The Privilege of service

Introduction

Thank you everyone for coming out.

I’m grateful for you and your willingness to be on board with all that is happening at LBC.

I don’t want to take a lot of your time this morning but I do want to speak to you for a moment about the privalge of service that we have as Christians.

We must recognize that God can use anyone and really anything to accomplish His will.

He used a murderer in David, He used an adulterer in David, He used a liar in Abraham, He used a trickster in Jacob, He used a person full of hate in Paul, and He used a Donkey to speak to Baalim.

In examining these people that God use, we see a couple trends appear.

None of them are perfect.

All of them were willing.

It’s not so much about your ability to serve and live for the Lord that allows you to do it, it’s your availability.

Why should you make yourself available though? Why should you be willing to give of your time and your talents to the work of the ministry?

1 John 4:19 KJV 1900

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

because He loved you. He loved you enough to send Jesus to die for you. How often do you think about it?

How often do you reflect upon that?

I saw a great quote from Andrew Browning the other day.

“Are you having a hard time finding things to pray for? Give thanks for what God has done.”

That should fill up your prayer time.

We serve, we live, we love because of His love for us. Not our love for Him.

And when we are serving the Lord, there is a specific way we are to serve.

Colossians 3:23 KJV 1900

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Another way of saying this is “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people.”

Serve from your heart of worship. Greet as an act of worship to the Lord. Wave signs as an act of worship to the Lord. Adjust the levels on the board as an act of worship to the Lord. Click the button in proclaim as an act of worship. Focus the camera as an act of worship.

And when we worship we worship with a sincere and humble heart. We worship with the purpose of glorifying God. So we give it our absolute best. We train, we learn from others, we understand we never know it all.

What’s the purpose of our serving though? We serve, live, and love for the same Reason Jesus did

Luke 19:10 KJV 1900

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

We do what we do not to put on a good show, not so we can say we have the best Sound but so that we can do all that we can to get the gospel to as many as we can.

We don’t need all of this stuff to preach the gospel, but if we are going to have it, then it should look the best it possibly can. It should sound the best it possible can. It should be the most welcoming and inviting experience for a person to come to this building and interact with out ministry they have ever experienced.

This is why, from the beginning, the organization and administration of our ministry has been such an importance to me

Because:

1 Corinthians 14:33 KJV 1900

33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

We do not find confusion in doctrine. We should not find confusion in how we do things.

Planning, systems, check lists, I believe are all important when it comves to our serving.

Luke 14:28–30 KJV 1900

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

Jesus here is speaking of counting the costs of discipleship. We also draw the principle from it of planning what we are going to do and how we are going to do it.

I believe part of that planning in the operation of the church is training like tonight. It is in always growing in our areas of service, growing in the talents and abilities God has given us, raising up others to serve as well.

That’s the great commission

Matthew 28:19–20 KJV 1900

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Discipling people to live for the Lord includes not just knowing scripture but how to apply it. How to live for Jesus and living for Jesus requires service.

I’m thankful for each one here who serves the Lord through LBC. I’m grateful that you have decided the gospel is important enought o give your time in the various areas you serve and I pray that this short time I’ve had with you was a reminder of why we do what we do.

It’s not to look great, it’s not to be cool, it’s not so we can say we have a great church, it’s to show people we have a great God. It’s to clear the way of any distractions so that others can see Jesus in and through us.

Let’s pray and be dismissed to our TEAM night.