SPIRITUAL GIFTS (12)
There are seven Spiritual Gifts mentioned in Romans:
Rom 12:3-8
4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body , and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. NIV
The Support Gifts – The Gift of Service/Helps – The Gift of Leadership/Administration
- Leadership – guides God’s people to attempt great goals
- Administration – organizes God’s people to accomplish goals
- Service/Helps – enables pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc., to have more time to study and leaders and administrators time for giving the church body purpose and direction
Have you ever stood at the foot of a tall skyscraper and marveled about how the architect every envisioned it? Or pondered how much coordination it took to get it off the ground or keep it from tumbling down? Somebody “saw” that building a long time before construction ever began. Somebody understood the vision and translated it into plumbing, electricity, concrete, steel, glass,…Somewhere far away from the construction site, someone ordered the materials, filed the forms, made the decisions . . . And, of course – the building would have never been completed had it not been for the workers who actually delivered the materials and did the physical labor. To get the job done everybody had to do his or her assigned part.That’s how the church is supposed to work, too.
The support gifts help the church get things done!People with gifts of serving, helps or giving are often called to leadership or administrative roles. Why? Because when people see their dedication to the task, desire to serve and love, and commitment to their church, servant models are asked to take on leadership or administrator roles. Sometimes they fit – sometimes they don’t.
The support gifts help the church get things done!People with gifts of serving, helps or giving are often called to leadership or administrative roles. Why? Because when people see their dedication to the task, desire to serve and love, and commitment to their church, servant models are asked to take on leadership or administrator roles. Sometimes they fit – sometimes they don’t.
- Of the great variety of men’s characters in the Church our method of serving God must depend on our capacities, endowments, position, and opportunities. – (from The Biblical Illustrator Copyright © 2002, 2003 Ages Software, Inc. and Biblesoft, Inc.)
The Gift of SERVICE/HELPS
- This if the gift of giving of ones self
- People who are always giving of themselves cause you to be motivated to get your job done
- Their motive is to help others to succeed in whatever their interest is
- They are greatly delighted in giving of themselves to serve when they see that the other person is investing their life in worthwhile projects
- They can become very grieved when they see the person whom they are serving squandering their time and wasting it on minute things
- They are willing to invest service into your life in order to help you get what you want out of life, and then you in turn, are going to be motivated to do more
The word translated service is diakonos, the word from which we get deacon.
The first deacons were selected to wait on tables and serve the widows in the church. By assuming these duties, they ensured the apostles had ample time to study and pray in preparation for preaching and teaching.
When servants and helpers do not use their gifts, those with speaking and leading gifts usually pitch in to help. However, the body suffers from lack of nourishment when preachers, prophets, teachers, and exhorters do not have time to prepare. The body also suffers when leaders and administrators do not have the energy to provide leadership and guidance because they spend most of their time completing tasks no one else will do.
Characteristics of the gift of SERVICE/HELP
- They have a joy in serving when it will free others to do more important things
- They disregard their own personal health and comfort in serving others
- They find it difficult to say “no” which results in a variety of involvements and a tendency to get sidetracked
- They have a special enjoyment in providing for physical needs and comforts, and have a remarkable ability to remember likes and dislikes of others
- They need sincere appreciation to confirm that their service is necessary and satisfactory and desire clear instructions (without time limits).
- They have a strong desire to be with others, thus providing more serving opportunities.
- They enjoy short-range projects but have a tendency to become frustrated with long-range responsibilities.
- Often they feel inadequate and unqualified for spiritual leadership.
- They have an alertness (discernment) to detect and meet practical needs. They especially enjoy manual projects.
- They desire to meet needs as quickly as possible
- They possess the physical stamina to fulfill needs with a disregard for personal weariness
- They are willing to use personal funds in order to avoid delays.
- They are able to recognize sincere appreciation and to detect insincerity
- They accept responsibility for jobs with evidence of unexpected extra service
- They are frustrated when time limitations are attached to jobs
In addition to my own material I have included quotes from the following:
- C. Peter Wagner “Your Spiritural Gifts”
- Gordon Lindsay “All About the Gifts of the Spirit”
- Adult Education and Discipleship Ministries – FBC – Garland “Gifts are for Giving”
- Biblesoft Libraries
- Sandy Trice
- David Francis
Today's Word From God 
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