Northside Church - Sydney
Never Ending Story Week 2 PM: Your Passion/His Purposes
You're listening to another great message from Northside Community Church. Well, the Olympics is almost over, and if you're a sports nut, which I actually aren't, but even I have been impressed by the thrills and spills and the triumphs and the tragedies that have come beaming into our living rooms every day, family about some sports that have been new, existed. Amazing. Well, here we are, and Australia hasn't done quite as well as we would have liked, right? Get a name into that. But think of it as a swimming, but you know, I can't believe that there's a reason for this, and I can't believe the commentators haven't picked this up more. It's very clear to me why we haven't done so well. There's a factor that wasn't existent at Beijing. Athens did not experience this phenomenon. Sydney, it wasn't even thought about. It's this dark spectre that sort of hangs over everything we do, and it's obviously why we haven't done any Olympic games. I'm talking about the carbon tax. I mean, it's so obvious. I mean, that has affected everything to do with life. Something to do with that training, that increased cost of electricity or something. I don't know. I haven't been able to train as much, maybe. Well, that's going to come out, I'm sure, in the analysis. You watch. Well, you know, there aren't many Olympians that have had a film made out of their story, but there is one. The film, of course, Chariots of Fire. Who have seen Chariots of Fire? Oh, just everybody. Oh, young ones are okay. Well, of course, it tells the story of Eric Liddle. Eric Liddle is the man, the Scottish runner, who at the 1924 Paris Olympics refused to run on a Sunday. As an expression of his Christian faith, he had very strong feelings about the use of Sunday, refused to run, made worldwide news. This film was made out of his story, and there's that running scene on the beach. That must be the only slow running scene in a Hollywood movie that hasn't ended with a big kiss and a hug, but it doesn't. It ends with just sort of a macho scene with the guys running. It's very motivational. Well, Eric Liddle at one point, speaking about his ability to run and attributing it to something that God has given him, he says this, God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure. Now, friends, getting a sense of what, getting a sense that God is pleased with what we're doing, that we've discovered the purpose for which he has created us, that is one of the most satisfying feelings anyone can have. Just knowing you, you're bringing him pleasure by being in the center of his will. It may not happen with our vocations. I mean, very few people find that in their vocation. For many of us, I'm aware, vocation is simply a means to an end, survival. You may not feel all that call to your particular vocation, but if you are, if you do feel that, then that's fantastic, but that's not for everybody. However, we can all experience a sense of purpose and meaning in our Christian lives by how we serve within the body of Christ. That's where all of us can get this feeling, how we're using our gifts in the context of the church, the part we believe we are meant to play in this whole thing of mission. That's what our reading was about this morning. Look at verse 16 of Ephesians chapter 4 says this, "Under his control, all the different parts of the body fit together. So when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love." Now, guys, here's a beautiful picture, and it is a beautiful picture of the body of Christ, both locally and globally. A picture of the body of Christ with each part meshing together in powerful synchronization. Great picture. Look at those words. And in that synchronization, we're achieving significant outcomes, exciting goals for the kingdom of God, what the New Testament frequently describes as a life of good deeds, not meaning random, intermittent gestures of good will and kindness, but more a lifestyle, as we discovered last week, a lifestyle that is geared towards service, finding needs and meeting them, finding hurts and healing them. And as we acknowledge these last week, a significant part of our quest in life. What are we here for? A significant part of our quest in life is to discover where we fit in, how we've been wired by God, what we're meant to be doing. And the New Testament provides a lot of teaching to assist us in this process. As it talks about the lifestyle of good deeds, we're all intended to strive for the various writers describe how fitting the various body parts together involves a number of vital components. Firstly, there are leaders to prepare us. This is 11 and 12 of the reading today. It was he who gave gifts to people. He put in some of the apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. He did this to prepare all God's people for the task and for the work of Christian service in order to build up the body of Christ. And guys, it's Christianity 101, but our task as preachers and pastors is not to do the work. I think I might have even come into ministry thinking that was the case. My theology was sort of very underdeveloped, but boy, ministry took on a whole new look when I realized that my task in leadership was empowering people, liberating people, freeing people to do the ministry that God had called them to do and then just make sure it's all sort of moving in a direction that's achieving some significant outcome. That's how I see leadership. And fitting the various body parts together also involves something else. That is, we have the Bible to equip us. Second Timothy chapter three and verses 16 and 17. Let's check it out. Second Timothy chapter three, 16. