Sermon Tone Analysis

WHAT? What are we talking about today?

ACTIVITY | Distinct Textures

Welcome back to Distinct, where we're looking at some things that are different, unique, and . . .

well, distinct.

Let's see how good you are at noticing the differences between things — like textures.

INSTRUCTIONS: For this activity, you'll need containers that can't be seen through, like paper bags or boxes, and a variety of foods with different textures (like mashed potatoes, bologna, Jell-O, fried chicken, pudding, a kiwi fruit, dry rice, or ice cream).

To play, bring at least two students to the front to compete.

Without looking, have them put their hand into the container, touch the food inside, and race to see who can be the first to identify it correctly.

Have the same players continue with all of the foods or choose new players for each food.

To some of us, food is basically all the same.

We're not picky.

We'll eat whatever!

To others, food is a big deal.

If it's not the exact right temperature, consistency, color, or blend of flavors, we don't want it.

It's a good thing there's so much variety in the things that are available for us to eat — not just because it's more fun that way, but because every food serves a unique purpose.

Some foods give us essential vitamins and minerals.

Other foods give us other essential vitamins and minerals.

Some foods give us protein, or fat, or fiber, or energy.

If we didn't have a variety of foods to choose from, we wouldn't just be bored.

We'd be malnourished too.

All food serves a distinct purpose — and the fact that those purposes are different is actually a good thing!

QUESTION | "Have you ever been a member of a team?"

Have you ever been a member of a team?

What was your role?

INSTRUCTIONS: Give a few students a chance to respond.

Whether you've been a part of a sports team, debate team, leadership team, or a cast in a play, you know this is true: on a team, everyone has a distinct role to play.

But if we're honest, sometimes we're less than thrilled about the roles we're given.

STORY | Talk about a time you weren't happy with a role you were given.

INSTRUCTIONS: Tell a story from your own life (or ask a volunteer or student to tell a story) about a time you were chosen for a role because of your gifts, but weren't happy about it.

Try to choose a situation where you were well-suited for the role, but didn't want it.

Maybe you were cast for a great part in a play but wanted the lead, or were made the leader of a group project because of your leadership skills but felt self-conscious, or were given an award for a weird thing you were interested in but were afraid people would tease you for it.

Way back about 10 years ago when all y’all were toddlers and I only had 1 child, I was serving as Youth & Worship Pastor in Charleston, WV.

I loved what I did- preaching, going to kid’s games, visiting school cafeterias, hanging out with kids like Sam McMinn and Matt Holstein all the time, and leading worship on Sundays.

But then I inherited a role on our church district called “BLAST” Coordinator… (BLAST is kinda like our TNT events)

I wasn’t asked to take this role on, it was just assumed I would do it after the last guy quit.

Here’s how I found out: I asked our District NYI President who was going to be the new coordinator, and he was like: “Oh, well that would be you.”

Thanks for the heads up chief!

Oh and did I mention that this was 2 months before our district BLAST?

So I had to recruit a team of about 30 people to help with registration, judging, etc… and I had a few weeks to do it.

This was something I REALLY didn’t want to do, I had ZERO experience with this kind of stuff, didn’t know that many people who could fill the roles needed, and I was pretty irritated that I was expected to do it without being asked to do it.

Factor all that in, and I was a nervous WRECK.

So I asked… actually BEGGED for help!

My friends Justin Bailey, Michael Smith and Chris Riggs came to the rescue.

They were the other youth pastors nearby and they knew lots of people who could fill the judging roles and filled me in on how things ran in the past.

And I reached out to some people like Elliot and Kelly in our church to help out with registration.

So we got it done and the event went surprisingly well that year and the following year before I moved here to KY.

The lie we oftentimes believe is that the qualities, skills, and interests that make us distinct aren't the best or most important things.

Instead of seeing the value of the unique things we already contribute, we instead wish we could contribute something else.

Instead of being content with our unique role, we get jealous of the roles other people play.

