"What Should I Do with the Life God Gave Me: Use Me!"
Ephesians 2:1-10
1 Peter 2:9-10
After 40 years of faithful service to the company he worked for, Jerry was finally getting his reward.
His colleagues were throwing him a huge retirement party.
After dessert, the CEO of the company got up to speak in order to give all kinds of accolades to Jerry--but where was Jerry?
He had been at the party.
He had mingled and laughed while everyone was hanging out before dinner.
He had sat at one of the tables.
He had been the center of everyone's attention.
He had even been seen eating dessert.
Suddenly, he was nowhere to be found!!!
A couple people went looking for him.
And, can you guess where they found him?
In the kitchen!!!
Jerry was up to his elbows in soapy water!
He was doing the dishes.
I've been at this church going on 6 years.
And you know what?
I could really embarrass quite a number of you right now--because I could point out a bunch of folks who are just like Jerry.
If you went missing during a party in your honor, the first place I'd look for you would be in the kitchen...
...doing the dishes!!!
That's one of the things I love about East Ridge United Methodist Church--You act a lot like Jesus!!!
I feel like the most blessed and privileged pastor in the world.
We may not be the biggest church in the world.
We may not be the richest church in the world.
But this church is a church that serves!!!
That's one of the reasons we need to get the word out to a lost and dying world: "Here is a legitimate representation of the Body of Christ--come and be found by the One Who died to save you!!!"
Now, that's not to say we are perfect.
And I'll be the first one to say--I got a lot of growing to do.
I want to be the best I can be for YOU, THIS COMMUNITY, and especially for JESUS CHRIST!!!
And I got a long way to go.
But Praise God!!!
We are in this together.
The success of this church doesn't just rest on me.
We all have a part to play.
When we joined East Ridge United Methodist Church, we made a promise to God, to ourselves and to the Church that we would uphold this particular Church with our SERVICE!!!
Which means every single one of us is accountable to God, ourselves and this Church as to whether or not we kept our part of this bargain.
And think of what is at stake if we don't uphold our part of the bargain:
--We will be accountable to God
--Persons will not hear the Good News of Jesus Christ
--The Community of East Ridge will not have the opportunity they could have to be transformed by the saving knowledge of Christ
In the Scripture Passage from 1 Peter that Brandon read earlier Peter spoke to people just like you and me:
"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God's own possession.
You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light.
Once you weren't a people, but now you are God's people..."
When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are immediately adopted into God's family.
And you know what?
The Holy Spirit takes up residence, or makes a home in you.
When this happens, you become a priest--serving under the High Priest, Jesus Christ!!!
And as priests, every one of us has a function to perform for the Church--a priestly responsibility--to perform for the rest of us!!!
It's the highest calling in the world, and it goes out to every one of us.
So what does a priest do?
* Well, a priest prays for his or her people
* a priest encourages the people
* a priest confronts her people
* a priest grieves and rejoices with his or her people
* And more than anything, a priest serves his or her people!!!
At the Last Supper Jesus had with His disciples, He was the guest of honor, the Supreme Leader, the King.
And what did He do?
Well, this is what we are told in John Chapter 13:
"he got up from the table and took off his robes.
Picking up a linen towel, he tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples' feet, drying them with the towel he was wearing...
...After he had washed the disciples' feet, he put on his robes and returned to his place at the table.
He said to them, 'Do you know what I've done for you?
You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and you speak correctly, because I am.
If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you too must wash each other's feet.
I have given you an example: Just as I have done, you also must do.'"
You know, the Church--which is the Kingdom of God on this earth is so wonderful--so radically different from our 'dog eat dog' world!!!
Greatness and servant-hood are one and the same thing!!!
No one will know greatness in God's Kingdom without being a servant--No one!!!
So God has called you and me to be servants.
And to our worldly ears, this might not sound so good.
But God's call to Servant-hood is a life-giving calling!!!
God's brand of servant-hood energizes us, invigorates us, satisfies us!!!
And, when God calls us, God equips us for the job.
