By Dr. Richard J. Krejcir
A Biblical Approach to Understanding and Applying that with which God has Called and Gifted You!
Into Thy Word - Into Thy Word's
Spiritual Gifts Discovery Workshop
What Direction are you going?
A Biblical Approach to Understanding and Applying that with which God has Called and Gifted You!
ã 1983, 1987, revised 2001 R.J. Krejcir, Into Thy Word Ministries
What are “Spiritual Gifts?”
A Basic Definition: The word, Spiritual Gift, comes from the Greek phrase chrismata or sometimes referred to as Charisma, and is defined as, "a gift of grace." This means we, as Christians, are given a “favor” or a “special gift” to do the work of ministry on behalf of, and empowered by, our Lord Jesus Christ. In ancient Greek, it was a phrase that a conquering general, giving a gift to the people he had just conquered as a symbol of their dependence upon the conqueror, would use. We are not conquered in spirit, but our Will as a Christian becomes less as He becomes more. Thus, Gifts are also a reminder of our dependence upon Christ as Lord.
In the New Testament, the word is used to describe supernatural abilities given to people in the Body of Christ (1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11) as a special gift of God's grace. They are not earned by us in any way; rather, they are given graciously to us by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of ministry and God’s glory.
Spiritual Gifts are one of two areas of ministry in the church. First are the "assigned offices" such as ministers, elders, deacons, etc. These are the “offices” of leadership roles (Acts 6:1-6; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:5-7; 1 Timothy .3:8; 5:17; James 2:15-16). These leaders must have the appropriate gifts of leadership, as well as the Gift in their area of ministry (1 Corinthians 14: 3-40; Ephesians 4:7-16; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Hebrews 13:17), all working together in love and cooperative unity to manage His Church effectively (see,1 Corinthians 13).
The second area of ministry in the Church is the “Spiritual Gifts” that are assigned to each Believer; we all have at least one. These are the abilities to do a specific function in ministry, to glorify Christ with the display of the attributes of Christ’s character and the parameters of the “Fruit of the Spirit,” in a specific function that strengthens the Church. These include "pastor/teacher" for the minister, "mercy" to those who visit the sick, or “craftsmanship” for those who build the buildings. All of these Gifts synergistically build upon one another to do the operational ministry of the Church. When these Gifts are functioning as they are given to us, we become Christ’s hands and feet in the world.
It is each Believer’s responsibility to find, develop, and exercise the Gifts given to him/her. Some of the Gifts include leadership, teaching, pastoral care, mercy, giving... there are over twenty of them! How we are to behave and interact with one another is governed by the Spirit working through each of us with these Gifts. We must acknowledge our role in the Body; there are no lone wolves in Christ! We have a duty to fulfill, and a role to play. When we refuse to find and use our Gifts, we not only hurt ourselves, but each other and our Lord! The Church is greatly diminished, the work of the Lord given to us is left undone, and opportunities are missed!
Spiritual Gifts are alive and well in the world; to deny their existence is to deny the work of the Holy Spirit! It is comforting to deny Gifts, because then we do not have to respond to His call and duty. We can be prideful, lazy, and conceited in our outlook toward others instead. Of course, this thinking is straight from another source other than the Bible and God's call (Matthew 28)! Satan does not want you to discover your Gifts; he wants you to ignore your responsibility and nurture of one another!
Session One: Understanding God’s call to us with Gifts
Read: Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 7:7;12:4-7; 13: 8-13; 28-30; Ephesians 4:7-12; 1 Peter 4:10
Now that I am a Christian, I get presents?
Well, yes you do; wonderful ones that build you up with growth, maturity, and the Church, as a whole! These gifts keep giving as we give to one another and to the community and world in which we live. A functioning Spiritual Gift is a far greater gift than anything the world can offer.
Question: Did you ever wonder why you are given a Gift?
Answer: To build up the Body!
