If you prefer to worship at home at this time or simply wish to listen to the service or sermon again, you’re welcome to use the links below to have a time of worship at home. (Just click on the link to play each hymn or the sermon in a separate tab, and close that tab when finished.)

CALL TO WORSHIP
Lord, I believe: Help my unbelief. Help me to see my world as You see it.
Lord, I obey; Help my disobedience. Focus me; guide me. Prune me.
Lord, I follow;  Help me to stay on the path. Thank you for the path, for guidance, for Providence and protection.
I humbly ask for wisdom and for knowledge in every human situation. 
Lord, help me to flourish as a part of the vine, as a means of grace, as a person through whom your Holy Spirit flows. Amen.

HYMN

A TIME OF PRAYER (Testimonies, Joys & Concerns)

Congregational Prayer − The Centering Prayer:
Lord Jesus, today I am far less than the person I want to be or can be with your help.
I ask today that you would be more and more the center of my life.
Guide me to all that is good, cleanse me from all that is not.
Teach me Your ways and form in me Your nature.
Help me to serve you in flow as I am gifted.
Help me to notice my neighbor and work through me to redeem my neighborhood.
I am a sinner; please be my Shepherd, my Savior and my Lord. Amen.

Please pray for yourself and your neighbors, lifting up your needs to God while giving thanks for answered prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

HYMN

MOMENTS WITH THE CHILDREN – If you are blessed to have children with you, ask them what they are thankful for, and then thank God together!

GIVING OF OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS – these can be mailed to the church office.

MESSAGE:
Text:
Series: The Final Four

Right-click, open in new tab to play … Sermon audio … Sermon slides as a PDF file.
Wesley Sermon Audio

——————————————————————————————————–
SERMON NOTES

  ————————————————————————————————————-

HYMN

BENEDICTION

All Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

If you worship at home, please let us know so we can pray for you!

TRANSCRIPT

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION: Let’s have a conversation! Please reflect upon the questions below as you consider the material presented above. In a comment, share your thoughts and additional questions. What would you like to know?

What grabbed your attention?
What is the human need or problem?
What questions do you have about any quotes provided?
Does the Bible say anything about this?
What solutions do you see for the problem?
What specifically could we begin to do to make a change?

Additional Resources

Kinmundy United Methodist Church is located at 308 E. Third Street, Kinmundy, IL 62854. Worship begins at 9 am Sundays. The building is handicap accessible.
Wesley United Methodist Church is located at 3381 Kinoka Road, Patoka, IL 62875 in the country between Kinmundy and Patoka. Worship begins at 10.45 am Sundays.
VISION: We are a functional family of God, where Jesus is Lord and people grow.
MISSION: Every layperson is called to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20); every layperson is called to be missional. (¶126 of the 2016 Book of Discipline)
Paradigm: There are two kinds of people in this world: people who need to become disciples and disciples who need to become disciple makers.

(If you wish, you can listen to the Prayer of St. Francis being sung:
Sarah McLachlan – Prayer of St. Francis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agPnMxp5Occ )
 

If you prefer to worship at home at this time or simply wish to listen to the service or sermon again, you’re welcome to use the links below to have a time of worship at home. (Just click on the link to play each hymn or the sermon in a separate tab, and close that tab when finished.)

CALL TO WORSHIP
Lord, I believe: Help my unbelief. Help me to see my world as You see it.
Lord, I obey; Help my disobedience. Focus me; guide me. Prune me.
Lord, I follow;  Help me to stay on the path. Thank you for the path, for guidance, for Providence and protection.
I humbly ask for wisdom and for knowledge in every human situation. 
Lord, help me to flourish as a part of the vine, as a means of grace, as a person through whom your Holy Spirit flows. Amen.

HYMN 557 Blest Be The Tie That Binds
Tennessee Ernie Ford – Blest Be The Tie That Binds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1LJ4gz7D0s

A TIME OF PRAYER (Testimonies, Joys & Concerns)

Congregational Prayer − The Centering Prayer:
Lord Jesus, today I am far less than the person I want to be or can be with your help.
I ask today that you would be more and more the center of my life.
Guide me to all that is good, cleanse me from all that is not.
Teach me Your ways and form in me Your nature.
Help me to serve you in flow as I am gifted.
Help me to notice my neighbor and work through me to redeem my neighborhood.
I am a sinner; please be my Shepherd, my Savior and my Lord. Amen.

Please pray for yourself and your neighbors, lifting up your needs to God while giving thanks for answered prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

HYMN 593 Here I Am, Lord
Here I Am Lord with Lyrics – John Michael Talbot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnO5B_G505w

MOMENTS WITH THE CHILDREN – If you are blessed to have children with you, ask them what they are thankful for, and then thank God together!

GIVING OF OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS – these can be mailed to the church office.

MESSAGE: A Circuit Rider … Mounts Up
Text: 1 Corinthians 3:1-15
Series: The Final Four

Right-click, open in new tab to play … Sermon audio … Sermon slides as a PDF file.
Wesley Sermon Audio

——————————————————————————————————–
SERMON NOTES

1 Corinthians 3:1 But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving like ordinary men? 4 For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apol’los,” are you not merely men? 5 What then is Apol’los? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apol’los watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are equal, and each shall receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw– 13 each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

  ————————————————————————————————————-

HYMN 536 Precious Name
George Younce – Take The Name Of Jesus With You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBrGENqTFBg

BENEDICTION

All Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

If you worship at home, please let us know so we can pray for you!

TRANSCRIPT

Friends, it’s time to get back on the horse. What are circuit riders?

In the Methodist history in the United States, as settlers would move west, circuit riders would ride from log cabin to log cabin. And they’d say, “Hello,” and they’d say, “I am the Methodist preacher. We would like to hold services at so-and-so’s cabin. I’ll be there tonight to preach, and I’ll be back in six weeks or six months.” Because you see, you had an appointment to be somewhere to preach. And so when a minister is sent to a church today, they still call it an appointment. I have an appointment at 9 o’clock this morning, and here I am.

Circuit writers would sometimes be assigned to an entire river valley. Sometimes they would go in a line to where one would be here on a certain date, and another one would be here in two weeks, and they’d just go around in a big circle. Long about the 1880s, they started building houses for the circuit writers to live in. A circuit rider would have one church or two churches or three churches, or sometimes more. We’re still a circuit here because Kim and I will ride out to Wesley, because I have an appointment there. As the circuit riders rode, rain or shine, snow or thunderstorms, they would frequently be reading on their horse. And to be honest, that sure sounds like me.

But a circuit rider has an appointment, and the bishop fixes the appointments and decides who goes where. And when that appointment begins and when that appointment concludes. And what I have described this as over the years is a sanctified batting order. Now, if you’re a baseball fan, you know what I mean. The work of the team is done by the sequence of batters, not by any one batter. The previous batter strikes out. It’s up to the next batter to get a hit. If that batter gets on base, it’s up to the next batter to bat that player home. It’s a sequence of pastors that do God’s work.

