Ministry Looks Like You Pt. 5
Ministry Looks Like You • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewA look at how God uses your brokenness to minister to others.
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Beauty in the Ashes
Beauty in the Ashes
3 To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
In a country where we can do whatever we want to do and be whatever we want to be it’s a privilege that is taken for granted when something we don’t like is not addressed. Think about it you don’t like the way your mechanic repaired your car, great learn how to be a mechanic and repair your own car as well as others cars! You don’t like the way your food was prepared at your favorite restaurant, no problem go start your own joint and make the food of your dreams!
There are a 1,000,000 opportunities for you to change the direct of what you feel is wrong and you can make it right.
Today I want to look at a prophet who felt that a nation was wrong and that God should destroy them, because he didn’t want to make it right.
1 The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai:
2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”
3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.
4 But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart.
5 Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold.
6 So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.”
7 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit.
8 “Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?”
9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”
10 The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned.
11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”
12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”
13 Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it.
14 Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”
15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once!
16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.
17 Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
The story of Jonah is powerful in that it reflects God’s love for all mankind and even His creation. No matter what or where you’ve been, or have done. God is always available for you to turn from your ways and turn to Him.
We see God showing Jonah 3 main things that I want to point out to you all in chapter 1 and then hopefully you will see why your story holds value to helping change the lives of those around you.
In other words Your Brokenness Presents Beauty
The very thing you hide and cover up is the very thing God wants to use to change the world around you.
20 In a large house some dishes are made of gold or silver, while others are made of wood or clay. Some of these are special, and others are not.
21 That’s also how it is with people. The ones who stop doing evil and make themselves pure will become special. Their lives will be holy and pleasing to their Master, and they will be able to do all kinds of good deeds.
So the first thing we want to point out is:
Don’t be like Jonah who was running from God . Eventually you’ll find yourself in a place you may not have ever intended to go.
Running, Results in Reprimanding
Your brokenness is beautiful because it tells a wonderful story of how God saved you and can do the same for those who hear your story.
3 “Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions.
Your judged for the things you do with an arrogant and self righteous spirit. Not for the sins you’ve committed in the past.
Well Pastor P how is that possible? I thought we were going to be judged for our sins.
19 Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
God will allow you too only run from His call on you for so long before He will start making adjustments to meet His goals for your call.
3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.
Sin will take you farther than you ever intended to go, it will cost you more than you ever expected to pay, and it will keep you longer than you ever intended to stay.
You cannot escape what God has positioned you to be.
5 Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold.
6 So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.”
The world is full of storms and they want to know why we as Christians are sound asleep in such a time as this.
Your Tribulations, Your Trials and Your Test all reflect back to being a part of Your Testimony.
12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”
13 Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it.
14 Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”
15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once!
If you allow God to use you in your broken state then He will be able restore you to use you in a mighty way.
16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.
People will see your flaws as a way to connect with you and not you as one that can’t be connected.
2 When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.
Jonah’s Pride brought him down when God’s love was trying to use him to raise a nation up, don’t allow your pride to block salvation for those who will need it.
Don’t be like Jonah who was sound asleep ignoring God’s directives He keeps telling you. Eventually you’ll find yourself in place you may not have intended to go.
See Jonah was so caught up in his own self righteousness that he couldn’t see where God had brought him from. Never forget where you came from celebrate your deliverance, Silence your critics.
15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
Be the model, make models and own your story every time! it’s your! so share it and see who’s lives are changed because of it.
Questions for our guest today - Melva Allen
1. How did you get started and what provoked you to do this in the first place.
2. You are targeting who primarily. Why are you targeting that demographic
3. What are some of the challenges you have faced doing this ministry.
4. What successes have you seen so far from doing this ministry.
5. Most people who do ministry are looking to monetize, What would you say to them about that.
6. Has this helped your spiritual walk with God and if so how.
7. Key take aways to help someone else see they are called to ministry Closing thoughts and comments you’d like to share.
Q&A Questions from audience