We are going to be in first Peter this morning in chapter four. So if you have your bibles and phone or however you access that, you could turn there. As we're doing that, I want to ask a question. Does anyone here know how to juggle? Yeah. Oh, wow. More than this morning. That's awesome. I can't juggle. I've tried. I can maybe do one for a little bit, but I've seen people who can juggle several balls at one time. Have you ever thought, though, how juggling can be a good metaphor for life? See, we're all attempting to juggle several life priorities, passions of life, all at the same time. The problem is life keeps trying to add new things to that. Listen, but even the best juggler can only juggle so many balls. When they get to their max. You throw another ball in there and all sudden balls are dropping. And I don't know about you, but sometimes that's what it feels like in my life. There's something else at it. Something else is going. But have you thought of this, that not all priorities in our life are of the same priority. They're of the same level of importance. We have different priorities and they all fit differently into our life. Not only that, but what is at the center? If all priorities are just being juggled, what is at the center? The highest priority that we have? And how do all these priorities relate to one another? That's a challenge we all have continually, isn't it?
Listen, God has a purpose that he set forth before the foundation of the world for this creation and for us. And here it is to have a people for himself out of Adam's fallen race, redeemed by the blood of Jesus. That's what he determined from before making everything. And that's the purpose he's going to have all the way to the end. And that, people, is the church, the Church of Jesus Christ. He has also set forth in his word the priorities that he wants us to have as his people. And what priorities should be at the center? That's not up for us to figure out. He's already revealed that to us in his word, hasn't he? So we need to orient ourselves around the priorities that God has set for us. What needs to be at the center then? His purpose in the earth from before the foundation of the world to the end of this age is the church. That should be what's central to us as well. In other words, Christ and his church should be at the center, not just one of the balls that we're juggling around and trying to make keep it all going. Christ himself and his church should be the most important. And now we have other priorities. We also need to orient around that.
God also makes it clear through his word that our time on this earth is short. Our life, scripture says, is like a breath. It's here today, it's gone tomorrow. What do we do? God wants us to get serious about what matters most to God, that it would matter most to us in the brief time that we have here on this earth. That's what Peter's going to help us to see this morning.
So let's look at it first. Peter, we're going to begin in verse seven. So if you would read God's word with me, the end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be self controlled and sober minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly. Since love covers a multitude of sins, show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's very grace. Whoever speaks is one who speaks oracles of God. Whoever serves as one who serves by the strength that God supplies, in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him be belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Let's pray. Lord, we need your help this morning. We ask, Lord, that you would anoint the preaching of your word and that you would stir us. Even some of us have been walking with you, Lord, a long time. That you would stir us afresh with passion for what is most passionate and important to you, your church, Lord, stir our hearts afresh. We pray and help us to see what you're called to each one of us specifically to do and together as a people to be doing in this day that we have in Jesus name. Amen.
Now, I would sum up what I think Peter is saying to us in this passage like this. Time is short. So let's get serious about loving, serving and living for the glory of Christ. Time is short. We don't have much time. The Lord is coming. The end is at hand. But not only that, our own life is very short. So with the time we have let's get on with it. Let's get serious about how we're living, how we're loving, serving, and living for the glory of Christ. That's, I think, the conclusion that we need to take away from this passage.
6 · Personal testimony of radical conversion in 1975 and the initial fire of new life in Christ
Now. Ricky had asked me if I would share some thoughts about just my past. He's already given you this pantheon of my careers, but I was radically saved in 1975. I believe it was the fall of 1975. I'm not one of those people who remember the exact date. I didn't write it down, but I do know from the moment I can remember, the very moment my life changed forever, radically changed. It was during the peak of what someone called a charismatic renewal. I think actually God was. There was a revival taking place in that time. But when I got saved, everything was radically new. As you heard, I was a surfer. I grew up in Florida, and I grew up surfing and became very much involved in rock and roll culture, drugs, partying. It was all part of that. And God radically brought me out of that. I walked away from that, never looked back. Thankfully, everything was new. We were filled with such joy. And I remember being so joyful and eager to go to any meeting that was going on anywhere, you know, in our own fellowship, other churches, stuff going around the city. So, you know, Sunday morning, sometimes there's prayer and worship stuff going on at night. There are bible studies going on. But my wife got saved very shortly after me. She wasn't my wife then. We were dating in high school. But shortly, you know, after that, we, it got to the point where if there wasn't a meeting, we were hanging out with brothers and sisters in Christ. We could not get enough of being with the people of God and talking about Christ together and then going out and sharing that with whoever we could talk to. It was an exciting, thrilling time.
