Serving to Lead - How experinace the Leadership gifts in Service Pt3 - Gits of Service

GREET EVERYONE-

If I have not had a chance to meet you; My name is Scott and I am a follower of Jesus and have the privilege of serving Him as the Lead Pastor among the people of Stonewater Fellowship.

Our Vision:

We Desire see every follower of Jesus well equipped and fully deployed on the mission of Jesus.

What mission? - This questions leads us to articulate His mission for His church in a simple way.

Our Mission:

Is to engage people into a multiplying relationship with Jesus!

LETS GRAB OUR BIBLES IF YOU HAVE ONE AND

Open it to Acts Chapter 6: today as we unpack and unwrap verses 1-7 today as we continue in our newest series exposing part of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

In this Series we are navigating the Serving gifts. The Gifts of the Spirit that are specifically used to serve with!

And through serving we lead others with these Serving leading gifts.

as we walk through what the Bible says The Holy Spirit will Help us understand all the more and how we can experience the Leadership gifts in the service of Jesus with them!

PRAYER OVER SERIES

has been that as we Exposing What God says about these gifts that He gave to His church that we would come to realize that these gifts are given so that His Church and all its parts (better known as His Body) so that will Know Jesus, Love Jesus And therefore be compelled to serve Jesus , abiding in Him as our lives produce fruit for His kingdom and His glory.

PRAYER OVER MESSAGE

That we wold all come to know that part of being in christ; all of us Have been called to His service.

Called to serve Him by the never ending love of God that was displayed on the cross,

all of us… Every single one of us… with no exceptions are called by His compelling love to serve him and we are gifted with specific gifts to serve him and yet at the same time there is in the pages of scripture a general call to His service for all of us with all of our lives.

ENGAGEMENT –

Working for Dad at wilderness - Big windows - 10 cents a window

Its really the only time I remember, although I did a lot of stuff in that marvelous adventure - Trips

Emotions that I fostered in my heart - Negative emotions - Resentment, Exhaustion, Independence- A should and shouldn't attitude

Not working for you father but a Boss that while you were working for him you allowed those kinds of thoughts.

And reality is whether you worked for your father or you had a boss that you decided to have those attitudes with.

It is all the same -

When I was working for my father, or anyone else, and those thoughts came up I was making the choice to act like a selfish, spoiled, entitled, self reliant 12 year old little boy.

And sometimes those kinds of reactions of so easy for us to head back to as adults.

Because it is so easy for us in our culture to be selfish.

TENSION

The problem that this creates in our lives when we become Jesus followers is that it created in us a framework of OPTIONAL.

All of us have what we consider at some level, some large and some small, “Our Life”

and if we are honest about our past and we acknowledge that we have had some of those emotional responses to people we have worked for.

AS Jesus followers we want to avoid those kinds of feelings from being in our life about our heavenly father.

So what we so easily do is we have a tenancy to sit and be consumers verses what Jesus called us to be - Contributes.

We look at serving Jesus as having an “optionality” to it!

Like there are options I have when choosing to serve or not.

Here is what happens to us - WE miss out!

We miss out on the abundant life Jesus came to give us.

We miss out on Growth in our relationship with Jesus

We miss out on A deep abiding relationship with Jesus

WE miss out on The transforming power of the Spirit working in our lives to make us new.

WE miss seeing the power of God working in the lives of others.

Sometimes I wonder, if this would indicate a bigger, more serious, more eternal problem?

You see if we claim to follow Jesus we are called into and put into service by HIM

If you are hear this morning and you are not following Jesus, you are truly missing out on an amazing adventure that He has for you.

BACKGROUND

Acts chapter 6 - come background on this passage.

First years of the Church

In fact when we get to Acts Chapter 6 we are about 5 years in since the day of pentecost.

By this time the church is well over 10,000 in size -

HOW do we know this Pastor?

Looking back there are three indicators of Addition to the people being saved.

1st Acts chapter 2 - At the end of Pentecost Day 3000 souls were added that day then a description of how these three thousand would function together as a local church.

And after that description we see this last sentence of acts chapter 2 - “And the Lord was adding to their number every day souls that we being saved”

Then in Acts chapter 3 Peter preached again on a porch looking thing near the temple call Solomons portico.

