“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey”Matthew 25:14,15.

“The parable of the Talents . . . has a personal and individual application to every man, woman, and child possessed of the powers of reason. . . . When the master of the house called his servants he gave to every man his work. The whole family of God is included in the responsibility of using their Lord's goods. Every individual, from the lowliest and most obscure to the greatest and most exalted, is a moral agent endowed with abilities for which he is accountable to God. . . . The spiritual, mental, and physical ability, the influence, station, possessions, affections, sympathies, all are precious talents to be used in the cause of the Master for the salvation of souls for whom Christ died.

“How few appreciate these blessings! How few seek to improve their talent and increase their usefulness in the world! The Master has given to every man his work. He has given to every man according to his ability, and his trust is in proportion to his capacity. . . . Let the businessman do his business in a way that will glorify his Master because of his fidelity. Let him carry his religion into everything that is done and reveal to men the spirit of Christ. Let the mechanic be a diligent and faithful representative of Him who toiled in the lowly walks of life in the cities of Judea. . . .

“Those who have been blessed with superior talents should not depreciate the value of the services of those who are less gifted than themselves. The smallest trust is a trust from God. With the blessing of God, the one talent through diligent use will be doubled, and the two used in the service of Christ will be increased to four; and thus the humblest instrument may grow in power and usefulness.

“The earnest purpose, the self-denying efforts, are all seen, appreciated, and accepted by the God of heaven. . . . Use your gift in meekness, in humility, in trusting faith, and wait till the day of reckoning, and you will have no cause for grief or shame” (In Heavenly Places, p. 224).

THE GIFT THAT GETS IN “THE WAY”
The story is told about a man who owned a Christmas tree farm. Toward the end of the season, the quality trees were picked over.  Left over were trees that had one good side, but whose other side was bare of greenery, or which were too tall or too short.  The owner typically would send the odd-shaped trees away to be destroyed. Rarely would anyone need a partially green Christmas tree.

Only a day before Christmas Eve, several families arrived just before closing and began to scour the yard for discount Christmas trees.  The owner noticed their clothes and their cars and their frustrated glances at the price tags on the few trees left that were whole and undamaged. The families gathered together in a circle and were having an animated discussion, pointing at the trees that were less than perfect.  A ruddy man of middle years emerged from the group and humbly walked toward the owner while the others waited anxiously. “Would you be willing to take $10 for those trees over there?” he said, pointing to a small pile of less-than–perfect trees.

The owner was going to burn them but sensed that this group would be grateful and possibly put them to good use, so he agreed, and the families gathered up the trees.  Curiously, the owner asked one of the men, “What are you going to do with these trees that are damaged?”  The middle-aged man replied with a mischievous grin, “We are going to dress them up and decorate them for a family in our neighborhood who couldn’t afford a tree this year.”

The owner was curious and asked where this would be taking place, and later that night, he ventured down the hill and found the house where the families were frantically stringing lights, bulbs, and various ribbons.  As he walked up the steps of the old farmhouse, he heard a cheer that sounded like an army.  Peering inside the window, he saw the group of people who had come to his tree farm cheering the Christmas display in the corner of the room. The scene of the trees caught his breath.  All the misfit, badly shaped useful trees were artfully placed together, wrapped in lights and ribbons glowing with the beauty of Christmas. He noticed that they had placed the bare spots together and organized the damaged trees into a beautiful, rich green forest aglow with a surprising display of color.

As he left the porch and made his was back home, he vowed to never look at an incomplete tree the same way again.

“None should mourn that they have not larger talents. When they use to the glory of God the talents He has given them, they will improve. It is no time now to bemoan our position in life, and excuse our neglect to improve our abilities because we have not another's ability and position, saying, O, if I had his gift and ability, I might invest a large capital for my Master. If such persons use their one talent wisely and well, that is all the Master requires of them. . . .

“I hope efforts will be made in every church to arouse those who are doing nothing. May God make these realize that He will require of them the one talent with improvement; and if they neglect to gain other talents besides the one, they will meet with the loss of that one talent and their own souls also. We hope to see a change in our churches. The Householder is preparing to return and call His stewards to account for the talents He has entrusted to them. God pity the do-nothings then! Those who hear the welcome applaud it, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant,’ will have well done in the improvement of their abilities and means to the glory of God” (Counsels on Stewardship, p. 120).

These two quotations are referring to a parables Jesus told. Do you remember what that parable was? Here are those verses found in Matthew 25:14-30: “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.”

