The gift of Faith

Primary Text: 1 Corinthians 12:9

The gift of Faith is the ability to believe God with confidence for things unseen, spiritual growth and the will of God.

The difference between faith that is needed for Christian living and the gift of faith is:

Christian Faith:            Enhances the individual’s spiritual growth

Gift of Faith:                Enhances the spiritual growth of others

The purpose of the gift of Faith is to lift the body of Christ above common distractions and discouragements to believe God for the seemingly impossible Yes, there are cautions even for this one, for a person with this gift may sometimes downplay the value of practical planning and preparation, and they might even find themselves tempted to lecture others about what would happen if they only had more faith. Maybe the biggest caution of all is to resist the temptation to think that your own wants are always God’s will. The other day I heard a preacher friend remark that god does speak to him in prayer sometimes, but what God says is usually very much what the preacher thinks, and I would imagine that we’ve all been there…

Some evidence that you might have this gift would include… You have a consistently positive disposition, and an optimistic outlook on life, you are confident about the promises of God, and other people’s faith is increased when they are around you

The gift of Music

Primary Text: 1 Chronicles 16:41-42 (This could also be a sub-gift of prophecy)

The gift of Music is the ability to make a significant contribution to a worship experience through singing or playing a musical instrument; its purpose is to bring praise and glory to God through song and instruments, and it can also be considered an expressive spiritual discipline.

The cautions on this gift are a little tricky:

1) Difficulty in distinguishing the difference between the natural talent for music and the spiritual gift for music.

2) Seeking the attention and praise that often accompanies singing or playing the musical instrument.

3) Allowing the gift to bring your responsibilities beyond your level of maturity and character development.

4) Allowing personal creativity to cloud the picture

Evidence that you may have the gift of Music

      1) You have a passion for praise and worship that exalts the name of God

2) People often ask you to sing, or play a musical instrument as part of a worship experience

3) People often say to you that the expression of your gift helps them draw close to God during worship

Millions of people have musical talent, and a large number of those who have talent have really developed that talent to a high level, but they do not have the spiritual gift of music. I was the overseer of worship for a long time, and in the process of doing that, I witnessed a number of people who served in the musical aspect of that who had great talent and the desire to service musically in worship, but I only know one who has the gift of music. When that person sings, everything is different, and maybe one needs the gift of discernment to see it clearly; I don’t know… but it is quite special, even in rehearsal, and it goes well beyond the person’s natural talent. I think the key in discerning the difference between the talent and the gift is found in the evidence cited above, where I have put italics on the key points: “exalt the name of God,” and “as part of worship”. Not exciting entertainment or insightful interpretation of music… exalt the name of God in worship. Yep, that is the key.

Tomorrow we’ll pick it up with the gifts of Tongues and Miracles. You might be surprised at what you read… see you then!