SPIRITUAL GIFTS – Part Seven

The Serving Gifts

By Michael K. Farrar

God’s Breath Publications

 

In this segment of the series on Spiritual Gifts we will cover the Serving Gifts. They are, leadership, administration, ministering, showing mercy, faith and discernment. While all of the spiritual gifts are meant to serve those in the body of Christ, this group of serving gifts is especially directed at ministering to specific needs of members of the body of Christ. Often these serving gifts are expressed not just in group situations, but especially in one-to-one relationship settings. While these gifts involve ministry to people they are also task-oriented in nature.

 

LEADERSHIP (Greek = proistemi) (To preside or rule over)

 

Romans 12:6, 8 “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: he who leads, with diligence…”

 

The basic qualification for the spiritual gift of “leadership” is one of a Christ-like lifestyle. Leaders are necessary in any group or organization and the living organism of Christ’s church is no different. It is very apparent that God used men and women in leadership roles down through history to bring about His divine will. Moses is a prime example of a godly man being used to accomplish tasks that God desired to bring about, not only His Chosen People, but also mankind in general. The Holy Spirit uses two words in Scripture to describe this gift He distributes to believers, according to the will of the Father and given by Jesus Christ. In Romans chapter 12 the word “leads,” is translated “rule” and manage.” The Greek word literally means “to stand before” or “preside.” It means to have charge over others and has the implication of motivating people under your responsibility. It is used concerning fathers (1 Timothy 3:4, 5), elders, bishops and deacons which are all roles of leadership in the home and/or church family. It is also implied in scripture that a leader will take care of those under his charge or responsibility (1 Timothy 3:5).

 

Those with the gift of leadership will respond to the needs of those they lead. This is described in the word “diligence.” This is the Greek word “spoude” and means with speed, eagerness or earnestness. Good godly leaders will recognize problems and needs that arise. Their response will be a desire to respond quickly and passionately with an appropriate action through ministry. Leaders have an orientation towards people because that is the main focus of their spiritual gift of leadership. Those who lead in a godly fashion will see progress and growth in the spiritual lives those they lead.

 

“Effective leadership must be done with diligence, with earnestness and zeal…Proper leadership therefore precludes procrastination and idleness. Whether it is possessed by church officers or by members who direct such things as Sunday school, the youth group, the nursery, or a building program, the gift of leadership is to be exercised with carefulness, constancy, and consistency.”

John MacArthur, Jr.

 

ADMINISTRATION (Greek = kubernesis) (To pilot, steer, govern or direct)

 

1 Corinthians 12:27, 28 “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed…administrations…”

 

Individuals with the gift of administration are even more task-oriented than those with the gift of leadership and sometime they can come across as somewhat blunt and abrupt in their manner or style of ministry. The Greek word for “administrations” means “a helmsman” and the root word means “to steer a ship.” Our modern English word “navigator” would fit this meaning well. A “navigator” or “helmsman” is responsible for a ship arriving in port with all its cargo. A person with the gift of administration is especially gifted in the ability to see to it that spiritually related tasks are completed and goals accomplished. Someone with this spiritual gift is responsible for not only directing programs but at times the people who are involved with such spiritual tasks and projects. They have a skill for organization and implementing ideas and goals to bring them to fruition. They are deeply committed to God and desire His will be accomplished in the local church in a practical way. These individuals are often very dedicated and loyal to God, His church and the tasks that are placed in their charge.

 

“What a valuable and needed gift this is. Here is a God-given capacity to organize and administer with such efficiency and spirituality that not only is the project brought to a satisfactory conclusion but it is done harmoniously and with evident blessing.”

William McRae

 

“Such ministry is indispensable in the local church: those who have the ability to steer a service, a meeting, or a conference, indeed the whole church; to hold it on course and keep it moving towards its destination; to call on the right person with the right gift at the right time; to cope with trivial requests, which are important to the individual making them, without becoming impatient or taking his eyes off the main issues and the ultimate goal. Such helmsmen will be people both of vision and of sensitivity.”

