We're turning to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. We want to read the chapter, and so let me begin reading as you look up there. It is a lengthy reading. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and the verse number one, the apostle Paul writes, under inspiration now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant You know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus a curse, and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. Or to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of the healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning the spirits, to another diverse kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues, But all these worketh that one, and the self-seeming Spirit divideth, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and as many members, and all members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be born or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, am I not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where the smelling? But now hath God set the members, every one of them, in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary, and those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor, and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness, for our comely parts have no need. But God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to the part which lacked, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for another, and whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. Or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondary prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversity of tongues. We're all apostles, we're all prophets, we're all teachers. are all workers of our miracles, have all the gifts of healing, do all speak with tongues, do all interpret, but covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way. Amen, and we'll end just at the end of the chapter, our Bible reading. Let's seek the Lord briefly in a word of prayer. Our Father and our God, we come before thee, thanking thee for the book before us, the word of God, faithful translation of Scripture. We recognize that it is not inspired, the King James, the authorized version. We recognize that, we don't go as far as that, but we do believe that it is the most faithful translation of Holy Scripture. We recognize that the original documents have now passed, decayed through their usage, but thou has preserved thy word, and we bless thee for that. And we thank thee, O God, that what we have before us is the word of God, and we praise thee for it. Bless our souls. May our hearts be fed. May our lives be changed. And may we know the help of the Spirit, who has gifted to his church those set to preach the gospel and to preach the word. And, sir, our prayers. We cry in these our petitions and present them in Jesus' precious name. Amen and amen. Vance Havnar remarks, Satan has scored a point in making us so afraid of extremism about the Holy Spirit, which abounds indeed, that we may miss the true in our fear of the false. I trust that our now 29 messages on the person and the work of the Holy Spirit have been enlightening, instructive, beneficial to you as we attempt to counteract the false teaching that abounds in relation to the third person of the Holy Trinity. We must not fear. to study off the Holy Spirit just because of false teaching that abounds, but rather we're to get into the Word and find what the Bible teaches about His person and about His work. Now at our midweek prayer meeting a few months ago now, I preached a series of messages on the fruit of the Spirit. That fruit is listed for us there in Galatians chapter 5, the verses 22 and 23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. And what we were thinking about when we studied out the fruit of the Spirit, we were thinking about the graces of the Holy Spirit, the graces which the Spirit of God, Christian graces, Christian virtues, that the Spirit of God works in the child of God as they live out the Christian life. But having dealt with the graces of the Spirit, today we want to consider the gifts the gifts which the Holy Spirit bestows upon the church of Jesus Christ. And I want to do that in a message that I've entitled, The Holy Spirit as Our Giver. The Holy Spirit as Our Giver. Now, I want to begin this message with a very basic, with a very fundamental, with a very simple, yet a divinely revealed truth. And that truth is that the God of the Bible is a giving God. The God of the Bible is a giving God. Now that truth should warm your heart today. Maybe you've come in discouraged, disappointed to the house of God. Something has happened this week within your home, within your family, within the church of Christ, in the nation itself. But here's a truth that should warm your heart and fan the flame of love for God within that soul of yours. But sadly, the familiarity of that truth serves to dull the wonderment of it. Just think of it. The God we serve is a giving God. You compare our God, the God of the Bible, with the gods of false religion. What does the God of Islam give his followers? What do the adherents to Buddha's teaching receive from Buddha? What do the Hindu gods gift to the believers of Hinduism? Instead of them being gods who give, they are deities who take. One Christian writer put it that they are monsters of cruelty and greed, ever exacting painful sacrifices from their deluded devotees, and yet the God of the Bible is a God who gives. Thank God for that truth. I think of the gift of his own dear son. That's the greatest gift that he ever gave. God did not withhold from us the choices of treasure, the darling of his bosom, but rather he freely, he yielded him up for us all. John 3.16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. And whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Romans 8, verse 32. He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? He gave us his Son to die for us, to live for us, to secure eternal redemption for us. He gave us his Son. He gave us His Spirit. 