"SPECIAL BLESSING" GOD'S UNLIMITED GRACE AND GLORY

God’s Unlimited Grace and Glory – Giftedness
I Peter 4:10-11
September 25, 2011 AM

Intro - The Gift of God is eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Illus: (Display a large wrapped box with a gift inside…use it to describe God gifts of grace to us)
I am so thankful today for God’s amazing grace and glory! I am thankful because it is unlimited in its person…unlimited in its purpose…and unlimited in its power.
It is God’s grace that brings us the Gospel…and it is the Gospel which opens the door to His marvelous grace.
The question is: Have you believed the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and have you received Him as your personal Savior?
If you have…then you know about His gifts of grace and glory…because you have received it. But what you also need to know is that you are now a steward of this gift that you have received.
God saves us for a purpose…He saves us by His grace…and then supplies us with certain gifts to be used for His glory. I suppose we could say that as Christians we are gifted in many ways.
There are certain young people who are identified by their teachers as being especially “gifted”. These are students who are believed to have an extraordinary capacity for learning and understanding. So they take these gifted students and try to provide for them a more intense course of study in order to develop their extraordinary potential.
Every believer is gifted…and has extraordinary potential! But why are we gifted? We are gifted and to be used for the glory of God. We are stewards…responsible to use what He has given us for His glory!
Yet, many Christians today don’t see themselves as gifted in any way. In fact, many of them think that the service of God should be left to those who are called or gifted to do His work…but listen Christian: Every one of us are called, gifted & given responsibility to do the work of God!
I would like for you to consider what the Scriptures have to say about this matter:
Ephesians 4:11-13
I Corinthians 12:1, 4-7, 11
Romans 12:3
Now, I am not going to have time to talk about each gift in detail, but there are a few basic things that you need to know before we continue:
There are many different gifts
Not everyone has the same gifts
But everyone has at least one gift
Now, these gifts we are talking about are not talents or natural abilities…they are supernatural gifts given to believers according to the will of God.
With these thoughts in mind I would like for you to turn to I Peter 4:10-11:
With these two verses I would like to give you three things to think about concerning your spiritual gifts.
The Purpose of Having Your Gift – 10a & 11c
Notice the beginning of verse 10 and the end of verse 11…
“As every man has received the gift…that God in all things may be glorified”
It should be the sole aim of every believer to bring honor and glory to God and not to self. We do not preach, or teach, or minister, or serve to draw attention to ourselves.

Matthew 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
John 15:8 – Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Romans 15:6 – That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 6:20 – For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
So, simply put the purpose of having your gift is that it to be used to glorify God.
The Priority of Using Your Gift – 10b
“Even so let him minister the same one to another”
Use it! If you are not using your gift then you are not doing the very thing that God has equipped you to do.
“Wealth unused may as well not exist”
“Truth unused is like an unused muscle”
And an unused gift is not a blessing to the one who has it, nor to anyone else.
We use our gifts for God’s glory, but we also use them to minister to others.
“As good stewards of the manifold grace of God”
There is that word again…Steward! God has entrusted to us certain gifts…made us stewards of these gifts…We are responsible to use them and accountable for how we use them!
So, the priority of your gift is to use it! Not for yourself; not for your fulfillment, but for edification, and encouragement of other believers.
And if we put these two points together we see that the purpose and priority of your spiritual giftedness is for God’s glory and the good of others.
The Power of Expressing Your Gift – 10b, 11b
With this point let me back up again to the phrase - “As good stewards of the manifold grace of God”…think about this for a moment…
If our giftedness is according to God’s manifold grace (which means multifaceted, and speaks of its variety) then I think we can assume two wonderful truths about our gifts or giftedness:
He gives us what He wants us to have to use for Him.
What He gives us to use for Him is backed by His own power.
Notice again the middle part of verse 11…“As of the ability which God gives”
Sometimes using your gift can be a little uncomfortable or scary…you may feel a little hesitant or lack confidence in your ability to do it…but the same God who decided to gift you in this way will also give you the power to do it!
Closing – Maybe you are wondering…what is my gift? How can I know what it is?
Well, to find out what your gift is you have to get involved in the work of God…and then simply do what you enjoy the most. If you don’t enjoy it then it isn’t your gift…but if you do enjoy it then do it for God’s honor and glory!
Some are called to be preachers, teachers, or evangelists. And some are gifted with mercy, ministry of helps or hospitality. There are other gifts…let me encourage you to discover what it is and then use it for God’s glory and the good of others.
Illus - Give the gift to someone & tell them when it is opened they must share it with someone else.)
Are you saved?...If so you have received His marvelous grace which he has bestowed upon you and now you are a steward of the Gospel…and a steward of the Giftedness which also He has given you according to His own will.

Senior Pastor John Sweat, Sr
Crossroads Baptist Chruch
1595 Baxley Road
Middleburg, Florida
904)376-5049