And the Spirit fell again and 5000 more men were saved. And that is just referring to the men as a count.

SO by the time we get to acts 6 there are well over 10,000 that have come to faith by the proclamation of the Gospel both in words and in deed by the early church

Every one is living in complete Generosity with each other. Selling their possessions if the need to and giving the money to the church leadership and what the church leadership is doing is it is then using those funds to make sure no one is going with out.

Now that is a HUGE Task for a hand full of guys to do.

SO this brings us to acts Chapter 6

UNPACKING

Acts Chapter 6 is a pretty straight forward text - IT is a historical Narrative that had some dialog in to but it records for us what happened -

And I want you to watch the result of that happens.

VS1

It was a time when the Disciples - The New jesus followers - were increasing in number -

SO there is more than 10.000

and then you have two groups that are mentioned with a complaint with one group against the other.

The Hebrews and the Hellenist.

The Hebrews were Jesus followers who had been converted from Practicing The Jewish Faith to being saved and following Jesus.

The Hellenist were people who were converted from Greco Roman Polytheism, worship of false Gods and demonic worship to being saved and following Jesus.

And what is happening is there is a poor job of distribution of food and supplies is happening and there is a complaint.

SO watch what the church leadership does -

VS2-4

The leadership brings all the Jesus followers together and says: The Job is too big for us to handle - We would have to give up preaching to serve tables.

Reality is there is only so many hours in a day.

So they empowered the people to fix the problem with some guidelines.

Pick 7 guys to handle this and here is your guidelines.

Guys the have a good reputation.

Guys that are full of the Holy Spirit - In other words Guys that have been saved by grace through faith and they are walking in the spirit not in the flesh.

and Guys that also are full with wisdom .

In other words Pick 7 guys that will do this well.

So here is what this will free us up to do.

If you all do this and pick 7 of these kind of Guys it will free us to up be able to devote our selves to prayer and to the proclamation of the word.

Watch What happened:

VS6-7

they chose 7 and the list of name is in there -

What is interesting is there are tow with additional descriptions

Steven - Filled with the holy Spirit and a man of Faith.

And Nicolas A proselyte from Antioch.

The Church leadership laid hands on them, prayed for them and put them to the task of overseeing the daily distribution of food and supplies to anyone that Had need.

but watch verse 7 -

The WORD of God continued to Increase -

AND - The number of Jesus followers multiplied - Lets just say x2

now were over 20000.00

and a great meany of the priests came to faith.

Here is what is open for our understanding in this area of priests coming to faith.

The Priests could have been Jewish rabbi but here is the other possibility -

Roman Temple priests from the demonic polytheism of the Gecko-Roman worship of false God’s

But here is what we see in general -

When people serve in the different area that all include - Distribution of stuff and prayer and preaching the word -

The Number of Jesus followers increases -

Then the Church - is the working as the living breathing Body of Jesus it is supposed to be - More Jesus followers come to faith.

You might be saying - Pastor, Yea these people were chosen - These 7 people were filled with faith and the holy spirit and I’m not really sure that is me and so I’m not really sure that I am called into service.

Or you might be saying - Those are all names of Men - and I am a woman!

Loved ones - Man or woman, new or old in the faith we are all called to serve Jesus and it is a calling that is very old and very ancient.

DEUT 10

Look at Deut 10: Verses 12 and 13

This is at the beginning of God saving a people to himself -

A people called Israel.

He is delivering them to the promised land -

Saved them from the oppression and darkness of Slavery -

Giving them a land that He Promised to them SO they would be the people that God would use to bring Jesus through.

Moses is speaking here - He is speaking to the whole groups of people - Men women and children - All who have been delivered to this promised land.

and What moses has said up-until this point is remind them of all that God has done.

WE must remember - the Gospel always comes first.

This is what God has done now go an do this.

Blessing of God always comes before the commandment of God.

Even in the 10 Commandments -

I am the Lord your God - Who Delivers you out of the hands of slavery - You shall have no other God’s before me -

SO watch what God tells moses to tell the people after moses has reminded them of all that God has done.

Deuteronomy 10:12–13 ESV

12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require 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, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?

For what Reason does God “require” from his people that HE called to Him self.

For our own GOOD!

