Spiritual Gifts

Introduction

A. Determining Your Behavior

1. THE REQUIREMENT OF THE SPIRIT'S CONTROL

Every Christian is given a marvelous gift the moment he becomes a Christian. The moment that we believe, we receive the Holy Spirit. He is God, the Third Person of the Trinity, who takes up residence in our life. From the moment that you believed, the Spirit of God came to live within you. He becomes your guide, your truth-teacher, and your power supply in order to do all for the glory of God. As a result, the New Testament urges us to behave in a certain way relative to the Spirit. For example, we are to walk in the Spirit (Rom. 8:4), live in the Spirit (1 Pet. 4:6), be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), pray in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18), manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22), and to exercise the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:11). On the negative side, we are warned not to grieve the Spirit (Eph. 4:30), resist the Spirit (Ac. 7:51), or quench the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19).

All of this shows us how vitally important it is that we operate in the sphere of the Holy Spirit. The Christian life is a Spirit-dominated, Spirit-directed, and Spirit-controlled existence.

2. THE RESULTS OF THE SPIRIT'S CONTROL

When we allow the Spirit of God to reign in our lives -- to have control and give direction -- some marvelous results always occur:

a. Holiness -- Under the direction, control, and complete domination of the Spirit of God, our life pattern results in a constant sanctification.

b. Joy -- A constant satisfaction occurs when we walk and live in the Spirit.

c. Liberty -- "...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Cor. 3:17b). There is a constant sense of freedom.

d. Confidence -- A constant security occurs when we walk in the Spirit.

e. Victory -- There exists a constant strength against the adversary.

f. Ministry -- There is constant service to the body of Christ. So, when we walk in the Spirit, not only are there personal results, but there is another result -- we are able to minister to others and to build them up in Christ. As I walk in the Spirit, my gift is ministered to you. As you walk in the Spirit, your gifts are ministered to one another. As we live, move, walk, and are filled with the Spirit, He operates through us via the spiritual gift we have been given to minister to other believers.

B. Defining Your Gift

1. THE ISSUE -- WALK IN THE SPIRIT

People often ask me, "How can you know your spiritual gift?" I reply, "That isn't the issue." It doesn't really matter if I have defined my gift. In the first place, it is elusive -- I can't always pinpoint it. The issue is: Walk in the Spirit. If I walk, live, and am filled with the Spirit, it is not too important for me to understand the definition of my gift. It isn't an academic issue; it's a matter of getting on your knees and asking the Spirit of God to dominate and control your life. As you yield to Him, the Spirit of God operates through you. And that will be your area of ministry. So, the best way to know your gifted area is not to figure it out and then do it, but to walk in the Spirit, and then look back and say, "So that's what I do." Don't worry about definitions. It doesn't matter to me that I have a definition, it only matters that I walk in the Spirit so He can minister through me.

2. THE PROBLEM -- MANY COLORS

Now remember, when you try to define your gift, you will run into some problems because there is so much overlapping of the gifts. When I was in high school, a lady wanted to paint my portrait. I remember that she held a palette in her hand and painted with a palette knife. On the palette she had some primary colors which she had squirted out of some tubes. Then she began to mix all of those colors together. It was amazing to see the various combinations of colors that came out of those primary colors. Finally, she began to paint them on the canvas.

This is exactly how spiritual gifts function. The Holy Spirit has a palette. On it are some primary gifts. They are the gifts that are listed in Scripture. But by the time they are spread around, there is a mixture. Each one of you becomes a very stylized, individual, particular, peculiar, unique portrait. When we study the five speaking gifts and the six serving gifts that make up the permanent edifying gifts, we are simply studying the primary colors. And the Holy Spirit will mix them and put them on you like He has on no one else. The combination is unique. That is why you will have trouble finding definitions.

