Faithful in Ministry | Part 1

Why is God gifted us. Listen closely to Adrian Rogers with God saved you by his grace God saved you to serve remember that everyone of us has a charismatic, a God given spiritual or service of ministry. So we gotta be looking today at how you can discover and develop and deploy your spiritual gift and minister here in the bottom. Welcome to love worth finding featuring the timeless truth of the gospel through the messages of Adrian Rogers. God saved us by his grace, he gave each spiritual gifts spiritual gifts are God-given abilities for service and ministry. We don't choose our spiritual gifts as our natural talents are embedded in us that birth our spiritual gifts, our new birth. However, many of us don't understand how to use them in order to be faithful in ministry. We must identify and develop our spiritual gifts.

If you have your Bible turned out in Ephesians chapter 4.

Look at verse seven as Adrian Rogers reveals the importance of being faithful in ministry five visions chapter for many believe that Charles Spurgeon outside the apostle Paul was the greatest preacher who ever lived.

Spurgeon told the story a very interesting story he told of a woman that had been a member of his congregation was very poor and she lived in the poor house they call the courthouse in those days, and Spurgeon went to visit her to give her some comfort and some help and we was there in her room. He looked up on the wall and there he saw framed a certificate, a piece of paper. Sort of a legal document, so I went over and read it and what it was was a document transferring great wealth to this moment. She should know what it was she had framed it and put it on her wall what it happened is this that she had served as a nurse and had taken care of the elderly man and when he died he left her his estate. She didn't know what it was she was taught on learned when finally the bank learned about it they said we wondered who the old gentleman left his estate to Mamma say this, that when the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven he left you an incredible giftedness.

It may be that you have not yet discovered why you have in the Lord Jesus, I want to talk to you today about your spiritual gift credit me that you have it framed as a motto on the wall rather than having carried it to the bank to cash it and use it marketed me that you've left your gift under the tree, wrapped in an open and therefore unappreciated to tell you something when God saved you. God saved you by his grace.

But God did not save you to sit so and sour. God saved you to serve as you are saved by grace, and you served by grace, and you are a gifted child. I look in God's word. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse seven, but unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ that if you don't mind marking your Bible.

Would you underscore for me every one mounted that include you what I needed it.

If you are a child of God. Are you part of everyone.

Of course you are bad. God has given to you precious friend, a spiritual gift, but unto every one of us is given grace is grace is the Greek word Caras is the word that we get our word charismatic from you have a charismatic gift.

Did you know that your charismatic person who he is not charismatic but don't think I charismatic that we mean somebody has a ready smile, a firm handshake and verbal ability we say will that man is charismatic, you make a good politician.

That's a corruption of the word charismatic Lord charismatic merely means a person who has been gifted by grace to everyone of us is given grace Caras according to the measure of the gift of Christ. You are a gifted child, but you may be like that poor woman who does not understand what the gift that you have is and you don't know how to use it so we go to be looking today at how you can discover and develop and deploy your spiritual gift and minister here in the body. Now there about four things I want to see very quickly this morning. The very first thing is how the gifts are delivering the gifts delivered verse seven and every one of us is given on the school board given given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ that God has given you a gray skin. Therefore, do not insult God by saying God cannot use you in the church there can be no inferiority there can be no superiority.

We are what we are by the gift of God. Now what is a charismatic gift. Remember that everyone of us has a charismatic gift and every one of us has a charismatic gift.

What is a charismatic gift. Here's the definition a gray skin a charismatic gift is a God given ability for service and ministry got it, got a God given gift for service and ministry a God given spiritual ability for service and ministry that goes beyond natural talent. Talent is natural. Spiritual gifts are supernatural or supernatural in source supernatural in nature and supernatural importance.

Now you do not choose your spiritual gift in the morning you can choose your natural gift you can develop your natural talents, but you don't use them anymore than you could choose the color of your eyes on the company skin you get that genetically by your first birth and your talents are encoded in you genetically by your first birth, your spiritual gift is given to you at your new birth and as your natural talents are natural your spiritual gift is supernatural. Now how did you get this give well, it is the gift of your ascended Lord look if you will, in verse eight wherefore he said when he ascended up on high, who is not talking about Jesus. He led captivity captive who is not talking about the devil, and gave gifts on demand, was not talking about you not he that ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the he that descended is the same. Also, that hath ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things is what happened. The Lord Jesus descended, he came to this earth lived a perfect life suffered, bled, and died on the cross was buried, and rose again when Jesus Christ died on the cross for us went with his blood he purchased our salvation. At the same time he broke Satan's back Satan's kingdom came crashing crashing down in Satan and his now level and forces crushed by Calvary and so the Lord Jesus Christ by his death, burial and resurrection and ascension led captivity captive Satan had taken the world captive. But Jesus Satan, he led captivity captive about what the apostle Paul is talking about here is a Roman trial when a Roman general would go all and fight the war for Rome. If you won the battle he would come back to the city of Rome for parade called the trial and in the triumph, the Roman general would come here would be filled with incense, and perfume he would be riding up on his white horse. There would be parade. The priest would be there, swinging incense, and perfume and the people would be there giving their praises to this general behind this general would come the conquered kings and generals behind him. They would have been stripped naked absolutely naked, they would be changing to the conquering generals chariot wheels and they would be being dragged along the people would be praising the conquering Gen. they would be cheering and mocking these of been stripped and shame and subdues their power drawn their pride laying in the dust and then behind them with common servants bearing all oils of the battle, the riches that had been conquered. They have been brought back to Rome to be given to the people of Rome. That's the picture that Paul is talking about here. The Lord Jesus ascended up on high, he led captivity captive Satan's kingdom is rhyme and the spoils of the battle are given to us and the spoils of the battle. That is our greatest gift to serve our great king. So never despise or overlook your great did.

