A Rooted Heart - Clayton Schrock

All right, good afternoon. First of all, could somebody give me a

glass of water? That would be very handy, thank you. Okay,

yes, a rooted heart hopefully I want the right direction on this talk.

But much of what we will study towards the end is talking about the importance

of having a rooted heart in church life. That's really the most important thing.

So balancing history and vision, exploring how we can honor the past while

embracing a sustainable and hopeful future. So as an introduction, I wanted to

talk a little bit about youth and balancing our church heritage. For youth,

balancing our church heritage versus versus having our or your youthful vision and hope for

the future of your church, and how church should look look can often start

feeling instead of like a balance you can start feeling like a tug of war.

I thank you. I think dry mouthothism is often related to being nervous.

That's embarrassing, Okay, did you get that? Often often for youth

having balancing church heritage and then what you hope the direction the church will take

in the future, instead of feeling like a balancing act, which it should

be. Some of that it starts feeling like a tug of war. And

so you have the youth too often pooling against church leaders. And so I

would like for this talk to be an encouragement for us and you youth,

to pool with your leaders, not against them. Sometimes you do see problems

and inconsistency in the church that concern you, but often it is easy for

youth to be blinded by the problems in church and miss all they have inherited.

Passing the torch you've heard that expression. It comes from an ancient Greek

game called the torch race, extremely original, in which runners would run a

race similar to modern relay races and pass the torch on to a fresh runner.

And though that's not a perfect analogy, you youth are the future.

You're the next person in the relay race to grab the torch. You're the

one that needs to take up this torch and make sure it's lit. It's

so imperative that you catch the flame and carry the torch. Not because God

needs you to carry on this church. Christ's glorious church will prevail. So

I'm just telling I'm telling you right now that God doesn't need you. But

we'll clear that up in a bit. I think it's wrong for me to

appeal to you all, you all out of fear that the beautiful church God

has established will fail. It is not going to fail. The Church is

not going to fail, and that should give us great hope. The most

encouraging thing I can personally think is that the Church will prevail in spite of

man's failures. Ephesians five twenty three through thirty two. You can turn there

if you like, Ephesians five twenty three through thirty two. For the husband

is the head of the wife. And remember Christ is comparing marriage to the

church. So let's think of this through the lens of church. For the

husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of

the church, and he is the savior of the body. Therefore, just

as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their

own husbands and everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also

loved the Church and gave himself, gave himself for her, that he might

sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that he

might present to her sorry, that he might present her to himself a glorious

church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that

she should be holy and without blemish. So Christ is going to present himself

a church that is holy and without spot or wrinkle. Praise the Lord.

Okay, So why would I appeal to you to to take your heritage seriously

and not throw it out? So I told you a little bit ago that

God does not need you to carry on this church. But so I make

sure you don't feel unneeded, because you are needed. Let's look at what

Jesus said Matthew nine thirty seven through thirty Matthew nine thirty seven thirty eight.

Then he said to his disciples, the harvest truly is plentiful, but the

laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of harvest to send out laborers

into his harvest. So we are needed to do God's work. We are

needed as laborers in God's field fields, working for God to bring in a

harvest of lost souls. Second of all, why do I appeal to you

to take up the torch for your own sakes? It's important that you don't

squander the heritage you've been given. And you have been given a heritage.

Let's not kid ourselves. None of our churches are perfect But what an amazing

blessing that God has given us to grow up surrounded by God's word, being

exposed to the story of salvation, the blessing of being able to accept Christ

at a young age and escape so much of the sin which so easily ensnares

us. We've been given a tremendous heritage. And this reminds me of the

parable of the talents. When he turned to Matthew twenty five. Matthew twenty

five fourteen for the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man traveling to a far

country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And

to one he gave five talents, to another two and to another one,

to each according to his own ability. And immediately he went on a journey.

And he who had received the five talents went and traded with them and

made another five talents. I want to pause there and just think of all

of the three servants here who were given five, five, two and one

talents. Who are you think about that? You're probably the servant that was

given five something to think about. And likewise, he who had received two

gained two more also, But he who had received one went and dug in

the ground and hit his lord's money. After a long time, the lord

of those servants came in several accounts with them. So he who had received

five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, Lord, you delivered

to me five talents. Look I have done. Sorry, Look I have

gained five more talents besides them. His lord said to him, well done,

good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things. I

will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.