Review

In our last lesson we began a study of the permanent edifying gifts, after studying the gifted men. There are two general categories for these gifts as illustrated in 1 Peter 4:10-11: The speaking gifts and the serving gifts. In the last lesson we looked at the five speaking gifts. They are five of the primary colors, any of which can be mixed in with any of the others. The five speaking gifts are: prophecy, knowledge, wisdom, teaching, and exhortation. They are all related to speaking the Word of God. Prophecy proclaims God's Word; knowledge clarifies God's Word; wisdom applies God's Word; teaching imparts God's Word; and exhortation demands God's Word be obeyed. All five are related to speaking in relationship to God's revelation.

Now, the second category of permanent edifying gifts is the serving gifts. The serving gifts are geared for service. The issue is not to proclaim the Word of God; the issue is to serve someone's needs. And these six serving gifts are also primary colors that can be mixed with the speaking gifts and with each other to turn out unique combinations in the case of every individual Christian. These gifts appear in two passages: 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Romans 12:6-8.

A. Leadership (Rom. 12:8; 1 Cor. 12:28)

First Corinthians 12:28 says, "And God hath set some in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues [languages]." Notice the word "governments." That introduces us to the gift of leadership. Also, Romans 12:8 says, "...he that ruleth, with diligence...."

1. THE DEFINITION OF TERMS

The word is ruling in Romans 12:8 and "governments" in 1 Corinthians 12:28. Both refer to leadership -- they are synonymous.

a. Management

The word ruling means "to lead, to manage, to have charge of, to oversee, or to rule." That is leadership.

b. Mobilization

The word "governments" basically means the same thing, but it also has a unique literal meaning: "to steer a ship." It is the Greek word kubernesis. It refers to the skill of piloting a ship -- to the one who is at the helm of the ship, who charts the course, who knows the destination, and who is able to keep the ship on course.

Leadership is the ability to see an objective, formalize it, mobilize a group of people, and then get them to reach that objective. It is not the ability to push paper around a desk. It is not the person who has the most pencils who has the gift of leadership. And it is not necessarily sitting in an administrative seat of responsibility because that person could also have the gift of serving or helps. But it is the ability to make decisions and determine direction -- mobilizing people to reach an objective. The pastor doesn't own the ship, he simply is responsible for piloting it. Christ says to the pastor, "Here is the goal, here are the people. Now mobilize them and move them there!" That is leadership.

1) Revelation 18:17 -- Here is a part of the account of the fall of the world's system of economy during the Tribulation: "For in one hour so great riches are come to nothing. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city?" That describes the destruction of the Babylonian economic system during the Tribulation as relative to the people involved in the shipping trade. The word "shipmaster" is kubernesis, the very same word translated "governments" in 1 Corinthians 12:28. So, the word can refer to someone who pilots a ship, or someone who has responsibility for leadership.

2) Acts 27:11 -- In Acts 27, the Apostle Paul was on his journey to Rome by ship and the ship encountered trouble from a storm. The word used in verse 11 for the pilot of the ship is the very same Greek word -- someone who charts the course and takes the people to the goal, a mobilizer and mover of people.

The Pilot Brain

The word kubernesis is interesting because we get an English word from it: cybernetics. Some of you may have heard of or read the book Psycho-Cybernetics. Cybernetics is a science that studies the brain relative to its governing of the body. So, cybernetics still refers to ruling -- to piloting a ship -- only here to how the brain makes the body respond.

2. THE DISTINCTION WITH WISDOM

In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint), there are four places where kubernesis is used. In these four places we find that it is used in connection with wisdom. In Proverbs 12:5 it is translated "counsels." Kubernesis assumes the leader has wisdom -- the practical ability to reach a goal.

a. The Comparison

There is an interesting comparison of the use of kubernesis in the Greek Old Testament (the translation of the original Hebrew). Ezekiel 27:8 says, "The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were thy mariners; thy wise men, O Tyre, that were in thee, were thy pilots." The word "pilots" is kubernesis (cf. vv. 27, 28). Notice that Ezekiel says that the pilots were their wise men. So, piloting a ship was connected with wisdom.

