A Rhythm of Service
Notes
Transcript
We’re going to look at — no slides, so grab your Bible, or your phone, or the Bible in the pew in front of you… it’s on page 589 in that Bible.
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Welcome
It’s good to see you, it’s good to be here
I love how well you serve our church community, I love how patient you’ve been & have endured through sickness & cranky kids & days where you just didn’t feel like doing anything.
I love how well you serve our church community, I love how patient you’ve been & have endured through sickness & cranky kids & days where you just didn’t feel like doing anything.
I’ve titled this talk “A Rhythm of Service”
As people, we need rhythm to be useful and to be healthy.
We need consistency…
Many of you serve, and do so often!
Kids ministry
connect ministry
mercy/outreach ministry
music ministry
community group ministry
As a church, we are grateful for you.
But, we recognize that SERVICE isn’t always easy and often it can be tiring… sometimes the exhaustion doesn’t come from a particularly challenging situation… it’s more around the aspect of endurance… “how do I serve for a long time while remaining healthy?”
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is about: (1) stewarding the ministry and life we’ve been entrusted with, (2) it’s about community and Christian relationships, (3) it’s about suffering because we’re Christians, it’s about (4) trusting in God…
The Apostle Peter is addressing a church that is facing a lot of trouble, particularly “social pressure”… And so Peter writes them a letter of hope.
“We’re told ministry is hard, we’re told the fruit may be difficult to see at times, we’re told we might get tired, we’re told relationships could get strained at times...”
But often, when this kind of trouble happens, we get fidgety, don’t we. We start asking questions like, “what are we even doing? Is God even working? Is anything good happening? Is the Lord’s presence really here?”
“how do I serve for a long time while remaining healthy?”
“how do I serve for a long time and keep my eyes and my heart aimed at the Gospel?”
“how do I serve for a long time and maintain a robustly personal love for Jesus?”
THREE THINGS: (1) Why it’s hard (2) Why we can (3) What it should look like
we’re talking about service
we’re asking the question: “how do I serve for a long time while remaining healthy?”
Why it’s hard
(1) It’s hard because of sin and (2) it’s hard because the ruler of this world hates you!
Serving & Ministry are HARD because of SIN.
For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.
With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;
1 peter 4:3
Our flesh, our sin nature is opposed to God… without God’s intervention in our lives, we are entirely self-focused, self-absorbed and lost within our selves.
Therefore, anything different that that looks foolish to us.
Paul says to the Corinthian church, “the Gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing.”
What he’s saying is, “Evil looks really awesome to people who don’t know God! Worshipping self looks really awesome to people who don’t know God!”
All of our service and ministry is hard because of sin.
Other’s sin
And our own sin struggles
Serving & Ministry are HARD because because the ruler of this world hates you!
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
Our enemy wants us to fail. Our enemy wants us to quit. Our enemy wants us to become discouraged.
This is very real.
So Peter says, “do not be surprised when you face opposition.”
Service and ministry are hard because of sin and because of Satan.
Why we can do it
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
“Since therefore Christ”
Our (1) motivation, (2) our strength (3) identity (4) purpose and (5) our hope is in Christ!
We don’t stand on our merits, courage, strength — we stand on the foundation of Christ and His Gospel!
That is the only sturdy ground we can stand upon!
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
1 eter 4:13-14
“If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed.”
This is a completely different way of thinking than we are used to!
It’s easy for us to expect ease, comfort, kindness from others!
But when we’re doing Gospel work, this will not always be the case… And Peter says it’s precisely because of that that “YOU ARE BLESSED...”
That’s where Prosperity Gospel theology has it wrong… in this life, we are NOT blessed out of suffering… we are blessed IN the midst of suffering!
And we can do all of this because Christ has gone before us and Christ is with us!
What it should look like
what should our service and ministry look like?
1 peter 4:8-
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling”
I love what the ESV SB says
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 4
Where love abounds, offenses are frequently overlooked and quickly forgotten.
In a “fallen world” context, where we are situated, it will be easy to get distracted and frustrated with one another!
That’s precisely why Peter reaffirms the church: “SHOW HOSPITALITY TO ONE ANOTHER WITHOUT GRUMBLING...”
Hospitality means that we create space for one another! We create space for one another in our differences!
We’re at different growth points!
Some of us are struggling with stuff!
We aim at Christ while showing one another a great deal of hospitality!
whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 peter 4:11
Speak the words of Christ… Serve as Christ served!
Peter is so earnestly exhorting his friends: “don’t take your focus off of Jesus!”
“Don’t forget that all of this is because of Jesus. Don’t forget how much God loves you, how he’s rescued you, how he’s waited for you!!!”
In your service, in your ministry… whether it’s as a pastor, deacon, or member… whether it’s leading the band or holding a child… whether is handing out bulletins or making a cup of coffee… whether it’s picking up trash in the parking lot or cleaning up trash in the streets of terrace avenue…
Don’t forget this is all about Jesus! This ministry does not rest on any of us individually — it rests on Jesus!
And whatever your gifting is, God has called you here to herald his Gospel and to be a light in the darkness! That’s your calling! That’s your purpose! Don’t forget that!
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
In your struggling, when you’re tired, when you’re not sure what to say to the person in front of you… when you’re tempted to try to be someone’s savior rather than pointing them to the savior…
Remember this: God is faithful, God is good, and God will accomplish His purposes in your service!
You can trust him!
You can give all your worry to him. He can hold it.
You can give all of it to him. He can take it.
We stand firm in Christ.
So… “How do I serve for a long time while remaining healthy?”
I keep my eyes on Jesus…
Let’s pray.