Many years ago, Mr. Ralph Dreesen was the State Advisor and Supervisor for Agricultural Education. He gave an address that was titled “Stir What You Got” , teaching about how to realize the potential of the students placed in your class that particular year. The idea of using what you have to do the most good is very similar to what God does with us.
What talents, gifts or skills do you have?
- Can you lead songs? Then lead songs.
- Can you lead a prayer? Then lead prayers.
- Can you teach/preach God’s word? Then teach/preach.
- Can you visit the sick and widows? Then make visits.
- Can you welcome people to the assembly? Then provide welcomes.
- Can you visit with neighbors or classmates about God? Then evangelize.
The Bible is full of stories of people who risked it all to accomplish the task God had given them.
- Noah built an ark to save his family and animals as directed by God.
- Moses led a nation out of slavery.
- Gideon led 300 men into battle against 135,000 Midianites.
- David fought Goliath armed with only a staff, a sling and five stones.
- The Apostles took the gospel to the uttermost parts of the world despite tremendous persecution and death.
You might say “Well, I’m not as good as they were…” You may or may not be. But God is still God and Christ will equip and strengthen you to complete His tasks.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Ephesians 4:7, 11-16 (NKJV)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Christ has provided us with the gifts or skills we need to accomplish the tasks God has assigned to us! Christ descended to the earth to live as a man, He provided the gospel to mankind, He established the Church and died for our sins.
Paul identifies some positions that were established by Christ. These positions were established for three reasons:
- To help us to become complete.
- To help us to be doers of the work.
- To edify one another.
The expected end result: To be unified in the faith.
We are not to be as children who are naïve and easily influenced. As Christians, we are to speak the truth in love and continue to grow in all spiritual things. We are also called to work together, like many members of body, to accomplish God’s will (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-31)
Have we identified/examined our gifts? Are we using our gifts? Are we developing and improving our gifts? Are we using those gifts to serve God?
Are you “stirring what ya got?”
Based on a sermon given at Concord Church of Christ by Danny Wells, an elder from East Main Church of Christ in Stratford, OK on 2/24/19.
Concord Church of Christ 