We Are the World

I John 2:15 - 17

What does it mean, “Do not love the world or anything in the world.’”?  Before I answer this question I think it is best if I first talk about what it does NOT mean.

1)     It does not mean that we do not care for the planet God has given us.  Often times people use this verse to justify not caring for the planet or neglecting our responsibilities that God has given us for this world.  

a)     Now before you go and label me a tree hugging environmentalist I do want to make myself clear.  This world is a gift to humanity.  God took great care in creating it for His glory and our pleasure.  As with any gift it is proper and respectful to take great care of the gift that was given to us.  We have inherited this planet from our human ancestors Adam and Eve.  God created the garden for them and their role was to care for the garden, to tend it and reap the joys and benefits of paradise.

b)     I do believe as Christians we have the responsibility to care for our planet and treat it as a gift from God.  However we should never put the care or love of the planet over God.  It is His creation, designed to draw people to Him.

2)     It does not mean that we should not love anything that is not “labeled” Christian.  This verse has been used by countless abusive pastors or Christians who try to impose their religious convictions on others. 

a)     We Christians can be a fickle bunch of judgmental moral police.  We are quick to judge someone because they don’t hold to the same convictions we hold to.  We have heard countless sermons on the evils of television, music, public education, unbelievers, money and so on and have used these scripture verses as our text.

b)     The truth is there is just as much evil within the Christian culture as there is in the secular culture.  I can stand up here today and name person after person who was/is a Christian musician, author, actor etc. and has fallen just as hard as the non-believer.  This is sad and unfortunate but is the truth.  Just because something is labeled Christian or is not labeled Christian does not make it right or wrong.

c)      I don’t believe John was writing about how we as Christians should create a bubble around us and deem everything outside of the bubble bad, evil and untouchable.  He is speaking of something far bigger than this.

          Typically, in the Bible, whenever the world is mentioned it is referred in a negative manner such as loving it, following, or being influenced by the world systems.  In general it talks about the ways of the ungodly or the general thinking of mankind who has rejected God.  The (definition of the world) is the world of sin that is in direct opposition to God.  The physical world we live in is good and will find redemption someday.  Yet there are those who do live in the world follow evil impulses and turn their backs on God.  As Christians this is a very important verse for us to have in our hearts, because Jesus even implied that we (Christians) are to be in the world, but not of the world.

We are here on this earth by default, but we need to be careful to not let the world influence our thinking, our actions and our lives.  The world’s thinking is opposite to what Jesus commands of us.  The world tells us to seek money, power, sex and things and this will bring selfish pleasure, fulfillment and happiness.  Jesus tells us different. 

I believe John is telling the Christian to avoid an infatuation or obsession with worldly ungodliness, the realm of darkness and its base pleasures. 

          In II Corinthians 4:4 it says this world system and thinking belongs to Satan.  It even refers to him as the “god of this world.”  This does not mean the world as a whole belongs to Satan, but what it does mean plain and simply is those who follow the world’s ways and have chosen to reject God have indeed allowed Satan to be the god of their lives.  Now I am sure if you talk to an unbeliever he will not actually acknowledge Satan as his God.  No, he has literally tricked or deceived the unbeliever into believing the lies of the world and following his ways.  He wants you to think that all there is to life is money, power, selfish pleasure and self fulfillment, but as we will soon see this is empty and leads to an empty life.

          Not only does John tell us to not love the world he goes so far as to say if you love the world and it’s ways then the love of the Father is not in you.  Why is the love of the father not in you?  Because everything the world represents goes against God and what He represents.

According to today’s passage this is what the world represents… 

1)     Cravings of sinful man or as some versions say, “The desires of the flesh.”  This could mean sensual or sexual desires, but probably means more than that.  It probably means any sinful desire that draws us away from God or at least makes continuing fellowship with Him impossible.  In some form it is idolatry… anything that causes us to turn from God is an idol and God will not take back seat to anyone or anything.

