ADVANCED
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SPIRITUAL GIFTS and MINISTRIES I. Introduction Before we can discuss individual gifts we
must first lay some foundational principles.
We must understand what gifts are available, how many gifts
can be received, the purpose of gifts and differences between
gifts, offices, ministries and fruit of the Spirit. A. Definition 1. The
Greek word for Spiritual gifts is Charismata, which means gifts
of grace. (I Cor.
12:4, 2. Spiritual
gift - a special qualification granted by the Spirit to every
believer to empower him to serve within the framework of
the body of Christ. 3. Spiritual
gifts - extraordinary endowments bestowed by the Holy Spirit sovereignly and undeservedly on believers as instruments for
Christian service and church edification. B. Gifts
are given as a result of God's grace and at the discretion of
the Holy Spirit. (I
Cor. 12:11, 14-27; Heb 2:4, Rom. 12:3-6) C. God
desires for all believers to exercise Spiritual gifts. (I Cor. 12:7) D. List
of gifts are given in four passages of
scripture. (See page 2) E. Purpose 1. Since
all Christians are called to the ministry of reconciliation (II
Cor. 2. They
are for development of the Body of Christ. (Eph. 4:12-16) F. Function 1. I
Cor. 12:4-6 2. Varieties
of gifts 3. Differences
in administrations (service, ministries, and offices in which
gifts are used) 4. Variety
of operations (Workings, results or effects)
Note: In Eph. G. Neglect of Spiritual Gifts 1. I
Tim. 4:14, I Tim. 1:6 2. May
stem from a. Ignorance of God's provision b. Lethargy concerning
God's working in our lives c. Unwillingness to respond
to some aspect of God's
call to service or ministry. H. Gifts are not 1. Fruit
- The fruit of the spirit is a ninefold
cluster of graces all leading to moral virtue. "Spiritual
fruit have to do with our relationships and the spiritual quality
of our lives. Spiritual gifts have to do with our calling
and our function in ministry. Spiritual fruit relates to what
we are; spiritual gifts relate to what we do.
Gifts have to do with our service while fruit have to do
with our character. Gifts are given from without while fruit is produced from within. All gifts are not possessed by all believers,
but each variety of
fruit should be in every believer. 2. Talents
- Talents have to do with techniques and methods. They depend on natural ability, are present
from birth and normally provide entertainment, instruction or
inspiration on a natural level.
Gifts, on the other hand have to do with spiritual abilities
and depend on spiritual endowment. Gifts are given only to those who are born again
and are needed for spiritual growth of saints and Christian service. 3. Ministries
- A ministry is not a gift but an outlet for employment of a gift.
Gifts must be 4. Offices
- Some list offices given in the New Testament as apostle, prophet,
evangelist, pastor, teacher, elder, bishop, and deacon. These offices pertain more to the person, whereas
gifts relate to the endowments given the person by the Spirit. Others list offices as elder, bishop and deacon
and call apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher the
ministry gifts, referring to calling and anointing by God to these
positions as church leaders. Those called into these particular ministries
will have gifts needed to effectively carry out the ministry. II. Ministry gifts (Eph.
A. Apostle
(Apostleship) The word comes for the Greek apostolos which means ambassador, delegate, one who is sent forth, messenger. However, others in the Bible are called or recognized
as apostles; Paul (I Cor. 9:1-2), Barnabas
(Acts Qualities
identified. 1. Sent
by a local church to other places (Acts 13:3-4). 2. Seeks
to lay a foundation in places where others have not worked (Rom.
15:20; 2 Cor.10:16). 3. Is
under great burden to preach the gospel, and senses that he cannot
be happy doing anything else. 4. Is willing and somewhat easily adapts to other cultures and
lifestyles in order to win them to Christ (I Cor.
