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Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105
(262) 763-3021
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Pastor Scott Carson
Grace Church of Burlington
September 4, 2005
“The most eloquent prayer is the prayer through hands that heal and bless. The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service.” Billy Graham
I’ve always thought that Labor Day was, well, one of America’s more ironic holidays. Labor Day is the yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. It’s supposed to be a holiday from work. But more work probably takes place on Labor Day than any other holiday. My father-in-law used to tell his kids, “We labor on Labor Day.”
On the day before Labor Day, can we have a candid chat though about spiritual labor? One of our God-designed purposes is to serve the Lord. We were saved so that we could know and love God, belong and be part of His family, and become more like Jesus. When He was on this earth Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work” (John 4:24). Jesus put service even before eating...before the essentials of life. Yet most believers today have reversed that. They put anything and everything before serving the Lord. I once heard someone comment that, “Why is it when a believer gets busy, the first thing that gets cut from the schedule is the church?” That’s a good question. It seems that we always have time for that which is important to us but somehow ministry, even though it is one of our God designed purposes, is not important. Some convince themselves that they need a break. But why is it that we rarely, if ever, seem to need a break from our hobbies? Some will tell you that something in the past happened and when they get over the hurt, they’ll get back involved. So they sit sidelined, frittering away their lives. Then, some will do the bare minimum yet feel that they have done God a big favor by giving Him a few crumbs from their life.
This is why so many believers do not have the peace and satisfaction that God wants them to have. You and I are saved to serve. When we do not fulfill that purpose, we miss out on the joy that God wants to give us. Those who are the least involved are frequently the most critical, complain incessantly, and just generally are disgruntled. They’re miserable because they are not fulfilling their designed purpose.
As we read Scripture, we find that the most fulfilled believers were those who were the most surrendered and involved. They knew their purpose and were fulfilling it.
Friend, God has a place of service for each of us. Not only that, but He has gifted each of us as believers so that we can serve and honor Him. Ministry begins, though it is not limited to, our church family. If you are part of the Grace Family, then God has a place of ministry for you here. And the opportunities are endless.
Now obviously, not everyone is gifted at teaching or leading worship. But some of our greatest needs at Grace are shadow ministries. Those behind the scenes. For example, we are usually in need of those to help with maintenance and the physical needs of our church. Frequently, Scott and I do jobs that others are much more gifted at. Then, two of our most important ministries continually struggle with staffing – our nursery and Children’s Church.
God has a place for you at Grace. Are you currently involved in a ministry at Grace? If not, why not take some time this Labor Day and ask the Lord where He would have you serve Him?
Just like a potter makes a clay pot to hold water, just like a wood crafter works wood and nails into a chair for sitting, we are God’s workmanship designed for the purpose of serving Him. We are not simply made to sit in the stands and watch the game of life pass by, we are made to get in the game and make a contribution to His team!