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There is a lot of confusion today about spiritual gifts, just as there was in the first century. Paul said, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, I do not want you to be uninformed" (1 Cor. 12:1). Thus, we must make special effort to understand their place and importance.

Christ revealed Himself first in the human body, through which all His attributes were manifest. Now He has a new body--the Church--a spiritual body. We who know Christ are that Body. Each Christian is a vital member of the Body, and just as a human body must work totally together to be healthy, so we must function in interdependence for the unity of this spiritual body. God's plan for the healthy function of the Body is this: each believer has been given certain Holy Spirit abilities, called "grace gifts" or "spiritual gifts." Through these gifts, the Holy Spirit ministers to the other members of the Body and this network of inter-mutual ministry strengthens every part and allows the whole body to grow healthy and strong.

DEFINITION: A spiritual gift is a special capacity for ministry in the Body of Christ, given by the Holy Spirit, for use in building up the Body.

Following are some basic principles regarding the use and function of spiritual gifts in the Body:

1) Spiritual gifts are not the same as natural talents. The Spirit may elect to use a person in the area of their natural ability, and gift them in that area-- or He may not. The Spirit is not limited in either direction. Remember: A talent is a natural ability give at your first birth. A spiritual gift is a supernatural ability given at your second birth (your spiritual birth).

2) Spiritual gifts are not the same as the Fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5:22-23. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law." We each have only certain gifts, but all of us should have all of the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit relates to our character and walk, the gifts relate to our service and ministry.

3) Spiritual gifts are no sign or guarantee of spirituality. All believers possess them, even the carnal believers (1 Cor. 12:7, 11), and the gift can be counterfeited and operated in the energy of the flesh. Having a gift is also no guarantee of being right in the area of your gift (1 Cor. 14:29, 32, 37). Gifts can be misused in a fleshly manner, as the Corinthians and tongues for example, and Satan can pervert the gifts to his use. The use and results of gifts must square with Scripture.

4) Every Christian has a gift or gifts -- 1 Peter 4:10, 1 Cor. 12:7. However, we do no always exercise them, as in 1 Timothy 4:14, maybe because we have not always identified them.

5) There are a variety of gifts, which are exercised in a variety of ministries, with varying degrees of results -- 1 Cor. 12:4-6. Not every instance or every person will see the same degree of results at all times.

6) Spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit, as He chooses to give them -- 1 Cor. 12:11, 18, 28. The same Spirit give to all -- this is the common ground of all gifts and the reason that if they all operate as they should, apart from the flesh, they will only unite, never divide. If there is division, it means the gifts are not operative or they operate in the flesh. For the Spirit will not divide Himself, so if He has given all gifts, they will function.

7) Spiritual gifts are given for service in the Body, and we are stewards of those gifts -- 1 Peter 4:10, 1 Cor. 12:7. When the gifts are used, the Body profits. Both the one who uses the gift and the recipients of its ministry profit, and that makes a healthy body. As I minister to you, you are built up in the areas of your lack, and as you minister to me, I am built up in the areas I lack. These gifts are for the good of the body, not self.

8) Spiritual gifts must be exercised for the supreme goal of bringing glory to God and not to self -- 1 Peter 4:11. When wrongly used they bring disorder, confusion, doubt, division, and self-glorification.

9) There is not standardization of gifts among believers, with no one gift given to all and each with a different gift mix -- 1 Cor. 12:14-26.

10) It is imperative that each Christian discover and develop their gift for use within the Body. Ignorance is not bliss -- we are accountable for using what God has given us as good stewards. These gifts are essential for the health of the Body, because they are vehicles or channels through which the Holy Spirit ministers to the Body.

"HELP FOR DETERMINING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS"

We must remember: There are no hard and fast rules to determine what our gifts are. The Bible does not give a "Five Easy Steps" set of rules, perhaps for two reasons:

1) As a gift, they are given and evident, not mysterious and impossible to discover.

2) Spiritual maturity is first priority, and with maturity comes the awareness and development of gifts.

Helps in Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts:

1) Explore the possibilities -- read the Bible, information on gifts, etc.

2) Pray and ask God to help you to know and use your gifts He has given you.

3) Experiment with those you think may be your gifts.

4) Examine your feelings -- is it a satisfying ministry, do you desire to do it?

5) Evaluate your effectiveness -- are there results, fruit born?

6) Expect confirmation from others -- do they see it as a gift, are others blessed?

Spiritual Gifts Check List: 

1) Do I know what my spiritual gift is?

2) Have I made an honest attempt to discover my gift?

3) How am I exercising my gift in the local church body?

4) Can I point to some instance in the last few days where my gift was used?

5) Is my gift being exercised by Holy Spirit power?

6) Is my gift adorned with the fruit of the Spirit?

7) Which fruit am I most lacking and am I growing in that area?

8) Is the use of my gift beamed at the number one goal, the Glory of God?

What to Do with Your Gifts: 

1) Find a way to exercise your gifts.

2) Take advantage of opportunities to improve it.

3) Remember its value, not its visibility.