2)     The Lust of the eyes.  The eye is often a symbol for sinful infatuation that corrupts.  (Examples Eve and David)  Matthew 6:22 tells us, “The eye is the lamp of the body.  If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.”  What we allow pass through our eyes can quickly determine what is in our minds.  What are you allowing to enter in to your body through your eyes?  Are you viewing pornography on the internet, or looking at magazines that degrade men and women?  Are you watching TV shows that devalue people in general through sex and lust?  I realize we live in a highly visual world and it is nearly impossible to filter everything you look at, I mean you can’t drive in a car and look at the billboards without defiling your eyes, but we can filter what we willingly let pass into our eyes. 

3)     Boasting of what he has and does or “The Pride of life”.  This is unholy smugness, a pompous arrogance or subtle snobbery… “I’m better than so and so” attitude that comes from one’s view of wealth, rank or stature in society.  It is an overconfidence attitude that causes us to lose our dependence on God.  The world tells us to rely on nobody except for yourself, never let them see you sweat. 

What I find interesting about worldliness is that it can be defined simply as self satisfaction without regard for others.  

This is what John tells us to deny.  We should not resort to this definition of worldliness to define our individuality, morality and success in life.  This is hard because the world and all it represents portrays itself in a nice package.  Everything about it is appealing, I mean pre-marital sex is very tempting and it is fun; why not venture into this realm?  Having a lot of money and power is great; you can have whatever you want in life.  Being successful and independent is fulfilling, because we have no one to answer to. 

So why is it so wrong to follow the world or let it influence us?  Because the worlds influence does not come from the Father.  Everything that I mentioned is contrary to what God has established for us as Christians.  The world’s promises and fulfillment are empty.  They are pretty packages with nothing inside.  King Solomon, one of the most successful Kings in the history of the world had it all.  He had tons of money, influence, power, he had 100’s of women at his leisure, he had a beautiful home you name it, he had it.  You know what his conclusion was about all this stuff?  He said, “It’s all empty.”  There is no pleasure in this stuff, I found no fulfillment in it, the only fulfillment I find is in God the Creator. 

John says this in the conclusion, “The world and it’s desires shall pass away.”  You’ve heard the saying, “He who dies with the most toys wins!”  I actually like the rebuttal to that saying, “He who dies with the most toys still dies.”  This is the truth, we should not be investing in material gains of life, we should be investing in the spiritual or as John says, “Doing the will of God” and then we shall know what it means to have true fulfillment. 

          What does it mean to do the will of God?  I believe God’s will is that all men be saved, and that we all have membership in the family of God.  Also I believe he not only desires for us to be saved, but to live our lives in submission to him and in obedience to His word, and put it into practice. 

Closer To the Heart

Mark 7:14 - 23

Traditions of man verses the will of God.  This has always been a hot button issue in the days of Jesus and it remains one today. I have found this to be true; if you really want to get a congregation (or Christians in general) upset with you then start messing with the traditions.  Try moving the sacred cows in the sanctuary and try questioning why a church does what it does... Believe me the claws will come out.  Unfortunately I have learned this lesson the hard way but the “trouble” I have gotten myself into has not stopped me from continuing to issuing the challenge of asking people why we do what we do in regards to man made traditions within the church body. 

Jesus was always good at challenging the the traditions of the day.  Contrary to what many people think or teach I do not believe his goal was to anger people or cause unnecessary dissension among the people.  Every time Jesus challenged tradition was for a reason.  Often times a became more sacred than the true act of worship that comes from the heart and Jesus' goal was to set the people straight.  

So Are traditions bad?  What does Jesus say concerning traditions and the heart of worship?  Why is worship from the heart more important than actually keeping tradition?  Hopefully I can answer some of these questions.

