Help Wanted

Help Wanted! **Declaration: ● ● ● ● ● My eyes are on Jesus My heart is tuned to His Spirit My ears are listening to His voice My mind will believe what He says My voice will declare the truth of His word Today, we’re continuing our teaching series “Blueprints”. In this series, we’ve discovered who our foundation is(Jesus) and how He’s equipped us with gifts to do His will on the earth. For the past few weeks, we’ve specifically been studying the gifts of the Holy Spirit as found in 1 Corinthians ch 12, but we’re going to begin to look at the grace gifts in Romans ch 12. Key Verse - Romans 12:1 Romans 12:1-8 NIV 12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. tPt says - v2. Stop imitating the ideals & opinions of the culture around you… - - Are you trying to keep up with the Jones’?? 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. It’s Our Reasonable Response There’s not many places in the Word or biblical principle where we engage our reasoning. This would be one of the exceptions. Paul lays out who we were, what we did and the separation we had from the Father of the universe. He showed what Jesus did on the cross and then gets to this portion. Because of ALL THIS, the least we can do is give our lives back as a living sacrifice. You’re only dying to your old nature, because in Jesus, we are NEW! Eli came in our room at bedtime this last week. I was almost out and he dropped another truth bomb on us. This was shortly after I prayed, God I need some wisdom! HA! Isn’t that cool!? “We should love Jesus & others even when we can’t “see” the blessings.” ~Eli - - > Minister to the Lord During my studies lately, this phrase has stuck out like a sore thumb. All our serving is meaningless unless we are serving Jesus first and foremost. Isaiah 56:6-7 NKJV “Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants— Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant 7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; Acts 13:2 NKJV As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said… Those that serve or minister to Him, their sacrifices will be accepted! If you want to be led by His voice, minister to Him! Those that like rest won’t like this next part, but a surefire way is to do it early! Too often things creep up and steal our attention. He Wants Everything! Many of us in our ignorance my have questioned God. Everything?? That seems greedy! Oh God, forgive us! He has the right to be jealous, to want all of our attention. (He gave us His best! By His strength, why can’t we be troubled to do the same??) Sacrifice -> I don’t think there’s a dictionary around that sugar-coats this. It’s a sacrifice, so it’ll cost you something and most likely it’ll not be pleasant. Luke 21:1-4 NIV As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” I love this story. She believed in the promise of God so much, she was ALLIN. Now, her all-in and ours might look different, but it’s her heart that Jesus wants us to emulate. Do you want someone to perform work on your house, your yard, or you car and not put all of their attention and skill to it? Of course not! They have a special phrase for that kind of work, ha! So, if it doesn’t pass our standards, why would we think that kind of heart would pass His? - - > Living Sacrifices, Daily Offering Philippians 2:12-13 NIV 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. This verse shows us something that I think is pretty cool. The greek here is actually saying, “You were saved, You are saved and You’re being saved”. Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. I also think it’s important that we remain vigilant about who or what we’re sacrificing to. As I thought about this, I remember early morning cartoons. You know the one with Bugs Bunny taking a nice steamy bath, except it wasn’t a tub. It was a large cooking pot that the hunter had ready! He was preparing himself to be dinner!! We All Have a Role Matthew 9:37-38 NLT “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” - - They were scattered and confused, helpless like sheep without a shepherd. (video of sheep) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_4S5yBkSpU -> I wanted to call this point - “Gifts With Purpose, Parts With Perspective” There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus, empowered with the Holy Spirit had access to every spiritual gift. I also believe that He was showing us the standard operating procedure of His kingdom, This Is How It’s Done. He even said that we would do GREATER things because He’s going to the Father and will send us the Holy Spirit. So, the gifts are plenty and powerful according to their purpose, but there are currently only a willing few saying, Yes! How do I know this? We can see it in the weariness! Here’s another thought on this: The best givers (those with the gift, especially) are those that understand lack and how God freed them from it. The best worshipers know WHO & WHAT they worship. The best proclaimers (front door salesman) believe that they have the best thing there is and they make you believe it too. He’s convinced and so am I. The list goes on - Encouragers have been encouraged. Healed people are those that I want praying for me to get healed!! I once had the privilege to meet Bill Wilson from Metro Ministries. His testimony is powerful! He said, “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” ~ Bill Wilson I say, “How will you know if you don’t go?” - Closing It’s Not Too Late! Matthew 20:8-15 NKJV 8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ This might all seem overwhelming, but I have more good news. In the Lord’s business, we all get OJT (On the job training). The Holy Spirit moves into our heart to guide us. Just as Jesus could say, “I only do what I see the Father doing, I only say what He says”. We can do that if yield ourselves as the willing vessel for His service. What did Romans 12:1 say? This was our reasonable response. To be Living Sacrifices. Would you come forward and present yourself to Him, to be used according to His purpose and plan?