1
00:00:00,607 --> 00:00:04,127
You can stir gifts up.

2
00:00:04,127 --> 00:00:05,396
Now it may be true

3
00:00:05,396 --> 00:00:07,626
that you've only got a certain amount,

4
00:00:07,626 --> 00:00:08,899
but let me tell you this,

5
00:00:08,899 --> 00:00:11,376
Scripture says, "For this 
reason I remind you..." -

6
00:00:11,376 --> 00:00:13,087
this is Paul speaking to Timothy -

7
00:00:13,087 --> 00:00:15,147
"fan into flame the gift of God

8
00:00:15,147 --> 00:00:17,778
which is in you through 
the laying on of hands."

9
00:00:17,778 --> 00:00:20,086
This is a picture of fire.

10
00:00:20,086 --> 00:00:22,799
Fan into flame - literally.

11
00:00:22,799 --> 00:00:25,249
Listen, we've all been camping.

12
00:00:25,249 --> 00:00:27,973
We've been around a bonfire somewhere.

13
00:00:27,973 --> 00:00:29,379
You know what happens.

14
00:00:29,379 --> 00:00:31,020
This is a picture of a fire

15
00:00:31,020 --> 00:00:33,610
that begins to go low.

16
00:00:33,610 --> 00:00:36,397
I grew up with a fireplace.

17
00:00:36,397 --> 00:00:38,010
I grew up camping.

18
00:00:38,010 --> 00:00:39,780
We all know.

19
00:00:39,780 --> 00:00:42,206
Listen, somebody comes along to a fire

20
00:00:42,206 --> 00:00:45,630
and pours a cold bucket of water on it.

21
00:00:45,630 --> 00:00:48,409
Yeah, that is bad for a fire.

22
00:00:48,409 --> 00:00:49,958
And we know that the devil -

23
00:00:49,958 --> 00:00:53,999
he labors to quench all 
that is of God that's in us.

24
00:00:53,999 --> 00:00:59,311
But I'll tell you, there's another 
way to let a fire go out.

25
00:00:59,311 --> 00:01:02,280
Just don't do anything.

26
00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:07,669
Just ignore it.

27
00:01:07,669 --> 00:01:09,619
Just don't tend to it.

28
00:01:09,619 --> 00:01:12,148
Think about it. You've got a fire.

29
00:01:12,148 --> 00:01:14,270
What does it need?

30
00:01:14,270 --> 00:01:16,368
Typically - I grew up with a fireplace -

31
00:01:16,368 --> 00:01:18,759
we had a shovel.

32
00:01:18,759 --> 00:01:20,740
We had a poker.

33
00:01:20,740 --> 00:01:21,954
We had a brush.

34
00:01:21,954 --> 00:01:23,706
Why? What were those things for?

35
00:01:23,706 --> 00:01:25,439
Well, to get the ashes out.

36
00:01:25,439 --> 00:01:28,909
Stir it around.

37
00:01:28,909 --> 00:01:30,638
It's like what Christ has done

38
00:01:30,638 --> 00:01:33,699
is He's given you this burning hot coal.

39
00:01:33,699 --> 00:01:36,340
It's for us to make fire rage.

40
00:01:36,340 --> 00:01:37,389
You've seen the fire

41
00:01:37,389 --> 00:01:42,010
where there's embers down there.

42
00:01:42,010 --> 00:01:44,840
Yeah, there's heat.

43
00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,439
There's energy.

44
00:01:47,439 --> 00:01:48,981
But there is a place to fan it.

45
00:01:48,981 --> 00:01:50,431
There's a place to blow on it.

46
00:01:50,431 --> 00:01:52,269
We had bellows.

47
00:01:52,269 --> 00:01:54,380
You could blow on it, but for some reason

48
00:01:54,380 --> 00:01:56,360
somebody gave us bellows.

49
00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:57,481
You get air on there.

50
00:01:57,481 --> 00:01:58,671
You need kindling.

51
00:01:58,671 --> 00:02:00,799
You know what you 
want to do with that coal

52
00:02:00,799 --> 00:02:01,679
(incomplete thought)

53
00:02:01,679 --> 00:02:03,588
You know where the kindling is.
It's found in people.

54
00:02:03,588 --> 00:02:05,508
Go around and touch it on people.

