In the spring of 1883 2 gentlemen, graduated from medical school and they were friends, but they graduated with two very different ambitions. First, there was Ben who wanted to use his medical education to go out to the east coast and to work in the heart of New York City for the chance to grow in fame and in in fortune and to use his skills to profit there in our young country's busiest city. But will on the other hand, desired to go serve with his family in the Midwest in a rural community and to hone his craft as a surgeon and Ben pleaded with will to join him to the east coast that to go where the people are to go, where the there's an opportunity for profit and, and to build a name for yourself. But will, whose father was a frontier medical provider said, no, I'm gonna help my family and I wanna serve and I and I wanna get better. And so they went their separate ways and so will went back to his hometown, to his community and joined his brother Charlie and his father William. And together they started serving that area. Now, during that time, the medical professional field was seen as a gilded really philosophy where the providers were protective of their skills because they didn't want to lose profits and they didn't want to lose their patients. But will with his brother and father had an opposite philosophy and really approached medicine with an open hand and they invited doctors and nurses to come and join them and to learn as well as they would travel all over the country, sometimes all over the world to learn the latest techniques so that they could get better and to help and serve the needs of people. So a few decades went by and as it turns out, the world took notice and people from all over the country came to Will Mayo's clinic and see Will Mayo started the clinic with the purpose of helping and serving others and the value of putting the needs of other people first. And today I wanna talk to you for a few minutes about the value of serving. But before we jump into God's Word together, I wanna ask you this question. Why don't more people surf? What is it that keeps people from serving? Well, I think at the end of the day, there's several reasons, maybe it's pride, selfishness, maybe self righteousness. But then I think there's some other reasons that if we're being honest with ourselves, maybe there's a fear involved and we use that idea that we're just too busy. Maybe we don't know where to serve or, or how to serve. We don't, we don't know where to begin. We want to help but we don't know where the needs are and we don't know what steps to take and, and we just don't think we're ready. Well, today, I wanna bust through the myth of ministry and the myth of maturity because in our world, we're taught to build up, grow, reach a certain level, become mature and then you can give back. The reality is, is that God calls us to serve right away. God calls us to serve immediately. And so how, how do we wrestle with this? At what point do we leave the nest, so to speak and go out and provide a service to help others. And so today's message is called multiply through service because we're in week three of our series called revive. And that idea comes from the, the definition of revive, which means to restore to life or to activate as we start a brand new school year, many people are moving into the area or getting a fresh start, new school, new job, new relationship, whatever the case may be, we wanna give you a chance to revive your faith. And so maybe you think back and there was a time in your life where your faith was stronger. And so our prayer and hope is to help you restore what once was then also, there might be some of you who are kicking the can around a little bit and we want you to know. You're always welcome here at the church to, to investigate, to check things out and everyone's welcome. But we wanna also provide for you the opportunity to activate your faith to take that first step or that next step that you need to take so that you can experience the most out of the Christian faith. Our vision here at the church is that we exist to help every man, woman and child experience Jesus. And that's because we're not trying to offer a program or a policy or some set of ideals or moral codes that we believe that what our world needs more than anything is a personal relation, relationship with Jesus. That it's not so much about following a religion, but having a personal relationship with the God who created you and the God who saved you. Because when you experience Jesus, your life is never the same. And so how do we accomplish that vision, our mission, what do we do on a weekly basis? Well, we do three things here at the church. We try to accomplish his vision through planning the gospel growing in community and then multiplying through service. Two weeks ago, we talked about what it means to plant the gospel in your life. And we shared the parable of the sower and that it's not whether or not the seed is good because the seed is the word of God and the seed is always good. And so the question is not, is the seed good? But the question is, is your heart good? And what is the soil of your heart? It's not enough just to hear the word, but you actually have to hold on to it. And then last week, we talked about how there is value and there is need to grow in community