Equipped To Serve
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 2/22/20241 Peter 4:10
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40:42
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez explores 1 Peter 4:10 to remind believers that they are divinely equipped with unique gifts to serve others rather than themselves. He emphasizes that isolation is contrary to God's design and that true fulfillment and spiritual progress are found through unity, collaboration, and the selfless use of our talents in every area of life.
Key points
- •Isolation is dangerous and runs counter to God's design; humans were created for mutual dependency and collaboration.
- •Every believer is a steward of specific gifts and graces intended for the benefit of others, not for self-centered gain.
- •God has already granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness, meaning we are currently equipped to succeed in our roles as parents, spouses, and professionals.
- •Unity and servanthood accelerate progress and blessings, whereas individualism and selfishness delay them.
- •Serving others is the only path to true fulfillment; pursuing only personal ambition leads to inner insecurity and lack of purpose.
Scripture
Purpose
Community
Discipleship
Stewardship
Spiritual Growth
Life application
Identify one specific area this week (such as your marriage, workplace, or church) where you have been operating independently or selfishly, and intentionally look for one way to use your unique talents to serve or support someone else in that space.
Reflection questions
- In what ways have I used 'personal space' or 'isolation' as a defense mechanism against past hurts rather than a place of rest?
- Looking at Romans 12, which gift (teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, etc.) do I recognize most clearly in my life right now?
- How would my daily attitude at work or home change if I viewed myself primarily as an 'agent of Jesus Christ' sent there to serve?
- Am I waiting to feel 'more equipped' before I serve, or do I believe God has already given me what I need for this season?
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Full transcript
0:00I want to use as a foundation this
0:03morning from first Peter chap 4 First
0:08Peter chapter 4 if you have your printed
0:11Bible or electronic Bible I would invite
0:14you to join
0:15me as we study the word of
0:19God as it relates to
0:22you personally to
0:25you I want to talk to you
0:28about your equipped to
0:31serve equipped to
0:35serve God has poured so much in you when
0:40he created
0:42you that you need to know you have the
0:45ability to serve in whatever
0:48capacity he has ordained for you to
0:51serve
0:52in a moment ago we saw parents who came
0:55down here with their
0:57children and one would ask do they have
1:00the capacity the the the ability to
1:04raise these children up in the fear of
1:06God and I would say to you absolutely
1:10yes because the Bible says before we
1:13were formed in our mother's womb God
1:16knew us so all these children before
1:18they were given to their parents God
1:21knew that these children would be birth
1:24into the Earth he selected the parents
1:27and therefore he poured in to each and
1:31every one of them the
1:33ability to parent to become a an
1:37effective uh parent or parents so 1
1:41Peter 4 chapter 10 it tells us each of
1:44you should use whatever gift you have
1:47received to serve others as faithful
1:50stewards of God's grace in its various
1:57forms the Apostle Peter is saying each
2:01of us should use whatever gifts we
2:05have so the question then is what's your
2:10gifts or maybe it's just one gift what's
2:13your gift what are you gifted with and
2:17he's saying we should use our
2:20gifts didn't say to serve
2:24ourselves you weren't born with certain
2:27talents and gifts to Serve Yourself
2:31so whatever gifts and talents that
2:32you're bragging about and you're
2:35thinking that I am who I am because I'm
2:39satisfying myself you're going against
2:41what the word of God is saying he says
2:43each of you should use whatever gift you
2:46have you have received I should say to
2:49serve others to serve others you are
2:52equipped to serve
2:54others not
2:56yourself you see embedded in the human
2:59nature nature is a mutual dependency on
3:03each other that is designed by
3:07God it's designed by God despite
3:10societal Norms suggesting our
3:13independence from each other it's
3:15essential to remember that no one can
3:18thrive in
3:21isolation I know we're trying to do that
3:24but no one can survive in isolation
3:28unfortunately due to pass hurts and
3:31widespread distrust in our
3:34society our society is witnessing a
