If you’d like to know more about our ministry please visit us at transformchurch.us. And if you have a testimony of the amazing things that God is doing in your life through our ministry, please email it to [email protected].
they’re in a series called unwrapped
everybody say unwrapped and the thought
behind this series is what if this
Christmas the greatest gift that you
unwrapped was you like like that was the
whole thing I mean we’re gonna be
unwrapping all kinds of stuff we’re
gonna be giving gifts we’re gonna be
getting gifts we’re going to be watching
others get gifts and all these other
stuff but what if the greatest gift was
not a thing but it was what God placed
on the inside of you being unwrapped to
the world and I counsel a lot of people
and I see a lot and I hear a lot and one
of the things that keeps coming up
because at the end of the year I’m like
your spiritual tour guide at the end of
the year I try to help refocus us as we
go into this next year because people
want to get all extra excited about
starting something in January but I
really believe the way you end the thing
is the way you start a thing so so I
want us to end the year right getting
focused around our purpose and what God
has called us to do and how he’s called
us to be a gift to the world not to just
get gifts from the world God wants us to
be an answer to somebody’s prayer and so
I said God how do we get unwrapped and
he began to give us keys to being
unwrapped if you were here last week we
started off talking about that we have a
gift according to first Peter chapter 4
verse 10 I want you to look at it
because this is kind of our anchor
scripture for this entire thing it says
God has given each of you a gift
somebody say I have a gift from his
variety of spiritual gifts then it tells
us to use them well and to serve one
another so so if you want a 10 second
recap from last week number one you have
a gift number two use your gift number
three your gift is not about you and
when you start understanding that God’s
intention for making you was to give
something to the earth that is not
currently here see most of us life
happens to us but it’s time for us to
believe that we’re supposed to happen to
life
we were sent here with purpose that
means nobody here no matter how you got
here is an accident you have the cure
for something you have the solution for
something you are somebody who’s
supposed to make impact everybody say
impact now I want you to say it with
impact say impact multiplets never will
live this life and make impact not
because God didn’t give us the ability
because we never chose to be available
to allow him to use us and I said god I
don’t want to leave the church who comes
here week after week and it’s wrapped up
wrapped up in my own things wrapped up
in money wrapped up in and what I can
get out of it but it’s time for us to be
unwrapped so the only way that we can be
unwrapped is if we start with what I
call the Keystone gift that God has
given every person as the gift of
generosity and I just want to take a
moment because as we started talking
about that last week
some of y’all was quiet and stiff and
just sitting there just I don’t want to
even nod my head because that may mean I
have to be generous after this people
were just but but God told me he said
whenever you talk about money and
generosity it’s heart surgery and people
don’t move and a man when there’s heart
surgery they’re sedated and last week a
lot of us were sedated because God came
for our heart because where our treasure
is our heart will be so when we start
talking about doing random acts of
kindness and giving a special offering
and every everybody just sedated just
like just Lord to work on my heart Lord
but I’m so proud of you and I want to
say that as a pastor because many times
we go on to the next thing but I want to
say I’m so proud of you because we’re
taking actual steps to move in our faith
towards being generous and doing those
things and we gave out random acts of
kindness cards last week and I’ve heard
of so many people going and doing random
acts of kindness one person told me that
God put it on their heart to give their
neighbor a hundred dollars and the woman
started bawling and crying and saying
how much God meant that that $100 could
have been honest
shoes that were to get scuffed but that
hundred dollars went into an act of
kindness that may be the thing to make
somebody’s heart soft enough to receive
Jesus we talked about giving up parking
spaces how many people tried to give up
a parking space this week listen to
people three people okay listen
look God’s still working on somebody say
guys still working on me he’s still
working on yeah but we’re talking about
doing random things that may be the hope
somebody else needs to keep going and
I’m so proud of you Church because we’ve
been doing that the other thing I’m
super excited about you just heard Jules
say it but I got to reiterate it to you
y’all we were able by your generosity
and your commitment to come outside of
yourself in the Christmas season we were
able to impact over 200 children’s lives
yesterday oh we can give God praise with
that with toys and we partnered with
Kirk of the hills another Church in the
city because we believe in unity as well
as organization that helps people get
toys for parents who were in prison and
we were able to make impact and
transformation in somebody else’s life
because we were everybody say generous
and then we get to step further into
this next week in the season where some
of us are trying to figure out how to do
all of these other things God said I
really want to check your heart in the
season that it bears my name in Christ
