P2 Discovering your Spiritual Gifts in the area of your calling

1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.

Discovering your spiritual gifts
Whenever a Christian wants to discover what spiritual graces or gifts God has given them, it is sometimes helpful to take a spiritual gifts test.  As you study the Bible's teaching on spiritual gifts, three areas are used by God in developing every Christian: their calling, burdens and opportunities.  In this particular test, you will be answering questions pertaining to God's area of your calling. Think of a spiritual gift test as a compass to point you in the right direction.  I would encourage the reader to read the next several days of blogs, since today's post is the first leg of the spiritual gift's test - namely the area of your calling. 

Directions: At the end of each question circle the numbered response that best reflects how you really feel: 1=Never; 2= Once in a while; 3=Many times; 4= Always.  

The Gifts looked for in this test (Look back at yesterday's post for definitions): Missionary, Reformer, Soul winner, Shepherd, Teacher, Leader, Communicator, Exhorter, Hospitality, Helps/Service, Administrator, Encourager, Giver, Mercy, Wisdom, Knowledge, Discerner, Intercessor

YOUR CALLING = “What I’m led or burdened to do” Please circle 1 answer

1. I am burdened to represent Christ to those who have never heard the gospel                                                                               1 2 3 4

2. I feel compelled to speak of where God is wanting to move in today’s church and culture                                                             1 2 3 4

3. I am burdened to think of different ways in sharing the gospel                                                                                                      1 2 3 4

4. I am burdened to direct people to God’s word for answers to life’s issues          1 2 3 4

5. I find it a thrill to unpack God’s word for others to explore                                1 2 3 4                                             

6. Motivating people towards a set of God’s goals excites me                                                                                                        1 2 3 4

7. I am comfortable explaining complex ideas in simple ways for people to understand  1 2 3 4

8. I am burdened to motivate others to focus on God and not their problems                 1 2 3 4

9.  I enjoy opening my home up to Bible studies or get-togethers.                                 1 2 3 4

 

10. I serve better behind the scenes than out in the public eye                                     1 2 3 4

11. I enjoy analyzing situations and figuring out who needs to go where                       1 2 3 4

12. I desire to pour my soul out to people who need strengthening                             1 2 3 4

13. I endeavor to give all I can without hesitation to further the work of the gospel                                                                  1 2 3 4

14. Its my mission to befriend those who are in emotional or physical need                  1 2 3 4

15. I believe in practical and systematic problem solving before rushing to conclusions                                                            1 2 3 4

16. I desire to use God’s word to give insight into a specific situation or need           1 2 3 4

17.  I make it a priority to pray and proceed cautiously before acting in any situation                                                             1 2 3 4

18. I usually will sense the need to pray-for others and to pray for long stretches of time                                                                 1 2 3 4

P1 Defining The New Testament spiritual gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.

In the next several posts I want to introduce the reader to the concept of spiritual gifts.  The Bible teaches that every child of God is given specific "graces" or "giftings" by the Holy Spirit to serve the Lord and to bless others.  Below is a list of the ones that seem to be the most clearly defined and spoken of gifts (or gracings) in the New Testament.  

Defining the spiritual gifts in the New Testament

A spiritual gift is an ability from God to do His will in the area He has called me to serve as a believer. 1 Corinthians 12:1-6

1. Missionary = Plants churches or shares the Gospel with the unevangelized. 2 Cor 8:23   Translated in other versions as “representative or apostle of the churches”. Different from “Apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 12:12), or the twelve disciples and Paul that ended in the1st century.

2. Visionary  = Alerts the church about what direction its heading for God.  1 Cor 14:3

Understood also as “the gift of prophecy”. As time advanced in the New Testament, prophecy became more of a gift to challenge the church to refocus on living out God’s directions for it through His word.  Some highly visible preachers have the ability to “prophetically” speak to the church and culture from God’s word. This is to be distinguished from the predictive elements of the O.T office of “prophet”.

3. Soul winner = Has the burden and effectiveness to reach unbelievers. Eph 4:11; 2 Tim 4:5 

Also called an evangelist or termed as having the “gift of evangelism”.