4) See it in relationship to the entire Body.

5) Use it in determining God's will and priorities for you.

6) Develop it to the fullest.

You can get fellowship at church, small groups and Bible Studies (to name just a few places).

1) Why Fellowship?

a) You need to be around those who love you and want your best. "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the day approaching" Hebrews 10:24-25.

b) You're around people who are different than you so you can learn and be challenged.

c) Christ says we are the light of the world so let it shine (Matt. 5:14). People will know we are Christians by our love for one another.

d) We need each other (1 Cor. 12:12).

e) Christ says He is there with us when 2 or 3 are together (Matt. 18:20).

2) Hindrances to Fellowship

a) Sin -- "I can't go. I'm not spiritual enough. I have all this sin in my life. What will people think." When you have non-negotiable sin in your your life, you don't want to be around other Christians.

b) "I don't feel like it" or "I'm too busy."

3) The Role of a Church

a) The church is a powerful and effective resource especially when the outlook is similar to the ones found in Acts 2:43-48 and Acts 4:32-35.

b) "Going to church won't make you a Christian, just as putting yourself in a garage won't make you a car." But being involved in a church brings about a component of fellowship which is critical to growth and maturity in Christ. Don't be a spectator at church--get involved!

In choosing a church look for one which has: Christ in the center, teaches scripture accurately, has a vision for people home and abroad, has small groups, has giving attitudes, a missions program, and a variety of ages and types of people. Finally, seek a church which provides you with a place to serve.

A spark was in the air. You could almost hear it crackle, see it arc into visual reality, or feel its tingle. It is happening here and now. Places and circumstances differ and descriptions are confusing. The power of Pentecost, the warmth of the fire that Jesus built for His disciples and the intimacy of the upper room have become a part of the contemporary experience of small groups of Christians in today's world.

The spark has begun a fire on college campuses in small groups of struggling Christians coming to grips with their world. To them, the titles do not matter. From early beginnings in the "unions" of Great Britain, Inter-Varsity chapters are buzzing with "cell groups", "fell groups", and "link groups." On both campus and military bases, the Navigators find that "core groups" are reshaping men and women's lives.

In homes and business offices, shops and schools, Christians are finding strength and outreach in "groups for strugglers," "conversation prayer cells," "home Bible studies," "groups sharing," and "disciple groups." The spark has begun to fan the flame that consumed the world of the first century. In our fragmented, frantic, depersonalized age, we are returning to the methods of the carpenter of Nazareth and rediscovering the dynamic of primitive Christianity.

Lyman Coleman's pointed observation strikes at the heart of the matter, "... in the fellowship of a small face-to-face group, the church has rediscovered an ancient method for ministering to modern man.

The current explosion of small groups in the life of the Christian community raises some interesting questions. Why have small groups of interacting Christians been able to find this new vitality of fellowship and witness? But more important than this is an even more pressing question. Why have we ignored the use of small, face-to-face groups for so long in our churches? Why are we not using them to the extent that we could on our campuses? The central figure of the history of the church is a man who spent the three years of His active ministry with a small band of twelve men. The history of the early church in Acts records the struggle of small groups who prayed, shared, studied, and suffered together. Here the "incendiary fellowship" was in action, and the whole world was inflamed. For too long, Christian educators and churchmen have overlooked the Biblical emphasis of the dynamic use of small groups.

Jesus Christ was not known as a rebel nor as a creative genius, but rather as a teacher. Two functions can be seen woven together in the early ministry of Christ. The first function was that of a proclaimer. John the Baptist had proclaimed the kingdom was at hand, and Christ began His ministry with that same proclamation. But the nation of Israel was not ready for a proclamation; they were unresponsive and confused. As the rejection of the nation became apparent, Christ's ministry turned to teaching. The second function, the one that dominated His earthly ministry, was that of teaching. It was that kind of particular people-centered teaching that was to characterize His life.

As Christ turned form proclamation to teaching, those who followed Him became known as disciples, which simply means "learners." Although Christ often taught large groups of people, the very center and heart of His approach was the involvement and interaction of the small group of twelve disciples. This, in a sense, was Christ's "Core Group." The entire ministry of Christ revolves around this group. His basic method was discipleship. Why? Because this was the pattern which Christ expected the disciples to use to start the Church. Christ was very explicit about it in His last instructions to them in Matthew 28:18-20:

And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

The pattern that God chose to begin the church was the method of discipleship worked out primarily in a small group. This same pattern was intended to become the method of the early New Testament Church. Within this basic method, many principles can be seen. At least four of them are significant as an introduction to Biblical group dynamics.

The first principle that our Lord used was the principle of quality, not quantity. A careful study of the Gospels reveals that the major ministry Jesus Christ sustained was not to the multitude. The concentration was on a handful of men who could personally grow. Christ forsook a ministry to the multitude in order to sustain a ministry to a group of men simply because He knew that quality developed quantity. God's plan was to reach the world. The question is: How do you reach the world? The answer is by building qualitatively into the lives of a few.