And I don’t know if I struck out. I don’t know if I’m stuck on second base. But it’s the sequence of batters. And it’s the sequence of pastors that gets God’s will done. So, consequently, our way of doing things in a church is one pastor after another after another.

Now, other churches are different. A pastor comes in and changes everything the previous pastor did as if it was no good at all. Frequently, the pastor builds a little empire to where it’s all about him. It’s usually a “him” who does this. And it becomes known in town: this is Pastor so-and-so’s church. And when that pastor leaves, everything they did falls apart and the church starts over from scratch.

That’s not the Methodist way. We build on each other’s work. But this means that built into the system is the fact that things are going to change. And when things change, they’re going to catch you by surprise.

Just like 10 years ago when Pastor Dave came into the church for the first service of his time here, the first Sunday in July. And what do we do every first Sunday? We have communion. And Pastor Dave came in and the service started. And he turned around and all of a sudden he noticed the communion things were not on the altar. What happened?

Do you know what happened? Pastor Stephen King did it himself but never told me that he prepared the communion personally. And for the 33 years before that, someone in my church always got communion ready. And so I come in first Sunday I’m here, and I’m like, “We’re supposed to have communion.” Where is it? It’s gone. So I look out into the congregation for someone who I can throw the football to them. And there’s Jane Heinzman. And I said, “Jane, there’s not any communion here.” And she was like– and I said, “Would you pick somebody and go in the kitchen and get communion ready while we worship so it’ll be ready when the time comes?”

And so she went into the kitchen and started looking for bread. And she went in the kitchen and started looking for grape juice. And she found some juice. I think it was apple juice, put it in the little tiny cups, but they couldn’t find any bread. But in the freezer was a box of frozen pancakes. So our first Sunday together, we had to … hear the word … adjust. And we had pancake communion. I’m really not sure why we didn’t do that every year in July because it’s just a funny story. But when there’s a change, you don’t always know what the previous person did. And sometimes you want to do something different. And sometimes everybody’s just caught by surprise. And the most frequent words that are ever spoken in church are “We’ve never done it this way before.”

Friends, in the future, there will be a lot of, “We’ve never done it this way before,” but most of it will be good, just like new parents adjust to a new baby. There’s a lot of adjusting. We’ve never done it this way before, but it’s going to be good. But you need to learn to go with the flow.

Now, ironically, the apostle Paul talked about a change of pastors because the early disciples and apostles, they would rotate just like circuit writers, and one would be there for a while, and then another one would come, and then another one would come.

And there was a problem in the church in Corinth. And Paul addressed all the problems of that church in the letter to the Corinthians. And here’s the problem that he brings up in chapter 3. But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ, as beautiful babies, but very immature. If you had babies, you remember what it’s like; you won’t get a full night’s sleep for at least a year. You love them, but they’re a lot of work.

And Paul says this, “Most of you people are immature like babies. And I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even yet, you were not ready, for you are still of the flesh.” If you try to give a little baby food for grown-ups, they just get a tummy ache. You have to baby them. Well, what is it that Paul is pointing out here that is so immature? And here’s what he says, “For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving like ordinary men?”

And so here’s the sign of immaturity. For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another says, “I belong to Apollos, are you not merely men not guided by the Spirit?” Because you see, friend, who the pastor is is not a popularity contest. I certainly hope in the future that I will not hear the phrase, “I belong to Paul–” or I’m sorry, “I belong to Dave. The way Dave did it, that’s the best way. It’s never going to be good again.” I sure hope I don’t hear that. To be honest, I’m just fleshly enough to hope that I don’t hear: I belong to Carol and Mike, and thank God that Dave guy is gone. The sermons now are not too long! Because you see, it’s not a popularity contest.

Now, a baby will sometimes love Mom and not get along with Dad, sometimes get along with Dad, but not get along with Grandma, but we don’t want to have favorites for a very, very important reason. And this is what Paul says. Paul says this, verse six, “I planted,” that’s what Paul loved to do. “I planted, Apollos watered. But overall, God gave the growth.” Verse 7, “So neither he who plants or he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”

Now, we have people in the room today who understand farming better than I ever will, but you know the ground wants the seed and the ground wants the fertilizer, and the ground wants the pesticide. But the ground also wants the water. And the ground needs all of these things. And just like all of us, pastors tend to have a specialty. And whatever the specialty is, that’s what they do. And that’s what they do. And that’s what they do.

And they do it well to the point to where, in the seminary I went to back in 1978-80, what they would tell us is that, after seven years, the church would begin to resemble the pastor because the church would adjust. And what they meant by that was wherever the pastor is talented and strong, the church would be talented and strong. But easing up behind would be the reality that wherever the pastor was weak, the church would begin to be weak. Now, there is a way to get around that. And I probably said this more often than any other thing in 10 years. Every single one of you has a gift and all of your gifts balance out wherever I’m weak. So, if I can get all of you involved in doing God’s work together, we’ll have everything covered. But this is generally a principle.

And so I’ve been planting seed for 10 years. Friends, the ground is crying out for the water. The ground needs the water. It’s time for water. All that seed I planted needs to be watered so that it will germinate. It’s the sequence of pastors that do God’s will. As Paul goes on to say, “He who plants, or she who plants, he who waters, or she who waters, are equal. And each shall receive their wages according to their labor. For we are God’s fellow workers.” You are God’s field, God’s building, where God gives the growth. You need each because, in our church, God works through a sequence of pastors. And if you and I had all day, we could go all the way back to 40 years ago or farther and talk about what each pastor brought to the church, what each pastor was good at, what each pastor brought in the sense of wisdom and abilities.
And maybe in that list of pastors, there will be some favorites, but God works through all of them to get the work of God finished. Because you see, someone has to plant. But after planting, someone has to water.

And what we need to do with regard to pastors is to let each one do their job, whatever that job is. Because you see, we are a functional family of God here in Kinmundy where Jesus is Lord and people grow. And that means that there will be times of planting and there will be times of watering. And we need to let each one do their job to get the results that God wants us to have. Now, some pastors are very similar. If one pastor follows another and the differences are huge, then you can have an allergic reaction like when Pastor King followed Pastor Ambrose. The differences were too big. But differences are a good illustration.

I would like to introduce you to basketball player Margot Dydek, who is 7’2″ tall. Just like me, she was probably over six feet tall in sixth grade. I would like to introduce you to Becky Hammon, who is guarding Margot Dideck. But what you may not understand is this. Margot and I understand this, being tall, wishes that she was quick. And Becky Hammon is quick. If Margot brings the ball down low to dribble it, Becky’s going to steal the ball. But I guarantee you, Becky, who is 5’6″ tall, has wished her whole life that she was taller. But because God has different people on every team with different gifts, there are quick ones who do quick things, there are tall ones who do tall things, and all the needs are met. After planting, it’s time for water. It’s time for a change. You need to let the player do their job. The worst thing you can do is to say to Margo, “I wish you were quicker.” The worst thing you can do to Becky is to say, “I wish you were taller.” Let each person be who they are.

