Your Divine Design - How to Develop Your Spiritual Gift for Kingdom Impact, Part 1

God has deposited in you, and amazing gift know what if I told you that this gift has the power to give direction and purpose to your life. This gift can unlock freedom so that you can really embrace who you are, this gift can give you a sense of deep affirmation of God's own value of your life why you matter to him and then what if I told you today you can take huge steps toward discovering this gift. Your primary spiritual gift.

Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with your finger through the mission of these daily programs is to intentionally disciple Christians the Bible to the middle of our series your divine design to discover, develop, and deploy your spiritual gifts. We hope you've been learning a lot from the series and help others learn as you have taken minute after this message, ensure friend they can do that either through the chipping roadmap by sending them the free MP3 that you will find it Living on the Edge for spreading the word about how this teaching is impacting you okay here's Jeff for his message how to develop your spiritual gift for kingdom impact spiritual gifts you, knowing your spiritual gift you developing your spiritual gifts and then you using your spiritual gift is serious business to say that for a couple reasons but I think what is happened is we view in the church many times spiritual gifts is like a dessert bar you know the real meat and potatoes you walk with God you pray you will bag you do the best you can and then, yes, some people really know their gifts, but it's kind like dessert. You don't really need it for the meal. It's a nice addition and what I want you to know is that it's a part of the core of God's meal for growing his church.

There's been an empirical study done worldwide over six continents. They did it, and hundreds and hundreds of churches. They did it in multiple languages. They did it in every kind of church a sociological study. This was not an opinion poll. It was an empirical study to find out what caused churches.

What were the core elements of churches whether they were charismatic or noncharismatic, whether they were denominational and nondenominational, whether they were state run small, large or mega and they came back with about eight characteristics biblical characteristics that were common in all churches that were growing both qualitatively and quantitatively. One of those eight characteristics. In fact, one of the most important was a gift oriented ministry churches that trained people in their giftedness and then allow them to serve in their giftedness.

Christian Schwartz in his book natural church growth as a result of the study rights when Christians serve in their area of giftedness. They generally function less in their own strength and more in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Thus ordinary people can accomplish the extraordinary and then he rights as a researcher. The interesting corollary result of our research was the discovery that probably no factor influences the contentedness of Christians more than where they are utilizing their gift. Our data demonstrated a highly significant relationship between gift orientation. My personal ministry involvement matching my gifts and people's joy in living. None of the eight characteristics showed nearly as much influence on both the personal life of the believer or the impact of the church then gift oriented ministry. I've got five reasons you need to develop your spiritual gift before we did again because I want I want to convince you on thing about for five minutes and convince you I don't want this to be a sheet of paper where you know more about gifts. I don't want you to even get a model or a paradigm we can say, you know, I know there's motivational guess another's ministry gifts and others.

These manifestations. I don't want you just get more educated.

I want you to be willing to do the hard work to do the research to look inside your soul to jump in the water of ministry to do what ever it takes to discover how God wired you because you are his workmanship. You have been created in Christ Jesus to do what good works, what good works. The works that he preordained that you should walk in them and I want to tell you you are that paintbrush the grace of God using your gift painting the spirit of God's work to the word of God in community to change people's lives and and you need to know what kind of paintbrush you are. Let me give you five reasons, and these are purely to just get you motivated.

Reason number one is direction and purpose for your life when you understand your gift. Clearly your key motivational gift and in the ministry gifts where it operates. It will give you direction and purpose for your life. Number two freedom to embrace and enjoy who you are.

Keyword freedom. You know, we were just people we grow up, and as you grow in the Lord there's people that you you associate with or you admire and we unconsciously try to be like them.

You know how liberating it is to discover who God made you to be and just say what you have to be like anybody else.

I don't have to talk like anyone else, what is holy and wonderful and winsome is the freedom to be the man or the woman God made me to be. Reason number three is joy, the joy that results from impacting lives, the joy when you meet needs by the good works. God is called you to do it affect our word for gifts, charisma, even you know you have the word Congress, which is the root word for grace will guess if you keep making that word smaller the word is joy joy. Gifts and grace all come from the same word when you are in your giftedness you can experience amazing joy. Reason number four is affirmation of your victory with Christ. This is a real theological one, but we covered Ephesians 47.

