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Turn with me to Romans chapter 12.

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We're going to continue our
study here in the book of Romans,

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and in particular the study of
the ministry gifts that are listed

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here in Romans chapter 12.

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We're going to be in Romans
chapter 12, verse 7 today.

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Last week we looked at the
gift of prophecy and what Scripture

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has to say about that and the
importance of that within the body

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of Christ.

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But today we're going to be
looking at the gift of serving.

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Romans chapter 12, verse 7
calls it the gift of ministry.

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The word ministry just means service.

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And what we can see here this
morning is that there is a gift of

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grace to believers to serve at
a capacity that is beyond the norm.

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Every believer has been called
to serve.

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We know that.

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I mean, so just because an
individual is not spiritually gifted

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in the area of service, we're
all called to serve.

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We know that.

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Yet there are some believers
who seem to find their greatest joy

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not in standing in front of
people, but in quietly helping behind

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the scenes.

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These are the people who
notice the chairs that need to be

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set up.

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These are the people that
understand that meals have to be

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prepared.

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These are people who
understand that visitors need to

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be helped, that the room needs
to be cleaned, that a ministry needs

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support.

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These are people who are drawn
by God to see these things and then

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have the desire to do
something about it.

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Someone who is gifted in the
area of serving often receives little

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recognition.

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But I would venture to say
that churches would definitely struggle

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without them.

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And the idea would be this,
that somebody is willing to do something

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behind the scenes, not get any
credit for it, but yet obviously

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impact the ministry, impact
the gospel of Jesus Christ and lead

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people to knowing who Jesus is
and what he has done for us.

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Romans chapter 12 calls this
gift serving or the gift of ministry.

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And this gift reminds us that
the greatness of God's kingdom is

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not measured by visible ministry.

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Sometimes it's measured just
by faithfulness, humbled faithfulness.

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And I want you to understand
that as we go through each one of

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these gifts, that one gift is
not more important than the other.

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They're all equally important
in the body of Christ.

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Some might say, well, I think
that the prophecy ministry or the

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teaching ministry is the most important.

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Well, those are ministries
that are up front.

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Those are ministries that get
a lot of attention.

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But folks, the people who are
serving in capacities of proclamation

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of the truth of God, of
teaching the word of God, of administration,

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cannot do the job that they
are doing without the gifts of ministry,

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without the gift of giving.

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And so sometimes the
ministries that get forgotten about

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are the most important.

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And so the gift of ministry
here this morning that we're going

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to be talking about, the gift
of service is vital for the health

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of the church.

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It's vital for the gospel
message to be preached.

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It's vital for the church to
work in unity moving forward in the

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Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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And so go with me to Romans,
chapter 12, verse 7.

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It says, this or ministry or
service, let us wait on our ministering.

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And so the definition of the
ministering gift or the gift of service

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is simply this.

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It's a spirit given grace,
desire, or motivation to identify

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physical and practical needs
within the body of Christ.

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And it is a desire to
willingly meet those needs in allowing

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other people in the church,
the entire church itself, to function

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effectively for the glory of God.

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Simply put, the servant sees
practical needs and joyfully meets

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them.

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Someone who's gifted in the
area of ministry and the gift of

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service is going to be able to
identify a need, but not only just

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identify a need, but joyfully
meeting that need at whatever capacity

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God has led them to meet it.

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And so the Greek word that we
get this word ministry from is, is

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the word diakoneia, which we
get the word deacon from.

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This is the same root word for
the word deacon.

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And we know that the role of
the deacon within the church is to

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serve.

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Is.

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Is to allow for the pastor of
the church to do the things that

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the pastor is called to do,
and so to serve.

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And so the meaning of this
word ministry or service literally

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means to wait on others to do
things for other people, to minister

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through practical labor.

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This is not a theoretical thing.

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This isn't just like, hey, let
me serve you by telling you something.

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This type of ministry is let
me serve you by doing something.

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And so it's caring for needs
of people.

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And so this gift emphasizes
doing rather than directing.

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Now, there's certainly some
gifts that we're going to be talking

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about that's all about
directing, administration, organization.

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But this particular gift is
more about doing than directing.

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And so what's the heart of a servant?

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Well, the heart of the servant
is essentially this.

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These questions would be
asked, what needs to be done?

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Not what do I want to do, not
what makes me feel good, but what

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needs to get done so that this
can happen?

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What needs to get done so that
we can have this ministry launch?

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What needs to happen that this
person can hear the gospel and that

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can serve at what God has
called them to serve in?

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How can I help?

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What can I take off of someone
else's plate.

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How can I make ministry easier
for other people?

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So for someone walking with
the heart of a servant, it's this.

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Their motivation is not attention.

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It's not praise, it's not adoration.

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Their motivation is usefulness.

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Their motivation is helping.

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Their motivation is to see
that a person is freed up from their

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burden so that they can do
more for the cause of the gospel.

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That that's the heart.

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But what's the purpose?

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Why would God have this within
the body of Christ?

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Well, what we see here is that
serving is more than just accomplishing

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tasks because we see some
people in this world that are very

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task oriented and there's
nothing wrong with that.

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There's some people that like
to have checklists.

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I know for me, I like to have
a checklist on my phone and I like

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to check those things off the
box and say, okay, I'm done with

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that.

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But that's not biblical
service because it's not just about

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a checklist.

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It, it's more than
accomplishing tasks.

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It's.

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It's purpose completely is to
strengthen the body of Christ.

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It's not just about making
sure that my daily chores are done,

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but it's about strengthening
others so that we can have a completely

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healthy body to work for the
cause of the gospel.

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So when practical needs are
handled well, pastors can shepherd,

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teachers can teach,
evangelists can evangelize, encouragers

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can encourage, administrators
can lead and organize.

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And serving removes
distractions so every member can

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better fulfill God's calling
in their life.

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So serving is so important
because without the ministry of service,

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without people relieving other
people of burdens, there's going

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to be really no organization.

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There's going to be no effectiveness.

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And so a healthy church is
built on thousands and thousands

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of unseen acts of service that
might not ever get credited here

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on this earth.

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But we know that God notices
these things and we know that God

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gifts these people and that
ultimately God is going to reward

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those that have sacrifice in
the area of service within the body

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of Christ with the right motivations.

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So there's a lot of biblical
examples that we can see in scripture

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about people who are gifted in
this capacity.

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The apostles delegated daily
ministry to qualified servants in

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Acts chapter six.

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What was the result of that?

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Well, the word of God
increased, more people came to Christ,

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the disciples were multiplied,
the church began to grow and serving

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multiplied in many capacities
within the church there in Jerusalem,

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and then ultimately we know
around the world.

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So what's a spirit filled
servant look like?

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Because we looked at this last Week.

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Someone can exercise in the
Spirit with their gift from God,

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or they can exercise in the
flesh, because this is really how

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God has designed us.

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God has designed an individual
to be gifted in service.

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And that individual can choose
whether they want to serve in the

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flesh or they want to serve
guided by the Spirit.

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And the Bible really gives us
some examples of people that are

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guided by the Spirit in their
service and guided by the flesh.

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And so when yielded to the
Holy Spirit, a servant is going to

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be quick to notice the needs
of others.

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Many people walk past needs.

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If someone's not gifted in the
area of service, they might walk

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right past a need.

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They, they might walk right
past a ministry opportunity.

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But someone who is gifted in
the area of a servant that is being

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led by the Spirit will not
walk past the need.

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They will quickly notice that need.

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And they will notice them in
such a way that will allow them to

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know what to do next.

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And so a person who is walking
as a spirit filled servant will quickly

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notice needs.

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But number two, they will
enjoy meeting practical needs.

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There, there will be some
level of fulfillment and joy in meeting

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the needs of other people.

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How does this look?

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This looks like hospitality.

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This looks like preparing meals.

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This is setting up, cleaning
up, repairing, organizing, helping

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others succeed in what God has
called them to do.

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And these are done with
genuine joy.

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You know, there's times in my
life that I've recognized that I

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am not naturally or
supernaturally gifted in the area

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of service.

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Because sometimes I'll serve
because I have to serve.

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Sometimes I'll serve because I
do see the need, or someone brings

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that need up for me, but I'm
not doing it with a spirit of joy.

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Someone who is gifted in the
area of service will find overwhelming

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genuine joy by helping others.

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Another thing that will be
seen in the life of someone being

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spirit filled is that they
will find joy in freeing others up

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for ministry.

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Meaning I want to help you so
that you can do more.

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Their reward is often seen
someone else be successful.

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Someone like John the Baptist.

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John the Baptist certainly had
the gift of prophecy.

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He had the gift of proclaiming
the word of God to people.

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But John the Baptist also says
something in John 3:30 what he must

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increase, but I must decrease.

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A servant understands that
principle, that I will decrease so

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that someone else can increase
for the cause of the gospel.

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There's a sense of humility there.

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There's a sense of sacrificial
service in that.

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And so they find joy in
freeing others up for ministry.

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They enjoy the tangible process.

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They love seeing something
Completed, they're seeing something

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fixed, seeing something
organized, seeing something accomplished.

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They love to see progress happening.

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I love to see progress happening.

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But sometimes I'm not willing
to do the things that are called

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to happen to see that progress
go about.

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And someone who is gifted in
the area of service and being spirit

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led is going to be someone who
enjoys that tangible process happening

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and is willing to sacrifice to
see it happen.

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Another thing is that they're
willing to sacrifice their own comfort.

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They willingly give their
time, their energy, their resources,

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their strength sat sometimes
beyond what is even asked for or

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not even asked at all.

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They're willing to sacrifice
their own comfort for somebody else

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so that they can have that joy
of service.

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I don't know about you, but a
lot of times I'm willing to serve.

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When it doesn't hurt me, when
it doesn't make me have to sacrifice

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anything, I'll serve.

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But then when my time's up,
I'm done, I gotta go.

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But someone who was gifted in
the area of service and willing efforts,

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ready to have the spirit
guiding them, will say, you know

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what?

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I'm willing to be discomforted.

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I'm willing to be displaced.

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I'm willing to sacrifice in
whatever degree so that somebody

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else can work forward in the
cause of the gospel.

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They usually thrive under
clear direction.

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Many servants enjoy receiving
tasks and seeing it faithfully completed.

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They don't need the spotlight.

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They don't need to be the one
pulling the strings, dictating everything.

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They simply want to help.

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And they'll thrive under
someone telling them, hey, do step

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one, two, three, four, do that
and we're gonna be good.

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00:12:57,710 --> 00:13:00,590
And they're willing to walk in
that and work in that.

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They do appreciate
encouragement because much of their

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00:13:04,470 --> 00:13:05,870
work happens behind the scenes.

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There is a need to give them affirmation.

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There is a need to give honor
to whom honor is due.

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So Paul, we see in all of his
epistles, he repeatedly thanks faithful

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servants through his letters.

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If you see it at the tail end
of the letters, he'll thank people

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for their faithful service to
the Lord.

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00:13:22,250 --> 00:13:27,130
And that gratitude often
strengthens servants to do more ministry.

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00:13:27,690 --> 00:13:32,010
And so there is that desire
for that confirmation, for that edification.

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But just as much as that's a
spirit filled servant, let's look

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at the other side of the coin.

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Let's look at the flesh filled servant.

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00:13:39,250 --> 00:13:42,540
What does it look like for a
servant to be exercising in his or

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00:13:42,540 --> 00:13:43,140
her flesh?

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00:13:44,020 --> 00:13:48,580
Well, sometimes the spiritual
gift that God gives us can be distorted

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when it's controlled by the flesh.

