5 Minute Lessons on the Kingdom of God
There Are Things That We Must Do
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I had a friend that was a missionary to Denmark. He had an amazing teaching gift and he illustrated everything he taught about with pictures. We would go to a restaurant together and he would have his pad of blank white paper and a pen. I would ask him hard questions and he always taught me with his pen and illustrations. I learned a lot from him.
I asked him one time about what it meant to have a total commitment to Christ. He shared with me that there are some things that we can't do. For instance, I can't sing like Elvis Presley. I can't play golf like Tiger Woods. I can't play basketball like Michael Jordan. But there are some things that I must do and I can do. These are gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are gifts and talents from God. After a few dozen people say, "You made that so easy to understand." Realize that you may have a gift to teach.
Or you may always be giving to others in a big way and sometimes in a small way. You may have a gift of giving.
Do you love to pray for the sick? You may have a gift of healing.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 says,
So you can see, as a Christian, there are some things you can't do, and there are other things that you must do. Work with what God has given you and He may increase it and give you more (Matthew 25:28‑29). Stephen was a deacon and served people in practical ways (Acts 6:5), but we find out later that his ministry increased to signs, wonders and miracles among the people (Acts 6:8). He became such a powerful preacher that the unbelievers could not resist the wisdom and power by which he spoke (Acts 6:10). He later gave his life as a martyr for Jesus Christ (Acts 7:59‑60). He started with what God gave him, he was faithful, God increased his ministry and he became one of the greatest men of God.
So total commitment is being faithful in what God has given you to do and God will give you more (Matthew 25:29).
The Apostle Paul said to follow the way of love and you may even desire more spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1).
As I look back on my life, I realize I have done more in Jesus' name than I could have even imagined. I have done more than my natural abilities. Who did that? It was God!
Well, what if you are old and feeble?
Notice how the elderly lady Anna served God, she never left the Temple as she served and worshiped God with her prayer and fasting.
Total Commitment — Some things you can't do, but some things we must do.
I asked him one time about what it meant to have a total commitment to Christ. He shared with me that there are some things that we can't do. For instance, I can't sing like Elvis Presley. I can't play golf like Tiger Woods. I can't play basketball like Michael Jordan. But there are some things that I must do and I can do. These are gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are gifts and talents from God. After a few dozen people say, "You made that so easy to understand." Realize that you may have a gift to teach.
"10God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you..." (1 Peter 4:10‑11 NLT)
Or you may always be giving to others in a big way and sometimes in a small way. You may have a gift of giving.
"8If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously..." (Romans 12:8a NLT)
Do you love to pray for the sick? You may have a gift of healing.
"The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing." (1 Corinthians 12:9 NLT)
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 says,
"4There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
7A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10He 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. 11It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have." (1 Corinthians 12:4‑11 NLT)
7A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10He 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. 11It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have." (1 Corinthians 12:4‑11 NLT)
So you can see, as a Christian, there are some things you can't do, and there are other things that you must do. Work with what God has given you and He may increase it and give you more (Matthew 25:28‑29). Stephen was a deacon and served people in practical ways (Acts 6:5), but we find out later that his ministry increased to signs, wonders and miracles among the people (Acts 6:8). He became such a powerful preacher that the unbelievers could not resist the wisdom and power by which he spoke (Acts 6:10). He later gave his life as a martyr for Jesus Christ (Acts 7:59‑60). He started with what God gave him, he was faithful, God increased his ministry and he became one of the greatest men of God.
So total commitment is being faithful in what God has given you to do and God will give you more (Matthew 25:29).
The Apostle Paul said to follow the way of love and you may even desire more spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1).
As I look back on my life, I realize I have done more in Jesus' name than I could have even imagined. I have done more than my natural abilities. Who did that? It was God!
Well, what if you are old and feeble?
"36Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer." (Luke 2:36‑37 NLT)
Notice how the elderly lady Anna served God, she never left the Temple as she served and worshiped God with her prayer and fasting.
Total Commitment — Some things you can't do, but some things we must do.
Questions
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What are some of the gifts God gives to His children?
Answer
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What are some other gifts that God gives to his children?
Answer
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God has given some men as gifts. Who are they?
Answer
- Are you being faithful in what God has given you to do?
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