b. The Contrast

As we learned in our study of wisdom, it is the ability to solve a problem by making practical application of a principle to life. But there is a difference between someone who has wisdom in leadership and someone who has the gift of the word of wisdom. The word of wisdom is speaking out the practical truths of the Word of God. The wisdom in leadership is an enablement for someone to wisely approach and reach an objective. One is an exhibited speaking gift relative to proclaiming the Word, while the other is more of an obscure directive by which some person reaches a goal. I want you to make that distinction so you don't think that just because someone is a leader that they have the word of wisdom. There are many people with wisdom in leadership who do not have the verbal, proclaiming wisdom that is given by God.

3. THE DIRECTION IN TRIALS

Some within the body of Christ have the ability of leadership. They know how to form objectives and directives to reach a goal. They know how to mobilize people. Two words define the gift of leadership: direction and decision making. A true leader is like the true shipmaster in the storm -- when the going gets rough, he hangs on, and everyone reaches the destination. He has the ability to keep the ship on course during the storm.

4. THE DIMENSION OF LEADERSHIP

a. Among Church Leaders

Some people have the thought that the gift of leadership is one that is synonymous with pastors, elders, and bishops (i.e., it doesn't belong to the general population of the church, only to the people who are the pastors). I would say that pastors normally have this gift. It would be hard to rule a church if you didn't have the ability to lead. First Timothy 5:17 refers to the elders that rule well. The fact that elders and pastors rule in the church assumes that God would give them the gift of leadership. In fact, Hebrews 13:7, 17, and 24 says that the elders have the oversight of the church. So, we believe that the gift of leadership should belong to the pastoral staff and the elders that lead the church. But does it end there? There are some who would have us believe it does. I say it doesn't.

b. Among the Laity

There are many ways in which the gift of leadership is used by the laity. The church is far too complex to function with everyone serving and no one leading at all the levels. There are some churches with the philosophy that one man rules the entire church. We call them "monolithic monsters." One man rules, and that is it. Organizations exist that are like that. But even in those kind of situations, there has to be other people who are able to implement certain ideas into action. I am convinced that the gift of leadership can belong to the laity. It has always been God's plan that out of the laity would come other leaders (Ex. 18). Some of you have responsibility for a group of people -- coordinating a Bible study toward an objective, mobilizing them, and then reaching that goal.

That is leadership. There are many possible manifestations and energizings of it. It has to go beyond the pastor-teacher, the evangelist, the Apostle, and prophet; it has to extend throughout the body of Christ.

5. THE DILIGENCE TO ACT

Romans 12:8 gives us another aspect of the gift of leadership: "...he that ruleth, with diligence...." The word "diligence" basically means "speed" or "haste." Who is a good leader? Someone who recognizes a need and acts quickly. If you are in a position of leadership, and see a need, meet it now. One of the things I believe and try to teach others is never let a problem or a need go on any longer than it already has. Solve it today, not tomorrow. That is a hard lesson to learn because we all tend to procrastinate. One of the hardest disciplines I have had to face was forcing myself to deal with issues the moment I became aware of them. When you see the need, meet the need.

6. THE DECENCY OF ORDER

Now, some of the Corinthians had the gift of leadership, but they weren't using it because it wasn't showy or ecstatic enough. They were so busy falling all over each other in frenzies and so busy jabbering in ecstatic languages that they didn't have time to bother to lead. That is why 1 Corinthians 14:33 says, "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace...." And in verse 40 Paul says, "Let all things be done decently and in order." In other words, "Instead of everyone doing what's spectacular, somebody organize. Get some objectives, some directives, make some decisions, and mobilize the people to fulfill the will of God."

This gift is a great need -- the ability to see an objective and to mobilize a group of people to reach that objective. It involves decision-making ability. God knows how we need these people. If you have this ability, use it with haste and speed because leaders are desperately needed to resolve issues in the church.