Tomas I want to check your heart and the
only way I can check your heart is by
asking you to give a legacy offering to
give an offering to my house and God’s
the one thing the two things I told God
when I started ministry I said God I’ll
do whatever you ask but I won’t lose my
family I won’t sacrifice my family for
ministry and I said number two I won’t
fight with money and literally for three
and a half years God has supernaturally
provided because we have obeyed him and
so today I’m not up here doing something
because the church needs money this has
been the best fiscal year of generosity
and giving that our church has ever had
oh we can give God pray that’s that’s
that’s that’s you this is this is not
about money but part of my opportunity
as your pastor is give you opportunities
to grow in your faith
and next week some of y’all are gonna be
out of town and different things are
gonna happen and all this other stuff
God’s putting it out there I want this
church to sow a seed to realign your
heart for my house and for the vision
that I’m going to do through this church
and so we’re not asking for amounts or
asking for anything we want you to pray
pray about it pray about and whatever
God says to do do that we’ve made it
very simple you can go online you can do
it some of y’all just need to get it
done now you just think that can’t wait
till next week cuz I know there’s a sale
that makes these tomorrow and do it if
you go online you just go to where it
says legacy or on the app and you give
whatever God tells you and I promise you
look at me I promise you if you obey God
you can never ever beat God giving ever
he’s looking for a heart because he
gives seed to the sower
so church I’m excited because we get to
rise to another occasion and build our
faith next week it doesn’t matter your
color your socioeconomic class if you’re
a college student there was a story in
the Bible that talked about people
giving hundreds of thousands of dollars
worth of gift and a woman walked up to
the box and gave two pennies and Jesus
was sitting there watching what they
were giving and because Jesus watched
what we give like don’t be don’t be
fooled like he know everything
he was watching what they were giving
and he said stop this woman has just
given a greater gift than anybody
because it was not about amounts it was
about sacrifice so I encourage you hear
from God let him see you and let’s go
unwrapped at a whole nother level amen
amen amen
so today we’re gonna take it a step
further so I started thinking about okay
God how are we going unwrap this thing
some more like let’s let’s peel this
back one more time he said Michael I
can’t unwrap them any more until you
give them permission and I was like give
him permission to do what he said people
are waiting for permission not to just
have a gift
cuz everybody knows you have a gift how
many people know that there’s something
that God has uniquely designed you to do
it may not be developed yet it may not
be the best yet but how many people know
that you have some type of gift okay
hands all over the building okay
some people like I’m confused about my
gift right now it’s okay we’re gonna
help you with that but this is what I
want to talk to you about today and I’m
so excited because I feel like some
people are gonna be unlocked the title
of my message today is very simply is I
mean this is so simple but it’s gonna
free somebody my gift is worth investing
in yeah my gift is worth investing in
because many of us have gifts that are
undeveloped unrefined and have never
been invested in and so they are sitting
in a place in a space that is not the
fullness and we’re judging our gifts
based on an undeveloped state and I
begin to think he said Michael my people
need to know I’ve placed things on the
inside of them not for them to leave
them at that place but for them to get
tools use resources get around people to
develop those gifts into the greatest
and the maximum potential that they can
be in somebody’s say my gift is worth
investing in you said it like you don’t
believe it
but passing like this job and these
bills you know how many kids I have I
missed that season Pastor Mike if it was
gonna happen I should have done it then
I mean these are the things that we
might not say out loud but these are the
thing I’m sitting here looking at people
in this room who are amazing at
communication but you don’t talk to
nobody I’m sitting here that our Pro
food prolific writers but you don’t even
have a book in your drawer at your house
with any notes on it I’m sitting here in
this room with people who are gifted in
encouragement but you’ve been so
discouraged that you won’t even use your
gift I’m sitting in this room right now
cuz I can feel it thank you Holy Spirit
I’m sitting in this room
with people right now who are nurturers
by trade like literally if somebody gets
hurt you don’t even have to know them
but your natural reaction is to go and
nurture them that’s a gift see the world
would tell you if your gift is not
dribbling a basketball down the court
and you the 7-foot which nobody in here
is or or your your your prolific or the
only it’s not a gift unless it’s
exclusive and that’s a lie
your gift doesn’t have to be exclusive
your gift has to be distinctive that’s
good your gift doesn’t have to be on the
only one who does this no it just has to
be distinct to you your DNA your life
experience is what God has placed in you
you have a gift and your gift is worth
investing in I’m sitting in here with
some of the most creative people in art
in fashion in music some people that
have a knack for seeing details like you
can walk into a place and you can just
see everything that needs to be
corrected tweaked turned some people
