Well we come to number fourteen in our series on God the Holy Spirit and we're continuing with the subject of spiritual gifts or gifts of the Holy Spirit. It's a bit like a jigsaw this. If you've missed last week's message and the message before that, listen to them on the web or get the CDs because it all interlocks and we're building on things that we've already said but I can't go over what we've already said today otherwise we'd be here all afternoon. But today we're going to be thinking about Christian friends, how do I know what my gift is? If we've all been given a gift by the Holy Spirit, or gifts, plural, what is my gift and how do I use it? So please come with me to the reading which we had in Romans chapter 12. What is my gift? How do I use it? Well, number one, do I really want to serve the Lord? Romans 12, verse 1, I beseech you, therefore brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable to God which is your reasonable service Christian friends, what do I owe to God? I owe Him everything I beseech you therefore brethren in the light of His mercies the mercies of God when I stand before the throne dressed in beauty not my own when I see thee as thou art love thee with unsinning heart then Lord shall I fully know not till then how much I owe in our hymn book that hymn is just actually a poem, Robert Murray McShane's poem we just have four verses in the original there are nine verses one of the verses says this when I hear the wicked call on the rocks and hills to fall, when I see them start and shrink on the fiery deluge brink, then, Lord, shall I fully know, not till then, how much I owe. I beseech you, I plead with you, therefore, brethren, in the light of God's mercies, chosen not for good in me, wakened up from wrath to flee, hidden in the Savior's side by the Spirit sanctified teach me Lord on earth to show by my love how much I owe I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service what else can you do Christian friends all this love to me the only response says Paul is to give yourself back to him here am I on the altar completely surrendered do with me what you will I am no longer my own I am yours which means of course not living as I once did verse 2 do not be conformed to this world which means walking to the beat of a different drum and be transformed by the renewing of your mind and by losing our lives it's on the altar a living sacrifice what do we find? well we find our lives don't we? living for him without restraint how fine Christian friends I have no regrets that you may prove what is the good acceptable and perfect will of God so what's my gift? how do I use it? well the bottom line is this Christian friend, we've got to begin here do I really in my heart of hearts want to serve him? because unless we begin there there's no point in going any further is there? have I laid myself on the altar? have I laid everything on the altar? not just the ninety-nine percent but that one percent you know what I mean you know what I'm talking about even though the Spirit of God is putting his finger on it am I willing to put that on the altar does God have everything does he have my Isaac do I really want to serve him well Christian many of you do then you can be sure that he won't keep you in ignorance of his will. He won't keep you in ignorance of the gifts that he's given to you because you'll prove when you're on the altar what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. You'll find your gift and you'll use it to his glory. Marcus Honeyset speaks of a young man called Michael who was only 19 years old. He came to the post of a trainee working in a church and on paper he was the weakest candidate. and initially he was so nervous that he was actually incoherent but as the interview unfolded as they began to talk to this young man what struck everyone was this man's burning love for the Lord that in the light of all God's mercies get him on the subject of the cross what Christ had done what Christ had done for him in the light of God's mercies what else could he do but to give it all back to his Lord and they chose him because they could see the engine of his life and God is greatly using him today so Christian friend, what do I owe to God? what do I really want to do? that must be our starting point well number two finding and using my gift means belonging and committing to his body look at verse three for I say through the grace given to me to everyone who is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith for as we have many members in one body but all the members do not have the same function so we being many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another so Paul says in any discussion about gifts in the same breath we've got to talk about the church we've got to talk about his body of course we being many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another we've been talking about this before haven't we if you're a foot if that's your gift if that's your calling well how could we use that gift unless you're devoted to the body a foot on its own is useless isn't it if you're an eye, if that's your gift, you're given for the seeing in the church how will you have the opportunity to exercise your gift if you're not committed to the life of the body be it the local church at Rome or the local church at Amienpah chapel so Christian men, do I really want to serve the Lord? and that then follows on to the next question do I really want to serve the Lord in his body the church because that is the arena in which my gifts will be exercised and if they're not exercised in the arena of his body the church they will be useless Paul says if you're joined to him we are therefore joined to one another we being many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another