Episode Transcript
We're going to do a fair bit of reading, so follow with me. 1 Corinthians 12, verses 12 to 30.
How good is it to read the Bible? Amen. Two people, how good is it to read the Bible? Amen.
You're never going to get better prophetic words than what you get out of the Word of God.
1 Corinthians 12, 12 to 30 says, it's a bit of a tongue twister,
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free,
and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact, the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot should say, because I'm not a hand, I'm not of the body, is it therefore not the body?
And if the ear should say, because I am not an eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body?
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? That would look pretty creepy too.
If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them,
in the body, just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
But now, indeed, there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need for you.
Nor again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you. No, much rather, those members of the body,
which seem to be weaker, are necessary. And those members of the body, which we think to be less
honourable, on these we bestow greater honour. And our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,
but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honour
to that part which lacks it. There should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the
same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or if
one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members
individually. And God has appointed these in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third
teachers. After that, miracles and gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have
gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts,
and yet I show you a more excellent way. 2023 was a funny year. October 2023, had the awesome privilege
of getting together with my family on our holidays, and we had a barbecue. And you know, again, that's one
of the love language in the Fuentes household barbecue. And I remember cooking with my brother,
and not thinking much. It was very smoky, and you know, thought nothing of it. Then that night,
I remember going to my bed, and something didn't feel right. I couldn't breathe properly.
And it was weird. I've never really experienced that before, and I just couldn't really breathe
properly, and I had to prop myself up, and just sleep in a very contorted, awkward way. It's the
only way that felt comfortable to the lungs. Anyway, two weeks later, nothing had changed.
In fact, it actually got worse. The coughing got worse, and went to a doctor, and he said,
you're young. Just see it through. And I'm like, yeah. Doesn't sound right. Doesn't feel right. I
can't see it, but I can feel it. So I go to another doctor. I get another opinion. He gives me a referral
for an x-ray. Go get an x-ray. I ask the lady, how long will it take? Probably about three days before
you get a result. All right, sweet. I'll make an appointment for three days. Two hours later,
I get a message. Your doctor wants to speak to you. I've never had that before. So I was
freaking out a little bit. Who am I kidding? I was freaking out a lot.
Go to the doctor. Shows me my x-ray. And my left lung's got all this white stuff in it. You've
got pneumonia. And I'd never had that before. I've had man cold. That's pretty bad.
All the men nervously laugh as well. Here it's worse than childbirth, but I don't. Okay. Anyway.
Okay. No, no. People are going to throw things at me. Anyway, the doctor says something that freaks
me out. If it gets worse, you have to go to the hospital. So a few days later, it's getting worse.
I've got this cough. I just do not stop coughing and coughing things out. I'm not going to go into that
for those that are queasy. But Thursday night, one in the morning, I really can't breathe.
And I message my brother and he comes and picks me up. And if you ever need support, my brother's
probably not the guy because he was like sleeping on my leg. And he's like, can you stop coughing
and moving? I'm uncomfortable. Thanks, bro. Thanks, man. Yeah, man. You're not Milton, right?
I don't think Milton's either. He was much more helped the second time around.
So, and again, this went on for four months. I could not stop coughing. And it was a really
difficult time and ended up, you know, during this time, God was speaking. And yet there
were things that God was saying that weren't actually making sense because I couldn't do
said things. So for example, you know, on the Saturday we had, on the Sunday, sorry, we
had Pastor Roma here in middle of November. The day before, I feel Holy Spirit wake me up
at six in the morning and said, I'm giving you back what was taken from you, your voice.
