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[1140.56 --> 1145.12] or uses the authority God has given them to bless and find work for others. |
[1146.48 --> 1149.84] Is there some percolating imagination for what that might look like for you? |
[1149.84 --> 1155.42] Could it be said of you tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon, Thursday evening, |
[1155.42 --> 1160.12] that you occupy the spaces where God has placed you as a servant? |
[1163.28 --> 1167.02] An example I did not share in the 9 a.m., and is Pastor Sid still here? |
[1167.84 --> 1169.82] Oh, he is here. I was hoping he wouldn't be here for this one. |
[1169.86 --> 1173.68] All right, I'm going to pick on Sid, and I find this story very, very moving |
[1173.68 --> 1175.60] because it sets an example for us as staff. |
[1175.60 --> 1179.40] Over the last couple of years, we have had people, homeless people, |
[1179.50 --> 1182.66] living or staying overnight at different places on our property, |
[1182.78 --> 1184.16] and there's been some challenges there. |
[1184.28 --> 1187.80] And we've had some neighbors come to us talking about stuff that's left on the property |
[1187.80 --> 1190.54] that we have to clean up, and I just want to say thank you to Sid |
[1190.54 --> 1194.56] and thank you to Harold Bugelink for very selfless cleaning up of our property |
[1194.56 --> 1196.84] that no one else volunteers to do very easily. |
[1197.56 --> 1199.80] But there's one young woman who is staying here for a while, |
[1199.84 --> 1201.76] and then there's another fellow who is staying here with her. |
[1201.76 --> 1204.84] And Sid had met them. A number of us had met them. |
[1205.72 --> 1207.72] And on one particular morning, she was struggling, |
[1207.90 --> 1210.04] and Sid was actually cleaning up while she was still there. |
[1210.32 --> 1213.28] And she sees Sid, and she looks at him, and she says, |
[1213.64 --> 1214.62] I know you? |
[1215.04 --> 1217.72] And then Sid's like, yeah, my name is Sid. I'm one of the pastors here. |
[1217.88 --> 1221.10] And she looks at him, and she says, nah, you're not one of the pastors. |
[1222.04 --> 1225.44] You're the janitor, because I always see you cleaning up. |
[1225.86 --> 1228.80] And when Sid shared that story, it was like this humorous story to him, |
[1228.80 --> 1234.10] but I was just like, oh my goodness, this is like the perfect embodiment of John 13, right? |
[1234.44 --> 1237.78] The lead pastor who served this church and led in so many capacities, |
[1238.22 --> 1240.62] cleaning up stuff off the yard and off the property, |
[1240.86 --> 1243.74] and having someone say, you're not the pastor, you're the janitor. |
[1243.82 --> 1247.70] And Sid, Jesus Christ was honored in that moment. |
[1248.44 --> 1252.88] And may it be said of many of us in our jobs, wherever we find ourselves, |
[1252.88 --> 1258.26] if someone confuses us for the janitor, it's like we're doing something right in our walk with Christ. |
[1260.04 --> 1262.32] And so let me finish by talking about our ministry fair. |
[1263.54 --> 1265.02] We do this every year. |
[1265.22 --> 1268.00] And if you've been around Hope, you're like, oh, every September it's a ministry fair. |
[1268.06 --> 1271.80] And it's going to keep going, because we really do believe that at the heart of what it means |
[1271.80 --> 1274.66] to be the church of Jesus Christ is to serve. |
[1275.68 --> 1278.54] And we shamelessly will have all of our leaders out in the foyer, |
[1278.54 --> 1281.64] and we're going to tell them to invite you to serve with your gifts. |
[1281.94 --> 1285.42] And you should know that we're trying to phase out a word in our church. |
[1286.00 --> 1286.90] You know what that word is? |
[1288.02 --> 1288.42] Volunteer. |
[1289.16 --> 1293.24] In my mind, when I think of volunteer, I think of like a non-profit organization, |
