To Serve God (Ministry)
Series: HIS PURPOSE OUR PURPOSE MY PURPOSE
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 24th November 2018
Passage: Hebrews 10:1-18
00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 At the age of 23, Jesus really did turn my life upside down.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:16 Almost immediately, I had a desire to contribute to serve in the local church, synonymous for me with my conversion.
00:00:18 --> 00:00:25 And I would hang around and sign up for basically anything that I could.
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 So I'd sign up to lead on camps.
00:00:28 --> 00:00:29 It was one of the first things I ever did.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 It was a fishing camp.
00:00:32 --> 00:00:36 I remember it was this fishing camp that was being run up in the New England area.
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 I rang up the bloke and said, you know, I'd like to come and help.
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 And he said, you ever led on a camp before?
00:00:41 --> 00:00:42 I said, no, but I can fish.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 So I passed the qualifications for that.
00:00:48 --> 00:00:56 Cutting the grass, do repairs or fixing pews, getting rid of feral animals in the ceiling of church and all kinds of stuff.
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 Eventually, hospital visiting, doing funerals even.
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 And it just grew over time.
00:01:02 --> 00:01:09 I was given the task of starting a youth ministry and then an evening congregation and then a young adults ministry.
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 And that was all within the first six months of me being a Christian.
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 I was then given a two-year apprenticeship.
00:01:15 --> 00:01:16 The job offer was this.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 You're hanging around that much and you're eating my food that much.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:20 I might as well give you a job.
00:01:21 --> 00:01:33 And so I took an 85% paid cut and did a two-year apprenticeship to test my skills and my stamina for vocational ministry.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:42 At the end of that, I entered formal theological education and the process of becoming a full-time minister.
00:01:42 --> 00:01:50 After three years of theological education with a degree in theology and diplomacy and ministry under my belt in five and a half years as a Christian,
00:01:50 --> 00:01:58 I was ordained as a deacon in the Anglican Church of Australia in Armadale Cathedral on the 21st of December 1998,
00:01:58 --> 00:02:02 which means in about two weeks or so, it's 20 years since that happened.
00:02:04 --> 00:02:13 Christian for 25 and a half years, I've been involved in vocational ministry for 25 of those years.
00:02:13 --> 00:02:22 And God has given me many opportunities to serve him over that time in a whole different variety of ways.
00:02:22 --> 00:02:28 And I can say that God has used me to impact people's lives in that time.
00:02:29 --> 00:02:42 But for whatever he has done through me, it's what he's done in me that has been the greatest joy, I think, the greatest benefit of ministry.
00:02:42 --> 00:02:49 It's one of the surprising blessings, what God does in you as you serve other people.
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 So it has been my joy with all the ups and downs.
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 It's been my joy in the darkest moments.
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 It's my joy to be involved in ministry.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 I'm totally convinced that it's God's call on my life.
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 This is not just a job, a career thing.
00:03:05 --> 00:03:06 It's not about promotion.
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 It's not about getting the next big opportunity.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:10 It's his call on my life.
00:03:10 --> 00:03:14 And so I'm really pleased to be able to talk about ministry today.
00:03:15 --> 00:03:26 If you've just joined us today, we are week four into our five-part vision series called My Purpose, Our Purpose, God's Purpose.
00:03:26 --> 00:03:27 It's an annual vision series.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:33 In week one of this, when we kicked it off, we asked the question, what's the purpose of life?
00:03:33 --> 00:03:40 And we saw that the purpose of life was that God created and saved us for his glory.
00:03:40 --> 00:03:45 And we used the word magnification to summarize all of that.
00:03:45 --> 00:03:46 Week two, we narrowed it down.
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 What's the purpose of church?
00:03:50 --> 00:03:55 And we saw that God has gathered his people together in order to magnify him.
00:03:55 --> 00:04:00 And we used the word membership to describe that.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:07 Last week, week three, now that God's gathered us, what is his purpose for his gathered people?
00:04:08 --> 00:04:14 And we saw that it is to transform us into the image of his true son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 And the word we used to summarize that was maturity.
00:04:18 --> 00:04:22 Okay, so we've got magnification, membership, maturity.
00:04:23 --> 00:04:27 He created us, he saved us, he's gathered us, and he's growing us.
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 Now the question is, what does God want us to do?
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 Is it just to grow up?
00:04:32 --> 00:04:32 Is that it?
00:04:33 --> 00:04:37 We're going to use the word ministry to summarize that.
00:04:37 --> 00:04:42 And if you are sharp this afternoon, you would have realized they all start with an M.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:43 Okay?
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 And next week will be mission.
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 And it is also an M.
00:04:49 --> 00:04:55 So if you look at your service outline, same breakdown as what we've done in the previous weeks.
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 Firstly, what's God's purpose?
00:04:58 --> 00:05:02 And then how can we pursue it on purpose here at St. Paul?
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 So what is God's purpose for his growing children?
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 The goal of spiritual growth is to become more like the Lord Jesus.
00:05:08 --> 00:05:09 That's what we saw last week.
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 It's become more and more in the likeness of the image of the Lord Jesus.
00:05:12 --> 00:05:18 And while this means becoming more like him in his character, and the Bible is very, very clear about that,
00:05:19 --> 00:05:25 we must also remember that Jesus came to do a specific work.
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 And that was to do the will of his father.
00:05:27 --> 00:05:32 On the eve of his crucifixion, he prayed this, John 17, 4,
00:05:33 --> 00:05:38 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
00:05:38 --> 00:05:43 So, which means that if God's intention is for us to grow up to be more and more like the Lord Jesus,
00:05:43 --> 00:05:50 not just his character, but also it is to do the work that God has called us to do.
00:05:50 --> 00:05:56 Ephesians 2.10 tells us that we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
00:05:56 --> 00:05:59 which God prepared in advance for us to do.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:05 So God intends for all believers to be active members in his kingdom.
00:06:06 --> 00:06:10 And that's my first sub point here, every member ministry.
00:06:10 --> 00:06:20 God's purpose is for every one of his gathered and growing children to be involved in ministry.
00:06:21 --> 00:06:28 That is, ministry is not a special category of Christians.
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 It's not, they're an elite Christian or the suckers or something like that.
00:06:33 --> 00:06:39 So what I want to do is to trace this out in the Old and New Testament just really briefly.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:48 Looking at the role of the priesthood, the concept of priesthood is common in the ancient world.
00:06:49 --> 00:06:54 Generally, priests in the ancient world, their main function was to offer sacrifices to appease the gods.
00:06:54 --> 00:07:01 And that can be anything from animals through to sacrificing people in order to appease the gods.
00:07:01 --> 00:07:11 In fact, back in the ancient Incas, they sacrificed people because they believed the gods got their energy from blood of humanity.
00:07:12 --> 00:07:21 And so you sacrificed humans in order to energize the gods, to swing them around into your favor, to get them to do things for you.
00:07:21 --> 00:07:27 The animals would die in the place of those.
00:07:27 --> 00:07:27 Sorry, sorry.
00:07:28 --> 00:07:29 That's the ancient one.
00:07:29 --> 00:07:36 The Old Testament, however, priests, they would offer sacrifices in a very different way.
00:07:37 --> 00:07:43 The biblical idea of sacrifice in the Old Testament, animals were offered to cleanse the worshiper from their sin.
00:07:43 --> 00:07:50 And so the animal would die in the place of the worshiper so that the worshiper could go away forgiven.
00:07:51 --> 00:08:00 So as an Israelite, if you wanted to receive the blessing of God, the forgiveness of sins, then you would take your animal to the priest.
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 And these guys were known as the Levites.
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 You can read the book of Leviticus and you'll discover all about the priesthood.
00:08:06 --> 00:08:13 Or you can just listen to the sermon series that we did in the last five years here, whenever it was, on Leviticus and you can listen to it all there.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:23 So there were those in the Old Testament who were set apart for this special function as priests to offer sacrifices.
00:08:24 --> 00:08:29 But we also read something really interesting in Exodus 19.
00:08:30 --> 00:08:35 This is where God calls his children Israel to himself at Mount Sinai.
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 He's rescued him from slavery in Egypt.
00:08:38 --> 00:08:41 And then it says this in Exodus 19 verse 4.
00:08:41 --> 00:08:47 You yourselves have seen what I did in Egypt and how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:53 Now, if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all the nations, you will be my treasured possession.
00:08:54 --> 00:09:00 Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
00:09:00 --> 00:09:13 So God's word to hear to his people Israel, who he's just rescued from Egypt, his corporate gathered children, is that you collectively will be priests.
00:09:13 --> 00:09:17 That is, priests in the sense that you will serve me in the world.
00:09:17 --> 00:09:29 Not like the Levites, who have a special function of priests, but you will be not sacrificial priests, but you'll be serving priests in the whole world.
00:09:29 --> 00:09:46 And so both of these ideas, both the individual sacrificial, functional, formal priests and the corporate serving God in the world priests, the body of God's people, come to their climax and reach their fulfillment in the New Testament.
00:09:46 --> 00:09:49 And that's the passage that was read out to us in Hebrews 10.
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 If you've got time, quickly run to Hebrews 10.
00:09:53 --> 00:09:58 In verse 1, it says the law, that's a reference to the Old Testament.
00:09:59 --> 00:10:04 It says the law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming.
00:10:05 --> 00:10:14 So the law, the Old Testament, is a shadow of the good things which are coming, which is a reference, a valid reference, if you like, to the gospel of the Lord Jesus in the New Testament.
00:10:14 --> 00:10:29 For this reason, it can never, and talking about the Old Testament, it can never by the same sacrifices repeat endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered?
00:10:32 --> 00:10:39 For the worshipers would have been cleansed once and for all and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.
00:10:39 --> 00:10:44 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.
00:10:45 --> 00:10:49 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
00:10:50 --> 00:10:57 So what it's saying there in Hebrews is that whole Old Testament sacrificial system didn't remove sin.
00:10:57 --> 00:11:06 But it did serve to remind God's people of the seriousness of their sin.
00:11:07 --> 00:11:11 And it reminded them that a representative was needed.
00:11:12 --> 00:11:15 Something needed to die, if you like, in order to atone for their sin.
00:11:16 --> 00:11:19 So let's just jump down now to verse 11.