And I'm like, then on the Sunday night, I find myself back in the hospital because I
literally coughed the crack rib. And Sonia was there when she heard the crack. And I
can be honest with you, I wasn't saying, holy, holy, holy, maybe a few other things. Okay,
I'm only human, but ended up in the hospital with a crack rib. Why do I say all this? You
know, those four months felt like nothing would ever change. It was something in my body
that wasn't working. And I didn't realise how significant, I mean, I know we all breathe,
right? Our lungs, you know, they're there. We don't see them. But until you realise how
they limit you and how little you can do when you don't have functioning lungs, you don't
realise how important it is. Same with the church. We can often take for granted things
happening, people doing things. But the reality is in times of crisis, hello 2024, in situations
when it's time for the bride to step up, we can actually realise how deficient we are
because the full part of the body isn't mobilised. See, the body of Christ, here Paul gives a
beautiful illustration that the body of Christ is like the human body. In fact, here it says
in verse 12,
One unit made up of many parts. And so Paul's illustration of the human body paints a great
picture of God's design for his church. We weren't called to be silos. We weren't called to be just
part of the weekend teams. We were called to be a unit that Monday to Sunday is mobilised across
all spheres of influence. See, when you're in your workplace, you're no less the body of Christ
than when you're in the church service. That the hands and feet still extend far beyond the four
walls of this church. And so I love that he uses this illustration for us. And so when it comes to
who plays what part, the first thing that we see here is that everyone's welcome. Verse 13,
For by one spirit we're all baptised into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves are free,
and have all been made to drink into one spirit. Now for me, praise the Lord, we don't live in a
society here where slavery is a thing. But there are many of us that are still slaves to sin,
slaves to shame, slaves to something. You are welcome through these doors. You are not restricted
by anything that you have done, thought, said. You are welcome through those doors. You are welcome
to the throne. You are welcome to receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour. He died on the cross for you,
irrespective of what you've done. Come on, let's give him praise.
So the cultural or social status is irrelevant. All are welcome. Holy Spirit came down on all.
In the upper room, he did not discriminate. He just came to the hungry. Church, are you hungry
this morning? Come on. And what I love about the Holy Spirit is that as he came upon the people in
the upper room, the fruit pointed back to him. So if you've received Jesus, if you've been baptised in
the Spirit, you are part of the body. And later on, if you haven't received Jesus, there's going to be
an invitation for you for this morning to say, yes, Jesus, I receive you. But when I think about
the idea that everyone is welcome, then I think about the idea that God is the one who designed the
body. And he didn't just design the body to be stagnant, but for all to play a part. Now, the body is
not made up of one part, but of many. And each functions so uniquely. It's absolutely critical.
Each part is so dependent on the other. You know, even if there are parts of the body,
like a pinky finger that goes, that's what holds a grip. And so there are bits in the body that we
cannot, pretty much every bit, we cannot do without. The body can't work independently. And sometimes when
we see that, when the body starts to work independently, that's when we start to see
illness, disease. The body is dependent on each other. And what can happen is that where there is
disunity, that can disrupt. Now, let me tell you what disunity is and in a way isn't. Disunity doesn't
always mean just being in disagreement. When I did my little dance with the kids on Monday,
realizing that I'm no longer 21, I'm a little bit older than that. There was disunity in my body
because I wanted to get up and go and get a drink, but I could not get up. There was a preventing.
There was a part that wasn't functioning how it should. Therefore, there was no unity for me to be
able to. I was walking like Frankenstein. If that's how he walks, all right. Sometimes what can happen is
that when we want to go one way, but the body's still here, there's disunity. You can't move. And I want to
just challenge the idea that it's just a disagreement. Disagreements can lead to disunity.
But apathy, I find, is the biggest thing that can limit what the body, what God can do through the
body. Another thing that can happen is a comparison trap. I love here how he talks about, you know,
the foot should say, because I'm not a hand, I'm not of the body. I love that Paul points that out
because he can very easily be, hey, because I'm, well, I can't do anything on platform. Therefore,
I am not as important. I want to break that off right now. And I've shared this before. I really
do believe that God is reforming how church is. Church is not just a platform. I believe that
we're going to see the greatest miracles outside these four walls, not just in these four walls.
