Flakes in an Avalanche
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Kids
Kids
What are some natural disasters?
Ever heard of an avalanche?
What is an avalanche?
Layer of snow on layer of snow…
Each layer is bonded together - like glue
But sometimes the glue doesn’t get hard enough, and more snow comes
Then it gets really heavy or someone stirs it up (skier, wind, earthquake, etc.)
The undried glue breaks and all that snow falls down the mountain
Snow isn’t scary! YES IT IS!
Try to pick up a shovel full of snow - it’s HEAVY!
Imagine enough snow to fill up our whole parking lot - that’s a lot!
An avalanche can go 80MPH!
That’s faster your mom and drive drive on the highway!
Well, that depends on your mom and dad...
They are outrageously powerful!
Let me show you:
Video
Video
Crazy to see that kind of power!
What’s crazier, it’s what avalanches are made of
Think about a soft little snowflake on your cheek...
Hardly intimidating...
What is the term for people who have an inflated sense of uniqueness, an unwarranted sense of entitlement, are overly-emotional, easily offended, and unable to deal with opposing opinions?
SNOWFLAKES!
And yet, when they come together, a soft, weightless, almost invisible piece of water, can kill people and destroy structures!
In that sense, Christians are like snowflakes!
As individuals we are small, weak and insignificant...
But when a church comes together, the force of God goes with us and we can make some significant change!
The church as a TEAM is extremely vital!
10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
We have already seen:
Miraculous gifts
Tongues, interpretations, miracles and healing
Enabling gifts
Wisdom, knowledge, faith, discernment, craftsmanship, artistry and celibacy
Team gifts
Last week: prophecy, teaching, serving, administration and apostleship
This week, we look at the last chunk of spiritual gifts
YouVersion: Flakes in an Avalanche
Romans 12:6-8 for Exhortation, giving, leadership and mercy
Ephesians 4:11 for evangelism and shepherding
1 Peter 4:9-10 for hospitality
Just like every week, we’re looking at definition, example and ministries
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; 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.
Exhortation
Exhortation
This is also known as the gift of encouragement
Definition
Definition
An address or communication emphatically urging someone to do something.
Comes from the Greek word Paraklesis
Same root word Jesus uses to describe the Holy Spirit as our “helper” or “comforter”
This is more than just saying nice things to make people feel good
You’re so pretty, you’re so kind, you’re so talented...
This type of encouragement calls for ACTION
13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Remember these gifts are for the edification of the church
Ovid: “The spirited horse, which will try to win the race of its own accord, will run even faster if encouraged.”
So your encouragement makes the church better by getting people to DO something
You’re so pretty, you shouldn’t be so down on yourself
You’re so kind, I hope you keep coming to our Bible study
You’re so talented, don’t give up on the ministry God called you to!
Example
Example
Our church has a LONG list of encouragers!
We have a good friend Marihelen Fausel
Mari has a way of getting people to do things
Not by manipulation or anything
But by making you believe that God will help you get it done!
She and Tash sat down and were dreaming of a coffee shop
It was just a dream - the gap was the belief and motivation needed to make it real
Mari exhorted Tash - she helped her see how God could make it a reality
A few months later, Mari came alongside Tash to start it
They setup a table with iced coffee under a tent outside in August
Many times Tash wanted to quit
Who wants to show up to church at 8:00am to pour coffee and make $50?
But she pushed and pushed until it grew into something bigger
Yes, it made a little money, yes it had it’s own space eventually, yes it had a decent espresso machine with a cool coffee station...
But the best part was all the MINISTRY that happened there
Every new person had a place to go an meet people
We supplied coffee to 100 realtors that met in our building
Introducing them to our church!
People would laugh in their joy, cry in their pain, shake in their anger
It became a place where, believe it or not, life happened!
Without that exhortation from Mari, it wouldn’t have happened!
It would have remained a dream, or Tash would have given up...
One of the biggest problems for Christ followers is we lose that motivation to keep going
Yes, the cross should ALWAYS be able to motivate us… but we’re human
We need encouragers to help keep us going by pointing us BACK to the cross!
Ministries
Ministries
Life Groups
Counseling Ministry
Serving Teams
Everyday Relationships
Giving
Giving
They always say it’s better to give than to receive...
That saying is easier to say than to believe sometimes!
Definition
Definition
This refers to someone who is a channel through whom God provides resources for His body.
It is important that if you have this gift, you work liberally!
26 All day long he craves and craves,
but the righteous gives and does not hold back.
Often times, people with this gift who stop giving liberally see their resources dry up
Anne Frank: “No one has ever become poor by giving.”
When God blesses a giver, He expects them to use it
When God blesses and they hoard… well God’s purpose is being ignored!
Example
Example
We have a church of givers
This is something I thank God for!
But when I think of givers I think of both my parents; specifically my mom
My mom would give herself right into the poor house if she had to...