we're wrapped up together we're not pieces of Lego and you just pull us off and stick them somewhere else we're intermeshed, we're organic pulling us apart, it's to tear us, wound us so maybe this morning you need to think seriously about membership maybe you feel, I am a member, I am part of this church, well yeah well let's put it right, completely, wholly enter into the fullness of the life of this church by committing yourself to God's people here that's biblical that's what Paul is talking about and maybe this morning Christian friends you are a member but you need to take your membership seriously more than just coming on a Sunday having a few friends here and doing something sort of Christian like okay number three says Paul be realistic take a sane look at yourself verse three for I say through the grace of God given to me to everyone who is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith so finding my gift using my gift it requires humility now as a sinner what's my default position if I show you a group photograph who's the first person you look for You look for yourself, don't you? And what do you want to know? How do I look? Yeah, we all do it, don't we? And you could be really upset, because you look, what? Do I really look like that? But it's telling us something, isn't it? There's something bright and natural, because we have a sense of self, that's good, but actually it's all intermeshed with our sin as well, isn't it? Because actually I want the world to revolve around me in that photograph, I'm the most important person. says if all stop be realistic otherwise if God gives you a great gift given half a chance to have the church revolving around you and if God gives you as you regard a lesser gift well you won't want to play because it's not very important gift and unless I get something really important I'm not gonna be taking part and I'll be looking sideways at someone who I think has got a better gift than me ain't that true of you? So says Paul, stop, think, be sane, take a sober look at yourself. I may dream of making a hundred at Lourdes to clinch the ashes, but I have to ask myself, is it likely? I say to you through the grace given to me to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly be sane about your assessment of yourself as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Now what does Paul mean as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith? Well he's saying this, he's saying it's by faith I recognize that my gift is from God it's not because I am somebody it's because God has given it to me and therefore by faith I'll use it in dependence upon him which means I won't have a big head saying look at me but I'll be using my gift as I ought to use it in humility Christian friends, equally, we can have a false humility, can't we? Yes? Oh, who am I? I'm nothing. I'm a sinner. I can't do anything in this church. But if by faith I see what God has given to me to be used for his church, to be used for his body, to be used for his glory, then I shall be eager and willing to use it. It keeps me from a big head. It keeps me from a false humility. Taking a sane look at yourself. Don't show off and don't hold back. Number four, don't be lazy. If I want to know my gift, if I want to use my gift, I have to be ready to use it, don't I? So says Paul, verse 6, having then gifts, differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them last week we thought about the parable of the talents everyone is given so many talents and within those talents are gifts five talents, two talents, one talent and as we saw the two talents to the servants they work their socks off the five talents and the two talents and you can see from their very attitude that the Lord's service is their life their living sacrifices they live for Him but one servant says what's the hurry I've got ages yet anyway you can't do much with one talent and obviously the Lord doesn't really trust me if he's only given me one and he's given to him five and he buries his one talent in the ground he does nothing so Christian friend is that you? are you lazy? too lazy to get stuck in too lazy to shoulder responsibility oh I've always got time for what I want to do we always find time for what we really want to do but some of you never seem to find time for serving the Lord in the life of the body and maybe you sanctify your laziness by saying well of course all my life is to be for Him, all of my life is a living sacrifice but actually in practice your life is being used by you, for you Or maybe you say, well, if only my gift was recognized, then of course I would be more committed. What are you doing for the Lord? What are you doing in His body? Maybe you'll complain that the church isn't doing something for you. Well, you can go on making your excuses, and you can go on cloaking your laziness with spiritual language, and that's fine isn't it, you can do all that, we can do all that, no problem do it, do it for the next 10, 15, 20 years but what happens when Christ returns? after a long time the Lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them and on that day what will you say? so he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents saying Lord you deliver to me five talents, look I've gained five more talents beside them. Will you on that day say to the Lord, look, I use the gift that you gave me for you, for your glory, for your pleasure. His Lord said to him, well done, good and faithful servant. You are faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord. You see what he's saying? He's saying, you worked hard for my kingdom, so come and share it with me. While here on earth you put yourself out for me, now come and reign with me. You thought five talents was a