Joash grew up on the throne. He was a boy-king. His regent, Jehoiada was a godly priest, and carefully guided Joash to become a God-minded man, and a good king. It was Jehoiada’s influence that got Joash to repair the temple.
1Joash was seven years old when he began to reign,
and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters. 4And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 24:1-4 (KJV)
The developing character of Joash was unmistakingly the influence of his teacher and guardian, Jehoiada. Joash was only seven when he started to reign. But the early-formed habit of doing right was unbroken as long as Jehoiada lived.
Jehoiada chose wives for Joash – probably Godly women who passed the Jehoiada test. (Can you hear the refrains of Fiddler on the Roof’s ‘Matchmaker?’)
It was subsequent to this training that Joash got the idea to repair the crumbling temple of Jehoiada’s God (cf. 24.4).
Now, we have ample parallel of the Joash/Jehoiada tandem in our own history at Cedar Lodge. We have the Godly example of Rev. and Mrs. Fred Jurney.
In 1964 the meetings began in the Lion’s Den. By fall of 1965 this very building we occupy was completed. The godly leadership of the Jurneys encouraged and compelled God’s people to excellence in completing our building.
Rev. Jurney died in 1972, but by 1975, Rev. and Mrs. B.V. Broadway picked up the standard and helped us march as God directed. A fellowship hall was constructed.
And in 1990 Rev. and Mrs. Jarvis helped point the way toward a new day. Rev. Steve sent you a Challenge To Build letter, and in less than 11/2 years, we dedicated a new wing of administrative offices and educational space.
The cost was nearly $300,000. Had you waited until the year 2000 – it would have been more than triple that amount! What a testament to the giving, forward-moving gracious Spirit of Christ in this body!
All of that is like Joash and Jehoiada. The pastoral families (Jurney, Broadway, Jarvis), were like Jehoiada, leading, educating, encouraging. Now, like Jehoiada, those pastors weren’t perfect. Jehoiada had trouble getting started with the project, until Joash prodded him. (That’s a good thing to do with a preacher sometimes; preachers don’t have all the answers!).
The Joash in our history is you – the people – the bride of Christ, responding, stepping-out, building for the future. The people weren’t perfect either – but God is, and was directing all our needs; He saw this church through every lean time, and blessed through the years.
There was a success story in Jerusalem’s temple, and in Thomasville on Cedar Drive!
It has been a long time since the original groundbreaking day in 1964. It has also been quite a while since the last building project began. Listen to the minutes of the meeting:
Groundbreaking ceremony on Sun, Apr. 14, 1991.
Patsy Hinkle, Debbie Graham, Eddie Hinkle, Ed Suggs,
Pastor Jarvis shoveled first scoops of dirt.
Pictures were taken by Ronnie Myers.
Grading began on 4-18-91…
Building completed week of Sept 1-10, 1991….
Building officially open for use – Sept 15, 1991….
Dedication Sept 29, 1991.
It has been right at 10 years since we began paying-down the debt on our building. We’ve paid over $250,000 including interest and principle payments. We still have over $50,000 remaining on the note. You might ask…
So What’s Next?
I think that’s what Joash must have asked himself when his mentor, Jehoiada died. Jehoiada was Joash’s northstar, his beacon in the night. When the guiding wisdom of his mentor was taken, Joash forgot to grow up and depend on the Lord. He fell prey to the wolves who came with flattery:
15But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died. 16And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house. 17Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. 18And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.
2 Chronicles 24.15-18
It is a natural tendency to slow down after a project. Joash left his fervency for the Lord, and got involved in worldly pursuits.
The analogy is continued with our track record. I do not know where the folks are who originally pledged (nor have I looked at any individual records).
However, I asked our treasurer for some information. Here’s what I got…
Of the original pledges totaling $1,340 per month, we lost 78% ($1,045), through people moving to other churches, and some folks who just stopped giving. That means those who remained were responsible to pay a $2,330 per month mortgage with only $295 of pledges.
Refinancing the mortgage reduced the payment to $1233 per month, and we currently average gifts of $900-1,000. Folks, it does not take an “Einstein” with a slide rule to figure out some things about that:
Some members of this church have carried more than their share the last 10 years;
some have dropped the ball;
others have denied their word and bond, leaving God’s house in disrepair!
Like Joash, we started out to do a good thing, and left it for others to worry about.
No more begging the question – here is what’s next, or what, in my opinion should be next…
The project is not completely over.
We cannot say that until we burn the note here on this platform. Until that day we are still in a building program. Dedicating the building was only the start.
But it is way past time for this building program to be done! It is time for us to move into the next phase of ministry at Cedar Lodge Baptist Church. We have buildings enough to last us until we see an average Sunday attendance near 800. We have miles to go on that.