together that we are saved through faith alone, through Jesus alone. But you are not meant to go through life alone and that we need each other. And that if you wanna grow spiritually, you ha have to connect relationally and then the natural response to that then is to in turn bear fruit and to multiply. And so that's where we're gonna dive in this morning. And so if you think through at the most basic level, what we do as an organization, as a church body, as a church family is we plant, grow multiply. We've been doing this every week, but go ahead and just turn to your neighbor and just go ahead and say those three words, plant, grow multiply. All right. I know you, you, it's second service. So you gotta give me a little more energy than what the first service brought. So let's try that one more time. Go ahead and turn your neighbor choose if, if it's the person, choose another person, I'm sorry, they weren't cutting it out for you. So turn to somebody else at the table and go ahead and say those three words, plant, grow multiply. But you don't have to be angry about it though. Ok? So this is what we do as an organization. And so we, we gather on Sundays to sing praise and, and, and to inspire you with the word of God and to plant the gospel into your heart. Then we, we gather together in groups during the week and we have everything from home Bible studies to we're trying to launch men's ministry. We have an incredible women's ministry launching up. We have students, young adults and things. So we wanna give you those chances to come together and connect in a group to grow together and then we provide the different opportunities to serve. And that's why you'll hear me continually say that we are for the community that it's not just something for us to hold on to, but rather to live out through love and service. And that if God is for you, we are for you and together, we can be for the community. And so you can serve within the church body and you can serve as well um in our community. And so we provide the opportunities for that. But on an individual level, if you want to grow in your faith, if you wanna experience God, like you never have before, if you want to revive your spiritual journey and your walk, then you can do those same three things to plant, grow multiply. So we have your Bibles open up to Ephesians chapter four. Ephesians chapter four. And we're gonna take a look at really this idea of ministry. What does it actually mean to serve one another? And when should you start serving? At what point do you get the license to serve so to speak? Well, Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus. When we pick up our passage here in Ephesians chapter four verse 11, it reads this and he gave the apostles, the prophets, evangelists, the shepherds and the teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry. This is a key phrase here. That what does it mean to be a part of a church? What does it mean to be on staff at a church? What does it mean to have the different spiritual gifts? Is that my job as a pastor, my job as a leader and our job as a team is to equip the church body, the church family for the work of the ministry. In other words, ministry is not something for just pastors. Ministry is something for all Christians and disciples and followers of Jesus that we are all called into ministry one way or the other that there is not sacred and secular. That rather God considers everything sacred, that includes your business and your sports and your friendships and your relationships, that everything has the opportunity for ministry, if you have the right perspective. And so as to equip the Saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. So that we may no longer be Children tossed to and fro by the waves carried by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful schemes, says rather speaking truth and love. And I wanna pause there for just a moment. There is so much good stuff here. We could preach 1000 messages out of this passage and we're gonna focus on this maturity and ministry myth. But I wanna highlight this phrase there that I love the connection between truth and love. Do you see it? You need both for those, these healthy relationships. There are people in our world today that love to speak truth and they don't care about feelings and how it comes across. It's the people who hurt people's feelings and then just go, I'm just being honest, right? Just being truthful. Ok. Well, it's truth and love, right? But then there are other people who in the name of love are afraid to speak what is true. Love is love, let it be, you know, just let it let whatever be maybe. Well, OK, if you truly love them, then you're gonna speak truth into each other's life. So you need both. And so rather speaking truth and love. It says that we are to grow up in every way into him, who is the head into Christ, from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped when each part is working properly. So every part of the body is working, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. And so here you have the body of Christ and you have, you see this process where it starts with some form of mentor that your faith most likely came as a result of somebody's example or, or speech or leading you into the word of God. Now you can definitely, you know, have