Unwrapping Your Gift Part 2

Looking to Jesus. If people aren't serving where God wants them to serve in the local church to hold ministering chain today will learn what spiritual gifts are and why it's so vital that we find out which gift we have from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is with Dr. when teaching sauce make it across the finish line is for a believer to have more than one spiritual gift, Dave. I think the answer is yes. I mean, God gifts people and sometimes we are in positions of leadership where we need to exercise various spiritual gift, but at the same time.

It's very important to emphasize that no one has all the gifts and that's why the body of Jesus Christ is needed. I hope that this series of messages is an encouragement to all those who are listening and know that there is a place where they fit within the body.

Let me ask you a different question was COBIT.

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The judgment of God and what is his relationship to natural disasters to diseases to pandemics. I've written a new book entitled pandemics, plagues and natural disasters. What is God saying to us and I discussed these kinds of questions. More importantly, I show how that the Bible gives us hope, not just when things go well, but when things fall apart for a gift of any amount. This book can be yours.

Here is what you do go to RTW offeror.com that's RTW offeror.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and now let us open our Bibles as we continue our discussion of spiritual gifts very important for our walk with God. There is a lot of overlap here in the gifts just like wisdom and knowledge have overlaps all gifts of healing and the effect of miracles, prophecy in the early church there were those who would foretell the future. Prophecy is also preaching and sharing the word of God. I don't mean standing behind a pulpit and preaching.

It may be that being able to get that word of exhortation profits are always very hard on sin they have a great hatred for hypoxia say and and therefore profits are often not well liked distinguishing of spirits. Jesus said that someday, there may be those who would come before him and say Lord, have we not prophesied in your name and in your name. We've done many wonderful works.

Jesus will say to them. I never knew you. You are workers of iniquity. The distinguishing up spirits how desperately that is needed today because within the church today you have those who think that everything that is supernaturalism.

God as long as it is done in the name of Jesus. Not so the miracles in the seventh chapter of Matthew Don in the name of Christ. Christ will say I never knew you. So that is a gift and then tongs and the interpretation of tongues.

There also two other gifts that are listed a little later in the chapter and we can pick those up in verse 28 near the end of the verse that says and helps an administration to other gifts.

Now if you take Romans chapter 12 what you should do some time and also Ephesians 4 you take those passages you find that there may be 19 or 20 different gifts and because the list does not seem to be exhaustive in any particular passage. It may be that Paul says these are the kinds of ways that God gifts people the body, for example, music is not listed, and yet we know that there are those who have special musical gifts. Apostle Paul would not be opposed to that, he would encourage that it is that these are the ways by which gift being takes place that the church might be edified now are all very different and that we we like to be the same.

We like to have everybody the teachers would like to have everybody teach the administrators would like to have everybody administrate those with the gifts of helps would like to have every buddy have that I need as those who have the gift of helps have a disorders would like everybody to be exhort her's fact is that the body is more diverse than that there is a story which one of our pastors. They gave me which he used once and I asked him for a copy.

He says Once upon a time long ago all the animals decided to form a school. I'm sure it was probably homeschooling but anyway they established a well-rounded curriculum of swimming, running, climbing and flying now to make it easier to monitor the program all the animals took all the courses, the duck was excellent at swimming. In fact, he was better than his instructor, but he only made passing grades in climbing and was very poor and running fact he was so slow he had to stay after school to practice his running now. This caused his webbed feet to become so badly worn.

He became only average in swimming but average was quite acceptable so no one worried about it except the duck rabbit started out at the top of her class in running but after a while she developed this twitch in her leg from all of the time spent in the water trying to improve her swimming at the end of the semester she received a D+ in running the squirrel was a peak performer when climbing, but experienced constant frustration when trying to fly. His body became so badly worn from all the landings that he could only get a C in climbing ended D in running how the Eagle was a problem student. He was severely disciplined for being a nonconformist inclining class. He would always beat everyone else to the top of the tree, but insisted rather in using his way to get there so he got it incomplete.

The Eagle was a problem child.

Well you get the point. Each creature has been created with a specific area of expertise. We have been given spiritual gifts or areas in which we will excel unless of course were spending all of our time doing things that got never created us to do. Let's help focus on what this text has to say. By three concluding but there are a very important statements number one, number one, each person has a gift. Notice in verse seven, but each one is given the manifestation of the spirit. Now here she may have more than one gift, but one for sure one for sure.

