The Body & The Gifts 17: Sober Saints Who Serve

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What is a "spiritual gift?"

"Gift"- charisma- "a supernatural endowment that has been graciously bestowed on those in Christ for the benefit of building up other believers."

This may be more properly understood as "grace gifts."


What We Have Learned About Spiritual Gifts So Far (1 Peter 4:10-11)

1. Each believer has received a gift (v.10a)

2. This gift is for serving other believers (v.10b)

3. We are to be good stewards of this gift (v.10c)

4. Spiritual gifts demonstrate the manifold grace of God among the Church (v.10d)

5. The first category of spiritual gifts is "speaking" (v.11a)

6. Those with "speaking" gifts are to use them as "speaking the utterances of God" (v.11b)

7. The second category of spiritual gifts is "serving" (v.11c)

8. Those with "serving" gifts are to use them as "serving by the strength that God supplies" (v.11d)

* #6 & #8 show that spiritual gifts must be done by faith, not by flesh.

9. God is glorified through our use of spiritual gifts that He has given us when they are used His way (v.11e)


What are the Implications of 1 Peter 4:10-11

1. Every believer has a gift; therefore every believer can serve!

2. By giving gifts, this means that God has plans for us- His will/good works- Eph 2:10

3. By giving gifts, His will/good works can only be accomplished by what He supplies. It's His way, done with His Word, and done in His power. We are simply the tools that He chooses to work through.

4. We are to be good stewards of these gifts- meaning that we must handle them well. Handling God's gifts God's way will be a major factor at the Judgment Seat of Christ -2 Cor 5:10.

The Body & The Gifts 16: How to Live in the End Times

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What is a "spiritual gift?"

"Gift"- charisma- "a supernatural endowment that has been graciously bestowed on those in Christ for the benefit of building up other believers."

This may be more properly understood as "grace gifts."


1. I speak up for Christian principles even when what I say is not popular.

2. I enjoy encouraging and giving counsel to those who are discouraged.

3. I have an ability to study a passage of Scripture thoroughly and effectively share its truth with others.

4. I often have insights that offer practical solutions to difficult problems.

5. I enjoy studying difficult questions about God’s Word and tend to find answers more easily and more quickly than others.

6. I am confident of achieving great things for the glory of God.

7. I enjoy giving money to those in serious financial need.

8. I enjoy comforting people in hospitals, prisons, or nursing homes.

9. I enjoy working behind the scenes without public recognition.

10. I can be counted on to step forward and assume leadership in a group where none exists.

11. I have the ability to organize ideas, people, and projects to reach a specific goal.

12. People often say I have good spiritual judgment.

13. I feel a need to speak God’s messages from the Bible to help people know what God expects of them.

14. After I talk one-on-one with people, they often are spurred to take positive action.

15. When a question arises from a difficult Bible passage, I am motivated to research the answer.

16. When they don’t know what to do, people often ask my advice.

17. I enjoy gathering information from multiple sources to find answers or information.

18. I often step out and start successful projects other people won’t attempt.

19. I joyfully give money to the church well above my tithe.

20. I feel compassion for hurting and lonely people and like to spend time with them to encourage.

21. I would like to assist my pastor and other church leaders so they will have more time to accomplish their essential ministries.

