From Gift to Gold

Believe   •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  25:26
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Gift to Gold

Once again we are in our Believe series and last week Pastor Chad preached about the importance of Biblical Community, how we can encourage one another.
Today we will be talking about spiritual gifts.
Spiritual Gifts
Romans 12:4–6 NIV
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
Each of us are different. (Turn and tell someone “You are different”)
We all have different gifts and different abilities, different talents, different skills. Some have gifts and skills that are obvious, and some of us have subtle gifts and skills.
We have students that have a gift of athleticism. I mean everything they do when it comes to sports, they are just good at it, some have the gift of leading, put you in charge of something and It’s going to get taken care of.
Others have subtle gifts. Subtle but just as important. Some of you have the gift of hospitality. Any time you do something, people feel welcome around you. Some of you have the gift of encouragement, others the gift of faith. I mean everyone can do these things, but for you, trusting God in the bleakest of circumstances is easy.
Some of you have the gift of helps. You see something that needs done and you just do it.
We all have different gifts and abilities and God has given them to each of us to not only glorify Him, but also to build up his church.
That’s why once again we are reminded of how to grow here at sidney first. Worship - Discipleship - Serve - Invite
I think that there are people that are wondering why they aren’t growing, but they’ve refused to get involved.
I also think that there are people here today that think that there is no way that their talent can be used but the church.
A lot of what is seen at the church is what happens when we gather together. So people say things like, “I could never preach” or “I can’t sing” or “I can’t play an instrument”
But you have a gift maybe it’s big and maybe it seems small, but God wants you to use it.
I am reminded of a story that Jesus told in Matthew 25
Matthew 25:14–16 ESV
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.
Matthew 25:17–19 ESV
So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
Matthew 25:20–21 ESV
And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Matthew 25:22–23 ESV
And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Matthew 25:24–25 ESV
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’
Matthew 25:26–27 ESV
But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
Matthew 25:28–29 ESV
So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Matthew 25:30 ESV
And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
A talent is a bag of money
God understands that we each have talents and abilities, and even some of us have a more talents and abilities.
The one who had 5 made 5 - 100% Increase
They one who had 2 made 2 - 100% Increase
Jesus is telling this story and there isn’t this expectation that the person with two would suddenly come up with 5 more. The master was pleased with the increase.
But it’s when we take our talent and do nothing with it, that the problem occurs.
The master doesn’t expect the one with 1 talent to produce 5 more, or even two more.
There is a truth I found in this passage as I was digging and I want you to hear me out before you start flipping through the Bible. I
It isn’t enough to be in love with Jesus
I know people who are like this, they are in love with Jesus and that’s it. They talk about Jesus, they are thankful for the way Jesus makes them feel. The love the blessing, but they don’t have that deep relationship with God.
See this man in the story he was thankful for the gift, and he even knew the kind of person his master was, he was missing something. And the thing that he was missing is highlighted in the story in the Old Testament of David.
If you’ve never heard it before there was a young man named David and his most famous story was when he killed Goliath.
David was just a young man, and Goliath was a giant over 9 feet tall. Goliath had huge armor and weapons and David struck him down with a sling.
But did you ever wonder how in the world a young man gets access to the battlefield? The only reason he is there is because of his relationship with King Saul.
And how did he have that relationship?
IF we look back in 1 Samuel 16
1 Samuel 16:14 NIV
Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
1 Samuel 16:15–16 NIV
Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.”
1 Samuel 16:17 NIV
So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”
1 Samuel 16:18 NIV
One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”
1 Samuel 16:19–20 NIV
Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.
1 Samuel 16:21–22 NIV
David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”
1 Samuel 16:23 NIV
Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
See everyone wants God to use them to do something big. But what happens is that when we wait for that momentous time to shine we actually miss our moment.
Don’t Miss Your Moment
See why did David get this moment?
He loved God? - That wasn’t enough
He Had the holy spirit - That wasn’t enough
1 Samuel 16:18 NIV
One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”
Don’t Miss Your Moment
Not only wasn’t it enough, but it was actually the last thing mentioned.
Plays the lyre - Brave - Warrior - Well Spoken - Handsome
What most people forget about here is that at this time David has already been anointed by God to be king of Israel. But its a secret that only David’s family and Samuel knows.
I told you the name of this message was Gift - Gold and I did that because of the Olympics. Let me be clear here, I’m not talking about worldly wealth, I’m not talking about earthy rewards. I’m talking eternal reward
The name of this message is Gift - Gold. But there is something missing.
What we want is that God anoints us and we immediately want the outcome, we hear the promise and we want the product, we have this talent, and we want the treasure, we receive a gift and we want the Gold.
You will never go from GIFT to GOLD without the GRIND.
We see david as king, but david would’ve never been king had he not been a warrior, and he never would of never been on that battle field had he not been a shepherd, he would’ve never had access to where the battlefield was if he hadn’t served Saul, and he couldn’t have served Saul if he didn’t play the lyre.
