# Discovering your gifts

Key Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:7
Date: June 7, 2024

Thursday afternoon, we had the privilege of going over to some people’s house from her church here. As soon as you walk in their house, one of the first things you’ll notice—well, the first thing, I bet, the first thing I think I noticed before I actually got the doors to smell—they were cooking some food. Somebody say amen right there? It’s a good thing.

Once you get inside, I noticed beautiful pictures on the wall, beautiful, just amazing pictures. I thought some of them were painters—excuse me, paintings. It’s a photographer. It’s the Stoner’s, just an excellent photographer. Some of them, he can make them look like paintings, but it’s actually a picture he did. I’ve seen all these beautiful pictures on the wall, just beautiful.

We sat and talked for a minute or two in the living room there, and then a little bell rang, and Ms. Stoner said, “All right, supper,” you know, “food’s ready.” We said, “Praise the Lord,” you know. So we went in, we sat down at the table. She brought out this—Brother Frank might shout on this one right here—she brought out some wonderful lasagna. Somebody say amen right here! I’ll tell you what, some relative of hers is an Italian and gave her this. The flavor just… it was excellent, Brother Frank, you got to try it. It was good. The only problem was that I ate way more than I should, amen. That’s just a major problem because she gave us a good serving of it. Unfortunately, I asked for more of the lasagna. Yeah, and then she brought out homemade apple pie with ice cream. That’s just something’s got to be sinful there. It tastes too good, you know.

Here’s a problem: I ate all of mine. I was picking my plate up, licking it—not quite that bad. But then my wife, she ate about half of hers and she shoved it over there to me. Well, you know, I did whatever man in the world would do. I ate hers too, you know. Amen.

We were commenting on all these beautiful pictures on the wall, and then I said, well, my wife, she really is an amazing artist herself. So I said, “Hey, babe, get your phone out.” And she started showing off her pictures. I had her do it, all right? She wasn’t, you know. She started showing, and so they started looking at her pictures—amazing, you know? Then we got done eating. It took me about three hours, but we got done eating, you know. We went over to Brother Stoner’s office, and it’s a little bit of a photography shop, you know, and all the pictures in there. They started talking about paintings and pictures, and he’s learning to be an artist, too. They’re going to be mad at me for saying all this now, you know.

Here’s the thing: They started talking about the pictures on the wall, how to paint this, and Miss Tammy showing her paintings—do the dark colors first and the lighter second and all that—and how well proportioned they are, and all these different things. Can I be honest with you? I’m doing real good if I can draw a stick man that’s well proportioned, you know? I was just outclassed in some ways, if you will.

Brother Stoner’s an excellent photographer. My wife is an excellent artist, you know. Ms. Stoner is an excellent cook. Amen. She’s gifted at cooking. Come on now, somebody say amen right there. Amen. Now I thought, where am I gifted at? I got it. I’m gifted at eating. Somebody say amen right there.

Honestly, it was almost a perfect scenario to show how we’re all gifted. Now, those are physical gifts, so you’re born with those. The Bible here is talking about spiritual gifts. The day you’re born again, you’re born of the Spirit. The Spirit of God, He moved inside your heart. That was bad, wasn’t it? Let’s try. Let’s try. He moved inside. How about that? Is that better, you know? The Holy Spirit moved inside, and you’re born spiritually; you’re spiritually gifted. Just like you were born with physical talents and gifts, you’re gifted spiritually. These 12 we listed, and there are others, I believe, one of those.

Every person here, if you’re a born-again Christian, you are gifted in one or more of these areas of spiritual gifts. If you’re saved, you have at least one of those. Would you look down in verse number seven right there? Verse number seven, chapter number 12. Keep your finger there in chapter number 12, verse number seven there.

