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| Romans 12:3-8 |
You see each of us is important for Christ in the local church, the Body of Christ. No one gift is more important than the other. Yesterday, you learned about "Sign" gifts and "Speaking"gifts. Today, we want to talk about "Serving" gifts. Before we get to those remaining four gifts, let's remember what Spiritual gifts are not.
Spiritual gifts are not: skills or natural talents (James 1:17). Spiritual gifts are not roles we play or offices we hold in a church. They should not be confused with the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). Spiritual gifts are not for self-gain (Romans 12:3) and they are not the same for everyone. Also, please remember that when we are given as spiritual gift at the moment of salvation, the gift still needs to be developed as we grow in our Christian walk.
3. SERVING GIFTS
 Romans 12:7 |
"or ministry, let us use it in our ministering." |
This word is the Greek word diakonia. This is the word where we get deacon from. The first deacons in the early church were "men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom." They provided food for the widows so the apostles would be free to give themselves "to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:3-4). It is good when you have a deacon in your church who has the gift of serving. Helping others is a very basic characteristic of the gift of serving. Those with this gift will anticipate a need and how they might prepare themselves to meet that need.
We had a man in our church by the name of Roy Osman. He had the gift of serving. My wife and I would be talking at home how we needed something done around the church or at a church member's home. Maybe it was repairs, food for someone or the auditorium needing to be cleaned up before service. It could be any number of things we would be talking about. Almost by the time we got to the church, Roy had already done it. He just loved doing things for others. It gave him pleasure to help meet the needs of others. No doubt, all of us should practice this gift but for some it is a passion to help others. It gives them such pleasure to serve.
E. Giving. Romans 12:8 continues the list of these gifts by saying,
Romans 12:8 |
"he who gives, with liberality." |
The one who has the gift of giving is generous. He gives more than most. He does not do it because he has to. He does not do it so others will see him. He does it because God has put this desire in his heart.
We had a man in our church by the name of Kimble D. Stohry. He is a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed at Osan Air Base but he and his family are now living back in the U.S. He seemed to have the gift of giving. He believed that the money that God gave him was to be used to further the cause of Christ. Almost every time when he heard that someone was in need, he would always ask, "Pastor, can we help them?" My response was always like this. "Let me give it some thought and I will check the church budget or check my budget and see what we can do." He would then say, "Last time I checked, God was still the king His bank still has money." We would always laugh about that. But, it is true, isn't it? God is not financially broke. Brother Stohry loved to give to others without notice of man. He just wanted to make sure folks were taken care of.
F. Administration. Romans 12:8 continues,
Romans 12:8 |
"He who leads, with diligence." |
The word here "to lead"(proistemi) is never used in Scripture to talk about government leaders but it is used to describe the head of a Christian family (1 Timothy 3:4,5,12) or the leaders in the church (1 Timothy 5:17). It means to lead or guide or admin-istrate. Of course, a pastor and deacons in the church need this gift.
My friend, Chuck Done, a former missionary to Korea died with a brain tumor some years ago. He had the gift of administration. He could get things organized quickly. He was such a good administrator that he could even get Baptist pastors and missionaries organized and agree on things. He was amazing. Honestly, when you were around Chuck, he made sense of things and helped you to understand why it should be done. He could explain it in a way everyone would get behind it and go to work. He had the gift of administration.
G. Mercy. The last spiritual gift mentioned here in Romans 12 is the gift of mercy. The one who has this gift shows a special sympathy or sensitivity to one who is going through suffering or sorrow. This person doesn't just feel mercy but he shows mercy. He helps those who are going through a difficult or hard time. He cares for the poor, the orphans, the widows, the homeless, the handicapped, those in the hospital or in jail. And he does this "with cheerfulness." When something is your gift you don't do it because you have to, you do it because you want to, you are really happy to do it.
You will be taking a spiritual gift test today. When I took the test and saw the results, I was amazed. The line on the colored graph showed how little mercy I had as a believer. My wife tells me that I have very little mercy and agreed with the test completely. God has put it in some people the desire to love the unlovely when I sometime feel like saying "don't bother me, I'm to busy." Praise the Lord for those who show mercy to us when we don't deserve it. Thank God for His mercy in giving His Son to die for our sin . Mercy is caring for others even when they don't care back.
As Christians, we're to practice all the gifts. We're to be givers even though we may not have the gift of giving. We're to show mercy even though that may not be our gift. We're to proclaim the gospel, even if we're never a preacher. The spiritual gifts are supernatural abilities from God that we received when we became a Christian. What is your spiritual gift? Discover it! Use it!
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by Charles Ross
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