back in 1985 when I was in the 6th grade they didn't email or send home your grade reports you you have to take them home yourself and get mom and dad's signature on it after unsuccessfully Bobby trying to forage my daddy's signature I eventually determined that I had to show my mama my midterm grade report doing pretty good but had a C in science and a D in history and when I showed my seeing my D on my midterm report to my mother I i literally began to cry because I knew once daddy saw the C and the D he swiftly make his way to data closet to grab that belt that nobody wore and was gonna wear me out I began crying and my mother says something to me D can be that that paused me and it caused me to remember her word she said son don't worry about it I thought at the time she was preparing to intercede as every good mama should when she knows her youngest child is about to be brought to the point of death she said to me dr. faith don't worry about it it's just your midterm grade it's the final grade that your dad really cares about so don't don't get too worried about your midterm progress report cuz all dad wants to see is what is your final grade and I come by to tell you that there are a whole lot of folks put a whole lot of emphasis on midterm grades in life without cause or concern for what that final grade ought to be getting an upgrade from a Buick to a Benz is a good midterm report putting another degree on your wall that's a good midterm report getting a promotion on your job to our higher and a higher level that's a mighty good midterm report but I come by to tell you that the final grade of life can never be uttered with human lips are given by human hands but the final grade of life can only be given by the creator of life itself the everlasting omnipotent sovereign god of the heavens and the earth who stands before us on the day of judgment to give you your final grade and if you're not a Bible reader let me tell you that in this course it's only a pass or fail there are only one or two grades you can get you can either hear good or you can hear wicked you can hear faithful or you can hear lazy you can hear well done or you're gonna hear unprofitable you're gonna hear enter in or you're gonna hear the grade cast out and I drop by on this night before the formal funeral to let you know that I got a tweet from Gabriel the other day he said he was standing in the courtroom of judgment and late one Tuesday night a doctor came up with the name John Otis Peterson the tweet said it was the fastest judgment they've ever dealt with on that side of heaven for the docket was closed a stamp was given and God assured out the words well done thou good and faithful servant that John oldest Peterson fulfilled the syllabus for well done as is outlined in Matthew chapter 25 if you're not a Bible reader let me just lay the context for you this parable that we preach from on this Matthew 25 really began with a question that the disciples asked in Matthew 24 it is there that Jesus is gathered with the disciples on the Mount of Olives and they began asking Jesus about the sign of the end of time where no God will the earth come to an end Jesus teaches them about the wars and rumors of war goli he talks to him about the apostasy of disciples in the face of persecution he predicts the rise of false prophets and Antichrist there in out of nowhere and he flips the script on them and tells him but but don't spend all your time trying to figure out when I'm coming back cuz no man knows the day nor the hour then I'm coming back so so here's what y'all to do be watchful and be faithful to teach him about being watchful he tells them this parable about ten virgins who were waiting all the return of the bridegroom and five of them were ready and five were unprepared and then he transitions into this famous parable of the talents if you're not a Bible reader let me give you the cliff notes how would John Wesley Version it goes like this a man who owned a lot of good stuff and called three of his servants to his side as he got ready to take a long journey to one brother he gave five talents of talent and that day was equal to an annual wage and so he gave him a whole lot of money to another one he gave a little less money and to one brother at the end he only gave a dollar the man went off on his journey Bible says that after a little while he came back referring to the coming back of the son of man would he come back he came with with a day of reckoning and said now everybody that I've been trusted with my stuff come on back and give me an account of what you have done with what I entrusted you with brother who had received five talents came back and said Lord you gave me five I worked at the best I could and I'm giving you ten more the one who had to brought back and said Lord he gave me two I brought back four I worked at as best I could and two both of those the master said well done thou good and faithful servant there's a brother standing in the corner a little bit nervous about what he had seen cuz that was a brother they received one talent came back sending that Lord hold on but before you get started what had happened was I knew that you are a harsh ruler and that your reap where you have not sold and gathered where you have not scattered seed and so I took your money I buried it in the ground and I hid it because I knew you come back and here you have what you gave me and the master looks at him says thou wicked and lazy servant and cast them out into the other darkness and in that parable dr. Forbes Jesus lets us know that upon his return we will either hear well done or you're gonna hear wicked and lazy and I and I just have to begin to wonder what do you have to do to get well done I don't want the Lord to come back and call me wicked and lazy and unprofitable and cast me out what do you have to do to get a well done and how am I so sure that Jo P got a well done you know I'm a Baptist preacher so can I give you just three thoughts ideas some ponderings about what you ought to do if you want to get well done in and I'll let you go and bite your way number one if you're gonna get well done watch this you've got to use the gifts you've been given if you're gonna get well done you got to use the gifts that you have been given here is the sad summary of the brother that had only received one Talent he didn't do anything with it because he compared it to the brothers that had two and the brother that had five and thought that he did not have as much the real tragedy of this parable is not that he hid his talent in the ground the real tragedy is that he did not utilize the gift God had given him before he gave him the talent y'all stay with me that before he gave him anything in his hand he had already put some ability in his body and in his heart and in his mind and if he had just used what God had burst him with what God had breathed into him what God had commissioned him with he could have taken that one talent and turned it into to the tragedy in life is not what you have in your hand but not using what God has put in your heart let me tell you why I know J Opie got him a well done cuz he used the gifts that God had given him yeah that's the mighty good gifts I I came to learn about a few of them who he had a gift of humor little sharp-edged to give minute to figure out whether he was cussing you out or cracking a joke on you but but he had a sense of humor he had a gift of influence could pick up the phone and tuitions be paid he had a gift of administration and I may not have been the way everybody wanted it but he could show lead a project you could see it through from beginning to end and work it all the way through but the best gift that God gave John Otis Peterson is the gift watch this that distinguishes between a preacher and a pastor come on let me help can some of y'all may have been to some churches where you had some good preachers but they weren't good can I tell you the difference between a preacher and a pastor it's real simple you got to have a Shepherd's heart you you've got to love Bobby sheep and goats you've got the love folk that that you won't and folk that you wish would lead the church the greatest gift Charo Pierson was this gift of love that manifests itself in a generous spirit you show me anybody that he used their influence and generosity more than john o petersen to bless folk my dad once told me that a good shepherd smells like his sheep you can't be a shepherd if you don't hang out with the sheet that great gift of the heart of John Oh Peterson was seen and a gift that so many pastors missed today the Ministry of presence

Channel: Greg J

Views: 47,115

Keywords: Well Done, Alfred Street Baptist Church, Alfred Street, ASBC, Rev. Dr. John O. Peterson, Sr., John O. Peterson, John Peterson, Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, Howard John Wesley, Memorial Service, Sermon, Matthew 25:23

Id: MP5M_3mlu4A

Length: 14min 34sec (874 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 03 2011