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INTRODUCTION

Today we're emphasizing that the church is a body and it needs
every member in order to succeed. You may think you're not
important; but you are!

Paul said, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you
is a part of it" (I Cor.12:27)

Later he explained, "Now the body is not made up of one part
but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand,
I do not belong to the body,' (or) if the ear should say,
"Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," would
(they) . . . cease to be part of the body. If the whole body
were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole
body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in
fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them,
just as he wanted them to be" (I Cor 12:14-18). And, "Just as
(a) body has many members, these members do not all have the
same function, we (too) have different gifts . . ." (Rom
12:4,6a).

When members are missing or not functioning, it's like a person
trying o get along without an eye or a leg. We must use our
gifts; and those gifts are varied..

Paul said, "To one there is given . . . the message of wisdom,
to another the message of knowledge . . . to another faith . . .
to another gifts of healing . . ." (I Cor. 12:8-10). God has
(also) appointed . . . those with gifts of administration . . ."
(I Cor.12:28). "He gives them to each one, just as he
determines"(I Cor. 12:11).

"If a man's gift is preaching, let him use it . . . If it is
serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it
is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing . . .
let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern
diligently; if it is showing kindness, let him do it cheerfully"
(Rom. 12:6b-8)

Notice he lists serving, encouraging and being kind as equal
gifts with preaching, teaching and contributing money. So never
overlook or discount your gifts. You are not only important,
you are essential.

Did you know that God has a plan and a purpose for your life?
Well, He does. The Scripture says, " 'I know the plans I have
for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future' " (Jer. 29:11).

Now, what does that mean? Well, it means we each have special
abilities and talents. Paul said, "Each man has his own gift
from God; one has this gift, another has that" (I Cor. 7:7).

It means people are different. We don't all have the same
strengths and weaknesses. Paul also said, "We have different
gifts, according to the grace given us . . ." (Rom. 12:6).

Next, it means we must find and cultivate our abilities. Paul
warned us about that. "Do not neglect your gift . . ." (I Tim.
4:14).

Finally, it means we are to use any abilities we do have in a
productive way. Peter said, "Each one should use whatever gift
he has received to serve others faithfully administering God's
grace in its various forms" (I Peter 4:10).

Of course, we have many choices in life and we get a lot of
advice from family and friends. So, how can we discover God's
plan for our life? It's not likely to be written in the sky,
and even if it were, we'd probably misinterpret it. I'm sure
you've heard about the farm boy who looked up and saw clouds
that seemed to form the letters PC. Immediately he remembered
what the preacher had said the previous Sunday about evangelism
and assumed this was a personal message from God; meaning
"Preach Christ."

After flunking out of school and developing great anxiety about
public speaking, his wise pastor inquired, "Son are you sure PC
didn't mean 'Plow Corn'?"

It's hard for any of us to know exactly what we are meant to do;
but there are five questions that can help us find our niche,
discover our calling and fulfill our potential:

I. FIRST, ASK YOURSELF, "DO I REALLY ENJOY THIS?"

Is it my passion? Do I like to talk about it? Do I look
forward to doing it? Am I usually proud of the results?

One couple tried desperately to awaken a sense of purpose in
their son, Billy. They had long talks with him; they laid down
the rules; they assigned him chores like mowing the grass and
taking out the trash. The talks were great, but the grass got
high and the trash piled up. He seemed to be totally
unreachable.

Then one day Billy read a newspaper article about a horse that
had been abandoned. The poor animal had been rescued by the
local animal shelter, but its fate was uncertain. It needed
lots of care, and no one volunteered. Unexpectedly Billy asked
to adopt the horse. "I'll be responsible for it," he said. "I
promise!"

His mom and dad were doubtful. Finally they agreed, but added,
"You must be totally responsible for this animal!"

Now, years later, the horse is beautiful. Billy built a stall
for it and cleans it everyday. He pays for its food by working
part-time at a supermarket. He loves that horse, but something
else has been happening. Billy is doing his homework and
getting better grades. He's on the basketball team and never
misses practice. And, he even finds time to cut the grass and
take out the trash. Next year he's going to college to be a
veterinarian. He's found his niche!

God doesn't want us to be miserable. He wants us to be happy.
We need to enjoy what we do. The writer of Ecclesiastes said,
"A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find
satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of
God" (Ecc. 2:24).

What do you enjoy doing? This is the first clue as to God's
plan for your life!

II. SECOND, ASK YOURSELF, "AM I REALLY GOOD AT THIS?"

Are my efforts usually successful? Do I get compliments for my
achievements? Do I have the knowledge and skills necessary to
excel? It is easy for me to learn and improve in this area?

Having pride in what you do is important. God even evaluated
His own work. The Scripture says, "God saw all that he had
made, and it was very good . . ." (Gen. 1:31).

When John Gardner was Secretary of Health, Education and
Welfare, he said, "Let's not be snobbish. An excellent plumber
is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher."

He's right! God doesn't want us to be ineffective or mediocre.
He wants us to be competent! Paul said, "Do your best to
present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not
need to be ashamed . . ." (II Tim. 1:15a).