When you read the quotations from Ellen White and the corresponding Bible texts you can’t help but realize that you do have a talent. God has given everyone a talent. How many talents do you have? What are they? Maybe you have a great smile and are very friendly. Perhaps you have the gift of making people comfortable. Maybe you are great at organizing things, or you may be very musical. Take a few minutes, and make a list of your talents. When you have finished, take time to thank Jesus for your gifts. Ask Him to show you how to improve your talent(s) and best use them for Him.

Talents

HERE’S WHAT I THINK

Devin feels that he isn’t very good at any one thing.  Some of his friends can sing, can speak, or are techies.  Some are likable and friendly; everyone seems to contribute in some way.  He just doesn’t feel as if he is needed or useful.  As a result, he tends to be cynical about any service project or activity that meets the needs of people.  How would you and your friends find a way to integrate him in to the action?  What are some of the reasons you think he acts the way he does?

Go to http://guidemagazine.org/rtf to post your answers. Your thoughts and feelings may seem clearer to you when you write them down, so we’ve provided space for you here as well. You may also wish to share them with your class later. Be upfront and honest.

1 Corinthians 12:1-31 (Contemporary English Version)

“My friends, you asked me about spiritual gifts. I want you to remember that before you became followers of the Lord, you were led in all the wrong ways by idols that cannot even talk. Now I want you to know that if you are led by God's Spirit, you will say that Jesus is Lord and you will never curse Jesus.

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the same Spirit. There are different ways to serve the same Lord, and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do.

“The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others. Some of us can speak with wisdom, while others can speak with knowledge, but these gifts come from the same Spirit. To others the Spirit has given great faith or the power to heal the sick or the power to work mighty miracles. Some of us are prophets, and some of us recognize when God's Spirit is present. Others can speak different kinds of languages, and still others can tell what these languages mean. But it is the Spirit who does all this and decides which gifts to give to each of us.

“The body of Christ has many different parts, just as any other body does. Some of us are Jews, and others are Gentiles. Some of us are slaves, and others are free. But God's Spirit baptized each of us and made us part of the body of Christ. Now we each drink from that same Spirit. Our bodies don't have just one part. They have many parts. Suppose a foot says, ‘I'm not a hand, and so I'm not part of the body.’ Wouldn't the foot still belong to the body? Or suppose an ear says, ‘I'm not an eye, and so I'm not part of the body.’ Wouldn't the ear still belong to the body? If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn't hear a thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn't smell a thing. But God has put all parts of our body together in the way that he decided is best.

“A body isn't really a body, unless there is more than one part. It takes many parts to make a single body. That's why the eyes cannot say they don't need the hands. That's also why the head cannot say it doesn't need the feet. In fact, we cannot get along without the parts of the body that seem to be the weakest. We take special care to dress up some parts of our bodies. We are modest about our personal parts, but we don't have to be modest about other parts.

“God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable. He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy.

“Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body. First, God chose some people to be apostles and prophets and teachers for the church. But he also chose some to work miracles or heal the sick or help others or be leaders or speak different kinds of languages. Not everyone is an apostle. Not everyone is a prophet. Not everyone is a teacher. Not everyone can work miracles. Not everyone can heal the sick. Not everyone can speak different kinds of languages. Not everyone can tell what these languages mean. I want you to desire the best gifts.  So I will show you a much better way.”

The lesson this week is obviously about spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts come from God. First Corinthians 12 tells us there are many gifts but they all come from God. The following questions are provided to help you think about spiritual gifts.

1. What are the spiritual gifts mentioned in I Corinthians 12? If we have talents, shouldn’t we use them to glorify God? Explain.
   

   ---

   
   
   

   ---

   
   
   

   ---

   
   
2. The first part of I Corinthians 12 talks to us about spiritual gifts; the second part of the chapter discusses how we are a part of the body of Christ. What does being part of the body of Christ and talents have to do with each other? Explain.
   

   ---

   
   
   

   ---

   
   
   

   ---

   
   

“‘The kingdom of heaven,’ He said, ‘is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.  And unto one he gave five talents, to another two and to another one; to every man according to his several abilities; and straightway took his journey’” (Christ Object Lessons, p. 325).

“The special gifts of the Spirit are not the only talents represented in the parable.  It includes all gifts and endowments, whether original or acquired, natural or spiritual, all are to be employed in Christ’s service. In becoming His disciples, we surrender ourselves to Him with all that we are and have. These gifts He returns to us purified and ennobled, to be used for His glory in blessing our fellow men” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 328).

