1
Peter 4:7-11 (NKJV)
Serving
for God’s Glory
7 But the
end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and
watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one
another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 9 Be hospitable
to one another without grumbling. 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to
one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let
him speak as the [a]oracles
of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability
which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus
Christ, to whom belong the glory and the [b]dominion
forever and ever. Amen.”
Warning: The end of all things is at hand…
Peter is reminding us of the fact that we are in the final act of
history.
Admonition: Be serious and watchful in prayer…
° Because
we are at the end – PRAY!!
° Watchfulness
– Seriousness - urgency
° RA Torrey
said “Prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God’s infinite
grace and power.
° Spurgeon,
the prince of preachers said he would sooner give away the sermon than give
away the prayer on a Sunday morning!!
° 
Prayer
° Personal
prayer-life
° Attitude
of prayer
° God is
speaking, are we listening???
Exhortation: Love deeply, fervently, exorbitantly
°
8 “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will
cover a multitude of sins.”
° Proverbs 10:12 “Hatred stirs up
strife, but love covers all sins.”
° Col 3:14 But above all these things
put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
° John 13:35 “By this all will know
that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
° Romans 13:8 “Owe no one anything
except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
° Col 3:14 ~ Bond of perfection. Love
is the ingredient that bonds us together in the Christian life.
° John 13:35 ~ Excellent witness. True
Christian love is a witness to the world that we belong to Jesus and He told us
that loving one another that way will draw people to Him
° Romans 13:8 ~ Fulfills the whole law.
If we love God and love each other we will fulfill the whole law, in that the
act of loving fulfills the law. The ten commandments can all be fulfilled with
the royal command of love.
Exhortation: Be hospitable – NO grumbling
° 9 “Be hospitable to one another
without grumbling.”
° φιλόξενος (philoxenos),
adj.; ≡ Str 5382; hospitable, pertaining to show care to strangers (1Ti
3:2; Tit 1:8; 1Pe 4:9+)
° 5813
φίλος (philos), friend
° Ξένος(xenos): I.
guest-friend, II. Stranger
° Peter here is telling us to be
hospitable to one-another. This passage isn’t explicitly telling us to love
people we don’t know (there are other passages that say that) He is telling us
to love our church family, even those that are not like us in our own church.
° Hospitality is a gifting BUT it is
also a Christian duty!
° Grumbling, I’m sure none of us
struggle with this!! We are reminded that we are to do this and to do it
without grumbling. (Love is the key to how we can serve each-other without
grumbling)
° Cheerfully, faithfully, blessedly –
we are called to hospitality with these three characteristics in mind! And when
we are faithful to be hospitable we are the ones that
come away blessed!!
° Hospitable by being connected. We cant get to know each-other effectively only in one hour or
two on a Sunday morning, God has a bigger plan and design for us!!
° Deeper fellowship with the Church –
we are drawn into a MUCH deeper fellowship with the
church when we follow the exhortation to be hospitable!!
° https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ-ztamQa5Q
Look at this video in regards to true hospitality, how
food and hospitality are connected and to what we can do as a church to be more
hospitable!!
° Where true Heart work happens!! True
heart work happens up close and personal, not in larger settings and in big
groups. So lets get connected in smaller settings, in
places where we can really get to know one one-another!!
° Being Velcroed to the Gospel and to
each-other. We are called to the Gospel and we are called to each other, and we
should be deeply rooted and connected to both of them!!
°
Instruction: Each has received a gift, use it
°
10 “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God..”
° Lets look at another vital scripture in
regard to gifts: 1 Cor 12:4-11
° 4 There are [a]diversities of gifts, but the
same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries,
but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of
activities, but it is the same God who works [b]all in all. 7 But
the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of
all: 8 for to one is given the word of
wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the
same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit,
to another gifts of healings by [c]the same Spirit, 10 to
another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to
another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds
of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But
one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one
individually as He wills.Each
of us has a gift…
° Do you know what your gift is? AND
MOST IMPORTANTLY Are you using it?
°
°
Instruction: Be a good steward of the manifold grace of God
° All Stewards in the
household of God
We are
stewards. That means that we are not the homeowner but the steward in charge.
The word for servant here is oikinomos, which
can also mean house manager. The one who must make these things come together
in the grace of God. A steward has been given authority and a task to
accomplish. So what is this precious thing that each
of us has been given in order to do the ministry that we have been called to?
We are given God’s astounding, amazing manifold grace. Charis is the Greek word
for grace here, it is used around 155 times in the New Testament and 121 times
it is used to mean the undeserved gift of God. We have been given this
beautiful gift of God and we are to minister to one another with the very gift
that God has graced us with.
Manifold
grace? What does the scripture mean by manifold grace? The Greek word here
means multi-faceted, multi-colored, multi-dimensional!! Manifold means to be
varied, to be numerous and varied.
Greek: Poikilos - of various kinds or various colors
Let’s
look at another significant place that tells us about our stewardship in the
kingdom of God!! Turn with me to 1 Cor 4;1-2
1 Cor
4:1-2 “4 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the
mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found
faithful.”
~~ We are
stewards of the mysteries of God – the truth. We are keepers of the truth,
keepers of the amazing Gospel!!
Moreover as a steward we are going to be judged as to if
we are found faithful!!!
Luke 16:10-11 “10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful
also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11
Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will
commit to your trust the true riches?”
There is good stewardship and there is BAD stewardship. Just as in
this world there are good managers of work and there are terrible managers!!
Take some time this morning and think about the areas of life that God has
entrusted to you. What relationships does God want to use for the kingdom? What
resources to you have that God wants to utilize? What special gifts and
abilities has God put in your life? God is interested in more than just your
spiritual giftings but wants to be involved in your relationships, your business,
your marriage and every facet of your life.
May your whole life glorify God.
° Watchfulness
° Prayer
° Hospitality
° Giftings
° Stewardship
° Grace
Action steps:
- Give your life to Jesus… or come back to Him
- Pray fervently!
- Love exorbitantly!!
- Be Hospitable !!!
- Use your giftings!!!!