3:38trend where many individuals are
3:40erecting emotional barriers isolating
3:44themselves from others and
3:47sadly some see this
3:50isolation as a positive
3:53Choice it's
3:55dangerous it's dangerous when you find
3:59comfort in
4:01isolation it's dangerous when you find
4:05comfort in being alone don't want to
4:07talk to anybody don't trust anybody
4:11don't want to be around
4:13anybody David tried it it almost drove
4:17him
4:18crazy David almost lost his connectivity
4:22with God because he hid himself in a
4:26cave and it was driving him crazy
4:31crazy if there's anything you need to
4:33hear from the word of God today is
4:36isolation is not good for you cuz you
4:39were never designed to be isolated from
4:43people amen you were never designed to
4:46build walls around
4:48yourself saying I don't want nobody in
4:50my space I don't want no friends I don't
4:53need relatives and family around me when
4:56I go to my job I don't need to talk to
4:59anybody I don't want to be around
5:01anybody I just want to be by myself
5:04could it be the reason why you're
5:05talking that way is because you're have
5:07not been healed from the
5:11trauma it's not good for you to be in
5:15isolation viewing yourself as a servant
5:18of God enables you to recognize that you
5:22are adequately prepared for the task at
5:26hand and that the mission surpasses your
5:30individual
5:32Ambitions the mission that you're called
5:34to do surpasses your individual
5:39Ambitions you can no longer live your
5:42life just for you you cannot just wake
5:46up every morning hustling and doing life
5:50just to benefit yourself that is a
5:53selfish way to live your life and it's
5:55not
5:57godly you see my friends I want to share
6:01with you we all rely on the support and
6:05contribution of others for two
6:08reasons are you ready for this number
6:11one I believe that God orchestrated our
6:15journey God orchestrated our journey
6:18through life to be a collaborative
6:21Endeavor not a solitary
6:25one it's cooperation it's it's us coming
6:30together collaboration how do you and I
6:33can collaborate and work together this
6:36church will never
6:38succeed if the weight of the Ministries
6:41on the pastor loone or a few workers the
6:44mission of this ministry of preaching
6:46the gospel and bringing people into the
6:48kingdom of God will never be possible if
6:52if if if if it's just left up to a few
6:55individuals we have to come together and
6:58we have to see church is bigger than
7:01what we want out of it we can never look
7:04to Ministry and say well if they don't
7:05do what I tell them to do if they don't
7:07sing my favorite song and if they don't
7:09preach the way I want them to preach and
7:10if the music is not the way I want it
7:12and if they don't provide all of these
7:13services for me well I'm not going to be
7:15a part of that church that's being
7:19selfish amen it's being
7:22selfish God is orchestrated that
7:25together we come together we collaborate
7:28and we do it as one not just one person
7:33doing their thing number two working
7:37together with one another not only
7:39aligns with God's will for our lives but
7:42also enables us to accomplish
7:46more often at a quicker Pace one of the
7:50things we' have missed as a people is
7:52the the the power of
7:56unity we're fighting to be our
7:59individual selves in every walks of life
8:03and it's hurting us and it's delaying
8:05our
8:07progress you have couples who are
8:10supposed to be together are living
8:13individual lives not in unity and they
8:16don't even realize their blessings are
8:18being
8:19delayed amen two is always better than
8:23one when both individuals in the home
8:27love and care about each other and have
8:30tolerance and
8:31patience and give Grace to each other
8:35and understand you're a weak in some
8:37areas I'm strong in some areas I'm
8:40strong in weak in some areas and you're
8:42strong in some areas and not only that
8:45when we see this relationship as one
8:48when we see this church as one it's no
8:51longer okay it's me you know and what I
8:54can get out of this relationship and she
8:56better do this for me he better do that
8:58for me and and so forth my money is my
9:01money and I don't care what they say and
9:03no no no no you see when you do that
9:04you're delaying your blessing because
9:06when two come together and you make
9:09$80,000 a year and the other person
9:11makes $100,000 a year when you if you
9:14ever come together and see it as
9:19$180,000 versus 80 and 100 you
9:23accomplish so much more when you're
9:28one and the devil knows the
9:32power of us not being
9:36united so he divides us he divides us in
9:40our
9:41thinking he makes us think we're not
