What are you bringing to the table (guest speaker Doug Lopez)

What are youbringing to the table today?  

Is itSpirit, and life or

is it deathand the flesh!  

If you worked in arestaurant and someoneordered a fruit salad, what would you think the chef might put onthe plate?

Dirt, sand,fish guts, spoiled cabbage, or maybe rotten

potatoes.  

• No, the chef would put in some choppedapples, mangos,bananas, some pears, peaches, plums,maybe a dragonfruit, lychee, or mangosteen, and maybe throw in a little bitof nuts and a spoonful or two of mayonnaise.

Galatians 5:22

"The fruit ofthe Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such

 there is no law."

If we liveby the spirit then let us walk by the spirit. Going back

to verse 16it says, “Walk in the Spirit and you will not gratify

the desiresof the flesh.  For the desires of theflesh are against

the Spirit, and thedesires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for those are opposed toeach other, to keep you from doing the things you want todo.  But, if you are led by the Spirit,you are not under

the law.

2Timothy2:15

"Do your bestto present yourself to God as one approved, a

worker whohas no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the

word oftruth…vs…19 The Lord knows who are his, and, “Let

everyone whonames the name of the Lord depart from

iniquity.”

Vs 20 Now ina great house there are not only vessels of gold

and silverbut also of wood and clay, some for honorable use,

some fordishonorable.  21 Therefore, if anyonecleanses

himself fromwhat is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for

honorableuse, set apart as holy, useful for the Master of the

house, readyfor every good work.

So fleeyouthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love

and peace,along with those who call on the Lord from a pure

heart!"

If you werethe waiter in the restaurant and you had nasty

fingernailsand while coming to the table to serve the soup, you

accidentallystuck your finger in the soup bowl would you

expect thecustomer to be willing to eat what you brought to

thetable?  

• What about your uniform, it’sdirty and wrinkled, stainedwhite socks and your shoes were nasty and the pants you have onare barely up and your boxers are hanging out. 

What kind ofa tip do you think you would receive? NOT

MUCH, If youwere waiting on me! 

• Now let’sjust imagine you were serving Jesus and you knew Him!  
• Youknew He was coming to the store and your manager wasexpecting you to do your best as the King of Kings and the Lord ofLords was going to buy some Chicken and rice from off your menu.

• Do you thinkyou would pull out the paper plates and the plasticforks, or would the boss make sure the crystal was used and thesilverware was shining, the napkin would be perfectlyfolded and the tablecloth would be as clean as it could possibly be?
• As theMaster entered the establishment, everyone who knew Him would beon their best behavior.  
• You gotta knowHe sees exactly howyou serve those around you all the time. He sees when youthink no one is watching. 
• He sees youpick on that guy or girl,or when you make fun of the foreigner with the locker nextto yours. 
• Of course he hears you, and so does God our Fatheras you smart off to the substitute teacher, the new coach ormaybe the new kid who just moved here from out of town.
• What are yougoing to do when it is time to make a decision to do what isright, when everyone you hang with is making the wrongchoices?
• Will you continue to wear those clothes thatare stained by sin?
• Are you not at all concerned with the stenchof smoke that is coming fromthe pit of hell as you just keep on doing what you’redoing?  
• Who will you bring to the tablein Heaven?  
• Will those youtouch and the ones who live with you be seated at the table inHeaven with you?  
• Imagine the table whereyou are setting. 
• Isit empty, except for you, sitting all alone at God’s table?

Will youbring obedience, or shame as you sit at His table will

you be proudof your actions and of your willingness to

immediatelyobey your parents, your teachers, your pastor? 

• Will youobey as He is calling you to live a righteous life or will you changeback into the chameleon that you sometimes are…justblending  in with the crowd or, will youset a table of righteousnessfor the Master with a life of obedience, trust, and service tothose who God brings across your path each and every day?
• Will you go when He tells you to go to Africa,India, China, Korea,or to the people who sleep on the streets in Thailand?
• Will you goto St. Louis, Chicago, Destin, or Virginia Beach?
• Will you goacross the street to your neighbor and share the truth of theknowledge of the Love of Jesus with an unbeliever?

Will youallow God to use you, as you bloom in the pot where

you areplanted today? 

• Be who Godcreated you to be!  
• A willing vessel thatbrings honor toGod, and to those He allows to glimpse into your life. 

May you bethe invitation to the party as you bring many to the

table at thefeast in the Kingdom of God.

Zero Impact

Everything we do around here should exalt Christ lift up Christ make a difference to Christ.
If not then everything we do when we meet God face to face will burn up and have had zero affect, zero impact.
God gave us His Mission for the church many many years ago and if we try to change that mission or disregard that mission then our efforts will burn up and we’ll only see ashes of our hard work.


1 Corinthians 3:11 “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value.14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward.15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.”


Exalting Christ is our mission.
Exalt-to raise in rank, power, or character; to elevate by praise; glorify or to raise high.
Lifting Him up in worship.
Lifting Him up in my job, my school work, or around my friends.
Relying on Christ is our mission I can be organized, have purposes defined and displayed but without the power of God and His Spirit present then all we have is a show.
I’m not an entertainer.
Elevating God is in my every day life.
Living life to elevate God.
Living life not pleasing me but Him.
Bringing others to Christ is our mission.
There is no one like God.
He is gracious. He is compassionate. He is everlasting.
He is Holy. He is mighty. He is full of strength. He is full of love.
He is my friend.
He is my help. He is my strength. He is my redeemer.
He is my guide. He is my comfort. He is my peace.
He is awesome. He is unfailing. He is faithful.
He is my place of safety. He is my King.
He is unbelievable. Incredible. Inconceivable. Unimaginable.
He’s perfect. He’s ideal. He rescues. He forgives.
He cares.


Psalm 139:17 “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!”


He is just. He is worthy. He is forever. He never changes.
He is generous. He is able. He is kind. He is victorious. He is good.
He is a servant. He is humble. He is encouraging.
He is all you need now. He is all you’ll ever need.
Equipping believers for their God mission is our mission.


What equipment do you need to fulfill your God mission?
Do you even know your God Mission?
Are you living it out?
Are you encouraging others, training others, putting confidence into others or are you holding them down, belittling them or holding them back from their God Mission?
Another concert, another service, another sleeprock is great but does it exalt Christ?
Does it bring others to Christ?
Does it equip believers for their God Mission?
Humility and service is our mission.

In the Chinese church every person is called and referred to as a mu’sher which means servant.
No body running around saying well I’m an apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher or an evangelist they just refer to themselves and to each other as a mu’sher. Servant.

Philippians 2:6 “Though he was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.”


I know I’m a broken record on this deal but it’s the true model of Christianity. Servant. Humility.
Ministry is not my agenda it’s my lifestyle.
iserve is not my campaign it’s my lifestyle. Loving people, caring about people, showing mercy, grace, and compassion to people is how I now live.
God changed that about me.
If we live our Christian life any other way it’s a waste of our time, talent, and treasure.
All of your work all of your efforts will burn up if you have any other motive but than for your work to elevate, promote, and glorify, God.