But the manifestation, or the revealing, of the Spirit of God being in Saturday—but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to—what are the next two words? “Every man to profit withal.” Now, you’re gifted spiritually in some way if you’re saved. He’s talking to Christians in the church. Every man. Now,

It is part of our responsibility to try to figure out where you’re gifted. Did you notice verse number one? He said, “Now concerning spiritual gifts.” Brother, I wasn’t happy to be ignorant. That’s the word you think when you’re mad at your spouse. You’re ignorant over there. He said, concerning this matter, I want you to understand. It was a good day for me about eight years ago when we did a study on Wednesday night for months on spiritual gifts. I had been raised in church and went through Bible classes, and I still really didn’t comprehend at all this matter of spiritual gifts. It was good for me. God said, “I want you to not be ignorant concerning this thing.” It was a good day when I began to learn where I’m spiritually gifted at. It helps you know where you fit into the church and so many other things. We’ll try to mention them briefly. But can I say, if you don’t know where you’re spiritually gifted at, would you seek to find out?

How can I do that? First of all, pray. “Lord, would You guide me? Would You show me where I’m spiritually gifted at?” Would you do a Bible study about spiritual gifts? I would say you can go on SoundCloud. It’s an app. You can go back—I believe, ask Brother Marlin—I think this is true. You can go back to 2008 Wednesday night services. This won’t be on YouTube, but you can go to SoundCloud and listen to those messages. We broke down for everyone; it’s been a Wednesday night on every one of these, many other studies on spiritual gifts, but you do a Bible study on your own. That might be an asset for you. Pray about it. What do others think you’re good at? That might add a little light to this thing. What do you enjoy doing? That might add a little light to this.

If you’re a born-again Christian, there was a day when you were saved. You were changed from going to hell; you’re going to heaven after that day. You got saved that day by the blood of Jesus Christ. Then you’re gifted somewhere, and God does not want you to be ignorant of your gifts. Now, let me say this. Let me say this: Be reasonable about your gifts.

Would you look at verse number 14 real quickly here? Verse number 14. We’re hurrying along today. 1 Corinthians 12, verse number 14: “For the body is not one member but many. If the foot shall say, ‘Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body?” Ever think about your feet? I’ll be honest with you, and I’m getting off subject here, but it’ll get your interest for a little bit, but I…

Most of you know, I lost my thumb and my finger about 30 years ago in an accident. One of the options they gave me: they wanted to take a big toe and put it on for a thumb. I thought, “Man, I can make money off of that. I could bet people that I can eat with my toes.” And they said, “No way, you can’t.” You say, “Your preacher is crazy.” You’re right. But there was a chance—it was a minor chance—but it could mess up my foot. By the way, if you’re just missing one big toe, you can still typically get your balance, but if you’re missing both, you’re in trouble. But your feet are so important. If your feet are messed up, every step you take, you have pain. They’re vital. But most feet stink. And nobody wants to see your feet. You ever hear a lady talking about, “Well, she’s got pretty toes”? I’m like, “There are no toes that are pretty.” No such thing as that. Come on now, you know. They got pretty feet? There’s not a pretty foot in the world, you know. Cover them up, baby. I’m joking here. At least men cover them up, you know. But here’s the thing: They’re so important and vital. I would hate to lose one.

Sometimes the foot can say, “Well, that hand’s out in front of everybody, and I don’t get to lie. I’m like, nobody ever sees me.” That’s a good thing, you know. So the foot can say, “Well, I’m not part of the body.” God says, “You’re stuck. You’re part of that body.” Here’s the temptation—it goes on through the next couple of verses, we won’t read them—but here’s the thing: Our temptation is to go one of two extremes. “Well, I don’t have any gifts.” “Well, so-and-so is so gifted at teaching; I wish I could do that.” “So-and-so is so good at showing mercy; they’re a mercy-shower. I don’t have that at all.” We go to extremes, one extreme or the other, and we think we don’t have anything to offer God’s work. That’s not true. If you are saved, you have a gift, and there’s an area that you can serve God very effectively because God has gifted you in that area.

We think, “Well, I don’t have any gifts.” “Well, I’m not like so-and-so.” No, friend, it doesn’t matter if you’re like so-and-so or not. God has gifted you in the area that He wants you to be gifted in. Sometimes we go to this low extreme: “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.” And then sometimes, every once in a while, we get a little bit too big for our britches. We think, “Well, I got this gift, I got this gift, I got this gift.” Let your spouse give you a gifts test; maybe that will bring you down.

