GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
ADMINISTRATION AND SERVICE
DR. JIM DIXON
OCTOBER 1, 2000
ROMANS 12:6-8, 1 CORINTHIANS 12:27-28, 2 PETER 4:7-11
Off the coast of North Carolina, east of Cape Hatteras, there is a section of the Atlantic Ocean called “The Graveyard of the Atlantic.” It’s thirty square miles of sea. This section of the ocean is characterized by storms. It’s characterized by squalls or shallows, and it is extremely dangerous for ships. In fact, in the last four centuries, 385 ships have sunk in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Three hundred and eighty-five ships have gone down in those 30 square miles of sea. It is said that today, you can go into the Graveyard of the Atlantic, and on a calm and clear day, you can look down in the shallows and you can see the ruins of sunken ships just littering the bottom of the ocean.
Seventy-one percent of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans. The oceans are not safe. The oceans are dangerous. Just this past week, on Tuesday, a Greek ship went down in the Aegean Sea just two miles from the coast of Pharos. This Greek ship was a ferry. Its name was Samina. This ship had 560 passengers. Seventy-five people drowned at sea, and more than a dozen are still lost. The captain of the ship, the first officer, and other members of the crew were said to be watching a soccer match on T.V. The ship was on auto-pilot when it hit the rocks.
Last Thursday, the captain said that he was not watching a soccer match. He was asleep. He was taking a nap. He didn’t feel too well. He said his first officer was flirting with a female passenger out on deck. He said that other members of the crew were watching a soccer match. The captain, the first officer, and two members of the crew have been arrested. They have been charged with murder, negligence of duty, and violation of maritime law. You see, it’s a grave responsibility to be a ship’s captain. It’s a grave responsibility to be a shipmaster.
The Greek word for “shipmaster” is “kubernetes” or “kubernesis.” This word is found in the Bible only three times. In Acts 27, it is used literally and it refers to the captain of the ship that the Apostle Paul was on in the Aegean Sea. This word, “kubernesis,” is also found in Revelation 18, where it refers literally to ship captains—those ship captains who will grieve in the consummation when the eschatological nation called Great Babylon will fall into ruin and they will no longer be able to enter into trade with that nation.
This word, “kubernesis,” is found one other time in the Bible; it is in our passage of Scripture for today. It’s in the listing of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12. It is the gift of “ship-mastering,” of being a ship’s captain. “Kubernesis.” The word is used metaphorically in this context. The RSV translates it as “administration” or “administrator.” This is also true of the NIV. The NRSV gives it a better rendering: “leadership,” the gift of leadership. That’s really the meaning of “kubernesis.” When this word is used metaphorically, it’s a reference to governing, leading, ruling, or guiding. The word “kubernesis” comes from the root word “kubern,” from which we get the English “to govern.” So, here is the first spiritual gift that we are going to look at this morning: the gift of ship-mastering, the gift of captaining a ship, the gift of governing, the gift of leadership.
Few of you, perhaps none of you, have ever heard of Jose Ramon Del Cueto. Twenty-five years ago, he was the mayor of a Mexican city called Coacalco. He has been called the “worst mayor in the history of the world.” During his administration, all public properties and public lands, fell into ruin. The grass died. The trees and the shrubs died. Weeds proliferated. During his leadership, the police department shut down. All the police officers resigned. Crime flourished in the city. It was said to be a “city without civilization.” Then, ultimately, the government itself, under his administration and leadership, went bankrupt.
It was June of 1978, 22 years ago, when Jose Ramon Del Cueto resigned. He publicly acknowledged that he had been an inept leader. But he didn’t resign or make that admission willingly. He was forced to it. Four thousand Mexican citizens from that town stormed the city hall and took this mayor. They forced him to eat bananas until he would resign and sign the document of his own ineptness. He ate 42 bananas before signing that document.
People don’t want to admit that they don’t have this gift of leadership. People don’t want to admit that they’re inept leaders. People do not want to admit that they are lacking in leadership ability. We all like to think that we’re, at least in some sense and in some context, kind of natural leaders. But this is a special gift given to individuals in the body of Christ. It’s needed in the church. Certainly, pastors need this gift. Certainly, I need this gift. All of our staff and all of our department heads need this gift. All of the elder board collectively need this gift. Our other lay leaders who lead various ministries need this gift.
This gift is critical to the body of Christ. It’s not only needed by Christians within the context of the church. It’s needed by Christians out in the workplace. We need Christians with this gift in corporate America. We need Christians running businesses with this special endowment of the Holy Spirit, so they can govern well for the ultimate sake of the kingdom of Christ. This gift is needed, in some measure, in the context of the home, as we seek to lead our children.