5. Responds to doors of opportunity that are opened by the Lord
(I Cor. 16:8-9). 6. Is
recognized as gifted by other believers in the ministry of the
local church (Acts 7. Seeks
to start and develop churches with trained leadership that can
carry on without him (Act 8. Is deeply concerned for the spiritual development of new believers
(1 Thess. 2:1-12; 1 Cor. 9. Is able to work under changing circumstances (1 Cor. 9:6-13; 2 Cor. 11:5-12). 10. Is responsible
for the doctrinal understanding and purity of the churches (Acts
The Latin equivalent for apostle is missio, from which we get the word missionary. The random house Dictionary defines a missionary
as a person sent by a church into an area, especially a newly
settled region or foreign country, to carry on evangelism or other
activities. The implication
with missio is that the person is sent to minister, transculturally (dialectic or cultural differences) with the
goal of church planting. B. Prophet The English word for prophet comes from the
Greek word "prophetes" which
means "one who speaks forth or a forth-teller, a proclaimer
and interpreter of the divine revelation".
In the New Testament church one aspect of this ministry
is the preacher. He is
a public sounder, speaking for the mind of God, declaring that
which cannot be known by natural means (Eph. 3:3-5).
It generally refers to one who acts as a spokes person
and sometimes bears the connotation of a predictor or revealer
of future events. In the
Old Testament a prophet is also called a seer or the Man of God.
A prophet of God was God's spokesman or one who spoke for
God (Deut. Examples
of prophets 1. Old
Testament - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Daniel, Hosea, etc. 2. New
Testament - Agabus (Acts 3. Women
- Miriam (Ex.
15:20), Deborah (Judges 4:4), Anna (Luke 2:36), Philip's daughters
(Acts 21:8-9). Characteristics: 1. He
establishes churches with the Apostles (Eph. 2. He
brings direction of the church (Acts 3. He
exposes sin and brings judgement (Jer. 28:15-17). He
is bold and oftentimes very blunt. 4. He
operates in the gift of a word of knowledge and the gift of prophecy
(1 Kings 5. He
knows the secrets of God (Amos 3:7). 6. He
submits himself to the judgment of other prophets (1 Cor. 7. He
has control of his own spirit (1 Cor.
Warnings
- I John 4:1, Matt. 24:11, Deut. 18:20 Prophets instructed, warned, exhorted, promised,
and rebuked. They stressed
moral duty, promoted righteousness, thundered coming terror on
the wicked, and repeated God's gracious promises for the future. C. Evangelist The word evangelist comes from the Greek word
euangelistes which means one who shares
the good news. Though all
believers are to witness, the evangelist has the ability to communicate
the Gospel message in relevant terms to unbelievers.
A good definition is the gift of proclaiming the Good News
of salvation effectively so that people respond to claims of Christ
in conversion and in discipleship. It is the ability to present the Good news with
clarity, poise, and some degree of success. The word evangelist occurs only three times
in the New Testament; Acts 21:8, Eph. Characteristics 1. He
ministers effectively to groups and individuals. 2. He
is sensitive to the Spirits leading. 3. He
is adaptable. 4. Always
ready to preach and expound upon the Word (Acts 5. Signs
and wonders followed his ministry (Acts 8:5-8). Since the evangelist has a ministry particularly
to unbelievers, signs are used to attract unbelievers. (I Cor.
14:22) The Early church evangelized in the open air,
on highways, in houses, by rivers, in jail, in the intellectual
arena as at Mars Hill, in court, and everywhere.
To the evangelist nothing is more important than sharing
the Good News or God's saving grace. D. Pastors Three words for the pastorial
ministry of shepherding are used interchangeably in the New Testament:
episcopos which means overseer or bishop (Acts Characteristics
(Duties) (Ps. 23) 1. He
feeds the flock. (Jer. 3:15, Act 20:28-31,
1Peter 2 :2) It is his responsibility
to provide good and wholesome nurishment
for his flock. 2. He
leads or guides the flock. 3. He
guards and protects the flock from danger. (Heb. 13:17, John 10:11-16) 4. He
keeps the flock together. 5. He
is an example to the flock and to his community. (I Tim. 4:12, 1Tim 3:5, Titus 1:7-9, Titus 2:7) E. Teachers The teacher has the supernatural ability to
explain clearly and apply effectively the truth of the Word of
God. In the Old Testament they were usually priest
who taught the law (Ezra Characteristics 1. He
teaches God's Word, not tradition.
