UNDERSTANDING SPIRITUAL GIFTS!

Today I am speaking on “UNDERSTANDING SPIRITUAL GIFTS!” All of God’s children have “one spiritual gift” or the other. 

You should know that you’re not a biological accident. God sent you here for a definite purpose. That purpose of God for your life is your destiny. For you to be able to achieve your destiny, God who knows what He has sent you here to do for Him, knows what you need to be able to accomplish that purpose without struggles. He gives you ability commensurate to His calling upon your life. This natural ability is called talent. Talent is a natural ability to do something well without struggles.

Remember that your natural talents and aptitudes are often the natural wrapping in which a spiritual gift may be deposited. God’s gifts are often in line with a natural ability He gave you when He was sending you to the earth. This is why our natural abilities [talents] often point to the direction in which a spiritual gift may be used.

1. What is a gift? A gift is something you received without working or paying for it.

2. What is a spiritual gift? A SPIRITUAL GIFT is essentially an act of God’s Spirit, a definite, specific manifestation of God’s grace through the words or deeds of a particular person (Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4; 1 Pet. 4).

A spiritual gift is never given to be used simply for one’s own benefit (except perhaps the gift of speaking in tongues, but that is why Paul gives it lower value). It is given to someone only in the sense that God chooses to act through that one person for others. More precisely, it is given through one person to the community-not to a specific person at all. The spiritual health of the individual is inextricably bound up with the health and well-being of the whole body (1 Cor. 12:14-26; Eph. 4:16).

It is therefore, everyone’s responsibility to find out, develop, and fully use whatever capacities God has given for the service.

 There are three spiritual gifts:

a) The Gifts of God (Motivational Gifts).

b) The Gifts of Christ (The Ministry Gifts).

c) The Gifts of the Holy Spirit [“Manifestation Gifts” or “Manifestation of the Holy Spirit”] (1 Cor. 12 & 14).

Today, we want to major on two of the spiritual gifts – The gifts of God the Father and the gifts of Christ.

1. The Gifts of God the Father. These are also called the “Motivational Gifts” (Rom. 12:3-13). God the Father has provision for the church. With these gifts, you can do certain things without struggle. They include prophecy, serving, teaching, stimulating the faith of others in a specific action toward a definite goal, giving, ruling and empathizing by identifying with and comforting those in distress.

To some God gave the gift of:

1. Prophecy: Or the God-given ability to present truth. A persuasiveness and power in speech which brings to light things previously concealed.

2. Serving or demonstrating love by meeting practical needs so that others can be freed for service: An ability to detect personal needs; to overlook personal comfort so that the needs of others can be met.

Romans 12:10 says, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” 

3. Teaching or clarifying the truth by ensuring the accuracy of context, etc. This is an ability to research and unearth facts from Scripture. This involves diligence, fervency in study and careful research.

Romans 12:11 says, “Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”

4. Stimulating the faith of others in specific action toward definite goals: This is an ability to counsel others and encourage them toward spiritual growth.

Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.”

5. Giving or joyfully entrusting personal assets or possessions to others for the work of the ministry. This is an ability to organize personal business; ability to wisely invest and make quick and sound decisions about the right use of money.

6. Ruling or coordinating the activities of others for the achievement of a common goal: This is an ability to preside or lead; seeing future consequences of one’s action; able to distinguish major objectives and help others visualize them.

7. Empathizing by an ability to identify with and comfort those in distress: This is an ability to sympathize deeply with the misfortunes of others; mentally and emotionally relating and giving aid.

2. The Gifts of Christ. These are also called the “Ministry Gifts.” Christ has a provision for His church (Eph. 4:7-13). The Ministry Gifts are Christ’s own provision for the continual need for ministry in His Church until He comes back at the rapture for His church (Acts 1:11).

Christ Himself gave these ministry gifts. Ephesians 4:11 says, “And HE GAVE some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.”

When did He give them? When He ascended on high taking with Him the Old Testament saints who had awaited the consummation of God’s plan of redemption since their physical death in Paradise – Abraham’s bosom (Eph. 4:7-10).

From where did He give them? These ministry gifts came [and do come] fresh from the hand of the exalted Christ where He is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven.

For what purpose did He give these ministry gifts? Ephesians 4:12 says, “For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

The responsibility of those with the ministry gifts is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. When this happens, we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church. 16 Under His direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

For how long did He give these gifts? Ephesians 4:13 says, “TILL WE ALL COME to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, TO A PERFECT MAN, TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST.”

These gifts are to operate until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.

You see, the truth is that until Jesus comes back for His church, “all of us” will never come to that place of maturity. When Jesus comes, some babes will just have been born into the family of God. They will not have had time to mature.

These ministry gifts are God’s program for the maturing of the saints until Christ comes for His own.

Why do we all need to come to such a unity in our faith? We will no longer be like children, always changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something that appears to be new. This is the ultimate aim of all ministry (Eph. 4:14-15).