7 · The drift narrative
However, gradually, over a couple years or a few years, life itself became in and started taking over, in a sense, got married, started having kids, work and career. You've heard a few careers as kids are growing up. We got all kinds of activities, baseball, ballet, this thing, that thing or the other. There's family, birthdays, holidays. Oh, we got to plan vacations. You know, all the balls were spinning trying to advance in my career. Classes at night, all kind of working who knows how many hours, just trying to make it all fit in, juggling it all, working it all. And what happened unintentionally over those few years as the church just became something that we did where one time, without even knowing it, was a priority of God's. It was the center of our life. It gradually became something that was just one of the walls we're juggling. Not only that, it became something. We were just checking the boxes. Other things became either equal to or even more important to us than being with God's people and the church itself.
8 · God begins the restoration through exposure to teaching that recentered the church
Now God, after a bit of time, began to stir my heart with a fresh revelation about the church and the centrality of the church to God's purpose in the earth. And that started happening through the teachings of CJ Mahaney. Some of you may have heard of that. The one who started what is now the denomination we're part of sovereign grace churches. But back in the day, he was preaching in all these different conferences. Jesus festivals, there was fishnet festivals, they were outdoor kind of camping events. And in Florida it always rained, so it was a muddy mess, but we had a blast. Big tent preaching events, little tents all over there. Different speakers from all over coming in. But CJ was the one that grabbed our attention, because his message that he always hammered on was about the church. And during those days, several friends of ours we would get together regularly with, we would sit around and talk about the church and wonder, like, why is the church not like what we see in acts? Why does the church around? As we look at the landscape of the church, not just our own church, why doesn't even, it doesn't even resemble the kind of life together that we see taught in the epistles. So we found ourselves just longing for that. And at the same time, recognizing all of us felt like life was just flying by without any purpose. We longed for the church to be more than it was, but we also longed to have something that mattered in our life. Where were those days when we as new believers, we were so excited. What happened?
9 · The discovery of a church community embodying what they had been longing for
One of our friends during this time moved to DC into the area, and I think accidentally just wound up in a church that CJ had planted a couple years earlier was leading. And he called us back and said, hey, I'm in CJ's church. And guess what happened? They have started a ministry. They called it PDI. It stood for people of Destiny international, and that later became sovereign grace churches that we're all a part of now. But back then it was PDI, and with the same passion and mission as we have today, to plant churches and care for the churches and our family of churches together. And so we longed for this. We reached out to them asking for help, because there was no church like this. We wanted something like this. And so we were invited in 1983, and seven of us, six other guys and myself were invited to attend the very first celebration conference that PDI had in Indiana, Pennsylvania. They started these kind of family camp kind of things and all anybody who was related were all coming. We drove up 20 some hours to get there anyway. We were just blown away, not just by the preaching, which was really good, or the worship, which was also wonderful to be a part of, but it's really what we observed in the people that impacted us the most. Sense of community, fellowship. We were perceiving healthy marriages and families. And that passion for the church and planting the church was so apparent. They had everything that we've been praying about and talking about and dreaming about, to the point that when I went back, my wife Mary and I really discussed seriously whether I should just. I was at financial services at the time doing really well, but should I just leave that and we'll just move to DC and join this church? We didn't. God had other plans.
10 · The climax of the testimony — the moment of conviction and repentance
But what happened is the relationship began. We continued reaching out to these guys and they're inviting us to things. And in 1985 we planted a team of us, the first church with Saban Grace churches in the Daytona Beach, Florida area. But it was about a year earlier, I believe, in 1984 at another conference. My wife and I were both there when God broke through into our world in a way that we didn't expect, revealing to us just how far we had slipped and drifted away from our first love, which was Jesus, and therefore from the church. See, it wasn't just that we had drifted from the church and the church became a peripheral. The reason that happened is because we had drifted from Christ being at the center and all kinds of other things took its place. We knew in that moment, I remember both of us just weeping at this one meeting where the teaching all throughout the conference was on the church and the mission of the church and the centrality of the church. And there was this call to return to what is central and important. But for Mary and I, it was a return to Jesus. And so we were both just weeping and we didn't know what the other was weeping about until later. And we talked about it, but we both repented and turned our hearts to Christ. And there was fresh mercy and grace. But part of that was committing ourselves again now with a fuller revelation of what the church really is supposed to be, committing ourselves to love and serve the people of God in the context of the local church. Our lives were changed forever that night. It was almost like being born again. I mean, it was radical.
