The Gifts that Keep Giving | Finding and Using Your Abilities

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What more do you want to be used of God.

God wants you coming up today on a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie says the Lord made some special way. You're a great visionary, but you're not old morbid detail person everyone is all way.

Given the rate deep inside her comfort zone.

No one's ever heard of the great lazy evangelistic hammock to get up and do some Greg Laurie brings his new God empowers those equal service.

You may already have a special God-given not even aware of today by you left over to Romans 12 pulses Romans 12 or six grays. God is given us different gifts for doing certain things well, God is giving you the ability to prophesy. Speak up with as much faith as God is giving you if you give for serving others serve them well. If you're a teacher teach well if your gift is encouraging others that the gift of exhortation encouraging.

Every gift is giving the give generously, God is giving you leadership ability take that responsibility seriously and if you ever get for showing kindness to others who would gladly. There certain terms bubble up here do it well generously gladly take this responsibility seriously. The gift of teaching is mentioned here, and if you're called to teach. He says teach well to an awesome responsibility to be called to teach the Bible says in second Timothy 215. We should know how to handle the word of God correctly and then James 31 says brothers and sisters know many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly the people about what's it like to stand up there in that stage of the crusade must be a real ego trip for you right don't not at all actually.

It's kind of scary and it's kind of an awesome responsibility because I recognize I'm speaking for God.

I know that there are certain people that will be there.

That may never come to an event like that again.

They may never go to church again so I don't want to miss represent God. That's a lot of weight and there's a lot of spiritual warfare involved in it as well.

I'm not asking for your sympathy, I'm just telling you there's responsibility that comes with teaching and I spent a lot of time in preparation before I speak, you probably can't tell, but I do because the Bible says study to show yourself approved on the God one that doesn't need to be ashamed because they rightly divide the word of God. You need to learn how to exegete a Scripture which is a theological term that simply means to see what the text is actually saying you need to interpret in its proper context and then you bring the application and so forth. But here's what I don't get some people think they're called to be teachers or maybe pastors in the fluorine how can you take the action-packed powerful living word of God and make it all that's on you not on the Bible and the sauna got it's on you. Some preachers are so dull, watching paint dry is more entertaining right you of gifting in another area you need to find that area. The funny thing is beeping called. It teaches laughable because I was the worst student, I was always getting in trouble in school.

My grades are very low. I'll tell you upfront my grades literally were like GDCC was a was a victory. See GDF yes by the way I learned a little tricky people one line and enough it becomes and it just make sure you use the same color date of the no you didn't, then I don't want to art. That's it. Every DCD FDC a back to decencies and I was always getting in trouble in class I was always being disrespectful to the teachers. There was this one teacher I had a my class. And then there was a class right next door in this teacher heard about what I used to do in the class to disrupt it. She announced her class one day I would like to to Greg Laurie Miriam up to his neck in the sand in the blazing sun and watch and eat him alive.

She literally said this is some of the kids came up to me and told me what you said that the got a cool down so to is that I like that they wanted to expel me on my mother would be with the principles that you expel them all. So you so I stayed in school. No one would've ever thought I'd become a teacher, but who knows no, God is a sense of humor doesn't mean I wasn't the teachers that I was the teacher's monster but the Lord called me to do this, or maybe he's called you to do some you never thought you would do, then there is the gift of encouraging others of diversity. If your gift is to encourage others. I love this encouraging here. This is actually your gift then be an encouraging person. Some people are not encouraging their discouraging I jokingly call them Debbie downer and her boyfriend Bobby buzz kill right they always bring you down always negative, always critical critical critical critical never a compliment from these people will the gift of exhortation or the gift of encouraging does include correction at times, but it also includes encouraging and I think when you have to speak to someone critically Bible says in Ephesians 415 speak the truth in love, we should keep each other accountable.

If we see Christian friend going the wrong direction and making the wrong decisions we might say hey you shouldn't do that. The Bible says thus and so. But, you know. But before you correct try to complement Jesus modeled this for when he spoke to the church of Ephesus in the book of Revelation we paraphrase. He says I know you guys are discerning. I know you're hard-working. I appreciate all these things about you but I have this against you, you have left your first love. So remember therefore from where you will fall in and repent and do the first works quickly. Hello complement doing this well done that well doing a good job over here but there's is one area, so let's talk about that that's the right way to do it.