The moment you entrust your life to Jesus Christ, you are not only given salvation, but you are also given spiritual gifts that give you the opportunity to make your unique contribution to the Body of Christ--the Church--so that East Ridge United Methodist Church can become what God intends--a light in a dark world!!!
And when we use our spiritual gifts in a spirit of servant-hood, something miraculous happens to US as well as through US.
Pride and self-absorption decrease.
Because spiritual gifts are just what they say they are--gifts!!!
Over the course of the next few weeks we are going to be asked to immerse ourselves in the study of Spiritual Gifts.
We have a Spiritual Gifts inventory which the ushers will hand out to you as you leave today.
Take it home and enjoy taking the test.
It is certainly not exhaustive, but it will surprise you and help you to discern God's will for your life.
Why will you, most likely, be surprised?
Well, spiritual gifts are not merely acquired skills or natural abilities.
They are something we are given when we are saved.
We are told that "if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation.
The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!
All these things are from God..."
When I took the "Spiritual Gifts Inventory" I was quite shocked to discover that I scored very high on leadership.
I have never considered myself a particularly good leader.
I don't think this is a natural ability.
It can only be a spiritual gift, something I was transformed into through the grace of God.
In our Scripture passage for this morning from Ephesians, Paul talks about you and me.
He says, "You are saved by God's grace because of your faith.
This salvation is God's gift.
It's not something you possessed.
It's not something you can be proud of.
Instead, we are God's accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things.
God planned for these good things to be the way we live our lives."
Each of us have been designed by God to be a tool that can be used to change the course of human history.
We sit on the couch and watch the evening news, shaking our heads at the corruption, the violence, the greed, the hatred.
Imagine how God feels; God designed the world to work in a completely different way!!!
And so, along with God's wrenching heartbreak over the present condition of the world is an equally strong determination to turn things around!!!
But long ago, God made the decision to transform this world--NOT--with the wave of some heavenly wand.
God decided to transform the world through His Church--through rank and file folks like you and me!!!
This is why one of the most powerful prayers we can ever pray is: "Use Me, God.
Show me what my part is in the transformation of the world.
Take hold of my head, my heart, and my hands for your purposes."
In Romans 12:2, Paul says the purpose of our gifts is to "prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Then Paul reminds us of the privilege of making every sacrifice in order to know the mind and will of God.
Nothing gives a person more joy than discovering God's will!!!
Can YOU think of anything more joyous and meaningful than discovering God's will for your life?
Spiritual gifts are special, extraordinary abilities that God gives each of us in order to build up the Body of Christ, which is the Church, in order to transform the world.
Do you know what gifts God has given you?
Are you using your gifts?
Are you serving God and the Church with the gifts God has given you?
There is no other way to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ!!!
You "are God's accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things.
God planned for these good things to be the way that [you] live your [life]."
We all need to serve the Church.
Imagine if each of us decided to take our priestly giftedness and responsibilities seriously!!!
Imagine if that concern was on the front burner of each of our minds.
I think East Ridge United Methodist Church's shape and feel would actually take on the feel and contours of Christ's Body!!!
In September, we are going to have a "Celebration of Service Sunday."
Each person will be asked to sign up to serve in at least one area of the church.
By then, I pray all of us will have taken a spiritual gifts inventory and also done a lot of praying and reading of the Scriptures.
By then, I hope we will have prayed: a "Use Me Prayer"--every day.
Again, a "Use Me Prayer" goes something like this: "Use Me, God.
Show me what my part is in the transformation of the world.
Take hold of my head, my heart, and my hands for your purposes."
If you pray this prayer seriously, God will answer that prayer.
God has answered that prayer throughout all history.
And when God answers that prayer, you'll experience the thrill of being used by God.
And nothing in this life competes with that thrill!!!
Imagine getting to the end of your life with the sense that you were completely utilized for the sake of God.
That means there is no more tread left on your tires, no shine left on the axe or shovel!!!
Then, God will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful [with the gifts I have given you]...come and share in your master's happiness!"
Let us pray: "Use Me, God. Show me what my part is in the transformation of the world. Take hold of my head, my heart, and my hands for your purposes." In Jesus' name and for His sake I pray. Amen.
