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Aug 16, 2011

Spiritual Gifts

Gabe Gilliam

During our August 14^th worship service, I tried in my message to illuminate God’s vision for the use of spiritual gifts within the church.   Using the metaphor of music, two main points emerged: (1) The Divine Composer has placed a song in your heart, and (2) The Divine Composer doesn't want you to play alone.  The first point was a reminder that, in God’s economy, everyone who has the Spirit of God also has a spiritual gift from God. The second point was meant to reinforce the idea that our gifts should be used harmoniously in and for the community.  But, with the limited amount of time we had during that service for such a vast topic, two big questions went unaddressed: What are the spiritual gifts? How can a person know what spiritual gifts she or he has?  Those two questions, when answered appropriately, can set a person free to make music for the glory of God and the common good.  As a disclaimer, I have to tell you that many issues concerning spiritual gifts are disagreed upon and so I am going to offer you my take on scripture.  I encourage you to further explore this topic on your own.

What Are the Spiritual Gifts? Let’s turn first to a few scriptures that offer listings of spiritual gifts (all from New International Version).

Romans 12:6-8

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

GIFTS LISTED: Prophecy, service, teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership, and mercy.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10

8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

GIFTS LISTED: Wisdom, special knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, tongues, and interpreting tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:28

28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.

GIFTS LISTED: Apostle, prophecy, teaching, miracles, healing, helping, guidance, and tongues.

Ephesians 4:11-12

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

GIFTS LISTED: Apostle, prophecy, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

What Can We Learn from These Scriptures?(1) Apparently, there is not an exhaustive list of spiritual gifts. Paul authored all four of the lists above and they all have similarities but some offer more gifts and some offer less. (2) We can look to these lists for guidance on some common gifts that God gives out, but we should not be disappointed or feel left out if we do not have a gift from the lists above because it is possible that we have a gift that isn't mentioned by Paul.

So, if there is not an exhaustive list, what else can be called a spiritual gift?  I think two ideas can help us solve this. (1) The Greek word for spiritual gift is charismata.This word essentially means a “manifestation of grace.”  If we use the definition of purpose for spiritual gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12:7, then anything that helps to graciously build up the Church can be a spiritual gift. (2) In Exodus 35:30-33, a man named Bezalel has been chosen to work on the temple and he is described as being full of the Spirit of God with the gift of craftsmanship.  I think this shows the open-ended nature of spiritual gifts. 

Conclusion.  While we are offered a very thorough list of spiritual gifts from the scriptures above, it is not exhaustive. I think, like Bezalel, some peoples’ gifts are artistic in nature.  Whether it is music, writing, painting, dance, etc., I think God has given us artists as a manifestation of His grace. I also think he gives certain people great business acumen that allows them to earn money so they can give to the church.  But, such people can also give wisdom to the church on how it should handle its resources. I could keep naming gifts that are not listed but I hope you get the idea. Whatever talents and training you have that energize you and make you tick, should be viewed as gifts from God that you should use for His glory and the common good. We are often misled when we think of anything in life as spiritual or non-spiritual, which leads us to view some gifts as spiritually-geared while others are just for work, home, etc. All of life is spiritual and so all gifts can be used to accomplish spiritual things.

How Can I Know What Spiritual Gifts I Have?  While there are some great resources that I will point you to in a moment, I want to give you the opportunity for a self-assessment. Below, you will find a list of the gifts from the scriptures above. For each gift, I will provide a definition and then some adjectives that describe these gifts. Read through them and try to find yourself in the gifts below.

Apostle - entrepreneurial leaders that start new God-movements.  Self starters, risk takers, strong leaders, inspirational.

Prophecy - not necessarily foretelling. Usually truth-telling.  Passionate about obedience, unafraid of conflict, strong-willed.

Evangelist - wholeheartedly focused on preaching towards conversion.  Obsessed with lost people, passionate about preaching truth.

Pastor - someone who loves to care for and shepherd the community.  Compassionate, extroverted, loves community groups.

Teacher - equipping the Church towards Biblical and theological literacy.  Loves to study, loves God’s word, driven to go deeper.

Service - willing to do often behind-the-scenes, tedious work to get things done.  Humble, compassionate, willing to work behind the scenes.

Giving - someone who is very generous with all of their resources.  Hold resources loosely, empathetic towards the needs of others.