What does it mean that he ascended, except he descended into the lower parts of the earth. Ephesians 47. In that entire passage is talking about Christ's victory over sin. Christ that you over death Christ victory over Satan and the evidences he gave gifts to men. When you operate and know your gift each time you use it, you often get a sense of you know I have this gift because I am a co-victor with Christ and it affirms your value to God.

It affirms that you're on the winning team. It affirms that you know life is difficult, it is a fallen world, but I have a supernatural ability that reminds me. Christ is the victor and I'm a co-heir with him. Reason number five is accountability.

As you will be held responsible for the stewardship of your gift. The first four were kind of exciting rock go I mean man, you can't. You can't afford not to miss it. But number five is there is a day when I will stand before what's called the bema seat of the judgment seat of Christ, and I will be judged and this is not a judgment for salvation that's taken care of at the cross when I trust in Christ but I will be judged as a believer for my rewards and the stewardship will be not did I do as much as Billy Graham or not, but I do as much as this pastor or that missionary or some great layman God will ask me chip what did you do with what I gave you I entrusted you with X amount of time on the earth X amount of wealth X amount of energy in the spiritual gifts.

What did you do with what I gave you and I don't about you. I don't want to look up the Lord say could you go over the gifts part one more time because I never really quite figured out what mine was, and I think the Lord's guess I chip it was right there in my word now. Are you motivated.

Are you willing because when we get to the end of this I'm can give some specific applications. They can take you out of your comfort zone to take some work to take some energy in the last thing you need is one more colored notebook on a shelf that says there's a spiritual gift when I member when I took that you know. So with that said for you to not just discover, but really develop your spiritual gift. I think three things need to happen.

Number one is clarity developing your gifts begins with clarity and this is a little review there are three types of spiritual gifts.

First, every believer has one primary motivational gift. Romans 1268 we are to concentrate on discovering and developing this gift member a little story about the waiter and he dropped the tray.

One of those seven motivational gifts. I believe everyone of us in this room has its primary motivation. Second, that motivational gift that drive that ability can express itself through a variety of ministry gifts and we look at that second column in Ephesians chapter 4 and first Corinthians 1228. Third, when we exercise our motivational gift through our ministry gifts.

The Holy Spirit determines what manifestations or effects will most benefit people so as we understand here is my core motivation and then I'm going to minister in these ministry gifts God chooses as he wills to manifest gifts and impacting lives of people. Now you say where you get that first Corinthians 1246. We get the paradigm it says there are many different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit. There are different kinds of service but the same Lord. And there are different kinds of workings but the same God who works all of them and all men. And remember this isn't from Mount Sinai. This is from chip okay and and you and I and I've studied and I looked at this when I look at first Peter four and it says let every person exercise. The gift is singular, that they have. When I look at Romans chapter 12. If you have the gift of teaching singular exercise it expectation singularly and exercise it. I think there's good biblical evidence.

But what we know is there's a broad base of teaching on spiritual gifts, but what you have is all these gifts. What we have these three columns you have is one way I think an effective way. One way a model a paradigm to break down the gifts in such a way that help us put them into practice.

Let me give you an example of how this works. In reality, I have a friend who is a business person. He's kinda high up in a corporation he's got leadership gift natural ability in leadership and he is in a financial area so guess where they put them in every church they want to make him a member of the board right they would put them on the finance committee and they want him to make all the decisions removed from people and so he did that for years and years and years of good godly man gets up Regents Bible praise. He wants to be the man. The husband, God wants him to be did know anything about spiritual gifts that he always you know he's a kinda guy always buying an extra commentary and in reading and looking and digging in and asking questions that made people crazy because that's what people the gift of teaching do they care about those things and but but all the while people kept putting him in his natural abilities. Then he learned about gifts and you realize it is motivation is the gift of teaching. He also realized that he's best in a teaching environment, not even pastoring, and he got in a large Sunday school class.