1 John 4 verse 13, Hereby we know that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit. He hath given us of His Spirit. And we have thought about all that God the Holy Spirit does for us, how He regenerates, how He converts, how He infills, how He assures, how He teaches, how He guides, how He sanctifies, how He intercedes, and how He comforts us. It is the Holy Spirit who applies and communicates to us all that Jesus Christ secured for us by His death on the cross of Calvary. He has given us the gifts of faith and repentance. Without those gifts, We would still be in our sin, those who are saved today. Only when the sinner receives those twin gifts can they ever come to Christ for salvation. He has given us the gift of eternal life. Romans 6, 23, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. He has given us the gift of grace. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 4, I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which is given you by Christ Jesus. Now this grace that Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 1 verse 4 is not only the grace of God that regenerates the sinner, but it is the grace that sanctifies us. It is the grace that sustains us. It is the grace that preserves us, the child of God through Earth's Christian pilgrimage. He has given us these things and many more because our God is a God who gives. He is a giving God. But today I want to think with you about the gifts that the Holy Spirit bestows upon the people of God. These are gifts that Paul writes off throughout his letters, especially here in 1 Corinthians and the chapter number 12. Now we want to look at the matter generally today, and to glean some truths out of God's precious Word. And then in coming weeks, not next week, but maybe the week afterwards, we'll be thinking more specifically about the gifts of the Spirit. Do these gifts still exist today? Are we those who believe in the continuation of the supernatural gifts of healing and tongue speaking? Or do we believe that they have ceased? be thinking about those things, because there is nothing more important, and there's been nothing that has been more abused in our modern times, and nothing that has been more misunderstood than the whole subject of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And so we want to look at this matter from the Word of God. I want you to notice a number of general truths, and that's what we simply want to deal with today. Some general truths that we have here in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. I note first of all from this chapter the existence of the Spirit's gifts. They cannot be denied. We have them here listed for us. The Apostle Paul, when he writes to the Corinthian saints, those who were living in Corinth within the opening verse itself, notice what he said, "'Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you Ignorance. That statement draws the attention of the readership to these spiritual gifts. And as the chapter proceeds, the apostle Paul mentions these gifts on five separate occasions. Verse 4, he mentions them. Verse 9, he mentions them. Verse 28, verse 30, and verse 31, Paul is speaking here about the gifts of the Spirit. But it's not the first time that Paul has spoken about the guests, because if you turn to chapter number one of 1 Corinthians, chapter number one, and to verse seven, you'll read Paul's introductory remarks. And so Paul, as he writes to them, he speaks to them about them as an assembly of people who were exercising the gifts of the Spirit. They had come behind. There was no lack, there was no want with respect to the gifts that God had bestowed upon them. They were an assembly of people who were well gifted. They had different abilities and they were using those abilities. But the problem was that the initial purpose for those gifts had now been moved away from. And now these believers were abusing the gifts. They were not using them as they were supposed to be used. They were using them to further their old ends rather than the end of Christ and the cause of Jesus Christ. But despite that, Paul still mentions the gifts. He speaks of them, these gifts to the Corinthian church, and he does so elsewhere. He speaks of other gifts there in Romans, in the chapter number 12, verse 6. Romans chapter 12, verse 6, down to the verse 8. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy Let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith or ministry. Let us wait on ministering, or he that teacheth on teaching, or he that exhorteth on exhortation. He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity. He that ruleth with diligence, he that showed mercy with cheerfulness. So he mentions gifts here in Romans chapter 12. He also mentions gifts in Ephesians chapter 4. And the verse number 10, he that ascended, descended is the same. Also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors, and some teachers for the perfecting of the sins, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." And so Paul, throughout his letters, speaks about spiritual gifts. So what is a spiritual gift? Well, Dr. Cairns described gift of the Spirit as a revelation by the Holy Spirit in and through a member of the church for the common good. of all members. In simpler terms, a spiritual gift is a God-given capacity through which the Holy Spirit supernaturally ministers to the church of Jesus Christ. And as Paul writes here in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, he recognizes that every believer has been given some gift. Note verse 7 of 1 Corinthians chapter 12. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. Now you need to remember that Paul is writing here to a company of God's people. He's not saying every man in the world. with respect to these gifts. He's not saying that the ungodly, that the pagans, that the infidels that lived around them were given these spiritual gifts, but rather, as he's speaking to believers only in this epistle, this letter, that declaration, the concerning of gifts, should be confined to the believers alone. Now, the sinner has their natural gifts. We cannot deny that. We think of an artist who has a gift of painting. We think of a musician who has a gift of playing some musical instrument. Those are but natural gifts, and God has given them gifts. Yes, but these are not natural gifts we're talking about. These are supernatural gifts. These are gifts given by the Spirit of God, and they're given to God's people. Look again into the chapter. See what Paul writes in the verse number 11. Here, the Apostle Paul has just listed nine different gifts. The word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, the word of faith, the gifts of healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, the discerning of spirits, diverse kinds of tongues, the interpretation of tongues. He has spoken to them, verse 8 through to verse number 10. Note verse 11, but all these worketh that the one and self-same spirit dividing to every man as severally as or individually as he will." Notice the phrase again, every man, to every man. Every individual within the assembly of Corinth had the possession of some spiritual gift The implication in the words every man is that each and every one within the body of Christ had a particular gift, and that gift was to be used for the benefit and for the edification of the body of Jesus Christ. Though some members are viewed, Paul's gives an illustration with respect to the use of gifts and the need of gifts and the edification of the body of Christ by pointing them towards the makeup of just a mere physical body, the human constitution, the eyes, the ears, the hands, the feet, every part, every member required for the proper functioning. Note it, underline it, for the proper functioning of the body. Every member must do its part. The hand must do that which God has designed it to do and not to do that which the foot is to do. That's not the purpose of the hand. The hand is not to do what the foot is to do or what the ear is to do, but it's to do that which God has designed it to do in order that the body might work properly, that it might reach its fullest potential. And so in the church of Jesus Christ, not all are called to preach. God has maybe never called you to preach, but that is not what God has designed you to do. Lose point you preaching if God has never called you to preach, if God has never gifted you to preach, if God has never purposed for you to preach, if He hasn't made you to preach and gifted you with the gifts required for that, but He may have designed you to be an encourager. And oh, what a need there is for that, just to come alongside and to encourage Maybe he's gifted you to stand at the open air or to play the musical instruments within the work of Jesus Christ. God has gifted each part of the body for the proper functioning of the body. And if there is a member, and if there is a part of the body that is not doing what it is supposed to be doing, then that body is not going to reach its fullest potential. And so it is in the work of Jesus Christ. If we do not do what God has made us to do and God has gifted us to do, then this assembly will not reach its fullest potential. And so we need to understand that God has given to us certain gifts for the church's functioning. for its growth and for its benefit. I believe that this is taught for us in the parable of the talents there in Matthew chapter 25. The talent was, it was a piece of money. It was money. Sometimes we think talent, well, that means that a singing talent or a preaching talent. That's not what it's thought of. These were men who were given money and what they were to do They were to invest that money, they were to see it increase for the benefit of the householder. One servant was given five talents. He goes out and he trades with those five talents, so by the time the good man of the house returns from the far journey, he has five other talents to give him. In other words, he doubles his money. And then he hears those words, well done, good and faithful servant. Another is given but two, not five. But he doesn't concern himself about the