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Sermon Note Sundays: Flow

December 11, 2011 in love of God, sermon note sunday, spiritual gifts, the Body of Christ with 0 Comments

Today’s service at the Heart of Mesa was beautiful from start to finish. I love all Sundays, but the memory of this one will linger in my heart.

I love it when we start off a service with a baptism…especially when the person being baptized is full-grown.

About a year ago, Ryan came to our Celebrate Recovery program a broken man and an atheist. Through the loving acceptance of Believers at Celebrate Recovery and miraculous expressions of love from God, Ryan became convinced  that God not only exists but also lives to have relationship with us.

We all held our breath until Ken got Ryan up out of the water. Kind of a size difference. :)

The music helped our worship rise like rich incense to the heart of God. I love how my sweetie connected “Forever” and “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.”  When the Christ Child uttered His first cry, it was a divine announcement of God’s forever faithfulness.

During the family prayer time, Pastor Gary asked us to join hands and spend time in prayer for our upcoming Christmas outreach event for shut-ins connected with our church.

I left the platform and took the hand of Cheryl, our youth minister’s wife. Shortly before the end of the prayer time, she had to head up to the platform to sing the special music. She took my hand and placed it into a teen-aged girl’s hand to keep our prayer circle connected.

The moment my hand joined hers, I heard God speak. I swear, it was almost audible. Love this girl. Invest in this girl. Support this girl.

After hearing from the Lord so clearly during the prayer time, I almost laughed when Pastor Gary started his sermon on using our God-given giftings to demonstrate His love and build up the Body of Christ.

He took us to 1 Peter 4:7-11:

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

As Believers, we are given spiritual gifts God intends for us to use to build up the Body of Christ. We are the Body of Christ, so lovingly using our gifts to build up the Body is the epitome of “love your neighbor as yourself.”

When we refuse to use our Holy Spirit-given gifts, we are essentially saying, “I don’t love the Body of Christ.”

It’s all about His love flowing through us.

Above all, love fervently.

The word “fervently” is the same word used to describe a galloping horse or a runner pushing to reach the finish line.

No half-hearted, haphazard love is gonna cut it. God’s love is a free-flowing current, not a dried up stream or stagnant puddle.

God’s love makes the first move and holds nothing back.

A love that covers a multitude of sins.

God’s love flowing through His people is an outstretched love veiling the shortcomings of others.

It’s not about another’s worthiness. It’s about His worthiness.

It’s about His sparing love that says, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”

We’ve all received that sparing love, and the same variety is in us to extend to others through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Grumble-free hospitality.

To be hospitable is to welcome strangers…even when are really are sorta strange.

To pull them into the fold causing them to feel as if they have found ”home.”

Relishing in the opportunity to love, we embrace the differences and even the irritations that come with loving people not like us.

Rather than let others irritate us to the point of grumbles, eye rolling, and loud sighs, let’s think about irritations from the point of view of the oyster.

Pearls are the result of irritation you know. Just think what would happen to this world if we allowed our irritations to refine us instead of repulse us? Mother of pearl! It would be a beautiful thing!

Using our spiritual gifts by the power of the Spirit.

God desires for us to meet people where they are and love them in our own unique way.

When we allow the Spirit to empower our gifts, there’s nothing our loving service can’t do!

When we minister to others, we are like table waiters anticipating their needs.

All Believers are stewards of our God-given gifts. The question is…are you are good steward or a bad one? Do you wake up each morning ready to love, to serve, and to allow God’s power to course through your words and actions?

Our gifts are not our own. God entrusted them to us, and He expects us to use them wisely, liberally, and in His power.

When we use our giftings in our own strength, we will be like a firework that starts off strong and then fizzles before the big kaboom.

But when we use our giftings in the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, we light up the lives of those we encounter in an awe-inspiring way.

Know your gifts and get busy using them!

If you don’t know your gifts, you can know them in no time! Just start serving and prayerfully watch how God uses you. Pay attention to the service that makes you feel the most alive. Ask your church family for insight. They may see your giftings at work even when you don’t.

Lord,

Empower us to be the best possible stewards of the gifts You’ve given us. Give us hearts that relish in the opportunity to be a free-flowing river of Your love…your fervent, outstretched, hospitable love. As we live our lives, may our words and actions quote Your heart and build up the Body of Christ.

In the loving name of Jesus, I pray, AMEN

Sermon Note Sunday–The Good Life

October 5, 2008 in service, spiritual gifts, the good life with 5 Comments

Sermon Note Sunday took a little vacation last week as I was in Louisiana and, I hate to confess, played hookey from church. Last Sunday morning, I spent a few extra minutes with my aunties before they left for Mississippi, and then I want back to sleep. For the first two nights I was in LA, I slept on my sister and brother-in-law’s bed. My brother-in-law has “issues” to where he has the bed set at an incline. Put it this way, I slept holding on for dear life the whole night long. My bed partner, Aunt Venia, said she woke up to find me in a heap at the foot of the bed. Next time I have to sleep in that bed, I’m going to put velcro on the back of my jammies.

Sorry for the little detour….now let’s get to today.

