God Equips His Church

There Are A Variety of Gifts (Gifted)

God has given His people the gifts that are necessary to accomplish His will. Our gifts are not the same in function but are the same in Spirit. This means that we function within the giftedness God has given us with the Spirit of edifying others and glorifying God. It is not the gift that you have that is the measure of a person, it is the gift you have that you give to others that is the true measure of a person.

The gifts that Paul mentions are Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, effecting miracles, prophecy, distinguishing spirits, tongues, interpreting tongues.

wisdom n. — the capacity for rational thought, inference or discrimination (and the application of it). When you have the ability to counsel someone, this is wisdom.

Knowledge n. — the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned. When you can share your experience with others, because you have been there and don that.

(faith) n. — strong confidence in, and reliance upon, someone or something; often with the object of trust understood. When you can stand by someone who doesn’t have faith in themselves and you do. You can encourage that person through your faith in them.

healing (act) n. — the act of providing a cure for something to make a person healthy again; often a miraculous act bringing about perfect health. This can be physical healing through prayer. This can be emotional healing by being a friend.

miracle ⇔ power n. — a miracle especially understood as the manifestation of great power. There are things that you have the power to do that others don’t use that power to help others.

prophecy (ability) n. — the ability to deliver representative declarations of the mind, will, or knowledge of God. This is typically a person that sees things right and wrong. They have a way of leading people in the right direction, and cautioning them from going the wring direction.

Distinguishing Spirits - This person has the ability to read a person like a book. They can tell when they are troubled in their spirit. They can spot a fraud and know when a person is genuine.

tongue n. — any language but often referring to a language one has never studied and a supernatural ability to speak (or be understood) in it.

10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, is to do so [a]as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving [b]by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

There Are A Variety Of Ministries (Giving)

Opportunities for ministry are around us every day. Ministry is simply serving others. This sounds simple but some times it is difficult to put into practice. Our struggle is when we want to be served rather than serve.

23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4 They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5 But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. 8 But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

We need to actively pursue those in need so we can minister to them. This is what we see Jesus doing His entire life. He traveled from town to town, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, helping the poor, teaching the unlearned.

34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’

Jesus calls us to this ministry. When was the last time you______________

There Are A Variety Of Effects (Goodness)

Ministry always has an affect. God uses us to bring about that affect.

There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

One thing we must realize is that when we minister to others, we are being ministered to as well. It is in ministering to others that we experience God in ways that are going to be new to us.

This passage says that God works all things for all people. That includes the person ministering to others. Often you will find that when you seek to be a blessing you end up receiving a blessing. Tell story about going to Peurto Rico. I thought I was going to teach them about how to make disciples. I ended up learning the care, concern, and community from the people. They were the most selfless people I have ever been around. They always put relationship before task.

You see the effect that I thought was going to happen was not the case, but instead I received the blessing