“Building Family” By Brother Parrish Lee May 19th,
2013
As
our theme for the month has been building ministry- when we look up to minister
we see it means to help, or to serve. Part I The Situation Genesis 25:22-34 …the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb…
Now here is an age old story, it is the
story of two brothers - and how important to our history these two have been.
The story is of Jacob and Esau. Now the Bible tells us of Isaac and how he was
the son of Abraham when he was in the ripe old age of 100, and how Abraham
found a wife for Isaac. How Isaac's wife
Rebecca had no children until Isaac prayed unto the Lord and God blessed them.
The Bible says here that she wondered why there was such turmoil in her womb,
she was having twins, and had no answer- until she inquired of the Lord. And
the Lord gave her a definitive answer in verse number 23. He said there are two
nations in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from your
bowels. He said the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and he
said the elder shall serve the younger. As we talk about building ministry
today, building our families today, building our church today, building up
personal ministries, we looked to this lesson to give us wisdom. Metaphorically we can learn so much from
this. As we look over this congregation this morning we can see every bit
people being different from one another; great callings, gifts, talents all
throughout the building today. And the one who bore us all, our spiritual
mother, the Church of the living God. I'm sure sometimes if the ministry could
speak it would say, it has seen some powerful people in the faith because of
our gifts and talents and callings seem to bump into and run over one another. Now because of what was in their lives
and what happened between them, they became divided, and they have been
fighting about this for over four thousand years. I wonder if Jacob and Esau
could be here today and look and see their generations that came after them and
how their children's children's children would still be fighting and killing
each other what would they say. Could you imagine having an issue with
someone in your family, or someone in the church and your offspring and those
who learn from you still holding it against them long after you're dead and
gone? I have a coworker whose father had a
brother. His dad is in his 90's. After
his uncle died my coworker's cousin came and asked my coworker's father what
was the reason that the two sides of the family didn’t know each other. It
turns out the two brothers had an argument and never made up, so forty years
later their children wondered why they didn't know each other. Oh, how damaging
division can be. Part II: The
Foundation 1
Corinthians 3:11 For other
foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now let's just say this, in building
ministry we need to check our foundation. There are some ministries in which
you can see it's about the money. There foundation is all about money. There
are some ministries in which you can see it's about being so big. They are more
concerned about attendance then about foundation. “We don’t care what you
believe; just come to our church.” There are some ministries where you can see
it's about tradition. People’s mothers and fathers and grandmothers and
grandfathers and on and on down the line have gone to that church, so we go
too. And, there are some ministries in which you can see it's about a person.
“We go to this church because so and so is such a great minister!” It is more
about the man then the doctrine he preaches. They talk more about what the man
then the gospel he is supposed to preach. That ministry is built on a person.
People say “We want to have the richest ministry, we want to have the
intellectual ministry, I want to be the great teacher I want to be the great
preacher I want to be esteemed I want to be important.” These are the wrong
foundations - for ministry has to point to our Lord. 1
Corinthians 12:7-11 … the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man
severally as he will. And God has
put in our lives, all of our lives gifts that He wants us to have for the work
of His ministry. And we can call these our birthrights. Not all of us have the
same gifts and talents. I have had the privilege to sing with some very gifted
people in this ministry. Some time ago I was just looking at Malcolm and Kirk
as they could pick a harmony out of the air and I was wondering why don't I
have that? And I mentioned it to Malcolm and he said, "I thought everybody
had that." Isn't it amazing how when God put something in your life it
seems natural to you as other people marvel at the things that God is put
there? Singing, music, wisdom, compassion, encouragement..., I tell you God
knows what he's doing. His plan is THE plan! 1
Corinthians 14:12 … seek that ye may excel to the edifying of
the church. I'd like to be
able to sing better so I can really sound good up here. I'd like to preach
better so people can really see what's in my life. I'd like to be able to teach
in front of everybody so they can see the gifts that you have put in me and I
can really amount to what you've called me to do. Me me me me me me. If we are
zealous of spiritual gifts seek to edify ourselves. Oh I'm sorry seek to edify
the church, what builds the church, what benefits the ministry and, sometimes
brothers and sisters, Saints, it's for us to pray to God not only for you but
also for someone else. Part
III: The Answer Part 3: It all starts with Love At the last conference we had "talk
to the pastor". While some people were asking their questions, I got a
chance to ask one I wanted to know. I asked "When you see so many needs
all around you, how can you minister to them? You look around and you can get
overwhelmed."- Pastor Paine repeated the question for
all to hear and then turned back to face me and said, "It starts with
Love". 1
Corinthians 13:1-13 …faith, hope, charity, these three; but the
greatest of these is charity. Verse 13- hope: expectation of fear or
good- or even expectation There are many types of love. We have
love for our wives, for our children, for our parents, for our brothers and
sisters in the natural. Many times you love because you get something back. For
instance, you may love a certain type of food or a meal, when you eat it you
get something in return. If you love someone you usually want reciprocation.
But, there is another kind of love. This love is called AGAPE love. This is the
love that you have in which you will get nothing in return. This is why
1Corinthians uses the term charity;
because charity is something you give in which you expect nothing in return.
Thus the term charity is used instead of just love. You want to build any area of ministry?
You want to build family? You want to build friends? You want to build your
faith? We have to ask, how much do I love? Is my love MY LOVE, or is it the
love I have freely received from God? For freely we have received, freely we
should give. And saints, that’s not an unlimited
MasterCard for just anything, because we see that God was the originator of
tough love, but it's still His love. There were a few people who shared with
me how they were seeking the gift of healing. A wonderful gift but the problem
was they had their plan in place. One told me almost secretly, "Hey
Parrish, I'm fasting and praying for the gift of healing." If you were to
look at this person they didn't have any big position in the church, people
weren't flocking to them for fellowship or great wisdom. But they were a
blessed brother in the faith. Why not him? And another was a sister who was in
similar straights- but she was actually angry. I prayed for a whole year for
that gift and didn't get it. Why not her? And there was even yet one more. This
brother thought that when he moved up here he would seek to be a fireman- and
seek the gift of healing. After all, you could save people from the fire and
then pray over the sick and injured, see God heal them and then really see them
saved from the Real Fire. Why not this guy? Or, what about any of the other
gifts of God? Look at how they would enhance our ministry... but of the things
I mentioned; notice I didn't say anything about how they loved and cared for
their brothers and sisters, their families, the strangers they come in contact
with. And notice how they had had it mapped out. I should know, I'm the one who
had the whole fire department thing in mind. And recently I asked the Lord
about some of our prayers for our people and why I don't see more people
recovered from their predicaments. Can I tell you what He told me? Move closer
to Him. This is not a popular message brother
Parrish. Don't you know whenever I try that I wind up getting my feelings hurt?
Don't you know I get let down? Used, abused, confused and sometimes I feel like
I just plain lose, and a host more... why should I give of myself like that??? For all of us that have ever felt like
that- we're in good company for the Bible says: Hebrews 12:2 Looking
unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God.
John 14: 1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God,
believe also in me. In my Father's house are
many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am,
there ye may be also. Sermon notes by Rob Severence |
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