On his 100th birthday, retired Pastor Marshall Reinhardt preached the gospel and invited worshipers to make Jesus “the Lord of your life.” Reinhardt, born in Georgia on Dec. 1, 1924, was the guest of honor and guest speaker Sunday, Dec. 1, at Awtrey-Westville Baptist Church in Acworth, Georgia. One of his two sons, Tommy Reinhardt, currently pastors that congregation.
During a special worship service, Pastor Tommy Reinhardt honored his father “for his life and his service and his dedication.” Tommy shared 1 Timothy 5:17, which says, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.”
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But his dad would correct him, Tommy said, unless he clarified that “our real object today is to honor God, because God blessing [my father]—the life that [God has] blessed him with—has blessed all of us.”
Pastor Marshall Reinhardt Preaches on 100th Birthday
Marshall Reinhardt, who pastored 10 churches during his ministry, stood at the pulpit on his 100th birthday, urging listeners to share the gospel wherever and whenever they can. As an example, he spoke about Ruth, his wife of 57 years, who died in 2002.
When the couple first began dating, Reinhardt said, Ruth was a churchgoer and a good person, so he didn’t witness to her. A few years later, after Ruth attended a Christian revival, she revealed that she had just been saved.
Reinhardt’s own path to faith started out rocky, he admitted. Although saved as a teen, he experienced a couple of years of persistent doubt. Finally, on the advice of his pastor, Reinhardt knelt in a gully one day, prayed, and “heaven came down,” he said.
The centenarian urged worshipers to joyfully shine Jesus’ light. “When people hear and see my actions, they draw a mind picture,” said Reinhardt. “And if I’ve done anything wrong in their sight and I’m walking in sin, they know about it. They see that, and it affects my witnessing to them.”
The preacher continued: “We’re indebted to [Jesus], to live for him, to glorify and honor his name. People should be able to see Jesus in our lives, in our actions, the way we conduct our business.”
Reinhardt concluded by saying, “I love the Lord. He’s done so much for me. He’s the Savior, he’s the Lord of my life, and he wants to be the Lord of your life.”
As for tips for new pastors, Reinhardt reminded them to pray for and love their congregants. “Remember who called you, and do God’s will,” he added. “You can’t improve on God’s will.”