a dream or walk in the forest and have a connection with God. But 99.9 0.99999% of all transformation stories that I have ever heard come from when one person invest their life into another person. And there is a family member, a parent, a sibling, a coach, a friend. And so there's some level of mentorship and then it says to equip you for ministry that results in maturity. Now, it seems to me that we live in an age where we think we have to be mature first, that maturity will lead to ministry. But I wanna know how many people have been going to church all their lives and they still think, oh, it's about me. Have you heard of the Dead Sea? The Dead Sea is called that because the mineral deposits and salt are so intense that nothing seemingly can live in the sea. But do you know why? It's the Dead Sea? It's not because nothing flows into it. It's actually because nothing flows out of it. And so all these rivers and, and bodies of water flow into the dead sea and then the water evaporates and all that's left is the mineral content. And so it's so thick that hardly anything can live in it. And then, and it's so thick that a lot of people can actually float or sit in the water because it's so dense. I wonder how many dead sea Christians we have as well where you've been poured into. You've been coming to church, you've been listening to podcasts and videos and singing and singing songs for years, but you've never actually passed on that information. You've never had an outlet, you've never actually gone and shared that with others and served with others. And so you have this kind of spiritual dead sea heart where it's just me, me, me, me take, take, take, take when actually it's the reverse maturity comes as the result of ministry. If you're taking notes, write this down that maturity is the result of ministry not the requirement. It's the end product. And ministry itself is the process that it's through serving one another, that it's through loving and being in the hands of feet that God matures you. And the world hears the gospel. Jesus told his disciples when he washed their feet, that this is how the world will know you are. My disciples is how you love one another. And that if you love one another, the way that I have loved you. So we can't wait for maturity to turn around and then do ministry that it's actually the opposite that if we commit to ministry and serving our neighbors and serving those who think like this and those who don't. And we start serving and, and, and helping and ministering at every level. It's through that process that we become mature and there are needs all over, there are needs in your workplace and your family on that sports team, things that you can do to actively serve and meet the needs of others. We can't do what we do here at the church without people driving a, a trailer, unloading, setting up, spraying down disinfectant everywhere to set up and unwrap cords and cables and watching kiddos and men's women's men's ministry, women's ministry, student ministry, young adults. So you cannot do those things without people giving of themselves and as they give of themselves, they are matured and growing in their faith. I once had somebody who I was trying to get to plug into the church and, and find a step, uh, to connect. And I said, um, I'm just not mature enough to serve. I said, how about junior high? No, can't do it. Like, if you're not mature enough for junior high, we might need to have another conversation. Like, have you met at junior higher? Like, yeah. Ok. Anyway, and, and so, you know, we have to look at this idea that it's actually through the process of serving that God uses to grow, to grow us, to develop us. And there might be some of you who are thinking to themselves, John, I'm just not ready. You don't know, I have a past, I have this addiction. I have these doubts. You don't know where I was last night. I I just can't, God can't use me. Yes, he can. And let me give you four examples of this that I promise you are gonna be more intense than what you have going in your own life that these should encourage us. First one comes in John chapter four, there's this Samaritan woman and to set up the story because we don't have time to read the whole chapter here. The Jews hated the Samaritans and vice versa and, and the Jews hated the Samaritans so much that they would add days onto their, their trips and travel to avoid seeing and interacting with Samaritans. That's why the story and the parable of the good Samaritan is so impactful that Jesus would use this character. But here in this case, they're in a town, they're in a village and it's in the middle of the day. And Jesus goes to get water from this well, while the disciples go into town to get food and there he encounters this woman. Now, the only reason this woman would be getting water in the middle of the day in a desert, which here in Arizona, we understand that a little bit more than other places in the world. Uh The only reason you would do that is because you're trying to avoid people. Now, I get that I don't necessarily love crowds at times either like we've ever shopped at random times. You're like, oh, this is nice and the, and the spacing. And so here she was doing that, we learn because of her past that she had had five husbands that didn't work out. And then the current