55
00:02:05,508 --> 00:02:06,859
Go try to be a help to people.

56
00:02:06,859 --> 00:02:08,269
Go try to be an encouragement to people.

57
00:02:08,269 --> 00:02:09,499
Go serve people.

58
00:02:09,499 --> 00:02:11,520
Give to people. Pray for people.

59
00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,147
Try to use whatever it is in your capacity

60
00:02:15,147 --> 00:02:17,019
to build up other people,

61
00:02:17,019 --> 00:02:18,669
to strengthen other people,

62
00:02:18,669 --> 00:02:20,752
to help the health of our church,

63
00:02:20,752 --> 00:02:22,339
to make people more Christlike,

64
00:02:22,339 --> 00:02:24,169
to encourage people in their worship,

65
00:02:24,169 --> 00:02:25,623
to encourage people's faith,

66
00:02:25,623 --> 00:02:27,320
to stir up one another to love.

67
00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:28,440
Go do that.

68
00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:30,861
To try to stir up people's 
passion for missions

69
00:02:30,861 --> 00:02:32,650
or try to stir up people's passions

70
00:02:32,650 --> 00:02:34,460
for souls through evangelism.

71
00:02:34,460 --> 00:02:35,861
Do those things!

72
00:02:35,861 --> 00:02:38,440
Touch people with that 
ember that you have.

73
00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,061
See if it won't ignite.

74
00:02:40,061 --> 00:02:41,789
Sometimes when a fire's going down,

75
00:02:41,789 --> 00:02:43,571
what it needs is you know you've got

76
00:02:43,571 --> 00:02:45,619
pieces of the log that 
are outside the fire

77
00:02:45,619 --> 00:02:47,999
that if you just kicked 
them over into the fire,

78
00:02:47,999 --> 00:02:49,489
the thing would stir up.

79
00:02:49,489 --> 00:02:51,329
Is the fire going out?

80
00:02:51,329 --> 00:02:54,770
Well, stir it around. Change some things.

81
00:02:54,770 --> 00:02:58,040
Make some effort here. Blow on it.

82
00:02:58,040 --> 00:02:59,090
Get rid of the ashes.

83
00:02:59,090 --> 00:03:00,551
That's why we have the shovel.

84
00:03:00,551 --> 00:03:02,490
You've let the ashes build up too high.

85
00:03:02,490 --> 00:03:03,431
Get them out!

86
00:03:03,431 --> 00:03:05,498
Leave it where it's just the hot coals

87
00:03:05,498 --> 00:03:08,705
and the logs that are on fire.

88
00:03:08,705 --> 00:03:11,272
Take away the things that 
tend to put the fire out,

89
00:03:11,272 --> 00:03:14,100
that tend to cause this 
thing to dampen down

90
00:03:14,100 --> 00:03:16,560
and diminish in light and heat.

91
00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,768
Get rid of it.

92
00:03:18,768 --> 00:03:21,591
Listen, you want to exercise gifts?

93
00:03:21,591 --> 00:03:24,810
Be where God's people are.

94
00:03:24,810 --> 00:03:26,160
Be in the prayer meeting.

95
00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:28,389
Be in the small groups.

96
00:03:28,389 --> 00:03:32,679
Be in each other's lives 
throughout the week.

97
00:03:32,679 --> 00:03:34,768
Brethren, one of the things 
you don't want to do is say,

98
00:03:34,768 --> 00:03:36,980
well, we go to church on Wednesday.

99
00:03:36,980 --> 00:03:38,379
We go to church on Sunday's.

100
00:03:38,379 --> 00:03:39,508
That's not the life of the church.

101
00:03:39,508 --> 00:03:42,238
That's not the life of the church that 
you'll find in the book of Acts.

102
00:03:42,238 --> 00:03:44,829
We want the life of the church 
that's found in Scripture -

103
00:03:44,829 --> 00:03:47,284
not traditional Christianity 
in the United States.

104
00:03:47,284 --> 00:03:48,940
If you have a gift, there's no reason

105
00:03:48,940 --> 00:03:50,689
that you only should be using the gift

106
00:03:50,689 --> 00:03:52,130
on Wednesday and Sunday.

107
00:03:52,130 --> 00:03:54,391
You need to be using that 
gift all through the week

108
00:03:54,391 --> 00:03:55,599
in whatever way possible.