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 It says,
00:11:21 --> 00:11:30 Day after day, every priest, this is the individual functional priest, the formal Levites, stands and performs his religious duties.
00:11:30 --> 00:11:34 Again and again, he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 Okay, that's their job.
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 Feels like a kind of pointless job, really.
00:11:41 --> 00:11:44 Then verse 12 talks about Jesus' sacrifice.
00:11:44 --> 00:11:45 This is the New Testament.
00:11:45 --> 00:11:49 It talks about Jesus' sacrifice of himself on the cross.
00:11:50 --> 00:11:57 But when this priest, Jesus, had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins,
00:11:58 --> 00:12:02 he sat down at the right hand of God.
00:12:03 --> 00:12:07 And since that time, he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.
00:12:07 --> 00:12:13 For by one sacrifice, he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:16 So Jesus is what Hebrews 10 is saying.
00:12:16 --> 00:12:21 Jesus is the true priest who offers the true sacrifice.
00:12:21 --> 00:12:24 Once and for all, he deals with the sin of humanity.
00:12:24 --> 00:12:31 He's the true lamb, the lamb of God, whose blood is shed and dies in our place so that we're forgiven and spared.
00:12:31 --> 00:12:37 So Jesus is both the priest who offers the sacrifice and the sacrifice itself.
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 He perfects both.
00:12:40 --> 00:12:41 Why?
00:12:41 --> 00:12:50 So that we who are scattered from God because of our sin can be gathered to him as his much-loved and forgiven children
00:12:50 --> 00:12:56 and be brought into a new humanity of priests set free to serve God in the world.
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02 We see it again in Revelation chapter 1.
00:13:02 --> 00:13:08 Verse 4, John introduces his letter and he says,
00:13:08 --> 00:13:13 This is written to the seven churches in the province of Asia.
00:13:13 --> 00:13:16 In other words, this is not just written to the church leaders.
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 This is not written to the...
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 This is written to everyone in the church.
00:13:20 --> 00:13:23 And then we read this about halfway down through verse 5.
00:13:23 --> 00:13:42 So the New Testament is clear.
00:13:42 --> 00:13:50 The old formal, Levitical, sacrificial individual priest is done with in Jesus.
00:13:50 --> 00:13:54 But the corporate priesthood of God's people is not.
00:13:55 --> 00:14:01 All of God's people are saved and gathered to be a priesthood serving God in the world.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:06 Every one of God's children is a minister.
00:14:06 --> 00:14:14 And yet, this is interesting because the priesthood of all believers, every member ministry,
00:14:15 --> 00:14:24 was something that was recaptured, if you like, or rediscovered at the Reformation 501 years ago.
00:14:24 --> 00:14:25 In around about...
00:14:25 --> 00:14:26 In there somewhere.
00:14:26 --> 00:14:33 And yet, there are so many people sitting in Protestant churches today
00:14:33 --> 00:14:39 who totally misunderstand the biblical idea of priesthood of all believers in every member ministry.
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 And in fact, what even ministry is.
00:14:43 --> 00:14:46 You see, for a start, because of Jesus' finished work,
00:14:47 --> 00:14:51 there is no such thing, there's no need, if you like,
00:14:51 --> 00:14:55 for priests who mediate between you and God.
00:14:56 --> 00:15:00 You don't need people to do that anymore.
00:15:02 --> 00:15:07 People like me, who are ordained leaders of churches,
00:15:07 --> 00:15:14 are not priests in the individual Old Testament sacrificial sense.
00:15:15 --> 00:15:22 I don't have a special connection that you need to get by me to God.
00:15:22 --> 00:15:24 That doesn't exist in the New Testament.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:32 I am, like all Christians, a priest in the corporate serving God in the world sense, however.
00:15:33 --> 00:15:37 All of God's saved and gathered children, like me, like you,
00:15:38 --> 00:15:41 are called into the service of God in this world.
00:15:41 --> 00:15:44 And so God's purpose for you, God's purpose for me,
00:15:44 --> 00:15:47 and for all of us collectively, is to do ministry.
00:15:47 --> 00:15:53 And you are ministers who are doing ministry, all of you, if you're a Christian.
00:15:54 --> 00:15:57 So when people say, I'm going into the ministry,
00:15:58 --> 00:16:02 or they say things like, let me introduce you to my minister,
00:16:03 --> 00:16:06 you're actually reinforcing a category error.
00:16:06 --> 00:16:11 Because you're the minister as well.
00:16:12 --> 00:16:15 So, you know, next time we do that, a new person comes along,
00:16:15 --> 00:16:17 brand new person in church, I'll bring them to you.
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 Let me introduce you to the minister.
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 It's one of the ministers.
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 Let's see how we go with that.
00:16:23 --> 00:16:28 Okay, so the reason I say that is because ministry equals service.
00:16:28 --> 00:16:31 Ministry is interchangeable with the word service.
00:16:31 --> 00:16:37 The words ministry and minister simply mean service and servant.
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 That's all they are.
00:16:40 --> 00:16:46 So the title Prime Minister of Australia simply means that Scott Morrison
00:16:46 --> 00:16:52 is the first servant of the people of Australia, for the time being.
00:16:53 --> 00:16:57 At least for now, until the next guy comes along.
00:17:00 --> 00:17:04 And so this says quite a lot about the way in which we do ministry.
00:17:05 --> 00:17:11 Our core value of servant leadership here at St. Paul's is so important
00:17:11 --> 00:17:17 because it is about us ministering together, serving together
00:17:17 --> 00:17:23 with identities which are deeply secure in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:17:24 --> 00:17:29 You see, it is so common to serve out of a sense of duty
00:17:29 --> 00:17:32 in the hope of earning God's favor,
00:17:33 --> 00:17:37 or it's so common nowadays, especially in our world,
00:17:37 --> 00:17:43 there's a big push in a secular culture to serve less fortunate people.
00:17:44 --> 00:17:47 A lot of that is driven by self-centeredness.
00:17:48 --> 00:17:50 Just need to dig a little bit deeper.
00:17:51 --> 00:17:54 A sense of superiority for cultures, not as sharp or not as good as ours,
00:17:54 --> 00:17:57 and need to be able to serve those cultures so that they would grow up.
00:17:57 --> 00:18:00 It's driven from a sense of my own fulfillment.
00:18:03 --> 00:18:05 So we don't do it for personal reasons.
00:18:05 --> 00:18:08 We don't do it in order to earn favor with God.
00:18:08 --> 00:18:12 We must never forget that God saves his people out of Egypt.
00:18:13 --> 00:18:17 Then he gathers them to himself as his treasured possession.
00:18:18 --> 00:18:21 And then he says, I want you to serve me.
00:18:23 --> 00:18:25 It's the same with Jesus at the cross.
00:18:25 --> 00:18:30 He dies for our sins, gathers us to himself as his church.
00:18:30 --> 00:18:32 He calls us to serve him in the world.
00:18:32 --> 00:18:35 We don't serve God to gain his favor.
00:18:37 --> 00:18:40 We do ministry because we already have it.
00:18:43 --> 00:18:46 We serve others with the attitude of which Jesus served us.
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 Mark 10, 45.
00:18:49 --> 00:18:51 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,
00:18:51 --> 00:18:55 but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
00:18:55 --> 00:19:01 At the source of all Christian service of ministry in the world
00:19:01 --> 00:19:05 is the crucified, risen Lord who died to set us free
00:19:05 --> 00:19:09 into a life of service of God and of others.
00:19:10 --> 00:19:13 It's the reason which you were created.
00:19:13 --> 00:19:17 God has created you and saved you in order to serve
00:19:17 --> 00:19:20 and to serve together the world.
00:19:20 --> 00:19:25 And before you were saved,
00:19:25 --> 00:19:28 you were enslaved to your own self-centeredness.
00:19:29 --> 00:19:34 So you've been set free to pursue the very design God had on your life initially.
00:19:36 --> 00:19:40 And serving the biblical sense is putting the needs of others ahead of your own
00:19:40 --> 00:19:43 or putting the needs of the community ahead of your individual needs.
00:19:43 --> 00:19:45 There's a paradox here.
00:19:45 --> 00:19:47 And I mentioned it right at the beginning.
00:19:47 --> 00:19:52 I feel like God has so blessed me over the years in service.
00:19:53 --> 00:19:57 If you serve primarily for yourself when it suits you,
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 because it fits into your program,
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 it does stuff you just want to do,
00:19:59 --> 00:20:02 it doesn't push you out of your comfort zone at all,
00:20:03 --> 00:20:07 then it isn't actually serving.
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 And so therefore you'll never feel the benefits.
00:20:10 --> 00:20:12 You'll never experience the benefits of serving.
00:20:13 --> 00:20:13 Ever.
00:20:13 --> 00:20:13 Ever.
00:20:15 --> 00:20:19 The only workable dynamic for ministry in the church is Mark 10, 45.
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21 The Son of Man did not come to be served,
00:20:21 --> 00:20:25 but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
00:20:26 --> 00:20:28 So having just, you know,
00:20:28 --> 00:20:31 knocked down the hierarchy idea,
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 what's the relationship between church leaders and church members?
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 Or more specifically,
00:20:37 --> 00:20:41 between those in vocational ministry
00:20:41 --> 00:20:44 and those who are members of the church,
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 serving in the church.
00:20:46 --> 00:20:51 I want to jump back into Ephesians 4, verse 11 to 12.
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 We were there last week.
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 Verse 11.
00:20:54 --> 00:20:56 So Christ gave, himself gave the apostles,
00:20:56 --> 00:20:58 the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers.
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 These, broadly speaking,
00:21:01 --> 00:21:03 we can call these categories, if you like,
00:21:03 --> 00:21:06 leaders within the church.
00:21:06 --> 00:21:08 We're happy to go with that just for the time being.
00:21:10 --> 00:21:13 So why did Christ give these to the church?
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 Verse 12.
00:21:14 --> 00:21:18 To equip his people for works of service,
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 for works of ministry.
00:21:19 --> 00:21:23 What's the end goal that God has in giving church leaders
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25 to equip his people for works of service and ministry?
00:21:26 --> 00:21:26 Verse 12.
00:21:26 --> 00:21:30 So that the body of Christ may be built up.