He got out of his board responsibilities occasionally do so much right he he said yeah you know what I do run a big company and I do understand financials and and P&L statements that you know when I come to church. That's about the most boring, uninteresting non-motivating thing you could ever asked me to do. Am I good at it.

Yes. Do I want to do it no and he began to free himself up from church activities and teach and then he teamed up and realized he needed a team of people because way gifts work, and he began to build one of the largest Sunday school classes with multiple small groups, and he began to teach God's word and he said the joy I experienced and then the manifestation.

What began to happen is while people getting wisdom and knowledge and understanding and and marriages were being healed because they got the knowledge of what God's word said about and business people would come because he had high respect in the business community and people get their finances in order.

Because what he would teach on finances God gave him a platform.

Do you see how once you understand your gifts. It really begins to give you direction. Focus, purpose, joy, affirmation from God, and that there's these three categories in the notice.

I love this last verse first crank install seven says now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. Let's remember. I mean like ultra remember this is not a bout a little inward inquiry of kinda looking down your spiritual navel and say no God, oh God, oh God, show me my gift for me my gift to me. My gift, it's a grace gift. What's the goal of the gift God has deposited a supernatural enabling in you in order to serve other people. I like to think of it as a grace giving gift.

Is it what you've been given a something that it's really no good unless you give it away and the preoccupation is not all about you and what's my gift, and how does it work and company inventories and test can I take the real issue is Lord.

How can I understand how you made me how can I understand the environment or ministries that I best can be used so that more people or in deeper ways can experience Jesus at a fresh new level to get so I think number one is clarity you get clear on that.

And by the way, if it's still a little bit foggy. You know how it really works. It happens in real life you go over this in just a little bit but this is the cognitive side really discovering, developing and deploying your gifts.

You can have to get in on the game you got. Be involved in a ministry you have to be involved in relationships and God will show you as you are in the process. First is clarity, but the second thing I think needs to happen is this to develop your gifts. It demands a basic understanding of the New Testament gifts and so if you will sort of fasten your spiritual safety belt and some people have said that I talk fast this could possibly be true, but you have not heard me talk fast until you see me go through all these gifts but but here's what I want to do its imprint what I want to do is I want to. As best I can give you a quick snapshot of these because what will happen. I'm praying that even in this room the spirit of God as you begin to narrow down your motivational gift. Maybe the top to then you begin to see as I describe some of these.

Maybe this is an arena for my ministry gift. Maybe this is why these certain effects happen. So with that.

Are you ready and and some of them. By the way, are controversial.

I want you know you have done a word study on all these are done a lot of research but my name is Chip. It's not Moses it's not Jesus. This is my very best, understanding, and there are very godly people whose and also a lot of work and may look at these things just a little bit differently. My prayer is that you will be more noble than the Thessalonica and and like the brands you will examine the Scriptures daily to see whether what I'm saying is, in fact, so if you have the gift of teaching.

I know you'll do that is those other people I worry about. So are you ready are you ready apostleship definition. It's the divine enablement to start churches or other ministries and oversee their development is the ability to minister cross culturally, with the goal of planning churches now note the distinction between the office of apostle and the gift of apostle Ephesians 411 says okay Jesus gave he gave some as apostles, and some of the prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastor teachers he gives for offices and they are also gifts. That's Ephesians 4 move the camera back to Ephesians chapter 2 and is talking about the birth of the church and he says now the foundation was laid by whom the apostles and the prophets.

Jesus being the chief cornerstone to be a new testament apostle to hold the office you had to be with Jesus from his baptism, and you had to be an eyewitness of the resurrection. Now unless you are very, very, very old you are not a New Testament office apostle okay. However, the word apostle literally means messenger.