11 · Establishes that Peter's words are addressed to the universal church across time, including the present congregation
Firstly, we need to see that Peter is talking to us here. We need to hear this as the word of God speaking to us this morning. He's speaking to the church here when he's reminding us the end of all things is at hand. In fact, this whole epistle is addressed to the church. It was intended to be circulated among the churches in the day that he wrote this. And Peter has some goals and purposes in mind in writing this. So he starts out in chapter one, verse one, addressing the church, all the christians in all the local churches. So this includes us as elect exiles.
12 · Expounds 1 Peter 2:9 to establish the church's identity (chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, God's possession) and purpose (to proclaim God's excellencies)
Then in chapter two, verse nine, he brings this massive revelation about who we are in Christ, our new status, our reality, and our new identity in Christ. Let's look at this together. Okay? First, Peter, chapter two, verse nine. He says, but you speak in the speaking to us, speaking to the church. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession of God's possession. Why, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. See if you're in Christ, if you've come to saving faith in Christ. This is what God has done. This is what you are a part of. God brought us out of the kingdom of darkness, translated it into the kingdom of his son, Jesus Christ. The kingdom of light. It could not be. It's as radical as from darkness to light. That's what he's saying. And now we have a purpose. God has a purpose for us to be proclaiming through our lives as well as through our words, the excellencies of him.
13 · Theological exposition of the church's continuity with Israel — not replacement but fulfillment
There's a purpose. We're not just called to just be like everybody else, juggling a bunch of balls and just trying to get through life until it ends. God has a purpose. These titles in one Peter two nine that Peter's using were previously in the Old Testament, only used to speak of the nation of Israel. But Peter's now addressing and speaking to the church. He's saying that we are the chosen people of God. Now, Peter understood, and we need to understand that the church and Israel are not separate. No, there's one people created now through the cross of Jesus Christ. It is a people of every tribe, every tongue, every race. And if you go to the end of the book, we get to see the end of the story in the book of revelation. Who is Jesus coming back for? The church made perfect in glory. And it's a people of every tribe, every race, every tongue. And that diversity is to be celebrated because that's what God wants, that's what he's doing. And so the church includes the Old Testament saints and the New Testament saints. All the people of God are one. And so that's why this applies to us. Not replacing Israel, but now fulfilling what God was going to do through Israel, blessing all nations of the world as God's chosen people, redeemed through the blood of Christ.
14 · Unpacks the 'sojourner and exile' identity from 1 Peter 2:11-12
We are no longer of this world. This is critical for us to grasp. We're in the world, but we're not of it anymore. We were citizens of this world. Not any longer. We are now citizens of the kingdom of heaven and of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's why in chapter two, after stating this glorious revelation of our new status, in chapter two, verse eleven, he says, and twelve, we're to now live, see ourselves and live as sojourners and exiles. We're just here for retirement. We're passing through, but we are part of a people. We are the people of Jesus Christ in this earth at this moment in time. One day we'll all be gathered together, but right now we're here. We're sojourners, we're exiles here.
15 · Frames the broader context of 1 Peter — instructions for living as God's people in a fallen world and for suffering faithfully
And so from chapter two, verse 13, all the way through the rest of this epistle, Peter is instructing us on how to live as the people of God in this fallen world, no longer of it, in it, but no longer of it. He's instructing us not only how to live, but also how to suffer. Because, friends, if we're going to live really for Christ, wherever he has us in life, Jesus himself said we should expect persecution. There's suffering that we share with all of humanity, but there's a kind of suffering that we should anticipate in our life. The more we live for Jesus, the more that we're standing out and against what the world is like. So that's what Peter's doing and that's what he's doing even in this passage this morning that we're looking at.
16 · Begins exposition of 1 Peter 4:7 — 'the end of all things is at hand
And look what he says right up front. In verse seven, he had just this declaration, the end of all things is at hand. He sounds like one of those crazy prophets on a street corner. You know the end is coming. But he's not speaking to unbelievers about this. He's speaking to us as believers in Christ. We need to understand, we need to grasp this. The apostles, and this is how they lived. And they were teaching the church to live as though the end could happen at any time.
