Shape Spiritual Gifts

3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 NLT

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. 7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

Ephesians 4:11–16 NLT

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit 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.

1 Peter 4:8–11 NLT

8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. 10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

How to discover your spiritual gifts?

START

S - Study

T - Trial and Error

Serve in different areas and your gifts will become evident.

A - Analyze

R - Request responses for others

T - Training

Take any training that you can.

There are three ways God wants you to use your gifts.

1. Through ongoing ministry on a weekly basis.

2. Through short term projects

3. Through Spontaneous situations.

God will use your gifts in these situations.

List of Spiritual Gifts

Administration (1 CO 12:28)

1 Corinthians 12:28 NLT

28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.

Administration or organization is the ability to recognize the gifts of others and recruit them to a ministry. It’s the ability to organize & manage people, resources, and time for effective ministry.

The greek word for Administration - to steer a ship. It’s to guide or to steer a ship.

Administration is the gift of management. Leadership is the gift of influencing.

How do you know you have this gift? One way is that you have the ability to balance several balls in the air at the same time. You can juggle several things at once and you are always looking for better ways to do something. People with this gift can owrk out the details without losing the big picture.

Arts & Crafts (Ex 31:3-11)

Some people are gifted to work with their hands. Others are gifted by God to teach other people how to do it. The ability to build, maintain, or beautify the place of worship for God's glory. Drama… painters… construction and renovation…

Apostle (1 CO 12:28)

1 Corinthians 12:28 NLT

This is the ability to start and build new churches and over see their development. Paul said his ambition was to not build on another man's foundation. Today most of the time we don't call these people apostles. We call them church planters.

Discernment (1 CO 12:10)

1 Corinthians 12:10 NLT

10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.

Discernment is the ability to distinguish right from wrong, truth from error, and to give an immediate evaluation based on God's Word. The ability to discern whether the source of an experience is Satan, self, or God's Spirit.

We need this gift badly today because there are so many crazy extremes people drift toward. This gift protects people & the Church from extremes.

Encouragement (Rom 12:8)

Romans 12:8 NLT

8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

This is sometimes called exhortation.

The ability to motivate God's people to apply and act on Biblical principles, especially when they are discouraged or wavering in their faith. The ability to bring out the best in others and challenge them to develop their potential.

The difference between somebody who has the gift of encouragement and somebody who has the gift of teaching -- teachers typically focus on the content of the text -- the story itself -- and people with the gift of exhortation or encouragement focus on the principles of the text. They say, "These are the principles I see that can change your life."

Evangelism (Acts 8:26-40)

Acts 8:26–40 NLT

26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. 29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” 30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. 32 The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 33 He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” 35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. 36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” 38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.

Evangelism is the ability to communicate the good news of Jesus Christ to unbelievers in a positive, non threatening way. The ability to sense opportunities to share Christ and lead people to respond with faith. People who have this gift are very sensitive about how the unchurched feel. They notice things. They notice how people feel at church -- unbelievers. They rarely overlook opportunities to share Christ. They have a knack for turning conversation to a spiritual side. They have a love for lost people and a desire to see them saved.

This gift an be used in many, many different ways. You may have the gift of evangelism and be introverted. It may scare you to death. It doesn't mean you'd go door to door or buttonholing people in the airport. You may have the gift of evangelism but your personality is introverted and so it's going to show up in different ways. Many of you have this gift you just don't know it. You have a real heart to share Christ with other people but you haven't learned to share in ways that are consistent with your personality.

Faith (1 CO 12:9)

1 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.

The ability to trust God for what cannot be seen and to act on God’s promise, regardless of what the circumstances indicate. The willingness to risk failure in pursuit of a God-given vision, expecting God to handle the obstacles.

How do you know if you've got the gift of faith? You love to take risks. It doesn't threaten you to go out on a limb because you realize that’s where the fruit is. Another thing about the gift of faith is you have the ability to persevere. God calls us all to have faith but some people have the gift of faith. We're all to have faith, but some people have the gift of faith to believe God in greater amounts than others.

Giving (Romans 12:8)

Romans 12:8 NLT

The ability to generously contribute material resources and/or money beyond the 10% tithe so that the body may grow and be strengthened. The ability to earn and manage money so that it may be given to support the ministries of others.

Have you ever been around a person with the gift of giving? You never have to tell them that giving is a part of the Christian life. It's automatic.

Typically, people with the gift of giving are the happiest people around. I love to be around them. They're happy, joyful, cheerful. Often they're very successful in business. Some people have the ability that everything they touch turns to gold. And then they just give it away. They make a lot of money, and they give a lot of money. (ILL - Bob)

Healing (1 CO 12:9, 28)

1 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.

1 Corinthians 12:28 NLT

The unique God Given gift that certain members of the body of Christ possess which enables them to serve as intermediaries used by God to bring healing and restore health in people.

Not everyone gets healed on this side of heaven, but these people haver the ability to pray intently for people to be healed.

Hospitality (Romans 12:13)

Romans 12:13 NLT

13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

The ability to make others, especially strangers, feel warmly welcomed, accepted, and comfortable in the church family. The ability to coordinate factors that promote fellowship. You feel comfortable around these people.

