Understanding the Exhorter Spiritual Gift

Oct 8, 2024

Lecture on Redemptive Spiritual Gifts: The Gift of the Exhorter

Introduction

  • Focus on the redemptive spiritual gifts from Romans 12:6-8
  • Discussion on the fourth gift: Exhorter
  • Goal: Recognize your own gifting, appreciate others, and see the world through different perspectives

Characteristics of Exhorters

  • Principle of Reality: Exhorters see through spiritual eyes, focusing on God's eternity rather than current events
  • Extroversion: Only gift that is 100% extroverted, enjoys being around people
  • Relational Skills:
    • Breaks barriers (social, racial, economic, religious)
    • Builds relationships easily and quickly
    • Enjoys forming communities and friendships
  • God's Sovereignty: Favorite characteristic; sees every event as part of God's plan
  • Horizontal Focus: Intensely people-oriented, prefers face-to-face interactions
  • Leadership Style: Passive, prefers not to lead with a heavy hand
  • Expression of Love: Through availability and presence
  • Presentation: Concerned with appearance, described as the "car salesman"

Spiritual Outlook

  • Gratitude in Adversity: Able to give thanks during tough times
  • Trials as Growth: Sees trials as opportunities for growth and glorifying God
  • Community Formation: Quickly forms communities in various settings
  • Pain Perception: Views suffering through a lens of God's sovereignty

Strengths

  • Leadership: Mobilizes and inspires large groups, visionary
  • Flexibility: Adapts plans easily
  • Counsel and Evangelism: Offers spiritual help, excellent communicator

Potential Weaknesses

  • People Pleasing: Fear of rejection can lead to poor decision-making
  • Influence Misuse: Can achieve personal agendas, as in negative examples like Hitler
  • Time Management Issues: Poor perception of time and effort
  • Criticism Sensitivity: Overly sensitive to criticism
  • Pain Avoidance: Tendency to avoid embracing pain and suffering
  • Naivety: Easily manipulated, often sees the best in people

Exhorters in Practice

  • Encouragement and Hope: Offers hope and biblical perspective in tough situations
  • Community Builders: Create and maintain community, highly relational
  • Reconciliation: Skilled at resolving conflicts, maintaining relationships

Biblical Examples

  • Paul, Moses, Jeremiah, Solomon

Personal Development

  • Maturation: Embrace God's timing and process
  • Function in Body of Christ: Encourage spiritual growth, create community

Conclusion

  • Encouragement for exhorters to lean into their gift and develop it fully
  • Prayer for strength, endurance, and alignment with God's purpose

These notes aim to capture the essence of the lecture on the exhorter gift, highlighting the unique attributes, strengths, challenges, and biblical examples associated with it. They serve as a study guide for further reflection and exploration of one's spiritual gifts.

Full transcript