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An Interview with Dr. David Lim

Leadership of Spiritual Gifts

Dr. David Lim

David Lim is the senior pastor of Grace Assembly of God in Singapore, a congregation of over 3,000 people. He has written a book on the spiritual gifts entitled, Spiritual Gifts: A Fresh Look. He recently taught a course on the theology and practice of the spiritual gifts at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri.

What advice do you have for leaders who desire to see their people grow in their spiritual gifts?

I put it this way, “Know your role and the gifts will flow!” These roles are found in Ephesians 3:6-21 and should be regularly kept before the people:

1. You are the body of Christ (3:6)
Each and every member is equally important. Everywhere we go, whatever we do, we should be imparting Christ’s life to people. When we do that, we are imparting life to family, coworkers, fellow believers, etc. All week long we are to be imparting Christ’s life to others as a member of the body of Christ, not just during services.

2. You are a prophetic people (3:8-11)
Through the Church the manifold wisdom of God is made known. We are a prophetic people when we reveal Christ and thereby come against the enemy and everything he does. Therefore, everything we do, including worship, is prophetic and it is warfare. When we live out the drama of redemption in our work, family, etc., we declare that we are submitting to God in our daily lives. And we do this not only before people, but before the angels, and the principalities and powers of darkness. So when we understand our prophetic role in revealing Christ in all we do, we realize everything is spiritual warfare. Spiritual gifts will flow from this understanding.

3. You are a high priest (3:14)
Kneeling before the Father is a priestly duty. If we are priests, then God speaks to us. If God speaks to us, then we need to listen. When we practice listening to the Lord, even as we are praying for others, often God will speak a word of wisdom into our hearts, or a word of knowledge. Listening to the Lord in worship may bring a word for the Church. Repentance and exhortation also flow from understanding ourselves as high priests

4. You are conquering kings (3:21)
We declare the victory of Christ as we serve Him through ministry and missions. We need to remember the victory has already been won and therefore we are victorious with Christ. Gifts of faith, healing, miracles, and the prophetic ministries flow when we realize the victory we already have in Christ.

When we start living out our role, these gifts start to flow.

How can a leader encourage the practice of the spiritual gifts among the group or congregation?

There are 10 things a leader can do to encourage the use of spiritual gifts in a group setting:

1. Provide Opportunity
Leaders need to be sure there are opportunities for the gifts to flow when the body of Christ is together. During the service, or during leadership or staff meetings, ask, “Has God dropped a word or placed anything in your heart during our time together?” Another way to provide opportunity is to pray for the sick and give time for prayer for the sick. Then ask those who received prayer to tell you how they are doing, and pray for them again if needed.

2. Create Awareness
People need to be made aware of the working of God and the operation of the spiritual gifts. Start by preaching or teaching on the gifts. In addition, when you as a leader hear from God, share in a normal voice, “God just dropped this into my heart,” or “God just placed this Scripture in my heart and I want to share it with you.” Open leadership meetings or staff meetings by allowing time for God to speak. Pray, and ask your people to listen to the Lord. Then ask, “Does anyone have anything from the Lord they’d like to share?” Be sure to share what God has placed on your heart, too. Over time, your example will stir others who are sensitive to the Lord, and they will share.

3. Develop a Readiness to Share
Gifts are manifested when people expect to hear from God. Get the pastors, the worship team, or whatever group you work with to listen for a word from God during prayer or worship. The “ready position” is the most important thing in opening the flow for the spiritual gifts. Leaders should be praying, “Lord, speak through me today!” If you expect to hear the voice of God, either through Scripture, song, or a still small voice, then you should be prepared to share. You as a leader need to model that.

4. Create a Spirit of Acceptance
When a congregation or group is growing in the use of the spiritual gifts, people must not feel you are judging them. What you can affirm about the word, or utterance, or ministry, you affirm. If something is off, affirm what was right. You may say, “This part ministers to us and blesses us, but as far as this other is concerned, we need to check it out, but we do affirm this part.”

5. Engage in Public Evaluation
This is probably the most important, and yet the least done in our churches. It involves publicly evaluating the word, or the use of the gift. Often in response to a word in worship, we just say “thank you, Lord” and move on. But we need to be prepared, and train our leaders, in how to evaluate a gift. To do this, ask yourself:

a. How does this relate to Scripture?

b. How does this fit with what God is doing in our church?

c. What can be affirmed?

6. Spend Time in Prayer
Build your church or ministry on prayer. As a leader, you should practice the presence of God all day. This is absolutely foundational to seeing God move.

7. Understand the Unique Personality of Your Congregation
Consider what things will stir up the gifts in your particular group or congregation. Are people more responsive to hymns or choruses? Some people are encouraged to share when others share in a natural tone, and others when there is a resounding “Thus saith the Lord.” What setting is best for your group? Nurture an environment that encourages the gifts of the Spirit.

8. Realize That Strong Worship Releases the Gifts of the Spirit
Very often the miraculous will happen as the body worships the Lord. During worship, people will be healed if you teach them to reach out to God. When we have our people worship, we provide for climaxes or critical points in the service that allow for the sharing of the gifts.

9. Confirm the Gift
This is very similar to, and flows out of evaluation. Confirm what can be affirmed. For example, you may say in response to a word, “That is exactly what God spoke to me,” or, “That is just what the Word of God says in…”

10. Remember the Goal: Ministry
In Mark 16:17, the Word says, “These signs will accompany them that believe.” The signs come with ministry. When we get out there and minister, then the gifts will flow as we do the work of the Lord. The ministry value of the gifts can be recognized when we ask,

a. What is God doing in our lives?

b. What is being said, actually?

c. How does the ministry of this gift relate to the life of the church/service?

d. How does this glorify God?

Affirm the ministry value of gifts, and encourage people to minister!

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