He also, who had received two talents, came and said, Lord,

you delivered to me two talents. Look, I have gained two more

talents besides them. His lord said to him, well done, good and

faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things. I will make

you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. Then

he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew

you to be a hard man, reaping where you had not sown, and

gathering where you would where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid

and went and hid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.

Look there you have what is yours? But as Lord answered and said to

him, you wicked and lazy servant, you knew what I reap. That

I reap where I have not sown, and gathered where I have not scattered

seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and

at my coming I would have received back MyD I own with interest. Therefore,

take the talent from him and give it to him who has ten talents.

For to everyone who has more will be given, and he will have

abundance. But from him who does not have even what he has, sorry

will be taken away and cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There will

be weeping and gnashing of teeth. So my question is what happens if the

servant with the five talents is the one that digs a hole and buries them.

I would argue that with the heritage that we have, we've been given

quite a few talents, quite a few investment tools for God's kingdom. So

let's use them. Let's not squander that heritage. And thirdly, why should

you take up the torch? What's in it for us? Why? Yeah,

why do I appeal to you to take up the torch? In your

church, because many times your church will be an instrument of your own salvation.

The power of having your own church community, a fellowship of believers,

accountability. In short, our brotherhood cannot be overstated. God instituted the church

for a reason, much of that being that during the periods of our lives.

During periods of our lives, we will need the support and prayers of

our brotherhood, and that, along with God's power through the brotherhood's prayers,

will be the only thing that keeps you standing. You need the support of

your church. I appeal to you to take up your torch for your own

sakes Hebrews ten three twenty five. You don't need to turn there. Let

us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised

is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love

and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the

manner of some, but exhorting one another. And so much the more as

you see the day approaching. This is an example of how the church can

work together to build each other up, stirring up each other to love and

good works, exhorting one another. Okay, moving on. Before we get

to talking about our heritage, I think you'd be wise to look at some

principles of honor and respect. So early on in God's giving of the law

to the Israelites as they were in the desert. I'm not sure. I

don't remember which commandment it was, but in one of the Ten Commandments,

it says that children should obey their parents and the Lord. If Hesian six

one through three Paw quoted that children obey your parents and the Lord, for

this is right. Honor thy father and mother. Which is the first commandment

with promise? And what is the promise? That it may be well with

thee and thou mayst live long on the earth. So right out of the

gate, God is commanding us to honor and respect our parents. God instituted

the idea of respecting and honoring those in a position of headship over us.

We as youth make a huge mistake when when we, without much wisdom,

throw out what has been carefully handed down to us and taught by our parents.

I believe the promise that is spoken in the Ten Commandments there by God,

that it may be well with you and that you can live long on

the earth, is part blessing from God for honoring our parents. There is

a blessing and honoring our parents, but it's also part just plain truth.

It's a huge mistake to not honor and respect your parents. Here's why.

If every generation can't learn from the lessons of the past, they will be

mired in the woes of starting over. They'll miss out on generational growth.

Generational growth is the idea that say you have a first generation Christian, they

will grow, and then they will hopefully have children, and those children will

take on the growth their parents have had and grow some more, take it

a little bit further, and so you have a more and more perfected people.

That should and does happen. Another thing to understand as we look at

principles of honor and respect, this is just sort of built into the idea

of the wisdom of honoring your parents is understanding how little wisdom we have as

youth and recognizing the wisdom around us. We as youth don't have copious amounts

of wisdom yet, and that is something that is gained over a lifetime.

Job twelve twelve says this wisdom is with aged men and with length of days.

Understanding wisdom is with aged men and with length of days. Understanding,

there's a reason that we are called to honor our parents, the first commandment

that comes with a blessing. It's because we are given wisdom. Proverbs nineteen

twenty says, listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise

in your latter days. Proverbs nineteen twenty seven says, cease listening to instruction,

my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. And

thankfully God does give us wisdom if we ask. James one to five says,

if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth

to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.