Deposited complement before you make the withdrawal of a criticism married couples listen to what I'm saying sometimes it's always critical critical he doesn't do this right. She doesn't do that right always sniping at each other when the last time you complimented your husband once the last time you complemented your wife member again deposited complement before you make the withdrawal of criticism.

Otherwise it's destructive criticism wanted should be productive criticism.

We need people to teach us and we need people to exhort us see teaching tells me what the text says, but the gift of exhortation makes me want to do with the text says sometimes people are gifted with both of those skills but you can think of some teachers you heard a message while that was really helpful. I learned a lot theologically and never understood that was great. Then here so now you're just all fired up all I want to pray more. I wanted served more I want to share the gospel more.

Whatever it is, of these gifts are all important, but exhorting is something we should all do.

Hebrews 1024 says, consider one another to provoke each other, to love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, is the manner of some is, but exhorting one another daily, and so much more. As we see the day of the Lord approaching. Then there's the gift of giving Romans 12 eight. If your gift is giving and give generously what is it that when we talk about money in the church people recoil. Probably because there's abuse. There are times where its use wrongly and people are jilted in the giving and and there's too much pressure put on people but it we throw the baby out with the bathwater were missing the blessing of giving every Christian should give up their finances to the Lord. Every Christian a my opinion should time it's a joy. It's a privilege it's an opportunity. It's an investment in the kingdom of God because you should be doing your giving while you're living that you're knowing where it's going right, God makes a promise in the book of Malachi races put me to the test on this one. Bring your tithes into the storehouse and want to buy will not open up the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that you won't even have room enough to receive it. It's a happy thing to give because Jesus said blessed are those who get or is more blessed to give than it is to receive in the word blessed needs happier.

Happy making that some of this versus talking about every Christian should give. But there's a supernatural gift of giving.

So he says if you have this to do it with simplicity and generosity. The prism of the true gift of giving, probably would never tell you they have the gift anyone even know all they're doing because it would do it in a quiet, they wouldn't blow a little trumpeter drop pants I just gave this much to know another just do it, but everyone would have a story about that person. Oh yeah, they help me here and they help me there and I never told the story before but when I was a need they did this for me for such a person with the gift.

Guess what, you don't have to be wealthy to have the gift of giving. I know some people who are not wealthy at all for very generous people, and as such is generosity with your money. If generosity with your time. If generosity with everything you're just one of those giving people and that's a gift that God perhaps has given you, Mr. Greg Moore will have the second half of his message in just a moment, you know, there's nothing lying here in the word of God and worshiping the Lord together. I will encourage you to join us for something we call Harvest at Home every Saturday and Sunday harvest.org you join Christians literally from around the world as we worship and we study the word of God together. So join us for Harvest at Home and harvest well were considering the way God makes gifts available to his children for the work she calls us to do. Pastor Greg continues now. One must get the look at the gift of showing kindness and mercy. That's an actual gift should every Christian showed kindness and mercy. Yes, but there's some people have a supernatural ability to do this on the next level again. Yes, Romans 12 eight. If you have the gift of showing kindness to others do it gladly do it gladly. There are people who have an extraordinary supernatural ability from God to show mercy and compassion and kindness to those who are in need. I'm amazed at people that work in care facilities.

People that are involved in hospice care people that will hold the hand of someone that is sick or old and can't help themselves and and I'd I just marvel at the patient's sin and the love and the compassion of a person like this it it's a gift of mercy.

My wife Kathy has this gift.

You want someone to show you compassion and mercy talk to Kathy you want a sermon or a lame joke come to me if different gifting so if you're in a hospital bed do you need someone with the gift of teaching or evangelism, maybe.

But what you probably really need is someone with the gift of mercy that would, just take you by the hand and sit there with you not try to explain everything to you and just be a loving Christian walk with you through it.

You may have the gift in it even though you had that gift is the bottom line to start taking bold steps of faith and see what the Lord will do.