And as a church, flow around them to where if there’s anything they’re not good at, one of you will be very good at it because God will see to it that the church has everything the church needs.

So let me tell you a story about change. There is a theologian by the name of Sam Kean who was going through a very difficult divorce. And he went to see Howard Thurman, who is another theologian. And this conversation occurred back in the late ’50s or early ’60s. And Howard Thurman’s advice to Sam Keane with regard to this divorce, this change in his life that he did not want. This is what he said. “When I was a boy in Florida, I used to go fishing. And the very best fish were to be caught just at the point where the bay met the ocean.” Now, what does that mean? The ocean is waves that are constantly stirring. The bay is water that’s more still. And where the ocean meets the bay, it stirs up the bottom so that there’s lots of things for the fish to eat. So the fish gather at the edge between two very different states of being, at the place where change is happening.

But Howard Thurman said, “There was only a short time between the tides when you could stay in the calm water.” You see, the tide comes in and begins to flow like a river from the ocean into the bay. The tide goes out; it begins to flow like a river from the bay out into the ocean. And Howard Thurman says, “You would just wear yourself out trying to stay in the same place to the point to where you ran out of strength.” And not only that: because you were fighting the tide, you had no time to fish.

And here’s the point that he made to Sam Kean. When the tide began to change, you couldn’t row against it. You couldn’t win. You couldn’t keep everything the same. You had to go in the direction that it was sweeping you. I’m not an expert on the tide, but if I’m not mistaken, it changes twice a day.

Sometimes, in church life, it takes 10 years before the tide comes in. And you can’t stay in the same place. There’s going to be a change. All you can do is go in the direction that it’s sweeping you, and we have a fancy phrase for that. Very literally, it’s to go with the flow. And friends, we are going with the flow.

I now live in Trenton, Illinois. You can pray for me! The worst thing about living in Trenton, Illinois, is for 10 years, I have kept my toothbrush right there, and it’s no longer there, and I can’t find it. And in fact, I’ll be honest with you, I can’t find anything. There is a charging cable that lets me charge my little Fitbit watch. If you’ve got it, please give it back. But I’m not wearing a watch today because I can’t charge it. I can’t find it.

Kim and I were packing. And as usual, I have this bright pink bag, which is impossible to miss. And into the bright pink bag, I put my blood sugar monitor, my pulse oxmonitor, and my very, very hideously expensive tube of Ozempic. And then the bright pink bag disappeared. If any of you have it, we need it back. But I finally gave up and got a new blood sugar tester. Last night, I gave up and ordered a new charging cable from Amazon. I’m going with the flow, and things will get better. And somebody who plants has planted a lot over ten years. And here comes somebody who waters, because if you’re thirsty, it’s time. It’s time. It’s time.

And I’ll be very honest with you: it feels very strange today to be in the midst of this change for me because I have no idea what it’s going to be like to be retired. Now, a number of you who are retired say it’s wonderful. Some of the rest of you say within six months, I’ll be looking for another job. And I don’t know, friends, but I do want to tell you– and Kim and I are here today on purpose. That’s our wedding day picture, on the way out of the church, on the way to our honeymoon. Whenever I think about how much I’m going to miss you, whenever I think about how painful and difficult life is where I can’t find any of my stuff, whenever I feel a little sad, I just whisper under my breath, “I’m going on my honeymoon.” So, the honeymoon starts today. And you can pray for me with all the things that I don’t know where they are. They’re in a box somewhere.

But with regards to the church, let’s go with the flow. And Kim reminded me this is the point. Mike Rudzinski will never be a good Dave, but he is a genius at being Mike Razinski. Carol Rudzinski, likewise, will never be a good Dave. She doesn’t play the guitar. (Mike plays the guitar. He might be a good guitar player!) But Carol Rudzinski will never be a good Dave. But you know something? She’s not supposed to be … because Dave was the planter and she’s going to be here to water. And just like the weather in Illinois, it’ll happen more quickly than you can imagine. There will be another pastor along after Mike and Carol to do whatever they weren’t perfect at. While this church will continue to live and prosper and grow in spirit and be blessed because God is staying here. And it is God that gives the growth.

So I’m going to let the tide sweep me off to my honeymoon. And I’m going to let the tide sweep into here two people I’ve known since 2017 and who I honestly would tell you are very good friends. I am very confident that if you loved me, you will love them. And I’m very confident that they will be very blessed to be the pastor in the appointment here.

Please pray with me. Lord Jesus, we are going to have to give in to the tide today, remembering and rejoicing at everything that has ever been good. Every time we’ve smiled, every time we’ve laughed, and every time there’s been joy, sometimes, Lord, in the midst of sorrow. But Lord, we also know that there’s still going to be joy, there’s still going to be laughter, and there’s still going to be rejoicing in the days ahead. And so, Lord, we pray that you will bring your people joy in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION: Let’s have a conversation! Please reflect upon the questions below as you consider the material presented above. In a comment, share your thoughts and additional questions. What would you like to know?

What grabbed your attention?
What is the human need or problem?
What questions do you have about any quotes provided?
Does the Bible say anything about this?
What solutions do you see for the problem?
What specifically could we begin to do to make a change?

Additional Resources

Kinmundy United Methodist Church is located at 308 E. Third Street, Kinmundy, IL 62854. Worship begins at 9 am Sundays. The building is handicap accessible.
Wesley United Methodist Church is located at 3381 Kinoka Road, Patoka, IL 62875 in the country between Kinmundy and Patoka. Worship begins at 10.45 am Sundays.
VISION: We are a functional family of God, where Jesus is Lord and people grow.
MISSION: Every layperson is called to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20); every layperson is called to be missional. (¶126 of the 2016 Book of Discipline)
Paradigm: There are two kinds of people in this world: people who need to become disciples and disciples who need to become disciple makers.

(If you wish, you can listen to the Prayer of St. Francis being sung:
Sarah McLachlan – Prayer of St. Francis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agPnMxp5Occ )
 

If you prefer to worship at home at this time or simply wish to listen to the service or sermon again, you’re welcome to use the links below to have a time of worship at home. (Just click on the link to play each hymn or the sermon in a separate tab, and close that tab when finished.)

CALL TO WORSHIP
Lord, I believe: Help my unbelief. Help me to see my world as You see it.
Lord, I obey; Help my disobedience. Focus me; guide me. Prune me.
Lord, I follow;  Help me to stay on the path. Thank you for the path, for guidance, for Providence and protection.
I humbly ask for wisdom and for knowledge in every human situation. 
Lord, help me to flourish as a part of the vine, as a means of grace, as a person through whom your Holy Spirit flows. Amen.