It just means messenger and it means someone who's going to fulfill something and there are other places in the New Testament where people are called a messenger or an apostle and is clear they're not one of the 12 know what we know is from Jesus. These 12 were to have a moral responsibility and there can be judgment that they have, but I believe that the gift of apostleship currently is here, but the office of apostleship because it's gone because what did the apostles and early prophets, do they brought new revelation when the church was birthed there was no first Corinthians. There was no Matthew Mark Luke and John, you know, there was no revelation but when we get to the end of Revelation. What's very clear. If any man or any woman adds to this book. All the curses in this book will be upon so the foundation is what you lay of the church and once you lay the foundation than those gifts of offices of getting new revelation are done but this gift of apostleship. I like to think of these people as the spiritual entrepreneurs of the church that these are the people that launch things start things that they the needs of the people that see what could happen.

They check the plant churches that they see what's happening life of the church and something in them looks at locators ministry to kids ministry to children ministry to the elderly, we have an outreach program and I look at all that they say that's great but I want to launch a ministry to unwed mothers. That's great, but I want I want to launch a ministry to the Hispanic community. That's great, but I want to start Bible studies all over you resonate with that too that we want your ministry gifts. The second gift here is prophecy.

The divine enablement to proclaim God's truth with power and clarity in a timely and culturally sensitive fashion. Notice the focus for correction, repentance, or edification. It's the ability to reveal God's word accurately not notice. This can also be a motivational gift. This can be a primary motivation but you could have the motivation of exhortation, or you can have the motivation of even mercy. I know a worship pastor whose primary motivation is mercy. His heart just goes out the people it's compassion he's always helping the underprivileged in the hurting people and and the people that are out there on the fringe, the real artistic types, but when he puts together a worship set and is also an artist when he paints he wants to with power prophesied proclaim this is who Christ is and wants to create this environment is that it's his ministry gift. Now the office of prophet like apostle is gone. I mean we were not getting new revelation. You know, we don't have like second revelation and third revelation we don't have third Corinthians, but as a ministry to proclaim this is still very, very, much around.

Evangelism is the third gift is the ability to be unusually effective instrument in leading unbelievers to a saving knowledge of Christ.

Somewhat this gift are most effective in personal evangelism, while others are more used by God in group evangelism or cross cultural evangelism. These people are motivated and they are empowered to share their faith in such a way. The two things happen.

Lost people come to Christ and they want to help all the rest of the church become better evangelist. Many of you do not have the gift of evangelism. But if you get around in evangelist two things will happen one year spiritual temperature and concern for lost people go up. It really will. I remember being in Spain I had a good buddy and went to seminary with his name's Manny Fernandez and he started this the evangelistic church planning ministry first in Spain now around the world and a buddy of mine. We went to Madrid and went to see his ministry and as a church we were supporting it and there was this open huge open eye on what quadrangle it's all I can think of it in their buildings all around and people in fountains and and Manny was walking across it like this, and he stop me like this in an archway and me.

There are thousands of people and he looked at me said Chip look just look at him thinking people. I mean, is it okay and let no look and think it, my eyes are open, I can't look any harder than I'm looking and said you realize less than one and 1/2% of those people know Jesus it's true all over Spain and I mean tears to start coming down his eyes the enemy when I was with him the onion, but I think he was gonna share his faith with statues, you know, just dinner just in case you know, lost people matter to people with the gift of evangelism.

I member they interviewed Billy Graham and that they ask him. You know they look back on his life and said hot on the how do you explain, of course, it's God. How do you explain this massive amazing impact the guys allowed you to have on the world I knew they were expecting. Well, it was my training or it was my parents were had this wonderful spiritual experience and I never forget his answer, tilted his head and he said well I don't know that I can really explain it other than maybe one thing is that I feel like God has a love for people to know. I think God is a passionate deep love for people who don't know, and I just feel like God took his love for those people that don't know him and he just placed my heart. I just love just love them and by the way, this is a good example to of some gifts you imagine a gift rather than as a the color blue or this gift, the color red.