Romans 12:3—won’t look it up for a second time—it says, “Hey, look,” I’m paraphrasing, “be reasonable about this thing. You’re gifted by the grace of God, and accept where you’re gifted at.” Let me say this, just very quickly, very quickly: Did you notice back in verse number one? Just look at this. This is obvious, but we miss it sometimes. Are you all there in verse number one? Amen, you’re there? Verse number one, he says,

“Now concerning spiritual…” What’s the next word? “It’s given to you.” You didn’t earn it. It’s not like you did all this stuff; God gave it to you. You’re gifted with it. And I say that, we’ve got no reason, no right to get proud about it. Look at me: God gave you that. You ought to praise God. By the way, if you learn your gift, it’ll give you another way to thank and praise God. “Thank you, Lord. No credit to me. You’re the one that gifted me this way.” It ought to give you a unique way to thank and praise God. But friend, we’ve got no reason to get proud. It was given; you were gifted with that. Here’s a little side note on that: I think some of those lower ones, you can somewhat—there’s probably not technically right—but somewhat you can earn them. You can work at them and get better at them, but it’s not given to you. These are just gifted to you.

Look at verse number four, if you would please. We’re going quick this morning. I heard somebody say, “Amen,” on that because you’re thinking about lunch. I’m joking with you there. Verse number four out there. Look at verse number four, just briefly here: “Now there are diversity of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administration”—ways to serve the Lord, if you will—“differences of administration, but the same Lord. There are diversity of operations.” Operations would have to do with the ways God works. He works in so many different ways. But it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another, the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another, excuse me, diverse kinds of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. By the way, some of these are what we’ve been called sign gifts. We don’t have them in our day and time. You don’t have time to cover that, but that was during the apostolic age. By the way, an apostle is one that lived and saw Jesus. They don’t have apostles in our day and time; they were living and walking with Jesus, and that’s done away. Some of these are sign gifts. Verse number 11: “But all these worketh that one and selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”

Here’s the thing I just want to say about this: God gave you these, all kinds of different ones. Honestly, I was kind of joking a little bit. I was all right Thursday night because I just had to—maybe there was a moment I was a little bit jealous—so I can’t do any of that. But I had to say, “You know what? I’m not gifted there.” And that’s all right. God has gifted me other ways. I can eat, amen. I’m good with being gifted at eating. That’s a good thing right there. But I had to say, “Hey, Brother Stoner’s gifted there, and praise the Lord for it.” Photography—Ms. Tammy’s gifted at being honest—and praise the Lord for it. And Ms. Stoner’s gifted at cooking, and praise the Lord for it. We’re all gifted. Don’t get mad, “Well, I wish I had such a gift.” No, no, friends. Praise the Lord they have that gift. The church and the body of Christ needs someone to have that gift, and I need to be the way I am and accept that. Don’t care. When I learn a little bit more about spiritual gifts, it helps me not to compare. The Bible says in Corinth, when I compare, that’s not—I’m not wise. So when I learn, “Hey, we’re all gifted a little bit different,” that’s all right. By the way, you’re going to face a situation—I’ve already mentioned, and I wouldn’t plan on mentioning that exact scenario, I don’t mean to hurt anybody’s feelings—but we’ll go back to that scenario. Maybe someone’s been smoking for years and they got COPD. And the prophet says, “Well, I wish they wouldn’t have been smoking all those years; they wouldn’t be sick today.” And the mercy show—already some of you shook your head a little bit like the mercy showers are already like, “That poor person. They don’t need your preaching at them right now. They need you showing some compassion and loving on them.” Anybody out there, you know?

