How can we Identify How can we Identify and Use Your Gifting?and Use Your Gifting?How can we Identify How can we Identify and Use Your Gifting?and Use Your Gifting?

George Barna took a survey in 1995 to George Barna took a survey in 1995 to determine how many believers knew their determine how many believers knew their spiritual gifting. At that time, four percent spiritual gifting. At that time, four percent of born again Christian believers said they of born again Christian believers said they did not have a spiritual gift. Yet just five did not have a spiritual gift. Yet just five years later, that percentage had shot up years later, that percentage had shot up to twenty-one percent. And in that same to twenty-one percent. And in that same survey, the way people described their survey, the way people described their spiritual gift was quite erroneous (e.g., spiritual gift was quite erroneous (e.g., being a likeable person, patience, survival being a likeable person, patience, survival skills, etc.). skills, etc.).

•What the gifts of the Spirit are What the gifts of the Spirit are not:not:•Fruit of the SpiritFruit of the Spirit•Christian ResponsibilitiesChristian Responsibilities•Natural TalentsNatural Talents•PersonalityPersonality

•Each believer has at least one Each believer has at least one spiritual giftspiritual gift•1 Peter 4:10 says, “1 Peter 4:10 says, “ Each one Each one should use whatever gift he has should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” grace in its various forms.”

• 1 Corinthians 12: 26-27, “If one 1 Corinthians 12: 26-27, “If one part suffers, every part suffers part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”each one of you is a part of it.”

•How I realized how important How I realized how important the body was in Big Bearthe body was in Big Bear•All the body passages also talk All the body passages also talk about the gifts of the Spiritabout the gifts of the Spirit

•1 Corinthians 12:11-12, “All these 1 Corinthians 12:11-12, “All these are the work of one and the same are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them Spirit, and he gives them [the gifts][the gifts] to each one, just as he determines. to each one, just as he determines. The body is a unit, though it is The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.”form one body. So it is with Christ.”

•When a person identifies his When a person identifies his or her gift, there’s a new or her gift, there’s a new sense of responsibility. sense of responsibility.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14: 5 that Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14: 5 that we should use our spiritual gifts “. . . we should use our spiritual gifts “. . . so that the church may be edified.” so that the church may be edified.” The word edify literally means to build The word edify literally means to build up or construct. Paul says a few verses up or construct. Paul says a few verses later in 1 Corinthians 14: 12 “Since you later in 1 Corinthians 14: 12 “Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.”excel in gifts that build up the church.”

GOD’S DIRECTIONS TO ALL HIS PEOPLE: GOD’S DIRECTIONS TO ALL HIS PEOPLE:

WORK TO BUILD CHRIST’S BODYWORK TO BUILD CHRIST’S BODY

““From him the whole body, joined and From him the whole body, joined and held together byheld together by

EVERY SUPPORTING LIGAMENT,EVERY SUPPORTING LIGAMENT, grows and builds itself up in love, grows and builds itself up in love,

as each part does its as each part does its work.” work.” Ephesians 4:16Ephesians 4:16

• People need to develop People need to develop their gifts in an atmosphere their gifts in an atmosphere that’s conducive to that’s conducive to experimentexperiment

•All of the gift passages are All of the gift passages are written to house churcheswritten to house churches•First inscription of buildings First inscription of buildings in 150 ADin 150 AD

THE HOUSETHE HOUSEThe Context of the New TestamentThe Context of the New Testament

Gifts of the Spirit (Eph. 4:8)Gifts of the Spirit (Eph. 4:8)Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:18)Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:18)Priesthood of all Believers (Rev.1:6)Priesthood of all Believers (Rev.1:6)Care for one Another (Col. 3:12-14)Care for one Another (Col. 3:12-14)Hospitality (1 Pet. 4:7,8)Hospitality (1 Pet. 4:7,8)Social Action (Rom. 15:24-27)Social Action (Rom. 15:24-27)

Leo and the gift of teachingLeo and the gift of teachingSmall groups are wonderful Small groups are wonderful places to experiment with places to experiment with spiritual gifts.spiritual gifts.

•My advice is to encourage My advice is to encourage people to first exercise people to first exercise their gifts in the smaller their gifts in the smaller contexts and only later in contexts and only later in the larger gatheringthe larger gathering

•Jesus is the ONE who Jesus is the ONE who gives the gifts. gives the gifts.