call that OCD God might call it your
gift see don’t let the world label you
because they don’t understand what God’s
put you here for so in one season what
may be a deficiency in another season is
your expertise but if we don’t see it
correctly and we don’t invest in that
gift we will literally call what God has
placed in us that is special something
that we need to get rid of you know how
many people I’ve looked at and they’re
judging their gift based on the
undeveloped state how many of us would
judge a life a person’s life at three
years old because if I judged my
daughter at three years old I did well
she’s a failure
she’s still patties on herself sometimes
she doesn’t eat all her food her diet
consists of fruit snacks and macaroni
and she like if I judged her based on a
forming state if I didn’t invest in her
if she didn’t get investing in herself
then she probably would be there but
because she’s going to be exposed to
things and her environment is going to
continue to allow her to learn new
things and people are gonna speak life
into her and her gift is worth investing
in
and I came to dispel the lie I’m kind of
fired up today because I hate seeing
people in a paralytic position in life
you’re paralyzed I work this job I go
home I watch Netflix
chill live life for the weekend go to
church they got married like
and we’re living life paralyzed to
purpose like I know you got a career but
you have a purpose like like like I know
you spent eight years doing that but is
that what God created you to do come on
see College don’t teach you this type of
stuff and honestly parents you are the
reason why we are messed up so much it’s
parents fault because because you played
it safe in your life you decided not to
cultivate the gifts that your kid had so
you told them to play it safe so you
told them get good education go to
school get a good job settled there and
I said I never created you to even do
this yeah I want you to have resources
to help you discover and unearth and
bring out the gift that I gave you but I
never called you you know you a CEO and
you working in this but you always work
there cuz you’ve never invested in your
gift so today I came to give you
permission if we’re gonna be unwrapped
as a church and don’t try to figure it
all out right now you just first need to
have the faith to know that I’m worth
investing in what God has placed in me
it’s worth me going to school for that
it’s worth me getting a mentor for that
it’s worth me starting to try and see
look at the yep my gift is worth by the
end of this message there’s gonna be
something on the inside of you that’s
gonna have you questioning everything
okay
well when do I need to move right now
God is amazed it time is it because
until you wake up the dreamer the
visionary the you’re not too old you
haven’t missed it but my Bible says that
all things
even my delay even me having to focus
this season on my kids even that
divorced all things work together gather
for those who are called in that love it
that means that everything got placed in
you he still wants it out well when I
was young I used to he said and when
you’re old you gone to oh I’m sorry I
know that was country and Ebonics but
I’m just feeling a little ignant today
okay I’m just I’m just tell me well what
whoa whoa in this season I was I could
have and God said if you trust me you
will your gift is worth investing in can
I help you your career and your gift are
not synonymous some of y’all are in
professions right now for payment you’re
not in a profession for purpose and
you’re so locked in to how this happens
that you won’t even pray for God to show
you a plan if he can deliver the
children of Israel out of slavery you
don’t think he could deliver you from
FedEx if he can literally make a way out
of no way for Daniel in the lion’s den
you don’t think that he can deliver you
from Wall Street I serve a god that
makes ways out of no ways I serve a god
that looked at what he placed in me and
said if you’ll let me I’ll let it come
out I’ll bring it up my gift is worth
investing in but until you believe it
nobody can make you believe it when you
have people telling you Bank you really
should you really shouldn’t you know no
I just know there’s some people I just
want to walk up to with the most holiest
intentions it’s just like have you ever
met somebody who’s super gifted like and
you wish you could just like like y’all
know I see mermaid I wish I was Ursula
in the Little Mermaid and they can start
singing
and their voice come out and it comes to
meet young John Cena Little Mermaid yo
y’all faith like it’s just the host XE
but like if you could transfer their
gifts to you me this is the thing God
told me about that he said Michael you
feel that about somebody else but
somebody feels that about you the things
that you’re wishing you could get from
somebody else somebody else is watching
things that you do that you’ve
discounted and they’re saying if I could
just be organized like that if I could
just use my hands like that if I and God
said that’s why I’ve asked you to
develop you and invest in you somebody
just say it like you mean I’m worth
investing in say it like this my gift is
worth investing in I need y’all to get
that because I’m gonna take you to my
first point that you have to understand
if you’re gonna realize that your gift
is worth investing in and you’re gonna
begin to be unwrapped is that your gift
is different that’s the first thing I
want to tell you you need to believe my
gift is different in a world of extremes
and sameness that’s what our culture
tells us they either you have to be this
extreme crazy person over here on the
side doing crazy stuff that everybody’s
