We only have a couple of Sundays left to finish up our series on spiritual gifts, because after that, we're into Advent, and then it's Christmas. Can you believe it? I'm still in September in my mind, so I'm like, Woo. So we today, in order to Squish it into the next two weeks, I'm covering several gifts in one. Don't worry, it's not going to go three times as long as usual. So today we're unwrapping a few gifts, and the first one we are going to unwrap. Slide there, Alex. The spiritual gift of evangelism. Okay, are we awake? Oh, that reminds me. Since next week is the last week of the series, who remembers what they're supposed to bring on the last Sunday of the series, the spiritual gifts? I'm not telling you. Your hat. You were supposed to make a hat, remember? That lets people know what your gifting/passions are so that we can all tell. Yes? Remember, we started this whole thing off with a hat for Ivan, the story. You could tell what the people's passions were by the hats that they wore, even though they didn't fit Ivan, they fit them. We were each to make our own hat that would allow other people to know what our interests and passions are.
It doesn't have to be hugely fancy here or anything, people. It's just for fun. But it's going to be really like, I'm going to feel really stupid if I'm the only one wearing a hat. Now everybody's going, Oh, that could be fun. Let's done. When did you bring it? We bring it next week. Yes, because next week is our last week. I know. Sorry. I suddenly realised that advent upon us. Okay, back to evangelism. The word evangelism comes from the Greek word that translates as proclaiming the good news. Next slide. An evangelist shares the message that out of love God in Jesus came to Earth to live, to minister, that he died and was buried, rose again and ascended to heaven, offering us reconciliation with God. Now, in Ephesians 4: 2, Verses 11 and 12, Paul writes that Jesus gave the church, apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers to equip believers for ministry and build up the body of Christ. So how exactly do people with this gift How to equip believers for ministry and build up the body of Christ? I'm glad you asked. Next slide. Evangelists have the unique ability given to them by the spirit to communicate the gospel, the good news of Jesus, to others in such a way that a non believer can understand.
They have a heart for the lost, and they will go out of their way to talk about Jesus with them. People with this gift are able to overcome the fear that many other believers have of rejection and to joyfully engage with non believers in meaningful conversations about Jesus. Their gift allows them to communicate all types of people. They intentionally seek out relationships with those who don't know Jesus, and they are open to the leading of the Holy spirit to approach different people. Can you guess who our biblical example is? It's a dead giveaway because it's in his name. His gift is in his name. Philip, the evangelist. That works, too. We're going to look at Acts 8: 26-39 from the NIV. Now, an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road, the desert road, that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. ' So he started out, and on his way, he met an Ethiopian. An Ethiopian eunic, an important official in charge of the treasury of the Kandahike, which means Queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot, reading the Book of Isaiah, the Prophet.
The spirit told Philip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it. ' Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah, the Prophet. 'Do you understand what you're reading, ' Philip asked. 'How can I, he said, unless someone explains it to me. ' So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of scripture the eunuch was reading. He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its sheerer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation, he was deprived of justice. Who can speak his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth. The eunuch asked Philip, 'Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about himself or someone else? Then Philip began with that very passage of scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptised? And he gave the orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptised him.
When they came up out of the water, the spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. So we learned several things about the gift of evangelism from this passage. First of all, we can see in the example with Philip that evangelism often happens in a one-on-one situation. In fact, I would suggest that in our context today, one-on-one is the best way to share the gospel with someone. When we look at the how-tos of evangelism, we need to keep something in mind. The message of the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, that message does not change. However, the way in which we proclaim the message, the methods that we use to share the gospel, those should change. It used to be that you could just quote a Bible verse just like Philip did in the passage, and people would understand at least somewhat, what you meant. There was a general familiarity with scripture and the Christian story, so that approach often worked. But today, our culture is not like that. Those same methods don't carry the same weight or meaning. Then for a time, another common approach was what I like to refer to as fear-based evangelism, going door to door and asking people where they thought they'd go if they died tomorrow.
That worked for some because even if they weren't Christians, they still shared a basic understanding of heaven, hell, and moral accountability. But those methods simply do not resonate in the same way today. Our culture is very different, and people's assumptions and backgrounds are also different. So we need fresh and thoughtful and respectful ways to communicate the tell us message of the gospel. Methods that connect meaningfully with the people and the culture that we're actually engaging with now. Philip's world was not the world that we live in today. But look again at the story. When Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch, the man was reading what? Isaiah, right? Most people today aren't flipping through the Bible on their commute to work, wondering what it means. And he was returning from Jerusalem, where he for worship. So even though he didn't yet know Jesus, he still had a religious background. He knew about God. He knew what worship was. And that's simply not the case for many people that we're trying to reach today. There are exceptions, of course, but we're talking about the big picture here. So all of this reminds us that the methods that worked in the past aren't always what will work today.
