What Are You Doing With Your Gift?

Refer to “God needs a Body”

          Collectively, we are the Body of Chirst

                    What makes a body healthy?

Eph 4:7-8

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.  8 Therefore He says:

"When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men."

What are you doing with your gift? 

Matt 25:14-19, 23-26

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 

15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

23 His lord said [to the first two], 'Well done, good and faithful servant;

you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

24 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent (hid myself) in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.'

26 "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked (cause pain) and lazy servant.

It causes the Body pain when you hide yourself & your gift 

          Cancer: abnormal disease that spreads in the body

Fear is what causes you to hide

• Afraid of failure, criticism, making a mistake
• Fear of your deficiencies – lack of knowledge and/or ability
• Not knowing what your gift is
• Difficulty finding your place or fit
• Not feeling qualified spiritually

What do you do if you can’t identify your gift or are afraid or are incline to hide? 

David was anointed, with gifts – but he was in hiding

1 Sam 22:1-2

David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.

1 Chron 12:1.  Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war,

Notice the transformation from 1 Sam 22 to 1 Chron 12

They didn’t come with all of their abilities

They became David’s Mighty Men of Valor

1 Chron 12, no longer defined by their deficits

          Defined by their abilities & strengths

How did they transform from being in distress, debt & discontent

Into Mighty men (strength, wealth, influence), helpers in the war? 

Helping the Body, instead of causing pain 

          Being with someone who is in distress, debt & discontent is draining

1.  “David became captain over them”

They submitted to leadership & the vision.  Sub Mission

The lazy servant didn’t catch the vision

 2.  They grew to understand their gifts & purpose by action, doing – taking risks

They had to fight in a weakened condition – assumed responsibilities

3.  They worked together to become a mighty army (Body of Christ)

They learned to value ‘one-another’ – 1 Sam 30:21-25

4.  They strengthened themselves with their leader – 1 Chronicles 11:10

Neuroplasticity:  Challenge you past your ability, you will continue to grow

 Accept the Challenge:

Join Team Abundant Grace – TAG 

Get in the Game - Super Bowl Sunday

1 Cor 9:24 NLT.  Don't you realize that in a sports competition everyone plays,     but only one team gets the trophy?  So play to win!

Know your position 

1 Cor 12:4-7

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.        

• Same word: NASB “variety”.  Also means “divided”

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

The work is to be divided

Ex.  As good as Cam Newton is, it starts with the center & he need blockers

          As accurate as he is as a passer, he still needs good receivers

Every member has a different part to play

          Every member must play their part for the team to win

Perform to the best of your ability

Matt 25:14-16

For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.

We all have ability – just not the same ability

          God expects us to be responsible: respond to our ability

God holds us accountable based on the abilities He has given us

          He doesn’t compare you to anyone else & you shouldn’t either

The ability you have is a gift – you should be anxious to use it

          “Put me in Coach”

A Problem we have in church…

We excuse ourselves from giving our best because we aren’t getting paid

Col 3:23. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

We cannot be content to give “good enough”

The nature of God is to give “more than enough” Mal 3:10

Lev 26:10 You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to get rid of the leftovers from the previous year to make room for each new harvest.

You must be disciplined

1 Cor 9:25. NLT.  All athletes are disciplined in their training.

They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.

27. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.

Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

We are called to be disciples – disciplined

Discipline is not about restrictions

It’s about preparation for excellent performance

There are disciplines that you should have that others don’t have

Because you have a different goal & a different finish line

Discipline starts before the game

Practices. Meetings. Being on time – get fined if not on time

Discipline is the foundation for Excellence

You must have a burning desire to play – not content on the bench

John 2:17. Passion for God's house consumes me.

          Don’t just come to receive

Little league & HS, parents get mad when their children don’t play

Anxious to play ~or~ scared that your number will get called?

Today, Thomas Davis, Panthers LB, playing with broken right forearm

• Play with pain and perform under pressure

Passion & Excellence cause you to go the extra mile

Matt 5:41 “Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.”

Work as a Team

1 Cor 12:12. The body is one and has many members. Though there are many members to a body, all those members make only one body. Christ is like that also.  

