Gifted Ministers Series

When a local church broke ground for a new 500-seat sanctuary, an inventive church member made sure everyone could participate in the experience. The man attached a 145-foot handle to a stainless steel spade so that all 300 members could squeeze together to turn the first shovel full of dirt.

A few days later, when a construction worker spotted the odd shovel and asked what it was for, the minister replied, “We bury 'em deep here.” (Rhonda Reese, Jacksonville, Florida, Christian Reader, “Lite Fare”)

I like that pastor’s sense of humor, and I like the symbolism of that ground-breaking ceremony.

We did a similar thing in Ellsworth, Kansas, when we got ready to build our new church facility there. We tied a rope to an old hand plow. Then the entire congregation grabbed a hold of that rope, and together we pulled that little plow to break the ground. We ended up breaking the rope, but not before we had a nice little furrow in the ground. We were trying to communicate the fact that it takes everybody working together to build a strong church.

You say, “Phil, that’s a nice sentiment, but it doesn’t seem very practical. How can we get EVERYBODY working together? How can we get EVERY member to do his or her work, so we can have a strong church right here on Washington Island?”

Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Ephesians 4, Ephesians 4, where the Bible shows us how.

Ephesians 4:7-10 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.” (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) –NIV

After Christ died, was buried and rose again, he ascended to the place of all authority. Our King, victorious over death and hell, is now above all other rulers in this world and in the heavenly realms as well. He is King of kings and Lord or lords, and from that position he has determined to bless all His subjects with special gifts.

In ancient Rome, when a victorious military general returned home victorious from battle, he would lead a big victory parade down Main Street. It was quite a spectacle, with the General and his army carrying the spoils of war and the prisoners of war following behind. In other words, “He led captives in his train,” and gave away the spoils of war as gifts.

Well, that’s exactly what Jesus did for us after he died and rose again. He returned home victorious, and now He is passing out the spoils of war to all his followers. He is distributing gifts to all those who believe in Him. Only, they are NOT gifts of gold and silver. They are SPIRITUAL gifts. They are SUPERNATURAL abilities to serve Him and His people.

Do you know what that means? Everyone of us has been offered a spiritual gift. All of us who know Jesus have been offered the ability to do some supernatural thing to His honor and glory! No one is excluded, no matter how handicapped we think we are. All we have to do is…

ACCEPT THOSE GIFTS.

All we have to do is receive god’s gifts and welcome their use into our lives.

Thousands are coming to hear him preach. His ministry has gone global, and he written a book. I’m not talking about Billy Graham or even his son, Franklin Graham. I’m talking about a young man without any arms or legs!

Nick Vujicic, a 25-year-old Australian, was born without limbs. Vujicic's parents, devout Christians who planted a church in Australia 11 months before Nick was born, found it hard to understand how God could use their son's loss for good. But he has.

Reading in Sunday school about being made in the image of God seemed like a cruel joke to Nick. He seesawed between despair and begging God to grow arms and legs for him. He contemplated suicide the year he turned 8. When he was 15, though, one story in the Bible answered one of his toughest questions.

Vujicic said, “When I read the story of the blind man … Jesus said he was born so that the work of God could be revealed through him. That gave me peace,” Vujicic said. Then he prayed, “Lord, here I am. Use me. Mold me. Make me the man you want me to be.”

Vujicic learned to write using the two toes on a partial foot that protrudes from his body. He also learned how to throw tennis balls, answer the phone, walk, and swim. He invented new ways to shave and brush his own teeth. He even earned double degrees in accounting and financial planning by age 21.