The
title of my message is “You are shaped for serving
God”.
Open
your Bibles to Ephesians 2:10. But before we read
it, let’s pray…
“We
are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
to do good works, which God prepared in advance
for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
Introduction
When
a soldier gets enlisted, the first thing he gets
is his GI (government issues).
He
gets a duffle bag with a lot of items in it: uniforms,
combat boots, canteens, utensils, underwear, etc.
He
then gets trained and disciplined to become a
soldier
And
eventually is issued a gun learns how to fire
it and ultimately taught how to defeat the enemy.
God's
ways of doing battle with the enemy are like that.
Whenever
God gives us an assignment, He always equips us
with what we need to accomplish it and trains
us to how successfully do that.
Today,
I'm going to talk about how God shapes us for
ministry, how He will make use of all our capabilities
to win the battle for His kingdom's glory.
This
custom combination of capabilities is acronym
as SHAPE:
God
uses five things to shape us:
1.
Spiritual gifts
2.
Heart
3.
Abilities
4.
Personality
5.
Experiences
I.
SHAPE: UNWRAPPING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS
The
Bible says, “Each man has His own gift from God,
one in this manner, and another in that.” 1 Corinthians
7:7
1.
God gives
every believer spiritual gifts to be used in ministry.
You
cannot earn your spiritual gift or deserve it
that is why it is called a gift. They are an expression
of God's grace to you.
2.
You cannot
choose your gift.
Neither
do you get to choose which gifts you'd like to
have; God determines that.
In
Ephesians 4:7 it says there, “Christ has generously
divided out His gifts to us.” Ephesians 4:7
Paul
further explained, “It is the one and only Holy
Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides
which gift each person should have.” 1 Corinthians
12:11
3.
Your spiritual
gifts were not given for your own benefit but
for others.
The
Bible says, “A spiritual gift is given to each
one of us as a means of helping the church.” 1
Corinthians 12:7
It
is important that we become good stewards of the
gifts He has given us. If we will not use them,
we will lose them.
II.
SHAPE: LISTENING TO YOUR HEART
The
Bible says, “As a face is reflected in water,
so the heart reflects the person.” Proverbs 27:19
1.
What your
heart reveals.
Your
heart reveals the real you, what you truly are,
and not what others think you are or what circumstances
force you to be.
Your
heart determines why you say the things you do,
why you feel the way you do, and why you act the
way you do.
God
has given each of us a unique emotional “heartbeat”
that races when we think about the subjects, activities,
or circumstances that interest us.
We
instinctively care about some things and not about
others. These are clues to where we should be
serving.
2.
Another word
for heart is passion.
There
are certain subjects you feel passionate about
and others you couldn't care less about.
The
Bible says, “To serve the Lord with all you heart.”
Romans 1:9.
He
wants us to serve Him passionately not dutifully.
How
do you know when you are serving God from your
heart?
1.
When there is enthusiasm
2.
When you are doing what you love to do, and no
one has to motivate or challenge you or check
on you.
3.
When you don't need applause or payment, because
you love serving His way.
When
you have attained this level, you will experience
His peace and contentment that He alone can give.
III.
SHAPE: APPLYING YOUR ABILITIES
Your
abilities are the natural talents you were born
with.
Some
people have natural athletic abilities, excelling
in physical coordination. Shaquille O’Neal is
one of them.
So
is Tiger Woods.
And
Maria Sharapova.
These
people possess natural talents that they nurtured
and perfected to becoming very well at.
Just
like them we too have natural talents and abilities.
Here are a few things that we need to know about
our talents:
1.
All of our abilities come from God.
The
Bible says, “God has given each of us the ability
to do certain things well.” Romans 12:6
Since
your natural abilities are from God, they are
just as important and as “spiritual” as your spiritual
gifts.
One
of the most common excuses people give for not
serving is “I just don't have any abilities to
offer.”
You
are a bundle of incredible abilities, an amazing
creation of God.
Part
of the church's responsibility is to identify
and release your abilities for serving God.
It
is part of the leadership’s role to find opportunities
where these skills can be best put into practice
to glorify God.
2.
Every ability can be used for God's glory.
The
Bible says, “There are different abilities to
perform service, but the same God gives ability
to all for their particular service.” 1 Corinthians
12:6
God
has a place in His church where your specialties
can shine and you can make a difference.
It's
up to you to find that place. God appreciates
it if you become proactive. It shows your willingness
and He delights in it.
Peter
said, “God has given each of you some special
abilities; be sure to use them to help each other,
passing on to others God's many kinds of blessings.”
1 Peter 4:10
It
is important to make your goal to be a Kingdom
Builder rather than just a Wealth Builder.
When
Solomon was asked by God what he wanted, he said
simply wisdom.
“So
give Your servant an understanding heart to judge
Your people to discern between good and evil.
For who is able to judge this great people of
Yours?” 1 Kings 3:9
Yes
God granted it to him plus tremendous wealth!
3.
What I’m able to do, God wants me to do.
You
are the only person on earth who can use your
abilities.
No
one else can play your role, because they don't
have the unique shape that God has given you.
The
Bible says that God equips you “with all you need
for doing His will.” Hebrews 13:21
God
will never ask you to dedicate your life to a
task you have no talent for. The abilities you
do have are clues to knowing God's will for you.
If
you're good at designing or recruiting or drawing
or organizing, it is a safe assumption that Gods
plan for your life includes that skill somehow.
Finally
God doesn't waste abilities; He matches our calling
and our capabilities. So be confident that you
can do what he assigns you to.