“The talents, however few, are to be put to use.  The question that most concerns us is not, How much have I received? but, What am I doing with that which I have? The development of all our powers is the first duty we owe to God and to our fellow men. No one who is not growing daily in capability and usefulness is fulfilling the purpose of life. In making a profession of faith in Christ we pledge ourselves to become all that it is possible for us to be as workers for the Master, and we should cultivate every faculty to the highest degree of perfection, that we may do the greatest amount of good of which we are capable” (Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 329, 330).

SO WHAT?

Some of the violinists in a German orchestra actually tried to sue the orchestra for a pay raise, claiming that they played more notes than the other members of the orchestra.  The director of the orchestra argued that while it was an interesting legal discussion, from a musical point of view, it was pretty clear to everyone they had no case. The New Testament church, before they were called Christians, was called the Way (Acts 9:2; 19:23; 24:14, 22). God gave spiritual gifts to aid in helping the kingdom of God grow.  Every time the church adds a new believer, a new set of gifts is given to make the church grow stronger, faster, and better.  All these gifts come from God, but God needs people to use them for His purpose.  Have you had a conversation with God about the gift/gifts He has given you?

It’s not a question of “if” but “what” gift God has empowered you with.  You could be a good teacher and make an excellent mentor teacher for a children’s Sabbath School or even deliver a sermon or children’s story.  If you are a great organizer, there are plenty of activities and service projects to complete.  If you have the gift of mercy or compassion, look around for those who are left out or are struggling—practice listening and letting them know you are there.  Some might end up being up front more than others, but unlike the violinists mentioned earlier, everyone has the same value.

You are being asked to make three lists: (1) Talents your friends and family have, (2) Talents you have, and (3) Ways you might be able to use your talents for God. If you can’t think of anything by yourself, talk to a friend and compare notes.

Talents my friends and family have:

My talents:

Ways I could use my talents for God.

Match these texts with the correct phrase below (use www.Biblegateway.com).

1. Romans 12:4-8 (NIV)
2. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (ESV)
3. Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV)
4. Romans 1:11, 12 (NIV)
5. 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 (NIV)
6. I Timothy 4:11-14 (NKJV)
7. 2 Timothy 1:6, 7 (NKJV)
8. 1 Peter 4:8-11 (NKJV)

1. “Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” _____
2. “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.” _____
3. “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” _____
4. “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” _____
5. “A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.” _____
6. “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” _____
7. “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” _____
8. “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” _____

“God has not given talents to merely a chosen few, but to everyone He has committed some peculiar gift to be used in His service. Many to whom the Lord has given precious talents have refused to employ them for the advancement of the kingdom of God; nevertheless, they are under obligation to God for their use of His gifts. Everyone, whether serving God or pleasing himself, is a possessor of some trust, whose proper use will bring glory to God and whose perverted use will rob the Giver.

“The human family is composed of responsible moral agents, and from the highest and most gifted to the lowest and most obscure, all are invested with the goods of heaven.  Time is an entrusted gift of God, and is to be diligently employed in the service of Christ.  Influence is a gift of God, and is to be exerted for the forwarding of the highest, noblest purposes. . . . Intellect is an entrusted talent. Sympathy and affection are talents to be sacredly guarded and improved, that we may render service to Him whose purchased possession we are” (Our High Calling, p. 289).

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?

After the Exodus, Moses was told by God to build a sanctuary so that God could dwell with them. Thousands of years later Christ promised the Holy Spirit to dwell in people.  No tents, just me.  There is no greater honor than to be a channel for God’s grace to the world.  The channel—me—is wired up with various qualities that can help someone else experience God’s grace.  The more I allow my gifts and talents to be used as channels for God’s grace, the more God’s grace gets into me.  There is no need for a tent. But God does need me.

REFLECTIONS

There are times when you may be tempted to think that God has given you nothing. You may be convinced that God doesn’t do anything for you. You may even feel that you are totally alone. This lesson should be a reminder of what God has done for you. Have you thought about it? What exactly has God done for you? What has God given you? Use the space provided to make a list of everything God have given you or done for you. Don’t just think of material things. What is special about you? What personality did God give you? What sort of social skills do you have? Look at everything you have and everything you are. What has God done for you?

1 Corinthians 1:4-9 (New International Version)

“I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”
(Review this weeks lesson)

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Either in Sabbath School or later in the week, take a minute to fill out this chart.  The different major spiritual gifts make up the headings.  The empty boxes are for you to write in the names of people in your Sabbath School or other parts of church life under the column that describes one of their gifts.