looking at or you have to be the same as
everybody else
God celebrates diversity and gifts
everybody’s not supposed to be on the
platform that’s why I hate how church
makes it be like you need to be a pastor
there are more pastors that should not
be pastors out here because because but
it’s we’ve glorified this position we’ve
glorified and God say no no I need some
of y’all to prophesy I need some of
y’all to serve I need some of y’all to
be apostles and go out and start doing
other stuff don’t glorify one thing I
love diversity look at every face in
this room God loves diversity and so I
want you to just say this it’s gonna be
kind of like therapy today cuz some of
y’all’s gifts been so wrapped up we’re
gonna unwrap them just say my gift is
different I want you to look at your
neighbor and say it to them say my gift
is different than yours
say this – my gift is needed no tell
somebody some of y’all look at my gift
is needed like look at somebody and say
my gift is needed now now take it
another level say my gift is special and
I want you to just take it to that that
next level right here and I want you to
say it like this say my gift makes us
better when the less time you celebrated
your unique gifts when’s the last time
that you you say you know what I I’m
organized
on purpose y’all nasty y’all messy but
God has given me the gift of organ
enough to encourage people I love to
serve people your gift is different on
purpose I’ll prove it to you look at the
Bible where it says in Romans chapter 12
verse 4 and this is so beautiful it says
just as our bodies have many parts and
each part has a special function so it
is with Christ’s body we are many parts
of one body and we all belong to each
other is my favorite part
so in His grace God has given us
everybody say it with me
different gifts he’s given us different
gifts for doing certain things well this
freed me because there is something that
intrinsically comes more naturally to
you than it does to me that’s your gift
Pastor Mike what’s my gift what comes
natural what is that thing that you
don’t even have to think about that that
when you do it and when you see it when
you hear it when you feel it there’s
something you may have discounted it so
your perspective may be a little off
right now but that thing that you do
naturally just it just comes out of you
that’s a gift it might not make a bunch
of money in an undeveloped stage but
it’s a gift I think about I think about
my lead executive assistant director Bri
she literally has a gear
to organize things and structure things
I don’t have that gift this church would
not be here today without her gift
because I’d be on the corner preaching
everybody come and I preach for five
hours and hour and I would be excited
and everybody we’d be broke because I
would be in the gave everybody a t-shirt
I would have done all kinds of stuff but
when she comes in and looks at a
situation she sees it she assesses it
and naturally what comes out of her is
the plan what now truly comes out of me
as the encouragement you can do this is
how we’re gonna do it but we need each
other to be able to be the fullness of
what God has called us to be this is
what I’m saying
your gift wrapped is making the whole
body suffer like like you not being who
you were created to be is making us all
of us weaker and you think it’s
preserving yourself and all you’re
making all of us worse because you won’t
develop what God’s given you the if my
hand stopped work decided to divorce my
body and stop working they would call me
disabled because a member of my body
will not function with my body
what does the body of Christ look like
right now
a bunch of people with functions special
functions that are not working together
and not developing so that we can become
everything God’s called us to be and
this is what God wants us to really
realize and I was in my prayer time and
I was just going through this and God
said Michael I want you not to do this
don’t ignore what God has engineered
don’t ignore the way he puts you
together don’t discount how he developed
you because it is a piece of the body
that we need look at description Paul
goes on to say so if God is giving you
the ability to prophesy speak out with
as much faith as God has give
you verse seven if you have a gift of
serving others serve them well then if
you’re a teacher you got to teach if
your gift is to can encourage everybody
boy you better encourage them if it is
giving give generously if God has given
you leadership ability take that
responsibility seriously and if you have
the gift of showing kindness to others
do it gladly Paul goes on a rant right
here you say y’all sitting over here I
can’t I can’t stand these gifted people
sitting up here not using their gifts
can you serve can you prophesy
can you teach do it can you encourage do
it can you give generously do it can you
be kind do it and he literally could
have listed all kinds of things I’m here
on a rant this morning too can you so do
it can you love do it can you take care
of children naturally like it’s your do
it can you sing do it can you play do it
can you organize do it
can you exegete the Bible do it whatever
God has given you do it because God
cannot unwrap which you are unwilling to
develop oh my god he cannot present to
the world an uncooked meal and some of
y’all sitting here’s so wrong just just
God why why am I not ready to be elevate
you wrong
like nobody nobody wants to eat this
undeveloped this if you got the iPhone
in in in in developmental stage you
would give it back cuz it doesn’t work
yet and God wants to unwrap you but he
wants you to be responsible for your
development
Oh God okay help me Lord that’s why
James 1:17 look at it says every good
and perfect gift comes from above it
comes down from the father of the
heavenly lights who does not change like
shifting shadows every person listening
to me has a unique gift and your gift is
to complete us and we we’ve said all of
those things but I need you to hear it
like this your gift is not to compete
your gift is to complete see if my hand
started being mad at my foot because my
foot gets to touch the ground all the
time what would happen is I would have
war within the same body and they
wouldn’t work together and what God is
saying is I am so amazed and everybody
else’s gift in the world but I can’t
compete with you
because I was not made for the same
function as you that’s why when I see TD
jakes and Steven Furtick and all those
other people I used to have an issue
even up to this last week I mean the
Holy Spirit had to convict me on
something listen I’m not sitting up here
perfect I’m sitting up here progressing
and God said listen those people are
there to help you become who you are but
if you start putting your focus and your
eyes on them to compete you’ll never
complete what I asked you to do see some
of y’all are so focused out here that
you won’t work right here you’re looking
out here and you won’t put your eyes on
what God has placed you to do and until
you stop competing and you start
completing your gift is undeveloped and
God can’t use you the way he wants to
use you and so I’m asking us to know
that our gift my gift no matter how big
or small it’s worth investing in because
this is really the revelation gift does
not equal giftedness let me explain if
somebody gives me a guitar I got a gift
it is a undeveloped gift
so if somebody asked me to play an a
minor or a D flat or anything I can’t
get up here and lead us through praise
and worship because I have not become
gifted and the gift I’ve been given and
God has given gifts but we are
responsible to become gifted this is
something nobody told me but I want to
help you God never gives fruit he only
gives seeds here what I’m saying to you
today he asked us in Genesis 1:28 to be
fruitful first command to humanity and
multiply but he didn’t give them a lemon
or an apple he gave them a seed so until
now what God you mean cuz you don’t tell
us to be fruitful but you’re only gonna
give us our gift in seed form and it
doesn’t just work with this he gives
wives and husbands in seed form – oh you
know this was gonna be marriage
counseling – but you thought you married
the finished version the fruitful
version of no you married the seed baby
you married the seat and it’s up to you
to start developing and cultivating and
bringing out who they are supposed to be
I promise you that’s why most people get
divorced it’s cuz they realized six
months into oh I’m married – see I did
not marry the fruit but that’s why
people get married ten times because
they haven’t figured out the equation
you’ll never marry fruit fruit and
marriage doesn’t exists only seeds and
he gives it to his people to cultivate
the same way with your gift you have a
musical inclination and you can do
things better yeah I just play by ear
I’ll just sit down and I’ll play by ear
but take a lesson take a lesson
Paul no bro you know I’m saying when I
get down I’ll just you know
it just comes to me like it’s just you
know I feel it it’s aura and then I get
down and it but God sees you doing movie
scores but because you have not become
gifted you can’t even speak the language
so you can play it but you can’t speak
it so now we got to get this cheque to
somebody else we got to give this
influence to someone else because you
are gift you have a gift but you didn’t
become gifted you didn’t develop it
until it became something that people
were called you for you didn’t work on
it until well I can sing and you in the
shower and you making vine videos and
YouTube stop running
singing don’t straight let’s see how
long you can breathe get a vocal coach
because you do have a gift and we all
see it but a gift is potential and to me
in my life potential is a cuss word
because potential means there’s
something that somebody else can see
that I could be if I would just do it so
people come to you to the bow you’re
full of potential be scared be be be
very aware cuz because you may be on the
verge of being in a place where you have
not developed the gift that God has
placed in your life I’m here to tell you
your gift is different and you have to
start developing your gift can I tell
you one more thing that really helped me
because I see this is where a lot of
people are right now you will be you
will be disappointed if you are looking
for fruit where there is only a seed and
a lot of people are looking for a
develop thing in a place where God says
no that’s all I’m gonna give you I’m
gonna give you the ability to be
encouraging I’m gonna give you this
ability to just have a knack for for
being somebody who can serve you’re a
serving Samurai
I mean you just if anything needs to be
done you’re just like what needs to be
done he said but I’m gonna ask you to
cultivate that gift listen to me walk
with me pray pray and ask me to direct
your steps so that as I move in you
we can just see how this gift can become
and as I started looking at this I
started thinking of a parable in Matthew
25 and I want you to go there right now
because if we’re gonna say you know what
my gift is worth investing in there’s
something God’s place to me that I have
to vest in and then we’re gonna sit here
and we’re gonna say and you know what my
gift is unique it’s different my gift is
different I begin to think okay what we
do have different gifts how are we
supposed to do that because it’s very