HYMN 374 Standing On The Promises
Alan Jackson – Standing On The Promises Of God (Live)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YQXiQfEjqs

A TIME OF PRAYER (Testimonies, Joys & Concerns)

Congregational Prayer − The Centering Prayer:
Lord Jesus, today I am far less than the person I want to be or can be with your help.
I ask today that you would be more and more the center of my life.
Guide me to all that is good, cleanse me from all that is not.
Teach me Your ways and form in me Your nature.
Help me to serve you in flow as I am gifted.
Help me to notice my neighbor and work through me to redeem my neighborhood.
I am a sinner; please be my Shepherd, my Savior and my Lord. Amen.

Please pray for yourself and your neighbors, lifting up your needs to God while giving thanks for answered prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

HYMN 395 Take Time To Be Holy!
TAKE TIME TO BE HOLY | Jehovah Shalom Acapella 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5WdYUNLcRs

MOMENTS WITH THE CHILDREN – If you are blessed to have children with you, ask them what they are thankful for, and then thank God together!

GIVING OF OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS – these can be mailed to the church office.

MESSAGE: Walk This Way: Our Promises To Keep
Text: Matthew 4:16-22, 28:18-20
Series: The Final Four

Right-click, open in new tab to play … Sermon audio … Sermon slides as a PDF file.

——————————————————————————————————–
SERMON NOTES

Matthew 4:16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zeb’edee and John his brother, in the boat with Zeb’edee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

  ————————————————————————————————————-

HYMN 467 Trust and Obey
TRUST AND OBEY – LSQ – The Living Stones Quartet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suXUg0dLsAo

BENEDICTION

All Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

If you worship at home, please let us know so we can pray for you!

TRANSCRIPT

(Some of the words in this message are drawn from “The Services of the Baptismal Covenant of The United Methodist Church as Revised to Align with the 2008 Book of Discipline and Book of Resolutions,” Copyright ©1976, 1980, 1985, 1989, 2009 The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.“ Source: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/book-of-worship/the-baptismal-covenant-i )

For the past few months, we’ve been talking about God’s will being done right here and right now. And as God’s will is done, God’s kingdom will come right here and right now because Jesus Christ, more and more, will be the Lord of our lives and our community.

And that’s why we prayed this at the beginning of church. It’s all about following Jesus. And so we say, “Lord, thank you that there’s a path to follow.” If you’re familiar with the picture you’re looking at, there is a wooden walkway leading through all this greenery. But this comes from the salt marshes of the east coast of the United States. On either side of that walkway, there’s a swamp. If you take a turn to the right or the left and step off the path, you’re going to be in mud up to your knees or maybe more. We want to stay on the path. Lord, we want to follow you. And so we pray, help us to stay on the path. Thank you for providing a path that helps our feet to be steady. Thank you for providing us with guidance, with providence, which means that God is taking care of us as we go along the path, and with protection. God protects us as we stay on the path.

On the other hand, as I get older, I’m aware that some paths are a little different. Here’s a path that is a series of steps. Now, the whole point, as you know, is we want to get to the top. We want to get to where the sky is blue, and the sun is shining. And when we’re younger, we might run up these steps without even touching the banister. But I’ve found at age 69, I need the banister a lot more than I used to. And sometimes, I’ll actually use it to pull me up and pull me forward.

So, you see, when you’re on a pathway, you have two choices. The first choice is to watch where you’re going. But the second choice is to watch your step. Because sometimes the steps are uneven, sometimes the steps are broken, and sometimes the way is difficult.

The smartest thing they told me in driver’s ed in high school was that when you’re going down the highway, you need to look where you want the car to go. Now, your eyes flicker over here to this side, and your eyes flicker over there to that side, and your eyes also occasionally flicker to the speedometer. But the car goes where you’re looking. And if you focus too much on the ditch, you’re going to end up in the ditch. So you need to pay attention to where we all want to be.

And I think for 10 years, and I don’t think it’s been a bad thing, but for 10 years, I’ve asked you to focus not on the big picture as much as on the next step. Because you know something? All of us are different. The next step will be different for each one of us. Some of us, God wants us to change and do less of something. Others of us, God wants us to change and do a little more of something. Sometimes God’s will for your life at this step is something as small as getting up a little earlier in the morning. Sometimes the thing that is God’s will for you is as small as you being a little nicer to a certain person. And you know something? If you do each little thing well, you’re going to be at the top of those steps in no time. But if you slip and fall, roll down the steps the wrong way, it’s because you missed something that was little. Most accidents are caused by some little thing. And I always say to myself, when I have an accident, I should have paid attention. But if you pay attention to the next step, whatever it is in your spiritual life, whatever it is that God wants you to do, that’s perfect for you.

Now, the problem is somebody else has a different step than you. By the way, have you noticed how thick my glasses are? I am actually legally blind when I take them off. I didn’t find that out until I tried to join the Air Force in 1975. And the doctor said, “Son, you could just go home. You are too blind to serve.” But you see, when you look at your “step” and try to tell someone else that that’s what they have to do, the problem is that’s a little bit like me saying, “Here, if you can’t see, put these on. These glasses work great for me.” Unfortunately, they won’t work well for you.

So two things. We want to keep the big picture where we’re going in mind, but we don’t want to forget the little steps. And as I’ve said, I’ve talked to you about little steps for 10 years. Today, I want to talk about the big picture and ways to imagine and understand the big picture.

We have a liturgy. We have a series of promises that we make when we are baptized and when we join the church. And you, as a congregation, have promises that you make to people who are being baptized and joining the church. So, let’s look at those promises because they’re a big picture.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through the sacrament of baptism, we are, one, initiated into Christ’s holy church. We are incorporated into God’s mighty acts of salvation and given new birth through water and the Spirit. All of this is God’s gift offered to us without price.

Something happens in a person’s life the day they’re baptized. They have resources, spiritual resources that they did not have before. They become a part of God’s family. They become a part of God’s mighty acts of salvation. And they receive a gift from God.

Now, later, as life goes on, there’s a time for commitment We call that commitment confirmation for young people. But another way to say it is the reaffirmation of our faith. You and I can renew the commitment that we make to God at any time and any day. And consequently, in a few minutes, we’re going to be talking about the commitments that people make when they join the church. But I’m going to ask every single person here, if you’re willing to do so, to recommit your life, to reaffirm your faith by also answering and making the same commitments and promises. In other words, we’ll do this together.