00:21:30 --> 00:21:33 And in fact, the word actually means built up and built out.
00:21:35 --> 00:21:37 The whole idea here is
00:21:37 --> 00:21:41 Christ gives leaders to equip the members
00:21:41 --> 00:21:44 for the work of ministry in such a way
00:21:44 --> 00:21:47 that the whole church grows up into maturity,
00:21:47 --> 00:21:50 which is his design for his people.
00:21:51 --> 00:21:53 We all have a ministry.
00:21:53 --> 00:21:59 Church leaders have primarily an equipping ministry
00:21:59 --> 00:22:03 and church members have primarily a doing ministry.
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 And there's obviously crossover there
00:22:04 --> 00:22:06 with some of that stuff.
00:22:07 --> 00:22:10 But we all are called to minister together
00:22:10 --> 00:22:12 to build Christ's church.
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 This is crucial.
00:22:15 --> 00:22:18 Because I think that too many,
00:22:18 --> 00:22:21 in fact, I would suggest that way over 90% of churches
00:22:21 --> 00:22:25 think of ministry in the local church
00:22:25 --> 00:22:29 in the same way that you would think of the manly ferry.
00:22:30 --> 00:22:33 On the ferry, you've got a few staff
00:22:33 --> 00:22:35 who get you from point A to point B.
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 There's that bloke, whoever it is,
00:22:36 --> 00:22:38 up the front driving the whole thing.
00:22:38 --> 00:22:40 And there might be a couple of people there
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 who are checking your tickets
00:22:41 --> 00:22:44 or putting out the ramp
00:22:44 --> 00:22:47 so you can get on without falling in the water.
00:22:47 --> 00:22:49 And there's someone selling you snacks.
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 I mean, who knows?
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 It might even be the same person doing everything.
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 I've got no idea.
00:22:52 --> 00:22:57 And everyone else is sitting there passively in the seats,
00:23:00 --> 00:23:03 working on whatever it is that you're working on
00:23:03 --> 00:23:05 and your phones and taking photos and conversation,
00:23:06 --> 00:23:08 just waiting to get to the destination.
00:23:08 --> 00:23:11 And the people on the boat, the staff,
00:23:11 --> 00:23:13 it's their job to get you to the destination
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 as smoothly as you possibly can,
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 as fast as you can,
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 to get on your own way.
00:23:17 --> 00:23:23 And that is the way so many churches view ministry.
00:23:24 --> 00:23:28 We pay people to do that for us.
00:23:29 --> 00:23:33 And can I say that it's particularly,
00:23:33 --> 00:23:35 and I've talked to ministers all over the place,
00:23:35 --> 00:23:37 it's particularly prevalent
00:23:37 --> 00:23:41 in places like eastern suburbs, North Shore,
00:23:43 --> 00:23:45 where we're used to getting people
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 to pay for everything for us.
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 They cut our grass,
00:23:48 --> 00:23:49 they clean our windows,
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 people do all that.
00:23:50 --> 00:23:52 They walk our dogs for us, for goodness sake.
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 Pay a fortune to get this dog
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 and get someone to walk it for us.
00:23:57 --> 00:24:00 We're used to people paying for all those things
00:24:00 --> 00:24:03 and we treat church in exactly the same way.
00:24:06 --> 00:24:08 The local church ought to be viewed
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 more like a sailing boat,
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 actually a bit more than a sailing boat.
00:24:10 --> 00:24:13 Let's call it one of the yachts
00:24:13 --> 00:24:15 in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
00:24:16 --> 00:24:19 Everyone on board has a job to do.
00:24:20 --> 00:24:22 There's no passengers there,
00:24:22 --> 00:24:24 kind of, you know,
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 I'm just here to take the photos.
00:24:26 --> 00:24:28 You know, that's just,
00:24:28 --> 00:24:29 you know, the guy's not there.
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 You know, you don't have the person
00:24:30 --> 00:24:32 sunbathing at the front, you know,
00:24:32 --> 00:24:34 a couple of days to catch some rays.
00:24:35 --> 00:24:38 Captain's job is to set the course,
00:24:38 --> 00:24:40 to navigate the direction,
00:24:40 --> 00:24:43 to get the crew operating together
00:24:43 --> 00:24:45 and each part doing its work,
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 but making sure that we're doing it together
00:24:46 --> 00:24:48 in order to get to the goal,
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 to get to Hobart.
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 Then you get to Hobart,
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 you go, what am I doing here?
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 We're going to get home again.
00:24:53 --> 00:25:00 All of God's people are called
00:25:00 --> 00:25:02 to a corporate priesthood,
00:25:03 --> 00:25:05 either an equipping ministry
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 or a doing ministry,
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 but doing it together
00:25:07 --> 00:25:10 for a purpose.
00:25:11 --> 00:25:14 So that is what's God's purpose
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 for his growing children.
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17 Second point,
00:25:17 --> 00:25:19 how can we minister on purpose
00:25:19 --> 00:25:19 at St. Paul?
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 So let me say,
00:25:20 --> 00:25:21 first of all,
00:25:21 --> 00:25:23 this is by way of a caveat,
00:25:23 --> 00:25:23 if you like,
00:25:24 --> 00:25:26 you can serve God
00:25:26 --> 00:25:27 both in the church
00:25:27 --> 00:25:28 and in the world.
00:25:28 --> 00:25:28 You can minister
00:25:28 --> 00:25:29 in a whole range of ways
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 through being citizens,
00:25:31 --> 00:25:31 neighbours and friends
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 and colleagues.
00:25:33 --> 00:25:34 And I'm very keen
00:25:34 --> 00:25:34 for us to develop
00:25:34 --> 00:25:36 that concept of
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 frontline ministry
00:25:37 --> 00:25:38 as a church.
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 You can speak to Adrian,
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 our missions minister,
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 about that
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 and we'll touch on it
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 probably next week a bit.
00:25:44 --> 00:25:44 But tonight,
00:25:44 --> 00:25:46 I've got my ministry minister hat.
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 I oversee ministry,
00:25:48 --> 00:25:49 this M for St. Paul's
00:25:49 --> 00:25:51 and I've got that hat on tonight.
00:25:52 --> 00:25:53 And I want to look at
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 what does it look like
00:25:54 --> 00:25:55 for us to work,
00:25:56 --> 00:25:57 to minister on purpose
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58 at St. Paul's
00:25:58 --> 00:25:59 and I want to suggest
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 three ways,
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02 time, talents and treasures.
00:26:02 --> 00:26:03 So firstly,
00:26:03 --> 00:26:03 time.
00:26:05 --> 00:26:06 Easiest way to serve God
00:26:06 --> 00:26:07 with your time
00:26:07 --> 00:26:09 is turn up.
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 This is profound.
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 Turn up.
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 Don't underestimate,
00:26:13 --> 00:26:16 as I said two weeks ago,
00:26:16 --> 00:26:18 don't underestimate
00:26:18 --> 00:26:19 the role you play
00:26:19 --> 00:26:21 by turning up
00:26:21 --> 00:26:23 and just engaging
00:26:23 --> 00:26:24 with another individual.
00:26:25 --> 00:26:26 And especially an individual
00:26:26 --> 00:26:29 who's not necessarily
00:26:29 --> 00:26:30 a close friend
00:26:30 --> 00:26:31 or anything like that.
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 Taking the time to talk,
00:26:34 --> 00:26:35 to encourage,
00:26:35 --> 00:26:35 to listen,
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 to be there.
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 As you speak
00:26:38 --> 00:26:39 the truth in love,
00:26:39 --> 00:26:40 as I said last week
00:26:40 --> 00:26:42 from Ephesians 4.15,
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 speaking the truth
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 in love to each other,
00:26:44 --> 00:26:46 you are ministering,
00:26:46 --> 00:26:48 you are serving
00:26:48 --> 00:26:49 another human being.
00:26:51 --> 00:26:52 Now when we think
00:26:52 --> 00:26:53 of ministry
00:26:53 --> 00:26:54 at a local church,
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 we normally think of it
00:26:55 --> 00:26:57 in the formal sense,
00:26:57 --> 00:26:58 a position.
00:26:58 --> 00:27:00 I'm on a team
00:27:00 --> 00:27:03 and I've got my spot
00:27:03 --> 00:27:04 in the roster.
00:27:06 --> 00:27:07 It is possible
00:27:07 --> 00:27:08 to fulfill your function
00:27:08 --> 00:27:09 in a roster
00:27:09 --> 00:27:11 and yet not do ministry.
00:27:11 --> 00:27:12 I want to make that clear.
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 Because that is
00:27:15 --> 00:27:17 such a small portion
00:27:17 --> 00:27:17 of the ministry
00:27:17 --> 00:27:18 that gets done
00:27:18 --> 00:27:19 in this church.
00:27:20 --> 00:27:20 And it isn't
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 the starting point
00:27:21 --> 00:27:22 of ministry
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 and it's certainly
00:27:23 --> 00:27:23 not the end point
00:27:23 --> 00:27:24 of ministry.
00:27:25 --> 00:27:26 The informal ministry
00:27:26 --> 00:27:27 is what happens
00:27:27 --> 00:27:28 outside of the formal structures
00:27:28 --> 00:27:29 of the gathering
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30 of St. Paul's
00:27:30 --> 00:27:31 and it is extremely important
00:27:31 --> 00:27:32 for service
00:27:32 --> 00:27:32 to one another.
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34 And it takes time.
00:27:35 --> 00:27:36 People take time
00:27:36 --> 00:27:38 and it takes effort.
00:27:39 --> 00:27:40 Ministry doesn't stop
00:27:40 --> 00:27:40 there though.
00:27:41 --> 00:27:41 I don't want you
00:27:41 --> 00:27:42 to just think,
00:27:42 --> 00:27:42 well all you do
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 is turn up.
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 I want to encourage you
00:27:44 --> 00:27:46 to do that
00:27:46 --> 00:27:47 but go beyond that
00:27:47 --> 00:27:48 and in fact
00:27:48 --> 00:27:49 join a ministry team.
00:27:49 --> 00:27:50 Again,
00:27:50 --> 00:27:51 this is going to require
00:27:51 --> 00:27:52 you using
00:27:52 --> 00:27:53 the time
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 that God has given you
00:27:54 --> 00:27:56 to serve Him.
