Gifts in Romans 12:6-11

Teaching at DLTCBy Billie Johnson,

June 13, 2009

We’ve had teaching recently on the gifts in 1 Corinthians but tonight I’d like to touch more on the gifts mentioned in Romans 12.  The Roman Road is narrow but it is the way of life! These are sometimes called the motivational gifts.  They are what motivates us; that part in our makeup that makes us want to do something.  We could say they are the spirits behind our behavior and hopefully the Holy Spirit is in charge.  We know they are considered manifestations of the Holy Spirit within us.  He uses these gifts to grow up the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us as well.  NKJ “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, [let us use them]: if prophecy, [let us] [prophesy] in proportion to our faith; or ministry, [let us use it] in [our] ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

Let’s take this piece by piece or gift by gift.  We all have gifts talents or qualities and they are different in each one of us.  The difference is because of the grace – the special gift God given to each of us.  We are to use them according to his grace, his favor.  Verse 6: Prophecy is to be done with faith – that part of the grace that God gives is a portion, a part of what he has given.  Prophecy is to come out of the impulse of God in and thru us. It does take faith to step out and prophesy to someone.  You have to ignore the thoughts of:  what if it doesn’t happen; what if he doesn’t receive it; what if I’m wrong – all of these thoughts have to be dismissed and you just move ahead to what the Holy Spirit is prompting within your mind.  You open your mouth and say those things that encourage, exhort and console others.  I’ve heard some say that those who move in prophecy see things black and white.  There is no middle ground; it has to be right or wrong.  I sometimes see myself as that.   

