The Last Sermon

Fred Winters had been Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Maryville, Illinois, for over 22 years when he took the pulpit for the Sunday morning service on March 8th. It would be fascinating to know if Pastor Winters had any forebodings of what would transpire during that early morning service. The following are details of what occurred according to an affidavit obtained by a local St. Louis television station: “Terry Sedlacek walked toward the pulpit area and was addressed by Pastor Winters. Sedlacek then raised a weapon and fired one round in the direction of the Pastor. The bullet pierced the pastor's bible sending confetti into the air. Pastor Winters began running west toward the edge of the stage with Sedlacek running parallel next to the stage. Pastor Winters then jumped from the stage where he landed on the ground. Sedlacek then placed himself next to the Pastor and fired multiple shots striking Winters.”* This is a rather sterile recounting of the last moments of Fred Winters’ earthly life. He was declared dead on arrival at a local hospital. There is much about this story that is perplexing and horrifying. The motives of the assailant are still a mystery, and the process of coming to grips with the tragedy has only started to come home to his church and family members. There are, of course, the larger questions concerning how a senseless episode like this could possibly serve God’s greater purposes. Fred Winters’ wife and two young daughters will have to grapple with these “larger questions” on a very personal and immediate level. A rock of this magnitude is bound to make ripples when it is thrown into the pond of life.

The last sermon of Fred Winters served as a particularly poignant and provocative image for me because it cast the calling of the ministry of the Word of God in sharp relief. I could not help but imagine myself in a similar situation. What if my next sermon were to be my last before I was called Home? What if I were called directly from the pulpit and into the very presence of God to hear His final verdict on my life and work? How would I feel about the way I had handled the Word of Truth? Would I feel as though I had hearkened to Paul’s challenge: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2.15 [NIV]) The events of last Sunday morning were a powerful reminder to me that compromising with the truth of God is a perilous pastime. Every thinking preacher realizes that there will be portions of Scripture that will be harder for his fellow believers to receive than others. Every discerning pastor is aware of the potential for offense and misunderstanding that is present every time he brings a message from the Bible. Preachers want to be liked just like everyone else does; thus, there is a constant pressure to steer clear of difficult teachings and to tell half-truths, instead of the whole truth. I will one day be called to give an account of my stewardship of the pulpit of Gilead Baptist Church. Brothers and Sisters, pray for me that I may proclaim the truth in a manner that is worthy of the One who shed His blood to buy me and gave His Spirit to empower me for this work.

There is no better prayer that you could pray for me and others who are telling forth the Word of God on Sunday mornings than to pray in line with 2 Timothy 4, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” (vv.1-5 [NIV]) Pray that I will discharge all the duties of my calling, not just the ones that are pleasant, simple, and easy. Like Fred Winters, we never know which message might be our last.

* This and other details are available at: http://www.fox2now.com/ktvi-church-shooting-clearer031009,0,5967220.story.