Today’s devotional continues the tribute for Dr. Sisk who went home to be with the Lord on July 6. Written by Pastor Chappell, it reveals the impact a life can make that is wholly surrendered to the Lord.
Before reading the rest of the devotional, allow your mind to consider what Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:6-8. Can we say this about ourselves?
“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. (7) I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: (8) Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
—-
Genuine Love for People
Dr. Sisk never viewed people as projects or statistics. He loved them. And they knew it.
One of my favorite photos of Dr. Sisk is from Spiritual Leadership Conference 2023 in Manila. He had just preached to 10,000 people, challenging us to carry the gospel of Christ willingly. After the service, he was surrounded by pastors and Christian workers eager to greet him. The smile on his face says everything. He wasn’t simply greeting people; he was loving them.
Wherever he went, people gathered around him. They knew he cared about them. He listened, encouraged, prayed with them, and rejoiced in what God was doing in their lives. His love crossed every cultural barrier because it was rooted in the love of Christ.
People never felt as though they were interrupting Dr. Sisk. Whether he was speaking to a veteran missionary or a first-time conference attendee, he had a way of making each person feel seen, valued, and loved.
Investment in Younger Servants of God
Few men have been as generous with their time, wisdom, and encouragement as Dr. Sisk. I was one of many who benefited from his counsel. Throughout the years, I sought his advice on ministry decisions, missions, leadership, and life. He always listened carefully, pointed me to Scripture, and encouraged me to trust the Lord.
Thousands of pastors and missionaries around the world could tell similar stories. Whether it was a discouraged missionary serving on a distant field, a West Coast Baptist College student seeking direction for the future, or a pastor carrying the burdens of ministry, Dr. Sisk always made time to encourage, counsel, and strengthen others. His influence was never confined to the pulpit. It was multiplied through personal investment in people.
Though he faithfully served the Lord into his nineties, Dr. Sisk never lost the ability to connect with younger generations. Bible college students sought him out. Young pastors welcomed his counsel. Missionaries valued his friendship. His love for people kept him approachable, and the love of Christ in him made his influence timeless.
Fullness of the Holy Spirit
It is impossible to remember Dr. Sisk without remembering his joy. He was a genuinely happy man, and his joy was contagious. It wasn’t a put-on or a personality trait. It was the fruit of a life surrendered to the Holy Spirit.
Just a few days ago, I enjoyed sharing with Dr. Sisk on the phone from a book I am reading about the deeper experiences with God from the lives of great Christians in the past. Immediately he said, “I remember that experience in my life as if it were yesterday. I heard Dr. John R. Rice preach on the fullness of the Holy Spirit.” Though his memory was fading, he remembered that touch from God like it was yesterday. In this restless age, with all its new terminology and methodology, there is no greater need for a Christian than to be wholly yielded to the Spirit of God. I saw that yieldedness in Dr. Sisk to the very end.
Over the years, I watched him respond to criticism with kindness, to personal trials with joy, and to opportunities for recognition with humility. Those qualities do not develop overnight. They are the fruit of a lifetime spent walking with the Lord and yielding to His Spirit. Even in these later years of his life, there was no trace of cynicism or self-promotion—only a spirit that was joyful, gracious, and full of faith.
Well Done
Each year at our Spiritual Leadership Conference, we have the privilege of recognizing faithful servants of God, and through the years Dr. Sisk received several of those recognitions. I remember one year when our team was discussing who to honor, and my son Larry spoke up: “Dad, you want to give Dr. Sisk one every year.” Larry wasn’t wrong—and I’m glad we did.
But no certificate, plaque, or expression of gratitude we could offer compares to the rewards at the judgment seat of Christ. I can only imagine the crowns he will receive there to cast at Christ’s feet in grateful worship.
Today, Dr. Sisk is in the presence of the Savior he loved and served so faithfully. And I have no doubt that he heard the words of Matthew 25:21 as he entered Heaven: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant…enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
*https://paulchappell.com/2026/07/06/well-done-remembering-dr-don-sisk/
Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images or created in Windows Copilot. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for our purposes.
