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Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual Gifts
The Christian church is composed of
many different kinds of people with different gifts and different ministries.
The manner in which these are combined is not like a melting pot but like a
salad bowl. Within the church
there is no loss of individual identity
but
rather the complementing of distinct elements to create a new
special
and
united body. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Spiritual Gifts
On Christmas morning
the children in
a family do not usually all receive the same gifts. One gets a football
one a
puzzle
another receives a dollhouse
and another a table game. Yet
although
each child does not receive the same gifts as the others
the parents intend
the gifts to be enjoyed by all the children as they use them together.
The same is true of the gifts God
gives his children. We do not all have the same gift
but we are all to use our
gift for the good of all in God’s family. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Spiritual Gifts
A modern army is fitted with a
strategic mix of various weapons to maximize its effectiveness in fulfilling
its purpose. Some soldiers receive a rifle and some are given pistols or ride
in a tank armed with a cannon and machine guns. Others operate missiles
jet
fighters
bombers
or ships. To win the war
it takes the unified effects of
all these weapons
operated by the shared efforts of all the variously equipped
soldiers.
God
as the wise Commander-in-Chief in
our spiritual warfare
has likewise given to each of his children in the body
of Christ spiritual gifts so that they can work together to be effective in
fulfilling his will. And
as in a physical war
if Christian “soldiers” work
together and use their gifts
the task of the church on earth will be
accomplished. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Spiritual Gifts
A young schoolboy was trying out for a
part in the school play. His mother knew that he had set his heart on it
though she was afraid he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were
awarded
she drove to school to pick him up. The young lad rushed up to her
eyes shining with pride and excitement. Then he said some words to her that
should remain a lesson to us all: “I have been chosen to clap and cheer!” In
the same way
God has lovingly chosen each of us for different and special
tasks. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Spiritual Gifts
When Niccolo Paganini willed his
finely crafted and lovingly used violin to the city of Genoa
he demanded that
it never be played again. It was a gift designated for preservation
but not
destined for service.
On the other hand
when the
resurrected Christ willed his spiritual gifts to the children of God
he
commanded that they be used. They were gifts not designated for preservation
but destined for service. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Spiritual Gifts
Imagine how a parent would feel if on
Christmas Day when the gifts for their children were handed out
the children
just took them
said “Thank you
” and laid them aside with no attempt to open
the gifts
not even to find out what they were!
Imagine how the Lord must feel when he
has given gifts to us that he intends for us to use
and yet we never take the
trouble to find out what they are
never put them to work
and then excuse
ourselves from serving the church by saying that we can’t do anything! ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical Preaching》
Spiritual Gifts
The mountain does not speak ill of the
river just because it is high and mighty. Nor does the river scorn the mountain
just because it moves swiftly and gracefully. They both are great in their own
way. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Spiritual Gifts
When a speck of dust blows into an
eye
instinctively the eye is rubbed with a finger. There is no debate with the
finger about whether to help the eye. Later
after pulling down the lid
causing the eye to water
the speck is washed out. In a short time the eye is
back to normal. But without the hand
including its specially functioning
fingers
the irritant would have remained. Each member in the body of Christ is
equally important. We all need each other. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Spiritual gifts
Imagine the Master Carpenter’s tools
holding a conference:
Brother Hammer presides
but several
suggest he leave the meeting because he is too noisy. Brother Hammer replies
“If I have to leave this shop
Brother Screw must go also. You have to turn him
around again and again to get him to accomplish anything.”
Brother Screw then speaks up. “If you
wish
I’ll leave. But Brother Plane must leave
too. All his work is on the
surface. His efforts have no depth.”
To this
Brother Plane responds
“Brother Rule will also have to withdraw
for he is always measuring folks as
though he were the only one who is right.”
Brother Rule then complains about
Brother Sandpaper: “He ought to leave
too
because he’s so rough and always
rubbing people the wrong way.” And so goes the discord.
In the midst of all this discussion
in walks the Carpenter of Nazareth. He has arrived to start his day’s work.