Exhortation - passionate about motivating Christians towards Holy living.  Willing to speak up, passionate about true discipleship.

Leading - someone who loves to take charge and ownership.  Willing to take responsibility, leans towards taking action.

Mercy/Helps - focused upon justice and hope for the needy, sick and poor.  Great compassion and empathy, hates to see suffering.

Wisdom - capable of applying Biblical truth to everyday problems.  Thoughtful, vulnerability in sharing, a great deal of experience.

Knowledge - ability to hear God’s solutions for specific issues.  Like a teacher, constantly seeking answers, able to contextualize.

Faith - inclined towards extreme resolve in the face of life’s issues.  Not easily swayed, not emotionally motivated, steadfast.

Healing/Miracles - rare gift that allows the person supernatural abilities.  The evidence of this ability is obvious.

Discernment of Spirits - the ability to detect true heart motivations and intentions.  Wise, able to look past pervading sentiment, very clear vision.

Administration - able to govern and oversee systems and people.  Detail-oriented, strong organizational skills, system builder.

Tongues - divine and seemingly unintelligible language that glorifies God.  Love of worship, prone to unknown utterances during worship.*

Interpretation of Tongues - able to translate the unknown utterances.  God speaks to you through others, able to find divine meaning.*

* These last two gifts can be especially controversial because of differing theological understandings of the Biblical passages dealing with them.  With that in mind, it is important to remember that with these two gifts, as is the case with all of the spiritual gifts, edifying the Church and its individual members is the primary objective and the ultimate test for whether they are being manifested according to scripture.

Conclusion.  Did you see yourself in any of these descriptions?  Maybe you haven’t noticed this gift or developed it but the definitions and characteristics sounded familiar.  If none of these gifts seemed to be evident in your life, you need to look at how God has wired and gifted you. Can your art be used for Him? Can your ability of design be used for Him? Athletics? Business? Accounting? Whatever it is, you need to view all of your abilities as gifts from God and see how you can use them for His glory and our good. If you think you posses a certain gift then ask people who know you to confirm this gift. From there, you should intently seek to develop and use your gift often.

If you would like to take an online spiritual gifts:

http://elmertowns.com/spiritual_gifts_test/index.cfm?action=SPQ_instructions

http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi

My hope and prayer for everyone in the body of Christ at Fellowship Dallas (and Fellowship White Rock and Mission Church Forney) will discover and be released and empowered in their spiritual giftedness—for the glory of God and the sake of the Gospel.

Gabe Gilliam, Teaching Pastor and Fellowship White Rock Lead Pastor

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Jun 10, 2011

The Farther...The Deeper

Tommy Shelton

Henri Nouwen said, "The farther the outward journey takes you, the deeper the inward journey must be."  He was referring, on at least one level, to the spiritual journey taken by a person's soul over a lifetime.  This truth is one of those fundamentals of reality--similar to a law of physics--for which we can find almost endless examples of its application.

• The larger the body of water, the longer it takes to freeze solid enough to walk across.
• The deeper the wound, the more stitches required to mend it.
• The longer the span distance of a suspension bridge, the more securely anchored the cables must be on either side of the expanse.
• The heavier the load, the more strength it takes to bear it well.
• The farther the reach of a tree's branches, the deeper its root system must be to sustain it.
• The longer we refuse to forgive, the greater the bitterness will become.
• The taller the wine glass, the larger its base must be to keep it from falling over too easily.
• The harder one team pulls in tug of war, the more dug in the heals of the opposite team must be in order to resist.

These examples help us see Nouwen's point.  The more "outward" I am as a person and the "farther" that takes me away from myself alone before God (i.e., the more visible I am, the more in the spot light I am, the more people I interact with, the greater the influence I hope to have, the more responsibility I have, the busier I am, the more commitments I make, the greater the demands on my time and energy, the more exposed I am to the world, etc.), then the more important it is for me to balance all of that external expression and experience of myself by maintaining an ever "deeper" relationship with God in the most "inward" part of myself (i.e., my soul), that place where I in silence and solitude examine myself before God--my motives, my thoughts, my dreams and longings, my hurts and disappointments, my gains and my losses, my relationships, etc.--and I ask God what He thinks about all those and what He wants to give me or what He wants me to do relative to them.  I pray and listen to God, I meditate on scripture, I journal, I confess, I receive from Him, I literally re-mind myself of who He is and who I am in Him.  I let this time with God refresh, reform, correct, comfort, guide, and encourage me and then I go back out there to fight another day.