00:27:56 --> 00:27:57 There's preparation
00:27:57 --> 00:27:58 for ministry,
00:27:58 --> 00:27:58 there's coordination
00:27:58 --> 00:27:59 of people,
00:27:59 --> 00:27:59 there's training,
00:28:00 --> 00:28:00 there's all sorts of stuff.
00:28:00 --> 00:28:01 It all takes time.
00:28:02 --> 00:28:02 And what's more,
00:28:03 --> 00:28:04 once you join a team,
00:28:04 --> 00:28:04 you're accountable
00:28:04 --> 00:28:06 for your time
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 to others.
00:28:07 --> 00:28:08 When you are part
00:28:08 --> 00:28:08 of a team
00:28:08 --> 00:28:10 and you don't put
00:28:10 --> 00:28:12 the time in
00:28:12 --> 00:28:13 then others need
00:28:13 --> 00:28:14 to carry that load
00:28:14 --> 00:28:14 for you.
00:28:16 --> 00:28:17 If you're part
00:28:17 --> 00:28:18 of a team,
00:28:19 --> 00:28:21 when you don't
00:28:21 --> 00:28:22 put your effort in,
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 the rest of the team
00:28:24 --> 00:28:24 takes that load.
00:28:25 --> 00:28:25 And that's the case
00:28:25 --> 00:28:26 anywhere.
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 It's work teams,
00:28:27 --> 00:28:28 it's sporting teams,
00:28:29 --> 00:28:29 you know,
00:28:29 --> 00:28:30 all that kind of stuff.
00:28:31 --> 00:28:33 So there might be
00:28:33 --> 00:28:33 an opportunity
00:28:33 --> 00:28:34 as well for you.
00:28:34 --> 00:28:35 There's some very
00:28:35 --> 00:28:36 broad categories.
00:28:36 --> 00:28:36 It might be also
00:28:36 --> 00:28:37 an opportunity,
00:28:37 --> 00:28:37 when I'm thinking
00:28:37 --> 00:28:38 about time,
00:28:39 --> 00:28:40 where for some of you,
00:28:41 --> 00:28:42 because of life
00:28:42 --> 00:28:43 circumstances,
00:28:43 --> 00:28:45 you are able to give
00:28:45 --> 00:28:47 larger chunks of time
00:28:47 --> 00:28:48 to the ministry
00:28:48 --> 00:28:49 of St. Paul's.
00:28:50 --> 00:28:51 In a previous church
00:28:51 --> 00:28:52 that I belonged to,
00:28:53 --> 00:28:54 a teacher
00:28:54 --> 00:28:56 retired
00:28:56 --> 00:28:57 at the normal
00:28:57 --> 00:28:58 retiring age.
00:28:59 --> 00:28:59 He went from his
00:28:59 --> 00:29:01 retirement from a teacher
00:29:01 --> 00:29:02 and spent,
00:29:02 --> 00:29:03 you know,
00:29:03 --> 00:29:04 all of his years
00:29:04 --> 00:29:05 as a teacher.
00:29:05 --> 00:29:06 He went then
00:29:06 --> 00:29:07 and did some training,
00:29:08 --> 00:29:09 got himself ordained
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 as a deacon
00:29:10 --> 00:29:11 in the Anglican church
00:29:11 --> 00:29:13 and now ministers
00:29:13 --> 00:29:14 as,
00:29:15 --> 00:29:16 in an honorary capacity
00:29:16 --> 00:29:18 on staff
00:29:18 --> 00:29:18 in the church
00:29:18 --> 00:29:19 that he'd been a worshiper
00:29:19 --> 00:29:21 in for 40 years.
00:29:22 --> 00:29:23 And he realized
00:29:23 --> 00:29:24 as he was heading
00:29:24 --> 00:29:25 towards retirement,
00:29:25 --> 00:29:29 because our ministry team
00:29:29 --> 00:29:30 is running flat out
00:29:30 --> 00:29:31 doing jobs
00:29:31 --> 00:29:32 that I don't think
00:29:32 --> 00:29:33 that they need to do.
00:29:33 --> 00:29:34 But people expected
00:29:34 --> 00:29:35 to do it
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 because they got
00:29:36 --> 00:29:36 the mentality
00:29:36 --> 00:29:37 that we're the manly fairy.
00:29:38 --> 00:29:38 So he thought
00:29:38 --> 00:29:39 the best thing
00:29:39 --> 00:29:40 that he could do
00:29:40 --> 00:29:42 was to take the load off
00:29:42 --> 00:29:43 by getting himself
00:29:43 --> 00:29:44 trained and ordained.
00:29:45 --> 00:29:45 And therefore,
00:29:45 --> 00:29:46 he could step in
00:29:46 --> 00:29:47 in an honoring capacity
00:29:47 --> 00:29:48 to serve in the church.
00:29:50 --> 00:29:51 So don't buy into
00:29:51 --> 00:29:53 our society's values
00:29:53 --> 00:29:54 that when you retire,
00:29:54 --> 00:29:55 the whole goal of life
00:29:55 --> 00:29:56 is to get to retirement
00:29:56 --> 00:29:58 with a secure nest egg
00:29:58 --> 00:29:59 so that I can spend
00:29:59 --> 00:30:00 the rest of my days
00:30:00 --> 00:30:02 in self-indulgent ease.
00:30:03 --> 00:30:05 That's not a retirement plan.
00:30:05 --> 00:30:06 That's shooting yourself
00:30:06 --> 00:30:07 in the foot.
00:30:10 --> 00:30:11 We ought to be
00:30:11 --> 00:30:13 congratulating,
00:30:13 --> 00:30:15 in my view,
00:30:15 --> 00:30:16 and celebrating
00:30:16 --> 00:30:17 the fact that,
00:30:18 --> 00:30:19 for instance,
00:30:19 --> 00:30:20 Debbie Gould,
00:30:20 --> 00:30:22 our membership minister,
00:30:22 --> 00:30:23 she's one of our
00:30:23 --> 00:30:23 purpose pastors,
00:30:23 --> 00:30:24 one of the five
00:30:24 --> 00:30:26 pastors,
00:30:26 --> 00:30:27 leaders of
00:30:27 --> 00:30:29 our leadership team,
00:30:30 --> 00:30:31 has been ministering
00:30:31 --> 00:30:31 at St. Paul's
00:30:31 --> 00:30:33 three to five days a week
00:30:33 --> 00:30:35 for more than 20 years,
00:30:36 --> 00:30:38 longer than I've been ordained,
00:30:39 --> 00:30:40 as a volunteer.
00:30:46 --> 00:30:47 Okay, now,
00:30:47 --> 00:30:47 let me just,
00:30:47 --> 00:30:49 I do think,
00:30:49 --> 00:30:50 when I said we should
00:30:50 --> 00:30:51 celebrate that,
00:30:51 --> 00:30:52 I didn't mean a pause
00:30:52 --> 00:30:54 and,
00:30:56 --> 00:30:56 okay,
00:30:56 --> 00:30:57 let me just say it again,
00:30:57 --> 00:30:58 I think we should celebrate that.
00:31:06 --> 00:31:06 Okay,
00:31:06 --> 00:31:07 so that took twice,
00:31:07 --> 00:31:08 it took four times for me
00:31:08 --> 00:31:09 to say it this morning,
00:31:09 --> 00:31:10 twice tonight,
00:31:10 --> 00:31:11 so that's good.
00:31:11 --> 00:31:12 That's an improvement.
00:31:12 --> 00:31:14 That,
00:31:14 --> 00:31:15 that I don't think
00:31:15 --> 00:31:15 means that we
00:31:15 --> 00:31:16 undervalue you,
00:31:16 --> 00:31:16 Debbie,
00:31:17 --> 00:31:17 I don't think that was
00:31:17 --> 00:31:18 what I mean.
00:31:18 --> 00:31:19 Andrew Smith has been
00:31:19 --> 00:31:20 giving at least
00:31:20 --> 00:31:21 two days a week
00:31:21 --> 00:31:23 for four to five years
00:31:23 --> 00:31:24 or so
00:31:24 --> 00:31:25 at St. Paul's,
00:31:25 --> 00:31:26 doing a whole range
00:31:26 --> 00:31:26 of things.
00:31:26 --> 00:31:37 And there are others
00:31:37 --> 00:31:38 who contribute
00:31:38 --> 00:31:40 in a whole range
00:31:40 --> 00:31:41 of other ways
00:31:41 --> 00:31:41 in volunteer.
00:31:42 --> 00:31:42 We've had,
00:31:42 --> 00:31:43 one of the joys,
00:31:43 --> 00:31:44 I think,
00:31:44 --> 00:31:44 we've had a number
00:31:44 --> 00:31:45 of young people
00:31:45 --> 00:31:46 who have come through
00:31:46 --> 00:31:47 over the years,
00:31:48 --> 00:31:49 the 10 years I've been here,
00:31:49 --> 00:31:49 have given,
00:31:49 --> 00:31:50 you know,
00:31:50 --> 00:31:50 one or two,
00:31:50 --> 00:31:51 three days a week
00:31:51 --> 00:31:52 for a year
00:31:52 --> 00:31:54 as a sort of a gap year
00:31:54 --> 00:31:55 and stuff like that
00:31:55 --> 00:31:56 and which has just been
00:31:56 --> 00:31:58 amazing to have
00:31:58 --> 00:31:59 those opportunities.
00:31:59 --> 00:32:01 We get more done
00:32:01 --> 00:32:01 in those times
00:32:01 --> 00:32:03 and ministry progresses
00:32:03 --> 00:32:04 remarkably
00:32:04 --> 00:32:04 when those things
00:32:04 --> 00:32:05 are happening.
00:32:05 --> 00:32:06 So that's the first thing,
00:32:06 --> 00:32:07 with your time,
00:32:07 --> 00:32:08 give of your time.
00:32:09 --> 00:32:09 Secondly,
00:32:09 --> 00:32:10 talents.
00:32:10 --> 00:32:10 The Bible uses
00:32:10 --> 00:32:12 the language of gifts here
00:32:12 --> 00:32:14 when it talks about this,
00:32:14 --> 00:32:15 1 Corinthians 12,
00:32:15 --> 00:32:16 four to seven.
