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Resources for You Are Who GOD Says You Are: 8 Steps to Overcoming the Past
page 81, question 5 — Seeking to know more about Spiritual Gifts?
NEW STUDY : Spiritual Gifts
By Pastor James Black | July 2, 2008
The Foundation to Spiritual Gifts
Romans 12:1-8
In the introduction to Romans 12 Paul reminds us that these gifts are not by or of our own ability. Everything we do as Christians must be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be truly effective.
I- Presentation, v1
1- ability, Jer 1:4-5, God formed us with a plan in mind, so He gave you certain talents and abilities to be used for His glory.
2- anointing, Lk 24:49, remember that your gifts are nothing without His power
II- Transformation, v2
1- the heart, I Jn 2:15; a true love guided by the love of the Lord is the first step.
2- the hope, Eph 1:18; you must have an established hope to stay the heart and mind.
III- Humiliation, v3
1- love of God, Rom 5:5; this must be your complete purpose or you destroy God’s power in your efforts.
2- love of others, I Cor 13:1-3; if we do not have the right attitude ALL of our labors are vain.
IV- Association, v4-5
1- union, I Pet 3:8; we are one body in Christ, and called to one purpose.
2- unity, I Cor 12:21; the gifts are given for the edification of the church – there are no disposable members! Without the help of the Holy Spirit we will fail in our relation and service to one another.
V- Authorization, v6-8
1- a gift from God
2- by grace from God
The Formula of Spiritual Gifts,
By Pastor James Black | July 9, 2008
In Ephesians 4:1-8 Paul lays down some principles for receiving our gifts from Christ-
I- Our Guard, v1-3
1- our calling, v1
1- walk worthy – His Spirit cannot anoint someone who is not walking worthy of His Spirit.
2- vocation / invitation- how do you respond to the invitation given to you from the Lord of Glory?
3- calling, Do you know what your gift or position is in the body of Christ?
II- Our God, v4-6
1- The Spirit, v4
2- The Savior, v5
3- The Sovereign, v6
The very foundation of spiritual gifts is the Triune God Himself, saving, securing, and sealing us unto Himself and to His work!
III- Our Gifts, v7-8
In the greek there are three words we use as our word gift-
1- Dorea – a free gift with the emphasis on it’s gracious character, v7 (a gift from Christ)
2- Doma- a greater stress to the character of the gift rather than the benefits, v8 ( a gift of ministry / pastor, teacher, helper, etc. )
3- Charisma- a gift involving grace on the part of God as the giver, I Cor 12:4 ( the dividing according to the will and grace of God for each believer )
The Focus of Spiritual Gifts, I Cor 12
By Pastor James Black | July 16, 2008
Paul writes in this portion of scripture about the diversity of gifts but places the emphasis on the purpose of the gifts.
I- The Evidence of the Spirit, v1-3
1- Idolatry, v2
2- Illumination, v3
To find out if someone is truly spirit led find out what they believe about Jesus – ( find the 7 requirements of faith in Christ in I John)
II- The Equipping of the Spirit, v4-11
1- the gifts, “diverse”
2- the God, “same”
3- the goal, v7
III- The Edification of the Spirit, v12-31
1- One Spirit, v12-13
2- One Body, v14-21
3- One Care, v22-26
4- One Motive, v27-13:13
We are one body in Christ created, saved, and gifted to love, care and guide one another. Spiritual gifts are not given for personal use or gain, but to enable and empower the body of Christ in this world.
The Gift of Prophecy Rom 12:6,9
By Pastor James Black | July 23, 2008
The gift of prophecy is the gift to discern and proclaim the Word of God.
I- The Call
1- created, Jer 1:4-9; When God forms an individual in the womb He has the power to implant in them the characteristics needed to accomplish His will in their life.
2- called, Hebrews 5:1-4; Even though we may have the characteristics, the Spirit of God must call and enable us to do these things.
II- The Comprehension
1- wisdom, I Cor 2:12-14; We must have the Holy Spirit to open to us the Scriptures because we cannot understand them without Him.
2- walk, II Peter 3:18; Since we do not obtain all the wisdom at one time we must continue to walk in fellowship with the Spirit so that we may continue to learn.
III- The Caution
1- pride, Rom 12:3; Remember it is the Spirit that empowers us, not our abilities!
2- power, I Peter 5:1-3; We are sent to minister and lead, not to drive and control.
3- prejudice, James 2:1-4; Jesus said to go unto all the world, not those whom we find worthy. Some of the greatest Christians would have been passed over by man, but not by God.
THE GIFT OF MINISTRY
By Pastor James Black | July 30, 2008
Rom 12: 7,10
I- The Word – di/ak/on/ia
1- deacon, Acts 6:1-4 (from Jewish synagogue) parnasim
1- to feed, nourish, support, and govern
2- a judge, in doctrine and wisdom, to discern and give judgment in sacred and civil matters. Num 11:25; I Cor 6:1-8
3- take care of alms (offerings) collected and distributed to the poor (deacons of the table) v1,2
4- preach and instruct in the Word, (deacons of the Word) v4
5- deaconess, to serve to the women only.
