YOUR GIFTS AND CALLING

AS WE GET STARTED I MUST INFORM YOU THAT THERE WILL BE NO SCRIPTURES ON THE SCREEN FOR YOU TO LOOK AT! OTHER THAN THIS LIST THAT YOU CAN SEE ABOVE ME (SLIDE) I'M SURE YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHY IF YOU HAVE BEEN TO RESTORATION POINTE BEFORE. AS A TEACHER IM KINDA WEIRD IN THINKING WE LEARN BETTER OUT OF A BOOK! SO IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES AND I HOPE THAT YOU DO I WILL SHARE SOME SCRIPTURES WITH YOU, AND YOU CAN TURN TO THE ONE I WILL BE MENTIONING AND BE READY TO READ ALONG (SMILE)

You Are Not a Mistake

Jeremiah 1:5a NIV says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." ' Your life and mine didn't begin at conception, it began as a thought in the mind of God. DARELL DO YOU KNOW THAT GOD KNEW YOU BEFORE HE MADE YOU? JEANNE BYERS, DO YOU KNOW GOD KNEW YOU BEFORE HE MADE YOU?

VICKY KENNON DO YOU KNOW THAT GOD HAS BIG PLANS FOR YOU? IF NOT LOOK AT JEREMIAH 29:11

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

THE THINGS THAT YOU AND I STRUGGLE WITH DO NOT CATCH GOD BY SURPRISE. GOD DIDNT SMACK HIS HEAD AND SAY “ I NEVER SAW THAT COMING? (INSERT YOUR STRUGGLE IN THERE!)

He knew you before your parents met, and He planned your life ahead of time. NOW LISTEN TO THIS NEXT PART CLOSELY! God never starts what He hasn't finished; so EVERTHING about your life is not a surprise to him; your success, struggles, pains, marriage, education, career, health, or the choices you make, (HMM NOW THINK ABOUT THAT?) none of these caught God as a surprise.

From the time God promised Abram, he will make him a great nation, and the time Jacob (The Progenitor of the Israelites Nation) was born, it was a total period of 85 years. God plans to the end, and returns to the beginning to start what He has already finished. Nothing in nature exists by mistake, (YES THAT EVEN INCLUDES MOSQUITOS, AND SPIDERS) (BIG SMILE) SO that includes you and I. God has a plan and a purpose for your life.

Perhaps certain events and happenings in your life may come to you as a surprise; they are not to God. He knows every detail about you; The success that awaits you, and the challenges you may currently be going through, or will be going through.

While God does not impede our freedom of choice, he is not oblivious to the outcomes of those choices even before WE make them. Hence, he told Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of knowledge, and since they disobeyed, death and struggle became imminent. Once there is a conflict of will, what you want in life, and what God wants for you, life becomes a struggle. (BY THE WAY WE CALL THEM COMMON STRUGGLES AT RP) WE ALL HAVE COMMON STRUGGLES FAMILY! It's like a car with bad alignment; it always drifts even on a smooth road. HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT? (RAISE YOUR HANDS) WE GUYS TAKE THAT CAR OUT ON THE HIGHWAY AND TEST THE ALIGNMENT WHEN WE GET THAT NEW TO US VEHICLE, OR AFTER ITS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR TIRE ALIGNMENT! (SMILE) JEANIE DID I JUST DIGRESS? (LAUGH)

The first and most important reality you need to embrace is that God has a purpose for your life. He planned for you with an intention in mind.

(SAY AND SPEAK THIS NEXT PART SLOWLY) YOU know THAT GOD DOES have a plan and purpose for YOUR life, and that nothing YOU go through is a surprise to HIM, ASK GOD to live in alignment with HIS will and to be daily conscious that YOUR life is in HIS hands.

Purpose and Calling

Everyone has a calling, but for different purposes. Whenever we hear the word 'Calling,' we often associate it to a Spiritual vocation, maybe a pastor or an evangelist. God loves varieties. He called David to be a King, not a Prophet, while He called Esther a Queen to stand up for the Jews and defend their cause. Samson, Peter, and Nehemiah were all called by God, but with different responsibilities.

