Talent Giving! Series

"Talent Giving!"

" The 3 T’s - Time, Treasure, and Talent" series

part 3 of 3

Text: 1Peter 4:7-11; Mt. 25:14-30 & Selected

Cross Creek Community Church

Pastor Dave Martin - Feb. 25, 2001

www.crosscreekcc.org

God’s Word is Powerful, Relevant, and Life Changing!

1 Peter 4:7-11 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

We will WORSHIP and SERVE our Lord for all eternity in Heaven! Today, while you have life itself, be faithful using your 3T’s - your Time, your Treasures, & your Talents. Today we are going to look at using your talents, spiritual gifts, your abilities the Lord has given to you. Each one of us are divinely crafted and intricately interwoven together. God made you to be you, just the way you are. God has never made junk, He hand crafted your life together and made you for a purpose. There is no chance with God, he doesn’t make mistakes. He crafted you with certain abilities we call talent, and as Christians he has given us certain Spiritual Gifts to be used serving Him.

Understanding Our Spiritual Gifts or Talents...

"Spiritual gifts" - Abilities, talents, responsibilities God gives believers to serve Him and others.

1. Spiritual gifts are GIVEN by God.

V10 "...use whatever gift he has received..."

* Each believer receives at least one spiritual gift. Each person is given a different portion.

* There is a crossover when we look at Spiritual gifts and our natural abilities. Both are given to us.

* Spiritual gifts are given according to our abilities (Mt. 25:15), what we are able to handle.

Matthew 25:15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

* The reason they are given is to fulfill God’s purpose on earth. God uses people - ordinary people.

* Jesus didn’t call college graduates or, God called and gifted fishermen, tax collectors, etc

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

2. Use to SERVE one another.

V10 "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others.."

* "Serve" - "dia-ko-neo", to minister, to be an attendant, to wait upon, deacon.

* The purpose is to build up the believers, the body, the church of Jesus Christ.

* The responsibility of this ministry is given to us, it is placed within our hands to serve.

* Gifts are not to be used for our own exclusive enjoyment, prestige or power, but for one another.

* There are over 50 passages of scripture, which speaks of the ministry of serving one another.

* Such as: Love one another, pray for one another, help one another, greet, talk with, be in harmony with, accept, teach, admonish, submit to, encourage, show humility to, have hospitality toward, but the ministry of loving one another is the overhanging arch. Our text in verse 8 - "love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins".

* "Deeply" - passionately, fervently, without ceasing. "Covering" - smoothing the rough edges, forgiving and forgetting one another offenses against you.

* This service to Christ is all encompassing. It’s the ministry to one another, it’s also the ministry to the body of Christ, the local church here at Cross Creek.

* Using your spiritual gifts and abilities, the Lord has given to you. To serve, minister, engage in...

* Such as: Carpentry work, painting, cleaning, organizing, finances, teaching, helping, singing, planning, giving financially, serving on the Deacon board, helping in Junior Church or the Nursery, setting up for our fellowship dinner, how about someone willing to clean up afterwards.

* You find deep-seated peace and fulfillment when you’re involved in talent giving. Sowing, sowing.

3. Serving requires FAITHFULNESS.

V10 "...faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms."

* Each opportunity that is lost, amounts to being unfaithful. God requires faithfulness in service.

* The Lord doesn’t save us to sit on the pew. He called us into the battle, to be involved.

* KJV - "Good stewards" "administrator" one who served as a house manager; he had no wealth of his own, but distributed his master’s wealth according to his master’s will and direction.