When I learn this thing about spiritual gifts, I realize I’m different, and I don’t require everyone to be just like me. And everybody doesn’t view everything just like I view it. It’s all right. They’re different. They’re wired; they’re gifted differently. It helps me to be satisfied with the way God—maybe God made them a little different from me. I’m a little odd, I understand, but we’re all odd, you know. And I can allow them to be different. By the way, your spouse is wired differently. “Well, why can’t you see it my way?” Well, I don’t want someone just like me. It would be a boring world. I mean, she couldn’t draw a stick figure then, you know what I mean? And she sees things differently, and I need that other angle on things. So don’t expect and don’t demand that others see things just the way you see them. We’re gifted differently for reasons.

Here’s a wonderful thing about it: Did you notice how he mentioned the same Spirit? He’s giving out all these different gifts, but it’s the same Spirit.

Just say—just say that one day we… I know of one church, I think—I think they have four pianos in their auditory, maybe three, but I think four. And it’s an old-fashioned Baptist church singing the hymns. They’re not singing the rock and roll, but I think they got four pianos in their auditory. Now, here’s sometimes what we would think: We would think, “Well, we need to get this piano tuned with this piano and this piano, too, because we don’t want them sounding different.” But that’s not the way they do it. I’ve watched Ralph over the years come and tune our pianos. He’s been doing it so long, he doesn’t very often—I don’t think he does anymore—but if I remember right, he used to get a tuning fork out. He could hit that or tap that, and it would give just a certain sound. That piano, he would tune it to the tuning fork. Then he’d go to the next piano, if we had three or four in here, and he would tune that piano to that tuning fork. Then he’d go to the next, and he would tune that one to that tuning fork. And so on, if we had 20 pianos, and they’re all tuned to that tuning fork, then you have harmony. When a church or the body of Christ says, “Hey, I want to be in tune with the Spirit of God,” and He has gifted me in a certain way, and He has made me where God can work through me in this way and these different ministries this way—and that’s the ministrations and the operation—and I’m yielding that God can work in and through me in these certain ways, then it brings harmony. Nobody’s arguing about, “Why won’t you see it my way?” You allow them to be gifted and wired the way the Holy Spirit wired them, and we’re all in tune with the Spirit of Christ. Boy, there’s unity. There’s liberty. There’s a sweetness because we’re all allowing the Spirit of God to use us in the ways He has gifted us.

A couple last thoughts, and we’re going to be done. Would you—we’ve read it already—let me just emphasize it. Let me just emphasize it. Let me just emphasize it. Can I just say this? Would you use your gift? However you’re gifted, would you use your gift? A teenage young man, I’m so happy y’all filled out and completed your forms. Whatever your high ones were, would you look? “Hey, maybe God can use me.” Would you pray, “Lord, would You use me there somewhere?” He’s gifted. Every person here, if you’re saved, you’re a born-again Christian, you’re gifted. Would you use your gifts for the Lord?

Can I say this: Don’t waste your gifts on earthly things that pass away—here today, gone tomorrow. Spiritually, God has gifted you so these gifts can be used in the spiritual realm. You are to take those gifts and use them. It may be somewhere else, not just in the church, but you are to take those spiritual gifts and use them for the kingdom of God in some way. It is so sad if I spend my 70 years plus and use it all for the here and now; well, it’s all done then. Amen. If I just use my gifts for it down here. Use your gifts for the Lord.

It was a businessman. The pastor went to him and said, “Hey, sir, you’re a member of our church. We need a boy’s Sunday school teacher, and about 10, it averages in that class. Would you teach this boy’s Sunday school class?” The businessman told the pastor, “Pastor, thank you for asking me, and thank you highly. I’m going to do it.” He said, “I’m just too busy with my business; I can’t do it.” Ten years later, that businessman became ill at the end of life. The pastor went to him at his bedside and said, “Hey, just wanted to pray with you.” He said, “Pastor, I’ve been thinking about this saying: I’ve made a hundred mistakes. I missed 100 opportunities.” He said, “What do you mean, 100 opportunities?” He said, “Pastor, remember 10 years ago? You forgot about it. You remember you asked me to teach that boys’ class? You said about 10 in that class? I’ve been thinking about that 10 years. I had an opportunity to influence 10 boys, and I missed it every year. I missed 100 opportunities.” There will be a lot of people, though, who will never use their spiritual gifts for the Lord. As they get closer to eternity, they’ll say, “Man, I missed it. I was gifted.” Every person of your Savior is gifted. Hey, use your gifts for the Lord. At the end, you won’t regret it.

