Scipture Text: John 11:10b
Rev. David Ryan
Grace and peace .
I have been anticipating this day
For several months –
When I would get the privilege of sharing with you
For the first time from the Word of the Lord.
I want you to know that I love the Word of God.
I read it almost every day.
My goal is to read it every day
But I confess that I am not 100% perfect –
Although pretty close to that.
I am committed to reading through the scriptures every year.
I follow a plan. I try to stay ahead of schedule
So that if I do miss a day now and then, I don’t get behind.
Most months I read through the Psalms –
Reading several chapters each morning and evening.
I love songs that get us to “sing” the scripture
I don’t do as well memorizing it as I should.
I make that confession humbly –
Its always something I know I should be working on.
I learned a long time ago a step process
Regarding our intake of scripture.
1) Hear it
2) Read it
3) Study it
4) Meditate upon it
5) Memorize it
And most importantly –
6) Obey it.
I want to have that a part of every day –
And I encourage you to join me in that.
It makes a difference.
I promise as your pastor to be a Man of the Word.
I will do my best to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit
When I prepare my sermons.
I try to listen to the Holy Spirit
And share with you what is laid on my heart.
I try to listen to the Spirit as I plan what scriptures I will
Preach from.
I like to plan out my preaching months in advance
So that the Spirit has plenty of time to work on it in me.
At the Leola Congregation I have been preaching through
The scriptures, sharing a sermon from each book of the bible.
I want to be a good steward of my time
So most weeks, I will be sharing the same sermon
At each of the three services I have on a Sunday morning.
So you will be catching the tail end of that series,
But each one is self- contained – so I don’t think that
Will be problem.
I have a few Old Testament minor prophets to share from
And just a few books left of the New Testament –
Next week I’ll be sharing out of Micah – looking at
“What does the Lord Require” –
Encourage you to read through Micah for next week.
But this week, I wanted to just share some of testimony
With you.
I look forward to hearing yours in the weeks to come
As we get to know one another.
I was priviledged to grow up in Christian Home.
My Dad, John Ryan, who is now in heaven,
Was a trustee of the church.
He faithfully attended the Men’s Sunday School Class.
My Mom, Jacquline Ryan, who thankfully still with us –
She lives in a little community called “Hollywood Beach “
In Maryland –
Was in charge of Vacation Bible School for a number of years
Of major influence in my life was my grand mother, Lil Ryan.
She lived in a small bungalow behind our house.
We would often sleep there on Sunday Nights –
And she would read her Sunday school lesson out loud –
I don’t know why she did that – it was an adult lesson,
And my sister Amy and I were just little kids,
But she did it.
She was a member of the “Gleaner” Sunday school class.
I had the same pastor for my childhood and teen years –
The Rev. Samuel Tryens.
He too was a man of the word.
He was tall – and always wore a black robe on Sunday mornings.
I’m told that one Sunday when I was just three or four years old
He was preaching on Zacheeus -and he asked a rhetorical question
“Who was that man up in the tree”
At three or four years Old I did not know about rhertorical questions –
So I stood up on the pew
And before my parents could “sush” me
I blurted out – Pastor, you should know that!
It was Zacheeus!
I knew the song!
I grew up going to Sunday school and church regularly.
I sang in the junior choir.
I loved the church.
You know in school, I was always the kid
Who was picked last when teams were being chosen.
But at church –
At church, I knew I was valued.
I knew I was loved.
I knew I had place.
And I am so thankful for that.
The summer between 6th and 7th grade
I began taking saxophone lessons
From the leader of the jr.-sr. high school band
His name was Howard Whitworth.
He invited me to go to a camp meeting –
Brandywine Summit for a series of youth meetings.
There was an evangelist there – I don’t remember his name –
But one night he issued a very clear invitation to us.
He said you might have been going to church all your life-
And you might have believed in God all your life
But have you ever really asked Jesus to be YOUR savior.
Have you ever absolutely committed your life to him?
Do you know for certain that you have done that.
Tonight could be the night for you to do that.
To make sure.
And so when an altar call was given,
I came forward.
Although there was not a time in my life
With out Christ …I knew for certain that night
That I had given my life to him.
And I was filled with joy.
Joy that was overflowing.
And I still have that joy…50plus years later.
I’m 63 years old by the way.
About that same time, my church
Has a lay witness mission –
Where people would come to the church
And share their testimonies.
It brought revival to my small church
And a youth group started –
And that too was a big part of my spiritual life.
I became a part of that movement
And had the privilege of going out
And sharing about my faith with others.
When I was little
I had a book about all the things that you could be
A Doctor, a teacher, a construction worker,
A Police man…even a circus clown!
But one page of that little golden book
Had a preacher on it.
And somehow I knew that was what I would be .
When I was 16 I felt that call confirmed in my life.
The preacher was sharing from Isaiah’s call story –
God asked “Whom Shall I send” – and Isaiah responded
Here am I , send me.
I said the same thing to the Lord – here am I - send me.
And he did.
