Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #24449 - Vital Elements for Effective Spiritual Service - 1 Peter 5:1-4

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#24449 - Vital Elements for Effective Spiritual Service - 1 Peter 5:1-4 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's word with pastor and author.
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Ed, Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora,
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Colorado to learn more about the many resources available,
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through abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream
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Services. Visit us online at Calvary, Co
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dot church or download our free Calvary Church app.
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Now, here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
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Amen. Amen.
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Take your Bibles. Open them to 1st Peter, chapter
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5 servants class. Number 4.
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And I've entitled our Bible study vital elements for
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Effective spiritual service. Really important things we're
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going to learn from Peter today because so far we've covered
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three different angles of spiritual service.
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Very important for you to grasp in order to serve in this church
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in order to be more effective outside of the church or any
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church for that matter. The first week, we learned about
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how God uses Ordinary People and that's good news because we're
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all very ordinary. And God, Use us no matter what
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our background is, where we've come from.
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What he's cleaning up in our lives.
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He's going to use us. He doesn't use perfect people.
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They don't exist. Only imperfect people like you
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and like me and God uses us. Secondly, we learned.
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It was very important to have your Shepherd and pastor's
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heart. And we were careful to Define
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that not as the pastor of your church, but as the pastor Jesus,
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he is The Shepherd of the church.
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Even today, we will learn in First Peter five, that he's
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referred to as the chief Shepherd.
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It's important. If you're going to serve
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alongside of him, that you share his heart, that you see things
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the way that he sees things that you care, the way he cares.
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And then last time we were together, we learned how
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important it is to be like-minded with your pastor of
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your local church. And with the leaders that God
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has put over your life like-mindedness.
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Moves us forward. We don't move forward divisive.
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Lior with our own agendas. Today, we want to learn from
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Peter. What?
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It looks like practically David deep and accurate servant
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mentality things that will help us serve wiser in a more
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appropriate way that will help us be more in the spirit Less in
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the flesh. And the first thing is just to
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see serving as a privilege, it is a privilege to serve God.
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It's a stewardship. That's been entrusted to us that
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the church belongs to him. The people, you're sitting
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around today next to and fro I love it behind, they belong to
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God, he bought them with his own blood.
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And if there are those among us today that don't have a
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relationship with Jesus Christ, the blood of Jesus Christ is
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available to you today for the Forgiveness of your sins.
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You belong to him. You were born in His image and
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when serving God and serving his people.
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Is no longer viewed as a privilege.
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This is where man begins to corrupt it and were big
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mistakes. Take place.
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When you think that you deserve to serve, when you think you're
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entitled to serve, when you think that you come with all of
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this and say, well, you know where I went to school and you
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know what I've done? You know, what I did in my last
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church and all of those thoughts instead of Here I am.
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God, I want to serve you. I want to be used by you in the
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ministry. When you fail to see that when
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you start thinking talking about what you deserve or what you've
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earned spiritual leadership, just gets thrown right out the
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window and it gets corrupted and ultimately people get hurt.
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Jot it down in Psalm 75 in verse 6 to an important principle when
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it comes to serving in the church.
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Psalm 75 in verse 6 says for exaltation comes, neither from
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the East, nor from the west, or from the South but God is the
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judge, he puts down one and he exalts another.
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We trust that God will put us in the right place at the right
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time. We trust that it's his church.
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Church as we present ourselves to him, he will make sure that
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we line up exactly where our gifts fit and he will lead us
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and guide us. When you think of this, I I look
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at this and I say well one side is very encouraging and once I
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could be very difficult, everybody tends to be a super
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excited when their exalted or put into a new position or
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stepping into something fresh when they're given new
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responsibilities to say, yes, Lord, this is wonderful.
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This is great. Not everybody.
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It's the other part when he puts down, because seasons do come to
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an end and fresh new things do need to start, especially within
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the church where it's like, like you get you get to the place
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where I, you know, I think we need to make a change.
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I think we need to new go in a New Direction, and if you're not
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careful, you won't receive that. As from the Lord, just like you
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received it. The first time when you were put
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into a position, you also have to realize that moving on from a
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position is Just as much from the Lord.
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Why? Because it's a privilege to
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serve him. It doesn't really matter where
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we serve. Wherever God has us.
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That's where we want to be. So, pick up with me now in verse
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1 of chapter 5. In First Peter, the elders who
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are among you, I exhort, I who am a fellow Elder and a witness
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of the sufferings of Christ. And also a partaker of the glory
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that will be revealed Shepherd. The flock of God which is among
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you serving as overseers not by constraint but willingly, not
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for dishonest gain, but eagerly nor is being Lords over those
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entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
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And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the
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Crown of Glory. That does not fade away pattern.
