Grow With Pastor Joe

I want you to imagine with me some of your favorite woodland creatures. I think of ducks, bunny rabbits, a squirrel, perhaps a beaver, or a cute little deer. You pick your own animals, but I’m going to go with these. These cute little animals all get to go to the prestigious Woodland Animal Institute for Higher Learning. Sounds fancy huh? Now, at this school, all of these little creatures are there to learn with one another. Their core classes are running, swimming, flying, and climbing. Now, the duck and beaver are natural swimmers, but to get better at flying and climbing they stop swimming so much, but sadly they just get worse at what they are good at, and they never get good in the other subjects. Well, the deer and the rabbit are as fast as can be. Running is a breeze for them. However, they struggle in the other areas, so they stop practicing their running and focus on the rest. Disappointingly, they never learn to fly or climb and their excellence in running isn’t maintained. Then, the squirrel is a fast little bugger as he climbs up the tree, but the rest he just can’t seem to get. Well, that duck can swim and so can the beaver, but the beaver can’t fly like the duck can. However, that poor duck can’t run, only waddle. All of these students have strengths, but their strengths have grown weaker as they tried to focus on being and doing things that they were never meant to do. These animals had grown envious of the other talents that they lacked and ended up not embracing who they were and what they were capable of. As it turns out, this school isn’t so prestigious. It was a failure because it made these little woodland creatures strive to be something that they weren’t, and it weakened the individuals and the whole class of students. In other words, close that school down.

            I believe that the average Christian spends more time envying the gifts, talents, abilities or “blessings” of others instead of simply being who they are doing what God has enabled them to do by His grace. God wants you to be who and what you are for the good of the church and the glory of Christ. If you are a duck, be a duck. If you are a rabbit, then be a rabbit. If you are a squirrel, then be a squirrel. If you are a beaver, then be a beaver. If you are a deer, then be a deer. When we look at the spiritual gifts that God has given to us by His grace, then there is no room for ego or envy because the gift is a gift of grace. We didn’t earn it by merit. No, our gifts were given by His grace. In the early church, the Apostle Paul had to address this issue. The church at Corinth had all sorts of problems, but one of them was their misunderstanding and misuse of spiritual gifts as seen in 1 Cor. 12-14. In 1 Cor. 12, we especially see the issues of misunderstanding and misusing spiritual gifts. In today’s passage of Rom. 12:6-8, Paul is not going to dive into a deep study of each gift (and there will be differences in the list here than the one he gives in 1 Cor. 12). Instead, Paul is simply going to exhort each believer to live up to their responsibility to use these gifts of grace within their relationship to Christ and the church. This passage is a call to faithful obedience and calls us not to focus on the gift as much as we are to focus on the grace of God, good of the church, and glory of Christ in all that we are and do. Rom. 12:6-8 says, “⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; ⁷ Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; ⁸ Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.” Today, we will look at the function of spiritual gifts within the life of the local church through this passage. In this passage, we will see the gifts dispensed, discerned, and displayed. God wants you to understand and use the gift that He has given to you for the edification of the local church. God is calling us to participate in His work. Now, all of this must be viewed in light of Rom. 11:33-12:5. If we don’t get that right then we will never function in the fulness of what God has designed for us and desires for us.

            First, let’s look at the gifts dispensed. Verse six tells us in the first part of the verse, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us.” Spiritual gifts are just that. They are spiritual in essence and expression while being empowered by the Holy Spirit. These are not natural abilities, although spiritual gifts are often married to natural talents, but the exercising of them is “of Him, through Him, and to Him.” Your spiritual giftings of grace have their source in God, is sustained by God, and have God as the subject. Your gift didn’t come from you, nor is it by your own abilities and strengths; and most certainly your giftings are not for your glory, but for His glory. These gifts are “according to the grace that is given to us.” The word for grace here is “charisma” (charis is the root word for grace). You didn’t know you were charismatic, did you? The simple idea is that it is a gift of God not based on man’s merit, but God’s providential mission to work in and through us. Grace is the beginning, middle, and end of your story. Without His grace we are nothing and have nothing and can do nothing. These gifts have been dispensed by the Holy Spirit. They are diverse, unique, yet are brought together in united cohesion within the local church as we individually yield to His work in and through us.

1 Cor. 12:7-12 says, “⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

⁸ For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; ⁹ To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; ¹⁰ To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: ¹¹ But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. ¹² For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” You and I don’t have to worry about being overlooked by Him. If you are saved by grace, then you are gifted spiritual gifts of grace for the good of the church and glory of Christ. God entrusted to you what He gave you. Are we being good stewards of it, or like the Corinthians, do we envy more noticeable gifts. God wants you to embrace the gift of grace that He gave you by faith so that you may enjoy it and exercise it while encouraging others to do likewise. Be amazed at His grace, not your gift or others. Be amazed that God’s grace has not only accomplished great things for you in Christ but is now accomplishing things in and through you. If you and I can embrace and exercise our gifts in lights of Rom. 12:1-3 then imagine what God could do through us and in the local church?