hard to not look at my brother and my
sister and think about where I where I
could be if I had their start come on
can we be honest some of us if we if we
got a better start if my parents wasn’t
crazy if if I would have went to the
school they went to or if they would at
least given me an opportunity I I really
could do better God like I really would
be better if you just wiped out the
student loan like like if you would
allow this to get off my net you
understand I could I could really do
something and God showed me the parable
of three sollars in Matthew 25 and I
want us to look at this because I
believe there are truths in the Word of
God that are talking about something
else but their principles that we can be
able to apply everywhere and this
scripture is talking about talents okay
and that was a form of money back in
this time but I think it was a double
entendre as Will Smith would say it’s a
double entendre because this is talking
about gifts and talents and and how God
gives us gifts and gives us things but
we have to do something with them so I
want to see if we can find some truths
about investing in our unique gifts
right here we’re gonna start on Matthew
25 verse 14 it says and the kingdom of
heaven can be illustrated by the story
of a man going on a long trip he called
together his servants and entrusted his
money to them or let’s say a gift to
them
he gave each of them a gift while he was
gone
he gave five bags of silver or five
gifts to one two gifts to another and
one gift to the last dividing in
proportion to their abilities and then
he left on the trip can I help you with
point number three
my gift is what I can handle now see it
said that he divided it in proportion to
their abilities and the thing that
excited me about that is abilities speak
to this moment this is not talking about
a person’s capabilities capabilities
aren’t looking down the road like he’s
capable of doing this this church is
capable of having five thousand people
in it my business is capable of reaching
but God does not give you gifts
according to your capability because we
would squander it he gives us gifts
according to our ability right now and
this should encourage somebody because
if he started out with five or you
started out with one he’s just talking
about how much you can handle now he’s
not talking about how much you can
always handle and what we do is we get
discouraged what why is why is my gift
the one that’s not on the platform why
is and God said because it’s what you
can handle I’m only going to give you
what you can handle can I help you the
house you have is the house you can
handle the money you have is the money
you can handle uh-oh if I had more money
I would be no no but you’re not handling
the money you have property so a good
investor a good person they’re not going
to give more than what you can handle at
that month the relationship you have is
the one you can handle and until you see
this you won’t realize that it’s funny
if that needs a thank you lord
until you see this though you will be
disappointed because you will be
comparing your gift instead of looking
at God like he’s a loving father can I
help you because I love my children all
my kids are getting cars when they’re
teenagers but I can’t give it to them
now because they can’t handle it I would
be I would be an irresponsible parent to
give my kid what they will have in the
wrong season oh that’s good so if God
gives you the influence in the wrong
season he would be an irresponsible
parent because you can’t handle it I’m
grown but you’re immature and character
your characters immature you have age
but you still get mad at everything like
so God’s telling you he’s saying I want
to develop that so that when I get you
what I’m giving you and this is so good
God still gives you gifts even if you
don’t have a lot of ability right now
cuz he wants to see what you will do
with what he’s given you does everybody
understand that so my gift is what I can
handle now stop thinking that God is
keeping something from you but he’s
keeping you for something this is God’s
will for you and that’s why we have to
develop our gift so then we look at
verse 16 it says the servant who
received the five bags of silver begin
to invest his gift and earn five more
then the servant with two bags of silver
or the servant with two gifts went to
work and earn two more but the servant
who received the one gift dug a hole in
the ground and hid his gift have you dug
a hole in the ground and hid the thing
that God’s called your gift because if
you had today it’s time to unwrap it
because I want to give you this next
point
that you have to realize is that my gift
is my responsibility to develop Pastor
Mike a door for you your husband or your
wife won’t do it for you and some of us
are sitting there with every excuse in
the world but I love this parable
because it told them that God gave them
a gift but he didn’t give them a game
plan it didn’t say that they all went
and did the same thing and they had he
said I gave you a gift make that gift
work for you the one with five was like
I already know what I’m gonna do I’m a
this is how my mind works
I make t-shirts so what I’m gonna do is
I’m gonna take these five talents and
I’ma buy up every t-shirt I can’t and
I’m gonna put this logo on the top on
the front of it and I’m gonna sell these
t-shirts and I’m gonna flip this gift
until I got more than what I started
with and the other dude with tools like
I think got five but you know what I got
this peanut business my cousin has ankle
injuries so I’m gonna go over there and
I’m gonna take these eight horns and
these walnuts and all the imma make bags
or nuts for people and I’m gonna work my
