1 Peter #15 1 Peter 4: 10-11 Glorifying God Through Impassioned Gifts
There was more to consider from our teaching last time so let’s pick up where we left off in our exploration of 1 Peter.
Peter has written about being a good
steward. A steward is like a fiduciary. A fiduciary is someone who holds assets in
trust for someone else. They manage the
estate of another person. One of the
four key relationships that are necessary to live your life to the full is your
relationship with the earth. From
previous teachings, we know that a right relationship with the earth means you
handle well all the material blessings that God has entrusted you with. You realize that you are managing God’s assets.
In other words, you don’t own your stuff when you bend your knee to Jesus you
gave it all to Him and He in turn entrusts you with His stuff. That concept gives you a little more insight
into the hymn of the Church “All to Jesus I Surrender;” “All to Jesus I surrender all to Him I freely
give.” Asset management of material
resources is not the only stewardship assignment. Being a good steward is also about using the
spiritual gifts God has entrusted you with.
1 Peter 4:10-11 (MSG)
Be generous with the different things God
gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God's
words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, God's bright presence
will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he'll get all the credit as the
One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!
When you bent the knee to Jesus and God made
you one of His own you were sealed with the Holy Spirit and along with that
sealing you were endowed with a spiritual gift. A spiritual gift “is not a
natural talent or ability, it is a God-given capacity for service” that
empowers each believer “to match their deep passions with the world’s deep
need” [Romans 12:6; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1
Corinthians 4-11, 28-31] (Powers, p. 133) (https://www.umc.org/en/content/spiritual-gifts). If you are a believer you have been allowed
to fulfill a unique role in the Kingdom.
The purpose of these spiritual gifts is to serve others, strengthen
brothers and sisters, and meet the needs of others (1 Corinthians
12:7-11).
In his letters to the various congregations
that the Apostle Paul ministered to he wrote of these endowments. The
congregations in and around Rome Paul writes of Prophesying, Serving, Teaching,
Encouraging, Giving, Leading, and Showing Mercy (Romans 12:7). To the believers
in Corinth he listed the following gifts: a message of wisdom, A message of
knowledge, Faith, Gifts of healing, Miraculous powers, Prophecy, Distinguishing
between spirits, Speaking in different kinds of tongues, The interpretation of
tongues (1 Corinthians 12:7-12). To the folks in Ephesus, these supernatural
gifts of the Spirit include Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers,
and Helpers (Ephesians 4:11-16). Peter
might add—don’t forget the gift of hospitality (1 Peter 4:9). Some bible teachers add
exhortation, shepherding, administration, “helps,” and craftmanship. Sitting in
a pew and doing nothing is not a spiritual gift. Seeking spiritual gifts is a
rather odd endeavor, “God give to me the gift of healing, the gift of
miraculous deeds, gimme, gimme, gimme.”
Paul suggests if you are going to desire any gift from God ask Him to
give you the capacity to love (1 Corinthians 12:31, 13:13). The greater gifts
of the Spirit are all manifestations of selfless love.
You’ve been given a Kingdom passion. Peter writes—be a good steward of what God
has given. Peter categorizes these gifts
into words and deeds. What you say and what
you do are to glorify God.
When believers speak, they are to do so with
a purpose that honors God. It’s not the
ego trip of thinking you are speaking the words of God or trying to manipulate
someone with “God told me to tell you.”
Rather it is paying attention to what we are going to say so that what
you are saying builds and blesses. You don’t want to be using God’s name in
vain.
Reflecting on Genesis God asks Cain where his
brother is and Cain deflects his answer with a question, Am I my brother's
keeper, or as the Message paraphrase puts it,
“his babysitter?” From the passage, there is the distinct feeling that
God does see each of us as companions that are to love and care for one
another. With that being said, there
will be times when you may have to point out a shortcoming, a flaw, or even a
sinful behavior to a brother or sister. Love lets the inconsequential slide but
not at the detriment of another’s spiritual well-being, especially if their
behavior is affecting the Church and reflecting poorly on the Kingdom.
Confrontation seems to be a dirty word in the Church, but when done with
compassion and gentleness it can be healing.
Dr. Peter Lawless is the dean of graduate
studies at Southeastern Seminary in North Carolina and he has published 11 tips
for Confronting Others in a Godly Way ( https://outreachmagazine.com/features/leadership/66468-11-tips-for-confronting-others-in-a-godly-way.html). He advises--
1.
Make sure you’re walking with God. If you’re not
being faithful in other areas of your life, I doubt you should expect God’s
blessing in confrontation.
2. Check your
heart. If your motive is revenge or harm or gloating, don’t take the next step
until your heart is right.
3. Pray before you start the conversation.
The Holy Spirit is much better than we are at helping us and others realize our
wrongs.
4. Recognize that not confronting can open
the door for the Enemy.
5. Do your homework. Get your facts straight
before you confront them.
6. Consider possible reactions, responses,
and goals ahead of time. Wise preparation can take you a long way down the
right path.
7. Clarify and state your goal: Your goal
should be to strengthen a brother or sister in Christ, not hurt him or her.
8. Ask questions more than make statements.
9. Work toward a stated solution.
10. Keep praying silently (and together if
needed) during the conversation.
11. Assume you will pray together after the
conversation. When you start the conversation knowing it will end with prayer,
you’ll be more careful in what you say and how you say it.
When confronting, and for that matter
speaking, “believers must be careful to ensure that their words convey the true
intentions of God, not their own” (Powers, p. 134). You are an ambassador, you represent
Jesus. Imagine what Jesus would say, and
then say it as He would say it. This way
your words will glorify God.
Peter also speaks of service. Service is ministry, the ministry is love, and
love is seeking to meet the needs of others.
When you are serving by utilizing your spiritual gift, you are not using
your strength, but taping into God’s power.
His gift is to flourish in His power, and it does so when you use your
gift for His glory.
You may be wondering what your spiritual
gift is after it was given when you first believed before you even knew that
spiritual gifts are given at conversion. Here’s my advice, don’t worry about
what gift you have. Rather love others
out of your passion. What are passionate about, what do you get fired up
doing? You are dragging, tired, and worn
out, what do you do for others that just recharge your emotional tanks? What
are you compelled to do for others, even at the cost of time and energy, and
maybe money? Whatever that deed is,
that’s most likely your spiritual gift.
When you see people being encouraged and helped by what you are doing
that’s all the confirmation you need. Here’s the key, you’ve got to do
something to discover what you’ve been gifted to do. Decide how you are going
to strengthen the church and give it a try.
The words and deeds, and the use of
spiritual gifts not only build people up, drawing them closer to God, but they
also glorify God. The glory of God is a
physical manifestation of His presence.
When we talk of glory we are saying what we experienced shouted God in
our hearts. To glorify God, to make His presence known is why you use your
spiritual gifts. Spirit-filled words and deeds reveal the presence of God. Encountering the presence of God is a
powerful experience. For the believer,
it is uplifting and assuring. For those
outside, it can serve as the motivation to compel them to come inside. The
result of both is applause for God throughout eternity.
Being a good steward involves more than just
managing material assets well, a good steward also manages the non-material
well. When you bent the knee to Jesus, you were endowed with a spiritual
gift. “To each one a manifestation of
the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). Peter tells us to share that gift. By ministering
to others through your giftedness, in the power of God, you bring God
glory. That’s a job well done. Go do it.
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