Title: Understanding The Serving Gifts
Series: Discovering God’s Special Gifts
Text: 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; Romans 12:6-8
Theme: The serving gifts allow us to help and comfort others in the body.
I. LEADERSHIP/ADMINISTRATION/RULING – PROVIDING DIRECTION TO THE BODY.
Romans 12:8
“…he who leads, with diligence;”
Note: In Romans 12:8, the word leadership comes from the Greek word proistemi (pro-is’-tay-mee), which means to stand before others. In 1 Corinthians 12:28 it comes from the word kubernesis (koo-ber’-nay-sis – translated governments) which means to steer or pilot a ship. Both words refer to the gift of leadership.
A. A Leader Keeps The Church On Course Toward Its Proper Destination.
Quote: John Maxwell, noted expert in the field of leadership says, “He who thinketh he leadeth, and hath no one following, is only taking a walk.”
Illustration: A Sense of Direction
A woman driving through Oregon over the Cascade Range ran into a snowstorm and became very frightened. Then she peered ahead and saw a snowplow. What luck! She kept as close to the machine as she could while it removed snow from the road.
At times the heavy snowfall almost cut off her view, but her faithful guide kept on leading the way. After some time, the plow stopped, and its driver got out and walked over to her car.
"Lady, where are you going?" he asked.
"I’m on my way to Central Oregon," she replied.
"Well, you’ll never get there following me! I’m plowing this parking lot!"
Do you ever feel like you’re moving in circles, running around aimlessly? Who are you following? (http://www.sermonnotes.com, January 24, 2002.)
1. A leader must have vision given to him by the Holy Spirit.
2. A leader must have the ability to inspire and motivate people as God leads.
3. A leader must be a consistent example to those whom he leads.
B. Absence Of Leadership Results In Spiritual And Moral Decay. (Judges 21:25)
C. A Leader Must Be Diligent In His Task.
1. Leadership is not magnetic personality; that can just as well be a slick tongue.
2. It is not making friends and influencing people; that is flattery.
3. Leadership is:
a. lifting a person’s vision to higher sights,
b. the raising of a person’s performance to higher standards,
c. the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations. (http://www.christianglobe.com/illustrations/, Peter Drucker.)
II. HELPS/SERVICE – SUPPORTING QUIETLY IN THE BODY. (Romans 12:7)
Note: In Romans 12, the Greek word for serving is diakonia, from which we get our word deacon. In 1 Corinthians 12, the word is antilepsis (an-til’-ape-sis), which means to give relief. These refer to the same spiritual gift of service.
A. The Gift Of Helps Is The Ability To Bear The Burdens Of Others. (Galatians 6:2)
B. The Gift Of Helps Is Vitally Important To Those In The Ministry. (Philippians 2:25, 30)
C. The Gift Of Helps Is Not Glamorous Or Showy.
1. It is a gift of serving on a day-by-day basis, often without notice or recognition.
2. It is God’s gift, and its faithful ministry is highly prized by Him and by any leader who knows the value of supporting people behind the scenes.
Illustration: A Single Dollar Bill
Friday, October 5th, 2001, was not shaping up to be a good day. My wife and I were already running late leaving for a trip to Pennsylvania, and she still had to stop at work for an errand. To compound our lateness, security at her office had drastically increased since September 11th, 2001. The guards wanted to search our vehicle and unpack our luggage. That would take quite some time and I objected wholeheartedly. We avoided the search by letting her walk through the gate while I sat in the car outside the facility.
I was fuming, sweating, and constantly looking at my watch because we had a three-hour drive ahead of us. When my wife returned, I was not in the best of moods, and neither was she. We spent most of the following 20 minutes cursing security and similar activities. Not a great start to what was supposed to be a romantic weekend getaway.
Our route to Pennsylvania took us through the tunnels outside Baltimore, a route I’d taken many times. I usually stay in the left lane of the northbound tubes to avoid traffic at the tollbooth, and this time was no exception.
However, on exiting the tunnel, all the booth lanes on our side were either closed or only for "Easy-Pass", an electronic automated toll system. Traffic for the other lanes was backed up almost to the tunnel exits. I managed to squeeze into the next lane to the right, and watched other less fortunate souls traveling much further up before being able to merge.
As we inched forward, I noticed one driver to my left. She had realized her situation too late to join the back of the line, and had to sit as car after car passed her. Finally I came by and motioned her in, not really thinking twice about it. By the time we approached the booth, I’d already forgotten about letting the other driver into the lane.
I rolled down my window and mechanically handed my dollar to the attendant -- who refused it. She held up two dollars, and with a bit of amusement and possibly confusion, pointed to the now-retreating car which I had allowed into our lane. The attendant said, "She says ’Thank you for letting us in’." I sat there a moment, astonished, stammering, my routine broken. What a simple thing to do, and what an elegant way to thank someone.
