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Home Sermons 2010 What are you offering?
 
What are you offering? PDF Print E-mail
Written by David Charlton   

Scripture

 

Romans 12:1
I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Summary and Function

Summary: We all have talents that are given to us by God. These are the skills that we seem to be ‘naturally’ good at. They come easy to us and with some practice and discipline, we become very good at these skills. As Christians we need to use these talents for the glory of God. Our talents need to be employed to spread God’s love throughout the world. This is part of what Romans 12:1 is all about. When we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, we offer everything that we are and everything we have to God. This includes our talents. What talents do you have. How could you use these talents to spread God’s love? What talents are you holding back from God?

Purpose: To help the congregation to eagerly use their talents to spread the good news of God’s love.

The Sermon

I. Introduction: Wasted talents

1. The mechanic who wasted his talent

  • Knew a man in Lake Como who was a master mechanic. Could fix any vehicle. Could have owned his own garage or taught in a trade school.
  • Alcohol enslaved him. When he was hit by a car, he felt sorry for himself and went to drinking. Uses his disability to buy beer.
  • Now he lives in a dilapidated shack and cares about nothing but buying his beer. Life revolves around beer.
  • Talent as a mechanic wasted

2. Many artists waste their artistic talents with drugs, sex or alcohol

3. Some people are simply too lazy to develop their talent(s).

4. It’s sad when people waste their talents because God gave us the talents and
doesn’t want us to waste them.

II. This is part of what Romans 12:1 is all about

1. Romans 12:1 – “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to
present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is
your spiritual worship.”
2. Presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice = offering everything that we are and
everything we have to God.

3. We present our bodies as living sacrifices because we are all ministers.

  • 1 Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
  • If you are a follower of Jesus, then you have a ministry. Jesus expects you to use your spiritual gifts and talents to pursue your specific ministry, spread the good news of God’s love and build up the church.
3. Last week we discussed spiritual gifts. Today we will discuss using our talents to
spread the love of Jesus.

III. Difference between spiritual gifts and talents

1. Spiritual gifts: Given to Christians by the Holy Spirit. Not learned and not born with
it.
2. Talents: Something people either learn or are born with. Both Christians and
Non-Christians have talents. It’s the skill that seems to come naturally to a person.

3. Both come from God.

4. Sometimes it’s hard to determine if a skill is a spiritual gift or a talent. When this
happens, don’t worry about it. It doesn’t really matter. It’s still a skill given to you
by God and God expects you to use it for his purposes.

IV. Examples of using talents for God’s kingdom

1. Carpentry work around the church

2. Electrical work around the church

3. Using a ‘green thumb’ to beautify the church

V. Conclusion

1. What talents do you have?

2. How could you use your talents to spread God’s love?

3. What talents are you holding back from God?
 
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