If God, Then You…

INTRO.

[SP Note: Share a story about you doing a job that didn’t align with your gifts.]

Can I tell you a story about my first job? Because it was kind of a disaster.

I was 15 years old and so ready to make some money. So when a family friend announced that they were opening a new restaurant called “P.F.Changs”, I quickly applied to be one of their very firsts hostesses. Never mind the fact that I didn’t know anything about Chinese food.

First, was a whole week of training. Learn the menu, memorize the tables numbers. Then, came the big day. It was the grand opening lunch. A friends and family event, where I would proudly stand at the hostess table with a smile.

But then…when the doors opened, there was a lot of people. Like a long line. And as I started greeting people and writing all of their names down, I realized this was way too many people at once. And I got overwhelmed.

I was getting overwhelmed because I was starting to realize what I was NOT all that great at.

I WAS NOT good at seating people in rotations, spreading the tables evenly between waiters and waitresses. Math and timing is NOT always my strong suit. SO I would tell guests, “Your wait will be around 20 minutes.” When really, it was closer to 45 minutes. I was quickly making enemies with customers and staff.

I WAS really good at the smiling part, and I WAS great at getting to know each customer by name. I WAS great at talking with everyone.

But in the end, The fast-paced restaurant world wasn’t the best fit for teenage Kelsey. After a few short months in my new gig, I quit.

I was getting paid to do a job, but I wasn’t necessarily made to do the job.

TENSION.

Can you relate to that at all? Have you ever been doing a job, class, sport or hobby and felt like, “this is NOT what I was made to do!” It can be frustrating, I know!

But, here is the good news, after trying out all kinds of roles that I WASN’T made to do, I started to realize what I WAS made to do.

And I believe that, just like I had things that I was made to do, that each one of you are uniquely designed to do certain things really well. In church, we call these your spiritual gifts.

TRUTH.

We’ve been talking about church family for the last few weeks, and something that is true of everyone that is part of the church family is that they have been given spiritual gifts!

Romans 12:6 says it like this

Romans 12:6 NLT

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.

God gives EACH of us spiritual gifts. But God gives each of us spiritual gifts ON LOAN. Think of it like a deposit made into your bank account. God has deposited gifts in you, but they are on loan.

What does it mean that they are on loan?

Let’s say you came up to me tonight and asked me for money, or to borrow my car. Likely, my first response would be to say, “Well what for?” You see, the giver of the treasure is often curious what the treasure will be used for.

God has given each of us spiritual gifts. But those gifts are given with a purpose in mind.

Paul says it like this later in Romans 12:6-8

Romans 12:6–8 NLT

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

What Paul is teaching us is that what God gives to us is not our own. It’s given to us, but it isn’t for us. He goes on to give us this list of “If God, then you.”

If God has given you creative gifts, then you serve Him with your creativity.

If God has given you a love to teach others, then you teach others about Him.

If God has given you a gift of hospitality, then you plan events and welcome others for Him.

If God has given you a love to give away money, then you live generously for Him.

If God has given you a beautiful voice or an instrument talent, then you worship Him.

If God has given you a leadership ability, then you lead others towards Him & His ways.

If God has given you a heart to care for those in need, then you care for God’s people.

If God has given you a voice to speak and influence others, then you speak God’s wisdom.

This does NOT mean that every member of our church family needs to become a pastor or go into full time ministry. Let me be clear on this. The God of the big wide universe if not limiting you to only use your gifts in the four walls of this building. His scripture does not say that all of His believers will therefore work on staff at a church, local non-profit or ministry. He needs His light to shine in every nook and cranny of many different industries, businesses, schools, medical offices, in military service, in retail stores, at beauty salons, in nature, with animals, with children, on US soil and off US soil.

If God, then you.

You serve His church, YES.

You serve Him outside of the church, YES.

You serve Him with the job you get paid to do.

And you serve Him with what He made you to do.

So here’s the question that I think we need to answer:

What will you do with the gifts that God has put in you?