17 · Distinguishes individual mortality from cosmic eschatology
Now, scripture does teach that our life on this earth is short. Already mentioned that. It's like a breath. We could die any moment. We could die today. We could die tomorrow. It could be a year from now. So our time is short in that sense. But that's not what Peter's saying here. That's true. But not only is that true, but Peter is saying this is true as well. The end of all things. He says that means creation. This world as we know it is coming to an end. And it could happen today, it could happen tomorrow, it could happen anytime. It could happen soon. Pardon me. We need to live as though that is true. So the end of all things is at hand. See, this world exists since the days of Adam and Eve when they sinned, cast out of the garden, this world has existed in a fallen, condemned state. We were born into that. That's why there's death and sickness and dying and all of that. But that's not what God intended, and that's not what the kingdom to come will be like. So we need to understand that this world itself, as scripture says, is actually perishing. It's not going to last.
18 · The eschatological hope — this world's demolition gives way to the new heavens and new earth
In fact, it is scheduled for demolition. But here's the good news. Scripture also reveals that when that happens, God is going to create a new heavens and a new earth that we are created to live in under the lordship of Jesus Christ as his people. So, yes, the world is ending. That's not intended to be either a depressing thing or something we're fearful of. When we read this, as believers in Christ, we should be. Something should be rising in us saying, yes, it's coming. Come. Lord Jesus should be the cry of every one of us. He is coming again. And when he does, this world will be demolished and given way to a new heaven and a new earth where sin no longer exists. Sickness and death are gone. We are in resurrected, glorified bodies, living together in the fullest sense in the presence of God, like God intended from the beginning, glorious.
19 · Pivots from eschatological exposition to present application
But what do we do now?
20 · Cites Wayne Grudem to clarify what 'the end of all things is at hand' means redemptive-historically
Listen to Wayne Grudem. He says when Peter says the end of all things is at hand, he means that all the major events in God's plan of redemption have occurred. And now all things are ready for Christ to return. That's where we live on the timeline of God's purpose in the earth. We're in that place. So in other words, the next big event on God's calendar, his redemption calendar, is this the end of all things and the new heavens and the new earth? That's glorious.
21 · Applies eschatological urgency to present life
And as God's people, as christians, we are to live each day in light of that day. It's to be informing and shaping how we think about ourselves, how we think about this world and how we navigate through it, juggling all the balls of life that we have to deal with. This is temporary, but that's coming. We're intended, I believe, in this passage, to feel the sense of urgency that Peter wants us to get from this. The end of all things is at hand. It's coming. Get ready. Be ready. We don't have much time. See, there's this deception sometimes that we slip into thinking that we have lots of time, you know? Oh, yeah, I need to get serious about Christ. Yeah, I want to serve more. I want to do this. But right now, I just got all these balls, you know, I'm juggling. I can't take another thing. And we think that we have time to get there. We don't. What we're being called to is getting serious. Get real. See with the eyes of the spirit that this world is heading towards the end. And so we got to get on with the mission that he's given us.
22 · Highlights the logical connector 'therefore' in 1 Peter 4:7, signaling that everything following in vv7-11 is the ethical response to the eschatological reality
Therefore. See, he says, the end of all things at hand. Therefore. He doesn't just make the statement, leave it hanging there. Since this is true, the end is coming. What do we do? Okay, here it is. Therefore, here's how you should live. That's where we're at. That's what he's saying in this passage. Everything from this point forward to verse eleven flows out of that, that reality and that truth. The end of all things is hand, therefore.
23 · Brief exposition of 'be self-controlled and sober-minded' from 1 Peter 4:7
And the first thing that he throws in here is be self controlled and sober minded. Now, we're not going to unpack it much, and Peter doesn't really explain that what he means by that, but what it essentially means is that we should have a sound mind and clear thinking, informed by the word of God about this world, about who we are in Christ, and what it looks like to live for Christ in this world, we need to be have that kind of clear thinking.