 In the passage above Jesus makes a profound statement that really changed the face of what people thought worship was.  He tells a short parable about defilement and purity.  I believe Jesus is not saying the tradition of eating kosher foods and washing hands is wrong; however he was saying that people who only concern themselves with the outer observance of the law are missing the point of what God has designed to be worship.  He says that traditions are bad when they become more important than heart worship.  According to N.T. Wright, “ By focusing on outward purity, they are avoiding the much deeper challenge of the gospel, the challenge to the human heart.”  Basically what Jesus is implying is external purity does not matter as much as the internal heart.  Eventually he clarifies that the two actually end up going hand in hand.  The Pharisees have devoted their lives to keeping and enforcing physical laws such as washing hands, ceremonial cleanliness, and clean foods, yet they were missing the point.  God is more concerned with their internal heart rather than keeping and enforcing empty traditions.  True cleansing from God comes from the inside (changed heart) and not just external observances of the law.

 This brings us to the topic of the heart.  When referring to the heart the Bible generally is not referring to the physical heart it is symbolic.  Dallas Willard writes in his book RENOVATION OF THE HEART, “The human heart, will or spirit is the executive center of the human life.  The heart is where decisions and choices are made for the whole person.  That is its function.” Our hearts are who we are at the core of our being and Jesus informs us that our core being is not very good.  At the core our hearts are evil and black and decrepit and we need to focus on our spiritual heart condition over the external observances of traditions and laws.  Jesus said, “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”  What comes out of us is a reflection of who we are at the core.  It’s a picture of our hearts.   J.C. Ryle writes, “We need no bad company to teach us (to sin), and no devil to tempt us, in order to run to sin.  We have within us the beginning of every sin under heaven (in our hearts).”  He goes on to say, “(The Lord) is not only speaking of the notorious profligate, or the prisoner in jail.  He is speaking of all mankind.”  This is a hard pill for some to swallow.  The depravity of humanity is something that is not well received among humans.  We don’t like to think of ourselves as bad individuals and generally speaking we are not bad people (from the outside).  However our Lord tells us that our hearts are wicked.  Everything that is bad within us and all of humanity is in the heart.  We wonder how humans are capable of committing some of the most heinous crimes, yet when we take to heart these words spoken by Jesus we see that all humanity has the root of sin in them and we thus can understand how humanity can be so evil.  Jesus’ statements were so radical during his days because he was telling a bunch of outwardly religious rule followers and moralizers that pretty much everything they are doing and believing is  wrong.  Jesus often rebuked the religious leaders by calling them whitewashed tombs… They were nice and pretty on the outside but their hearts were desperately wicked.  

What is great about the Gospel though is there is good news.  The heart can be cleansed.  The heart can be changed.  The heart can be made pure.  Through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and the Holy Spirit in our lives and our hearts can be made anew.  King David writes, “Create in me a clean heart O Lord, and renew a right spirit within me.”  A new, clean and pure hearts is what Jesus is talking about in His Kingdom message.  This is huge in many ways.  Jesus is tells us that keeping the laws and traditions will not make you right with God only a life and heart completely submitted to Him is what he desires of us. 

So what is the point of this blog?  What life lesson can be applied?  How can the words of Jesus help you to understand God’s ultimate plan for you?

         

1. Question tradition.  Why do you do what you do (in church, home, personally etc.)?  Keep in mind all tradition is not bad nor is all tradition good.  Pray about whether your tradition is contrary to God’s command or even hindering you from hearing from Him.  
2. Look at your heart.  Who are you at the core?  Have you had that inner change that is only available through Jesus Christ?  Do a heart inventory.  Look at your life, your relationships, and your being and see if you are living a God honoring and Spirit-filled life.  Are there things in your life that are still lingering in your heart that may be hindering you from being the man or woman God is calling you to be?  
3. Have you allowed yourself to be a person who does the right things, says the right things and puts on the outward appearance of someone who has it all together but you are dead inside?  Do you think you are in a right relationship with God because you try to keep all the rules, you don’t lie, cheat, steal, murder, commit adultery etc.  I tell you it is easy for religious people to obey all the rules, keep all the commandments, believe (what they think) all the right doctrines in a dutiful manner and still have a heart that is empty, dark, evil, vile and decrepit.  I encourage you to take some time today and search your heart and ask God to search your heart and create a clean and fresh new heart that is devoted and submitted to Him in all aspects of your life.