22. I don’t mind asking others to accomplish an important ministry for the church.

23. I am organized, set goals, and make plans to reach those goals.

24. I am a good judge of character and can identify spiritual falsehood.

25. It is easy for me to apply biblical principles to present-day situations.

26. I feel a need to challenge others to better themselves in their spiritual growth without condemning them.

27. Others listen to and appreciate my teaching of Scripture.

28. The Lord enables me to make appropriate application of biblical truth to practical situations.

29. I can independently recognize difficult biblical truths and principles.

30. I trust God’s faithfulness even when everything looks bad.

31. I am open to lowering my standard of living in order to be able to give more to the church or to others in need.

32. I want to do whatever I can for needy people, even if it means giving up something.

33. I enjoy relieving others of routine tasks so they can get special projects done.

34. I can guide and manage a group of people toward achieving a specific goal.

35. I am comfortable delegating significant responsibilities to other people.

36. I am able to distinguish between right and wrong in complex spiritual matters that aren’t clear to others.

37. I can organize and present biblical truth clearly in a way others understand.

38. People will tell me things they don’t tell others because they find it easy to talk to me.

39. My thinking is organized and my approach systematic when presenting Bible lessons to a group.

40. I am able to interpret and apply Scripture with keen insight.

41. I stick with a study I’ve started in order to develop a more complete understanding.

42. I often exercise my faith through prayer, and witness the Lord’s answers.

43. When I give money to someone, I often give anonymously and don’t expect anything in return.

44. When I hear of unemployed people who can’t pay their bills, I do what I can to help.

45. I enjoy helping others get their work done.

46. People often respect my opinion and follow my direction.

47. I can discipline myself under pressure to accomplish goals.

48. People come to me for help in distinguishing between spiritual truth and error.

49. I find the fundamental truths of Scripture to be worth repeating over and over.

50. I will stay with people and encourage them to finish a task once they have started it.

51. I can explain the teaching of the Bible clearly and concisely.

52. It is easy for me to put ideas into words, to analyze situations, and explain them well.

53. I have understood problems in the church and have seen answers when others didn’t.

54. I am willing to take on difficult assignments and meet obstacles head on.

55. I want to share my financial resources to help others in worthy endeavors.

56. I willingly lay aside my own desires in order to help others.

57. I often rearrange my schedule so I can help others.

58. I enjoy inspiring others and leading them for the sake of Christ’s work.

59. I can see the “big picture” of a project and can coordinate others who only see smaller parts.

60. When evaluating a situation, I am able to pinpoint sources of difficulty.

61. I challenge people to set high standards of biblical conduct in their daily lives.

62. I have deep concern for the spiritual welfare of Christians in crisis.

63. I have shared biblical truth with others in a way that they have found meaningful and helpful.

64. When discussing a problem, I can clarify the issue and what is needed to resolve it.

65. I study the Bible systematically, trying to see how one part relates to another.

66. I confidently expect God to respond to situations committed to Him in prayer.

67. Sharing financial resources for Christian ministry is one of the greatest joys of my Christian walk.

68. People tend to call on me when help is needed for someone in distress.

69. I share my material possessions with others when they are in need.

70. People seem to look to me for leadership when I am in a group.

71. I enjoy working out the necessary details to organize people and resources for a more effective ministry.

72. I seem to know when a situation is not right.

73. I long to proclaim the truth of God’s Word with authority and conviction.

74. I enjoy encouraging others by sharing God’s promises from Scripture.

75. I enjoy communicating biblical truth to others and seeing growth in their Christian faith.

76. I apply spiritual truth effectively in my own life.

77. I study matters thoroughly, so as to locate information others might overlook.

78. I’ve had great dreams and aspirations turn into reality despite the unlikeliness of accomplishing them.

79. When I give sacrificially, I am confident that the Lord will provide for my needs.

80. Preparing meals or helping those less fortunate gives me satisfaction and pleasure.

81. I enjoy short-term tasks rather than long-term projects.

82. I will take full responsibility to get things done and remain optimistic in spite of difficulties.

83. When faced with a difficult situation, I can get to the heart of the problem and take steps to resolve it.

84. When counseling, I can correctly identify a problem.

The Body & The Gifts 15: God's Earthly Goal for the Church Part 3

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The blessed risen Lord gives some the gift of apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and some teachers, but it is in order that all may profit thereby, for it is for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the Body of Christ. Do not be content to come to meeting and just be a spiritual sponge. Fill up, and then let the blessed Lord do some squeezing. Give it out to somebody else, and then you will be carrying out the true principle of New Testament ministry.

H. A. Ironside, In the Heavenlies : Practical Expository Addresses on the Epistle to the Ephesians. (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1937), 194.

The Body & The Gifts 14: God's Earthly Goal for the Church Part 2

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Ephesians 4

Hebrews 5


What is the Enneagram?

"The Enneagram teaches that there are nine different personality styles in the world, one of which we naturally gravitate toward and adopt in childhood to cope and feel safe. Each type or number has a distinct way of seeing the world and an underlying motivation that powerfully influences how that type thinks, feels and behaves." (pg. 24).