Just a couple more thoughts. In order for us to have a gift—my wife, for Christmas, bought me this jacket. It’s a little bit of a step up for a hillbilly like me, so it’s taking me a little while to wear it, you know? Finally, she threatened to hit me, so I said, “Yes, ma’am, I’ll wear it,” you know. Brother Frank said, “Ooh,” over there. Look, for her to give this to me, she had to go out and buy it. In order for God and the Holy Spirit to gift you, it was purchased. Where was it purchased at? Well, Romans 12 tells us you’re gifted by the grace of God, and all of the grace of God was purchased by Jesus, and He shed blood on the cross of Calvary. So those gifts you got, whether it be the helps—the ministries that help—are just ministries, and that’s just, you’re just glad to make sure the job gets done. You don’t like to be in the light; you just want to make sure everything gets done so the cause of Christ can move forward. Whatever your gift is—you say, “You know what? Jesus purchased that gift for me on the cross of Calvary. I don’t want to waste it. It’s very expensive.”

Let’s just say Brother Patrick—Brother Patrick here, Brother Patrick—everybody knows Brother Patrick will say that he is a gifted painter. I’m talking about cars. Man, he can paint that car, and it comes out looking better than it does off the showroom floor. I mean, it is beautiful, and he’s talented at it. His parents say, “Man, Patrick could do well for himself.” And for Miss Marlene, you’re going to say amen on this, he could make—he could make gobs of money. That means a whole lot of money for him, you know. He could have money running out of his ears if he had a shop. His parents began to look on the Internet, and they find a shop—I’m talking about it with the fans and all that you have to have, exhaust fans and all the equipment to paint cars, it’s already made for that—and it costs $700,000. Woo! Pick up your jaw, please. His parents say, “Man, we’re going to have to spend every dime we’ve got. There goes our nest egg; we’ll have to go back in debt. We’re getting older, getting closer. We’re going to do it for our son because we love our son.” They go in debt. They sell their house; I mean, they take a second mortgage, we’ll say. They go in debt and do everything, and they purchase this building, these tools for him. Man, he can make money where it’s running out of his ears. Ms. Marlene, you can say amen right there. I’m teasing. And Brother Patrick never uses it. He just has too many other things to do. “I like tech stuff. I’m not into painting cars.” I mean, I don’t like it, but, you know, I’m just too caught up in my world, my life, and him. Some of you are already getting mad at Brother Patrick. This is just the illustration, folks. Jesus purchased you a paint shop, if you will. He purchased a gift for you, and He has given it to you. It’s only right that we use it for Him, friend.

That’s a sad thing to say, but let me just say one more—one worse than that, one sadder thing than that—is when Jesus purchased you a ticket to heaven, if you will. Jesus shed His blood. God gave His Son. And I said, “Well, I’ll be good enough to go to heaven on my own,” or you just never—you just don’t want to humble down and say, “Hey, you know what? I need to get saved.” That would be a sad thing because Jesus has already purchased the paint shop, if you will, for you to go to heaven. Oh, friend, He wants you to have it. The Bible calls it the gift of God: eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Would you just receive that by faith? Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? Would you do that, friend?