I'm Going Through Changes

Mark 2:18 - 22

In verses 18 – 22 Jesus is questioned about fasting and more specifically why his disciples didn’t fast.  I want to key in on his response in verse 22 "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”  This is the second change… The old ways and the new ways cannot mix.  This was very offensive to the Jews and is probably offensive to many of you today. Not many truly love or embrace change with enthusiasm. Let’s be honest if things stayed the same forever (in most cases) you would probably be ok with it.  Unfortunately for those who resist change at all cost need to know… The world is changing. Life is changing. The church is changing. There is nothing we can do to stop it... Well, sure we can resist and refuse to change with the world.  We can plant our heels in deep the soil and say, “I AM NOT GOING TO CHANGE! If it was good enough 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 years ago then it is good enough for me today!”

This same attitude is present in the church today we say, “Well the world may be changing but the church doesn’t need to.” I disagree.  However I do believe the message of Jesus cannot and should not ever change. It is constant, it is truth and can never ever be changed.  I do believe our approach to sharing the Gospel message can and should change with the times.  Why should we expect the world to have to come to us or change to our ways in order to reach them? This is basically what we are saying when we refuse to change with the times. When Jesus gave the Great Commission he didn't mean for us to have this attitude, “We won’t change for you to meet you where you are, you need to change and adapt to our ways.” The Great Commission is intended for us go out and get and not expect the world to come to us because they won’t. 

I think Jesus’ example of new wine in old wineskins is relevant today. We cannot expect new things to happen if we keep doing things the old way.  I am not implying however that everything that is old is not good and everything that is new is good. No! The old has many good traits.  The positive change comes when we take this tried and true foundation and give it a new look (maybe even making it more understandable) without changing the content of the message.  A good example would be Bible translations. Thankfully many scholars have taken on the challenge of making the word of God more “readable” and accessible. What good would it do any of us if the word of God was still in its original tongue (Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic)? None, it would make it an elite book that only the educated could read. God is not a God of elitism; He is the God of the common man.  Music is another example. For some reason people think organ hymns are the true music of the church. That is so wrong! Yes, organ hymns have a great theological message and some actually have a catchy rhythm but they are not what the early church used. If we were to go back to the original church we would find there was no organ or actually no instruments at all.  The church throughout history had to change its music style (not message) in order to reach out and be relevant.  I actually like a lot of hymns because they have substance to the lyrics and the music is more intricate in many ways. But did you know man organ hymns are actually written to bar tunes of old so there is really nothing sacred about all hymns. 

My point?  Don’t always resist change.  On the flip side don't always be accepting of change.  The idea that just because something is acceptable in society does not mean it is right. I personally do not think we need to change in ways that are inclusive to all peoples because as with anything the Church has to be set apart from sins.  Or in some circles of the Church they are always looking for constant change. They are looking for the new wave of the Spirit and spiritualizing everything that happens. In their quest for something new they are quickly relying on the experience over the truth. This can be just as dangerous as resistance to change.  I think we need to have a healthy respect and outlook at change. We are not to blindly accept or reject it just because it is what it is… change.

Conclusion:
Overall, in this passage Jesus was talking about change. First, the sinner is now accepted and is no longer untouchable (see previous blog). Second, the old and the new don’t always mix so well. What he was saying is radical and revolutionary. There was now hope for the sinner and the ways that we have “always done things” is no longer the only acceptable method. We need to prayerfully embrace this as a body. My prayer for believers is that we can be open and intentional in reaching out to sinners. Secondly, I pray this we could prayerfully embrace change as the times change. I am not suggesting that we radically abandon our past or traditions; I am just suggesting we be open to new things that will and do bring glory to God and people into his kingdom.