"The true purpose of the Enneagram is to reveal to you your shadow side and offer spiritual counsel on how to open it to the transformative light of grace." (pg. 31).

"I sense there’s a truer, more luminous expression of myself, and that as long as I remain estranged from it I will never feel fully alive or whole." (pg. 23).

"The purpose of the Enneagram is to show us how we can release the paralyzing arthritic grip we’ve kept on old, self-defeating ways of living so we can open ourselves to experiencing more interior freedom and become our best selves." (pg. 36).

"May you recognize in your life the presence, power, and light of your soul. May you realize that you are never alone, that your soul in its brightness and belonging connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe. May you have respect for your individuality and difference. May you realize that the shape of your soul is unique, that you have a special destiny here, that behind the facade of your life there is something beautiful and eternal happening. May you learn to see yourself with the same delight, pride, and expectation with which God sees you in every moment." (pg. 230)

The Body & The Gifts 13: God's Earthly Goal for the Church Part 1

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The Main Issue 

"Apostles" = Authority and NT Canon 

"Prophets" = Authority and Inerrancy

"Evangelists" = Authority and Ability

"Pastors" = Authority and Change

"Teachers" = Authority and Steadfastness

*ALL OF THESE ARE WORD-CENTERED*


Throughout the Christian centuries, no principle of church life has proved more revolutionary—and more bitterly fought!—than the declaration of Ephesians 4 that the ultimate work of the church in the world is to be done by the saints—plain, ordinary Christians—and not by a professional clergy or a few select laypeople. We must never lose the impact of the apostle Paul’s statement that apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers exist “for the equipment of the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).

Note that neither the apostles and prophets nor the evangelists and pastor-teachers are expected to do the work of the ministry! They are not even expected to do the work of building up the body of Christ! Those tasks are to be done only by the people—the ordinary, plain-vanilla Christians we often call “the laity.” The four offices of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher exist for one function and one function only: to equip everyday Christians to do the work God has given them—and gifted them!—to do.

Ray C. Stedman, Body Life: The Book That Inspired a Return to the Church’s Real Meaning and Mission, Revised Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 1995), 115.

The Gifts & the Body 12: The Gifts of Spiritual Leadership Part 7

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Teacher- didaskalos

"one who provides instruction—‘teacher, instructor.’"

-Louw-Nida, p. 415.

*Used 48 times in the Gospels, mostly referring to Jesus.


PROPHETS

Predictive

"Foretelling"

Future Events,

God's Will,

Possible Judgment

Call to Repentance

PASTORS/TEACHERS

Prescriptive

"Forth-telling"

Can be Evangelistic,

Exposition of God's already-revealed Word for the growth of the Church


The Main Issue 

"Apostles" = Authority and NT Canon 

"Prophets" = Authority and Inerrancy

"Evangelists" = Authority and Ability

"Pastors" = Authority and Change

"Teachers" = Authority and Steadfastness

The Gifts & the Body 10: The Gifts of Spiritual Leadership Part 5

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"Pastor"-  poimēn 

1- one who herds sheep, shepherd, sheep-herder

2- one who serves as guardian or leader, shepherd

-BDAG-

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"one who is responsible for the care and guidance of a Christian congregation"

-Louw-Nida-

The derivatives of this word involve lead, guide, protect, care for, and nuture.

"one who is called to the soul-care of God's people"


The Main Issue 

"Apostles" = Authority and NT Canon 

"Prophets" = Authority and Inerrancy

"Evangelists" = Authority and Ability

"Pastors" = Authority and Change

The Gifts & the Body 9: The Gifts of Spiritual Leadership Part 4

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FUN FACT

The Bible never speaks of "the spiritual gift of evangelism." 

It only speaks of the spiritual office of the evangelist (Eph 4:11).

EVERY BELIEVER IN CHRIST HAS THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION!


Evangelist- "proclaimer of the gospel" -BDAG, 403.

"a bringer of good tidings... This name is given in the N. T. to those heralds of salvation through Christ who are not apostles." -Thayer, 257.


The Main Issue 

"Apostles" = Authority and NT Canon 

"Prophets" = Authority and Inerrancy

"Evangelists" = Authority and Ability