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UNOPENED GIFTS
I wrote
this piece back in December, 1991. It was
initially carried in
"Ministries" magazine.
Recently
we celebrated Christmas. Presents of every
kind were beautifully wrapped and placed
under brightly lit trees. Everything from
ties to computers were there. Then, by
December 26 it was all over. The suspense
was gone, and the gifts were already in
use. Some had already been broken.
Not so
in many an assembly. God has gifted His
church, but often His presents go
unopened. As with Christmas, His gifts
come in all sizes--some big, some small.
The only difference is His gifts are
people--young and old, male and female,
educated and uneducated.
Every
minister understands this in relation to
Ephesians 4:11, where the Lord gives to
the church apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors, and teachers. But it
is equally true that God has gifted the
laity as well. Peter wrote, "Each one
should use whatever gift he has received
to serve others, faithfully administering
God’s grace in its various forms"
(1 Peter 4:10). Likewise, Paul told us
that "we have different gifts
according to the grace given us"
(Romans 12:6). Then in verses 7 and 8 he
listed such gifts as prophesying, serving,
teaching, encouraging, and contributing to
the needs of others. As a pastor, I have
found many of these gifts that have been
left unopened for years.
Unopened
gifts are easy to spot. In conversation,
people with unopened gifts share readily
what they've done in the past for the
Lord. Maybe they'll even ask if there's
something they might be able to do now.
Such unfulfilled members may be sitting on
the sidelines wishing. These people need
to have something to do! There's is often
not a lack of motivation, but rather a
lack of fulfilling opportunity.
Pastors
must find out what gifts are available in
the congregation and use them. Church
surveys can be helpful here. It also helps
to talk to the people personally and see
just what is in their hearts.
(Note:
I remind you, this was written in 1991. I
was pastoring the First Assembly of God in
Warrensburg, Missouri at the time.) The
church I pastor has had to be very
creative in the use of people's gifts. We
have developed a ministry called
"Helping Hands." People with the
gift of helps love it. When plumbers,
electricians, auto mechanics are needed,
people with those skills within the church
are contacted and dispatched to the ones
with the needs.
A large
percentage of the people of our community
are highly educated. A university is
located here, and an Air Force base is
nearby. We draw from both.
One
outgrowth of this is an excellent lay
counseling ministry for women by women. A
number of women are involved, and each
finds it to be a legitimate area of
ministry. One person has been led to
Christ as a result of the work. Many
inside and outside the church have been
helped.
One
lady in the congregation is a champion for
the rights of the handicapped. Her son is
developmentally disabled. She had a vision
to minister to the retarded. As a result,
the church now has an annual "Special
Friends" Christmas party for some
seventy people, plus a weekly Sunday
school class with up to 15 in attendance.
The woman who started the ministry is now
assisted by a married couple in the
church. The husband teaches the learning
disabled at the local high school.
The
Bible lists many unusual ministers and
ministries: the catering ministry (the lad
with the loaves and the fishes), the
ambulance ministry (the men who brought
the paralyzed man to Jesus), the Dorcas
ministry ((those who provide mending and
clothing for the poor), the government
official ministry (Daniel, Joseph).
Whatever we do is to bring glory to the
Lord. All can be offered as spiritual
worship. The problem often is simply a
lack of creative ideas as to how to get
these lay ministers into useful service.
Many
gifts have been opened, but they have not
been used according to the instructions.
Some who are teaching are not really
teachers. Their classes have never grown.
The ministry fails to prosper. They use
words such as "burnout,"
"frustrated," and
"quit." They are round pegs
trying to fit into square holes. A good
listener might detect that such a person
enjoys keeping books for Sunday school,
serving Communion or even visiting rest
homes and hospitals. Wouldn't it be so
much wiser to have that one serve in the
area of his or her own burden?
Again,
"If a man's gift is ...serving, let
him serve; if it is teaching, let him
teach; if it is encouraging, let him
encourage...." (Romans 12:6-8). This
simple but effective principle also makes
good business sense.
Jesus
was a master at this. Look how He used
people in their uniqueness. Peter wasn't a
John or a Paul; he was just Peter the
fisherman. John was perfect for his
calling---young, enthusiastic and loving.
Paul had been prepared to stand before
Caesar. He was the right one to be the
apostle to the Gentiles.
I am a
pastor. I love the work. It is my calling.
As such, I conduct weddings, perform
funerals, dedicate babies, disciple the
saints, visit the sick, and much more.
Three
years before I ever led a congregation, I
knew what I would eventually do in service
unto the Lord. I am not an
evangelist--that is not my gift. I enjoy
seeing the slow-ripening fruit mature. I
would find it hard as an evangelist to
preach three sermons and then leave. As a
pastor, I'm just getting into a series of
messages at that point.
Evangelists
like forwarding addresses; I like my
address to be of a more permanent nature.
Many evangelists have told me that they
could never be pastors. I understand
because, again, I could not do what they
do. They have their calling; I have mine.
As this
is true with preachers, so it is with
laymen. The gifted need to minister in the
area in which they are gifted.
In
Matthew 25, Jesus gave the Parable of the
Talents. The parable provides us with
valuable instruction as to the use and
stewardship of gifts within the local
church.
Some
churches can be seen as five-talent
churches, some two-talent, and some one.
And, as seen in the account, a five talent
church can become a ten, and a two can
become four but the one talent church can
even find itself devoid of any talent. The
multiplication of talents takes place as a
result of use. Talent, when invested in
the work of the kingdom, has a way of
birthing other talents. For instance, good
teachers usually have growing classes.
This growth can result in more teachers
for the church later on. Good musicians
tend to attract other musicians.
Buried
talent likewise results in a further loss
of talent. Who of us has not seen this
happen? Early in my ministry I majored in
burying the talents of other people. I
felt that I was the only one who could
adequately do the work of the ministry. So
I did everything--led singing, taught
Sunday school, typed the bulletin, greeted
the people at the door, and more. My wife
called me "Jackson's
One-Man-Band." To my shame now, I
was. Talent was available in the church, I
was just afraid to use it.
Saints
under such leadership tend to be
frustrated and discouraged. Why be
committed? Why have ideas? Why have gifts
when you know it makes no difference
anyway?
In our
Lord's story, the unused talent eventually
became the property of the one with five
talents. This also applies to the local
church. Frustrated saints tend to move to
a place where their gifts can and will be
recognized and used. The rich get richer,
and the poor get poorer. Although the
church I currently pastor strongly
discourages church hopping, we still draw
from 10 different zip codes. We have
people coming from nearly 240 square
miles. I have never seen a church so
blessed with talent, but the talent is
being used.
I have
learned some valuable lessons since those
early days in the ministry. I now see my
pastoral role as being a steward of
talents. The Lord declares in the Parable
of the Talents that the steward must give
an account someday. Hebrews 13:17 likewise
teaches this. Luke 12:42-43 calls the
steward to be faithful and wise, while 1
Corinthians 4:2 calls the steward to be
trustworthy.
It
behooves a pastor to know the people of
his congregation; to understand their
gifts and abilities; to be creative in
leadership, allowing them to use those
gifts; to be careful not to bury that
which has been entrusted to them, but
rather to invest the gifts in the work of
the Kingdom. Remember that the harvest is
ready and that the laborers are few.
Christmas
gifts; Christian gifts. Let's be careful
to open and rightly use each one.
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