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Peter riding is a pastor here. He comes in verse 1 as he's
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whining, his letter down and he addresses the elders, the elders
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are, the leadership of a church. We often refer to Elders here as
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pastors. They are God's appointed leaders
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in the church, and he comes to them.
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And he dresses, the leaders of the church notice that he
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addresses them as a Fellow Elder, he doesn't come to them,
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laying some heavy power trip on them.
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He doesn't come to them, trying to assert his authority.
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He comes to them and says, what I'm about to share with.
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You is so important, but I'm one of you, I'm a fellow Elder.
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This is Peter, the Apostle, he could have, he could have come
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with his title. He could have come and said I'm
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the power. I'm Peter, the Apostle.
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Don't you understand? But he doesn't because he takes
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the place of relationship. It's not, it's not just
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transactional and what he's going to say right now.
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It's first relational, this is also very important from some of
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you that have come from a Roman Catholic background to notice
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that. What Peter does here, he doesn't
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assert himself as the Pope, The pope position didn't even exist
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at this time. It didn't come for a few hundred
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years later. He doesn't come and say, I am
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the chief of the church. Everybody listen to me, I'm the
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only the poet. The position of the Pope.
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You realize is a man-made position.
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It's not a God made position. So Peter isn't the first pope?
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He would never took that position.
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As a matter of fact, he took the position of a fellow Elder.
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He took the position of, I'm a servant, just like anyone else I
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do have Peter would say, Authority.
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He and I do have an exhortation for you, but I do so coming
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along side of you. It brings up another important
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point when it comes to church government.
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Because there are various ways churches, today are governed
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because the Bible doesn't say exactly doesn't give an exact
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instruction on how the church should be overseen.
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So there's a few different maybe two to three different biblical
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forms, of church government that exists and and as a result a lot
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of people like to argue about what's the best Church
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government. Now, let me say, let me say this
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very clearly. What about this debate that
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unless the form of government is wholeheartedly unbiblical the
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fights and disagreements are just a waste of time unless it's
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completely like we you look description and go.
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That is can't be ever. You can't do it that way then
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arguing about it just as a waste of time and I find Let Me Be
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careful with my words here because I don't want to be
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misunderstood. I find that the Form of
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government within a church, is not as important as the
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character in The Integrity of those that are filling the
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positions. Now, I'm not saying, I don't
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think Church government is is not important.
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I'm not saying that, that finding them, the, the form of
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government closest to scripture that we can is not important.
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That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is, if it's a
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Biblical form of church government, the most important
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part of it is the character and the Integrity of the men and
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That are holding those positions within the church.
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If you don't have character and integrity, then you will be a
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bad leader. And you will be a bad servant of
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the Lord. I mean, even as we're in the
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servants class, and you're starting to think about filling
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out your ministry application. You're starting to think about
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serving in this church, you need to understand that you must be a
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man or a woman of character with Integrity.
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If you are not a man, a woman of character and integrity.
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We don't want you to serve here. You go ahead.
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What do you mean? Well let me say you know your
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character integrity way better than we do.
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I mean we're going to do our due diligence, we're going to run
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background checks, we're going to call your references.
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We're going to talk to people that know you but you know,
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yourself better than we do. And so if you don't have
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character and you're not a man or a woman of Integrity, we
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don't want you serving in this church and I would even go, you
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know, at these times I'd say we just go somewhere else and serve
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I don't even want you going anywhere else to serve.
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I mean, the real, the real issue, I mean, the real issue is
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this. If you know, if you know this
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about yourself, that there are areas in your life to deal with,
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then deal with them. Repent.
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Why? Because you're taking care of
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the flock of God, people can get hurt.
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People will get hurt. If you're going to get involved
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in to go. Well, you know, I'll sign up,
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but they'll never know they'll never find out.
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No, no, if you're a shady character will find out, but
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it's better to find out before people get hurt and it's better
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to find out before. People's lives could be
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destroyed because you decided that you were going to try to
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deceive the leadership of your church and you decided that you
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weren't going to deal with something that you knew is going
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to blow. Oh, up later on and you decided
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that although never find out. Listen, the Bible says, there is
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nothing hidden that won't be found out.
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And why not just deal with it? Why not just get real with the
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Lord before you ever step in so that we can enjoy serving
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alongside of you and you'll be used in great capacities, you
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must be a man or a woman of integrity and character and
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let's face it you know, better than we do positions in the
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church are not designed for people people are developed Or
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positions, do you realize when you're serving here?
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That part of the service will be your own discipleship, and I
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want to be careful. We're not talking about perfect
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people here. It's like, well, I guess you
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said what you're asking for is I need to be perfect.