I've had a glimpse of that a hundred years ago. That's what happened. The miracles that took place
didn't take place in a church service. They took place in a home where people gathered for nine
years to pray for God to move in our community. The danger of comparison is that it can force
isolation. It can cause tension and lead more to stagnation, but you're still part of the body.
There's always a place for you. And so understanding the part that you play in the body starts actually
in your own walk with God. Trusting God and allowing him to guide you eliminates the danger of falling
into the comparison trap. To be honest with you, like I said, over these last few years,
as the story has gone, at no point have I gone to see, look at someone else that I want to be. I'm
like, God, you've made me. You created me. You're the master. You're the one that owns the manual of
my life. You lead me. I don't ever want to fall into the trap because I'm not like them. I won't make
it. No, God, there is only one version of me. There is only one version of you. And so when you
understand that, you realize that it's God is the one who determines who goes where. See verse 18,
but in fact, God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them
to be. One of the things you've always heard me say is that where God places you, he graces you
just where you are. There is no one better. There is no one worse because there is only one of you
where God has placed you. It may not be where you want, where you want to be, but where it's
God's chosen you to be. And there is something that you bring that is so unique to bring the
love and grace and revival of God in this season. And I've learned in my life sometimes not to fight
it. That's some going through this season of my life. There's that cheesy saying, but it's so true.
It's like, can I be cheesy with you guys today? A couple of people are nervous. Be yourself because
everyone else is taken. God's method employs diversity to create unity. Throughout scripture,
what seemed random in the natural was intentional. Hello, Gideon. I'm the least of the least of the
least of the least of the least of the least of the least of the least. And God calls him
a mighty warrior. A little shepherd boy with five stones and a sling slayed a giant who was a warrior
unto no other like him. He doesn't get it wrong. And so when you understand that God has placed you,
an attitude can change. You can play your role and you understand that it's of greater significance.
And you know, there are many of us today might be unsure and that's okay too. You may not know
exactly what that part is and you're in the right place because you start by saying, okay, God, well,
what are some things in my heart? And I've shared this over the last few months, but what are some
things on my heart that stir my heart? What is something that I'm passionate about? What's something
that brings me joy? What's something that makes me feel like I'm making a difference? Often through those
things, there's a glimpse, there's a hint, there's something there from God telling you what he's
called you to do. For me early on, before I got into youth work, I used to love stopping on the side
of the street and looking at people that no one else would talk to and just sit there. I always had this
heart for the underdog, even in the teams that I go for in sports. I always went for the teams that
were the underdogs. I love an underdog story. So every time that I would walk past someone and I would see
an underdog, I would have this compassion to want to just sit there and be with them.
And I remember particular times on trains when other people would be hurling abuse to these people,
my heart would just be filled with compassion and I wouldn't feel threatened. I wouldn't feel
unsafe. In fact, I found that it was a safety place for me being with people that society had written off
and that's why I got into youth work. Because for me, I didn't want to see people being labeled what
they weren't. I wanted to see people labeled by who God said they were. What stirs your heart?
See, these questions, they help the Spirit guide you to that part that He has called you to be.
And I feel it important because we talk a lot about this here at Numa West. We talk about this topic a
lot and it might be like, okay, well, we don't talk about the miracles and all that stuff. You can
never fully acknowledge or appreciate the fullness of God's strength when you don't know your part and
who you are in Him. If we don't get the basics right, we'll miss the whole point. Miracles become
about us and not about Him. But when we understand that we are called to be vessels, not simply
containers, you understand that a vessel carries what's given and gives life somewhere else.