Some time after I had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the late 1970’s we were at a mid-week service and there was a speaker who was from Israel.  During the time of worship the Lord prompted me to give a public tongue.  We know that tongues that are interpreted in a church service are the same as prophecy.  Anyway I started speaking out the tongue and realized it was a very strange one to me.  It seemed to be all vowels, e, i, o, and u.  It was not my prayer language by a long shot!  I was obedient and continued to give the tongue and then waited for the interpretation.  The speaker then gave the interpretation which I don’t remember.  But what I do remember is when he was through with the prophecy he said he just wanted to encourage us.  He said the tongue was Aramaic and since he had lived in Israel he recognized some of the words before the Lord gave him the rest of the interpretation.  I was stunned but overjoyed that I had used a language that someone recognized!  And it was Aramaic, the very language that Jesus himself had spoken!  Talk about being full of joy – I was overwhelmed by the goodness of our God!Verse 7: Ministering or practical services are to be done where the need is.  We are to do it in the area where we have influence. This doesn’t negate giving money to some work that is far from us but we all know if we are part of something individually and personally we are more immersed in it.  We are more informed about it and we take more interest in it.  Giving money is only one aspect of service.  There are many ways to serve – to do the practical thing, what is needed by someone else.  The Good Samaritan did a practical thing in binding up the wounds of the wounded man and he then did what he could to take him to a place where others would care for him.  He also gave his money so that the man would be taken care of.  This is a beautiful act of service.  This service also includes mercy.  Just setting up chairs and getting the room ready for our time together each Saturday is a type of service.  I notice that almost all of us take part in that service.  It is a service to God because we come here to worship and praise Him and to encourage each other. Continuing in verse 7: Teaching is to be done wherever we are – in that sphere, that place or territory where we can touch others.  To teach is to instruct, to show someone how to do something. Mothers are teachers we show by example and instruct our children from an early age.  We teach in words but also by example or by visual pictures or actually doing what you want someone else to do and then having them do it as you watch.  Then they do it by themselves. This is the type of teaching that Jesus did. The early Christians did like this too.  It was not just a person standing up in front of a crowd and talking though that can be part of it. An example is Evangelism Explosion which is one program of showing others how to reach someone for Christ. This is done through friendship, posing questions and/or answering questions to the person who does not know the Lord.  A person goes thru the training process and then goes out with an experienced person to see how they do it.  Then the next time he goes; he is the person who does the talking while the trainer just watches.  I enjoy teaching and like to show someone a new insight or how they can do something.  Maybe it shows? Verse 8: Exhortation is to be done again in the place where we touch others.  Exhortation is to encourage, help, or prod along.  We give advice or warning to those we encounter.  I remember one time the Lord told me that I was an encourager.  I thought about that for a time but saw that whenever I gave advice it was to encourage, to help, to show someone how to do something so I agreed with what the Lord said to me.  We all are to be exhorters, ones who urge others strongly; one who appeals to others with love.I like Wuest’s translation of giving – ‘the one who distributes of his earthly possessions, in the sphere of unostentatious simplicity.’ In the NKJ version it uses the word liberality – that means with much increase or giving more than just a couple of dollars.   In other words when you give something that you own, it is done with simplicity, without blowing your horn about it.  This something that you own can be money but it also can be of physical goods, something that you have that you want others to have, like a piece of clothing, furniture.  It is done because there is a need.  It is not to be done elaborately or showy, but done modestly, plainly.  It is done with an unassuming, unpretentious manner with no fanfare.  You do not draw attention to yourself when you do it.  The publican (or tax collector) and the Pharisee that Jesus watched in Luke 18:10-14 shows us an example of how to do it so that it is pleasing in His eyes.  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise [his] eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  It’s amazing when you look closely at this scripture.  He Pharisee prayed with himself – he wasn’t praying to God but to himself!  Then he starts patting himself on the back.  I’m not like other men who sin.  He puts himself above others and then he names some of the sins.  He is judgmental.  He praises what he does; I fast twice a week, I give tithes – he is quite pleased with himself.  He doesn’t seem to be worried about what God thinks of him. We don’t need to go around telling others how much or how little we give because God knows and He knows our heart.  He knows whether we give it because it is expected or because we love Him and want to see his kingdom advanced. The tax collector or publican knew he was a sinner, he knew he needed mercy.  He saw himself as less than he was and he knew he needed God’s forgiveness.  In another scripture Jesus said that those who are healthy have no need of a physician but those who are sick.   This man knew he needed God because we can’t do God’s works without God being in us.  Jesus praised the second man because he recognized that he needed God.  He was justified before God because he had repented and wanted to turn his life around. Verse 8: He who leads should do it with diligence.  The one who is placed in a position of authority serves with intense eagerness and effort.  A person who is a leader must be willing to keep at it!  A person who is placed in a position of authority is there because God put him there and he accepted the appointment!  He knows his authority but he is intensely eager to do what is expected of him. He is a superintendent, one who keeps track of things.  He also puts forth effort – he does not lag in zeal.  Some examples are the Superintendent of Schools for a certain school district or a mayor of a city.  These attitudes are to be those of a leader, know your authority and do the work that needs to be done with eagerness. He who does mercy or who shows mercy is to do it with a joyous abandon. That word picture to me is someone dancing in joy without a care in the world!  He does what needs to be done with cheerfulness. But he does more than just be cheerful about it.  He does it without restraint and he is full of joy when he is showing mercy.   Mercy is a word used to describe compassion shown by one person to another.  It could be a request from one person to another.  That person is shown leniency or unwarranted compassion or love (not because of something he did) but he is given compassion for his wrongdoing. A person who commits a crime is given not what he deserves – to be punished but when a judge has compassion, he is forgiven of that crime.  We deserve punishment for our sin of disbelief but what does God do? He shows his mercy toward us -- God’s mercy to us is his love.Blessed [are] the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy is what Jesus taught in the Be Attitudes – those attitudes that are to comprise what a Christian thinks.  Eph 2:4 says “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.”  His mercy is shown because of his great love for us. We are grateful that he is merciful to us.  His love is great and intense and he shows it through giving of his son for us. How much more do we need to show mercy, we are not to be hard hearted, not caring what happens to a person.  There was a time when we were on a camping trip. I believe we were in California, maybe it was the trip to Yosemite which we took when our children were young. We were Christians who knew nothing about the Holy Spirit but we loved God.  Anyway we had stopped at a small park to have our lunch.  A very hungry looking scruffy man approached us and asked if we would share some of our food with him.  We were afraid and didn’t show him any mercy. Now we know that fear wasn’t from God but that is where we were at that time.  We didn’t want to share with someone who was different than us.  I have often looked back at that time with regret but we have grown in the Lord since then.

Let’s look at some of the attitudes that the Lord says make us blessed.  We find them in Matthew 5:1-16: “¹ And seeing the

multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. ²Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: ³"Blessed [are] the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Blessed [are] those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. ⁵Blessed [are] the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. ⁶Blessed [are] those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. ⁷Blessed [are] the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. ⁸Blessed [are] the pure in heart, For they shall see God.⁹Blessed [are] the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.¹⁰Blessed [are] those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.¹¹"Blessed are you when

they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.¹²Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great [is]

your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who

were before you.¹³You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses i

ts flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.¹⁴"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.¹⁵Nor

do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand,

and it gives light to all [who are] in the house.¹⁶Let your light so