Sermon for 9/3/2000
MBA- Mop Bucket Attitude
Introduction:
A. Dr. Karl Menninger, a world-famous psychiatrist, was answering questions after giving a lecture on mental health when one person asked, “What would you advice someone to do if he felt a nervous breakdown coming on?” Most people expected the doctor to say, “Consult a psychiatrist.” Instead he said, “Lock up your house, go across the railroad tracks, find someone in need, and do something to help that person.”
B. this psychiatrist knows that those who serve others have less mental and psychological problems. The best way to bring on a heart attach or a mental, emotional breakdown is to think about yourself all the time.
C. JOY- Jesus, others, yourself. We have a sad nation because people are concerned about #1. People who stay sick many times are those who have ego problems.
D. Dave Thomas, Founder of Wendy’s Hamburgers, “I got my MBA long before my GED. I even have a photograph of me in my MBA graduation outfit; a snazzy kneelength work apron. I guarantee you that I’m the only founder among America’s big companies whose picture in the corporate annual report shows him wielding a mop and a plastic bucket. That wasn’t a gag; it was a case of leading by example. At Wendy’s, MBA does not mean Master of Business Administration. It means Mop Bucket Attitude. It’s how we define satisfying the customer through cleanliness, quality food, friendly service, and atmosphere.”
WBTU:
A. I bring this up because of point #3.
B. Service will be the theme for the months of September and October.
C. Places where you can serve. We will be hearing about things that you can help with, serve. Listen to these ministries of our church and think about how you can serve these.
D. Larry comes up and talks about Helping Hands and Seasoned with Time.
E. Some ways right there on how we can serve.
F. A member in God’s church should look for ways to serve.
Thesis: I will serve the ministry of my church by…
For instances:
I. By discovering my gifts and talents.
A. A Place for Me. (There is a place of service here for you.)
1. There is a special place in life, That needs my humble skill, A certain job I’m meant to do, Which no one else can fulfill.
2. The time will be demanding, and the pay is not too good And yet I wouldn’t change it for a moment- even if I could.
3. There is a special place in life, A goal I must attain, A dream that I must follow, Because I won’t be back again.
4. There is a mark that I must leave, However small it seems to be, A legacy of love for those Who follow after me.
5. There is a special place in life, That only I may share, A little path that bears my name, Awaiting me somewhere.
6. There is a hand that I must hold, A word that I must say, A smile that I must give for there are tears to blow away.
7. There is a special place in life that I was meant to fill, a sunny spot where flowers grow, upon a windy hill.
8. There’s always a tomorrow and the best is yet to be, And somewhere in this world, I know there is a place for me.
A. My ministry (all of us have a ministry) is an expression of my SHAPE.
S- Spiritual gifts
1. If you are a Christian, if you have the Spirit, the Spirit gives us gifts and talents to use for the Kingdom.
2. (Rom 12:6 NIV) We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.
3. Each of us has a gift to use for the Kingdom, the church.
4. I have no gifts, no talents. What are you saying? You are not a Christian.
5. Find out what spiritual gift you have. Beginning October, during the evening service, we are doing a spiritual gifts inventory. Help to find out your gift.
6. However, start experimenting with different ministries and then you’ll discover your place.
7. We will never find out what we are good at if we are never in the game. In basketball.
H- Heart (center of soul, includes motivations, desires, interests, inclinations)
1. Another word for this is passion. What stirs your soul?
2. High achievers are most often those who enjoy what they do.
3. God gave us a unique heart.
4. (Deu 10:12 NIV) And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
5. Something that we can really sink our teeth into.
A- Abilities
1. Natural talents born with.
2. Each person has 500 to 700 skills.
3. 2 problems in the church:
a) Skill identification
b) Match abilities with ministry.
4. If you have abilities in a certain area and the church is not meeting that need, go for it.
5. (1 Cor 12:5 NIV) There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
P- Personality
1. God loves variety.
2. Many differences in the 12 disciples.
3. Work with the grain, don’t be something that you are not.
4. Get into a ministry that fits your personality.
5. God made you for a purpose.
6. (Eph 2:10 NIV) For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
E- Experiences.
1. (Rom 8:28 NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
2. Educational experiences.
3. Vocational experiences.
4. Spiritual experiences
5. Ministry experiences
6. Painful experiences.
II. By being equipped to serve by my elders and leaders.
A. Ephesians 4:11-12
B. Aim of leaders is to equip, prepare God’s people for works of service.
C. Perfecting, preparing, equipping= Idea of preparing someone for a job or rendering someone functional.
D. However, many times church leaders, elders, evangelists, end up doing the bulk of the service in the church, rather than equipping.
E. Many gifted but inactive Christians ride pews in every congregation.
F. 10% are active, 50% have no interest in serving, 40% have an interest in serving, but have never been asked or have never been instructed on how.
G. Two problems:
1. The leadership. They think they are the ministry. They are the focal point of the whole ministry.
2. The congregation.
a) Do not understand that everyone is to minister.
b) Jesus is the great high priest.
c) However all of us are priests. (1 Pet 2:5 NIV) you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
d) What does a priest do? In Old Testament.
e) What does a priest do? In New Testament.
f) All of us are priests, ministers.
g) P.G. Mathew- The ministry of the church is not a one-man ministry. Everyone is given grace, everyone is a priest, and everyone must serve God as a priest together with all others. A New Testament congregation is like an orchestra in which all participate in the service of God decently and in order. However, in many churches, the majority of members function merely as spectators.
h) Hey, the minister is paid to minister. He does the work of the church.
i) If I could, I would take you to a passage that would discuss how I am a member of the clergy and you are a member of the laity, and you watch me work because I am ordained of God. However, I won’t because there is no such passage. No mention of clergy and laity in the Bible. I am not a reverend. I am a sinner saved by grace.
j) All are priests of God, and almost everyone engages in some aspect of the work of the church without pay.
III. By developing a servant’s heart.
A. John 13:1-5
B. Philippians 2:3f
C. If you want to be great in God’s kingdom learn to be the servant of all.
D. Servant- slave.
E. Wait on tables, wash your car, clean the toilet.
F. Labor Day.
G. Gert Behanna, converted at age of 60, went around the country speaking, wrote book THE LATE LIZ, in an interview “You know I travel around speaking for God and in the process I’m forced to use gas stations restrooms which are almost always filthy. I used to complain about that to God. I’d say, ‘Lord, If I’m your servant, how come I’ve got to use these dirty restrooms?’ One day in the midst of this kind of complaint, He seemed to say, ‘Gert, I come into this restroom too, right after you. (Mat 25:40 NIV) "The King will reply, ’I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” From that moment on, she said she never left a public restroom without cleaning a mirror, wiping the tile sink and picking towels up off the floor. After all that, she’d say, “There You are, Lord. I hope it’s clean enough for You.” Thereafter, instead of bemoaning the mess she found, she began to think of the person who would be coming after her.
H. Develop a Mop Bucket Attitude
Conclusion:
A. Mark 10:42-45
B. Many people are missing out on the Great Adventure.
C. Jesus came to serve…