So, God has given leaders to His church. It is not an easy responsibility because there are people who react negatively to what you do or say. Sometimes you have to stand all alone in making decisions. Sometimes you alienate people and create hard feelings. Don't try to be a leader unless God has gifted you in that area. And remember, all the gifts operate in the atmosphere of love (1 Cor. 13:1-7).

Now, the second serving gift is...

B. Serving (Rom. 12:7; 1 Cor. 12:28)

All gifts are service, according to 1 Corinthians 12:5, but out of all of these gifts there is one very specialized in terms of service. In 1 Corinthians 12:28 is the little word "helps." In Acts 20:35 the same Greek word is translated "support." It is a supporting gift, a helping gift. In Romans 12:7 it is called the gift of "ministry." It is the same gift.

1. LOVING SUPPORT

The word helps literally means "to take a burden off of someone else and place it on yourself." It is the gift that comes alongside leadership. I believe that the secretaries who are part of the staff of Grace Church must have the gift of helps. They have the responsibility of implementing all of the things that the leadership is doing. Believe me, if it were not for the Spirit of God energizing them, they would wind up in a mental institution due to the volume of work. The gift of helps is the gift that allows everything to occur. The people who have this gift are able to help in any conceivable way.

a. Acts 6:1-3 -- The Apostles said, "We can't wait on tables, we have to teach the Word and pray. Get some people who can wait on tables." They called them servers -- deacons. Originally the word referred to waiting on tables. For the people with this gift, their greatest joy and labor of love is to serve other people. There is no glory, no fanfare, and no acclaim, just serving.

b. 1 Timothy 6:2 -- "And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren but, rather, do them service...." You can use the gift of helps if you work for a Christian employer by supporting him, helping him, and fulfilling your required task with joy. All the gifts should be ministered in love and joy.

c. Romans 16:3, 9 -- In this portion, Paul gives a catalog of all the people who have helped him. In verse 3 he says, "Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus." What did Aquila and Priscilla do for him? Maybe they made some sandals for him. Maybe Priscilla stitched up a torn tunic. Maybe they gave him a bed. Maybe they gave him some food. I don't know what they did, but they helped him. The same thought is in verse 9, "Greet Urbanus, our helper in Christ...." What did Urbanus do for him? Who knows? Maybe he marketed some of those tents Paul made. I don't know what he did, but he helped Paul.

Help!

I believe the most needed and therefore the most common gift the Spirit of God gives is the gift of helps. We have to have it. We can't accomplish anything if we don't have cooperation and help. Maybe you can't preach, can't teach, can't sing, but you can clean, you can take a meal to someone, you can fix something for someone, you can mow the neighbor's lawn because he isn't feeling too well -- you can do most anything.

d. Philippians 2:25-30 -- In this passage, Paul talks about Epaphroditus, who was his helper. He says he was "my brother and companion in labor, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my need" (v. 25b). He also says, "...he was near unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me" (v. 30b). Epaphroditus served Paul to the point that he even gambled with his life. He nearly died, but he wouldn't stop serving Paul's needs.

2. LOVING SERVICE

The gift of helps is a beautiful and marvelous gift that is absolutely necessary for the progress of the body of Christ. It doesn't attract a lot of attention, and since it doesn't, nobody in Corinth was practicing it. There were no leaders and no helpers. They were all given over to ecstatic, wild, and frenzied behavior because it was glamorous. So, no one was helping.

The list of gifted men and gifts from 1 Corinthians 12:28 really puts the gift of helps in perspective: "...first Apostles, second prophets, third teachers; after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues [languages]." Right in the midst of all these grandiose gifts, Paul interjects helps. Why? He wants the Corinthians to know that this gift flows with the others. The gift of helps -- no public recognition, just loving service. So, God has gifted us in the areas of leadership and helps (service).

Third in the list of serving gifts is...

C. Giving (Rom. 12:8)

Romans 12:8 is the only verse where this gift is mentioned. Now verse 6 says, "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us...." Verse 8 says, "...he that giveth, let him do it with liberality...."

