How To Improve Your Serve In Church Series

Series: How to improve your serve?

Thesis: As Christians we are called to be servants! Yes, I said the “s” word “servants” – for many this term seems to imply to some – a slave, a person lacking self-esteem, someone of lower class, a person crushed in spirit, a person with low self-worth. But Jesus (The Great I Am) came to serve and so should we. If we choose to be like Jesus we will serve and see transformational change occur to those we serve!

Scripture Texts:

Philippines 2:4-8 (NIV)

4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Introduction to series:

Quote Swindoll:

He states, “Listen as He declares His primary reason for coming: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). No mumbo jumbo. Just straight -from-the shoulder admission. He came to serve and to give. It makes sense, then to say that God desires the same for us” (Page 18).

Why improve our serve today? Because our Covid world has caused even more and more people to disconnect from each other – it has caused Churches and organizations to lose volunteer people who are willing to serve others like never before. Our impersonal world is causing more distance than ever – we have the highest rate of suicide ever – highest rate of mental health problems, depression, hopelessness and so I see the need is greater than ever to start serving again. We need to be the church and be like Jesus by choosing to improve our serve by serving others: More than ever before we need to commit to work on improving our serve in the following areas:

1. We need to improve our serve with God!

2. We need to improve our serve in our community!

3. We need to improve our serve in the workplace!

4. We need to improve our serve in church and in other ministries!

5. We need to improve our serve in our families!

Sermon: How to Improve our serve at Church!

Thesis: The church is the vital community through which worship to God happens, it’s the place where people grow spiritually, it’s the place where most evangelization originates, it’s the place that equips and sends out missionaries and leaders into the world, it’s the place that fosters connection with God and others. It’s essential for fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus which was established by Jesus to change the world.

Introduction:

Thought: “No one wants to end life's journey wondering: Did my life count for something? Did I have a reason for being here? …the ability to find fulfillment is within reach, and that the discovery is waiting to be made in homes, workplaces, communities, neighborhoods, and schools all across America.” (as we serve others). https://www.amazon.com/Power-Serving-Others-Start-Where/dp/1576753662

Illustration: Korczak Ziolkowski the creator and designer of the Crazy Horse monument was commissioned in 1948 to build this monument. The monument is 8’ taller than the Washington Monument 9 times larger Mount Rushmore and he spent 3 decades working on it until he passed in 1982 – His family says the monument will be completed in 2050 – So think about that from the beginning to end of this project will be about 100 years! Korczak stated this at the end of his life “ When your life is over, the world will ask you only one question: ‘Did you do what you were supposed to do?” (Batterson, All In, page 93-95).

Let me repeat the question: “Did you do what you supposed to do?” When you come to the end of your life will you be able to say “Yes, Lord – I did what I was suppose to do!”

We here this Parable and its key verse a lot at funerals: We find it in Matthew 25:14-30 - It’s called the Parable of the Talents. The parable is about how we used the talents and gifts we have been given in our life. The ones who did what was right were told by the Master “Well done, good and faithful servant!” The ones who did not use the gifts or even broke even were rebuked by the Master for being wicked servants because they did not use what they were given by the Lord!

Did you catch that in this parable?