But remember, oftentimes God will give you wisdom through older, wiser people

around you. Okay, So moving on from the wisdom of honoring our parents,

there are principles of respecting those in leadership over us. Back in the

Law nineteen thirty two, you shall rise before the gray headed and honor the

presence of an old man. In fear your God, I am the Lord.

Respect your elders. Acts twenty twenty eight says, therefore, take heed

to yourselves into all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers

to shepherd the Church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.

God has made leaders overseers of us to shepherd and to shepherd the church.

Therefore we should respect and honor their leadership. Hebrews thirteen seventeen says, therefore,

take heed to yourselves into all the flock among which the Holy sorry.

Starting to read the same thing Hebrews thirteen seventeen, Obey those who rule over

you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls. As

those who must give accounts, let them do so with joy and not with

grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. I don't think that we

as youth understand the care, the load, and sometimes the agony church leaders

carry as they work to shepherd a flock of Christians. I think preaching is

only the beginning. So let's let them lead us with joy and not with

grief. To wrap up our study of the principles of honor respect, when

we turn to first Peter five, one Peter five, and one of you

guys that's so rauciously whispering back there, why don't you read it? On

Peter five one three eleven. Can I have a volunteer? First? Peter

five one through eleven? Did all remember or you wrong around you? I?

Or also the hour aunds about Christ and all the pegram kid a blot

ud among you take the oversight or uh not ma tration but with the telling

your grip about how you nyon either have any bors over gone on? Are

the examples of a blot in the teacher samories not a way like like you

remember some make you fellow onnber gah all y suffer you so regarding about uh

any names all music casting like your momparitor, that's a that's right, y'all

worrying my mom dogs doing just a step fa the big millions of the there

is the world like the god of all grades in the world. How to

dr succer Do you mean you are? Thank you aunt so uh the first

section there one through four, the elders are exhorted to lead as shepherds of

the flock, and then verse five us younger people are to submit ourselves to

the elders, and we are to remember in verse five that we should be

all of us, should be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility.

For God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. That's

something that we should all think about more often. We should be clothed with

humility. So, in other words, I think, for humble, and

we don't have to we don't have to stick ourselves out. And I'm not

sure if I'm gonna I don't think I'm getting across what I'm trying to say.

But God gives grace to the humble, so he will help us in

our humility. Okay, just remember that for maybe later on Titus two one

through ten. Let's see, I'll read that quickly. Titus too, one

through ten. I think it was Titus. This is Timothy. No,

it's Titus. But as for you speak the things which are proper for sound

doctrine, that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sounds in

faith, in love, in patience. The older women likewise, that they

be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers

of good things. And then verse four, this is for us that they

may that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their

children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers good obedient to their own husbands,

that the word of God may not be blaspheming. Likewise, exhort the

young men to be sober minded in all things, showing yourself to be a

pattern of good works in doctrine, showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound

speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an component may be ashamed

having nothing evil to say of you. Okay, it's time to look at

our church heritage and honoring it and the church heritage. When I talk about

heritage, I'm talking about the things that we as conservative Mennonites practice, looked

at the Bible and we decided to do it a certain way, the community

and culture that we've created over the years. So what kind of church heritage

is one that you should honor? And who is called to honor their church

heritage? I think I can answer that with this statement. When we don't

honor a heritage that has brought us the Gospel and safety from the dangers of

the world, we are stepping out of line of the proper headship order that

God has created. As we looked at earlier in the principles of respecting and

honoring those in leadership over us. And so there's a privilege that comes with

being in your place. I don't think that every Christian has the privilege of

being called to honor their Christian heritage. Not every Christian goes to a good

and godly church do. And so I'm calling you to honor your heritage.

