This is a post-Easter post! `When [Jesus] ascended on high, he… gave gifts to his people` (Eph 4). So this post’s aim is to increase our sense of joy and fulfilment as we discover and use the gifts God has given each of us!
Lots of us wonder how our individual gifts can be let loose for the glory and kingdom of God. But we’re not sure what we’ve got to contribute, and anyway we don’t know how to take it further. And somehow this situation hinders our life with God: we feel unfruitful. Also it hinders our church life: we feel just part of a crowd, and it really doesn’t matter whether we’re there or not.
In contrast, once we find our place of ministry, we feel much more that we belong, we’re involved, we’re no longer just a spectator. In Eph 4:16 God tells us that our contribution is actually indispensable: the Body of Christ (God’s Church), `joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.` This is a fact! (Imagine then the difference it would make if everyone in our church discovered and used their gifts!)
And there’s an even bigger issue. There’s one place in the Bible where we read of God inviting us to `enter into the joy of your Lord` (as Dallas Willard observes, God is `undoubtedly the most joyous being in the universe`) — and strikingly, that invitation is linked to how we live fruitfully in our gifts (Matt 25:14-30; more about that below!). So this is hugely important.
So if you’ve been in your church for more than 3 weeks, find a place to serve! As we discover and use our gifts, we’ll feel: I’m being & doing what God made me for!
But some of us may feel, I’ve never thought I’ve got a gift. Let’s dig a little more deeply into what Ephesians 4 says about this.
`There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it… Christ himself gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ` (vv4-7,11-13).
Biblically then, God’s Church is not meant to be something where there is a single priest or minister doing it all and everyone else is just spectators, but a Body where the life of God flows through us all. Look at v7: doesn’t it say that every person who has stepped into God’s family has spiritual gifts? And therefore: do I believe that I have spiritual gifts?
Let’s note three things more from this passage. v7 describes our gifts, our abilities, as `grace`: they’re from God – literally “gifts”, unearned – not because of anything exceptional about us!
Then v12 describes the reason why they’re given us: `to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up`. Each member using the gifts that God has given them, to mobilize and equip yet others, is the way that the Church is built up. The Church functions through all its members! It’s as this happens that church truly church.
And as v16 says that we quoted above, we are each indispensable! Believe it! Think of an evangelistic meeting. It may well fail if the speaker is poor – but it may equally fail if the toilet is filthy, if no one has brought Why Jesuses (or some other gospel summary) for people to take away, if a vital video presentation is messed up, if at coffee time the only milk we have has gone lumpy – and especially if no one talks to the newcomers. We’re a team and everybody is vital….
Let’s consider now another vital passage, 1 Corinthians 12. What does v7 tell us about where these gifts come from, and who they’re given to, and what they’re for? The answers are clear: they come from God the Spirit; they come to every believer; and they’re given for the common good – that is, to serve and benefit the rest of the Body. (So they’re given to enable us to serve, not to be served. We can see here why God uses the very next chapter, ch13, to show us the attitude we should have, ensuring we are actually using our gifts for the building up of the Body!)
Then after the list of examples of gifts in 1 Cor 12:v8-11, we come to vv14-31. There are four more key lessons here:
First, look at vv14-17 and 29-30: We’re not all the same, there’s no one gift that everyone has. You don’t have the same gifts as other Christians; they may be gifted by God to do things you can’t do, and vice versa. And that’s how God intended it to be!
Secondly: therefore, none of us has all the resources we – or the church – needs. And because of that, vv17-21, we need each other. The eye needs the liver if it’s to stay alive, and both need the intestine. All the parts of the body are important. There may be parts of our physical body that we don’t think matter much; but if they stop working or become infected, we soon learn whether they matter or not!
So thirdly, vv22-23: in the end, none of us are more or less important. We can’t tell what will turn out in heaven to have been the most important contribution. But what we do know is, if you’re a Christian, everyone else here needs you; as God taught us in Eph 4:16, each of us is indispensable!