Open:
This study is designed to give an honest, Biblical, verse-by-verse inductive study into Romans as well as other passages concerning Gifts. You will find that God indeed has a gift--perhaps gifts--for you. He has already given them, and they may be knocking on your door. It is our hope to teach you how to open the door to ministry. By this, we can all function better, stronger, and closer to one another, and be all we can be for Christ’s Glory! We will seek to give you a general overview of Spiritual Gifts. It is our intention to give an honest Biblical teaching of this topic without adding any theological agenda. This is a tough task, as there are so many views on Spiritual Gifts, and it is an emotionally charged subject. There are also many bad and false teachings on this subject, where people read their perceptions and agenda into it without concern to what God is communicating to us.
Romans 12 and Spiritual Gifts
The General Idea: The term, Spiritual Gifts, (“pneumatikovß / Pneumakitos” spiritual and cavrisma / Charisma for gift in the Greek, is mostly used by Paul except in 1 Peter 4:10) means, “abilities characterized or controlled by the Spirit, given by Grace." This subject usually brings a response from Christians from all walks of life and from many Denominations. Some are passionate with excitement, desiring to discover and use their Gifts, while others hide for fear of being convicted to do so. What does the concept of Spiritual Gifts mean? The term means "a gift of Grace." It literally refers to a specific favor or special gift given to a Believer (Romans 5:15; 6:23) to empower them with a special talent and/or an ability to better serve the church and glorify Christ. (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 7:7;12:4-7; 13: 8-13; 28-30; Ephesians 4:7-12; 1 Peter 4:10). These Gifts are to edify the church, serve the community, and build personal character and maturity.
These Gifts are also a responsibility, as they direct us to sacrificially serve others as Christ has served us. Yet, so often we fight over them, nullifying their true purpose and intent. These Gifts also have a supernatural source, the Holy Spirit. They can be miraculous or normative; however, each Gift, whether it is miraculous or not, is essential to the Body of Christ. Some have a greater need and importance as stated in
1 Corinthians 12-14. Spiritual Gifts cannot be earned or bought by us in any way, shape, or form. The Holy Spirit purely and graciously gives them to us for His clearly defined purposes. Thus, they are to be used to serve the body of Christ, His church, not our whims, ideas, plans, or greed. They are to be used; they are practical, and a church cannot function effectively without them! We are to see His love pouring onto us so we can let is pour from us to those around us. If we remain in our pride, we will remain ineffective!
1. Spiritual Gifts have one of two areas of ministry in the church.
a. First are the "assigned offices" such as ministers, elders, deacons, etc. These are the “offices” of (Acts 6:1-6; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:5-7; 1 Timothy 3: 8; 5:17; James 2:15-16) leadership roles. These people must have the appropriate gifts of leadership, as well the Gift in their area of ministry
(1 Corinthians 14: 3-40; Ephesians 4:7-16; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Hebrews 13:17). They must be all working together in love and cooperative unity.
b. Second are the Spiritual Gifts assigned to each Believer. We each have at least one.
Spiritual Gifts are the abilities given and characterized by the Holy Spirit. Charisma means that they are Gifts of God's grace. This is imperative to know, because we cannot earn them, and we certainly do not deserve them! They are gifts of Grace, regardless of what you have been taught, or what you think the term "charismatic" means. (It actually means being led by the Spirit, and if you are a Christian, then the Spirit leads you. The question is, are you obeying Him?) On another note, all Gifts are charismatic gifts, since they are all Gifts of Grace by the Spirit.
i. Spiritual Gifts enable one to fulfill a specific function in ministry. The effect is to glorify Christ by displaying the attributes of Christ’s character in a specific function that ultimately strengthens the church. Examples are "pastor/teacher" for the minister, or "mercy" to those who visit the sick.
ii. It is the Believer’s responsibility to find, develop, and exercise the Gifts given.
iii. Some of the Gifts include leadership, teaching, pastoral care, mercy, giving... (See Gift Definitions)
iv. Spiritual Gifts guide us on how we are to behave and interact with one another.
v. We must acknowledge our role in the body of Christ. It is His church, and there are no lone wolves in Christ! We all have a duty to fulfill, and a role to play. We have a duty to find our Gifts, then use them for the edification of those in the church and those around us outside of the church to point to Christ’s glory. When we refuse to yield to His truths and His call, we hurt ourselves, one another, and our Lord!