Putting on his apron
he goes to the bench to make a pulpit from which to
proclaim the gospel. He uses Brothers Hammer
Screw
Plane
Rule Sandpaper
and
all the other tools. After the day’s work
when the pulpit is finished
Brother
Saw arises and remarks
“Brethren
I observe that all of us are workers together
with the Lord.” ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Spiritual Gifts
A man broke his left arm. One night
when he couldn’t sleep
he imagined a dialogue between his right and left
hands. Right hand said
“Left Hand
you are not missed. Everybody’s glad it was
you that was broken and not me. You are not very important.”
Left
hand asked
“How are you superior?”
Right
Hand replied
“Why
my owner cannot write a letter without me.”
Left
Hand: “But who holds the paper on which he writes?”
Right
Hand: “Who swings the hammer?”
Left
Hand: “who holds the nail?”
Right
Hand: “Who guides the plane when the carpenter smooths a board?”
Left
Hand: “Who steadies the board?”
Right
Hand: “When our owner walks down the street and lifts his hat to greet someone
which of us does it?”
Left
Hand: “Who holds the briefcase while he does it?” Then he continued
“Let me
ask you a question. When our owner shaved yesterday
you held the razor
but
his face is cut because I wasn’t there to help. Also
our owner’s watch has
stopped. Why? You may do the winding
but if I’m not there to hold it
the
watch won’t get wound. You can’t take money out of his wallet to pay for
something because I’m not there to hold it. The master can do very few things
without me.”
So
too
does each of us have a place
of service for the Lord. None is greater-just different. ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical Preaching》
Spiritual Gifts
One snowy morning at 5:
Rather
mystified
the candidate answered
“Yes
sir.”
“All
right
spell ‘baker’.”
“B-A-K-E-R.”
“Fine.
Now
do you know anything about numbers?” the examiner continued.
“Yes
sir
something.”
“Please
add two plus two.”
“Four
”
replied the candidate.
“That’s
fine
” said the examiner. “I believe you have passed. I’ll tell the board
tomorrow.”
At the board meeting
the examiner
reported on the interview. “He has all the qualifications for a fine
missionary. First
I tested him on self-denial
making him arrive at my home at
five in the morning. He left a warm bed on a snowy morning without any
complaint. Second
I tested him on promptness. He arrived on time. Third
I
examined him on patience. I made him wait three hours to see me. Fourth
I
tested him on temper. He failed to show any anger or aggravation. Fifth
I
tried his humility by asking him questions that a seven-year-old child could
answer
and he showed no indignation. So you see
I believe the candidate meets
the requirements. He will make the fine missionary we need.”
Spirit-given abilities are needed
but
Spirit-produced fruit is more significant. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Spiritual gifts
Dr. H.A. Ironside often spoke of the
pathetic situation of those who felt they had the gift of preaching but
complained that no one had the gift of listening. ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical Preaching》
Several years ago
two
students graduated from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. The highest ranking
student in the class was a blind man named Overton and
when he received his
honor
he insisted that half the credit should go to his friend
Kaspryzak.
They had met one another in school when the armless Mr. Kaspryzak had guided
the blind Mr. Overton down a flight of stairs. This acquaintance ripened into
friendship and a beautiful example of interdependence. The blind man carried
the books which the armless man read aloud in their common study
and thus the
individual deficiency of each was compensated for by the other. After their
graduation
they planned to practice law together.
Gary Inrig
Life in His
Body.
The great violinist
Nicolo Paganini
willed his marvelous violin to Genoa -- the city of his birth
-- but only on condition that the instrument never be played upon. It was an
unfortunate condition
for it is a peculiarity of wood that as long as it is
used and handled
it shows little wear. As soon as it is discarded
it begins
to decay.
The exquisite
mellow-toned violin has become worm-eaten in its beautiful case
valueless
except as a relic. The moldering instrument is a reminder that a life withdrawn
from all service to others loses its meaning.
Bits & Pieces
June 25
1992.
The Detroit News
carried a humorous little story about Bill Cosby's aged mother that illustrates
how useless gifts are unless they are used. She had been raised in poverty
and
the family had very little money as Bill was growing up. As a result
she never
had modern conveniences and had gotten accustomed to doing things the hard way.