And a fourth thing is this: the body’s different parts are all parts of a whole. They exist to partner together, not to go off and do their special foot-ish or hand-ish or ear-ish thing! It’s the same with our spiritual gifts: `so in Christ we who are many form one body` (v12).
So then: Do I believe that God has ministries designed just for me, and that I’ve been uniquely designed for them? What then is my role? And how can I exercise it this coming week?
JESUS TEACHES US HOW TO GROW IN OUR GIFTS…
God’s Church grows, then, by `every-person ministry`, and he has a special role for each of us. And God calls us to use well the things he has entrusted to us. In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus tells a story to help us get a grip on this.
First, we should enjoy the picture of God in v14: God’s a God who loves to partner with us, and loves to entrust his property to us! And in Jesus’ story, the servants’ task was to trade with the talents entrusted to them so that their master would have even more. Their gifts weren’t their property, they belonged to their master. So our gifts and abilities likewise are not our own, they belong to our Master! This is counter-cultural, and we can all too easily think that it’s our life and our gifts for us to use to give us the greatest benefit. But as Jesus-followers we know that all we have is from God, and we’re to use well what he’s entrusted to us for his glory, and for the blessing of others.
But everyone is different. There are three types of people here.
Many of us are very gifted, like the man with five talents. What is God’s Word to you? God is going to look for five back from you, not two! Don’t be limited by your company (`That’s all these others do! They don’t live flat out for God!`) Aim high; go for the five; dream really big dreams as to what your life with God will achieve!
Some of us have two gifts. You’re not being falsely humble or lazy, that’s who you really are. Don’t be daunted – `I wish I was more like X; therefore I’m a failure.` God made you as you are. Perhaps you’ll never translate the Bible into five foreign languages or lead crowds of people to Christ; God made you as you are! Be the best you can be for God; bring in those two talents more; dream big dreams of what God can do through you! If it’s really true that you’re a two-talent person, it’s two talents that God will look for from you, not five.
And we notice that both these servants receive the same rewards: `many things` – the glory of what God will entrust us with in eternity depends only on how faithfully we’ve made use of what he’s entrusted us with here: `enter into the joy of your Lord!`
Or: perhaps we feel we are one of those with only one talent? (1 Corinthians 12:7 makes clear that each of us has at least one!) If you feel this really is you – perhaps because of some disability, or because your kids are at a stage where you feel you can do nothing really that seems to build God’s kingdom apart from (but this is huge!) bringing up your kids as disciples of Jesus and sometimes praying for others… you’re in some situation where you can only wait humbly and prayerfully and apparently inactive, you feel that right now you have only one talent… Then God has entrusted you with a difficult place. One talent is hard to see, and the one talent that is its natural result is also hard to see…
But if this servant had been faithful with that talent, he would have ended up with two, and the following year could have won another two. (Actually God loves to do more with us than we can ask or imagine: a 30-fold return seems to be the minimum (Eph 3:20, Matt 13:23)!) He needed to dream big dreams of what the Creator God could do alongside him…. So what went wrong?
What went wrong was in his heart. When we look at vv24-25 we see he had a wrong picture of God, and wrong pictures of God can cripple us. He saw God as a critical taskmaster (`Nothing can be good enough`). So he went and buried his gift.
The Bible teaches us that God loves us colossally. `As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you’ (!!), says Jesus astonishingly (John 15:9). Grasp that and we grasp the joy of working with a fatherly God who loves us and wants to show us how we can build his kingdom even better; and whose enormous creative power is there on our side. Part of what the man said in v24 was absolutely true – `You harvest where you haven’t sown, and gather where you haven’t scattered seed` – hallelujah! – God’s grace is that creative, his love for us delights in bringing something out of nothing! And, wondrously, he will! So we see here that what empowers us in using our gifts is grasping the colossal love of Christ and responding to it: we serve him, not as a burden, but responding to his love in loving gratitude and partnership.
But this man had a wrong view of God in his heart: so what did he do?
The answer isn’t `Nothing at all`! Instead of asking for that creative grace from a loving Father who can indeed harvest where he apparently hasn’t sown, the man…. dug a hole and hid his talent in the ground. So, he did put in some effort, but it was so misguided!
And if you were leading a Bible study or preaching on this passage, what would you say about that? Using our effort to hide our talent in the earth: does that speak to us of investing our God-given gifts for ourselves primarily?- for our standard of living, our prestige, our security – for temporary things – rather than for God? (Is this what I‘m doing?) It showed his heart (faith without the actions of faith is dead) – he hid his gift in the earth, and that showed the true nature of his heart for his master. And it led to catastrophe: he missed out massively, missed out altogether on the joy of the Lord.
(So what are some ways in which I personally might “dig a hole” and put in it the talent that God has entrusted to me?)
What then should he have done? V27 tells us he should have taken his single talent to the bankers. (This is what we can do when we’re discouraged!) Bankers are people who know how to use other people’s talents or money. Spiritually it’s a job that really matters – please pray that your church’s spiritual `bankers` who help invest people’s talents are good at what they do! But a key part of any leader’s role is being a `banker`. Ephesians 4:11-12 lists the spiritual gifts and then says they’ve been given in order to help other people’s gifts get going. So as leaders we’re called to think and pray: From what I know, how and where might this person move forward in evangelism? And what gift have they got that can be developed and exercised, and how?
(The serious side of this is that there will be a reckoning day for us. We will have to give an account for how faithfully we’ve invested what God’s entrusted to us. Will we hear “Well done!”, or “You wicked, lazy servant!” (v26)? We often get bothered about what people say to us, but the only words that ultimately count are the words Jesus will say on that day…)
So whether we have five talents, two, or one, it’s vital for all of us to `fan into flame the gift of God` (2 Tim 1:6)! Let’s recommit ourselves to God in the light of all that Jesus has done for us…
SO HOW & WHERE CAN EACH OF US EXERCISE OUR GIFTS?
Obviously in church! Church shouldn’t be merely an event run by professionals for a crowd to be entertained; it’s the people of God, where everyone contributes. Our body wouldn’t survive if we were all legs, all feet, even all heart or all brains! We need every part if we’re to function properly. So church isn’t just the elders, or the preachers, or the worship leaders, or the paid staff, or the youth workers. It’s all of us! We are all `ministers` (which actually means `servants`) within the church, and church grows as we each play our part. A body doesn’t work well if any of the parts aren’t functioning: we have different gifts and they’re all needed. How then am I actively seeking to build up my own local church?
But our gifts aren’t just for in church! When the Bible says the church – that is, you and me – are the body of Christ — our bodies are what people see. And so today it’s through us, the church, that Christ works and is seen in our world. Look at Matthew 5:13-16: Jesus says his disciples will be the salt of the earth, flavouring it and stopping it decaying, and they are to be the light of the world. Salt is made up of lots of tiny particles, but together they make a big difference! Salt shouldn’t stay in the salt cellar; and the light isn’t to be hidden under a bucket. What we do with our gifts as Christians isn’t just about what happens on Sunday; it’s about what we do outside, all week, where we live and work. Sometimes our main ministry begins only as we go out into the world. (And maybe into mission abroad!)
`Entering into the joy of the Lord`, our fulfilment as Christians, and the growth, impact and upbuilding of the church, depend on our learning these things!
HOW THEN DO WE APPLY ALL THIS, `FANNING INTO FLAME THE GIFT OF GOD`?
We can be certain that if we’re truly a child of God, we have an indispensable spiritual gift that he has given us (1 Cor 12:7). Then how shall we explore and develop it?
1. ASK GOD ABOUT IT! Have you, ever? `Lord, what are my strengths (because your Word tells me I’ve got some!)?` Take time to reflect. As you do so, take a piece of paper and write down what God shows you.
