Sermon Tone Analysis

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

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

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

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

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.

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.