What is Your Role and Responsibility?
Vision Series: Who Are We and Where Are We Headed? • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 13 viewsThe long-term vision of McDermott Road is to “present everyone mature in Christ” and our daily mission is, “helping people become more like Jesus.” So, what are you doing to support that vision and mission? What is your personal role and responsibility within the body of Christ? How are you becoming more like Jesus? How are you helping your brothers and sisters become more like Jesus? How are you helping the world know about Jesus, so they can also become more like him?
Notes
Transcript
Vision Series
Vision Series
Last week I said in first service
Commitment window is open until April 15
It’s actually April 5
I was trying to get first service 10 extra days
April 5th - Actual end of commitment period
We’ve been talking about our mission: Helping people become more like Jesus
what is your role in that
Do you have a responsibility to help the church accomplish the mission Jesus has given us?
Do you have a responsibility to help the church accomplish the mission Jesus has given us?
If so, what is it?
Are you fulfilling your role?
Maybe you’re thinking
I’m already doing more than other people do
I feel guilty because I can’t do what other people can do
Romans chapter 11 ends with…
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
God’s wisdom of extending mercy to Jews and Gentiles…
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
“Worship” (“latreia”)
service of priests in the temple
religious service
sacrifice, holy, acceptable
you are a priest of God
you have priestly service to offer
you offer a sacrifice every day
WHAT is the SACRIFICE?
Your body
Not an animal / drink / grain offering
Your living body is the sacrifice
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Everyone is being changed
even people who don’t want to change
conformed to the world
transformed to be more like Jesus
The transformation of our lives
begins with the transformation of our minds
so we know and understand God’s will for our lives
We only become more like Jesus
by resisting the conforming influence of the world
and submitting to the transformational influence of the Spirit
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.
another way to translate it…
3 Through the grace which was given to me, I have this to say to each one of you: don’t think of yourselves more highly than you ought to think. Rather, think soberly, in line with faith, the true standard which God has marked out for each of you.
faith is the true standard
it’s really the only standard that matters
don’t evaluate your importance based on
your ethnicity / nationality
your skills / gifts / talents
but based on the true standard
are you a faithful servant
are you faithfully following Jesus
are you giving yourself TO HIM in response to him giving himself FOR YOU
THIS is how we should think about OURSELVES
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.
A finger and a kidney
do not have the same function
but they are both important
the question isn’t, “Which one is more important?”
The question is, “Do they both FAITHFULLY serve the body?”
One body in Christ
This is how we should think of ourselves
Sometimes I get jealous of another preacher’s talents
Then, I think to myself,
“He’s helping glorify my Father.”
“We’re serving the same King.”
“He’s making my job easier.”
members one of another
we belong to each other
is that how you think of yourself?
as “belonging to” your brothers and sisters?
and them to you?
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;
we have different gifts
but they all exist to serve the body
so we should use the gifts we’ve been given
if your gift is prophecy
(those who were given a message directly from God)
then prophesy
according to / in relation to / in proportion to your faith
8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
What’s the point here?
Still: Don’t think too highly of yourself?
Think of yourself according to the standard of FAITH
WHATEVER YOU CAN DO for JESUS…
do it generously
do it enthusiastically
do it cheerfully
MISSING THE POINT: Sit around trying to “figure out” your gift
whatever you can do / have the ability to do / have the opportunity to do
cook food
pick up trash
fix cars
Whatever you can do for Jesus and his body just GET BUSY doing it
do it according to FAITH (loyalty to King Jesus)
in other words, offer your body as a living sacrifice
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
In all of this we are:
offering our body as a living sacrifice
being transformed by the renewing of our minds
this is your ROLE and RESPONSIBILITY in accomplishing the church’s mission
You are becoming—and helping others become—more like Jesus whenever you offer yourself in any form of faithful service.
You are becoming—and helping others become—more like Jesus whenever you offer yourself in any form of faithful service.
Don’t
judge the faithful service of others
think your service is MORE or LESS important than theirs
We belong to one another
you benefit from serving
you benefit from BEING served
they benefit from serving YOU
they benefit from being served BY YOU
Example
Our Bible Bowl students
Our LTC students
NOTE: I’m going to ask both of them to come forward in a minute, so we can pray over them.
They are
becoming more like Jesus
learning how to help others become more like Jesus
Along with them, we also want to invite you to…
Surrender yourself in baptism, to become a living sacrifice
Recommit yourself to faithful service
Let us serve you and pray for you
