October 10
Evangelism
Good morning, last week we started talking about
Christian Stewardship. I asked you to look at the condition of our spiritual
health, the RX — "MEDS". These are used to tell how healthy we are
and how healthy our church is. Last week we looked at
Missions, this week we
will look at our 2 nd RX, Evangelism.
Evangelism is the act of sharing the gospel message and teachings of Jesus Christ. To do that God has given each of us a unique set of abilities called the Gifts of the Spirit. If we picture the church as a tree, the roots of the tree are the Gifts of the Spirit. They are wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing miracles, prophecy, discerning spirits, tongues, interpreting tongues, administration, and the gift of helps. Just as the roots give nourishment to the tree and helps it grow, by using our gifts we help the church grow.
Apart from the Gifts of the Spirit, we have Natural Gifts and Talents. For example: artistic or musical ability, writing, and public speaking, etc. Like the trunk of the tree these gifts help support the tree. Just as we do not choose our natural talents we also do not select the gifts of the Spirit.
Now the gifts of the Spirit are not to be confused with the Fruits of the Spirit. As we see on our tree the apples or fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Regardless of our various gifts, we are called to live in Christ and develop the same qualities as those of Christ. We should be known not only by what we say and do, but how we relate to others in love, with patience, kindness and the other fruits of the Spirit.
GIFTS of the Spirit
The Gift of Wisdom - the gift to make choices and give leadership that is according to God's will.
Knowledge - the gift to have a comprehensive understanding of a spiritual issue or circumstance.
Faith - the gift to trust God and inspire others to trust God, no matter the conditions.
Healing - the wondrous gift to use God's healing power to cure a person who is ill, wounded or suffering.
Miracles - the gift to
display signs and miracles that give credibility to God's Word and the Gospel
message.
Prophecy - the gift to
declare a message from God.
Discerning Spirits - the gift to recognize, whether or not, something is truly from God or in accordance with righteousness.
Tongues - the gift to communicate in a foreign language that you do not have experience with, in order to converse with those who speak that language.
The Gift of Interpreting Tongues - the gift to interpret the speech and writings of a different language and translate it back to others in your own.
The Gift of Administration - the gift to keep things ordered and in agreement with God's principles.
The Gift of Helps - the gift of a desire and capacity to always help others, to do whatever it takes to get a task achieved.
FRUITS of the spirit
Love — Agape: Love which seeks the highest good of others, without expectations or conditions Joy — Gladness, delight, a special presence of God. Rejoice, be thankful, count blessings
Peace — Peace between individuals, harmony, unity. Reject strife, avoid bitterness, live in oneness
Patience — Listen quietly, speak thoughtfully, choose your words wisely
Kindness — In the way you respond, the way you nurture, the way you speak of your relationships
Goodness — Be humble, be committed, be above reproach
Faithfulness — Stand firm in
your commitment, holding fast to your Savior, for whom there is no substitute
Gentleness — Let your words be encouraging and few
Self-Control — Avoid being loud, proud, and bossy
MY GIFTS - GOD'S FRUIT
Everyone has a place and a purpose in the Body of Christ.
What do you
think your Spiritual Gifts are?
What
ministries do you do in the church?
What
talents do you have?
How are you
using your abilities, gifts, and talents in God's service?
What
abilities have you not yet surrendered for God's use?
Do you see
the fruits of the Spirit developing in your life?
The healthy stewardship of our gifts of the spirit recognizes that we are to use those gifts and include them in every aspect of our lives and work. In doing so we honor God and put God first in our lives. As believers, we are also called to follow Christ's example and develop the fruits of the Spirit