Discussion Questions:
1. What comes to your mind when someone says, “Spiritual Gifts?”
2. Why do some Christians fear this? Do you? If so, why?
3. Do you have passionate excitement, desiring to discover and use your Gifts?
4. Spiritual Gifts can be scary and may cause us to hide in the fear of coming under conviction of God or moving outside of our comfort zone. Why is this so?
5. What can you do to remove this fear? What can you do to develop trust in our Lord and the wonder He invokes?
6. Why do some Christians deny the existence of Spiritual Gifts?
7. What do Spiritual Gifts mean to you and your church? What can they mean?
8. If you could choose any special talent and/or ability in order to serve Him better, what would it be?
9. Spiritual Gifts guide us in how we are to behave and interact with one another. What happens when we refuse to exercise them?
10. What is your church’s position on Gifts? Does it promote them, hide from them or what? How does your church’s leadership affect the ministry of your church by their position on Gifts?
11. How are Spiritual Gifts determined and used in your church?
12. How would Spiritual Gifts help you to build personal character and maturity?
13. How would Spiritual Gifts help you serve your community? Do you see needs in your community that people in your church, including yourself, could meet?
14. How are Gifts a responsibility?
15. Why do Christians fight over Spiritual Gifts, when the fighting nullifies their true purpose and intent?
Session Two: Understanding the Importance of Spiritual Gifts
Read: Matthew 28: 18-20; John 7:38-39; 14:16-18, 26; 15:26; 16:7
Spiritual Gifts are alive and well both in the Church and in the world. They are not from a bygone era or only for certain Denominations or individuals; they are for you and your church! God considers them very important, and essential if ministry is going to be effective! For you to be your best for Christ’s glory, you must take Spiritual Gifts seriously. You must learn about them, be aware of which ones you have, and determine how you can put them into practice. If you neglect to do this, you might well live only a partially effective Christian life, missing key opportunities and essential ministry. Others will be left out of the care and love you and your church were called to give.
1. To deny the existence of Spiritual Gifts is to deny the work of the Holy Spirit! It is comforting to deny Gifts, because then we do not have to respond to His call and duty; we can be lazy and conceited in our outlook to others instead. Of course, this thinking is straight from a source other than the Bible and God's call!
2. Fruits and Gifts are not the same. We must not confuse the “gifts of the Spirit” with “fruit of the Spirit.”
a. “Gifts” are services to be performed for others to benefit the church.
b. “Fruit" speaks of the graces and character traits of Christ we all are to emulate as Believers, to cultivate Holiness (Galatians 5:22-23).
c. Both the Fruit and the Gifts are essential. Both are manifestations of the indwelling Spirit within us.
3. What is the difference between a gift and a talent? Most Bible teachers say that we are born with certain talents or natural abilities, but when we are “born again” we are given Spiritual Gifts. This may be true, but it is interesting that talents being natural and gifts being supernatural are not separate distinctions in Scripture! Therefore, your pastor and a secular professor may be teaching from the same talent/gift that could be used either in a church or in a secular classroom. However, the purpose is the distinction! The secular aspect of talent is to function in society to build a community. If we all had the same talents, we would not have a variety of services and resources in the community. It is much the same in the church. However, the purpose is completely different; in the church, a Gift is to glorify Christ. A secular talent does not do this! The Spirit empowers us further--beyond just the “natural talent” (1 Corinthians 2:14-15; Galatians 1:15-16).
a. Spiritual Gifts also help us grow in vitality and maturity (1 Peter 5)!