            Second, let’s look at the gifts discerned. 1 Cor. 12:1 says, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” God doesn’t want you to be ignorant about your spiritual gifts or how to use them. What God has dispensed to you by His grace through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit may and must be discerned. However, you and I can only understand or discern God’s word, work, and will by His Spirit as we by faith do what Rom. 12:1-3 tells us. If we yield ourselves to Him through presentation and transformation, then we will be able to discern how we are to function with the gifts that He has given to us. As we have seen already, there are a variety of gifts that are vital to the vibrancy of the local church. Each gift is valued by God and must be valued by us. In Rom. 12:6-8, we are given just seven different gifts that have been dispensed by grace but must be discerned and displayed by grace through faith. The following list of gifts is not exhaustive, but they are representative of the different gifts within a local body. By faith, as we examine each one, ask the Lord to help you discern what He has given to you so that you may use it for the good of the church and glory of Christ. Each gift is given by grace through the Spirit and is to be exercised. Paul is calling us to affirmative action. Whatever gift you have, it must be received and exercised in faith. Be faithful to what God has called you to. Let’s now discern each gift and see what God has called us to be and do of, through, and to Him.

One, there is the gift of “prophesying.” The word “propheteia” (from pro = before or forth + phemi = to say or tell) literally means speaking forth or telling before. When we hear the word prophecy, we think about foretelling (telling of the future), but we must remember that the majority of the prophetic is forthtelling (telling of what God has revealed and declared). Prophecy is the preaching of “Thus saith the Lord.” This gift in particular is used in both Rom. 12 and 1 Cor. 12. However, in 1 Cor. 12, it is being used within the context of what we call “sign gifts” (these have ceased and include several gifts – see 1 Cor. 12-13). Here in Romans, it is being used specifically for the preaching of the transformational truths of the Bible, specifically the proclamation of the gospel, grace, and glory of God. Every preacher is called by God to preach forth what God has declared, not what the preacher wants or wishes. All true biblical preaching is prophetic in nature. It deals with the entire man, both inner and outer. True preaching shoots straight at the head, the heart, and the hands of man. Here, we are told that those with this gift must do so “according to the proportion of faith.” The idea is that all preaching must be preaching the doctrinal truth of our faith and practice according to the Bible. Paul later discusses this in a letter in 2 Tim. 4:1-4 saying, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; ² Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” God builds His church through the preaching of the word of God. We need Bible preachers who are willing to simply say, “Thus saith the Lord.”

Two, there is the gift of “ministry.” The word used here is “diakonia” which is where we get the word “deacon” from. The word is a very general term used for all types of services and ministries. Here, this use is not of the office of a deacon, but rather, those who are gifted with a quiet, faithful, and humble desire to serve to the glory of God. True “ministry” is often unknown, unseen, and unnoticed. However, God knows, sees, and takes notice of those who serve others with the right attitude and motivation. Many believe that they have this gift, but it is clear they don’t because they are unwilling to serve; and if they do serve then they must tell you about it. The same word is used in Eph. 4:12 which says, “¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” True ministry is not done by professionals, but by those who have yielded themselves to the grace of God in their life. Every member of the Body of Christ should be in the ministry. Yes, there are those called specifically to the ministry of the word, but all are called to the ministry of the work of God.

Three, there is the gift of “teaching.” The word used is “didasko.” The word is from where we get our understanding of being a disciple and disciple maker. It deals with instruction through teaching and training as seen in 2 Tim. 2:1-2 which says, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” Those who are gifted teachers don’t necessarily have to have a classroom, rather their life is a classroom for others to be educated through instruction and seeing an illustration of the truth being lived out. Not all teachers are preachers or pastors. But all preachers must teach. Teaching is learning the truth for living out of the truth. Teaching focuses on training where preaching focuses on transformation. Both are necessary in the life of the church. There is no living out the truth without first learning it. All teachers are learners, and all believers should be students of the word of God.

Four, there is the gift of “exhortation.” The word used is “parakaleo” which means to call alongside or to stir up. The same word is also used in telling us the ministry of the Holy Spirit as One who comforts and consoles. Those with the gift of exhortation are especially burdened to encourage others through a variety of ways. Everyone should be encouraged by the local Body and also encourage the local Body. As a pastor, I thank God for these individuals. There are few. They are quiet. But their words carry such weight. When I think of encouragers in the church, I think of those who have and are walking with the Lord consistently. They are encouraged by the word, work, and will of God and can’t help but be positive about what God is doing. You might not be able to “do much,” but you can make an eternal impact by encouraging those that you see prophesying, ministering, and teaching and everyone else within the church. You never know what a word of encouragement may do. If it weren’t for those few that are devoted to be exhorters in my life (yes, even in Victory Way) then I would’ve thrown in the towel years ago.

