Spiritual Gifts
Facilitated by
Gerson P. Santos
Sabbath School & Personal Ministries
Greater New York Conference
Why should I know about
Spiritual Gifts?
 1 Corinthians 12:1
We should know spiritual gifts.
 1 Timothy 4:14
We should use the spiritual gifts.
 1 Peter 4:10
We are responsible for them.
New Testament
Church Models
• The Pauline Model
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Stationary
Congregational
Mechanistic
Shepherd/Flock
Ecclesial
Corporate structure
Gifts-based
• The Jesus Model
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Mobile
Small group
Organic
Teacher/Disciple
Apostolic
Team structure
Spirit led
The Structure
Based Church
Organizational
Structure
Determined
Plan for
Ministry
in Place
People put in
Appropriate
Leadership
Slots
The Gifts
Based Church
Focus on
Human &
Material
Resources
Articulate
Shared
Vision for
Ministry
Design
Appropriate
Systems for
Effective
Ministry
Spiritual Gifts
Definition
Spiritual Gifts are divine abilities
distributed by the Holy Spirit
to every Christian, according
to God’s will for the well being
of the body of Christ.
Spiritual Gifts
Romans 12:6-8
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
1 Corinthians 12:27-31
Ephesians 4:11-12
Spiritual Gifts Key
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Wisdom
Knowledge
Administration
Apostleship
Shepherding
Faith
Miracles
Prophecy
Leadership
Giving
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Compassion
Healing
Discernment
Teaching
Helping
Evangelism
Servanthood
Exhortation
Tongues
Interpretation
of Tongues
Our Primary Task
Reach Out &
Receive
Making
Disciples
Send Forth to Live
Transformed/
Transforming Lives
Relate People
to God
Nurture & Strengthen
in the Christian Faith
Spiritual gifts need
to be identified,
verified, used,
developed, and
polished.
“Do your best to
present yourself to God
as one approved, a
workman who does not
need to be ashamed...”
2 Tim. 2:15
The Spiritual
Gifts Process
• Identify your gifts
• Verify your gifts
• Use your gifts
• Avoid abuse
How do you
identify your
spiritual gifts?
How do you identify
your spiritual gifts?
• Have the body of Christ affirm your gift.
• Have the Lord confirm your gift through
prayer. (James 1:5)
• Experiment – use your gifts in a ministry.
• Take a spiritual gifts inventory
How do you identify
your spiritual gifts?
Additional steps:
• By faith BELIEVE that God has granted you
at least one Spiritual Gift.
• Review Romans 12, 1 Cor. 12 and Ephe. 4,
asking God to guide you in your Ministry.
• Put them to use.
• Examine your feelings and analyze your
abilities.
Identification:
Your own inward convictions
• Your experience
• Your service
• A conviction
• A specific call
Spiritual Gifts
Discovery Answer Sheet
4 — Strongly
3 — Considerably
2 — Moderably
1 — Little
0 — Not at all
The Gifts of the Spirit
• Administration -- the gift of organizing
human and material resources for the
work of Christ.
• Apostleship -- the gift of spreading the
gospel of Jesus Christ to other cultures
and foreign peoples.
• Compassion -- an exceptional empathy
that moves one to action on behalf of
others.
The Gifts of the Spirit
• Discernment -- the ability to separate
truth from erroneous teaching and
rely on spiritual intuition to receive
God’s guidance.
• Evangelism -- the gift of sharing the
gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
• Exhortation -- the gift of exceptional
encouragement and hopefulness.
The Gifts of the Spirit
• Faith -- the gift that empowers an
individual or group to hold fast to
their convictions regardless of
external circumstances.
• Giving -- the gift of supplying
physical and material needs for
ministry.
• Healing -- the gift of channeling
God’s healing power to those who
are afflicted in body, mind, or spirit.
The Gifts of the Spirit
• Helping -- the gift of supporting the
demanding work and workers of
Jesus Christ.
• Knowledge -- the gift of knowing the
truth of God through the study of
Scripture, intuition, and experience.
• Leadership -- the orchestration of the
gifts and resources for ministry.
The Gifts of the Spirit
• Miracles -- the gift that recognizes
and facilitates the miraculous power
of God in the world.
• Prophecy -- the gift of speaking
God’s word clearly and faithfully.
• Servanthood -- the gift of providing
for the spiritual and material needs of
others without condition.
The Gifts of the Spirit
• Shepherding -- the gift of guiding and
empowering others to faithful service.
• Teaching -- the ability to share
spiritual and scriptural truths with
others in a transforming way.
• Wisdom -- the gift of translating life
experience into spiritual truth and
enabling others to apply such
wisdom.
The Gifts of the Spirit
• Tongues -- the ability to communicate
the gospel to other people in a foreign
language not studied.
• Interpretation of Tongues -- the ability
to understand and translate the gospel
when it is communicated in a foreign
language not studied.
