From Ben Fronczek... Use Those Talents!

Use Those Talents!

Use Those Talents  1 Peter 4:10-11

I would like to share with you an amazing Bible verse. 

Isaiah 6:1-8 “In the year that King Uzziah   died,   I saw the Lord   seated on a throne,   high and exalted,   and the train of his robe   filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphs,   each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,   and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:    “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;    the whole earth  is full of his glory.”  

⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.    ⁵ “Woe  to me!” I cried. “I am ruined!  For I am a man of unclean lips,  and I live among a people of unclean lips,  and my eyes have seen  the King,  the Lord Almighty.”

⁶ Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal   in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips;  your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for. ”

⁸ Then I heard the voice  of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us? ”

And I said, “Here am I.  Send me!””

What does it take to get you to do God’s will? Would it take a vision like Isaiah saw?  Do you think Isaiah was an instrument in God’s hands? I believe he was and more. What about you and me, are we and an instrument in God’s hands. Do you feel like a tool that God can use to bless others? Have you allowed God to use you like that?

We’re in 1 Peter chapter 4. In the text Peter told these early Christians that the end is near. Rome was about to come down hard with a heavy hand on Jerusalem. Jesus told them earlier that not one stone would be left on top of another. And so Peter is preparing them.

In 1 Peter 4:7, Peter writes that they needed to be clear minded and self-controlled so that you could pray. He tells them to love one another deeply, because that kind of love can cover a multitude of sins. Considering what is about happed and people fleeing for their lives he tells them to show hospitality to others without grumbling. In other words, get ready and be there for each other!

And then Verses 10-11, he concludes this little section by showing us how we can become a tool in God’s hand and how we can funnel God’s gifts and grace to those we come in contact with. He writes, 

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If 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.”

I appreciate this verse, because it answers several questions about how to use our gifts. Number one: It answers the question “Who should be doing this?” Peter says “EVERYONE! EACH ONE should use whatever gift he has to serve others.” Everyone who believes in Christ has something they can do to make people’s lives a little bit better.

I don’t know of any Christian or anyone else without some ability or some kind of talent, if not many talents. Peter was instructing them and I believe us as well to stop standing around, get off our duffs and start using those abilities to serve one another.

I believe that is why God made us so different and diverse.

In 1 Corinthians 12, I like how the Apostle Paul compares the church to a human body with many parts and with each part having a different ability and function. Just like a human body has many different parts like an eye, an foot, a stomach and a brain, which all have different functions, the church is composed of a diverse array of people with different abilities; some can teach, some can preach, some can sing, some can counsel, some can cook, some can cheer others up with kind words, and some will even get their hands dirty to help another. We are all different, but we are all part of one body.

But just like in the human body, if all of a sudden one part ceases to function, say an arm, well it not only makes that person less productive, it also has an adverse effect on the whole body.

I believe that is what Peter was concerned about in light of what was about to happen. He did not want Christians to shut down of become dysfunctional and hurts the church, nor the cause of Christ because of the coming trial. Rather, just the opposite, he wanted them to get ready to help others utilizing whatever talent they possessed. It may be the only ways some would survive.

But here we are today, there is no major catastrophe about to befall the church in the immediate future, at least as far as we know. Is this still a relevant command for us? Of course it is!

Listen to what Paul writes to the Romans in Romans chapter 12. In verse one he writes, 

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”  

And then in verses 6-8 very similar to what he writes in 1 Corinthians 12 he writes, 

“⁴ Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. ⁷ If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸ if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

Some go years without serving in any way or form. And many complain that their church is a bore, and isn’t doing much to meet the needs of or serve others. They forget that it’s not just the preacher or elder’s job to do these things, but rather we are all called to minister and serve. In this letter, in 2:9, Peter calls us a “royal priesthood”. As a priest, it is our duty to serve others. I love what John Kennedy said which is now famous quote, “Ask not what your county can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,”

We should have the same attitude when it comes to church; Not what can the church do for me, rather what can I do to serve the church, to serve others, to serve Jesus.  We need to remember it’s not all about you, or all about me.

Do you realize that when you help others even in the most minute way you personally become a distributor of God’s grace and blessings to others. That’s right, many times God shows grace and blesses others by using you and me to do his bidding. It’s a shame when we don’t step up to the plate.

But I find that there are few things that we have to do before we can do this.

#1. We must Yield our self to, or give into God. This is a personal decision on our part. It’s not something God makes you and me do.

Isaiah put it this way when he yielded himself to God when he said to God, “Here am I, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8) God was looking for someone to do His work and Isaiah said, “I’ll do it.” Isaiah volunteered! Are you as available when you see a need that you know you can help with?  Yielding yourself to God is as simple as telling Him from your heart that you are willing for Him to work through you and use you as a tool in His hand, and then acting on it when opportunity avails itself. God does not force Himself upon anyone. He doesn’t make you serve Him. He offers you the opportunity to enlist but He doesn’t draft anyone. He calls but He does not coerce.

#2. We need to learn to ‘serve with the strength and energy that God supplies.’ (Verse 11)
 

The opposite, of course, is relying upon your own strength. Bad idea. Many times you simply aren’t strong enough on your own. The Apostle Paul wrote,

“I can do all things thru Christ who give me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

  There a lot of things that we can do with our own strength, but even Paul realized that some things are simply too hard, to stressful, maybe even a little beyond our own ability. We need to turn to God for help. In doing so, many are surprised and go far beyond what they ever thought they could ever do.

#3. We need to learn to do all these things for God’s glory.
 

Notice again how verse 11 concludes: 

“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.”

When you find ways to serve others and utilize those unique gifts that you have been blessed with, our goal should be that whatever we do will bring honor and praise to God; not  for ourself.

In 1 Corinthians 10:31 the Apostle Paul wrote   

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

I can’t help but believe that when Paul wrote this and when Peter wrote what he did in his letter they knew that when God was given the Glory for all the blessings and service rendered, they knew that many unbelievers would take notice and some hearts and some attitudes towards Christianity would be changed.

You have heard it said, that our actions speak louder than our words. Our love and a willingness to use our talents become evangelistic. They bring glory to God.

Challenge: My encouragement this week is to make some time to start using those talents and special abilities that you have to bless others to God’s glory.

If this is not a personal habit for you, start out small, even if once a week you find a way to do something for another.

If it is encouragement, encourage someone this week.     If you are a good cook, cook something for someone this week.     If you are a good listener, take time to listen to someone who really needs to unload this week.   If you are good a fixing things, fix something for someone this week.    If you like to clean, help someone clean.

Whatever you are talented at, use that talent and don’t forget to give God the glory!

In doing so I believe you will find a blessing.

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