00:32:17 --> 00:32:18 There are different kinds
00:32:18 --> 00:32:18 of gifts
00:32:18 --> 00:32:19 but the same spirit
00:32:19 --> 00:32:20 distributes them.
00:32:21 --> 00:32:21 There are different kinds
00:32:21 --> 00:32:22 of service
00:32:22 --> 00:32:23 but the same Lord.
00:32:23 --> 00:32:23 There are different kinds
00:32:23 --> 00:32:24 of working
00:32:24 --> 00:32:25 but in all of them
00:32:25 --> 00:32:26 and in everyone
00:32:26 --> 00:32:27 it is the same God
00:32:27 --> 00:32:27 at work.
00:32:28 --> 00:32:29 Now to each one
00:32:29 --> 00:32:30 the manifestation
00:32:30 --> 00:32:30 of the spirit
00:32:30 --> 00:32:31 is given
00:32:31 --> 00:32:32 for the common good.
00:32:32 --> 00:32:33 So every Christian,
00:32:34 --> 00:32:35 that's what the each one
00:32:35 --> 00:32:36 is referring to
00:32:36 --> 00:32:37 in verse seven,
00:32:37 --> 00:32:39 receives spiritual gifts.
00:32:40 --> 00:32:41 Spiritual gift
00:32:41 --> 00:32:43 is an ability.
00:32:43 --> 00:32:44 Verse six calls it
00:32:44 --> 00:32:45 a working
00:32:45 --> 00:32:47 or it could also be
00:32:47 --> 00:32:48 called a power.
00:32:49 --> 00:32:51 And this ability,
00:32:51 --> 00:32:51 this working,
00:32:51 --> 00:32:52 this power
00:32:52 --> 00:32:54 comes to us
00:32:54 --> 00:32:54 comes to us
00:32:54 --> 00:32:55 as a free gift
00:32:55 --> 00:32:57 from God.
00:32:57 --> 00:32:58 They are gifts
00:32:58 --> 00:33:00 from the spirit of God
00:33:00 --> 00:33:02 according to verse four.
00:33:02 --> 00:33:03 They are given
00:33:03 --> 00:33:04 to every Christian
00:33:04 --> 00:33:05 for the purpose
00:33:05 --> 00:33:06 of ministering
00:33:06 --> 00:33:07 to the needs
00:33:07 --> 00:33:08 of others.
00:33:08 --> 00:33:09 Verse five
00:33:09 --> 00:33:11 calls it service.
00:33:12 --> 00:33:13 And this service
00:33:13 --> 00:33:15 is for the building up
00:33:15 --> 00:33:17 of the Christian community
00:33:17 --> 00:33:18 both in its size
00:33:18 --> 00:33:18 and depth
00:33:18 --> 00:33:19 because verse seven
00:33:19 --> 00:33:20 calls that
00:33:20 --> 00:33:21 for the common good
00:33:21 --> 00:33:23 of the church.
00:33:24 --> 00:33:25 So the bottom line
00:33:25 --> 00:33:26 is that every Christian
00:33:26 --> 00:33:28 is in ministry
00:33:28 --> 00:33:29 through the church
00:33:29 --> 00:33:31 and if you're a Christian
00:33:31 --> 00:33:31 you've been gifted
00:33:31 --> 00:33:33 by God
00:33:33 --> 00:33:34 for that end.
00:33:36 --> 00:33:37 No one,
00:33:38 --> 00:33:38 no Christian
00:33:38 --> 00:33:41 is ever
00:33:41 --> 00:33:43 merely a consumer
00:33:43 --> 00:33:44 of the services
00:33:44 --> 00:33:45 of others.
00:33:45 --> 00:33:46 They are also
00:33:46 --> 00:33:47 distributor
00:33:47 --> 00:33:48 of services
00:33:48 --> 00:33:48 to others.
00:33:49 --> 00:33:52 Now,
00:33:53 --> 00:33:54 1 Corinthians 12
00:33:54 --> 00:33:54 tells us
00:33:54 --> 00:33:55 how the gifts
00:33:55 --> 00:33:56 are distributed
00:33:56 --> 00:33:57 in the church
00:33:57 --> 00:33:58 and the answer
00:33:58 --> 00:33:59 is diversely.
00:34:00 --> 00:34:00 Note the
00:34:00 --> 00:34:02 repeated use
00:34:02 --> 00:34:02 of the word
00:34:02 --> 00:34:02 different
00:34:02 --> 00:34:03 in these verses.
00:34:04 --> 00:34:05 Firstly,
00:34:05 --> 00:34:06 there are
00:34:06 --> 00:34:06 a variety
00:34:06 --> 00:34:07 of individual gifts.
00:34:08 --> 00:34:09 Some have
00:34:09 --> 00:34:11 put the diversity
00:34:11 --> 00:34:11 of gifts
00:34:11 --> 00:34:13 into three broad categories
00:34:13 --> 00:34:14 the prophetic gifts,
00:34:14 --> 00:34:14 the priestly gifts
00:34:14 --> 00:34:15 and the kingly gifts.
00:34:16 --> 00:34:16 Prophetic gifts
00:34:16 --> 00:34:17 are gifts
00:34:17 --> 00:34:18 and abilities
00:34:18 --> 00:34:20 based on understanding
00:34:20 --> 00:34:20 and articulating
00:34:20 --> 00:34:22 biblical truth.
00:34:22 --> 00:34:23 They are gifts
00:34:23 --> 00:34:24 that represent God
00:34:24 --> 00:34:24 to others
00:34:24 --> 00:34:25 that are marked
00:34:25 --> 00:34:25 by things like
00:34:25 --> 00:34:26 boldness and clarity,
00:34:27 --> 00:34:27 evangelism,
00:34:28 --> 00:34:28 teaching,
00:34:28 --> 00:34:29 speaking,
00:34:29 --> 00:34:29 discernment,
00:34:29 --> 00:34:30 prophecy.
00:34:30 --> 00:34:31 Priestly gifts
00:34:31 --> 00:34:32 are abilities
00:34:32 --> 00:34:34 based on understanding
00:34:34 --> 00:34:36 and supplying
00:34:36 --> 00:34:37 basic needs
00:34:37 --> 00:34:37 for people.
00:34:38 --> 00:34:39 They represent
00:34:39 --> 00:34:40 others to God
00:34:40 --> 00:34:42 and the world
00:34:42 --> 00:34:43 and are marked
00:34:43 --> 00:34:44 by things like
00:34:44 --> 00:34:44 sympathy
00:34:44 --> 00:34:46 and sacrifice
00:34:46 --> 00:34:47 and care,
00:34:47 --> 00:34:47 encouragement,
00:34:48 --> 00:34:48 helping,
00:34:48 --> 00:34:49 pastoring,
00:34:49 --> 00:34:49 mercy,
00:34:49 --> 00:34:50 that kind of stuff.
00:34:50 --> 00:34:51 Kingly gifts
00:34:51 --> 00:34:52 are abilities
00:34:52 --> 00:34:54 based on understanding
00:34:54 --> 00:34:56 and direction
00:34:56 --> 00:34:58 and people groups
00:34:58 --> 00:34:59 as a whole,
00:34:59 --> 00:35:00 what they need
00:35:00 --> 00:35:01 as a group
00:35:01 --> 00:35:01 as a whole.
00:35:01 --> 00:35:03 they represent
00:35:03 --> 00:35:05 Christ's vision
00:35:05 --> 00:35:07 to others
00:35:07 --> 00:35:08 and these gifts
00:35:08 --> 00:35:09 are generally marked
00:35:09 --> 00:35:10 by things like
00:35:10 --> 00:35:10 wisdom,
00:35:10 --> 00:35:11 practicality,
00:35:11 --> 00:35:11 leadership.
00:35:12 --> 00:35:14 Often you look
00:35:14 --> 00:35:14 at the apostles,
00:35:15 --> 00:35:16 founders of ministries,
00:35:16 --> 00:35:17 leadership,
00:35:18 --> 00:35:19 administration,
00:35:20 --> 00:35:21 wisdom,
00:35:21 --> 00:35:21 faith,
00:35:21 --> 00:35:22 courage,
00:35:22 --> 00:35:22 that kind of stuff.
00:35:23 --> 00:35:24 That's how
00:35:24 --> 00:35:26 the gifts are distributed,
00:35:26 --> 00:35:27 all kinds of different gifts
00:35:27 --> 00:35:30 and no individual
00:35:30 --> 00:35:32 has all of those gifts.
00:35:33 --> 00:35:35 As much as we might like it,
00:35:35 --> 00:35:37 no one has all of those gifts
00:35:37 --> 00:35:39 and you tend to have
00:35:39 --> 00:35:40 one area
00:35:40 --> 00:35:41 that you're really strong at,
00:35:42 --> 00:35:43 maybe two areas
00:35:43 --> 00:35:44 that you're fairly strong at
00:35:44 --> 00:35:46 but you'll never have
00:35:46 --> 00:35:46 three areas
00:35:46 --> 00:35:47 that you are
00:35:47 --> 00:35:48 supremely strong at
00:35:48 --> 00:35:49 where your passions
00:35:49 --> 00:35:51 are for all three areas.
00:35:51 --> 00:35:52 You might be able
00:35:52 --> 00:35:53 to function in all of them
00:35:53 --> 00:35:55 but one or two of them
00:35:55 --> 00:35:56 will dominate.
00:35:57 --> 00:35:58 Secondly,
00:35:58 --> 00:35:59 there are different kinds
00:35:59 --> 00:36:00 of service in verse 5
00:36:00 --> 00:36:01 which means our gifts
00:36:01 --> 00:36:02 are better suited
00:36:02 --> 00:36:03 to some places
00:36:03 --> 00:36:04 and context
00:36:04 --> 00:36:05 over others.
00:36:05 --> 00:36:06 Some work better
00:36:06 --> 00:36:07 with children
00:36:07 --> 00:36:08 than adults.
00:36:08 --> 00:36:10 Some prefer
00:36:10 --> 00:36:10 a small setting
00:36:10 --> 00:36:11 rather than a large setting.
00:36:12 --> 00:36:13 Some work with
00:36:13 --> 00:36:14 blue collar
00:36:14 --> 00:36:14 and some can work
00:36:14 --> 00:36:15 with white collar better,
00:36:15 --> 00:36:16 that sort of stuff.