man who was given five. He doesn't become disgruntled and say, well, I've only been given two talents. It's not fair. No, what he does is that he uses what the master gives him. And so he goes out, he trades just like the first servant. And he receives two other talents, so that on the return of the master of the house, he has the same percentage increase. He has doubled his money as well. And then there is another servant, the third servant. He's given but one. And he decides to dig a hole in the ground and to hide the talent. He just expects that without any effort on his part, that there's going to be some kind of mysterious increase. And yet when the master returns, he takes the shovel and he digs up the talent and he brings it to the master of the house and he presents it to him. He just gives him what he first received. The parable reminds us that there is a day when Jesus Christ is coming again. He has given each within this assembly gifts, abilities, skills to be used for the advancement of Christ's work, the cause of Jesus Christ. Some will use their talents and see increase. Others will hide them. And when the Master returns, they will be bitterly disappointed. You see, the parable of talents assumes, it assumes that all who call Christ their Lord and their Master have been given something to do. They've been given a gift, a talent. And we are to use those gifts and those skills that have been entrusted to us and to use them to see God's work advance. The question is, and the questions are these, are you, first of all, are you aware of the gift that God has given to you? And if so, are you employing that gift to further the cause and the name of Jesus Christ? I would hear people, and they would say something like this, I'm not a very gifted person. And that may be true. That may be true. But let me remind you that God has given you some gift. He has gifted you in some way. What you don't want to do is to stand before your Lord and Master at the judgment seat of Christ, not having employed the gift or the gifts that he endowed you with. Such people, as Paul tells us, shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. What a tragedy! For God to have given you abilities and skill sets and you've used them for your own advancement and your own purposes, but never channeled them into the work of Jesus Christ. God has gifted his people. And those gifts are to be expressed in the body of Jesus Christ. They are to be employed in the body of Jesus Christ in the local assembly. This is how the work of God goes forward. Everyone using that which God has gifted them with. And so we find the existence of these spiritual gifts. Paul speaks of them. But then we think, secondly, about the diversity of the Spirit's gift. Now, that diversity is highlighted in a number of ways. First of all, by way of pronouncement, verses 4 to 6, Paul speaks about diversities and differences. Note, verse 4, now there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit. There are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. There are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. And then in verse 8 through to verse 10, it speaks about the distribution of the gifts and shows us that one person is given one kind of gift and another person is given another kind of gift. It says there, verse 8, for to one is given the spirit of wisdom, to another, Not to the same person, but to another, the word of knowledge by the same spirit, to another, faith by the same spirit, and so on and so forth. And then in verse 28, Paul speaks of those who God has set in the church, first apostles. Secondary prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles and gifts of healings help governments, diversity of tongues. Having listed those offices, then Paul asks a rhetorical question, verse 28 and 29, are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?" Now, we know the answer to the question. It's rhetorical. No, of course not. Of course, not all were apostles. There were only 12. Not all are teachers. Not all are workers of miracles. Not all have the gifts of healings or governments or diversity of tongues. Not all. Not everyone, but someone had to be. Within the church, there was to be the diversity of offices because of the diversity of gifts. But not only is this diversity of gifts highlighted by way of a pronouncement, but also by way of a picture. And we have talked about that. Paul uses the various constituent parts of the human body to illustrate the diversity of roles within the body of Christ. The apostle reminds his readership in the verse number 14, the body is not one member, but many, many parts making up the complete whole. And so the church of Jesus Christ, it's made up of many members, each using their varying gift and their varying gifts for the growth and the edification of the body of Jesus Christ. So what do we note? Well, we learn. from these pronouncements and from this very picture, this illustration, that there is a diversity of gifts that God has given to His children. Folks, we're not all carbon copies of each another. We're not carbon copies of each another. There is a mixture of gifts and abilities among the people of God, and they need to be recognized. And not only do they need to be recognized, but they need to be harnessed. they need to be used and employed in the work of Jesus Christ. You see, because there is a diversity, that must mean