Text: 1 Peter 4:7-11
Title: The Believer’s “To do” list.
Introduction
“The end of all things is near. Therefore…”(v7a)
The title of today’s message is the Believer’s “To do” list. I could have called it “The Christian’s “To do “ list but I deliberately chose not to. “The believer’s “To do” is a better title because not every Christian believes the end of all things is near but ever believer does.
The believer’s to do list.
Four things every believer is to work on because the end of all things is near.
1. Our prayer life
“Be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.”
In order for the believer to have a prayer life two things are vital according to the apostle Peter. We must be clear-minded and self-controlled. Now if you ever struggled to have a decent prayer life this makes absolute sense. For we very soon come to realize that two of the biggest hindrances to having a prayer life are confusion in our minds about why we have to pray and secondly being so busy doing other things that we leave no time for prayer.
The simple truth is that if we were clear minded about prayer and had self-control we would pray more.Instead we often struggle with thoughts such as “if God already knows what I need before I ask why pray?” Or we are often confused about what exactly we should pray for?
Clearly no one is more delighted to see the believer of God confused about the subject of prayer than the devil. For the Devil trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees.
“The Devil knows that prayer spells his defeat. He’ll fight you more to keep you from prayer than any other thing you do. Sometimes, he even encourages you to do other specific activities because he knows how fruitless they are.”
When you and I become so busy doing other church activities that we have no time for prayer we are destined to fail. Is it not still true that the secret to all failure is failure in secret prayer? Jesus said, “without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
James tells us “that we have not because we ask not.” (James 4:2)
Look again at the two things vital for our prayer life and this time notice their order. “Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray”. Before the believer can have the self-control to pray he or she must first be clear-minded about the importance of prayer.
1. It is through prayer that the believer can love others deeply.(v8)
“Above all, love each other deeply.”
2. It’s through prayer that the believer can overcome the spirit of grumbling.(V9)
“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
3. It’s through prayer that the believer can discover his or her spiritual gifts.(V10)
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received…”
4. It’s through prayer that the believer can serve others better.(V10)
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others.
5. It’s through prayer that the believer can receive a word from God. (V11)
“If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.”
6. It’s through prayer that the believer can receive strength from God.(V11)
“If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides…”
“It is reasonable to believe that if Christ found it so necessary to pray in order to accomplish his miracles, then others with less experience and ability should find it wise and practical to do the same.” R.C. Allen
7. It’s through prayer that the believer can bring praise and glory to God.(V11)
“So that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
The best way to grow your prayer life is to just start praying. Begin with setting aside a short amount of time each day (1-2 minutes) for prayer. Think more about quality time rather than quantity of time.
If at first you don’t know what to pray why not pick a passage of scripture and turn it into a prayer.
Look up scriptures that deal with the subject of prayer.Read articles or books on prayer.
Attend our Wednesday night prayer meeting so you can practice praying.Record your prayers so that you can anticipate God answering them.
The second thing on the believer’s “to do’ list that we are to work on because the end of all things is near is;
2. Our love life
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ”
Jesus said that the world would know that we are his disciples because of our love for one another.
That is why Peter puts love above everything else. “Above all love each other deeply.”
Above all love each other deeply is the prayer of Jesus. It’s the prayer of the Holy Spirit who inspired Peter to write these words and it should be the prayer of the believer.
The intention in verse 8 is that the believer would always be growing in his or her love for one another for we are told to love each other deeply. We are to be friends to each other both inside and outside the church.
The reason we are to love each other deeply is because love is blind. Love covers over a multiple of sins. After all we are more easily forgiving of those we love.
How do we even begin to love each other deeply? We already mentioned the importance of prayer. We can grow to love each other deeply by offering hospitality to one another without grumbling.
Hospitality is love in action. Love must find an expression. We express our love by offering hospitality without grumbling. Grumbling exposes a lack of love. Nobody ever grumbles about doing things they love.
How is our love life today? Is it deeper than it ever was before? Or is it a cause for prayer?
The third thing listed on the believer’s to do list because the end of all things is near is;
3. Our ministry life
‘Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administrating God’s grace in it’s various forms. If anyone speaks he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
a. Every believer of God has received at least one spiritual gift
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received…”
What Spiritual gifts are not. They are not natural talents
There are at least six reasons why spiritual gifts are not the same as natural talents.
Natural talents verses spiritual gifts
credit these points to "spiritual gifts" a series by Dan Reiland of INJOY
1. Received from biological parents verses given by God through the Holy Spirit
2. Present from natural birth verses Present from conversion
3. Benefits people in the earthly realm verses Benefits people in the spiritual realm
4. Advances man’s plan verses Advances God’s plan
5. Results are (usually) temporary verses Results are (always) eternal
6. Glorifies self verese glorifies God.
Spiritual gifts are not the fruit of the Spirit.
The Fruit of the Spirit
(But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Gal.5:22-23)
The fruit of the Spirit verses spiritual gifts
Shapes the character of the Christian verses Shapes the service of the Christian
Same for every Christian verses Different for each Christian
Evidence of maturity verses Evidence of faithfulness
Permanent and continually available verses God can redirect gifts
The desired attribute itself verses The method and means for ministry
Without even knowing what the spiritual gifts are we can see from 1Peter 5:11 that they fall into two categories. The two categories are gifts of speaking and gifts of serving.
The Bible makes mentions of at least 24 spiritual gifts.
The primary passages in the bible where spiritual gifts are mentioned are;
Romans12:6-8 ,1Cor 12, Ephesians 4:11-13, 1 Peter 4:7-11.
Helps, leadership, hospitality, service, administration, discernment, faith, music, tongues/interpretations, miracles, craftsmanship, healing, giving, mercy, wisdom, knowledge, exhortation, teaching, pastor/shepherd, apostleship, missionary, prophecy, evangelist and intercession.
b. Spiritual gifts are given to every believer so that they can serve others.
Every place spiritual gifts are mentioned in the bible it is either preceded or followed by the mention of love.
I Cor 12. is followed by 1 Cor. 13
c. Every believer is called by God to be both faithful and fruitful with his or her spiritual gift.
The last of the four items that the believer has on his or her to do list to work on is;
4. Our purpose in life
“So that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
What is the believer’s purpose in life? That in all things God may be praised and glorified.
Now if Peter tells us that in all things God may be praised what should that tell us about the value and importance of all things? It tells me that every task we do is a sacred one. There is nothing we do that does not have the potential to bring praise and glory to God.
If God can be praised and glorified in all things there is no such thing as secular employment.
If God can be praised and glorified in all things then every vacation is a mission’s trip.
If God can be praised and glorified in all things then every thing you say is a sermon.
Conclusion
Take the “To do list”. Picture God handing it to you and telling you this is” your to do” list.
Put that list in a place where you can review it every day and do it.