And through confirmation and the reaffirmation of our faith, we do three things. First of all, we renew the agreement, the holy agreement, the covenant that was made at our baptism, we acknowledge what God is doing for us today, and we affirm our commitment to the church that we’re a part of. Those are big-picture things. In Matthew 4:16, it says, “At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. For those who sat in the region in the shadow of death, light has dawned.” And from that time, in other words, beginning at that time and on through all of his ministry up to today, Jesus began to preach saying, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

You see, friends, there are things that should be different about our life. Now, it’s possible that there’s someone here who’s perfect. And if you are here and you are perfect, I want to meet you because you should be up here doing this, and I will listen to you. But the reality is we’re all on the way. Step by step, God is asking us to live a different way, different for each of us in that moment.

But the big picture of what it means to repent has to do with these questions. Now, if you’ve been in a wedding, you know where it says, “I do,” you say, “I do.” And because I want to encourage all of us who would like to do so to reaffirm our faith that we all join in when it’s time to say, “I do.” Later on, not to confuse you, there’s a place where you will say, “I will.” But we’re all in this together today. So here, I have this question which describes the big picture at the top of the stairs where we’re all wanting to go. Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness? Do you reject the evil powers of this world? And do you repent of your sin, wishing that your life had been different and that you could do what God wants you to do? And if that is your desire, please say, “I do.”
I do.

Now, here’s the truth. God’s going to help you with that. Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil? You don’t have to do what evil says. To resist injustice – you don’t have to do what injustice says. To resist oppression – you don’t have to do what the oppressors and the dictators and the evil people of this world want you to do. And you can resist them in whatever forms they present themselves because of God’s help. If you would like God’s help to live this kind of life, please say, “I do.”
I do.

That’s what it means to repent. And those questions are available to remind you what it means anytime they can be helpful.

Now, right after the verse where it talks about Jesus saying that he began to preach for people to repent, this happens: as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea. And he said to them, “Follow me.” Now, what follow me means is, “I’m going this way. You don’t want to go that way. Will you go the direction I go? Will you listen to the things I say? Will you do what I ask you to do? Will you follow me?” And Jesus says this, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In other words, I’m going to help you help other people to follow. And notice their decision in verse 20: Immediately, they left their nets and followed him. They did not know where they were going. They just knew that they wanted to be with Jesus and were willing to change what they wished to do to what he wished, just to be with him.

Here are the big-picture questions for what it means to follow Jesus, the profession of our faith. So I want to ask you this, do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior? Do you put your whole trust in His grace? And do you promise to serve Him as your Lord, not all by yourself, but in union with the church which Christ is open to people of all ages, nations, and races. And if that’s your desire, would you say I do?
I do.

Now, according to the grace given to you, in other words, as God helps you, according to the grace given to you, will you remain faithful members of Christ’s Holy Church and serve as Christ’s representatives in the world? And if that’s your desire, please say, “I will.”
I will.

If you do those things, you will be a long way to reaching the top. Now, these questions, basically, Landon is asked. Paisley is asked. But we’ve all joined together. And then, of course, it repeats, just in case you missed it. I want to ask the congregation, do you, as Christ’s body, the church, do you reaffirm both your rejection of sin? And do you reaffirm your commitment to Christ? And if that’s your desire, please say, “We do.”
We do.

And so here’s the task that is asked of the church. Will you nurture one another in the Christian faith? Will you be a help for a person to do God’s will, not a hindrance? And will you particularly nurture the young people, Landon and Paisley, who are now before you, and take care of them spiritually? And if that’s your wish, I’d like to ask you to join me in making this commitment:

With God’s help, we’ll proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ. We will surround these persons with a community of love and forgiveness that they may grow in their trust of God and be found faithful in their service to others. We will pray for them that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life. And you see, this is a clear indicator of what the church is supposed to do. And it helps us stay on track and stay on the path.

The faith is not only what we do, it’s also what we believe. So let me ask you these questions.

Let us join together in professing the Christian faith is contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testament. Do you believe in God the Father? I believe in God the Father, almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ? I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day, he rose again. He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

These are the basic facts about the life of Jesus Christ. But if you ever have a question about what they mean, I would love to attempt to answer that question.

Finally, do you believe in the Holy Spirit? I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. These are the basic facts of what God does to us and through us in the church.

And you notice there, the word in blue, catholic. I should take a minute to explain what that means. The word in front of this church is Methodist. And that assumes that we’re methodical and organized. There’s a church down the street, the word in front of their name is Christian, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only Christian church. And a little further down the street, the word in front of a church is Catholic. And that word catholic means universal. What it’s referring to is all Christians everywhere. You see, friends, we’re in this business of serving God, not just with Methodists. We’re in this business of serving God with all people who are Christian everywhere, all around the world. And that’s what that word, catholic, means there. Catholic with a small “c”.

And now it’s time for a baptism.

Paisley’s folks are standing with her. Anyone else who wants to come up can also stand with her. And wherever you are, you can express your wish and your prayer for her by extending your hand toward her. Lord Jesus, we have water here. Water cleanses. Water quenches our thirst. Water brings us life. And so, Lord, I pray that this water of baptism would be living water that would bring life to Paisley as she’s baptized today. Amen.

Paisley, I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son of Jesus Christ and in the name of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Following are these words of confirmation: Lord, we pray that the Holy Spirit would work within Paisley, within you, Paisley, that being born through water and the Spirit, you may always be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. And all the people of God agreed in prayer: Amen.

Trent is not feeling well today, so we will baptize him at another time.

Now, you make promises to Paisley as a part of her being baptized. You see, she’s been adopted. She’s now adopted into God’s family and adopted into our church family; that’s what the word initiated means. So here’s our promise to Paisley: now it is our joy to welcome our new sister in Christ. Through baptism, you are incorporated by the Holy Spirit into God’s new creation and made to share in Christ’s royal priesthood. We are all one in Christ Jesus. With joy and thanksgiving, we welcome you as a member of the family of Christ. Welcome, Paisley. Welcome.

Landon has already been baptized, so you have already said these words to him. But the words of confirmation are words that we say today, [and?] I invite you to stand up and invite your family to stand around you if they want, put their hands on your shoulders if they want. Landon, it’s our prayer that the Holy Spirit will work within you, that being born through water and the Holy Spirit, you might always be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. And the whole church says: amen.
[silence]

And for all of you, it’s also my prayer that the Holy Spirit would work within you, that being born through the spirit and growing as a Christian person, that you may always be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

We joined the United Methodist Church, which is over 8 million people all around the world. We are a part of a great worldwide family. So as members of Christ’s Universal Church, I want to ask Paisley and Landon, but I also want to ask those of you who would wish to reaffirm your faith this question: Will you be loyal to Christ through the United Methodist Church and do all in your power to strengthen its ministries? And if that’s your will and wish, please say, “I will.”
I will.

