095 Ephesians: Finding Your Place, Pt. 3
Each of us in the Body of Christ have been given a role to play so that together we can build up the Church, making it strong and mature. Those roles are:
Apostle
Prophet
Evangelist
Shepherd
Teacher
Each of us has a primary gift. It’s the one you are best at, most passionate about, and most refreshed by. You might call this your “base ministry.”
But as followers of Jesus, we are not exempt from stepping into the other roles. For instance, my “base ministry” is Teacher, but there are times when I must step into a Shepherding role, caring for people in their hurt and need. I still need to be prepared to share the Good News of the gospel even though Evangelist is my weakest of the fivefold.
We call that having to “phase.” In moving into this “phase,” you will not only serve others in the Body, but you will also grow in your understanding of that role and will further mature in it.
Moreover, as you phase into other areas, it will give you insight into your base ministry. I’m a far better Teacher because of those times I phased in the Shepherd role or the Evangelist role.
In the online assessment, you may have had several gifts very close in score. Perhaps you came out high as a teacher and yet prophet or shepherd was very close.
You might discover that you can “phase” far more easily into that gift and linger longer in using it before the grace runs out.
You may also find that your secondary gift can strongly affect the way your primary gift is used. This adds to your unique contribution to the Body.
One last thing. As important as it is to identify what your gift is and commit to using it with competence, it’s equally important to grow in your character.
Character is who we are. Competency is what we do.
As we function in our roles, it’s important to continue to grow in our skill (competency) - becoming a better teacher, a more effective shepherd, a more skilled evangelist. Call these “Gifts of the Spirit.”
Yet, as we grow in our competency, we dare not neglect also growing in our character. One of the greatest ways that character can be assessed is in the “Fruit of the Spirit”: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22)
When a person demonstrates godly character, but they are lacking in their skills, you might say they are LIMITED in their Kingdom potential.
Someone who is not characterized by the fruit of the Spirit and is not using the gifts of the Spirit would likely be IRRELEVANT – making little to no Kingdom impact.
Sadly, a person who has a lot of skill but weak character can actually be DANGEROUS. They have the potential to cause great harm to others.
But, a person who is growing in both character and competency is UNLIMITED in their potential for Kingdom impact.
Apostles, we need you to dream your dreams. Prophets, we need you to share your insights. Evangelists, we need you to lead our outreach. Shepherds, we need you to deepen our sense of family. Teachers, we need you to instruct us further in how to live.
May God help us to lean into this as never before. And, as that happens, may the Kingdom further come on earth as it is in heaven.
DIAGRAMS
Free online Fivefold test
Text: Ephesians 4:7-16
Originally recorded on April 10, 2016, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.