2. REFLECT. (This will be fun!) What have you done that really felt like you?– that you really enjoyed?- that gave you fulfilment? – really seemed fruitful? These are clues to how God has made you. Look back over the last years and find five such things. Talk them through with God, and maybe with others; look out for common factors, heart-passions and dreams, that show how God has made and gifted you.
3. ASK AROUND. As Matthew 25 teaches you, find a `banker` – your homegroup leader or an older Christian who knows you a little and can say `You know, you could…` `You’re genuinely good at…` (because there undoubtedly is something, trust God’s Word about that!). Ask them, Where do you think I could move forward in evangelism – what’s my bit of God’s frontier, where d’you think I can share Jesus? Likewise, Where can I help to build the church? In serving? In caring? (Say if you want, `Here I am, I’m a one-talent person, invest me!`) And pray together about these things.
4. EXPLORE AS MANY THINGS AS YOU CAN – try things out. Hospitality, for example – could you open your home more for…. international students? the elderly? Your neighbours? people who look a bit new in the church? mums with young kids who don’t have a homegroup??
Try things out. Maybe you’ll try something that isn’t you, and maybe that will be a relief – though be careful that this isn’t just Satan trying to discourage you! But don’t think of such times as a failure, we have to experiment to discover what our real gifts are. Homegroup is a great place to do this, where people know and care about you, where you can air your concerns and fears and get honest encouragement and advice: `You do seem good at….`
It‘s only in practice that we discover our gifts; not sitting at home asking God `Show me show me`. He will show you as you experiment!
5. LOOK AT THE RESULTS WITH GOD AND A FRIEND. How do you feel about what you did? (Again, don’t worry if the first time your knees were knocking – you’ll probably blossom with practice!) Was it fruitful? Be careful here, we don’t want to be fooled into seeking instant results, but the question helps. Listen for others’ confirmation – it’s not always right, but again it often helps.
6. KNOW THAT GOD WILL GUIDE YOU. STRETCH YOURSELF; INVEST IN YOUR GROWTH. Ask for resources on your area of ministry; get alongside people who are a couple of steps ahead of you and watch what they do.
7. And if we’re faithful in small things, God will entrust us with many things (Luke 16:10) – expect to ENTER INTO JOY OF YOUR LORD!
ABSORB TIME: We’re a mobile society, and many of us may only be in the place where we now live for 3-4 years: don’t wait till half your time there is gone before you get moving! Start leaving some footprints – and in so doing make your church a family where you feel you belong.
Ask God to help you dream big dreams of how he can use you, both in evangelism and in service. Make your mind up not to be a passive spectator, nor to let Satan steal your reward. Imagine the end of your life – what will you be remembered for? – as you enter heaven will you be able to look back on how you’ve used the gifts God entrusted to you, to do things that lasted?
Our loving God created us for fruitfulness; that’s what he’s like, and he’s good at what he does (John 15:16)! And when in heaven you sit down and review it all with your Heavenly Father, what will he say? `Well done, good and faithful servant – now come and share your Master’s infinite joy`?
So then: Is there anything I would love to do more of? Any gift I would like to go out and experiment with? New things I should try out and explore? Help I should ask for? What actions is God showing me I should take? Is there any reason I need to face why I won’t?
PRAYER: Lord Jesus who is here, I offer myself practically to you. I want to discover the fulfilled life of doing what you created me for. Please help me make the decisions and find the resources and help I need. Help me invest in my gifts, train them, stretch them. And thankyou that you’ve promised I shall bear fruit, `30 fold minimum`; `more than I can ask or imagine!`
PS All of us keep files (I hope!) of valuable things that we have learnt, that we can pass on to bless others, who hopefully will bless yet others with them (2 Tim 2:2!) So for some significant things within this post I’m again indebted to my former colleague at Wycliffe Church in Reading UK, Graeme Fairbairn – and I have a feeling that other ideas could be ones I learned from someone else there or elsewhere! If that person likes to contact me please I will be happy to give them the credit they deserve!