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00:13:52,340 --> 00:13:55,900
Sometimes a Servant who is
walking in the flesh can prioritize

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task over people, meaning this
as long as the job's done, I don't

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00:14:00,740 --> 00:14:03,100
really care about what those
people are thinking or what they're

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00:14:03,100 --> 00:14:03,540
feeling.

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Hey we, the job is the first thing.

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And so sometimes ministry can
become about finishing projects instead

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of loving people.

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And the Bible tells us to love
people while we're serving.

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And so we're going to talk a
little bit more about an example

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00:14:17,900 --> 00:14:20,220
of that later on in A Lady
Named Martha.

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But there is that challenge
sometimes of over prioritizing task

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and under prioritizing people.

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Another thing would be this.

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If someone has the gift of
service or ministry, but they're

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00:14:32,180 --> 00:14:35,920
acting in the flesh, they,
they may criticize others who don't

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00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:39,320
see it the same way they see
it who are not serving at the same

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00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:40,360
capacity as them.

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00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:43,560
Maybe you heard it this way,
why doesn't anyone else see the need

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00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:44,120
right here?

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00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:47,320
Well, maybe because that
person isn't gifted in seeing that

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00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:48,040
need right there.

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00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:51,440
Maybe another question might
be asked, is this, why am I always

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00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:53,480
the one helping and no one
else is helping?

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00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:55,880
It's that focus on self.

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00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:58,000
There's that idea of comparison.

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00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:01,560
And we know that sometimes
comparison can cause bitterness.

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00:15:02,790 --> 00:15:05,470
The reality is, is that yes,
we're all called to serve, but not

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00:15:05,470 --> 00:15:09,670
all of us are gifted in the
same way of identifying needs and

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00:15:09,670 --> 00:15:11,270
joyfully serving in those needs.

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00:15:12,310 --> 00:15:15,710
So there may be a level of
criticizing others if others are

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00:15:15,710 --> 00:15:18,070
not serving at the same
capacity as me.

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00:15:18,070 --> 00:15:20,950
And so that would be a flesh
filled reaction.

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00:15:21,750 --> 00:15:26,070
Another thing is that they may
neglect their own home or their own

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00:15:26,070 --> 00:15:27,910
family are their own needs.

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00:15:28,740 --> 00:15:32,540
And so when helping everyone
else, they forget that God entrusted

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00:15:32,540 --> 00:15:35,300
them with a family and a home
that they are supposed to steward.

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00:15:35,860 --> 00:15:37,780
So that might be a flesh
filled reaction.

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00:15:38,580 --> 00:15:43,060
Another flesh filled reaction
could be that they become overextended.

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00:15:44,260 --> 00:15:45,500
They're unable to say no.

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00:15:45,500 --> 00:15:46,420
You ever met someone?

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00:15:46,420 --> 00:15:48,500
Or maybe you're that one that
cannot say no.

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00:15:48,660 --> 00:15:51,740
No matter, no matter how much
you realize that that's not a good

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00:15:51,740 --> 00:15:52,820
decision for you today.

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00:15:52,820 --> 00:15:56,120
You can't say no or, or you
take on too much or you're running

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00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:57,240
toward burnout.

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00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:01,160
Many times people run toward
burnout because there's a good desire

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00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:05,400
of service, but they're unable
to wisely discern that there's a

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00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,480
limit to our physical status.

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00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:10,840
And so sometimes a flesh
filled servant's all about burning

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00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:14,840
out for Jesus, but at the end
becomes ineffective because they're

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00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,880
not being spirit filled and
they're not making the wise decisions.

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00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:20,360
Let me tell you Something, and
this is something that I need to

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00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:20,480
hear.

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00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,140
Sometimes even Jesus rested there.

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00:16:23,140 --> 00:16:26,340
There is a time and a place to
be able to discern that.

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00:16:26,340 --> 00:16:27,940
I can only do so much.

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00:16:28,340 --> 00:16:30,660
Now sometimes people limit
that and say, I can't, I can't do

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00:16:30,660 --> 00:16:31,060
anything.

322
00:16:31,140 --> 00:16:32,300
Don't ask me to do anything.

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00:16:32,300 --> 00:16:32,900
I'll say no.

324
00:16:32,900 --> 00:16:36,020
In every situation, well,
that's a whole different story.

325
00:16:36,340 --> 00:16:39,740
But here, in this case, there
is wisdom to understand what God

326
00:16:39,740 --> 00:16:40,980
has called me to do.

327
00:16:40,980 --> 00:16:42,180
And I can't do everything.

328
00:16:42,340 --> 00:16:46,060
All I can call, all I can do
is, is to do what God has called

329
00:16:46,060 --> 00:16:46,740
me to do.

330
00:16:46,740 --> 00:16:49,830
And so that would be one
aspect of a flesh filled servant.

331
00:16:49,830 --> 00:16:52,590
Another aspect of a flesh
filled servant would be this.

332
00:16:52,830 --> 00:16:55,230
They may step into needs
without invitation.

333
00:16:56,270 --> 00:16:59,230
Good intentions don't always
equal wise ministry.

334
00:16:59,710 --> 00:17:01,790
Sometimes helping needs permission.

335
00:17:01,950 --> 00:17:04,630
Have you ever had someone say,
why step in and fix that problem?

336
00:17:04,630 --> 00:17:07,590
And hey, well, maybe someone
wasn't ready for you to come in and

337
00:17:07,590 --> 00:17:08,270
fix that problem.

338
00:17:08,590 --> 00:17:10,150
Maybe it wasn't a perceived problem.

339
00:17:10,150 --> 00:17:12,030
Maybe you perceived it to be a problem.

340
00:17:13,500 --> 00:17:17,380
One, one way that I've seen
this happen and, and I'm going to

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00:17:17,380 --> 00:17:20,420
be gracious and loving when I
say this, but sometimes people have

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00:17:20,420 --> 00:17:21,900
to do a task a certain way.

343
00:17:22,620 --> 00:17:25,620
Now none of, I know none of
you men would ever say that, but

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00:17:25,620 --> 00:17:29,340
some of us men, particularly
us men, we say, no, it has to be

345
00:17:29,340 --> 00:17:31,620
done this way and that's the
only right way to do it.

346
00:17:31,620 --> 00:17:34,540
And if someone else does the
job a different way, it's like, no,

347
00:17:34,620 --> 00:17:35,660
that job was not done.

348
00:17:35,660 --> 00:17:38,060
I need to come in and
reorganize everything that was there

349
00:17:38,060 --> 00:17:40,060
and redo everything that that
person did.

350
00:17:41,110 --> 00:17:44,110
Oftentimes I think some we
have good intentions, but what we

351
00:17:44,110 --> 00:17:48,430
see here is that of a flesh
filled servant might look at somebody

352
00:17:48,430 --> 00:17:50,510
else and say, you know what,
I'm going to just help them even

353
00:17:50,510 --> 00:17:52,150
though they don't want my help.

354
00:17:52,390 --> 00:17:54,070
That's an issue sometimes at hand.

355
00:17:54,230 --> 00:17:55,990
Another issue, we'll look at
two more.

356
00:17:56,390 --> 00:17:58,710
They may become too dependent
on leadership.

357
00:18:00,070 --> 00:18:01,830
Their loyalty is admirable.

358
00:18:01,910 --> 00:18:06,150
But sometimes they're more
loyal to a person than to the Lord.

359
00:18:07,170 --> 00:18:10,290
They're more loyal to a
movement than to the word of God.

360
00:18:10,850 --> 00:18:16,210
And so someone who is gifted
in the area of servanthood but filled

361
00:18:16,210 --> 00:18:18,890
with the spirit might look at
a person and say, well, we can't

362
00:18:18,890 --> 00:18:21,850
call out that sin in that
person because the movement might

363
00:18:21,850 --> 00:18:22,370
be hurt.

364
00:18:22,770 --> 00:18:25,850
We might need to overlook
certain things because we don't want

365
00:18:25,850 --> 00:18:29,850
anyone else to say that they
have anything to throw against somebody.

366
00:18:29,850 --> 00:18:34,420
So loyalty should not be to a
Person, ultimately, the loyalty should

367
00:18:34,420 --> 00:18:36,140
be to Christ, not personalities.

368
00:18:36,700 --> 00:18:39,460
So someone might become too
dependent on a person to keep their

369
00:18:39,460 --> 00:18:42,460
eyes on a person, a leader
instead of the Lord.

370
00:18:43,100 --> 00:18:46,340
And then ultimately what that
does become is they become more man

371
00:18:46,340 --> 00:18:47,900
focused than God focused.

372
00:18:48,060 --> 00:18:52,060
And so serving becomes more
about pleasing a person or people

373
00:18:52,380 --> 00:18:54,060
rather than pleasing God.

374
00:18:54,220 --> 00:18:57,500
And Colossians reminds us, the
book of Colossians reminds us.

375
00:18:57,710 --> 00:19:01,550
And whatsoever we do, we do it
heartily as unto the Lord.

376
00:19:02,190 --> 00:19:06,270
We don't fall into the trap of
being a man pleaser.

377
00:19:06,270 --> 00:19:09,230
Now, if it pleases somebody
else that I'm pleasing the Lord,

378
00:19:09,230 --> 00:19:09,950
praise God.

379
00:19:10,110 --> 00:19:14,270
But if I please somebody else
by my actions and service and it's

380
00:19:14,270 --> 00:19:17,710
not pleasing to God, I've got
my priorities all flipped around.

381
00:19:17,710 --> 00:19:19,390
My priorities are mistaken.

382
00:19:20,670 --> 00:19:23,590
So that's just a snapshot of
maybe what it would look like for

383
00:19:23,590 --> 00:19:27,510
a spirit filled servant to be
serving within the body and then

384
00:19:27,510 --> 00:19:31,470
on the other side of the coin,
a flesh filled servant serving within

385
00:19:31,470 --> 00:19:31,950
the body.

386
00:19:32,910 --> 00:19:36,230
So you might say, okay, well,
what are some examples that we can

387
00:19:36,230 --> 00:19:36,990
see in Scripture?

388
00:19:36,990 --> 00:19:40,510
Well, one of the more popular
examples is a lady named Martha.

389
00:19:40,990 --> 00:19:43,830
And so we're going to turn to
Luke chapter 10, if you will, with

390
00:19:43,830 --> 00:19:45,550
me this morning, Luke chapter 10.

391
00:19:45,790 --> 00:19:48,110
And we're going to go to verse
number 38.

392
00:19:49,150 --> 00:19:53,710
Most of you know Mary and
Martha in Scripture, Martha is a

393
00:19:53,710 --> 00:19:54,830
servant at heart.

394
00:19:55,780 --> 00:20:00,820
She's willing to toil and to
sacrifice for others within her home.

395
00:20:03,060 --> 00:20:08,740
Mary is considered to be the
one who's the worshiper, the one

396
00:20:08,740 --> 00:20:10,340
who's sitting at Jesus's feet.

397
00:20:11,140 --> 00:20:17,700
And In Luke chapter 10, verse
38, we see that Martha is busy serving

398
00:20:17,700 --> 00:20:20,260
and she's serving for her own purpose.

399
00:20:20,830 --> 00:20:22,590
And Jesus gives her a teaching here.

400
00:20:22,830 --> 00:20:25,310
And I think that this is
something for all of us who are gifted

401
00:20:25,310 --> 00:20:26,030
as servants.

402
00:20:26,270 --> 00:20:30,390
If you're in the body of Jesus
this morning in the church and you

403
00:20:30,390 --> 00:20:34,070
are gifted in the area of
ministry or service, this is a lesson

404
00:20:34,070 --> 00:20:37,310
that we all need to learn and
to understand and to grow in.

