Theme: Thanksgiving, Commendation of Faithfulness in Discipleship 

Primary Text: Hebrews 11:22

Prepared by: Joey Arles O. Vergara

RECHARGE framework: Reference Verse, Entry Point (Modern-day importance), Context (at the time of writing), Honor (Celebrating Truth Seekers), Admonish (A Call to the Errant), Reteach (Key Points), Generalize, Encourage (The Final Charge)

Introduction (Special greetings to the brethren at Davao City Church of Christ)

“All Glory belongs to God because we gather here today to celebrate His beyond question Goodness and Faithfulness. I commend each one of you brothers and sisters for your contribution in the Lord’s harvest field. Happy 23rd Anniversary!

I commend brother James for that wonderful audio-video introduction. As a creative person, I am always fascinated with the works of fellow creatives. Whatever you saw in that AVP is a testimony of the many possible ways on how God calls and equips anyone to serve in His ministry. Those things that happened to me and my family were all because of  God’s sovereignty, and on becoming a servant, none of those things were a requirement nor a necessity for any of us to become faithful and fruitful. Nothing from our achievement in this world is required for us to move forward. 

As disciples of Christ, as ambassadors for Christ, as the body of Christ, the only thing that matters is that in whatever capacity we do in the Lord’s ministry, it is only by the power of the Name of Jesus Christ and the enabling Spirit of Power from God that matters. I just can’t get over what happened to Apostle Peter and Apostle John in the book of Acts 3 & 4.”

Reference

Hebrews 11:22 (NASB) "By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones."

(Cross-reference: Genesis 50:24-25)

24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will assuredly take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will assuredly take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.”

Entry Point

Once again, Happy Anniversary City Church Davao! I assume that every time we celebrate church anniversaries, we naturally think about gathering with church family, sharing a bountiful meal, and counting our blessings. We thank God for our health, our jobs, our homes, and our families. And we should! Every good and perfect gift comes from above.

However, if we read the letters of the Apostle Paul, we noticed that his primary prayers of thanksgiving were rarely for physical things. When the Apostle Paul gave thanks, he gave thanks for people. He gave thanks for the church. He would say things like, "I thank my God every time I remember you," and "We always thank God for all of you...remembering your work produced by faith (1 Thessalonians 1:3)."

Personally, when I learned that I will be celebrating with you today, I am overjoyed because I will be celebrating with you not for material things, but spiritual treasure. I thanked God for the faithful discipleship, the determination for fruitfulness, and the clear vision of moving forward. 

My task today is to partly commend and honor to whom honor is due, and above all to magnify God in His providence. To truly understand the beauty of Faithfulness, fruitfulness, and moving forward in you, we need to look at a man who understood what it meant to be faithful, fruitful, and forward-looking, a follower of God over a lifetime: that is Joseph (Joseph the dreamer).

Context

Hebrews chapter 11 is about commendation for the great heroes of faith. Our reference for this message is in verse 22 at which the writer of Hebrews gets to Joseph. 

If I would be asked about Joseph, from Sunday school lessons, my remembrance about him would be about his beautiful and unique colored coat, that dreamer from a dungeon prison, and the one who was able to flee from the temptation of Potiphar’s wife, or the once sold as slave who saved many tribes outside Egypt from famine.

But, the Holy Spirit inspired the writer of Hebrews not about those details. Instead, Hebrews 11:22 points to the very end of Joseph's life. Why? Because Joseph had spent 93 years in Egypt. He was the second most powerful man in the world. He had Egyptian wealth, an Egyptian wife, and an Egyptian title. Yet, as he lay dying, he gathered his family and basically said, "I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land. When He does, you shall carry my bones up from here."

Despite his immense success in Egypt, Joseph never forgot that Egypt was not his home. His faith was anchored in the promises of God.

Honor

Church, today I want to honor you, because I look around, I see a modern-day reflection of Joseph’s faith.

You are living out your discipleship in a culture that often feels very much like "Egypt." Your immediate surroundings may worship gods that are not of the Bible, or may not even believe in God at all. The world pressures us to assimilate, to compromise our values, and to chase after Egyptian wealth and status. Yet, by God’s providence and Grace, you have remained faithful.

I think there are members here who serve quietly without ever asking for a microphone. I see faithful men who shepherd this flock and I think they have shed a volume of tears and bent knees in prayer. I see parents exhausted from the week who still prioritize getting their families to worship and fellowship. I see older saints who have weathered the storms of life and still lift their voices in praise. I see new generations of worshippers.

On a deeply personal note, my own life is a product of this kind of generational faithfulness. I may not have met the original faithful servants of God who responded to His charge by starting the START program, but one of the faithful disciples they left for the generations to come has become my mentor. I stand here in front of you as a member of God's chosen generation because of my mentors, those who have put their faith on the unseen promise of God. I was a beneficiary of a servant's faithfulness when I was still a college student at MSU-IIT, where someone took the time to teach me the sound doctrine of God from the Scripture. When I came to work in Butuan, another faithful servant of God taught me how to preach. And when I stepped out to do missions, God sent me even more faithful servant-mentors at AFC.