9:43equipped to serve and to serve each
9:46other and to do what God has called us
9:48to do and as a result of that we don't
9:52achieve greatness in Genesis
9:552:8 we see it was evident that that
9:59Solitude isn't
10:01beneficial it wasn't please note that
10:06this companionship with uh um Adam and
10:09Eve wasn't completely about a re a
10:13romantic Partnership if you will I get
10:16it they were brought together as one to
10:19multiply but I want you to see what God
10:21was trying to get across to all of us it
10:24was about fulfilling God's plan for
10:27Humanity to multiply and to support each
10:30other so here it is God created this man
10:33Adam from the dust of the earth and of
10:35course God has has all powers you know
10:38he could have said to Adam you know what
10:39Adam out of you I'm going to bring
10:41Nations he didn't really have to put Eve
10:43in it why he's
10:46God
10:48duh he's God he didn't have to say I
10:52want to bring another woman into it or
10:54another human being that happens to be a
10:57woman different from the man he could
10:59have said no you know the same way I
11:02created Adam from the dust I'm going to
11:05create a lot of Adams from the
11:08dust he didn't need a woman's womb to
11:11create another human
11:12being but in his suffering power he
11:15decided okay Adam you come from the dust
11:19and then what the Bible uh says here
11:23which I love when he created Adam he
11:26created him and he placed in him the
11:29ability the ability to do good but when
11:33God looked at Adam the one man on the
11:36entire planet the one man on the planet
11:41God took a good look at him in Genesis
11:4528 and he said it's not good for him to
11:50be isolated it's not good for him to be
11:53alone cuz the service I want him to do
11:57he's going to need somebody to help him
12:01he's going to need somebody to help
12:02him the work that he's going to finish
12:05on the
12:07earth I am going to give him someone to
12:10help him what makes you think that you
12:12can be a Lone Ranger and succeed come on
12:15now when from the beginning it was never
12:17intended to be that
12:19way what makes you think just because
12:21you can go to college and get your
12:23degree and you know and you get your job
12:25and everything like that you can get
12:27through life you don't need nobody you
12:29don't need Church you don't need no
12:30Pastor you don't need no friend you
12:32don't need relative you know you can
12:33disconnect from your parents you can
12:35disconnect from your relative you can
12:37Dison disconnect from
12:39everybody and and and Just Be Your Own
12:42Boss no it was never designed that
12:45way God said Adam for the work that I
12:48have for
12:49you I'm going to give you somebody else
12:52to help you but watch this you have to
12:55serve her and she serve you amen
13:02serve
13:04her and she will serve
13:07you if you be the leader over her she'll
13:12become your
13:13helpmate she'll be there to help you
13:18come on now that's the word you see we
13:20should all remember that we're here to
13:23assist one another
13:25serving for a greater purpose Beyond
13:28ourselves
13:30please hear me today if what you're
13:32doing I don't know what you're doing
13:34whatever career however you're living
13:36your life maybe you've you've retired if
13:39what you're doing is just for yourself
13:42I'm telling you you will never be
13:45fulfilled on this
13:47planet you will you may think you're
13:50okay but you would have missed your
13:52purpose in life if everything you're
13:55doing is that you're doing it for
13:57yourself because you were never wired
13:59that way you you were equipped by God to
14:04serve and if we the church would Embrace
14:07its roles a or its role I should say as
14:10agents of Jesus Christ spreading the
14:13message of unity and servanthood it will
14:16get more done for the kingdom of God and
14:20we will then be in alignment with God's
14:23will not only that we will have
14:27influence over the world over people
14:30more than the kingdom of
14:32darkness the kingdom of darkness has
14:35more influence over the world now why
14:38because we don't even know that we're
14:40equipped to serve we don't even know
14:42that we're equipped to be the salt and
14:43the light of the world that we're
14:45equipped to go out there and put some
14:48taste to this tasteless society that you
14:50are the World Changers that you are the
14:53person that will make a difference in
14:54the world at your workplace when you
14:56step in your workplace by your own
14:58attitude alone should change the culture
15:02there cuz you are agents of the Lord
15:05Jesus Christ so we all have the
15:08potential for growth in every aspect of