And even Jesus didn't stick to only one approach. He used different ways of communicating the kingdom, depending on who he was talking to. And although we are all called to share the gospel, regardless of whether we've been gifted as an evangelist, I hear more and more frequently from believers that they feel a disconnect with the present cultural climate. And that they find it increasingly difficult to really connect with people outside of their Christian circle. And connecting with people in our neighbourhoods can be challenging. But this is the time and this is the place, that God has put us to be his church for the same purposes that Jesus his disciples in their context and time. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. Perhaps looking at our present culture as a unique spiritual climate, one that's full of opportunities for creating creativity and curiosity and fresh ways to share the gospel, will help us all step forward with greater confidence and openness.
Instead of seeing challenges as obstacles, let's see them as invitations to trust the spirit and to love people well and to communicate the good news in ways that truly connect today. So to review those gifted in evangelism, love meeting people and relate well across backgrounds. They enjoy spending time with believers, not as projects, but as people. They feel deep compassion for the lost. They share their own faith stories naturally, and they depend on the spirit's timing and prompting. Slide. But evangelists also have to be cautious. They have to be cautious not to be judgmental, overbearing, or argumentative, and not to rely on persuasion instead of the spirit's power. Churches everywhere are reevaluating how well they connect with their communities. As Rick Richardson writes in Reimagining Evangelism, the time has come to re-imagine how we share the good news about Jesus. Slide. If we don't engage beyond our walls, the church risks becoming invisible or irrelevant to the neighbourhoods that we're called to share and to serve. Evangelism begins with listening to the spirit, then stepping out in faith, even beyond our own comfort zones. God calls us to reach people where they are. Slide. And most of the unchurched aren't seeking a church experience, mainly because they already have a preconceived idea of what that is, and they don't want it.
But what they are seeking is community, belonging. They're seeking love. And goodness knows these days, they're seeking hope. And it's not that they reject Jesus. Often, they simply haven't met him. Slide. And what they need isn't a definition. They need a personal encounter with the living God. So to share the gospel effectively, we must develop cultural intelligence, understanding the people around us, their values, their needs. And we do this by building friendships, by joining in local activities, and by being genuinely present. Not to fill seats on Sunday, but to love people as Christ does. Our mission is to partner with God in reaching the lost. And that may mean shifting our focus from expecting people to come to us. And instead, we need to go where they already are, to rinks, fields, studios, community spaces. The goal is not about attendance, it's about transformation. So evangelism today takes It takes creativity, it takes courage, and it takes patience. Conversions rarely happen instantly. Most people come to faith through a series of encounters. Damas road experiences are very rare. They often find belonging before they believe. It used to be that you believed and then you belong to a church.
That's the other way around now. We live in a culture that is more spiritual than religious, that's hungry for connexion and authenticity and hope. And that's our opportunity to follow the spirit's lead using our gifts and creativity to share the greatest news of all, that hope has a name, and his name is Jesus. So The next spiritual gift we're going to look at today is the gift of teaching. So it makes sense to discuss this gift next, because if evangelism helps people to meet Jesus, teaching helps them to grow in him. Evangelism reaches hearts, teaching shapes minds and lives so that faith can take root and bear fruit. So to see this gift in action, we're going to look at Acts 18: 24-28, where we meet Apollos, a Jewish believer from Alexandria, a city that was famous for its learning libraries. Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the scriptures well, had arrived in Jesus from Alexandria in Egypt. He had been taught in the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John's baptism. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they come aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.
Apollos had been thinking about going to Acheia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephes encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers there, asking them to welcome him. And when he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God's grace, had believed. He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah. So this passage paints a beautiful picture of someone that's gifted by God to teach. We heard that Apollos could communicate truth clearly and accurately, that he taught boldly among believers, showing his passion for helping others grow in faith. And when corrected privately, he responded with humility and a teachable spirit, which is a mark of any great teacher, and that he continued helping believers in explaining scripture powerfully, showing how it all pointed to Jesus. So it's clear Apollos had the spiritual gift of teaching, God given ability to explain scripture in a way that others can understand, apply, and be changed by. Now, this gift is mentioned in the same verse as the gift of evangelism that I spoke earlier, and it's given for the same purpose, to equip believers and for growing the kingdom through the mission of the church.