lot. Well, because I can trust you actually with, actually it was a little, I can trust you with so much more. You're faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. The kingdom is yours. and I'm not just giving you your portion, I want you to share my portion, enter into the joy of your Lord. Now Christopher, is that what you want to hear? You won't be at Amien Park forever. You won't be on this earth forever. Our time for service is getting less and less and less. Time is running out. When we're 50 we can still think I'm a 20 year old and I've got 50 years ahead of me to serve. I haven't. When I'm 20, I think, oh, I can serve later. God may only give you 25 years of life before he takes it. If you want on that day him to say, well done, oh, I knew I could trust you, then don't be lazy. Use what he's given to you today. and use it well till he returns. And if you're not listening to this, well, you better start rehearsing your excuses. Then the one who received one talent came and said, Lord, I knew to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, gathering where you have not scattered, and I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, here, there, have what is yours. His Lord answered and said to him, you wicked and lazy servant. Cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Number five, church culture. Finding and using our gift is all about church culture. Come with me to Ephesians chapter four. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 11 it's talking about Christ, the ascended Christ, the reigning Christ, he's given gifts to his church and it talks about some of the gifts he's given to his church he gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers now later in the series we're going to talk about apostles and prophets and whether we should expect them today and so on, but for the moment Let's talk about pastor's teachers. What's the job of the pastor teacher? It's his job to do most of the running around and when he's worn out or this one's broken we just get another one. Is that what his job is? His job as a pastor teacher is to teach the word publicly, privately. He's to teach the word of the apostles and the prophets and as he does something happens to the body something happens to the church. He gave some to be apostles prophets, evangelists, some pastors and teachers, verse 12, for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Do you see what it's saying? As God's Word is taught, as God's people pay heed to that Word, what happens? Well, they're stirred up. They're made aware of their gift. they're drawn to particular people, they're drawn to a particular sphere of service in fact what's going on is they're being prepared for service they're being ready for action for the equipping of the saints they're being prepared, they're given gifts, they're finding their gifts for the work of ministry it doesn't really make much sense does it? for the work of serving, that's what it's saying and as they use their gifts, as they use their callings what happens? the church goes on to maturity the church is built up for the edifying for the building up of the body of Christ till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ so my job Jeff's job Paul's job is to get you serving that's what we're here for is to get you serving now that depends to a degree on the culture in the church doesn't it as a church how willing are we to see God's people equipped how willing are we to see unfamiliar faces filling certain positions having certain responsibilities and the person we used to see maybe isn't doing that and am I happy if I'm in a position of responsibility to to share the load, to take someone under my wing, to show them the ropes, to teach them, to train them and of course in church life we're not just looking for vacancies to be filled are we? we're looking for the gifts that God has given to us and if it's a growing body, growing church, then expect those gifts to mean in the life of the church new ministries things that weren't here before, new works which means of course that there'll be change how comfortable are we with change? and if God is equipping people for his service then we know and we understand that they're not yet the finished article are they? so we must be as a church in our culture charitable encouraging someone who's just starting in a particular service is unlikely to be as gifted and as capable and as able as someone who's been doing it for 20 years. So don't look at the one who's been doing it for 20 years and say, well, that's how it should be done. Look at the way that's been done! And you jump in with two great big boots and you tread all over them. Or complain that the usual person who's doing it isn't doing it. Because we've all got to begin somewhere, haven't we? Think of Peter. I'm sure we've all given up on Peter. but he has a responsibility to shepherd the church and if someone puts their head above the parapet they start something new and it's not perfect there's all sorts of things that, you know, loose ends and things that, well you wouldn't do it like that well it'll be better next time because they're learning, they're growing, God's equipping them so don't stand there with machine guns ready head above the parapet and you get them encourage them with your prayers, encourage them with your words, otherwise they won't be here next time. What's the culture at Amien Park? People must be allowed to fail, mustn't they? We all fail, I failed. The first sermon I preached at Spring Road, my wife, she wasn't but she was my fiancée then, she said to me they'll never ask you to preach again. and she got lower and lower behind the pew as I preached we must be allowed to fail we must be allowed to learn to not be very good at