CHRIST CHRIST must be the must be the

CENTERCENTER

TeachingTeaching

PRAYER

WORD

GIFTS

CHRISTCHRIST

EvangelismEvangelism

ServiceService

ProphesyProphesyPastoringPastoring

MiraclesMiracles

CounseliCounselingng

TeachingTeaching

PRAYER

WORD

GIFTS

CHRISTCHRIST

EvangelismEvangelism

ServiceService

ProphesyProphesyPastoringPastoring

MiraclesMiracles

CounseliCounselingng

AnythingAnythingBut ChristBut Christ

In The In The CenterCenter

GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN FUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRALFUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRAL

EvangelismEvangelism

RECRUITMENTRECRUITMENTGROUPGROUP

GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN FUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRALFUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRAL

TEACHINGTEACHING

TRAININGTRAININGGROUPGROUP

GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN FUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRALFUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRAL

SERVICESERVICE

LOVE BOATGROUP

GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN FUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRALFUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRAL

COUNSELINGCOUNSELING

SELF-IMPROVEMENTGROUP

GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN FUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRALFUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRAL

DISCERNMENTDISCERNMENTOF SPIRITSOF SPIRITS

DELIVERANCEGROUP

GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN FUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRALFUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRAL

HELPS -SERVICEHELPS -SERVICE

TASKTASKGROUPGROUP

GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN GROUPS BECOME DEFECTIVE WHEN FUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRALFUNCTIONS BECOME CENTRAL

MIRACLESMIRACLES

MOUNTAIN-TOPMOUNTAIN-TOPGROUPGROUP

TeachingTeaching

PRAYER

WORD

GIFTS

CHRISTCHRIST

EvangelismEvangelism

ServiceService

ProphesyProphesyPastoringPastoring

MiraclesMiracles

CounseliCounselingng

•Preach/teach, give a lesson on the Preach/teach, give a lesson on the giftsgifts•Encourage others to read the Encourage others to read the main gift passages (1 Cor. 12; main gift passages (1 Cor. 12; Romans 12; Ephesians 4)Romans 12; Ephesians 4)•Read books on the topicRead books on the topic•Get people thinking about their Get people thinking about their particular gift (s)particular gift (s)

•How many gifts? How many gifts?

•The service gifts include: –Helps (1 Corinthians 12:28)–Service (Romans 12:7)–Giving (Romans 12:8)–Administration (1 Corinthians 12:28)–Mercy (Romans 12:8)–Faith (1 Corinthians 12:9)

•The equipping gifts include:– Exhortation (Romans 12:8)–Wisdom (1 Corinthians 12:8)–Knowledge (1 Corinthians 12:8)–Teaching (1 Corinthians 12:28)–Pastoring (Ephesians 4:11)–Leadership (Romans 12:8)–Apostleship (1 Corinthians 12:28)–Evangelism (Ephesians 4:11)

•The prayer and worship gifts include:–Prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:10)–Tongues (1 Corinthians 12:10)–Interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:10)–Healing (1 Corinthians 12:9)–Miracles (1 Corinthians 12:10)–Discernment of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10)

Some theological persuasions and Some theological persuasions and authors include the additional gifts authors include the additional gifts

of of celibacy, voluntary poverty, celibacy, voluntary poverty, hospitality, missions, exorcism, hospitality, missions, exorcism,

martyrdom, craftsmanship, artistic martyrdom, craftsmanship, artistic creativity and musiccreativity and music. .

•The discovery process The discovery process begins in the context of begins in the context of relationshrelationshipsips

•Experiment with Various Experiment with Various GiftsGifts

•What do you like to do?What do you like to do?

Check the Desire LevelCheck the Desire Level

Greg Ogden writes in Greg Ogden writes in The The New ReformationNew Reformation:: “The “The

central clue to discovering our central clue to discovering our spiritual gifts is to get in touch spiritual gifts is to get in touch

with the spheres of service with the spheres of service that produce a flow of inner that produce a flow of inner joy, excitement and energy.”joy, excitement and energy.”

•Seek Confirmation from Seek Confirmation from OthersOthers

•Using your gifts in daily lifeUsing your gifts in daily life

•Expect God to moveExpect God to move

REFLECTIONWHAT GIFT (S) DO YOU BELIEVE GOD HAS GIVEN? WHY?

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