So teaching accomplishes this by deepening our roots so that our faith can withstand the storms of life. Teachers don't just pass along information. They help believers connect truth to everyday living. Those gifted in teaching slide, love studying God's word communicating it clearly, are disciplined in preparation and careful with details, want to see others grasp truth and live it out, are humble and open to correction, just like Apollos, depend on the Holy spirit, not just their own research or skill. A spirit gifted teacher isn't just knowledgeable, they're transformational. They help others to see how scripture applies to real life, and they model faith in how they live. So when Priscilla and Aquila noticed that Apollos' teaching was incomplete, they quietly took him aside and explained things more accurately. They didn't embarrass him. They encouraged him. Apollos didn't resist the correction. He listened and he grew from it. And so from this, we learned two things. That good teachers remain teachable. No matter how much we think we know, there is always more to learn. And correction, given in love, helps the whole church to grow. James 3: 1 warns, Not many of you should become teachers because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
Teaching carries weight because it shapes faith. That's why teachers must guard against pride, depend on the spirit, and remember that their goal is always to point people to Christ, not to themselves. As Charles Stanley said, slide, The purpose of teaching is not to show one's own intellect, but to help others grow in their faith and become more like Jesus. So every great teacher in scripture points us back to Jesus, the ultimate teacher. He taught us through stories, perils, questions, and most of all, example. He explained truth simply and powerfully about love, forgiveness, mercy, humility, and the Kingdom of God. And he didn't just teach with his words. He taught with his life. When he washed the disciple's feet, when he healed the broken, when he broke bread and shared the cup, he was showing what the Kingdom looks like in action. And those gifted in teaching follow his model, teaching truth, living truth, and helping others to walk in truth. So we're thankful for those in our church who have been gifted by the spirit to teach, whether it's in classrooms or in small groups, in kids and youth ministries, or from the pulpit. Their work builds up the body and helps faith to take deeper root.
And as the church, we should be praying that our teachers will teach with humility and joy, and that they will rely on the spirit more than their own wisdom, and that teaching would always point people back to Jesus. Because whether we're evangelists or teachers or simply faithful learners, we all share one mission to make Christ known and to help others to grow in him. Now, while teaching helps us to understand God's truth, and evangelism helps us to share that truth with others. There is another gift that helps us to live it out. Now, I think it's safe to say that everyone here, every one of you, has friends in your life. Yes? They're all Yeah. You have friends that love you and support you. They're there for you when you need them. Maybe they have some things in common with you. You like to do some of the same things, that thing. Yes? Okay. But my prayer for you is that you each also have someone who will ask you, what's God doing in your life? What is he trying to show you or teach you here? The friend who will ask, what you are doing to work on your relationship with the Lord.
A friend who will point out to you that maybe, just maybe, this struggle you're presently going through is the Lord working in your life make you more like Jesus. A friend who will help you to resolve conflict conflict, the one who will step right into your mess when you have problems in your other relationships and help you to find a resolution, not simply by siding with you no matter what. It's always nice to have one of those friends to you, but this is not that. This friend will tell you what you need to do to reconcile the relationship. A friend who will encourage you, yes, but also push you to continue to love and follow Jesus, to encourage you to continue on the path that the Lord has laid out for you, and who will support you and direct you and keep to that path. That friend you need who will always speak truth and love, even when it's not what you want to be hearing. If If you don't have a friend who will speak into your life like this, I highly recommend that you get one, because every believer needs at least one friend who has the gift of...
Slide. Exhortation. And the church needs people with this spiritual gift to help them in moving forward on the right path under God's direction and leading. Slide. Exorters tend to be greatly loved because of their positive attitude and view of life. They are not generally given to self-reflection, and they tend to remain self-accepting, even in stress. They do not tend to take on leadership positions of the church as they are not often viewed by others as leaders, unless they also happen to also be gifted highly in leadership. Rather, they motivate and move the church from the sidelines, often doing so without the church knowing or appreciating their gift. So if you find that you are constantly motivated to do what you can to help other people make spiritual progress in their lives, you might just have the gift of exhortation. Paul describes this gift in Romans 12: 6-8 when he says, If your gift is to encourage, then give encouragement. Slide. But exhortation isn't just about saying, You got this, or on your side, no matter what. It's encouragement that moves people towards obedient Obedience and transformation, toward becoming more like Jesus. So the example of a person from the Bible with the gift of exhortation that we're going to be looking at today is Paul's partner in ministry, Barnabas.
Who said that? Thank you. Well done, Pat. Barnabas. So although we know him as Barnabas, that was actually not the name that he was given at birth. His real name was Joseph. Of course he was. But the Apostles nicknamed him Barnabas, which means Son of Encouragement. So Barnabas was a Levite who owned property. But heeding the words of Jesus, when Jesus had told the young man of wealth to sell all his possessions and give to the poor, Barnabas sold his field and put the money at the feet of the Apostles. He then spent the rest of his life as a missionary, travelling and encouraging others to come to faith in Jesus and encouraging them in that faith. So Barnabas believed in and had trust in the power of the gospel to bring change in people. And this is the heart that makes disciples. He was not cynical or desensitised to what God can do in those who give their lives to him. So after Paul's Damascus road encounter, Barnabas quickly recognised the genuine change in him. And while the other apostles were hesitant, remembering Paul's past last persecution of them, Barnabas stepped in. He personally brought Paul to the Apostles, and he advocated for him, which resulted in Paul being welcomed into the fellowship and to begin ministering freely in Jerusalem.
