Carry your Cross: Carry the Church

Introduction

Greeting

Welcome hybrid family, if your new were glad you could join us for our service.

Why

Were currently in a series called carry your cross and we have been talking about different challenges your generation are facing and we are trying to equip you to overcome them with Gods and his word.

There is alot of young people who Love God but afriad or dont feel is there responsiblity to serve in the church and that is resulting is the churchs lack of impact and health. My purpose for tonights message is to teach on how its your responsiblity to serve the church and the church will grow and be health is you not just attend but particpate in its mission.

Story

I Remember when i got saved, i started serving right away in the youth ministry i didnt didnt hear a voice from heaven telling me to serve but just was filled with Gods love and i wanted to help in any way possible. I didnt have it all together, i didnt know much theology,i didnt know if i was called to full time ministry, I just got saved and that lead me to going to vanguard, going to asia and ethiopia. What i learned is you open your heart to serve people doors open in many ways.

Transition

Why are we all called to serve?

Main Idea: Serving Like Christ

Story harriet tubman

As a young woman, Tubman suffered a severe head injury when an overseer threw a heavy metal weight at another slave but hit her instead. This injury caused lifelong health issues but also resulted in vivid dreams and visions that she interpreted as messages from God. Tubman believed that these visions were guiding her to help enslaved people escape to freedom.

In 1849, Harriet Tubman decided to escape from slavery herself, and she successfully made her way to Philadelphia, a free state. However, instead of staying safely in the North, she risked her life by returning to the South numerous times to help her family and other enslaved people escape to freedom. She became one of the most prominent "conductors" of the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses used to assist enslaved individuals in reaching free states or Canada.

“I have heard their groans and sighs, and seen their tears, and I would give every drop of blood in my veins to free them”

Teaching

I’m the same way the scriptures tell us Christ didn’t primary come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45 NIV

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Harriet Tubman was just following Christ example of love and service. That Jesus was sinless and perfect and lived in perfect Glory with his father, saw our slavery to sin and Dealth which brought pain and broken relationships and said I will go and die for there sins and give them power by the Holy Spirit to live a live free from sin and dealth and one day they will recieve new bodys and new creation.

Jesus is our example, he later emphasizes this right before he leaves to be with his father and he was about to wash his disciples feet. They respond by saying you can’t do this your greater than us but he says the greatest among you is your servant.

John 13:14–17 NIV

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Jesus calls all his disciples to follow his example and give their time and energy to serve others. This responsibility doesn’t just fall on the few but on all his children.

Transition

The sad truth is we have our objectives just like our forefathers did when they were asked to respond to the call of service.

Main Idea: Reasons we dont to Serve

Story

In exodus, God hears the suffering of the people of isreal so he calls mose to go and serve them and he encounters a bruning bush and Mose has reasons why he cant serve he first saws he is incomptence for the task and he later trys to give somelese the resposnsiblity. I notice this all the time in the church where some people feel like they are capable and others feel like its not there responsiblity. The churchs suffers greatly becuase of these mindsets we have to the call of service.

Teaching

God says to mose who made your mouth becuase he thinks he cant speak and says i will be with your mouth and he even sends him support for help for the service. The lesson we can draw is God qaulifys the called, God knows your weaakness and he will be with you and equip you as you seek to service his purposes.

Transition

There are some of us in this room who feel its not our responsiblity to serve and specially in the church.

Main Idea: Your Serve Grows Christ Body

Story

I remember joesph benti, when he was in high school and i asked him to serve i think when he was in grade 10 and he didnt have all his stuff togther but he wanted to grow and learn. He started serving and he felt he had responsiblity in the church and over the years i saw him grow into a great man and that mindset of service and responsibliy split over into his life. He was helping his mother with there cafe business and in now its taking off and growing and he is only i think 19 years old and what is the lesson he learned early in his life to service and take responsiblity. I am excited to see what the future holds for him because that what greatness looks like.

Teaching

It is your responsiblity to serve, and specially his church. Caleb sereke as a saying if the church sucks its becuase of us and its its health and growing its also because of us.

1 Peter 4:10 NIV

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

The scriptures teachs us that we are a body and we make up many parts and we all particpate in using our gifts and serving one another. Then we actually grow and become healthy.

Illustartion

Tieing someone up to a chair and asking the question how functionly is the person in the chair. This is what the church looks like when we just attend but never serve we are disabled and not functioning properly.

Transition

I want us to take time to ask God how does he want you to serve his church?

Responds

Responds

Turn the lights off

Ask God how you can serve the church