Some people have wondered, “Well, why is this gift, the gift of governing, the gift of leadership, the gift of administration . . . why is it listed in 1 Corinthians 12, but not in Romans 12?” Of course, the listings in those two chapters are not identical, but there is a considerable overlap. Why is it that this gift is listed in 1 Corinthians 12 and not in Romans 12?
Well, most Bible scholars think that it actually is listed in Romans 12. In Romans 12, it says, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal . . .” Let’s consider that last phrase, “he who gives aid, with zeal.” The Greek word for “giving aid” is “proistemi,” which literally means “to stand before.” It can mean “to stand before so as to protect or aid.” Thus the rendering in the RSV. But more likely and more often, this word “proistemi” means “to stand before so as to lead or govern or even to rule.” That’s why, in the NIV, it says, “If the person’s gift is leadership, let him govern diligently.” That’s how it’s rendered in the NIV.
So, we have this gift of administration or leadership even in Romans 12. The curious thing is that when you come to 1 Timothy, this same word, “proistemi,” is used to describe the responsibilities of bishops and deacons at home. “Let them manage their households well.” So, there’s a gift of leadership that’s even needed in the context of the home, as moms and dads seek to rear their children. I think there’s a sense in which we should all pray for this gift. There’s got to be some situation in your life in which you need this spiritual endowment, this endowment of the Holy Spirit.
In the South Atlantic Ocean, there is an island called St. Helena Island. St. Helena Island is famous to historians because it was there, in the year 1815, that Napoleon Bonaparte was banished. Napoleon Bonaparte died on St. Helena Island in the year 1821. St. Helena Island is a possession of the British Empire and has been since the 17th Century. The nearest land to St. Helena Island is a little island called Ascension Island, and it’s 700 miles away. It’s also the property of Great Britain.
Ascension Island has 1,500 people living on it today, but there was a time when nobody lived on Ascension Island. It was considered mysterious. Ships didn’t stop there because the island had no natural harbor. It was very dangerous to approach the shore. It was known for the sea turtles that populated the island, but there were no people there. Ships generally stayed away.
In the late 19th Century, Admiral Sir Thomas Williams, a shipmaster—“kubernesis”—was taking his ship across the Atlantic. He often captained ships that made Atlantic voyages. He was on his own voyage from Africa to South America. They came within sight of Ascension Island in the distance. Ships just didn’t stop there. He was in a hurry because he was running late. Sir Thomas Williams was also a committed Christian. He loved Jesus Christ. As he looked at Ascension Island, he just felt some kind of a draw.
He went into his cabin, and he prayed. He said, “Lord, what is going on here?” He felt the Lord leading him to take his ship to Ascension Island. He told the crew to make for Ascension Island. The crew protested. He said, “I want to go to Ascension Island.” They obeyed and took the ship near the shore of Ascension Island. As they drew near to the shore, they saw something white. They soon realized that it was a distress flag. They found 16 people—men, women, and children—who were shipwrecked and stranded on that island. They had been there for two weeks, and they were near death. All 16 lives were saved.
Here was a ship’s captain who had a higher compass. Here was a ship’s captain who heard a higher voice. His leadership was not simple skills in administration. His leadership was spiritual. It was supernatural. It reflected a gift, a heavenly gift. That’s what we’re really talking about when we talk about this gift of leadership.
There was a time when all ships were made of wood; but in the late 19th Century and the early 20th Century, they began to make ships of metal and steel. The lower compass which was mounted by the wheel was normative, but it began to be less reliable because it was oftentimes affected by all the metal and steel of the ship. So, they put a higher compass up on the mast. It enabled them to get a more accurate reading.
People with this gift, this gift of “kubernesis,” this gift of leadership . . . If they’re Christians that truly have this gift, they have a higher compass. In the midst of all the confusion and the chaos, they hear God’s voice. You want to hear that voice as you raise your kids, as you do your job at work, as you serve here at the church. So, I know the Spirit of God would move us to pray for this gift in great measure.
There’s a second gift I want us to take a look at this morning. The second gift is so critical to the body of Jesus Christ. The second gift is the gift of service. I want us to understand the critical importance of this gift to the Church of Jesus Christ.
In 1995, a movie was made called “First Knight” starring Sean Connery and Richard Gere. It was yet another telling of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, with a particular focus on Sir Lancelot. In one scene, King Arthur is speaking to Lancelot, and he’s trying to describe the kingdom of Camelot. He describes Camelot as a place where everyone is valued equally. He describes Camelot as a place where people are set free by service. Camelot is a place characterized by the service of other people.