Is this helping anybody this morning? See, God is very intricate in how He places each part in the body
because every part matters. Verses 19 to 25 talk about that. It's a bit of a word soup, but there's
a lot of points in that that it talks about. Even the bits that you don't see, even these weird
looking things underneath my chest, lungs are very important because if a little bit of white stuff
get in there and gets a bit of pneumonia, that could be catastrophic, right? There are bits in our body
that are so dependent, but we don't see them. But yet here, Paul talks about how they get the greater
honor. I want to give a funny illustration. I've given this story before. I picked on my brother
Manny. I'm going to pick on him again. We were, you know, recently took the kids where we grew up in
Maidston. And I remember my brother Milton had a bike. He'd do his paper round and his bike didn't
have, the brakes didn't work. And we lived on this street that was a no through road. And I think it was
implied that it didn't work. But my brother Manny wanted to see how hard he could go down that
street. So he flies as hard as he can. My brother's a fit guy. He's always been a fit boy as well.
And he is flying down the street and he isn't slowing down. So then he goes to try to brake
and the brakes don't work. He's smashing to the wall at the end. Look, I wasn't like, oh, poor brother.
I was like, forgive me. I was like five years old. All right.
The point of it is he put the trust on the brakes. It's like, this is going to work.
This whole thing is designed to work. So I'm going to, I trust that it is going to work.
And it go and it goes and it goes. And one bit, one bit that's so critical, but you don't fully see
it or understand it. One critical bit didn't work and it caused a lot of pain.
Can I posit the thought that even the smallest absence of something can have catastrophic impact
on others? There are people who come into this church and not just Newma West, churches around
the world where the body is in disunity because it's that atrophy. There's bits that aren't actually
playing their part. And they come in trusting, thinking this is going to be a safe space, but
one part doesn't play its part. And we, and we lose them for an eternity. I remember speaking
to someone in another church, another place, another time, another dimension. And they said,
pastor, I don't like it when you tell us to say hi to someone next to us in the service.
I think I said that once in my day when I was a kid too. And now I'm a pastor. That's funny.
But I'm like, I challenge your thought with this. The reality is by the time that the service
finishes, we don't get to get to everyone. People get to, people have things to do. But
could it be, see every person where you're sitting, you're an answer to someone's prayer.
Whether you've been a believer for 40, 50 years or 40 or 50 minutes, you are an answer to prayer
to someone. Could it be that on this day, because Acts 2 47 says that the Lord adds to the number
daily. Could it be that on this day, the Lord puts you next to someone because they're
the vessel God wants to use to bring his love and care for you. But I'm not a people person.
Sometimes a hello and acknowledgement can make more of a difference than a 35, 40 minute sermon.
Sometimes being seen is someone just simply looking aside and saying, hey, nice to meet Chuck.
God bless you. I was going to get you to do it, but I won't.
Paul emphasizes that what appears weak is indispensable. And God places greater honor
on what we can deem as ordinary. You know, in the church, I love that. It's been an absolute
honor to be able to preach the word of God. I love, it's something that, you know, I'll always
treasure it, whatever my next season is. But the reality is,
if it wasn't for a production team, I get to speak into a mic.
My children wouldn't come and share all the good things that they're learning in kids' church
if it wasn't for the incredible team that sacrificed to go on and not just look after the kids, but
disciple kids. You know, the seats wouldn't be as nicely arranged as they are if the ushers
don't get here at 9, 9.30 to set it up. You know, those welcome packs with the goodies in them,
you know, it won't be the same if we don't have the incredible team, you know, Mars, Kim, you know,
and the team making sure that everyone, everyone gets a treat. Because if that was me putting the
packs, there'd be one for me, one for, one for new, one for me, one for new, one for me.
But every part plays a part. You know, you think about the parts that are unseen in this house.
