05/25/03 - "You were shaped to serve God" - by Mary Lou Hoopes

We are in the fifth week of our 40 Days of Purpose program. Last week, we discovered our third purpose in life and that is that we were created to be like Christ.

Eph 2:20 We were made to make a contribution. Job 10:8 Whenever we are given a job to do, He gives us the tools to do it (SHAPE acrostic):

• Spiritual Gifts
• Heart - God has put the desires in our heart
• Abilities - God-given abilities
• Personality
• Experiences

God uniquely shapes us for a purpose and that is to serve Him. God as the potter. When spinning, impurities come to the outside and are flicked off. Then a glaze is put on us and we are put into the fire.

Our gifts are given to us to serve Him, not please us. We serve God by serving others - that's called ministry. But we also need to remember that just because we may not have a certain gift, it doesn't mean that we will not be asked to use it. Sometimes we are called to flow in other gifts. Mt 20:28?? Attitude determines how we serve.

What does it take to be used by God?

1. Be Available - [passage of Jesus healing blind man along the road. He stopped while He was walking toward a destination.] Sometimes we need to be able to be interrupted. A lot of Jesus' ministry were stops along the road. God speaking to Isaiah, Who shall I send?... Here I am, send me. Luke 4:18 Barriers to being available:
   1. Self-centeredness. Phil 2:4 Putting up the Please do not disturb sign.
   2. Perfectionism - everything has to be just right Ecc 2:11
   3. Materialism Luke 16:13 Cannot serve God and money. Mt 6:33
2. Being Grateful - Ps 100:2 I Tim 1:9?? ...grateful for the rest of our lives. Barriers to being grateful:
   1. Comparing Ro 14:4 - comparing yourself to others, or criticizing
   2. Wrong motivations Mt 6:1 - self-promotion and servanthood do not mix. Our relationship to God is far more important than serving Him. Also, business can be an excuse for not doing what God wants you to do.
3. Being Faithful Jn 17:4 - finish the work. I Co 4:2 being faithful is required of servants. I Co 15:58 Nothing is a waste of time or effort. Heb 6:10 Labor of love. Tithe our time. Mt 25:21 Do the things to please your Abba.