gift until these two become four and the
one with one thing I didn’t get enough
why did they get picked why did they
have a easier road in school why didn’t
anybody abuse them when they were young
at least it would be playing field even
playing field well why why did I get
stuck with this portion that’s that’s
essentially what we said why is my gift
not like theirs and I need you to hear
me say this the season of excuses is
over like I’m coming to give you
permission nothing that happened to you
can hold you back if you don’t let it
that’s why God says any man that be in
Christ he’s a the old has passed
behold Tata AHA everything’s become new
no more being held back by what happened
or what didn’t happen God is saying if
I’ve given you one gift if you just got
one I need you to do something with the
gift that I’ve given you the problem is
it’s hard to identify value when it’s an
undeveloped gift I don’t know how much
this is worth because I haven’t worked
on it so I could put all my effort and
energy into it but why don’t I play it
safe and put it the effort and energy
into something somebody else is built
and never reach purpose see God knows
what you have but nobody else does and
it’s our job to develop it until people
can see the God in us God told me this
when I was praying he said Michael I
give you a gift but I don’t want it to
stay in that form I need you to grow it
and give it back to me he said I want to
stand and gaze at your gift not squint
at it
oh yeah there it is he wants to be able
oh you took that one idea that I gave
you and you turned it into it you took
that one thing and you turn you took
that nurturing your family and you
turned it into a template that other
people can use to learn how to parent
like you you took you took what I gave
you it did something with it but we over
here with neon signs pointing out our
gift gift here gift here and gods like
where is your singing gift
nice it is
look how undeveloped did it still that
your gift is worth investing in look at
the rest of this story verse 19 after a
long time so the master gave them gifts
went away for a long time the master
returned from his trip and called them
to give account you’re gonna be
accountable for how you use the gifts
God’s given you to give a count of how
they use this money the servant to whom
he had entrusted the five bags of silver
or the five gifts came forward he was
proud father Master you gave your boy
five gifts to invest I did that I’ve
earned five more the master was full of
praise and said well done my good and
faithful I want you to realize that that
same phrase is the phrase that the Bible
tells us that God is going to say when
we get to heaven so this parable is is a
forecast or a story with the truth of
what’s actually going to happen in your
life so he said well done my good and
faithful servant you have been faithful
in handling this small amount wait whoa
hold on the master called
the one with five gifts a small amount
so that means that when I’m here with
one give comparing to somebody with five
gifts the master still sees it essence
so it’s never about where somebody
starts it’s about what they do with what
they’ve been given God is not saying and
holding somebody to another standard
because they started out with more he’s
saying what did you do with what I’ve
given you I just want you to realize
that the one that has more than you
starting out doesn’t have more to you in
God’s eyes it’s all about what we do
with it
he said let’s celebrate it together
because I’m gonna give you more
responsibilities verse 22 the servant
who had received the two gifts came and
said master you gave me two bags of
silver to invest and I’ve earned two
more the master said the same thing well
done my good and faithful servant you
have been faithful in handling the small
amount so now I will give you more
responsibilities let’s turn up together
verse 24 then the servant will one gift
came and say hey master
man you know what you’re looking good
looking good man since the last time I
seen you you know I knew you was a harsh
man I knew it harvesting you know I’m
saying where you didn’t plan and
gathering crops where you didn’t
cultivator and you know honestly if I
can have a hot moment I was afraid I
would lose your gift I I was afraid that
the gift wouldn’t make the impact that
it could have made I was afraid to
actually believe and have faith enough
to use my gift and so I hid it in the
earth I hid it behind personality I hid
it behind insecurities I hid it behind
what other people said I couldn’t do and
my background I hid it and so he I mean
I don’t know if you still want it but
here’s your gift back here’s my talent
here’s here’s that speaking ability that
you gave me that was undeveloped
nothing’s changed here you go let me
dust it off
here here’s here’s I know you called me
to change my family and and and and
break the general generational curse of
poverty but I never stepped out and I
didn’t give generously and I didn’t I
didn’t use my gift of giving I just
played it safe so here here’s back that
gift you tried to give me but I didn’t
develop and use here you go and look at
the master to reply you wicked and lazy
servant now that scares me then no I’m
dead serious like when people talk about
the fear of God that scares me that I
would get face to face with God and his
first words wouldn’t be son serving my
man it would be you wicked and lazy
servant I gave you some I sent you to
earth to give that to the world and you
hid it I didn’t I didn’t call ya you
made a million dollars but yeah you made
fifty million dollars but that’s not
what I purposed you for I purposed you
to bring the cure to that one family
