Text: Rom 12:7-8, Title: Hands and Feet, Date/Place: NRBC, 12.4.11, AM
Opening illustration: heard of the church that gave new members 9 weeks to find a “ministry” or they told them that they would probably fit better at another church where they could do nothing…Or the church that sent letters out to its 8000 members saying serve and give or find somewhere else to leach resources from
Background to passage: we have seen the guiding gifts (words of wisdom and knowledge and faith), the speaking gifts (prophecy, teaching, exhortation, and administration), and next week we will look at the miraculous gifts (tongues, healings, miracles), this week we are taking on the service gifts. These gifts include service, giving, mercy, and helps. These gifts are kinda like the skeleton of the body, that aren’t seen as much because they like serving behind the scenes (this was the main problem in Corinth), but they have a hand in about everything that goes on in ministry. Like all the spiritual gifts, they are an extremely important part of the body.
Main thought: we will look at the service gifts
Service (v. 7)
The gift of service is the word diakonia which is where we get our word “deacon.” It is simply translated “servant,” or “service” or “ministry.” Those with the gift of service enjoy doing routine tasks around the church regardless of how they affect others. Those with this gift enjoy little-noticed, behind the scenes tasks and do them cheerfully. Ministries that have service-gifted people are usually the things that have to get done for things to operate well. This gift has more to do with serving the church and ministry more than other people.
Titus 3:14, John 12:26,
Illustration: Ms. Jackie ensuring necessary kitchen supplies are there, Mike and Wendell every day at the building plugging along, Glenda, Crystal, Miranda, Lynne all came alongside Jennifer last year to ensure that the decorations for VBS got prepared adequately,
Media, music, yard cutting, cleaning, decorating for Christmas, committee work, and other similar ministries are outlets for people with this gift. While serving people with this gift need to guard themselves against: accepting too many jobs at one time. God put the right number of people in NR to do what He wants us to do; if there are truly not enough people to do certain ministries, then we are trying to do too much. And if some of you aren’t serving anywhere, that means that others are having to pick up your slack to do what God has called us to do, OR we are not doing all that we are called to do because there are not enough laborers. Also, guard against going around proper authority in order to get things done. Many times committees and approvals look like government red tape. Also, guard against being hurt by ungratefulness or control freaks. Often you don’t require public recognition, but genuine appreciation in the hearts of those they serve is deeply needed. Do you have this gift? Are you putting it to use?
Giving (v. 8)
These people have an acute awareness that all they have belongs to the Lord and they are merely stewards, therefore they know that God will supply their needs and richly bless them in their giving. And they see causes, ministries, people, and organizations who have financial (or other needs like land, furniture, food, etc.) and they meet those needs generously. It’s good to remember that these people are not simply those with wealth to spare. Another good thing to remember is that God uses us as instruments, but none of us are absolutely necessary, God has plenty of resources. Also, this is not to make those who cannot give exorbitant amounts feel bad. We should all be giving, but not all are blessed with the gift of giving.
Mark 12:43-44, 2 Cor 8:1-4, Phil 4:16-17, Acts 11:28-30
Illustration: story of Gary Tryon and the gift to him from a person who was in worse financial shape than he was, some in our congregation that relative to others have little, but give extensively, some donate a service that we would otherwise pay significantly for as a part of their giving ministry,
These people should guard against some things: 1) giving to the point of creating an unmanageable burden upon personal finances. We are called to be good stewards of God’s money, and we are instructed to take care of our families or we are worse than an unbeliever. Usually this is not a problem, but some with the gift of giving are so selfless that they could go down this path. 2) Pride, self-righteousness that arises from our old man. There are a couple of temptations here, you could sound the trumpet before your giving, or you could feel like you are very spiritual because of the amount you give overestimating your importance, or you could feel that giving exempts you from other kinds of service. 3) The potential to attempt to control situations with money. The world operates this way, and sometimes you see people who give much trying to manipulate people or organizations by withholding funds, or by influencing others, or making threats related to money. The Lord will not bless you for this. 4) Giving too quickly to causes or people and being taken advantage of. Sometimes we enable people to continue poor financial practices by relieving the financial burden that they got themselves into. Also, some give to cause with poor leadership, or less than proper motives, and thus waste God’s money.
