Play to Win: Service Ephesians 2:8-10 · Join the Journey

Let me take you back to a movie called Unbreakable. Bruce Willis plays a man who walks away from a train wreck—without a scratch. At first, he’s confused. But over time, he realizes he has superhuman strength.

And here’s the powerful part: He chooses to use that strength—not for fame or wealth—but to serve and protect others.

Now, we may not have superpowers like in the movies, but if you're a follower of Jesus, you’ve been given something far greater:

You’ve been given God’s Holy Spirit, and a calling to serve. You were made for more than just getting by. You were made for impact.

We live in a culture that loves the idea of success but resists the discipline it takes to achieve it. Spiritually, we often fall into the same trap—desiring the results of a close walk with God, power in prayer, and clarity in our calling—without committing to the training required to get there.

But Paul reminds us: the Christian life is not aimless. It's not a spiritual walk in the park—it’s a race. A fight. A pursuit. And to run well, to fight faithfully, we need more than inspiration—we need discipline. We need to train.

We’re in week 4 of our series, Play to Win.

It’s all based on this passage from 1 Corinthians 9, where Paul says:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

This isn’t a game we’re trying to survive. This is a life we’re trying to win—not against each other, but for Christ. Winning is a life that reflects Jesus and brings Him glory.

And how do we do that? Through the spiritual disciplines. We’ve talked about prayer, worship, and study. Today—we’re talking about spiritual discipline service.

YOU WERE CREATED TO SERVE

Turn to Ephesians 2:8–10. If you don’t have a bible we would love to give you one we have some on the back table. Please take one as a gift from us to you. If you are looking for Ephesians in the new testament which is on the right side of your bibles. Ephesians comes right after Galatians and right before Philippians.

Ephesians 2:8–10

Notice that we are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works. That means that part of your new identity in Jesus is this:

You are a servant. God designed you—hand-crafted you—with purpose. And part of that purpose is to serve others in His name.

So don’t miss this: Serving isn’t just something you do—it’s who you are. YOU’VE BEEN GIFTED FOR SERVICE

Now flip over to Ephesians 4:11–16. Paul writes:

Ephesians 4:11–16

Who does Paul say does the work of ministry? Not just the pastors or elders. Not just the staff. But we all do. God has given each of us spiritual gifts—not for personal gain, but to build up the church and bless others. God has given you spiritual gift to build up the church. We need you to serve.

So let me ask you: What are you doing with the gifts God has given you? YOU WERE CREATED TO SERVE

Here’s WHY SERVICE MATTER

Bob Russell:

“The greatness of a church is not measured by its seating capacity, but by its sending capacity.”

God didn’t call us to fill up a room—He called us to put our faith into action by mobilizing to help our community and world, even when called to sacrifice and suffer to care for their needs over our own. Following the example of Jesus.

SERVICE MATTER because when we serve:

• The church gets stronger.

• The world sees Jesus in action.

• Our own faith deepens.

You see, serving stretches us. It challenges us. And it grows us. If you want to grow spiritually—serve someone else.

SO WHAT DOES SERVICE LOOK LIKE

Lets start with what serving within Journey Church looks like.

At Journey Church, there are many ways you can serve:

• Greet people at the door.

• Make coffee.

• Teach our kids.

• Preach

• Join the worship or tech team.

• Serve the homeless.

• Mentor a student.

• Help single moms.

• Visit the sick or shut-ins.

• Help Jeff clean

• Start or host a Life Group

And So many more ways you can serve within Journey Church. Here’s what I want you to hear: Don’t wait until you feel ready. Just start. Because if you wait until you feel ready you will never start.

You can try something, and if it’s not the right fit, we’ll help you find another place. But whatever you do—don’t stay on the sidelines. Just start. If you are part of Journey Church we expect you to find an area to serve within Journey Church. Every job big of small is important. We don’t exists without everyone stepping up and serving.

Visit jointhejourney.church, click Volunteer signup, and let us know you're ready to serve. That’s within Journey.

But there are many other areas to serve outside of Journey Church. Purpose of God, the pregnancy center, Courtside Ministry, the camp, Ripe For Revival and so many others.