something and actually get better at it so if God is equipping this church there will be little seedlings popping up all over the place so love them, nurture them, culture them, water them, encourage them who knows there may be an Augustine There may be a Calvin, there may be a Spurgeon that's growing up under our feet. Okay, number six. Finding and using my gift means recognizing, as we said previous week, there is a diversity of gifts, isn't there? And we thought about this, I don't want to say very much about it because we spent a lot of time on it last week. but paul says when he writes the corinthians one corinthians twelve and these are very public gifts he says and god has appointed these in the church first apostles second prophets third teachers after that miracles then gifts of healings helps administrations varieties of tongues and he says are all apostles are all prophets are all teachers are all workers of miracles do all have gifts of healings do all speak with tongues do all interpret and then of course we have this list here don't we there's prophecy verse seven ministry teaching verse eight exhortation uh... giving leading showing mercy there's a whole variety of gifts which of course is why my gift might not look like anyone else's and these lists are not exhaustive, they're not exclusive it's just saying what a tremendous range of gifts there are so to recognize there's a diversity, I may not see someone who's got what I've got and of course what you are maybe in your calling in the world may not be what you're calling will be in the church there's inevitably overlaps of course because the skills you use there will be used here but it may not be the same and two, in this diversity of gifts don't think well those are the ones that really matter just because my gift isn't high-profile and super supernatural I'm no less serving the Lord, am I? and just because maybe I think I can't be used in a big meeting it doesn't mean I'm not vital for the health of the church number seven use your gifts to the full Romans 12 again Paul says verse 6 having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us let us use them use them what is a gift? it's a gift isn't it? it's all of grace what God has given to you so says the Apostle use it use it to the full if I give you a thousand pounds I say use this for the poor of the parish and you don't use it well you're robbing me of a thousand pounds aren't you and you're robbing the poor of the parish of a thousand pounds Get the point. Use your gift to the full. Don't rob the Lord who's given it to you and don't rob your brothers and sisters for whom it's been given. Use it. Take us some examples. If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith. Do I have a direct word from God for his people at this time? I'm convinced, I'm sure, it's through faith and says Paul get on with it or verse 7 ministry let us use it in our ministering is your gift serving maybe it's making the tea giving lifts, cooking food, clearing up popping around to help people maybe your gift is to get your hands wet and dirty washing the feet of others well don't wait to be asked except a tortoise he tickled his chin, he put his head out of his shell don't wait for your chin to be tickled before you put your head out of the shell get on with it, serve one brother came round to a preacher to mend stuff in his house to help sorting things out that this preacher wasn't actually terribly good at and this brother who came round to help was so kind and the preacher felt a bit awkward, a bit embarrassed and said you don't have to do all this, you don't have to but he insisted he said I can't preach but I can do this, I can serve if your gift is serving get on with it says Paul if you have the first seven, the gift of teaching, well teach on verse eight, he who exhorts in exhortation encouraging Christian friend, are you good at reading faces? Are you good at stepping into the shoes of others and feeling where the pinch points are? And you know what people are going through? Are you good at forgetting yourself? And putting your arm around someone and encouraging them? Well, get on with it. And again, encourages come in all shapes and sizes. I remember in Southampton there was a young man and he was so shy and you could see it really cost him to talk to people because he was so shy but he was there welcoming new faces to the church he was going through agony sometimes but he was there to encourage them so he'd go up to them and encourage them and welcome them and he'd go around visiting the elderly I remember one elderly lady, May Taylor and she said, oh he's got such a winning smile he brought sunshine into her lonely home what an encouragement but he wasn't he was he was so shy that was a gift that God had given to him verse 8, has God given you wealth? wealth looks very natural doesn't it? it doesn't look very supernatural but it is a supernatural gift says Paul verse 8 so enrich the body give generously don't make sure the things are left undone for lack of support and funds are you verse 8 a leader? people look to you for all the right reasons well then don't neglect your calling he who leads with diligence and verse 8 he who shows mercy with cheerfulness if God's gift to you is that you're someone who opens their home you show kindness to people who can't repay you, that's mercy isn't it? they can't repay you, they can't give back to you and you just show them kindness and you're great with the ones who have forgotten, you're great with the people on the fringe, you're great with the visitors the strangers, you somehow bring them into the life and family of the church what's this Paul? Do it cheerfully what good is it if if you're doing those things and you're huffing and puffing because then