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

 Mark 2:13 – 22

Today as I begin a series of blogs and inform the reader of the words of theologian and Pastor N.T. Wright, “I am going to talk about some things I don’t really know about thus continuing my theological education in public.”   I have enjoyed studying and preparing these blogs because not only am I getting a better understanding of what Jesus is saying in his word but also slowly shedding light on Jesus’ mission here on earth and what his plan is for us as his followers.

Whatchu Talkin' Bout Jesus?

There is a lot going on in these 10 verses (13 - 22).  In this passage we witness the calling of Matthew the tax collector to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is criticized for keeping company with tax collectors and sinners and he is also criticized for not fasting and holding to ancient traditions.  I believe the overall theme of these verses is, “Changes are coming.  The old way is no longer sufficient a new way is being established thus the old and new cannot and will not mix.”  I do not believe Jesus was implying in any way that the old way of doing things was wrong or evil.  He was saying that the old way (keeping of the law) has passed and there is now a new way (salvation through grace and faith alone) and it is better than the old.

 This passage begins with Jesus calling Levi (the tax collector) to become a disciple of his. You and I may look at this calling as nothing spectacular and may not mean anything to us, but it was a big deal.  This was a big deal because tax collectors in this culture were looked upon fondly by the public.  They were considered swine, dogs, or even worse to the Jew ceremonially unclean.  A tax collector’s job would be comparable to what a loan shark is in modern times.  Their job involved working with “the enemy” or the “powers that be” (usually a tyrant leader, ruler or Rome in particular), and would collect more money than needed from individuals.  Basically they were legalized thieves. 

When Jesus called Levi to become a disciple we notice that he proceeded to have lunch with other tax collectors and sinners.  The Pharisee’s did not approve of this in any way.  They taught that in order to remain pure one must not associate with sinners and stay as far away from anything unclean of impure as possible.  Eating with sinners was very offensive to the Pharisees. Tax collectors were considered sinners.  The Pharisee’s viewed them as a lesser class because they were not educated and they were friends to "the enemy".  Jesus ate with them, He loved them and associated with them. 

Changes

When the Pharisee’s questioned the disciples about the company he was keeping he replied, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.  The first change Jesus announces is the sinner is no longer considered taboo or untouchable.  He can be and will be accepted by God if he in faith responds to Gods call and He becomes the Lord over his life.  The sinner is actually the reason why Jesus came to the earth.  To the “righteous” Jesus had no appeal because he had nothing to offer them.  He wasn’t there to stroke their feathers and tell them how good and holy they were.  He had a larger agenda and it included saving those who were considered unsaveable.  

This is a wonderful and comforting message for us.  Jesus will meet the sinner where he is and invite him into the family of God regardless of what he has done.  This should be a lesson to all believers.  Many Christians have taken on a Pharisaical attitude as we look at unbelievers.  We look upon those who do not believe (sinners) with disgust and anger.  Some may even have a hint of pleasure in knowing that one day some of these unbelievers may burn in a lake of fire… because they deserve it don’t they?  My prayer for you (if you are a Christian) is that you would never look upon another person in this way.  May you be compassionate to the sinner, welcoming to the searcher and not be afraid to sit down and eat or discuss matters of the kingdom with them; because they are just like you and me.  My hope is that Christians would be slow to judge others and quick to welcome.  I think one of the number one deterrents to unbelievers coming to church is the fear that when they step in through the door they will be judged by the people in the church.   My friends… it is not our job to judge, condemn or save!  This is God’s job.  He is the Great Physician.  Our job is to love the sinner and help him/her (sometimes very gently and lovingly) come to the realization that he is a sinner (like you and me) in need of God’s redeeming grace.

Spiritual Gifts (100th POST!)

 I Peter 4:10, 1 Cor. 12: 1 - 7, 13:1 - 2, 14:1

·        In talking with individuals over the years I have found many people are either curious, apprehensive or mystified (or all three at once for that matter) by the topic of spiritual gifts.

·        Many are curious because the idea of possessing a spiritual gift sounds exciting and want to use this gift for God’s glory.

