12 Gifts From God That Empower Christians To Be Ministers Of The Gospel Who Serve The Church and the Community
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Apostleship. An apostle is someone who is sent to deliver a message or complete a task. Perhaps a modern word that captures the meaning well is an emissary. This word also connotes a diplomatic representative. In other words, not only are we sent to preach the word and act on behalf of Jesus, but as we do those things we represent our King.
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Prophecy. God speaks, revealing his will to his children through his words that are recorded in the Bible. These words give us the big picture of our worldview. Prophecy points to the past and has severe warnings about the future. This is a severe mercy, as it is meant to shake us awake spiritually, and get our mind in alignment with God’s will when we see how God sees and feel how he feels. Every time the Bible is opened, God speaks through it. Prophecy also includes words of knowledge. These words are given, not because the biblical record is incomplete, but because God often has more specific, personal, and situational prophecy that pertains to a particular person, time, and place. This also includes the gift of tongues, the ability to speak and interpret a language they have not studied. Some would also argue that their are heavenly languages as well.
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Miracles. God backs up what he says by what he does. Often, people will not be persuaded by arguments so God persuades many by the miraculous, Perhaps they got healed, or spared from death. Miracles happen so that people will trust Jesus, not so they can be impressed by the miracle. This is why miracles are often called signs.
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Knowledge. Sometimes, God reveals things to us that we would otherwise not know. For example, some pastors have shared stories of abuse victims who would refuse to talk about their abuse and so the only way they would be helped is if God revealed what was happening to the person that could help them, or get them help.
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Wisdom. Knowledge and wisdom work together in tandem. Knowledge is the collection of facts we have and wisdom is using that information in the right way, at the right time, for the right reasons. The Holy Spirit of God guides us in our every day decision making.
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Discerning of spirits. Along with knowledge and wisdom comes the inevitable outcome - you become a great judge of character. The book of Proverbs, for example, is a case study in wise, foolish, and evil people. This is very important if you’re going to be a spiritually healthy person who sets boundaries. This is crucial if you’re going to protect the ones you love from evil people. You first need to be able to identify who they are. This is not passing judgment on others, but rather simple observation.
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Giving. Jesus taught that it is more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20:35). Frankly, God’s people are often poor and need help. When the church acts like a family, it provides for its members. Those who have extra money and resources are blessed to give back to those who are financially struggling. Everybody is supposed to give, and with this mindset, nobody will be in need, like it was in the early church of Jerusalem.
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Exhortation. People don’t like being preached at, but within a loving church community, or friendship, exhortation is necessary when you care about people. Exhortation appears in 3 ways in the Bible - as consolation, exhortation, and entreaty. We exhort people to comfort, encourage, and plead with people for their good. This is often thought of as the gift of teaching. Pastors have this gift and operate out of it by default. This also includes the evangelism.
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Service. Ministering to others looks like simple acts of kindness. Before people listen to us, they watch what we do. This is the example of Jesus and Dorcas (Acts 9:36).
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Showing mercy. Many Christians are easily able to empathize with hurting people. They are able to practice the ministry of presence and hold off on preaching at people. They are able to display the character of Jesus to people who don’t know him. Mercy is a powerful way for people to enter the kingdom of God.
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Ruling. Contrary to what many Christians think, we are not doormats. We are to aspire to excellence so that we can bless those around us, and we can practice for eternal life, where we will judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3). God’s people are not perfect, but those who know God’s ways are responsible for holding up that standard of truth. In contrast, lawless people are not capable of even handling God’s law correctly because everything is warped to them.
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Faith. Faith is a gift itself. Without faith, people despair of hope and give up.