109
00:03:55,599 --> 00:03:57,768
I know you work, school, all these things.

110
00:03:57,768 --> 00:04:00,702
Everyone of us has to sort this out.

111
00:04:00,702 --> 00:04:02,989
But you want to know one of the ways

112
00:04:02,989 --> 00:04:04,160
to get the fire burning

113
00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,098
and to fan into flame 
the gift that you have

114
00:04:07,098 --> 00:04:09,820
is to get out there and seek to use it.

115
00:04:09,820 --> 00:04:11,329
It's kind of like a lawn mower.

116
00:04:11,329 --> 00:04:13,730
Have you ever noticed if 
you don't use your lawn mower,

117
00:04:13,730 --> 00:04:16,969
then when you finally want 
to go use it, it doesn't start?

118
00:04:16,969 --> 00:04:19,599
One of the best ways to keep 
your lawn mower operating

119
00:04:19,599 --> 00:04:20,920
is to keep using it.

120
00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,308
Same with cars. We tend to 
use our cars all the time,

121
00:04:23,308 --> 00:04:24,750
so we don't really think about it,

122
00:04:24,750 --> 00:04:26,454
but just let a car sit for too long.

123
00:04:26,454 --> 00:04:27,560
You're going to come back probably

124
00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:29,531
the same thing will 
happen. It won't start.

125
00:04:29,531 --> 00:04:31,809
There's lots of things that 
the more you use them,

126
00:04:31,809 --> 00:04:34,620
the more it keeps them usable.

127
00:04:34,620 --> 00:04:35,956
Be intentional.

128
00:04:35,956 --> 00:04:39,451
Listen, this grace is real 
that Christ has given to you.

129
00:04:39,451 --> 00:04:41,809
Don't despise that.

130
00:04:41,809 --> 00:04:43,741
You say, if Christ has given me a grace,

131
00:04:43,741 --> 00:04:44,970
well, then, I'm going to use it.

132
00:04:44,970 --> 00:04:47,409
And I'm going to fan it into 
flame as much as I possibly can.

133
00:04:47,409 --> 00:04:50,460
And look, you only get to live once.

134
00:04:50,460 --> 00:04:52,820
Why in the world if some thirty-fold,

135
00:04:52,820 --> 00:04:55,080
some sixty-fold, some a hundred-fold,

136
00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,809
why are you going to 
settle for thirty-fold?

137
00:04:57,809 --> 00:05:00,781
Oh, because I want to watch the TV.

138
00:05:00,781 --> 00:05:03,469
I want to watch that show.

139
00:05:03,469 --> 00:05:06,219
Okay... We all have to make decisions,

140
00:05:06,219 --> 00:05:08,798
and I'm not saying there's 
not a time to relax;

141
00:05:08,798 --> 00:05:10,860
there's not a time that 
we need some R&R;

142
00:05:10,860 --> 00:05:13,370
there's not a time to 
get to the mountain

143
00:05:13,370 --> 00:05:14,961
and get away.

144
00:05:14,961 --> 00:05:16,810
I recognize there's a need for that.

145
00:05:16,810 --> 00:05:19,450
But brethren, if such 
things exist in Scripture

146
00:05:19,450 --> 00:05:20,759
that some are thirty-fold

147
00:05:20,759 --> 00:05:22,110
and some are a hundred-fold,

148
00:05:22,110 --> 00:05:23,839
why would you not press 
to be a hundred-fold?

149
00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:25,154
You only get to live once.

150
00:05:25,154 --> 00:05:27,453
Our works follow us Scripture says.

151
00:05:27,453 --> 00:05:31,590
Why settle for minimal realities

152
00:05:31,590 --> 00:05:34,158
with regards to this usefulness?

153
00:05:34,158 --> 00:05:36,440
Christ has given you something.

154
00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:37,849
Use it.

155
00:05:37,849 --> 00:05:39,958
Be faithful.

156
00:05:39,958 --> 00:05:41,620
Be faithful.

157
00:05:41,620 --> 00:05:43,731
Don't grow weary in well-doing.

158
00:05:43,731 --> 00:05:45,101
You only get to live once.

159
00:05:45,101 --> 00:05:47,490
And we don't have a 
whole lot longer to go.

160
00:05:47,490 --> 00:05:48,929
Here we're at another year,

161
00:05:48,929 --> 00:05:50,101
another mile marker.