2- relief, Acts 11:29
3- servant, Rom. 16:1
4- administrations, I Cor 12:5
5- minister, Heb 1:14
II- The Work, Luke 10:40-42 “serving”
1- the focus
1- task, 2- obstacles, 3- people, (spiritual and material)
2- the fuss
loss of : 1- purpose, 2- patience, 3- passion
3- the force
1- to serve, v40, an evident need, based on others opinions
2- to study, v42, an eternal need, based on God’s opinion
III- the Witness
1- evidence, Pro 20:11; Matt 7:16
2- eye-service, Eph 6:5-8; Col 3:22-25
3- endurance, I Pet 2:18-20
4- effort, I Tim 6:1; Titus 2:9-10
5- effect, Matt 5:16
The Gift of Teaching
By Pastor James Black | August 6, 2008
Rom 12:7, 11
I- The Theme of the Lesson
1- The Command, Matt 28:19 The command to teach is the command to make disciples. This involves teaching from the pulpit to the pew.
2- The Comforter, John 14:26; I Cor 2:9-13 We must first learn from the Holy Spirit before we can teach others. Teaching is not done in our own power or wisdom.
3- The Call, Eph 4:11-14 The gift of teaching is given to establish the church by the mouth of two or three witness (Deut 19:15)
II- The Heart of the Lesson
1- A Hungry Heart, Heb 5:12; I Cor 3:1-3, One who has the gift of teaching should have a hungry heart for the Lord and His Word. Without hunger there is no growth or vision!
2- A Heavenly Heart, Matt 15:1-6, Teaching is not based on tradition or opinions, it is based solely on the Word of God. We must be in fellowship with the Spirit so that we can understand the Word of God.
3- A Holy Heart, Rom 2:17-24,29; Matt 5:19 Teaching is not only the giving of knowledge, it is the living out the knowledge that we are teaching. Jesus said the teacher who did not live and teach the truth would be the least in the kingdom!
III- The Summary of the Lesson
Ezra 7:10 Prepare your heart before God-
1- To Learn, “seek” We must first seek fellowship with Christ because we cannot teach what we do not know.
2- To Live, “do” We must walk in fellowship with Christ because we cannot teach what we have not experienced
3- To Leave, “teach” We must vision with Christ because we cannot teach what we do not hope.
The Gift of Exhortation
By Pastor James Black | August 13, 2008
Romans 12: 8,12
EXHORTATION, I Tim 4:13
We know what the reading and doctrine are but what is the exhortation? The best definition I can give you is this-
To give reason and purpose to continue, based on the authority and faithfulness of God’s Word. To exhort someone is to give them reason and purpose to continue serving the Lord until He calls us home. The greek word for exhort is parakaleo, it is a base word related to the word parakletos, the word “Comforter” that Jesus used for the Holy Spirit in John 14. Here you have the foundation of the gift of exhortation.
Each gift has a weak spot in the nature of man – ” A spiritual gift without the Spirit is hypocrisy”. In verse 12 we find a connecting verse to remind us of these weaknesses, and the avenues of opportunity.
I- Rejoicing in Hope
1- Salvation, Acts 2:40-41
2- Faith, Jude 3
3- Life, I Thess 4:18 “comfort”
II- Patient in Tribulation, II Cor 1:3-7
1- Source of Comfort, v3
2- Seasons of Comfort, v4; notice that what we receive from the Lord is what we have to share.
3- Strength of Comfort, v5-7; With the trial comes the consolation (paraklesis / exhortation)
For an interesting reading: insert the word exhort / exhortation for the word comfort /consolation.
III- Instant in Prayer
1- Attitude, I Thess 5:14
2- Attack, Heb 3:13
3- Absence, Heb 10:25
4- Agnostic, Titus 1:9
5- Abstinence, I Pet 2:11 “beseech”
Remember in all of these circumstances the objective of the exhorter is to give a reason and purpose to the individual to continue serving the Lord.
The Gift of Giving
By Pastor James Black | August 20, 2008
Rom 12: 8,13
I- The Directive,
1- The Example, Rom 8:32 When God gave His Son everything else became secondary. When we give our soul to Christ everything else we have should also become secondary.
2- The Expense, Matt 10:8 “freely”
3- The Exhortation, Eph 4:28 No longer a thief, but a provider of good.
II- The Discipline,
1- The Strength;
1- purpose, II Cor 9:7 The gift of giving is not only financial, but also efforts of service and help.
2- presentation, II Cor 8:5; I Cor 13:3 The act of giving alone is not sufficient. It also takes the heart and the Spirit to make giving effective.