It is a spiritual gift from our conqueror the Lord Jesus Christ now. The second thing I want us to think about. Not only did the gifts as they are delivered with the gifts as they describe what are these gifts I would like you to turn to first Corinthians chapter 12. Would you please just turn to that you turn left for Sprint's chapter 12 will find a list of the and then in Romans chapter 12 will find another list. I want to listen very carefully because you get to hear your name called in one of these gifts you going to discover one or more of these have been your spiritual gift and I believe I began in verse four for Sprint. This 12 verse four now there are diverse cities against but the same Spirit as the Holy Spirit will give different gifts to the church and there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

That is, everything is not always done the same way. But it's the Lord is doing and there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all and all, but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all know what is that mean in plain English it means that God gave you a spiritual gift, not for your own enjoyment before your employment, your spiritual gift is to bless the church not to bless you is a tool, not a toy, and then he says in verse 84 by one is given by the spirit. The word of wisdom. What is the word of wisdom that is supernatural insight into the mind of God is not talking here about common sense he's talking about common sense.

People who have a word of wisdom making wonderful counselors to another the word of knowledge.

This differs from wisdom in that it is a supernatural ability to know the things of God and apply the things of God. Knowledge puts wisdom, the practical use and their people who have the gift of wisdom. Some have the gift of knowledge. Some have these gifts combined and they make wonderful wonderful leaders and counselors verse nine to another faith by the same spirit. Now all believers have faith or they could not be called to believe you could not be saved. Without faith, but some people have a supernatural gift of faith as described in the next chapter as mountain moving freight.

Thank God for these kind of people and then another gifts of healing by the same spirit, the Greek language.

This is literally plural gifts of healings is healing for the body, soul and mind. The physical healing, psychological healing, spiritual healing healing for the spirit and I believe in the gift of healing and some have been given this gift and I am grateful for the gifts of healing, and then he says to another the working of miracles. Pastor Rogers is the age of miracles passed absolutely no what individuals have power to work miracles. According to this, I believe that they do.

I don't think that is my gift medevac. I'm quite certain that it is not my gift, but I am grateful for any who may have the gift to perform miracles.

I remind you that Satan also has miraculous power, so we need to be very very careful. I also remind you that the gifts of healing generally came in clusters in the Bible. They were not normal in everyday Bible life, but we cannot deny that God is a God of might and miracles, to another prophecy the word prophecy means the ability to foretell and forth tail primarily not to foretell the future, but primarily to tell forth the will of God in a particular matter that we don't have to guess about what the gift of prophecy is because he says over here in in the 14th chapter and verse three but he that prophesies speak of on-demand edification. What is evocation mean that means to build people up in edifices of building and exhortation what is exhortation that is to encourage the fire people up to exult to cheer and then to comfort what discomfort mean that means to hold up and sure of people a prophet is somebody who builds up fires up and shores up the people of God. The 14th chapter of first Corinthians is given over to tell us how important the gift of prophecy is every church. I pray that God will give profits to the church spokesman who can speak for God.

Maybe that is your gift, the gift of prophecy and maybe God uses you to speak God's word to another. The discerning of spirits.

Now what is at me. There a lot of wild and wicked spirits in the world today. The apostle John says 11 believe not every spirit, but test to try the spirits whether they be of God, there's a lot of spiritual wickedness as well as spiritual righteousness in the world today. I was on airplane idyllic pray for those I would sit by and try to witness to the lady got on said by me, and I pray to God, help me to find a way to talk to this woman about you should pull out a book and began to read the book and the book was about angels and so I'm looking over and kind of with my eyes eavesdropping on reading and I'm I'm trying find out what you reading and I see the book is just full of new age era, and there is nothing in there based on the Bible of the word of God. I said to this woman tell me about angels she said will angels wonderful. She said they're all around them and she said a guy I said they do. She said yes they speak to me so she's and I speak to them and I pray to them. I said well that's is interesting. I said what is that book based on just what you mean.

