This week City Church celebrated it's 50th anniversary. I was born into this church 43 years ago, and have watched as people have come into the church and then out for various reasons. Some people are a part of something for a season, only to move on to other things over the years. I joined the team 8 years ago. 

As a pastor, you ask yourself questions like, "would anyone even notice if we shut our doors, and never met again?" "what is the significance in us continuing week in and week out?" "Will they in 100 years, remember the things we did today to further the kingdom?" People won't remember in 50 years, whether or not the pastor went too long, didn't quote 3 verses, whether or not the lights were too low or too bright. They won't remember what the attendance was on Easter Sunday. The only thing that they will remember is did you build something for the kingdom, or was it for man? Did you take what was handed to you, and steward it well? In the end it all has to be about my Father's work. B/c people come and go, but in the end, the Gospel will never change. As long as we keep the main thing, the main thing, the Gospel will never end.  

Over the last 50 years, there have been a lot of giants in the faith move through these halls. The foundations that have been laid out, I would be ignorant to think that any of it was by my own hand. I've simply had the opportunity to come in and steward it, my hope is that we steward it well. For the Kingdom and the Kingdom only. I could write pages and pages of the amazing men and women that I serve with here at City Church, and it still wouldn't be enough.  

When Wayne was leading worship Saturday evening he said "This isn't the beginning of the end, this is the end of the beginning". That struck me, then I felt like I heard the Lord say this for City Church. 

"There is a sound of the house. It began 50 years ago. This was a sound that started in the halls of Arkansas Tech, with a group of people that knew nothing other than read the red, pray for power, praise the Lord. 

Over the last 50 years, this sound of the house has been heard all over the world, in stadiums, thousands upon thousands have heard this sound. The people have changed, coming and going, equipped and on to the next assignment, but the Sound remains the same. Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. 

People change. Methods change. But the sound will never change. 

It is the Father's voice."

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My encouragement to everyone today, whatever adventure, process, or trial you may be in the midst of, pursue the Father's voice, and you will be successful.  For success isn't measured by attendance, or finances, or accumulation. In the end, did I hear the Father's voice and run after it!  For once we all leave this earth, none of the accolades will follow, but the first and only voice we hear will be the Father's voice.