Assessing the S.H.A.P.E. You're In, Part 1

If you are saved by grace through faith have all given you one or more spiritual gifts, whether you're in touch with them or not, whether you have identified them or not they are there.

If you are a child of the living God. You've been given unique abilities special gifts designed to help you achieve your calling in Christ hello and welcome to Destin for victory with pastor Paul Sheppard, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California today.

You'll find out what kind of shape you're in comes to managing your gifts and talents as you follow along. Pay special attention to that word shape.

It's the key to remembering the five areas you want to examine so you can make the best use of your God-given abilities. Today's message is straight ahead so stay right here or visit pastor Paul.net to listen on demand any time you can also subscribe or podcast Apple podcast stitcher or wherever you go to get yours now. Let's join Pastor Paul for today's Destin for victory message assessing the shape you're in. I want to spend a couple of messages looking at the way God would have us manage our gifts and talents. We want to begin that by assessing the shape you're in and shape is an acronym not original with me Rick Warren. I think if the person who it originated with.

He certainly has popularized it but using shape as an acronym, so I want to borrow that concept and talk through these matters with you.

Shape is an acronym. Here's what it stands for the S stands for spiritual gifts and callings.

Make note of that spiritual gifts and callings. The age stands for heart will examine what's in your heart as it pertains to what the Lord would have you do with your talents and abilities. BA stands for abilities abilities. There are some things that aren't spiritual gifts, but they are God-given abilities, and I believe that if God gave you the ability he wants a return on that investment.

The P stands for personality personality to talk through the fact that you have a unique personality and God wants to use you as you are for his purposes in the earth and the E stands for experiences, experiences, so were going to assess the shape you're in. This is in a sermon as much as it is just out taking some inventory together were going to come and look at our lives together.

Let's start with the spiritual gifts and callings. God has given every believer one or more gifts that are to be used, to serve others and to do his will, in the course of his or her lifetime.

If you are saved by grace through faith in the Lord has already given you one or more spiritual gifts, whether you're in touch with them or not, whether you have identified them or not they are there. The Bible is clear that the gifts are given to every member of the body, according to first Corinthians chapter 12 and we are to use those gifts not sit on them.

First Peter chapter 4 and verse 10 says this, each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. I want you to note that verse in first Peter God says I've given you want a more gives there to be used to serve other people so that you can faithfully administer God's grace in its various forms. In other words, God didn't give you a gift for you to just sit on it and decided one day you might perhaps consider the possibility of exploring the feasibility of doing something somebody rather God gave you the gift that is a clear calling that you're supposed to do something with it. So much so that at the end of it all. We are going to be just the way you are in the body of Christ need understand that great final judgment doesn't just take one form where most familiar with the form of judgment where you know the sheep will be on one hand and the goats on the other and God will say to these folks enter and save these folks depart, but listen is going to be more aspects to final judgment than that there's going to be the assessment of what did you do with the calling. I placed on your life and you don't want to be in a position to tell God. I know you gave me a talent but I buried it because I have some concerns.

I have some challenges. I wasn't quite sure this or that or the other. God is going to want an excellent return on his investment, and if you give him an excellent return on his investment. It will bless your life through all eternity. There are gifts and rewards that we will receive our faithfulness here. We are going to happen, but not all of us are going to receive the same reward from the Lord. I want as many of the solar gram is going on in heaven.

My main goal quite a bit. I'm being facetious, but the serious point is if God gave you a gift he gave you a calling that you to do something with some of you unfamiliar with spiritual gifts because you don't come from a background that taught much about the gifts at all. But take some time and look at passages like first Corinthians 12 verses eight through 10. Find nine gifts listed there. You look at verse 28 of first Corinthians 12 you'll find some more gifts listed there and if you look at Romans chapter 12 you'll find some more gifts listed there.

Then if you look at Ephesians 4 in verse 11. You'll find five.

What are sometimes called the fivefold offices in the church, God called some to be apostles, some to be prophets on the beat evangelism to be pastors and teachers, commonly called the fivefold ministry. I don't believe that all of the gifts are mentioned in Scripture, but rather these are just samplings of what God might do through you.

I think there some other areas of gifting, sports, and some people are gifted in the area of dreams and visions. And God shows you some things very clearly and that's not named as a spiritual gift per se, but you do see the practice of God giving dreams and visions throughout the course of Scripture and so I believe that to be a spiritual gift and that's just one example of several other things that I believe our spiritual gifts so the ideas you want to get on the business are pursuing the understanding and most importantly the release of the spiritual gifts in your life, God, if you put the gift in me show it revealed it. Help me to get in touch with it.

So make that amount our prayer Lord revealed to me how you want to use me in the area of spiritual gifting and then as you feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit, then branch out and began to practice it, you get good at what you practice.

So if you have a sense if you receive a word from the Lord that you been given a particular gift then immediately began to use it don't way you don't get zapped with a perfected ability to do anything for God. You have to practice it fully and allow the anointing and your use of the gift to develop. Let me give you an Old Testament analogy not about spiritual gifts, but it will help you to draw the line.

