GROW in Serving

INTRO

Today is a special day in the life of our church

We celebrate 40 years of God's faithfulness

We celebrate 40 years of ordinary people saying "yes" in obedience to God's calling

RECAP -- GROW IN GOD - GROW IN COMMUNITY

Grow in God - starts with a personal relationship with God (which He desires) and we grow by knowing Him through Christ and worshipping Him. Our Sunday morning  gathering is the primary place where we worship God, open His Word, and grow in knowing Him

Grow in Community - God designed us to follow Him together, not alone. We grow in our relationship with God as we walk alongside other believers in unity and encouragement. That we find belonging with one another in Christ, live obedient to God, and invite others along the journey. Our GROW Groups  provide a practical, life-on-life setting where we can apply God's Word and together Grow in Community

TRANSITION - LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Grow in Community - John 13:34 - "I give. you a new command: Love one another."

 How do we as a church body demonstrate love towards one another? —- by intense serving - (each one should use whatever gift you havre received to serve others)

GROW IN SERVING

BIBLE PASSAGE

1 Peter 4:10-11 (CSB)

10: Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 11: If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

WHAT HAS GOD GIVEN/ENTRUSTED ME? - A GIFT

GROW IN RECOGNIZING YOUR GIFT

GOD HAS GIFTED EVERY BELIEVER

God has gifted every believer

"Gift" - gift of grace

like any gift, it is graciously given (not something that we can earn or buy)

Gifts are given by God's grace

God gives His grace to us in giving us spiritual gifts

These are not meant for us to hold on to them and use only when we choose

BIBLE PASSAGE

Romans 12:4-8 (CSB)

4: Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5: in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6: According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; 7: if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; 8: if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.

NO BELIEVER IS UNNECESSARY TO THE BODY

No matter age, health, demographic, or life season...where there may be physical limitations to serve in some areas, God has gifted you in the way for you to serve right now (not how you were or how you will be...right now)

THROUGH GROW GROUPS (SMALL GROUPS) WE SEEK TO FIND HOW WE CAN FIND OUR GIFTEDNESS AND SERVE

Being in community with fellow believers helps you find and affirm your spiritual giftedness

Giftedness is affirmed, not self-elected

small groups where you do life together and seek to Grow in God together and seek to live obedient and apply God's Word...these are the people who will know you the best and help you find, develop, and encourage the giftedness God has graciously given you

Many times serving is best done through small groups (applying faith, cultivating community and people knowing and speaking truth to one another)

and that truth and communion is recognizing God's gracious giftedness on someone to be used to help others Grow in God

GOD DOESN'T GIVE YOU A GIFT TO MAKE YOU SIGNIFICANT...

God doesn't give you a gift to make you significant; He gives you a gift to make you useful.

What am I supposed to do with God's gift to me? - Use it to serve others. Let us GROW IN SERVING OTHERS

GROW IN SERVING OTHERS

GOD GIVES HIS GRACE TO SHARE THIS GIFT WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS

because God again gives His grace in this way, we have the responsibility to share this gift with other Christians

As Peter is writing, He is writing to the church and in the context of living with other believers

As we share our gift by serving others, we are faithfully administering (sharing) God's grace with others

What has been given to the individual as a gift of grace has also been given for the benefit of the body as a whole

God does not grant us gifts for our personal use; He gives them for the benefit of the body of Christ

Any growth in that gift comes from God as we are obedient to Him

GOD GIVES US GIFTS TO BUILD UP HIS PEOPLE

BIBLE PASSAGE

Ephesians 4:11-13 (CSB)

11: And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12: equipping the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13: until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

GOD DOESN'T GIVE GIFTS TO US PRIMARILY FOR US; HE GIVES GIFTS TO US FOR OTHERS

Eph 4 - "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ"

LOOK AT SERVING PASSAGES IN NT

When we look at passages in the New Testament such as these and how we seek to Grow in Serving; what we mean is that serving has a specific purpose, is it not the goal but the tool in which God gives us for a specific purpose. And when we look at a biblical understanding of the church, serving is the way in which we build up the body of Christ so that we grow mature in Christ

to grow in unity in Christ and to help one another grow in God

If our serving one another is not for the reason to help one another Grow in God, then it is either self-serving or self-glorifying or is just doing a good thing for another person.

I am not talking about good acts or acts of kindness as serving others; I am talking about the heart of why we serve and Paul and Peter's writings on Christian community

ILLUSTRATION

If some of you do not know, there was an individual in the video from earlier who is no longer with us, Don Wells who passed just a few days after we filmed that interview. And as someone who was one of the best examples many of us know of growing in serving others, it was Don Wells.

Not just because he would help anyone in need or volunteer without hesitation...He served so that others would know and grow in Christ. Without complaining or grumbling, He simply said "yes", like many others, to living obedient to God's command to use how God had gifted him...so that others would Grow in God (that they would grow as disciples of Christ) and Grow in Community (grow in the unity of one body of believers centered on Christ). 

SERVING NOT SIMPLY ABOUT FILLING HOLES AND HAVING WARM BODIES

We serve so that other people are built up in Christ

SERVING AREAS

serving children (next generation) - coming alongside parents as the primary disciple-makers

serving students (next generation)

serving in worship

serving guests (making them feel welcome and getting them connected with the church)

serving behind the scenes (building and grounds, our tech, sound system)

encouraging

teaching

giving

leading

caring

SERVING THE CHURCH IS NOT A SPECIFIC CALLING, BUT A COMMAND FOR ALL BELIEVERS (1 PETER 4:10; EPH 4:12)

The question is not whether you feel called to serve, you've been called to serve. It's a question whether you are doing to be obedient to God's calling

When it comes to serving and seeking to mature believers, if you see a need in our church ministries of maturing one another, take initiative to serve

We shouldn't need to wait to be invited and asked to join serving, take the initiative as you see the need then step up and ask how you can meet that discipleship need.

Opportunity serving

Regularly serving

GROWTH IN THE CHURCH NECESSITATES GROWTH IN PEOPLE SERVING IN THE CHURCH

Not just the same 10% of people doing 90% of the work. All are called as individuals of one body to serve one another, that each of us in how God has gifted seek to build one another up to maturity in Christ.

If you want to see more young families in our church, get involved and serve in our kids ministry

If you want to see new guests and people find belonging and follow in next steps in their faith here at our church, get involved and serve a part on our connections ministry

What happens when we reach out and people come and visit? Then what? Are we prepared with people who faithfully serve to make disciples and point people to Jesus?

And this is not asking the same 20% of people who are already serving to then serve and lead in another area

*My gift becomes a means of God's grace in someone else's life.

**The goal of serving isn't merely to accomplish ministry; it is to build people up

WHAT HAPPENS TO ME AS I SERVE? - I GROW

When you serve, you are not only helping others grow in God, but you yourself grow in God because we GROW THROUGH SERVING

GROW THROUGH SERVING

GOD USES OUR SERVICE TO MATURE US.

Serving is itself a means by which God matures us

We grow in God because we are living obedient to Him (loving Him by using the giftedness He has given you to make disciples...this is the means of which God blesses us and continues to transform us into His likeness)

Serving also sanctifies us because it often requires us to:

obey when it is inconvenient

sacrifice our preferences

develop humility

work with people who are different from us

Depend upon God's strength

Persevere when ministry is difficult

use what God has given us faithfully

**We don't only serve because we are mature; God matures us as we faithfully serve.

Serving is one of the ways we grow in God

WHAT'S THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF SERVING? - GOD'S GLORY

GROW IN GLORIFYING GOD

GOD IS THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE AND GOAL OF OUR SERVICE

v.11b - "so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ"

*This is the why behind the why - the heart and overflow of why we serve

DEPENDENT ON GOD FOR THE GIFTS HE GIVES US

Only so we will give God all the glory

God is to be praised not only for salvation which our service begins, but for the continuing grace that enables us, in serving others, to serve Him

We serve God by serving others in the giftedness He has given us to glorify Him**

Peter knew the gifts he has received from Christ with the coming of the Holy Spirit

Miraculous signs of an apostle

Given grace to speak the word with boldness, proclaiming the exalted Christ

In everything and in everyone, God is to be glorified

NO GRUMBLING, COMPLAINING, OR BITTERNESS

We don't serve so that people notice us.

We don't serve so that we feel needed.

We don't serve merely because the church needs volunteers

*We serve because God has gifted us, God uses our service to build His people, and God receives the glory

"AMEN"

reflects the response of the people of God to the glory and power that are His

Affirming “So be it"

It is all about and has always been all about God's glory

Every salvation, every relationship with Him, every church body and community, every spiritual gift, every serving opportunity, every disciple made and multiplied…it is and always will be God's glory

CLOSING

Grow in Serving doesn't simply mean "volunteer at church"; Grow in Serving means using the gifts God has given us to serve others, build up the body of Christ, and glorify God