Video Transcript: Biblical Foundations on Your Divine Design

Well, we want to welcome you back to this course on personal and ministry assessment for  Christian Christian leaders. And this lecture, we want to kind of turn gears a little bit and  begin focusing more on you. And in particular, we want to focus on how God has uniquely  designed and equipped you. Now, if you recall, in the the first three lessons that we have  covered in this, this course, we focus our attention mostly on our communication, the  importance of effective communication. And as you recall, I indicated that, as Christian  leaders, Christian ministers, and in whatever capacity you find yourself carrying that, that out  effective communication is, is essential, we examined a number of biblical passages that, that that gave us a sense of what scripture has to say about the importance of communication,  what is the heartbeat of God as relates to the importance of using words and a, we could say,  with the stewardship of words, that words are powerful that words have the capacity to, to  heal the words have power to, to bring hurt and, and harm to other people. And so as  Christian ministers, as leaders, who have been called to follow Christ, it is important for us to  understand and not only to understand, but also to choose words in a, in a in a way that is  God honoring. So we would lay the foundation and talking about the importance of words,  then we transition in our second lecture to, to talk about different approaches to  communication. And we examined debate, the dialogue was the framework for that particular  lecture. And then in our third lecture, which we just finished, we talked about a, a concept or a barrier that we all need to be aware of, that we all end up doing. And it was called a ladder of  inference. And if you recall, the ladder of inference is a mental process that occurs in all of our heads. And that if we're not aware, we end up jumping to conclusions about people, places, or things without necessarily having all the facts in order. And the warning here is, is that if we're not cognizant, or aware that we're going up this ladder, we will end up drawing conclusions  about people that are not necessarily true. And that could bring much harm to people. So so  so so again, the focus of those first three lectures were again on this on communication and  the importance of communication. Now we want to switch gears and kind of turn the mirror  on you want to give you an opportunity to look in the mirror a little bit. And then our focus is  that we're going to focus on on our divine design, your divine design, how has God uniquely  wired you how has God uniquely shaped and fashion you into the unique individual that you  are and can explore your what scripture has to say about your gifts, talents, and abilities? And how all that is at play, and come together? In you being the the person that God has equipped and called you to be? And, and what all how all that connects? To you been a Christian leader? So what to begin in this lecture as I did with the one or communication this kind of examine a  couple of passages of Scripture, and laying the foundation on what scripture has to say about  our divine design? So what is your divine design? And I'd like to address this question around  what I would call two presuppositional statements. The first being is that each person, each  person, every person, doesn't matter who ever person that is born is a unique creation of  God. In many ways this what separates the Christian faith from from from a lot of the different religions is out there. And of course, Christianity shares this belief in common, at least with  Judaism, and in some respect with Islam, who all it's all here to great monotheistic religions all adhere to the belief that, that each person is is is a creation of God. Of course Christianity  affirms this and, and the implication of this is absolutely mind boggling when you think about  that, that each person is uniquely created by a divine being. Second presupposition that we  want to lay with this particular lecture around, what is your divine design is that each person  has a responsibility in discovering your own individual divine design. Now we start from the  premise that God has ordained, and, and, and shaped and molded and, and fashion us but but he also has, we have a part to play in all of this as well, that there's a discovery part that that  we have in understanding who we are as individuals created, and shaped, and formed by the  great architect himself being God. So So in one respect, this has to do with God's sovereignty.  And you've heard that term God's sovereignty is at play, that each person is uniquely created  by God that God's doing. But then there's man's responsibility, that is my responsibility under  this sovereignty of God, to discern to discover my divine design, my uniqueness, my, my  unique talents and abilities, and the unique contribution that that I have to play in the broader kingdom of God and, and in humanity is general, that that's something that that has been a  fun quest of mine over the years and figuring out how God has wired me and understanding 

my gifts and abilities. Me standing in front of this camera, talking to you, is a byproduct of me, discerning and figuring out what my gifts and talents and abilities are. I wasn't always aware  of this. So this has been a discovery process for me. And it's been an absolute fascinating and fantastic journey for me coming to understand what it is that I have been gifted with and  equipped with. And so this has been a fun process. And I'm sure it's gonna be one for you, as  well. So, is another question that we want to think about what has your life experience taught  you about your unique place in God's kingdom, as you reflect on your own life experiences  and, and the things that you've been able to do and, and how you contributed to the kingdom of God, whatever life experience has taught you, I know you have some experiences from  which to draw upon. I know there are things in your past that have been kind of those  indicators or, or those pointers that say, Hey, this is what you're good at. This is how God has  wired you. We're going to really spend some time unpacking, what that means and how you  can really get at understanding this in a deeper way. As you reflect back on your own personal experience, with who God has created you. And then secondly, what insights from scriptures  have you learned? Have you learned? Have you reflected on this from scriptures? Do you  have a sense of what the Bible has to say about how God has uniquely created you? Now, I'm  going to spend some time examining a couple of texts here, but I just really want to get you  to thinking about what you have already gleaned, you may have insights that I don't have.  