they'll feel, oh I'm causing you a lot of trouble and they'll feel embarrassed and so on what good is it if you visit the sick and you go in to talk to them and you moan about everything and you moan about life and you moan about the church what's the help in that? be like that honey that Jonathan ate and he put it on his rod and he tasted it and he said see how my face brightens let them see says Paul your radiant joy in the Lord your spiritual cheerfulness In fact, in using our gifts to the full, let them see Christ, because that's what it's all about, isn't it? For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Number eight, nearly at the end. Fan your gift into flames. What do I mean? Well, we've touched on it already, gifts grow, gifts develop, gifts mature so Paul writes to Timothy I need to turn to it, I'll just quote it he says 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 14 do not neglect the gift that is in you which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of hands of the eldership 2 Timothy says therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of hands Paul writes about, for example, deacons. He says, let these first be tested, then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. Our gifts don't stand still. They can either wither, by not using them, or by using them they grow, develop, mature. Let's go back to our thousand pound gift to the poor. Next year, the benefactor returns. He says, what did you do with £1,000? And you say, well, I spent £40 on buying big issues. But the rest of it is safe in the bank. Will the benefactor give you any more money? But if, when he comes back, he's found that you've taken that £1,000 and you spent it wisely, generously, in a servant-hearted way, and many people have been enriched by it, what will be his reaction? well maybe next year he'll give you 10,000 pounds because he's found that you're faithful with 1,000 so therefore if you're faithful with that I can give you so much more and that's a spiritual principle if God can trust you with the little he will give you much much more which is why sometimes you get some of God's people when you meet them as young Christians you think what can God do with that and they suddenly grow into something that nobody ever expected because the little they had they pressed into his service and God has given them more and more and more Jesus himself said Luke 16 verse 10 he who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much and he was unjust in what is least is unjust also in much so what he's saying is this What God has given you today, use to the full. You may think it was only five loaves and two fishes. What can I do with that? Well, use it and God will give you more. So, let's think of some examples, Christian friends. Let's suppose you're a steward. A steward on the doors. So, what will you do? Well, you can say, it's not a very important job. Anyone can do that. And that's why you then forget to turn up, because it wasn't very important. And anyway, someone will cover for me. or I'm a steward I can pray before I arrive and I make sure I arrive early and when people come in I'll greet them in a genuine and friendly way and I'll be particularly helpful to visitors because it's new and they've not been in this place before and I'll be looking around to see where the spaces are so when latecomers come in I won't just launch them into the deep but I'll accompany them and show them to their place because that's what I would like to be done for me and I'll do it for them and through the service I'll be watchful of needs and then at the end I'll help clear up the hymn books and make sure everything's done that needs to be done you see what you are with your little shows who you are, doesn't it? And if God can trust you with the little, He'll give you so much more. You're a woman. Maybe you feel in this church the relationships aren't what perhaps they should be. Maybe you feel as women, you know, we could be doing more. So what do you do? Well, you can complain. And you say, well, the church isn't very good at this. you can be cynical and say well nothing's ever going to happen in this church but you think actually I'm one of the church it's not just them, it's me if everyone in the church was like me what sort of church would it be? so you think well I haven't got very much but what I've got I'll use so I'll pray and I'll take a lead, I'll go and talk to somebody and when I go and talk to them I'm going to feel embarrassed they'll feel embarrassed, we'll be looking at each other and it'll be awkward and it'll be difficult maybe, maybe not but I'll keep going and I'll get to know them a little and I'll then say, well why don't we meet up for coffee and I'll be a friend like Christ and who knows when I press my little into his service and it grows what God might do if I take the lead with one person God might use me to take the lead in a bigger way might he not? maybe come to those meetings that you never go to you say, I don't want to come to those meetings, it's full of people I never get on with and I wouldn't be interested in them so why then should God give you more? so go on, who knows what the Lord might do what role you might yet fulfill in the church or maybe Christian friend, you see things in this church being left undone I think if only someone was there to do that, to plug that gap, to fill that hole. Well, maybe that's your gift. Maybe you see things that other people aren't seeing. So you think, right, okay, I'll maybe speak to one of the office bearers. I'll see what I can do to help. I've recognized that hole. I'll see what I can do to go and fill it. And who knows, God may make you a pillar in the church around which he builds a whole work. Or maybe, Christian friend, you're