Just Start Serving

Some books teach to discover your spiritual gifts and then start serving. I say start serving to discover your spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts assessments and tools have their place, but not the place you probably think. I believe the spiritual gift assessment tools are helpful on the back end more than the front end. Let me explain. I believe you start serving and THEN, only after you are already serving, you should take a spiritual gifts assessment to help you further understand how God made you and how that should influence where you belong serving in the church family.

Too often, people are needed NOW to help and serve, but they can’t because their waiting six months for the results of their assessment to come back. Or people start using the excuse “I don’t what gifts I have” as an excuse to never start serving.

Here’s where you should begin. FIND WHERE YOU ARE NEEDED! If you don’t know where you are needed, just ask your pastor. He or she will help you become aware of the available areas of service. Don’t assume that because you aren’t aware of any areas of service that they don’t exist. Go ahead and ask. I assure you that they do! Then, once you are serving where you are needed you can begin thinking about your sweet spot. You could think of your sweet spot as that role you ideally would like to play and your secondary role could be thought of as that spot that just needs filling and your willing to do because you are a part of the family. In a real family, no one wants to take out the trash or do the laundry - but these are still important things that need to get done.

Some Will, Some Won't

When you share your faith story with someone or invite someone to church, different people will respond in different ways. Jesus told us this in Mark 4:1-20. He taught us there are four basic responses people have when we talk to them about Jesus or invite them to church or try to win them over by the life we live, etc.

1. Some are closed-minded and will not even listen to you.
2. Some are impulsive, but not really committed. They show initial interest but it quickly fades away.
3. Some are preoccupied. These people have so much going on in their lives they have no room for Jesus.
4. But others will happily receive Jesus.

I put a sticky note on my office wall today. It says something like this on it: God, as I go out each day attempting to share your message of love and hope and reconciliation, help me to run into those people who are going to be receptive.

We can sometimes get discouraged as Christians when people reject the good news (that there is peace with God through the forgiveness of sins that Jesus offers) we try to share and this can lead us to give up and stop talking with others about Jesus and stop inviting others to church. Heck, no one likes to get rejected. But don’t forget that Jesus told us ahead of time that some won’t receive what we have to offer...BUT OTHERS WILL! The good news is that while some won’t receive, others WILL RECEIVE. And we’ve got to keep on talking about Jesus and inviting people to church for the sake of those who WILL receive what we have to say.

The major point of this story is not that most people will not accept Jesus. The point is that some will. So keep on spreading the good news through word of deed! And then trust God for the results!

I’m going to do it. Will you do it with me?

Have you shared your faith with anyone lately? How did they respond? Have you invited anyone to church lately? How did they respond. Drop me a line and let me know.

Why Worship?

Have you ever been to church and wondered why a portion of the service was dedicated to singing?

Psalm 28:6-7 gives us some insight. David writes: “Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trust in him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.”

David has been praying and God has responded. This makes David happy and gives him reason to “burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” In short, ONE of the reasons we sing (worship) is to say thank you to God for prayers he has answered, for the practical help he gives us in life.

Have you ever prayed to God and asked for help for something? Maybe you should try so that you too can say, like David, “He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” Why not give God the opportunity to give you a reason to worship him?

Reasons I have to worship God:

1. He fills the void I have on the inside when I don’t spend time with Him through Bible reading and prayer.
2. He has saved me from the penalty of my sin (eternal punishment in hell) and then graciously promised me heaven.
3. He has provided me with a wife (and best friend) and two wonderful children.
4. He helps me get through tough and stressful times in my life. He helps me through life’s troubles and problems.
5. He gives my life purpose: to bring pleasure to him by the way I live and to serve others.
6. I have someone to turn to at all times who is able and willing to help me.
7. He provides for all my needs and then goes above and beyond to give me some nice-ities as well.

I could go on.

Believe and Belong

God wants us to believe: in Jesus. But he also wants us to belong: to a church family. The focus of this blog is on “belonging”.

Rick Warren writes: There are many analogies for a Christian disconnected from a church: a football player without a team; a soldier without a platoon; a tuba player without an orchestra; a sheep without a flock. But the most understandable (and biblical) picture is that of a child without a family. First Timothy 3:15 (NCV) refers to the church as “...the family of God. That family is the church of the living God, the support and foundation of the truth.” God does not want his children growing up in isolation from each other, so he created a spiritual family on earth for us. Paul reminded us in Ephesians 2:19 (LB): “You are members of God’s very own family...and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.” A Christian without a church family is an orphan.

Additionally, several biblical metaphors help us to understand that God’s purpose for every believer is to belong to a church family. First, the Bible refers to a Christian as a sheep (I Peter 5:2-3). A sheep belongs to a flock. And a flock is led by a shepherd. Second, the Bible refers to a Christian as a part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:14-21). Each part of our body is dependent on the other parts and cannot exist on their own. And the body is led by the head. Last, the Bible refers to believers as children of God (John 1:12-13). Children belong to a family. And a family is led by parents.

The point here is that just as sheep belong in a flock, just as each part of the body belongs to the whole, just as each child belongs in a family, so each Christian belongs in a church family. Just as sheep are led by a shepherd, just as the body is led by the head, just as a family is led by parents, so Christians are to be loved and led by the pastors of the church.

Imagine a charcoal fire on your grill. If you remove a single piece of charcoal and separate it from the rest of the charcoals it will soon die out. That’s how it is for a Christian who separates himself from his/her church family. He/she will soon die out.

Why does God want you to belong so badly? Because of all the benefits! Check this out:

We were created for five basic purposes and the local church helps you fulfill each of these purposes:

1. Worship: describes God’s purpose that we bring him pleasure. The local church gives you a weekly opportunity to refocus on God. That’s worship.
2. Fellowship: describes God’s purpose that we “belong” to a church family. The local church helps you connect with other believers. That’s fellowship.
3. Discipleship: describes God’s purpose that we grow spiritually. The local church helps you cultivate your relationship with God. That’s discipleship.
4. Ministry: describes God’s purpose that we use our talents in service in the context of the local church. The local church gives you an opportunity to contribute with your life. That’s ministry.
5. Evangelism: describes God’s purpose that we share his good news: there is peace with God through Jesus. The local church helps you communicate God’s love to others. That’s evangelism.