15:12Our Lives whether it is in our personal
15:15Endeavors
15:17relationships parenting Career
15:20Development entrepreneurial Ventures
15:23financial management or service within
15:26the kingdom of God and trust me
15:29we are fully equipped to handle these
15:32responsibilities every one of us I don't
15:34care what you're going through your
15:37personal Endeavors you are equipped to
15:41get there but maybe God's going to use
15:43somebody to help you prepare you to
15:46where you need to go we're equipped to
15:48serve not ourselves sometimes you got to
15:51look beyond your Pursuits look beyond
15:54your passion and say God why am I here
15:58here on the earth whose lives should I
16:01touch on the
16:03earth my actions what am I supposed to
16:06do to make a difference on the earth you
16:09know apart from you pursuing your own
16:11personal agendas even in your
16:14relationships for those of you are
16:16dating you're placed on the earth so
16:20that if you end up seeking for brothers
16:22if you go he the Bible says he who finds
16:25a wife if you go looking for a woman you
16:28need to understand this you're equipped
16:30to serve that
16:32woman you have it within you what what's
16:36what's in you you cannot just look to a
16:39woman to serve you and how she can just
16:42benefit you and give you and whatever
16:45you can get for her and for those of you
16:47brothers who are dating women with the
16:49purpose of using them you ought to be
16:51ashamed of
16:52yourself especially if you're a
16:56Christian especially if you're you're a
16:59Christian cuz your job is to serve them
17:02to make their lives
17:05better and since y all ladies were
17:08clapping a moment
17:09ago let me talk to you sisters here now
17:13let me say the brothers going to be
17:14clapping
17:15now right same the same goes for you
17:20ladies that if if your sole intention is
17:24for a man to be in your life just to pay
17:26your
17:27bills
17:31Brothers I expected you to be cled come
17:34on you failed the
17:36test you failed the test big time
17:42man it's
17:44wrong it's
17:46wrong when you don't see yourself like
17:51Eve you're dating this guy to lead to
17:54marriage because you're willing to serve
17:57him am to equip him to assist him so
18:04that he will fulfill his purpose on the
18:08earth and that God would use him to
18:11serve you so that together you'll be to
18:15individuals fulfilling the will of God
18:17oh don't shout me down
18:22now that's our purpose that's what we
18:25were supposed to do we're equipped to do
18:27it as a Fe
18:29you are equipped to love a man the way
18:31he's supposed to be loved am the problem
18:34is you're choosing not to love him the
18:35way he supposed to be led because of
18:37your
18:45emotions God never took Eve out of Adam
18:49for Eve to hurt the man and disrespect
18:54him read the text to help
18:59him so how are you helping your
19:02man how what kind of an assistant or Aid
19:06are you giving the man is it evees Aid
19:11or you doing some evil
19:19[Applause]
19:25Deeds come on now you're equipped to
19:28love him with all of your
19:30heart to respect him and see him as your
19:34leader even with his you know
19:38inconsistencies and I'm not talking
19:39about somebody abusing you or whatever
19:42but I'm talking about when God gives you
19:44a
19:45man when he gives you a
19:48Boaz who is
19:50working
19:52hard to build an Empire with you your
19:57job because it's in you you equipped to
20:01love
20:01him that he
20:03finds peace when he comes
20:07home and when he gets into his house
20:10that you understand that a man can never
20:13be like a
20:15woman he may try to
20:27be
20:30yeah but he'll
20:32never ever fulfill the
20:36responsibility of a woman so I want to
20:39talk to you married people in this house
20:40today you're equipped to
20:42serve so women serve your
20:46husbands serve your husbands oh well he
20:49crazy
20:53and serve your
20:56husband because before he turned crazy
20:58you loved
21:01them and maybe you have to ask yourself
21:03the question did you cause him to go
21:05[Applause]
21:08crazy okay
21:10okay same thing same thing
21:13brothers You're
21:15equipped it's in you to be a protector a
21:21lover a guide somebody who gives that
21:24woman
21:27reassurance sometimes all a woman is
21:29looking for is honesty and that you got
21:32my
21:38back talk to me here now that's all we
21:43have the potential stop lying to
21:45yourself thinking you cannot do this you
21:48can do life in the word of God if you
21:51abide by the word of God I I'll prove it
21:54to you second Peter Peter 1 verse3
21:57second Peter 1:3 here it is the word of
22:00the Lord says his divine power watch
22:03this catch this real quick has granted