24 · Exposition of 'above all' in 1 Peter 4:8, signaling that what follows is Peter's highest priority
But then it's almost like Peter in verse eight catches himself. Wait a minute, I'm going down a list. I forgot the most important. And he says, above all, I mean, how are we supposed to live, therefore? And then when you see this, that means what he's about to tell you is the most important. Remember, we were talking about what are the priorities, what should be at the center, that all the other priorities and passions of our life must circulate around and be shaped by, influenced and oriented by. If we're gonna drop something, it should be because it doesn't fit with this. I mean, what is that thing? Well, if God's purpose in the earth is to have a people for himself, the church, and that's what he's doing and working everything forward towards the end, when Jesus returns and brings the church to its perfection and glory, if that's what God's doing now, shouldn't that be the most important thing in our life? Absolutely. That's what, this is what Peter's trying to get us to see, live like this. And so he says, make every effort, do it now. Above all, do this. Here's your priority. Here's the highest priority that you should pursue above every other priority. And what is it? Love one another earnestly.
25 · Expounds 'love covers a multitude of sins' from 1 Peter 4:8
That just caps everything else that he's going to say is flowing out of that. He's unpacking, modifying what he means by loving one another earnestly. It is critical. I think Peter is just, he's saying this because he was there when Jesus said to him and the other disciples, here's how the world's going to know that you belong to me, that you are my disciple, that you love one another. There is no higher priority, friends, for us as believers in Christ than to love one another in the context of the local church and live that out. The world needs to see it. The world doesn't even know that they're dying to see it right now, the church, what are we? We're not much more than a voting block. To some people, they don't see much difference in us, but they should. What should they be seeing? They should be seeing a people and community who love one another earnestly. That's what defines us. Now, Peter adds this after he says, love one or another. So he says, because love covers a multitude of sins, something else he doesn't actually expound on much. But here's what he doesn't mean by that. He doesn't mean that somehow loving one another, that covering sins, we are somehow atoning for one another's sins. He doesn't mean that even that we are adding anything to what Christ has done. The scriptures are absolutely clear. Jesus has died once for all for the sins of all his people, for all time. There's no longer any need for sacrifice. We're told in Hebrews, he died once for all he has atoned for our sins. So what does Peter mean? Basically, what he's saying is when love abounds in us, we're loving one another earnestly. Offenses and wrongs are readily overlooked. And not only that, they're forgiven and forgotten. We should not be keeping, according to one corinthians 13, a record of wrongs. We shouldn't even be thinking about the wrongs and failures and sins of one another. Love doesn't do that. That's what he's saying. When love is lacking, the opposite's true. Every word is viewed suspiciously, every action judged, and we're easily offended. So, friends, I would say, if you're one who is easily offended, you are not yet grasping what it means. The love of God for you or loving one another. If we are truly loving one another, the net result of that is going to be we are covering sins, we are overlooking, we are forgiving sins, and we are doing it easily because we've been forgiven the way we've been forgiven. How much God has forgiven us for. How easy then, should it be for me to forgive my brothers and sisters and overlook it? Let that characterize us as a people.
26 · Signals structural transition from exposition of 'love covers sins' to the first specific expression of love Peter commends — hospitality
But now let's move on to some of the other specific areas that he says we're to love. My second point is loving through hospitality.
27 · Introduces hospitality as active love, not passive sentiment
This is a major big topic. He says in verse nine, show hospitality other places. Scripture says pursue it. Hospitality isn't something we're be passive about. Now, in scripture, love is never passive. And what he's saying here is hospitality is an expression of how we love one another. So it's not to be seen as something passive. We just sit back and have warm, fuzzy feelings about it. Wayne Grudem says this earnest love, which seeks the good of others before its own, finds practical expression. See, love always finds practical expression. Otherwise, it's really not love. Love finds practical expression in hospitality, in spiritual gifts, in other forms of serving. In other words, that's what he's saying about this whole section. Love is what's behind all of it.