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That's not what I said. I'm not saying you need to be
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perfect because none of us are, but if you don't have character
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and your integrity is shot, then you just don't belong serving in
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a church, you need to deal with your heart issues before God and
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you'll see a lot of the things that I'm sharing in this class.
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And these Bible studies are things that I cannot change in
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you, their heart issues. I can't, I can tell you, I might
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be able to be used of God to discipline or I can show you all
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the scriptures in the world but I have no power to change you.
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And if you are unchanged right now than you are resisting, the
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power of the Holy Spirit, you are grieving the Holy Spirit
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right now of you're like, well, you know, it's not that big a
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deal. I mean, if you think It's not
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that big a deal. You should just take it to the
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Lord and see if he thinks it's a big deal because you don't want
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to be a person that's found out later.
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And you heard a lot of people along the way.
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We've seen, our fair share here and can be very, very painful
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with that, in mind. Let's come to the text and learn
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at least eight things, eight things.
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If you're taking notes today, that will help you live a life
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of servanthood and leadership in God's church.
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And Help guide you and grow you as you keep your eyes on.
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Jesus, Peter has some great expectation for us today.
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Thanks to remember number one, verse 2.
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He says Shepherd, the flock of God which is among you number
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one, spiritual servants, and leaders are under Shepherds
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under Shepherds. We are not The Shepherd of the
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church. We are under Shepherds because
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it says in verse 4, there's a chief Shepherd.
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There's One Singular Shepherd Over The Universal Church of
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Jesus Christ. And he is given Authority,
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delegated authority to men and women to oversee and lead the
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church on Earth, but there's only one Chief Shepherd.
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You need to remember this. The church does not belong to
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you. It is not my church, not your
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church. Even though we do use that
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language, we can use that language.
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You might be inviting someone to your church.
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Hey, come to our church, come to my church, listen to this by.
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That's not. I'm not speaking about that.
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Kind of language where there is a local Fellowship family that
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you attend. When I'm speaking of is
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ownership where you begin to take ownership of something that
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doesn't belong to you and the Church isn't yours.
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We need to remember. This is his church, his flock,
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his bride and he bought you with his Precious Blood.
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That's what the Bible says. Not our church.
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We don't serve in our own authority, but in his delegated
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authority, and here's what happens.
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Here's what happens. Many begin to mistakenly.
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Think they are the shepherd or the overseer, or their
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particular Ministry is theirs and it's not.
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And this is how it sounds sound. Sometimes you, you may come in
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and talk to one of your overseers or talk to someone,
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maybe even talk to me. This is hopping on more than one
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occasion, where a changes had to be made.
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And I'm the one communicating the change and the response here
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in the sanctuary. There's sponsor, my office has,
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this is my Ministry. Oh really, when did it become
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your ministry? Because that's not how it
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started. So what happened along the way
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that you began to take ownership of something that isn't yours to
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own. We have to come in with hands
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that are open for God, to do whatever he wants in our lives
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and I know that for most of you, this won't be an issue but for
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the some that might the holy spirit will put this in your
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heart just like it's not your ministry and it's not your
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church that you got to realize this in the scope of How God,
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how God had this church before you ever showed up?
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And the church will continue. Be when you leave, like, it's
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his church. And the church was was existing
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before we were born and the church WIll exist after we pass
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away. Why it's his church, it's not
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ours. We're under Shepherds.
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Don't forget that. Number two, Again, in verse 2,
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he says Shepherd, the flock of God, that's really right?
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Who does the flock belong to God?
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Shepherd, the flock of God, which is among you spiritual
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servants, and spiritual leaders number to our sheep were still
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sheep. And that's the language being
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used here by Peter. It's the same language that
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Jesus used in John chapter 10. It's the same language that
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David used in Psalm 23 where sheep so just because you I have
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been given some role of Authority or some position of
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servanthood doesn't mean we stop being a sheep and I know it's
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simple enough but you got to remember this.
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It's not like the world where you climb the ladder and then
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you start here. And then you move here, move
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here, move here. And before you you're up here
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and you're not this anymore, in the church were, always a sheep.
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Will never stop being a sheep. It doesn't matter what role we
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have. We are the precious sheep of his
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pasture, which reminds us. He's our chief Shepherd and
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sheep or to serve sheep, and to be alongside one another.
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You never, you never grow out of being a part of people's lives
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and serving among the flock. Spiritual leadership actually
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doesn't place you over as much as it places you under is not
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what Jesus said, if you want to be great in God's kingdom, what?
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You be the servant of all. It's a very counterintuitive
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way, the way the world has taught us.
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Jesus says no it's not like that at all.
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You want to be great then serve and give yourself.
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To the service of others in my name.