But what if I told you . . .

The idea that some skills, abilities, or roles are "better" or more "important" than others is a lie?

The best role for you to play is the distinct role only you can play?

By playing your role to the best of your ability, you could help change the world?

SO WHAT?

Why does it matter to God and to us?

SCRIPTURE | I Corinthians 12:1-11

We've been talking about what it means to be "distinct."

First, we talked about how Jesus is distinct because He's unlike anyone else who has ever lived — He's God! Second, we talked about how you and I are made distinct too, because we were made by God.

Today I want us to think about what we can actually do with our distinctness, because it's one thing to know we're unique, but it's another thing entirely to act like we believe it.

There's a guy named Paul who wrote a lot of the New Testament of the Bible, and he has a lot of helpful things to say about this.

Paul had a pretty unique faith journey.

Before He started following Jesus, he was so opposed to Christianity that he chased down Christians, threw them in prison, and even had some of them murdered.

But then he had an encounter with Jesus that changed everything.

When he realized Jesus really was God, Paul made it his mission to tell everyone who would listen.

Paul's distinct mission from God had two parts:

To help spread the good news of Jesus throughout the world so God's family could grow wider.

Specifically, Paul's mission was to spread the gospel of Jesus to people who were not Jewish — and thanks to his background and experience, he was equipped to do that.

To help the faith communities who were already following Jesus continue to grow deeper.

Paul was chosen by God to help lead the early Jesus movement and guide local faith leaders.

Here's one of the things Paul wrote to one of those faith communities, the church in Corinth, addressing a few issues that were going on there.

INSTRUCTIONS: Read I Corinthians 12:1-11

In Corinth, it seems as though people were struggling with their roles in the church.

There were some distinct gifts, talents, and roles that were being elevated as if they were better than others, leading to jealousy, hurt feelings, and an unnecessary desire for people to have certain roles and gifts — even if those roles and gifts weren't natural fits for them.

But Paul knew God had created everyone with certain things that made them distinct, and it was a tragedy for anyone to ignore their God-given distinctiveness because they didn't think it was good enough.

Paul also knew no one person in that community was more important than the other.

But because they had elevated certain gifts as more important, they had also begun to elevate certain people as more important.

That was a tragedy too.

So Paul needed the Corinthians to understand this: each of our unique gifts come from God.

Even when it seems random, or the gifts we receive aren't the ones we wish we had, God gave us our gifts on purpose, for a purpose.

SCRIPTURE | I Peter 4:10

So what is that purpose?

To answer that question, let's look at what the apostle Peter wrote to another church around the same time Paul wrote to the church at Corinth.

Peter was one of the very first followers of Jesus.

He spent over three years walking side-by-side with him.

Peter's history with Jesus was an experience Paul didn't have, which means Peter was equipped to lead in ways that were different (but no more or less important) than the ways Paul was equipped to lead.

Peter had a history of being pretty outspoken — sometimes even hot-headed.

Although this feature of Peter's personality got him into trouble at times, his passion and enthusiasm were also really important tools for the mission God gave him.

With that in mind, let's see what Peter had to say about the distinct gifts God gives to each of us.

INSTRUCTIONS: Read I Peter 4:10

Well, this is pretty to-the-point, right?

Peter reminds us the gifts God gives us aren't just for fun or to build up our egos.

They're not trading cards we collect and keep hidden away in a box.

They're meant to be used . . . to serve God and others!

Peter and Paul had very different backgrounds, temperaments, experiences, and areas of expertise.

Their differences even resulted in a huge fight when they had a disagreement over each other's leadership.

But Paul and Peter were both used by God in significant ways to spread the good news of Jesus all over the world — not despite their distinct gifts, but because of them.

Peter and Paul understood that our gifts are all meaningful because they can all be used to help love others and make a difference in the world.

Because of our distinct gifts, we can all serve in distinct ways.

NOW WHAT?

What does God want us to do about it?