Geat Benefit – February 11, 2009

Great Benefit

Acts 18:27

Jim Stephens

02-11-09

 

Scripture:

 

Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him in this. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed. (Acts 18:27 NLT)

 

Observation:

 

When Priscilla and Aquila met Apollos, he was a terrific speaker – well-educated, eloquent, and powerful in his preaching.  His message was incomplete, however, and Priscilla and Aquila mentored him and helped him fill in the blanks.  He went on to be of great benefit to the believers.

 

Priscilla and Aquila were of great benefit as house church pastors and as mentors of high-potential young leaders like Apollos.  Paul was of great benefit as a Spirit-led, entrepreneurial missionary and church planter and doctrine establisher and letter writer.

 

Paul, Priscilla and Aquila, and Apollos – all differently gifted and all particularly effective at what God had called them to do!

 

Application:

 

If each Christ-follower is encouraged to discover and develop the thing for which God has gifted and called them, then we will all be particularly effective and of great benefit to God’s Kingdom purposes.  As in the case of Apollos, it will really pay off and will be a great help to those who, by God’s grace, have believed.

 

Prayer:

 

Father, Thank you for your wise plan to make us each part of the Body of Christ and for calling us and giving us gifts that can make each one of great benefit in your Kingdom plan.  I want to be part of a team of godly men and women who are particularly effective at what you have called and gifted us to do for you and for others.

 

Gifts – December 16, 2008

Gifts

1 Peter 4:10

Jim Stephens

12-16-08

 

Scripture:

 

God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts.  Manage them well so that God’s generosity can flow through you. (1 Peter 4:10 NLT)

 

Observation:

 

Peter had learned in the company of Jesus himself that there are a great variety of spiritual gifts God gives and an even greater variety of ways to use those gifts to bless others.  Peter had been in the room when the Holy Spirit of Jesus had been poured out even on the Gentiles and they had received his gifts.

 

In his other letter, Peter acknowledged the different giftedness between Paul and himself and he challenges Christ-followers to steward – to make the very best and most productive use – of the special gifts each of them had freely received from God.

 

Let God’s generosity flow through you.

 

Application:

 

Downside:  Don’t know you have gifts.  Don’t develop and use the gifts.  Use the gifts for self-gain.  Everyone loses.

 

Upside:  Each of us has graciously received gifts from God’s great variety of spiritual gifts.  Believe it, discover the gifts, develop them in faith.  Use the gifts in harmony with our other brothers and sisters in a symphony of grace, allowing God’s generosity to touch the lives of many.

 

Prayer:

 

Father, sometimes I get so focused on getting all the work done that I forget that the most important and lasting effect will come through the proper management and use of the spiritual gifts you have so generously given us by your Holy Spirit.  May I learn to be much more a gift-identifier and stirrer and less a task-performer and clock-puncher.  Amen.

 

The Gift – December 8, 2008

The Gift

1 Timothy 4:14

Jim Stephens

12-08-08

 

Scripture:

 

Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. (1 Timothy 4:14 NLT)

 

Observation:

 

At some point in his life, Timothy had received personal prophecy from Paul and from the elders of one of the churches.  These prophecies had included words of faith by which Timothy could fight against doubt, discouragement, opposition, and satanic attacks.

 

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. (1 Timothy 1:18 NLT)

 

In these prophecies was also an actual impartation of a spiritual gift to make Timothy effective in his ministry.  A gift of leadership, of teaching, of evangelism, of prophecy – there’s a whole range of spiritual gifts that this might have been.

 

This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. (2 Timothy 1:6 NLT)

 

Timothy was now responsible for faithfully stewarding this gift.  He was responsible to use it whenever the opportunity or need presented.  He was responsible to exercise this gift in faith and to keep it stirred up like a flame.

 

Application:

 

We all have spiritual gifts.  Paul makes it clear in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 that every believer is gifted for service in the Body of Christ.  We’re all responsible to identify our gifts, to steward our gifts, to keep them stirred up and use them to be a blessing.

 

I have a spiritual gift that was given me through prophecy and the laying on of hands on April 3, 1972.  This morning, God has reminded me of my stewardship of that gift and the responsibility of keeping it active.

 

Prayer:

Father, thanks for a firm reminder of my stewardship.  Help me to use my God-given gifts well as I minister at our Foursquare Church in Terrebonne this morning.  Help me to use my gifts well and wisely and to strengthen and encourage others.  Amen.