22:05to us all all things that pertain to
22:08life and godliness wait a minute let's
22:09pause there for a moment the Bible is
22:11saying that God has granted us the
22:15power to do life to do
22:18life to do life as it relates to dating
22:22to do life as it relates to being a
22:24spouse to do life as it relates to
22:27parenting
22:30his divine power has granted us all
22:33things somebody say all things all
22:35things come on say it again all things
22:37all things whatever you need in order to
22:39live a successful life God has granted
22:41us to all of us we have
22:44it question is are we choosing to do
22:48it we have the
22:50ability to become all things in life in
22:55life to run that business with with
22:58Integrity to serve your your employees
23:02or your employers I should say with
23:04Integrity to do what he supposed to to
23:06serve in
23:08Ministry to serve in the church that you
23:12have it to do and in
23:15godliness through the knowledge of him
23:17who has called us to his glory and
23:22Excellence to his glory and Excellence
23:25so let's remember that as a part of the
23:27body of Christ our purpose isn't
23:29self-serving but rather to focus on
23:32God's work which involves supporting one
23:36another to reflect the image in which
23:39God created us therefore it is essential
23:44to
23:45recognize that God provides us with
23:48significant opportunities every single
23:50day to align with his perfect will which
23:55involves serving one another for the
23:57betterment of the world it's not just
24:01being selfish it's not just for you it's
24:04for the world this church would have
24:07failed if our only purpose of coming
24:09every week is to get our blessing let me
24:13go get my
24:14blessing well when you exit these
24:18doors are you introducing people to the
24:21god that you
24:22love to the god that you
24:25serve are you embarrassed to talk about
24:27about him at your
24:29workplace are you embarrassed to talk
24:31about him to your family to your friends
24:33are you living the Jesus you're
24:34preaching
24:35about you see sadly we have become more
24:38focused on our own personal successes
24:41often at a high price the more we serve
24:45ourselves is the more we damage
24:49ourselves that's it the more we serve
24:52ourselves the more we tend to damage
24:56ourselves so allow me to emphasize for a
24:58moment and I'll be out of your way
25:00quickly pursuing selfish
25:03gains won't lead to fulfillment in life
25:07that's a fact you're equipped to serve
25:10others just pursuing selfish gain go go
25:14get what you want in life but if it's
25:17all about
25:19you you're not going to find
25:22fulfillment I if if if all you're doing
25:25every day is dressing up and looking
25:27good looking cute and this is for me it
25:29ain't for
25:33nobody there's a lot of people listen to
25:35me and you don't have to say Amen to
25:37this because you may not agree with me
25:39there's a lot of people I'm telling you
25:41they they walk out of their house
25:43looking really great they're even
25:45posting stuff and telling the whole
25:49social media world that they're
25:51beautiful filled with
25:52self-confidence but if you were to go
25:54home with them when they're
25:56alone
25:59they're filled with
26:01insecurity and they're not
26:05fulfilled you see you're not wired for
26:09such a
26:10Pursuit just to please yourself your
26:13life must take on a Divine Purpose in
26:16order for it to be meaningful yes sir
26:19sir so I encourage you to consider the
26:21benefits of joining with God's people in
26:24a collective pursuit of his will
26:28can we all do that that God were after
26:32you as David says As the deer paned
26:34after the water broke so P at my soul
26:37I'm gasping for breath I need you God
26:39for Henry to become anything great you
26:43have to Lead Me God you have to guide me
26:47we're all equipped to serve with our
26:50unique talents to achieve a corporate
26:53goal a corporate goal which is to build
26:56the faith of God's people so we all can
26:59be effective at what we do let me give
27:03you perhaps the final scripture here
27:05Romans 12 vers 8 to excuse me verses 6
27:10to 8 I love this I hope you'll find
27:13yourself in this come on watch me now I
27:16hope you find yourself in the word
27:17you're talking about you looking for
27:18answers here it is Paul says we have
27:22different gifts according to the grace
27:24given to us different gifts
27:29please don't try to be me and I'm
27:31certainly not going to try to be
27:34you don't start a business that you're
27:37not anointed to
27:40do don't buy a house that you don't have
27:44the graves to take care
27:46of don't get married to people just
