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A Bible Study On Gifts and Giving What do we have to offer to God? only that which He has already given to us... health, talents, time, money, possessions, etc.Famous examples of giving and use of gifts in the Bible:
Three main categories of spiritual gifts: I. Evangelistic Gifts What they are: Gifts that God supplies the church with to cause it to grow. Purpose: to perform the Great Commission... preaching the Gospel and making disciples II. Ministering Gifts What they are: Gifts that God supplies the church with to stay healthy. Purpose: to minister to the Body of Christ by meeting the spiritual, emotional, and physical/material needs of the local church. III. Sign Gifts What they are: Gifts that demonstrate the supernatural power of God. Purpose: to authenticate the claims of those performing the signs. I. Evangelistic Gifts 1. gift of apostleship What it is not: the office of apostle in the early church What it is: having a genuine talent and desire for being a messenger of the Gospel Purpose: leading people to Christ and founding new churches in areas that have not been exposed to the Gospel before 2. gift of prophecy What it is not: telling the future What it is: being able to boldly and convictingly expound scripture Purpose: to exhort the church unto righteousness and holiness 3. gift of evangelism What it is: preaching the Gospel Purpose: to sow seed for others to water later or to water seed already sown 4. gift of pastorship What it is: ability to shepherd and oversee the flock, a leadership talent to really see the needs and know how to respond to them Purpose: to protect local Christians from wolves... false teaching, false prophecy, error of any kind, and to harness and direct the gifts in the local body for nurturing believers 5. gift of teaching What it is: ability to clearly and accurately explain the Word of God, especially to new Christians Purpose: to fulfill the command to make disciples by increasing a Christian's knowledge of what the Word of God says a Christian is supposed to be. II. Ministering Gifts 1. gift of wisdom What it is: knowing and explaining the mind and the purposes of God for our lives Purpose: Knowing God's plan and purpose for His Church so that Christians know which path to follow and which to avoid, how to follow the right path and how to avoid the wrong. 2. gift of knowledge What it is: ability to grasp the truth about a present situation: seeing, knowing, understanding as the Holy Spirit sees, knows and understands. Purpose: giving the church leadership the proper direction to lead the church when action needs to be taken or when decisions need to be made 3. gift of mercy What it is: ability to sympathize with and to suffer alongside those who grieve Purpose: to provide comfort and healing in the hearts and lives of fellow Christians and the lost 4. gift of encouragement What it is: ability to encourage and build up Christians Purpose: to bring out the best in each other and to properly recognize godly accomplishments and to give us special opportunities to thank God for their occurrence and for those who perform them. To teach others that it God's will for His children to build each other up, not tear each other down. 5. gift of giving What it is: ability to see people's needs and to recognize ways that you personally can meet those needs, materially, monetarily, or using your talents Purpose: to display the love of Christ by meetings people's everyday, practical, earthly needs 6. gift of administration What it is: ability to perceive the needs of the church and to guide others in the fulfilling of those needs Purpose: to provide for the welfare of the local church by recognizing the needs and matching those needs to those that have the appropriate gifts such that optimal use is made of the gifts of the body of Christ 7. gift of faith What it is: ability to trust in God's promises in the Bible for results beyond our own ability to accomplish Purpose: to remind Christians that it is God who is in control and who has the power to do things that we cannot and should not attempt to do in our own strength, for the growth of the church and for the inspiration of those who are experiencing hardship of some sort. III. Sign Gifts 1. gift of miracles (turning water into wine, walking on water, feeding 5000 with a few loaves and fishes) 2. gift of miraculous healings 3. gift of tongues 4. gift of interpretation of tongues NOTES: The gifts are primarily to the Church, to bless the Church (a father desires to give good gifts to his children) and to let the lost know that we are God's children (to provoke the lost to envy). All the gifts can and should benefit the lost who live with us and around us. Some gifts are specifically for church leaders or for leaders in training (i.e. such as preaching and administration). Much of this material was taken directly from the Book ''The Baptism, Filling & Gifts of the Holy Spirit", by W.A. Criswell. Questions:
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