FUNCTIONING AS GEMS IN THE BODY OF CHRIST

Cheryl Rector ~ Ministry Team Member  

January 21, 2024                                                        

“A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth” (Proverbs 17:8).

I can’t talk about the gifts without saying first it is by grace that we receive, and by grace these gifts are imparted to us.  Ephesians 4:7: “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”

Now the leadership of the Church has many Gems/Gifts. And because they do, the body of believers will elevate them to be super heroes which they are not.  I can’t express the grace that is given to these leaders to function in the gifts. Ephesians 4:11: “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;”   Why? To equip or prepare the saints for the work of the ministry and for the building up of the Body of Christ so “we all come to the unity of the faith” (v.12).

1.     Prophesy – People say it’s a misunderstood gift, but I believe it’s the person the gift flows through that is misunderstood.  Prophets are socially conscious and very aware of the direction of the people. They look to the future and draw it back into the present. They are very sensitive to words, attitudes and sin. They are burdened by destruction and lawlessness. They must have an added grace and humility to be open to correction.  Prophesy gives the church direction, instruction and sometime reproof and judgement.  

I look ahead to the future. Show of hands… How many recognize this gift in Pastor Jerry’s preaching? It’s in operation through his preaching and doesn’t have to come in the form of a “Thus saith the Lord!”

2.      Serving: We are all called to serve in the church, but I’m talking about the added grace upon the gift. They are individuals who see a task that needs to be done and just do it without fanfare or need of recognition or attention.  These individuals often leave off their own responsibilities to serve others. The gift may get them in trouble at home and with their own families because the danger is to neglect them in serving others. They can get so busy with menial tasks that it can drive them to distraction.  For example: they empty the garbage, sweep the floors, wait on tables and people, supervise the meals, supply food, clean up, wash dishes, help the sick, etc. etc. The list goes on!!

 I want to say in this church this gift is operating through several. I think of Bev not only with the gift of serving but the gift of wisdom in setting up and overseeing & scheduling the organization of meals.  Without which I’m afraid it would have been left to a few and this way many get to use their gift. Patsy and Leta have this gift.  And Richard Lutz is in a whole different field of ministry but using that tremendous gift. He is at everyone’s beck and call! These two separate ministries are operating in full capacity.

3.     Teaching: Every Christian is called to teach and in fact we have a responsibility to teach! Do you agree?  In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus says, “Making disciples, baptizing and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you!

The teaching gift is the unique ability to take profound concepts and make them simple and understandable.  Teachers need to enjoy studying the subjects almost more than presenting them.  They put a great deal of emphasis on accuracy and detail and can tell you if something is taken out of context.  Teachers must be careful that too much detail doesn’t make the class boring. Secondly, the teacher must watch out that they don’t stop being a learner (Hebrews 5:12). If they do, they will become stagnate an ineffective.  There are many ways to teach, and this gift is in the forefront as Jesus and Pastor Jerry are teaching us.

4.     Exhortation: This gift brings comfort and encouragement to the body of believers. It brings out the best in people.  These individuals are like cheerleaders.  They come in at the right time with a word to enable those that want to give up to keep striving on. They urge people onward.  They have the gift to lay out specific goals and provide practical ways to get there. Often times they have a word of knowledge or wisdom as well. This gift is like a life line and so vital to those that want to quit. 

Diane, you have this gift and I encourage you to ask God to use you more because when new ones come in, they will need this gift! Without it there will be a lot of casualties on the road!

5.     Giving: There many ways to give – of your time, talents, gifts, possessions, but today I’m talking about giving in money. Such a touchy subject for some. When it comes to money you should set specific goals and give joyfully (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). Rich, poor, young and old are all called to give.  Some are just graced with the gift of giving. They have a sensitivity to the needs of others, and they respond before there is a request to do so.  They don’t give it a second thought. Their left hand doesn’t know that the right is doing (Matthew 6:3).

I think of Gary when I think of giving.  Givers are easy targets for the greedy.  These individuals are deeply hurt then they are taken advantage of.

6.     Gift of Compassion and Mercy – Like many, the people who possess this gift are highly sensitive. It is not sympathy for someone but more empathy. This gift sees the hurts and headaches in others not readily seen by most. Those that most benefit from this gift are usually the ill, grieving, homeless, blind, poor, shut-ins, abused. They are compelled to action because of their compassion. The Good Samaritan is a great example of compassion in action.  We may all have degrees of mercy and compassion but there are those that carry the gift in greater depth.  I believe Heather carried this gift along with other gifts.

7.     Gift of Administration – This gift takes care of all the behind-the-scene work.  A gift that takes organization and foresight. It is a must-have gift in the church.  Most generally this functions in leadership.  They are great delegators and appoint leadership teams.  Without this gift things would quickly fall apart.  I would describe this gift as the Head but if you were to ask me it’s a headache! 😊But to those who operate in this gift it invigorates them.

8.     Gift of Helps – This gift is a bit unique in that the individual has the ability to take on tasks that they do alone without much support.  They love the members of the church deeply and by assisting and supporting those members. They see this service as meeting their spiritual needs. They have the ability to do tasks that seem unpleasant or difficult for others and make it look easy. Their reward is knowing they have freed up other members of the body to use their gifts.  They tend to work behind the scenes. They have a servant’s heart. This “gift of helps” often goes unnoticed and should never be discounted but only encouraged.   Mark has this gift and has used it on many occasions!

9.     Hospitality – This gift is usually held by those who have the unique ability to welcome you into their home and treat you with love and kindness. They have a very nonintimidating friendly welcoming presence! Grace and Donna carry this gift in different and unique ways.

IMPORTANT! No one gift is more important than another and neither should we elevate one above the other. Don’t compare your gift with another. Every perfect gift comes from the father of light (James 1:17).

Every gift can be abused but the solution is not to stop using our gifts but to get them in proper alignment with God’s Word and to use them properly.   When the gifts are used in the right place at the right time, decently and in order a beautiful blessing comes to the body of Christ.

Gifts are “gems” for God’s glory. We are to give glory to God.  Jesus is the “Gem” who gives us the giftings – we are like the colors that shine through the gem! May our gifts shine like Gems for His purposes and glory.