Your gifts, passion, strengths, and anointing are all connected to your calling, and to be effective in the area God has called you to function, you need to work within the confines of the gifts he has given you.

Interestingly, God's gifts on you are permanent. In Romans 11:29, "For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn."

DID YOU JUST HEAR THAT? LET ME READ THAT AGAIN:"For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn." (NLT)

Gifts only become redundant when not put to work. WHEN YOU ARE GIVEN A GIFT BY SOME PERSON IN YOUR LIFE, DO YOU USE THAT GIFT ALL THE TIME? IM GUESSING AT THIS POINT, MAYBE 50-50? GODS GIFTS ARE FOR THE ENTIRETY OF OUR LIVES! THESE GIFTS ARE FOR ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE

How can I know my call? There are only a few occasions in the Bible where God directly spoke to people about their calling; Moses and the burning bush. Saul on his way to Damascus, and a few others.

YOU REMEMBER BALAAM AND AHEM, THE TALKING DONKEY? Sometimes, a person's call is born out of a burning passion for change, (PROBABLY WHEN WE ARE YOUNGER-IN MY OPINION), and once they take a step towards it, God will back them up. Nehemiah was passionate about rebuilding Jerusalem's wall, God didn't speak to him directly, and once he made up his mind, God backed him up.

Also, callings are sometimes born out of 'positional responsibility' or expectations after assuming an office. When Esther became the Queen, she took the risk and responsibility to stand up for the Jews, and by doing so, God backed her up.

If God has not spoken to you directly about your calling, don't passively wait for him, your gifts, personalities, talents, strengths, and passion are always indicators of what He has called you to do. The danger of heeding your call too late in life is you limit the length of your relevance to the people, environment, or the generation God has sent you to. There is a cost to starting late in life, heed your call to live the life God intended for you.

MAYBE IT'S TIME TO ASK God, to HELP YOU recognize YOUR gifts, and strengthen YOU to embrace HIS call. HE WILL Give YOU the spirit of boldness and courage to stand up for the cause YOU'RE destined to fulfill.

Understanding Your Gifts BY A RAISING OF HANDS, HOW MANY PEOPLE REMEMBER ME TALKING IN THIS PULPIT ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS BEFORE? IF YOU DID REMEMBER IT, I WOULD BE SURPRISED, BECAUSE ITS PROBABLY BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, NOW (SMILE)

IF YOU DO THEN THIS WILL BE A BIT OF A REFRESHER COURSE FOR YOU

There are spiritual gifts, and there are vocational gifts. TURN IN YOUR BIBLES PLEASE TO: 1 Corinthians 12:4–11

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. 7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

Apostle Paul writes to the Church of God in Corinth about various spiritual gifts and their purposes. The gift of healing, the gift of prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, etc. All these gifts are to be used often in kingdom work with one cardinal aim - to edify the body of Christ, the Church.

In Exodus 35 and 36, (NO READING BUT I WANT YOU TO LOOK IT UP LATER, AND SEE FOR YOURSELVES) the Bible narrates how God gave special skills and abilities to different people in the Israelites camp to build the Lord's tabernacle. Bezalel, son of Uri, was filled with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of craft. God gave Oholiab the ability to teach and many others.

(SPEAK SLOWLY) We are all born with a gift, but it's impossible to make use of what you don't know you have.

How can you identify your vocational gift? FOR EXAMPLE Look for patterns in the things you do consistently well. SOME OF YOU WORK AT A JOB, AND YOU ARE USING THEM IN PART THERE. (TEACHING, LEADING. HELPS, ETC.) BUT YOU MUST USE THESE GIFTS IN SHARING JESUS FOR THE GIFT TO BECOME EFFECTIVE! BEING KINGDOM MINDED WILL BRING GLORY TO GOD (THERE IS DEFINITELY A GIFT EVERYONE HERE HAS: THE ABILITY TO INVITE PEOPLE TO COME TO YOUR CHURCH!) Each one of us will shine at one time or more in doing something brilliantly well, but doing well at one task or event is not an indication that you have a gift in that area.