I went to Asbury College in Wilmore Kentucky.
A school known for its part in what was called the Holiness Movement.
In the chapel, there was an inscription in the front –
“Holiness unto the Lord”
I majored in Christian Education and minored in Drama.
From there I went to seminary at Wesley Seminary in
Washington DC.
That was a big thing for me
I grew up in the country – hardly ever in a big city.
New rode on a city bus, much less a subway.
At the seminary I came in contact with folks
Who were very different from me –
And some who came from very different theological perspectives.
My prayer was – Lord – work in my life.
If there is stuff that needs to change in me, change it
And if there is stuff that needs to stay, keep it there.
I was ordained a deacon mid-seminary
And then an elder at the appropriate time.
I wrote a letter to the congregation introducing myself
And a young woman of the congregation read that letter
And told her mother – this is the man I am going to marry!
And that’s what happened!
The ladies of the church, I am told, started praying!
My My My –
When the ladies of the church get together in prayer –
Watch out.
That’s a powerful thing.
Jeanette and I fell in Love and got engaged on Valentine's Day
And married on All Saints Day.
She has been my partner in life and in ministry
And I am so thankful for her.
You will be blessed as you get to know her.
We had three children.
Our first was a miscarriage.
The fetus never really developed.
Don’t know if the baby as a boy or a girl.
I so look forward to that day in heaven when some one
Will come up to me and say “Hey dad…its me”.
What a day of rejoicing that will be.
Soon after that our son Jonathan was born
And then 18 months later our son Zachary.
Jonathan is married and lives in Harrisburgh with his wife Erin.
Together they have a business called “Ryan Planning Plus” –
Offering services in planning and hosting large events like
Weddings, and other big events.
Our son zac lives in Maryland and works with the inventory
Of a large international company called Dixon
We love them.
Family is important to us.
And so is the church.
The church is family to us –
So we are glad to extend the family – and include the folks
Of this congregation.
One of my life verses we had shared earlier.
John 11: 10 – the second part of it.
Jesus said, I have come that they might have life –
And have it to the full
Other translations say – abundant life!
My friends, here is the most basic truth I know.
I stake my life on it.
We are loved God.
We can not earn it, we can not lose it.
We are simply loved.
God knows us and God loves us.
And He desires good for us –
There is a saying that goes –
God is good – and the response is – all the time
And all the time and the response is God is good.
We are loved God.
I am loved by God
You are loved by God.
And it that knowledge, in that experience, there is delight.
I understand that as my life mission.
To help others delight in the Love of God.
And here is how I believe that happens.
1) Have faith in God through Jesus Christ.
I believe that Jesus was and is the Son of God –
Who came to earth, incarnate.
I believe he lived here in the flesh, and taught us
All we need to know about being in right relationship with God.
I believe that He died upon the cross –
And his death, his blood, some how paid the debt
Of our sin.
I believe he rose the dead and ascended to heaven
I believe in the Holy Spirit.
I believer that when Jesus ascended, he sent the Holy Spirit
On Pentecost –
And that Just as the believers received the Holy Spirit,
So too do we when we confess Jesus as our Savior.
The Holy Spirit is God’s presence not just with us,
But with in us.
I believer that God, through Christ, forgives our sin.
He makes us new –
And invites us into the process of growing more and more like Christ.
Sure we mess up sometimes.
It happens.
But there is always forgiveness when we confess our sin
With sincere hearts.
Nothing stops the love of God.
I believe in grace – God’s doing for us what we can not
Do on our own.
But I also believe that we are called to cooperate with the
Work of the Holy Spirit.
We are called to immerse ourselves in the Word of God.
Like I said earlier – and you may hear me say it again.
We have to hear the word, read the word, study it, meditate upon it, memorize it and obey it.
That is so basic to our faith.
We are called to be a people of prayer.
Spending time in concentrated fellowship with God.
Talking to God, sharing our heart, our need, our desires –
And Prayer is also listening to God
Sometimes prayer is just being quiet before God,
Sitting in his presence. Attentive, Waiting.
We are called to worship God –
Both privately and corporately
Alone and together.
We are called to witness –
Our faith is not meant to be kept to ourselves.
We have the best thing there is – right relationship with God –
We are not to keep that to ourselves
But to share it with others.
And we are called to service.
Again, that is corporate and individual
God has things he calls each church to –
And things he calls each individual to.
Sometimes the acts of service are what
The world might think of as a big thing.
Sometimes its what the world may think of
As a small thing.
All things are important to God.
As we journey together
I will be challenging you, and hopefully helping you
To grow in faith
To become all that God has called you, and gifted you
To become.
To live life to the full
Abundantly!
Know Christ.
Pray.
Form your life around the Scirptures.
Worship
Be in Fellowship with other Believers – and befriend those in the world not yet with us – be in witness.
And serve as the Lord calls you to serve.
Oh God Is good.
Be encouraged in your faith.
Keep on Keeping on!
I pray abundant – full life – for you
In Christ.
Amen!