One of the beliefs about our economic system is that it has moved from being an industrial economy to a service and information economy. In other words, more and more jobs are based on providing a service or information than providing a product.
Service has therefore become an important part of business life as the following stories illustrate:
A resident in a seaside hotel breakfast room called over the head waiter one morning and said, “I want two boiled eggs, one of them so undercooked it’s runny, and the other so overcooked, it’s about as easy to eat as rubber; also grilled bacon that has been left on the plate to get cold; burnt toast that crumbles away as soon as you touch it with a knife; butter straight from the deep-freeze so that it’s impossible to spread; and a pot of very weak coffee, luke-warm.”
“That’s a complicated order, sir,” said the bewildered waiter. “It might be a bit difficult.” The guest replied, “Oh, but that’s what you gave me yesterday!”
Or how about the businesswoman who stopped at a coffee shop and ordered a cup of coffee. The waitress grudgingly delivered it and asked, “Anything else?”
“Yes,” said the businesswoman, “I’d like some sugar, cream, a spoon, a napkin, and a saucer for the cup.” “Well, aren’t you the demanding one,” snapped the waitress.
“Look at it from my point of view,” said the businesswoman, “You served a cup of coffee and made five mistakes!”
We expect good service when we go out to eat or to buy something or to get something. We like to be treated with respect when we are served or waited upon. Service is an important commodity these days.
We are at the concluding point in our series, God’s vision for us: a fully following and faithfully functioning church. (Overhead 1) And we conclude this morning with the fifth function - service or ministry. The purpose of our service ministry is to serve others in Jesus’ name.
But, before we examine this very important function, a brief review is necessary. We spent the month of January looking at the first part of this vision – the fully following part. And we examined the lives of 10 Biblical characters that exemplified a fully following commitment and life. (Overhead 2)
Then during the past two months we have examined the second half of God’s vision for us – a fully functioning church – by looking at the five key functions of the local church. (Overhead 3)
This morning I suggest that the important function and ministry of service stands at the point where a local church meets the community in which it resides. (Overhead 4)
Service is the avenue to reach out and bring people to Christ. Service is simple. Service involves the human touch in Christ’s name. Service is our faith and our commitment in action.
Jesus made that plain in Matthew 25, when he notes in verses 31 through 46 that service expressed in the acts of feeding those who are hungry, giving water to those who are thirsty, inviting in those who are without a home, clothing those who are in need of clothing, and acknowledging those who are sick or in prison with a simple visit, is a sign of discipleship, of commitment. Service is a key way of expressing our faith at a very practical level. And all of us are called and expected to serve. Jesus does not make a distinction between clergy and laity in this passage. He expects all of His followers to serve others in his name.
In our main text for this morning, I Corinthians 12:27, Paul makes clear that a fully functioning body, that is a fully functioning church, functions best when all its parts work together. Each of us, as individual followers of Christ, must work together. And we work together as we serve.
Service exercises the body. Service strengthens the spiritual muscles of the church. Someone has said, “If you take in and don’t give out, you become fat. If you give out and don’t take in, you become faint. If you give out and take in, you become fit.” Service, when balanced with worship, fellowship, outreach, and discipleship can help us to become fit and fully functioning.
Three weeks ago we considered the dangers of a fast-food faith. We considered the diet problem in our country with expanded waistlines and reduced capability to maintain a healthy body and life-style. Exercise is another ingredient in staying in SHAPE. Regular exercise helps to maintain our health and bodies in God-honoring ways.
The same holds true for the church. Discipleship is essential for spiritual vitality and nutrients so that we grow and develop, as we should. But, service helps us to exercise our spiritual muscles so that we develop into healthy Christians and churches. What kind of SHAPE are you and I in?
If you noticed the sermon title in the bulletin this morning, you notice that the word, SHAPE, is in capital letters and there is a reason for that because the strength and depth and health of our SHAPE determines our strength and depth and health of our service. And that determines the strength and depth and health of our outreach, of our worship, of our fellowship, and of our discipleship. In short the strength and depth and health of our functions determines how well we fulfill God’s vision of a fully following and faithfully functioning church.