00:36:16 --> 00:36:17 Thirdly,
00:36:18 --> 00:36:19 there are different kinds
00:36:19 --> 00:36:19 of working
00:36:19 --> 00:36:21 in verse 6
00:36:21 --> 00:36:23 which most likely
00:36:23 --> 00:36:24 means there are
00:36:24 --> 00:36:25 different levels
00:36:25 --> 00:36:25 of capacity.
00:36:25 --> 00:36:28 every Christian
00:36:28 --> 00:36:29 has an almost
00:36:29 --> 00:36:31 unique collection
00:36:31 --> 00:36:32 of gifts
00:36:32 --> 00:36:34 and on top of this
00:36:34 --> 00:36:34 there are different
00:36:34 --> 00:36:36 seasons in our lives
00:36:36 --> 00:36:38 where the context
00:36:38 --> 00:36:38 where those gifts
00:36:38 --> 00:36:39 are called out
00:36:39 --> 00:36:40 in us
00:36:40 --> 00:36:41 are called out
00:36:41 --> 00:36:42 in us
00:36:42 --> 00:36:43 in different ways.
00:36:45 --> 00:36:46 When you put it
00:36:46 --> 00:36:46 all together
00:36:46 --> 00:36:47 it may be
00:36:47 --> 00:36:49 that each Christian
00:36:49 --> 00:36:50 has a personal
00:36:50 --> 00:36:51 gift setting
00:36:51 --> 00:36:52 which is totally
00:36:52 --> 00:36:53 unique to them
00:36:53 --> 00:36:53 in a way that
00:36:53 --> 00:36:54 even a thumbprint
00:36:54 --> 00:36:55 might be unique.
00:36:57 --> 00:36:58 The implication
00:36:58 --> 00:36:58 of that is
00:36:58 --> 00:36:59 that there is
00:36:59 --> 00:36:59 ministry
00:36:59 --> 00:37:01 that most likely
00:37:01 --> 00:37:02 only you can do.
00:37:04 --> 00:37:05 Spiritual gifts
00:37:05 --> 00:37:05 fit you
00:37:05 --> 00:37:06 for the mission
00:37:06 --> 00:37:06 in life
00:37:06 --> 00:37:07 that God
00:37:07 --> 00:37:08 has given you
00:37:08 --> 00:37:08 wherever
00:37:08 --> 00:37:10 he has placed you.
00:37:11 --> 00:37:12 So how do we
00:37:12 --> 00:37:12 discover the
00:37:12 --> 00:37:13 spiritual gifts?
00:37:14 --> 00:37:15 Let me just
00:37:15 --> 00:37:16 clarify this point
00:37:16 --> 00:37:17 really clearly.
00:37:17 --> 00:37:18 I think I need
00:37:18 --> 00:37:18 to make this.
00:37:19 --> 00:37:19 It is interesting
00:37:19 --> 00:37:21 that there is
00:37:21 --> 00:37:22 virtually nothing
00:37:22 --> 00:37:23 in the Bible
00:37:23 --> 00:37:24 at all
00:37:24 --> 00:37:24 about how to
00:37:24 --> 00:37:25 discover spiritual
00:37:25 --> 00:37:26 gifts.
00:37:27 --> 00:37:29 Virtually nothing.
00:37:29 --> 00:37:30 Very, very little.
00:37:31 --> 00:37:33 Which means
00:37:33 --> 00:37:34 there is a problem
00:37:34 --> 00:37:36 with every single
00:37:36 --> 00:37:37 prescribed process
00:37:37 --> 00:37:38 that you'll pull
00:37:38 --> 00:37:39 off a book
00:37:39 --> 00:37:39 in Kurong
00:37:39 --> 00:37:40 or whatever
00:37:40 --> 00:37:41 off the shelves
00:37:41 --> 00:37:41 in Kurong
00:37:41 --> 00:37:41 and say
00:37:41 --> 00:37:42 here's how you
00:37:42 --> 00:37:42 discover your
00:37:42 --> 00:37:43 spiritual gifts.
00:37:44 --> 00:37:45 There's a problem
00:37:45 --> 00:37:46 with every single
00:37:46 --> 00:37:47 process.
00:37:47 --> 00:37:49 There are at
00:37:49 --> 00:37:50 least three
00:37:50 --> 00:37:51 factors that
00:37:51 --> 00:37:52 seem to come
00:37:52 --> 00:37:52 together in
00:37:52 --> 00:37:53 discovering gifts.
00:37:54 --> 00:37:55 Affinity,
00:37:55 --> 00:37:56 ability and
00:37:56 --> 00:37:56 opportunity.
00:37:59 --> 00:38:00 There is
00:38:00 --> 00:38:02 pretty much
00:38:02 --> 00:38:03 this is pretty
00:38:03 --> 00:38:04 much the process
00:38:04 --> 00:38:04 we go through
00:38:04 --> 00:38:05 I think in
00:38:05 --> 00:38:06 all of our
00:38:06 --> 00:38:06 major decisions
00:38:06 --> 00:38:07 in life.
00:38:07 --> 00:38:08 Finding jobs
00:38:08 --> 00:38:09 and every other
00:38:09 --> 00:38:09 major decision.
00:38:10 --> 00:38:10 Affinity,
00:38:10 --> 00:38:11 ability,
00:38:11 --> 00:38:11 opportunity.
00:38:12 --> 00:38:12 Affinity,
00:38:12 --> 00:38:13 what human
00:38:13 --> 00:38:13 needs do I
00:38:13 --> 00:38:15 vibrate towards?
00:38:15 --> 00:38:16 What interests
00:38:16 --> 00:38:16 me?
00:38:17 --> 00:38:17 What are my
00:38:17 --> 00:38:17 passions?
00:38:18 --> 00:38:19 Ability,
00:38:19 --> 00:38:19 what am I
00:38:19 --> 00:38:20 good at?
00:38:20 --> 00:38:20 What do
00:38:20 --> 00:38:21 people say
00:38:21 --> 00:38:21 I'm effective
00:38:21 --> 00:38:22 in?
00:38:23 --> 00:38:23 Opportunity,
00:38:24 --> 00:38:24 what doors
00:38:24 --> 00:38:25 of service
00:38:25 --> 00:38:25 are open,
00:38:26 --> 00:38:26 what needs
00:38:26 --> 00:38:27 to be done?
00:38:28 --> 00:38:29 They're the
00:38:29 --> 00:38:29 three of them,
00:38:29 --> 00:38:30 affinity,
00:38:30 --> 00:38:30 ability,
00:38:31 --> 00:38:31 opportunity.
00:38:33 --> 00:38:33 When I first
00:38:33 --> 00:38:34 got involved
00:38:34 --> 00:38:34 in ministry
00:38:34 --> 00:38:35 there was
00:38:35 --> 00:38:36 opportunities
00:38:36 --> 00:38:37 and it
00:38:37 --> 00:38:38 connected
00:38:38 --> 00:38:39 with ability.
00:38:40 --> 00:38:40 Steve,
00:38:40 --> 00:38:41 that pew
00:38:41 --> 00:38:41 needs to be
00:38:41 --> 00:38:42 fixed.
00:38:42 --> 00:38:42 We need
00:38:42 --> 00:38:43 people sitting
00:38:43 --> 00:38:43 on these
00:38:43 --> 00:38:44 seats on
00:38:44 --> 00:38:44 Sunday
00:38:44 --> 00:38:45 and they
00:38:45 --> 00:38:45 need to be
00:38:45 --> 00:38:46 fixed.
00:38:46 --> 00:38:46 I can do
00:38:46 --> 00:38:47 that.
00:38:47 --> 00:38:47 That's
00:38:47 --> 00:38:48 connecting
00:38:48 --> 00:38:48 with an
00:38:48 --> 00:38:48 ability
00:38:48 --> 00:38:49 that I
00:38:49 --> 00:38:49 had.
00:38:50 --> 00:38:50 Steve,
00:38:51 --> 00:38:53 after several
00:38:53 --> 00:38:54 months,
00:38:54 --> 00:38:55 today,
00:38:55 --> 00:38:56 pews are all
00:38:56 --> 00:38:56 fixed,
00:38:56 --> 00:38:56 grass is cut,
00:38:56 --> 00:38:57 we're going to
00:38:57 --> 00:38:57 go visit the
00:38:57 --> 00:38:58 hospital.
00:38:58 --> 00:38:58 Dunk,
00:38:59 --> 00:38:59 dong.
00:39:00 --> 00:39:01 That's not
00:39:01 --> 00:39:02 something that I'm
00:39:02 --> 00:39:03 have an ability
00:39:03 --> 00:39:03 at.
00:39:04 --> 00:39:05 Affinity,
00:39:05 --> 00:39:06 I think so,
00:39:06 --> 00:39:07 but there's an
00:39:07 --> 00:39:07 opportunity there,
00:39:07 --> 00:39:08 so let's have a
00:39:08 --> 00:39:08 crack.
00:39:08 --> 00:39:09 So what I
00:39:09 --> 00:39:10 would suggest
00:39:10 --> 00:39:10 is the
00:39:10 --> 00:39:11 place to
00:39:11 --> 00:39:11 start is
00:39:11 --> 00:39:12 opportunity.
00:39:13 --> 00:39:14 Find the
00:39:14 --> 00:39:15 ministries in
00:39:15 --> 00:39:16 the church
00:39:16 --> 00:39:16 that need to
00:39:16 --> 00:39:17 be done
00:39:17 --> 00:39:17 and just
00:39:17 --> 00:39:18 do them.
00:39:18 --> 00:39:19 Just
00:39:19 --> 00:39:19 serve.
00:39:21 --> 00:39:21 Don't ask,
00:39:22 --> 00:39:22 first of all,
00:39:22 --> 00:39:23 whether it
00:39:23 --> 00:39:23 fulfills you.