She gives to anyone she knows with need, and gives abundantly
Like ridiculously abundantly!
Talk about Emergen-C
Too bad the CDC didn’t know, they could stop the whole pandemic!
Judi said we don’t have any more
Oh no! Tell your mom we do or we’re going to get another industrial sized box!
Tash told her we had some
She still ordered the industrial-sized box anyway...
Growing up, I think of all the cars they gave away
All the free babysitting they did
All the jobs my dad hooked up (with many burns in the process)
All the people that lived with us
I mean, my mom got a job so she could pay for me and my friends to go on a cruise with them...
You’d be hard pressed to find people more giving than my parents
But the trick there, it when God gets the glory!
It’s one thing to give because you want people to think you’re nice...
It’s the best thing to give because you know that God has given you so much!
Because you care deeply about people who are hurting...
And you help to change that out of your own abundance...
Ministries
Ministries
Tithes and Offerings
Ministry Fundraisers
Support Missionaries
Everyday Relationships
Leadership
Leadership
Somehow this one was skimmed over and left out of the list until this week...
Definition
Definition
“the art of motivating a group of people to act toward achieving a common goal.”
Example
John C. Maxwell: “A leader is someone who knows the way, shows the way, and goes the way.”
Ray Lewis was one of the best linebackers in the NFL
But it wasn’t his 10 Pro-Bowls, Defensive player of the year awards, or 1,700 tackles that made him great...
It was his leadership!
"He helps our young kids not just be football players, but to become professional football players. And that makes a big difference.”
People loved Ray Lewis not because he was great, but because he made others better
In the church, we need people who can do this!
Like Apostleship, this gift is about influence
If you have the ability to influence others, what better direction is there than to follow Christ?
Ministries
Ministries
Pastor/Elder
Life Group Leader
Ministry Team Leader
Mentoring
Mercy
Mercy
Abraham Lincoln: “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.”
Definition
Definition
Those with the mercy motivational gift have a divine ability to sense hurt and respond to it with love and understanding.
Example
Example
Fiorello LaGuardia was a Christian mayor of NYC during the depression
Known as the “Little Flower” because he was 5’4” and always had a carnation on his lapel
He was kinda wild and fun
Rode in fire-trucks and went with police to raid speakeasies
He was also known to be incredibly merciful
He would take entire orphanages to baseball games, or read funny-papers to kids on the radio when the papers were on strike
One occasion was especially memorable
He decided to serve as judge at night court in one of the poorest wards
Tattered woman charged with stealing bread
Daughter’s husband deserted her, daughter was sick, 2 grandchildren were starving
Store owner wanted to press charges for the bread
He said, “It’s a bad neighborhood, your Honor,” the man told the mayor. “She’s got to be punished to teach other people around here a lesson.”
LaGuardia explained that he cannot make an exception, and she had to be punished:
$10 or 10 days in jail
Before he finished speaking, he was reaching in his pocket to pull out $10
He then said, “Here is the ten dollar fine which I now remit; and furthermore, I am going to fine everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Bailiff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant.”
The bailiff collect $47.50 for the starving widow, including 50 cents from the store owner...
Why is mercy important?
Because Jesus was merciful!
Not only has God’s mercy declared that we are not guilty...
His continued grace has allowed us to be loved as His adopted sons and daughters!
What a blessing that some of us are given gifts to replicate that kind of mercy in the church
Ministries
Ministries
Food Pantry
Prison Ministry
Disaster Relief
Everyday Relationships
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
Evangelism
Evangelism
This is a calling for all Christians
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Definition
Definition
The Greek word for evangelist “euaggelistes”
Means “one who brings good news”
People who are specifically gifted to preach the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.
They are outright burdened for the lost and will go out of their way to share the truth
Example
Example
I think of a man named Tommy Adams
He owns the largest flooring company in the South
He has a powerfully magnetic personality
You can’t go anywhere in Greensboro NC and find a Christian who doesn’t know Tommy
He will walk up to anyone, anywhere, and just start sharing the gospel
No thought of being awkward, no fear of offending someone...
Tommy is just a regular Sunday school teacher
No Seminary education, not a pastor...
But his Sunday school class has more than 100 people!
His Bible study turned into a church because he can’t stop sharing the message of Jesus Christ!
John Stott: “To evangelize does not mean to win converts, but simply to announce the good news; irrespective of the results.”
If you have that Spiritual gift, PLEASE USE IT!
If you don’t have it, don’t use that as an excuse not to share the gospel!
Of all the gifts God has given to us that get regifted, returned or shoved in a closet...
The gift of evangelism is the one I think gets wasted the most!
I believe there are a TON of evangelists that don’t know it, or get stuck on themselves
These are saved people who are more comfortable sharing the good news about some face cream they just tried
Or some restaurant that was so good
Or some store that has great deals
Those things are pretty good news, but JESUS is by far the greatest news of all time!