27:50because your girlfriends are getting
27:54married what Paul is saying we've been
27:57given different
27:59gifts stay in your
28:02calling identify what you're called to
28:05do and be the best version of
28:10yourself that's really what God wants us
28:13to do so we have different gifts
28:14according to the grace given to each of
28:17us if your gift is in prophesying then
28:20proph uh then prophesy I should say
28:24according with your faith and the reason
28:28why Paul was talking about this you have
28:29to see the backdrop of the story because
28:32in the church people were trying back
28:34then they were trying to outdo each
28:37other people were prophesying who didn't
28:39have a gift of
28:42Prophecy people were trying to do things
28:46you know that they weren't called to do
28:48so Paul had to address it if you're
28:49going to prophesy prophesy with the gift
28:52that God has given you and prophesy
28:54according to your faith your confidence
28:56in God verse 7 if it's in serving watch
29:00this if it's in serving then
29:04serve if it's in teaching then teach cuz
29:08not everybody have the grace of
29:10teaching I could
29:13never be a teacher in the
29:16classroom that's why all of you are
29:19teachers professional teachers in at any
29:21level please stand high school
29:23elementary teachers come on you better
29:26give it up for all the these teachers
29:28man we honor
29:32you you may be
29:34seated that's that's a
29:37gift that's a that's a
29:42Grace come on now it takes a lot for
29:45these parents of these teachers to deal
29:48with these children
29:50man and then he says serve as a teacher
29:54whether it's me preaching or another
29:56preacher I've been given that gift to
30:00teach and then he says and I love this
30:03if it's to encourage because not
30:04everybody can
30:06encourage I I I'll be the first to tell
30:09you there are some people I would never
30:10ever called
30:13them when I need encouragement and I
30:16know you know a few of them
30:18too because they have nothing I mean the
30:20moment you go and say Hey you know and
30:22you they say to you hey good morning how
30:24you doing and you say well I'm doing
30:25fine I'm not doing so well today next
30:27thing that child let me tell you
30:29something you're not the only
30:32one see when I need encouragement I
30:34don't need you
30:36to talk that
30:39way and then he says then give
30:42encouragement now I love this if it's in
30:45giv then give
30:47generously some people have the gift of
30:51generosity there's some people God has
30:54empowered you that you can give there's
30:56some people who don't they have the
30:58willingness but they're not enable to
31:01give they they're not empowered to
31:03give that's why when you have these
31:06organizations have these fundraising
31:08activities and so forth and they're
31:10raising millions of dollars and
31:12sometimes they just get gather 50
31:14people and out of the 50 people 40 of
31:18those people have the ability to just
31:20write a check for a million dollars they
31:23have the gift to
31:26give God is listen God's not asking you
31:30to write a check for a million dollars
31:32and you don't have the
31:33money God would never want you to go to
31:36jail giving an offering to
31:40him but if you got
31:43it he says he has empowered some people
31:46with the ability to be
31:49generous to bless the other day I was at
31:53the the Cleveland Clinic just to do a
31:55regular uh annual checkup and so forth
31:58and I walked in there and there was a
32:01wall of a couple who actually
32:05donated all the money to build that
32:09entire section of the facility one
32:14family one family they have the
32:18ability Paul is saying and you see we
32:21think we think this is only referring to
32:23church people and giving an
32:25offering this is we miss it we do tooo
32:29much Sunday church that we're irrelevant
32:32to the
32:33[Applause]
32:37world Paul is saying if it's in given so
32:41if you have the gift of given be
32:44generous if it's
32:46leading then do it with passion that
32:49word diligently with passion if it's to
32:52show Mercy then do it cheerfully so when
32:55we serve one another it is critical to
32:58realize that we're aiding each other to
33:01maximize in the gifts that God has
33:04bestowed upon us additionally through
33:08mutual support we undergo personal
33:10growth evolving into a better version of
33:14ourselves so I want you to know that you
33:18possess
33:19now the
33:21capability to serve listen to me to
33:25serve as a fiance
33:29I'm closing this
33:31now you are equipped to
33:34serve see as a leader I understand for
33:38you to get to the marriage part The