person that she was sleeping with wasn't her husband. And so here we come to find out that she was most likely the talk of the town. She was the most rejected person of the most rejected people. And it was there that Jesus meets her and offers her living water and eternal life and she doesn't get it right away and she starts asking him questions about this or that and worship, they worship here, we worship there and Jesus comes back another great story for another time. About how true worshipers understand that it's not about location, but it's about worshiping God in spirit and in truth. And so he provides life and, and offers hope in this woman's life. And so we pick up the story now in John chapter four verse 28. And so the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, do you see how much of a miracle that is the reject of rejects with the past and with guilt and with shame who is getting water in the desert in the middle of the day? Just to avoid the possibility of having a conversation turns around and starts speaking into the lives of the people in the village. She realized that God's grace is bigger than her guilt. That transformation happened. It wasn't like, wow, this man is amazing. This is incredible. So let me go get my life together and come back and build up a resume and then I will do a powerpoint presentation for oh, well, OK. So we'll say still, hey, tablet, there we go. They could be like a tablet present. OK? Anyway, sorry, my mind just jumps around sometimes. So, so you have it right? Like it wasn't like, OK, let me put this together and change my life a lot and then go back. No, she goes to the town win right away. Why? Because Jesus helped me, he could help them. And when I share my story. I'm not just sharing my story. I'm sharing God's story and that's enough. And so it says, come see a man who told me all that I ever did. Could this be the Christ? They went out of the town and were coming to him and they have an interaction with Jesus. And a few verses later, we see this incredible verse, verse 39 and many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony. He told me all that I ever did. She didn't try to be articulate. She didn't have to have everything alliterated, although that would probably be better because I love alliteration. But no, I'm just kidding. Um And so like she just said, wow, look how incredible God is the most rejected person from the most rejected people with the shame and the guilt went to the same people that put on the shame and guilt into her life and said, you gotta meet this guy. What's stopping us from serving? Next example, mark chapter five, there was this man who was demon possessed. Now, if you're interested in spiritual warfare, I'm happy to have conversations with you kinda offstage, bringing dialogue about that. But there's tends to be 22 things that happen. Usually people either ignore spiritual warfare altogether and say, oh they don't exist or it's like everything is impacted by spiritual warfare and that we don't take responsibility. So, so I, you know, find yourself there in the middle where, where you take responsibility for your life, but you do want to try to be aware for the spiritual forces that might be at play, right? So here you have this man who was demon possessed living in a graveyard because he was, he had nowhere else to go. He would tear his clothes off, run around naked and scream and he was so strong that he couldn't be bound up. That's a great start, right? For a story to the point where Jesus comes on the scene and he addresses the demon possessed and it's actually a legion because it's called legion. So many demons, Jesus cast out the demons, they go into a herd of pigs and immediately the pigs, 2000 of them run off the cliff and go into the sea and everyone mourns the loss of bacon. But so here you have this, this situation and this man is healed and, and it's, it's so crazy because then the town sees this man and they're like, oh wow, he's wearing clothes. Like that's a pretty low bar to like just picture for a moment just this past year. How we lived a year in pajama pants and zoom calls for business meetings, right? If you ever forget to properly dress up then and, and change and go out and you go out in public and then somebody notices or maybe the reverse side, maybe you're just used to being casual and then, and then someone gives you that backhanded compliment. Oh, you dressed up today? Th thanks, right? Like, oh you showered? Cool. I'm like, oh cool. I don't know. Anyway. And so in this case, it was a demon possessed man who was shouting and screaming and breaking change and they're like, oh cool, you're wearing clothes and you're not shouting at me. This is great and so clearly this man was happy and safe, but a little embarrassed him. So Jesus and the disciples are gonna move to the next town. And we pick up this story here in Mark chapter five verse 18, it says, and as Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. Jesus did not permit him but said to him, go home to your friends. He's probably like what friends go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you. And he went away and he began to proclaim at the Theopolis, how much Jesus had done for him. And everybody marvel this was an area of 10 cities or villages grouped together. The man who had the