·        Some are apprehensive because when they discover their gift it may not be one of the “big ones” or they are just plain afraid when they discover their gift something freaky might happen to them.

·        They may be mystified because many people don’t know their gift, or better yet don’t know how to discover it and some may even wonder if they have one.

What are Spiritual gifts?  Special abilities given to the believer by God for ministry or service.  They are given freely and generously.  It is similar to grace… A more proper translation for Spiritual gifts would be gifts of grace given by God to the believer so that the body of Christ may be edified and strengthened.

More generally a spiritual gift is any event, word, or action that embodies and expresses God’s grace.

What are the purposes of gifts? (1 Peter 4:10) The gifts of the Holy Spirit are used for the common good of the Church and to serve one another in the body of Christ.  And a common tragedy of the Church today is that many people do not know or use their gifts.  If you do not know your gift or you do and are not using it for God’s glory then the rest of the body of Christ (church) is not benefiting from your Spiritual endowment.  This is why we need to understand them and use them.  One common misconception is that the gifts of the Spirit are for our personal edification (granted we are edified personally when we use them) but nowhere can I find that it is intended solely for our own personal use, they are always spoke in the context of blessing, building and edifying the body of Christ.  

Do we need to know our gifts? (I Cor. 12:1) Paul essentially says “Concerning spiritual persons/things I do not want you to be uninformed (ignorant).”

Uninformed – AV translates it ignorant.  The Greek word denotes being mistaken, in error or not recognizing.

Vs 2 - Because of their pagan backgrounds to some of the people in the Corinthian church spiritual manifestations was not something new.  They were spiritual people however not all of these manifestations they witnessed were not from God. 

They were used to supernatural occurrences happening and Paul is warning them that just because something “supernatural” is happening, does not mean God is behind it.

When they were Pagans they were easily tricked (even awed by a manifestation) and Paul does not want them to be ignorant concerning Spiritual things.

Therefore or since this is the case you must know there is a way to test these supernatural occurrences to see whether they are from God or not.

Who has the gifts & do they all have the same gifts?

Every person who is a spirit-filled believer in Jesus Christ has at least one Spiritual gift.  (1 Corinthians 12:7)

Diversity – We cannot all be the head, arms or legs.  We are unified in Christ but diverse in our makeup.  We are members of one body (locally and globally) who serve different roles.

(Romans 12:4 – 6a)These two verses are very similar to I Corinthians 12:12-31 All gifts/members/parts are important to the body because they serve different functions.

Verse 6

We all have gifts… they are diverse and they are given by grace.

In the next few verses Paul is not just making a list of Spiritual gifts.  He is exhorting the members of the church in Rome to use their gift for the building and edification of the church and to ultimately see it flourish.

This is still true today.  We all have gifts and we must use them.  They are of no use if we have received them and we keep them to ourselves or hide them.

Driving force behind gifts (I Corinthians 13:2) The last thing we should know is that all of our gifts MUST be motivated and driven by love.  I Corinthians 13: 2 basically says, “If I possess all Gifts of the Spirit, and do not have love, then my gifts are worthless.”  We should use our gifts to help benefit others and not to get what we want or to take advantage of people.  Love must be the foundation.

The Handyman Can

I Cor. 12:1
Rom. 12:4 – 6a 

You may know someone who has every tool pretty much known to mankind. It seems all this person does is keep his tools stored nice and neatly in his tool box and never uses ¾ of the tools he has. He prides himself on how many tools he has, but unfortunately he never or rarely uses them or even worse, he doesn’t know how to use most of them or what they are for.

Today I want to do what I do best and that is to spiritualize the toolbox. I want to show that each one of you possesses a spiritual toolbox and there are indeed tools in it.


Four Types of People with Spiritual Toolboxes

1. People who know they have a toolbox with their gift(s) and are using them for the glory of God.
2. People who do not realize they have a killer set of tools (gifts) that God has given to them to use.
3. People who know they have them but do not know HOW to use their gifts or the purpose they serve.
4. People who know they have a toolbox with tools in it but choose not to use them for one reason or another.