Look out for consistency. I WOULD EVEN ADD THAT IF TWO OR MORE PEOPLE SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THAT GIFT. THAT IS WHERE YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON.

Another mistake people make(IN MY HUMBLE OPINION) is they decide so early in life what they think their gifts and callings are. WE DO HOPEFULLY GET MORE MATURE AND WISER IN OUR LATER YEARS. PERSONALLY I THINK WHEN YOU GET TO YOUR 30’S. (IT TOOK ME TO GET TO AGE 28 BEFORE I EVEN REALIZED WHAT MY PARENTS DID FOR US BOYS)( I ONLY HAD 2 CHILDREN AT THAT TIME) BUT THAT’S , MY OPINION ANYWAYS Hence, they pursue a specific field of study or a vocation only to realize in LATER years, that they really want something different with their life, and they could be more relevant doing it.

Does embracing the gift of God mean I have to stick to one vocation all my life? IN MY LIFE HAVE WORKED RETAIL, DROVE A TAXI, OWNED MY OWN BUSINESS, AND NOW WORK IN A FACTORY. WHO SAYS GOD DOESNT HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR IN OUR VOCATIONS?

SO No TO THE QUESTION, but you are most likely to flourish and be more productive when you focus your time, energy, and resources in your area of giftedness.

MAY I SUGGEST A Prayer FOR YOU: Dear Lord, help me to understand and embrace my divine gifts in life. Please, help me to focus my life on what really matters and help me to live for your glory.

You Have What You Need to Live Your Calling

The Egyptians were closing in on the Israelites, but they were trapped by the Red Sea in front of them. Moses did what I assume most of us would do, Pray.

But it appears at this time God wasn't expecting prayer from Moses, but to use what he already has to move the Israelites forward.

God said to Moses in Exodus 14:15 "Why are you crying out to me... raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water..." IN TODAY’S VERBIAGE THAT WOULD BE ....MOVE(LOUDLY)

AFTER THIS MIRACLE, HOW DO YOU SUPPOSE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL FELT ABOUT MOSES, THEN? PLUS THIS WAS TOLD TO THOSE OUTSIDE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE ABOUT “EL SHADDAI” MY RESTORATION POINTE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THAT NAME AND OTHERS IN OUR TIME ON SATURDAY NIGHTS (SMILE)

Most people are stuck in life not because God hasn't answered their prayers, but they lack an understanding of what they already have, and how to make use of it.

EACH ONE OF You have been divinely equipped with all the necessary resources to live the life God intends for you. You already have what you currently need, but sometimes, it takes a revelation to know what God has given you and how to make use of it.

Moses had a rod to split the Red sea. The Widow had a little oil with some borrowed jars, and that's all God needed to help her pay off her husband's debt. Turn in your bibles to:

(2 Kings 4:1–7“Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest…” The Widow had a little oil with some borrowed jars, and that's all God needed to help her pay off her husband's debt What do you have? What has God given you that you aren't putting to use? Elisha had a cloak from Elijah to split River Jordan (2 Kings 2:14

2 Kings 2:14 ESV

Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

DO YOU THINK THAT YOU WONT GET A MIRACLE NOW? CAN YOU IMAGINE ELISHA IMMEDIATE RESPONSE?

Take an inventory of God's blessings on your life, both relational, intellectual, financial, or geographical, are they all well leveraged?

You can't be on God's side and be stranded; it's impossible. Perhaps, you need to pray that God opens the 'eye of your understanding' to see what's around you that is lying dormant. (SAY THIS NEXT PART SLOWLY AND MORE LOUDER)

SO God, please help US to discern the resources you have placed around US, and help US understand how to make use of them for the fulfillment of your Call and Purpose for OUR liVES. I'M SAYING US, AND NOT ME, OR YOU BY THE WAY!