That is your hard wiring. That doesn't mean that you can't do other gifts you can't say well you know I can't clean up after we have a dinner at the church because I don't have the gift know that's not the way it works. It doesn't mean that we can't function in other areas you can say to yourself, will I can't endure this trial because I don't have the gift of faith know you find that the gifts overlap, you find that there is growth in gifts. There is such a thing as exercising those gifts that aren't really your best form of ministry but everyone has one kind of the gift where they excel and where they are fulfilled and if properly trained, they can serve effectively, take each one is given the gift of the spirit. I feel sorry for people who don't know what their gifts are people who have never unwrapped their gift. They have never taken the time to figure out who they really are and which of the gifts suits them the best next week were going to give you the opportunity to find some help in doing that, but I want you to notice that everyone has a gift in all the listings of gifts in the New Testament, whether in Romans or any Ephesians or in this passage, and nowhere is there a distinction made between the gifts that men have in the gifts that women have I taken from the New Testament that women can exercise all of the gifts that are listed as many different gift as men themselves are able to exercise, God makes no distinction within the body.

Now we do believe that when it comes to the offices of the church when it comes to the responsibility for example of elders that that in the Bible there is therefore male leadership in those categories, but so far as gifting is concerned, so far as service is concerned, God makes no such distinction. I want you to notice that there are three different kinds of gifts. There are speaking gifts which sometimes are exalted the gift of teaching. The gift of being an apostle or the gift of sharing as an exhort of their speaking gifts.

There are sign gifts and they are the ones that cause the controversy today because even in the early church. After the early church. As you look at church history. Many of these miraculous gifts somehow died away, and even during periods of revival. They never took place because the apostles were able to do some very special gifts they received.

Second Corinthians 1212, the apostle Paul says I was able to do the signs of an apostle, but you have speaking gifts. You then have sign gifts and you have the service gifts administration helps etc. now what the apostle Paul is trying to help us to see today is that we matter and we fit somewhere and the body of Jesus Christ is made weaker if were not serving and it is made us stronger. If we serve. But some place some where we fit. God created us to be a part of the body. Take each one is given the manifestation of the spirit is interesting that the apostle Paul calls the more ordinary gifts such as administrating or helping or words of wisdom and knowledge may he consider those also to be the manifestation of the spirit just as much as the miraculous gifts that are listed in the passage so everyone has a gift. Secondly, if you're dissatisfied with your gift. If you're dissatisfied with your gift.

You are dissatisfied with your God.

Notice what it says very clearly in verse 11 but one and the same as spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually. I love that this is not just a code off the rack.

This is tailor-made at this is a gift that suits you exactly because God knows exactly how you're put together. He was there when you are formed in your mother's room and that he gave you all of your hard wiring, as it were, and how we can change the software but there's nothing that we can do with the Basic Raw Way, God made us, but noticed this was not happenstance distributing to each one individually. John asked as he wills you realize that God was there when you were created, some of us look into the mirror and we wonder where he was when we were put together. I want you to know today that you can be satisfied with the way you look at other things that you can do to improve it. Their New Year's resolutions that you can make that will bear fruit of your consistent for 365 days but fundamentally we been created by God.

Our appearance and our giftedness is a part of who we are and if we are dissatisfied we argue with God in next week's message. I'm going to emphasize the great need in the church of the lifting up of the encouragement of of the unseen gifts because there are some gifts that get all the attention, but it's the unseen ones. It's the one that we ones that we don't think are important that Paul is going to say later on are very important to the body. Are you happy with the way God created you.

Are you happy with the way in which you fit within the body and then finally and most importantly, it seems to me that giftedness involves giving this and that is to say that when you read this passage.

The reason that the spirit of God has poured out gifts upon the church is is that we might do service for the common good and that means that we extend ourselves that we commit ourselves that we become involved.

But we sacrifice for the body. That's the whole point of giftedness.

Nobody church is a big church and sometimes we have people come to us who are hurting and they maybe had a bad experience in another church.

Recently I heard about some folks like that in the they come in they may sit in the back and they may leave at the time of the benediction and that they're here to heal and they're here to rethink and to regroup and that's perfectly fine.

We welcome you.