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting false and giving instruction for right living so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified, get this and equipped to do every kind of good deed. It's just a constant theme through Scripture. And so the Bible, this book is a treasure chest of stories of people who discover where they fit it in. It contains powerful principles for effective ministry in virtually every situation you can think of. And then it's Peter who in his first letter says this. He says we all have spiritual gifts to enable us to minister effectively. First Peter chapter four and verses 10 and 11. Each one as a good manager of God's different gifts must use for the good of others the special gift they have received from God. Those who preach must preach God's messages. Those who serve must serve with the strength that God gives them so that in all things, praise may be given to God through Jesus Christ, to whom the long glory and honor. Every believer has gifts. Again, Christianity 101. And in my experience, not just one gift, people say, oh, I haven't discovered my gift yet. You know, like most people have a stack of gifts from which to draw. That's the way it seems God works. It's made of discovering those, utilizing those, bringing them before the Lord and saying, please, I see you've wired me like this, Lord, I want to be used by you. Take this natural inclination of mine and use it for your glory. So how the different parts of the body fit together through the encouragement of leaders? Through the instruction of the Bible, the manifestation of gifts. And finally, according to the writer of the Hebrews, and let's check this out. He says, we have our fellow Christians, our fellow Christians to support and encourage us. Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 24. Let us be concerned for one another. Let us help one another. Show love to one another to do good. Let us not give up the habit of meeting together as some are doing. Notice that? Let us help one another to show love and to do good, like to encourage each other in Christian service. So let's be concerned for one another. Let us help one another. Let us not give up the habit of meeting together. Guys, let's never underestimate the part that each of us has to play in the area of encouraging and supporting each other in ministry. Like I've said before, a big motivational component in my work as a senior pastor here is when I look at what's happening out here, okay, in your lives. I mean, I see the devotion. I see the commitment. I see the above and beyond. I see so many of you giving of your best and I'm just feeling compelled to give of my best. That's why we're so hard. That's why the teamwork's so hard. We see what's happening with so many of you guys, and it's a great motivational component in our ministry. We have some golfers among us. I know that. I'm not one of them, but a number of you are golfers. Golfers talk about the sweet spot. They're referring to that place in the club that wastes the least amount of energy when it hits the ball. In other words, it's just the right spot to hit the ball. If you hit outside the sweet spot, you'll either slice it or you'll hook it or you'll send it up too high. Golfers, how many golfers know all this? Stacks of you. Look at that. Yeah. I see that hand-branding. Fantastic. Yeah. I see that, Chris, on your mate. I got it from Google, but it makes sense. I think I could probably play around now just looking at that sweet spot. You know, there's an amazing story about a guy in the Vietnam War. I heard this guy speak at a conference years ago and he was in prison for seven years in Vietnam. He'd been a great golfer back in the United States. He was a fighter pilot. Every day during his seven years, in his mind, he played around a golf at his home course every single day. His name was Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Coffey. He played this round of golf. When he finally was released after seven years, he went back to America. He picked up his golf game pretty much where he left it off in terms of the handicap and his ability, just the power of the mind to imagine and to stay in touch. Well, he obviously found his sweet spot. And if you hit that bull in the sweet spot, it goes long and straight. Good golfers make it look so easy because like, you know, there's their life. They're just practicing this all the time. It becomes part of them. They find their sweet spot and they're able to deliver most times. Now, here's the thing. When it comes to service and ministry, we discover our spiritual sweet spot, when our passion meets God's purpose, when your passion intersects with God's purpose for you, that's your sweet spot. That's when you are going to get that feeling Eric Littlehead. You know, I know what I'm doing gives him pleasure. Our passion, of course, is essentially the way God has designed us, our unique gifts and abilities and drives and urges. We mentioned last week about Rick Russeau, Russeau. He wrote a book called Life on Loan. The book has been a great resource for this series and for this message, actually. And he mentions Picasso in this book. And he says like, you know, Picasso is not known for his faith journey, but he certainly understood the concept of unique design. Because I want to call you an apparently Picasso said to a reporter, my proud mother said to me, because she could see the guy was brilliant, she said to me, if you become a soldier, you'll be a general. And he said, if you become a monk, you'll be the pope. And he said to the reporter, I became a painter and I wound up as Picasso. You know, that's just, that's