So Barnabas continued to support Paul in his early ministry, working alongside him, introducing him to others, and encouraging him to keep following God's call. Later, when news reached Jerusalem about a growing church in Antioch, Barnabas was sent to assess the situation. Seeing God's grace at work encouraged the believers to remain faithful all their hearts, and scripture describes him as a good man full of the Holy spirit and faith, and many came to the Lord through his ministry. Barnabas embodies the gift of exhortation. Slide. Advocating for others, encouraging believers to grow, and helping them stay faithful through every season. Believers who have been given the spiritual gift of exhortation, slide, care about and want to resolve conflicts, regardless of whether the conflict is between themselves and someone else or between others, and they're not even involved in the dispute. So what role within the church would be greatly benefited by people with gifts of exhortation? Deacons, what we were just talking about earlier. Yes. So when Paul and Barnabas went on their first missionary journey, Barnabas' cousin, Mark, the gospel writer, went with them as their assistant. And during that trip, for some reason that we're not made aware of, Mark left them and did not complete the journey.
And after that first trip, Paul and Barnabas began planning their next journey. Barnabas wanted to take his cousin, but Paul refused. And this difference of opinion grew so big that they went their separate ways. But Barnabas being gifted in exhortation as he was, took Mark with him on his journey and invested time in discipling him. And it paid off because years later, Paul specifically asked for Mark to come to him. As Mark had matured in his faith to such a degree that Paul now believed him to be helpful in his ministry. So Barnabas, with his gift of exhortation, would have found the situation with Paul and Mark difficult. Don't like people in conflict. So he would have naturally wanted to encourage both parties. So he did what he did best. He walked with, encouraged, and supported Mark in his faith and in his relationship with the Lord. Perhaps he felt that Mark was the one that needed him more than Paul did at this point. But regardless of the why, the result was that by doing so, the situation or the rift between Paul and Mark was reconciled. By giving Mark a second chance and investing time into discipling him, he encouraged Mark to fulfil the potential God had given him for ministry, and which also allowed Paul to trust Mark again because he witnessed the growth in Mark's faith.
So Barnabas didn't encourage people by telling them what they wanted to hear. He encouraged them in the truths of the word of God. And true encouragement comes from God and his truth. True encouragement directs us to find hope and comfort in the gospel. Those with the gift of exhortation slide do need to be mindful, not to oversimplify people's problems or offer quick fixes. They must stay sensitive and empathetic, seeing situations through others' eyes. Because they don't like conflict so much, when they see it, they do naturally just want to find a quick fix. So we need to encourage them not to do that. They should remain focused on helping believers grow in maturity, and this means handling scripture carefully. Instead of grabbing a single verse that it seems to fit the moment out of a sense of encouragement, they should take time to understand the whole passage, the surround context, and the bigger story in the Bible. So when they apply scripture in this way, their counsel becomes deeper and wiser and far more helpful for those that they're trying to encourage. And Barnabas modelled this well using every means available to build others up.
Now, every church needs Barnabas. Barnabas is. Men and women who lovingly speak truth, lift others up, and keep the body of Christ moving forward on the path that God sets before us. And as we bring these gifts together, teaching preaching, evangelism, and exhortation, we begin to see how beautifully God builds his church. Slide. The teacher helps us understand the truth of God's word with clarity and depth. The evangelist carries that truth beyond the walls of church, proclaiming the good news so that others might come to know Jesus. And the exhorter comes alongside us, urging us to live out what we have learned and to remain faithful as we walk with Christ. So when these gifts all work together, the church becomes a place where the gospel is claimed, the scriptures are understood, and God's people are encouraged to live fully into their calling. This is how the body of Christ grows through truth spoken, truth shared, and truth lived. So may we each offer our gifts, whatever they are, so that together we reflect Jesus and build up his church for the glory of God. Let's pray. Jesus, we thank you for the gifts that you give through your spirit to your church.
Today, we are especially thankful for the gifts of evangelism and of teaching and of exhortation. We pray that you stir these gifts within us so that we may share your good news with courage, teach your truth with clarity, and encourage one another with compassion and grace. Fill us with your spirit so that our words and lives point people to you and build up your church in love. Use us in whatever ways you choose for your glory and for the good of those you call us to serve. Amen.
