FULFILLING YOUR POTENTIAL AND BEING A WITNESS TO THE LORD JESUS IN THIS NEW YEAR
**************************************************************************************
OUTLINE
1. GOD WANTS US TO USE THE GIFTS AND TALENTS AND ABILITIES THAT HE HAS GIVEN TO US
2. GOD WILL REWARD US FOR ALL THE GOOD DEEDS THAT WE DO TO OTHERS
3. GOD WANTS US TO HIS WITNESSES AND BE A SALT AND A LIGHT IN THIS DARK WORLD
MESSAGE
1. GOD WANTS US TO USE THE GIFTS AND TALENTS AND ABILITIES THAT HE HAS GIVEN TO US
**************************************************************************************
The Lord wants us to use all the gifts and talents and abilities that he has given to us. He wants us to live to the fullest extent of our potential. He wants us to be a great blessing to others. The Lord honours those who are diligently using what He has given to them. It is God's will that we bear much fruit in our lives for His glory. The Lord has given different gifts to us and we must not waste our time and energy trying to imitate the gift and abilities that God has given to others. We must focus on developing the gift that He has given to us. . We must make use of every opportunity to use all the gifts and talents that God has given to us and and be a blessing to the people around us.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
***************************
2 TIMOTHY 1:6-7
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
MATTHEW 25:14-30
"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.
To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.
So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.
But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
JOHN 15:1-8 , 16
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
ROMANS 12:4-8
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
1 CORINTHIANS 12: 4-12 , 27-28
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,
to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,
to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.
2. GOD WILL REWARD US FOR ALL THE GOOD DEEDS THAT WE DO TO OTHERS
**************************************************************************************
The Lord will reward us for all the good deeds that we do for the benefit of others especially to those who are our fellow beleivers. We should not get discouraged and give up doing good. When we are faithful in being a blessing to others, the Lord will surely reward us. He will show great mercy towards us in our time of need. The Lord wants us to be positive influence in this world and be a salt and light to the people around us.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
***************************
GALATIANS 6:9-10
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
HEBREWS 6:10
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
MATTHEW 10:41-42
Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward.
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
PSALM 41:1-3
Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.
The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.
The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.
MATTHEW 6:19-21
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
MATTHEW 5:13-16
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
3. GOD WANTS US TO HIS WITNESSES AND BE A LIGHT IN THIS DARK WORLD
**************************************************************************************
The Lord wants us to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. The samaritan woman shared with her people what Jesus had done for her which caused many people to beleive on Jesus. The little girl who was taken captive shared how her master Naaman could be healed of leprosy by the prophet in her homeland , which led to his healing. The Lord wants us share with others what He has done in our lives so they also can receive the same blessings.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
***************************
ACTS 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
JOHN 4:28-30 , 39-42
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,
"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ ?"
They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did."
So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.
And because of his words many more became believers.
They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."
2 KINGS 5:1-5
Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife.
She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."
Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.
"By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.
MATTHEW 10:32-33
"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
***************************************************************************