Many historians doubt that King Arthur ever lived. If he did live, he surely looked like Sean Connery. But many historians doubt that he ever lived. All historians doubt that Camelot ever existed. Camelot never existed, but there is a kingdom where everyone is equal. There is a kingdom where people are set free through service and where everyone is called to serve one another. That kingdom is called the kingdom of Christ, and it is the Church of Jesus Christ. It is in the hearts of people to be part of an assembly where they are regarded as equals. It is in the hearts of people to be part of a kingdom, part of an assembly where the very nature of its existence is characterized by service. Surely it’s in your heart to be part of a group like that. That’s what the Church of Jesus Christ is called to be. We are to be a community of equals serving Christ and serving each other.
Some of you have studied Greek and Roman mythology. I’m confident that most of you who did study Greek and Roman mythology did not do that willingly. You probably did that in high school or in college; but if you studied it, you perhaps have heard of Hephaestus. Hephaestus was the Greek god of fire. He was the equivalent of the Roman god Vulcan, the god of Volcanoes. Of course, Hephaestus didn’t really exist. He was simply mythological, but there was a real man named after him. His name was Hephaestion. This man is of interest to historians because Hephaestion was the best friend of Alexander the Great. They grew up as childhood friends. They were closer than David and Jonathan from the Bible. They were so close.
They studied together at the feet of Aristotle. They were children of privilege. They fought side-by-side in battle. Historians tell us that Alexander the Great and Hephaestion stayed in the same tent, and they shared the same cup. They were often mistaken for one another. Although Hephaestion was taller, they were both exactly the same age. Once, the Queen of Medo-Persia came into Alexander the Great’s tent, saw Hephaestion, and mistook him for Alexander. She called him Alexander. When she realized her mistake, she was afraid. But Alexander said, “Don’t worry. Hephaestion is Alexander, and Alexander is Hephaestion.” The two had become one. They were so close that some historians question their sexual orientation.
Hephaestion died when Alexander the Great was 32. Hephaestion was also 32. You all know that Alexander the Great only lived to be 33. When his friend Hephaestion died, he just couldn’t handle it. I want to read you a little quote from William James Durant, the famous historian who died in 1981. This is his summary of Alexander’s grief:
“He broke down in uncontrolled grief. He lay for hours upon the corpse of Hephaestion, weeping. He cut off his hair in mourning and for days refused to take food. He sentenced to death the physician who had been unable to heal his friend. He ordered a gigantic funeral pile to be erected in Hephaestion’s memory at a cost, we are told, of 10,000 talents, equal to $60 million. He sent to inquire of the oracle of Aman whether it was permitted to worship Hephaestion as a god. In his next campaign, a whole tribe was slain at Alexander’s orders as a sacrifice to Hephaestion’s memory. Back in Babylon, Alexander abandoned himself more and more to drink. One night, reveling with his officers, he proposed a drinking game. Shortly afterwards, at another banquet, Alexander drank heavily again. With cold weather setting in, he caught a fever and took to his bed. The fever raged for ten days, during which Alexander continued to give orders to his army and his fleet. On the 11th day, he died, being in the 33rd year of his age.”
How incredible! Here’s a man so emotionally unstable that he lay for hours on the dead body of his friend. Here’s a man so mentally unstable that he spent the equivalent of $60 million on his friend’s funeral. Here’s a man so morally unstable that he murdered the doctor who could not save his friend’s life and then annihilated an entire people group as a sacrifice to his friend’s memory. Here’s a man, so theologically unstable, that he sought to deify his friend. And yet, historians refer to him by the title “the Great.” They call him Alexander the Great because, you see, this world has an entirely different understanding of greatness. I mean, the world views greatness in the sense of power, authority, and conquest. But, when you come into the kingdom of Christ and you come to the Word of God, you get an entirely different understanding of greatness.
One day, James and John, the Sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus. They said, “Lord, would You grant that one of us be allowed to sit at Your right hand and one at Your left when You come into Your power, when You come into Your kingdom?” They were asking for the two greatest positions of power in the kingdom of Christ, the right and left hand of Christ. Then we’re told that their mom, probably named Salome, came and sought Christ for the same purpose. She wanted her sons to be granted these two positions of honor, authority, and power.
Then all of the disciples began to bicker among themselves. They were all jealous. Finally, Christ sat them down and said to them (as recorded in Mark 10), “You know how the rulers of the Gentiles, the rulers of the nations, love to lord it over them. The great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so amongst you. He who would be first among you must be the slave of all. He who would be the greatest amongst you must be the servant of all. Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and give His life a ransom for many.”
