GPS: Serving

Thesis: The church is crippled if people do not serve..

Goal: Inspire people to service with joy, unity and according to their SHAPE

Text: Topical

Introduction

Title Slide

A. FCCH Response Cards

B. GPS Series

1. We’re in the third week of a three week mini-series.

2. At FCCH, we believe that God calls us to partner with Him in ministry.

a) When you give, home grown missionaries like Justin Loy, Ben Johnson and Dan McBride build the church and bring the gospel to places like the Czech Republic and Africa.

b) When you pray, God guides and protects the ministry staff so that we’re able to lead the church.

c) When you serve, worship happens – this room is filled with light, sound, music, message, drama, warm hands and hearts – God is praised.

3. Review

a) Two weeks ago, John Corey joined me to talk about why it is important to give to the church and how he has built giving principles into his life.

b) Last week, I talked about ministry is impossible without prayer – over 270 people committed to praying through our Top Ten Prayer list before 9.9

4. This week, I’d like to talk about why it’s important to serve here and how you can do it

C. I understand that there are a lot of demands for your time

Corporation for National and Community Service: Government agency to promote volunteering – created a report with the following statistics:

http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/VIA/VIA_summaryreport.pdf

1. Last year, 61.2 million adults volunteered 8.1 billion hours of service (over 25% of Americans)

2. Top Ten Volunteer States: almost all come from America’s heartland – Utah is #1 at 80 hours a year, Massachusetts was number 34 (29 hours annually) on the list – Nevada was last (what happens in Vegas obviously stays there)

3. Religious Organizations account for over 1/3 of all the volunteer hours

4. Insight: volunteering in America was declining until about six years ago – then an event occurred – since that time, the number of people and the number of hours they invested increased substantially – 9/11

Why? I think we realized some important truths: life is short, death comes unexpectedly, there’s got to be more to life than working

Transition: Here’s the question: if my time is so precious and demands to volunteer in America are so high, why should I serve here?

I. Why Should People Serve in the Church?

A. Corinth – church of superstars

1. Principle

Slide 2

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. (1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT)

The role of the HS in gifting people to serve – the HS guarantees your ability to make a difference

2. Example – we are all a part of Christ’s body: metaphor for the church – worldwide but especially local

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! (1 Corinthians 12:12-19 NLT)

B. Application

The Church is crippled if you don’t serve according to your gift

1. We need you to serve

a) Question: Which ministry in the church operates without any human volunteers?

b) You can shut down this church by deciding to do nothing – what ministry would still operate if no one served?

c) The opposite is also true – when all the parts of the body operate together, the church grows and becomes healthy

2. We need you to serve according to your giftedness

a) Vickie over hospitality – no coffee, just Diet Coke

b) Baird over Nursery Toddler – bottle sucking, bottom wiping ministry

c) Pastor Bob over IT

d) Decided that Andrew should leave Jr High and switch Women’s Ministry with Kathy Bridge – it just different hormones

e) Me? – I’m taking over worship – be prepared to start dancing

Transition: So I’m gifted to serve and the church needs my involvement but how do I do it?

II. How Should People Serve?

A. Serve with Joy

Slide 3

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9 NET)

1. Everyone is a minister at FCCH – privilege of ministry

a) Dave Salto leading us in worship

b) Christ said, “I was hungry and you fed me” - Salvation Army & Meals on Wings

c) Summer Missions: Befriending teens that we might challenge them to become like Christ – she couldn’t wait to share

d) Teaching Team

2. You get to:

a) Talk about how amazing God is

b) Show people how to live in the light of life

Transition: So if everyone is a minister, why do we have paid staff and Elder?

B. Serve in Unity

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV)

1. The Order by which We Operate:

a) You Minister

b) The Staff Equips You to Minister (little word, ‘to’)

(1) Keep us on track with making disciples

(2) Train you to do the job that God has called you to do:

(a) Skills

(b) Character

(c) Spiritual Disciples

(d) Knowledge

(e) Resources

c) The Elders are like Guardians: teaching, direction, purity, spiritual health

2. This makes the church stronger and healthier

a) SO THAT (purpose): The church is stronger – because, the ministry we do here is truly meant to prepare you for life out there – decisions & relationships – a strong healthy church is one where all the members life a faithful life in the world

b) UNTIL (direction): we’re mature - unity of faith and knowledge – we share common beliefs and a strong trust in God – our goal is your maturity

3. When we’re mature, God’s presence is apparent – too often we look for the big miracles (which are rare) – instead of the daily miracle of a changed life

Do you know the number one reason why people come to a church? Relationship – someone invited them – Know the number one reason why they stay? Relationship – the people they meet

Transition: So I service with joy, working in unity with the staff and Elders but how do I know where to serve?

C. Serve according to your SHAPE

Slide 5

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If you speak, you should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If you serve, you should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 4:10-11 TNIV)

Everyone has a SHAPE that fits them into service

Slide 6

1. Spiritual Gift

2. Heart

3. Ability

4. Personality

5. Experiences

Transition: I serve with joy, working in unity with the staff and Elders according to my SHAPE – now what?

Why Serving in the Church is Important