What does our SHAPE contain? What does our SHAPE mean? (Overhead 5)
It first means that part of our SHAPE for service is our Spiritual Gifts
We also read in I Corinthians 12 about what Paul calls in verse 1, “special abilities the Holy Spirit gives to each of us.” The special abilities are called spiritual gifts. They given to us by God, through the Holy Spirit, as, Paul says in verse 11, the Spirit decides.
The purpose of spiritual gifts, as stated in verse 7, “is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.” Spiritual gifts are used to serve one another. They are used to strengthen the body.
There are different kinds of gifts. Some are “upfront” or equipping gifts - such as evangelism, leadership, and teaching. Other kinds of gifts are called “behind the scenes” or supporting gifts - such as administration, mercy, or service. But, no matter what gift you are given, it is given to serve.
Our SHAPE for service also includes our Heart - that is our passions, our hopes, and dreams.
In Acts 2:17, Peter quotes the Old Testament prophet Hosea during his first sermon, “In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophecy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.” Dream dreams? What did Peter mean? What did Hosea mean?
God has a dream, a desire. His desire, His dream is that all people everywhere will come to Him in saving faith and trust through the confession and repentance of sins. God, through the Holy Spirit, has given to each of us, if you will, a portion of that dream that includes our place of service.
Look again at the verse. The dreaming comes as a result of the movement of God’s spirit within us as we read in verse 18, “In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophecy.” God’s portion of His dream for each of us is part of His dream. And our portion includes not just our spiritual gifts but also the desires of our heart to serve God as we dream for God.
Last month, Deno Rousopolous, our interim state minister led a leadership retreat here and one of the exercises we did was to answer the question, “What would you do, if you knew you couldn’t fail?” We shared our answers to that question.
During the past year and a half we have been using Paul Ford’s Discovering Your Ministry Identity: Learning To Be Who You Already Are to help us determine where we might be called and gifted to serve. In one of the exercises, this question is asked: If I were to create a new ministry, group, or serving area it would be_________. What would you say?
If you could create a new ministry or group or means of serving what would it be? Take a moment and reflect. Write it down on a piece of paper. (Pause for a moment)
One of the most important things that we need to be in SHAPE for ministry and service is a Heart that is open to God’s work and God’s dream for us - individually and congregationally. What is your dream, what is your passion for God and His ministry for you?
To be in SHAPE for service also means that we use our Abilities. Some of us are natural athletes, or gifted artists, or we can speak in front of people. But all of us have abilities; all of us can do something.
It is a part of how God has created us. Our abilities come from God. They are to be used in God-honoring ways.
What abilities do you bring to our church? I think of those who built the Tabernacle, the first place of worship for the ancient Israelites. They used their abilities to serve by helping to construct the tabernacle and the furnishings in it.
In fact, most of the final 16 chapters of Exodus deal with the design and construction of the Tabernacle and in 31:6, God says this about the craftsmen who will build the tabernacle, “I have given special skill to all the naturally talented craftsmen so they can make all the things I have instructed you to make.” God gave additional ability to those individuals’ natural abilities as they served. Through our abilities we help to build not just our church and our personal service and ministry, but the very Kingdom of God!
To be in SHAPE also means that we acknowledge who we are. In other words, we need to acknowledge, accept, and understand our Personality.
Now, I believe some things need to be said about personality. Too much ministry is built around personality whether it is the pastor or someone else. Our ministry is to be built on Christ!
Another issue about personality is that it cannot be used as an excuse for things that must change in our lives as we live for God. In other words, “that’s just the way I am,” is not an excuse when it comes to being obedient.
Judas may have thought that and look where it got him. Peter probably thought that until he was truly given to God and the Holy Spirit began to change him for the better.
And yet we can also celebrate our personality. Some of us are extroverts who interact with people and opportunities. Others of us are introverts who think and reflect before we act or speak. The church is made up of both. God uses both kinds of people.
Some of us love routine. We live by lists! “A place for everything and everything in its place,” is our motto. Others of us like variety. We burn the lists or misplace them! Our motto is, “Don’t touch that pile, you’ll mess up my organizing system!” The church is made up of both. God uses both kinds of people.
Some of us like to think and debate. A good book is a treasure. Others of us are feelers. “Are you okay? How are you?” A good friend is our treasure. The church is made up of both. God uses both kinds of people.
Look around this sanctuary. Are we alike? Thank goodness no! We are different! Thank God we are! It takes all kinds of people to reach all kinds of people. The Body of Christ - the church - is the most diverse group of people in the world!