David Prior

 

MINISTERING (Greek = “diakonia”) (To serve or provide relief)

 

Romans 12:6-7 “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly:…if service, in his serving;…”

 

The English words “deacon” and “deaconess” come from the word “minister.” While everyone who is a follower of Christ is to be about the business of serving and ministering, the individual who has the spiritual gift of ministering is especially dedicated to the task of serving the needs of others in the church body. This is a high calling and much needed spiritual gift in the local church. The first mention of this word in the New Testament is in Acts 6 where a need had arose that needed attention.

 

Acts 6:1-4 “Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.”Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.”

 

The above scripture passage demonstrates that ministering can have to do with supplying the physical needs of people. But, ministering can also apply in cases which entail providing emotional support and encouragement as well as general service and help. While each follower of Christ should minister to others as the need arises, the person with this spiritual gift of ministry or service has a deep passion for helping others with needs that they have. If we look at instances in the New Testament where servants ministered to those who were in need we have examples of what it would be like to express the gift of ministering. In Romans 15:25-27, Paul shares how he was going to serve and minister to the saints in Jerusalem and how the followers of Christ in Macedonia and Achaia had collected funds to help the suffering saints in Jerusalem as well. A true servant of God who ministers with this gift does so, not for pay or accolades, but as an obedient follower of Christ seeking to use his or her spiritual gift that God has given them.

 

“I find it interesting that in Paul’s list, serving is placed right next to the most public and most acclaimed gift, prophecy. It’s as though he wants to highlight the fact that serving, the least desired, least public, and least honored gift is in this “age” is an exalted position in God’s system. Jesus said, ‘Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant (diakonos); and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served (diakonethenai), but to serve (diakonesai)” (Mark 10:43-45).”

Charles R. Swindoll

 

SHOWING MERCY (Greek = “eleo”) (To show compassion and mercy)

 

Romans 12:6-8 “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly:…he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

 

The spiritual gift of showing mercy is the gift of being able to show sympathy and compassion towards those who are suffering physically, mentally, emotionally or psychologically. Again, while any follower of Christ should always express mercy towards those who suffer, the person with this spiritual gift has a deep empathy towards those who suffer which is empowered by the Holy Spirit in a special manner. They are able to keep their wits about them as they help those who have deep tragedy in their lives. This is why the passage in Romans 12:8 mentions the fact that they should show mercy with “cheerfulness.” This does not mean that they are to be cheerful that someone is suffering. It means that they will express care and concern with a positive attitude seeking to encourage and lift up the person dealing with an extremely difficult situation. Often the pain and heartache of others can cause us to fall into mourning with them to such an extent it hinders our ability to minister to them. The person with the gift of showing mercy is able to show deep concern and compassion, often encouraging the person in need with a godly perspective of hope and grace. While such individuals are able to identify with the suffering and pain that is being endured by another, they are able to give direction, spiritual advice as well as keep a clear head in the midst of such dire emotional and physical distress. This spiritual gift was very much demonstrated in the life of Christ as He ministered to those who suffered disease, affliction and even demonic possession. Jesus was calm and compassionate in every situation where He showed mercy towards others.

 

FAITH (Greek = “pistis”)(A constant and consistence moral conviction of the truthfulness of God, strong reliance upon Christ for salvation, utter dependence on the Holy Spirit for guidance)

 

1 Corinthians 12:4-9 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good…to another faith by the same Spirit,”

 

The spiritual gift of faith is not the faith that God grants us in order to be saved. It is not saving faith, it is something different. We all have a faith that we live by each day. As followers of Christ we have a faith that trusts God that we are saved by His grace. We have faith that God exists and we have faith in the Word of God as absolute perfect truth. This spiritual gift of faith that is distributed to a follower of Christ by the Holy Spirit is a faith that goes beyond the norm. It is a faith that can trust in God for mighty deeds beyond the regular needs of everyday life. It is the faith spoken of in the following passages.

