Helps Ministry Part 3

Lesson 3

Finding Your Grace

(aka Your Special Function)

The human body is one unit but has many members. The success of that body is dependent on each part functioning at peak design. Anything less than optimal performance is deemed an ailment, malady, sickness, or injury and would benefit from some degree of medical treatment. The goal is to return the body to its optimal designed performance level. So it is with the Body of Christ.

It is established dogma that the Church is a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 12:12). As such, we can see that though we are all equally important, we are not equally gifted. Paul uses specific body parts, e.g., foot, hand, ear, eye, etc. to communicate this concept. These are all equally important parts of a body, but they are not equal in ability. So it is with each member of Christ’s Body.

• Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well . . .  – Romans 12:4-6a NLT

Paul goes on to list seven different grace gifts: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, and mercy. I believe that this is a complete list, not a partial list. As such, I believe that each of these seven gifts are indicative of categories rather than just a singular or specific gift. Though every believer is commanded to do each of these as part of our Christian walk, Paul reveals that we will be given a specialty grace. Be forewarned, yours may not be the grace gift you want.

• Prophecy (prophēteía)—In first century AD Greek usage, this term enjoyed a much broader use than the modern Pentecostal understanding. The term refers to anyone communicating with authority (prophētes) or any authoritative communication, not just an oracular utterance. Modern iterations of this could include:

  • • Heralds

    • Philosophers

    • Poets

    • Orators

    • Singers

    • Songwriters

    • Messengers

• Ministry (diakonía)—This is the general word for service or servitude. A diákonos is “one who does the will of another.” It describes a very broad category of grace. If this is you, you may find yourself constantly noticing burdens around the local church or in the lives of others and then thinking ab out how to relieve those burdens. Modern iterations of this grace could include:

  • • Maintenance

    • Hospitality

    • Food services

    • Construction

    • Groundskeeping

    • Deacon’s ministry

• Teaching (didaskalía)—Teaching is a broad category. It is my experience that the graces to teach are just as diverse as the different types of people that need to be taught. If this is you, you may find yourself regularly thinking about how to communicate Gospel truths and doctrines to different types of audiences. As an example, just because someone is gifted to teach the Origins of Christ in the Levitical Law doesn’t mean they would be comfortable teaching sixth graders. Modern iterations of this gift could include:

  • • Children’s Ministry

    • Senior Adult Ministry

    • Special doctrinal teaching, e.g., eschatology, pneumatology, Church history, Old Testament Survey, etc.

    • New Believers Classes

• Exhortation (parakaléō)—Exhortation enjoys a wide usage in the Greek New Testament as well. It is associated with evangelism (Acts 2:40); preaching (Acts 11:23; 15:32); discipleship (Acts 14:22); comfort (Acts 16:40; 2 Corinthians 2:7); to deliver a commandment (2 Corinthians 9:5); and even as the work of an epistle (1 Peter 5:12). It is the same word associated with the Holy Spirit as Comforter, or paraclete. Those graced to exhort may find themselves eager to bring a believer to a higher place very quickly. The biblical context carries with it the idea of stepping into someone’s situation and speaking to them in a way that moves them toward God. Exhortations are usually short bursts of God’s comfort and encouragement. Modern iterations of this could include:

  • • Barnabas, the son of consolation, always encouraging the believers no matter what their predicament

    • A card or letter writer, sending out the timely word of encouragement

    • A preaching gift that is shallow on theology, but heavy on a simple charge to go on, go up, don’t quit, get to church, get to prayer, etc!

    • The eternal optimist

    • It is any act that builds up the Christian believer or community.

    • It has the ability to aid in the restoration of backslidden believers.

• Giving (metadídōmi)—While we are all called to be givers, just as we are all called to serve, teach, exhort, etc., some are especially graced to finance the Kingdom of God. If this is you, you may regularly find yourself wondering how to obtain more money, not for yourself, but for the next offering, missionary, or church need. Modern iterations of this could include:

  • • Offerings above and beyond the norm

    • Commitment to help special projects

    • A manufacturer that supplies his product to a ministry or missionary free-of-charge

    • Developing the reputation as a “go-to money person”

    • Some even maintain a line item in their budget called something like “special Kingdom projects.” Money is accumulated there until a need arises.