That’s the definition of greatness in the Church of Jesus Christ and in the kingdom of heaven. It’s the person who’s the servant and the slave of all. That’s what you’ve been called to. That’s what I’ve been called to. We’ve been called to service. We’ve been called to serve the kingdom of Christ.
In the Bible, there are four words for “service.” There is the word “doulos,” which literally means “slave.” There were 60 million slaves in the zenith of the Roman Empire’s powers. The entire Roman economic system was predicated on the reality of slavery. Christians took this word, “doulos,” to describe their relationship to God. They considered themselves slaves, servants. We live to serve Him. We live to serve Christ. He calls us friends. Christ calls us friends, but we recognize that we are His servants. Our lives are not our own.
Then there is the word “huperetes,” which is another word for servant in the Bible. This word literally means “under rower.” It’s used again and again in the Bible to describe the servants of Christ. This word “under rower,” “huperetes,” is illustrated in the movie “Ben Hur.” In that movie, Charlton Heston plays the part of a galley slave. Those were under rowers, the men who pulled the oars of those great Roman ships as they moved through the Mediterranean. It was hard work. They were servants. They were slaves. “Huperetes.” This word describes service in relationship to a task, and we all have tasks before which we need to be servants.
There’s another word for servant in the Bible, and it’s the word “latreia.” This word was used of the temple servants and the tabernacle servants, those who served the people of God. It describes service in relationship to the church and the essence of true worship.
There’s one more word for service in the Bible, and that’s the word “diakonos.” It’s the word used for this gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of service—“diakonos,” from which we get the word “deacon.” It refers, primarily, to the service of people. What does it mean to have the gift of service but that we would be willing to serve people?
I mean, there’s the gift of mercy, and it focuses on forgiveness. There’s the gift of helps, “antilepsis.” It focuses on lifting up the poor and the oppressed. But the gift of service encompasses any form of service, no matter how menial, if you would have it in your heart to do it. That’s what makes the Church of Jesus Christ great, people willing to serve—willing to teach Sunday School, willing to sing in the choir, willing to work in the parking lot, willing to be small group leaders. We need to pray for this gift.
Franklin Graham spoke last week. It was one of the most incredible Sundays in the history of our church. I sat there in the first service in the front row as people came forward. Many of you came forward in all three services. What an incredible working of the Spirit of God, the power of the Holy Spirit. We have, in total, about a thousand people who came down front. Two hundred and fifty of them filled out cards. We don’t know how many accepted Christ or how many rededicated their lives, but we know it was an awesome miracle.
Yet, if you are one of those who came down front, I would give you a warning. The warning is this: statistics are bleak with regard to those who accept Christ in moments of mass evangelism. Most of them, ten years later, are not walking with Christ. We don’t want that to be true of you. We want every one of you who came down last week and made a commitment to honor that commitment. We want the Lord to be great in your life. We want you to walk with Christ, follow Christ, and serve Christ.
That’s why we want you to be part of this Foundations Class (which began today, but you could go next week). That’s why we want you to come to the Discovery Class. We want you to be rooted in Christ. We want you to grow in Christ. We want you to be everything Christ wants you to be. We want you to understand that what Christ wants you to be most of all is a servant. That’s what He wants us all to be. We’ve been called to be servants.
I know many of you have heard of Viktor Frankl. Viktor Frankl was a medical doctor from Austria. In World War II, he was incarcerated in a Nazi concentration camp. He survived that Nazi concentration camp. After the War, he wrote a book called “Man’s Search for Meaning.” Viktor Frankl argued that the only source of meaning is service. Now, as Christians, we know the only source of meaning is Christ; but, in Christ, we reach fullness of meaning and joy as we serve.
What Frankl observed in the Nazi concentration camps was that people who kept their energy—those people who kept their joy and a sense of purpose—were those people who gave themselves away in service, those who were focused on the needs of others rather than their own needs, and those who used their time and their abilities and whatever they had to help their people. Frankel observes, “People often think they don’t have the energy, emotionally or physically, to serve, when the reality is it’s only as you serve that you get energy emotionally and physically.” It’s as you serve that you will find yourself with emotional and physical energy. Christ has made us like that.
The Spirit of Christ has come into us, and He wants us to understand: if you feel drained, that doesn’t mean you don’t have the energy to serve. It means you need to serve because, as we serve, the Spirit of God wells up within us in the sense of joy and purpose and meaning. We need to pray for this gift. Our time is up. Let’s pray together.