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Blueprint for Humans

Genesis 1:27 HCSB

So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.

Ever wonder how people that don’t claim to be followers of Christ can not only do the right thing, but can do amazing things? This is why. God crafted all of humanity in his own image. No matter who the human is no matter how the human acts or what the human believes. We were all made in the image of God (expound)

With that in mind.

Today we are talking about talent.

Talent: A natural aptitude or skill

This is what talent is and we must be willing to be good stewards of the talent we have been given. Here’s what we know.

1 Corinthians 12:12–31 HCSB

For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. So the body is not one part but many. If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? Now there are many parts, yet one body. So the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” But even more, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary. And those parts of the body that we think to be less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have a better presentation. But our presentable parts have no need of clothing. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it. And God has placed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, managing, various kinds of languages. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in other languages? Do all interpret? But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.

Everyone belongs, not everyone joins.

■ noun 1 natural aptitude or skill.

Humanity was designed for relationship with God. If you’ve been around the church for any length of time you have heard me say that. It’s true. But just because we were designed for something doesn’t mean we will fulfill that purpose. God has done something interesting when it comes to humanity.

He created all of Humanity in his image. I talked about this a few weeks ago but it bears repeating. Every Human being is created in the image of God, regardless of any decisions that person makes. It’s easy to accept that people who do good things, who serve others,who make the world a better place to live are made in the image of God. It’s nice to think about good people that way, harder to accept is the fact that the people who do bad things the people we read about in our news feeds, or hear about on the radio or see on the news are also made in the image of God.

We were created with a free will. Along with all our other gifts all our other talent’s all the things we were given before we made a single movement toward a relationship with God we were given the freedom to choose the path that we would take. This is perhaps one of the greatest gifts that God has given us. What we do with this one gift makes all the difference in the world. We can choose to exercise our free will for personal fulfillment, we can actively choose to do what feels good, what gives us the greatest sense of success and good feeling. What makes us look good to others, and seem important. Or we can choose a different way. We can actively hand our free will back to God and let him begin to conform our will to the one we were designed to have.

Romans 12:2 HCSB

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Free will is amazing, do we keep it for our own pleasure or give it back to God for His purpose in us?

1. The thing about any gift is how important it is to use it.

a. (Archie Comics from back in the day) Al Hartley was an interesting Guy. He started working with Stan Lee in the 50’s writing a comic book that was designed to snag girls into buying Marvel comics. He continued to draw with Stan and then went on to write and draw Archi comics. He ended up coming to the decision that the thing he needed for the hole in his life was God. He continued to draw for Archie comics but also began drawing for a small religious publisher called Spire comics. He got permission from the publishers of Archie to use the characters there for a different purpose, while continuing to draw regular Archie Comics as well. (expound on 7th grade talk about the car that archie had that was old and run down and the new one that sat in his driveway, not used because he didn’t want to mess it up.

Realize your worth and the worth of others.

1 Corinthians 12:18–20 HCSB

But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? Now there are many parts, yet one body.

a. We can be our own worst critics. This happens so often in our lives that we end up focusing on the wrong things. We begin to tell ourselves and worse God that we aren’t worthy, that what he created wasn’t good enough, or could have been better. (Expound)

b. We all judge other’s, even when we know we shouldn’t, even when we realize that the Bible is full of warnings about judging others, how we are to do it, if we are to do it, what we should do before we do it. It’s part of human nature to judge others. One of the reasons we need to work at being more like Jesus. What ends up happening many times is one of two things. As individuals we begin to think that we are the only ones that are doing anything for God, the only ones that can do things for the church, the only ones that really understand what needs to be done.

Find your space.

1 Corinthians 12:27–31 HCSB

Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it. And God has placed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, managing, various kinds of languages. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in other languages? Do all interpret? But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.

This is the part we need to grab onto. Reading all of those gifts and then realizing that there are greater gifts. WOW

This Week’s Challenge

List five things that you are good at on Monday and set it aside.

List five different things you are good at on Tuesday, set it aside.

List five more things you are good at on Wednesday, set it aside.

Starting on Thursday morning run through each list and ask God to show you how you can use just 3 of those 15 things in service to him.