Hillsong Church Evening College 7 Jan 18 Feb 2014

Module: Introduction to Leadership

Outcomes:
By the end of this Session, you will be able to explain: from scripture, the idea of the church as the body of Christ. how this concept is expressed through local churches. the personal implications of the church as a Body of Christ

THE BODY OF CHRIST (PART 1) KEY PASSAGES

1 Corinthians 12: 12-31 Romans 12: 4-8 Ephesians 4: 11-13

Activity
10 minutes

Body of Christ
Parallels between a physical body and the Church:
The body has a single head (Christ) and heart (cause). It works in unison as directed by the head (Christ). All parts of the body are valuable loss of any part causes the body pain. It is often the hidden parts which make the biggest contribution to the health of the body. The full variety and diversity of the body is required to fully reflect the magnificence of Jesus.

Body of Christ
While on earth Jesus reached out to people through His physical body Now He reaches out to the world through His church in which He lives by His Spirit It works in unison as directed by the head (Christ).

Giftedness of All Believers

1.Under the Old Covenant, only the priest and the prophet were able to minister on behalf of God to his people. 2.Under the New Covenant, however, the whole body of Christ, and every person within, is called to minster on Gods behalf and in His power, to each other and to the world. We are all priests: 1 Peter 2:9 3.This is one of the main reasons why he has given us his Spirit so we can minister in his power. And the Spirit gives us each a special gift - a graciously given special ability that enables us to minister effectively to others. 4.Like any good father, God loves to give gifts to His children (Matt 7:11). One of the great things about receiving a gift from God, it is intended not only as a blessing to us, but also as a blessing to others.

Some things to remember when considering your giftedness: 1.They are given on the basis of grace rather than on merit. The gifts of God should never be used to make unfavourable comparisons with other believers. 2.They are meant to be used rather than admired. Imagine how you would react if you were to find out that a gift that you gave someone was only placed on display whenever you came over to visit. 3.We should always react with thankfulness to the giver of the gift. 4.Every gift is priceless when it is used as intended by God. 5.The gift is to be used for the common good, the benefit of others, not the glory or significance of the gifted person.

Some of the errors we can make about gifts:

We can start to see the church as a place which exists for me to demonstrate my giftedness.
The opposite is the truth my gift exists for me to serve my church. Making sure we have the right thinking about the purpose of our gift ensures that we are not using it as a way to draw attention to ourselves, but to keep our eyes on the real purpose of God in giving us our gift.

We can think that a gift in a particular area disqualifies us from service in another. Gifts are not to separate us from other service, but to enrich them For example, we may start to see ourselves as a preacher or teacher and therefore ineligible to serve in roles which require mercy or exhortation.
Again, this would be to misunderstand the purpose behind the gift

BREAK

Outcomes:
By the end of this Session, you should be able to: explain the idea of the priesthood and giftedness of all believers. describe the key spiritual gifts. explain the origin, identification and development of a persons spiritual gifts explain the pathway in their own local church for people to identify and get involved in using their gifts to serve others.

The Spiritual Gifts

Having stated that all Christians are gifted in some way, Paul lists a number of specific and different kinds of gifts in the following passage: 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 The gifts listed here include: Word of wisdom Word of knowledge Healing Miracles Prophecy Distinguishing spirits Tongues and interpretation of tongues

The Motivational Gifts

Romans 12:6-8

The gifts, not previously mentioned, found in these verses are:

Teaching Service Exhortation Giving Leading Mercy

They differ from the gifts of 1 Corinthians 12 since they are not exclusively supernatural, but may also involve an individuals God-given natural talent.

The Ministry Gifts

Read Ephesians 4:11-13 From these Scriptures we get the following gifts: Apostle Prophet Pastor Teacher Evangelist

They differ from the gifts of 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 in that the gifts here are not abilities but people. The ministry gifts represent particular gifted ministers who are given to the body to equip all believers for service, so that the church may be strengthened to fulfil its purpose, reflecting the fullness of Christ into the world.

How do spiritual gifts work?

Things to realise about the gifts: They are sovereignly given we dont decide which ones we want. They are empowered by the Spirit they are more than just talents. Some gifts work with a persons natural (although still God-given) talent and personal disposition or temperament: Eg. Teaching, Leadership, Administration

Some gifts are entirely supernatural, and do not work with any natural talent: Eg. Tongues, miracles, prophecy.

They are used in combination and partnership with other gifts in other people.
The development of giftedness and character are of equal importance. Dont allow your gift to take you where your character cannot keep you. We dont only serve where we are gifted, but in any area where there is a need in the Body. It is essential to balance gifting and servanthood. Everyone is gifted, not just a select few. The Church us built by the gifted service and sacrifice of all its members, not just by the prominent giftedness of a few.

Where and how do you use your spiritual gifts?

