It's All About Serving

When I first began to work with Clay NeSmith I realized that this guy was full of vision and was all about moving people to take their next step toward God and with Christ. Recently I have been getting clearer understanding of that vision.

We are focusing on several areas of the church at this time. Rapid growth is a blessing but it also gives urgency to developing leadership and fine-tuning the vision by implementing the stepping stones that move people in the process. I began a crash course on small groups since I believed they are where we, and most thriving ministries, are driving people. As Clay and I talked I realized that I was not speaking to his vision, but was off track somewhere. He was juiced about where our people are serving and what is being done in our community in the Name of Jesus. Serving kept coming up.

I was looking at Andy Stanley's Foyer, Living Room, and Kitchen model and realized that we are looking beyond the kitchen. Our vision is service. We want to drive people beyond small groups to service.

Check it out:
Exodus 7:16 And you will say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying," Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now. " NASB

10 times in this drama God says He wants his people released to SERVE Him.

Exodus 10:24-26
Then Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, "Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be detained. Even your little ones may go with you." But Moses said, "You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice them to the LORD our God. Therefore, our livestock, too, will go with us; not a hoof will be left behind, for we shall take some of them to serve the LORD our God. And until we arrive there, we ourselves do not know with what we shall serve the LORD." NASB

Moses wasn't just trying to get Israel free from slavery but he wanted them to be able to serve the Lord.

The same is true for us. Galatians 5:13 says, "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love SERVE one another. NASB

Check this out: 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 says, "For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to SERVE a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. NASB

The world needs to see God's people in service to Him. Look at what the king said to Daniel:
"The king spoke and said to Daniel, 'Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.'" Daniel 6:16 NASB

Thoughts?