405
00:20:37,870 --> 00:20:42,590
So Luke chapter 10, verse 38
says, now it came to pass as they

406
00:20:42,590 --> 00:20:45,870
went that he entered into a
certain village and a certain woman

407
00:20:45,870 --> 00:20:48,270
named Martha received him into
her house.

408
00:20:49,050 --> 00:20:52,610
So first and foremost we see
that Martha is willing to display

409
00:20:52,610 --> 00:20:53,530
hospitality.

410
00:20:54,170 --> 00:20:55,650
Martha is a servant.

411
00:20:55,650 --> 00:20:57,610
She's ready to have Jesus come in.

412
00:20:57,690 --> 00:21:00,530
This is going to be the way
that Martha shows her love to Jesus

413
00:21:00,530 --> 00:21:01,610
by hosting him.

414
00:21:01,850 --> 00:21:03,290
And servants are willing to do that.

415
00:21:03,290 --> 00:21:06,490
They're willing to host,
they're willing to get their place

416
00:21:06,490 --> 00:21:09,530
ready so that people can have
joy within their house.

417
00:21:09,530 --> 00:21:10,890
And then verse 39.

418
00:21:10,890 --> 00:21:15,050
And she had a sister called
Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet

419
00:21:15,050 --> 00:21:16,090
and heard his word.

420
00:21:17,060 --> 00:21:17,580
Verse 40.

421
00:21:17,580 --> 00:21:23,660
But Martha was cumbered about
much serving and came to him and

422
00:21:23,660 --> 00:21:27,700
said, lord, dost thou not care
that my sister hath left me to serve

423
00:21:27,700 --> 00:21:28,180
alone?

424
00:21:28,500 --> 00:21:31,140
Bid her therefore that she
help me.

425
00:21:31,540 --> 00:21:35,620
Now we see Martha is doing the
right thing by serving.

426
00:21:36,660 --> 00:21:37,940
She's gifted in service.

427
00:21:38,340 --> 00:21:39,700
She's serving Jesus.

428
00:21:39,700 --> 00:21:43,260
But we see the problem and we
see an indication that she's flesh

429
00:21:43,260 --> 00:21:43,660
filled.

430
00:21:43,660 --> 00:21:44,020
Why?

431
00:21:44,020 --> 00:21:44,320
Because.

432
00:21:44,470 --> 00:21:47,750
Because she begins to complain
to Jesus about her sister.

433
00:21:47,830 --> 00:21:50,870
Instead of just serving and
doing it right and worshiping Jesus

434
00:21:50,870 --> 00:21:54,350
that way she comes to Jesus
and says, jesus, why are you not

435
00:21:54,350 --> 00:21:55,950
condemning Mary for what she's doing?

436
00:21:55,950 --> 00:21:57,190
Shouldn't she be serving?

437
00:21:57,270 --> 00:21:58,550
She's left me alone.

438
00:21:59,110 --> 00:22:00,790
Now we know what Jesus says here.

439
00:22:00,790 --> 00:22:04,670
We know that Jesus is going to
respond to Martha with a teaching

440
00:22:04,670 --> 00:22:07,270
about Mary's desire to worship him.

441
00:22:07,670 --> 00:22:10,830
And I don't believe that Jesus
is telling Martha that service is

442
00:22:10,830 --> 00:22:11,270
wrong.

443
00:22:11,820 --> 00:22:14,300
What he's telling her is that
her priorities are wrong.

444
00:22:14,540 --> 00:22:18,780
And I think that we have to
understand that she allowed her serving

445
00:22:19,180 --> 00:22:21,020
to replace her worship.

446
00:22:22,140 --> 00:22:25,700
And so we come to this passage
here and Jesus answers and says unto

447
00:22:25,700 --> 00:22:30,620
her, martha, Martha, thou art
careful and troubled about many things.

448
00:22:31,740 --> 00:22:35,020
Maybe, maybe you're Martha,
maybe that would characterize you.

449
00:22:35,020 --> 00:22:37,020
You're troubled and careful
about a lot of things.

450
00:22:37,340 --> 00:22:41,180
And that word careful actually
has the understanding of being anxious

451
00:22:41,420 --> 00:22:42,300
or worried.

452
00:22:42,860 --> 00:22:44,380
He says, there's this idea here.

453
00:22:44,380 --> 00:22:46,060
You, you're troubled about a lot.

454
00:22:46,140 --> 00:22:48,780
A lot of things concern you, Martha.

455
00:22:48,860 --> 00:22:49,780
But what does he say?

456
00:22:49,780 --> 00:22:54,260
He says, but one thing is
needful and Mary hath chosen that

457
00:22:54,260 --> 00:22:57,580
good part which shall not be
taken away from her.

458
00:22:58,300 --> 00:23:01,220
So some people read this
passage and say, well, Martha should

459
00:23:01,220 --> 00:23:04,370
have been like Mary, at the
feet of Jesus and, and not serving.

460
00:23:04,370 --> 00:23:07,090
I don't necessarily think
that's what Jesus is teaching here.

461
00:23:07,090 --> 00:23:08,690
What I think Jesus is teaching
is this.

462
00:23:08,690 --> 00:23:10,370
Get your priorities straight.

463
00:23:10,610 --> 00:23:13,930
Don't, don't be so concerned
with the material things and forget

464
00:23:13,930 --> 00:23:17,810
about the spiritual aspects of
what it means to serve the Lord.

465
00:23:18,290 --> 00:23:21,730
And the reason why we know
this is because In John chapter 12,

466
00:23:22,450 --> 00:23:27,250
we see another indication
later on that Mary is serving Jesus

467
00:23:27,810 --> 00:23:30,450
and she doesn't get condemned
for this service.

468
00:23:31,090 --> 00:23:33,890
So what we see here is that
she's serving in the right capacity.

469
00:23:34,050 --> 00:23:38,210
In John 12:2, she is once
again serving.

470
00:23:38,850 --> 00:23:43,210
This is right before Jesus is
about to go to the cross and he goes

471
00:23:43,210 --> 00:23:47,330
to a place called Bethany
where Lazarus and Mary and Martha

472
00:23:47,330 --> 00:23:47,810
were from.

473
00:23:48,050 --> 00:23:51,290
And it says that he had come
there in verse two of John, chapter

474
00:23:51,290 --> 00:23:51,570
12.

475
00:23:51,890 --> 00:23:55,890
There they made him a supper
and Martha served.

476
00:23:56,860 --> 00:23:59,580
But Lazarus was one of them
that sat at the table with him.

477
00:24:00,380 --> 00:24:01,660
So again, she's serving.

478
00:24:02,220 --> 00:24:04,460
But apparently she learned her lesson.

479
00:24:04,780 --> 00:24:06,060
What was that lesson?

480
00:24:06,220 --> 00:24:07,820
Well, it wasn't to stop serving.

481
00:24:07,820 --> 00:24:10,300
We know that because she
continued to serve.

482
00:24:10,380 --> 00:24:12,380
The problem was never her serving.

483
00:24:12,539 --> 00:24:14,380
The problem was her priorities.

484
00:24:15,580 --> 00:24:17,580
Are you serving for the right reasons?

485
00:24:18,060 --> 00:24:20,140
Are you serving without bitterness?

486
00:24:21,260 --> 00:24:24,060
Folks, I'm going to speak some
hard truths here this morning, but

487
00:24:24,060 --> 00:24:25,100
I'm speaking to myself.

488
00:24:26,170 --> 00:24:28,930
Sometimes what we see within
the church is that people are willing

489
00:24:28,930 --> 00:24:31,730
to serve and do whatever they
can to serve.

490
00:24:31,730 --> 00:24:34,890
But there's a level of anger
when other people aren't serving

491
00:24:34,890 --> 00:24:36,090
at the same capacity.

492
00:24:37,610 --> 00:24:40,730
Instead, what Jesus says is,
Martha realize what Mary is doing

493
00:24:40,730 --> 00:24:43,210
is what God has called her to
do, and that is to worship.

494
00:24:43,850 --> 00:24:46,090
You can serve, but you should
also worship.

495
00:24:46,570 --> 00:24:49,850
Folks, sometimes what happens
within a church, specifically a church

496
00:24:49,850 --> 00:24:53,530
like ours, is we get so busy
with service that we forget about

497
00:24:53,530 --> 00:24:55,570
the communion and fellowship
with God.

498
00:24:56,610 --> 00:24:59,410
Folks, I'm going to tell you,
I. I am guilty of that.

499
00:24:59,730 --> 00:25:03,930
I'm guilty of being so busy of
serving the Lord that I forget about

500
00:25:03,930 --> 00:25:07,810
just communing with him and
communing with other Christians.

501
00:25:08,530 --> 00:25:11,090
Sunday morning should be a
time of excitement.

502
00:25:11,170 --> 00:25:13,570
Sunday morning should be a
time of celebration.

503
00:25:13,810 --> 00:25:17,170
Sunday morning should be a
time of joy and of peace.

504
00:25:17,410 --> 00:25:21,290
But oftentimes, because of all
of our ministries going on, it becomes

505
00:25:21,290 --> 00:25:25,130
a time of being hectic and
stressful and worrisome.

506
00:25:25,290 --> 00:25:27,930
And though I think that we all
have to understand that there should

507
00:25:27,930 --> 00:25:32,410
be a level of administration
and accountability and planning and

508
00:25:32,410 --> 00:25:35,530
all these things that are
good, we have to have a balance between

509
00:25:36,010 --> 00:25:37,370
service and worship.

510
00:25:37,690 --> 00:25:40,970
And what we see is that
actually service can become worship

511
00:25:41,050 --> 00:25:43,450
if our heart is in the right place.

512
00:25:44,810 --> 00:25:47,770
So all those people that are
not in the actual service today,

513
00:25:47,770 --> 00:25:51,050
they're serving by watching
our children in the children's ministry

514
00:25:51,050 --> 00:25:55,250
and teaching them, or maybe
even in the nursery or maybe insecurity

515
00:25:55,250 --> 00:25:58,010
or maybe wherever they might
be, that doesn't mean that they're

516
00:25:58,010 --> 00:25:58,810
not worshiping.

517
00:25:58,810 --> 00:26:00,730
The matter is the matter of
the heart.

518
00:26:01,770 --> 00:26:04,450
And so here this morning, what
we have to understand is that Martha

519
00:26:04,450 --> 00:26:05,850
wasn't wrong for serving.

520
00:26:06,010 --> 00:26:10,050
She was wrong because, number
one, she was serving in a very selfish

521
00:26:10,050 --> 00:26:13,730
manner and then judging and
very upset and not understanding

522
00:26:13,730 --> 00:26:14,810
what Mary was doing.

523
00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:18,320
And so Jesus says, hey, look,
it's about your heart.

524
00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:19,680
She's doing the right thing.

525
00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:23,080
She's doing the thing that is
proving her love for me.

526
00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:26,040
And so Martha could prove her
love to Jesus by her service.

527
00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:27,720
But there is that balance there.

528
00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:31,800
And I think all of us, to some
capacity have to understand the balance

529
00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:36,280
between service and sacrifice
and love and in bitterness and come

530
00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:37,400
together and say, you know what?

531
00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:38,280
Even if.

532
00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:42,770
Now here's a hard statement to
say, even if I'm the only person

533
00:26:42,770 --> 00:26:45,730
serving, I'm going to be
joyful in that, because I'm going

534
00:26:45,730 --> 00:26:48,730
to realize that I can't do
everything, but all I can do is what

535
00:26:48,730 --> 00:26:49,970
God has called me to do.

536
00:26:50,370 --> 00:26:55,530
And then have a joyful heart
and a joyful spirit so that maybe

537
00:26:55,530 --> 00:26:58,850
other people will want to
serve and grow in that capacity.

