Elder Testimony 2013 Chip Case

Before I begin my testimony this morning, I thought I would begin with a reading from Scripture. I chose this passage from Scripture because this is really the testimony of every Christian. Every Christian's testimony points us to God's amazing grace. So hear now these words from the Apostle Paul. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved. Notice the words God has blessed us in Christ. God chose us in Christ. God predestined us for adoption, and he did it in love, according to the purpose of his will. So again, every Christian testimony begins with God, for he is the one who brings us to faith. And as we examine scripture, we see that some come to faith because of the faithful example of their family. Timothy is a wonderful example from scripture. We also see from scripture that some come to faith after living a rebellious life and God intervenes and charts a new course for them. The Apostle Paul comes to mind. But however, God saves an individual. Please remember, that is amazing, because as we just read from Ephesians, it is God who brings us to faith. I was born into a very loving and caring home, although I attended church as a boy and as a teenager, I do not recall hearing the gospel preached and no understanding of sin. And if asked about Jesus, I probably would have told you that he came to give us an example. I certainly would not have understood why he had to die, but I do think that I've told you that I was a Christian. I had a brief period in the 1980s where I spent a lot of time at a Baptist church in Richmond, but I was not a believer. During my high school years, things started to change for me and I started abusing drugs and alcohol. For about 15 years, my life revolved around drugs and alcohol, and I lived a life of complete sin. In 1999, I was convicted of a third DUI offense and sentenced to two and a half months in jail. In addition, I lost my driving license for five years. While I was in jail, I started to read the Bible. Sometimes I get overwhelmed. In addition, I read a track from a church in Richmond, Virginia. It was strange that this track was at this jail because I was serving my jail time outside of Richmond. Remember earlier when I told you that in the 80s, I spent a lot of time at a Baptist church in Richmond. The track was from that church. When I got out of jail, I contacted an old friend's parents because I knew they attended church and I thought I could go with them. They told me that their church had just started what they were calling Celebrate Recovery. It was a group of people who were meeting and using the 12 steps of AA, but they were defining Christ as their higher power and they were using the Bible as a backing for the 12 steps. I decided to go. The church they attended was the same church I attended in the 1980s and the same church that had provided the track I read in jail. The church was Bonaire Baptist Church. I was baptized at Bonaire in 1999. I knew that God was a holy God and that my sin was an offense to him. I had come to see that I was a sinner and I needed a savior. And I realized that Christ was that savior. In 2000, I moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, with the hope of attending the University of Virginia. I had a love of Ralph Sampson, and I had always dreamed of attending UVA since I was a little boy. So I moved here at the age of 29, with no license, no family, no friends, and most importantly, no church family. For the first two years while I was attending Piedmont, I struggled. I never found a church, and it is only by God's grace that I am here today. In 2002, after being accepted into UVA and by a set of unusual circumstances, I moved into a house off of Jefferson Park Avenue Extended, just right down the road here. I remember walking by this church and thinking, well, maybe I'll go here. So in the summer of 2002, I came to Jefferson Park Baptist Church. It was here that I was first introduced to expository preaching and the doctrines of grace. I truly remember thinking, wow, they really take the Bible serious. I was growing at the church, but I have to tell you my attendance was sporadic. I was fighting anxiety and depression and it was very difficult for me at times. But God, God who is rich in mercy. In 2003. A young woman from West Virginia. began an internship at Jefferson Park. And I fell in love. And I wanted to be a better man, and I wanted to be a godly man. So as many as you can attest, I started attending church more faithfully. And God, who is faithful, continued his good work in me. I soon found that I wanted to consume myself a scripture and books of theology. And I was spending time with brothers in Christ who were leading me by their example. And God continued to sanctify me. I came to see that all were sinners and needed a savior. And for a long time, I really did feel like I was beyond God's grace because I was a drunk. I was worse than other Christians. But that's not true. I was learning that all have fallen short of the glory of God and need a savior. And God was giving me a fuller understanding of the gospel. And what do I mean by the gospel? I mean that he was helping me to see that every sin is an offense to a holy God and that every sin deserves God's anger and punishment. But Christ, out of love for us, even while we're still sinners, died for us, that he left his heavenly abode and took on human form. And that God became human flesh. And that he lived the life that humans are unable to live. He perfectly obeyed the law. He died on a cross to pay the price for sinners. Christ took God's wrath upon us, upon himself, and he bore our punishment and in his amazing love. And if one will confess his or her sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, then man, because of what God has done and what Christ specifically has done, can be reconciled to God. These were the things that God was enabling me to see with more and more clarity and how sweet they were. I graduated from UVA in 2004, and Hannah and I were married here in 2005. We now have three children, John, Sarah, and Timothy. In 2004, I began working at the Discovery School of Virginia, which is a private wilderness school with students who have emotional and behavioral problems. I'm still working there today, and God has blessed me with some wonderful friends. As Pastor Keith mentioned, some are here today. I am truly overwhelmed by God's grace. I love this church. I'm humbled and honored to be here today. As many of you know, I serve as a deacon from 2008 to 2010, and our church went through a very difficult season. And I know that as a leader, in some ways I failed and my failings were sinful. And I ask for your forgiveness. So to be here again today is quite humbling. To be nominated as an under-shepherd of this church is something I don't take lightly. God has taught me to lean more on him, and I ask that you pray for me. Specifically, I ask that I be like John the Baptist who, when speaking of Christ, said, he must increase, but I must decrease. Please pray that for me. Pray that I would point people to Christ and honor God. Pray that this prodigal will not become a Pharisee, and believe me, it happens. There are times because of insecurity and the fear of man, I try to live by my own good works. There are times when I think my sin is greater than God's grace and I try to live by my own strength. Please pray that I would continually to look to Christ as the one who is my righteousness. Pray that I would see the love of Christ and that the grace of God are greater than my sin. Finally, please pray for my family. Pray that I would love Hannah well. and that I would teach my children about Christ and his amazing love. As I close, I want to thank everyone. And I really don't know how to do that. How do you think a church that has patiently stood by you as you have matured in Christ? How do you think the men that have driven you to love Christ more? How do you think the church that introduced you to your wife comfort you as you lost your first child? and rejoice with you as three children came into your home. There are too many people to thank by name, but please know that I am very thankful. This church is my family. And I have an understanding of the term and brother and sister in Christ, and I am thankful. By God's providence, our family this week is memorizing Ephesians 2, 4. Hear now that verse, followed by verse 5. But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved. Again, this is every Christian's testimony. God saves sinners. God be the glory. Let's pray. Oh, Father, how great you are. You are to be praised because you are the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are the God who has brought us to faith and has given us salvation in Christ Jesus. Help us now, Father, to worship you. Help us to glorify you in our worship. Open our hearts. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear. And we ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.