then that there is a diversity of work to be done. There's different work to be done, and because of that, there needs to be different workmen and different work women employed in those varying works, those diverse works. J.R. Miller wrote, God distributes His gifts so that there may be a hand for every task, a foot for every errand, a tongue for every word that needs to be spoken, and a heart for every service of love. Everyone, even the loneliest, has a distinct mission of his or her own, and God bestows just the gifts each one needs for the work allotted." What a blessing. Think of that, child of God. God has some role for you to play in this work. in this assembly of believers, your hands, your feet, your tongue to be used for the purpose and for the mission that God has purposed for you. So again I ask, are you using that gift that God has given you? Don't you be concerning yourself about any person else. or anyone else. Peter did that in John chapter 21, and what shall this man do? Lord, what will John do? And Jesus said, what is that to thee? Don't concern yourself about anyone else in this meeting. Don't be thinking about what my wife could do for God, what my husband could do for God, what my dad, my mom could do for God. No, what could you do for God? With the gifts that God has given you, what can I do for God? What can I do for the work of Jesus Christ? I look out over this congregation and I must say, I see many who are involved in God's work, but there's others and maybe you're not. I see young people here. God has gifted you with skills. Maybe your employer doesn't see that, maybe your teacher doesn't see that, but God has gifted you with skills and talents. And I ask, are you using them? Are you putting your shoulder to the wheel? Are you part of God's work? Are you being used by God? It's time to be involved in the work of God. You see, God has gifted you uniquely. Maybe for some you feel to channel your energy and your time and your effort into the greatest work, God's work, and instead you've lived for yourself. That is not the reason why God put you on planet Earth. God has a purpose for your life. You need to seek that purpose. You need to find His will and do His will, young person, whatever that will is. But until He reveals those things to you, be involved in God's work within the local assembly. You see, somebody in the body has to preach at the open air. Someone has to play the musical instruments within our meetings. Someone has to clean the church premises. Someone has to remove the weeds from the church property. Someone has to power hose the steps. Someone has to put up the posters for the Bible club and for the gospel missions. Somebody has to sit in the bus in Cullabakee and in Portland on every Friday night. Someone has to visit the bereaved and the sick and those that are hospitalized and those that are shut in. Somebody has to be in the media team. Someone has to count and lodge the congregational offerings. Someone has to prepare the quiz. to do the memory verse, to tell the Bible lesson in the children's meeting. Someone has to teach Sunday school class. Someone has to go in the doors and do outreach. Someone has to come to the prayer meeting. Someone has to do it. And that someone is you. Not all of it, of course not, but some part, some role, God's work is not a single-man enterprise. It cannot be. The work is too great. The work is too great. I, as the minister, can visit every sick person. I, as the minister, can teach Sunday school, can teach, go to youth fellowship every week. I can't go to sit in the Sunday school class. I can't clean the It's not a one-man enterprise, but thank God there are people and they're involved in the work of God. But where is your involvement? Someone has to take the work forward. God does it. Body uses instruments. What are you going to do for God? What are you gonna do for him? As those of an older generation, be careful of my language here, don't want to offend anyone, but as they grow older, someone has to replace them. Someone has to. Or the work will just die. There needs to be that natural progression The replacing of the old with the new, not to push out the old. We thank God for that. But to see God's work go on for another generation, to keep the gospel light bright in this community, in this assembly of believers, someone's going to have to take over. Will that be you? Would you give an R? a couple of hours for the work of God. Would you do that? Of all the hours that God gives you, would you do it? J. Miller again, he said, faithfulness to our mission will receive the reward. Unfaithfulness in the use of our gifts, whether great or small, will bring God's displeasure and the loss of all. One final point. Time is away, I thought I had a shorter message. The purpose of the Spirit's gifts. Go to verse 5 very quickly. You'll see the word administration there. The word is diakonion. It's the word to serve. You see, the word indicates that spiritual gifts are given to us that we, not that we might be served by others, but that we might serve. that we might serve just like the Savior. You think of the Son of God. He possessed every spiritual gift to the infinite degree. And how did He employ those gifts? He employed them in service. Even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. and to give his life a ransom for many. Paul, in verse 7, he speaks about