I found out I wasn't called to be a musician some years ago at Calvary Chapel in the days of the Jesus movement. All these bands were forming all the time love song blessed faith country faith mustard seed feedlot to groups of the same faith in them so I was at this little home Bible study and there was a man there who was a good guitar player and singer. Ernie wrote a song. As I wrote this song, and he sang the song were all singing along in the home Bible study with this new song. And then there was very this very talented flautist someone who could play a flute beautifully in their plane, and so I'm sort of keeping percussion on that on the little coffee table so someone said let's form a bed. Next thing I know were booked at Calvary Chapel to perform. So here's this.doc church are remembered vividly in my mind there's a guy comply guitar.

Here's a guy can play the flute and I'm up there with conga drum and they start playing.

I realized I really don't have that great of a sense of rhythm and why am I here and I don't want to be here okay good process of elimination are not called conga drums was later I discovered what I was called to do. But sometimes again it's process of elimination.

But here's what I'm saying you'll never know what your spiritual gift is to you. Take some steps of faith. Some have musical and artistic talent. Some have more of a technical talent like crunching numbers five spiritual we don't need anybody to balance the budget. You do you need all these people to do their job. Maybe you're a great visionary, but you're not great at nuts and bolts. Then again you might be more of a detail person. Everyone is a role to play a gift given to them by God. Be a risk taker watch with the Lord will do again. The Bible says don't neglect the gift that is in you is another translation puts it again. Keep your gift dusted up there some to think about enclosing your never too small for God use only to pick doesn't make sense. You're never too small for God use only two bit so you can go God could never use me all. Actually, you might be more qualified than you think. Because God goes out of his way to find unexpected people to do unexpected things God chooses the foolish things of the world. The Bible says to what confound the wise so that some of us are. There's no way that person is called Adithya. They are called to do that.

You see, so just be available to the Lord the church is a family and you have a seat at the table.

We are not a perfect family, but there is no such thing as a perfect family, the church is a dysfunctional family right it's true I came from a dysfunctional family and I'm the head of a dysfunctional family.

But I try to put the phone in dysfunction. Look, there were flawed what you looking for what you expect were flawed people working together but you of a place at this table you see before I was a Christian I wanted a family because I didn't really want my mom was gone. Every night outworking.

I was just home alone. She gave me enough money to go over to a place called the snapshot, later to become cocoas, later to become Ruby's Pacific Coast Highway same location that I would go there every night and I would buy a hamburger, French fries and a vanilla shake every night, hamburger, French fries and a vanilla shake. I have to admit I was pretty happy with that is get but after a while I got kinda tired of eating by myself even though it was a hamburger, French fries and a vanilla shake so I would tell my friends, this is what I eat every night you're so lucky.

We have to go home and sit with our family as a yeah but then one of these kids invited me over to his home one night for a family meal and I kept going back and the food wasn't even good. I had to come to miss the hamburger French fries and been only shake but I like this idea of a family is mom there's a bad wow brothers and sisters talking together with the eight things I don't like I don't like peas. They had peas, but I like family and I think deep down inside, we all long for family. Maybe some of you came from a broken family or a messed up family and you've never had family you have a family now you're with your family. This is the family were the church. There's a place at the table for you. There's room at the cross for you as the old song says, though many of gone there still room for one there's room at the cross for you. If you're not in our family. If you're not in God's family. You can join. Right now, maybe I'm talking to somebody right now that feels unloved, unappreciated, unnoticed I want you to know that God loves you. God appreciate you. God notices you tell me will think God is mad at them know God is mad about you. I love that blessing that the priest would pronounce over the people recorded in number six. They would say this over and over again to the people of Israel like as a reminder and they would say you know it.

The Lord bless you. The Lord keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you. The Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace me a lot about how does it start the Lord mess your life up. So what is this, it says the Lord bless you God loves to bless you. God wants to bless you even more than you want to be blessed the Lord bless you. The Lord keep you. We worry about our future. With this happens to me. What if that happens to me.