4. Shepherd= Loves to feed and nurture people with God’s word. Eph 4:11; 1 Tim 3; Titus 1

5. Teacher = Unpacks God’s word and makes complex ideas easy to understand Eph 4:11; Ro 12:7

6.  Leader = Can manage believers effectively in maintaining God’s goals. Rom 12:8

7        7. Communicator = Clearly verbalizing  complex ideas in simple ways. 1 Peter 4:11  

          8. Exhorter=Persuade others of the need to  do God’s will.  Also translated “encourager”  Ro 12:8

         

          9. Hospitality = Loves to share with God’s  people who are in need. Romans 12:13

          10. Helps/service= Works behind the  scenes to make the ministry work  smoothly. Rom 12:7

        

          11. Administrator = Loves to organize  people and events. Romans 12:8; 1  Corinthians 12:28

   12. Encourager = Ability to get people to  joyfully look to God amidst difficulty. Rom  12:8

          Same Greek word for “encourager” can also  be translated “exhorter” (see above definition).  

13. Giver = Displays incredible willingness and faith to give generously to God’s work. 1 Cor 12:8

14. Mercy = Can gently and calmly minister effectively to difficult people or situations. Rom 12:8

15. Wisdom = Can personalize the scriptures for other people in practical ways. 1 Cor 12:8

Most who advise other believers or who do Biblical counseling have this gift

16. Knowledge= Can personalize the Bible for people to better grasp God’s will. 1 Cor 12:8

Influencial Bible teachers have this gift.

17. Discernment = Can tell whether a teacher, ministry or movement is of God or Satan. 1 Cor 12:10

      18. Intercessor = A great desire to pray fervently for others that yields dramatic results.  Col  4:12

Introductory thoughts on the spiritual gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1-4 "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit."

This up and coming week I will be presenting to the reader an entire series on the spiritual gifts in the form of a spiritual gifts test.  My hope is that those who read this blog will take the next several days worth of posts and use them to discover and understand spiritual gifts. 

Some thoughts on spiritual gifts
I thought it necessary in lieu of this upcoming week's posts to give a brief outline of the Bible's teaching on spiritual gifts.  May you find these headings useful, since they include the key Biblical texts on spiritual gifts that are without question profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16).

1. Spiritual gifts are taught throughout the Bible
The first thought to note is that spiritual gifts are not just a New Testament phenomenon.  In Exodus 31:1-3 is one of the earliest mentions: "Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship."  When God called Noah, or Moses or Solomon to build the ark, tabernacle and temple, did these men do it by their own ingenuity? Hardly. They were supernaturally graced or gifted by God in the Person of the Holy Spirit to do so.  The Old Testament sets the pattern, from the offices of the priesthood and prophet, to the abilities given on occasion to perform miracles or speak forth prophecies.  Such giftings from God paved the way for what would be the more fuller and abiding character of the gifts revealed in the New Testament.  

2. Spiritual gifts are graces or gracings from God
The word we render "gifts" could more accurately be translated "gracings" or "graces". When we use the term "gifts", we are speaking of the manner in which God distributes His graces to His people - namely in a free and Sovereign manner.  

3. Spiritual gifts are given at salvation
Whenever you read 1 Corinthians 12:1-4, the understanding is that all of the spiritual graces or gifts are given to the believer at conversion.  The issue of course comes in our discovery and awareness of those gifts.  1 Corinthians 12:12-13 reinforces this point - "For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."

4. The Holy Spirit is the Agent of the gifts
1 Corinthians 12:4 states - "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit."  In the main passages that speak on the subject of the spiritual gifts in the New Testament, we see all three Persons of the Trinity involved in the spiritual gifts.  For example, 1 Corinthians 12:4-5 outlines accordingly: The Agent of the gifts is the Spirit; The Administrator of the ministries in which the gifts will be used is the Son and the Affects produced by the gifts are regulated by the Father.  All Three Persons of course are One God Who is the Agent, Administrator and Affecting the work of the graces or gifts.  The Spirit in particular is the Agent of the gifts, meaning that He is the One who Sovereignly distributes and directs where the gifts go and to whom they go.  Romans 12:3-7, when read in concert with 1 Corinthians 12:1-6, affirms the Divine authority and identity of the Spirit as the Agent of the gifts.  This is also why the gifts are called "spiritual gifts", being that their distribution is regulated directly by the Holy Spirit Himself. 