Imagine a gift is the color blue, but with a variety of shades of blue so dark blue might be mass evangelism big groups and real light blue might be personal evangelism. One of the greatest evangelists I ever met was a guy named John Seth. John came to Christ, late 50s maybe early 60s, had a CPA firm in Dallas very shy man, except the supernatural gift of evangelism and John would go into prisons once a month or more with Bill glass and go to death row and share Christ.

But John shared Christ. Everywhere I go to meet with him at lunch. I still remember we get on the elevator amino out of 45 floors and glass buildings in real nice, very sophisticated people in the business suits and in a really cool and John turns to this nice young lady hi how you doing, she was fine, thank you very much and he just he had the smile. I mean, you know, contagious, and she's older guy so you know she knew there was no was a come on to her and in that he looks at her. Could you know that Jesus loves you, and I'm thinking oh John, there is a way to do this and this is not seeker sensitive. John what are you doing and you know I'm I'm waiting for her to take her person whack him or something and that he turned her and said you know something I just have to tell you I waste my life.

I mean we got less than two minutes on elevator and Jesus is made all the difference. And I just can't help believe that he just wants you to know how much you matter to him. If you ever want to talk about Jesus know what, here's a business card and our companies up on the something something floor and I'm expecting her to take a throat on the ground. I don't know anybody who could do this she melts in his presence looks at him takes the car and says you know you have no idea what I'm going through right now. Thank you Mr. Savoie would really be okay to come and talk and elect called the gift of evangelism doesn't have to be a big group but this is a gift that God gives people to care to reach out to lost people. Maybe that you notice as we move on the next gift is pastor, teacher, it's the only dual gift in the New Testament he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some is evangelist and some as there's only a singular article is not some as pastors and some as teachers, literally, at some as you know, singular article, the pastor/teachers.

Let's find out what it is pastor teacher is a person with this spiritual gift has the ability to lead, nourish, protect and personally care for the needs of a flock of believers. Not all people listen carefully with the office of pastor or even an elder overseer have a need for the gift that you have to have the gift of pastor teacher to be a pastor you can pastor that office of X rotational gift for me.

It was a prophecy gift in the notice.

It goes on and many with this gift do not need or have the office. In other words you met some people who pastor and shepherd and love people and a loving small group leaders are you to some of the Sunday school classes where they can have teams. This is the person who always want to wonder how, I wonder how Betty is. She's not here won't wonder how Bobby's hey Bob how are things going last week you shared. They shepherd. That's what this word means the word pastor comes from the root word to shepherd it means to give oversight. This is the ability to promote spiritual growth.

It's it's a dual gift it.

It not only has a caring, it means you can nurture, care, and what does a shepherd do for sheep, a shepherd protects leads guides and feeds and this person has that mix and also the ability to teach God's word in such a way to help the person grow spiritually and this does not have to be. I think this is not been taught Lotta people with this gift get lost in the body of Christ because I think it not cold.

I don't have any calling from God. Go to seminary or Bible school be a pastor. But I want to shepherd people and by the way, this is not gender specific to the spiritual gifts see we have gotten so used to the office of pastor. We think the pastor is a role or office. This is gift get a quick example of when my daughter was in fifth or sixth grade there was a woman teaching the fifth and sixth grade class. They had about 60 or 75th and sixth graders and she had the gift of pastor teacher and pastor teachers see people with potential as well and she began to shepherd my daughter is love her and care for her, and pretty soon she saw some gifts and so she went into and once she got out of fifth and six. She kept the relationship and she had Annie come and help with the third and fourth grade, she was involved in children's ministry.

Then a year later she had her come and help with that than sixth-graders.

I'll never forget they were than it on a snow retreat my families musical but Annie only knew three chords on the on the guitar and can change very fast when she played the piano with all her brothers are in a musicians and stuff and so she said Annie I want you to lead worship.

These three chords that you know hears about 10 songs with justice records and so she goes up for the first time will guess what my daughters very good.

She leaves worship plays guitar, but she developed my daughter my daughter.

By the time she was in about ninth or 10th grade. She let a small group she shepherded people.