You know, I want to people like Christine, whoever sees our pastoral care team,
that when people are going through something, you know, it could be, oh no, I'll just wait for a
Sunday and if they come, no, she's at their house dropping a baby basket off or a meal or a gift
voucher. Those things that are equally, if not more important, because it's in those moments that are
unseen, that God blesses and makes sure that people feel seen. And then this Saturday,
where's Jamaica? Jamaica's sitting right here. Give us a wave, Jamaica. I'm not going to get you
to stand up. Jamaica's part of a life group. And she thought, you know what? We didn't have life
groups until March. Pastor Sonia, wouldn't it be a great idea if we could all get together and have
a lunch? That's the body working. That's not her saying, well, I'm not a leader, so I can't say
anything. No, that's, you know what? But it gets even better than that because Zen with Zen,
I don't know if Zen's here. Are you here today, Zen? Yeah, you are. Give us a wave, Zen.
Zen's like, I love graphics, man. So I'm going to put a graphic for this and a pretty cool graphic
that was set for this. And again, Zen is not waiting for someone to come and tell her. She's
not a life group leader, but she sees a need. This is my gift. This is the part. I'm a hand in this.
I can help this. You know, I'm a heart in this. I can bring, you know, something about what I'm
passionate about. This is an example of what Paul is talking about, about the body of Christ working
together. Come on, let's put our hands together for incredible people we have in this church.
What's the point of all this? What's the point of the body? Well, that there should be no schism,
as it says in verse 25, in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
The aim is not for division, but for concern and love for one another. Not just by a pastoral
pillar, but each of our responsibilities. Never let us lose the courtesy of checking in. Never
let us lose the courtesy of saying hi to someone. You know, I've shared one of the things that kept
us in this church when we walked through these doors 16 years ago was the very people that are
still some of my closest friends today. A man by the name of Stephen and his wife, Candy Elfie,
and they lead our South location. Shout out to South. You know, for me, this is a guy that in 2007,
you know, when I walked in, he's the first guy, hey, hey, hey, bro, what's up? What's your name?
And you meet him now, oh no, 20, almost 18 years later, he's still exactly the same,
bar a few white hairs on the chin. That's what COVID did tell us. But what I love is that,
you know, these are people playing their part in that for us that cared. It's someone that,
you know, you build relationship with. Never underestimate what simply saying hello to
someone can do for your life. I've come to learn and I look at the people on our team.
These are people that some, you know, when I think about people like Neil and Jane,
five years ago, we didn't know who each other really were, but now I can't live
without these guys. When I think about Levi, I met him seven years ago. Again, I didn't know who he
was before I met him, but now he's like a brother that I can't live without. When you think about
simple moments, I don't go into these meetings thinking that this is going to happen, but there
is something so beautiful when the body connects with one another. So you just never know that the
very answer to prayer could be sitting right next to you. The person that God has brought to bring
comfort in a season of trial and trauma and instability could be the person that God is
using to bring stability and peace and grace back into your life. And the other way around,
maybe you could be that person that God is sending. The question is, will you go?
See, the responsibility and welfare of the person next to you within our church falls on each and
every one of us. And if you don't call Newman, Melbourne, West home and you call another church home,
that's where you're called to be a part of the body. So the question, it has to be, Lord,
where are you leading me? Not what satisfies me? Because only God can satisfy. There is no church
on this planet that can do what only God can do, and that's only God can satisfy. And if we're called
and we go somewhere where God has not called us to be, then we're always going to feel like we don't
belong. More than just a Sunday, we get the privilege to do life together. And so the reason why the
responsibility falls on each of us is because what happens to one happens to all. Verse 26,
if one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.
What I love about our church, I love that whenever something happens, Christine's already onto it. And
she may not be the one doing it, but she's already got, we've got an incredible pastoral team
that are already onto it. So you may not have the booming voice to lead worship.
