Deploy to Church
Here’s your chance to add to the messages at Central each week as we employ open source sermon prep (or more accurately, “crowd sourcing”). In a couple weeks, we’ll be in our series, Now More Than Ever, where we’ll be celebrating 50 years as a church. The focus of this series will be on carrying our cross and how we can fulfill the third D of our strategy (discover, develop, deploy). We’ll be highlighting 50 ways in 50 days on how to serve others. Let’s brainstorm for the week where we’ll deploy to the Church.
So if you can take a moment, please leave a comment with any ideas you come up with concerning movie clips, quotes, scriptures, illustrations, stories, etc. for the topic of deploying (or serving) the Church. The sky is the limit, so think creatively and share some of your genius with us.
This is the personal blog of Jeremy Jernigan. Husband, father, teaching pastor, and student of truth.
We spent last year talking about discipleship and one of my favorite passages is from Luke 9:23-25 where Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for you to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit your very self.” The Symbolism that is most obvious in my mind now is Central’s Logo. If someone was carrying a cross, death was most certainly imminent. So the disciples and the early church had a clear picture of what it meant to carry their cross. It meant surrendering fully to God; not holding anything back, but laying it all at the feet of the one who carried the cross for us.
Now that I’m done with my novel, I hope that’s helpful.
Z
PS~ Great to talk to you the other day, I’ll give you a buzz Sat. Afternoon.
.-= Zach´s last blog… Moron, pt. 2 =-.
I read Zack’s comment and could not get past the first six words. Central is almost 50 and I have been a believer for almost that long. As Central has gone through changes and growing pains, I certainly have as well. That is the nature of one who follows Christ. Never perfection, but oh, the joy when we grow. I have had discussions recently concerning serving, mainly serving the church, mainly serving at Central. Again I never speak as one who has any particular aspect all down correctly. However, I see a disconnect between baptism and the back door. One question I would love to see answered (and this probably can’t be answered from the pulpit, but from the pews, or theatre seats) is how do we get to the point of truly serving one another. We can “spend the next year talking about”…..or commit to being servants and diciples.
With All Love. Yes picking up your cross is many acts. Many things play out everyday as we watch. We all try to feed the hungry, be kind , or suport missions. The mormans and Jehovah wittness, are the only ones coming to my door, or do i need to move? False Profits do better, picking up there cross. Mormans tell how they are the real church while the church plays. Was Peter a morman? On this rock i will build my church. Shameful is when i have to correct an 18 year old moran elder. Our community is just waiting for the church and its cross to show up. Going to small groups are great and needed. Being yoked and one accord is better. Maybe we can come up with a move clip, of the upper room to understaind better. Jesus said , if they hated me they will hate you also. This must mean more than feeding hungry people and acting cute. I wonder if the church is afraid of spiritul warfare, Its safer being cute, while our communitys crys out , where are you God.
.-= Ricky´s last blog… Biggest Mistakes For Your Nest Egg =-.
The church is the bride of Christ and by exalting Christ the local church becomes the means by which spiritual growth is promoted and the ministry of Christ is brought to our families, communities, and to the world. We can serve our church well through attendance, serving of our time and talents, tithing, and most especially loving people well outside the walls of the church. By doing our part, we serve our church well because we each have something to contribute which no other person can offer in quite the same way because no one is created exactly alike. Each of us has a special function, a work to do, a place to serve. Serving is a necessary part of our church if we are to be healthy and effective in accomplishing God’s mission in the world. The Holy Spirit has given us certain gifts and abilities so together we make a complete team. But what happens if only a handful of the people in the church are using their abilities to serve? We’re not as effective as we should be.
Jesus made it clear we are to love by serving, no matter what our station in life. Jesus could serve others in humility because he knew who he was, and what he came to do. (Philippians 2:3 – Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.) He didn’t have to prove anything and wasn’t worried about impressing people, or disappointing people’s expectations of him. Unlike the disciples, he wasn’t concerned about what they would think of him if he played the role of servant. He was truly free to serve in humble submission to God. Too often we get caught up in thinking we need to impress people, and we are unwilling to be humble, but it is in knowing who we are and whose we are which allows us to be a servant.
God wants us to serve each other, as an act of love in humility, but God wants us also to serve together because we’re better when we serve in unity.