D.
SHAPE: USING YOUR PERSONALITY
It
is obvious that God loves variety. Just look around
you.
1.
He created
each of us with a unique combination of personality
traits.
Some
he created to be introverts and extroverts:
And
some people are of type A while others type B
personalities.
The
Bible says, “God works through different people
in different ways, but it is the same God who
achieves His purpose through then all.” 1 Corinthians
12:6
2.
There is no
“right” or “wrong” temperament for ministry.
§
We
need all kinds of personalities to balance the
church and give it flavor.
3.
Your personality
will affect how and where you use your spiritual
gifts and abilities.
For
instance, two people may have the same gift of
evangelism, but if one is introverted and the
other is extroverted, that gift will be expressed
in different ways.
Like
stained glass, our different personalities reflect
God's light in many colors and patterns.
This
blesses the family of God with depth and variety.
It
also blesses us personally.
It
feels good to do what God made you to do.
When
you minister in a manner consistent with the personality
God gave you, you experience fulfillment, satisfaction,
and fruitfulness.
E.
SHAPE: EMPLOYING YOUR EXPERIENCES
You
have been shaped by your experiences in life,
most of which were beyond your control. God allowed
them for His purpose of molding you.
In
determining your shape for serving God, you should
examine at least six kinds of experiences from
your past:
1.
Family experiences: What did you learn growing up in your family?
2.
Educational experiences: What were your favorite subjects in school?
3.
Vocational experiences: What jobs have you been most effective in and enjoyed
most?
4.
Spiritual experiences: What have been your most meaningful times with God?
5.
Ministry experiences: How have you served God in the past?
6.
Painful experiences: What problems, hurts, thorns, and trials have you
learned from?
It
is this last category, painful experiences, that
God uses the most to prepare you for ministry.
1.
God never wastes a hurt!
In
fact, your greatest ministry will most likely
come out of your greatest hurt.
2.
God intentionally allows you to go through painful
experiences to equip you for ministry to others.
The
Bible says, “He comforts us in all our troubles
so that we can comfort others. When others are
troubled, we will be able to give then the same
comfort God has given us.” 2 Corinthians 1:4
If
you really desire to be used by God, you must
understand a powerful truth: “
3.
The very experiences that you have resented or
regretted most in life, the ones you've wanted
to hide and forget, are the experiences God wants
to use to help others.
They
are your ministry!”
For
God to use your painful experiences, you must
be willing to share them. You have to stop covering
them up, and you must honestly admit your faults,
failures, and fears; doing this will probably
be your most effective ministry.
People
are always more encouraged when we share how Gods
grace helped us in weakness than when we brag
about our strengths.
Only
shared experiences can help others.
Aldous
Huxley was a British writer who immigrated to
the United States whom many consider as the “leader of modern thought”.
He
said, “Experience is not what happens to you.
It is what you do with what happens to you.”
What
will you do with what you've been through? Don't
waste your pain; use it to help others.
4.
Using your shape is the secret of both fruitfulness
and fulfillment in ministry.
You
will be most effective when you use your spiritual
gifts and abilities in the area of your heart's
desire, and in a way that best expresses your
personality and experiences.
The
better the fit, the more successful you will be.
“God
has given each of you some special abilities;
be sure to use them to help each other, passing
on to others God's many kinds of blessings.” 1
Peter 4:10 (LB)
MARIANO
RIVERA
I’d
like to conclude this message by sharing to you
the story of Mariano Rivera, the closer of the
Yankees.
During
an interview with Sports Spectrum Magazine, a
leading Christian-based sports publication, Rivera
spoke about adversity and how it led him to faith.
“Every
time I was going through a hard time, somebody
was there to help. It's not too often when you
play in the minor leagues that a coach will tell
you he will take care of your son while you stay
with your wife at the hospital. My pitching coach
did that, and one lady from Panama-I never knew her (before)-offered to stay with my
wife while I was playing. Even though I had nobody
here, I was never alone. Those made me accept
Jesus as my Savior. I knew it wasn't a coincidence.
It was the Lord putting someone there for me.”
Last
July 16, Mariano did a feat that ensures him of
a Hall of Fame stature, he recorded his 400th
save.
When
interviewed by the media he said, “I can't imagine
having this at this time. It's a blessing. You
never even think about that. With the blessing
of the Lord, I just continue to do this thing.”
When
asked why he has been able to do what so many
pitchers have struggled to do, Rivera immediately
cited his faith.
"Everything
that I have belongs to God," Rivera said.
"That's my strength, my everything. Without
God, I wouldn't be here. A lot of people ask me
why I'm still closing, and that's my only answer."
We
can be like Mariano Rivera. We might never become
as famous as he is. But in our own little ways,
God will equip us to make the same impact to the
people around us.
“God
has given gifts to each of you from His great
variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so
that God's generosity can flow through you.” 1 Peter 4:10
Now,
are you ready to use your SHAPE to serve God?
Before
you can become a better servant of God, you need
to first accept Jesus into your hearts. Let’s
bow down our heads…
If
you have never asked Jesus to come into your hearts,
can you pray this prayer with me? I want us to
say this simple prayer together:
“Lord
Jesus, come into my life. I want you to become
the Lord of my life. Thank You for Your kindness
and grace. Amen.”
Now
let me just further pray… Father, give us the
wisdom and understanding to know the best way
to use our SHAPE to glorify You. Let Your Spirit
guide us to where we need to be. Please give us
courage to do Your will when we get there. In
Jesus name, Amen.