You have an amazing heritage, a very special heritage of Christian living, of

godly lifestyle, of Christian community, of tradition, and of culture, and

that is all a huge aid in our walk. All of that is a

huge aid in our walk towards becoming perfected in Christ. Honoring our church heritage

is a case of not throwing out the baby with the bathwater. There's a

possibility that sometimes the water of our church will get pretty muddy. Throwing out

the baby the good in what we've inherited, just because we see so much

that could be better, would be a catastrophic mistake for you not to mention

the baby. So I listed what is our heritage as conservative Mennonites. A

couple of things that stood out to me, and I'm sure there's a number

more. Just here's a few, no order of importance at all. Godly

standards for modesty, godly standards for entertainment, a heritage of adherence to the

Bible without compromise. It's a very important one. A structure of leadership that

closely represents what's laid out in the New Testament. A community that is counter

culture, because if we don't create culture, the world will happily create it

for us. An emphasis on marriage and family, a godly work ethic.

But honoring our heritage, while good, should not be a Christian's primary focus.

And so this is where I get into. I think it is exciting

building a godly vision for church and Christian as part of any church, be

growing beyond just living out of the heritage that has been passed down to them.

They should be, like I was saying earlier, carrying on the torch

themselves personally, whether or not they are in leadership or called to leadership in

the church. So our goal as Christians should be to personally take up the

torch. Carrying on the torch personally is to catch or create a godly vision

for your church and to implement that in your life. First, we'll talk

about this more a bit later. As we look at personal responsibility in our

Christian walks. So, if church should not be primarily about living out the

heritage we've been passed down, what is the point of church. The church's

primary goal should be to live out the teachings of Christ and the rest of

the New Testament as exactly as possible. That is what will inform a godly

vision and so for you personally, the way you will create a vision for

your church that will make you excited for the future and will inspire you will

be to study God's word and to implement God's principles into your own life.

There will be times when you will see something in your church that you legitimately

think needs to change. That's fine and good. We need more church members

caring about where their church is headed, more church members joining the ministry of

their church to care for the flock and each other. And I'm not saying

more church members joining the ministry, then you be joining the ministry team effort

and caring for each other. A note about change in your church. Even

if you see something that should change, it takes much time, time,

care, and wisdom often to implement a new idea into church. It's easy

for us youth to get discouraged or frustrated with this process, and it is

easy to lose our grace and humility in this process. Let's remember these words

from Philippians two three. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but

in loneliness of mind, let each esteem each other, esteem other better than

themselves. Romans twelve ten says, be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly

love, in honor, preferring one another. And what is the most important

thing? That is what God is calling us to today. So what is

God calling us to today? We need to take up our crosses and follow

Jesus. Matthew sixteen twenty four through twenty seven says, then Jesus said to

his disciples, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself

and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever desires to save his

life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will find

it. For what promise is it to a man if he gains the whole

world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange

for his soul? For the son of man will come in the glory of

his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each according to his

works. We need to daily get rid of sin Romans eight thirteen through fourteen.

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But

if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you

will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,

these are the sons of God. Continuing down that line, Romans six sixth

I'll start a verse five for little contexts. For if we have been united

together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the

likeness of his resurrection Verse six. Knowing this that our old man was crucified

with him, that the body of sin might be done away with that we

should no longer be slaves to sin, and that will naturally continue into Second

Corinthians five seventeen, Second Christians five seventeen. Therefore, if anyone is in

Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold,

all things have become new. What is God calling us today? Think

that we should be asking God how we can serve him now? Ephesians two

ten. Once again, I don't have it written down Ephesians two ten,

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God

prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. So we should be seeking

to do God's good works. Okay, in conclusion, I wanted to read

Ephesians one fifteen through twenty three, so you can turn there Fustians one fifteen

through twenty three. This is to encourage all of us that Christ's amazing,

beautiful church will prevail and we should not get discouraged by church trouble. I'm

sure all of us have experienced that to some degree. But we should be

encouraged though, because this is what God called us to do. He called

us to do church, and it will prevail. Remember that the Church is

Christ's bride. Fijians one fifteen to twenty three. Therefore, I also,

after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all

the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of

you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord, Jesus Christ,

the Father of Glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation,

the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your under the eyes of your

understanding, be enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling,

What are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according

to the working of his mighty power, which he worked in Christ, when

he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in the

heavenly places, far above all principality and power, and might and dominion and

every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in

that which is to come. And he put all things under his feet and

gave him to be head over all things, to the Church, which is

his body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Okay,

that is all I have. Thank you for your attention.