We welcome all who come to the church for whatever reason, obviously, but there does come a time. Even in the lives of people like that over a period of perhaps six months year when they decide that this is going to be there congregation. This is where God has led them that it is time at that point to commit and to say if this is go where God to lead us. This is now where we serve and we pray and we work and where we exercise our gifts within this body, and I want to speak to some of you who've been around a while and you've never committed to this church. I want to speak to you for a moment. I don't believe that it's just a mistake. I don't believe it is just an oversight. I don't believe that is just a bad idea, but I believe that it is an actual sin a sin before God to have people who benefit from the body, but who refused to contribute to the body. It is a sin for some people to say preach to me saying to me keep the church warm for me when I'm sick visit me and when I'm distressed, counseled me, and publisher bulletin. For me, but just see if I'll give my time, my talons, my energies and my money to the church that is a sin sin and that accounts for the weakness of many a local church and a weakness in the body of Jesus Christ read verse 11 again to one and the same as spirit he works all these things, distributing to each one individually as he wills. Why verse seven for the common good. God has gifted you that you might serve the body and strengthen it but we might have a better witness to the world realize the Lord Jesus is never going to say to you, well done, thou good and faithful servant. For thou has listened to 2647 messages and twice that number of choir numbers entered thou into the joy of by Lord you read the context of those words. It is where God says I am gifting you and I am giving you the talents and I am giving you money and I am having you the ability to serve and I am giving you the body you had better serve within it, or else you will miss out you go into our own lobby area.

There you can see a list of those who served in World War II. I believe it is and most churches have a list of people like that.

One day there is the story which some of the preps of her little boy looked up and saw this list and he said mommy who are these people and she said well she said son. Those are the ones who died in the service. He said oh really said which one the morning or the evening.

Today I'm talking to some of you, for all practical purposes have died in the service but I'm also asking you before God to ask him a question and the question is the Lord what will thou have me to do, where do I fit to help us accomplish the goal of being known in the city of Chicago is a caring and culturally diverse community that seeks to see lives changed by the gospel message and we need every single one of you every one of you to be on board and to say, here are my gifts. Here are my talents and and there are times when we are laid aside and God gives us a different gift. Remember what the apostle Paul said he helping together by prayer, there is always something you can do until your dad and we make no more requirements and we had no more burden upon you, but until then, until then we contribute toward the body and now a footnote. There are some of you who who, for whom this message is is far too far along in your own spiritual development. You have to go back a step, you go back a step and realize that you have not received the supreme gift yet and that is the gift of salvation which is a free gift is given to those who believe in Christ.

And when you receive that free gift. You become a member of the body of Jesus Christ.

God will work in your life to help you see what your gift is and then you'll begin to contribute, but to receive Christ and the gift of salvation is the first thing you must do and if you do not know that you have done that, you probably haven't. And even today you can believe in him. Let us pray our father, we want to thank you today that Jesus Christ is gifted his people. We read this in Lord we are astounded at your word which this so clearly so clearly that individually individually you have gifted us according to the way you will make us satisfied the father we think of those who because of fear have never unwrapped their gift.

Those who because of misunderstanding and bitterness in their lives that they have never can best have alienated themselves from the body. They've cut themselves off from the very source of strength that could help them all.

Father bring them to repentance today that there may be no schism in the body, but that there might be the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Maine no one no one in these weeks before us leave moody church without knowing where he or she fits both within the walls and outside the walls of this church and grant to those who have never believed the wonderful gift of eternal life. Pray in Jesus name, amen.

This is Pastor Luther and I need to tell you that when you receive that gift of eternal life. You are spared from the wrath to come. One of the points I make in my new book entitled pandemics, plagues and natural disasters is the fact that what is happening in the world today is a preview of what is to come, and it is a preview of the coming judgment of God during the tribulation.

And Jesus Christ is our refuge. This is a book that is not only an encouragement to Christians, but I deeply believe that it should be given to those who are unbelievers, skeptics, atheists because in it. I also discuss how to respond to those who are angry with God. As a result of what is happening in his world for gift of any amount. This book can be yours. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. The title of the book is pandemics plagues and natural disasters. What is God saying to us, as I've mentioned connect with us. RTW offer.com or if you prefer, call us at 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us wanting to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614. Christians are blessed to be part of an invisible assembly body of Christ worldwide that transcends denominational barriers next time I'm running to win why it's so vital that we understand the body of Christ and are part will turn again to first Corinthians chapter 12 and learn about finding your place running to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your resupply. Thanks for listening. This is Dave Alister running to win is sponsored by the moody church