How to Be a Gift to Others

First, Understand God’s Heart Toward Us

I want to talk about the Spiritual Gifts that God has given to us. They are really amazing! But before we open up that discussion, I want to share a short story. My Dad retired from General Electric. He was a service repairman and traveled all over the area fixing washers, dryers, dish washers, and stuff. When I was a young boy, I remember tagging along with him on Saturdays down to a washateria in Dansville so he could earn some extra cash. I got to tag along with him on these trips. These were the commercial machines and when we got there, Dad would grab his tool bag and we’d go in. I offered no advice. I offered no assistance. My interest was to be with Dad and the soda machine that had those glass bottles lined up vertically. Among the choices was orange soda…my favorite. Best of all (as I remember), Dad had the key to the machine. Dad didn’t have me along to offer knowledge or strength. I was there out of relationship and his graciousness to me. You know where I’m going with this?! As we discuss the gifts of the Spirit, we need to remember that: #1 – You are a gift that God loves unconditionally #2 – God doesn’t need us, but He wants us to be involved in His mission. It is a blessing to be involved in what the Father is doing. So, with that in mind, let’s begin to look at the gifts that He has given us.

What Are the Spiritual Gifts?

Today we are going to dive into Spiritual Gifts specifically; so, a good place to start would be in Romans:

Romans 12:6–8 NIV

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; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 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.

These are often called the “Motivational gifts” Now let’s jump to 1 Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 12:7–11 NIV

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 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. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

These gifts are called “The Spirituals” and are often broken down into 3 groups: revelation, power, and speaking. A third group of gifts is what is called the 5-fold ministry:

Ephesians 4:11–13 NIV

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

I believe that we are living in a time when the 5-fold ministry is under attack by the devil. He would like nothing more than to destroy the very gift that Jesus gave to the Church to build up, reach unity, gain knowledge, and become mature like our Savior Jesus Christ. As you can see, we have been given amazing gifts!

How To Be a Gift to Others

Whether we are going into a new job, meeting the in-laws for the first time, or moving into a new neighborhood we try to figure out where we fit in. Church is like that too. Each of us have unique SHAPES that bless the body of Christ. Your SHAPE describes the unique design and talents (Jer. 1:5)

Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experience

You are a gift to the church. Christians can make 2 big mistakes; (1) they focus on the gift and give the individual undue importance, or (2) they ignore the spiritual gifts because they are afraid of the ‘supernatural’. So, let’s try to clarify it.

Your Gifts Empower the Church for God’s Mission

Over the years in our discipleship classes we’ve said, “The gifts of the Spirit are given for the COMMON good.”

God said to me, "I am going to evangelize China, and if you will walk with me, I will do it through you." - J. Hudson Taylor

The Gifts of the HOLY SPIRIT are abilities given supernaturally by the Holy Spirit to the Church, the body of Christ. Just as a nose, a hand and a foot have different roles in the physical body, God gifts members of the Church to function differently within the Body of Christ.

Look at the diversity and imagine the benefits of these gifts:

Prophecy

Prophets

Service (relationship practicality)

Teaching

Exhortation

Giving

Leadership

Mercy

Wisdom

Knowledge

Miracles

Faith

Discerning of Spirit

Tongues

Interpretation of Tongues

Evangelist

Pastor

And more… this list is not all inclusive

Imagine the wonder of the Church operating with our Spiritual Gifts. We would be a church filled with power!

Be Humble, Gifts are Not About You

Some Christians mistakenly think that it would be amazing if they operated in a specific gift. It would give them a superpower. Don’t forget the warning that Peter gave to Simon the Sorcerer. Simon had become famous in Samaria for his magic but when he heard the Gospel message he believed and was baptized but he became fixated on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and wanted to ‘own it’.

Acts 8:18–23 MSG

When Simon saw that the apostles by merely laying on hands conferred the Spirit, he pulled out his money, excited, and said, “Sell me your secret! Show me how you did that! How much do you want? Name your price!” Peter said, “To hell with your money! And you along with it. Why, that’s unthinkable—trying to buy God’s gift! You’ll never be part of what God is doing by striking bargains and offering bribes. Change your ways—and now! Ask the Master to forgive you for trying to use God to make money. I can see this is an old habit with you; you reek with money-lust.”

In the body of Christ, each member belongs to ALL THE OTHERS. When each of us use our gifts in humility and obedience to the Spirit, there is wonderful unity and empowerment.

1 Peter 4:10–11 NIV

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

We have nothing to do with how much ability we've got, or how little, but with what we do with what we have. The man with great talent is apt to be puffed up, and the man with little (talent) to belittle the little. Poor fools! God gives it, much or little. Our part is to be faithful, doing the level best with every bit and scrap. And we will be if Jesus' spirit controls. 

-S.D. Gordon, The Bent-knee Time.

…to be a gift to others…

Be Available to Be Empowered

God’s people are to be prepared for WORKS OF SERVICE.

The power of a ‘YES’. The business world offers this advice about saying ‘yes’.

1. Saying yes makes you a better listener.

2. Saying yes encourages originality.

3. Saying yes empowers teams.

4. Saying yes is risky. Saying no is riskier.

As believers, saying yes to the Spirit…

1. Makes us better listener and we lean it

2. Encourages the originality of the Spirit, not our own desires

3. Empowers Team Church

4. No, changes nothing. “Yes” can change your world…even the world.

Jesus Wants You to Be a Gift to Others

The Spiritual Gifts are an extension of the ministry of Jesus. The Gospel of Luke begins with an explanation that the purpose was to tell of the things Jesus began to do and teach. As Luke writes the book of Acts, he tells of the things Jesus continues to do through the power of the Holy Spirit empowering you and me.

Jesus still wants to reach and save the lost. He wants disciples. He wants to meet human need, and He wants to glorify God. You can be a part of this if you’ll say “yes” to the Spirit.

As I prepared this message, I realized that there is so much more that the Bible has to teach on the Spiritual Gifts. All we can do today is scratch the surface…hopefully, get you hungry for more.

Almost all of the spiritual gifts match up with our SHAPES. For those who have been at Grace for a while, you probably have taken a spiritual gifts survey. I have made some copies available.

One Last Thought on Being a Gift to Others

I used to think that spirituality was seeing a church service that was filled with the prophetic and the miraculous. Don’t get me wrong. I love it when those things take place and we shouldn’t be afraid of the gifts in operation. But…here’s the surprising thing – only a very few of the spiritual gifts occur in the church service.

In fact, if you look carefully at the gifts of the Spirit as they occur in the book of Acts the gifts mostly occur in the marketplace. If you look at the whole gift catalogue of all 24 gifts, you’ll find that the majority of them are occurring in our everyday service to Christ or in the functioning of the body outside of the worship service or in our ministry to the world. Therefore, we are to assume when we come to a service that the Holy Spirit is just limited to working in that service. Then when the church is dispersed the rest of the week the Spirit isn’t working and waits to work again until we assemble. The Spirit is working throughout his body. Every day of the week, seeking to bring his body and his people into wholeness. We need, the church needs the gifts of the Spirit.

Whether we are in the church service or in the marketplace, we are most attractive when we are also operating in the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Imagine what a gift to others you and I are when we are filled with the Spirit!