Our heads bowed, our eyes closed. You’re here this morning and say, “Lord, I don’t know that much about the spiritual gifts thing, but I’m going to seek to find out how You’ve gifted me, not to be proud, but so I can thank You and praise You, so I can work for You. I want to use the gifts for Your glory and Your honor, and I’ll be seeking that. I’ll be praying, ‘Lord, would You show me? Guide me where I’m gifted at?’” Would you ask Him that? I’m going to be doing on this journey asking the Lord, “Where am I gifted at?” I’ll be seeking to find where I’m gifted at. Preacher, it’s just between me and God: I’m going to be seeking, “Where am I gifted at for the Lord?” If that’s you this morning, slip your hand up. “Preacher, I’m going to be seeking where I’m gifted at for the Lord.” If that’s you, just let your hand up. Anybody like that? Many hands, many hands. That’s vital. That’s so important. You’ll know better how you fit in. You’ll be more comfortable in your own skin, if you will. You’ll accept others better. You can be used by God in a great way. He’s gifted you somewhere. God bless you. Thank you so much. You can put your hands down. Maybe you hear this morning, “I think I’ve already got a pretty good suspicion where I’m gifted at. I want to use it. I want God to use my spiritual gifts.” I’m saying, “Lord, thank You for the paint shop. I want to use it every chance You give me.” Maybe you’re saying this one: “I’ve been missing some opportunities. I want to paint every car again. Lord, I yield. Would You use me in my spiritual gifts? Would You use me for Your glory and Your honor?” If that’s you, I want to use my spiritual gifts for You, Lord. If that’s you this morning, just lift your hand up. Would you? That’s me. Just lift it up. “Lord, I want You to use me, however, wherever You have gifted me. I want to be used by You.” God bless you. Many, many hands. God bless you. That’s wonderful. Oh, that’s wonderful. God wants to use you. He’s gifted you that way for a reason. That’s wonderful. Young people raising your hand, that’s wonderful. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. You can put your hands down. Wonderful. Maybe you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, I don’t know that I’m saved.” Maybe you say, “I’ve never really understood that gift. I didn’t quite get all that.” And I realize now Jesus has shed His blood on the cross of Calvary for me, and I would like to accept that gift. I would like to receive that. I realize now He has finished it on the cross. He died; He paid for all—all everyone, past, present, future—all my sins. I’d like to receive that gift this morning. If that’s you, with our heads bowed and eyes closed, “Preacher, I’ve never accepted it, but I’d like to receive the gift of eternal life. I’m going to heaven one day. I’d like to receive that gift.” If that’s you right where you’re seated, would you slip your hand up? “Preacher, I like to receive that gift. I like to be saved. I like to be a born-again Christian.” Friend, He loves you; He wants to give that to you. Anybody like that? “I’m not saved. I like to receive that gift.” Anybody like that? Wherever you’re at, maybe here this morning or maybe online, if that’s you, “I admit it, I’m a sinner. I believe Jesus died and rose again. I want to call on Him. I want to receive that gift.” If that’s you right there where you are, wherever you may be, would you call on Him? “Now, Jesus, thank You for purchasing the ticket for me. I know You did it with Your shed blood. Thank You. You’re offering me forgiveness and a home in heaven. Thank You for that. Would You save me? I receive that gift. I put all my trust in You to get me to heaven. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You. I owe You everything for saving me. Help me to live for You.” A preacher never has—but I just prayed to ask Jesus Christ to be my Savior. That should just lift your head up. Maybe online, would you click below and let us know? We’d love to send you a Bible. Would you please stand, all of us in the auditorium? Would you please stand this morning? Would you please stand right there? We won’t be long, but we’re going to have order to prayer. Then our instruments will play, and we’ll sing. But would you come spend some time? “Lord, would You show me where I’m gifted? Would You use my gifts?” Would you let Him know that? There’s a great time this morning, all of us just saying, “Lord, I want to know. I don’t want to miss the opportunity.” Would You let them know that? Would You do that? Let’s pray. You come. Thank You, Lord, all of us saved. You’ve given it to us. We don’t deserve it. Thank You, Jesus, for earning it for us. Help us to see it. Help us not be ignorant. And, Lord, I pray, would You use this? Have You gifted us? Would You use us for Your glory and Your honor, Lord, please? Help our people to fit together better for You through the gifts we know. Thank You, Lord, for what You do. Jesus, let me pray. Amen. Would you come? Would you come? You’re going to get baptized? Now would be the time to come. We’re thrilled about it. It would be great. Be great.

Original File: Discovering your Gifts - Pastor Paul Sunday AM 21322