Quotes:
Erwin McManus states, “Once survival has become our supreme goal, we have lost our way… the church is not called to survive history but to serve humanity. As with each individual, there is a difference between living and existing for the church…The church exists to serve as the body of Christ, and it is through this commitment to serve that we are forced to engage our culture…The serving that we are called to requires direct contact. You cannot wash the feet of a dirty world if you refuse to touch it.” (Source: pg. 23, An Unstoppable Force)
Jesus was interested in people, doing good, healing, serving, taking the anointing of God for the right purpose—not occasionally doing something good to impress His friends in church—-it was who He was! ~ Michael West
John Piper: “Luke celebrates this solution. The widows were cared for, and the ministry of the Word of God was not forsaken. Both were utterly crucial. Either could have undermined the church and ended its amazing growth. The solution was the diversity of gifts and calling. The solution was a new kind of teamwork in the body of Christ.” (John Piper, Serving Widows, Preaching the Word, and Winning Priests).
Clips:
This “Mac vs PC” parody shows the difference between serving and not serving
http://www.sermonspice.com/search?q=iserve&topic=All
Everybody Loves Raymond ~ there’s an episode where Ray comes home from a work trip and he sets his suitcase down in the stairwell. He assumes his wife is going to bring it upstairs and she thinks he’s going to bring it up. So the suitcase sits there right in the stairwell for over two weeks and nobody touches it. It became a matter of pride. I’m not going to move that suitcase because if I do, than they win. Because neither was willing to be the humble servant, the suitcase became an explosive issue in their home. http://www.tbs.com/video/index/#/all-video/shows/everybody-loves-raymond/43798
Lord of the Rings ~ The Ring vs. Frodo is where the rule of life could be taken directly from 1 Thessalonians 4:11 – “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you,” But Frodo carries the ring of power and all it’s temptations to stop serving the good people of middle earth and start serving himself. We have the same temptation: we live in God’s Kingdom where the power we have is the power to serve, not power to control. When ever a Christian or church or Christian organization starts to grasp at the ring of power and control and drop the towel of service, they leave the Kingdom of God for the Kingdom of the world. (idea from SermonCentral)
Scenario:
Imagine you are at a dinner party; elegant silverware, warm company, great food. At the end the hostess brings out a plate of dessert and stumbles dropping the dessert on the floor. Here’s how each person might respond according to their giftedness: Mercy: “Don’t feel bad, I should of offered to help.” Proclaimer of Truth (Prophecy/Preacher): “That’s what happens when you’re not careful! “Serving: “Here, Let me help you clean it up!” Teaching: “The reason the plate fell was because you had all these loaded to one side.” Encourager: “You know, that could happen to anybody. You’ll do better next time.” Giving: “Don’t worry about this, let’s go to DQ and I’ll buy dessert.” Administration: “Okay, folks let’s get this cleaned up.. Jim, would you get the mop? Sue, pick it up. Mary, help me fix another dessert.” You see, our differences = unity! That’s the way it is supposed to work in the church. And my gift shows God’s plan in my life. He knew from the beginning how He wanted to use me. ~ Timothy Smith
Songs:
“The Face of Love” ~ Sanctus Real
“Everything” ~ The Normals
“We Must Go” ~ Tim Hughes
“Worlds Apart” ~ Jars of Clay
“Oh You Bring” ~ Hillsong
“Not What You See” ~ Kutless (yes, I know another Kutless tune, but the lyrics are spot on for this topic!)
“I Just Know” ~ Disciple
.-= Romi´s last blog… Mindset of success =-.
Ooooh just thought of another song idea: “Together” ~ Tyrone Wells
It’s an awesome song with lyrics that fit the whole concept of being the church together as one. It could also tie in with an upcoming topic of deploying community too.
There are places
We have been and where we will go
Open spaces
When we get there, we will know
Take my hand now
Walk with me into the unknown
I guarantee you
We will never be alone
Together, together, together
Until the end
Together, together, together
Until the end
Let’s explore this
World of wonder as we are led
We are free to
Just embrace the steps ahead
Together, together, together
Until the end
Together, together, together
Until the end
.-= Romi´s last blog… Mish Mash =-.