And then there is this church right here, where you’re a part of a specific church. Members of Wesley Church with us today, I want to ask you to reaffirm your faith and commitment to Wesley Church. Friends from Kinmundy, I want to ask you to reaffirm your faith and your commitment to this specific church. As members of this congregation or the Wesley congregation, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness? And if you are willing to serve in that way, please say, “I will.”
I will.

Now, a brief explanation. Prayers are pretty obvious. The other people in this room need your prayers. Presence is pretty obvious. There’s a need to show up. Gifts is pretty obvious. The lights are on. The work is done because of your financial gifts and your support. Your Service; I’m thankful for Jaret and Kathy to provide music. I’m thankful for Jared who’s helping with the AV. I’m thankful for the ways we serve together. And witness means that when it’s time, we are willing and able to speak and talk to others about our faith.

This church can only thrive if we do all these things. And so we’ve described the big picture, and we’ve come to the part of welcoming Paisley and Landon and welcoming each other.

So members of the household of God, today I commend Landon and Paisley (and everyone else in this room) to your love and care. And I ask you to do all in your power to increase their faith, confirm their hope, and perfect them in love. And here’s our promise to each other. Let’s join together.

We give thanks for all that God has already given you. And we welcome you in Christian love as members together with you in the body of Christ and in this congregation of the United Methodist Church, renew our covenant faithfully to participate in the ministries of the church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness that in everything, God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

Well, pastor, you might say, you’re reminding us all to take care of each other. What’s the scripture for that? And here it is, Jesus’ last words before rising up into heaven. Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” In other words, God has put Jesus in charge. And now that Jesus is in charge, he looks at the disciples and says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, of all kinds of people, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

And then, look at verse 20: teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” Watching over each other involves helping one another learn to do all that jesus asked us to do.

And so, watching over and taking care of one another in this very particular way, we are all moving to the beautiful place above those dark stairs. What helps us to get there is to teach each other to observe everything that Jesus asked us to do. And that’s what each step is – a command of Jesus. And we help each other take those steps.”

So, we have two choices. If the steps are troublesome, you need to hang on to the banister and watch your step. But never forget where we are heading, that beautiful place of everything being done as God wants it to be done.

And so you have two choices. Friends, take both. Choose both. Lord Jesus, as we follow You, sometimes we’ll be on the steps and we’ll need to watch our feet because it will be easy to stumble. It will be easy to trip. Sometimes being a Christian person is difficult. But Lord, help us never to lose sight of where we are going. Because, Lord, You have walked each step in front of us. Help us to move out of darkness into your beautiful light. Amen.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION: Let’s have a conversation! Please reflect upon the questions below as you consider the material presented above. In a comment, share your thoughts and additional questions. What would you like to know?

What grabbed your attention?
What is the human need or problem?
What questions do you have about any quotes provided?
Does the Bible say anything about this?
What solutions do you see for the problem?
What specifically could we begin to do to make a change?

Additional Resources

Kinmundy United Methodist Church is located at 308 E. Third Street, Kinmundy, IL 62854. Worship begins at 9 am Sundays. The building is handicap accessible.
Wesley United Methodist Church is located at 3381 Kinoka Road, Patoka, IL 62875 in the country between Kinmundy and Patoka. Worship begins at 10.45 am Sundays.
VISION: We are a functional family of God, where Jesus is Lord and people grow.
MISSION: Every layperson is called to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20); every layperson is called to be missional. (¶126 of the 2016 Book of Discipline)
Paradigm: There are two kinds of people in this world: people who need to become disciples and disciples who need to become disciple makers.

(If you wish, you can listen to the Prayer of St. Francis being sung:
Sarah McLachlan – Prayer of St. Francis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agPnMxp5Occ )
 

If you prefer to worship at home at this time or simply wish to listen to the service or sermon again, you’re welcome to use the links below to have a time of worship at home. (Just click on the link to play each hymn or the sermon in a separate tab, and close that tab when finished.)

CALL TO WORSHIP
Lord, I believe: Help my unbelief. Help me to see my world as You see it.
Lord, I obey; Help my disobedience. Focus me; guide me. Prune me.
Lord, I follow;  Help me to stay on the path. Thank you for the path, for guidance, for Providence and protection.
I humbly ask for wisdom and for knowledge in every human situation. 
Lord, help me to flourish as a part of the vine, as a means of grace, as a person through whom your Holy Spirit flows. Amen.

HYMN “Are Ye Able,” Said The Master
“Are Ye Able,” Said The Master | HBBC Choir (Hosanna Bible Baptist Church, Bacarra, Philippines)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkwBi5-huIs

A TIME OF PRAYER (Testimonies, Joys & Concerns)

Congregational Prayer − The Centering Prayer:
Lord Jesus, today I am far less than the person I want to be or can be with your help.
I ask today that you would be more and more the center of my life.
Guide me to all that is good, cleanse me from all that is not.
Teach me Your ways and form in me Your nature.
Help me to serve you in flow as I am gifted.
Help me to notice my neighbor and work through me to redeem my neighborhood.
I am a sinner; please be my Shepherd, my Savior and my Lord. Amen.

Please pray for yourself and your neighbors, lifting up your needs to God while giving thanks for answered prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

HYMN Lord, I Want To Be A Christian
Lord, I Want To Be A Christian – Acapella – Eugene Cha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h8uBLNy0M4

MOMENTS WITH THE CHILDREN – If you are blessed to have children with you, ask them what they are thankful for, and then thank God together!

GIVING OF OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS – these can be mailed to the church office.

MESSAGE: God Has A Plan … And You Are Essential.
Text: 1st Corinthians 12:7, 11-22, 31, 13:1-3, Ephesians 4:11-16.
Series: The Final Four

Right-click, open in new tab to play … Sermon audio … Sermon slides as a PDF file.
Wesley Sermon Audio

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SERMON NOTES

1st Corinthians 12:7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. … 

11 All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single organ, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are indispensable …

31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Ephesians 4:11 And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love.

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HYMN Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Carrie Underwood – Great Is Thy Faithfulness ft. CeCe Winans (Official Performance Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT0HcAr9aeI

BENEDICTION

All Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

If you worship at home, please let us know so we can pray for you!

TRANSCRIPT

The church sign has said this for a while because it’s at the heart of what we want as Christian people: Thy kingdom come. That’s what we want. Thy will be done. That’s what we want. And not some far-off future day, not somewhere else, but right here and right now.

And today, I would like to tell you about another aspect of that, which is that God has a plan. If God didn’t have a plan, how could we pray thy will be done? God’s already figured out what God would like to happen. And whatever it is that’s God’s plan. Whatever it is, that’s God’s will. But I want to say to you today that you are essential.

Yesterday, Kim said something to me that made me feel very anxious. She said, “There’s a lot of people that are on teams that are coached. And there’s something their coach said to them that they’ll always remember.” And she suggested to me that I ask you to tell me what it is that I’ve told you, this saying from Pastor Dave, that you will never forget. And for some reason, that just really scares me.