And I really wish there was a way that you could communicate with me right now. But, but in  this form, would just suffice to say to that trust that you have insights from the Bible that you  have gleaned, and learn about how God has uniquely created you. Now, we're gonna consider two passages here. Psalms 139 and 14. And then we're gonna take a look at Ephesians  chapter two, verse 10. And, and then we're going to really press this question here is what do  these passages suggest about your own unique creation and your place in God's kingdom?  That's where we're going. That's where we're headed. That's where this is all about. What  does the Bible have to say about this? How does the Bible speak to this particular issue? Now, I don't know about you, I'm eager to really get into this man. In case you have discovered At  this point, man, I'm very passionate about teaching God's word. I love teaching God's word, I  get really get jazzed up and juiced up whenever I get a chance to free to expound or give a  message on encouragement, but man, I love talking about God's word, I believe that's how he is uniquely gifted, designed and equipped me to be able to take the biblical text and explain it to others. And so so you'll excuse me if I get a little excited and get a little more animated as I talk about God's word because for me, Nothing excites me more than when I'm able to do the  guidance in the superintending hand of the Holy Spirit, attempt to unpack God's were for the  people of God and so, so jazzed up and juiced up about business. So, as we take a look at this particular passage, fair, familiar passage, Psalms 139:14 says, I will praise you, because I'm  fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. Now, in case  you didn't know that text comes from the pin of David, King David, the same King David, who  slew the giant, Goliath, the same King David, who also committed sin with Bathsheba, the  same David, who had her husband Uriah, killed on the field of battle to cover up his sins, that  the same David who, who became indignant when God said, Samuel, the Prophet, Samuel  told him this parable about this unjust situation. And David, in response, revealed himself  when he said, the man who, who took that little lamb and, and totally disregarded the, the  economic state of the individual to whom they took it, when he had it within his own capacity  to provide for those in need. David became indignant. They you know the story really well.  The Prophet stuck his finger in Davis chest, and he said, You are the man. You are the man is  that same David, the Bible says, Who is a man after God's own heart? Is this thing, David?  Who can this awesome text. And in this text, David, is addressing God, he's addressing  Yahweh. And David says, I praise you the Hebrew behind this text. So he says, the idea is  thankfulness. And so David is isn't in a state of praise. It's an exhortation and the word for  praise here, it means to be thankful. And it means to do it with outstretched arms. And so  David, is looking heavenward looking toward God as a God, ah, sake, you. What was he  thinking in for? You know, there's a lot of things you can thank God for, because he's just a  good, God is is a good God. So there are a lot of things that he could be thinking God will put  in this text, he says, thank you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. And, and really 

the power of this text is when we look at these two words, to be fearfully and wonderfully  made. The word fearfully carries the idea of respect. It carries the idea of the sacred. It carries the idea of reverence. And in my mind, as I reflect on that text, I can't help but to think back  to when God created Adam. And the Hebrew text says, that when God created Adam, he took  care claim dirt and they're reverently very What is this? The sacred reach down and grab dirt  and, and begin to mold and and to shape the dirt into a human form into a body in creating  an in got did was such weapons in such awe and just sacredness? And then the Hebrew text  We did the atom, that the Hebrew word is rock and we did abs and the Bible says Adam  became a living being a living soul. So as David, I can't help but think that David is harkening  back to creation, that he himself like Adam, was, that God when in creating him, did it was  such was such sacredness in mind to go, reverentially created me. But not only did he  reverently reverentially treat create me with sacredness in mind create me. He says I'm also  wonderfully made and the idea behind them wonderfully made me unique not only did God  create me and other human beings He also marked me out he made me different he made  me unique share so much in common with every other human being on the planet. Yet I'm  distinct yet I'm separate yet I am other yet different. So some same, yet different. So David is  saying, Praise you. Thank you. Because like Adam, you created me. You created me you  followed me, you fashion to me. But then you also made me uniquely. And then he says Your  words are wonderful. Your words are wonderful. I grew up in the South. And people in the  South have all these different colloquialisms and idioms like doing anywhere else and, and  growing up. I used to hear people say all the time, God didn't make no junk. Now is not the  best English in the world. But I think partially conveys the point God didn't make no junk.  That's on one night. I'm sorry, 139:14. That's it encapsulated. God didn't make no junk. God  made you. God made me. God did not make junk. You and I have been fearfully and  wonderfully made. And like David you, as well can extend our hands and your sayings and  praise to Him, acknowledging him as the creator and acknowledging the fact that he uniquely  created us with individual gifts, individual talents, individual abilities that make us different for everybody else. The idea behind this is just like with every person's fingerprint, every person  has fingerprints that we share in common, but the design of our fingerprints are all different.  