• She mounts the horse unassisted and the horse immediately springs into motion.
• It gallops along at a steady and rhythmic pace, but the woman begins to slip from the saddle.
• In terror, she grabs for the horse's mane, but cannot seem to get a firm grip.
• She tries to throw her arms around the horse's neck, but she slides down the side of the horse anyway. The horse gallops along, seemingly oblivious to its slipping rider.
• Finally, giving up her frail grip, she leaps away from the horse and tries to throw herself to safety. Unfortunately, her foot has become entangled in the stirrup and she is now at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as her head strikes the ground over and over again. As her head is battered against the ground, she is mere moments away from unconsciousness when....the Wal-Mart manager sees her and shuts off the machine.
What may seem difficult for some is not difficult for others. The passage of scripture that we are going to deal with may seem difficult for some, but as we look at it more closely we find it is not.
This passage deals with one thought that seems to keep resurfacing in this passage. It is a THOUGHT that can be summed up in one word.
WHAT IS THE WORD? It is the word “EVERY”.
For example, notice:
I. EVERY BELIEVER IS GIFTED
Look at verse 7, we read, “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”
• Sometimes we look at a gifted person and think to ourselves, “I wish I was gifted like that!”
• Sometime folks will say, “I do not have any gifts”.
That is not true and that is exactly what the devil wants every believer to think.
Notice again, the Word of God says, “But unto EVERY ONE of us is given…the gift of Christ.”
You might not have the gifts that someone else has, but God has given you a gift.
Sometimes society makes people think they are without talent and worthless and do not possess any special gifts.
Illus: For example, during the Clinton Administration they passed The Non-Abled Workers Act.
This is how it was written up in the newspaper: “Congress approved the Americans With No Abilities Act, sweeping new legislation that provides benefits and protection for more than 135 million talentless Americans.”
“The act, signed into law by the President is being hailed as a major victory for the millions upon millions of U.S. citizens who lack any real skills or uses.”
President Clinton said, "Roughly 50 percent of Americans--through no fault of their own--do not possess the talent necessary to carve out a meaningful role for themselves in society. Sadly, for these millions of non-abled Americans, the American dream of working hard and moving up through the ranks is simply not a reality."
When I read stuff like this, it makes me angry because they are telling people, “You are TO DUMB TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, but vote for us and WE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.”
Listen, EVERYONE has gifts. Sometimes they have to use their imagination and discover how they can use their talents, but they are not “talentless”. They can make it like everyone else if they will find their niche in life.
Illus: I can take you to a Chinese restaurant where they are very limited in speaking English, but they came to America which was not an easy thing to do. They worked hard and bought a restaurant and make a descent living.
The government does not give them any assistance. They are making it in a foreign country by using their God-given talent to cook Chinese food for the American people.
The American politicians have found out that one of the best ways to stay in office is to convince people they are “talentless”. They have also convinced them that if they vote for them, they will see to it that Uncle Sam will assist them and provide for them.
President Ronald Reagan cut himself out a page in the history books because he made people feel good about themselves and their country. We all have gifts.
Illus: Someone said, “People are like Potatoes.” As we look at the gifts some seem to have, we can see why they say that.
For example:
• Some people are very bossy and like to tell others what to do, but don't want to soil their own hands. They are called "Dick Tators."
• Some people never seem motivated to participate, but are just content to watch while others do the work. They are called "Speck Tators."
• Some people never do anything to help, but are gifted at finding fault with the way others do the work. They are called "Comment Tators."
• Some people are always trying to cause problems by asking others to agree with them. It is too hot or too cold, too sour or too sweet. They are called "Agie Tators."
• There are those who say they will help, but somehow just never get around to actually doing the promised help. They are called "Hezzie Tators."
• Some people can put up a front and pretend to be someone they are not. They are called "Emma Tators."
• Then there are those who do what they say they will. They are always prepared to stop whatever they are doing and lend a helping hand. They bring real sunshine into the lives of others. They are called "Sweet Tators."
But actually, when God talks about “Gifts” He is not talking about natural gifts, but highly specialized gifts given to edify the church.
There are two things we need to consider about these gifts:
(1) They are given to us in the measure of our ability.
Notice again the scriptures, “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”
God gives gifts according to the abilities we possess.
Illus: Did you know that a genius can go to a seminar of higher learning and perhaps comprehend everything is being said and much more? An average person might go and hear the same seminar, but can only comprehend a fourth of what is being said. WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE?
• A normal person can hear around a 180 words a minute and comprehend what they are hearing.
• But a genius can hear between 700 to 800 words a minute and comprehend everything they hear.
The gifts God gives us vary from person to person. But the gifts God gives us are given to us in the measure of our ability.
Illus: A person that has an IQ of room temperature should not think God has called him to be a brain surgeon.
