Spiritual Gifts Series
Part 5 – Teaching, Leadership and Exhortation
Rev. Bruce A. Shields
First Baptist Church of Tawas City Michigan
www.TawasBaptist.org
WELCOME
We’re continuing our series on the Spiritual Gifts this week. We’ve already looked at some of the Spiritual Gifts listed in Romans, including prophecy, service, giving and mercy.
This week I would like to talk about a few more gifts that are kind of related, teacher, leadership and exhortation.
PRAYER
TEACHER (pastor)
The Spiritual Gift of teacher is the capacity to educate by clearly explaining and applying God’s word.
While the evangelist goes where the lost are, the pastor/teacher stays in one locale and shepherds those already in God’s fold.
Along with shepherding, pastor/teachers comfort, encourage, and guard others while at the same time instructing, reproving, and equipping them.
Here is some scripture with their job description.
1 Timothy 3:1-7
“Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer (pastor/elder), he desires a noble task. 2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife (not a polygamist or committing adultery), temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
So, here we read that to be a teacher/pastor or elder (both are interchangeable in the scriptures), there are certain requirements before you can effectively use your gift.
Although we are all human and we do all fall short of God’s glory, God requires a higher standard from those teaching His word.
Although God gives us the spiritual gift to be a teacher/pastor, we have the responsibility of living righteously in order to properly use that gift.
EXAMPLE,
I may have the spiritual gift to be a teacher/pastor, but if I commit adultery, then I just disqualified myself as teacher of God’s word because of what it says in 1Timothy 3.
Or, if I am a drunkard, or get into fist fights, etc...
I would disqualify myself from being able to use a gift that God has given me.
2 Timothy 4:1-5
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
We are told here in Timothy that preachers of the word are to correct, rebuke and encourage, with great patience and careful instruction.
Because the time ill come, and I believe is already here, when men will gather where the words being taught will suit their own desires.
There are many churches, denominations and cults out there today that teach doctrine other than Christ’s.
People are like water. They travel the path of least resistance.
If someone is living in sin, and they know they are living in sin, and they want to continue to live in sin, they try to justify that sin.
They will go to a place that teaches that sin is not a sin.
This suits their desires.
It is our charge that if we have the spiritual gift to teach, that we teach God’s word for what it is.
God’s word is offensive, to those who are sinning.
God’s word is unkind, to those who refuse to repent.
God’s word is a double edge sword, if used properly it can separate our spiritual being from our carnal nature.
It’s our spirit that God is interested in, not our flesh which is corrupt.
A teacher of God’s word can preach to people in a way that they can grasp what the word of God is saying so that they may apply it to their lives and grow from it.
So many people miss out in life because they get saved, then never grow.
They never tap into the power of God’s Holy Spirit which He sent to be with us and empower us to live righteous and blessed lives here on earth.
We are not here on earth to accept Christ and wait to die so we can be with Him.
God created us to be with Him eternally, but because of sin, this flesh cannot enter into the kingdom.
But Christ’s sacrifice has given us an IOU for a resurrected body which is perfect and not corrupt.
Therefore anyone who accepts Christ will receive this resurrected body and be able to enter the kingdom.
But there are those who do not know Christ died for them.
God’s gives us these Spiritual Gifts so that we are equipped to reach the unsaved so that they may have their part of the inheritance, and empower us to stand against the devil who will fight us the whole way.
1 Peter 5:1-4
“To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”
Not being Lord’s over, but being examples.
Teacher/pastor, elder, they are to be examples to the flock.
This is why God holds them to a higher accountability.
Not just teaching God’s word, but living it.
Along with these requirements are four checkpoints anyone with the gift of teacher/pastor must pass.
First, a pastor/teacher needs to be faithful, staying committed to the flock in good times and bad.
Second, pastor/teachers need to be practical, not afraid to address the problems of daily life.
Third, they need to be discerning, able to spot danger before it’s obvious, distinguish the phony from the real, and sense struggles of the flock.
Finally, they need to be able to take criticism, because people have a tendency to throw darts at their leaders, and pastor/teachers must have thick skins to protect themselves emotionally.