I so what is the authority that book, how do you know that book is true, but she said the angels becoming I said you know lady that the Bible says that Satan can be transformed as an angel of light. She looked at me like a shot and then I began to share with her. The Lord Jesus Christ and the short story. I believe she was gloriously saved right down that airplane. She prayed as Christ and our heart is a personal Lord and Savior, and said to me Mr. God put you on this airplane beside me. I written to give her some material to help you to grow in the Christian life. But here was a woman. I believe making contact with demon spirits and believing that she was in contact with angel sent from God or whatever because she did not have the basis of God's word and we in this day and age need the spirit to desire spirits, to another divers kinds of tongues were tongues here simply means language is the ability to speak a language that you have never learned in school to praise God. Tongues are not assigned to God's people.

Tongues are not porcine. The believers and unbelievers.

Now tongues is not primarily a private prayer language. They are tool of witnessing primarily the unsaved use of the gift of tongues work today. Well, suppose in this particular service, a busload of Russian tourist were stop out here and I suppose in their Jewish and they never heard the gospel. They don't know English or maybe they do know English but I don't know Russian they come and sit in the section right here and God gives me supernaturally charismatic gift of Tom and I began to praise God in fluent Russian and they here in the language where they were long, they say. How does that man know Russian. I don't know Russian God is supernaturally gifted me to speak to them in Russian, but most of you will know Russian, so I'm speaking in English. The Russians are not understanding why speaking in Russian. Not understanding God gives me the gift of tongues so I can praise God in their language. He has to give somebody else the gift of interpretation.

So you can understand what I'm saying when I speaking in Russian, so continue to read and burst into another interpretation of languages so I suppose a brother with my has the gift of interpretation.

I am praising God to those Russians saying that God is great and God's glorious baby and convince especially the Russian Jews. Brother Whitmire says to the rest of us what the pastor is saying is this, and he interprets having never learned Russian either. Supernaturally the gift of tongues so that nobody is in the dark.

Remember what we said that every gift is given to the entire body to profit with all nobodies to come in the service and set things out.

Wonder what that meant. If he occupies the room of the unlearned were speaking and thinks he can understand the Bible says you think were crazy. You think would go mad. Every body is to understand God. Now that is a gift of God. Now you say pastor Rogers. I don't believe you meant you my gift to you. Well just turn.

Romans chapter 12 a must look at another gift right here maybe you are in this list and just turned left to Romans chapter 12 I began again in verse six having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy we've already mentioned, but it may be that guy. God called you into preaching our jail services missionary work to speak for God.

Our ministry, let us minister know what is ministry. That's acts of service, we could just call that don't church work are ushers today have the gift of ministry are secretaries typing, ushering, coaching probably is a wonderful gift of a ministry working in the nursery today. Many of you want to do that and many of you have been gifted of God to change diapers. I'm serious is able God and give me. I got a new many gifts why in the name of Jesus, you can carefully watch. You cannot even give a cup of cold water to one of these little babies in the name of the disciple and lose your rewards.

This is a gift that is so greatly needed. He mentions ministry and then he mentions teaching people who have been first of all, taught and anointed and gifted of God to teach the Bible as a spiritual gift of teaching maybe missionary organization.

Maybe you don't teach a class, but you're a mother and God anoint you to teach your children super naturally.

Then he mentions the gift of exhortation.

What is the gift of exultation. Those people who do visitation.

Those people who do counseling that encourages many times they have the gift of exhortation is that your ability just that your people all maybe you just have the ability to exhort your pastor and encourage me.

I am eating. I heard about a little boy who want to be in school play. He had his heart set on and his mother knew that he did not have the ability to be in that play, but she was afraid be heartbroken if they didn't get them apart. When he came home my mother asking how did it go did you get a part. All he said Dias I got a participant. What is it they said it. They gave me the job of clapping and cheering. Well I like that and it was so well that that was his job to clap and cheer.

Maybe that's it. That's the gift that God is giving you and it is a meaningful gift in a church like this. The gift of exhortation that he mentions the giftgiving right there.

What is that that's the ability of the supernatural ability to make and give money sacrificially and wisely.

We have those and then he mentions the gift of ruling those on our church that those who had committees those in places of leadership. Those leaving coach team that he mentions the gift of mercy. These are people do hospital visitation days of those again to counsel. These are those who go to the rest homes and so forth gift describe coming up on Monday.

Will you part two of this important message, faithful in ministry today you have questions about who Jesus is or what he means to you how to receive the forgiveness that he's freely offering you today go to discover Jesus page@lwf.org/radio find resources and materials that can answer questions you may have about your faith again LWF.org/radio and click Discover Jesus nephew like a copy of today's message. You can order one by calling us at 1877 love God requested title faithful in ministry.

This message is also part of the insightful factors of faithfulness series for that complete collection all seven powerful messages. Call 877 love God or go online to LWF.org/radio or you can write us to order at love worth finding box 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183 thanks for studying and God's word with us today as you discover and develop your spiritual gift. Remember these words from Adrian Rogers God gave you a spiritual gift, not for your own enjoyment, but for your employment, your spiritual gift is to bless the church not to bless you this into not a toy you should tune in Monday for the conclusion of faithful ministry right thing. I am. On CEO love worth finding with Adrian Rogers. I hope you and your family have enjoyed a beautiful Easter season. As we celebrate the most important event in history. Here's the to work?

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