When the children were old enough to get jobs
they often gave their mother
appliances as Christmas gifts to make her life easier. But she wouldn't use
them. Bill especially remembered that after a while his mother had two or three
toasters. But she left them in their boxes and put them on top of the
refrigerator. At breakfast she would still do the toast in the oven. If the
boys protested
she would say
"Leave them on the refrigerator. I'm used
to doing it the old way."
Daily Bread
March 4
1990.
Definitions from Dr. Earl
Radmacher and Gordon McMinn Teaching gifts.
-Prophecy: setting before
people the Word and wisdom of God persuasively.
-Encouragement: drawing alongside to comfort
encourage
rebuke
and lead
someone into insight toward action.
-Teaching: laying down in a systematic order the complete truth of a doctrine
and applying it incisively to life.
-The message of wisdom: Locating formerly unknown principles as well as
combining known principles of God's Word and communicating them to fresh
situations.
-The message of knowledge: Arranging the facts of Scripture
categorizing these
into principles
and communicating them to repeated or familiar situations.
-Service Gifts. Contributing: Giving most liberally and beyond all human
expectation. Mercy: Being sensitive or empathetic to people who are in
affliction or misery and lifting internal burdens with cheerfulness.
-Helps: Seeing tasks and doing them for or with someone in order to lift
external burdens.
-Distinguishing spirits: Detecting a genuine or spurious motive by distinguishing
the spirit-source behind any person's speech or act.
-Evangelism: Communicating the gospel with power and persuasiveness as well as
equipping the saints for evangelism.
-Leadership Gifts. Leadership (executive ability): Standing before people and
inspiring followers by leading them aggressively but with care.
-Administration (legislative ability): Standing behind people to collect data
set policy
and develop plans which will guide a course of action with wisdom.
-Faith: Seeing through any problem to the Ultimate Resource.
What about the so-called
sign gifts
such as healing and speaking in tongues
referred to in today's
text? To us
Hebrews 2:4 suggests that they were intended to be confirming
signs for the Apostles
and ceased with them. Others feel they are still for
today
but if so
one thing is clear: they are given sovereignly by the Spirit
for specific purposes and are the exception
not the rule.
Today in the Word
July
1990
p. 19.
We are right to say that
spiritual gifts come from the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-11). However we go on to
think of them in terms either of giftedness (human ability to do things
skillfully and well) or of supernatural novelty (power to speak in tongues
to
heal
to receive messages straight from God to give to others
or whatever). We
have not formed the habit of defining gifts in terms of Christ
the head of the
body
and his present work from heaven in our midst. In this we are
unscriptural.
Paul makes it clear that
spiritual gifts are given in Christ; they are enrichments from Christ. 1
Corinthians 12 assumes the Christ-oriented perspective that 1 Corinthians 1:4-7
established. It is vital that we should see this
or we shall be confusing
natural with spiritual gifts to the end of our days.
Nowhere does Paul or any
other New Testament writer define a spiritual gift to us. But Paul's assertion
that the use of gifts edifies (1 Cor. 14:3-5
12
17
26; Eph. 4:12)
shows what
his idea of gift was.
For Paul it is only
through Christ
in Christ
and by learning of and responding to Christ
that
anyone is ever edified. So spiritual gifts must be defined in terms of Christ
as actualized powers of expressing
celebrating
displaying
and thus
communicating Christ in one way or another
either by word or deed.
James Packer
Your
Father Loves You
Harold Shaw Publishers
1986
Page December 9.
...a spiritual gift is
spiritual in character (pneumatikon)
sovereignly given by God the Holy Spirit
(charismata)
to others (diakonia)
in the power of God (energeema)
with an
evident manifestation of the Holy Spirit through the Christian as he serves God
(phanerosis).
To summarize spiritual
fruit
it: (1) is given to all believers; (2) produces spiritual character; (3)
is singular (fruit is singular
meaning one's character is a unit); (4) is
permanent (1 Cor. 13:8-10); and (5) grows internally. To summarize spiritual
gifts
note the contrast to the previous five points. Spiritual gifts: (1) are
given to specific believers; (2) produce spiritual service; (3) are plural (Flynn
lists nineteen
Wagner
twenty-seven); (4) will cease; and (5) operate
externally.
Jerry Falwell
Elmer
Towns
Stepping out on Faith
p. 127.