what he was meant to do, just a sheer brilliance. And that's what, and that's who he was. And that's how he contributed so much to the world of art and creativity. Guys, I think of the hundreds and hundreds of Christians I've worked with over my years of ministry, including you guys here at Northside. And I can just recall the people who've found their sweet spot. They've just found the right thing where they are meant to be serving. And I never cease to marvel at the diversity, the range of gifts within the body of Christ. I mean, here in this church, some people have found their sweet spot in behind the scenes roles. They wouldn't get up here if you paid them. We have people who arrive here very early in the morning to prepare communion. It's one of the most beautiful acts of service in this church. We need to increase that group by the way. Some of these ladies are doing it week in and week out. We need more people who see that as a ministry behind the scenes. Other people find their sweet spot in hospitality, morning tea, coffee ministry, greeting people out there in the starting point, all that sort of thing. Practical service, people who find their sweet spot in helping to maintain our buildings and our equipment here. Some in relationships, like some of the greeting and also just some of the interaction with people, greeting new people and seeing that as a special ministry. Some through music and creative arts, thank God for those under the leadership of Michael Thomas and what a blessing they are to us. Others in various forms of leadership, like connection group leadership or eldership or on our management committee, our management department. And guys, look, here's the exciting thing. This really excites me about Christian leadership. The exciting thing I've found and so satisfying is that the leadership of a healthy, united church, got to qualify it, leadership of a healthy united church in that sort of setting, most major service and ministry initiatives in the local body of Christ can be traced back to a situation where someone's passion has intersected with God's purpose. Like our task as ministers, it's not to always be starting ministries. We do start some ministries, but it's to allow people who have a passion in certain areas to convince ministries and provided they fit under our overriding aim and what we want to achieve here. Our task is to cheer people on, encourage them, urge them to fulfil their calling. Look, we have a pastoral care team. Why is that? Because people like Helen Solomon and Anne Robinson and others are passionate about people feeling cared for through all the different seasons of life. That's how that ministry got started. We have a women's ministry here because years ago a lady called Edwina Blair got a vision that women needed special care and support and ministry designed to help them grow. She passed the baton on to Leslie Hatton who passed it on to a succession of other women today. Kieran Zurna is holding that baton high and doing a great job as our women's coordinator. She's a very passionate person. Why do we have the divorce care ministry? Because people like Greg Clissold and Hugh and Delia James have been through the pain of divorce themselves and they want to impart what they've learned through faith in Christ into others who are going through that particular pain. We have a coffee ministry because Graham Reed is one of many who's passionate about people having a good coffee in their hands when they're talking after church. How do we get involved in Hope Street? That's because Annie Bramwell worked for that organisation, alerted us to the needs. Different people got involved. So today we've got Harvey and Ronnie Gartrell and the Kennedys, James and Veronica and Toby Zurna and many others holding the torch and keeping our interest in that ministry alive because of their passion. Why do we have a meditation group here? Because, Jim Wiley, as a member of the NSW Meditation Society, she has a special passion about people taking time out during their busy working week to come here on a Thursday and meditate. Some of these people don't even darken our church door in any other setting but it's an outreach. It's a ministry. Why are we going to Madagascar? Because something like Sarah Anderson is passionate about the plight of children in developing nations. You know as a church, and this may surprise you, we've been to the orphanages of Romania, we've been to the slums of India and the Philippines and Cambodia and other parts of Asia. We've been to all these places not under the north side banner so much, but under a banner that has read something like servant of Jesus based at north side, international agent of Hope and Healing. We've had people, you listen to me now, who've gone to these places, not as part of our but because you're based here, you're getting motivation to do this kind of thing. Now friends, when you look at it from this perspective, getting this big helicopter view, the influence of a church like north side in any given month, certainly in any given year is huge. As people move out as servants of Jesus, agents of Hope based at north side to get involved in various community groups, sporting clubs and school councils, as they play their part in their job as a doctor or as a lawyer or as an administrator, as a nurse, whatever and just reflect the love and the grace and the justice and the ethics of Jesus. In that sense, our influence as a church is breathtaking where we're writing a little bit of the never ending story all the time, a few lines every day, a paragraph in a week arising out of what we see in the Bible and what we see from Christians of history. Back to the