He does 4 principal things: 1) reads the Word; 2) tells
what it means; 3) applies it to the people's lives; and 4) clarifies
truth. (Col. 2:8, Neh. 8:8) 2. He
uses terms and illustrations to reveal truth. 3. He
is taught by the Spirit. (I Cor. 2:13) 4. He
studies the Word. (2 Tim. 2:15) 5. He
practices the Word. (Ezra 7:10) Warnings
- Titus 1:11, I Tim. 4:1-3, 2 Peter 2:1 III.
Charismatic Gifts (I Corinthians 12:8-10) These nine manifestations of the Spirit are
usually grouped in three categories:
Gifts of revelation, Gifts of power, and vocal gifts. These gifts represent ways in which the Holy
Spirit manifests himself though our lives.
He may use an individual in several or even all areas if
he so chooses. A. Gifts
of Revelation 1. Word
of Wisdom This is supernational
revelation or insight by the Spirit of God concerning the divine
will, plan or purpose of God.
This insight often enables one to apply God's truths to
particular problems or needs. This is more than the ordinary wisdom gained
by progressing through life's experiences.
General wisdom to deal in the affairs of life is available
to all believers who ask for it (James 1:5).
The word of wisdom is
supernaturally imparted, and focuses on interpretation
of truth, producing solutions to problems and application of knowledge. Examples: a. God spoke to Joseph
through dreams concerning his own future. Gen. 37:5-11 b. God spoke to Noah
of the coming judgement and instructed
him to build the Gen.
6:11-22 c. I Kings d. Jesus - Matt. 21:23-27,
Luke 21:12-15, Luke 22:10-12, Luke e. Acts 6:10, Acts:13:2,
Acts In a practical sense, the word of wisdom is
expressed in the ability to apply knowledge to vexing situations,
to weigh their true nature, or to exercise spiritual insight into
the rightness or wrongness of a complex state of affairs, etc.
The person who exercises this gift is given the ability
to discern a situation and speak the wisdom of God for clarification
and encouragement. 2. The
Word of Knowledge This is the supernatural revelation by the
Holy Spirit of certain facts in the mind of God. This gift usually reveals specific knowledge
about certain past or present events.
This is information supernaturally given about a person,
event, condition, situation, etc. Examples: a. John on the Isle of b. Ananias (Acts c. Peter (Acts 10:9-19) In verse
19 Peter was told that three men were seeking him. (Acts 5:1-4)
Peter with Ananias and Sapphira. d. Samuel (I Sam. e. Elijah (I Kings f. Jesus (John One way to distinguish between the word of
knowledge and the word of wisdom is that the revelation the word
of knowledge brings is always present tense or concerning something
that has happened in the past.
On the other hand, the word of wisdom always speaks of
the future. Oftentimes
these two gifts will flow together. (2 Sam 12:1-14, 2 Kings 3. Discerning
of spirits To discern means to perceive by seeing or
hearing. Therefore discerning
of spirits is the same as seeing or hearing in the realm of spirits. This is supernatural revelation or insight into
the spirit realm giving one the ability to distinguish the source
of spirit-world activities when they are present, whether they
be good, evil or human spirits.