It was such a small act, but at that moment it was exactly what was needed to lift our spirits. Instantly, my sour mood was over and I was happy for the first time that morning.
We tried to catch up to the other car to thank them, but heavy traffic made it impossible. My wife and I spent the rest of our drive in a much better frame of mind -- all because of a single dollar bill. (Glen Burnie, Maryland, http://www.heroicstories.com.)
III. GIVING – PROVIDING SACRIFICIALLY FOR THE BODY. (Romans 12:8)
A. A Giver Has The Spirit-Given Ability To Share Their Own Resources.
Note: All Christians should give something. But the giver goes above and beyond the call of duty. (Ephesians 4:28; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
Illustration: I Have A Dollar
The Junior Sunday School Teacher asked her eight eager 10-year-olds if they would give $1,000,000 to the missionaries. "YES!" they all screamed!! "Would you give $1,000?" Again they shouted "YES!" "How about $100?" "Oh, YES we would!" they all agreed!! "Would you give just a dollar to the missionaries?" she asked. The boys exclaimed "YES!" just as before except for Johnnie. "Johnnie," the teacher said as she noticed the boy clutching his pocket, "why didn’t you say ’YES’ this time?" "Well," he stammered, "I HAVE a dollar."
B. Giving With Liberality Is The Idea Of Giving Without Receiving.
IV. MERCY – SHOWING SYMPATHY FOR THOSE IN THE BODY. (Romans 12:8)
A. Those Who Show Mercy Have A Special Sensitivity To Suffering And Sorrow.
1. They notice misery and distress that others miss.
2. They have a desire and a means to help ease theses afflictions.
B. Mercy Is Sympathetic Feelings Put Into Action.
1. To show mercy is to find a practical way to express their feelings of concern.
2. Mercy is shown in what one says to and what one does for the one in need.
C. To Show Mercy Is To Minister Cheerfully, Not Out Of A Sense Of Duty.
1. The attitude of a fellow believer can make the difference between his being a help or a hindrance (consider Job).
2. A genuine helper is never arrogant or demeaning.
V. FAITH – STANDING FOR THOSE IN THE BODY. (1 Corinthians 12:9)
A. Faith Is The Ability To Trust God In The Face Of Overwhelming Obstacles And Human Impossibilities.
1. Faith, expressed through prayer, is trusting God to do that which is beyond His normal provision. (Matthew 17:20)
2. This kind of faith is empty without love. (1 Corinthians 13:2-3)
B. Faith Is The Ability To Lay Claim On The Promises Of God.
Note: Faith activates God. (James 5:16-18)
C. On The Basis Of One Person’s Strong Faith Others Are Always Helped And Served.
1. Hudson Taylor believed God would win many Chinese converts and began what became the great and fruitful China Inland Mission, without any money or support, and without asking for a penny of help.
2. George Mueller, solely through trusting God in prayer, continually say Him provide for his orphanage in miraculous ways.
3. Countless missionaries have claimed tribes or nations for the Lord.
4. Evangelists have claimed cities for the Lord, and seen Him respond to their faith.
5. Their prayers are answered and their faith itself is strengthened and multiplied.
VI. DISCERNMENT – PROTECTING THOSE IN THE BODY. (1 Corinthians 12:10)
A. Those With The Gift Of Discernment Have The Ability To Recognize Lying Spirits. (1 John 4:1)
Note: False teaching can be judged by comparing it with Scripture, but false spirits can be judged only by the true Spirit’s gift of discernment. God uses discernment to reveal to His church whether or not a demonstration of the other gifts is of Him.
1. They have the ability to recognize what is genuine and what is counterfeit.
2. They test the spirits to see if they are from God.
3. Every believer should test every message that claims to be from God.
4. No preacher or teacher of the gospel should resent having what he says judged against Scripture.
5. This is God’s protection from heresy in the church.
B. Those With The Gift Of Discernment Are The Holy Spirit’s Counterfeit Experts. (John 8:44)
1. Satan has the ability to make things sound scriptural when in fact they are clever counterfeits that would deceive most believers.
2. Many preachers, evangelists, counselors, writers, etc. claim to be speaking God’s message but are only spreading the lies of Satan in order to make money. (2 Peter 2:1-3)
3. Counterfeit teachers usually have enough truth in their message to make the lie believable.
Note: All imitation of the gifts is not demonic. Much of it is simply the work of the flesh, carnal Christians trying to serve the Lord in their own power and for their own benefit and glory.
C. The Gift Of Discernment Is Valuable To The Church In Helping Believers Settle Their Disputes. (1 Corinthians 6:1-2)
Note: The gift of discernment can easily deteriorate into a critical, proud, and self-righteous spirit. It can be judgmental instead of corrective when it is imitated in the flesh.