Individuals play the game, but teams with championships

Individual talent must be submitted to the team plan and vision

Being part of the team also means being coachable

Don’t just run the plays that you like or that feature you – give me the ball

Run the plays the coach calls

Teamwork makes the dream work

It’s time for you to get off the bench and get in the game

Time to take your position & perform to the best of your ability

Recovering Dominion

God wants our bodies & minds

So we can be transformed into who we’re supposed to be

John 16:12-13

"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 

          It’s too heavy for you to pick up and carry

¹³ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth

          Reality, unveiled reality

• I am a child of God – Gal 3:26 “through faith in Christ Jesus”
• With the Spirit of God – John 3:5-6
• With the power of God – Acts 1:8
• With the nature of God – 2 Pet 1:4
• I know things (things to come, mysteries) – John 16:13
• I can do things “The works He does & greater” – John 14:12
• I am empowered to order things
  • When I pray I am setting things in order for His dominion

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth

• He has given me keys – open & close, bind & loose

 

I am trying to teach us our true nature – Grow from Grace to Greatness 

“There’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path”

– Morpheus

We must learn to walk in & function in our true nature 

If we don’t, God’s work will be limited

       Because we play a critical role in what God does in the earth

God’s activity is connected to the power in me 

Eph 3:20.  Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

That’s why the enemy fights to keep me in my ‘flesh’ nature – powerless

I’m “unveiling truth” that quickens your spirit-man – “deep to deep”

But, our experiences & realities keep us from entering that truth

1 Thess 5:19.  Don’t quenched the Spirit – Don’t stop your spiritual nature

          Instead of having dominion, we are victims under ‘the circumstances’

Jude 5-6

I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

⁶ And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day

When we don’t operate in our proper dominion we become bound

What stops us from operating in our dominion is unbelief

The key is believing that you are who God says you are

          And walking in what He says about you

We are supposed to live in the Dimension of Dominion

Heb 4:1-2

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 

We can only enter Dominion by having the Faith to Rest

We are seated with Him in heavenly places – Eph 2:6

Dominion starts with Worship – even when there is a battle

Why worship? 

Because Worship positions us in the presence of God

When we learn to sit & rest in His presence, look at what happens

Ps 110:1-2

The Lord said to my Lord,

"Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."

² The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion.

Rule in the midst of Your enemies!

Our Father, Who art in heaven; Hallowed be Thy name – Worship

Every day commit to operate in Dominion from your Spiritual nature

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven

In whatever sphere you’re in – circle of influence

You are to show people what it’s like to live from the Kingdom

Wake up every morning & commit to be sensitive to His guidance

Isa 50:4-5

"The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned,

That I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.

He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear like one being taught.

5 The Lord God has opened My ear;

and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.

Give us this day our daily bread – not just natural but spiritual

Don’t hesitate in being obedient to that guidance

Isa 30:21.  Your own ears will hear him.  Right behind you a voice will say,

"This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left.

“Whatever He says do, DO IT”

Have the faith to do what He says – mix the Word with Faith

His direction guarantees Success & Increase

Isa 48:17.  Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

"I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit,

Who leads you by the way you should go.”

One of the biggest enemies to Faith is our Feelings

John 4:31-34

In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." ³² But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." ³³ Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?"  ³⁴ Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work."

Jesus was physically exhausted – His flesh needed food & rest

          Jesus yielded to the His Spirit in the moment

“My food, my energy comes from doing His will”

Push past the desire for comfort, our timidness, our fears

Finish the work

Begin your day by putting yourself in His presence – Worship

Commit to live from the Kingdom – Do His Will

Live by His Word – Daily Bread

Your Spiritual Nature

Adam disobeyed God, ‘the earth came under the dominion of darkness’ – Col 1:13

          Satan became the “ruler of this world” – John 12:31

When you understand that, you can answer the nagging question: 

“Why does God let things happen?”

The earth is under the dominion of darkness & Satan is the ruler of this world

Our purpose is to restore the Kingdom of God – King / Domain

God needs a body – to function legally in our domain.  Emanuel God with us

          Now, the spirit of God dwells in us

God needs our minds – The mind of Christ:  regeneration then transformation

Eph 3:10.  His intent is that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.

Both are areas of warfare:  lust of the flesh

2 Cor 10:4-5

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ

The mind can be a place of Strongholds

Thought patterns formed from how ¹we were raised, ²experiences, & ³doctrine

Salvation (transformation) of our thought patterns

          Submit our reasoning to the knowledge & mind of Christ

Thoughts not always sinful… just limiting us from the dominion God intended

Jude 5-6

I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day

When we don’t function in our dominion, we are subject to be bound in darkness

          Darkness = ignorance

So, what do we need to avoid darkness?  Knowledge  

Hos 4:6.  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

The enemy wants to keep us ignorant of our true nature 

We think being saved means simply believing God will do everything

We must come to know that God empowers us to do everything 

Example of old thought pattern:

2 Chron 20:17.  You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.

Bad doctrine has caused us to be ignorant, with a timid nature

This is what the Bible teaches about who I am & my nature

1. I am a child of God with the Spirit of God – John 3:5-6; 1 John 3:1

1. John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come,

He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

5.  John 14:12.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the      

    works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do

• I am a child of God
• With the Spirit of God
• With the power of God
• With the nature of God
• I know things (things to come, mysteries)
• I can do things
• I am empowered to order things

I play a critical role in what God does in the earth

When I pray, I am setting things in order for His dominion in the earth:

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

He has given me Keys – Open & Close, Bind & Loose

We are the ones who release God to act, or limit God

His activity is connected to the power in me

Eph 3:20.  Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

We are supposed to be involved in the counsel of God

1 Cor 2:16 (Is 40:13).  "Who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?

Or become His counselor?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Ex 32:9-14

And the Lord said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! ¹⁰ Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation."

