"All Hands On Deck"

The story is told of this woman who decided one day to try horseback riding. Now she had never ridden a horse before and had never had a lesson on how to ride a horse. And so she sees this horse and she says I’m going to ride this thing. And she hops onto that horse and it immediately begins to spring into action.

Well the horse is moving along at a nice pace but the women begins to lose her balance and is about to slip from her saddle and so she grabs for the horse’s mane but she can’t get a firm grip. So she then tries to throw her arms around the horse’s neck but that dies not work and she begins to slide down the side of the horse.

And so here is this woman struggling on this horse but the horse pays her no mind and continues to move along. Seeing that something must happen, she attempts to leap away from the horse and throw herself to safety. But her foot becomes stuck in the stirrup and is not at the mercy of the horse as her head is struck against the ground over and over again.

And just as she is about to lose consciousness to her great fortune, her comes Bobby, the Meijer Greeter, to her rescue and he rescues her by unplugging the horse.

Look at 1 Corinthians 12… (Read vv.12-27)…

Meat:

When we look at these verses… it is plain to see that God has given each and every believers a set of gifts and talents that we are to use to glorify Him. How does that relate to our horse riding lady…?? well… If a person’s gift is saving a woman from a mechanical horse then let him be the mechanical horse hero.

My goal for today is… that I want all of us to know that we each have a special gift for our own area of ministry… Look at vv.4-6 of 1 Cor. 12…

1 Cor. 12:4-6 “4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.”

3 times Paul tells us that we are given Different types of gifts, different types of service and different kinds of working… We each have our own gifts, talents and abilities given to us by God… and there are plenty of opportunities for all of us to use our unique gifts for service.

I am a firm believer that it takes all the people of God to do all the work of God. God’s work is so important and so large that it cannot be done by just 15-20% of the congregation. It takes all people, working together in unity, and giving their best to God through service in His name.

We are part of a team… someone has made the team an acronym for ministry…

T.E.A.M. - Together Everyone Accomplishes Ministry.

Regardless of where you have come from, regardless of what you have done in your life, when you give your life to Christ, God will provide the gifts… And God expects us to use the gifts, talents and abilities that He has given us...

1 Peter 4:10 ESV

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

God has spent serious time not just in making us but in providing specific gifts for us to use and if we are not willing to use them then how can we share Christ’s love with others. How can we be an example if we are not willing to live by His example?

(TITLE SLIDE)

I’ve given this devotional the title of “All Hands On Deck”… Because, each of us have been given gifts and a key role to play here at Pierson Bible Church and just to be honest if one member of this church does not implement his or her gift, our church will struggle to mature in faith.

Look at vv.14-17…

1 Cor. 12:14-17 “14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?”

The point that Paul is trying to get the Corinthian Church to understand and the point that I am trying to get you to understand is that… yes, there are many different gifts, talents and abilities that each one of us have. But, there is not one that is more important than the other…

There are some that would say that the Pastor has the most important role or position… and I would disagree… you see, I probably wouldn’t be standing up here today, as a Pastor, if it wasn’t for my godly parents, my childhood Sunday School Teachers, the AWANA leaders that put up with my shenanigans, and Sweet Helen Carol that prayed for me on a regular basis…

Y’all are vital to this church. This church can’t do the things that it has been called to do without you. We need your hands to work with children in sharing about Jesus Christ. We need your feet in walking through the community in ministry for His Kingdom. We need you mouths to share in fellowship with one another, building each other up. We need your tithes to keep these ministries running. We need your offerings to continue with the parsonage addition and other projects that need to be done… All that you have is vital to this church and never let anyone tell you that your gifts are not needed or are unimportant.

Whether you are 99 (Like Stella White)... or 1-1/2 (Like little Quinn)... or somewhere in between… you are vital to Pierson Bible Church… and God wants to use you!

1 Cor. 12:20-23 “20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor… ”

1 Cor. 12:26 “26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”

I am so thankful for our Sunday School Teachers, Venture Club Leaders, VBS Workers, Nursery Workers, Custodial Workers, Praise and Worship team, Audio/Visual Team, Safety Team, Board Members, Regular Attenders, Irregular Attenders, and our Visitors. You are what make Pierson Bible Church grow and function every week.

Building Update:

One of the best examples that we have right now of God using different people, with different gifts, talents and abilities… is our parsonage addition project. This morning, I wanted to give a full update on exactly how that project is going…

(Slide Show/Pictures)

Closing:

Again, I am very thankful for each and every one of you! You might be here today saying “You don’t need me. I am just one person. I can’t change the world through this church.”

But listen to me, without you it does not work. God wants you today... to give your best. God wants this church to give Him our best. And the only way that we can give him our best is to be willing to use all that He has given us and to be willing to go at it no matter what.

You’re needed in this church! God has gifted you and now He wants to use you. Don’t allow yourself to think that you don’t matter. Nobody is a nobody in the body of Christ. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. I need you. This church needs you… God needs you.

God has given you the ability to serve… The Question is... Will you give God your Very Best?