that’s what your job was was to be a
gift to that family and you are wicked
and you’re lazy because you did not do
what I asked you to do with what I gave
you so give it back y’all that won’t be
true for you in this room because your
gift
you’re gonna begin to invest in it
you’re gonna begin to look at what God
is giving you not as a curse but you’re
gonna ask God show me okay cuz I’m not
gonna be called wicked ain’t lazy that’s
that’s too much for me can you please
show me how I can use my gift and look
they said but the master replied you
wicked and lazy servant if you knew I
harvested crops I didn’t plant and you
knew I gathered crops I didn’t cultivate
if you knew I wanted to return on my
investment why didn’t you deposit my
money in a bank well why wouldn’t you at
least use your gift on a low level like
why wouldn’t you at least go and and use
it in a place where nobody will notice
you but you could have you could have
done
something with your gift he said because
at least I could have gotten some
interest on it my last point my gift
must be giving back with interest if
you’re gonna be unwrapped God didn’t
give you a gift to come back but the
same amount that he gave you somebody
asked me the other day said what’s your
what’s your purpose in life like what
what do you feel like success is coz you
know culture defines success and all
that and and he said what is your what
is your idea of success and boy I just
came out of me it said literally I want
to give God back double what he gave me
that would be success like if the gifts
that I know he placed in me for speaking
and music and Holly if I could give him
back double what he placed inside of me
I got it and now I got scripture backing
for it I didn’t know where it came from
but the one with five he got ten the one
with two he brought back for the one
with one only had to bring back two and
he would have been considered a good and
faithful servant he didn’t have to bring
back to him he only had to bring back
two and I’m asking you will you take the
one gift the two gifts the five gifts
that God has given you and can you just
double it can you work on it long enough
can you get a coach can you get a
teacher can you find somebody around you
to mentor you can you do something so
you can double it for so many people
look at what he will you only got one
time I did some research that one talent
and that day is equal now to almost 1
million dollars so imagine the parable
went like this
God gave somebody 5 million 2 million
and 1 million could you do something
special with 1 million dollars I know I
could
so it was not about amounts about it was
about willingness to invest and what God
had given them just as the master
expects his servants to do more than
passively preserve what has been
entrusted to them that’s what he’s
asking from all of us
don’t passively preserve your gifts
unwrapped them use them discover them
cultivate them grow them water them it’s
not too late if your gift is worth
investing in this is the key phrase that
the Holy Spirit said he said Michael
these servants were given enough to
produce more and you have enough right
now to produce more if you don’t have it
you don’t need it you have enough right
now to produce more this whole time that
I’ve been standing up here I’ve had a
gift in my pocket that somebody gave me
had a balloon and this gift from one of
the people in the children’s area is how
God gives you your gifts this is what it
looks like here make something out of
this and if I leave it here and I bury
it and then I give it back to God like
this he calls me wicked and evil but he
said if you would just invest in it it’s
already more than it ever had been
before because I put my breath my energy
my activity my sacrifice and he said why
don’t you get a teacher why don’t you
get a mentor why don’t you find somebody
who’s doing better than you in the field
or in the calling that God has have and
serve them don’t ask for a paycheck just
serve them
what happens is you begin to invest in
your gift and then it’s hard to bury a
gift that’s developed it’s hard I could
keep investing in this and then when I
try to hide it this is why people pick
people that are gifted because even when
they try to hide their gift you can
still see it yes you cannot hide a
developed gift you can try I’m gonna
keep investing in it nobody’s gonna see
me I’m like David in the field I’m
investing and so when they look around
and the uncircumcised philistine is
making remarks about your God and you
gift it but you’ve developed it on the
backside of a mountain and nobody is
seeing you but you woke up and you’re
just sitting there like what who is this
uncircumcised philistine you can’t hide
a developed gift your gift is worth
investing in but it’s so easy to stop
and too high
what’s undeveloped God wants to unwrap
you and he wants you to invest in your
gifts father I pray that you spoke today
and God I thank you that you’ve given us
gifts from your great variety of
spiritual gifts I thank you that my gift
is different god I thank you that then I
understand that I’m responsible for this
gift that I have to develop but God
today is a church we’re just saying we
need your help
God I need your help to develop all that
you’ve placed in me come on that needs
to be somebody’s prayer right now God
needs your help God cause life and
society and I tried before and it didn’t
work and I did all these things but God
I need your help and I’m asking you to
do something so that I won’t live 2018
wrapped up but I’ll become unwrapped
you will get how to me what you put in
me and more and I declare it and I
believe it because that’s what you’re
calling for God my gift is worth
investing in in Jesus name Amen