David didn't start out killing Goliath.

He started out defending his daddy sheep before he went after a giant he learned the kill an animal. So we all want giants but you haven't taken on yet and so you gotta start with what's in your current lifestyle.

So sorry you feel that the Lord has gifted you in some area of healing. There are different gifts of healing, according first. So say you believe God's given you one of the gifts of healing and the maybe there's a certain type of disease or sickness you feel called to pray for people and see results. I know people feel called to pray for women who can conceive an obscene prayer result in after the doctor said a woman will never get pregnant. I've seen several people get pregnant because somebody gifted pray for them and so if you feel called to a particular area, you got a start lay hands on folks here.

Let's apply. That's why God gave it against him in Jesus name affliction or sickness in the memo is not your job is God's job is my job was that again he'll die you will obey your guaranteed not to get healed by ministers to you and so we have to learn to exercise the gifts will explore look at the passages of Scripture Lord revealed to me what you have given me and gifted me to do and begin to exercise it.

That's the S the H stands for heart, let's look at your heart. Luke 645 Jesus said these important words. Jesus said the good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart, an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored in his heart for the mouth speaks what the heart is full of it is important then for you to understand that if God has saved you by his grace and made you that good man but a good woman that Jesus began to speak about the first part of that verse. Then there are some good things stored in your heart. If these major good man and woman. Jesus always told you that Baeza some good stuff stored on The second half of today's destined for victory message with pastor Paul Sheppard. We want to thank all of you whose prayers and financial support help Esther Paul share the gospel all over the world and right now as we begin to emerge from the pandemic. Many have questions or need of hope and encouragement if there's one thing we've learned it's that in times of crisis, people are looking for answers that only God can give. So is God please prayerfully consider making a gift to destined for victory today.

Call 855-339-5500 to give over the phone or visit pastor Paul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. God is put a few things in you talents and spiritual gifts, maybe even a dream or a vision of his plan for you is up to you to discover what those things are and then take the next is pastor Paul arrested today's message assessing the shape you're in. So the question now is how my going to do the will of God if I don't stop and assess what he has put in my heart. God starts his work through.

It starts on the inside of us. You see passages like flip is chapter 2 where it says it is God who is at work in us both to will and the do of his good pleasure. People real comfortable God at work in us, but right next to that verse is a verse that says therefore you are to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, so the two verses paired together simply tell you, God has put some things in you that you have to work out of you.

God you work it out and it's your job to work out what God has worked in because if you don't work it out it will stay dormant in your heart.

Now it's not you but somebody on your role has spent far too much time saying one day, do so proceeded to fill out who it is somebody on somebody on your one of these days there be a difference maker will change or do some for God because it's in their heart. What I'm here to tell you you got a workout what's in your heart. Let me just give you three simple question. There lots of questions you could ask yourself as you explore what's in your heart. Let me just offer three questions for you to consider regarding your heart. Here's the first one. What group of people or type of work do you feel most called to one of the questions you want to explore this week and in the coming weeks and months as you seek to make sure you empty your heart into a lifestyle of serving God. What group of people or if it's not a group of people. What type of work do you most feel called to. That's one question here's a second question to consider as you explore and assess what's in your heart. One of the needs I feel most drawn to one of the needs I feel most drawn to see everybody you say don't have some level of compassion as you see unmet needs in the world but seeing unmet needs is not the same as having that kind of burden that makes you feel like you gotta do something about it. Third question what clause am I most passionate about what causes their particular calls in the world that I feel extremely passionate about those of the kinds of questions that will help you arrive at what is in your heart to give you a biblical example, mail my in the Old Testament is a man who not only saw a need and was drawn to it but it was such a deeply felt burden that he had to do something as he heard more and more people were returning he said I have to do something about this. What you see in the world that you feel like I'm going to die if I don't do something about this. Those are indications of what's in your heart, let's go to abilities. Let's go to abilities BA in shape stands for abilities. Now here's what the Bible says in Psalm 139 verse 14.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made your works are wonderful. I know that full well. The psalmist, there is rejoicing in the fact that as he looks at himself.

He says God you made me in a very peculiar way fearfully and wonderfully made the ideas you made me with such intricacies that I'm not like just everybody else your works in me that is wonderful.

I know that full well.

Do you realize that God made you in terms of your abilities and personalities. You are a designer's original. Your design is original. Just like your fingerprints are unique to you. There's a lot more about you that is unique to you Prince are just an external expression of your uniqueness before God.