00:39:24 --> 00:39:24 When,
00:39:24 --> 00:39:25 after we've
00:39:25 --> 00:39:25 had a
00:39:25 --> 00:39:26 supper out
00:39:26 --> 00:39:27 there and
00:39:27 --> 00:39:28 there's
00:39:28 --> 00:39:29 crumbs all
00:39:29 --> 00:39:29 over the
00:39:29 --> 00:39:30 floor,
00:39:30 --> 00:39:31 don't ask,
00:39:31 --> 00:39:31 will I be
00:39:31 --> 00:39:32 fulfilled if I
00:39:32 --> 00:39:33 vacuum the
00:39:33 --> 00:39:34 floor tonight?
00:39:34 --> 00:39:36 I'm not
00:39:36 --> 00:39:37 naturally
00:39:37 --> 00:39:38 vibrating across
00:39:38 --> 00:39:39 here in this
00:39:39 --> 00:39:39 direction.
00:39:41 --> 00:39:42 Just do
00:39:42 --> 00:39:43 it.
00:39:44 --> 00:39:45 There's an
00:39:45 --> 00:39:46 opportunity to
00:39:46 --> 00:39:47 serve,
00:39:47 --> 00:39:48 just do it.
00:39:48 --> 00:39:48 And if you
00:39:48 --> 00:39:49 need to know
00:39:49 --> 00:39:50 how to work
00:39:50 --> 00:39:51 a vacuum
00:39:51 --> 00:39:51 cleaner,
00:39:52 --> 00:39:53 I'll
00:39:53 --> 00:39:54 willingly show
00:39:54 --> 00:39:55 you how to
00:39:55 --> 00:39:55 do that.
00:39:58 --> 00:39:59 We've already
00:39:59 --> 00:40:00 been told
00:40:00 --> 00:40:00 tonight,
00:40:00 --> 00:40:00 there's a
00:40:00 --> 00:40:01 working bee
00:40:01 --> 00:40:01 next Saturday.
00:40:02 --> 00:40:03 Just be
00:40:03 --> 00:40:03 here.
00:40:03 --> 00:40:04 turn up,
00:40:05 --> 00:40:05 be involved
00:40:05 --> 00:40:06 in the
00:40:06 --> 00:40:07 working bee.
00:40:07 --> 00:40:08 For those
00:40:08 --> 00:40:09 of you who
00:40:09 --> 00:40:10 have certain
00:40:10 --> 00:40:11 affinities and
00:40:11 --> 00:40:11 abilities,
00:40:12 --> 00:40:14 there's an
00:40:14 --> 00:40:15 opportunity right
00:40:15 --> 00:40:16 now to be the
00:40:16 --> 00:40:16 treasurer of
00:40:16 --> 00:40:17 St. Paul's.
00:40:19 --> 00:40:20 We're looking
00:40:20 --> 00:40:21 for a treasurer
00:40:21 --> 00:40:21 right now.
00:40:23 --> 00:40:24 Talk to
00:40:24 --> 00:40:25 Andrew Smith
00:40:25 --> 00:40:26 who's our
00:40:26 --> 00:40:28 acting
00:40:28 --> 00:40:29 treasurer
00:40:29 --> 00:40:30 right now.
00:40:31 --> 00:40:31 Okay,
00:40:32 --> 00:40:32 having seen
00:40:32 --> 00:40:32 all about
00:40:32 --> 00:40:33 that,
00:40:33 --> 00:40:34 there is a
00:40:34 --> 00:40:34 distinction.
00:40:34 --> 00:40:35 The last bit
00:40:35 --> 00:40:35 about talents
00:40:35 --> 00:40:35 is the
00:40:35 --> 00:40:36 distinction
00:40:36 --> 00:40:36 between gifts
00:40:36 --> 00:40:37 and fruit.
00:40:37 --> 00:40:38 Spiritual
00:40:38 --> 00:40:38 gifts is
00:40:38 --> 00:40:39 something we
00:40:39 --> 00:40:39 do.
00:40:39 --> 00:40:40 Spiritual
00:40:40 --> 00:40:41 fruit is
00:40:41 --> 00:40:41 something that
00:40:41 --> 00:40:42 we are.
00:40:43 --> 00:40:43 No one
00:40:43 --> 00:40:44 but Jesus
00:40:44 --> 00:40:45 has all
00:40:45 --> 00:40:45 the spiritual
00:40:45 --> 00:40:46 gifts.
00:40:47 --> 00:40:47 But every
00:40:47 --> 00:40:48 Christian is
00:40:48 --> 00:40:49 to have all
00:40:49 --> 00:40:50 of the
00:40:50 --> 00:40:50 spiritual
00:40:50 --> 00:40:51 fruit.
00:40:52 --> 00:40:53 And the
00:40:53 --> 00:40:53 list is there
00:40:53 --> 00:40:54 in Galatians
00:40:54 --> 00:40:55 5, 22
00:40:55 --> 00:40:55 to 23.
00:40:55 --> 00:40:56 The fruit of
00:40:56 --> 00:40:56 the spirit
00:40:56 --> 00:40:57 is love,
00:40:57 --> 00:40:57 joy,
00:40:57 --> 00:40:57 peace,
00:40:58 --> 00:40:58 forbearance,
00:40:59 --> 00:40:59 kindness,
00:40:59 --> 00:40:59 goodness,
00:40:59 --> 00:41:00 faithfulness,
00:41:00 --> 00:41:00 gentleness,
00:41:00 --> 00:41:01 and self
00:41:01 --> 00:41:02 control.
00:41:03 --> 00:41:03 Spiritual
00:41:03 --> 00:41:04 gifts
00:41:04 --> 00:41:06 can often
00:41:06 --> 00:41:07 be honoured
00:41:07 --> 00:41:08 ahead of
00:41:08 --> 00:41:10 spiritual fruit
00:41:10 --> 00:41:11 or even
00:41:11 --> 00:41:12 be mistaken
00:41:12 --> 00:41:12 for it.
00:41:12 --> 00:41:13 There's a
00:41:13 --> 00:41:13 reason for
00:41:13 --> 00:41:14 that because
00:41:14 --> 00:41:15 in our
00:41:15 --> 00:41:17 Western culture
00:41:17 --> 00:41:18 we value
00:41:18 --> 00:41:19 production.
00:41:20 --> 00:41:21 We value
00:41:21 --> 00:41:22 getting things
00:41:22 --> 00:41:22 done,
00:41:22 --> 00:41:23 the task
00:41:23 --> 00:41:24 resolved.
00:41:24 --> 00:41:24 And so
00:41:24 --> 00:41:25 when we
00:41:25 --> 00:41:25 see people
00:41:25 --> 00:41:26 doing tasks
00:41:26 --> 00:41:27 and resolving
00:41:27 --> 00:41:27 them well
00:41:27 --> 00:41:28 with skill,
00:41:28 --> 00:41:29 we just
00:41:29 --> 00:41:31 assume that
00:41:31 --> 00:41:31 is a higher
00:41:31 --> 00:41:32 order for
00:41:32 --> 00:41:33 us than
00:41:33 --> 00:41:34 the character
00:41:34 --> 00:41:34 of the person
00:41:34 --> 00:41:35 doing it
00:41:35 --> 00:41:36 in our
00:41:36 --> 00:41:36 culture.
00:41:38 --> 00:41:39 Spiritual
00:41:39 --> 00:41:40 gifts can
00:41:40 --> 00:41:41 often be
00:41:41 --> 00:41:42 honoured ahead
00:41:42 --> 00:41:42 of spiritual
00:41:42 --> 00:41:43 fruit or even
00:41:43 --> 00:41:44 be mistaken
00:41:44 --> 00:41:45 for them.
00:41:46 --> 00:41:46 And it
00:41:46 --> 00:41:48 shocks us
00:41:48 --> 00:41:48 to realise
00:41:48 --> 00:41:49 in the
00:41:49 --> 00:41:49 spiritual
00:41:49 --> 00:41:50 realm that
00:41:50 --> 00:41:51 it's possible
00:41:51 --> 00:41:52 to touch
00:41:52 --> 00:41:53 the lives
00:41:53 --> 00:41:54 of individuals
00:41:54 --> 00:41:55 even masses
00:41:55 --> 00:41:55 of people
00:41:55 --> 00:41:57 with a
00:41:57 --> 00:41:58 spiritual
00:41:58 --> 00:41:58 gift
00:41:58 --> 00:42:00 while at
00:42:00 --> 00:42:00 the same
00:42:00 --> 00:42:02 time your
00:42:02 --> 00:42:03 own spiritual
00:42:03 --> 00:42:04 life is in
00:42:04 --> 00:42:04 a downward
00:42:04 --> 00:42:05 free fall.
00:42:06 --> 00:42:06 That's
00:42:06 --> 00:42:07 possible.
00:42:08 --> 00:42:10 In fact,
00:42:10 --> 00:42:11 Matthew 7,
00:42:11 --> 00:42:12 in Matthew
00:42:12 --> 00:42:13 7 there are
00:42:13 --> 00:42:14 unregenerate
00:42:14 --> 00:42:16 people exercising
00:42:16 --> 00:42:17 gifts for the
00:42:17 --> 00:42:18 benefits of
00:42:18 --> 00:42:18 others.
00:42:18 --> 00:42:23 you can
00:42:23 --> 00:42:24 lead a
00:42:24 --> 00:42:25 crusade
00:42:25 --> 00:42:26 and see
00:42:26 --> 00:42:26 people
00:42:26 --> 00:42:27 converted
00:42:27 --> 00:42:29 but at
00:42:29 --> 00:42:30 the same
00:42:30 --> 00:42:30 time be on
00:42:30 --> 00:42:31 the way to
00:42:31 --> 00:42:31 hell yourself.
00:42:33 --> 00:42:34 That's
00:42:34 --> 00:42:34 possible.
00:42:39 --> 00:42:40 If God
00:42:40 --> 00:42:41 can use a
00:42:41 --> 00:42:41 donkey
00:42:41 --> 00:42:42 to bring
00:42:42 --> 00:42:42 about his
00:42:42 --> 00:42:43 purposes,
00:42:44 --> 00:42:44 he can use a
00:42:44 --> 00:42:45 non-Christian
00:42:45 --> 00:42:46 to bring about
00:42:46 --> 00:42:46 the conversion
00:42:46 --> 00:42:47 of Christians.
