Lesson 7: Making the Most of Church

Creating a Volunteer Resolution

1. Into Our History

Ice Breaker: Have everyone in the group fill out the personal advertisement provided in their study guide.

“My name is _________. I like long walks ____________. I love_______ music & my favorite desert is _________. The things that I’m most passionate about God are ____________. I’m really good at ___________, and believe that God has gifted me in _________________.

Read when finished.

2. Into the Bible

a. Most of us can identify what we are really good at and what we believe God

has gifted us in. What are the things that often prevent us from volunteering

our gifts?:

1. There’s no passion to serve

2. There’s no place to serve

3. There’s no confidence to serve

4. There’s an improper perspective on serving.

5. Passing the Buck (believing that someone else is or should be serving)

“Once upon a time there were four men named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody . There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. But Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it. But Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about it, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, and Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody and Nobody did the job that Anybody could have done in the first place.”

6. Note to leader: right down any other reasons offered by the group (you will use them later on)

b. What should remove all obstacles for volunteering:

1. The example of Christ’s Service

a. Read Philippians 2:3-8.

b. What obstacles did Christ overcome to serve us?

He descended that we might ascend (John 6:38, 14:3).

He became poor that we might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9, Jas. 2:5).

He was born that we might be born again (John 1:14, 3:2,7).

He became a servant that we might become sons (Phil. 2:7; Gal.

4:6, 7).

He had no home that we might have a home in heaven (Matt.

8:20; John 14:2).

He was stripped that we might be clothed (Matt. 27:28; Gal.

3:27).

He was forsaken that we might not be forsaken (Matt. 27:26;

28:20).

He was bound that we might go free (Matt. 27:2; John 8:32-36).

He was made sin that we might be made righteous (2 Cor. 5:21).

He died that we might live (John 5:24, 25).

He came down that we might be caught up (1 Thess. 4:16, 17).

-- Larry Farthing

c. What should we endure to serve others with our gifts???

2. The example of Christ’s Reward

a. Read Philippians 2:9-11

1. In this passage, Jesus was exalted because he purposely served. Do you think that Paul draws our attention to this in order to motivate us to serve?

2. Is it wrong to be motivated by rewards?

b. Read 1 Cor. 3:9-15

1. In this passage, Paul likens the Christian community to a building which has a foundation already laid. The foundation is the atonement of Christ. Paul state that we individually build upon this foundation and build up the Christian community by our works (e.g. our service to the community of believers.) He declares that our works can vary in quality. The analogy he uses is building with gold, silver, and precious stone, or building with wood, hay, and stubble.

2. In what way can the quality of our service to the body of Christ vary from bad to good?

3. In what way does Paul use the future judgment (the potential for future loss or reward) to motivate believers to not only serve, but to serve well?

There is a legend of a wealthy woman who, when she reached heaven, was shown a very plain mansion. She objected. "Well," she was told, "that is the house prepared for you." "Whose is that fine mansion across the way?" she asked. "It belongs to your gardener." "How is it that he has one so much better than mine?" The houses here are prepared from the materials that are sent up. We do not choose them, you do that by your earthly faithfulness."

c. Revisit the various reasons given for why people don’t volunteer. How do

these reasons hold up given Christ’s example of service and reward?

1. There’s no passion to serve

2. There’s no place to serve

3. There’s no confidence to serve

4. There’s an improper perspective on serving.

5. _________________________________

3. Into Our Lives

We’ve just spend 7 weeks learning about Living Beyond Ourselves. We’ve learned about making the most of Life, Time, Truth, Gifting, Money, and Service. Let’s resolve to be doers of the Word, and not hearer only. How? Let’s make the most out of Oasis. God has provided the local church to make the most out of life, time, truth, gifting, money, and service. God

“gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

- Ephesians 4:11-13

Note that God provides the nuts and bolts (sometimes more ‘nuts’ than bolts) of the local church to equip YOU for the work of service.

Will you take the following list home to pray and consider what ministries you could become a part of to do the work of service. If and when you have made a decision, please let your ACTS Leader who will connect you with the person involved with that ministry.

Oasis Ministries List

SERVICE MINISTRIES:

Loaves

Care Team

Women in Action

Prayer

Master Greeters

Ushers

Information Center

Honor His Servants

Transportation

NEXT GENERATION:

Oasis Kidz (K-5)

Axis (Middle school)

Pivot (High school)

Kid Care America (an after-school program for kids)

ARTS

Multi-Media

Reflections (drama)

TECHNICAL:

Sound,

Lights,

Computer

COMMUNITY:

ACTS Leader,

ACTS Hosts,

ACTS Apprentices

OASIS CAFE:

Vendors