Here the truth though there are needs right around us everyday. Within our family, within our neighbor at work at school. We all have people around us that have needs. Maybe it’s cutting you neighbors grass, helping your co-worker move, checking in on that friend that is struggling. Being a helping hand, listing ear, caring person in the name of Jesus.

Find your unique spiritual gift and do good in the name of Jesus. This is how we developed the Spiritual Discipline of service. I don’t know how God has created, gifted and equipped you serve. But I know that He has! Don’t wait until you feel ready. Just start.

But make sure you have THE RIGHT HEART to SERVICE

Let’s be honest. Sometimes we serve for the wrong reasons:

• To get recognition.

• To feel important.

• To earn points with God.

But Jesus shows us a different way. In John 13

Richard Foster writes in Celebration of Disciplines.

“As the cross is the sign of submission, so the towel is the sign of service. Gathered at the Passover feast, the disciples were keenly aware that someone needed to wash the others’ feet. The problem was that the only people who washed feet were the least... It was such a sore point that they were not even going to talk about it. No one wanted to be considered the least. Then Jesus took a towel and a basin and redefined greatness. Having lived out servanthood before them, he called them to the way of service: “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

In some ways we would prefer to hear Jesus’ call to deny father and mother, houses and land for the sake of the gospel than his words to wash feet. Radical self-denial gives the feel of adventure. If we forsake all, we even have the chance of glorious martyrdom. But in service we must experience the many little deaths of going beyond ourselves. Service banishes us to the mundane, the ordinary, the trivial.”

The King of Kings put on a towel and took the lowest position. That’s our example. Serving isn’t about status—it’s about sacrifice. And serving done with the right heart is done out of love.

And LOVE always LEADS TO ACTION

Service starts with love.

Paul says in Galatians 5:13-14:

Galatians 5:13

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Love isn’t just what we feel—it’s what we do.

And 1 John 3:18 reminds us:

1 John 3:18

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Love isn’t just theory. It’s action. Not guilt-driven, but grace-driven. We love and serve because Jesus first loved and served us.

THE CALL TO RESPOND

So here’s the bottom line:

✅ You were created to serve.

✅ You’ve been gifted to serve.

✅ You are called to serve.

So what’s holding you back?

Don’t just attend church—be the church.

Don’t just consume—contribute.

Don’t just watch—work.

It’s time to step off the bench and into the game. Find a place to serve withing your home, in our community and within Journey Church. Find a need and start serving! Don’t wait until you feel ready. Just start.

✅ You were created to serve.

✅ You’ve been gifted to serve.

✅ You are called to serve.

Now, some of you are hearing all this and thinking: “I don’t just need to serve—I need to be saved.” Let me speak to you for a moment. The reason we serve is because Jesus first served us.

Even though you were dead in sin—separated from God. Jesus, the Son of God, came to this world, lived a perfect life, and died in your place. To serve your greatest need. Jesus did for us what we needed most and deserved least. He came to pay a debt he didn’t owe. Because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.

Then He rose again—defeating sin and death—so that you could be forgiven, made new, and have eternal life.

And now, He invites you to respond—by putting your faith in Him as not only your savior but as the Lord of your life, by repenting and being baptized.

In Acts 2 Peter just gets done sharing that same good news of who Jesus and what He has done and it says the people are cut to the hear as ask Peter what they should do to respond to who Jesus is and what he has done.

Peter says in Acts 2:38:

Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So if you’re ready to turn from your old life, and surrender to Jesus—through faith, repentance and baptism—we are ready to walk with you. We have towels and the baptistry is always ready! I’ll be in the lobby.

You were made for more than comfort.

You were made for calling.

You were made for mission.

You were made to serve.

This is how we play to win—by serving like Jesus has served us.

Prayer

Friends we are going to move into our time of Commitment and communion. Here at Journey Church we invite all followers of Jesus to join us in communion. Where we remember how Jesus has served our greatest need. He died on the cross to put our need above His own. The bread and the cup reminded us of His body and blood. Confess your sins to God and when your ready lets proclaim together.

If you are here and you are not a follower of Jesus and you would like to talk about how to become one, I’ll be in the lobby.