538
00:26:59,490 --> 00:27:03,370
There's other people that are
characterized in Scripture as great

539
00:27:03,370 --> 00:27:03,970
servants.

540
00:27:04,290 --> 00:27:07,860
Another lady named Phoebe, if
you're familiar with Phoebe, and

541
00:27:07,860 --> 00:27:11,700
Romans, chapter 16, we're
going to get there in our study in

542
00:27:11,700 --> 00:27:12,380
Romans.

543
00:27:12,620 --> 00:27:17,260
But Paul is talking to her,
and he says, I commend unto you Phoebe,

544
00:27:17,260 --> 00:27:22,459
our sister, which is a servant
of the church, which is in centuria,

545
00:27:22,780 --> 00:27:27,700
that ye receive her in the
Lord as become of saints, and that

546
00:27:27,700 --> 00:27:28,060
as.

547
00:27:28,460 --> 00:27:28,820
As.

548
00:27:28,820 --> 00:27:32,140
As she assist her in
whatsoever business she hath need

549
00:27:32,140 --> 00:27:36,580
of you, for she hath been a
succour or basically a patron of

550
00:27:36,580 --> 00:27:38,140
many and of myself.

551
00:27:38,140 --> 00:27:44,220
And also meaning this, Phoebe
has been a wonderful servant in the

552
00:27:44,220 --> 00:27:44,580
church.

553
00:27:44,820 --> 00:27:47,220
She deserves for you to serve her.

554
00:27:47,380 --> 00:27:51,100
Paul publicly commends her
ministry and then challenges other

555
00:27:51,100 --> 00:27:52,580
people to serve her.

556
00:27:52,740 --> 00:27:55,660
And that's sometimes what
often gets forgotten about who serves

557
00:27:55,660 --> 00:27:58,260
the server, who ministers to
the minister.

558
00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:01,040
And that's the challenge with
us within our church.

559
00:28:01,120 --> 00:28:04,680
We have to not only identify,
yes, that person's a great servant,

560
00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:06,400
but who is serving them.

561
00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:08,240
Who.

562
00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:09,840
You know, I get this all the time.

563
00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:12,520
I preach a lot, which I'm not
complaining about.

564
00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:13,440
I love to preach.

565
00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:17,320
But folks, if I'm the only
person preaching to me, that's not

566
00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:17,560
enough.

567
00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:21,280
I need to get preaching, I
need to get exhortation, I need to

568
00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:21,960
get teaching.

569
00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:23,280
It's the same thing with a minister.

570
00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:28,350
Don't think that it's selfish
to have somebody else serve you.

571
00:28:28,350 --> 00:28:32,190
Because that's sometimes one
of the aspects of a minister, a servant.

572
00:28:32,750 --> 00:28:35,550
A servant is somebody who
says, you know what?

573
00:28:35,550 --> 00:28:36,430
Don't serve me.

574
00:28:36,670 --> 00:28:37,870
I don't want you to serve me.

575
00:28:37,870 --> 00:28:39,070
That makes me uncomfortable.

576
00:28:39,390 --> 00:28:43,550
There is that level of saying,
look, I do need that service, and

577
00:28:43,550 --> 00:28:46,150
I need to have some humility
to say, you know what?

578
00:28:46,150 --> 00:28:47,710
I'm going to let you serve me.

579
00:28:47,870 --> 00:28:49,630
And that's sometimes a hard
thing to do.

580
00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,200
But the Bible says that all of
us need that faithful sowing into

581
00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:53,720
our lives.

582
00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:55,800
Just as we're faithfully
sowing to other people.

583
00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:01,320
So it takes balance, it takes,
it takes patience, it takes humility.

584
00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:05,280
And so we see Phoebe here,
she's a faithful servant, but the

585
00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:06,600
call is to serve Phoebe.

586
00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:09,720
There's another guy in the
Book of Acts, some of you know Stephen

587
00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:11,480
with the first deacon.

588
00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:16,280
He was chosen to serve tables
there and he was faithful in that

589
00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:17,400
practical ministry.

590
00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:21,810
Eventually he became a bold
preacher and the first, first church

591
00:29:21,810 --> 00:29:22,370
martyr.

592
00:29:23,810 --> 00:29:27,010
God often opens greater
opportunities through humble service.

593
00:29:27,730 --> 00:29:30,370
Who knows, maybe someone just
starts out by saying, you know what,

594
00:29:30,370 --> 00:29:33,090
I'm just going to serve at
this behind the scenes capacity within

595
00:29:33,090 --> 00:29:33,650
the church.

596
00:29:33,970 --> 00:29:35,570
Praise God, that's a great start.

597
00:29:35,810 --> 00:29:39,570
But maybe God has someone to
grow in that ministry to eventually

598
00:29:39,810 --> 00:29:42,570
move and change and get to
another ministry.

599
00:29:42,570 --> 00:29:43,490
We don't know for sure.

600
00:29:43,820 --> 00:29:46,460
For Stephen, it started out
with just serving tables and then

601
00:29:46,460 --> 00:29:49,300
it moved all the way to
preaching the gospel there in Jerusalem

602
00:29:49,300 --> 00:29:51,580
and then eventually being
martyred for his faith.

603
00:29:52,700 --> 00:29:56,380
Truth is, is that God does
change our path sometimes.

604
00:29:56,540 --> 00:30:00,140
But it's that faithful first
step of service that we all must

605
00:30:00,140 --> 00:30:02,860
be willing to say that we are
open to in our lives.

606
00:30:03,340 --> 00:30:05,860
A lot of times people want to
do the great things for God, the

607
00:30:05,860 --> 00:30:08,060
one thing that might be
remembered forever.

608
00:30:08,220 --> 00:30:11,300
But many of us are not willing
to do those faithful things today

609
00:30:11,300 --> 00:30:14,950
of service that might not ever
be noticed by anybody else.

610
00:30:15,510 --> 00:30:17,750
So we see examples of that
throughout Scripture.

611
00:30:17,750 --> 00:30:19,270
We see guys like Philip.

612
00:30:19,670 --> 00:30:22,310
He was a man consistently
bringing people to Jesus.

613
00:30:22,390 --> 00:30:25,110
He was serving where it was needed.

614
00:30:25,110 --> 00:30:26,750
Throughout the New Testament.

615
00:30:26,750 --> 00:30:29,190
There was a guy in Philemon
named Onesimus.

616
00:30:29,510 --> 00:30:33,790
He was a servant that was not
profitable earlier on, but we know

617
00:30:33,790 --> 00:30:35,790
that later on because Jesus
changed him.

618
00:30:35,790 --> 00:30:37,430
He was a profitable servant.

619
00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:38,960
And we're reminded of that.

620
00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:43,280
That grace can transform
anybody from being an unprofitable

621
00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:47,800
servant, flesh filled, to a
spirit filled, profitable servant

622
00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:48,480
for the Lord.

623
00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:51,080
It's not a matter of working harder.

624
00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:53,040
It's not a matter of being
more humble.

625
00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:56,760
It's a matter of having more
Jesus and allowing Jesus character

626
00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,520
traits to work through us to
be a humble servant.

627
00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:02,880
There's another really
interesting servant in scripture.

628
00:31:03,530 --> 00:31:07,330
We don't know her name, but we
know that she was Peter's mother

629
00:31:07,330 --> 00:31:07,770
in law.

630
00:31:08,090 --> 00:31:09,330
I want you to see this with me.

631
00:31:09,330 --> 00:31:10,970
Matthew, chapter 8, verse 14.

632
00:31:12,090 --> 00:31:13,290
This is really cool.

633
00:31:14,090 --> 00:31:19,810
I was reading this and I know
the story, but it really stuck out

634
00:31:19,810 --> 00:31:22,890
to me when I was studying it
through the lens of faithful service.

635
00:31:23,850 --> 00:31:34,140
If you remember, Jesus comes
to Peter's house and he sees Peter's

636
00:31:34,140 --> 00:31:36,460
wife's mother laid up and
she's sick.

637
00:31:36,460 --> 00:31:41,180
It says here in verse 14 that
she's sick of a fever and he touched

638
00:31:41,180 --> 00:31:41,420
her.

639
00:31:41,420 --> 00:31:42,100
Verse 15.

640
00:31:42,420 --> 00:31:44,100
So this shows Jesus's compassion.

641
00:31:44,100 --> 00:31:45,220
He heals her.

642
00:31:45,620 --> 00:31:48,380
And it says, and the fever
left her.

643
00:31:48,380 --> 00:31:49,140
Verse 15.

644
00:31:49,380 --> 00:31:50,420
And she arose.

645
00:31:50,500 --> 00:31:53,300
So remember, she's like,
basically on the verge of death.

646
00:31:53,780 --> 00:31:55,380
Jesus comes and heals her.

647
00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:57,120
What's her first response?

648
00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,280
My first response would be
like, go get a glass of water and

649
00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:03,080
get something to eat and, you
know, make sure I'm cleaned up.

650
00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:04,080
No, what does she do?

651
00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:08,480
It says, she arose and
ministered unto them.

652
00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:11,280
So she's sick.

653
00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:13,600
Jesus heals her.

654
00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:16,800
Instead of taking care of
herself, she probably turned around

655
00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:18,000
and said, okay, are you guys hungry?

656
00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:18,920
You guys need anything to eat?

657
00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:19,920
I'm going to get that set up.

658
00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:21,280
I mean, that's a true servant.

659
00:32:21,410 --> 00:32:24,250
She's willing to come from
being in pain and suffering to be

660
00:32:24,250 --> 00:32:24,570
healed.

661
00:32:24,570 --> 00:32:27,170
And she's like, all right, I
gotta go into default mode and start

662
00:32:27,170 --> 00:32:27,650
serving.

663
00:32:28,050 --> 00:32:31,370
That's a beautiful example of
someone who's serving maybe not at

664
00:32:31,370 --> 00:32:34,770
the most opportune time, maybe
not at the most convenient time,

665
00:32:34,770 --> 00:32:37,850
but yet she's willing to put
that foot forward to say, that's

666
00:32:37,850 --> 00:32:39,010
how God has called me.

667
00:32:39,090 --> 00:32:42,810
And so what we see here is
this, that it's the gratitude that

668
00:32:42,810 --> 00:32:44,450
naturally produces service.

669
00:32:45,250 --> 00:32:48,490
Really, if you think about it,
one of the major reasons why we should

670
00:32:48,490 --> 00:32:51,540
serve is, is the gratitude of
what God has done for us.

671
00:32:52,260 --> 00:32:55,780
When we say, lord, remember
Romans chapter 12, verse 1 and 2.

672
00:32:56,100 --> 00:32:57,780
It's our reasonable service.

673
00:32:58,660 --> 00:33:02,740
It's only natural, it's only
logical that we would serve others

674
00:33:03,140 --> 00:33:06,740
and serve the Lord because of
what he has done for us.

675
00:33:07,540 --> 00:33:09,180
It's when we start saying,
well, you know what?

676
00:33:09,180 --> 00:33:10,980
That person doesn't deserve my help.

677
00:33:11,940 --> 00:33:15,300
That that person was never
thankful for what I did for them.

678
00:33:16,750 --> 00:33:17,630
Think about Jesus.

679
00:33:18,430 --> 00:33:19,790
Think about what he did for us.

680
00:33:19,950 --> 00:33:23,390
Aren't you thankful that he
did what he did for us not because

681
00:33:23,390 --> 00:33:25,550
we were thankful, but because
he loved us?

682
00:33:27,310 --> 00:33:29,630
I mean, the thankfulness is a blessing.

683
00:33:29,790 --> 00:33:31,789
Think about the story of the
ten lepers.

