We’re finishing up our 4 weeks on discovering your spiritual gifts. As we’ve learned in 1 Cor 12, every person who submits their life to Christ is a member of the Body of Christ – and we all have an important part to play. So important, in fact, that God gifts EACH ONE with gifts from the Holy Spirit to empower them for their work for the Kingdom. We spent the last week introducing 15 of the spiritual gifts mentioned in scripture, and will close with 4 more today from Romans 12:3-8.
Romans 12:3-8
3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
As you see from this passage once again, the point of being a part of the body and receiving spiritual gifts for ministry is to get involved and ACT as a part of the body! Let’s take a look at the four gifts mentioned here that we haven’t already covered in the last 2 weeks.
16. Encouraging (Exhortation)
From gk. “parakaleo”, lit. “to call alongside”
The ability to speak words of comfort, encouragement, and counsel to other members of the Body in such a way that they feel helped and strengthened.
Those with the gift of encouraging find special joy in helping others with their spoken or written words. My Dad has this spiritual gift and has used it for many years in my life and in the lives of so many people. Because of this he has developed the art of writing notes when he thinks of people and letting them know the positive things he sees happening in their lives.
All of us are called to keep meeting together and to encourage each other – but some people are just specially gifted to bring encouragement to others.
One important note is that the other side of encouragement is that word “exhort” which generally has a harder edge to it. We see this at work in the life of John the Baptist in Luke 3
Luke 3:16-18 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.
As we see here, sometimes the gift of encouragement is applied by challenging people to stand up for Christ and give Him first place without compromising.
But whether it is a strong challenge that needs to be spoken, or a gentle encouragement to keep going when feeling down – we need the gift of encouragement to be at work all over our church. Every small group needs at least one person who exercises this gift to help the group members throughout the week (when the group is not together).
17. Giving
The ability to contribute material resources to meet the needs of others with extra liberality and cheerfulness.
The gift of giving is another gift that can by confused with a spiritual discipline. Just like evangelism is everyone’s responsibility but some are gifted above and beyond the norm, so it is with giving. All of us are commanded to give generously, regularly, and sacrificially of our material resources to further the work of the Church, but there are some people who find incredible JOY in giving and love to go beyond the norm.
Sometimes the gift of giving is seen at work in an entire congregation of people, as was the case in the Macedonian churches Paul describes in 2 Cor. 8:
2Cor. 8:1-5 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.
These people urgently pleaded to be given the opportunity to share in God’s work. It’s almost as if Paul would not have even asked them to help because of their relative poverty – but they found great joy in giving and would not be stopped!
We need people like this at CTK, because the needs around us and around the world are great! There are needs all over our community, and when you exercise a gift of giving, you bless someone else and demonstrate God’s care and love for them.
In a recent letter from Pastor George at CTK Kenya, he told of the amazing results of some of the gifts they have received and then passed onto others:
“Your kind support has given us opportunity to sow in the kingdom, meet our needs as well as touch lives especially the most unfortunate and desperate. I am amazed to see how people are giving their lives to Christ especially when touched by the love of Christ. This is what many Churches here are missing.”
Money, when given to others under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has the ability to move hearts and make a real difference for the Kingdom!
18. Leadership
The ability to lead other believers in accomplishing work for the Kingdom.
Those who are given the gift of leadership often feel uncomfortable in a group situation where no leadership is being given. They will – almost compulsively – stand up to provide leadership rather than see a group wallow around in mediocrity.
As Volkswagen says, “IN life there are drivers and passengers. Drivers wanted.”
Those with the gift of leadership are the drivers who help the body to accomplish more together than we could all on our own.
Jonathan Oleson definitely has this gift, as does his wife Judy. I see it in the fact that they are able to gather people and inspire them to get involved in ministry very quickly.
Where do we need people with this gift? Once again, everywhere! Small Groups need leaders, but we also need those with the gift of leadership to help coach small group leaders as our network of small groups expands. As our church grows, we will need more people with the gift of leadership and the skills/gifts of pastoring to start new CTK locations here in Oak Harbor. Sound interesting? Give me a call and I’ll let you know what I’ve been thinking.
19. Mercy
The ability to feel genuine empathy and compassion for those who suffer, and to cheerfully work to alleviate the suffering.
Once again, all Christians are called upon to demonstrate mercy to those in need, and to see all those around us our “neighbor”. But certain people are gifted to go beyond the norm in their ministry to suffering people.
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story about 2 different types of people – one group helps those in need, and the other does not.
Matt. 25:31-40 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
People with the gift of mercy find themselves involved in these types of activities on a regular basis – and they find great joy and energy and fulfillment in helping those who are suffering, whether that is emotional, physical, or even financial.
Diane Cochran, who helped start CTK OH and is now serving at CTK Coupeville, has this gift. It is evidenced in her ongoing commitment to serving as a hospice care worker, giving support to those in the final stages of terminal disease and their families.
Whereas for some people such work would be a drain, for Diane it gives her joy to be able to minister to people who are suffering.
Here at CTK I encourage anyone who has this gift to exercise it whenever and wherever opportunities arise. You provide a most necessary boost to people in need by your spirit-inspired ministry to them.
TRANS: That brings us to an end of our survey of the spiritual gifts. But many of you are probably wondering “what now”? It’s great that I know what the gifts are, but how do I know what gifts I have been given?
HOW TO DISCOVER YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS
• Cultivate a desire for spiritual gifts.
1Cor. 14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts…
If you desire the work of the Holy Spirit in your life, and you ask for it daily, you will find that God will answer that prayer!
• Get involved in ministry.
o The only way for you to know if you are gifted by the Holy Spirit in certain types of ministry is to try them! But don’t sit on the sidelines until God supernaturally shows you where exactly you fit in the body of Christ. Get moving – and you’ll find that place much more easily and quickly.
• Check for fruit.
o Once you’re involved in ministry, check what sort of fruit is developing as a result. Does God seem to really bless your ministry in a certain area and not so much in others? If so, this is an indication that you are gifted and should increase your service in this area.
One final word on spiritual gifts before we conclude the service:
Don’t limit God.
Just because you haven’t felt “gifted” in a certain gift in the past does not mean you won’t tomorrow.
And don’t limit your service for the kingdom to the areas in which you feel “gifted”. There is too much work for us to do – and sometimes we have to just roll up our sleeves and serve others and the church because it simply needs to be done.
God wants to do even more incredible things through us than putting up a playground in a week – and when we all do our part we will experience joy and FRUIT from our work together. I can’t wait to see what God is going to unleash through this church this fall!