What if I walk away from my face skews me. The Lord bless you. The Lord keep you ill keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you, what is that mean that means when you walk in the room God's face lights up. He loves to see you and have his countenance shine upon you, means you have God's full attention sometimes little kids are trying to get the attention of their mom or dad is a mom and dad and mom and dad looking at the phone or dents of Mills annexing little kids like take the face of the parent their little mom you know sometimes we may feel that way with God, Lord, Lord, are you listening yeah he's watching you of this full attention. He's interested in you and he loves you and he cares about you, that's God. Some people have an opposite view of God. God loves you and he loves you so much. He sent his only son Jesus to die in the cross for your sin wider that even have to happen because you and I have broken God's commandments. You and I have sinned against God, but the Bible says why we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. For God so loved the world gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Christ died for you so you can ever relationship with him and I want to close with a prayer if you're not sure of Jesus is living in your heart if you've not yet joined the family of God. If you want your sin forgiven. This is your opportunity to do it right here right now. Let's all pray father speak to those that do not know you draw them to yourself.

Help them to see their need for you in Jesus name I pray, amen relationship with the Lord.

Pastor Greg Laurie wants to help you do that before today's addition of a new beginning wraps up so please stay with us just a moment away with Pastor Greg were making available your inspiring book called Steve McQueen the salvation of an American icon. Yes, it tracks the spiritual journey of one of the biggest stars of his time. He passed away in 1980. How would Steve McQueen and wanted to be remembered where I think he would want to have been remembered as a man who finally found what he was looking for his seat. Wednesday was a little boy.

His mother was too busy partying the way they have time for him. She was an alcoholic, married and divorced multiple times.

Steve never knew his biological father. He was sent off to live with this grandparents enough to live with an uncle sent off to a reform school. He was an unwanted child that sent him on his search early in life. I think Steve that all of I just had a cool card be happier or if I was married I'd be happier if I had a huge career in Hollywood.

I'd be happy or whatever it wasn't any actually got all those things he wanted in a whole lot more and he still wasn't happy.

He finally found what he was looking for in a relationship with Jesus Christ effect.

Steve said before he died after he became a Christian. My only regret in life is that it was not able to tell more people about what Christ done for me so I wanted to tell his story and I wrote a book about Kim. It's called Steve McQueen the salvation of an American icon, we go with Steve through his very difficult childhood to the peak of his Hollywood success. And then we see his life unraveling. Then we see it coming together when he finds this relationship with the Lord and then the struggle that he had with cancer but even more the hope that he had that he carried to that last moment before he went to be with the Lord in heaven.

It's a very inspiring story.

It's a surprising story. It's a story that will move you and I trust that you get a copy of this book that you want to share with someone else who does not yet know the Lord saw send you for your gift of any size. A copy of this book, Steve McQueen, the salvation of an American icon yet is right in your partnership is a key ingredient in allowing these daily studies to continue here were completely listener supported. So thanks so much for your partnership and when you give right now.

Be sure to ask for Pastor Greg's book, Steve McQueen, the salvation of an American icon. You can call us at 1-800-821-3300 call anytime 24 seven, 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and here's Pastor Greg once again let me close with this thought. Would you like Jesus Christ to come into your life would you like your sin forgiven. Would you like to fill the hole in your soul.

Would you like to go to heaven when you die. If so just stop what you're doing and pray this prayer with me.

You can pray it out loud if you like you can pray it in the quietness of your heart. If you choose, but pray this prayer. This is a prayer of asking Jesus Christ to come into your life. Pray these words Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. I discern from that sin. Now, and I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for hearing this prayer in answering this prayer in Jesus name I pray, amen. Hey, did you just pray that prayer if so I want to congratulate you and be the first to say welcome to the family of God. That's right, you have a whole new life in front of you now, and to help you begin living this new life. Pastor Greg would like to censor free follow-up resources your way called our new believers growth packet. It'll help you get started in living your life for the Lord can resend it to you just ask for the new believers growth packet. You can call us at 1-800-821-3300. We are here to take your call around-the-clock. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click on know God when next I Pastor Greg highlights those characteristics that reveal that we been spending time with Jesus. Good insight join us here on a new beginning. Pastor and Bible feature Greg Laurie everybody thinks her list. Beginning this is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. So for more content can help you know God and equip you to make him known to others or to learn more about how you can become a harvest partner. Just go to harvest.org