684
00:33:32,190 --> 00:33:35,470
Jesus heals the ten lepers,
and he says, go and show yourself

685
00:33:35,470 --> 00:33:36,270
to the temple.

686
00:33:37,470 --> 00:33:40,110
I would think that all 10 of
them would come back and thank Jesus.

687
00:33:40,110 --> 00:33:42,820
But you remember, it was just
the one that came back.

688
00:33:43,220 --> 00:33:45,220
And Jesus says, where's
everyone else?

689
00:33:46,020 --> 00:33:50,100
And obviously we know that
they were so busy about taking the

690
00:33:50,100 --> 00:33:52,100
blessing from God and they
didn't want to come back and thank

691
00:33:52,100 --> 00:33:52,580
the Lord.

692
00:33:54,020 --> 00:33:56,980
But ultimately Jesus still
blessed those other nine leopards

693
00:33:56,980 --> 00:33:57,780
with the healing.

694
00:33:58,660 --> 00:33:59,780
What I would say is this.

695
00:33:59,860 --> 00:34:02,340
God has blessed us with so much.

696
00:34:02,900 --> 00:34:06,740
And though we can live in
selfishness and still be beneficiaries

697
00:34:06,740 --> 00:34:11,750
of his love, we should desire
to go back to him and serve Him.

698
00:34:11,750 --> 00:34:15,510
And the Bible says the way
that we ultimately serve him is by

699
00:34:15,510 --> 00:34:17,910
submitting to him and serving others.

700
00:34:18,550 --> 00:34:22,350
And so though you might not be
supernaturally gifted by God's grace

701
00:34:22,350 --> 00:34:26,310
to see the joy and service,
we're all called to have some level

702
00:34:26,470 --> 00:34:29,830
of gratitude that produces
service in our life.

703
00:34:30,390 --> 00:34:33,630
There's so many other examples
in Scripture, and if we had more

704
00:34:33,630 --> 00:34:34,510
time, I would look at them.

705
00:34:34,510 --> 00:34:38,920
But the greatest example of a
servant, the greatest example of

706
00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:42,360
all of these character traits
is our Savior, Jesus Christ.

707
00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:45,520
And we could go to scripture
after scripture to demonstrate that.

708
00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:49,480
But one that I think all of
you might be aware of is Mark, chapter

709
00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:50,680
10, verse 45.

710
00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:57,880
Jesus gives us the two things
that should characterize a life of

711
00:34:57,880 --> 00:34:59,640
someone who was following Christ.

712
00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:04,500
If you know anything about
this passage of scripture, Jesus

713
00:35:04,500 --> 00:35:06,780
is telling them a perspective
to have.

714
00:35:07,100 --> 00:35:10,380
And he says, don't have the
perspective of the Gentiles.

715
00:35:10,460 --> 00:35:13,180
The Gentiles exercise lordship
over them.

716
00:35:13,740 --> 00:35:16,340
And the ones who are great
say, you know what, we're going to

717
00:35:16,340 --> 00:35:17,340
boss people around.

718
00:35:17,500 --> 00:35:21,900
We're going to move those
parts that we think are needed and

719
00:35:22,140 --> 00:35:23,100
aren't needed.

720
00:35:23,100 --> 00:35:28,300
And basically the way that an
unsaved person sees leadership is

721
00:35:28,930 --> 00:35:31,250
by moving people around like
chess pieces.

722
00:35:32,210 --> 00:35:34,290
People are just objects.

723
00:35:35,010 --> 00:35:37,050
And I, people have to serve me.

724
00:35:37,050 --> 00:35:38,850
If I'm a leader, people serve me.

725
00:35:38,930 --> 00:35:41,010
But what Jesus says is
something different.

726
00:35:41,570 --> 00:35:46,570
He says in verse 43 of Mark
10, he says, but so shall it not

727
00:35:46,570 --> 00:35:52,730
be among you as a believer, as
someone who has been changed, you

728
00:35:52,730 --> 00:35:53,970
should not be like the world.

729
00:35:53,970 --> 00:35:59,050
He says, but whosoever will be
great among you shall be your minister.

730
00:36:00,090 --> 00:36:04,170
Says, you want to be great,
you want to serve God.

731
00:36:04,170 --> 00:36:07,770
You want to be a loyal
follower of Christ.

732
00:36:07,770 --> 00:36:10,490
You want to be seen as someone
who is successful.

733
00:36:10,730 --> 00:36:16,130
He says, you be a minister,
you sacrifice, you serve.

734
00:36:16,130 --> 00:36:19,410
And he says, and whosoever of
you will be the chiefest shall be

735
00:36:19,410 --> 00:36:20,330
servant of all.

736
00:36:20,830 --> 00:36:25,150
For even here it is, and even
the Son of man came not to be ministered

737
00:36:25,150 --> 00:36:32,430
unto, but to minister and to
give his life a ransom for many.

738
00:36:32,990 --> 00:36:36,590
The two words that you could
think about in that verse are service

739
00:36:36,670 --> 00:36:37,710
and sacrifice.

740
00:36:38,110 --> 00:36:39,870
Jesus says, you want to be
like me.

741
00:36:40,190 --> 00:36:43,950
You want to see what it's like
to be a faithful minister.

742
00:36:44,590 --> 00:36:46,430
He says, serve and sacrifice.

743
00:36:47,430 --> 00:36:49,350
Jesus came to serve others.

744
00:36:50,150 --> 00:36:54,070
He washed people's feet, he
washed his disciples feet.

745
00:36:55,190 --> 00:37:01,430
He fed crowds, he touched
lepers, he served his Disciples.

746
00:37:01,430 --> 00:37:06,390
And so Jesus never asked us to
do what He Himself was unwilling

747
00:37:06,390 --> 00:37:06,870
to do.

748
00:37:07,030 --> 00:37:10,870
Jesus says, I'm going to do it
first so that you can do it next,

749
00:37:11,110 --> 00:37:13,110
so that you can follow me in this.

750
00:37:14,010 --> 00:37:18,730
But we know that ultimately
Jesus didn't just wash feet and heal

751
00:37:18,730 --> 00:37:20,410
sickness and feed people.

752
00:37:20,730 --> 00:37:25,650
We know that ultimately he
served all of us by giving his own

753
00:37:25,650 --> 00:37:27,610
life on the cross for our sins.

754
00:37:28,090 --> 00:37:31,730
And so the cross is the
greatest act of love, but it's also

755
00:37:31,730 --> 00:37:34,330
the greatest act of service
and sacrifice.

756
00:37:35,610 --> 00:37:38,690
And he says, hey, I'm willing
to give everything for you.

757
00:37:38,690 --> 00:37:40,090
What are you willing to give me?

758
00:37:40,660 --> 00:37:42,020
What are you willing to give others?

759
00:37:45,620 --> 00:37:47,140
A word of caution here.

760
00:37:48,260 --> 00:37:51,380
Your motivational gift never
limits your obedience.

761
00:37:51,780 --> 00:37:53,060
Say, what are you talking
about here?

762
00:37:53,380 --> 00:37:58,180
Some of us in this room today
are maybe going to be guilty of this,

763
00:37:58,260 --> 00:37:59,860
because I know I've been
guilty of this.

764
00:37:59,940 --> 00:38:03,020
I hear a preacher talking
about service, and I go, I'm not

765
00:38:03,020 --> 00:38:03,780
gifting that.

766
00:38:04,180 --> 00:38:05,380
I'm a gifted teacher.

767
00:38:05,460 --> 00:38:06,740
I'm not a gifted servant.

768
00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:08,160
So.

769
00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:09,880
So serving isn't my gift.

770
00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:11,800
That means I don't have to serve.

771
00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:12,440
That's.

772
00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:14,760
That does not excuse us from a
life of service.

773
00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:18,600
Because a servant might say,
well, teaching isn't my gift.

774
00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:21,960
But yet if God calls a servant
to teach, they're supposed to teach.

775
00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:27,600
So if God calls a teacher or a
prophet or a giver to serve, we are

776
00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:28,200
to serve.

777
00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:32,200
The call of God always
supersedes our.

778
00:38:33,210 --> 00:38:37,050
What we would say as our
proposed or our perceived gifting.

779
00:38:37,770 --> 00:38:39,770
God equips those who he calls.

780
00:38:39,770 --> 00:38:40,770
So what does that mean?

781
00:38:40,770 --> 00:38:41,370
That means this.

782
00:38:41,370 --> 00:38:44,930
You might have always been a
teacher, but maybe God is now calling

783
00:38:44,930 --> 00:38:47,770
you to be a servant, or maybe both.

784
00:38:48,330 --> 00:38:50,730
The Bible says that he's going
to give us everything that we need

785
00:38:50,730 --> 00:38:53,210
in our life to do what he has
called us to do.

786
00:38:53,450 --> 00:38:55,130
Philippians, chapter 4, verse 13.

787
00:38:55,290 --> 00:38:57,730
I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me.

788
00:38:57,730 --> 00:38:59,050
You've heard me quote this before.

789
00:38:59,530 --> 00:39:01,770
This doesn't mean I can do
whatever I want to do.

790
00:39:01,850 --> 00:39:03,130
And God will bless it.

791
00:39:03,290 --> 00:39:06,210
If you know the context of
Philippians, chapter four, Paul is

792
00:39:06,210 --> 00:39:08,810
talking about going through
hard times and good times, being

793
00:39:08,810 --> 00:39:12,450
fed and being hungry, having
people who love him and hate him.

794
00:39:12,450 --> 00:39:15,210
He says, I've been called to
all different things in my life,

795
00:39:15,210 --> 00:39:17,490
but God will give me the
strength in that moment to do what

796
00:39:17,490 --> 00:39:18,490
he has called me to do.

797
00:39:18,570 --> 00:39:23,650
So our gift describes our
natural motivation, but it never

798
00:39:23,650 --> 00:39:25,850
limits God's supernatural calling.

799
00:39:27,190 --> 00:39:28,350
So some people think, well, I don't.

800
00:39:28,350 --> 00:39:29,190
I could never do that.

801
00:39:29,190 --> 00:39:32,950
If God is calling you to do
something, he will give you the means

802
00:39:32,950 --> 00:39:34,390
in which to do it.

803
00:39:35,910 --> 00:39:37,030
I could never teach.

804
00:39:37,190 --> 00:39:39,870
Well, if God's calling you to
teach, he's going to give you the

805
00:39:39,870 --> 00:39:40,670
gift of teaching.

806
00:39:40,670 --> 00:39:43,710
If God's calling you to serve,
which, by the way, he calls all of

807
00:39:43,710 --> 00:39:47,070
us at certain capacities and
certain times and certain circumstances

808
00:39:47,070 --> 00:39:50,510
to serve, he's going to give
you that grace so that you can serve

809
00:39:50,510 --> 00:39:53,350
in the proper capacity to
honor him and glorify Him.

810
00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:57,000
So basically, with all that
being said, none of us are off the

811
00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:57,360
hook.

812
00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:00,920
None of us can say, well, I'm
not spiritually gifted in service,

813
00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:02,040
so I don't need to serve.

814
00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:05,560
No, God's going to open your
eyes for certain situations, and

815
00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:09,200
he's going to give you the
tools needed to serve at that capacity.

816
00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:12,120
Because if you think that
you're only gifted by one gift and

817
00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:12,560
that's it.

818
00:40:12,720 --> 00:40:16,000
The Bible says that there are
individuals that we've seen, like

819
00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:18,800
John the Baptist and many
others, that are gifted in multiple

820
00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:19,440
capacities.

821
00:40:20,350 --> 00:40:22,430
So maybe you can be a teacher
who has the gift of service.

822
00:40:23,390 --> 00:40:27,390
Maybe you're a giver who has
the gift of service, whoever it is.