7 How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Ministries
Ministries
Evangelist
Pastor
Missionary
Everyday Relationships
Shepherding
Shepherding
This happens to be one of my gifts
The Greek word for shepherd is “Poimen”
Today, we use the title “shepherd” or “pastor”
To understand this gift, we have to understand the role of shepherds
In ancient times, shepherds we responsible for caring for sheep
This had many requirements:
They protected sheep from predators and attackers
They cared for wounded and sick sheep
They rescued sheep that were lost or trapped
They lead and guided them to places of nourishment and rest
But there was one more huge requirement:
Shepherds had a great responsibility to the OWNER of the sheep
Shepherd’s cared for the flocks of their master
Definition
Definition
The ability to care for the spiritual well-being of a local body of God’s people.
This is different than an evangelist
Billy Graham shared the gospel with millions...
Shepherds care for people within a congregation
Example
Example
I would be an example of a shepherd or a pastor
Just like biblical shepherds protect from predators and attackers...
I have a responsibility to protect you from false teachers, gossipers and swindlers
Just like shepherd care for wounded and sick sheep
I have a responsibility to care for you when you are hurting or sick
Just like shepherds rescue sheep who were lost or trapped
I have a responsibility to seek you when you have lost your way or you’ve been trapped by sin
And just like shepherds led and guided people into rest and nourishment
It’s my job to makes sure that you have nourishment from God’s word
And rest in His goodness
Finally, just like shepherds had a responsibility to the OWNER of the sheep
I have a responsibility to the OWNER of all of you - GOD!
I’m going to say this:
Taking care of God’s sheep isn’t always easy!
Sheep don’t always like to stay away from the wolves den...
Sheep don’t always cooperate when you try to pull the thorns from their feet
Sheep don’t always like the food you try to give them!
No, sheep like to wander off and get stuck!
Here’s the thing, if you’re called to be a shepherd… you’d better answer!
Although it’s harder than I EVER could have imagined...
I can’t believe there’s any better place to see God move so beautifully
Ministries
Ministries
Pastor/elder
Discipleship Ministry
Missionary
Life Group Leader
9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
Hospitality
Hospitality
To understand hospitality, let’s think of what the world would be without it...
No stopping in at a friends house for coffee
No Thanksgiving meals with family and friends
No place to stay when visiting
Including hotels, restaurants, Air BnB’s...
The world would be a sad, lonely place!
Definition
Definition
Hospitality is the special ability to provide an open house and a warm welcome to those in need of care.
Example
Example
There are a lot of people here with this gift!
Pastor Mark buys specific sodas for each person at an elder meetings
Candi Hallam let us live in her house for free for 3 months!
Brenda Koehl made us a buffet worth of a meal for 10 people!
The Drake’s made steaks for our whole family!
I think of the Clarensons, the Krulls, the Chamberlains, Evans’, Andersons, Kowolskis...
So many hospitable people!
But one of the most hospitable people I know is one you will likely meet when she visits from California
Her name is Judy Brown, and just oozes hospitality...
She tutored Ronnie in math for free, and did everything she could to make him comfortable
She once called us in a panic because Ronnie was going to be alone for 3 minutes
She ran to the store because Ronnie needed his spicy chips and Mountain Dew!
When she visited NC she made US shrimp tacos
She let everyone else eat first, and Ronnie left her ONE SHRIMP!
Her entire house is laid out specifically with hospitality in mind
How many people do you know who would live in a 12x12 shed so that you could leave your house for people to stay in
She rents essentially her entire home in California for what people would rent a room for in Illinois
Here’s the reason I want to talk about her
She is hospital specifically for the sake of ministry!
She rents her home to ladies that are struggling
Widowed women, single moms, ladies who have lost their homes...
THAT is using the gift of hospitality for the glory of God!
Ministries
Ministries
Event Planning
Life Group Hosting
Greeters/Coffee Ministry
Everyday Relationships
Closing
Closing
And that’s it!
We’ve seen all the gifts!
We have one more message next week to see the big picture...
But there are no more gifts to learn about
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
You may have heard this before...
What kind of weapon is a gate? It’s defensive!
So if gates can’t stop the church, what does that mean?
The church is supposed to be attacking!
So now, think about your gifts...
If you’ve taken the test you should know
If you haven’t, look at the list of the gifts on the screen...
The truth is, each of those gifts represents a snowflake in the avalanche we call the church
Some of these gifts don’t seem powerful...
What can I do with my gift of teaching? Wisdom? Mercy?
These are the weapons we’re going to attack hell with?
YEP!!
by themselves they can’t do much...
But when we’re all together, we’re like that avalanche that destroyed the ski lift!
You think a couple of chainlink fences are going to stop the power of God’s church?!
NOPE!!
We just have to get on board...
Billy Sunday said this, “If you don’t do your part, don’t blame God.”
God has the power, He’s given us the gifts, it’s time for us to put them into action.
Prayer
Prayer