1. SUPER GIVING

The word "giveth" is a compound Greek word. The normal Greek word for give is didomi and just means "give." But this compound word is metadidomi, which means "super give." All of us are called upon by the Spirit of God to give. All of us are to invest. The Bible tells us that we are to sow bountifully in order to reap bountifully (2 Cor. 9:6). All of us are to lay by in store the first day of the week as God has prospered each one of us. All of these things are commanded very clearly in terms of our giving. But there are some of us who are to be super givers -- who are to go beyond the normal because we are gifted in that way.

2. SIMPLE GIVING

a. Singleness of Motive

Verse 8 adds, "with liberality." The literal root meaning for "liberality" is "simplicity." Kittel (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) says it means "sacrificial liberality." Now, what does simplicity mean? When you give with simplicity you give with one single motive. If there is a need, I give. Most people give with two motives -- meet the need but make sure there is enough left for us. Most of us usually calculate how much we will give this way: "Now how much should we give to the Lord?" "Well, how much will we have left if we give that much?" But the gift of giving enables someone to give with only one motive -- the need. Nothing else enters into their mind. Singleness of mind and singleness of heart translates into an undivided motive. Godet says, "According to its etymological meaning, the word signifies: the disposition not to turn back on oneself; and it is obvious that from this first meaning there may follow either that of generosity, when man gives without letting himself be arrested by any selfish calculation, or that of simplicity, when he gives without his left hand knowing what his right does -- that is to say without any vain going back on himself and without any aim of pride." The gift of giving is to be exercised with singleness of mind and with no consideration of self.

b. Sincerity of Sacrifice

The gift of giving is not a public gift. Giving with pretension and public display is not a gift, it's hypocrisy. I don't believe that the gift of giving even relates to how much someone has. Some people who don't have very much have the gift of giving away all they have. Other people who have a lot don't have the gift, while others who have a lot have the gift. All of us need to invest in the Lord, but the gift is the desire to give when a need arises. And this is illustrated in so many beautiful ways in the New Testament:

1) Mary

John 12:3-5 says, "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Then saith one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?" A denarius was one day's wages for one day's hard work. Mary poured three hundred day's work on His feet in one act of love. That is how costly that ointment was. Now that is the gift of giving -- magnanimous, knowing no bounds, with no thought of the absence of that possession once it has been given.

2) The Church

In Acts 2:44-45, the believers in the early church held all things in common. When someone had a need, someone would sell his property or some possession and give the money to the person who had the need.

3) The Macedonians

The Macedonians had the gift of giving. In 2 Corinthians 8:2 Paul says, "...their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality." They didn't have much, but they gave everything they had.

4) The Philippians

Some of the Philippians had the gift of giving. In Philippians 4:18 Paul tells them that they had given him too much. But that is how the gift works.

5) The Salt Shakers

Some years ago, a group of people in our church got together who all felt that they had the gift of giving. They started a little fellowship called "Salt Shakers." Various people who had needs would get checks in the mail. It could be in the amount of $l00, $200, $3O0, $50, $75 -- any amount that would help. Only the return address of "Salt Shakers" would appear. They were just some people who wanted to minister their gift to those who had need. That is the gift of giving -- meeting needs, without any show.

6) C.T. Studd

One man who had this gift was C.T. Studd. His biography (C. T. Studd by Norman Grubb, Christian Literature Crusade, 1972) contains a beautiful story. His father was extremely wealthy. He was to inherit a tremendous amount of money -- several hundred thousand dollars. This took place in the 1880's, so then it amounted to more than £29,000. The following is what the biography says:

"So far as he could judge, his inheritance was £29,000. But in order to leave margin for error, he decided to start by giving £25,000. One memorable day, January 13, 1887, he sent off four cheques of £5,000 each, and five of £1,000. As cooly and deliberately as a business man invests in some "gilt-edged" securities, as being both safe and yielding good interest, so C.T. invested in the Bank of Heaven. This was no fool's plunge on his part. It was his public testimony before God and man that he believed God's Word to be the surest thing on earth, and that the hundredfold interest which God has promised in this life, not to speak of the next, is an actual reality for those who believe it and act on it.