• The church needs all-round spiritual growth to arrive at her destined perfection in Christ.
• Spiritual children are easily disturbed and swept about by false things.
• The ministry gifts that Christ placed in the church help us grow up into His image.
• We cannot reach that place without the function of the fivefold ministry.
• Some areas of the Body of Christ have not yet matured beyond a certain stage of growth because they recognize only two or three ministry gifts: evangelist and pastor, and sometimes teacher.
• It takes all the fivefold ministries functioning to edify – build up – the Body of Christ.

We must realize that ministry gifts are people – people who are called of God. Those people whom God calls, He equips with spiritual gifts, supernatural gifts (abilities).

When a person is Born Again, God has in mind what He called them to do. With the New Birth, one is equipped with certain spiritual talents to enable them stand wherever they are set in the Body of Christ. Being filled with the Holy Spirit enhances this. God equips people with the spiritual gifts necessary to stand in the office He calls them to.

Note that laymen can have spiritual gifts operating through them. But ministers will be equipped to minister regularly with those gifts necessary to stand in the office they are called to. When the same spiritual gifts operate through the person in any of the fivefold ministries, it carries a greater anointing.

The ministry gifts consist not in name, but in power. It is easy to call yourself something, but that does not make you that. You can call yourself a pastor or apostle, but that doesn’t make you one. You can sit in the garage and call yourself a car, but that doesn’t make you one.

To some Christ gave to be:

Apostle: This is a person in whom the Gift of Christ dwells for the express purpose of making major in-roads with the Gospel message. The apostle possesses the gift of pioneering new territory for the Gospel of Christ [example – a missionary work].

Signs, wonders and mighty deeds follow the Apostles (2 Cor. 12:12). The apostle is a foundation layer (1 Cor. 3:10; Eph. 2:20). An apostle’s ministry seems to embrace all other ministry gifts. The distinguishing result is the ability to establish churches. The apostle has the power of organization – “governments” (1 Cor. 12:28). They have outstanding spiritual gifts.

Prophet: A prophet is a person in whom the Gift of Christ dwells for the purpose of elevating spiritual vision in the Body of Christ. The prophet possesses the gift of directing vision toward matters of vital concern in relation to immediate goals. The danger here is attempting to move people by demand rather than love.

A prophet speaks by direct divine inspiration, an immediate revelation – not something he thought of, but something given at the spur of the moment by sudden inspiration. The word of wisdom, word of knowledge, or discerning of spirits, as well as prophecy operate in the office of the prophet.

The prophet should first of all be a preacher or teacher of the Word. The laying on of hands goes with the prophet’s ministry. A healing ministry goes with the prophet’s office. Elisha had a healing ministry (2 Kings 5).

Evangelist: This is a person in whom the Gift of Christ dwells for the purpose of attracting large numbers of people to salvation in Christ. An evangelist is one who brings the evangel [Good News], a messenger of good tidings – “Good News.”

The evangelist possesses the gift of being able to point people to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The supernatural equipment accompanying the evangelist’s ministry includes “miracles” and “gifts of healings.”

Divine power draws a crowd. Miracles and healings arrest and compel attention. But it is in believing the Word that men are saved, because only the preaching of the Word affects the will of a sinner. For instance, Phillip was an evangelist (Acts 8:6; Acts 21:8).

Pastor: This is a person in whom the Gift of Christ dwells for the purpose of developing a group of believers into spiritual maturity. The pastor possesses the gift of being a shepherd to the flock of God. The most outstanding characteristic of a pastor is a shepherd’s heart. He is gifted with a shepherd’s heart.

The dangers here include: (1) Seeing only the needs of the local fellowship, and (2) Attempting to meet every need by personal effort.

The supernatural equipment accompanying the pastor’s ministry includes governing - government, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, tongues and interpretation of tongues.

Teacher: This is a person in whom the Gift of Christ dwells for the purpose of edifying the Body of Christ in relation to the basic concepts of successful Christian living. The teacher possesses the gift of being able to expound the truths of the Word of God in context and to make profound truths simple. He teaches the Word, not by natural ability, but by the divine ability of the Holy Spirit.

The teaching ministry is a watering ministry (1 Cor. 3:6-9). When the watering process – that is, the teaching of the Word of God – is by a spiritual gift because one is called and endowed to teach, it leaves people refreshed and revived, just as watering a plant leaves it revived and fresh. If teaching does not leave people refreshed, it simply is not in the power of the Holy Spirit. Apollos was a teacher (Acts 18:27). The work of a teacher is to build up not to tear down. Revelation marks a teacher’s ministry.

Helps (1 Cor. 12:28). A helper is a reliever. It is like “those who show mercy” (Rom. 12:8). Anything that has to do with the operation of the church or with ministry could come under the ministry of helps. The ministry of music, intercessory squad, bus ministry, etc. all belong to the ministry of helps.

Whatever you are doing in the Body of Christ to promote it, once you are faithful, your reward from the Lord is sure (Rev. 22:12).

God does not reward according to the office we stand in; God rewards faithfulness.

Beloved, if everyone here today that is Born Again earnestly desires ministry gifts (Eph. 4:11), I assure you that Christ will divide these gifts to everyone as He chooses [decides, wills]. Reach out by faith and get yours today so that you too can be more effective in your work with the Lord.

Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!

• Your friend: I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor)                15.07. 2018