17: Spiritual Gifts -- No Excuse To Not Share Your Story

     Last August FBC Killeen had “This Is My Story” month. Numerous people wrote down their salvation testimonies. Several deacon candidates shared the gospel story and how it changed their lives.

     I believe that month-long emphasis influenced the Bell Baptist Association, a group of nearly one hundred churches in our county, to title our evangelism conference “Sharing HIS Story In Our Story”. That conference will be February 7th at Taylor's Valley Baptist Church in Temple and will feature Randy Frazee who wrote both The Story and Believe curricula. Johnny Hunt, a pastor and soul winner from Georgia, will also come and preach us to use our gifts, our story, and God's love to reach the world.

You can register for the meal at the February 7th Conference by clicking here.

    You may not be gifted as a teacher, a speaker, even gifted in knowledge or wisdom. You may not be a deacon or a pastor or a writer of curriculum. But God has endowed you with at least one spiritual gift. God wants you to tell the story of salvation by using your unique gift.

     I look forward to Session 17 “Spiritual Gifts” because so many in our church do not know what their spiritual gifts are. Some people are especially gifted in mercy; God wants them to use that giftedness and love people enough to share the gospel. Others are gifted in hospitality; God wants them to use that gift and be hospitable so that others are built up in the faith. No, you may not have the spiritual gift of giving or have great knowledge on the deeper things of God and life; but still, God wants you do the best you can with what He has given you.

    Have you resisted writing your salvation story? Are afraid you may not share your testimony perfectly? There are two roads: One to eternal life; the other to eternal destruction. We should “do unto others as we would have them do unto us.”

     Are you glad someone shared with you the plan of salvation? Then write and tell your salvation story and be prepared to share the gospel with the lost, the saved, the world.

BELIEVE SESSION 17: SPRITUAL GIFTS

KEY QUESTION:

     What gifts and abilities has God given me to serve others?

     The term “spiritual gifts” originates from the Greek words pneumatika (spiritual or of the Spirit) and charisma (gift). Spiritual gifts are special abilities or functions given by the Holy Spirit that are meant to be used by God’s people to complete God’s work.

     Spiritual gifts are given with a purpose. God wants to redeem this broken world, and he has chosen to use us, the church, to do it. Whereas in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit temporarily came upon followers of God to enable them to fulfill specific tasks, the New Testament clearly indicates that the Holy Spirit indwells all believers and that all believers have spiritual gifts. And since the New Testament refers to specific gifts, it seems safe to assume that God wants us to identify our gifts in order to best use them.

     Spiritual gifts are tools that are meant to be used. The divine task of restoring broken people to God has been imparted to us, and we must put these tools to work. In this parable about the bags of gold, Jesus illustrated this principle for his disciples.

KEY VERSE

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. (Romans 12:4–6)

KEY IDEA

I know my spiritual gifts and use them to fulfill God’s purposes.

KEY APPLICATION:

 What difference does this make in the way I live?

     If you want to gain a better understanding of your own spiritual gifts, look for a number of excellent resources and tools online or in Christian bookstores. You can also simply ask people to help you discover your gifts. Use the story in this chapter and ask three folks to circle the role they see you playing. Your responsibility is to discover and develop God’s gifts, and then to find how each one fits into the world he wants to reach. You have been given a gift, and God plans to use your gift to change the world.

     When we are children, most of us pretend to have, or dream about having, some sort of superpower. The Creator has given you a divine gift. When it is used in and through your unique personality, abilities, and intellect, energized by his Holy Spirit, God will certainly produce supernatural results far above what you could ask for or imagine him to ever do.

YOUR TURN

     Why is it so important that people identify their spiritual gifts? (You’ll find some ideas in 1 Corinthians 12:1-20.)