Now you need to get comfortable with that. You need to get comfortable with that because there are a lot of people not you but somebody one euro who are working hard to be like somebody else. Well, God called you to learn from others. God called you to be inspired by others, God called you to grow under good to lose your mother's God called you to be submitted to the leadership of others. But God called you to surrender your uniqueness to anybody. You are supposed to be you. That's why you are you is by divine design. You are intentionally unique called by God to be you and let me tell you something, the joy in getting this revelation is once you finally get it, you will be out of the business of comparing yourself to other folks forever because you will better understand I'm not going to answer to God for how much like that person. I am I'm going to answer to God for how I embraced my own uniqueness and used it for his glory. You now suppose the basis like that woman you not talk like you got show unique calling and God use you in a unique way stop yourself to other people. Free yourself from that be inspired to do some good about her that you want to emulate that. Find the best of her disciplines are all the ways that she is enhanced or whatever good but you have no business going to a plastic surgeon saying make me on TV they don't andtheywentsomewhereandspentthousandsofdollarslooklikesomebodywhoisinthefirstcaseandsoyouwanttofreeyourselffrombrothersdonotcalledtobelikethatmanyouarecalledtobethebestyoucanbeyougotthatoldspicecommercialtemplateinawhile,butcoupleyearsbackthatitowesmuchmorethanarealhandsomestrappingbarrelwonderfulmanandyouknowhe'stellingtellingthewomanthatlookatmenowlookatmerecentlyinmen'sdiscipleshipasweweretalkingabouttheimportanceofmakingsuretherearenofantasiesactiveinyourlifeyou'recalledtobeyourself,andwetalkedaboutthatallspiceguybecauseifyoucompareustolosethosecanbemadeifhetriestogetabriefTKLeeacaselikeme.CallmewhybecauseIdidn'tdowhatI'mcalledtodocallingunlesshegivesyoutofulfillthecallyouyoungstrappinghandsomePerelmanyou.Godblessyou.IthoughtagoodfightasmycourseIgotmylittletwochildrenleaveoldcrazyoldmanstilljustaman.Iwilldomy20wheremyallyeahyeahabilities,youruniquebyyouruniqueoaklearnfromgrowasaresultofexposuretoallthatisgood.PaulsaidtothechurchatCorinth.HesaidIcancomebutI'msendingmyspiritualsonTimothytoyouwhowillshowyoumywayswhichbeinChrist.WhybecauseTimothyhadlearnedeverythinghecouldfromaspiritualdaddy.PaulandhehadPaulinthem.SoPaulsaidwhenhecomes,hewillshowyoueverythingandgodoitthewayIwoulddoit.That'sright.Butifyounoticetherestoftheirspiritualtrajectory.PaulnevercalledTimothytotrytoministerlikehim.HesaidtoTimothy,therearegiftsthatweregiventoyouthroughthelayingonofmindandtheothereldershandsandyouaretostoreupthosegifts.YouarenottotrytobemeandTimothywhostartedoutshyendedupbeingthebishopofthechurchatEphesusandlongafterPaul'sheadwascutoffforthesakeofthegospel.Timothy,hissonhadbasketballinthem,butheexpressedtohisownanointingandhisowncalling.That'swhatGodcalledyoutodowithtryingtobeautifulyouwillfailmiserably.Thankssomuchforbeingherefortoday'smessageassessingtheshape.It'sbeenanothergreatweekhereinDestinforvictoryandweresogladyouwerepartofitbeforewesaysolongfortheweekendthough.IwanttothankyouonbehalfofPastorPaulintheentireministryteamforallyoudotomakethedestinedforvictoryministrypossibleandwewanttosayspecialthankyoutoallourdestinedforvictorypartners,agroupoffriendswhohavecommitted$20ormoreamonthtohelpkeepdestinedforvictoryontheair.Wecouldn'tdothiswithoutyou.Orperhapsyoubeenblessedbythisministryandwouldliketomakethiscommitment.Ifyousignuptodaywillsendyousomespecialwelcomegiftsincludingthebestofletmypeoplesmile.AsamplingofsomeofPastorPaul'smosthumorousstoriesandillustrationsandtrulyoneofthemostpopularresources,butthebiggestbenefityoureceiveistheblessingofknowingyouarehelpingusreachtheworld.RadioandInternetprograms.Call855-339-5500tobecomeadestinedforvictorypartnertoday.That's855-339-5500oryoucanalsomailyourgiftwitness.NoyouwishtobecomeapartneroraddressisdestineforvictoryPOBox1767,Fremont,CA94538.Ofcourseifyouareunabletobecomeourpartnertoday.Wouldyouwanttomakeagenerousgift.Weshouldaskforthismonth'sofferPastorPaul'sbookletdon'tonasolidfoundationrequestthatwhenyoucall855-339-5500wanttobethebestyoucanbebethebestyou,youcanbe.Here'sPastorPaulthat'swhatGodcalledyoutodoquick,tryingtobeautifulyouwillfailmiserably.Borninoriginaldon'tdieacopythisnexttimeitpastorPaulShepard'smessageassessingtheshapeyou'rein.Untilthen,rememberhewhobeganagoodworkinyouwillbringittocompletioninChrist,youaredestinedforvictory