Discerning of various classes of spirits a. Discerning the similitude
of God (Is. 6:1, Ex. 33:20-23) b. Discerning the risen Christ
(Acts c. Discerning the Holy Spirit
(John d. Discerning good angels
(John 20:11-13, Luke22:43, Acts 27:23-24) e. Discerning evil spirits
(Luke 13:11-17, Mark 19:17-27, Acts f. Discerning the human spirit
(Acts 8:2-24, John Purposes of the gift of discerning of spirits a. Helps in delivering those who are afflicted, oppressed or tormented
(Mark 5:5, Luke b. Helps in discovering servants of the devil (Acts 13:9-10) c. Aids in checking or stopping plans of the enemy (Acts d. It
exposes error-seducing spirits, lying spirits, doctrines of devils,
and damnable heresies (I tim. 4:1-4, 2 Peter 2:1) Dealing with evil spirits - rebuke them and cast them out. B. Gifts of Power 1. Faith This is a supernatural ability to believe
God without human doubt, unbelief and reasoning. It is supernatural faith for a specific task,
whereby the believer is empowered with special or wonder-working
faith in order that he might receive miracles.
The gift of faith employs faith that passively expects
a miracle as a sustained or continuous action.
Examples: a. Abraham - Rom. b. Joshua - Joshua 10:12-13 c. David - I Sam 17 d. Daniel - Dan 6:23,
Heb. 11:33 e. Jesus - Mark f. Paul - Acts 28:3
- 6 g. Peter - Acts 12:5
– 11 2. Gifts
of healing This is the supernatural power to heal all
manner of sickness and disease without human aide or medicine. It is a plural gift; there are many and diverse
healings. It comes at God's
will, when He directs, how He directs and to whom He directs the
healing. When the gifts of healing are operating there
is definite immediate healing.
However this gift does not heal every illness or restore
all injured parts. On many occasions it may be inoperable. Paul operated in this gift (Acts Examples: a. Matt. 8:16, Matt. 12:22 - Not all sickness is caused directly by demon
spirits. Some sicknesses
are caused by diseased germs or micro-organisms.
The boils Hezekiah (2 Kings 20) had were caused by a serious
infection which spreads faster that the b. Matt. c. Luke 4:40, Acts 28:8, Matt. 8:13, Mark Purposes for healing a. To deliver those
oppressed by works of the emeny - Acts
10:38. b. To confirm the
Gospel - Acts 3:15-16. c. To attract people
to the Gospel - John 6:2, Acts 8:6-7. d. To bring glory
to God Mark 3. Working
of Miracles A miracle is a supernatural intervention in
the ordinary course of nature, a temporary suspension of the accustomed
order, or an interruption in the system of nature as we know it,
operated by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Greek word for miracles in I Cor.
12:10 is dunamis, which is translated 'acts of power'. The working of miracles could therefore be called
the working of acts of powers.
Miracles also means 'explosions of almightiness or impelling,
staggering wonders or astonishments. Examples: a. Ten
plagues on b. Dividing of the c. Walls of Jerico fell flat at blast of a trumpet
and a shout (Josh. d. Multiplication of the widows oil (2 Kings 4:1 - 7) e. The
floating axe (2 Kings 6:1 - 7) f. Reversal of time (Is. 38:1 - 8) g. Dividing of the h. Earth stopped revolving for a day (Josh i. Water turned to wine
(John 2:1 - 12) j. Multiplication of
loaves and fishes (John 6:1 - 14) k. Walking on water (John l. Calming a storm (Matt. m. Acts
8:5-6,13, Acts 28:4-6, Gal. 3:5, Acts 13:4 - 12, Acts 6:8, Acts
15:12 Purpose of Miracles: To deliver God's people, To meet the needs
of God's people, To do God's work, to attest to the Word that
God sends forth or to give authenticity to the divine commissioning
of God. C. Gifts
of Inspiration (Vocal Gifts) 1. Prophecy
(I Cor 14) Prophecy is the supernatural utterance using
a known language. Verse 1: We are told to desire to prophesy. Verse 3: The
purpose of prophecy is to edify, exhort and comfort the church. Verse 4: Prophesy
is directed at others. Verse 5: One
who prophesies is of more value to the body than one who speaks
in tongues and does not interpret.