Mercy (v. 8)
This is the supernatural gift to sense people’s needs, empathize with them, and help those in pain or difficulty. This is not simply a feeling, but it is the action behind the feeling. Compassion erupts and action follows. People exercising this gift become a healing balm and a listening ear for those in pain. Often they listen more than they talk (which is good). They are good at just being there for others. Personal contact is sometimes limited in our world of modern communication, and people with the gift of mercy often will go, when others send a message. This is most like the ministry of Jesus himself.
Matt 25:35-40, Mar 9:41, Luke 10:33-35, Acts 16:33,
Illustration: Erika’s work in the Alzheimer’s wing of Baptist Village, having compassion toward a couple who is not getting married to maintain the benefits of single parenthood, Mercy shown in love and with great expectation can be life transforming. It is the essence of the Fathers forgiveness through the person of Jesus.
This gift is useful in nursery ministry, personal care home ministry, hospital ministry (see why I am not good at any of these), homebound ministry, children’s homes, but the best place is in personal relationships. 1) People with this gift find it extremely difficult not to help those who seem less fortunate than themselves. They are the ones who are ready to write a check immediately for every starving children they see on TV. 2) Sometimes they base their decisions simply on emotion, bypassing thought and logic. They sometimes don’t consider the full impact of their “help.” 3) Sometimes they can refuse to be firm when it is required. 4) Sometimes it is hard for these people not to take things personally when others are hurt. 5) Another danger of those with this gift is to not consider the benefits and purposes of suffering in others lives. 6) And finally, they must be careful that they are not exercising mercy upon people who are violating God’s standards and moral laws.
Helps (1 Cor 12:28)
This gift is similar to service, so much so that many commentators have combined them together. This gift has to do more with serving other people rather than the church. People with this gift often enjoy doing routine tasks in order to free others to do the ministry God has called them to do. This was the original job of deacons. So don’t think that this gift is for less important people than are doing the ministry that the helper is freeing them to do. This was the Corinthian error. Each part is important regardless of how public something is.
Acts 6:2-4, Luke 8:2-3, Rom 16:1-2, 2 Tim 1:16-18,
Illustration: “Never create a second victim,” Mackenzie and Kaitlann serving with helping with Knox, Margaret and Carolyn doing Meals on Wheels,
Nursery, administrative tasks, planning trips, Night to Care stuff, and others. If this is your gift look for some way to take a task off of another so they can minister better. Some pitfalls to guard against are: 1) neglecting other responsibilities so that they can help others. 2) Sometimes they wear themselves out helping others. Don’t create a second victim. It counterproductive to helping if people have to stop and take care of you because you wore yourself too thin. The superman syndrome takes over sometimes. 3) Sometimes they give unrequested help. 4) Sometimes they have trouble delegating responsibilities, and actually exclude others from serving. If this is your gift, remember that lots of people need places to serve, and part of your service may include spreading the wealth. 5) Although not usually a concern, sometimes they can help someone right out of the discipline of God that is designed to bring someone to repentance.
Closing illustration:
Remember that everyone has a gift, and therefore, we should all have a ministry. The pitfalls of these gifts come with the assumption that you are using them. And just picture what it would be like if all our ministries had too many volunteers, if our giving was too much, if too many disciples were being made, we would have to start new ministries just to give them all something to do.
Invitation to commitment
Additional Notes
Let me illustrate how gifts work together in a church. At our potluck last Sunday, suppose someone dropped a plate full of Mrs. Vivian’s chicken and dumplings on the carpet in the social hall. This is how people with different gifts would respond.
Gift of prophecy - That’s what happens when you’re not careful.
Gift of service - Oh, let me help you clean it up.
Gift of teaching - The reason that it fell was because it was too heavy on one side.
Gift of exhortation - Next time, maybe you should let someone help you with it.
Gift of giving - Here, you can have my dumplings.
Gift of mercy – Don’t feel too bad. It could have happened to anyone
Gift of administration - Les, would you get the mop? Don, please help pick this up. Margaret, could you get him another plate.
We’ve all been gifted differently and so we act differently and we serve differently.
