Loving to God's Glory

Today we will install and ordain elders and deacons that will serve among us in the coming weeks, months and years. In our denomination, once you are ordained you are ordained to that office for the remainder of your life within our denomination.

We do differentiate between those “actively serving” and those that are no longer on a board, yet that does not negate your ordination nor you call. Ordination sets one apart from the rest of the congregation in that it is a recognition of God’s call on your life to serve, it is a mark on you that calls for respect and places the mantle of leadership on you within the congregational body and the denominational body. Elders elected by congregations serve not only within the local body, but also at the presbytery level - for us that is the Presbytery of Olympia. And it goes beyond to serving at the Synod and even General Assembly level. Our denomination’s General Assembly is happening right now, and we ought to be praying for all the delegates who are making decisions that will guide our denomination into the future.

Deacons too are ordained and serve not only within their congregation, but within their communities. All of us are called to serve in our congregation, communities and beyond.

Our scripture this morning is a call for all of us to

1 Peter 4:7 (ESV)

...be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

And then Peter turns to love. 1Pe 4:8-10

1 Peter 4:8–10 ESV

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:

When it comes to love, it is not to simply affirm another person wherever they are, but is more clearly defined in 1 Cor 13:4-7

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 ESV

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

The closing words of our passage must give us pause, especially to those of you who are being installed or ordained to positions of leadership here today, 1Pe 4:11

1 Peter 4:11 (ESV)

whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies —

That definitely gives one pause. As we speak it is as one who speaks oracles of God? That calls each of us to do our best to see that what we speak is in line with what God would say. And then for all who serve to do so by the strength God supplies.

How often do we try and do it from our own strength, our own wisdom, our own understanding, our own will, our own self determined way? As Christians that is not what we’re called to. As Deacons and elders that is not what you are called to, and how do we know this? Because it has never been about our glory, it has never been about lifting ourselves up, but it has always been about God’s glory.

The verse continues, 1 Pe 4:11

1 Peter 4:11 (ESV)

in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Years ago, Rick Warren began his book 40 Days of Purpose with this sentence:

“It’s not about you.”

That’s hard to hear isn’t it? Sociologist speak of the “Me generation”, but the truth is the “me generation” has existed since the fall.

Today we ordain and install elders in our church to serve among us and for us and represent us. That does not end our serving.

I remember being at my first church and a woman came to me and asked why we didn’t have a certain ministry happening in the church. I had only been there a few months, and this ministry would have been within my area of ministry. When I recognized it was clear this was a passion of hers and invited her to be a part of getting this kind of ministry going, her comment was, “Thats what we have you for.”

As we ordain and install our deacons and elders today, this is not a passing of the responsibility to serve, this isn’t so we can say that’s the deacons job, or that’s the elders job. Yes, there are tasks to which these individuals are called in service among us. Yet, that does not negate our call as Christians to be responding to the call of Christ on our own lives in serving one another.

Loving to God's Glory

As we enter into the time of our service where we give of our treasure, let us also reflect on how we might give of our time and talents as well. God’s call is not only to our deacons and elders, it is to all of us. And to some God has gifted for these roles among us.