00:42:47 --> 00:42:50 don't ever
00:42:50 --> 00:42:52 use the
00:42:52 --> 00:42:53 success that
00:42:53 --> 00:42:54 you have in
00:42:54 --> 00:42:55 ministry in
00:42:55 --> 00:42:56 any way as
00:42:56 --> 00:42:57 the gauge of
00:42:57 --> 00:42:58 where you're
00:42:58 --> 00:42:58 walking with
00:42:58 --> 00:42:59 Christ in
00:42:59 --> 00:42:59 that moment.
00:43:00 --> 00:43:01 Don't ever
00:43:01 --> 00:43:01 be confused.
00:43:03 --> 00:43:04 Our church
00:43:04 --> 00:43:05 needs people who
00:43:05 --> 00:43:06 clearly demonstrate
00:43:06 --> 00:43:07 both the fruits
00:43:07 --> 00:43:08 and the gifts of
00:43:08 --> 00:43:08 the Spirit,
00:43:09 --> 00:43:10 which is why our
00:43:10 --> 00:43:11 discipleship pathway,
00:43:11 --> 00:43:12 growing up to be
00:43:12 --> 00:43:13 like Jesus,
00:43:14 --> 00:43:15 sits right beside
00:43:15 --> 00:43:16 our ministry
00:43:16 --> 00:43:16 pathway,
00:43:17 --> 00:43:17 growing up in
00:43:17 --> 00:43:19 my responsibility
00:43:19 --> 00:43:19 and my
00:43:19 --> 00:43:20 leadership.
00:43:22 --> 00:43:22 So the
00:43:22 --> 00:43:23 third and
00:43:23 --> 00:43:23 final way we
00:43:23 --> 00:43:24 can serve
00:43:24 --> 00:43:24 God in
00:43:24 --> 00:43:25 this world
00:43:25 --> 00:43:25 is with
00:43:25 --> 00:43:26 our
00:43:26 --> 00:43:26 treasure.
00:43:27 --> 00:43:27 And I'll
00:43:27 --> 00:43:28 finish with
00:43:28 --> 00:43:28 this one.
00:43:28 --> 00:43:29 Next Sunday,
00:43:29 --> 00:43:29 it's Commitment
00:43:29 --> 00:43:30 Sunday.
00:43:30 --> 00:43:32 It's the
00:43:32 --> 00:43:33 Sunday each
00:43:33 --> 00:43:34 year where we
00:43:34 --> 00:43:35 ask our
00:43:35 --> 00:43:35 regular members,
00:43:35 --> 00:43:36 those who call
00:43:36 --> 00:43:36 St. Paul's,
00:43:36 --> 00:43:37 their church
00:43:37 --> 00:43:37 family,
00:43:37 --> 00:43:38 to make a
00:43:38 --> 00:43:39 financial pledge
00:43:39 --> 00:43:40 for the
00:43:40 --> 00:43:41 ministry of
00:43:41 --> 00:43:41 St. Paul's
00:43:41 --> 00:43:43 in the
00:43:43 --> 00:43:44 next year,
00:43:44 --> 00:43:44 2019.
00:43:45 --> 00:43:46 And also,
00:43:47 --> 00:43:47 next Sunday,
00:43:47 --> 00:43:48 we're looking
00:43:48 --> 00:43:48 to raise
00:43:48 --> 00:43:51 $55 for
00:43:51 --> 00:43:52 the internal
00:43:52 --> 00:43:52 and external
00:43:52 --> 00:43:54 projects that
00:43:54 --> 00:43:55 you have heard
00:43:55 --> 00:43:56 about tonight
00:43:56 --> 00:43:56 as well.
00:43:57 --> 00:43:58 No less than
00:43:58 --> 00:43:59 five times in
00:43:59 --> 00:44:00 the New
00:44:00 --> 00:44:00 Testament,
00:44:01 --> 00:44:01 the language
00:44:01 --> 00:44:03 of supporting
00:44:03 --> 00:44:03 missionaries
00:44:03 --> 00:44:05 or supporting
00:44:05 --> 00:44:05 a church
00:44:05 --> 00:44:06 financially is
00:44:06 --> 00:44:08 described as
00:44:08 --> 00:44:08 a ministry,
00:44:10 --> 00:44:10 an act of
00:44:10 --> 00:44:11 service.
00:44:12 --> 00:44:12 And it's a
00:44:12 --> 00:44:13 key ministry
00:44:13 --> 00:44:15 that all of
00:44:15 --> 00:44:15 God's people
00:44:15 --> 00:44:16 are involved
00:44:16 --> 00:44:17 in regardless
00:44:17 --> 00:44:18 of gifting.
00:44:19 --> 00:44:20 You don't
00:44:20 --> 00:44:20 have a special
00:44:20 --> 00:44:21 gift of
00:44:21 --> 00:44:22 radical generosity
00:44:22 --> 00:44:23 per se.
00:44:24 --> 00:44:25 It's to use
00:44:25 --> 00:44:26 our treasure
00:44:26 --> 00:44:27 to serve God
00:44:27 --> 00:44:28 in this world.
00:44:28 --> 00:44:29 Like our
00:44:29 --> 00:44:29 gifting,
00:44:30 --> 00:44:31 it is something
00:44:31 --> 00:44:32 that we will
00:44:32 --> 00:44:33 use to
00:44:33 --> 00:44:34 differing
00:44:34 --> 00:44:34 degrees.
00:44:35 --> 00:44:36 That is,
00:44:36 --> 00:44:37 we don't
00:44:37 --> 00:44:38 give according
00:44:38 --> 00:44:41 to what
00:44:41 --> 00:44:42 we don't
00:44:42 --> 00:44:42 have.
00:44:42 --> 00:44:42 We give
00:44:42 --> 00:44:43 according to
00:44:43 --> 00:44:43 what we
00:44:43 --> 00:44:44 have,
00:44:44 --> 00:44:44 not what
00:44:44 --> 00:44:44 we don't
00:44:44 --> 00:44:45 have.
00:44:45 --> 00:44:46 The principle
00:44:46 --> 00:44:47 that we use
00:44:47 --> 00:44:48 here is
00:44:48 --> 00:44:49 unequal giving
00:44:49 --> 00:44:50 equals sacrifice.
00:44:50 --> 00:44:51 Equal sacrifice
00:44:51 --> 00:44:52 is that whether
00:44:52 --> 00:44:54 it's $2 that
00:44:54 --> 00:44:54 you're giving or
00:44:54 --> 00:44:55 whether it's
00:44:55 --> 00:44:56 $2 you're
00:44:56 --> 00:44:57 giving,
00:44:57 --> 00:44:57 it's a
00:44:57 --> 00:44:58 gulp factor.
00:44:59 --> 00:45:00 I need God
00:45:00 --> 00:45:01 to help me
00:45:01 --> 00:45:01 fulfill this.
00:45:03 --> 00:45:04 Our act of
00:45:04 --> 00:45:04 giving is an
00:45:04 --> 00:45:05 act of worship
00:45:05 --> 00:45:06 and that is
00:45:06 --> 00:45:06 why the
00:45:06 --> 00:45:07 Bible calls
00:45:07 --> 00:45:08 us to give
00:45:08 --> 00:45:08 from our
00:45:08 --> 00:45:09 first fruits
00:45:09 --> 00:45:10 and to live
00:45:10 --> 00:45:10 on the rest
00:45:10 --> 00:45:11 rather than
00:45:11 --> 00:45:11 giving God
00:45:11 --> 00:45:12 what's left
00:45:12 --> 00:45:12 over.
00:45:12 --> 00:45:13 Wow,
00:45:13 --> 00:45:13 God,
00:45:13 --> 00:45:13 I've just
00:45:13 --> 00:45:14 eaten this
00:45:14 --> 00:45:15 massive roast
00:45:15 --> 00:45:15 dinner and
00:45:15 --> 00:45:16 there's a
00:45:16 --> 00:45:16 potato,
00:45:16 --> 00:45:17 there you go,
00:45:17 --> 00:45:18 you can have
00:45:18 --> 00:45:18 that one.
00:45:21 --> 00:45:22 If God
00:45:22 --> 00:45:22 has saved
00:45:22 --> 00:45:23 you in
00:45:23 --> 00:45:23 Jesus,
00:45:23 --> 00:45:24 gathered you
00:45:24 --> 00:45:24 to himself,
00:45:25 --> 00:45:25 his purpose
00:45:25 --> 00:45:26 is to grow
00:45:26 --> 00:45:27 you to be
00:45:27 --> 00:45:27 like Jesus
00:45:27 --> 00:45:28 in both
00:45:28 --> 00:45:29 his character
00:45:29 --> 00:45:31 and the
00:45:31 --> 00:45:31 work he
00:45:31 --> 00:45:32 came to
00:45:32 --> 00:45:32 do,
00:45:32 --> 00:45:33 which is
00:45:33 --> 00:45:33 the will
00:45:33 --> 00:45:33 of the
00:45:33 --> 00:45:34 Father.
00:45:35 --> 00:45:36 So pursue
00:45:36 --> 00:45:37 God's
00:45:37 --> 00:45:37 purpose for
00:45:37 --> 00:45:38 your life,
00:45:38 --> 00:45:39 get behind
00:45:39 --> 00:45:40 the vision
00:45:40 --> 00:45:40 of this
00:45:40 --> 00:45:41 church and
00:45:41 --> 00:45:42 serve it
00:45:42 --> 00:45:43 and God
00:45:43 --> 00:45:43 with your
00:45:43 --> 00:45:44 time,
00:45:44 --> 00:45:45 your talents
00:45:45 --> 00:45:45 and your
00:45:45 --> 00:45:46 treasures.
00:45:47 --> 00:45:48 And within
00:45:48 --> 00:45:48 a week,
00:45:49 --> 00:45:49 within the
00:45:49 --> 00:45:50 next week,
00:45:50 --> 00:45:51 you've got
00:45:51 --> 00:45:52 opportunities to
00:45:52 --> 00:45:53 do all of
00:45:53 --> 00:45:54 those things
00:45:54 --> 00:45:55 just by the
00:45:55 --> 00:45:56 pledging and
00:45:56 --> 00:45:58 by coming to
00:45:58 --> 00:45:58 a working
00:45:58 --> 00:46:00 bay or being
00:46:00 --> 00:46:00 our next
00:46:00 --> 00:46:00 treasurer.