b. What Gifts are more important? 1 Corinthians12:28 tells us, And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
i. All the Gifts are needed, all are essential because they all are designed to edify the Church and glorify God. The church is a body, and while all parts of the body are important, some are more essential, like the brain versus a foot. The Corinthians had trouble distinguishing the importance of the Gifts, hence Paul’s letter to them (1 Corinthians 12:31; 14).
i. Leaders and teachers are the most important--those who clearly present the truths of the Christian faith, which the Apostles (church leaders) give from the Word. Because we are first called to make disciples over all else in the Church (Matthew 28: 18-20). This means training and instruction on the work of Christ and the exercise of our faith. This is to be continual throughout our Christian life. Discipleship is not something that only happens to new Christians it is to happen to us all, all of the time! Teachers are to teach and apostles are to administer to make sure this happens. And good teaching can only happen if the rest of the gifts are functioning properly! They all work together!
ii. A prophet is someone who keeps the church on God’s path of truth, and makes sure we do not slip into false teaching. This is not the same as an OT prophet!
iii. Tongues and miracles may seem great! However, they do not meet the basic and eternal needs of the Body of Christ like teaching does. To think they are would be like putting the cart in front of the horse! The Bible does not make the case that they have ceased, although they are not considered important. They are like milk for a baby versus the meat of teaching for maturity (1 Corinthians 14:1-25). Those who put the emphases on the “signs and wonders” miss the point of Scripture and the call of God. It is like saying the hotdogs are more important than the ball game!
iv. The most important and needed Gifts are those that focus in on the Word of God, that disciple the Believers, because without them the church would fall down (Matthew 28). The teaching and preaching of the Word of God must be more valuable to you than any material or emotional thing!
c. A key aspect to learning about your Gifts is to hook up with someone who is older and more experienced to help you through it!
d. Satan does not want you to discover your Gifts; he wants you to ignore your responsibility and nurture of one another. So, does Satan have your attention, or does Christ?
"God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”
Discussion Questions:
1. Why is the function in ministry to glorify Christ? How do you glorify our Lord? How can you do a better job?
2. With the above questions in mind, how can you display the attributes of Christ’s character, Fruit and Gifts in a specific function that strengthens the church?
3. What can you do, as a leader or pastor, to motivate the congregation from the pulpit and boardroom to find and use their Gifts? As a church member, what can your pastor do to better motivate you and the church?
4. How can you help others discover their Gifts?
5. What can you do to find a mentor, one who has the same Gifts as you but with more experience, to show you the ropes?
6. How can you set a schedule for accountability with your mentor?
7. What can you do to continue indefinitely the exercise and growth of your Gifts?
8. How can you explore possibilities of using your Gifts of Grace?
9. What can you and your church do to experiment with as many Gifts as you can?
10. What can you do to help your church work together in love and cooperative unity with the Gifts?
11. How can the Fruits make the Gifts work better?
12. What will you do now with your knowledge of your Gift(s), even if you do not yet know what they are?
Remember: Satan does not want you to discover your Gifts; he wants you to ignore your responsibility and nurture of one another.
Session Three: How to Determine your Spiritual Gift(s)
Read: Romans. 5:15; 6:23; 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 7:7; 10:31; 12:4-7; 14-31 ; 13: 8-13; 14: 1-40; 28-30; Ephesians 4:7-12; and 1 Peter 4:10.
This procedure is much more accurate and honest than just using an “inventory.” We have a tendency to read into these “tests” our desires, not those of the Lord’s leading. Or, we use them, and are confused because we may not know what the Gifts mean. Use an inventory like the one attached as another source of information, but not your only source! Remember, the Gift He gives you is far more important and powerful than the Gift you may want! If you changed everyone in the Army who is a Private to a General, the best Generals ever, the war would be lost quickly. Because, it is the Privates who do the work, who put the vision and call of the leaders into practice. As Christians, all of us cannot, nor should not, be leaders unless we are called and gifted to be. We all need to do the work He gives, all working together. Remember, Gifts are never a platform for power or control; they are to be in conjunction and in harmony with others. All are important, all are needed; you are important and you are needed!