God does not give us gifts that we are not capable of using. They are given in the MEASURE OF OUR ABILITY.
But notice something else-
(2) God gives a measure of grace to use those abilities.
No one will be able to stand before the Lord on Judgment Day and say, “God you gifted me, but you never gave me grace to use the gift.” With the gift comes the grace to use the gift.
Another reason we can all be thankful that God gives grace with the gift is because we can imagine what it would be like for someone to want to get up and sing, that did not have the gift to sing. So, thank the Lord He does not give them the grace to try!
EVERY BELIEVER IS GIVEN A GIFT, and -
II. EVERY BELIEVER’S GIFT IS COSTLY
When you give a gift, it is going to cost someone something. The gifts the Lord Jesus gives were costly.
Christ has gone to war on our behalf and He won the battle, and now HE GIVES THE GIFT OF PURPOSE FOR LIVING.
Many today are not living with PURPOSE IN LIFE, they are buying time.
Illus: Some people think that when they wake up each day, they have no purpose in living.
• They will dress, eat, and work
• When the next day comes around they will dress, eat and work
• Weeks, months, and years go by, and this is about the only thing they do with their life
This is the only purpose in life they have each day; dress, eat and work
Listen, the Lord Jesus came and died. WHY DID HE DO THIS? (Two things to consider)
(1) To provide eternal life for us where we will worship and SERVE HIM IN HEAVEN.
(2) To provide us earthly life with gifts, so that we can worship and SERVE HIM HERE ON EARTH.
This is a TREMENDOUS GIFT that cost Him a TREMENDOUS PRICE.
Look at verses 8-10, we read, “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)”
He left the portals of heaven and descended into the lower parts of the earth.
III. EVERY BELIEVER’S GIFT IS CHRIST-CENTERED
What are you doing with the gifts He has given you?
Illus: A Jewish gentleman, fresh out of gift ideas, bought his mother-in-law a large plot in an expensive cemetery.
On her next birthday, he bought her nothing. She was quick to comment loud and long on his thoughtlessness. He replied, "Well, you haven't used the gift I gave you last year yet."
There are a lot of folks who want the Lord to give them gifts and they haven’t used the ones He has already given them.
Look at verse 11, we read, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.”
Look at the words, “He gave”.
He is the one who gives spiritual gifts to the church.
• It is not something we decide
• It is not something we work up
Christ, who paid this tremendous price for us, is qualified to give gifts to the church.
Notice, Paul lists some of the gifts God has given.
• He gave some apostles
• He gave some prophets
• He gave some evangelists
• He gave some pastors
• He gave some teachers
We hear much these days about the gifts of EVANGELISTS, PASTORS, AND TEACHERS. We seldom hear about the gift of APOSTLES AND PROPHETS. Why?
The reason we do not hear about these two gifts in the church is because scripture reveals that these two gifts would cease.
(1) WHO WAS AN APOSTLE?
• He was a man chosen directly by the Lord Himself or by the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 10:1-2; Mark. 3:13-14; Luke. 6:13; Acts 9:6;15; 13:2; 22:10, 14-15; Romans 1:1)
• He was a man who had seen or been a companion of the Lord Jesus.
• He was a man who was an eyewitness of the resurrected Lord Jesus. (Acts 1:21-22; 1 Cor. 9:1)
Due to these requirements of an apostle, no one today can say they are an apostle.
(2) WHO WAS A PROPHET?
Prophets were used before the Scriptures were complete. They spoke under the inspiration of God’s Spirit. God spoke directly through them to the people.
Since the Scripture is now complete, and we are not to add to the scriptures or take away from the scriptures, there is no need for prophets.
Revelation 22:18, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.”
Today it would be improper to preach or teach something that is not in the scriptures because they are now complete.
Today God anoints men to teach and preach His Word. The need of a prophet is gone when we have the complete canon of scriptures.
IV. EVERY BELIEVER’S GIFT HAS A PURPOSE
The gifts God gives us are not to tear the BODY OF CHRIST DOWN, but to BUILD THE BODY OF CHRIST UP.
If everyone uses the gifts God has given them, the body of Christ will be edified when they come together.
Look at verses 12-14, we read, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”
When everyone is using the gifts God has given them, the church grows spiritually, and the Bible says the church is not , “TOSSED TO AND FRO” because we all are supplying what the others need.
Look at verses 15-16, we read, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
Conclusion:
I. EVERY BELIEVER IS GIFTED
II. EVERY BELIEVER’S GIFT IS COSTLY
III. EVERY BELIEVER’S GIFT IS CHRIST-CENTERED
IV. EVERY BELIEVER’S GIFT HAS A PURPOSE
Note: You can hear Dr Odell Belger preach some of these sermons on Youtube. Type Youtube and the word Lykesland