LET ME INTERJECT SOMETHING HERE AND NOW: SATAN DOES NOT WANT YOU TO USE YOUR GIFTS AT ALL. BECAUSE IT WILL BE TO HIS DETRIMENT. BEWARE OF PEOPLE AND SITUATIONS THAT ARE NOT KINGDOM MINDED, SO AS TO DISTRACT YOU FROM YOUR PURSUIT OF GOD AND HIS GIFTS AND CALLING ON YOUR LIFE USING THESE GIFTS BRING GLORY AND HONOR TO GOD. WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T USE THEM AT ALL? LET ME GIVE YOU A EASY HINT: YOU MAKE SATAN HAPPY

Callings and Relationships

Sometimes in life, 'we don’t rise to the level of our gifts and potentials, we rise to the level of our relationships and systems.' Your gifts, potentials, and brilliance are not enough to fulfill God's call on your life; you need people and the right relationships.

DO I SOUND LIKE A RECOVERY LEADER? (SMILE)

David was a man after God's own heart, but he wouldn't have ascended his throne without the help of Jonathan. AMEN? WE DO NOT DO THIS LIFE ALONE MY FAMILY!

Relational alignments are critical to living the life God intends for you. It is said, "If you want to go fast in life, go alone, but if you want to go far, go with people" but not just with any people, but the right kind of people.

God's model for creation is interdependency.

PLEASE LISTEN CAREFULLY: Who has what you need? Who knows what you need to know, and who has succeeded in the area of your calling? How can you leverage their experience to your advantage?

MY RESTORATION POINTE FAMILY KNOWS I’M TALKING ABOUT AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER! Build strong relationships around people with similar calling as yours. At the age of twelve, Jesus was already sitting in the temple with the Rabbi, learning and asking questions; your association is often a preview of your destination.

Samson could have done more for God, he could have killed more Philistines before his premature death, but the relationships he kept were not in alignment with his purpose.

Moses had a call to set the Israelites free from the land of bondage, but he was a stammerer/STUTTERER

Exodus 4:10 “But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” However, his lack of eloquence did not invalidate his call. God gave him a helper, Aaron, who will speak on his behalf.

Other people's gifts have to complement yours for you to succeed in your area of calling. Even Jesus TAUGHT twelve disciples to succeed in his ministry. HE GAVE US THE BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS.

Be selective of your association, and choose them unapologetically.

It is not the number of friends you have that counts; it’s the quality and alignment of your relationships that matters.

LET ME SHARE ANOTHER PRAYER WITH YOU THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO PRAY: Dear Lord, please give me the strength and wisdom to let go of toxic relationships. Send me the right people, dear Lord, and for the right ones I currently have, help me to nurture them. In Jesus' name. Amen.

AS I FINISH LET ME ENCOURAGE EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU TO SEEK OUT YOUR GIFTS OR CALLING. AS YOU FIND THAT OUT, USE THAT GIFT REGULARLY IN YOUR DAILY LIFE AND CHURCH FAMILY LIFE AS WELL. IF JESUS CAME TO GIVE US AN ABUNDANT LIFE ACCORDING TO JOHN 10:10, DONT YOU THINK THAT INCLUDES YOUR GIFTS AND CALLINGS? THE FATHER IS GLORIFIED BY YOU USING THE GIFTS THE HOLY SPIRIT GAVE YOU. BECAUSE THEY WILL POINT AND LEAD OTHERS TO A LIFE AND FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

AS GARRY AND THE LADIES COME FORWARD TO PLAY DURING OUR RESPONSE TIME, LET GOD SPEAK TO YOUR HEART! DO YOU WANT TO COME FORWARD AND PRAY FOR GUIDANCE TO BE USED BY GOD? THIS ALTER IS OPEN! MAYBE YOU WANT SOMEONE TO PRAY WITH YOU AS WELL? THERE IS FAMILY HERE WHO WILL PRAY ALONGSIDE OF YOU, EVEN NOW IF YOU HAVE NOT ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR, YOU CAN DO THAT TODAY AS WELL! TODAY IS THE DAY, MY FAMILY (NOD TO GARRY TO SING)