Let me ask you, how many of you here present with us tonight attended Fairhaven at some time or are a graduate of Fairhaven? You attended classes? All right, put your hands down. Now, how many of you that are present with us are in full-time Christian service in some capacity, somewhere in the world? I'm just trying to get an idea of who it is that I'm preaching to, what kind of, how much of the group here fits into those categories. Well, I'll tell you what, it truly is a thrill to be here at Fairhaven. It's just, I would consider it a privilege just to be a part of the conference. just to be able to be here with all of you, to be able to see you. I mean, I can't help but walk on campus and the memories come back, things that happened, most of them good, amen. Few of them not so good, but the memories come back and you just walk around and things coming and coming and coming, and it's just a refreshing and encouraging. But to be asked to be one of the preachers this week, It's truly an honor that I don't deserve. And I approach the task that's before me with apprehension and with all humility. My heart heavy with the weight of the responsibility that's been given me. With the trust that's been extended to me. Not just because Pastor Dameron walked up to me and said, no pressure, but we need a 25% increase tonight. That is not why I feel that way. But because of the high esteem that I hold most all of you here in this room, all except, no, I'm just kidding. It's because of that high esteem that I approach this with all gravity and sincerity of heart. I would ask you tonight to remove from your minds the fact that I am, for many of you, your peer. We understand the biblical principle that a prophet is without honor in his own country. And because of the fact that we shared a classroom, or sat next to each other, or we walked down the same hallways in the dorm, or worked on the same bus route, don't let that keep you from getting what God has for you. Not just tonight, but all week, as you hear from graduates, as you hear from men that you might have gone so many with, that you might have knocked doors with, that you saw them do some of the foolish things college kids do. Don't let that keep you from getting what God has for you. At the end of the week you'll go home and if you have that just critical mind and you're just evaluating the speakers for their ability or their lack thereof, at the end of the week you'll go home with nothing. But you have right now, on the onset of this week, the opportunity to get something real and powerful from God. If you purpose in your heart, it doesn't matter who's standing behind the pulpit, that the powerful Word of God is being opened and being preached, and I want something from my heavenly Savior, then it won't matter who's opening the Word, you'll get it. You'll get it. So as we approach this week, please remove from your mind the fact that I may be your peer. And for many of you, you're inferior. We take just a moment and ask God to bless this message. Lord, we ask you tonight that you would be with everything that's said and done. We ask you that you would be honored, Lord, that you would be lifted up, that God, we would exalt you in your word. We ask you, Lord, that you would speak to hearts as only you can. God, you know that on my best day, I'm an unworthy vessel, but we're preaching a worthy book. God, I don't feel equipped to do the job, but I believe wholeheartedly, Lord, that you can enable me to do it. And I ask you, God, tonight, that you'd give me clarity of thought and liberty to preach, that you'd bless this message in Jesus' name. Amen. You should be in your Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter number 2. If you have them there, would you read with me out loud this very familiar verse, but 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse number 2. and the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. He says here the same commit thou to faithful men. It is the desire of this college as it always has been to commit the same thing to other men that was committed to you and I. How many ever years ago it was that you had things committed unto you? It is their desire that they could continue to do that, and you know what? It's truly a miracle and all glory and honor goes to God that this is still a school that's preaching the old-fashioned book. That this is still a school that's standing on old-fashioned biblical principles and standards and separation. It's still a miracle of God that the fact is that when I came here as a 13-year-old boy, my dad, who's right over here, was 42. Now I know that I don't look it, and you could never imagine, but I am actually 42. And it is amazing that all these years later, it's nothing short of the miraculous work of God. that all these years later that my 13-year-old son could be going on a roller skating activity tonight in probably the same roller skating rink that I went to that many years ago and have some godly chaperones that will make sure things are done right and they listen up and do what they're supposed to do and they're going to be able to sit in the church all this week and hear preaching from the Word of God the same way I did It's nothing short of God's working miraculously in the heart of some faithful men who said, I'll be