For some of you, you hear that and you get excited to answer that question! But for others of you, you just found out that you have spiritual gifts like 6 minutes ago and are wondering what your gifts even are, let alone how you’re going to use them.

Wherever you’re at, if you’re wondering what your gifts are, here’s a hint on how to find out: follow the joy. Have you ever had a moment when you experienced something and thought, “dang, I absolutely love doing that!” Maybe you walked off a field, or a stage, or experienced a new adventure, place or hobby, and it ended up being one of the most joyful experiences you have had. Pay attention to those moments, they often reveal where you might have a gift!

Your greatest joy is normally a clue about how God designed you.

[SP Note: share about your journey in finding your spiritual gifts]

Remember how I mentioned that I learned as a teenager, I feel the greatest joy when I am talking to people, encouraging them and welcoming them. Well, interestingly, when I take a Spiritual Gifts Tests (similar to a personality test), my three top spiritual gifts are Exhortation (a fancy way of saying I like to encourage others with scripture), Hospitality, and Leadership.

But there are WAY more spiritual gifts than just MY spiritual gifts. Look at all the gifts that Scripture tells us that God gives His people.

Exhortation

Hospitality

Leadership

Mercy

Discernment

Evangelism

Teaching

Faith

Knowledge

Pastor/Shepherd

Prophecy

Wisdom

Helps

Intercession

Administration

Healing

Service

Giving

Miracles

Apostleship

Missionary

Craftsmanship

Music/Worship

Tongues

Prayer Language

My prayer is that seeing this list makes you eager to learn your own spiritual giftings. Remember, every single person in this room has been given gifts, by God, on loan.

Your teenage years are such a powerful time of your life to learn how God specifically designed YOU. Teenagers have a LOT to give this world and can do a LOT for God’s kingdom.

Perhaps you have had days in which you feel like you don’t have a lot to give yet, as a young adult. Do you know who else had those thoughts? A guy named Timothy. Timothy was basically Paul’s intern. And at times, Timothy was given a lot of responsibility, and I think he got kind of timid. It’s obvious in some of the letters that Paul wrote Timothy, that Timothy needed a pep talk about his own gifts and calling.

In 2 Timothy 1:6-7 NKJV, Paul writes to young Timothy,

“Therefore, I remind you to stir up the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and sound mind.”

Paul is saying to Timothy, STIR IT UP. STIR UP YOUR GIFTS. BE BOLD and PUT YOUR GIFT INTO ACTION. What are you waiting for Timothy?

“Stir it up” in Greek is anazopureo. It means to “kindle afresh” or to “keep in full flame”.

If your spiritual gifts were a fire that God has placed inside of you, your job is to keep the flames ALIVE. STIR UP YOUR GIFTS. BE BOLD and PUT YOUR GIFT INTO ACTION.

So, tonight, we are going to “anazopureo”. My hope is that you will walk out of this building with a fresh flame of boldness that you have something special to serve the Lord and his creation with. How will we stir that up?

We are all going to take a spiritual gifts test. The test is simple, you’ll answer a series of questions, and then the test will give you a score associated with each gift, and the higher the score, the more likely that that’s a gifting that God has given you!

Here’s why we’re doing this: I think about spiritual gifts like a puzzle and a toolbox. Each gift is a piece of the puzzle and a tool in the toolbox. If the gift is a piece of a puzzle, that means that there is a spot that that puzzle piece is supposed to fill. If the gift is a tool, that means that there is a job that that gift is supposed to accomplish. So why does it matter that we know our gifts and stir them up? It’s because so long as you don’t know your gifts or aren’t stirring them up, there’s a spot that’s left unfilled that you could fill and there’s a job that’s left undone that you could do!

Our hope is that this is a launching moment for you. In other words, let’s not just know our gifts. Let’s then discuss how to place them into action.

What will you do with the gifts that God has put in you?

What are you waiting for? Let’s find out.

[SP Note: Give clear instructions on how to proceed in each environment with students taking spiritual giftings tests.]

Pray to close.