the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man for what reason? To profit with all. Now, some tele-evangelists have taken those words literally, profit with all, and they have made merchandise off their adherents and their followers. They profit from the vulnerable. But that's not what that word profit means. It's not financial profit. The word profit means for the common good of all, for the common good of all. The purpose of the spiritual gifts sovereignly distributed by God is to promote the common welfare and the peace and the edification of the whole church of Jesus Christ. Therefore, they are never to be used for personal advancement. They are not to be used to feed a person's ego. They are not to be used for a person's glorification or even their own personal edification, but they are to be employed for the benefit of the whole body of Jesus Christ, to edify the body, to build it up, and to spread and advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. Matthew Henry's commentary, verse number seven, is enlightening. It says, spiritual gifts are bestowed that men may with them profit the church and promote Christianity. They are not given for show, but for service. Not for pomp and ostentation, but for edification. Not to magnify those who have them, but to edify others. Not for show, but service. Not for ostentation, but edification. Not for self-magnification, but to edify others. The person who uses their gifts in the church for their own personal advancement is improperly using those gifts. We use the gifts that we might benefit the body of Jesus Christ. And to possess any gift places us therefore under divine obligation to use it. Without using it, within the local assembly, that local assembly is less effective in the witness of Christ and God that God intended for it. Think of that. God has given everyone blood-washed, a gift, ability, skills, and God intends you to use that within the local assembly. And if you fail to do so, that local assembly never reaches the potential that God had for it. God providentially brought you to this place. You live in this community. This is the community that you are to serve until God advances you and takes you onwards and upwards for God. And failure to do so means that you cause the church not to reach its fullest potential. I wonder what percentage this church is going at within the work of God. I wonder, are we at 50% capacity? Are we 20? Are we 90? Everyone doing their part, taking up the role, praying, working for God, living the Christian life, making sure that their lives are in conformity to the teaching of the Word, that through our lives and how we live that others look at us and they see Christ. Where are we at? I read this statement, the church of Jesus Christ lives and grows by the active servitableness of every member. But the opposite is true, the church of Jesus Christ dies by the inactivity of its members. And so we need to ask the question, am I stunting the growth of Christ's church by my non-involvement? my unwillingness to use the gift that God gave me. He saved me. You see, isolationism, non-participation, self-seeking are all knocked on the head when we come to understand that God has gifted us to benefit, to profit the body of Christ. With these words, I close. 1 Peter 4, verse 10. As every man hath received a gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. You can't do that sitting at home on a Sunday. You can't do that sitting at home on a prayer meeting night or on a Friday night. Whenever missions take place, The gift that God's given you, how could you ever minister to another person if you live a life of isolation? God intended the church to be a church community for men and women to be involved in God's work in some way. May God help you and I to see our responsibilities as those who are gifted by God Now those gifts are diverse. Of course they are. God's work would never get done if we were all preachers. There is a diversity, but all are to be employed in the edifying of the body of Christ. May we use those gifts as the Spirit has sovereignly gifted each one. May God help you to use that gift. And may we see a church holy and fully involved. And may we see the kingdom of darkness destroyed and Christ's kingdom advanced. May God bless His word to our hearts for Christ's sake. Let's bow briefly in prayer. We appreciate your listening. And we encourage you to be in your place this evening. Maybe God has gifted you with the ability of inviting others. Maybe you don't even feel you have that gift. Well, why not pick up the phone? Maybe some individual, some family member, out of Christ, without a Savior, and they meet Christ, bring them in, and they hear the gospel and be saved even tonight. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we thank Thee that Thou has given gifts to Thy church, and Thou has given us all certain skills and You've made us, Lord. You've fashioned us. There's something that we can do. You didn't save us, Lord, that we would just sit on the shelf and get, as it were, a ticket out of hell and just drift on and live for ourselves. Let none hear you idly saying, there is nothing I can do while the souls of men are dying. and the master calls for you. Take the task he gives you gladly. Let his work your labor be. Answer quickly. When he calleth, here am I. Send me, send me. We pray these, our prayers, in and through Jesus' precious name. Amen and amen.