In this lesson we want to see the danger and loss of not using our gift. The previous lesson tells us that we all have a gift. Now this lesson warns us that if we do not use our gift, this is dangerous, and this will be a loss. All these points are covered in detail in Life-study of Matthew (see messages sixty-three through sixty-six, pp. 733-774).

The greatest problem today with the Christians is that most of them do not use their gift. I would say that over ninety percent of the genuine Christians today neglect their gift. Of course, this is absolutely due to Catholicism and Protestantism. Because of these two big organizations with their hierarchy and clergy-laity system, most of the believers' gifts and functions have been annulled. They do not use their gifts, and they do not realize that this is a serious mistake which will cause a great loss to them. I feel we need such a lesson to warn all the saints among us and to stir up their heart to use their gifts.

We must stress the burden of the previous lesson to the saints once again. We need to see that all the members of the Body of Christ are gifted (Rom. 12:6a). In the Lord's parables in Matthew 24 and 25, the Lord indicates that every one of His believers has a gift. He did not give the ground for any of His believers to be excused from functioning. All believers are gifted persons.

Matthew 25 tells us that some have five talents, some have two talents, and others have one talent. At the very least, we are the one-talented ones. A saint cannot say that he has not received a talent. We have to strongly stress this one thing. We have to convince every saint among us that they cannot say that they do not have any gift and cannot do anything. This is a lie. According to the biblical truth, every believer has a gift. You may have the smallest gift, but you still have a gift. Everyone is talented; everyone is gifted.

Of course, Ephesians 4:11 speaks of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers. The gifted persons mentioned here are those who have been endued with a special gift. But verse 7 says, "To each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ." Each one includes every member of the Body of Christ, each of whom has received a general gift. This shows that everyone is a gifted person and is responsible to use his gift. The Brethren did not like to use the title elders, so they used the term responsible brethren. This is a wrong term because every believer is responsible. Who is not a responsible brother or sister? We have to be careful not to use the term responsible brothers, because all of us are gifted and are responsible before the Lord to use our gifts for the building up of the Body of Christ.