willing to sustain that work so others can get what I got. That's what we need. And that is the desire of this school. If we're going to see what's happened here from 1977 till now happen for another 40 years, it's going to take some people. that are willing to continue in the commitments that have got you this far. It's gonna take some people that realize the value and keep on doing it. And it's gonna take some new people who maybe haven't been there yet, but they see the need and they have a vision for what's possible and they say, I'll jump on board. and I'll help be a sustainer. So for a couple of minutes, I want to preach to you tonight a message entitled Continued Commitment. Continued Commitment. How many of you understand that commitment costs you? Commitment costs you. It's by its nature, commitment costs. And you know what? It costs you in direct proportion to the measure of your commitment. Low commitment Low cost. High commitment, high cost. Put your thinking caps on with me, put your brains back in gear. I want to take this one step further. Do you understand that the burden to pay that cost is in direct opposition to the level of your commitment? High commitment, high cost, low burden. Let me illustrate. I see some people look at me like, what are you saying? Do you know something tonight? Let me just explain this to you. For me, I just want you to understand what I'm going through. My wife is the highest cost relationship that I have. My wife takes more emotional investment than any other relationship on this earth. My wife costs me more money than any other relationship on this earth. I'll tell you what, I just want you to understand. I'm getting it off my chest. Just let it go. Amen. She is the highest cost relationship I have. But you know what? She's the lowest burden that I have. Do you know why? Because I am fully committed to her. All that I have to pay and it doesn't matter at all. There is no burden in that. I am thankful and I'm glad to do it. Why? Because I'm fully committed to her. And I think that's what Jesus was saying when He realized the fact that as a Christian, if you are fully committed to God, He says, take my yoke upon you, for it's easy and it's light. If you're committed to God, the cost and the burden of fulfilling that cost is not much. Because of the level of your commitment. Like Dr. Green liked to say, I'll tell you what, you just give it all to God, lock, stock, and barrel. How many of you ever heard him say that? Lock, stock, and barrel. Give it all to him. And when you're committed like that, the burden to pay the cost is not much. I'm going to give you a couple of areas that I believe we, as Christians, as graduates, as full-time Christian workers, need to have and continue our commitment. First of all, we need to continue our commitment financially. Well, financially. I don't think there's anybody here that came here not knowing what the Sustainers Banquet was. This is the 40th year. That's probably the 39th sustainer banquet. Unlike my dad who started a church in El Paso, Texas, and after about three years, he had a stewardship banquet. And he invited the whole church to the stewardship banquet. And after the stewardship banquet, a family quit the church. Because he did not explain to them that a stewardship banquet was where you ask for money. They didn't know that. And they weren't very happy about it. I think you knew that that was the direction tonight. Now, I'm gonna let you know that I'm not very good at raising money. You got the wrong Bottrell up here for that. But how many of you understand that God has not blessed you to raise your standard of living? but that he's blessed you to raise your standard of giving. But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposed in his heart shall let him give, not of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver, and God is able to make all grace abound toward you that ye always Having all sufficiency and all things may abound to every good work. We are to be abounding. And if you and I want to abound to every good work, it starts by being a cheerful giver. It starts, if you want to abound in every good work, be a liberal giver. And God says right here, you will abound, not just you're gonna reap blessings, but that you will abound in every good work. What a promise. Jim Elliot said, he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. You know, and I know that it takes money. And the fact of the matter is you're here and I don't know what year you happen to sit in the hallways or sit in the classrooms here at Fairhaven. But it should not escape your mind tonight that there was somebody that was willing to be a sustainer when you were sitting in the classroom. And it should not escape our hearts and our minds that if there hadn't been a sustainer then, then I couldn't have got what I got. And there needs to be a sustainer today. When I was a boy, Dad had some preacher boys in his church. And he was teaching us how to preach. And I desired to preach a particular message and I was searching the Bible high and low to find my text. And I couldn't find my text, and I went to Dad, and I said, Dad, I can't find the text I'm looking for. He says, well, what does it say? And I said, it's that verse. You know, it's the one that says, only one life will soon be passed, and only what's done for Christ will last. That's what I want to preach. And Dad said, well, son, that's scriptural, but it's not scripture. There's good scriptural principles, but you're not going to find that one in there. But it's true, isn't it? Only one life will soon be passed. You know everything else we do in this life is gonna burn up. I would much rather invest and give towards something with eternal value. Do you understand, if you've been a sustainer for years, do you understand every soul that's saved around the country? Hunt Valley Baptist Church saw 30 souls saved in the last 12 months. 