• Ruling (proḯstēmi)—While we are all called to lead some area of our lives, especially husbands and fathers, there is a special grace that equips one for Kingdom leadership. This grace carries with it the ability to multitask and flourish under pressure. Modern iterations of this could include:

  • • Department leadership

    • Administrative capacities

    • Eldership

    • Mission team leader

• Mercy (eleéō)—To show mercy is a relational response to someone in distress. This grace can manifest in many different ways depending on the need but the heart of it is relieving suffering. The grace itself first recognizes someone’s distress and then moves them with compassion to act on the distress. To show mercy means to relieve someone of suffering even when they have no claim to your help. Modern iterations of this grace can include:

  • • Intercessory prayer

    • Praying for and laying hands on the sick

    • Being an advocate/going to bat for someone in need

    • Generosity

It might be apparent that there will readily arise much overlapping of these gifts. Mercy will use generosity and exhortation to accomplish its goal. Leadership will use exhortation and teaching to accomplish its goal. Ideally, we should all strive to improve at all of these.

PETER’S ADDRESS

The apostle Peter addresses the same doctrine in his first epistle. However, he only briefly touches on the subject as he moves from one topic to the next. Consequently, his exposition is far shorter than Paul’s address.

• Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift (chárisma), even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.  – 1 Peter 4:9-11

Peter briefly touches on the subject of graces and special functions. He describes chárisma as multifaceted though he only speaks of three graces. His brief list overlaps with Paul’s list. Peter’s list of grace gifts includes:

• Hospitality (philóxenos)—The love of strangers. It is my judgment that this falls under the category of ministry. Peter mentions this action as a demonstration of love towards the saints. It opens his expositions to the larger subject of “manifold grace.”

• Speaking/declaration (laléō)—In context, Peter ties this verb to being an oracle, which indicates Peter is speaking of prophecy. It is my judgment that this is the equivalent as prophecy from Romans 12.

• Minister (diakonéō)—The gift of helping others. This is the same word from Romans 12. It is the general category for helping to bear a burden.

To back up in Peter’s epistle, his lead-in to hospitality gives us the motive for the use of these diverse graces.

• Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Use hospitality . . .  – 1 Peter 4:8 NLT, 9a KJV

Hospitality is an act of love. As is every grace gift. We are commanded to find our graces and then use them for the benefit of the Body, but the motive above all is that of love. Selfishness withholds the God-given grace that was bestowed to help the Body. It renders that grace into a “vain-grace”—a wasted grace.

• But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.  – 1 Corinthians 15:10

• We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.  – 2 Corinthians 6:1

Special functions are given to every believer to aid us in our Christian labor. We are obligated to our God to discover them and use them.

EQUAL IMPORTANCE, UNEQUALLY GIFTED

We are all equally important but not equally gifted. The strength of the local church body depends on each of us doing well what we are gifted to do well. One of the worst things we could do is endeavor to be something God has not graced us to be. A hand makes for a horrible foot, though there are many similarities. Likewise, an eye makes a horrible ear, though they are both located on the head. We must first discover what our graces are, then pursue God to develop them. So how do we find our grace gifts?

1. You Can’t Steer a Parked Car—We must start by serving. The local church’s ministry of helps grants us the parking lot with which to begin driving our calling to Christian service. It is here that our special function can begin to make itself known.

2. Serve with an Excellent Heart—There are those who serve with a pulse and those who serve with all of their hearts. A mature Christian doesn’t really care where they serve; they just want to serve. They are eager to show themselves faithful over another man’s ministry.

3. Special Functions Grow—As a believer serves with excellence and joy where they are assigned, the grace of God upon their life will begin to bud and flourish. Often, giftings unknown to the individual begin to take shape and make themselves known.

4. See Promotion with Time—Promotion will come as motives are proven, excellence is developed, and a faithful attitude is demonstrated. Special functions grow when proper conditions are met. As your special function grows, trust church leadership to recognize both the grace and the place it is needed.

Find your grace and watch God bless your life. Amen!