2- The Spirit;
1- public, Matt 6:1-4 As with the gift of ministry, eye-service is not acceptable.
2- pouting, II Cor 8:5 A grumbling spirit is a grieving spirit to the Lord.
3- passionate, I Jn 3:17; Deut 15:8-11 The Lord’s compassion is reflected by our compassion through the touch of the Holy Spirit.
3- The Selection;
1- the holy, Matt 7:6 We are not to “throw out” to the world just because.
2- the hopeless, II Thess 3:10 We are commanded to be faithful in all things. If a man refuses to aid he is not justified in seeking aid.
III- The Delight,
1- The Return, Ecc 11:1-2, 6
2- The Reward, Lk 6:38
3- The Rejoicing, II Cor 9:12
The Gift to Rule
By Pastor James Black | August 27, 2008
Romans 12: 8,14
The gift of ruling in Romans 12 is the same gift as administrations in I Cor. 12. It is the gift to direct and govern in the affairs of the work of God.
I- Your Crown
1- Portion, I Tim 3:4-5; ruling ranges from the home through the church; everyone has a portion.
2- Purpose, I Pet 5:2-3; what is your purpose in what you do?
3- Position, Acts 20:28; if you are ruling in a spiritual gift you are placed by the Holy Spirit.
II- Your Cost
1- Chief, Matt 20:25-28; the cost of ruling is the cost of serving.
2- Conversation, Heb 13:7; the efforts of your life.
3- Count, Heb 13:17; who has the Lord placed you over in your service for Him? You are responsible to Him for them.
4- Condemnation, James 3:1; the more rule you have the more you are responsible for.
5- Commitment, I Cor 9:17; again you are responsible for the gospel God has placed under your rule.
III- Your Christ
1- His Likeness, Phil 2:6-9; even though Jesus was God and ruler He knew His task was to serve the Father.
2- His Labor, John 13:3-5,12-16; even though Jesus was Lord He became the example of the servant.
The Diligence of Ruling
By Pastor James Black | September 10, 2008
In Jude 1: 3 Jude speaks of the diligence necessary for the truth of the gospel to continue. In our present fast paced society we rarely find people giving diligence to the task at hand. Instead we are doing just enough to get by – sad to say, but Christianity has fallen to same level.
We need to be diligent in our-
I- Objective
1- Search, Heb 11:6; how determined are we in our relationship with the Lord?
2- Success, Phil 3:8; what do we find to be the most important in our lives?
II- Overcoming
1- Past, Phil 3:13-14; we will never accomplish anything for the Lord as long as our focus is backwards.
2- Pitfalls, Heb 12:1; to often we use the old standby “that is just the way I am”, isn’t it time to change some of the things in our lives. God chose to make us NEW CREATURES!
III- Obedience
1- Longings, II Pet 3:14; if we are looking for Christ to return wouldn’t it make sense to get our lives in order.
2- Labor, I Cor 15:58; where are you on your “to do list” from God for your life?
IV- Observations
1- Reflections, Ps 77:6; When was the last time you stopped and reflected (studied) on your life and relationship with the Lord?
2- Reprobates, II Cor 13:5; according to the word of God which column does your life fall into – reprobate or redeemed? Remember it’s not about hearing but about doing!!
V- Obligations
1- Surety, II Pet 1:10; are you doing the job that you have been gifted for, and called to do?
2- Service, II Tim 4:5; is your diligence adequate proof of your ministry?
The Giver of Gifts
By Pastor James Black | September 24, 2008
I Corinthians 12:1-7
In these verses we find that it is the Godhead that decides and describes the gifts necessary for each believer.
I- The Purpose of Gifts, v6
“operations – God”
As God works all things to His will and purpose He directs us in the operations of His will. This direction is by the gifts provided to us for the task at hand.
1- The Potter, Rom 9:20-21
2- The Purpose, Rom 9:22-23
II- The Plan of Gifts, v5
“administrations – Lord”
Jesus Christ as the head of the church determines the calling and distribution of the gifts for the work of the ministry.
1- The Body, – Eph 1:17-23; (v22-23)
– I Cor 12:27
2- The Building, – Matt 16:18
– Eph 2:20-22
III- The Power of Gifts, v4
“diversity of gifts – Spirit”
The Holy Spirit of God is the implanter and empowerer of the gifts to each believer to accomplish the work of the ministry.
1- The Empowerment, Acts 1:8
2- The Evidence, I Cor 12:7-11; Notice that the “manifestation” of the Spirit is given to each believer as his spiritual gift to show forth the witness and power of God working in our lives and our ministry.
The Trinity working together as one calls, saves, secures, seals, strengthens, and supplies us to walk in the will and work of our Saviour. By the gifts given, we are to hold forth the Word of Life to those in need. Remember that “spiritual gifts without the Spirit are hypocrisy”.