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Number three. Here's another thing.
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To remember, as we serve again, these are all very obvious but
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let's say them out loud. Just for the sake of learning
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them number three, spiritual servants are servants.
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Spiritual leaders are servants. That's what it says here in
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verse 2 serving as overseers. What do overseers do they serve
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Just every role in the church is a place of servanthood first to
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God then to others because the flock belongs to God.
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Jesus is our great Shepherd and he get laid his life down for
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the Sheep. It says in Mark 10:45.
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Jesus didn't come to be served, but to serve and give his life a
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ransom for many. So, leaders in the church ought
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to be the greatest Servants of all.
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They ought to increase in their capacity to to serve empowered
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by the holy spirit. It's not arriving at a level in
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a place where you don't serve any more, but the longer you
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walk with the Lord, you find that you serve more people in
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our use. Great in a greater Ways, by the
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Lord. You are first and foremost, a
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servant and they can just put a period after that, there's
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nothing left. We serve.
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That's what God has entrusted to us.
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And I would go so far to say this, if you cannot serve, you
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cannot lead. If you don't know how it is to
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serve, then you can't lead. It's important.
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It's important that you grasp. That number for.
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This is important one. Still, we are stil in verse 2,
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number 4. It says not by constraint but
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willingly, not by constraint. But willing, so number four.
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Spiritual servants and leaders. They serve willingly.
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And let me just say this is how it always starts.
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This is how it always starts. We put an opportunity out there,
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you feel God's showed you your spiritual.
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Gifts and serving willingly is where it starts.
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You go look for the application, you fill it out, you pray over
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it. You listen to the required Bible
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studies, you do, whatever is asked of you because you're
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willingly wanting to serve. However, this is a place that
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many people stumble and fall along the way as they begin to
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serve unwillingly. It gets hard, it gets difficult
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serving, people on their worst days, can be really hard the
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situations that you face the heaviness of your own life.
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The heaviness that work, the heaviness, a church before, you
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know it, you start being becoming very upset at the
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people that God has called you to serve.
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I think of an example, where you are overseeing something and you
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needed 20 people to serve. So you put out the word and you
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got 20 people to serve and you show up that day and only two
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people show up. And what's your response?
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What is wrong with this church? What's wrong with these people?
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Here I am. I'm the only one serving.
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Isn't that how you filled out the application?
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Didn't you say you wanted to serve?
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Yes, but I need 20 people, but why are you?
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Why are you so mad at the people?
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Like like before you even make up your mind of being mad?
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Maybe the have a problem, maybe there is a death in the family.
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Maybe they have a flat tire, who knows what's going on in their
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life? But here you've become so upset
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about it that you don't even have a heart to serve.
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The people that you asked to serve alongside of you.
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Does that make sense? It doesn't make sense at all to
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me for a person to become like that.
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And so, let me, let me Say, in this church either now or in the
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future. If you're serving in any
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Ministry in this church or any other church for that matter, as
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the studies, go around the country and you're feeling tired
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and burned out and mad all the time and upset.
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Here's my counsel to you. Take a break for all of us.
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Please take a break. We don't need you to serve that
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way. We'll get along without you.
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We do not need you to serve that way.
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That's not how you started. That's not how you said you
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wanted to start. So just Take a break and stop
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hurting people and copping an attitude.
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It's not good to cop an attitude.
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When you're serving Jesus. Can I get an amen for that?
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Are you sure about that? I have to ask for it, like, come
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on. Like if this is the this is,
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this is the Church of Jesus Christ.
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And yeah, you're going to get tired.
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You're going to it's going to be hard and maybe you need to take
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a break or maybe you just need to repent.
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And just go back to your prayer closet and remember how it
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started, it started willingly. It didn't start with all this
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attitude, or maybe it did, and it's a character issue.
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You got to deal with that. Anyways.
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But like like so like that you got to.
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You got to realize that every single one of us, let me repeat
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this. Every single one of us is
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replaceable. You got to realize that the
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Church of Jesus Christ can go forward without us.
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We're not that important. God will use someone else.
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That is willing loving caring, to take care of his sheep.
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It's important that you realize because you'll get to the place
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where I need to take a break. But oh no.
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What will happen without me? What will happen?
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I'll tell you what will happen without me.
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We'll be just fine. It'll be fine.
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The Lord will do a work or maybe we won't have that Ministry
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anymore. I don't know what the answer is,
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but I do know this, it's his church.
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He'll give us wisdom. Take a break.
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Now, this hasn't happened, but for the sake of illustration,
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this takes someone just as vital to this church like Pastor Ian
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serving with me for many years. If he came to me after service
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today and he says, I need a appointment in your office at
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and I just needed to talk to you now.
