WHAT IS YOUR GIFT?
To experience the “fullness of God” is to have his supernatural Love. Wisdom and Power flowing into and out of our lives.
* “But I have received everything in full, and have an abundance…” Philippians 4:18
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up… (Ephesians 4:11-12).
Bless the Lord by blessing someone less fortunate today through Your……Time, Talent & Treasures
* “And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness…and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.”
Isaiah 58:10-11
Your gift may fall in one of the two major divisions within the body.
*There are certain gifts that might be called General Support Ministries, from which the whole body receives benefit.
* Then there is another division of gifts, which might be called Working Gifts.
The support ministries exist for the equipment of the saints for the work of the ministry (that is contact with the world) and for the building up of the body of Christ (that is maintaining the health of the church).
*Who is to do these two things?
*The saints, the people!
That is God’s intention. It is not the job of the pastors. (Acts 6)
Their work is something different. Pastor’s are to train and equip, and motivate the people to do this work.
It is the people who are to do the work of the church.
Anything less than this is a distortion of what God intended the church to be like.
* Many churches have become identified with buildings, great massive cathedrals and imposing structures, and these were referred to as the church.
*The popular thinking fastened upon the building as the identifying symbol of the church, instead of the PEOPLE.
Along with that idea there came a gradual transfer of responsibility from the people to the clergy to do the work of the ministry.
Soon Christianity became a spectator sport, very much akin to the definition I recently heard of football—eleven men down on the field, desperately in need of rest, and forty thousand people up in the grandstand desperately in need of exercise!
How do you find the gift that you have?
*The answer is you find spiritual gifts just as you find natural talents.
*You musicians, how do you know that you have the gift of music?
*What you enjoy doing is usually what God gives you the privilege of doing, for the exercise of spiritual gifts is a joyful thing to do. People take great pleasure in exercising these gifts.
One important indication is to see if others recognize the gift in you and encourage you to use it. It is important that others recognize your gift.
Open Your Gift!
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. (Ephesians 4:7).
* The apostle suggests clearly that the power of the church lies in all Christians discovering and intelligently exercising the spiritual gift that was given to them when they became a member of the body of Christ.
In so many places the Church has forgotten it is a body and has tried to operate as another human organization; therefore, it has no more power than any other human organization at work in the world.
But Paul reminds us that the secret of the operation of the church is that each Christian has a gift.
It is our responsibility to recognize and fulfill that gift we each have.
If you are a Christian, if you have new life by the Spirit of God by faith in Jesus Christ, you have a spiritual gift.
*The church begins to live and exercise its impact and influence upon society when you begin to exercise your gift.
Do you know what your gift is? Have you ever asked yourself this question:
“What is the gift God has given to me since I am a Christian? What does He want me to do as a general area of ministry?” Do you know how to recognize a gift? Do you know how to develop it once you know what it is?
*The impact on the church in this area is directly related to how you answer those questions.
*Your own joy and fulfillment as a Christian depends on how you answer those questions.
All our flowery words about Jesus are not enough. Our Actions must match our words in order for it to become truth.
* “Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:28
As believers we tend to measure our success on whether we have achieved a certain position or stature in life.
Even as Christians the temptation to believe that someone is blessed if they have achieved prominence is always confronting us.
In His discussion with Peter, Jesus was getting at the very heart of the matter of a person’s calling.
Peter was worried about whether his friend John was going to get the same lot in life as he was.
Jesus told him it should not be his concern.
* He was to concern himself only with one thing: his own calling before God.
Are you tempted to compare yourself with where others are in their life? Are you dissatisfied with where God has you right now?
Be of good cheer-“[be] confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6)
Salvation is not a reformation, but rather a regeneration, a new birth, a new creation, that can only be accomplished by a creative miracle of the Holy Spirit. Because of the new birth, He sees us through Jesus. Celebrate Life!
Remember we cannot do everything. God never intended it to be this way. We must stick close to His purpose in our life while encouraging others to discover their purpose and to use it in the Kingdom.
Lord, I am grateful to be a part of Your body and to partner with You in Your Kingdom work. Help me Lord, to encourage others to step out in faith and to walk in the purpose You have given them. Father, what a magnificent plan and program for this world to be helped, changed, and delivered in its utter need. God, grant that I catch something of the excitement and the challenge of using my gift/gifts. Lord thank You for the spiritual gifts you have given me. Let me not only discover them but use them to edify Your body and glorify Your Son in the power of the Spirit for Your Glory. Amen