28 · Establishes that hospitality is commanded to all believers, not just the naturally gifted
But notice this, he's not just speaking to those who are naturally gifted in hospitality. Imagine we all know somebody, probably someone right here in this room right now, who is gifted man, that person is gifted in hospitality. Those of you that know my wife, she would be one of those people. He's not speaking to those people. He's speaking to all of us. So you might be thinking, you know, that's not me. I'm not good at that kind of stuff. I'm not even a friendly person, I'm not really good at hospitality. Well, great, then you got something to work on, because we're being called to show hospitality, so we should be ever seeking to grow in this. And it's really a lot more simple than most of us think. Listen to what Alexander Strahl says about hospitality. This is from his book hospitality commands, which if you want to grow in hospitality, this is a book I would highly recommend Alexander Strahl. He says, through the ministry of hospitality, we share our most prized possessions. We share our family, our home, our finances, our food. And listen to these last two on the list, privacy and time. I find those to be the most difficult. I don't know about you, I think a lot of us would much rather get our checkbook out and give some money to something. Oh, there's an event. I'll do that. Oh, someone has a need over here. I'm happy to give to that. That's good. The spirit is moving on us to do that. We should do that. But, man, when you want to, you want to get someone into my personal space, invade my privacy, that's a lot more costly to me. My time. I'm juggling balls. I don't have any time, and you're calling me to hospitality. What's dropping off there? So privacy and time are probably some of the things in our world that are the hardest to get over. To do this, he adds, then we share our very lives. So hospitality is always costly. Through the ministry of Hospitality, we provide friendship, acceptance, fellowship, refreshment, comfort and love in one of the richest, deepest ways, he says, possible for humans to understand. Listen to this last phrase. I think this is key. Unless we open the doors of our homes to one another, the reality of the local church as a close knit family of loving brothers and sisters is only a theory that's hard. I think this is true. We could have good theology about what the church is and what it should be and feel comfortable with that. But if we are not opening up our homes and getting in the homes of others and sharing life together at this kind of level, it is all ethereal. It's not real. We have no community. Hospitality is the bridge to community.
29 · Personal testimony about learning hospitality from the El Paso church culture, which is centered on family and food
Now, hospitality is more than food, but food is a main, main part of this. And I mentioned this earlier this morning in the other service. But the time that Mary and I and our family lived here, we learned more about hospitality than any place else we've lived, the people here, and the culture here in El Paso is about family and food. I never ate so much food. I gained more weight living here. I'm still trying to lose it. But what? Oh, man, it's so rich.
30 · Practical application for hospitality — budget constraints or living situations are no excuse
See, hospitality. We have food together. And I want to say this. If your budget is tight and I can't afford a meal that whole family over, you know what? You can have people over for dessert and coffee. What about. I'm a student, I'm just renting a room. I don't even have a place. You know what? Go out, invite people out for lunch, meet them for coffee. It's about getting with one another across the table with food. And there's something about that. Have you noticed when you have a meal with someone or you share coffee and dessert and you're sitting there, the walls come down and conversation gets deeper, it gets more meaningful. We get real. Listen to what Tim Chester says in another really great book on this topic. It's called a meal with Jesus. He says hospitality involves welcoming, creating space, listening, paying attention, and providing meals. He says, slow things down. It does. It's what it does. Some of us don't like that because we like to get things done. But meals force you to be oriented, people oriented, instead of task oriented. Sharing a meal is not the only way to build relationships, but it's number one, he says, on the list. I agree 100%. It's what I learned from you, El Paso, and it has affected our lives. It transformed our lives. We've taken it wherever we've gone. And I would encourage you to be continuing to press into it.
31 · Structural transition from hospitality to service
The third area is through serving that we love. We love others through serving.
32 · Expounds 1 Peter 4:10 on spiritual gifts
And one of the things he's saying here is love one another. Firstly, by using our gifts, he says in verse ten, as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another. One thing that tells me is there's no ungifted christians, no such thing. The other thing, though, as Wayne Grudem says, that we need to understand is any talent or any ability which is empowered by the spirit is a spiritual gift. See, we tend to think of spiritual gifts as these miraculous gifts that we hear about. All gifts of healing, prophecy, maybe tongues. There are certain gifts. We go like, ooh, 99.9% of the gifts even referenced in scripture are all absolutely unspectacular, ordinary gifts. Any talent, any ability can be empowered by the spirit and used to serve others. The other powerful thing that he says here is the gifts that we've been given, the talents, the abilities. I would even include any resources that we have. Everything we have, scripture says, is given to us. By the Lord. So that's grace. But then what he says, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. The gifts we, anything we've had is a gift from God. Therefore is grace to us. What is it given to us for? Not for us. It's given to us for others. And the miracle of this is God is giving us resources and gifts and abilities so that he can work through us. And his grace is flowing from us to others. God longs to be gracious, but what he loves is to see his grace flowing through his people to one another, through the gifts and resources he has given. What an honor and privilege that we have, friends to be, a means of God's grace flowing through us to others. Let's get serious. Let's get serious about doing this. Time's too short and there's too much joy to experience together for God to be using us in the lives of one another.