"He sent £5,000 to Mr. Moody, expressing the hope that he would be able to start some Gospel work at Tirhoot in North India, where his father had made his fortune. Moody hoped to carry this out, but was unable to, and instead used the money to start the famous Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, writing, `I will do the next best thing and open a Training School with it, from which men and women will go to all parts of the world to evangelize.'

"£5,000 he sent to Mr. George Muller, £4,000 to be used on missionary work, and £1,000 among the orphans; £5,000 to George Holland, in Whitechapel, `to be used for the Lord among His poor in London,' asking for the receipt to be made out in his father's name, because of the spiritual help Mr. Holland had been to his father; and £5,000 to Commissioner Booth Tucker for the Salvation Army in India. This £5,000 arrived just after they had had a night of prayer for reinforcements vitally needed. It was used to send out a party of fifty new officers.

"To Miss McPherson for her work in London, to Miss Ellen Smyly in Dublin, General Booth of the Salvation Army, Rev. Archibald Brown in the East End of London, and Dr. Barnardo's Home, he sent £1,000 each.

"In a few months he was able to discover the exact amount of his inheritance. He then gave some further thousands, mainly to the C.I.M. [China Inland Mission], leaving another £3,400 still in his possession....Just before the wedding he presented his bride with this money. She, not to be outdone, said `Charlie, what did the Lord tell the rich young man to do?' `Sell all.' `Well then, we will start clear with the Lord at our wedding.' "They then wrote the following letter to General Booth on July 3, 1888:

"My dear General, We are so sorry last mail to hear of Mrs. Booth's serious illness, our hearts do go out in deep sympathy to you both. I cannot tell you how many times the Lord has blessed me through reading your and Mrs. Booth's addresses in The War Cry and your books. And now we want to enclose a cheque for £1,500. The other 500 has gone to Commissioner Tucker for his wedding present. Besides this I am instructing our Bankers, Messrs. Coutts and Co., to sell out our last earthly investment of $1,400 Consols and send what they realize to you. Henceforth our bank is in heaven. You see we are rather afraid -- notwithstanding the great earthly safety of Messrs. Coutts and Co. and the Bank of England -- we are, I say, rather afraid that they may both break on the Judgment Day. And this step has been taken not without most definite reference to God's Word, and the command of the Lord Jesus, Who said, "Sell that ye have and give alms. Make for yourselves purses which wax not old."...

`We have felt the Spirit's drawings to this course after asking for a very long time. "To whom shall we give it?" Moreover, we have felt that in this way we shall better reach the people, as being the Lord Jesus' way of coming to preach Salvation. Hallelujah! We can also thank God by His grace that we have not done this by constraint, but cheerfully and of a ready mind and willing heart. Praise the Lord. Amen.

`And we thank God too that now as regards England we are in that proud position, "Silver and gold have I none." But we don't want to be like Ananias and Sapphira, we tell you honestly we have a small amount out here. I myself at present don't know how much it is!

`Now this does not come from me, for I was told that the Bible says, "He that provideth not for his own house hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel." So I just took the whole pot and gave it to my little wife wherewith to provide for the household. And so now it is she who sends this money, regarding heaven as the safest bank, and moreover thinking it is so handy; you have no trouble about cheques or rates of exchange, but just "Ask and receive, that your joy may be full."

`Now, good-bye, dear General, may the Lord keep you leading in this war for many many years, and dear Mrs. Booth too. Our united heartfelt prayer is, God bless you both and all yours in both your inner and smaller and outer and larger families. Now there only remains one other command of the Lord Jesus for us to fulfill, and that is, "When thou doest thine alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be in secret." So, therefore, in case that voracious friend of yours, The War Cry, should lay hold of this document and hold it up to the public gaze, we beg to sign ourselves -- your loving, we know, and getting humble, we trust, would be Soldiers of Jesus Christ. My wife and me.'"

