Dealing With The Mess Of Ministry

I have used www.sermoncentral along with several other resources in this message.

DEALING WITH THE MESS OF MINISTRY

October 21, 2007 Jay Davis Robison 1 PETER 3:8-12

Today our church honors support staff

Often in the background but essential to who we are

Often times clean up messes

Office managers quarterbacks who answer phones calm people down

Keep youth sleepover, away from the wedding can be a mess

Building managers clean up after the rest of us, a mess

Preschool directors have dealt messes we all made in diapers

At Trinity we believe no MESS no MINISTRY

What we do for the Lord will often be messy because people messy

Book of 1 Peter talking about r-ships in community and family,

3:8-12 deals with r-ships in church, church was facing persecution

from society around hostile but also division in the church

Sometimes we assume no conflict in church ideally no

But we are about real life…people have strong opinions\ agendas

Look at Peter’s approach for Dealing with the mess of ministry

1. A PICTURE OF GOD’S FAMILY

Peter raises the ideal, what should the church be like?

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one

another; love as brothers (and sisters), be tenderhearted,

be courteous Vs8 NKJV

One mind=harmony does not mean always agree

But means we keep the main purpose serving Christ 1st

our agenda second if that is our focus overcome any differences

Have compassion=Empathize w\one another, bear the same emotions

Sharing of pain and joy all the life stuff we face can be messy

Display the power, love, and compassion of Christ.

Who have you helped this week bear a burden? In church or out

Bear one another’s burdens, & so fulfill the law of Christ (Gal 6:2).

Tenderhearted=word that pictured a well of emotion bursting forth

from your gut. to be moved w\tender feelings toward others.

Arms open tenderhearted vs. arms crossed and closed

Courteous-common respect for others and their feelings

Think of how many people in and out here each week

Work together, cannot be selfish & aloof; or demand own way.

God’s family is to be A COMMUNITY

Temptation of thinking better than someone else superior

When world looks at believers, should see most unusual unity,

a spirit of oneness that is not found anyplace else on earth.

Should see believers who are so unified & closely knit together they

support each through all the trials & temptations of life.

Sometimes world sees bickering complaining grumbling division

limerick: There once were two cats of Killkenny.

Each thought there was one cat too many.

They fought and they spit, they clawed and they bit,

till instead of two cats there weren’t any!

Community is nurtured love, love is the offering of one’s

most honest self through honest self-disclosure J Powell

In order to impact the world we must DEMONSTRATE LOVE

Says to this you were called testimony of God to world If church is going to have an impact on world, must demonstrate to world the reality of its faith. Only do that when Christian virtues are lived out daily by members of the Body of Christ

Do we really LOVE LIKE CHRIST?

In bible love is always an action word, not simply a feeling.

If we say we love, & don’t show it, we really don’t love.

Doesn’t mean we don’t speak truth in love hold people accountable,

Are there tangible demonstrations of your love of others at TBC?

Do you call & check on them when they are out?

Do you pray for them when they going through difficult times? I don’t bother them, they don’t bother me. Things are much better that way. No, this is not acting in love.

2. The PRESENCE OF CONFLICT

Then how do we deal w\those who do us wrong, in world or church When we are under threat, how do we deal with it?

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult Vs 9 a TNIV

Natural response to hostility is retaliation!

Jesus taught love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you

Respond to hostility with grace.

Besides if you do evil or insult me and I respond

It escalates and we will be at each other’s throats

Peter says stop the madness

Nothing tests your maturity LIKE CONFLICT

Conflict: marriage, children, work, neighbor-hood, and church

The difference between spiritual and unspiritual community is not whether conflict exists, but is rather in our attitude toward it and our approach to handling it. Larry Crabb The Safest Place on Earth p. 40.

On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. VS 9b TNIV

When you sling mud you lose ground.

To this you were called

We are called to BLESS