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So I created the school back and so we go to our office is, you
24:02
know, and I'm tired. I just need Need, I need to move
24:05
on. I'm done.
24:06
I don't want to lead worship anymore.
24:08
I'll tell you what I won't do. What I won't do is, oh, please,
24:11
please don't go in. We need you, we need you, we
24:14
need you. I won't do that.
24:15
I'll say, okay, I'm Minister Tim and we'll talk, I mean, it won't
24:19
be so brief like on the stage here.
24:21
I'll minister to him and his family and see what's going on.
24:24
But but we will be okay. It passed three and moved on.
24:28
I'll lead worship. Don't laugh.
24:33
Don't don't cough and laughs so quickly.
24:35
I think I could do it for maybe four weeks before everybody
24:37
leaves but Get it done in four weeks but I don't know what
24:41
we'll do. We have other people that got my
24:43
raise up will do YouTube videos. I mean, the whatever will need
24:46
be needed. God will give it to us.
24:49
It would be a bummer if that happened.
24:50
I don't, I don't foresee it on me, but if it is, it's going to
24:53
be a bummer. But this is the point.
24:55
This is the point. The church existed before.
24:58
Ian was here to exist after the church existed before Ed was
25:02
here. And if, this is a real Church of
25:04
Jesus Christ, it will exist long.
25:06
After Ed's gone. And it's important that we not
25:09
have our eyes on man, including ourselves.
25:12
That's our biggest problem is when we only have eyes on our
25:16
cell and yeah, ministry will be hard and it will be challenging
25:21
and there will be times. But if you need a break you need
25:24
to take a break. It is not okay.
25:27
I think, you know, pastors used to say, you'd hear this a
25:30
conferences all the time and it's just so dumb.
25:32
I don't know why people say this but I would rather rushed out
25:36
then burn out. Or burnout and rust out.
25:39
Whatever it is. I don't even know because I
25:40
never used it. But how about this?
25:43
How about just abiding in Christ and not burning out or rusting
25:46
out? But just serving the Lord with
25:48
joy and gladness. That's the best way to handle
25:51
it. That's how we want you to serve
25:52
in this church. That's what you're asking to get
25:55
involved in, and it's very important that you realize that
25:58
God will use us as we serve willing lie.
26:04
Again, if you're looking for a couple verses, Second
26:06
Corinthians five. The love of Christ compels us.
26:10
That's why we're simply because we love Jesus, we want to be a
26:14
vessel of his love First Corinthians chapter 9.
26:17
Paul said, if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast
26:21
of, for necessity is laid upon me and that's why we're here and
26:26
that's why we endure and that's why God gives us who Pomona.
26:30
That's the Greek word for endurance to face whatever we
26:33
need a face because God will give us the strength.
26:36
I love what Charles Virgin wrote what he taught.
26:40
In his young students, these future Ministers of the Gospel.
26:43
It's in a book we recommend here, it's downstairs.
26:45
It's also curriculum for our school Ministry, it's called
26:48
lectures to my students. Vol 1 in the very first lecture
26:53
is Charles Spurgeon writes this, if any student in this room
26:57
could be content to be a newspaper editor, or a grocer,
27:01
or a farmer, or a doctor, or a lawyer, or a senator, or a king,
27:07
in the name. Of Heaven and Earth.
27:09
Let him go. His way.
27:10
We must feel that Woe Is unto us.
27:14
If we preach, not the gospel, the word of God must be unto us
27:18
as a fire in our bones. Otherwise, if we undertake the
27:23
ministry, we shall be unhappy in it shall be unable to Bear the
27:28
self-denials incident to it, and shall be of little service to
27:33
those among whom we Minister and that That part is very
27:38
important, although he's writing to Future pastors.
27:40
I think the application is very true for anyone that takes
27:44
spiritual service. Seriously, if you don't count
27:47
the cost, then you shall be unable to Bear the self-denials
27:52
incident to your service. And I want you to remember this
27:56
at the very beginning. In your service here in this
27:59
church, it started with you said you wanted to and God may just
28:05
have to get you back to the place where you said, this is
28:08
what God wants you to do. And this is a little bump in the
28:12
road that God might help you get over to make you the man and
28:15
woman. He wants you to be because our
28:17
service is part of his discipleship in our lives number
28:22
five. Number five, is another one,
28:24
very important at the end of verse 2 were serving, not by
28:28
Dishonest gain but eagerly where he really wanting to honor God.
28:32
So number five is spiritual servants serve, honestly, that
28:37
makes sense, but it needs to be said out loud that, you serve
28:41
honestly, not for dishonest game.
28:43
Don't sign up to serve in this church to rip people off in this
28:47
church or anywhere else for that matter.