823
00:40:27,390 --> 00:40:31,230
And however God calls us to
work within the body, he's going

824
00:40:31,230 --> 00:40:35,270
to give us the proper needs
and the proper equipping to do the

825
00:40:35,270 --> 00:40:36,830
things that he has called us
to do.

826
00:40:36,830 --> 00:40:41,150
So in conclusion, the servant
may never preach a sermon from behind

827
00:40:41,150 --> 00:40:41,950
the pulpit.

828
00:40:43,790 --> 00:40:48,760
The servant might not ever
receive public recognition or have

829
00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:52,840
some kind of reward on this
side of heaven.

830
00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:59,000
But eternity will reveal that
many of the greatest works that God

831
00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:02,680
has ever done through people
were seen through faithful servants

832
00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:05,160
happening quietly behind the scenes.

833
00:41:05,720 --> 00:41:07,880
That made ministry possible today.

834
00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:13,370
That made ministry possible
200 years ago, 400 years ago, 200

835
00:41:13,370 --> 00:41:14,210
years from now.

836
00:41:14,370 --> 00:41:17,050
We think about people that
might not ever be written down in

837
00:41:17,050 --> 00:41:21,330
history, that might not ever
be recorded as heroes of the faith,

838
00:41:21,330 --> 00:41:25,010
but they were able to serve
people and might not ever receive

839
00:41:25,250 --> 00:41:26,810
reward on this side of heaven.

840
00:41:26,810 --> 00:41:29,490
But the Bible does tell us
something very, very interesting,

841
00:41:30,770 --> 00:41:35,330
that one day Jesus is going to
say certain things to certain people.

842
00:41:36,130 --> 00:41:38,050
And there is a statement that
Jesus says.

843
00:41:38,050 --> 00:41:41,000
He doesn't say, well done,
thou great preacher.

844
00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:44,840
He doesn't say, well done,
thou amazing giver.

845
00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:45,600
What does he say?

846
00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:49,400
He says, well done, thou good
and faithful servant.

847
00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:53,800
So at the core of everything
that we do, it's the heart of service.

848
00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:57,960
It's the heart of faithfully
serving God at whatever capacity

849
00:41:58,040 --> 00:41:59,480
that he has called us to do.

850
00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:03,840
A good servant doesn't look at
his master and say, well, master,

851
00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:04,720
I think I can do it.

852
00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:05,000
Better.

853
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:06,400
I think I have a better plan.

854
00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:08,100
I think I have a better purpose.

855
00:42:08,100 --> 00:42:08,420
No.

856
00:42:08,420 --> 00:42:11,060
A servant looks at his master
and says, master, what do you want

857
00:42:11,060 --> 00:42:11,700
me to do?

858
00:42:11,940 --> 00:42:13,780
How can I make your life better?

859
00:42:13,940 --> 00:42:16,740
How can I do everything in
obedience to you?

860
00:42:16,820 --> 00:42:19,300
And that's what a servant of
the Lord does.

861
00:42:19,700 --> 00:42:22,260
Oftentimes we look at the Lord
and we say, lord, I wish I was called

862
00:42:22,260 --> 00:42:23,220
to another ministry.

863
00:42:23,300 --> 00:42:25,060
I wish I was gifted in that way.

864
00:42:25,140 --> 00:42:27,060
I wish I had that person's talents.

865
00:42:27,060 --> 00:42:28,740
I wish, I wish I was living here.

866
00:42:28,740 --> 00:42:29,940
I wish I had this.

867
00:42:30,020 --> 00:42:32,580
And there's always that desire
to have more.

868
00:42:32,580 --> 00:42:35,180
But, but what we understand as
Christians is that we have everything

869
00:42:35,180 --> 00:42:38,740
that we need in the Lord and
we should be joyful and excited for

870
00:42:38,740 --> 00:42:41,300
the thing that God has us to
do today.

871
00:42:42,820 --> 00:42:46,740
Folks, there's times in my
life where I get my eyes off of the

872
00:42:46,740 --> 00:42:52,700
Lord and put it on to things
and people and movements and my own

873
00:42:52,700 --> 00:42:53,020
life.

874
00:42:53,020 --> 00:42:54,020
And I say, you know what?

875
00:42:54,020 --> 00:42:55,140
Is it worth it?

876
00:42:56,500 --> 00:42:57,540
Is it worth it?

877
00:42:58,670 --> 00:43:00,350
No one noticed what I did.

878
00:43:01,790 --> 00:43:03,710
No one came up to me and said,
good job.

879
00:43:03,870 --> 00:43:06,670
Now that's not excusing people
that overlook people.

880
00:43:06,750 --> 00:43:09,150
I think we should give honor
to whom honor is due.

881
00:43:09,230 --> 00:43:11,430
But the reality is, is that
there's certain ministries that will

882
00:43:11,430 --> 00:43:13,710
just never get the praise that
they should.

883
00:43:14,590 --> 00:43:17,630
But ultimately, at the end of
the day, we have to say, I'm not

884
00:43:17,630 --> 00:43:20,430
doing this because of a
person's recognition.

885
00:43:20,590 --> 00:43:23,910
I'm not doing this because
someone will eventually put my name

886
00:43:23,910 --> 00:43:24,750
up in lights.

887
00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:27,400
I'm doing this because this
pleases my Lord.

888
00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:30,600
And one day he will see it and
he sees it today.

889
00:43:30,680 --> 00:43:34,160
And one day we will see that
he sees and he will say, well done,

890
00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:35,640
thou good and faithful servants.

891
00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:39,600
May that be the desire of
every believer, especially those

892
00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:40,840
that are gifted to serve.

893
00:43:41,080 --> 00:43:45,240
May we be spirit filled
servants and not flesh filled servants.

894
00:43:46,280 --> 00:43:49,360
So a couple questions that I
have for us today and then we'll

895
00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:49,640
close.

896
00:43:50,530 --> 00:43:55,370
What practical needs do you
naturally notice that others often

897
00:43:55,370 --> 00:43:56,050
overlook?

898
00:43:56,610 --> 00:43:59,170
Maybe you say, you know what,
I just see a lot of things.

899
00:43:59,730 --> 00:44:02,210
I see a lot of things and I
see a lot of needs.

900
00:44:02,450 --> 00:44:05,930
Folks, the reason why you see
those needs is because God has gifted

901
00:44:05,930 --> 00:44:07,090
you to see those needs.

902
00:44:07,490 --> 00:44:09,970
But the second question is, is
what are you doing about those needs?

903
00:44:10,690 --> 00:44:15,730
Oftentimes a flesh filled
servant perceives the needs but wants

904
00:44:15,730 --> 00:44:18,170
to complain about the needs
instead of doing something about

905
00:44:18,170 --> 00:44:18,690
the needs.

906
00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:22,240
What I'm going to tell you
here this morning is that if God

907
00:44:22,240 --> 00:44:26,320
gives you the eyes to see the
need, he most likely will give you

908
00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:28,120
the means to help in that need.

909
00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:31,400
If you don't have the need,
the means, then there's a gospel

910
00:44:31,640 --> 00:44:34,520
driven way to share that along
with other people.

911
00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:36,920
The other question would be this.

912
00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:40,280
Do you find greater joy in
serving publicly or behind the scenes?

913
00:44:41,960 --> 00:44:45,120
Some of you might say, well, I
don't find any joy in serving behind

914
00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:48,240
the scenes, or I don't find
any joy in serving publicly.

915
00:44:48,240 --> 00:44:52,520
The reality is, is that God is
going to give us joy at certain capacities,

916
00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:53,600
in different capacities.

917
00:44:54,320 --> 00:44:57,280
So the question is, is if you
don't find joy in serving privately,

918
00:44:57,280 --> 00:44:57,600
why?

919
00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:03,200
Because the truth is, is that
many times people find joy in serving

920
00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:06,520
when people notice, but behind
the scenes there's like no joy there

921
00:45:06,520 --> 00:45:06,960
at all.

922
00:45:07,360 --> 00:45:11,280
That might be an indicator of
our motivation of why we are serving.

923
00:45:12,890 --> 00:45:13,850
Another question would be this.

924
00:45:13,850 --> 00:45:16,690
Have you ever allowed ministry
tasks to become more important than

925
00:45:16,690 --> 00:45:17,930
your relationship with Christ?

926
00:45:19,370 --> 00:45:24,890
Have you ever allowed getting
work done be more important than

927
00:45:24,890 --> 00:45:28,090
your relationship and your
worship of the Lord?

928
00:45:28,730 --> 00:45:30,170
I know for me, that's been the case.

929
00:45:30,250 --> 00:45:33,610
I've reduced the Christian
life down to a checklist.

930
00:45:33,850 --> 00:45:36,890
I've reduced it down to a to
do list.

931
00:45:36,890 --> 00:45:38,650
And once I get that done, I'm good.

932
00:45:38,870 --> 00:45:40,230
I've done my devotions today.

933
00:45:40,390 --> 00:45:44,510
I prayed my prayer, I gave my
tithe, I'm good, I can step away.

934
00:45:44,510 --> 00:45:48,150
But folks, yes, there are
levels of steps that we have to take

935
00:45:48,150 --> 00:45:51,430
within our life, but we have
to understand that ministry task

936
00:45:51,430 --> 00:45:56,950
and doing work in the church
never, never replaces that fellowship

937
00:45:56,950 --> 00:45:58,950
and the communion that we have
with the Lord.

938
00:45:59,990 --> 00:46:01,110
Are you serving people?

939
00:46:01,190 --> 00:46:02,710
Are you serving projects?

940
00:46:03,910 --> 00:46:07,590
Where is God calling you to
serve in your gift of service more

941
00:46:07,590 --> 00:46:09,110
intentionally within the church?

942
00:46:10,070 --> 00:46:14,190
Are you balancing faithful
service with proper rest and care

943
00:46:14,190 --> 00:46:15,750
for yourself and for your family?

944
00:46:16,550 --> 00:46:20,470
And then last but not least,
how does the example of Jesus reshape

945
00:46:20,790 --> 00:46:25,550
our understanding of true
greatness, true biblical spiritual

946
00:46:25,550 --> 00:46:26,070
greatness?

947
00:46:26,630 --> 00:46:30,550
These are all thoughts that I
had as I was studying this passage.

948
00:46:31,430 --> 00:46:32,710
It's convicting for me.

949
00:46:34,240 --> 00:46:37,760
Oftentimes as a pastor, I get
a chance to preach.

950
00:46:38,080 --> 00:46:39,920
I get a chance to stand up in
front of people.

951
00:46:40,240 --> 00:46:43,840
There's a whole month that's
called Pastor Appreciation month.

952
00:46:44,560 --> 00:46:50,600
And sometimes there is that,
that creeping lie to think that,

953
00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:55,920
hey, this is an important role
and therefore I don't have to do

954
00:46:55,920 --> 00:46:58,120
the other things that might be
behind the scenes.

955
00:46:58,120 --> 00:47:01,450
But folks, no matter where God
has called you to serve, whether

956
00:47:01,450 --> 00:47:05,130
it be a public ministry where
you get recognition or behind the

957
00:47:05,130 --> 00:47:08,650
scenes where you don't get
recognition, never get so prideful

958
00:47:08,650 --> 00:47:11,730
or egotistical to say that's beyond.

959
00:47:11,730 --> 00:47:12,770
I'M beyond that.

960
00:47:12,850 --> 00:47:14,729
That's below me, folks.

961
00:47:14,729 --> 00:47:16,970
There's always an opportunity
for us to serve God.

962
00:47:16,970 --> 00:47:20,050
And it might not be a very
pleasant situation.