12 people follow the Lord in believer's baptism. One family put back together. One person get victory over drugs. That's fruit added to your account. Not just from Hunt Valley Baptist Church, but from every church and every ministry around this country and even around the world. I would much rather invest in something with eternal value than another toy. If we're going to see what's happened the last 40 years happen for the next 40 years, it's going to take some people with a renewed commitment financially. It's also going to take some people with a renewed commitment to faithfulness. 2 Timothy 2, 2, and the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men. Faithful men. When I started, I asked you, how many of you had been in the classrooms here? How many of you had been taught and trained in the ministry here in some way? The majority of the room raised your hand. You understand that you've been entrusted with something? You've been given something that you are to be a steward of, that you are to be a keeper of. I wanna ask you tonight to be a faithful steward of that which has been given to you so that the same thing that was given to you can be given to other men. so that it'll be the same thing that gets to be handed down to the next green college student that walks in that thinks he's got the world by the tail like you and I did when we came here. And then four or five or six or seven or how many ever years later you left here to go out and serve God with faith in your heart that God was going to do something. A Bible under your arm and for most of us a mate standing next to us, amen? You're the best steward of what's been given to you when you are faithful. It's a counter to the steward that a man be found faithful. Of course, God has made us all a steward of the gospel, but you and I are a steward of much more than that. The familiar verse in Luke chapter 12, verse number 48 says, for unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required. And to whom, listen to this, we read it and I don't think we hear this, unto whom men have committed much. We read that in our mind, we think, okay, yeah, God's given me a lot. And I'm responsible for what God gave me. This says, and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask no more. The fact of the matter is you and I have been invested in. We have been given a lot. And therefore we must be stewards. and faithful with what we have been given. Christ left all he had, gave up all that he had a right to for you and I. And we many times will take the things that we don't have a right to and change them at the cost of the next generation, at the cost that are coming up, those that are coming up behind us. Do you know that what you do reflects upon this school? You're inescapably connected to Fairhaven. And what you do out there reflects upon this school. When you decide that, oh, I'm done fighting, and I don't want to hold the standard anymore, and I don't want to be faithful in this area anymore, you know what they say? They say, oh, he was a Fairhaven grad. Oh, yeah, he went to Fairhaven. You were inescapably connected to this school. We were in the middle of a court case at Hunt Valley Baptist Church, a fight, a disagreement with the community over building our church. They don't want us to build. You know, one of the lawyers on the opposition stood up in the courtroom under testimony and said one of the reasons that he believed that we should not be able to build in Hunt Valley, Maryland is because Our church was somehow connected with a church in Indiana. And that church in Indiana has a whole bunch of buses. And they bring a lot of people to church with those buses. And that church in Indiana is running a couple thousand people. And we think that these people want to do what they're doing, so they shouldn't be allowed to have a church. The lawyer actually got online and watched the message that I preached here. Thank you for putting it online. A couple of years ago and I wouldn't be surprised if some people watch this one tonight. You are inescapably connected to this school and what you do out there reflects upon it. We need some people, some men and some ladies that will just commit to being faithful with what you've been given. The fact of the matter is, is you've been taught right. You know what's right. But I know without a doubt that you're out there, that you get it from every side. People want you to drop your standards. You get it from church members who think the standards are too high. You get it from other pastoral friends who wonder why you gotta hold the line so hard, and why you can't get together for fellowships, and why do you gotta be like that? And you start