Diving into part two on the gifts lets ask the question how do you know if you have any gifts? The best way to find out is take a survey. There are several surveys and test that will lead you in the right direction. A web site called Prime Time With God has a test that will get you started. Here is the website: http://www.churchgrowth.org/analysis/intro.php Another test is found in C. Peter Wagner's book called Discover your spiritual gifts. This one seems to list more gifts in the survey so you will have more to choose from. He list 27 gift categories in the survey. One gift he list is Voluntary Poverty. I can imagine the way things are going in the economic category, we might find many more people in involuntary poverty with out a choice
Let me make one thing perfectly clear. This is not a parlor game to gather up all the gifts. This is serious issues. Any one can profess to have the spiritual gifts and brag about it but do they truly have the gifts? Probably not or they have no humility. One should not exalt their selves as possessing gifts and then not know what the gifts are. The above mentioned test or surveys will give you an idea where your strong points are in the gifts list. You can use these surveys to determine where you want to experiment to see if you have the gift or gifts. Consider it a personality profile for spiritual gifts.
One may have a high score in leadership but a low score in pastoring. It means you are good at leading people or organizations in the church but you are not cut out to be a pastor of a church which is a very heavy responsibility. Another may score very high in Worship ( music) but score low in apostle. That means you would do well leading worship services ( music / singing) but may not cut it as a modern day apostle. The one thing you have to do is discuss these results with your pastor (if he is open to the gifts by the church members) or group leaders. If your church has no mentors in gifts it usually means the church has no interest in gifts at all which is sad.
Some gifts have more power ( for lack of a better word) such as healing, miracles, tongues, or discerning of spirits but all are equally important in the Body of Christ as a whole. This is a journey you should take with joy learning of where you fit in with the gifts. Don't be discouraged as it will take time to develop these gifts to their full potential. Asking for God's guidance will certainly lead you in the right direction through your journey. Should you feel uncomfortable in your testing a certain gift, that might be a cue that you are not led in that gift area. Try another one that gives you a better sense or feeling till you find the perfect fit.
The main goal of the gifts is to glorify God for what He has given us through the Holy Spirit. It is an integral part of Christianity that has only recently been rediscovered in serving the Body of Christ. Do not fear the gifts but embrace them with humility and reverence by letting the Lord lead you in their uses.
Later we will discuss more on the gifts and how they effect your faith.
10 comments:
Every morning I wake up is a gift and should be thanking God for everyone of them. I will take a look at the list.
Cheers2You
Forensic:
I am honored. Thanks for dropping by. Yep as I get older and the body parts stop working or have to be push started, I am thankful too just to wake up.
F2...I've seen the showoffs who have gifts become cocky and arrogant (kind of like race car drivers-lol) and lose their effectiveness. People think that breaking the 10 commandments or sex, drugs & alcohol are what God hates, but He gives a list that I never hear a lot about: excessive pride, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up division. If these "gifted" Christians wouldn't practice the above list, the Christian world might have a much better reputation (kind of like NASCAR-lol)!
Anthens:
You are right. I have seen pastors and TV evangelist that are like that. When pride replaces humility, greed and lust replaces fellowship, and envy replaces love of fellow person, we have all the sins that God despises.
Granted there is a lot of sinful worship of material things and exalting of oneself above others, There are many that are humble in their possession of the gifts and service to God.
I wouldn't let the toxic ones in the body of Christ deter me from finding the true Christians and sharing fellowship.
You can't lump all Christians in one basket. Just like a bushel of apples. There is always one that will be a bad apple in a bushel.
I like the material by C. Peter Wagner.
I have a bone to pick with the body of Christ.
According to Ephesians 4:11 apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers are all listed together. Not one is said to be above the other.
Then why is it that the pastor is so prominent ? The Bible does not say that the pastor is the boss over everyone else in that list.
This is something I think that most churches have gotten wrong for a very long time.
Something interesting to think about in relation to all this.
Eaglegirl:
I would think that the pastor is the leader of the flock much like a shepherd over his flock of sheep. He has been assigned to lead as well as being a pastor
He has to also act as the teacher explaining the scriptures so that the flock can understand in his sermons.
In samller churches, he also has to be the evangelist, administrator, and other titles in a given church. In a larger church, others are given the responsibilities. How well they do their responsibilities will reflect back on the Pastor.
In the Church, there has to be a figure head to be held accountable for any given organization and has the ultimate responsibility for failure and success. In the church that is the pastor or minister.
Some pastors are open minded and think out side of the box thus allowing the flexibility to promote Gods will ( not mans will or the church denomination's will).
Other pastors are self centered and not open to sugggestions for improvement thus hold back the purpose of why they were put in such a high position.
Since the beginning of Christianity it has been the custom of having a pastor or leader assigned in a given church. In the beginning it was Paul or one of the surviving apostles that had this responsibility but as the movement grew and the churches spread out to other regions, they could not be the leader every where thus assigning a pastor for one church came into play.
Eaglegirl:
It was the only way for the Christian movement to grow. If people were not put in charge as a leader in a given area after the apostles died or were killed, we may have been worshiping idols or worse today.
Look at when these scriptures were written in the New Testament. Look at when the Bible was formed almost a 200 year spread. Many early teachings were word of mouth for those 200 years.
For Christianity to spread in that time frame the early church needed many to spread the word. Thus the beginning of one anointed to pastor or minister to the congregation.
I don't think any one title is the most important. It has to be the combined group as a whole to make the Body of Christ. Still there has to be a leader and that is the pastor.
Some thing I had dreamed and wished for most of my life but it was not the will of God for me to do that. I am where He wants me to be for now.
Sorry if I offended you. Still, who says the pastor is supposed to be the leader ? I do not see that in scripture. I know I am questioning many,many years of the way things have been done.
I believe that somewhere along the way the church strayed off the path. Maybe too much has been put on the local pastor's shoulders.
I think DJohndow has some good material in his blogs about the 5 fold ministry.
It doesn't mean that I will never go to church again, for there is not much choice in the way things are done. And yes, many good things have been accomplished this way.
I meant to say "the only leader in a church".
Eaglegirl:
No you didn't offend me.As a matter of fact, I welcome opposing views for discussion. It keeps me on my toes. Your question is of an important merrit.Perhaps some one more knoledgeable than I can chime in.
The pastor is not the only leader in the church in most cases. Depends on how large the church is. In many churches you have Deacons and Elders that are the controlling body of the church. They seem to have the absolute power in the church thus having the power to dismiss the pastor should he not carry out his duties apropriately.
Some one has to take the fall and responsibility with in the church. Might say he has to master walking on egg shells as well as give an inspiring message.
Take Care:
Larry
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