General Booth never knew who sent him the money. When they had given all their money away, C. T. Studd packed up his little wife, and they went to Africa as missionaries for the rest of their days. That is the gift of giving, and that is how God ministers. Think about what came out of that one man's gift: China Inland Mission (Hudson Taylor), George Muller's orphanages in London, Salvation Army extensions, and Moody Bible Institute. That is how the Spirit of God operates.

Do you see yourself in any of these three gifts: Leadership, service, or giving? If you do, be obedient because there will be tremendous joy.

Focusing on the Facts

1. In what ways does the New Testament urge us to behave in regard to the Spirit? 

2. What are the results of the Spirit's control in every believer's life? 

3. Why is it not important to identify your spiritual gift? What is important for you to do? 

4. Why is there a problem when it comes to trying to define your spiritual gift? 

5. What is the purpose of serving gifts? 

6. What are the two words used to describe the gift of leadership? What does each mean? 

7. What abilities are encompassed in the gift of leadership? What are some abilities that may have nothing to do with the gift of leadership? 

8. What is cybernetics? How does it relate to leadership? 

9. What is the significance of the connection that wisdom has with the Greek word kubernesis in the Greek Old Testament? 

10. What is the difference between someone who has wisdom in leadership and someone who has the gift of the word of wisdom? 

11. What two words define the gift of leadership? Who can a true leader be compared to? 

12. Who can have the gift of leadership? Why should pastors have the gift? Why are they not the only ones with the gift? 

13. What does it mean to rule with diligence? 

14. Why were the Corinthians not exercising the gift of leadership? 

15. Why is leadership not an easy responsibility? 

16. What is the gift of serving? What is the literal meaning of the word helps? 

17. What are some of the positive and negative aspects of serving? Support your answer with Scripture. 

18. Why is serving the most needed gift? 

19. Why does Paul include "helps" right in the midst of some of the more grandiose gifts? (1 Cor. 12:28)

20. What does simplicity mean in relationship to the gift of giving? 

21. Why is the gift of giving not a public gift? 

22. What are some illustrations of the gift of giving? What kind of sacrifices did these people have to make? 

Pondering the Principles

1. List the six results of a life that is controlled by the Holy Spirit.  On a scale from 1-10, to what degree do you experience each of these results in your own life? Look up the following verses: Matthew 20:25-28; Romans 6:22; 8:1-4; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1, 22-23; Ephesians 5:18-19; 6:11-18; Philippians 3:3; Hebrews 3:14; 1 Peter 4:10-11; 1 John 4:4. Next to each result, list the verses that apply. In what ways does your life need to be more controlled by the Holy Spirit? Which results are you lacking in your life? What are some things that the Bible says that may help you to put yourself under the Spirit's control?

2. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13. Do you know those people who are in leadership over you? Do you esteem them in love for their labor for your sake? Would you begin to hold up your leaders in prayer so that they might more effectively minister to the body? In addition, memorize 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 as a way of reminder to pray for your leaders: "And we beseech you, brethren, to know them who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves."

3. Why is the gift of serving so important? List as many ways as you can think of that a Christian is to serve. Who is our model? What are some of the things you have done to help the body of Christ? What are some of the things you can do that you have not yet done? Make an effort this week to serve in some way that you have not yet tried.

4. Read again the excerpt from the biography of C. T. Studd (see pp. xx- xx). What are the characteristics of giving that both he and his wife manifested? What did his giving reveal about his faith in God? What was his view of God's Word? What was his main objective in giving away his money? Now, ask yourself these same questions. What characteristics of giving do you manifest when you give to a need? How does your giving reveal your faith in God? What is your view of God's Word? What is your main objective when you give? Compare your giving with that of C. T. Studd. What changes do you need to make in your attitude and action in giving?

Added to the John MacArthur "Study Guide" Collection by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 314
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
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Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986