Hebrews 5:12-14
“In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
This warning in Hebrews tells us to be careful not to stray from the basic teachings of Christ. We need to be mindful of the basics and build from that.
If we stray from the word of God, teaching our own thoughts and theories, we can get into trouble.
Everything we need is in God’s word.
I use resources such as the Greek and Hebrew literal translations, Halley’s bible book, Moody handbook of theology, Baker theological dictionary, Matthew Henry commentary, etc… to give me perspective to certain scriptures and to ensure my full understanding of the time, place and reason for the scripture.
So other book’s may help in understanding, but no other book could ever take the place of the scriptures.
LEADERSHIP
This spiritual gift is the capacity to install vision, motivate and direct people to accomplish ministry.
This spiritual gift goes in hand with the teacher/pastor spiritual gift.
Helping discover a vision, then to motivate those you are teaching into a direction that will accomplish that vision, which is the ministry of God.
Hebrews 13:7
“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”
Leaders are like teachers, not just teaching God’s word, but living it as an example to others.
You know what is ore powerful than our words, our actions.
God tells us in the scriptures to be DOERS of the word, not just hearers.
If my friend fell into the river, I can talk all day about how I can swim, how I can dive into the water, how I can pull him to safety, etc…
But if I don’t DO IT, nothing is being done!
I’ve talked all week about how I’m going to mow my lawn. When I got up today, it still isn’t mowed.
I know so many people who don’t understand that doing is an essential part of our faith and God’s response to our faith is what we want.
When I pray, I want God’s response to that prayer.
His response is based on my faith.
My faith comes from being a DOER.
Because when we DO, we are showing our faith.
When Moses stepped into the Red Sea, he was showing the faith he had inside to God’s word.
When he showed his faith, then God responded.
When we pray, we are told to ask as if you have already received believing in your heart.
When we believe we have received an answer to a prayer, we are showing our faith, and God can respond.
Faith is a crucial part of our lives.
When we see a leader living and doing God’s word, we can see by example how God works in their lives.
By imitating our leader’s faith, we will accomplish the outcome of God’s response to that faith in our lives.
This is why God holds leaders/teachers to such a high accountability, because others are watching, and God wants them to see a good example.
Read 1 Timothy 3 if you want to know more about leaders.
Hebrews 13:17
“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
Obey the leaders of your church, because they were placed by God to watch over you and they MUST give an account.
Leaders are held accountable by God.
Don’t give them a hard time, work with them so that they can have some joy in the difficult position God has placed them in.
EXHORTATION
Exhortation is the capacity to stimulate faith and promote Christian maturity in others.
This spiritual gift can also work hand in hand with teaching and leadership, to be able to stimulate faith and help Christians to grow.
We know that faith can be stimulated through God’s word and watching leaders as examples, and maturity comes from applying God’s word to your life which was given by teachers.
Acts 11:21-24
“The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. “
Encouraging words, especially from someone who is a leader, can be very powerful.
We all thrive on encouragement.
I think sometimes people are afraid to encourage others because it may be difficult to say, or they don’t receive encouragement well because they are afraid of becoming prideful.
But we see in God’s word that encouragement is good, and we should encourage others especially when we see God doing a good work in their lives.
Acts 14:21, 22
“They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.”
We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.
The scriptures never promise that it’s an easy road.
If it was easy, everyone would be saved and living righteously.
It’s not easy but it IS possible!
We can encourage others to remain true and faithful even in hard times and God WILL respond to that act of faith.
We exercise and show our faith to God when we remain true even in hard times, and God can’t help but want to respond to our faith.
Your faith has made you whole.
Your faith has healed you.
Your faith has set you free.
Hold on to your faith, even in hard times and God will reward you.
Not all of our blessings are waiting in heaven for us.
There are MANY benefits and blessings waiting for you right here on earth if you will be DOERS of God’s word and live righteously.
He wants to bless you NOW.
He wants you to live VICTORIOUSLY NOW!
He wants you to be a blessing to others.
These spiritual gifts are our tools to reach the unsaved, and fight against the wiles and attacks of the devil while doing so.
CLOSING