I was very excited to get to Sunday school today because last week while I was out-of-town, there were seven kids in my class. We have been running three as a high since promotion Sunday, so I was tickled when my BFF Michelle texted me last week and said that seven 5th and 6th graders showed up. So…this morning, I was all ready for a nice-sized class. I brought spiral notebooks so we could make “Play Books” after learning that God is our coach and wants to be an authority in our lives. I had the new October Sunday school theme banner hung up nice and proud.

One kid showed up. ONE. I’m trying not to take it personally.

So, that one student joined with another class so she could actually collaborate with other children. I gave her the choice by the way, but at that self-conscious age, I’m not sure she would have exactly felt comfortable having a one-on-one Sunday school lesson.

After a less than optimal Sunday school time, I scooted on over to church. My youngest son, Jacob was acting a little goofy during the worship through music time. I had to give him the “look of death” from the platform while still looking pleasant to everyone else. It took him a good three minutes to look at me, so I don’t remember much about the first song. But, after that little detour, I was able to get my focus where it belonged–to the One I was worshipping. Singing songs of worship to Him settled my heart down somewhat.

Musical worship concluded and we went into our family prayer time. Pastor Gary asked us to pray for a 12-year-old boy named Sio (See-o). Last Sunday, this young man walked down the aisle during the time of commitment, took Pastor Gary’s hand, and said emphatically, “I need God, and I need him NOW.” Pastor Gary shared the gospel with him, and he gave his heart to the Lord. I’m hoping he’s in 6th grade and will be in my Sunday school class!

As Pastor Gary began his sermon, he warned us that the sermon would be “illustrated” in a unique manner. I was looking around for an easel thinking someone was going to paint while he preached or something. But, Gary had something else in mind. I tried to take a picture using my cell phone, but there was a major glare, so you’ll have to just imagine this scene.

Gary grabbed a wheelchair and placed it right in front of the pulpit he rarely stays behind. He sat down in the wheelchair and proceeded to cover both of his eyes up with black eye patches (ARRRR…God loves you.) After blinding himself, he put slings on both of his arms.

Put it this way, he had my son Jacob’s full attention…no evil mom eye was needed during the sermon.

Gary explained his condition.

You’ll have to excuse me today. You see, there really isn’t anything wrong with my eyes, but they have just decided they are tired of looking after the Body of Christ. And…you see, there really isn’t any kind of fracture affecting my arms…they just don’t feel like reaching out to lend a helping hand. And my legs…well, they are kind of on strike at the moment. They aren’t injured, they just don’t want to bother with carrying this body to where the needs are. There’s nothing really wrong with my eyes, my arms and hands, my feet…they just don’t want to do what they were made to do. Plain and simple.

You could have heard a pin drop in that sanctuary, people.

Gary went on to explain that, at the time of salvation, every believer receives the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit imparts certain gifts. Every single Christian has spiritual gifts. These gifts are designed to be used to bless and build up the Body of Christ, and, in turn, glorify God.

Each church body is made up of people with just the right giftings needed to accomplish God’s work. When we use our gifts, the Holy Spirit is manifested, or shown, to the dying world around us. Only when we serve in the power of the Holy Spirit is God glorified.

What happens when we choose not to use our gifts?

This blatant refusal to use the gifts God has given us is utter rebellion–we are pretty much spitting in God’s face. God is not glorified in our lives and the Holy Spirit’s power is stifled. Ultimately, holding back from using our gifts is damaging to the Body of Christ.

For example, I have the gift of encouragement. If I choose to let the Holy Spirit encourage others through me, the Body of Christ will be built up and strengthened. But what if I decide I don’t want to care about people. I don’t feel like reaching out to that hurting sister in the pew next to me (or that limping lady in the plane seat next to me). What will happen? Some people would say, “Nothing.” But, that’s not true. Something would happen alright…the hurting person will just hurt more. The despair would just become deeper and more painful all because I didn’t want to be bothered.

When we make full use of our spiritual gifts, the Holy Spirit’s power is made known, and when that happens, change happens. Change for the better.

I Corinthians 12 says there are a variety of gifts, a variety of ministries, and a variety of effects.

Aren’t you glad God likes variety? Pastor Gary says our church is definately full of variety to say the least! We have little old ladies and ex-cons sitting on the same row for goodness sakes! We take all kinds at the Heart of Mesa…and I’m so glad.

Pastor Gary encouraged us to not wait for God to suddenly reveal our gifts to us. We are to get out there and serve God so He can reveal our gifts to us. Through service, we discover our gifts and our gifts become more and more honed and perfected.

Depending on what theologian you listen to, there are up to 22 different spiritual gifts, but ultimately, they fall into two main categories: Speaking Gifts and Serving Gifts.

We will be called into account on how we use our gifts, but we are not responsible for the results..that’s all on God.

We are a gifted people, so let’s get busy being used by God to build up and bless the Body of Christ.

Tonight, at our small group, a question was asked about what we consider to be the “good life.” To me, the good life is being able to lay my head on my pillow at night knowing that God used me for His glory, that something I said or did touched someone in an eternally significant way.

What is your idea of the good life?

Lord, even as my heart is undergoing some spiritual open-heart surgery, I want to be pleasing to You. I want every day to have at least one instance where You use me to be a blessing to someone else. That is the good life. Let Your goodness show in me, Lord Jesus.