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Last month our daughter Chelsea was flying
stand-by from Pittsburgh. She was the last one on the flight and was
greatly relieved. A ticketed passenger arrived just before take-off
and the flight crew escorted the last passenger on the plane off the
plane to make room. Chelsea called me quite upset. Fortunately, I
had experienced a similar humiliation in my life. Some of you
remember that Tammy and I had to leave our seats as stand-by
passengers, flying on buddy passes, to Paris. Our buddy left without
us as he had important business in Paris and we were just going for
fun. However, no buddy, no passes. So we said good-bye to Paris from
the Houston airport. I told Chelsea that we wound up making the best
of this gift of time. She would catch the flight the next morning.
For now, just enjoy the gift of time, breathe, rest. Experience pays
off.
We are in the midst of a sermon series designed to help each of us
find our S.T.R.I.D.E. for Ministry. S.T.R.I.D.E. is an acronym
developed to assist people to discover their place for ministry. The
S is for Spiritual Gifts. The T
is for Talents. The R is for Resources.
The I is for Individuality. The D
is for Dreams. The E is for Experience.
Experience may be the most important facet of this six-sided model.
Not only does it qualify us for ministry, but it also confirms for us
our spiritual gifts, talents, dreams, and so much more. Never
underestimate the value of experience combined with the purpose of
God.
Paul wrote in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things
work together for good*
for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
This is a statement of complete confidence in the power
of God to use all experiences for the underlying purpose of God’s will
for your life.
Take for instance the
shepherd David. When he was a boy guarding the sheep there were all
sorts of terrifying experiences that he faced. So he was prepared
when he came to the Valley of Elah to check on the progress of the
battle between the Israelites and the Philistines and heard the growl
of a terrifying giant. Though the giant sent grown men trained for
battle shuttering, David volunteered to fight him. The king said, “You
are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you
are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
David’s reply is found in I Samuel 17:34-37. Hear now the Word of the
Lord:
“34But
David said to Saul, ‘Your servant used to keep sheep for his father;
and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock,
35I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb
from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the
jaw, strike it down, and kill it. 36Your servant has killed
both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like
one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.’
37David said, ‘The Lord, who saved me
from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me
from the hand of this Philistine.’ So Saul said to David, ‘Go, and may
the Lord be with you!’
The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to
God. Never underestimate the value of experience combined
with the purpose of God.
Giant slaying is still going on today. I want to
invite all of our veterans to stand. Today we honor you for fighting
giants on our behalf. I am confident that the experiences you
encountered in the military have been employed by God many times over
the years. Thank you for serving and thank you for applying lessons
learned for the kingdom of God.
There are other giants. I visited with a young family
just this week that have been through their own battle with a giant
named, Cancer. I asked them how many times they have had the
opportunity to use that experience to help others in their battle with
that giant. Of course, the answer was, “A lot.”
I do not believe that God wills persons to get cancer,
fall off of bridges, go through bankruptcy, or any of those terrible
valleys that people face. I believe these are scars of a broken world
and the activity of the enemy of peace. I do, however, believe that
God’s purposes will not be thwarted by these traumatic fractures in
life. God uses our experiences, the wonderful ones along with the
dreadful ones, and can even employ us to slay giants.
What experiences do you have in life? Think about
significant experiences that have equipped you for ministry or
confirmed a ministry in your life. The Leadership Training Network
encourages Christians to reflect on every 5 years of your life. What
experiences from birth to five years old, have equipped you for
ministry? Six to ten years old? You get the idea. Never
underestimate the value of experience combined with the purpose of
God.
I invite you to spend about 15 minutes strolling through our Ministry
Fair, looking at the exhibits, reflecting on your experiences, and see
if God directs you to declare at least one ministry for the coming
year. Of course, it is not just experiences that you will draw upon.
You have a “Finding Your S.T.R.I.D.E. for Ministry” insert to
guide you in discovering your niche for ministry. Refreshments are
served at the ministry centers. Coffee, juice and water are in the
kitchen. If you already know your ministry and we hope you have an
idea, fill out your Declaration of Ministry Sheet that you received
when you walked into the CLC. If you are already involved in a
ministry and want to continue in that ministry for 2008, make sure to
check that box. We will return to a spirit of worship in 15 minutes
and participate in a Service of Recognition of Every Member in
Ministry. Please don’t leave early, as this is a service that
requires your participation. Let us pray. |