a leader in waiting. What does Paul say? Be diligent. Some of you we're seeking to train up, some of you men, train up. Well, so key in that is diligence. Because you see in men real qualities of leadership but then sometimes it's just let down by neglect. Don't let the little opportunities pass you by just because you were late or you forgot or you got distracted. Or you felt, I've already done my fair share. Or, I don't want to be involved with them because they're not very interesting. I find them rather boring. Or maybe that's a waste of my gifts and I need a bigger platform. Be diligent. Serve in hearted love. And of course, if you're to exercise leadership, then you must learn to be submissive to leadership. God will never give you a position of leadership if you haven't learnt to submit to the leading of others. Do you see? Fan the gift into flames. Nearly at a close. A word about Adrian. Adrian was a leader in a church club, a club for teenagers. Most of the kids in the club were from outside The church and the kids were cool and funny and savvy and good at sport, a lot of them played in the same football team. Adrian had been hit by a car, been in a coma, suffered brain damage. Adrian found it very hard to speak, he had a very nervous manner Adrian was everything that they weren't but it didn't stop him and the lads could see his genuineness they could see he really loved them and they came to admire him and have great affection for him and in fact Adrian was an inspiration to all the other leaders in the clubs He didn't have very much, did he? But he pressed it into the Lord's service. The flames were fanned. And what God did, what God might do with you, Christian friend, if you lay your little on the altar. Are there any Adrians here? And nearly at a close. Well, we've gone through this. Number 9, I'm still not sure about what my gift is. We'll just go through it. Think about what we've said. Pray. Ask the Lord. Make sure you have put yourself on the altar. Be committed to the church, to the body. That's the arena of service. Don't take yourself too seriously. Have a sane view of yourself. Don't think, oh, I should be up there doing something. Have a sane view of yourself. And don't be lazy. Give yourself to the Word. you give yourself the word you can expect God will start equipping you for his service and maybe your gift is already there in embryo think about what you're good at what are you drawn to maybe it's a particular person or people that you're drawn to go and talk to older believers those who know you say well what do you think what gifts have I got let's talk about it how can I help what's the Lord calling me to maybe think about what what do I call but I got a call you do something with that but he got a bike what do you handy at you got a half a people I go to organizing things we need a PC can you write letters or emails I go to building friendships I use owners as good at putting people at their ease can you cook can you give hospitality? can you play a musical instrument? maybe you've got children well that's part of your gifting, God will use that, maybe you're single you think, well singleness is a gift well there are gifts within singleness that you can do things for the Lord that other people can't do are you just a safe person? there are some people in churches who actually don't look like they've got much going on but they're wonderfully safe to be with they're a real gift to the church because when you're wounded and someone pokes you in the eye with a stick and hurts you and you're feeling fragile you can just go with them and they're not going to say anything nasty there's not going to be anything that comes sort of where you weren't expecting it they're just safe people to be with I love being with the safe people at Amien Park Chapel It renews me, revives me, refreshes me. And some people are just safe and you can find rest. Maybe that's your gift. Are you well-read? Well-taught? Well, there's a whole dimension. Maybe you feel, I'm very simple, I don't know very much. Well, then you'll be great with beginners, won't you? Because you'll know the struggles that they go through. And we could go on and on and on, couldn't we? Do you see what we're saying? If you had a piece of paper and started writing things down, you'd feel, actually, you'd be turning it over. I've got loads of things. and keep on praying Lord what do you want me to do and what you've given to me to do today I'll do with all my heart I'm laid on the altar and Lord I'm looking to you to take my little and use it for your glory knowing then that you will give me more because I'm faithful in little and therefore I can be trusted with much maybe at the end of this sermon Christian friends we have a road map to finding your gift and using it Just close with this. No more than one minute. Number 10. Remember a few sermons ago? We used to think of a row of zeroes. You keep filling your page with zeroes. You add up all the zeroes, what does it come to? It comes to nothing. What gives those zeroes value? We put a number in front, like one. Put a one in front of lots of zeroes, you've got a a figure, haven't you? What ultimately gives my gift value, so it's not a row of zeros on a page, what gives my gift value is love. That's why Paul, as we saw, goes on in Corinthians, having spoken about gifts, to say, I'll show you the better way, love. Because what gives my gifts value is love, love for Christ, love for his people, love for the lost, but love and because love is this isn't it and I think this is really it if you hear everything in this sermon think about this because whatever the difficulties of serving whatever the difficulties I find with my gift whatever the difficulties might be if there's love love always finds a way