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Intro story: Trip to Alaska
The main reason I went was the fact that my father asked me
Just like our relationship with God, we also should be willing to go when asked
Isaiah 6:1-8 – serving God’s Church
Isaiah Called to Be a Prophet
6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”
4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 So I said:
“Woe is me, for I am [a]undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:
“Behold, this has touched your lips;
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin [b]purged.”
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
At some point during your Christian walk you might have read this or heard this and said the same thing as Isaiah, “Send Me”.
I know I have
I want to touch on the two ends of the spectrum
On one side is the person who wants to do “big” things for God
Preaching – teaching- running a ministry- which are all good goals to shoot for
On the others side there are people who don’t know where to start.
They want to do things for God, but they are unsure of the direction the Lord is taking them.
Not everyone is going to get the main stage podium or be a huge evangelist or run a ministry.
But that doesn’t mean the God can’t use you in big ways
Sometimes being sent means to go down to the cleaning closet getting some supplies and making sure the house of the Lord is well kept.
Or helping guide children in children’s ministry
God gives everyone gifts that are useful for the growth of the kingdom
Matthew 25:14-30 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The gifting’s that we have been given are not for our own benefit
Every gift God has given us is for His work
If we aren’t being obedient to what scripture says than we are just like the wicked and lazy servant
When we have positioned ourselves to serve don’t do it begrudging do it with a willing heart
Story: Back to Alaska
Why should I complain when I didn’t have to spend a dime?
Matthew 20:28
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Jesus paid the price, so we should be willing to do ANYTHING that He asks of us
But when we realign our mindset of what Jesus did on the cross for us, it helps keep us in a serving attitude
It’s when we forget that the excuses come out
During my time of ministry I’ve heard plenty of excuses of why people can’t serve
Here are some of those excuses …
I’m too Busy – Work, Family/we have kids, other events,
Husband/Wife don’t get to spend much time together so our time is important
I don’t know what opportunities are available
I’m serving in other ways outside of the church
I don’t want to commit to anything
I’m generous in other ways – Money
I don’t get anything out of it
The staff team is paid to serve so I don’t have too …
Every pastor of our church were serving long before God ordained us as pastors.
Examples – Pastor Matt and Crystal , P Todd P Aubrey, Pastor Jay and Shelly, Pastor Amber, and Myself
The reason we continue to serve is not due to money, but because we love the Lord.
The reason we continue to serve in any are asked is due to the fact that it help grown the kingdom.
And maybe you’re asking how the cleaning ministry would help grow the kingdom?
Do you think people would show up to church week after week if no one cleaned it?
People don’t want to come to a dirty building
Children’s Ministry
If we had nobody teaching our children they would all be in the sanctuary with us…
Imagine how hard it would be to focus on the sermon if 100 children were in the service
And the sound ministry?
Who would fix the problems when the sound goes bad?
Everyone has the ability to Clean, Watch a Child, or learn sound.
So how do we get the send me attitude?
By understanding what we have been saved from
Let’s look back at Isiah 6:5-7
5 So I said:
“Woe is me, for I am [a]undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:
“Behold, this has touched your lips;
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin [b]purged.”
Even Isaiah Knew that he was unworthy to be in the presence of the Lord and that his sins needed to be atoned for.
After the coal touched his lips, was when Isaiah said “Here I am, Send me.”
Story: about the day I gave my life to the Lord.
I keep a constant reminder of what the Lord saved me from.
How could I not want to do anything and everything the Lord asks of me in any area?
The lord has called us all to serve
And I will serve an whatever capacity that I can
Conclusion: Everyone should want to be sent by the Lord, even if were unsure of the gifting’s that we have right now there is still work that needs to be done in the meantime.
We need to drop our excuses, and start serving Gods Church