Spiritual Gifts: Part 3 "Any ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church." - Wayne Grudem

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1 Spiritual Gifts: Part 3 "Any ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church." - Wayne Grudem 7. DISCERNMENT Overview to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits... 1 Cor. 12:10 From the Greek word diakrisis, meaning, discerning, or judging. Also known as distinguishing the spirits, the gift of discernment is the spiritual capability to distinguish between truth and error, and to identify deception in character and in relationships. Characteristics Discernment is a keen sense of insight that enables someone to recognize potential or actual problems in relationships, imbalance in teachings, the presence of demonic activity, or misuse of scripture. Discernment must be based on knowing Biblical truth. Once this person knows the truth, they can clearly pick out problems or important steps that need to be taken. This is a spiritual gift, and is more than simply being a discerning person in the general sense. The basic meaning of discerning has to do with separating out for examination and judging in order to determine what is genuine and what is not. Some call this gift The Spirit s watchdog. Jesus and the Gift of Discernment Jesus was very discerning. He tells his disciples, This kind of demon only comes out through prayer and fasting (Mark 9). Jesus tells Peter Get behind me Satan (Matthew 16:23). Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him (Matthew 26:25). Jesus was able to discern the spiritual situation of the women at the well (John 4). Cautions Many of us have known people that are very discerning and perhaps gifted, but what they do with that discernment is far from God's desire. They have great insight, but then take on the role of the Holy Spirit to expose and correct problems in the other person's life on their own time schedule. If you have this gift, learn to use it skillfully by seeking help from others who are gifted in wisdom, counseling, and shepherding. Some who have this gift can easily deteriorate into a critical, proud, and self- righteous spirit. It can be judgmental instead of corrective when it is imitated in their own effort. But rightly used it is a great protection to God s people.

2 How to Use Your Gift As the Spirit s watchdog you ll want to employ your gift to protect other believers in Jesus. This means lovingly voicing concerns about issues that cause your discernment to buzz. Whenever you voice these concerns with others, be sure that your motivation is for the betterment of God s community and not simply a personal annoyance. Also, this gift is fueled by knowledge of the Bible, so one of the best things you can do to nurture this gift is to dedicate yourself to ongoing Bible training.

3 8. EVANGELISM Overview It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up Eph. 4:11-12 From the Greek: euangelistes, meaning herald or Gospel proclamation; evangelism is the spiritual leadership gifting in which a person has the capability to effectively communicate the message of the Gospel to non- Christians. The evangelist also has the ability to motivate and equip other followers of Jesus to practice evangelism. Characteristics A person with this gift has a strong desire to turn conversations to spiritual matters and has an instinctive ability to do this. The evangelist's desire to share the Gospel with non- believers is often greater than being involved with the grounding and discipleship of believers. While all Christians are called to share their faith with non- believers (1 Peter 3:15). The non- gifted witnesser will probably see fewer results and be less "at home" sharing the Gospel than a gifted evangelist. The evangelists in this sense, According to Eph. 4, are here to equip the saints This is very interesting phrasing. We are all called to evangelize; it is the job of the evangelist to equip the saints for ministry. That is, to teach and motivate others to share their faith as well. Jesus and the Gift of Evangelism In John 3, Jesus shares the gospel with Nicodemus. In Luke 19:10, Jesus explains, the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost. In the New Testament, the phrase bringing good news in the Greek means, bringing the Gospel; or evangelism (literally gospel- ize ). This phrase occurs 10 times in the book of Luke; 6 of which speak of Jesus. Cautions Evangelism is such an important aspect of the Christian life, but it is not to be viewed as an end in itself. Be careful that you do not simply help non- Christians come to faith, but also help them get rooted in the faith through discipleship. Be cautious of hit and run evangelistic approaches that neglect Paul s goal to present everyone perfect in Christ (Col. 1:28) and Jesus command to make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20). Be careful that a critical spirit doesn't emerge because other believers aren't speaking to three to five people per week - that is gift projection. You can be hard on others when you don't see them expressing themselves with the same intensity in the areas that you've been gifted.

4 How to Use Your Gift According to Eph. 4 the spiritual gift of evangelism is a leadership gifting used to equip other believers to do ministry. While it is important that you use your gift to further the Kingdom of God, you must also be concerned about taking others along with you, modeling and training the importance of evangelism.

5 9. LEADERSHIP Overview 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. Romans 12:8 From the Greek proïstemi, meaning superintend, protect, or govern. Leadership is the spiritual capability to instill vision, to motivate, and to direct people to accomplish the work of the ministry. Characteristics A person with this gift is a "goal setter" in the church. They often sense the direction in which God wants to move the body of Christ. They can then motivate people to move in that direction. Gifted leaders think about and communicate the potential they see in other people. This gift is needed in any effective ministry. The word for leadership is also translated govern, watch over, protect, or superintend. So there is also an aspect of caring, serving, and loving in the gift of leadership. Being a leader does not always mean being the head honcho, instead it means using your gift to serve others by leading them towards Godliness. Being a leader is a gift that comes with great responsibility because you will have to give an account to God for how you used it. If you are a leader, you are called to be the example of what you are leading people to. In 1 Tim. 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-9, Paul gives the criteria to be met in order to be a leader of the Church, which includes deacons and elders. Jesus and the Gift of Leadership Jesus was certainly a leader. He led his disciples from average guys to revolutionary church leaders. Jesus could cast vision with clarity, simplicity, and directness (Mark 1:15), He was a strategic team builder (Mark 1:19, Matt. 4:18-22), He empowered others (Mark 1:41,45, Matt. 28:18-20) and he demonstrated authority (Mark 1:23-25, 4:41).

6 Cautions Realize that good relationships give leaders credibility. People need to have the sense that you have their best interest at heart, that you walk with God and that the vision you have is not of your own concoction. This gift will be proven over time; there needs to be proven faithfulness here. Leaders need the ability to keep moving in the face of put- downs and doubt. Because this is a very visible gift with lots of feedback being given, you'll have to be keenly aware of your motivations for service. You will be tested in this area through success as well as failure. God will want to help you become consistent and diligent in either situation, relying on Him. There may be a strong tendency to draw people to you rather than to God. Also, be careful not isolate yourself as a leader. Good leaders build teams. As Rick Warren says, All great leaders are great team builders. In fact, if you don t have a team, you re not a leader. You re a loner. How to Use Your Gift Those with the gift of leadership must continually build trust and display faithfulness to others in their role. To begin using this gift, prove your faithfulness by demonstrating consistency in attendance and servant hood. After demonstrating this, speak with a spiritual leader about your gifting. Pursue leading ministry trips, Life Groups, Bible studies, or other such activities. As you continue to grow in these areas, more leadership opportunities will be presented to you. Also, you need to recognize that this gift, like all Spiritual Gifts, is intended for serving. Jesus explains that the leaders of this world and those who are leaders in the church are to be different in Matthew 20:25-28: You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.