All natural abilities, as well as spiritual gifts are given to us by our Lord.

1. 781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741 www.rossvillechurch.com March 13, 2011 Come as you are; we will be glad to see you.

2. Romans 12 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice , holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind , that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, Will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly , according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

3. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another . Each member is just as needful and important as any and every other member. Rich or poor, fast or slow, book smart or smart in practical things, eloquent or shy, pretty or homely, man or woman, black, brown, or white -- we are all needful and important.

4. "And every one members one of another" "No man is an island, entire of itself." J ohn Donne, Meditation XVII English clergyman & poet (1572 - 1631) I am not complete without the love and fellowship of my brothers and sisters in Christ. We need the love of Jesus , as manifested through the saints. We need the gifts and talents of each one.

5. 6a Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, Our gifts and talents are differen t, but all are needful to the cause of Jesus Christ. In a local assembly of believers, each child of God is an essential part of that group.

6. 6b whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; To speak a message from God is to prophesy: Whatever God is saying to the people. But understand that there are no messages from God that are contrary to His Word. Any book, any message, any revelation that is different from the Bible, Is not from God ; it is from Satan .

7. 7a Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: Some people think of being in the ministry as a lofty or prestigious office; Nothing could be further from the truth. To minister is to serve -- nothing more nor less.

8. There are many ways to serve the Lord. Jesus said that to serve the least of His is to serve Him. It's all about mindset : Do we see ourselves as ones to be served , or as servants of others? Do you want to be helped or to be a help ?

9. 7b or he that teacheth, on teaching; Before anyone can teach the Word of God, he must first be taught by God's Holy Spirit. He must prayerfully study the Scriptures, and not just books about the Scriptures. He must be called by God and anointed by the Holy Spirit to teach God's Word.

10. James 3:1 (NIV) Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. A teacher or preacher must be certain that his message is from God. If we teach others and teach them wrong , We are in trouble with God.

11. 8a Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: To give comfort, we must first be comforted. To encourage , we must first be encouraged.

12. 8b he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; Simplicity = sincerity and generosity We give because we love and want to give. When we sincerely love , we give generously. We give what God has first given us .

13. To give with simplicity also means that we give expecting nothing in return; (Without dissimulation or self-seeking) {Strong's} There is blessing for giving, but we do not give to receive the blessing. Love is not self-seeking. 1 Corinthians 13:5

14. Proverbs 3 9-10 Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. God wants us to be assured that we will not suffer need for our generosity. But a self-seeking mindset and generosity can not co-exist . Give with a grateful heart for God's blessings.

15. Luke 6 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. When we give freely and generously , we will receive freely and generously; Then we have even more ability to give.

16. 8c he that ruleth, with diligence; Ruleth means "to stand before". Strong's Greek Dictionary Diligence = carefully eager and earnest. Strong's Greek Dictionary Leadership carries with it responsibility : To lead in the right direction, To motivate , Especially to set a right example of eagerness to serve the Lord and an earnest desire to do good.

17. We are all leading somebody.

18. 8d he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Grudging mercy is no mercy at all. Psalms 86 15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Mercy desires no vengeance , doesn't require penance , doesn't want to rub salt in a wound. Mercy freely forgives, as though no wrong has been done.

19. Do you see how God is teaching us that we are all members one of another. There is no big I and little you . All natural abilities and spiritual gifts come from God to be used in His service.