Verse 12:
We are encouraged to seek gifts not to satisfy our own
personal needs, but to seek those that will edify the church. Verse 22: Prophesy renders service to believers.
In the Greek, one meaning for the word exhort is to call
nearer to God, or to invite one to come nearer to God.
Verse 24 - 25: If one who is an unbeliever or an untaught believer
is present when prophesy is going forth, he will be convicted
of his sin, he sees that he must answer for what he has done,
he will be forced to be humiliatingly honest with himself and
will bring him to his knees crying out for the mercy of God.
Verse 29 - 31: Prophecy should not be used in excess. The whole point is to have things done decently
and in order. In the Corinthian
church prophecy and tongues were being improperly used. The limit was placed here that only two or three
should prophesy. Any others
should hold there peace and judge that which has been said. Principles for judging prophecy: Prophecy must be submitted to Scriptural judgement. I Thess
5:19-21 - It is wrong to quench the Spirit or to despise prophecy. However prophecy must be tested and only the
good retained. We are warned
to be cautious and test to see the origin of the spirit that is
prophesying (I John 4:1). a. Does it meet the
test of comfort, edification and exhortation? b. All true prophecy
agrees with God's Word. c. It will exalt
Jesus (John d. Predictive prophecy should
come to pass. (Deut. 18:20-22) e. If it promotes
disobedience, it is not of God (Deut. 13:1-5).
Though we are told to desire to prophesy,
and that all may prophesy (I Cor Prophecy may be a vehicle for other gifts
of the Spirit like the Word of Wisdom or the Word of Knowledge. 2. Divers
kinds of tongues and Interpretation of Tongues. Divers kinds
of tongues is the supernatural
utterance in other languages which are not known to the speaker.
The Greek word translated tongue(s) is glossa
which has the implication of language.
The spiritual gift of divers kinds of tongues is described by the word glossalalia where lalia signifies
any utterance of sound whether intelligent or unintelligent. In I Cor 14 we see
this gift operating in two fashions; personal edification, and
edification of the body when followed by interpretation. Interpretation of tongues is the supernatural
ability to hear, understand and translate God's intended message
spoken in tongues so that the entire body can be built up and
further equipped to serve as a redemptive agent.
The Greek word used here is diermeneuo
(dee-er-main-yoo-o) which means to make
the meaning clear, to explain the message, to expound upon the
meaning, to translate into another language or vernacular for
understanding. Simply put,
the interpreter gives a declaration or thorough meaning of the
message given in tongues. Verse 2: This
is a private or personal use of tongues. The audience is God. However, he can be confident that the Spirit
will intercede according to the will of God (Rom. Verse 4: In
personal us the believer edifies himself. To edify (oikodomeo)
means to build up, to strengthen, to
promote spiritual growth and development of character of believers. Verse 6: This
no longer refers to private tongues but now to public tongues. To speak to another in tongues is profitless
unless it is followed by interpretation in one's own language. Verse 13:
If tongues are addressed to the public, then the speaker
should pray to interpret. Verse 14-17: If one is addressing the public, whether it
be in prayer or in song, if it is in tongues then it should be
followed by an interpretation. Verse 21-22: This is a prophecy from Is 28:9-12. Paul uses this to present the argument that
tongues were meant for a hard hearted and unbelieving people. Verse 23:
This continues to be public use of tongues. If everyone tried to deliver a message in tongues
to the church at the same time there would be chaos. Verse 27:
Messages are to be given in tongues only by two or three
persons, one at a time, and one person is to interpret all three
messages. The interpretation should follow the tongue. Verse 28:
If there is not someone present who has been used to interpret
and the speaker has not been given the interpretation he is to
speak to himself and to God (Treat it like a private tongue).
When someone is speaking with tongues, a person who is
used often in the gift of interpretation of tongues should immediately
begin to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's moving.
