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Purpose Driven Service
A Sermon Preached by Dr. James Flamming
First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.
October 24, 2004
Scripture:
Matt. 25:31; Acts 13:1,2; Romans 16:1; I Corinthians 16:1
With David of old we are kneeling down and gathering from
the brook five smooth stones to meet the Goliaths of our day. The first week was
the smooth stone of Worship. The second was the smooth stone of Fellowship. Last
week we looked at Discipleship. Today we kneel down to pick up the smooth stone
of Ministry: We are shaped for service.
Let’s begin by playing the Image Game. Some words bring
instant images into our minds. I will give you a word and you see what image
pops up. Santa Claus. The image which popped up was not likely a guy with
a shaved head and tattoos up and down his arm. Here is another one – Isabel.
The image was probably not of a Spanish Queen but of a storm that moved through
and left everything in a horrific mess.
Here is another word – minister. What image pops up?
Of a guy like me with a shirt and a tie behind a pulpit preaching? Of a
clergyman with a collar turned backwards? The New Testament would never
recognize a minister in this way. There were no pulpits, because they met in
homes. There was no division between clergy and laity. All were on the same
level. If you believe the Bible, every Christian is supposed to be a minister. A
minister is one who serves Christ by serving others.
There are two words that carry the freight of ministry or
service in the New Testament. The first is the word to serve or to minister. It
is leitourgeo, from which we get our word liturgy. It is used sparingly
in the New Testament because it was the word used for what priests did in the
temple. Early Christians had no temples and believed every believer was his or
her own priest. So New Testament writers often used the word diakonos
which means servant. In any language the image of a servant is not that of a
priest in the temple. It is always one who does things in behalf of others.
Turn to Matthew 25:31. It is judgment time. The Lord
divides us all into two groups. The first are invited into the Kingdom prepared
for them. Why are they invited? Look carefully at verse 35, and 36. It is
because they have been ministers to those in need. Jesus says, “If you did it to
one of the least, you did it to me.”
But look again. Some are shut out of the Kingdom. They are
puzzled. They ask of the Lord, “When did we see you hungry, thirsty, and sick in
need of a visit?” The Lord will answer, “Inasmuch as you did it not to one of
the least of these, you did it not unto me.”
Fast forward please. Fast forward to the time when you and
I meet God. Only two questions God will ask us. The first is, “What did you do
with my Son and your Savior, Jesus Christ?” The second is, “What did you do with
the life I gave you?” Nowhere in the New Testament are we told we will be
questioned about our doctrine, nor about our denomination, nor about
membership.
Serving Through
Prayer and Fasting
Turn to Acts 13:1,2. What a remarkable bunch they were.
They had five leaders. Two you probably have heard about, Saul (Paul) and
Barnabas. But three you probably have not. Simeon called Niger. Niger means
black. From the first the church was interracial, Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen,
who had been brought up in a privileged home because he was educated with Herod
the tetrarch. What a diverse church!
Oh man, I would love to have been in that group. A leader
every one. Visionary to the core. Verse two has the word minister in it. Most
translate it worship, “while they were worshiping the Lord.” But this is the
word for minister and it is the ministry of prayer and fasting. A new
translation of the Bible, called the Holman Christian Standard Bible, translates
it correctly in my judgment: “As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting,
the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work that I
have called them to. Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them,
they sent them off.” Ministry then is not only reaching out to the needy, it is
reaching up to God in prayer and fasting. The journey is inward and upward as
well as outward.
Serving by
Helping and Teaching Your Fellow Chrisitians
Look in Romans 16:1. Paul, as he often does, is closing his
letter to Roman believers with a long list of greetings. What a network the
early church had! There are over 30 names listed. Guess who is at the top of the
list? Phoebe, a social worker we would call her today. She is described as a
servant – or it can be translated minister, or it can be translated deacon.
She had apparently been of great service to many Christians
including Paul himself.
And who is the next name? Priscilla along with her husband,
Aquilla. Notice the wife’s name first. That was never done in that culture. But
here it is. Priscilla must have been a wonderful teacher – ministering through
her teaching.