You may not have the confidence of public speaking to preach the word, but simply going and knocking
on someone's door and saying, hey, I heard you're not well. Here you are. Here's a meal. Be half of the
church. Can I pray for you? That can change lives, man. And I think about it, picking on people. I think
of Lacey over here, where again, I've said this to her. She still hasn't sent me her recipes. I'm a
little bit offended. We'll chat later. And Matthew, I'm on a Matthew 18er, but actually I've gone the
other way around. I brought it before everyone, but I'm not banishing you. One Sunday when I couldn't
come because of my cough, I get this beautiful meal, all these medications, all these things,
so beautifully packed at my door. And I didn't call Lacey. Hey, Lacey, can you please, I heard that
you got a really good stir fry recipe, man. Nah, she saw her need and she met it. And that meant,
and still the fact that even again, almost a year and a half later talking about it, just shows you
the impact that that had. In a time when I felt really lonely and isolated, to have one of my
family come and do something like that. And I hope this changes because like I said, something in our
hearts, because my heart would be, I believe that this next season, this church is going to go to
another level. And I'm grateful that as I pass the baton on, I'm grateful for the part that I've
played. But I know that there is more. And I know when I look across this room, if I had to choose,
and I say this to a lot of my team all the time, every single time, if I had a choice, I choose you
every single day of the week. I never compare anyone in this church to anyone else. I choose the people
God has brought. Why? Because He's the one that adds to the numbers daily. And if He is good to the
Lord, it's good to me. And so as I reflect, you know, on these last seven years here and, you know,
11 years on staff, you know, I think about the highs that I've ridden with people, the lows that
we've journeyed together. But the key word is together. The body doesn't give up. When one party's
injured, it does compensate. When one party's hurt, the rest of the body compensates. But it's not meant
to be that way for a long time. It's part of the recovery. There are times we've, like I said,
we've laughed. There are times that I'm pretty sure I've frustrated you. And you frustrated me too.
I don't know why I looked at Sonia for that. I did my housework yesterday, man. So, so I'm good. I'm
good. I'm good. Now I know those introductions, I'm going to always go above and beyond. But yet always
I'm around each other laughing and always ready and available for one another. People fall through
the gaps and the body's incomplete. So putting this all together, where to from here? I'm going to invite
the band to come up. I want you to know that you have a part. Do you know, after I made the decision
to formally resign in my devotion time on Tuesday, this is before the story of what happened last
Thursday, I asked the question, Lord, what's my part? What's my part, Lord? What's my part in all of
this? And this scripture, and I felt what was a personal devotion. I felt the Lord just ask me to
bless it over you right now. Jeremiah 18, three and four says, then I went down to the potter's house
and there he was making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the
hand of the potter. So he made it again into another vessel as it seemed good to the potter
to make. He is the potter. We are the clay and we are worked, we are reworked, not for punishment,
but for his delight. When it's like, wow, I love this, but you know what? I'm going to refine it.
And it's not easy. It's not easy being stretched and pulled and molded and something like, what on earth
are you doing? I thought I was going to be this. Funny enough, this time it's a lot easier. 11 years
ago, it was harder because I thought I was going to be a youth worker forever. And I'd already seen,
I'm going to be a coordinator. I'm going to do this. And then the Lord's like, I'm reshaping you. Will
you trust me to reshape you? And I start off as a training pastor. I'm like, really, Lord? This is
what you're shaping me into? I didn't even know Haggai was a book in the Bible 11 years ago. And you want
me to lead a training ministry in a church of five and a half thousand people? Are you serious? What's Habakkuk? I don't want to
have one. And I've got to be in charge of making all this stuff. I'm molding you into something.
Makes it easier this time to be like, well, Lord, I've got no clue what you're doing, but I know you're
doing it. And I trust you. And I trust you to mold me. There are some of us here today that might feel
like we're just one trick ponies. This is all I can offer. This is all I can do.
But the Lord is the potter. And if we allow ourselves to be the clay, He will make us into
His delight. See, back to the Scripture in Corinthians, verses 27 to 31 talks about all
the various parts in the church. And every function is as important as the next. You know,
people might think, oh, I'm just a person that helps. I'm just the administrator. Let me tell
you, if you know how to use Excel, you're an answer to prayer, man. You're a unicorn. Like,
you're very rare these days. If you're a person that just packs up chairs and puts it away,
you're a miracle worker. You're a helper. Here, set up and pack up things. And no jokes.