Now, it’s ironic in different churches that I’ve pastored, they would say different things because, of course, every preacher has sayings that they repeat. But to be honest, every church is different.

But what you’re looking at here is a basketball team, and they are running their offense. And I made the basketball team in seventh grade. Do you know why I made the basketball team in seventh grade? I was six feet, two inches tall, in seventh grade. And I sat on the bench all year long. But during practice, I was the big guy they got to run the offense against, which helped the starters to do better. And as a result, I made the team every year until I gave it up. But you see those two guys underneath the arrow in the picture? They’re setting up a wall. They’re setting up a pick. And you can barely see behind them the little guy who’s running around them. And behind him, number 31, there’s somebody on defense who’s not keeping up.

You see, that’s what they want. Somebody on defense not being able to stay with their man because when that guy comes around the corner, he’s going to get the ball and make a shot behind that wall that they practiced again and again and again. You see, there is a plan. They all know what to do. But every single person is needed so that they have that situation where five guys on defense are occupied with four guys on offense, and that frees someone up to make a basket.

So you see, there are the players on the floor. Every single one of them is essential. Now, what’s interesting in hockey: if you have bad behavior, they make you sit down, and the team has to play with fewer players. This would not be good in basketball, and it’s not good in church because every one of you are essential. Every single one of you is a player. Every single one of you is in the game. And God has a plan and needs every single one of you to do what you’re supposed to do to help the whole team to win. Every single one of you!

Well, Pastor Dave, you might say, “Well, what about you?” And I say, “I’m the coach. All of you are tired and out of breath, and I’m just standing there watching things happen.” Occasionally, the coach will also play. Not very often. Pastors are like coaches. Because of their guidance, the team will win. But the reason the team wins is every player does their job, and each one of you has a job to do. God has a plan and you are essential.

And the coach is also essential because it’s the coach’s job to help every single player do their very best. And it’s the coach’s job to help coordinate all of the players to play together so that everything works out. And if there’s any individual player that needs some help, a little bit of encouragement, it’s the coach’s job to take care of that. Let the players play the game. The coach watches over the players. And the pastor, in a sense, is the coach.

And here’s what the coach tries to do to help the team to win. Coaches are famous for pep talks in the locker rooms to fire up the team, to get them excited because excited, enthusiastic teams play better. And I want to tell you, friends, scientists have studied churches that grow in number. They did a study with this once. They put together a sample of every kind of church that was growing. And they made a list of all the characteristics of every kind of church that was growing. And then they put a matching sample together of churches that were shrinking. And they found there was only one significant difference. And that’s that in every church that was growing without exception and not found ever in any church that was shrinking were these four things. The first one is the laity, the players. The laity are excited – that’s how they feel – about what is happening in their church. And on the screen here, you see a picture of them unloading the ship and you see management standing off to the side watching that work being done. But friends, the more you get excited, the more God will be able to use you.

And it’s the same way with the sports team. The more they get excited, the better they play. One of the coach’s jobs is to make sure that the team gets excited. Every single one of you is gifted to play your position. Now, the little ones that run very fast and are good at dribbling, they’re very gifted at playing their position. That’s why the coach put them in that position. Being the biggest guy, I rarely got into the game, but the coach said to me, “Never, never, never dribble.” And I said, “Coach, why would I never dribble?” And the coach said, “When you dribble, you put the ball down where the little guys are. Don’t do that.” Tall guys have their job. It’s different. Everybody has a unique way of serving God.

“Are you able?” says the Master? Yes, this verse says, “Every single one of you is able to do what you’re supposed to do.”

Now, what goes along with that is you’re not able to do what you’re not supposed to do. You don’t have to worry that much about what you’re bad at. You’ll get to focus on what you’re good at. Because 1 Corinthians 12:7 says– and to be honest, if somebody asks you, “What is it you will never forget Pastor Dave saying,” it would be this verse. “To each of you, to every single one of you without exception, to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” You have your particular, unique way of helping God. And if you don’t know what it is, it would be good if you and I had a conversation as your coach.

Here’s the other thing that’s ironic. I have never wished that I was a little guy, but I have wished that I was quick and that I could dribble. Do you get to choose what your gift is? And the answer is no. God chooses God’s will for your life. 1 Corinthians 12:11 says, “All of these, all of these special abilities, the way the Holy Spirit works through you, all of these are inspired by one and the same Spirit who apportions, who hands them out to each one individually as he wills.” And what that means is if you’re not like me, that’s God’s will. And if you’re not like the person sitting next to you, that’s God’s will. And if you’re not like the person on the other side of the church, that’s God’s will, because God doesn’t want us all to be alike.

As Paul goes on to say, comparing the church to a human body, “If the ear should say, ‘Because I’m not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make the ear any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing?” Because in the earlier Corinthian church and also today, we have a tendency to wish to be like someone else, to envy what someone else can do and think that because we’re not like them, we’re not needed.

If everybody was like that other person, how would the church have what you can offer? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each one of them, as he chose. So if you’re an eye, focus on seeing. If you’re an ear, focus on hearing. And if you’re a nose, focus on your sense of smell because that’s what God needs from you. Having said that, you see, those are players.

Here’s the verse that talks about what pastors do as coaches. Ephesians 4:11, “And his five gifts were that some should be pastoral leaders.” Now, in Ephesians, Paul actually talks about five different people doing five different things but we tend to roll all these together and expect a pastor to do all of them. The five are listed in the lower right-hand corner on the screen:
The pastoral leader is frequently an apostle. That’s someone who links different churches together.
The pastoral leader is frequently a prophet. That’s someone who prays to know what God’s will is, and through the pulpit in sermons and in other ways, share it.
The pastor is expected to be an evangelist and good at helping people outside the church come in.
The pastor is also a shepherd, someone who takes care of people and also a teacher. But basically, this is the verse that talks about the five things that pastors do, and verse 12 is the heart of it.

The task of the pastor is, number one, you see the green print, to equip the saints for the work of ministry. The pastor’s job is not to do the ministry. The pastor’s job is not to be in the game. But the pastor’s job is to help every single one of the saints, that’s you, to be ready to do what it is God wants you to do. That’s ministry, a word that means service. Now, what’s interesting is the word equip literally means, in Greek, it literally means to mend.
It means to perfect. It means to repair, and so a coach is watching the saints. And when there’s a need to remind a player how to do a left-handed layup, the coach takes that player’s side and works to mend that flaw. When there’s a need for a player to rest because maybe their leg is hurting, their knee is hurting, the coach takes the player aside and says, “We need you to rest for a bit” because the coach sees to it that all the ministry is going on that is done by all the unique and amazing people that are a part of God’s church.”