He should make himself available and be ready for the Lord
to use him in the operation of that gift. IV. Foundational or Functional
Gifts Foundational gifts show us our position of
service or function in the body of Christ.
There are seven foundational gifts.
For several reasons, many do not know what their foundational
gift is. These reasons
include: 1. Sin
- Sin may cause a person to be missing his gift because he is
not living the life he should. 2. Lack
of Involvement in the body - If a member is not involved in the
body by participating then
he will not know his place in the body. 3. Imitating
Others - By imitating the gift of others we limit the growth and
development of our own
gift. 4. Not
analyzing our spiritual activities - We must analyze why certain
activities appeal to us. This
will help you to discern which gift is motivating you. A. Prophecy Here prophecy is the tendency to judge any
person, group or situation in light of God's standards before
taking personal standards into account.
Characteristics: (Example:
John the Baptist (Luke 3:1-20)
1. He
discerns and exposes the motives of others and thereby make them accountable for their actions. 2. He
desires to express himself verbally. 3. He identifies, defines,
hates and reproves evil. (Luke 3:7) 4. He
is very broken by the conditions of sin that he sees, and causes
others to respond in the same
way. 5. He
uses scripture to validate his authority. (Luke 3:4-6) 6. He
wants outward evidence of other's sincerity. (Luke 3:8) 7. He
is direct, frank, and responsive.
(Luke 3:7-14) 8. He
is vitally concerned that God's programs not fail. He is concerned for God'd
reputation. (Mark 6:17-19) 9. He
is eager to be cleansed of his own blind spots. He is honest with himself and desires to deal
with his own personal sins andweaknesses
so that he can better help others. Misunderstandings: 1. Frankness
may be viewed as harshness. He must make an effort to remember
that the truth must be spoken in love. 2. His
interest in the betterment of the whole may be viewed as a disinterest
in individuals. 3. Efforts
to obtain results may be seen as gimmicks. He will use illustrations and demonstrations to get his point across. (Matt. 3:4) 4. Focus
on right and wrong may be viewed as intolerance. 5. The
desire for immediate decisions in those who want to take longer
can be seen as being pushy. 6. Boldness
and strictness may present a hindrance to close relationships.
Many people are repelled by boldness and frankness. B. Ministry
(Gr. diakonia - service rendered) This is the gift of serving or meeting practical
needs of others. This person
immediately sees where the needs are and remedies them with their
deeds. This person is very gifted with their hands,
has great endurance, but cannot organizer others well. They like to work alone and are not normally
natural leaders. The word
diakonia was used especially in the context of deacon. Characteristics: (Ex. Martha (Luke 1. He
knows the likes and dislikes of others. 2. They
are the first to sense and seek to meet practical needs. They are the hands of the body. 3. He
meets needs quickly. He
does not like long range goals. 4. They
have physical stamina. To
get the job done they press on in spite of weariness, work without breaks, stay long hours, etc. 5. There
is a need for sincere appreciation. They need to have confirmation that their practical ministry
is really meeting needs. 6. They
do not know how to say no. It
is their desire to serve, so they may become over burdened with
tasks. Misunderstandings: 1. There
is a tendency to appear pushy.
A desire to accomplish tasks may be misunderstood by those to whom the job was assigned. 2. Eagerness
to perform the task alone may exclude others. To avoid red tape servers will jump in and take care of jobs themselves. 3. They
may become upset with others lack of motivation to serve. 4. They
find it hard to receive service from others in the body. 5. Desire
for appreciation may result in hurt feelings. If the server's ministry does not receive appreciation
he feels that he has failed the Lord. 6. Their
desire to help may interfere with God's dealing with another person. 7. He
may appear uninterested in meeting spiritual needs. C. Teaching The foundational gift of teaching is one that
causes born again believers to have a great desire to teach and
make God's Word practical to others.
This person will have a strong desire and aptitude to teach
but may not be called to the ministry. Characteristics: (Example: Paul Acts 13) 1. He
stresses the accuracy of words. 2. He
looks to Scripturally validate the teachings of others, and ties
Old and New Testament teachings
together.(Is 25:8, I Cor 3. He
delights in research. In
fact he enjoys researching more than presenting the material. (2
Tim. 4:13, Gal. 1:17) 4. He
presents material in systematic sequences. 5. He
avoids non-Biblical illustrations. 6. He
hates hearing the Bible quoted out of context. 7. He
feels that teaching is required for the growth and survival of
the Church (Acts Misunderstandings: 1. May
sometimes neglect practical application. 2. He
can get so caught up in research that he forgets to listen to
the leading of the Spirit. 3. Pride
of learning can creep in. 4. He
may present unnecessary details to listeners causing some to become
confused and weighted down. 5. He
may appear cold and analytical in his perceptions. D. Exhortation The word for exhortation in Greek is Parakleo which means to call aside or to make an appeal by
way of entreaty, comfort or instruction.
An exhorter is given the gift of encouragement to promote
progress within others through the working of the Spirit. Characteristics: (Ex: Barnabas) 1. This
person is very well liked. He tends to have a very loving, positive
attitude and outlook on
life. (Acts 2. He
desires more than anything that people grow and mature in the
Word.(Acts 3. He
visualizes specific achievements and places emphasis on steps
of action. 4. Impractical
information is avoided. He
tends to be put off by information which lacks practical application. 5. He
has the ability to see how problems can produce new levels of
maturity. (Acts 6. He
wants individual acceptance. He
wants to see people respond and accept the truth. 7. He
is grieved by non-action. Seeing
positive change stimulates him spiritually. 8. Exhorters
love counseling, esp. when people get new insight in the Word,
practice it and get results. Misunderstandings: 1. Emphasis
on steps may oversimplify problems. 2. Emphasis
on steps may appear to be overconfident in them. 3. Because
this person so desires to be a living example of Christ, they
may appear to be uninterested
in evangelism. 4. They
take scriptures out of context.
5. They
may seem unaware of others' feelings.
E.
Giving This is the gift of giving of money time,
or self to the Lord's work.(2 Cor
8:2-3, Characteristics: (Abraham) 1. He
makes wise purchases and investments. 2. They
give quietly to effective ministries and projects. 3. Giving
is used to motivate others to give. 4. They
are alert to valid needs. 5. He
enjoys meeting needs. They
follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in meeting needs. 6. The
gift is of high quality. Giving
is considered a gift to Jesus, and Jesus deserves 7. They
want to feel like a part of the work they give into. Giving gives them a sense of participation. Misunderstandings 1. The
focus on temporal values -- usually large amounts of money --
may be misinterpreted. 2. Because
they desire to give to ministries, it may look as though they want to gain some control. 3. Their
lack of response to general appeals may seem ungenerous. Givers are motivated by the Holy Spirit to give,
and are not motivated by pressure appeals. 4. This
person is so generous in giving to God, yet they are frugal in
spending personal funds. To friends and relatives this may seem
selfish.
F.
Ruling (Organizing) This person is an organizer, or one who rules
with diligence. He is a
leader, and facilitates tasks for the flock through their God-given
leadership ability. He
functions well when he is placed over any part of the church business. Characteristics (Nehemiah) 1. He
sees the overall picture and plans long range goals. He sets up to achieve the end of the big picture.(Neh.
2:3-5, 2. He
is motivated to organize, and wants to organize only what he is
responsible for. 3. There
is a desire to finish tasks quickly. 4. He
is aware of the available resources to complete the task. They are always sure before starting projects to have all the necessary
resources on hand.(Neh.
2:7-8) 5. They
know what can and cannot be delegated. This person has spiritual insight to discern
what different members of the body can do as particular tasks.
