This devotional is being written on 12/13/23. Yesterday, Dr. Clarence Sexton went home to be with the Lord. I received a phone call at 7:00 a.m. today telling me about this. Dr. Sexton had a mysterious illness that doctors were unable to diagnose. He was 75 years old.
Dr. Sexton founded Temple Baptist Church and Crown College in Powell, Tennessee. During his tenure as pastor and college president, the work grew, and God blessed. He was a staunch independent, fundamental Baptist, leaving behind a remarkable legacy that honored the Lord.
I never knew Dr. Sexton personally. I knew him only through his writings and by watching things that happened in the college. His death hit me with a moment of sadness for one major reason. It seems like a generation is passing right before my eyes.
I don’t like change, I admit it. It seems like every wind of change that comes along causes the church to drift a bit further off course. The drift is minor at first. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but something doesn’t seem right. Plenty of others will just scoff that you are one of those kinds of people who resist new things and ideas. That’s not it at all. It’s just that I can see that the more we lose the old soldiers for the Lord, a newer generation arises that doesn’t seem to have the same edge. It’s true of pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and those sitting in the pews.
I remind myself of passages like Romans 11:2-5. “God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, (3) Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. (4) But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. (5) Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”
God always has a remnant. But, I also know that that remnant is going to face an uphill battle. In Revelation 12:17, we read, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” God’s remnant is going to be tested in battle all the time. Will we continue to stand and fight the good fight, even though many around us are compromising?
My portion of the devotional is short today. I want to close, though, with the words of a song. Take a moment and thoughtfully, prayerfully read them. By the time you read this devotional, the Lord’s soldier, Dr. Clarence Sexton, will have been with his Commander in Chief for 30 days. Like Paul, this soldier fought the good fight but soon found out that Another Soldier’s Coming Home.
His back is bent and weary
His voice is tired and low
His sword is worn from battle
And his steps have gotten slow
But he used to walk on water
Or it seemed that way to me
I know he moved some mountains
And never left his knees
Strike up the band, assemble the choir
Another soldier’s coming home
Another warrior hears the call
He’s waited for so long
He’ll battle no more
He’s won his wars
Make sure Heaven’s table
Has room for at least one more
Sing a welcome song
Another soldier’s coming home
He faced the winds of sorrow
But his heart knew no retreat
He walked in narrow places
Knowing Christ, knew no defeat
But now his steps turn homeward
So much closer to the prize
He’s sounding kind of homesick
There’s a longing in his eyes
Strike up the band, assemble the choir
Another soldier’s coming home
Another warrior hears the call
He’s waited for so long
He’ll battle no more
He’s won his wars
Make sure Heaven’s table
Has room for at least one more
Sing a welcome song
Another soldier’s coming home
Sing a welcome song (sing a song)
Another soldier’s coming home.1
1https://genius.com/Janet-paschal-another-soldiers-coming-home-lyrics