If you are a believer you know the Holy Spirit dwells in your life and this privilege of the Spirit entitles you to possess certain gifts/tools that God has made available to you. If you are a Christian you have a supernatural endowment from the Holy Spirit that will produce supernatural results. In other words, you have a gift or gifts given to you by God that enable you to do what you could never do in your own power.

It is important  to know what tools we possess and how to use them. Have you ever tried using a tool for something other than its intended purpose? (screwdriver for hammer) You may accomplish what you set out to do but not without problems. It’s easier to use the tool for it’s intended purpose and we cannot use it for its purpose if we don’t know what the purpose of the tool is.

In the previous blogs (Open the Flood Gates) I went over in detail various gifts found in the Bible and prayerfully they helped you gain a better understanding of what gift is. Tomorrow I want to look primarily at what Spiritual Gifts are, there purpose, Do we need to know them, who has them and what the motivation is behind them. Hopefully you'll come back and check it out.

Open Up The Flood Gates (Part 4)

Romans 12:6 - 13

We are continuing in our study of Spiritual Gifts and today I will be looking at the five remaining gifts in Romans 12: 6 – 13.  Today my purpose is to continue to prayerfully define and describe the gifts listed in the three passages resulting in you having a better idea, understanding and purpose of the gifts of the spirit that are listed in this passage. 

Service/Helps (Verse 7)

     The role or position of serving.  To minister to someone.    One who has this gift actually gets pumped or excited when the opportunity arises to serve others.  This person always serves with joy and does so without complaining or looking for anything in return.  One who serves never looks at what he/she is doing as a job and they are often very humble in their service.  They are not looking for recognition, payment or accolades.  These individuals just love what they do and they do it in love.  According to I Peter 4:11 those with the gift of service will always serve in the strength of God that he supplies

·         Jesus tells his disciples that if they want to truly be great you must be a servant.  He says in Mark 9:35, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”  Jesus tells us he came not to be served but to serve.  Serving was a big part (if not the main reason) Jesus came.

·         Scriptural Example:  (Acts 6:1 – 7) The disciples chose seven deacons to serve so the disciples could preach the Word and pray.

·         Caution:  We have to be cautious that we are not serving grudgingly or for eye service.  There are many people who serve but do it with a wrong heart, attitude or motivation.  There is also an unspoken belief that the gift of service is a lesser gift or insignificant.  This is not true.  When God has gifted an individual with service and helps He will use that person to bring much joy, blessing and encouragement to the Body of Christ.  One must never confuse serving with work.  When one serves or ministers to others it is important that he/she has the understanding that he/she is doing the serving for the honor or God and not man (Ephesians 6:5 – 8).  One with the gift of service is serving for the approval of One… God. 

Exhortation/Encouragement (Verse 8)

     The God-given gift of using verbal and non-verbal means of encouraging or consoling others in need.  These are people that I love being around because they have that gift to always see the light at the end of the tunnel.  These people refuse to let life get them down and they thrive on being an encouragement to the downtrodden, hopeless, depressed, angry and struggling. 

·         One of my friends who is a Pastor in has this gift and God continually uses him as a way to encourage me in life and in my ministry and he has a way of communicating verbally to me and to others that God is faithful.  I can feel as thought I am down in the dumps and on many occasions he has been a source of encouragement to me.

·         Scriptural example(s) – (Acts 11:23, 24) Some men of Cyprus and Cyrene were preaching to some Hellenists and the hand of God was upon them as many came to faith Jesus Christ.  When the Church in Jerusalem heard this they sent Barnabas to encourage them to remain faithful in their ministry.

·         Caution – People need to be sensitive in certain situations.  Sometimes encouragers are so bent on being a positive person that they may forget that their encouragement or exhortation is inappropriate.  These individuals sometimes project the way they deal with things on others and may not have the sensitivity to individual circumstances.  For example, a person may tell someone who is grieving, depressed, angry or at his wits end to not focus on their feelings, suck it up and be thankful God is with them.  When in reality all the person needs is an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on.  Those are some non-verbal ways of encouraging people. 