See david was faithful with the gift God gave him every step of the way.
David didn’t miss his moment. See he had this gift of music - that is very evident in the Psalms, but he had to take his gift and grind. He had to take his talent and toil. It wasn’t enough to have an ability it had to be strengthened in the fire of adversity.
We never seem to like that process. But David was faithful with the lyre. See his gift was his potential, but without the process, not product.
Can you imagine if David wasn’t humble and chose not to go through the process that God called him through? He would have never been honored as king if he wasn’t humble enough to use his talent where God placed him.
“I’ve been anointed as king, and I know why, it’s because Saul isn’t the real king anymore. I’m not going to be his entertainment”
There was this window of opportunity, and David took advantage of it.
Some of you have a talent and you’ve chosen not to use it, and if you aren’t careful you might miss your moment
(Don’t Miss your moment)
You have this window of opportunity to use your gift, and you have to take the example of David. David worked his window
(Work your window)
Was playing the lyre what David's future was all about?
Some of you are missing your moment because you are so focused on how God is going to use you in the future that you aren’t working your window today, and you might just miss your moment.
Sometimes God allows us to be in places that are uncomfortable and it isn’t that it is our final destination but its a checkpoint along the journey, and if we aren’t faithful at that checkpoint we will never experience what God has waiting for us on the other side.
We are talking about spiritual gifts today, but it is really about faith. Do you have enough faith to serve God using your gifts and abilities now, trusting in whatever God has for your future.
We have to be persistent in our present situation
(Be persistent)
David would’ve never experienced the palace unless he was persistent.
I just want to be honest, tomorrow is never promised to us.
James 4:13–14 NIV
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
I talked with some students this week about how we never know when we will be standing before God. And that it’s important to make Jesus the Lord of your life today.
But it’s also important to serve Jesus with the gifts and abilities he has given you today.
I want you to know this, I believe there are some Giant Slayers in here today, I believe there are some warriors, I believe we have royalty here today. I believe that we have world changers here today.
But if you miss your moment, you may never experience what God has for you. If you aren’t on your grind with your gift you may never experience the glory that is awaiting you.
GIFT - GRIND - GOLD
Here is where this gets tricky though.
Some of you that are here today and you have no clue what your spiritual gifts are. And you can take a spiritual gifts test, but the greatest way to learn what your spiritual gifts are is to simply try serving in new ways. Some of you have the gift of teaching, but you don’t even know it yet because you’ve never attempted it, some of you have the gift of leadership, but you aren’t a leader because you don’t get involved. Some of you have the gift of mentoring, but you’ve never mentored someone
I’m not saying these things to make you feel guilty, please don’t think that. I’m saying this because I believe God’s wants you to have fulfillment and purpose
(God wants to give you life to the fullest.)
But that kind of life comes through using your spiritual gifts.
Some of you are going to try things and you will discover quickly that it isn’t a good fit for you. And that’s okay. But I want to encourage you to throw all of your energy at it trying new things. Because if you grind i mean if you give your all for it, and it truly isn’t your thing, it will be the thing that leads to the thing.
I want to give you a challenge today
Some of you are serving in areas, and you know it’s your thing, keep being on your grind with your gift. Don’t give up, don’t lose hope.
Some of you know your giftedness but if you were honest you aren’t really using them to glorify God and your aren’t really using them to build up the church. I want you to know this, you will never out-give God. Today if this is you I want to invite you to simply give your gifts to God.
Others of you have yet to discover your spiritual gifts, and I want to empower you today. I have put a link up on the front page of our church’s website for you to take a spiritual gift test. It’ll take about 20 minutes to go through but I believe that in doing so you may have a breakthrough moment in your walk with the Lord, by finding your place to serve. Even after filling that out though, it stay may be a trial and error process.
We believe in the process we have here that if you’ll worship here, and grow in a group, and serve with your gifts here, you are going to develop into the person that God created you to be. We believe you’ll thrive. But don’t stop short by not using your gift.
PRAYER
Lord I thank you for the people of our church, how many of them are using their gifts and abilities to serve you. It is such a blessing to serve alongside of them. I thank you for blessing me with gifts that can be a blessing. Help me to continue to discover them, dedicate them, develop them, and deploy them to be the person you created me to be. May we be a people who use our gifts and abilities to praise you. May our gifts be a banner that point people to you. A banner that shouts the praises of our God. May our gifts be that banner in our homes, in our workplaces, in our schools, and around our friends.
Prayer of Salvation
Would you pray this prayer today? “Thank you, God, for forgetting everything I’ve ever done wrong. I’m putting my trust in your grace. Today I accept your free gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ because of what he did for me. I know I can’t earn my way to Heaven. I accept this free gift of your Spirit into my life. Live through me, and fill me with your love and joy and peace and patience.
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