The second thing is all of that work that the people do has its focus on, you see the blue print on the screen, to build up the body of Christ. This is a Greek word called “oikodomeo” that is also translated as edify, but what it basically means is to connect. Think about it. When you build things, you take two-by-fours, you take paneling, you take concrete blocks, and you connect them together. The outcome of ministry is to connect us together, to link us together as people that care about each other, who are united in serving God.

And we do the work of ministry and we connect with each other until we all attain to the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children… And so part of this connecting and building each other up is to speak the truth in love. And by doing that, we are to grow up in every way into Him, Jesus, who is the head into Christ, from whom the whole body, all the different parts, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied. When every part, when each part is working properly, when every single one of us is doing what God wants us to do, it causes bodily growth, and it causes that building up, that connecting people together in love. Because you see, we are here to love one another. And that’s what builds the church up.

We are all, as John Wesley said, going on to perfection. When a child is conceived, the first few times the cells divide, they’re all exactly alike. But as the child grows to become– or as the embryo grows to become a baby that can survive and live, the cells begin to differentiate. One decides to become an eye. One decides to become an ear. One decides to become a foot. And the body becomes a human being by each part becoming more and more different. And consequently, as you go on to perfection, you will be more uniquely who you are. The closer you come to perfectly fulfilling God’s will for your life, the more you will be you, and the less you will be like anyone else. Because how God defines perfect is for you in your place to be doing your task in the body of Christ. Centers on the basketball floor need to be tall and they need to do what centers do. Centers on the football field need to be strong and they need to do what centers do on the football field. Each one of us has a place on the team that’s unique and it is fulfilled by us allowing ourselves to differentiate. So in the church, differentiation is this: Doing your own thing while remaining connected with other people. That’s what it means to live as a part of the body of Christ.

And so consequently, these words from Howard Thurman help us figure out our differentiation: Don’t ask what the world needs. Don’t ask what the church needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive in Christ Jesus and go do that. Because what the world needs is these people who have come alive.

Psychiatrist Dr. Murray Bowen and Rabbi Edwin Friedman, who have studied churches as families, have noted this: When families all try to put pressure on each other for everyone to be alike, it causes more and more conflict. If you’re in a family where there’s conflict, what’s needed is for people in the family to begin to encourage people to be different, to be who God made them to be. And in churches that are in conflict, Pastor Dave wants to say, if there’s conflict, it’s because somebody’s trying to boss everybody else around. What’s needed is for everybody to do their own thing. And by that, I mean what God wants them to do because setting people free to be who they are is the cure for conflict. All around us, on Facebook and elsewhere in our nation, you see all this feuding going on? It is caused by people over here saying, “You need to be just like us.” And people on the other side say, “No, I don’t want to be like you. You all need to be just like us.” And they’re all going to fight until they’re willing to allow the others to be who they are. That’s what’s required.

So consequently, as your pastor, I need you to differentiate. “Well, Pastor Dave, you asked me what makes me come alive. I’m really sorry to tell you this. It’s not singing in the choir.” Well, okay. I don’t want you to sing in the choir then. “Well, Pastor Dave, it’s not teaching Sunday school.” Well, okay, I don’t want you to teach Sunday school then. What makes you come alive? And a person thinks a minute, and they say, “Well, it’s playing golf. But God doesn’t need me to play golf, Pastor Dave.”

And see, here’s the thing. You help the person who loves to play golf answer one question, “How can you serve Jesus Christ while you were playing golf?” And you know what the answer is? And you can try this if you love to play golf. Go to the clubhouse, volunteer to be a part of a foursome with three other people you don’t know, and through all 18 holes, tell them how much you love Jesus … because the only choice they have is to quit if they don’t want to listen to you! But you know something, instead of preaching to them, what you might do is say, “How are you? How are you doing? Oh, you’re having a problem? Do you mind if I pray for you?” Because ironically, it’s those conversations that lead a person to want to believe in Jesus Christ. And a golf course is a perfect place to corner– I mean to have a conversation with someone.

But you see, the key thing is to ask this question, “I love to play golf. How can I use that for Jesus?” Here’s another one. And this is a true story. Kim and I have a number of friends that go to the Godfrey United Methodist Church. And what these friends found out is they love Monday Night Football. So the question is, “How can God use Monday night football?” So a number of the guys got together, picked the house with the biggest TV, and they invited other men from their church to come over and watch Monday Night Football. And when halftime starts, they turn the TV off and have a Bible study. And when the game starts up again, they turn the game on. That house is full every Monday night.

How can I use what I love to serve Jesus Christ? And I look out at all of you, and after 10 years, I know some of what you love. I could tell you what you’re doing that is so wonderful. But then the sermon would be longer, and we’re not going to do that. But if you know what you love to do, you’ll find yourself doing stuff like this. This is Larry Hebren, the grill master, being cheered on by his fan club, making food for a SALT Potluck.

Serving God, if you serve in the place where God has made you able, will be fun. It’ll be meaningful. It will be rewarding. You are attending a church, which is a great tool that God uses for growing beautiful Christians. But the goal is for you to bloom, not for you to wear yourself out making the flower pot pretty. God’s will is for you to bloom because you are a part of a functional family of God where Jesus is Lord and people grow. And what that means is that what God wants is for you to let your light shine. Now, as good as Judy’s light is, God doesn’t want you to shine Judy’s light. That’s her job. You get to shine your light. And your light is needed and it’s essential. Because if you let your light so shine before other people, they will see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Please pray with me. Lord Jesus, help us turn away from that temptation to imitate other people and help us turn toward discovering what it is you’ve asked us to do so that we can do well, what you’ve already helped us to be ready to do well. And so, Lord, we pray that you’ll work through each of your people, each in a unique and beautiful way that fits together perfectly to do your will on earth as it is in heaven. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION: Let’s have a conversation! Please reflect upon the questions below as you consider the material presented above. In a comment, share your thoughts and additional questions. What would you like to know?

What grabbed your attention?
What is the human need or problem?
What questions do you have about any quotes provided?
Does the Bible say anything about this?
What solutions do you see for the problem?
What specifically could we begin to do to make a change?

Additional Resources

Kinmundy United Methodist Church is located at 308 E. Third Street, Kinmundy, IL 62854. Worship begins at 9 am Sundays. The building is handicap accessible.
Wesley United Methodist Church is located at 3381 Kinoka Road, Patoka, IL 62875 in the country between Kinmundy and Patoka. Worship begins at 10.45 am Sundays.
VISION: We are a functional family of God, where Jesus is Lord and people grow.
MISSION: Every layperson is called to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20); every layperson is called to be missional. (¶126 of the 2016 Book of Discipline)
Paradigm: There are two kinds of people in this world: people who need to become disciples and disciples who need to become disciple makers.

(If you wish, you can listen to the Prayer of St. Francis being sung:
Sarah McLachlan – Prayer of St. Francis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agPnMxp5Occ )