Mopping the Floor to Put a Man on the Moon (Sermon Illustration)
Every role in the church matters, no matter how small.
Our mission is to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations. It’s a far bigger task than anyone could ever do alone.
We are all members of the family of God. We are all citizens of His kingdom. And so, we must all work together as one body to fulfill God’s mission.
In her book, Resonate, Nancy Duarte tells the following story:
President Kennedy gave a speech declaring that by the end of the decade, the United States should land a man on the moon and bring him home safely. He wanted support from every American. He said in the speech, “In a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the moon— it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there.” He wanted the entire country to feel responsible for supporting his vision. Later in the 1960s, JFK was touring NASA headquarters and stopped to talk to a man with a mop. The president asked him, “What do you do?” The janitor replied, “I’m putting the first man on the moon, sir.” This janitor could have said, “I clean floors and empty trash.” Instead, he saw his role as part of the bigger mission that was to fulfill the vision of the president. As far as he was concerned, he was making history.1
Likewise, even if you are mopping the church bathroom floor, you are doing your part to bring the Gospel to all nations.
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