You are a Gift

Dear ones…today I want to encourage you with a deeper understanding of Spiritual gifts. I also want to share with you how we should be responding to them. Our study Scripture is

Ephesians 4:7-16 NASB 1995

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says,

“When He ascended on high,
He led captive a host of captives,
And He gave gifts to men.”

(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

I want to bring to your attention some points made in this passage.

1. Yeshua gives gifts, not men.
2. Some, not all, are Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. These are the Leadership gifts known as the Five-fold ministry gifts.
3. Leadership gifts are for equipping the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ
4. Leadership gifts will continue to operate until all come to the unity of Faith, having the knowledge of the Son of God, are mature, and attain the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
5. There are other gifts and each one is for the growth of the body, building itself up in love.
6. Both leadership and non-leadership gifts are to build up the body of Christ. When both are working together in harmony it causes the body to grow.

I would like to put forth that these gifts whether they are what the church calls the five-fold ministry gifts or other gifts are not in fact the operation, but rather the people themselves. Every person who is born again is created and called to be a part in the body of Christ. Actually, every human being is; however, one must accept this and be born again to step into their role.

In other words, every person the Lord sends to your local expression of the body of Christ is a gift. They have a part to play in your local church. Yeshua does not send pew sitters to you, although they may have to sit for a time to be taught and then find their place in the body.

Also, note that the Head is Yeshua. Too many Pastors think that they are the head of their local expression. I am here to tell you that there is a difference between leading and being the head. If you are a church leader, then be sure to listen to and be guided by the Head. Don’t try to be the head or even a head. A multi-headed body is a beast.

Recognize the gifts the Lord has sent to you and allow them to fulfill their God-ordained part in your local expression of the body. Let all be done in love. Don’t hinder someone. Know them by the Spirit which means to discern whether they have the Holy Spirit or a demonic spirit. Have they truly been sent by God and are filled with the Holy Spirit or are they sent by the devil as agents of destruction?

There is a litmus test described in Scripture that you can use if your discernment is weak. It is found in 1 John 4:2.

By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;

In other words, if they acknowledge Yeshua as being God in the flesh according to John 1:1-4, 14, then they are sent by God and are a gift to your local expression of the body of Christ.

John 1:1-4, 14 The Deity of Jesus Christ

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

I confess that Yeshua is the Word of God, that what John says about Him is true and I have accepted Yeshua as my Lord and Savior. I have seen His Glory. I have experienced His grace and truth. Have you? If not, then I tell you what Peter told the crowds on the Day of Pentecost.

Acts 2:38 New American Standard Bible 1995

Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

If you do this, then you will be born again, and the Lord will send you to a local expression of the body as a gift to them. Go and step into your place. They need you. We all need you. A body that is not whole is less than effective.

Now that we understand that each person is a gift, how should we be treating each other? The Bible has many verses that say we are to walk in love, be kind, gentle, compassionate, forgiving others, tenderhearted, helpful, and generous. We are to love, honor, and respect each other, We are to appreciate and pray for one another. We are to watch what we say and do to and in front of others so as not to be a stumbling block. We are to submit to one another. Submit means to come under the mission to lift it up. We do this by helping each other fulfill their personal mission as well as the mission of the body, both the local expression and the worldwide church. (Read my blog on Iron Sharpens Iron)

I do not see the Bible instructing us to test others or to create hoops to jump through before they are allowed to be the gift they were created to be. If you are unsure about a person, exercise discernment. Are they full of the Holy Spirit? Then trust the Holy Spirit.

I learned what this looks like at a church in Knoxville, TN back in 2007. I decided to visit this church on Resurrection Sunday. The name of the Church was God’s Way Church. I was curious to see if they actually did things God’s way. After worship was over and the Pastor was transitioning to the message, he first announced that someone had a song to sing. We waited and waited and waited and no one came forward. The Lord was speaking to me that I was the one, but I had been taught that you don’t just do stuff the first day in a new church. They must get to know you first and see your faithfulness before you are allowed to do anything. I argued with Holy Spirit about it for a few minutes. The Pastor said that he would not continue until that person came up and sang the song. I tentatively raised my hand and said, “I think it is me.” The Pastor said, “I know it is you. Get up here and sing.” So I did. I sang one of the songs the Lord had given me to write. After church was over, the Pastor told me that they believed that the Holy Spirit can operate through whomever He chose. He had discerned that we were of the same Spirit…the Holy Spirit and if Holy Spirit said I could sing, then I could sing. He trusted the Holy Spirit. He did not need to know me personally, because he knew the Holy Spirit. Wow! Now, that is God’s way! We went there for a year and a half until the Lord sent us to another church. The Pastor and his wife were sad to see us go, but the Lord had already told them that we had to go.

I want to close by exhorting you to appreciate the gifts that the Lord sends your way for however long they are there. At God’s Way Church, I felt appreciated and valued as a gift. That is how we should be making people feel. Pastors and church leaders, please stop making people jump through hoops. What are you afraid of? Trust the Holy Spirit.

And for those of you who are not in leadership roles, appreciate and value those who are. They are (or should be) working hard to mature you in the things of Christ and help you fulfill your part in the body. They will have to answer to God as to how well they did and we are told in Hebrews 13:17

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Shalom