So, brothers and sisters, I thank God for you haven't let the world dilute your faith, and you are passing it on. Your discipleship is genuine, and I commend you for it. I thank God for you.

Admonish

But, brothers and sisters, because I love you, I also must offer a gentle challenge. As we give thanks today, we must be careful never to get too comfortable in Egypt.

It is so easy, especially in a prosperous society, to start driving our tent pegs too deeply into the soil of this world. We can become so focused on building our careers, our bank accounts, and our earthly comfort that we forget we are just passing through. If we are not careful, our discipleship can become domesticated. We can start treating the church as just another social club rather than an outpost of the Kingdom of Heaven. Do not let the comforts of Egypt cause you to forget the covenant of God. Do not get too comfortable with how far God has brought you in the past 23 years. Keep looking forward, keep moving forward. The race is still on. Do not go to church or gatherings to sit back and relax.

Reteach

Let’s recalibrate our hearts on how our faith could fuel to become fruitful and how to push forward the expansion of God’s Kingdom. If we break down the key phrases of Hebrews 11:22, we find a four-part theological blueprint:

1. "By faith..." (The Requisite of Discipleship)

The Greek word here is Pistis (pis’-tis), which means a belief with a predominant idea of trust, confidence, and reliance. This is the core requisite of why Joseph did what he did. He didn't issue his dying commands based on political strategy or wishful thinking (it was not a dying wish); he did it by a deep, abiding trust in God's unseen promises.

Discipleship begins and is sustained entirely by faith.

To be full of faith (internal)  is to be actively faithful (external). Faithfulness is the daily and brave evidence of deeper trust and confidence in God. For Joseph, this meant waking up every single day in a pagan empire, surrounded by foreign gods and worldly temptations, yet choosing to align his daily decisions, his integrity, and his leadership with the God of his fathers. Faithfulness is not always about grand, sweeping gestures; often, it is found in the quiet, consistent choices to remain loyal to God and His Word when no one else is looking and when cultural compromise would be so much easier.

2. "...when he was dying..." (The Endurance of Discipleship)

The Greek root is Teleutaō (tel-yoo-tah-o), meaning to finish, to bring to a close, or to end. Joseph’s faith was not a passing phase of his youth; it was a conviction that held firm all the way to his final breath. True discipleship is marked by endurance. It is not just about starting the race well; it is about finishing it faithfully.

Endurance in the ministry of the Lord is rarely glamorous; it is most often forged in the quiet, unseen moments of persistent service. Over the past 23 years of this church’s history, I am certain there have been seasons of deep discouragement, moments of spiritual and physical fatigue, and times when the harvest seemed painfully slow. But true discipleship means staying at your post. It means continuing to teach the children, continuing to lead your small groups, and continuing to boldly share the gospel even when the immediate results aren't visible. Just as Joseph endured the lonely delays of the dungeon and the heavy demands of the palace without abandoning his God, we are called to outlast the challenges of ministry by relying on the Holy Spirit who sustains us.

When me and my household responded to the call for a field mission, it was during the uncertain days of BCCC. It was right after the pandemic, we had just lost a permanent place of worship, we had not enough resources, yet, we could not neglect the great commission. It was a time when our leadership structure was unstable. We only had 1 fulltime minister, 2 alternate preachers, and 1 intern. And it was also a time when me and my household started on a missionary journey. For us, it was risky and impossible, but God has sustained us. God has sustained BCCC in discipleship. For the past 3 years or so, there were 3 congregations being revived, and 2 other churches were planted. BCCC was able to reconnect to more brethren and congregations. As of now, we are still trying to recalibrate our leadership structure, still we have 1 pastor, and 4 of the congregations we are roving still do not have a full time pastor, but God has sustained His church and we are now at the stage of discipling more preachers and leaders, in-house.

3. "...made mention of the exodus..." (The Anticipation of Discipleship)

The Greek word is Exodos (ex’-od-os), literally meaning a "going out" or "departure." At the height of Egyptian comfort, Joseph prophetically pointed his people toward God's ultimate deliverance. Discipleship is deeply forward-looking. As followers of God, we must constantly remind one another that this world is not our final destination; we are anticipating our own ultimate "exodus" when Christ returns.

To have this kind of spiritual anticipation is to possess a clear, heaven-bound vision. Moving forward in our spiritual journey and as a congregation means we don't get stuck celebrating only the victories of the past 23 years, nor do we get paralyzed by the uncertainties of tomorrow. A visionary disciple keeps their eyes fixed firmly on the horizon of God's promises. Joseph could have easily settled for a limited, temporal vision—simply maintaining his Egyptian dynasty and enjoying his wealth. But his spiritual eyes saw far beyond the pyramids; he saw the Promised Land. For us, keeping our eyes on moving forward means constantly asking, "What is next for God's Kingdom here in Davao?" It means pressing on, reaching new souls, and trusting that the God who faithfully brought us this far is the exact same God actively calling us onward.

What is happening among the people of Iran right now is a powerful example we can benchmark on. While the Iranian government remains a strict Islamic state, the citizens themselves are experiencing a massive, quiet shift away from the state religion. Many of the youth are shifting towards secularism. But amazingly, in the midst of deep persecution, more and more households are secretly embracing Christianity. You won't find traditional foreign missionaries preaching openly on the streets there; instead, the Gospel is spreading like wildfire through ordinary, local believers who are risking their lives in underground house churches to make disciples. 

In the Philippines today, there is a clear, documented increase in the visibility and normalization of same-sex relationships, particularly among the youth and new generations. This cultural shift is largely driven by a growing societal acceptance that has removed much of the historical stigma, combined with the profound, everyday influence of a globalized digital culture and social media. Because this younger generation is being actively discipled by the internet—which often shapes their worldview on identity, morality, and relationships far more than traditional institutions—the church faces a critical new reality. We are no longer just dealing with nominal Christianity, but engaging an entirely different cultural mindset, making the call for intentional, gritty, and compassionate biblical discipleship more urgent than ever.

The other week, I had a one-on-one discussion with my partner in campus ministry. For the past 17 years, the campus ministry has helped lower the teen-age pregnancy and unwanted birth. However, a new crisis emerged this year, the youth has shown a shift towards male-to-male and female-to-female “un-labeled” relationships. In context, in my workplace, this is one of the most challenging areas of evangelism because there is an increasing number of my co-workers who are into this kind of relationship arrangement.

So, yes, in our evangelism and discipleship, we must keep inspiring and encouraging others to see citizenship in heaven, not the temporary pleasures and treasure on earth.

4. "...and gave orders concerning his bones." (The Legacy of Discipleship) The Greek word for "gave orders" is Entellomai (en-tel-lom-ahee), meaning to charge, command, or instruct what needs to be done. Joseph wasn't just expressing a casual dying wish; he was issuing a strict directive to ensure a legacy of faith for the next generation. By anchoring his very bones on God's promise, he left a tangible lesson, and he put all his trust on God’s guaranteed outcome. True disciples purposefully leave behind a legacy that points the next generation to the truth of God.

Biblical legacy, therefore, is not about leaving behind a monument to our own achievements; it is about leaving behind a mandate for God's glory. When Joseph gave orders concerning his bones, he was actively fulfilling the heart of Psalm 78—ensuring that the unborn generations would not forget the promises of the Lord. For the New Testament church, this concept of legacy finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Great Commission. Just as Joseph issued a strict, binding directive for his people’s physical deliverance, our Lord Jesus Christ issued a strict, binding directive for the world's spiritual deliverance: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations." True legacy means we do not let the gospel stop with us. True disciples make disciples. A church that builds a lasting legacy is a church that takes the Great Commission seriously, actively raising up new leaders, mentoring the youth, and ensuring that long after our own earthly race is finished, there are faithful men and women still pressing forward to expand the Kingdom of God.

Generalize

This forward-looking faith applies to every single one of us here today, no matter what season of life you are in:

I remember, the current leader in a newly planted house church in Magsaysay (to which until now, they do not have a full-time pastor), in one of our conversations last month, he was crying for his children and grandchildren. He was crying because he knew his training, his education, his community status, and their resources were not enough. He felt too small to stand for the Lord’s church, but he did it anyway because he truly believed that God will do great things in their community even after he dies someday. By God’s grace, after almost 2 years since we planted that church, all of his siblings and most of their children and grandchildren are now in church (Though, some of the older youth is a bit challenging, that is why we keep on reaching them and making followups even at times that we cannot physically go there.)

Encourage

Let me leave you with this final encouragement. Joseph was a 4th generation from Abraham, his bones became a physical reminder to the Israelites for the next 400 years. Even in the darkest days of their slavery, they could look at his tomb and remember: We are not staying here. God is coming for us.

Church, your faithfulness and active disciple-making program is like a monument for the next generations to look upon, a heaven-bound thing that would give them that same kind of vision to invite as many as they could to bring back to God, and to go into heaven. When someone on the streets would have a chance to walk by you or to come over and enter those doors, broken and tired, your love, your worship, and your devotion, and your sincere and loving caring hand would tell them that hope is only found in Jesus Christ, that heaven is real, that the promised land upon Christ return must be our destination. They will see the same confidence that there is a God who delivers.

I am so deeply thankful for your partnership in the gospel. Keep fighting the good fight. Keep making disciples of Christ. Keep your eyes on the horizon, because the God who sustained Joseph in Egypt is the same God who will lead us all the way home.

May God bless us all, and have a wonderful, Christ-centered Thanksgiving and fellowship!