When we get to 300 in attendance, we’ll have a second worship service.
When we get to 400 we’ll have 2 Sunday Schools.
When we get to 600 we’ll have a third morning worship service.
When we get to 800 we’ll start a new building program and build a sanctuary.
The next phase of ministry has nothing to do with buildings.
We need to have more emphasis on children and families at Cedar Lodge.
We should sponsor a Christian school and Christian day care where children are protected and trained in the ways of Christ.
This world isn’t getting any easier, and we must be part of the process of teaching them while they’re young!
We need to do a better job of ministry in many ways –
Sending missionaries for short-term projects.
Part of our upcoming mission trip to East St. Louis has to be scaled back because of budget realities.
We think twice when ordering literature.
These are signs of God’s house and ministries limping along instead of soaring on eagle’s wings.
It is time for this
building program to end.
The next phase of ministry here at Cedar Lodge has nothing to do with building more buildings; it has everything to do with filling them full of people who are getting saved, and need to grow as disciples of Jesus.
But we need to pay off the debt to clear our pathways to serving more effectively!
How do we do it?
How do we finish it off?
We cannot – and should not seek to do anything about those who have left. Decisions of other people in the past have nothing to do with what God calls us to do here on this corner of Thomasville in this new millennium. Our job is to be faithful.
But these three things I urge upon you this day…
#1. If you have “dropped the ball”
PICK IT UP NOW.
If you ever made a commitment to the Lord and this church, and for whatever reason had to discontinue giving – you begin again…today!
Perhaps you had circumstances that crippled you financially. There was no choice. Well, if the worm has turned, you turn – and pick up. Make it all up today if you can. Pick up the ball! It’s our church, and His calling!
#2. If you have never picked up
the ball -- PICK IT UP NOW.
You may be a member of long-standing, and have never given a penny to the building fund. That doesn’t have to be your epitaph. Open your heart to God’s calling. Open your heart to God’s ministry. Pick up the ball! It’s your church too, and His calling.
You may not be a member, but this ball has a compelling look and feel. You want to be part of it. You pick up the ball – come join us at the end of this service. Become part of a great and caring church fellowship.
#3. Whatever you’re going to do
about the ball…DO IT NOW!
In the scheme of things, I know some of you are sitting there remembering the bills you’ve got to pay. You don’t know if you’ll make it this month – let alone try to give to this building program. I urge you to consider that you are not alone.
Some of you are sitting there thinking, Oh brother, this guy has got to be kidding – or maybe living on another planet! Hasn’t he been watching the market take a swan dive. How can I possibly do any more? This is the wrong timing preacher! I urge you to consider that what we are asking for here is not common sense…or market understanding…what we are asking for now is faith.
If you have prayed over this and prepared your heart for this morning, and God has spoken to your heart, saying Do NOT give…I will be the first one to say “Amen.”
However, if God has said that to you, you are the first one in history! The way God speaks to us mostly when it comes to issues of faith is when we step out, confident that He will meet all our needs by his glorious riches in Christ Jesus!
A preacher once stood before his congregation on Joash commitment day and announced,
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have both good news and bad news for you about the Joash building campaign.
The GOOD NEWS is that we have all the money we need for completing our building project.
(Applause, applause, applause…)
The BAD NEWS is – all that money is still in your
pockets.
When Elizabeth and I first came here, we did not know how (or IF) we could make it financially. The houses cost so much more here than in Florida. We had to move quickly. God sold our house – God gave us a new one.
Yet, the costs of moving over the years – and the recent losses when renters did “lifetime savings and then some” vandalism to our home – well, we just didn’t know. But we came.
Look what happened – He gave us YOU! I don’t want you to get the big head over this, but you have been more to us than money or houses, cars or wealth untold.
Your kindness has been everything.
But, there was more. When we stepped out on faith, and bought the only house near the church that came close to our needs – even if it was beyond our perceived ability…God changed everything.
The Lord brought the mortgage rates down – just for us! We refinanced and got a lower payment, and took 15 years off the original thirty-year mortgage! We may actually be able to eat after we retire!
Bottom line
All that refinancing came after we made a decision to begin giving to “the Chest”! That was a decision based upon faith. And, because this is the church where God wants us, in just a moment,
Elizabeth and I are going to go to the chest.
We are going to bring our commitment card together.
We are going to drop it in the chest with a prayer
of thanksgiving for how He has blessed us.
And then, even though we still don’t have a clear picture of how we’ll actually do it, we will continue to walk – and give, by faith.
We ask you to join us!
It’s our church, It’s His calling.
March 18, 2001
Cedar Lodge Baptist Church
Thomasville, NC
Dr. Russell Brownworth, Pastor
www.cedarlodgebaptist.org