33 · Expounds 'whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God' from 1 Peter 4:11
In verse eleven, he adds, serving, I would say, I would put it this way, serving one another with our words. The way he puts it, he says, whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God, I tell you what I'm doing right now, preaching God's word. Hopefully God's using that. But Peter is not speaking exclusively of something like this. He's speaking again to every christian. And so what does he mean by this? I think what he means is he says, whoever speaks, it applies to all of us. It's any kind of speech where the word of God is being expressed can be a means of God's grace flowing through you to someone else. That could come in the form of counseling. Somebody is downtrodden, they're going through something. They're grieving, they're anxious, and they're fearful. And you come alongside them to pray for them. And God gives you a scripture from the word to share with them and build them up, point them to Jesus. What's happening there? God's grace is flowing through you to another human being whom he died to save friends. There is nothing more important or precious to God than that. Peter is saying that whether whatever means it is, God can use our words. If we're speaking from the word of God, the truth of God's word, to one another, he will work through that for the good of his church.
34 · Expounds 'serve in the strength that God supplies' from 1 Peter 4:11
Then he says in verse eleven about serving anyone who serves whatever service, serve in the strength that God supplies. Now, here's what he's not saying. He's not saying, sit back and wait till you feel the strength from God to do whatever he's calling you to do. That's not what he's saying at all. We're being encouraged to step out to do these things. The love one another earnestly is in the imperative. That means it's a command. And all these things that are expressions of how we do that are all in the imperative. So we're being told, show hospitality, serve one another, do it in the strength that God provides. And I think what he means that we should never assume, even if there's something that you're good at. Let's say you're good at fixing cars. I know we have some people here that are very mechanical and good at that. God can use you to serve someone, maybe an elderly person in the church who doesn't have the means or the ability to fix their own car. And you could be a means of God's grace in serving them. How amazing that is. God's given you that ability. Yeah, you've grown and gotten better at it, but you wouldn't have if God hadn't given you the desire, given you the ability and the opportunity. Use what you have for the good of other brothers and sisters in Christ. God will be glorified when you do so. We're not waiting for it. But just because you feel confident in something doesn't mean you should go in in your own strength. So even something we're comfortable with, we should pause before we serve. There's an opportunity. I know I can do this. We should pray. God, give me wisdom. Give me the power of your strength, of your spirit as I go into this, to serve this brother or sister. Then you can go in a faith knowing God's going to supply. He is always going to supply what we need, the strength we need, the wisdom we need to do whatever he's calling us to do. He will not fail to do that, because this is what he wants most, is to see us loving one another. So he is waiting to just pour out upon us his strength and power as we do this.
35 · Structural transition to the final point — the doxological purpose undergirding all Christian service and love
The last point is how we love one another by doing all for the glory of Christ.
36 · Expounds the doxological purpose of 1 Peter 4:11 — all service is 'in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ
Verse eleven. Doing all. Look what it says here, verse eleven. Whoever speaks is one who speaks oracles. God. Whoever serves one who serves in the strength that God supplies, in order that all these things that he's been instructing us are for this, in order that in everything, God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. Friends, that's the purpose and goal that we should have in mind. It's not just what else can be accomplished. We're not just serving for serving's sake. We're serving for the glory of Jesus. And anything, no matter how small. And the majority of things that we might do in serving are probably unknown to most of us. There's a whole lot of ways that we can serve in the church, serve brothers and sisters in the Christ that nobody else will see but Jesus. We serve for the audience of one, and that's the glory of it. We're not looking for praise for men. We're serving the one who brought us out of darkness into his marvelous light. And everything that we do, Peter is saying in his name, is bringing glory to him. Friends, there's no higher purpose that we could have for our life, even to the very last breath, than to do all for the glory of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ.
37 · Final synthesis and doxological climax
So with that, if John wants to come up, I just got a couple of closing thoughts for us. When Peter says to him at the end, verse eleven, he says, after making this statement of doing all for the glory of Christ, then he says to him, belong glory and dominion. Amen. Who is he referring to there? He's referring to Jesus. Everything we do in this life is to be offered as worship to Jesus, our Lord and savior, to whom all authority and dominion has already been given. We're not adding to that, but because that is true. Therefore, we get to bring glory to him, to glorify him, basically to offer worship to him through our serving one another. That's how he looks at it. He is worthy of all praise, but he's also worthy of all of our serving. No matter how sacrificial, no matter how much the cost, he is worthy. Time is short, so let's get serious about loving and serving and living for the glory of the one who lives forever and ever. Amen.