So last Sunday was a Youth Day at our church. Youth Day is an annual event that happens on every second Sunday of June in the Kenya Assemblies of God denomination.
Guys had fun, and were given a chance (as elsewhere in the Kenya Assemblies of God fraternity across the country) to lead the service and serve the LORD (and actually the church) in unique ways.
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| Part of the Youth team at K.A.G. Kakamega with Mrs. Bishop Alulu and some kids |
I want to take this moment to appreciate the efforts and commitment made by my leadership team (the two Celestines - yeah that sounds weird, but also cool - Patrick and Mrs. Bridget) and our youth (both the ones that were present and the rest that weren't able to attend the occasion due to various understandable reasons.) This was my best Youth Day ever since I took up on leadership. I'm proud to be their leader.
Here is the sermon I preached in the second service;
Them of the day: Do Something
Dressing code: Black/fuchsia
Sermon
title: Do Something
Key
verses:
1.
Titus 2:7-8
(NLT) “And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good
works of every kind. Let everything you
do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. ”
2.
Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
- Today’s world is full of life coaches, teachers and
opinionated people who teach us good things about life and how it should be
done. We applaud and appreciate what they do.
- But looking deeper, no matter how much we learn or are
taught, it is not enough to keep telling people to do things if we are not
showing them;
a)
What
is being done
b)
Who
is doing it
c)
Where
it should be done
d)
When
it should be done
e)
Why
is should be done and,
f) Who else is doing it that it has benefited.
Unless we sieve
whatever areas of growth we desire/intent to improve upon by use of the above points,
we are likely to come out on the other side without reasonable change. The
steps above help us do something about
everything that needs attention in our lives.
Example:
There is a story told
of three fishermen and the hole in their boat. These three agreed that they had
a problem affecting all of them that might cost them their source of income:
the hole in the boat. But instead of planning on a practical way on how to fix
the hole, they kept saying this:
“Someone should
do something about this hole someday.”
This went on for days
and weeks… and later, the boat couldn’t float on water anymore because the hole
had grown bigger and their weight and the weight of fish they were catching was
greater. That is when they realized that they should have done something the very
moment they discovered a hole in their boat. They also realized that no matter
how much they prayed, God wasn’t going to do/fix the things (i.e. the hole in
the boat) they were supposed to do/fix because He had already given them the
wisdom, the strength and the will to do so. There are things God fixes, and
holes in boats aren’t some of them: not that He cannot, but because He
should not.
The
mistake the three fishermen made was;
- They didn’t specify who was doing what task in trying
to fix the hole in their boat.
- They didn’t delegate the actual tasks involved
in fixing the hole (i.e. cutting wood, getting other material etc.)
- They didn’t specify the day the task was to be done.
In order not to be caught unawares like the three fishermen in the story
above, here are steps towards doing
something early enough:
- Stop pitying yourself for not doing something about
everything that is wrong. It doesn't help.
- Recognize the something that you can do and pray that
you will start doing it: God has promised to give us strength to do ALL
good.
- Have friends that frequently pester you to do something about everything that needs attention in your life. Hebrews 10:24 (ESV) "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works."
- Stop complaining about things not being done yet you are doing nothing to help it.
- Stop getting worried that you may not make it because it will not be you who does the work, but the God in you. Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV) 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
- Christ promises to be with those who are doing something. Matthew 28:20 (NIV) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
- Doing something about your spiritual life and growth means doing something about the most important part of your life.
- Set goals. All goals need actionable plans. Without
setting goals, we are likely to do nothing or to do so little and still
feel accomplished. An example of setting a goal would be; what are you
doing differently today from since you began doing it a while ago? Yes,
you've been doing something, but is it adding value to people's lives or
God's Kingdom?
Examples of people who did something.
- John
2:12-19 (NIV) shows us Jesus doing something about temple con
artists selling things at its courts. He didn't just sit there praying, He
did something by chasing them
out.
- David in 1 Samuel 17
stopped by an army that was afraid to do anything about a pagan who was
insulting God (Goliath). He took a step by offering himself to fight the
giant yet he had never fought nor had he ever been known to be a soldier.
Conclusion
The
challenge to us therefore is: will we be like Jesus and David (people who stood
up, believed in God and in themselves and made a difference by doing something) or will we remain like
King Saul and the Israelites in David’s day who trembled every time Goliath
came out?
The
choice is ours, so let’s choose well.
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| Part of the Youth team at K.A.G. Kakamega (2) |
Bonface Morris.