Serving through
Faithful Giving
Part of service to Christ is giving to the Lord through the
church. Money is a huge part of our lives. Is God in your heart but not in your
pocketbook?
Turn to 1 Corinthians 16:2. Faithful giving as a ministry
is regular, it is proportionate (in keeping with his income), and disciplined
(set aside.)
Money changes everything. I told you once about a man who
came into a church one afternoon and found the receptionist and said, “I want to
talk to the head hog at the trough.” She said, “Pardon me.” I want to speak to
the man in charge, the preacher, the head honcho, the head hog at the trough.”
The receptionist said, “Sir, our Pastor is a very distinguished man. He has a
Doctor’s degree and has been here many years. I’m sure he is too busy to see
you.” So the man said, “Oh, I’m sorry about that. I am a builder. And I just
completed the biggest job of my life and made a million dollars. My daddy said
if I ever made a lot of money I ought to tithe it. So I was going to give the
church $100,000.” The eyes of the receptionist got very big and then she said,
“You just wait right here. I’m sure I can find the Chief Pig around here
somewhere.”
On the positive side money does change things. It opens
doors, sends missionaries, educates children, shapes young lives, guides adults,
and so on and on. Your giving is a key measure of your willingness to serve.
The Budget Committee presented their 2005 budget in
business meeting last Wednesday night. They have had a terrifically tough job.
You know why?
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Because our contributions are not keeping up
with our commitments
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Because too few are carrying the load.
Do you know the 80-20 rule? 80% of the files are use 20% of the time; 20% of
the files are used 80% of the time. 20% of the fisherman catch 80% of the fish;
80% catch 20% of the fish. It is amazing to me how this numerical parable works
so often. It works in our giving to this church. 80% of our budget is given by
20% of our members. If the 80% who give only 20% would increase their giving
only 1% we are on the way. By the way I don’t know what any one gives except
three people: Shirley, me, and one of our finest who lives on a fixed income and
always sends her offering to me to give to the finance committee.
In a church in another state was a woman that amused me.
When she drove downtown she would drive around until she found an empty parking
meter with some time left on it. It made her day when she could park on somebody
else’s quarter.
Let me tell you where this hits hard. Missions. The budget
committee lowered our mission giving 1% from 10% to 9%. This is only the second
time in my years as a pastor that we have had to cut mission giving. This is not
the end of the world. There are other times when our church has had to cut
missions. During the Great Depression 50% of our budget was going to debt
retirement. But friends, we have no debt retirement. We have no excuses. It is
time we step up to the plate instead of parking on someone else’s quarter. I
trust the budget committee completely. I learn and relearn that laypersons are
often smarter and more able than I am. And they have said, when our money comes
in over and above our budget, missions will be the first to receive the over and
above money.
Now friends, giving is one of the crucial measures of
service to Christ and his church.
So, what have we said? We have said,
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that minister is a word for all Christians; not
just the clergy.
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that minister means serving others in the name
of Christ.
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that we will give account at the judgment seat
of Christ on whether we ministered.
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that ministering can mean prayer and fasting
and teaching as well as feeding and doing.
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that the early church welcomed all races and
genders to the ministry.
A famous pianist when I was growing up and taking piano
lessons was Ignace Jan Paderewski. An incident that happened during a concert of
his in the mid-west speaks to all of us. A mother brought her nine-year old boy
to a concert. During intermission the mother drifted off to talk with her
friends. The boy sat and wiggled for a while then made his way to the front, and
sitting behind the grand piano, he began to play “Chopsticks.” The chatter of
the crowd came to a halt as he began to play. Irritated and embarrassed they
began to shout:
“Get that boy away from here.”
“Who would bring a kid that young in here.”
“Where is his mother?”
Backstage Paderewski heard the commotion and stepped from
behind the curtains. He stooped over behind the boy, reached around both sides,
and began to improvise and harmonize along side of Chopsticks. As the two played
together Paderewski kept whispering in the boy’s ear:
Keep going. Don’t quit. Keep on playing. You
keep playing and I will make the music.
Is not this what the Holy Spirit does with our service for
him. He reached around and whispers in our ears, Keep going. Don’t quit. You
keep serving and I will make the music.
May it be so with all of us.
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