Giving (Verse 8)

     The gift of sharing what one has with others.  The literal translation for giving in this passage is sharing.  Individuals with this gift love to give or share what they have with others.  This would include money, resources, and possessions.  Givers are often encouragers because when they give or share they often bless or encourage those they give to.  Individuals with this gift are not always wealthy or have a lot of possessions, but still give out of faith and faithfully.  People with this gift never give out of guilt or to receive accolades.  They simply give because they want to bless the body and be obedient to what God has gifted them to do.  They truly believe “It is better to give than receive” and their lives reflect this.

·         I have met a lot of people with this gift.  I will not mention their names because I wouldn’t want to embarrass them and I know they are not doing what they do for recognition.  

·         Scriptural example – (John 21: 1 – 4) A perfect example of one who has little or nothing but still has the gift of giving is found in the story of the Widow’s mite.  She only had a mite (equal to a penny) to her name and she gave it to God.  Jesus commended her for giving out of her poverty and in faith.

·         Caution – This gift is probably the most abused of all gifts.  Sometimes people give money, possessions or resources with strings attached and this is not how God intended the gift to be used.  There are individuals who will give a lot of money because they want to be able to tell others what to do.  They give self righteously and expect everyone to cater to their every whim.  They give with the intention to control and manipulate and not to bless.  There are many in churches who view themselves as givers and they think this gives them the power to decide how the money, possession or resource should be used.  I could go on for hours about people who abuse this gift but choose to say instead, “If you are giving with strings attached or for your glory you are giving with the wrong motive.”  Givers give cheerfully and in response to what God has laid on their heart to give. 

Leadership (Verse 8)

     One who has the given gift of influence as to cause others to follow in God’s direction.  The person with this gift has a gift to convince his followers to go where God is leading.  He/she has a laser sharp vision for what God is calling them to do and a divinely inspired strategy that empowers them to accomplish it.  This individual does not always have a likeability factor or may not have great “bedside manners” but he is clear about the path God wants him to take.  The leader is always submitted and obedient to God.  He does not necessarily concern himself with what the majority wants, he is more concerned with what God wants. 

  

·         Scriptural example – Moses is the perfect example.  He was called to lead a rebellious group of people out of Egypt into the desert and try to keep them under control for 40 years.  He was usually met with resistance from the majority but was faithful to listen to God (most of the time).

·         Caution – This is another gift that is often abused.  There is a saying that goes, “If you have to tell people you are a leader, then you probably are not one.”  When individuals force their “leadership” on others then they are not leaders.  Leaders are influencers and people will gladly and freely follow influencers and will resist those who impose their “power” onto others.  Just because someone has a leadership title does not entitle them as leaders.

Mercy (Verse 8)

     The gift to show concern, compassion and kindness to others in serious need.  One who has this gift has a compassion for the less fortunate or needy that is given to them by God.  This individual’s heart breaks when he sees injustice happen to others, he has a compelling love and concern for those who do not have anything or are struggling.  This person will often have a heart for both mentally and handicapped individuals to encourage them along in life and will treat them with dignity and respect.  He often has the passion and desire to help the needy and to bless the less fortunate in the name of Jesus.

·         Scriptural example – (Acts 9:36) Dorcas or Tabitha was a woman who was full of good works and charity.

Caution – Three really isn’t much caution for individuals claiming the gift of mercy.   The only caution I can think of is showing charity as a means of self fulfillment and not doing it in the name of Jesus.

As I conclude my prayer and hope has been and remains that you have been challenged, encouraged and invigorated in this series of posts.  I myself have been extremely excited and encouraged as I preached and taught through these passages.  I am looking forward to hearing how you discovered your gift(s) and how God is leading you to use your gift for his glory and the benefit of His body (locally & universal).