I am describing what is called the contemplative life.  It is harder and harder to live it in today's fast paced, high tech, over saturated, over stimulated, and easily accessible world.  But, it is more and more important than ever to do it.  I do not do it enough, but I am more and more drawn to it.  My soul knows how essential it is and the Holy Spirit is telling my spirit to stop, get still and quiet, and let God have His way with me.  The Bible gets at this in many of its stories and teachings.  Here are a few:

• “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:27-29
• "Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'” Mark 6:31
• "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" Mark 8:36
• "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." John 15:4-6
• "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied." Acts 9:31
• "I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me." Acts 20:23
• "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience." Hebrews 4:11
• "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him." Psalm 37:7a
• "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10a
• "My heart is not proud, LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content." Psalm 131:1-2
• "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. For you created my in most being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any hurtful way in me, and led me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:1,13,23-24
• "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23

Stop and get still and quiet for at least 30 minutes this weekend. Consider the balance or lack thereof between how far your outward, external life is taking you and how deep or shallow your inward, soul life is.  Talk to God about it and don't forget to listen to what He says in response.

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Apr 24, 2011

Jesus has risen from the dead and so will we!

Tommy Shelton

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice..."  1 Peter 1:3-6a

May you and your loved ones have a most blessed day today in celebration of the fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins and then three days later rose from the dead.  He is our Savior and Lord offering us forgiveness of sin, relationship with God, and eternal life starting now, if we will just believe it, put our trust in Him and follow Him.

Click here to learn more about who Jesus is.

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Apr 19, 2011

Tonight is Passover

Tommy Shelton

A friend of mine just sent me this...

Just a reminder that tonight is Passover. At sundown, our Lord, Savior, Rabbi, Older Brother, and Best Friend, would introduce His Body and His Blood to us all in the Communion meal. He would then wash the Apostles feet and devote himself to us. Over the course of the next 24 hours he would be betrayed and deserted by his friends, ridiculed by the priests who were to make him High Priest, spat upon by the subjects who He was to rule as King over. He would have his beard ripped off, thorns driven into his head, his flesh ripped from the bone, even his clothes gambled for. At his lowest they would feed him vinegar as drink, drive nails in his hands and feet, and malign him sarcastically, one last time, as "King of Jews." Worst of all, His Father would even temporarily cut off His son as Jesus yelled, "Oh Father Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me!" All this so that we would never be cut off from our Father and that through Jesus' wretchedness we would receive His Shalom, now, forever, and for all-time. I pray that all of us find the time to Commune with Him tonight, taking His Body, and washing in His Blood. Also, during this whole week of Passover, Feast of First Fruits, Days of Unleavened Bread and Easter, I pray that, in this new year in Jesus Christ, we all take every last thing that He died to give us and is dying to give us now! Love in Jesus, the Messiah, our Messiah!

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Mar 23, 2011

The Wildness of God's Grace

Tommy Shelton

Should God be fair in dispensing His grace? How we answer that will reveal something about our own sense of fairness. Check out Teaching Pastor Gabe Gilliam's message last Sunday on the parable of the workers in the vineyard from Matthew 20:1-16. As you read the passage, make the following word substitutions and see how your thinking on the subject might change:

• Substitute "kingdom" for "vineyard"
• Substitute "God" for "landowner"
• Substitute "humanity" for "workers"
• Substitute "grace" for "denarius" or "money"

There were 3 easy to remember take-aways from the message:

1. Be exceedingly grateful for the grace we have received. We need to let go of any sense of entitlement to what we think we deserve over and above another person because we are inside the Kingdom. Our lives are now hidden in Christ and He promises abundant living to all who trust Him, both in this life and the one to come.
2. Be exceedingly grateful for the grace others receive. We need to rejoice (not be envious) over the grace God gives to others and not delight when others get what is coming to them when they fall down.
3. Extend grace to others exceedlingly. Because none of us in the Kingdom get what we deserve but instead get all the riches of God's blessings, promises and inheritance, we can be agents of God's wild grace, joyfully sharing abundantly with everyone.

Anybody got any comments or questions on this? Do you like the idea of God being wild with His grace? Why or why not?

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