to think, oh, it's not worth standing anymore. It's too hard. Everybody's going the way of this lukewarm Christianity, and I think it's just, I'm just gonna let the standards fall a little bit. We need some people that are committed that say, I can't let it fall. I got to stand fast because I've been trusted with something. I've been given something. And it's not for you to change it. You've been given something that you're a steward over. You've got to hold on to it for nothing else because somebody gave it to you. And it's not for you to pass on different than what you got. We need some people that are going to stand strong and be faithful to the Scriptures. They're going to stand strong in their separation. They're going to stay faithful to the standards that they've been taught. They're going to stay faithful to their service for God. Stay faithful to the station where God's called you. You know the fact of the matter is, is there's graduates all over this world. And do you know when you do something, when you finally give in, Do you know what it's like to hear through somebody's stupid Facebook account that another one fell? This brother or sister or this person I sat in the classroom with or that person that we used to work on the bus route together is no longer being faithful. Could I challenge you tonight if we're going to have another 40 years of victory at Fairhaven Baptist Church? It's not just here. It's the graduates that are around the world got a purpose to a renewed level of faithfulness with what they've been given. to have it and to hold on to it. I know that the damage that you do to this school should be way down the list on your motivations for not failing. Because first of all, you got your master, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The one who's saved your soul and given you all that you've got. He first and foremost, as the psalmist said, against thee and thee only have I sinned. But if the motivation of your master is not enough, what about your mate? If there's anybody in this world that needs you to stay strong and be faithful, and I'm talking to husbands who need to be faithful for their wives, and I'm saying, wives, your husband might have nobody else in this world to trust and turn to or to lift him up when it's down, and he needs you, a wife, who's been faithful to her prayer time, faithful in her walk, faithful to get a hold of God, so he's got a strong wife who can help carry him through the low nights. We need you to be faithful to your mate. What about your ministry? Those that follow you and come behind you. Those that look at you and follow your example. And I know they ought to be looking at God. They shouldn't be looking at men. But you and I both know that God uses men to impact men. You're a leader and you receive a greater condemnation for the foolishness we allow the devil to talk us into. But if none of these are strong enough, somewhere down that list, there ought to be the fact that you've had some mentors. You've had some people that prayed for you. You've had some people that wanted what's best for you. You had a bus captain who worked with you. You had a Sunday school teacher who prayed with you and through hard times, You've got somebody who mentored you and they've got expectations of what you're supposed to be and what you're supposed to do. You ought to stand strong for them, those who've invested in you and helped get you where you are today. How dare you take that investment and just throw it aside and discard it. Say, I no longer want to do this. I don't think I'm gonna stand on that anymore. I don't think I believe that conviction anymore. I owe it to my dad to stand. I owe it to my teachers to stand. I owe it to those that have invested so much in me to be faithful. We need some people that will commit to a new level of faithfulness in their life. We're gonna see another 40 years. Lastly, we need some people that will commit to a renewed level of fervency. Not just faithfulness, but fervency. Romans chapter 12, verse number 11 says, not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, Serving the Lord. We hear, we've got the serving down, don't we? I'll tell you what, if there's anything that Fairhaven teaches you, it's how to serve. And I praise God for it. The proof's in the pudding all over this country and all over the world. You can almost tell them. They must be a Fairhaven grad. Look how they're working. We know how to serve. But I ask you tonight, have you lost the fervency? Have you lost the fervency? Fervency is hot, boiling, passionate intensity for God. I ask you tonight to commit to a new level of fervency. Maybe a level of fervency that you haven't had since you walked across the platform and received your diploma how many ever years ago. Maybe a level of fervency like you haven't had in a lot of years or maybe ever. But understand this morning that we can't just be serving. We've got to have fervency in our spirit for God. purpose in your heart to a renewed level, to be consistently, passionately, intensely pursuing God. Only one life will soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. We're to be always abounding, abounding, not just getting by, not just getting by, The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man. The fervent prayer of a righteous