Sunday Sermons
Talents - Applications
Talents
Romans 12:3-8: Applications
Spiritual Gifts and Natural Abilities
It is noteworthy that this section of Scripture places spiritual gifts such as “prophecy” (12:6), with gifts or talents that would be called “natural abilities”, such as “serving” and “teaching” (12:7), “exhorting, giving, leading, and showing mercy” (12:8).
· One lesson is that the cultivation and use of natural abilities was just as important for the spread of Christianity and growth of the local congregation as the exercise of miraculous gifts. As miraculous gifts could fall into non-use and be squandered (2 Timothy 1:6), so can the abilities we were born with (Hebrews 5:12-14).
· God-given talents need to be cultivated, that is, used, trained, educated and sharpened.
· There are a number of reasons why the spiritual gifts are no longer operational (1 Corinthians 13:10). The word of God was confirmed (Hebrews 2:4), and the purpose of the gifts (confirming and revealing the New Testament message) ended.
· Yet, as I look at the list of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, God-given ability with the Scriptures actually can accomplish many of the same things that were accomplished by the miraculous gifts. For example, although we no longer have the ability to instantly speak in a foreign language we have never learned (the gift of tongues, Acts 2:6-8), yet with time and study, many Christians can master not only one language, but several of languages. If you have the ability to master more than one language, you should for the sake of the gospel.
· Even though one can no longer speak by inspiration, with study (2 Timothy 2:15), one can accurately preach the word of God (1 Peter 4:11), so that even though one is not inspired, ones sermon or lesson can be entirely accurate. The same is true for the gifts of wisdom, knowledge and discerning of spirits. With study and the Scriptures we can gain wisdom, knowledge, and the ability to tell when someone is not preaching the truth (Revelation 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). Therefore, the talent of being able to organize lessons and present God’s truth in a logical and edifying manner must not be wasted.
· In the time of spiritual gifts, God often selected specific prophets and apostles (Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 1:15). The exciting thing about our own time is that God has given us His complete revelation, and individual young men are allowed to choose if they want to proclaim His word (2 Timothy 2:2), and make this their profession while upon the earth.
How do I know what my talent is?
· You might not know, thus it would be wise to ask others the following questions: “Where do you think that I would excel?” Or, “What are my strengths?” Others can often see our abilities better than we can.
· Often what you love to do will be related to your talent
· Secondly, experiment and try different things. Remember, abilities are not always right on the surface of our lives, and even natural abilities take time to develop. Even professional athletes would have never made it to the professional or even college level without practice and good coaching. Just because I am born with a talent does not mean that practice is not essential.
Do not get side-tracked by envy:
A common temptation is to envy the ability that someone else has, yet this makes about as much sense as a boy with an apple envying another boy who simply has an apple of a different color or shape. The Holy Spirit makes it clear that everyone has abilities, “Since we have gifts” (Romans 12:6). Envy only creates a situation where we no longer grow spiritually and where we fail to use the talents that we possess. Saul was a talented individual, yet his envy of David destroyed his own usefulness to God (1 Samuel 18:8-9). Often people are afraid of someone who seems more talented and the fear that that is person will somehow take their place. David did not actually want to take Saul’s place, yet Saul’s fear only hastened the process of his own demise. Envy may only bring about what people most fear, that is, that they will be overlooked because they are not concentrating upon using and developing their own gifts. Thus the person who complains that someone else always gets the breaks in life, will find that with such an attitude, the breaks will go to others.
Exercise the Talent:
“Let each exercise them accordingly” (Romans 12:6).
· On a practical level, this means that the person who is gifted at teaching needs to be gathering materials and books regarding teaching and be constantly improving their skills. In other words, I need to be developing resources that deal with my skill, resources that I can in turn impart to others. We often think of “preacher training” and “song-leader training”, but need to remember to teach individuals in the next generation to serve, how to effectively show mercy, how to lead a congregation, how to exhort, or how to give.
· Thus, the person who is good at home or hospital visits needs to think about showing someone else the ropes, and actually putting together material on what to do and what not to do.
· As you look at the various abilities listed in this section, “serving, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading and showing mercy”, each area of service contains an entire education or learning process. For example, there are a number of things I need to learn from others, Scripture and experience in order to become a truly effective leader.
· People often speak of someone being a “natural leader”, but there is a big difference between a “natural” leader or teacher, and an “effective” and “wise” leader and teacher.
Realize when you are on call:
That is, be mindful of when your talent is needed and where. If you are good at showing mercy (Romans 12:8), then when it is announced that someone is in the hospital, take special notice and fit a trip to the hospital into your schedule. The same is true if you are gifted at teaching. When someone is baptized you might want to be involved in teaching a babes in Christ class, or when someone is visiting you might try to get a study with them. Remember, the local congregation thrives when each member is working and even more importantly, when each member is working in the area where they excel. Consider carefully Ephesians 4:16 “According to the proper working of each individual part”. While we need to be constantly training others, what this means is that we regularly employ and use our best teachers in the classes, our best personal workers leading classes with non-Christians, and so on. One reason you and I need to step forward and take the lead in the area in which we excel is so that God’s kingdom gets the very best in every area. This is also one reason why elders, deacons, and preachers need to learn to delegate responsibilities in areas where they do not excel. In addition, we must learn not to feel guilty about not being involved or part of every class or area of service. I must learn to serve, but I equally must learn to step aside or get out of the way when someone is far better at something than I am.
Each talent is an Art:
As we look at the list in Romans 12:6-8, we might be tempted to think, “One doesn’t need any talent to give, everyone can do that”. While it is true that all are expected to give of their prosperity (1 Corinthians 16:1-2), giving effectively is an art. First of all, it takes skill and tact in some situations to simply get your foot in the door and convince others that they need to accept your help. Secondly, one needs to be able to give to others without making others feel small or indebted. It equally takes wisdom to discern what causes or individuals I should financially support, and when I should withhold my giving. There will be all sorts of people wanting your funds (especially if one is wealthy) and one must be able to distinguish among them all, deciding truly which would be “good works” (1 Timothy 6:17).
Concentrate on your area of strength:
We see this in such statements as…. “If service, in his serving; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation” (Romans 12:7). While there is nothing wrong with trying new things and moving out of your “comfort zone”, these verses do remind us that we must not forsake the area in which we are truly the expert. We equally see this in the apostles attitude, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables” (Acts 6:2). The apostles certainly had the ability to serve tables, the problem was that such work would take away valuable time from evangelism and teaching. Thus, learn to say “no” to things that would interfere with what you are really accomplishing in the area of your strength.
Ask for Help:
Seeing that we are not all talented in the same areas we need to be humble and ask for help when we find ourselves over our heads and in unfamiliar territory. It is not a sign to weakness to want someone to go visiting with you or help you teach a class. The good news is that, especially in this congregation, we have very talented people in just about every area of spiritual service, thus we can learn from some of the best and have them ready to assist us when we need their expertise and input.
Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net/mdunagan@easystreet.com