As you read through key texts on spiritual gifts, you discover that the main context for the use of the gifts is within the body the local church. Eph 4:16 Your spiritual gift is primarily identified, developed and used in the life and ministry of your local church: Identified as people, especially experienced leaders, see you serve in a range of areas and activities in church life, they will be able to tell you where you seem to be gifted. Developed as we begin to use our gifts, experienced leaders are able to coach us, giving us practical guidance and wisdom on how to use them most effectively. Used our gifts are not intended to be used in isolation, but alongside others, and under the direction of the vision and leadership of a local church. Attitude we need to not be selective in our journey of spiritual giftedness and make sure we have a Whatever it takes attitude to help build the body of Christ.

Identifying your spiritual gifts?

Often it is best to start by considering what you are passionate about because you are more likely to develop your gifting in these areas first. Also, where you already experience fruitfulness and acknowledgement from others is also a strong indication of your spiritual gift. For the purposes of this exercise, we have grouped together the gifts into the following categories: Word of wisdom/knowledge/prophecy Healing/Miracles Leadership Evangelism Teaching Service/Administration Exhortation/Giving/Mercy

Activity

Identifying your spiritual gifts?

Wisdom/Knowledge/Prophecy
Statement
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I am comfortable explaining the Word of God to others. I feel God prompts me when I speak

I am a fairly good judge of character. I can quickly assess where someone is at.

For me prayer is a way of life. I find it easy to talk to God whatever I am doing

When I give advice to other people it tends to be well received.

Identifying your spiritual gifts?

Healing/Miracles
Statement
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I feel a real compassion for other people. I cant stand by and see someone in distress.

I find it easy to step in an pray for someone if they tell me they have a need I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty. I am prepared to take a risk to do what God is asking me to do

I actively look for opportunities to demonstrate His strength through my faith

Identifying your spiritual gifts?

Leadership
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I need to be involved in providing the solution. I dont have a lot of time for those who are just along for the ride
People tend to look to me for guidance, especially when they dont know what to do next I like being the one to sort out a problem especially if the answer is not immediately obvious I prefer breaking new ground and find I need people around me who can fill in the details

Identifying your spiritual gifts?

Evangelism
Statement Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I am always looking for opportunities to share my faith with others.

The fate of the unsaved concerns me greatly. I am passionate about seeing them saved - more than anything.

I regularly invite and bring people to church I have had a lot of success in seeing people won to Christ.

Identifying your spiritual gifts?

Teaching
Statement Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

When I read my Bible, I like to take notes on what I have learned from the passage I am reading. I also take notes in Church and review them later to think through the implications of what has been said I love to read and listen to other peoples interpretation of the Word. I find that I want to pass on what I have learned to other people I find that people often ask me to explain things when they dont understand them. I like to read and study, and not just the Bible.

I am happy to give my opinion and I find that people are generally receptive to my ideas

Identifying your spiritual gifts?

Administration/Service
Statement The vision thing is OK, but what I really want is a concrete plan of action. I need to know the details before I start I am a realist it is almost always a question of prioritisation. I am not easily distracted by the trivial Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I like to think things through before I jump in. I believe in detailed planning before action I am the person to go to when people are looking for a way to make things happen I invariably end up being a part of a team, but rarely lead. If I am honest, I am more comfortable that way

Part 2 Homework Revision

No Barriers in Christ
Read Colossians 3:8-17 and answer the following questions: Question 1: In verse 11, Paul talks about there being no distinction in the body of Christ, but rather that Christ is all and in all. How might the following distinctions have manifest themselves in a church or small group context in Colossae?

Distinction between Jews and Greeks

What is the distinction? How would this appear?

Circumcised and uncircumcised

Barbarian and Scythian Slaves and freeman

Part 2 Homework Revision

No Barriers in Christ

Question 2: What might the modern equivalent of these instructions be?

Advanced work Personal evaluation

In this passage Paul lists a number of attitudes we should have toward one another, for example compassion, forgiveness etc. Select three such attitudes from this list on which you can improve and describe how your relationships to others gets better as you do: What things can you do this week to improve the attitudes you listed above?

Session 4 - Homework
Bible Study The Use of Spiritual Gifts.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12:27 and answer the following:

Q1: Discuss what happens when we make judgments about the attractiveness or otherwise of various gifts. What are some of the dangers of making such judgments? Q2: How can we make sure we are placing value on the gifts which may appear less attractive to us? Q3: How do I make sure that I have been placed in the body just as he desired - 1 Corinthians 12: 18

Session 4 - Homework
Putting it Into Practice

Before the next class take note of a time where one of the spiritual gifts has been exercised in a service, gathering, team or small group you were involved in. Answer the following questions:
1. Which of the gifts was being exercised and what was the role of the person exercising it? 2. Is this gift exercised regularly in this context and, if so, does it tend to be the same person in the group who exercised it? 3. What was the net effect of the exercise of the gift? How did you/others feel about the gift being exercised in this context?