The Gift of Teaching
• Master the principles of biblical
interpretation
• Have a Bible-reading plan
• Apply what you learn
• Learn to communicate
• Continuing education
The Gift of Evangelism
• Know the essentials of the
gospel
• Learn friendship evangelism
and public speaking skills
• Watch the gift in action
• Try out your skills
How do you
verify your gifts?
Verifying your gifts
• Confirmation by the
church body
• Confirmation by the Lord
through intercessory
prayer
Verifying your gifts
Identification is with the
individual,
Verification is with the body.
Expect confirmation from the body.
Abuses of
Spiritual Gifts
• Gift projection
“Why don’t you have my gift?”
Abuses of
Spiritual Gifts
• Gift exaltation
“ My gift is better than yours”
Three questions for study
• How might you set up a spiritual gifts
discovery and verification system in
your church?
• How can cognate gifts work
together?
• How can you avoid the abuse of
spiritual gifts?
Searching Questions
• What can I do about what this lesson
is teaching?
• What does this lesson teach me to
do differently than I am presently
doing?
• How would my life be different if I
made some personal changes?
• What would it take for me to want to
make these changes?
Personal Application Card
Name:
Date:
Topic: _________________________
Principle or teaching I am going to apply this week: _________________
______________________________________________________________
What am I going to do (in general)? _______________________________
List three or more steps I will take in applying this Biblical principle or
teaching this week:
1. __________________________________________
2. __________________________________________
3. __________________________________________
How do I think my life (or the lives of others) will be different if I make these
changes? _____________________________________________________
Spiritual Gifts Clusters
Outreaching
Nurturing
Witnessing
Organizing
Nurturing Gifts
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Wisdom
Shepherding
Exhortation
Helping
Discernment
Faith
Compassion
Nurturing congregations
tend to be very committed
to building fellowship,
visitation, small groups,
Sabbath School, and
member care. The focus
is primarily turned inward.
Outreaching Gifts
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Apostleship
Evangelism
Working Miracles
Compassion
Healing
Servanthood
Prophecy
Outreaching
congregations tend to be
very missional in nature,
serving the community in
a variety of ways, and
reaching out to people in
the area. The focus is on
the world.
Witnessing Gifts
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Knowledge
Faith
Prophecy
Teaching
Evangelism
Exhortation
Healing
Witnessing
congregations tend to
emphasize worship,
Christian Education, and
church growth. Faith
sharing is central to the
life of the fellowship.
Focus is local.
Organizing Gifts
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Knowledge
Administration
Giving
Leadership
Helping
Teaching
Wisdom
Organizing
congregations tend to
be highly structured,
very organized, and
program rich.
Committees and work
teams involve large
numbers. Focus in on
the institution.
Ministries Resulting From
Spiritual Gifts Are For:
• The Building Up Of The Church (Not The
Individual!
“For the PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS,
for the WORK OF THE MINISTRY, for the
EDIFYING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.” -Ephesians 4:12
2 Parts Of The Spirit’s
“GIFTING” Ministry
• Singles out individuals for particular
Ministries– Giving Spiritual Gifts
(1Cor. 12:11; Isa. 61)
• Imparts the ability to perform those
Ministries (Acts 1:8)
Ch’s Strength Diversity of Gifts
• Variety of Gifts (1 Cor. 12:4)
• HS determines who gets the Gifts (v. 11)
• The Gifts are designed to foster cooperation,
NOT DIVISION (v. 13-17)
• The unique blend of Gifts is ORDAINED BY GOD
(v. 18, 21-25)
• UNITY IS THE NATURAL RESULT (v. 25-27)
Spiritual Gifts Are Not An
End In Themselves
Spiritual Gifts are useless without
ACTIVE SERVICE!
USE THEM OR LOOSE THEM!
Everyone Has At Least One
Spiritual Gift (1 Cor. 12:11)
“All men do not receive the same
Gifts, but to every servant of The
Master some Gift of The Spirit is
promised.” Col. 327
ALL GIFTS ARE IMPORTANT!
EVERYONE OF US IS
IMPORTANT!
We cannot all DO the same thing.
But we can all DO SOMETHING!
Many would be willing to
work if they were taught
how to begin.
Min. of Healing, 149
Greater efforts should be put
forth to educate the people.
Testimonies, 9:161
When the churches are left to
inactivity Satan sees to it that
they are employed.
Testimonies, 6:425
The greatest cause of our
spiritual feebleness as a people,
is the lack of real faith in
Spiritual Gifts.
RH, January 14, 1868.
Spiritual Gifts Benefits
1. Personal
2. Church
3. God’s Kingdom
Two chapters
to be memorized
The 12th and 13th chapters of
1st Corinthians should be
committed to memory,
written in the mind and heart
(MS 82, 1898).
Read this Chapter
Every Day
The Lord desires me to call the
attention of His people to the
13th chapter of 1st Corinthians.
Read this chapter every day,
and from it obtain comfort and
strength (RH July 21, 1904).
2 Tim 3:17
That the man of God may be
perfect, thoroughly furnished
unto all good works.
Our Fervent Prayer:
“Lord, Impress me with the Gifts
You have given me, and grant me
wisdom to use them in Your cause.
Amen.”