¹¹ Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: "Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, 'He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. ¹³ Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'"  ¹⁴ So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.

We have quenched the Spirit – 1 Thess 5:19  Stop my spiritual nature

Our ignorance has kept us too passive, too timid

2 Kings 13:15-19

And Elisha said to [Joash, king of Israel], "Take a bow and some arrows." So he took himself a bow and some arrows. ¹⁶ Then he said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. ¹⁷ And he said, "Open the east window"; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot"; and he shot. And he said, "The arrow of the Lord's deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them."

¹⁸ Then he said, "Take the arrows"; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground"; so he struck three times, and stopped.

¹⁹ And the man of God was angry with him, and said, "You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times."

Be aggressive – Don’t Quit

We are supposed to make things happen

Pray to understand and function from your spiritual nature

There are people who make things happen.  There are people who watch thing happen.

And there are people who wonder “what happened?” 

Successful people make things happen.

God Wants Your Mind

Rom 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Rom 7:25.  I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

God tells us to do things that seem foolish:

• The enemy is coming… Sing!
• You want to see rain… Dig Ditches
• You need wine… Fill pots with water
• Walk around the city 7x

It can seem like you’re being asked to suspend your thinking & reasoning 

          Actually, you’re accessing a higher wisdom

1 Cor 2:6-16

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written:

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.  13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For "who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

We can have the wisdom of God & the mind of Christ 

Isa 55:8-9

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.

9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

That was before He put His Spirit IN us 

Eph 2:6. He has made us sit together with Christ Jesus in the heavenly places.

Col 3:1-2

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Elevate your mind – Elevate your thinking

You can’t change your life until you change your thinking

With the wisdom of God, you will have incredible advantages in all areas!

• ·       Answers to questions
• ·       Divine strategies
• ·       Direction for decisions
• ·       See things from the right perspective
• ·       Handling family situation – children
• ·       Understand complicated things
• ·       Insight
• ·       Memory
• ·       Test Taking
• ·       Evaluations
• ·       People management
• ·       Conflict resolution
• ·       Job decisions
• ·       Projects
• ·       Financial issues
• ·       Creative solutions 
• ·       Spatial Thinking 
• ·       Product Development
• ·       Scrum Methodology

Accessing wisdom “glorifies” us – makes us look good

Prov 25:2.  It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

(Jesus has made us kings and priests.  Rev 1:6)

Daniel was promoted – Dan 2:11, 16-22 

Joseph was promoted – Gen 40:8; 41:16,25 

You will be noticed, listened to, respected, promoted, etc.

Honor and Wealth follow Wisdom

2 Chron 1:7-12

Wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor. 

It starts with Asking for Wisdom!  

James 1:5-6

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

We are supposed to be involved in the counsel of God

Rom 11:34 (1 Cor 2:16; Is 40:13).  "For who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has become His counselor?"

Ex 32:9-14

And the Lord said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! 10 Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation."

11 Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: "Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, 'He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'"  14 So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.

Keys, Binding & Loosing

I have the Spirit of God and the mind of Christ
Therefore I am smart and increasing in knowledge
I have access to Divine wisdom
And unlimited creative power
Making available to me unsearchable riches
I have an unction from the Holy Spirit
Therefore I can know all things
I can understand all things
I can remember all things
And I don’t have to worry about anything.

God reveals His wisdom, mysteries & secrets through the prophet

Amos 3:7.  Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

Why we need the Prophetic

To bring out your best – 1 Cor 14:3

• ·       Edify – Build Up
• ·       Exhort – Strengthen
• ·       Comfort – Cheer Up

To find hidden treasure in you – not just a confirming word

To transform you into the person God designed you to be

1 Sam 10:5-6

After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying.

6 Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.

1 Sam 10:9.  So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.

The prophetic releases destiny in you

The prophetic tells you what season you’re in

The prophetic tells you what to do in that specific season

The prophetic announces the next season

1 Kings 17:1.  And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."

The prophetic tells you how to handle the changes in your life

i.e. the brook dried up – where to go (1 Kings 17:7-8)

Don’t quit.  Let your fishing nets down again, except in a different place this time – Luke 5:4-6

The prophetic warns us – Acts 21:10-11