With the Spiritual Gift of Evangelism:

to be a messenger of the good news of the Gospel

Servant #1:  He was a Senior Pastor with gift of evangelism.  Almost everything done in church was through grid of outreach.  Bible classes primarily focused on how to witness.  He wanted the worship service and small groups to be geared to seekers.  He expected that everyone should have as much passion toward reaching the lost as he did.  When they didn’t, he worked even harder at motivating people toward outreach.

Servant #2:  She worked with youth, in nursing homes, and in her community all with the hopes of having opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those who didn’t know Him.  She was always sensitive to the fact that there might be unbelievers in her midst. 

Wherever they are, people with the gift of evangelism seem to have their spiritual radar up, eager to tell people about Jesus.

Lesson to be learned:

People tend to have more passion and invest more time into areas for which they are gifted.  We need to guard against projecting our gifts onto others who are not gifted like we are, expecting them to react the same way we do, to have the same passion and time commitment we do, to make it as much of a priority, or to do so with as much ease.

Yet, those who are not so gifted must guard against using their lack of gifting as an excuse to neglect their responsibilities as believers. 

Though not everyone has the spiritual gift of evangelism, all believers are responsible and privileged to share Jesus with others.  Timothy did not appear to have the gift of evangelism but the Apostle Paul told him to nonetheless “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5). 

The same could be said for almost all of the gifts.  For example … We are all to encourage one another, yet we do not all have the gift of exhortation.  We are all to be kind and compassionate toward those in need, yet we do not all have the gift of mercy. 

You might not be gifted in these ways but you are still to “do the work of an evangelist … an encourager, a mercy-giver, etc.”  You just won’t tend to be as impassioned or spend as much time doing this kind of ministry as people who have those gifts.  You might find a greater level of difficulty doing it.  Sometimes you will simply need to step outside of your comfort zone through the power of the Lord.

Click below for help with outreach:

Online Outreach Ministry Training on MinTools.com

More Outreach Ministry Resources

With the Spiritual Gift of Teaching:

to instruct others in the Bible in a logical, systematic way so as to communicate pertinent information for true understanding and growth

Servant #1:  He could almost always be found teaching somewhere … in Sunday School, men’s ministry, small groups, and even from the pulpit.  He enjoyed studying the Word to prepare the lessons but came alive when he could share what he learned with others, field their questions, and take them to higher levels in their knowledge of God.

Servant #2:  She rarely taught in Sunday School but she had the gift of teaching.  It came out in other ways.  She led worship in accordance with musical talents she had but didn’t simply lead singing.  She taught people how to worship.  She started homeschooling her children.  She viewed it as a means of discipling them and poured everything into it.  She gave homeschooling a good name.

Servant #3:  She writes curriculum and training materials for others to use.  When she directed children’s ministry, she would often develop the Bible lessons to fit her church’s situation as it was hard to find suitable material.  She carefully designed the material to be teacher friendly and to help students understand truth in ways appropriate with their age level.  When she would teach Sunday School or Bible studies, she most enjoyed when she could develop her own lessons rather than use pre-written curriculum.

Each of these servants had the spiritual gift of teaching but enjoyed using it in different ways.  One thrived in the classroom where he could interact with people, the other in unconventional or less formal settings, and the third more behind the scenes in developing Bible lessons. 

Lesson to be learned: 

People with the same gift, even in the same measure, can look very different in the way they use that gift.  Personality is a big factor but also heart passions and life experiences.  Spiritual gifts are only one piece of the puzzle in forming our best fit in ministry.

Do you have the gift of teaching?  Click on the links below for more:

Online Teaching Ministry Training at MinTools.com

Teaching Ministry Resources

With the Spiritual Gift of Service:

to identify undone tasks in God’s work, however menial, and use available resources to get the job done

Servant #1:  She helped with cleaning the church, even when she wouldn’t get paid to do so.  She showed up at church work days helping to paint, plant flowers, or whatever was still undone.  She offered to set up for or clean up after special events.  Whatever needed to be done, she would pitch in.  And, she enjoyed it!

Servant #2:  When the facilities needed to be renovated for the children’s ministry, he was there with his hammer and saw.  He wasn’t afraid to get dirty and do hard manual labor.  No one knew the countless hours he invested into this project.

What these servants did was usually behind the scenes.  They may or may not have been noticed or recognized.  The work they did was not glamorous and didn’t directly result in souls being saved or people being discipled.  But, if they and others like them did not do these kinds of tasks, it certainly would be noticeable.  That first impression visitors get would not be so good if the facilities were unkempt.  The learning environment would have been less ideal.

Lesson to be learned:

Everyone’s contribution to the Body of Christ is important and needed.  Whether we have speaking gifts or serving gifts, we need to faithfully exercise them with the strength He provides to His glory.  All gifts are distributed on the basis of grace and to be administered as His grace into the lives of others.  People with the spiritual gift of service should not view themselves as any less important or less needed in the Body of Christ.  Watch for comparing yourself with someone else.

If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  (1 Cor. 12:15-18)

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.  (1 Pet. 4:10-11)

With the Spiritual Gift of Prophecy:

to speak forth the message of God to His people

     Greek word: prophetes (‘pro’=forth; ‘phemi’=to speak)

Servant #1:  He was a retired pastor who no longer did much preaching, but often would lead in the pastoral prayer.  You could still hear the pronouncements toward sin and righteousness as he prayed about the social woes and problems in the church.  Often your own heart would be brought under conviction as you listened to his prayers filled with Scripture about God’s desires for His people.

Servant #2:  He worked with young people in his church.  His lessons tended to focus on what he saw wrong in their lives.  His heart was for them to grow in the Lord and to live holy lives.  Though well-intentioned, his persistent and strong emphasis on the sin in their lives caused students to feel put down.

Both of these servants had the gift of prophecy.  They couldn’t help but see the contrast between what should be and what was in people’s lives and speak up.  They felt compelled to speak forth the Word of truth into a situation.  Yet, you see a different outcome in the lives of those to whom they spoke truth.

Lesson to be learned:

Let’s remember that spiritual gifts must be used through God’s power and line up with His purpose and principles.  The ultimate purpose of any gift is for the common good and building up of God’s people.  Gifts can be misused which was happening in the church of Corinth.  1 Corinthians 14 specifically states that the use of the gift of prophecy is to be done for the purpose of edification, exhortation, and consolation.  It is not simply about saying what you believe needs to be said or bringing people under condemnation.  It must be coupled with grace for people to get beyond simply feeling condemned.  Jesus, who left us an example, was full of grace AND truth (Jn. 1:14).  We are to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).