She taught she lead worship this woman who pastor at her and taught her developed or to be a young woman of God and so guess what happened when we left California Trish came by and Trish said Annie I have a gift for you to see. They always want to develop, nurture spiritual growth is a brand-new guitar. I think God has a great ministry for you and maybe you need a nice about you shepherd you teacher will be back in just a minute with his application you've been listening to the first part of his message how to develop your spiritual gift for kingdom impact from his series your divine design. Many of you, nor mission is for Christians to live like Christians and a critical step in accomplishing that is for believers to put their spiritual gifts into practice.

The problem is many don't even know what their gifting's are through the series strip explores vital biblical passages that will help you identify your spiritual gifts and how to grow and use them correctly, you're not going to want to miss a single message. For more information about your divine design or resources go to LivingontheEdge.org the chipping remap or call AAA 333-6003 on joined by our Bible teacher Chip Ingram now in chip. You know there's a lot of people out there who feel like they're meandering through life not really sure what they're supposed to be doing and don't really have any passions.

So what you will or better yet, what is God what to say to them you know there's few things that are more important than having a reason. Each and every day to get up with a sense of passion and direction and purpose and is lots of ways that help us in learning our purpose, but one of the primary ways as you look at the tools that God is giving you. And in this new little book got your divine design. What we do is we help you as a follower of Jesus discerned. Oh, this is my primary spiritual gift. This gift aligns with doing these kind of activities that help me really help other people. It gives you an accurate view of yourself member talking to someone and he was a little bit confusing. I said if you walked into a workshop or just a room and had a hammer on us all and and a level I said what do you think this person might be doing any kind elected to be a carpenter, a cabinetmaker, I said why did you know why just looked at the tools and what we want people to understand as God has given you spiritual tools and when you know very clearly what they are.

Those are huge indicators about meaning and purpose and what he wants you to do day, maybe you could tell people how they could get this resource be glad to chip to order your copy of your divine design go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003. Let us help you take the next step in your faith journey discovering your spiritual gifts and understanding how to activate them again to get your hands on Chip's newest book your divine design visit LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 hapless nurse top special offers. No, here's chip with some application for what he taught today at the beginning of today's message I sent it. Spiritual gifts are serious business.

I mean, Jesus died upon the cross.

He paid the debt for your sin. He broke the power of sin, and he defeated Satan, and the evidence from Ephesians 4 is that he gave gifts to men. These are deposits that mean a lot to God and many Christians I meet.

Not only do not know what their spiritual gift is but when you read through those key gift passages.

They really don't know what the gifts even are now. I did a overview in a review in our next broadcast. We are going through every single one of the gifts. Here's the gift here's the definition I've done a lot of study.

I've done this in the original languages. I looked at the best commentaries and I've synthesized it for you that you may not agree with everything that I've done the best work I can to synthesize down in a couple three sentences. This is the gift. This is what it looks like and here's how you might know if you have it. And so I made it through four of the real key ones. Apostle, prophecy, evangelism, and pastor teacher today. Let me encourage you and I sound like a record getting worn out here but go to the web LivingontheEdge.org because all of these note you can get for free me. I want you to look at him study and read him.

I want you to look at the passages and say you know this guy right or not but all those definitions and all those worker available download those notes for free if you want to hear it great, will give you information about how to hear it, but what we want you to do is discover the primary spiritual gift you have and then understand the gifts so you can know the ministry gifts God wants to use.

I am so excited for you and I long for you to capture the extreme makeover.

God wants to do in your life. Through this amazing spiritual tool called a spiritual gift just before we close. I want to thank those of you who regularly give to the ministry of Living on the Edge you're making a big difference in helping Christians live like Christians if you're enjoying the benefits of Living on the Edge, but are get on the team would you do that today.

You can set up a recurring donation by visiting us of LivingontheEdge.org or texting the word donate to 741 41. It's that easy. Text the word donate to 741 41 or visit LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse Donate. Thanks for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do will join us next time.

This just continues a series your divine design. Until then, this is the saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge