1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 (ESV) — 12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
The Scriptures also tell us to give honor to those to whom honor is owed (Rom. 13:7). This year, Pastor Geoff Buck has completed fifty years of pastoral ministry, and we have chosen this Sunday as our day to honor him for five decades of faithful service to King Jesus.
Just as he will in a moment, Pastor Geoff has taught thousands of sermons, comforted and guided thousands of believers, and led thousands of initiatives over these last fifty years. He has officiated at hundreds of weddings and hundreds of funerals. He has stood with us during our joyous moments but also seasons of pain. On and in between both coasts, Geoff has been a gospel lighthouse in a dark world.
For nearly fifteen years, Geoff has infused the atmosphere of this church with his tenderness, strength, and compassion. Calvary Monterey is only the last in a handful of churches that have benefitted from Geoff's faithful care. Before arriving here, the vast majority of Geoff's pastoral work was as senior pastor, and in that role, he regularly proclaimed the Scriptures to God's people. But I believe that—even though he has preached less frequently here—he saved his best sermon for last. Here, his life became his message, and it declared many great truths.
One message Geoff's life has proclaimed is that we matter to God. This man faithfully and tirelessly positions himself wherever we are—on the patio, in the lobby, walking the hallways—simply so he can interact with us. Geoff always wants to be wherever we are. He hopes to catch us so that he might love on us, and this attitude has told us that we matter to God.
Another message Geoff's life has proclaimed is that God is worth following. He has repeatedly rebuffed the desires of the flesh and world because he wants God instead. People tell us that no one truly follows the Lord—that everyone falls away at some point—but Geoff has shown us this is a lie and that God is worth following.
And Geoff's life has proclaimed that God's church will endure—no matter what. Though he has seen generations rise and fall, movements come and go, and chaotic ideologies disrupt and destroy, Geoff has confidently asserted that the church of Jesus Christ will never fail. In every age, Geoff has believed that God is still working and moving, ever faithful to his bride.
So this Sunday, we praise God that in the summer of 2008, Pastor Geoff moved here with Denise to serve Calvary Monterey. But we also celebrate that in 1972, God grabbed ahold of a man and invited him to shepherd his sheep. And we rejoice that this man—for fifty years—said yes!