Minute By Minute: Serving

October 11th, 2020/The Lookout

Story:

I thought I understood serving and loving. Then I started having kids. Let’s honor the moms this evening. The endless dirty diapers, the fights over the purple plate, he hit me with a stick, but really you hit him too he is just the one who left a mark, the nights that you end up wet because you have kids piling in the bed and 1 happens to have an accident, the laundry that never ever ends, and then there’s food. As soon as you clean the kitchen you’re making another meal.

If you were a stay at home mom or dad and you paid yourself, you would be looking at a median annual salary of $178,201.

Moms truly are the nutritionist, administrative assistant, academic advisor, life coach, psychologist, uber driver, and much more at all times.

Sometimes the gift we receive is better and harder than we could ever imagine. With every gift, there is an opportunity that you “get” to steward. The mindset of “have to” is that of obligation and could lead to a negative spirit, but the perspective shift to “get to” is that of gratitude and leads to a joyful life.

Intro:

We are a mission and values driven church. What you value dictates what you do, where you spend your time, how you spend your resources, and what you put your energy towards. This is true not only in the church, but in every area of life.

The value that speaks to the message today is servant leadership is our calling. If you’re too big to serve then you are too small to lead. We believe the greatest leadership is service to others. Every leader is a servant first. From the parking lot to the pulpit, everyone has a place where they can live out their gifts to serve others. Every role is different but they are all important.

Passage:

1 Peter 4:10-11 “10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”

Pray: (Pause 3-5 seconds)

Background:

Peter is writing here to the first century believers. These believers were being abused, persecuted, and even scattered. Peter is coming to them, having experienced this all for himself, and is sending encouragement & empowerment to say, keep going. Here’s how I’d apply that. We would look at that and say they are serving, they are being abused. They have done enough. But, Peter is saying the end of all things is near, so keep going. Keep being a good steward of those gifts!

Main Points:

How to be a good steward of the gifts God has given us.

1. Receive the Gift from God

   1. “Just as each one has received a gift” - 1 Peter 4:10
   2. We have to walk into what God is putting in our hands to be able to walk out what God is calling us to.
   3. Maybe this is all new to you. Maybe you have gone through GT and you took the spiritual gift test and realized you have a gift of hospitality, craftsmanship, evangelism, or even apostleship. We have put certain things in place so that you can know & receive these gifts that God has prepared for you.
   4. But, maybe you’re sitting there & you know what God has gifted you with. Hospitality, craftsmanship, faith, healing, leadership, pastor… and you’re saying to God, I am not good enough, my past is too heavy, my present is too messy. Are you waiting to get married, or waiting until your marriage is healthy, or you have enough money, or time. Peter says you have already received a gift. Are you standing there with a tight fist, holding back what God has already given you?
   5. Receiving the gift for the purpose of serving. Jesus the ultimate example. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Mark 10:45
   6. Aren't you thankful that God sent His Son, the greatest servant leader of all time, to heal the sick, elevate those others would have given up on, minister to the hurting, etc
   7. When we stop and think about Jesus feeding the crowds over and over again, washed feet, lifted prostitutes off the dusty ground, healed the blind, loved the unlovable, and gave His life, we realize that there is purpose in serving, in our yes, in our receiving.

   8. Illust: When we walk in a room and people say your hands are full.

      1. There’s often the idea that we “have to” raise our kids, we “have to” say no to other things because we need to spend time with our kids, we “have to” not go on certain vacations because we have 5 kids, but that simply is not the case. These kids are not a burden, but a blessing. We “get to” raise world changers, we “get to” go home and play in the backyard, we “get to” spend time with them in conversations.
      2. When we start receiving the gifts God has given us with open hands, it shifts our perspective. Our perspective is no longer on me, what I can do, what I have done, what I can get out of it, that my plate is already full, or this is just too much, I can’t add one more thing. But, our perspective shifts to what God wants to fulfill in and through me and His dreams become my dreams and I can’t help but receive.
         9. Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.
         10. We all are gifted in Christ. We all have a unique calling on our lives. God has graced and anointed us for such a time as this… will you receive it?
      3. Release the Gift to Others
         1. So what happens when we open our hands and we release, what does that look like to take that step. Maybe you are already using your gifts and serving, maybe you’re giving your all, maybe you’re holding back portions, or maybe you’re sitting on the side lines. We all have areas we can grow, am I right?
         2. “use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides”
         3. Here’s a simple way we can allow God to release these gifts in us.
         4. Show up in God’s strength
      4. Overflow. He tells us that He will provide strength. You don’t have to serve in your own strength. It should come from the overflow of His power & strength in you.
      5. showing up in your strength is self fulfilling, showing up in God’s strength is soul fulfilling

      6. We can show up in God’s strength by making sure we are serving from the overflow of what God is already doing in us.

         1. Maybe you’ve been showing up to work with a mindset that there’s nothing for you, or working out at the gym not aware that God can use you in that space, maybe you’re simply exhausted by the end of the day and showing up to serve your family seems daunting. Or maybe you have been showing up here at Pinewood with nothing but tasks on your mind.
         2. Questions: What if we begin showing up mentally so that we can show up physically? What if we prepare our hearts and perspectives before we physically show up to serve? I don’t “have to” serve today, I “get to” serve today! What a privilege to build up God’s people and help advance the mission!
         3. Someone needs to hear this today. You are on this earth for something bigger than yourself. Stop looking at others around you. Start showing up & using your gifts to advance His Kingdom. Showing up sometimes can be the hardest thing. You look outside and it’s raining or windy & you give yourself an excuse. Or maybe your favorite sports team is playing and someone calls you with a broken down vehicle. Anyone with me today? Showing up is sometimes the hardest part! 4. Show Up & Let God Show Off.

2. Redirect the Glory to God

   1. “so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”
   2. When you receive the gift from God, when you release the gift to others, we have to redirect the glory to God.
   3. We’re not in this space to seek titles or to seek attention. “Pride comes before the fall.” We are here to serve like Jesus. To be humble servants of what He has gifted us with. When someone stays at Pinewood because you made the best cup of coffee, or someone praises you because you hit the highest note you ever hit in leading worship, or maybe a co worker comes to faith because you were faithful in your gifting to pray, or your entire gym starts coming to church because of your gift of evangelism… we must be faithful to redirect the glory to God. It is with His strength that He provided that His Kingdom comes and His will is done on earth.
   4. Jesus led by serving, and He loved by serving. He washed others' feet. He fed thousands. He walked to visit and heal the sick and dead. He stopped to touch and heal a sick woman. He spent time with those no one else cared to spend time with. Jesus lived a life of serving.

Closing:

At Pinewood Church we have 1 mission. To meet people where they are and point them to Jesus. We do this through being faithful stewards of what He has gifted us with and serving.

This is why we open our doors on Sundays.

This is why we come early and set up and stay late to tear down.

This is why we have Crews all over the city.

This is why we love our city through Love Boulder.

This is why we disciple the Next Generation through Pinewood Kids & Pinewood Youth.

This is why we show up and will not give up.

It’s so the world can see not us, but Christ in us.

Prayer