963
00:47:20,290 --> 00:47:23,890
It might not be a glorious
moment in which we're doing something

964
00:47:23,890 --> 00:47:25,170
to free somebody else up.

965
00:47:25,420 --> 00:47:29,060
But it's vital for the body of
Christ to identify needs and to help

966
00:47:29,060 --> 00:47:29,820
each other out.

967
00:47:30,220 --> 00:47:31,500
Servants need to serve.

968
00:47:31,900 --> 00:47:33,340
Servants need to be served too.

969
00:47:33,660 --> 00:47:37,220
But ultimately all of us need
to look to the joy of the Lord as

970
00:47:37,220 --> 00:47:39,260
our strength to say, lord, we
are serving you.

971
00:47:39,660 --> 00:47:41,900
And so one of the challenges
that I would have for you, one of

972
00:47:41,900 --> 00:47:43,660
the challenges that I would
have for me is this.

973
00:47:43,660 --> 00:47:47,180
We're coming up on different
things in the church.

974
00:47:47,660 --> 00:47:48,780
One would be vbs.

975
00:47:49,340 --> 00:47:50,700
Some of you are serving in vbs.

976
00:47:51,570 --> 00:47:52,490
I don't know about how.

977
00:47:52,490 --> 00:47:53,010
I don't know.

978
00:47:53,010 --> 00:47:54,610
Many of you maybe have had
this experience.

979
00:47:54,930 --> 00:47:57,010
I've served a lot of children
over a lot of years.

980
00:47:58,210 --> 00:48:00,930
The vast majority of the kids
that I've served have never said

981
00:48:00,930 --> 00:48:01,490
thank you.

982
00:48:02,290 --> 00:48:05,410
Usually they look and kids are honest.

983
00:48:05,410 --> 00:48:06,530
They'll tell you how you look.

984
00:48:06,610 --> 00:48:08,890
They'll say that you look
funny or you said something funny

985
00:48:08,890 --> 00:48:11,490
or make fun of you or run
around and cut up.

986
00:48:12,370 --> 00:48:17,610
We're not serving at VBS for
the kids to say thank you.

987
00:48:17,610 --> 00:48:19,890
Even though it's a beautiful
thing for them to say thank you.

988
00:48:20,270 --> 00:48:21,630
I shed a tear when they say
thank you.

989
00:48:21,630 --> 00:48:24,750
And that, that does give us
some type of confirmation that we're

990
00:48:24,750 --> 00:48:26,350
doing something good for the Lord.

991
00:48:26,670 --> 00:48:29,590
But even if that child doesn't
thank you, realize that you're not

992
00:48:29,590 --> 00:48:31,790
doing it just for them, you're
doing it for the Lord.

993
00:48:32,670 --> 00:48:35,190
Some of you don't have
children's ministries, but you have.

994
00:48:35,190 --> 00:48:38,030
Maybe there's a shut ins
ministry or a nursing home ministry

995
00:48:38,110 --> 00:48:41,030
or a ministry that you might
not have anyone ever thank you for

996
00:48:41,030 --> 00:48:41,870
doing what you're doing.

997
00:48:42,030 --> 00:48:44,390
Maybe you're in the nursery
and you're changing diapers.

998
00:48:44,390 --> 00:48:45,630
That's a very thankless job.

999
00:48:46,060 --> 00:48:48,620
But some people in this room
are thankful that you do that.

1000
00:48:48,860 --> 00:48:49,980
The reality is this.

1001
00:48:50,060 --> 00:48:52,980
No matter what might be the
case, no matter what you might be

1002
00:48:52,980 --> 00:48:55,940
facing, no matter what lies
Satan is putting in your mind, it

1003
00:48:55,940 --> 00:48:56,940
is worth it.

1004
00:48:57,580 --> 00:48:59,340
It's worth it to serve the Lord.

1005
00:48:59,740 --> 00:49:01,740
It's worth it to lift other
people up.

1006
00:49:02,220 --> 00:49:04,580
And I want to encourage you to
think about ways in which you can

1007
00:49:04,580 --> 00:49:05,180
serve the Lord.

1008
00:49:05,180 --> 00:49:06,940
Yes, in public ministries.

1009
00:49:07,100 --> 00:49:08,020
But what if.

1010
00:49:08,020 --> 00:49:09,740
Let's just think about it from
this perspective.

1011
00:49:09,820 --> 00:49:11,740
What if no one ever saw it?

1012
00:49:12,770 --> 00:49:14,370
Would there still be the joy
of the Lord?

1013
00:49:15,250 --> 00:49:16,210
I hope so.

1014
00:49:16,450 --> 00:49:19,570
And that's something that I'm
challenging myself on to say.

1015
00:49:19,570 --> 00:49:23,570
I don't need credit, I don't
need applause, but at the end of

1016
00:49:23,570 --> 00:49:26,530
the day, it's Jesus getting
the glory.

1017
00:49:26,770 --> 00:49:27,890
Matthew 5:16.

1018
00:49:28,290 --> 00:49:31,330
Let your light so shine before
men that they may see your good works

1019
00:49:31,330 --> 00:49:34,850
in your service and glorify
your Father, which is in heaven.

1020
00:49:36,130 --> 00:49:39,990
So as we go through each one
of these gifts, may we recognize

1021
00:49:39,990 --> 00:49:44,270
the God given grace that he
gives and the equal importance and

1022
00:49:44,270 --> 00:49:45,550
value to these gifts.

1023
00:49:45,870 --> 00:49:48,510
Yes, I know what's preached
behind the pulpit is so important.

1024
00:49:49,070 --> 00:49:50,830
The gift of teaching is so important.

1025
00:49:51,390 --> 00:49:52,750
But so is the gift of service.

1026
00:49:52,990 --> 00:49:54,270
So is the gift of giving.

1027
00:49:54,430 --> 00:49:55,950
So is the gift of administration.

1028
00:49:56,190 --> 00:49:58,510
So is the gift of compassion
and mercy.

1029
00:49:58,510 --> 00:50:01,350
Because if everybody in the
church was a proclaimer of the truth

1030
00:50:01,350 --> 00:50:04,030
of God, there would be no one
there to serve behind the scenes.

1031
00:50:04,160 --> 00:50:06,320
If everyone was serving, there
would be no one preaching.

1032
00:50:06,400 --> 00:50:08,640
If everyone was preaching,
there would be no one teaching.

1033
00:50:08,640 --> 00:50:10,720
If everyone was teaching,
there would be no one giving.

1034
00:50:11,040 --> 00:50:14,400
So I hope you understand that
as we come together, yes, we look

1035
00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:14,720
different.

1036
00:50:14,960 --> 00:50:16,560
Yes, we're gifted differently.

1037
00:50:16,560 --> 00:50:20,520
Yes, we have many different
ways in which God has allowed us

1038
00:50:20,520 --> 00:50:22,320
to serve within the body of Christ.

1039
00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:23,720
But we all come together.

1040
00:50:23,720 --> 00:50:27,720
And that is what makes the
body of Christ so unique, is that

1041
00:50:27,720 --> 00:50:30,600
we can be different, that we
can serve behind the scenes in front

1042
00:50:30,600 --> 00:50:33,530
of the scenes, that we can
serve by speaking, by serving with

1043
00:50:33,530 --> 00:50:34,090
our hands.

1044
00:50:34,090 --> 00:50:37,690
And all of that comes together
with the beauty of what the Gospel

1045
00:50:37,690 --> 00:50:41,170
is and the beauty of the Holy
Spirit's guidance in our life.

1046
00:50:41,170 --> 00:50:42,450
And you know what happens?

1047
00:50:42,690 --> 00:50:45,970
What Satan wants us to do is
he wants us to fight.

1048
00:50:46,450 --> 00:50:48,970
He wants the giver to be upset
with the server.

1049
00:50:48,970 --> 00:50:51,290
He wants the server to be
upset with the teacher.

1050
00:50:51,290 --> 00:50:54,610
He wants the proclaimer to be
upset with the administrator.

1051
00:50:54,610 --> 00:50:57,690
And we all fight against
ourselves thinking, hey, I know better,

1052
00:50:57,690 --> 00:50:58,450
I know better.

1053
00:50:58,760 --> 00:51:00,120
But at the end of the day,
think about this.

1054
00:51:00,120 --> 00:51:01,480
Think about this, please, with me.

1055
00:51:01,480 --> 00:51:05,000
I, I, I, I think that this is
so often overlooked within the church.

1056
00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:09,120
If I say that I'm being led by
the Spirit and you say that you're

1057
00:51:09,120 --> 00:51:12,280
being led by the Spirit, and
we come together and we're at odds

1058
00:51:12,280 --> 00:51:15,080
with each other and we're
fighting against each other, there's

1059
00:51:15,080 --> 00:51:17,360
either a problem with the
Spirit, which I know there's not

1060
00:51:17,360 --> 00:51:20,200
a problem with the Spirit, or
it's a problem with how I'm following

1061
00:51:20,200 --> 00:51:21,320
the Spirit in my life.

1062
00:51:22,440 --> 00:51:24,440
Folks, it's okay to disagree.

1063
00:51:25,380 --> 00:51:26,420
I'm proud to be an American.

1064
00:51:27,380 --> 00:51:28,740
I'm excited to Be an American.

1065
00:51:28,980 --> 00:51:31,580
I'm thankful to be an
American, but I don't agree with

1066
00:51:31,580 --> 00:51:32,740
everything that America does.

1067
00:51:33,380 --> 00:51:35,060
I mean, maybe you hate me for that.

1068
00:51:35,060 --> 00:51:37,940
I'm sorry, but I don't agree
with every single thing that we do.

1069
00:51:38,020 --> 00:51:41,580
But I can still walk in unity
with my fellow Americans to know

1070
00:51:41,580 --> 00:51:43,060
that we have a bigger purpose.

1071
00:51:43,060 --> 00:51:44,660
It's the same thing within the church.

1072
00:51:45,620 --> 00:51:47,780
I might not agree with
everything that you say.

1073
00:51:47,780 --> 00:51:50,380
I might not agree with
everything that you do or everything

1074
00:51:50,380 --> 00:51:53,060
that you wear or everything
that you entertain yourself with.

1075
00:51:53,300 --> 00:51:56,780
And there might be room for
discussion there, and there might

1076
00:51:56,780 --> 00:51:58,220
be times to call out sin.

1077
00:51:58,220 --> 00:52:00,660
There might be times to deal
with it in confrontation.

1078
00:52:00,740 --> 00:52:04,180
But at the end of the day, if
we're walking in unity, we're going

1079
00:52:04,180 --> 00:52:06,420
to be able to come together
and say, hey, we're in the.

1080
00:52:06,420 --> 00:52:07,300
In the same team.

1081
00:52:07,780 --> 00:52:09,220
We're not going to fight
against each other.

1082
00:52:09,700 --> 00:52:11,140
How can we work this out?

1083
00:52:12,740 --> 00:52:14,180
Hopefully we can work it out.

1084
00:52:15,460 --> 00:52:16,100
You know, there.

1085
00:52:16,100 --> 00:52:16,420
There.

1086
00:52:16,820 --> 00:52:17,220
We.

1087
00:52:17,540 --> 00:52:19,460
I'll give you this one last
analogy, and then we're going to

1088
00:52:19,460 --> 00:52:19,780
be done.

1089
00:52:21,430 --> 00:52:21,670
We.

1090
00:52:21,990 --> 00:52:22,590
We went.

1091
00:52:22,590 --> 00:52:24,790
When we were in Rwanda, we
played a soccer game.

1092
00:52:25,590 --> 00:52:28,990
We all got together, and I
don't play soccer a lot.

1093
00:52:28,990 --> 00:52:31,350
It drew me to want to play
soccer more here at the church.