What are you really good at doing? This is the second clue as
to God's plan for your life!

III. THIRD, ASK YOURSELF, "IS THIS IMPORTANT AND SIGNIFICANT?"

Is it helpful to other people? Does it fill a basic human need?
Is it something Jesus would have spent time doing? Will it give
meaning to my life?

A Guidepost writer said, "I once asked my Dad if he could sum up
his guiding philosophy of life. I'm not sure what I expected to
hear, but his answer surprised me because of its simplicity. He
was a complex and highly intelligent man who thought deeply
about things, yet this was all he told me: "When I go to bed
each night, I look back over the day and ask myself if the world
is a little better because I lived today. If it is, I'm content
. . ."

Someone else said, "Good stewardship is leaving a room, a town,
or the world better off for the next person who comes along."

God doesn't want us to waste our life on trivial issues. He
wants us to set good priorities. Jesus said, "Do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body,
what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and
the body more important than clothes?" (Matt.6:25).

What can you do that has significance? This is the third clue
as to God's plan for your life!

IV. FOURTH, ASK YOURSELF, "WILL I BE GLAD I DID THIS TEN YEARS
FROM NOW?"

Is this more than a passing whim? Is it more than a temporary
fad? Does it involve universal and permanent issues? Will it
provide long term benefits?

One of my favorite plaques says,

One hundred years from now,
It will not matter
What kind of car you drove,
What kind of house you lived in;
How much you had in your bank account.

It will not matter
What your clothes looked like.
But, the world may be a little better
Because you were important
In the life of a child

We might change this to say, "In the life of any person" God
doesn't want us to look back with regret. He wants us to be
satisfied and pleased with our accomplishments. Paul said, "I
have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have
kept the faith" (II Tim. 4:7).

He seemed to be satisfied and pleased with his accomplishments.

What can you do that will have long term benefits? This is the
fourth clue as to God's plan for your life!

V. FIFTH, ASK YOURSELF, "DOES THIS GLORIFY GOD?"

Does it make God visible in the world? Does it make God appear
reasonable? Does it make God seem desirable? Does it increase
righteousness? Does it encourage Spirituality?

People are interested in people. They don't learn much or
evaluate much from theologies or philosophies. Most men and
women will judge God, religion, Christianity and the church by
your character and your life.

An old poem says:

I am my neighbor's Bible,
He reads me when we meet;
Today he reads me in my home,
Tomorrow on the street.

He may be relative or friend,
My lawyer or M.D.;
He may not even know my name,
Yet he is reading me.

As a Christian, you are the only Bible a careless world will
read.

God doesn't want us to be negative or destructive. He wants us
to be His representatives here on earth. Paul said, "We are . .
. Christ's ambassadors . . ." (II Cor. 5:20).

Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see
your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).

Paul said, "Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from
the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men"
(Col.3:23, amp).

Peter said, "Whoever renders service, [let him do it] as with
the strength which God furnishes abundantly so that in all
things God may be glorified . . ." (I Peter 4:11, amp).

What can you do that will glorify God? This is the fifth clue
as to God's plan for your life!

CONCLUSION:

Yes, God has a plan for your life. He said, "I know the plans I
have for you, . . . plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future" (Jer. 29:11).

So, what is His plan for you? Real success in life is being
able to say to yourself in the end, "John Doe, you have done the
best you could with what you were given to work with."

Can we say that?

One pastor preached a sermon on "The Last Judgment." In it he
pictures God on His white throne in front of a huge curtain.
Before Him is a long line of all those to be judged. Then God
makes a sign with His hand, and from behind the curtain there
appears glorious beings of unspeakable beauty. One of these
beings stands before each of the accused. The men and women
have never seen such splendor, so they ask God, "Who are these
wonderful beings?"

God answers, "These beings are each of you as you could have
been if you had lived up to your potential-if you had followed
my plan and purpose for your life!"

Each of us has a real "self" and an ideal "self"-the person I
am, and the person God planned and intended for me to be. We
can live our everyday lives on the lowest level of what is
immediate and physical, or we can push toward the goal, the
ideal "person"-the being that God wants us to be. Which will
you do?

***
Word Count 1761

These messages are from an unpublished manuscript © copyrighted
by Miles and Maralene Wesner, Idabel, OK. Please use them in
any way you think appropriate. The only thing we ask is that
you give credit for original material in published works.

Sermons with the "I" prefix are from our "What's the Good Word"
Series; II from our "Pitfalls on the Path of Life"
III are sermons for special days and occasions.

Material in our sermons usually present the Gospel from a
psychological point of view.

My ministry has been blessed immeasurably by reading other
people's sermons. When I started preaching 56 years ago, I
waited for "inspiration" (usually Saturday night, about
midnight) before I began my sermon preparation. Then, I
discovered it wasn't inspiration at all-it was sheer PANIC. I
would have welcomed this service.

Comments are always welcome. (Please indicate if you do not want
your comments to appear in New Perspectives).

Miles E. Wesner