extreme anti story faced his fears and went back and spoke of the mercy to others. And commentators are going to say that his testimony was key and transformational for that area and ministry to take place So do you feel like you have not had success in relationships? God can use you if you feel like you have an extreme past. God can use you. Next story. Luke chapter 19, there's a tax collector, a guy named Zach Tus. Tax collectors were so hated, they had a unique category to where they said they're sinners and then there's tax collectors and so like they just hated them. Why? Because the Romans employed the tax collectors, the Jewish people to take money from other Jewish people and anything they got beyond what was required for Roman taxes. They got to keep and they got to use any form to that. They wanted to get the money. So like a loan shark or an enforcer kinda team. And so people hated tax collectors and then to top it off, he was a short little guy. And so it was like a Napoleon leader kind of complex thing. And so he was not well liked, but he was so a Dave re I was like, come on, I'm short. I'm like, hey, but you're not a tax collector, Dave, if you were both, we would have been in trouble but you're ok. And so you are a lovable short person, Dave. And so we love all short people. And um and so here's the thing. And so Zachaeus was, was like, man, like I had power, I had fame. I had profit. I had authority, but something's missing in my life. And so he hears about Jesus. And so when Jesus is coming through the crowd, Zakia risks his reputation, climbs up the tree and said, find Jesus. Jesus spots him up a tree. How many of us feel like we're up in a tree right now, relationally, financially, in, in the community where we feel like, man, I feel ostracized, I feel isolated. I got what I wanted in life, but it wasn't enough. I didn't get what I wanted. And now I'm lost and stuck. And so you're just searching for more. And so Zachaeus sees Jesus locks eyes with Jesus. Jesus says, I'm coming to your house today and the whole world gasps because this was not a competition like Israel's got talent where they performed and then the winner gets to eat dinner with Jesus. This was not a charity fundraiser where they paraded Jesus out and says, whoever gives the most gets to eat with me. No, Jesus points out locks eyes with the most hated guy in the village and says, I'm coming there and he goes, and then we pick up this story here in verse six. It says, so he hurried and came down and received Jesus joyfully. And when they saw the crowd, they all grumbled that he has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner. What is this? And Zachaeus stood and said to the Lord behold, Lord, the half of my goods. I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it four fold, the natural response to grace was generosity. He responded to give because I have been given so much I can turn and give to those around me. He didn't wait until his reputation changed. He changed and he gave, what's led to the ch his new reputation? What are you waiting for when it comes to serving? One more story? There is these 10 lepers leprosy was seen as a disease that would just destroy you and your family and you would be isolated. So you would have to go on old, you know, old and early New Testament, quarantine, meaning outside of the village or begging at a temple gate or by the waters. And people would literally isolate. Stay away from you. Shout unclean get away until you died. This wasn't like, ok, stay in your house for a day or two weeks and then come back out. It was like nope, your life is done. And so Jesus encounters these 10 lepers, he heals them. He says, go present yourself to the priest. You will be cleaned. But now notice out of the 10, how many respond? It says one that's a 10% return here. 10 were healed but only one this verse right here. Verse 15 is an excellent description of what worship really is. So one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back praising God with a loud voice and he fell on his face uh on his face at Jesus feet, giving him thanks. And now he was a Samaritan. Uh another example of a foreigner actually giving the example in front of the disciples and the Pharisees. And he says, Jesus answered, we're not 10 cleansed. Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God, except this foreigner. And he said to him, rise and go your way. Your faith has made you. Well, here we have this picture of where the natural response from the lepers healing is gratitude. These are people that you would not pick to lead the charge for Christianity in the New Testament. Much of the New Testament was written by a guy named Paul who was enemy number one of Christianity. And yet God changed his life to the point where then he would serve and spend the rest of his life serving and blessing others. So we have here, we have the Samaritan woman with a past. We have the demon possessed man now trying to go back to people that have rejected Him. We have a tax collector who did evil and we have a leper who had been outcasted, but yet God changed, transformed their lives and they began to serve and give back immediately. You see that? So I asked again, what is keeping us from serving and loving others? Well, because while maturity is not a requirement. There is one requirement