Five, there is the gift of “giving.” This is used in the sense of one who is faithfully and cheerfully giving away all that God has given to them for the use and good of others. I bet everyone at this point goes, “I don’t think I have this gift.” Well, we are all commanded to give and to do so with the right motivation. However, there are those who are gifted givers, not because of their wealth, but because of their hearts. They live with open outstretched hands to God to receive blessings from His grace all to redistribute those blessings to whom they are led to give. God wants all of us to be generous, but there are a select few who seem to be gifted by grace to give themselves away for the good of the church and the glory of Christ. You don’t have to be wealthy to have this gift and ministry, you must only be willing.

Six, there is the gift of “ruling.” It is amazing that everyone feels that they have this gift, isn’t it? Everyone wants to be a chief, not just an Indian. Now, this word is dealing specifically with spiritual leadership and those who are able to carry out the administrative duties within the local church. The question is often asked, “Are leaders born or made?” The answer is yes. I believe that God naturally has given this to individuals, but we must all remember that we are all either leading someone closer to Christ or further from Christ. To be a true leader you must be a true servant. Those that clamor for leadership roles more than likely don’t have this gift. It is, like all others spiritual gifts, imparted and enabled by the grace of God through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is filled with all sorts of examples, but each leader must first be led of God. Here, the leader is to be diligent in the leading, guiding, and protecting of those that are entrusted to their care. The Bible also discusses the need for believers to honor, respect, and follow good leaders, especially within the context of the local church (See Heb. 13:7, 17). Leaders must be diligent in their dependence upon the leading of the Spirit of God and then must faithfully make decisions as led of God.

Seven, there is the gift of “showing mercy.” These are those who have compassion for the ailing and afflicted. Compassion for others is necessary in life, but especially within the local church. These folks are counselors, companions, and compassionate servants during a time of deep need. I always think of my mom when I see this gift. She worked in home-health care for a long time, much of which was in hospice care. It takes a special person to do it. Anyone can do the job, but few can do it with the right attitude of compassion. Compassionate people notice the little things and the little needs. They must do so with cheerfulness. It is compassionless to serve others without cheerfulness. We are to give mercy to the needy with joy.

            Third, and finally, we need to look at the gifts displayed. For this, we won’t look at each one. We must see that the Holy Spirit has graciously dispensed each believer a gift, we then discern it and display it by faith for the good of the church and glory of Christ. The only way that we will display what He has dispensed to us is by grace through faith. The display of our spiritual gifts does not display our goodness, abilities, or talents. No, they display the grace and glory of Christ. Your gifts should not show you off, but Him off. Displaying the gifts of grace are a reminder that all of life is “of Him, through Him, and to Him.” Furthermore, there is no practical displaying of our gifts outside of true consecration and transformation. If you haven’t and don’t consecrate yourself to Him as a living sacrifice, then you’ll never be able to discern or display the gift of grace that He has dispensed to you to use for His glory. As we yield or surrender ourselves to Him, then He transforms us by renewing our mind and motivation. Then, we are able to humbly function in our spiritual gifts of grace in unity, through diversity and mutuality within the local church. We can’t serve the Lord without dependence upon the Holy Spirit and drawing strength from His infinite grace. The displaying and functioning of our spiritual gifts are not done in our power, but in the enabling power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. If you yield yourself to Him, then you can discern and display what He dispensed to you by His grace. All of this brings us to the point that Paul makes in 1 Cor. 13. Sign gifts will cease. And all gifts may be displayed, but if they are done without love then they are worthless. I don’t care what gift you have or what you think you have, if it isn’t done in love then you are hurting the unity, health, and influence of the local church. This is further displayed in Gal. 5 which instructs us all to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh. As we learn to love the word, work, and will of God, then we will be able to live it out by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit who will produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives for the good of the church and glory of Christ.            

So, it comes down to this today. Have you surrendered yourself to Christ? Are you serving Him in your strength or by the Holy Spirit? Do you have an ego or envy about your gift or the gift of others? Have you discerned what God wants you to do and be? Don’t be something or someone that you are not. Embrace, enjoy, and exercise your gift of grace while encouraging others to do likewise. God has dispensed His gift of grace to you, do not diminish its value by disregarding the commands of this passage to function in your spiritual giftedness. The church is counting on you. This community is counting on you. Be who and what you are to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.