Destinations – Partnership
August 22, 2011Partnership – the place where I, as a member of God’s family, am growing in my responsibility to contribute to God’s work through my God given gifts and abilities.
As a child of God, your progressive growth and maturity are constantly in motion. Getting stuck is one of the greatest deterrents to becoming who God has called you to be. There is an ultimate destination – it’s called heaven. I have a suspicion that when we get there, God will have more things that He’ll have us doing that will again have adventure, challenge and fulfillment as woven into the fabric of that celestial place. Until then, He has called us to be on the move toward spiritual maturity. What lies ahead is sure to be spectacular. 1 Corinthians 2:9 tells us, “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”
The markers of spiritual growth we’re covering each week in our series, are the interim stops on our journey toward our final destination. When Jesus was concluding His ministry on earth, He told several parables/stories that helped illustrate how to be prepared for His second coming. Matthew 25 – the parable of a faithful servant – is one of the metaphors to describe the appropriate readiness for His return. As a follow up to today’s message, take a few minutes to read Matthew 25:14-30 and answer the following questions and share your answers with a friend.
1. What is the impact of today’s choices on your future?
2. What are the differences in the three servants?
3. Is there any indication that more talents equal more value to the master?
4. How do you assess peoples’ value in relation to their talents?
5. What does the story infer as to the rewards of faithfulness?
Looking back over your notes, to which of the three barriers are you most vulnerable? Have you overcome any of these barriers? If so, how?
What are you doing to be more available for ministry/service? From reading Matthew 25 and hearing today’s sermon, is there any reason that a person should not be a contributing part of the body of Christ? If giving faithfully is the best way to break the grip of greed in our lives, I’d say that serving faithfully is the best way to break the snare of self-centeredness. Are these points true for you? If so, share your story.
Look over the following three passages and select at least one to memorize, as a way to support your commitment in becoming a partner of YC, who is truly dedicated to doing your part. 1 Cor. 12:12 & 27, 1 Peter. 4:10, Mark 10:45 and Phil. 2:5-7.
To reinforce an attitude of gratitude, take some time today to list 10 things for which you are grateful. Consider writing a gratitude journal. If you already journal, this is as easy as tacking on a prayer of thanksgiving at the end of each entry. Challenge yourself to identify one or two things for which you are thankful.
To build your resolve to be a faithful person, serve in a ministry of your choice. If you are new at this, select something easy, like being an usher, greeter or helping with room set ups and commit to serving for three months. Then reevaluate and recommit, or choose another ministry. As you become available, grateful and faithful, God promises to move you forward in your faith. Look up the following verses to see how they remind us of the promises associated with service. Matt. 25: 21 & 23, Gal. 6:9 and Eph. 4:14-16.
See you on the 28th for our Fall Kickoff!
In His Love,
Pastor Jeff