1094
00:52:31,670 --> 00:52:34,070
Well, we got together with
these guys from Rwanda.

1095
00:52:34,070 --> 00:52:36,430
They played against us, and
they weren't even talking.

1096
00:52:36,430 --> 00:52:37,070
They were just doing.

1097
00:52:37,070 --> 00:52:38,790
They were doing plays, and
they weren't even talking.

1098
00:52:38,790 --> 00:52:39,390
They were like.

1099
00:52:39,390 --> 00:52:41,590
It was like he was going over
here and they were going here, and

1100
00:52:41,590 --> 00:52:42,790
they were working in tandem.

1101
00:52:42,870 --> 00:52:45,270
And I was sitting there trying
to just not fall down on the ground

1102
00:52:45,270 --> 00:52:48,490
because the field was on the
side of a hill, and there was rocks

1103
00:52:48,490 --> 00:52:51,290
and there was dust, and I was
slipping and falling.

1104
00:52:51,770 --> 00:52:55,090
And I almost for a second
said, I don't have the right shoes

1105
00:52:55,090 --> 00:52:55,370
on.

1106
00:52:55,850 --> 00:52:58,330
And then I looked and I saw a
kid that was barefoot.

1107
00:52:58,330 --> 00:53:00,890
And I'm like, I can't say that
because I actually have shoes on.

1108
00:53:01,610 --> 00:53:02,010
So.

1109
00:53:02,250 --> 00:53:05,130
So the point that I was trying
to make is this.

1110
00:53:06,410 --> 00:53:08,330
Maybe it was just me, but I
was disjointed.

1111
00:53:08,330 --> 00:53:09,490
I didn't know where I was
supposed to be.

1112
00:53:09,490 --> 00:53:10,770
I didn't know what my position was.

1113
00:53:10,770 --> 00:53:12,830
I didn't know where I was
kicking the ball, but that other

1114
00:53:12,830 --> 00:53:15,470
team did know, and they were
working as a team.

1115
00:53:15,630 --> 00:53:17,790
And sometimes you see our team
do that out here.

1116
00:53:18,830 --> 00:53:20,110
Think of the church as a team.

1117
00:53:20,830 --> 00:53:22,350
Not all of us are in the same position.

1118
00:53:22,350 --> 00:53:23,830
Some of you don't know it's
World Cup.

1119
00:53:23,830 --> 00:53:26,350
So I'll give you a little bit
of soccer Breakdown.

1120
00:53:26,350 --> 00:53:27,390
You have a goalie.

1121
00:53:27,630 --> 00:53:29,550
A goalie isn't the same as a striker.

1122
00:53:29,550 --> 00:53:30,670
Striker's down on the field.

1123
00:53:30,670 --> 00:53:31,870
He's trying to score a goal.

1124
00:53:32,110 --> 00:53:32,670
Okay?

1125
00:53:32,670 --> 00:53:33,750
The goalie's back here.

1126
00:53:33,750 --> 00:53:34,910
He's trying to protect the goal.

1127
00:53:34,910 --> 00:53:36,630
And then there's basically
guys in the middle.

1128
00:53:36,630 --> 00:53:38,830
There's defense and there's
guys to get the ball to these people.

1129
00:53:39,190 --> 00:53:39,590
Okay?

1130
00:53:39,750 --> 00:53:43,670
When the soccer guy scores a
goal, the goalie didn't score it,

1131
00:53:43,670 --> 00:53:45,270
but he's on the team and he's celebrating.

1132
00:53:45,350 --> 00:53:48,550
He stopped the ball, moved it
to this guy, moved it to this guy,

1133
00:53:48,550 --> 00:53:49,550
and they scored a goal.

1134
00:53:49,550 --> 00:53:50,790
They're all part of the same team.

1135
00:53:50,870 --> 00:53:53,230
The goalie doesn't run down
and go, why, I should have scored

1136
00:53:53,230 --> 00:53:53,630
that goal.

1137
00:53:53,630 --> 00:53:54,030
I'm mad.

1138
00:53:54,030 --> 00:53:55,670
I'm not going to stop the next
ball that comes.

1139
00:53:56,150 --> 00:53:57,590
They all have their role.

1140
00:53:58,310 --> 00:53:59,510
They all work together.

1141
00:54:00,310 --> 00:54:02,790
They all have their
understanding that, hey, if you score,

1142
00:54:02,790 --> 00:54:03,510
I score.

1143
00:54:04,230 --> 00:54:07,490
If you stop that ball, I. I
stop that ball, I'll help you.

1144
00:54:07,490 --> 00:54:09,410
You fall down, I'll be in your spot.

1145
00:54:09,890 --> 00:54:11,650
That's what the church should be.

1146
00:54:11,890 --> 00:54:13,050
The church should be this.

1147
00:54:13,050 --> 00:54:17,610
I might not be the one leading
that person to Christ, but I was

1148
00:54:17,610 --> 00:54:20,810
able to serve that person, to
relinquish them from their struggles

1149
00:54:20,810 --> 00:54:23,410
and their burden so that they
could lead them to Christ.

1150
00:54:24,130 --> 00:54:25,290
And we should celebrate.

1151
00:54:25,290 --> 00:54:26,410
It's not a prideful thing.

1152
00:54:26,410 --> 00:54:28,210
I led 10 people to Christ at VBS.

1153
00:54:28,450 --> 00:54:29,330
Well, that's great.

1154
00:54:29,650 --> 00:54:32,710
But what about that person
that was behind the scenes with working

1155
00:54:32,790 --> 00:54:35,910
hard to get you free so there
weren't distractions from that?

1156
00:54:36,230 --> 00:54:38,630
What about the person who gave
water to the people that were working

1157
00:54:38,630 --> 00:54:38,950
outside?

1158
00:54:39,270 --> 00:54:41,950
So you see how that goes when
someone gets saved.

1159
00:54:41,950 --> 00:54:45,910
At our church, it's all of us
working together for the cause of

1160
00:54:45,910 --> 00:54:46,550
the gospel.

1161
00:54:46,630 --> 00:54:50,390
When five people go to Rwanda,
even though you might not have flown

1162
00:54:50,390 --> 00:54:53,350
on that flight for 15 hours
and got there, you were there because

1163
00:54:53,350 --> 00:54:54,590
you were praying and serving.

1164
00:54:54,590 --> 00:54:56,230
We were doing it as a team.

1165
00:54:56,390 --> 00:54:58,550
And that's what service looks
like within the church.

1166
00:54:58,900 --> 00:54:59,860
We're doing this together.

1167
00:54:59,860 --> 00:55:00,820
We're one body.

1168
00:55:01,140 --> 00:55:02,980
And so may we think about it
that way.

1169
00:55:03,300 --> 00:55:07,300
And maybe we act like that in
our lives when we serve the Lord

1170
00:55:07,300 --> 00:55:09,900
here at Middletown Baptist
Church, I'm going to ask you to stand

1171
00:55:09,900 --> 00:55:12,220
every head bowed, every eye
closed, as the music plays here this

1172
00:55:12,220 --> 00:55:14,740
morning, we'll have a time of response.

1173
00:55:21,220 --> 00:55:23,540
God spoken to us this morning
about service.

1174
00:55:25,390 --> 00:55:28,150
This isn't a message about,
hey, we gotta get more people serving

1175
00:55:28,150 --> 00:55:28,910
within the church.

1176
00:55:29,310 --> 00:55:32,830
I know that our church is a
great church that serves at many

1177
00:55:32,910 --> 00:55:33,630
capacities.

1178
00:55:33,870 --> 00:55:35,310
But the question might be this.

1179
00:55:35,550 --> 00:55:37,150
Am I serving effectively?

1180
00:55:37,390 --> 00:55:39,230
Am I serving spirit filled?

1181
00:55:39,310 --> 00:55:42,350
Am I serving with the joy of
the Lord as my motivation?

1182
00:55:42,670 --> 00:55:46,510
Am I serving with that
selfless attitude of not needing

1183
00:55:46,510 --> 00:55:47,470
to be the center?

1184
00:55:49,310 --> 00:55:51,150
Maybe this morning God's
working on your heart.

1185
00:55:52,340 --> 00:55:54,500
Maybe you've been fighting
against the gift of the spirit of

1186
00:55:54,500 --> 00:55:54,820
service.

1187
00:55:55,220 --> 00:55:58,220
Maybe God has called you to do
something, but yet you know what

1188
00:55:58,220 --> 00:56:00,180
that's going to take and
you're not willing to do that.

1189
00:56:00,180 --> 00:56:01,540
Maybe you're not ready to do that.

1190
00:56:01,620 --> 00:56:04,700
Folks, there's no better time
than now to submit yourselves to

1191
00:56:04,700 --> 00:56:08,940
the Lord and ultimately know
that Jesus is the one who served

1192
00:56:08,940 --> 00:56:10,660
and sacrificed himself for us.

1193
00:56:11,220 --> 00:56:13,140
And he calls us to give a sacrifice.

1194
00:56:13,140 --> 00:56:16,340
But it's a reasonable
sacrifice because it's a living sacrifice,

1195
00:56:17,230 --> 00:56:18,750
wholly acceptable unto God.

1196
00:56:19,150 --> 00:56:20,510
It's our reasonable service.

1197
00:56:21,070 --> 00:56:22,670
Maybe you haven't trusted in
the Lord.

1198
00:56:22,670 --> 00:56:25,630
Maybe it's been something else
that you've been trusting in for

1199
00:56:25,630 --> 00:56:26,430
many, many years.

1200
00:56:27,310 --> 00:56:30,790
Today is the day in which you
can trust in him and believe in what

1201
00:56:30,790 --> 00:56:34,150
Jesus Christ did for you on
the cross and believe that God rose

1202
00:56:34,150 --> 00:56:36,870
Jesus from the dead and that
he is ruling and reigning today.

1203
00:56:36,870 --> 00:56:39,390
If you believe in that, the
Bible says that you can be saved.

1204
00:56:39,630 --> 00:56:41,910
And so if that's something
that you need here today, we've got

1205
00:56:41,910 --> 00:56:44,700
folks up here that are willing
to walk you through what it means

1206
00:56:44,860 --> 00:56:47,100
to know Jesus as your personal Savior.

1207
00:56:48,460 --> 00:56:52,060
Want to thank you for all the
folks that are here that serve in

1208
00:56:52,060 --> 00:56:52,620
our church.

1209
00:56:52,860 --> 00:56:55,020
If you go unnoticed, I. I apologize.

1210
00:56:55,020 --> 00:56:59,580
But I want you to know that
even though we do see you, most importantly

1211
00:56:59,580 --> 00:57:00,620
God sees you.

1212
00:57:01,180 --> 00:57:02,220
Stay faithful.

1213
00:57:02,380 --> 00:57:03,940
Don't get weary and well doing.

1214
00:57:03,940 --> 00:57:06,860
For in due season you shall
reap if you faint not.

1215
00:57:07,340 --> 00:57:08,580
Stand strong in the Lord.

1216
00:57:08,580 --> 00:57:10,380
Continue in his spirit.

1217
00:57:10,780 --> 00:57:12,940
Lord, I pray that you be in
this time of invitation working hearts

1218
00:57:12,940 --> 00:57:13,340
and lives.

1219
00:57:13,500 --> 00:57:14,860
We thank you for this time.

1220
00:57:14,860 --> 00:57:19,140
We pray that you lead us in
the way of service and we ask all

1221
00:57:19,140 --> 00:57:20,060
these things in Jesus name.

1222
00:57:20,060 --> 00:57:20,380
Amen.

1223
00:57:20,380 --> 00:57:22,380
As the music plays falls the
Lord leads here today.