162
00:05:50,101 --> 00:05:54,249
You don't have centuries 
and centuries to live.

163
00:05:54,249 --> 00:05:57,068
And even if you did, you shouldn't 
be squandering the time.

164
00:05:57,068 --> 00:05:58,799
Your time is going fast.

165
00:05:58,799 --> 00:06:00,651
You only have one life to live.

166
00:06:00,651 --> 00:06:02,676
And if you're Christian,

167
00:06:02,676 --> 00:06:04,790
you've been given a grace.

168
00:06:04,790 --> 00:06:07,980
And you're expected to use it.

169
00:06:07,980 --> 00:06:10,011
Common good.

170
00:06:10,011 --> 00:06:11,189
And when you don't,

171
00:06:11,189 --> 00:06:12,988
you damage all of us.

172
00:06:12,988 --> 00:06:16,148
It's a very selfish thing 
when you don't do it.

173
00:06:16,148 --> 00:06:18,439
I know some are shy. 
Some are uncomfortable.

174
00:06:18,439 --> 00:06:20,100
Some are socially backward.

175
00:06:20,100 --> 00:06:21,684
So what?

176
00:06:21,684 --> 00:06:23,131
Even if you're socially backward,

177
00:06:23,131 --> 00:06:24,490
you could pray for this church.

178
00:06:24,490 --> 00:06:26,460
You could pray. You could pray.

179
00:06:26,460 --> 00:06:28,751
Some have a gift of faith

180
00:06:28,751 --> 00:06:30,669
that causes them to lay hold on God

181
00:06:30,669 --> 00:06:31,799
and pray all the more.

182
00:06:31,799 --> 00:06:33,479
Some can give

183
00:06:33,479 --> 00:06:35,648
and it's not really in 
the limelight at all.

184
00:06:35,648 --> 00:06:38,916
It's all done very secretly.

185
00:06:38,916 --> 00:06:40,268
But whatever your gift is

186
00:06:40,268 --> 00:06:44,080
pour yourself into it.

187
00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:47,149
Pour yourself out for one another.

188
00:06:47,149 --> 00:06:48,789
Grace is given to each one of us

189
00:06:48,789 --> 00:06:51,219
according to the measure of Christ's gift.

190
00:06:51,219 --> 00:06:52,268
Use it, brethren.

191
00:06:52,268 --> 00:06:53,689
Use it to equip this church.

192
00:06:53,689 --> 00:06:55,440
Use it to build up this church.

193
00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:59,120
Use it for the common good of this church.

194
00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:00,680
Father, I pray You'd help us

195
00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:02,729
as we launch out into this new year.

196
00:07:02,729 --> 00:07:04,879
Make us ever more fruitful.

197
00:07:04,879 --> 00:07:08,060
Lord, give us many who on that day

198
00:07:08,060 --> 00:07:12,239
will shine, Lord, like the sun

199
00:07:12,239 --> 00:07:13,885
in the very firmament,

200
00:07:13,885 --> 00:07:16,492
in the kingdom of our Father

201
00:07:16,492 --> 00:07:19,539
who will have, Lord,

202
00:07:19,539 --> 00:07:23,000
they'll have borne a hundred-fold.

203
00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,049
Give us many like that.

204
00:07:25,049 --> 00:07:28,659
Hundred-fold Christians.

205
00:07:28,659 --> 00:07:32,320
Lord, please don't let this American life,

206
00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:33,902
don't let the riches,

207
00:07:33,902 --> 00:07:35,328
don't let the comforts,

208
00:07:35,328 --> 00:07:37,040
don't let the wealth make us all

209
00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:40,667
into ten-fold Christians

210
00:07:40,667 --> 00:07:45,883
when hundred-fold could be a reality.

211
00:07:45,883 --> 00:07:48,090
Oh, we would have 
rather been born in India

212
00:07:48,090 --> 00:07:52,680
if that's what this culture will do to us.

213
00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:54,242
Help us, Lord.

214
00:07:54,242 --> 00:07:56,510
Help us with all of our riches

215
00:07:56,510 --> 00:07:58,234
to be rich in good works

216
00:07:58,234 --> 00:08:03,239
towards the poor across this world.

217
00:08:03,239 --> 00:08:05,550
I pray this in Christ's name, Amen.