Christ's concern is not a matter of question -- He died for the world. The question is: How do you reach a world? Jesus said and did a work in the lives of a few. In the light of this principle of quality, not quantity, the Christian's responsibility becomes crystal clear. The measure of a ministry is not how many, but what kind of relationships we sustain.

The second principle is to employ the method of multiplication, not addition. As soon as we have licked the battle of concentration on deep and lasting relationships with a few individuals, the second principle comes into play. It is basic spiritual mathematics that it is better to multiply quality than to add quantity. Christ conceived of each man as a center of reproducing ministry. Whenever you build qualitatively into the life of one man, you start a process that never ends. That's what makes it sobering. The largest responsibility in the whole world rests on a man working with a small group of people. 2 Timothy 2:2 is simply a Pauline expression of a Christological principle. "And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also." This is a very clear statement of the principle of multiplication and an indication of how hugely infected the apostle Paul was with the mentality of Christ.

The third principle is that of priority, not pressure. This is one which we had better keep in the forefront of our thinking today or our spiritual vitality will be crushed out. Probably the greatest problem that can confront any campus staff at the onset of a day is how to use their time most constructively for God. The primary difference that distinguishes people is how they use their time. This is the common denominator of our lives; we don't have equal gifts, but we all have equal time.

When Jesus Christ was on earth, He probably had less time than we do, but He had all of the time necessary to do the Father's will. Throughout the whole gospel narrative, we never find an occasion when Christ was in a hurry or too busy for people. There is a sharp and bitter barrenness in busyness. It seems that we are always in a hurry, but seldom have time to do God's will. When this is true, there is something fundamentally wrong with our concepts of Christian responsibility. A few years ago in reading through the Gospels, these words leaped out, "... and Jesus went about doing good." Most of our lives could be summarized, "and he went about, period" -- actually without accomplishment.

Jesus Christ had three-and-one-half years to do the job, to launch worldwide ministry. Was this pressure? No, Christ was never under pressure because He operated with a priority. He knew exactly the one pattern to follow and never got bogged down. He was always with a small group of men. After he was gone, this qualitative ministry would multiply. The result was so cataclysmic that the pagan world testified of His "Core Group," "these are they who have turned the world upside down!"

A fourth principle that can be discovered in Jesus Christ's ministry is the focus on potential, no problems. The demand of discipleship is that we meet people as individuals with a fresh personal vitality. To form relationships of this quality with one person or ten brings us to a painful awareness of each individual's needs and problems. The basic issue is our perspective. Do we relate to individuals on the basis of problems or of potential?

Take careful note of the men with whom Jesus chose to work. Quite frankly, it was an unimpressive lot. Jesus was faced with the prospect of launching a world-wide enterprise. Peter Marshall noted that if the twelve disciples were reviewed by a church examining committee in our day, they would be abruptly turned down. Does this not reflect a basic attitude that is carried by all of us? Would we have picked Peter? Here was a man who had a tremendous ability for opening his mouth and putting both feet into it. Or how about adding Thomas to our outreach committee? By the time someone brought up an idea, he would have twenty-seven reasons why it wouldn't work. The amazing fact is that after prayerful consideration, Jesus chose twelve men.

The purpose for this small group was that these men might be with Him to share His life so that eventually He might send them forth to minister to others (Mark 3:13-14). Of all the multitudes that followed Him, Jesus chose twelve men, and one of them was Judas.

God never chooses men on the basis of what they are, but on the basis of what they are to become. Christianity is the revolutionary business of transforming men's lives from the inside out. One of the unique things about Christianity is that it begins with a realistic acceptance of who and what we are. The very beginning point of Christian experience is the painful awareness of our problems -- our rebellion, separation from God and hopeless condition. God chose to work within the stuff of problem-riddled human life. God in Christ was choosing to work with men on the basis of what they were to become.

Jesus operated on the basis of potential, not problems. The frustration of small, face-to-face groups like the twelve disciples comes with the realization of the tremendous conflicts, weaknesses, and problems that are encountered. One way to avoid this frustration is to run from deep relationships with people. One excuse goes something like this, "Well, this is real nice, this working in-depth with a small group, but you should see the students with whom I have to work." Another way to avoid the frustration of using Jesus' methods would be to work only with programs, or large masses of people. Ceaseless activity or treating people as a faceless, monolithic mass can keep us insulated from people and their problems. When this happens, the very example of our Lord Himself is being violated and the rich and personal people-changing potential of Christianity becomes hidden in depersonalized rituals, programs, and mass meetings.

The challenge of discipleship and working with small groups is the challenge to see beyond people's problems to what they can potentially become in Christ. This perspective brings a revolutionary honesty and a life-changing dynamic into our relationships with people. The challenge is to relationships of two or more with Christ at the center. In this way, Christ worked qualitatively through men in small groups. He multiplied through a core of men who were ornery, ignorant fishermen with no formal education. The priority of His three year ministry was to spend time with them and to grow into their lives. He saw them in terms of potential, of what could be accomplished by God through their lives.

Leadership Guide:

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