[1293.24 --> 1296.92] and you can sort of choose to get involved, or you can choose not to, and that's fine. |
[1297.08 --> 1300.14] But when I read the New Testament, specifically 1 Corinthians 12, |
[1300.38 --> 1302.72] we hear of the body of Christ. |
[1303.50 --> 1306.36] Every person, from youngest to oldest, having gifts. |
[1306.36 --> 1311.10] And those gifts are needed in the church, and they are needed in the city. |
[1311.28 --> 1314.74] And it's not some like optional auxiliary thing that you could do or not do. |
[1315.00 --> 1318.22] Jesus says, I've given you the gifts, and it is your responsibility |
[1318.22 --> 1321.80] to use them for the service of others. |
[1322.36 --> 1324.74] And to not do so, let me put it strongly as I can, |
[1324.96 --> 1326.56] is a disobedience to the Lord Himself. |
[1328.14 --> 1331.04] And it doesn't mean you have to do every ministry that just our church has, |
[1331.10 --> 1334.10] but it does mean whatever gifts you have, whatever space you have, |
[1334.10 --> 1336.94] whatever abilities you have, you use those as a servant. |
[1337.56 --> 1340.16] And the ministry fair, our task is simply to say, |
[1340.40 --> 1343.64] here are all the ways you can serve in our city and in our church. |
[1344.44 --> 1346.40] Where are the areas that line up with your gifts, |
[1346.92 --> 1349.04] and your schedule, and your other responsibilities, |
[1349.26 --> 1354.06] so that you and I together can wash the feet of the world this year, |
[1354.42 --> 1357.00] in our city, in our families, and in our neighborhood? |
[1357.00 --> 1361.52] Let me finish with that last line in our passage, |
[1362.08 --> 1364.46] where Jesus says to His own disciples, |
[1365.04 --> 1367.92] the Son of Man did not come to be served, |
[1368.32 --> 1372.68] but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. |
[1373.72 --> 1375.30] Church, hear this good news, |
[1375.72 --> 1378.74] that the work of Jesus Christ going all the way down to the cross |
[1378.74 --> 1381.94] was done to liberate you and me |
[1381.94 --> 1386.28] from this selfish desire for worldly greatness. |
[1387.10 --> 1389.22] The cross liberates us from that sin. |
[1389.32 --> 1392.70] It liberates us from the power of making everything about us, |
[1392.86 --> 1395.76] our titles, our prestige, our greatness, |
[1395.94 --> 1398.14] and invites us by the power of the Spirit to say, |
[1398.40 --> 1400.00] everything I have been given, |
[1400.72 --> 1403.20] I now can use to serve others |
[1403.20 --> 1405.68] as a disciple of King Jesus, |
[1405.90 --> 1409.60] the one who laid His life down for the sake of the world. |
[1409.60 --> 1411.96] Would you join me in prayer? |
[1418.68 --> 1421.92] Father, we just marvel at what You have done in Jesus. |
[1422.98 --> 1424.70] We marvel at Your character, |
[1425.60 --> 1428.90] and we marvel at how low Jesus stooped |
[1428.90 --> 1431.16] for us and for the whole world. |
[1431.76 --> 1434.16] And we praise You for the finished work of the cross. |
[1435.88 --> 1438.54] I pray now, Lord, that You would send us |
[1438.54 --> 1442.02] by the power of Your Spirit to be servants. |
[1443.08 --> 1445.92] Would You enable us to resist all the temptation |
[1445.92 --> 1448.20] for making a name for ourselves, |
[1448.74 --> 1452.48] for holding an unhealthy level of greatness over others, |
[1453.00 --> 1455.32] and instead become those who serve. |
[1456.56 --> 1458.02] Lord, give us a vision |
[1458.02 --> 1460.88] for what that looks like in our ordinary lives. |
[1460.88 --> 1462.98] Give us an imagination |
[1462.98 --> 1465.82] for how to do it in new and fresh ways this year, |
[1466.32 --> 1468.60] and fill us with Your power |
[1468.60 --> 1471.48] to make Jesus known through our service. |
[1472.18 --> 1472.42] Amen. |
[1474.34 --> 1475.72] Would you stand and sing with me |
[1475.72 --> 1476.68] a song of response, |
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