Finally to be in SHAPE is to acknowledge our Experiences as part of our service in Jesus’ name. Rick Warren suggests that we keep in mind six kinds of experiences (overhead 6)
• Family experiences: What did you learn growing up in your family?
• Educational experiences: What were your favorite subjects in school?
• Vocational experiences: What jobs have you been most effective in and enjoyed the most?
• Spiritual experiences: What have been your most meaningful times with God?
• Ministry experiences: How have you served God in the past?
• Painful experiences: What problems, hurts, thorns, and trials have you learned from?
Now at first glance, that last question may seem to be way off base. But, listen to what Warren says: “The very experiences that you have resented or regretted most in life – the ones you’ve wanted to hide and forget – are the experiences God wants to use to help others. They are your ministry!” He goes on to say, “People are always more encouraged when we share how God’s grace helped us in weakness than when we brag about our strengths.”
Now, I don’t think that these kinds of experiences are to be shared too soon or flippantly. But, to paraphrase Warren, “There are no wasted experiences with God. He can and He does use all of our experiences to help us and others experience His power in our lives.”
Finally, if we want to serve effectively, then we must serve with our compassion. Show me a church that serves with its compassion and I will show you a church that is filled with love, grace, and mercy.
So what does all of this mean as we conclude this series? What does it mean to be a fully following and faithfully functioning church? (Overhead 7)
More important, do we believe that this is God’s vision for our church? Do we intend to support this vision?
This vision requires each of us to do our part, the part God calls us to do. It requires us to surrender our own agendas to God and take up His agenda. It requires us to change our priorities and even our schedules. It requires us to make an intentional commitment to intentional serve God in this church and as part of this church in the communities of work, school, and life that are a part of our lives.
It requires us to become more and more like Him as the years go by. It requires us to walk by faith and not by sight. It requires us to mature in our faith. It requires us to surrender to both the guidance and work of the Holy Spirit.
This vision is not about me, it is about us and our willingness to both be and do as God’s people – the church. It is about God! It is about His purposes and His plans for His kingdom as we serve Him.
In a moment, Susan is going to sing “Go Light Your World.” As I thought about the closing of this series, this sermon, and this service, I wanted to offer you the opportunity to respond.
I thought about what kind of image illustrates this vision. And the statement of Jesus to the disciples in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world – like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father,” came to my mind.
(Overhead 8)To best fulfill this vision, God’s vision for the church, we need to let our light shine – in how we live and how we function as the church.
I believe that it is time to write a new chapter in the history of this church. I think that we have moved out of a time of recovery and renewal.
I think that God has called us now to move out into this community in some new and exciting ways as we fully follow and faithfully function for Him. This call is to all of us, not just me, and not just those who have faithfully served year in and year out.
I ask you this morning, “Will you join me, and more important, God, in doing your part to help fulfill this vision? It is bigger than you and me! It will be here, God willing, long after we are gone. But, it is God’s vision for us.
This vision is about relationships and God’s work and not only about programs. It is about the great commandment to love and the great commission to go and make disciples. It is about compassion. It is about salvation and helping people come home to God.
As Susan comes to sing, I am going to ask you to commit to this vision and join me on this journey by coming up and getting a candle, and lighting your candle off of the Christ candle. Jesus is the light of the world. And while we can encourage one another to keep our candles lit, only God can light our own candle.
Adults will you join me on the journey? I truly believe that God is calling some of you to new areas and avenues of ministry. Will you obey Him and find your place of service and ministry?
Teens, what about you? God wants you on board as well. Are you willing to give God your life and your agenda and follow Him and His vision for your life? Will you join us? This is your church as well and I challenge you this morning to look beyond an attitude of “what’s in it for me” and let God lead you in the direction He would have you serve and ministry. You can make a difference in this community. Will you?
Kids, what about you? Jesus needs your help. Will you do your part? Will you follow Jesus and help your church do what Jesus wants it to do?
Let us obey the voice and the movement of the Holy Spirit this day and move forward into the future and the plans God’s has for us! Amen.
If interested in powerpoint overheads please ask for 040603 svgs at pastorjim46755@yahoo.com
The concept of SHAPE comes from the work of Rick Warren and Saddleback Community Church.
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, page 246.
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, page 247.