28:49
It's sad to see but it happens unfortunately, it's not just on
28:53
Tick-Tock it's not just on YouTube, or television or radio
28:57
or Evangelist have all kinds of manipulative gimmicks to take
29:01
advantage of people that just want to serve God.
29:03
It's not just that, it happens in churches as well.
29:07
Ministry is not a place, we've been taught Ministry, is not a
29:10
place to fleece the flock, but to feed the flock.
29:14
And so the way it applies in a church setting is this don't
29:18
sign up to serve in this church to take advantage of the people
29:21
in this church. We don't want you serving here
29:24
in that capacity. Don't do it.
29:26
Don't sign up to you. No.
29:28
Sometimes you you are taught in business or in maybe a
29:31
multi-level marketing thing. Is that once you, once you sign
29:34
up in this, the best audience to start with is your church, go to
29:38
your church and sell your products at church not here.
29:43
Don't do it here. Don't look at people in this
29:46
church as a way for you, to make a living.
29:49
The people in this church belong to God in their blood bought.
29:53
They're not to be taken advantage of.
29:55
They're not to be seen only as a potential customer.
29:58
There are seen to be served and to loved.
30:02
Now let me say this in a relationship, is you build
30:05
relationships? That's not to say that.
30:08
There might be some business transaction.
30:09
You guys choose to have. I'm not talking about that.
30:12
I'm not talking about you having friendships and relationships.
30:15
Sand and in coming together I'm talking about signing up getting
30:18
some kind of prominence and seeing it.
30:20
It's a big church or a lot of people here and there's so much
30:23
potential to grow your company not here.
30:27
And I was like was that clear enough?
30:30
You like Ed? What are you doing?
30:32
What are you doing? What are you doing?
30:33
I'm warning you I don't want the people of this church to be seen
30:38
anything other than the men and women that Jesus died for, you
30:41
know, people walk in the store all the time.
30:43
Really messed up. Did you know that you probably
30:45
walked in that way? Hurting grieving people in this
30:50
world really confused about their identity, their sexual
30:52
identity, Mental Health crisis, they just had their spouse.
30:57
Leave them, their kids ran away. The last thing they need is some
31:01
sales person. Meaning that the door, they need
31:03
someone to love them and care for them and serve them in the
31:06
Name of Jesus Christ. And that's why we serve here.
31:13
You've got to do so not with dishonest.
31:15
Gain your motives have to be clear.
31:19
They have to be clean before the Lord.
31:20
He will sort it out. He'll sort it out in your life.
31:25
But you want to develop real meaningful relationships where
31:28
you're not looking of what you can get from, someone that
31:31
you're looking to, what, you can give someone that's the key.
31:36
And that's how God will use you, and it's so easy when you think
31:39
of dishonest gain. It's not just for those
31:40
televangelists, it's for all of us.
31:42
When I Hu, I have to approach you of.
31:44
How can I serve you? Not what you can do for me and
31:47
the Lord will sort out go. And let me tell you to God will
31:50
take care of your business. God will take care of your
31:52
finances. God will take care of your
31:54
sails. God Will Take God got it.
31:56
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and he knows your needs
32:00
and the bible promises that he will provide for all of your
32:02
needs. According to his riches in
32:04
Christ Jesus. You can trust God, but don't get
32:07
into spiritual ministry here or anywhere else to take advantage
32:10
of people for dishonest gain. So what the Bible says, Right
32:13
here don't do it. Number 6, verse 3, not being as
32:19
Lords over those entrusted to you.
32:22
Number six, spiritual servants and leader.
32:24
Serve humbly, you don't Lord it over people as that's where this
32:29
phrase comes from. You don't Lord your Authority,
32:32
you can also right next to the word lords-master, but here's a
32:36
common word that will help it be very clear for you.
32:39
It's don't be a boss, we the church, Doesn't need more
32:44
bosses, the church needs servants.
32:47
And the bosses at the church. Has already need to go back to
32:51
servanthood. So don't be a boss and I think
32:54
we've all worked for bosses that we don't want to be like, that's
32:57
what that's what Peter saying. Right there.
32:59
That doesn't belong in the church, don't be a boss.
33:01
Be a servant, don't Lord over your Authority.
33:05
Even though at times, you may have to use your authority to
33:08
disciple or to discipline or to help somebody along the way to
33:11
exhort or encouraged. Don't Lord it over them.
33:15
You don't have any control. You can't control the actions of
33:17
others and you can't use the Bible or the authority of God.
33:21
Gives you in the church to control others.
33:24
You can try and that's where manipulation comes in and a lot
33:26
of sinful Behavior. But you can't, you can't even do
33:30
that. It's impossible, you have to
33:33
pray for people, you have to get to know them.
33:35
You have to be a part of their lives.
33:37
You need to listen to them when you're counseling.
33:39
So you can the Holy Spirit can lead them and guide them.
33:42
So don't you? Use your Authority in a way that
33:44
wouldn't honor God. You need to walk humbly.
33:47
And that's one thing that will happen.
33:48
Part of the discipleship. When you, when you sign up to
33:50
serve in this church or any other church is, God will deal
33:53
with your pride very quickly. You'll deal with it as you're
33:58
ministering and serving. You understand.
34:01
Humility is the way to go. That's the way that Jesus led us
34:05
himself, a couple more and before we leave number 7, We've
34:09
already mentioned this but it's worth repeating.
34:11
He says, in verse 3, not being Lords over those entrusted to
34:15
you, spiritual leaders and servants.
34:18
We serve as stewards, everything that we're doing.
34:22
We don't deserve, it's been entrusted to us in ancient days,
34:26
a steward, had complete control of his master's property of his
34:31
of his of his boss's property if you will but had no control.
34:35
He had no he owned nothing. But Fraud, everything.
34:40
And according to First Corinthians chapter 4, the only
34:43
thing the master was looking for was faithfulness.
34:46
Just do good with what been handed to.
34:49
You just take care of it, basically, just take care of
34:52
what I've given to you, and I can hear that phrase from Jesus,
34:55
where he says, just take care of my church.
34:57
That's all I'm asking you to do. Just take care of the people,
34:59
just take care of their needs, just take care of their
35:02
spiritual needs. Just point them to me, just take
35:04
care of your stewards. They don't belong to you all,
35:07
I'm asking you to do is take care.
35:08
Of them until I return, just take care of them and that's
35:11
where he's at. This is the essence.
35:13
We're and so in our church, just so, you know, we're not trying
35:17
to build some big church here. We're not trying to build some
35:20
Mega Ministry, some Mega this, or Mega that to create some
35:25
celebrity atmosphere. We just want to serve the Lord.
35:28
Those whether the church is larger or smaller, all depends
35:32
upon the lord, it's his church. But I'll tell you this, I think
35:35
we've been taught well, and we were taught that it To make our
35:40
aim to have the best loved best fed.
35:44
Spiritually best cared for sheep possible.
35:48
And if we if we can care for the sheep that we have, then God
35:51
won't trust to us more to take care of but we're not trying to
35:56
build anything here. We're just trying to respond to
35:59
what God is doing and to be faithful to it.
36:02
Why? So that we can come and be found
36:04
faithful as a steward and say we took care of what you've asked
36:07
us to take. Care of number 8.
36:11
And this is the final one here in verse 3 says, but being
36:15
examples to the flock spiritual servants, spiritual leaders are
36:21
examples, that is non-negotiable, and there's no
36:25
debate. Everyone listening to me, is an
36:27
example. What is debatable is this
36:30
whether you're a good example or a bad example, but you are an
36:34
example and so when you step in to serve at a church, you've got
36:38
to take Of the example that you are and the example that you
36:43
want to be, because you are an example in the house of God
36:47
among leaders and any church we must be Godly men and women, men
36:53
and women of character that can be seen as examples for people
36:58
to follow and following Christ. Just like Paul said, follow me
37:03
as I follow Christ. Imitate me as I imitate Christ,
37:07
The Church Must Must be filled with men and women that can be
37:10
good examples because people are watching, people are watching
37:14
our lives. Just like it worked.
37:16
They may never tell you what they're looking.
37:19
I mean I remember this in my own life.
37:20
I I still have examples that I look to where I'm just like man
37:23
I don't know how to be a dad and so I'm going to find a dad and I
37:26
don't know how to be married. Now I'm going to find a married
37:29
couple that can help me. I'm gonna go to the marriage
37:31
Ministry. I'm gonna go to the men's
37:32
Retreats, I need help, and while I was a little embarrassed to
37:36
ask for it, I was a good Observer.
37:38
Server and I watched the principles and the habits and
37:43
the things that were needed to help me become a better man.
37:46
Why? Because God uses examples in our
37:49
lives, which when it comes to sheep in the flock of God, you
37:54
don't drive sheep. You lead them.
37:59
You lead sheep sheep or not driven as much as popular that
38:02
word has become among the church in the last few years.
38:05
That you're not driven. We're LED.
38:10
You lead sheep and examples are what go?
38:14
The farthest. A leader, is someone, who knows,
38:18
the way to go and goes that way, then shows the way to go a l,
38:24
always up front, and he, or she goes that way.
38:29
And then shows the way then leads by personal example, a
38:32
personal relationship with Christ.
38:35
The Practical, gifting of Jesus in their life.