33:40Honorable the Bible says marriage is
33:41Honorable for you to get to honorable
33:43position you have to be like uh Joseph
33:46and Mary there has to be a dating
33:50process so you're
33:52dating you have been
33:55equipped according to the the word of
33:58God you've been equipped to serve in the
34:01dating process as a
34:04fiance you've been
34:06equipped to serve your
34:09spouse yes you
34:12have so if you're
34:14married you have to make the decision
34:16this morning you're
34:18streaming am I willing to serve my
34:23spouse serve my
34:25spouse how dare you serve in the
34:28public and you have not served at
34:31[Music]
34:39home how dare you serve your
34:43employer gave your employer 40 60
34:48hours every
34:50week and your spouse is begging for
34:55one
35:00cuz you're consumed with your personal
35:02agenda and the
35:07children talk to me here now it's
35:10getting quiet up in this Presbyterian
35:14Church you're equipped for your family
35:18you're equipped for your friends you're
35:21equipped to serve your co-workers your
35:22employe your employees I should say and
35:25most importantly you're equipped to
35:28serve in the body of Christ I say
35:32this
35:34serve or service to others when you
35:37serve
35:38others it is ultimately a
35:43choice it's a choice you
35:45make to embrace your role as a servant
35:50it's a
35:51choice and I firmly
35:53believe and
35:55Hope that you will put your gifts to
35:59work that you'll put your gifts to
36:02work whatever gift that's in you and
36:06serve every week I choose to come on
36:09this
36:10stage because it's my
36:13Callin it's my
36:16calling I choose to
36:20serve I would like to be like everybody
36:22else on a
36:23Sunday go play golf go to the beach or
36:28having the luxury to say you know I
36:31don't want to go to church
36:34today I'm called to
36:37serve I've been gifted with the gift of
36:41teaching so I'm going to do it not to
36:44benefit
36:46myself cuz the ultimate goal is when I'm
36:50done with the sermon is did you get
36:54anything did it
36:58kind of stir up something in you did it
37:01touch the heart did it minister to you
37:04cuz that's what servants do is serve
37:08others would you bow your heads and I
37:11wanted to close this
37:13because perhaps you're about to
37:16leave
37:18and maybe you weren't even thinking
37:20about your life that way
37:24where you know you you are anointed not
37:28just to pursue things for
37:31self or selfish gain if you will or are
37:35just for you and maybe you're in a
37:38circle but you were called and anointed
37:41to serve people what about the person
37:42sitting next to you what about the
37:45person in that room what about the
37:47people that God put in your life are you
37:50serving them Father we thank
37:52you that you have challenged us
37:55today
37:57to
37:58embrace the call that's on
38:01us and to
38:05use those gifts for your honor and For
38:08Your
38:10Glory I pray that all of us will walk
38:12out of this Auditorium or log off today
38:15knowing that we've been called for such
38:17a time as this to make an impact into
38:20the
38:21world so I pray for every person under
38:24the sound of my voice
38:27that today will be the start of a brand
38:29new
38:30day a moment where they will
38:34acknowledge that God there's more to
38:36life than just personal
38:40Pursuit may they maximize their full
38:45potential may they
38:48identify their unique
38:50gifts and work them work them may every
38:55woman look into herself and
38:58see whom you've created her to be and
39:02the qualities that are in her and help
39:05her not to die without identifying what
39:09those qualities are and using
39:11them let that man recognize that he's
39:14not an
39:16afterthought that he was sent here for a
39:19reason and that God there's something in
39:23him that our world is in desperate need
39:27of maybe it's giving another woman hope
39:30maybe it's raising
39:33children in the fear of God perhaps
39:36it's making changes in our
39:39society maybe it's leading other
39:42men to you thank you that you have
39:47spoken to us
39:49today to recognize that we are equipped
39:53even though we feel broken wounded
39:56[Music]
39:58cheated we are equipped to
40:02serve and we surrender would you lift
40:04your hands everybody we surrender our
40:07will to
40:08you change
40:11us change us we lift our
40:14hands and say change
40:17us and make us a different person in
40:20fact make us whom you've called us to
40:23be so we can serve well at the end of
40:26the day even if people on the Earth
40:28don't appreciate us and say thank you
40:31you said in your word that you will say
40:34to us when we're faithful well done good
40:39and faithful servant