Serving in Love, Always
1 Peter Sermon Series, Part 11
1 Peter 4:7-11
Introduction
- Peter now ties these two chapters (sufferings of Christ and living for Him)
-- There is a huge implication here about adopting the same attitude as He did
-- He suffered, was broken, and died because of the things we had done
-- APP: Implication is: Are we living to serve others in a like-manner?
- How do we do this?
• Have the same perspective on suffering that Jesus did
• We’ve spent enough time living in sin – abandon it
• God will judge sin and we should live for Him
Peter’s writing/command here is simple … will we apply it to our lives?
- Read 1 Peter 4:7-11
- Let’s examine how Peter commands the church to act
-- Focus: Living for the will of God in the church
-- Deeper: How we should be living for Christ, together in community
∆ Point 1 – Live focused
- Peter comes right to the point of something all Christians should know (v7)
-- Matthew 24:36, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
-- Everything God has planned to take place has already occurred
-- Mankind has been redeemed – the OT prophecies are completed
-- Therefore, we are now simply waiting for His return to rule as King
- 7 words give us a finality to stand upon and look forward to in our lives:
-- “The end of all things is near.”
-- Therefore … BE ALERT AND OF A SOBER MIND
-- If we are living with the expectation that Christ could return, should act like it
- Peter tells the church to live with a focus of purposeful prayer, but how?
- (alert); nēpsate; be purposeful in our living; means clear minded
-- That we would pray intelligently and be deliberate in how we live today
-- Our senses would be alert and we would purposefully come to God
- (sober); sōphronēsate; be of sound mind; means self-controlled
-- We are called to live with a calm mind as we contemplate praying
-- As well as how we act on coming before God to pray
-- Note: There are obviously times of panic when we pray frantically
--- This would be the exception, not the rule – live purposeful; intentional
- APP: Don’t take prayer casually; it’s communication with the Creator
-- IMP: Prayer was NEVER “our thing”; it is God’s gift to us
-- Through the shed blood of His Son we now have access to Him
-- We ought to come before Him remembering this; with reverence
- TRANS: Once we have the right frame of mind; we are ready for more …
∆ Point 2 – Show unconditional love
- Peter reminds us of the “how to” of living corporately (or together) - LOVE!
-- Most times, we see this word as “Philadelphia”; means brotherly love
-- If so, we would be seeing this incorrectly in this passage (v8)
- The love Peter uses here is actually the word “agape”; unconditional love
-- Why? Because it’s a decision of the mind that Peter calls us to uphold
-- It’s not a feeling we have because our feelings can ALWAYS change
- EX: I love the fact that a swimming pool is so refreshing in the summer
- EX: I really don’t love a pool after the rain because it feels so cold
-- This describes the changing feelings of love, in a matter of 2 sentences
-- Peter says that we are too live above feelings by using “agape” in this line
- IMP: The goal of agape love is ALWAYS to seek the good of another
-- The extent of agape love is ALWAYS self-sacrifice for another
-- True agape love is being stretched to the limit; to go past “just enough”
-- It is not exhausted when situations become difficult of tough to handle
- Two weeks ago I asked you to think of a time you’ve been hurt in church
-- To remember how it felt; ad asked you to think how you handled it
- Peter’s suggestion here is that we move past the hurt; live fully for God
-- Yet, we carry hurt around with us as a burden that just won’t let go
- Peter’s command is really right to the heart of that matter: to love DEEPLY
-- To let it go, to forgive, to move past choosing to be upset/angry
-- Why? BECAUSE love covers a multitude of sins!
- Now, let’s be clear about something … love doesn’t excuse/condone sin
-- We don’t just look the other way if there is correction needing to happen
- For example, in matter where church discipline is required
- Turn to Matthew 18, read v15-17
“If your brother or sister sins go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
- IMP: Peter is NOT recommending that we excuse sin because we are to love
-- Rather, he is writing to us that we see past our feelings, and look to the person
-- It is directly in line with what Jesus said in Matt 18; to go to them and restore
-- We correct sin, but do so in love, with the intent ALWAYS being on restoration
--- Note: If someone will not repent, then you can love - but treat accordingly
- Love however, is the primary ingredient to moving past sin; to letting go
-- We are not to cover it up; but to love one another through sin; even our hurts
-- Love in that manner restores; it brings church members closer together
- Once we do that, we are then prepared to live as servants together (v9)
- We should be willing to be hospitable without arguing or do it begrudgingly
-- So, what’s this look like: When it’s your turn to serve, it is a joy to do so
-- Peter is pointing out things like: murmuring, gossip, or silent complaints
-- Even if spoken internally to yourself – he is writing that we avoid those things
- IMP: This is how a church draws closer together; how we strengthen one another
-- HUGE: It’s also how a body of believers draws non-Christians to them
- The world always encourages us: get all we can, can all we get, sit on the lid
-- When we handle ourselves better than the world, we show Who we serve
-- We show that we live with a different (non-worldly) purpose
- TRANS: It’s what allows us to use the gifts we’ve been given FREELY
∆ Point 3 – Use your gifts
- On Sunday nights Mike has been leading us on understanding spiritual gifts
-- If you have not been attending, I encourage you: restarts next Sunday eve, 5:30
- There is a priority we need to see here in living for Christ until He returns
-- Every believer has gifts from God that we can use to serve one another
-- Serving is ALWAYS better than getting, and Peter confirms this (v10-11)
-- v10 is not a “if you feel like it then go ahead and do it” kind of verse (none are)
- It is a command, to live above feelings and respond with agape love
-- There is no way to serve others if you are just thinking about your needs
-- Peter commands that we be faithful in how we serve; demonstrate God’s grace
- What is God’s grace? That you’ve been saved and called to serve Him first
-- From that, we then show one another what God has done in our lives
-- We do this by serving willingly … by opening our hearts, homes, and lives
- What we’ve been given through God’s grace is for the entire church’s use
-- We do not have gifts from God to exalt ourselves or promote our needs/desire
-- Those who do this are in direct contradiction to what Scripture teaches
-- APP: “It’s still not about you.”
- Peter dives even deeper in v11 by splitting up gifts in two broad categories:
-- Speaking: This is not just teaching and preaching, but all forms of speaking
-- Evangelism, speaking in tongues, prophecy, encouragement, and leadership
- Serving: it’s more than pouring someone a cup of coffee
-- Helping one another, healing, showing grace, showing mercy, encouragement
- IMP TRANS: When we serve like this, God gets the praise, and not us! (v11b)
∆ Big Ideas
- So what do we take away?
-- These just leapt of the page at me when I read this section:
- Since the end is near, live intentional towards others
- Use your spiritual gifts to serve, rather to gain
- As you serve others, God gets the glory
- The Christian Life is “Still not about you” – are we making it about us?
- Pray