38:37
Leaders are not perfect. So you're not going to have any
38:39
perfect examples. There's always going to be flaws
38:42
in our lives, but as we live together in unity and fellowship
38:45
with Jesus, Even watching. So your leader today or even
38:48
watching someone make a mistake and how they recover from that
38:53
mistake is an example. Somebody that stumbles and how
38:57
they recover as an example. Even if there's some kind of
39:00
friction in the church and you watch someone go and their
39:02
Matthew 18, they go, if anyone's offended, you go to him and you
39:05
and him alone is an example. So your whole life, it can
39:09
become a picture. And this is why it hurts so much
39:14
when a prominent Pastor falls into sin.
39:17
Because he was an example to you and I've been around long
39:20
enough. I've even had people that I've
39:21
been connected with personally that have done great damage to
39:25
the church and hurt me. Personally, I've seen pastors
39:29
commit horrific adultery, that I've known.
39:32
Personally, I've seen Pastor steal, thousands of dollars from
39:34
the church. One guy in particular hundreds
39:37
of thousands of dollars from his church and it's painful and it
39:41
hurts it wouldn't be painful if they were just Ted talkers.
39:46
They just wrote a book and put it out like if they, if it
39:49
wouldn't hurt so much, I mean, it would sting I guess, but it
39:51
wouldn't hurt so much. The reason why it hurts is
39:53
because you look to them as an example, and they failed you.
39:58
But even in then, what the Lord is saying is a okay, look,
40:00
you're going to have flawed leaders and they're going to
40:03
fail you, but you got to keep your eyes on the Lord.
40:06
That's the key. You got to keep your eyes on the
40:08
Lord, and pray for them. Because even the things that
40:11
were taught to you through some of these guys, they were truth
40:13
of God's word, you can hold those, you can The truth and
40:16
then pray for the fallen and that the Lord might recover
40:19
them. And they might be, they might
40:21
come back to the Lord. They might repent and come back
40:24
to some form of usefulness. Let me give you a bonus.
40:27
One Number Nine, and they give you a bonus in verse 4.
40:31
It says, when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the
40:34
Crown of Glory that is not fade away.
40:35
So here's number nine, spiritual serving and Leadership is
40:39
rewarding. This is amazing to me that just
40:42
just let this verse sink in the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
40:48
Who bought this church with his own blood will reward you for
40:52
service. I mean, seriously, like, I don't
40:57
deserve to serve, I know where my life was and there is still a
41:01
reward available like I can hear the words maybe, one day.
41:05
Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the presence
41:09
and the joy of your lord. I mean, ultimately will cast all
41:12
those rewards down at the feet of Jesus, but to thank, Because
41:16
here's here's where this plays in, I mean because this is
41:19
totally amazing. So much of serving God is unseen
41:24
by man. Nobody really knows what you do
41:27
for the Lord. That's one of the ways.
41:29
The enemy can prick your heart. Like how doesn't everybody know
41:32
what I do? Let me tell you ahead of time.
41:34
No we don't but you're still important because your
41:38
importance is not what people see.
41:41
It's what you do for the chief Shepherd.
41:43
It's not what people see the Applause of man you know.
41:46
The accolades of men. They come and go one day.
41:48
They like you the next day. They hate you.
41:50
One day. They're crying Hosanna the next
41:51
week, they're crucifying you, you don't want to surf for men.
41:55
You want to serve the Lord because if you serve the chief
41:57
Shepherd, when he comes back and appears he's going to reward you
42:01
put a crown on your head. This Laurel wreath of Victory,
42:05
you made it, you took well Kara my flock.
42:09
You were faithful in what I called you to do and so there's
42:12
a special reward whatever that looks like for those who lead
42:15
and serve. So it's important that we grasp
42:17
these things, it's important that we know them.
42:20
I know some of them are hard but they won't be hard if we avoid
42:23
them and we can just serve the little with joy and gladness and
42:26
God moves the church. Forward amazingly through people
42:30
like you and me, isn't it amazing?
42:32
That's the grace of God that he would use us.
42:35
Amen. So father, thank you for the
42:37
privilege of serving you and these days and and I know it's
42:40
hard and challenging and we carry a lot of burdens on our
42:43
hearts but and we feel so inadequate, But at times and we
42:47
blow it and all of it, all of the above God, we just cast our
42:51
selves upon you Lord, we cast our cares upon you.
42:56
We thank you publicly for your faithfulness in our lives.
43:00
That even when we are faithless, you remain faithful in Jesus
43:03
name. Amen.
43:05
We pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible.
43:08
Study delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church for
43:11
prayer. Call us at 877, 30 Grace.
43:16
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43:22
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43:26
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43:31
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