MY SPIRITUAL GIFTS___________________________________
(In this place, write both your opinion, and the opinion of others, of what they are, or what you think they may be. Do not worry about being accurate right now.)
1. Carefully Read the above Scriptures and study the Biblical teachings on Gifts, then put the emphasis on what the Bible really says:
- What does it say?
- What does it mean?
- What blocks this teaching from happening in me?
- How can I be a changed person because of this?
- How can I apply this teaching?
Do not interpret in light of your experiences or presumptions!
2. Go over the Gift Descriptions at the end of this section and see which one(s) interest and excite you.
3. Do the following PRAYERFULLY and PRIVATELY.
· List those you are pretty sure you have. (Remember, reality--not just desires.)
· List those you think you might have.
· Examine Your DESIRES. (Be careful! You must examine your motives as well)
· Examine the EVIDENCE (what you have done or can do, what has been confirmed by others)
· Examine the OPPORTUNITIES (what are the needs?)
Share this list with someone who knows you, such as a pastor, friend, mentor, or parent who knows the “real you,” for confirmation, prayer, and encouragement.
· List where and how you can exercise your gift(s).
Answer these Questions
1. What needs exist in your life, community, or world that requires attention, i.e., in your family, local church, city, etc.)?
· God will give someone, perhaps you, the Spiritual Gifts necessary to help meet those needs. Ask God what part you should take in helping to minister and serve.
· Be on the lookout for needs that God can meet through you!
2. What do you think the Holy Spirit is telling you to do?
· The Holy Spirit has given each Christian at least one Spiritual Gift.
· The Holy Spirit wants you to exercise that Spiritual Gift.
· The Holy Spirit wants you to be discipled in your Gift(s)!
· You are to be open and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life.
· After you determine your Gift(s) and the Spirit’s direction in the use of the Gift(s), you must obey Him!
3. Ask yourself honestly, would you naturally choose what the Holy Spirit is telling you to do or, rather, your desires? Usually, your desires are a good starting indication of your Gift, as long as you are honest and grounded in the Word. The problem is that we confuse our desires with our wishes. We need to place the focus on what is real in our life as in our real gifts and abilities by the honest confirmation we receive from godly people and by listening of the Spirit.
· Usually, the Holy Spirit will not cause you to do that to which you have no inclination, liking, or sensitivity. In other words, He will not call you to Outer Mongolia to be a missionary unless you have the desire and ability to go!
4. To begin with, what are some natural talents, interests, abilities, inclinations, etc., that you already have that God could use?
· Usually the Lord starts with us where we are, not with trying to revamp our whole personality and gifts. He starts with natural talents and interests, and then adds supernatural abilities as we grow in maturity, and as He wills/leads us for His purpose.
· Do the Gift(s) that you are using fill you with wonder and excitement, or do you feel a stale obligation?
· If you are stuck, read through the description and Scriptures of the Gifts below and then try to experiment with as many Gifts as you can (such as teaching, helping…), considering how comfortable you feel with one or more!
· Examine your feelings; what do you want to do more than anything else? However, do not rely on just your feelings!
· Is the Gift you have precisely the Gift you want? Make sure it is God’s call, not just your own desires.
5. What do you already do well?
· What we do well already is probably an indication of some sort of gift from God. The Spirit may grant us additional Gift(s), but that is His decision, not ours.
6. What Gifts do others in the Body of Christ, the Church, see in you?
· The Holy Spirit does not work with us in isolation from the other members of the Body of Christ. The others are given insight into our giftedness, and we into theirs, as means of checks and balances. We help one another to be honest to God! So, make sure you ask others!
· After discovering your Gifts, evaluate your effectiveness with them, as a check and balance to make sure you are exercising the right one(s). But, do not give up, like with sports or music; exercising your Gifts takes time and practice!
7. Based on the above, what Gifts do I seem to have?
8. If you are having trouble with this exercise, reread the Descriptions and take the inventory attached. In this way you will start to get a clearer picture. Make s
