Scriptures: Matthew 20:26-28, Revelation 22:3, 2 Timothy 1:9, Romans 7:4, 12:6, 1 Peter 4:10, Ephesians 4:11-12, 1 Corinthians 15:58

What does it mean for the church to be successful? When thinking of the mission of the church, and how we are to make ourselves known to our community, our city, the nation and the world, we can look to a teaching of Jesus that is powerful in its humility and purpose. Jesus tells us that He "did not come her to be served, but to serve others..." (Matthew 20:28). Our service to others in the name of Christ unlocks the power of the church to impact the lives of people and point them to Christ.

In today's church, though, we must ask a key question: Are we more interested in being served by the church, or being a part of a church that serves? When just 10% of the average church's membership is participating in any kind of personal ministry, and 50% actually say they have no interest in serving, then we must look at this example and mandate of Christ for His people.

In this message, Dr. Merritt details what it means for the church to serve, how we are equipped by God for His service, and how God uses serving others to glorify Himself and draw lost people toward His Son, Jesus.

"You were saved to serve. You were not saved to sit, soak, or sour. Think about this: Why doesn’t God take you to Heaven the moment you get saved? There can only be one explanation. He has something for you to do. He has a place of service he wants you to fill. God doesn’t waste either breath or space and if you are here he expects you to serve Him. Every Christian has been called to serve, and every Christian has been called to service. Now that doesn’t necessarily mean obviously that every Christian is called to pastor, or called to work full-time in a church. But at the same time, every Christian is called to full-time Christian service." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: envision, mission, vision, church, purpose, statement, love, serve, share, commandment, commission, Jesus, disciple, Christ-follower, neighbor, ministry, effectiveness, intention, moon, John F. Kennedy, JFK, Orlando, Disney World, imagination, service, empowerment, gifts, spiritual, employment, fulfillment, attitude, eternity, Leonard Bernstein, New York Symphony, impact