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Spiritual Gifts. What God has given you and how to use it. Session 1 Overview. Natural Abilities, Special Talents, Spiritual Gifts Different Lists of Gifts How Gifts are distributed Having a Gift and Evidencing a Gift How many Gifts can you have? How can you figure out what Gifts you have?
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Spiritual Gifts What God has given you and how to use it
Session 1 Overview • Natural Abilities, Special Talents, Spiritual Gifts • Different Lists of Gifts • How Gifts are distributed • Having a Gift and Evidencing a Gift • How many Gifts can you have? • How can you figure out what Gifts you have? • Does your Gift determine exactly how to serve?
Abilities, Talents and Gifts • Abilities: Something you are simply naturally good at and inclined to partake in • Still given by God, just like everything • God created you with them • Can be a hereditary type of thing • Believers AND Non-believers were created by God, so both still have them
Abilities, Talents, and Gifts • Talents: Developed over time and experience • Can be built upon natural abilities • Can simply be developed through work and experience • Are developed by Believers and Non-Believers, because both are working and experiencing things
Abilities, Talents, and Gifts • Gifts: Given by God through the Holy Spirit • Only possessed by Believers • God gives them according to how He best sees fit • Given at the time of Salvation
Different Lists of Gifts • Three Main Sections of Scripture • Romans 12:6-8 • 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 • Ephesians 4:11-12
Misc. Gifts • 1 Corinthians 7:7-8 • Celibacy • 1 Peter 4:9-10 • Hospitality • 1 Corinthians 13:3 • Martyrdom • Ephesians 3:6-8 • Missionary • 1 Corinthians 13:3 • Voluntary Poverty
Distribution of Gifts • The number of, and mix of gifts, is determined by God, not our Spirituality • 1 Cor 12:11,18 • Not competitive, all because of God’s grace. He knows the job at hand, we do not • Romans 12:3-6
Developing a Gift • You can have a gift without developing it • It is more effective as you develop it • 2 Timothy 1:6 • You can have a gift and not evidence it • Or you can fan the flames of what you have been given and allow it to fully develop
Why people don’t develop their Gift • Ignorance that they have one • Don’t know what they have • Don’t know what it is for • Neglect to use it • Out of fellowship with the Lord • Lack of Love for others • 1 Cor 12:1, 1 Pet 4:10-11, 1 Tim 4:14, Jn 15:4-5 • Jn 21:15-17
Can you lose your Spiritual Gift? • Only if you can lose the Holy Spirit… • Implication is that you can allow it to atrophy, but it is still there waiting to be ignited
Why is your Gifting important? • Because we are commanded to serve the church with it • Ephesians 4 • Because time is short, and our areas of gifting is where we are especially designed to be used • You can do other things, but you will not be as effective in them…if you are an eye…don’t be a foot…etc…
How do I figure out what I have? • Problem with tests • Not inerrant • Made by man • Interpreted by man • Taken by man • Built in bias • View on the sign gifts • Specific doctrinal takes on what appears to be an open-ended list of gifts • We still need to pray, and listen to God regarding our gifts • Despite this, we will take a test in this class in order to help
Most Important Thing • It is more important to use what God has given you than it is to know what to call it! • Corollary to this: • Don’t avoid serving others because you are waiting to figure out EXACTLY what your gifting is
Figuring it out without a test • One of the best ways of discerning your spiritual gift(s) is to get involved in a variety of experiences in the church. As you explore the different ministry areas, you will soon discover if you are gifted for these ministries. • LOOK FOR • Ministries that seem interesting and fulfilling • Ministries in which you seem the most effective • Ministries where others seem to affirm your fitness
Figuring it out • Prayer: • The Lord will lead you to an identification of your gift(s) if you allow Him to guide and direct you in all your endeavors. • Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Prov 3:5-6 • If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5
Next Week • In Depth Description and Examples of the Spiritual Gifts and how they might be applied in the local church context • Two Weeks: We will take a Spiritual Gifts Analysis in Class