If you're a person that in this season can simply just say hello to someone, you're an answer to
prayer. Hear my heart in what I'm saying. As we go into this next season, and now I'm talking
for those that do call Newman, Melbourne West home. If you've been calling this home for a long time,
can I encourage you? What part will you play in this next season?
The harvest is plenty. The work is a few. How can you get involved?
If you're new, like we always say, if you're new, take the time to be loved by community,
be loved in community. See, there is no rush. And I love the heart of people. At times,
we'll have people come in for the first time and they'll be like, hey, I want to serve next week.
And I love the heart of that. I want to help you out. I saw, you know, you do this and I want to
help out. The Lord is the one that arranges the parts of the body. How about you get to know the body
and then let the Lord lead what part you play? Because then what happens is it's the overflow
of a calling, not just a function of a church. You're a part of the body. You're not a function
of the church. So can I encourage you? My heart would burst for joy in June when I come back.
If I see people serving in the areas that God has called you to serve, man,
my heart would burst for joy in June. Because I've come to understand that when we step out
and serve, actually, we're more blessed. I know for me, like when I served, and I've served in some
funny areas before. I won't get into those. But in that, you meet some really beautiful people
and you get to do some amazing things. And like I said, I may not be coming back into the function
of a pastor. I'm coming back to serve, man. Be part of the voice box, part of the worship team.
You know, and for me, that's my delight. You know, Pastor Sonia didn't go, hey, you better
come back and serve at Numa West when you get back, man. No, I just said to her, it's okay with you.
I don't feel called to be part of the leadership team. I feel called to be part of worship. And
that's, you know, the Lord asked me to lay that down when I first walked in 16 years ago. He asked
me to pick it up two years ago. And that's my delight. What's your delight? What part can you
play? Could be something as, you know, as significant. I'm not even going to use the word
simple. Something as significant as, you know what? I'm just going to look after family
lunch once a month. And the awesome part of being able to create a space for people to
feel loved and valued in family. Hey, you know what? I am pretty time poor. I can do once
every six weeks, but you know what? You know, I'll serve in this area. Again, picking on people.
That's why I love Keely, man. One of the most down to earth, humble girls you'll ever meet.
And I couldn't even last probably half an hour in your shoes. She's a paramedic. And
she has seen and gone through things that are unimaginable. But in the days where she's
free to serve, what is she doing here? She's serving. Can I encourage you? Let that be
a seed for you. It doesn't have to be. You may be able to do it every, we don't say every
week. One of the hearts and visions for us as in this church is that we would have three
weak teams. Not weak as in like every three weeks. You know, you serve one week and you
enjoy the presence of God in fellowship two weeks. At the moment, we've got a few that
are having to do a lot more than that. Let's not let the select few carry the bulk of the
many. This is not to rebuke. This is to empower and inspire you. You have a part to play. You are
part of this body. And then lastly, who can you check on? It's very rare you get someone
that will, you know, respond. I did have, I did have once in COVID when I checked in on
someone that I had on my heart, who's like, so is the church keeping numbers now? Like
I was genuinely concerned or I won't, I won't, I won't anymore, you know, but let's check
in on one another. Let's not assume someone else has got it. And you know what? Like I
said, I remember during that time, got like 150 messages. And I love that. I'm going to
use Levi as my example right now. Levi and Vanya are now on something on Friday and nothing
like, they're having a spiritual baby. They're launching a podcast, First Love. But I love
that when he put a teaser on Instagram, I'm not even on social media, right? We get messages
from people, what's going on with Levi and Vanya? Are they okay? And they started messaging
Levi. A lot of people. That's the body working. Even when he's being cheeky, he knows that if
something's in his life, he knows that people are going to check in on him, not speak about
him, but come to him. I want you to be upstanding.