It was for them and their own good -

What is in it for them! their own Good that god required them, based souly on what HE had already done for them and the immeasurable love He showed them, that He waned to bless them even further but it required their specific participation.

And today - He requires it from all if us today!

But Here is the Beautiful Part -

AS a new Testament People He sends us a Helper to live in us and empower us to Serve Him.

This is what Paul is Talking about in Romans 12:3-7

Romans 12:3–7 ESV

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;

Paul Uses “we language”

WE are members of Christs body and Members of One another.

IF Service - In our Serving.

The Body of Jesus - His Church - Who is the Church? We are the Church!

All of the Gifts of the Spirit are gifts we use to Serve Jesus with and we all have varied Gifts -

Pastor: I thought we are free in Christ to do what every we wanted?

Well that is not exactly how that works.

We are free - IF the Sons set you free you are free indeed.

But loved ones we must realize what we are freed from -

We are freed from the slavery to sin that we are all born into and we are free from the inevitable consequence of that Sin and that is Death.

We have been set free from Sin and Death.

WE have also been set free to something - We have been set free to love and to serve God.

Watch what Peter says in His first letter.

1 Peter 2:16 ESV

16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

We are to live as people who have been set free from sin and death, but we can never use our freedom to cover up sin and evil Rather we are all to live as servants of God.

But Pastor: You don't know me, You don't know my story there is no way that I am called into service Jesus. My past is too nasty

Here the words of the Apostle Paul loved ones and know that no matter what your past you are called into service.

1 Timothy 1:12–17 ESV

12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

THE GOSPEL CONNECTION

This is what the Gospel does -

It Proclaims that God, in His loving kindness, created all things and you and I and all people in His image to know Him, be in relationship with Him and Enjoy Him for ever.

It proclaim that our relationship with God is broken - We broke it both in what we have done but also the nature we are born with.

We are born sinners by Nature and By Choice. And God in His love and kindness must be by His very nature Just.

As Just, the judge and the Justify He gave all of mankind His moral law and we have all broken it.

Reality is none of us deserve or are capable of serving Him.

But what HE does is He saved us. By His grace through a Gift that He gives called Faith.

Faith is the supernatural ability to trust God.

How did he save us? How did he make a way for our relationship with God to be repaired even though we broke it beyond repair.

How did he make us right with him and call us into service?

He sent Jesus - God himself in the flesh to live a perfect life and die as an innocence human on the cross of Calvary and when that happened what God did is God took our punishment that we deserved, on the Body of Jesus.

God satisfied His own Justice by placing our guilt on His Son - Who Even though He knew no sin he Became sin for our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God.

Why did God do this - Because He loves us.

He loves us with a love that we can no even begin to comprehend.

He loved us so much that He sent His only Son that Whoso ever believes in Him - Who so-ever trust in Him - Will not perish under the wrath of God but will have ever lasting life.

And When He saves us - ALL of us -

He calls all of into His beautiful service - Giving us a Gift of service -

They may be as simple as taking care of chairs or distributing food and supplies to those in need.

Or it could be different.

But loved ones all of are called into service -

And my hope for you is that you would know and understand that our hearts are to be compelled into service no matter what.

loved ones it is not always easy serving Jesus -

Sometimes its hard - But we must we must be compelled by the love of Jesus to step into service and to never never stop.

In one of those seasons that as a servant of Jesus you never want to be in. I was texted a message that part oft he content said this.

“I really really love you my brother! please don’t Ever stop living for Christ”

My Response was “That you my brother, I love you as well” I am compelled to never stop serving Him as a bond servant of His”

We must step into service for His glory -

We must step out for our faith -

We must step up because of his great love for us.

We must be the Church that he calls all of us to be.

The living breathing Reality of the Body of Christ to the world.

APPLICATION OR IMAGINE

How do we apply this?

You might be saying “ I have no clue what my gifts are!?

We have a fix for that!

On the website there is a Spiritual Gift test that you can take and i would encourage all of us to take it. I have and all the Elders have and all the staff have and many more have.

But if you are wondering what you gifts of service are then take the test it will show you.

Maybe you have already and you have not stepped in the Step in and step up and step our into service.

Get with a team leader and join the team.

What Teams?

Kids on Mission team

Youth and students team

Media team

Prayer team

Connections team

Worship Team

PRAYER TEAM