(Neh. 3) 6. He
stands on the side until told to take over. They do not just move in and take over. If someone else is in charge, he will volunteer
to help and wait to be told what to do. 7. He
will assume leadership where there is none. 8. He
endures reactions from workers to accomplish a task. He is concerned with reaching the goal, not pleasing people, and can take extra
static. (Neh. 4 thru 6) 9. There
is great fulfillment from seeing others enjoy a completed task.
This person feels joy when others enjoy the finished product. There is also great joy in seeing others doing
well in a task. 10. They desire to move on to new challenges.
Organizers do not stop
at completion of one task. Rather,
they look for new tasks to promote the Lord's work. Misunderstandings 1. Because
they so desire to see others accomplishing, they delegate responsibility
which may make then appear to be lazy. 2. Their
willingness to endure reactions from others may make organizers
appear callous toward people. 3. Organizers'
neglect is explaining why tasks must be done can prompt workers
to feel misused. 4. Projects
seem more important than people. They are so excited about accomplishing a goal
that it may seem more important
than those who are achieving it. 5. They
seem insensitive to schedules, weariness, or priorities of workers.
Organizers want to complete tasks swiftly, so they appear
to be insensitive. G. Mercy Greek - eleos which
means the outward manisfestation of
pity. The person with the gift of mercy is happy to
show it. Mercy is help
given when someone is afflicted and in great need.
Mercy is the by-product of grace.
Grace is the gift given of God to pardon sin. It usually leads to the need for mercy. (Heb.
4:16) Characteristics (Ex. Good Samaritan
Luke 1. He
senses joy or distress in individuals and groups of people. 2. There
is attraction to and understanding of people in distress. 3. They
desire to remove hurt from others' lives. 4. There
is greater concern over mental and emotional distress as opposed
to physical distress. They
are very sensitive to people's inner needs. 5. They
avoid firmness unless it brings benefits. They are sensitive to correct timing. 6. They
are sensitive to words and actions that hurt others. 7. There
is ability to discern people's true motives. Because they can discern motives they can sense
hypocrisy. 8. They
enjoy unity with those who are also sensitive to others. 9. They
close their spirit to those who are insensitive or insincere. 10. They
stimulate others to show mercy. Misunderstandings: 1. They
may appear weak or indecisive because they avoid firmness. 2. They
may be led by emotions and not reason. 3. People
of the opposite sex may misinterpret motives of those with this
gift. Because they are
interested in all people and their needs their concern may lead
to over involvement that must be guarded against. 4. They
may seem hard to get to know.
They are so V. Other Gifts We discussed earlier the feeling by some that
the lists of gifts given were not complete. One reason for this feeling is that no list
includes the gift of intercessory prayer and many Christians are
believed to have this gift. Those
who say that the list is complete say that any other gifts should
fall within the bounds of one of the listed gifts.
Yet no-one offered a suggestion as to where the gift of
intercessory prayer would fall. The Greek word for intercessory prayer is
enteuxis. References
to this kind of ministry are in I Tim.2:1, 4:5, Col. 1:9-12, Acts
Characteristics: 1. They
have a special ability to stay long with a petition until some
evidence of answered prayer is manifested. 2. They
experience a special and somewhat inordinate amount of delight
in praying for others. 3. They
often have flashes of insight and urgent feelings about certain
people for whom they are to
pray. 4. They
find themselves praying on behalf of people whom they have not
seen or thought of in years. 5. They
frequently feel an intense burden to pray for someone or something. 6. They
usually respond quickly and definitely when their pastor or others
announce special prayer requests.
They are often inclined to ask for more details, but not
because they are nosey, but rather to pray specifically and effectively. 7. They
consider prayer a vital ministry and not simply idle words or
nods in God's direction. To
them it is work; a meaningful, joyful work, designed to accomplish
something. 8. They
"pray through" until they get a sense that all is well,
that their work is now done, a sense of
being relieved of the pressure of praying further, or being
free to move on to something else. |