If you've got the gift of hospitality, you ought to immediately sign up to be a greeter. That's one thing you could do immediately.

Intercession

The ability to pray for the needs of others in the church family over extended periods of time on a regular basis. The ability to persist in prayer and not be discouraged until the answer arrives. You need to be on the prayer team.

Knowledge (1 CO 12:8)

1 Corinthians 12:8 NLT

8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.

The special ability to seek out, gather, organize, and clarify facts and ideas on a number of diverse subjects related to the Word of God in an effort to increase one’s knowledge.

Leadership (Romans 12:8)

Romans 12:8 NLT

The ability to clarify and communicate the purpose and direction of a ministry in a way that attracts others to get involved. The ability to motivate others, by example, to work together in accomplishing a ministry goal .

Here is a test that will let you know if you are a leader. Is anyone following you?

Mercy (Romans 12:8)

Romans 12:8 NLT

The ability to detect hurt and empathize with those who are suffering in the church family. The ability to provide compassionate and cheerful support to those experiencing distress, crisis, or pain.

The best example of somebody with the gift of mercy would be the Good Samaritan. Remember the story. He just came, picked up the guy at the side of the road, took him to the local Holiday Inn, left his American Express Card, said, "Whatever it takes I'll pay for it and cover it.

These people know how to empathize.

Miracles (1 CO 12:10, 28)

1 Corinthians 12:10 NLT

1 Corinthians 12:28 NLT

The special gift that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to serve as intermediaries whom God uses to perform powerful acts that edify him. The ability to pray in faith for incredible results.

Music

It's very clear in scripture that music is a spiritual gift. He talks about it in the Temple worship. God gifted certain musicians to play instruments, certain musicians to sing. The ability to celebrate presence through music, either vocal or instrumental, and to lead the church family in worship. It's obvious if you've got that gift.

Pastoring (Eph 4:11-13)

Ephesians 4:11–13 NLT

The ability to care for the spiritual needs of a group of believers and equip them for ministry. The ability to mentor a small group into spiritual growth and assume responsibility for their welfare.

The word "pastor" in Greek literally means "to lead and to feed".

Praying in or with my Spirit (1 CO 12:10)

1 Corinthians 12:10 NLT

The ability to pray in a language understood only by God or one who is given the gift of interpretation at that time.

It is for personal edification or to build yourself up.

1 Corinthians 14:4 NLT

4 A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

How many of you need to be strengthened? All of us.

Preaching ( 1 CO 14:3)

1 Corinthians 14:3 NLT

3 But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.

This has also been called prophecy. The ability to publicly communicate God's Word in an inspired way that convinces unbelievers and both challenges and comforts believers. The ability to persuasively declare God's will. People with this gift are obvious. It's a very public gift.

1 Corinthians 14:3 NLT

3 But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.

Preaching should strengthen, encourage and comfort you.

When people who have this gift speak, God's blessing is obvious. They help us recognize what God's doing in the world and a real important thing: their life is consistent with their message. It doesn't bother them at all to just stand up and say, "This is the right thing to do whether anybody agrees or not.

Service ( Romans 12:7)

Romans 12:7 NLT

7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.

The ability to recognize unmet needs in the church family, and take the initiative to provide practical assistance quickly, cheerfully, and without a need for recognition. These seem to have spiritual antennae that are alert. When they see a need they immediately move into action and take the initiative.

Teaching (Eph 4:12-13)

Ephesians 4:12–13 NLT

12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

The ability to educate God's people by clearly explaining and applying the Bible in a way that causes them to learn. The ability to equip and train other believers for ministry.

A person with this gift makes things real simple so that you go… oh yea I knew that… Charles Stanley.

Tongues (1 CO 12:10; 14:1-4)

1 Corinthians 12:10 NLT

This is the special ability to speak in another language a message that has been give to you by God through a divinely anointed utterance. It will always be accompanied by an interpretation.

“Tongues” can be an evidence of being “filled with the Spirit,” but are not the primary evidence (Acts 1:8, 2:1-11, 4:31).

Tongues Interpretation (1 CO 12:10)

“This is the special ability to make known in English the message in tongues.”

Wisdom (1 CO 12:8)

1 Corinthians 12:8 NLT

8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.

The ability to understand God's perspective on life's situations and share those insights in a simple understandable way. The ability to explain what to do and how to do it.

We might look at these people and go, wow they have real insight.

We have sped through these so you look at them and just see which ones you think you may have.

We've gone through this very quickly and some of you say, "I still don't know my gift!" That's not the purpose of doing this right now. The purpose was just to identify what they are. A year from now you're going to have a better understanding what your gift is than today. Because you learn it through trial and error in getting out and seeing it affirmed from other people.

We've just covered the "S" of SHAPE. We've got four more things to cover tomorrow night: Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experiences. I want you to review this list. Talk to a couple of people if you can, asking, "Which of these do you think are in evidence in my life in seed form?" Maybe they're not fully developed.

After you've got a general idea -- you're not sure but you think you have these certain gifts -- list the spiritual gifts you're most certain your have in order. "The one I feel the best about ..." Write that down as number one.

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