The Gift of God, part 1

This week, I want us to look at the Gift of God that is in each of us. Let’s start by looking at 2 Timothy 1:6 “I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” NASB.
 

Our opening verse admonishes us to kindle, or stir up, the gift of God that is in us. Have you ever sat by a camp fire and found yourself as the designated fire stirrer? You find a big stick and continually poke at the fire and move things around? Why do we do that? It’s to keep the fire hot; it’s to reintroduce some of the embers that have fallen by the way back into the fire. That’s what it means to kindle something. Without the fire kindler, the fire would eventually go out or just barely put out any heat. 
 

In this particular verse it’s referring to the gift of God that was given through the laying on of hands, which would directly associate it with some kind of gift relating to what we might call full-time ministry. We’ll be going back and forth between 2 Timothy 1 and 1 Timothy 4 because they both address this.

In 1 Timothy 4:14, we read something similar; “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you.” Both of these verses relate to the laying on of hands; from that, we can assume that the gifts being referred to are the exclusive domain of those in the ministry. Would that be the correct way to apply these verses? Are the gifts of God only for those in the ministry? I say, “yes.”

Let me explain: Some of you were there in the congregation one day when I asked all those in the ministry to raise their hands. Do you remember that? The response should have been 100% - because if you are a born-again believer, then God considers you a full-time minister.

The truth is this: God sees us all as ministers. God will take a minister and disguise her or him as a nurse and send them out into the mission field, aka “the hospital” or “clinic.” He will take a minister and disguise him as a carpenter and send him out into the mission field. He will take a minister and disguise him or her as a mechanic, or doctor, or salesman, or clerk, or secretary and send them out into the mission field.

We are the ones who make the mistake of thinking that only those who have a calling such as an apostle, or prophet or evangelist or pastor or teacher are the ones in the ministry. Ephesians 4:11-12 “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers…” Each of these people serves in a particular capacity within the Kingdom.

We have apostles today; many missionaries are modern day apostles. Just think of what the Reeds are doing in Ukraine (for now, in Poland): they are going half way around the world to do mission work in Ukraine helping churches get planted and encouraging those who have already planted churches in the work God has called them to do. Bob McKay, another of our monthly supported Missionaries, is half way around the world in the country of Georgia – helping to teach and train new Pastors and church planters. Harry & Beth Osland and the other dozen or so missionaries we support are doing work which is similar to what we could call Apostolic. 
 

We have also prophets – people who have prophetic gifts – speaking Holy Spirit empowered words of knowledge and prophecies - are still in the church. And we also have evangelists – who go to places specifically to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pastors and teachers are everywhere. However, all those titles do is to distinguish the callings and the various ways God predominately uses those people as they work “12 for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…” KJV. 
 

The people listed in Ephesians 4:11 are to “prepare the saints – for the work of the ministry.” From God’s perspective – if you are born again – you are called and gifted to serve. That is why I said earlier that the gifts are the exclusive domain of those in the ministry – and that’s because God sees all of us as ministers.
 

Ephesians 4:12 gives us a little insight as to how God uses those that we typically call “the called ones:” apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Their giftings enable them to “perfect” the saints. The word “perfecting” in the Greek means “furnishing.” We furnish what you need to accomplish your ministry. The word “ministry” in verse twelve simply means “service.”

Every one of us has a ministry. 

Continued tomorrow