 

Matthew 17:14-20 “When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. “I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”

 

We can see from this illustration of Jesus that there is a faith that in infinitesimally small amounts can bring tremendous results due to the power of God moving through simple pure faith as a special gift. The point here is not that we could literally move mountains if we willed it to be so. The spiritual truth is that godly faith focused in the power and loving will of God can bring great things into our lives and especially the lives of others. This is the spiritual gift of faith that is granted to those God determines, by His will to receive it, which is given by Jesus Christ, through the agency of the Holy Spirit.

 

Matthew 21:18-22 “Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered. Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

 

Here we see another aspect of this spiritual gift of faith. It does not have any doubt contained in it because the person possessing it is focused on the will of God in the situation and trusts perfectly, not in their will, but the will of God for a specific situation. Jesus here is not saying that we could walk around casting mountains into the sea for no reason. He is attempting to make a strong point that if we are intimately close to God in our relationship with Him and walk in the Spirit moment by moment then with the spiritual gift of faith we can trust that something can be done because we are assured it is God’s will. He outlines a process by which this faith comes about, through prayer and belief. Godly prayer is the key in such expressions of faith for it is not a petition prayer of requesting something we might selfishly desire, it is a prayer for God’s will to be done. Humble prayers of faith seeking God’s will for any situation are answered by God with His desire for a situation. The spiritual gift of faith rests strongly in the trust and knowledge of God’s will for any particular situation. This is demonstrated in yet another verse.

 

James 5:15 “the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up,”

 

“Miraculous faith is of quite a different nature… It enables certain people to move mountains, to see continual and extraordinary answers to prayer…This kind of faith gives the ability to command certain things to be done and instantly they are done.”

John Phillips

 

“It would seem to come upon certain of God’s servants in times of special crisis or opportunity in such mighty power that they are lifted right out of the realm of even natural or ordinary faith in God—and have a divine certainty put within their souls that triumphs over everything.”

Donald Gee

 

DISCERNMENT (Greek = “diakrisis”) (A judicial estimation of truth to prevent error)

 

1 Corinthians 12:4-10 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good…to another the distinguishing of spirits.”

 

Another serving gift that was important to the early church was the spiritual gift of discernment of spirits. This is the ability to expose error or deception by the power of the Spirit in the follower of Christ. In the early church there was no written Word of God and many false teachers were attempting to corrupt the church and lead followers of Christ away from the faith. The person with this gift was able to discern the intent of what was spoken by someone teaching as well as the motive behind their actions. In the early church it was critical that the purity of doctrine and accuracy of what was taught was established. Several scriptures validate how this was done.

 

1 Corinthians 14:29-30 “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment.”

 

1 John 4:1-2 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

 

Hebrews 5:13-14 “For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”

 

Philippians 1:9-11 “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

 

The spiritual gift of distinguishing or discernment of spirits is also very important today in the contemporary church. This is more than just knowing correct doctrine, it is being able to judge and discern the intent behind what is taught. It enables a follower of Christ to sense the motives behind a wicked or selfish person whose heart is tainted by selfish intent. False teachers and incorrect doctrine are very prolific in our society today and Satan’s tactics of misleading followers of Christ or discouraging the unsaved from accepting Christ are still active and alive. A person with this spiritual gift assists followers of Christ to be able to stay on the right path and they also facilitate the unsaved to hear the gospel of Christ.

 

Examples of how this spiritual gift of discernment was used in the New Testament times can be found in Acts 5:1-11 when Peter was able to discern the intent of the hearts of Ananias and Sapphira. Another incident where Peter used his spiritual gift of discernment was when he confronted Simon Magnus in Acts 8:9-24.

 

“The “discerning of spirits” was very important to a church that did not yet have a New Testament as an objective reference and in a society in which the bizarre seemed normal. It was what God gave to serve as a check or balance to the gift of prophecy, to sort out that which was valid and real from that which was spurious. Though we have both the Bible and almost two thousand years of tradition in the church, we still need in every congregation those persons to whom the Spirit gives that intuitive discernment of spiritual things. There is wisdom that comes with age and insight that is born of experience, but there is also spiritual insight that God gives – a knowledge and wisdom and maturity of judgment that is a part of God’s gifts.”

Kenneth L. Chafin

 

In the next segment of this series we’ll cover the Support Gifts of Helps, Giving and Hospitality.