local setting for a moment and one of the challenges we face as a church, particularly in this setting, where we're dealing with a lot of leaders here. One of the challenges we face is to see the significance and the value of some of the more menial tasks like those that keep reoccurring on the rosters and my turn again to be on the roster. We're really punching above our weight here. We're not a mega church. We need more people in these roles. I know it's hard to say, "Where does God's great plan for my life? How come I'm on a roster? Is that what he's planning for my life? Where does that fit into his purpose?" Well, I've got a story which some of you have heard before but many of you won't have heard it because I haven't told it for a few years. It's probably the best example outside of embarrassing some people here and telling their story. It's one of the best examples I know of this kind of thing where you can take menial tasks and see them as a ministry. Bev and I, on Thursday, were going through the northeastern part of America and we dropped in to the largest church of our denomination in America. It's in Louisville, Kentucky. It's called the Southeastern Christian Church right there in the outskirts of Louisville. Beautiful big church. I was saying to the congregation in the first service, I came back from Melbourne last night and I was walking through the Qantas domestic terminal there, the Foyer, where they used to do your ticketing to do your own now. Isn't that progress for you? The Foyer of this church is about the size of that. The Qantas will be a little bit bigger but that's what we're talking about. It's a massive church in the excess of 20,000 people every weekend. A guy called Jim was showing us around with great pride. He was retired and showing us around and it was fantastic. We were there for a couple of hours and didn't even see some buildings. Then we got to the auditorium. Wow. 9,000 seats, various levels, massive. We got to the lower level. He took us with great pride to a section and he said, "This is where I serve communion right here." We thought, "Wow, fantastic." Then I got a question, "Wow." I thought of Helen Solomon. I thought of Thia Nubon. I thought of the rosters. I said, "Jim, how do you know when you're on the roster to serve communion?" I mean, 9,000 people are serviced. You do it three times because they always have communion being one of our denomination every week. I said, "How do you do the roster? How do you know when you're on the roster?" I thought I had him. It's complex. It doesn't work that well. I was ready for anything. He looked at me puzzled. He said, "What do you mean roster?" I said, "What do you know when you're on?" He said, "I'm on every week. This is what I do. I serve communion. That's my ministry." I said, "Wow, really?" He said, "Oh, yeah." He said, "I have a team of people and we serve this area. When I go to Miami to see my daughter every year, I have to get my understudy in and we have to bring him up to date with what's required in this area. I have to tell them about the lady who can't take communion with her right hand because she's had a stroke and so she has to be given the cup in this hand. I have to tell them about the people who need access to the aisles because they've got particular medical needs. I tell them about people who arrive late but who need a certain seat. This guy knew these couple of hundred people better than an average pastor would know a church of 200 people, you know? And then I got the thinking, "Don't anybody tell me all big churches who will be a bit impersonal?" No. These people were getting cared for. They'd combine this guy and he'd combine pastoral care with something as regular and as menial as a seven communion. Wow, I've never forgotten it. They only gave a world. Don't want to. Beautiful. Wouldn't it be great if we could increase the number of people in our church family who see even some of the mundane roles as opportunities for service just by tweaking a little bit how they see it as a people moment, you know? Not just as a guy when the roster gets. We have these people. Of course we do. We have some of you are looking at you right now. But you know what? We need more. That's a thing. We need more people who've got this sort of servant heart. And as the church develops more people with that level of devotion, that church becomes a reflection of Ephesians 4, 14, and I close with this. We had it read to us earlier. Look at this. Ephesians 4, 14. Okay, here it is. "Then, and so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, we shall become mature people reaching to the very heights of Christ's full stature and knowledge of the Son of God, we shall become mature people reaching to the very heights of Christ's full stature." That's Christian maturity. That's the kind of church in which a vast majority of people have found their sweet spot and they're pushing that ball forward with great accuracy and great power. That's the church we're developing here, guys, and largely because so many of you are ministering in that way. If you haven't found your sweet spot yet, I've only listed some of our ministries, just some of them, many more. If you haven't found your sweet spot yet, pray into it. Talk about it. Everybody should feel like Eric Little that they are pleasing God with what they're doing. I know there are seasons and we go through different seasons and sometimes not possible, but if you just, if you've got in cruise control and you really need to, or you're neutral and you really need to get connected into your ministry area, let's talk about it. Let's have everybody writing part of the never-ending story. Let's bow and pray.