man. And the fervent work of a righteous man. It is the fervency in our work that brings results. We get to see God do something. I know you're tired. I know you're wore out. I know for a lot of years you've been serving in the ministry or the area where you're at. And it's another banquet. And it's another event. It's another fall push. It's another one of the same thing that we've done before. Have you lost your fervency in that service? It takes fervency. Life is short. We can rest when the night comes when no man can work. Between now and then, we've got to be fervent. Commit tonight to a new level of fervency. We're so impressed with a ball player who will fervently give himself to a particular thing, to a particular sport. We're so amazed at what he can do after he dedicates himself so much to that. It's almost not natural what he can accomplish. I listened to a testimony the other day of somebody who gives four to six hours a day practicing for their sport. They didn't think it was a burden. They were glad to do it. How fervent are you in your service? Commit to a new level of fervency in your walk with God. Is it growing old? Is it growing stale? We need I know I'm preaching to the choir tonight. I know I'm talking to full-time Christian service. I know that I'm talking to pastors. But if anything's going to be done for God, it's the power of God that does it. It's not our outline. It's not how animated we are in the pulpit. It's only the power of God that changes lives. And if we're going to see God change lives, we need a new fervency in our walk with Him. That we might have His presence and His power when we stand in the pulpit, when we stand in the classroom, when we run the bus routes. We need His power and it comes from a fervent walk. Fervency in your work for God. We have enough people doing just what they have to do to get by. Enough people showing up to their Sunday school class two minutes before it's supposed to start. Enough pastors who are just throwing together an outline on Saturday night and standing in the pulpit preaching it. You know what's a miraculous thing, and I've been there just like the rest of you have, is you stand in the pulpit, and you preach it, and God in His mercy and His grace, because He loves the people under the sound of your voice, He speaks to them. And you step down from the pulpit, and somebody comes up to you and says, man, God used that in my heart, thank you so much. And you start to think you can do it on your own. But you're like Samson who wished not the Spirit of God departed from him. And we cannot continue to sustain what we've had as anemic, weak, slothful, lazy Christians. It takes fervency in your work, fervency in your witness. We need a new level of fervency in our witness. When was the last time you led somebody to Christ? When was the last time God used you to change someone's eternal destiny? He that goeth forth bearing precious seed, he that goeth forth weeping, when was the last time you cried because you hadn't seen anybody saved? a new level of fervency in our witness to the point where it breaks our heart that God's not using us to impact lives for Him. Go through our days satisfied where we're at. It cost Jesus everything, but the Bible says for the joy that was before him. You know, for him to pay that ultimate cost was no burden. Why? Because he was committed to you. It was the joy that was before him. How committed are you tonight to him, to what God wants you to do? when Elijah was about to pass off the scene. He was told that he was gonna anoint Elisha. And if Elisha saw him go up, and Elisha picked up his mantle, he would be anointed with the same power that Elijah had. You and I stand here today When one man passes off the scene, God raises up someone else. You and I stand here today replacements for the men and women who stood here when we were out roller skating. The day's gonna come when we need somebody who will stand here because we have passed off the scene. And it's our job not to pass a mantle to them that's all broken up and stained and ruined with sin. or to pass off a mantle to them that's been flashed up and got some glitter on it and it's all newfangled way of doing things. No, it's to pass a mantle that is the same mantle that was given to you and I when we were in the classroom, that was handed to you and I when we sat under the preaching here at Preaching Conference. That same mantle is what we need to pass to the next generation, to my kids, and to your kids. And if it's going to happen, It's gonna take a new level of fervency, a new level of faithfulness, and a new level of people committing financially to make it happen. I have every head bowed and every eye closed, please. Thank you, dear God, for your love. Thank you, Lord, for the power of your word. Lord, I said it as I preached. It's never more evident than now as we close that it's not an outline and it's not the animation, but God, it's the power of the Holy Spirit that reaches down into the heart of a life and touches and challenges and motivates somebody to get out of their lackadaisical ways, to move forward with a new level of fervency in their life, to recommit, to be faithful to the things that they've learned. And God, we need you to do that tonight. We'll thank you in Jesus' precious name. Amen.