that was common in all four stories here. Do you wanna know what that requirement is? Humility in all four cases? When the person received that forgiveness, that healing, that grace, there is an acceptance that comes and a humility that comes. We're saying I cannot do this on my own and it's only through him and if you wanna serve, it starts by humbling yourself. But here's the crazy thing you ready for it. We actually have something that those four people did not have. See in the Old Testament, the spirit of God was on people, Moses in the 10 commandments, burning bush pillar of fire, cloud 10 a meeting. There is a spirit of God on people. Then you come to the gospels and Jesus is with the disciples. He's with those people that we just read today. But this crazy thing happens and he tells the disciples actually, I'm gonna leave but it's gonna be to your benefit because I'm gonna send you a helper, an advocate because what happens is while the spirit of God was on people in the Old Testament, Jesus was with people in the gospels. He then sends us the Holy Spirit to be in all believers. Why is it that you can serve and give and love right now? Because you have the power that created the world and conquered death living inside you right now? So what is it that you cannot do. There is no sin and no shame that God's salvation is not bigger. There is no guilt that leaves you feeling alone and depressed, that God's grace is not bigger still. And God is ready to use you. God is ready to call you and to develop you and to grow you. And it comes through loving and serving others. It is the means. It is the process. It is the product because at the end of the day, it is all about Jesus and Jesus loves you. And there are some people watching online right now. I want you to know this, that you are enough that God looked at the woman at the well and said, you are enough. They looked at the demon possessed man and says, I have a purpose for you. They look at Zachaeus and says, your past doesn't have to define you. They looked at the leper and says, you are not defined by leprosy. You are defined by healing that you are not a victim, you are victorious and that God loves you. And that God has a calling for you and a purpose and that I will call you and use you to change the world if you let me. And so church, I want you to know this to be true. Never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit in a transformed life. Without God, nothing is possible, but with God church, nothing will stop you. And we are freed to love and to give and to praise and to serve how God has called us, who God has called us to be and what God has called us to do. And it's how we love and serve one another that the world will take notice that what we preach is true. Maturity is not the requirement for ministry. It's the result. And so I ask you what's keeping you from serving? I want to end with a resource here. It's at your tables. I'm just here to help take home with you. And if online, if you're watching this and you wanna know that God is there for you, I wanna give this to you and so comment on social or wherever you're watching this and I'll email it to you tomorrow. But this is a resource from Rick Warren called the Shape test. If you wanna know how you're wired to serve, take this home and fill this out and so shape stands for these things. It's spiritual gifts, it's heart, it's your abilities, it's your personality, it's your experience. And then when you figure out how God has wired you, you can find a place to serve here in the church, set up, tear down babies, kids, students, young adults, bible studies, giving, singing, cleaning up whatever it is you do that you are doing for the glory of God. Because as you serve both here in the church, family and into the community, the world changes. But guess what? So do you dl moody great preacher, kind of moody by ones to two. He said this. He said, I'm only one, but I am one and while I can't do everything I can do something and what I ought to do and what I can do by God's will, I will do. Will you choose to serve today? Let's pray dear. Heavenly Father. Thank you for loving and serving us God. You tell us in your word that you came not to be served but to serve. And this is the process through which we mature and grow is by loving and serving one another that you use people like the woman at the well. And the demon possessed man and the tax collector and the leper and the people that have been cast to the side by society to change it for the better. And so God, whatever people are walking through right now, I pray that they would just be moved by you, that they would have the Holy Spirit present in their lives that we can go and begin serving today. And maybe it's stepping on to one of our serve teams and volunteer teams. Maybe it's coming to the community celebration next week or maybe it's just looking into their business, into their sports team, into their neighborhood and look for a practical way to love and serve somebody this week. Let us not be like the dead sea just constantly receiving. But instead let us flow out your blessing to our community, God that we can love people like you did. Thank you God for letting us be part. Let us multiply through service and see your kingdom come, your will be done. We love you and your sons. Let me pray.