5. The gifts are designed to bless the body of Christ and to minister the Gospel to the lost
Key Biblical texts on spiritual gifts support this two-fold thought.  Romans 12:5-6a "5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly...".  1 Corinthians 14:1 communicates - "Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy." Why? Because gifts such as prophecy (which I would say is in reference to the supernatural gifting in preaching the Word in ways that relevantly and pointedly challenge the church) serve to edify the church body, a theme repeated by Paul throughout 1 Corinthians 14:3,4,5,12 and 17. Paul writes these words about the spiritual gifts of various spiritual leaders in Ephesians 4:12 "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ."  Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:10 -  "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

Clearly the spiritual gifts are for the purpose of edifying the body, as well as bearing witness of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. In each of those main passages on the spiritual gifts, we see reference to using the gifts properly so as to bear witness to unbelievers. (1 Corinthians 14:20-24) Paul speaks of how the Lord gives among the official giftings the office of the evangelist in Ephesians 4:11. 1 Peter 4:6 prefaces Peter's discussion on spiritual gifts with these words - "For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God."  Indeed the spiritual gifts, in their diversity and supernatural power, can beautifully demonstrate the life of God pulsating through believers to those to whom we witness.

6. The spiritual gifts are given for the glory of God
The main point of the spiritual gifts (or gracings) are not to bring attention to the person exercising them, but to the One who gave them.  1 Peter 4:11 notes - "Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

7. Spiritual gifts are discovered through God-given abilities, opportunities and burdens
As we noted earlier, spiritual gifts or graces are given at the moment of one's conversion.  However, the process of defining and discovery takes time.  Beginning in tomorrow's post, we will be looking at 18 particular spiritual gifts revealed in the New Testament.  We will also over the course of the upcoming week be discovering how God uses your burdens, opportunities and abilities to zero in on the particular giftings He has given you. My hope is that you will come back and study through what the gifts are, and discover which ones you have to the glory of God.

More tomorrow.....

P2 The Bible's 4 heavens

Revelation 4:1-2 "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne."

Review
In yesterday's post we began looking at John's opening statements about his second heavenly vision in Revelation 4:1-2.  We decided we first needed to understand what the Bible teaches about heaven before diving into the glories that follow in Revelation 4-5 concerning Christ and His throne.  There are 4 places or realms called "heaven" in the scripture.  Seeing how each one is greater and grander than the previous one prepares us to understand the significance of what John is writing to us in Revelation 4-5:
1. 1st heaven = the sky or atmospheric heaven
2. 2nd heaven = the universe or astronomical heaven
3. 3rd heaven = the abode of God, the angelic realm and the current home of departed believers
4. The New heavens = which will most likely be a refashioning of the third heaven but nonetheless is being currently built by Jesus.

Such truths are wonderful to study and are necessary for us as Christians living in the 21st century.  The question is: why? What practical benefits results from being more heavenly minded?  Some of the following New Testament verses below on the subject of Heaven demonstrate the necessity to be heavenly minded.  

Benefits of h.e.a.v.e.n.l.y mindset
In using the acrostic h.e.a.v.e.n.l.y, we can note the comforting benefits afforded to Christians through the Biblical truths of Heaven that we have explored in this message.  Note the following passages:

1. Healing from grief.

John 14:1-2 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you."

2. Endurance

Acts 7:55 "But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God."

3. Alive in God's presence

2 Corinthians 5:5-6 "Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. 6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord."

4. Vitality for the faithwalk

2 Corinthians 12:4 "was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. (9) And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

5. Encouragement to serve others

Philippians 1:23-24 "But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake."

6. Never ending hope

1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has his hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

7. Line up priorities

Colossians 3:1-3 "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." 

8. Yearn to see Jesus

2 Peter 1:10-11 "Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you." 

It is on this final practical reason that we find ourselves preparing to enter into Revelation 4-5.  John's vision was undoubtedly revealed by the Holy Spirit to both John and His readers to provide practical benefits like the ones outlined above.  The church militant of Revelation 2-3 is buffered by the Lord Who reign over her in Revelation 1, by the representative saints before the throne of God in Revelation 4 and the guarantee that the same Lord of Revelation 1 is going to overcome the enemies of faith in Revelation 5-22. As 1 Peter 1:8 states - "and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory."