Serving in the Church

Intro

As Disciples at Epiphany, We exist to glorify God through God-focused, passionate worship, in developing deep relationships with one another through Christ-centered community, in being sacrificial servants to God and to one another, and to reach our neighbors through our witness in Christ.

Jake, a game warden, was always amazed that Sam, a fisherman, showed up at the end of the day with two or three stringers full of fish. This happened even when all the other fishermen came back with only two or three fish. Now this particular lake was loaded with fish, but they seemed to elude the average fisherman, so there was no limit on number, only on size. And all of Sam's fish were big enough to bring home.

The curiosity of the game warden finally got the best of him. So on one occasion he said to Sam, "I'd like to know your secret." Sam, a man of not too many words, said, "Show up tomorrow morning."

The next morning, long before dawn, the game warden was there. Sam showed up and met him, started the motor, and thirty or forty minutes later they were out in some secluded part of the lake. It was important to Sam that no one else be around. When they stopped the motor, everything was as still as it could be. Jake decided to sit back, fold his arms, and watch Sam do his thing. Sam reached down in his tackle box, pulled out a slender stick of dynamite, lit it, and tossed it in the air. When it hit the level of the lake, there was an enormous explosion. In a matter of seconds, fish of all sizes began to float up to the top of the lake. Without a word Sam just began to row his way over and with his net pick up the largest fish and string them.

Jake screamed. "Wait! You break every rule in the book. I'm gonna throw the book at you. You'll be paying fines. I'm gonna stick you in jail."

About that time Sam reached in his box and pulled out another stick of dynamite. He lit it and tossed it in Jake's lap and said, "Are you gonna sit there watchin' all day or are you gonna fish?"

- Max Lucado, No Wonder They Call Him Savior

In serving God, the first thing we have to realize is that He did not call us to sit idly by and watch the world go by. That He has called each of us to a ministry, but we must realize that He is the one that strengthens us, we cant do it in our own might or will, or we will burn out and burn out quick. We must humbly seek the Lord in what He wants us to do here.

Romans 12:3–8 ESV

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. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 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.

Anything he can use to keep us from being active in God's work, is what he will use. He uses sports, television, hobbies, and even family. He takes those things that God gave us for good and causes us to become so obsessed with them that they keep us from having any time to do anything for God.

1. Humility ()

Sometimes it’s hard to look around and perceive that everything feels like it is falling apart all around you. It can be a struggle that you try and try to do the best you can but it doesn’t feel like it’s good enough. This is a struggle that is easy for a pastor to face, but I had someone share with me a great reminder that I needed to hear. Sometimes God brings us low, so that when He works and brings about the gain, there is no way that we can boast in ourselves, but only boast in God. Just like the girl in the video, it seemed that her world was falling apart, but she discovered that her strength comes from the Lord.

What we see here is Paul speaking to the Roman church, and Paul was fully aware of the devastating consequences that pride can have on a church. So he told the Romans that by God’s grace that they should not think more highly of themselves than they should, that they should walk in humility, that it is by God that the things that are happening around them are actually happening.

Finally, Paul shows us what sound judgment is by telling us that our gifts differ by God's design and that we relate as parts of a body, not contestants in a game.

“Working in our own strength magnifies us, shows that we have too high a view of ourselves, and gets the glory for us. But working in the strength that God supplies magnifies him, and shows that we have a sober, dependent view of ourselves, and gets the glory for God. This principle is stated most clearly in , "Whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." You see the principle: the giver gets the glory.” -John Piper

We get the gifts and the help and the blessing, but God gets the glory.

The remedy for pride is looking at your faith, and your gifts, and looking in sound judgment that these all come from God and not ourselves.

2. Many people, many gifts, one goal. ()

We are many different people, with different backgrounds, different homes, different cars, different families, one thing I love to do is to look around and see you guys, and to look around and see you is to see God’s grace. Same thing walking around children’s ministry floor, or at an outreach, or during worship, it doesn’t matter when, but when you see God’s people coming together in community, using the gifts that God has given them, you see God’s grace at work.

To look around right now, I tell you one thing today, God is at work here at epiphany, and when God is at work, it may not always be in the manner in which we think it should take place, but God is working, God has not given up here, and God has a plan here.

One thing that I know for sure, Satan hates us, and the fact is, Satan wants to destroy our joy in serving, he will tell us that something is not worth doing, or that you will find no fulfillment in it. The fact is, Satan hates us, and does not want us to reach the ones that our ministries intend to reach, so he will do whatever it takes to keep us distracted and discouraged. Satan knows that he will not be able to stand against the church (), so this is his plan, to distract, and discourage, to destroy your joy in serving Christ.

One of the devil's greatest playgrounds for lies is within the walls of the church. If he cannot destroy us, and he cannot, he will seek to discourage us. Since he cannot have us in his service, he seeks to render us ineffective in God's service. It's like playing chess for a stalemate. He cannot put us in check, so he wants to keep us from being useful. He accomplishes this in many ways, and to tell the truth, it's not that difficult much of the time. With all the distractions in the world, our enemy has a wealth of resources.

Anything he can use to keep us from being active in God's work, is what he will use. He uses sports, television, hobbies, and even family. He takes those things that God gave us for good and causes us to become so obsessed with them that they keep us from having any time to do anything for God.

God has given each of you different gifts to serve in His work, this is not a, well He gave some to someone else but not me, He gave you gifts as well as everyone in this church to be utilized to reach people around us. The question is, are we going to use it?

We have one goal, that is to glorify God by making disciples through different means in the church, through our witness, through community, through worship. Fulfilling the great commission that God has called us to, to make disciples.

What’s Next?

Plugging in is important in the church. As I said before, Satan does not want this to happen, because he knows this is a battle he will lose, but he will throw everything at you he possibly can to keep you from serving. It is important for many reasons, here are a few:

· You make an impact on your community, and the world. We have so many different ethnicities in our communities that reaching one person can make an impact in a completely different country.

· Parents, it’s important for you to plug in because it has a lasting effect on your children.

o David Evans, in His Ph. D work surveyed over 2000 Tennessee Baptist church goers, and this is what his research shows us.

§ Mom, if you plug in and serve in the church, your children are 67% more likely to be in church as young adults as compared to if you didn’t serve.

§ Dad, if you plug in and serve in the church, your children are 55% more likely to be in church as young adults as compared to if you didn’t serve.

§ Here is the kicker, I’ve heard of parents saying, well if I attend church, then that will change that number drastically. But according to the research this is not so. If you attend church, but do not plug in and serve, it has the same effect on the numbers of children remaining in church as young adults as those who do not attend church at all.

§ Parents, serving in the church is proven to have a lasting effect on your kids. This is why it is important for you.

How can you plug in?

There are many ways in which you can plug in at the church, from becoming a greeter, which is a much needed ministry need, to getting involved with children’s ministry and blessing and teaching these kids that will have a lasting impact for generations to come, or as we begin small groups in a few weeks, get plugged into one, and in that first season of small groups, see how God will use you in the ministry here at epiphany.

The keys is to start somewhere, be accountable, be responsible, and expect to see God work. Serving God only comes from the strength that comes from Him.

Friends, God wants us to do something. He want us to get our hands dirty, to get involved, to give it all we have. Have you come to sit there and watch, or are you gonna fish?