We're saying yet we're different. I love this passage. Love that passage. A second text we  want to look at comes out of the New Testament in this text, Paul are like David doesn't  necessarily have creation in the sense of our humanity. In view interview in David's case is  more if I can say more human or more physical, that God created my physicality God created  my being God created me as and yes, He created me uniquely as as a human being just like  he did everybody else. But in this text in Ephesians, chapter two, verse 10. This as more of a  sense of spirituality as a sense of spirit domain in view, because Paul says is what? What we  owe, who's the week Paul is talking to? Here we're back in Ephesians. If you haven't noticed  that that grand text Paul says he's talking about believers. The book, the letter to the  Ephesians is addressed to believers in Christ. So So politics are we we Christians are God's  workmanship. God tend to work. My mind is jumping back to the King James I grew up  studying the King James. So we are His workmanship. I really liked the word workmanship  better than had to work. But suffice it to say that the two words conveyed the same thing. We are God's workmanship, we are God's handiwork created in Christ Jesus. What, whether that  happened that that that happened was when you and I gave our lives to Jesus Christ. When  we surrendered our wheels, repented of our sins, and gave ourselves over to the Lordship of  Jesus Christ. We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for the objective and of doing good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. So not only is God was God at work,  in our physical birth, in fact, use that phrase, The God is also involved in our spiritual rebirth.  So God is at work in our humanity. God is at work in our spiritual life and walk in and out work. And, and not only does God equip us, in our humanity, to give us our who we are as human  beings and all the things that make us human, Marcos out separate us from the animal  kingdom and, and the plant kingdom. We are distinct and separate and other from from all of  God's creation that makes us unique in that respect, but we also unique in our individual  differences that we have because we all have different gifts and abilities. And then when we  become Christians, we are created to accomplish good works. Well how do we do that? Well, I 

don't have the the text on the screen for you. But But when you have time good read I  Corinthians chapter 12. I Corinthians chapter 12, talking about spiritual gifts, we Romans  chapter 12, that talks about spiritual gifts. We I Peter chapter four that also talks about  spiritual gifts to give you a sense that God not only equips you equips you to navigate life  here on earth as a human being so you can contribute to the advancement and the well being of humanity in general. But then once you become a Christian, God also equipped you with  spiritual things and gifts and abilities to be a productive citizen in the kingdom. So yes, you  and I are created by God, uniquely shaped, formed in fashion, not only before we come to  Christ, but then once we come to Christ, God also further equips us to be contributors to the  kingdom of God. So what have we learned in this quick lesson about our divine design? A  couple of things. Number one, you and I are uniquely created by God. And we are endowed  with gifts, talents, and abilities. And these again, we are endowed by God. Don't forget that,  that God is the grand giver. God is a benevolent father, God has bestowed upon each of us  talents, gifts and abilities, to be used for the advancement of his kingdom, for the  advancement of his causes for his purposes. So we are uniquely created by God and endowed with these various gifts. Here's a Here's a big one here. God expects us to use the gifts,  talents and abilities to accomplish His will. The gifts talents and abilities are not about us. The gifts talents and abilities are not about us advancing our agenda, the gifts, talents, and  abilities are advancing, are about advancing the cause of Christ. And about is about  advancing the will of God is praying as Jesus said, Not my will. But your will be done. That's  what the gift talents and abilities are for therefore advancing the cause of Christ. I trust that  this little short introduction on your divine design has proven helpful, but I would encourage  you to do your further digging again, read the assignments that are connected with this  particular lecture, the additional readings, and go back and meditate on these verses that are, that are part of this, this lecture. And then do do a search yourself, dig into the scriptures,  and, and and find out other insights that you can, can can avail yourself of as you do your  own study of the biblical texts. This is just to kind of get you started to kind of whet your  whistle. And to give you a sense that man, God has ordained you to be a contributor in the  divine in his kingdom, and understand this, and before operate, is that God wants to put it to  you like this. There are no sideline Christians in God's economy. What do you mean that  they're no big warmers that no one sits on the bench. Everyone is in the game. Everyone has  something to contribute, every some everyone has something to give, everyone has a part to  play. And God's precious, there are no sideline Christians who are waiting for the whistle to  blow for the coach to say yo turn, go in. No. And you can't say that God hasn't given you  anything to say that is to go against scripture. So So I just want one. In addition to the what  I've already said, I was just kind of had to add that little little nugget at the end before you  know how preachers do that's what we do. Sometimes we just add at the end when we've  already closed and of course, in African American context, where I come from we close to  three four times before we bring it all to a close but so but but anyway, let me close this out.  And complete this lecture, as we always do by by praying for you, and trusting that you are  indeed gleaning some insights out of these lectures that will be beneficial to you in your own  personal growth and development as a Christian leader, Father, again, we thank you and we  praise You for this time together. I thank you for my brothers and sisters in Christ and I pray  that you will give them a deeper understanding and an awareness of how you have uniquely  created and formed and shaped them and help them to gain greater insights into the gifts,  talents and abilities that you have bestowed upon them. give You praise, honor and glory in  Jesus name. God bless you my friends. I look to see look forward to seeing you in the next  lecture.