I just had to let you know... Point Loma won again yesterday. They defeated the #1 team in the country. Pretty exciting. They play next tomorrow against the #4 seed. We shall see.When a person becomes a Christian, sometimes his or her lifestyle changes drastically. This was especially true for first-century believers who had come out of the morally corrupt pagan world. Many of Peter’s readers were Jewish Christians, but many also had come from a pagan background. Former Jews would have at least led a morally upright life, while former pagans had been involved in the activities that Peter had just listed. Christians no longer desire to join their pagan friends in the wicked things they do.
These friends had sought pleasure by denying themselves nothing. Together, they did it all. When the Christians stopped, their friends not only are very surprised, but they also say evil things. This describes the reaction of people who love darkness when they become confronted by the light. A believer’s refusal to participate in an activity is a silent condemnation of that activity. Unbelievers then react with hostility, often because they want to justify their actions or silence their own consciences.
Peter then reminds us; No Christian is an island; no one is alone. When believers experience deep love from the fellowship, they have the human network of support that can help them through any crisis (This is why LIFE Groups are so vital).
To cheerfully share one’s home is different from social entertaining. Entertaining focuses on the host—the home must be spotless; the food must be well prepared and abundant; the host must appear relaxed and good-natured. Sharing the home, in contrast, focuses on the guests. Their needs—whether for a place to stay, nourishing food, a listening ear, or acceptance—are the primary concern. This can happen in a messy home. It can happen around a dinner table where the main dish is canned soup. Believers should not hesitate to share with those who need a meal or a place to stay just because they are too busy or not wealthy enough to entertain. Hospitality is a strong expression of love, which Peter already commanded the believers to show.
Then the main point of the passage; Each person has received one or more spiritual gifts from God—a talent or ability empowered by the Holy Spirit and able to be used in the ministry of the church. Spiritual gifts help God’s people to serve and love one another and continue the work of spreading the gospel.
Some of this great variety of gifts are listed in Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 27-31; and Ephesians 4:11-12—these lists are different and are by no means exhaustive. When believers humbly recognize their partnership in the body of Christ, their gifts can be used effectively.
When believers use their gifts in humble service to others, God’s generosity can flow through them. The gifts God gives believers are as varied and many-faceted as are the believers themselves. As God’s grace varies in its dealings with people, so God’s gifts (given because of his grace) are varied in their administration of his grace as Christ’s body on earth. To manage them well means not to hide the gifts, but to use them as they were meant to be used—serving and building up the body of Christ.
Peter encouraged the believers to use their gifts. Men and women with gifts that required being a speaker must be responsible with what they said, speaking as though God himself were speaking through them. Likewise, those gifted with abilities that centered on helping others also have a responsibility—to serve not in their own strength but with all the strength and energy that God supplies. If believers serve in their own strength alone or in order to look good to others, they will begin to find serving a wearisome task. But to serve with God’s strength is to be able to go above and beyond, and to do so for one purpose: God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ. When believers use their gifts as God directs (to help others and build up the church), others will see Jesus Christ in them and will glorify him for the help they have received.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
My question(s) for you today are simple; What spiritual gifts has God given you and where are you using them in the church?
Folks, you were made to make a contribution, not just to consume. God made you to make a difference. And what matters is not how long you live, but how you live. We’re all meant to make a contribution. The Bible says we’re created to serve, we’re saved to serve, we’re gifted to serve, we’re shaped to serve. We’re commanded to serve God back.
Now the good news is that God not only created us for service, He gave us a model. Jesus came to earth Himself and said “This is how you do it. I want you to watch Me”. Matthew 20:28 says, “Jesus said, ‘Your attitude must be like My own, for I did not come to be served, but to serve’”. That's our model for life and service - Jesus. His life was about serving.
One day Jesus was walking down to go to Jericho and some blind men start yelling at him. And the Bible says this (Matt. 20:30-32), “Two blind men shouted ‘Lord, have mercy on us!’…Jesus stopped and called them. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’”.
Underline the word “stopped”. Jesus stopped. If you want to be used by God, if you want to serve God, you must be willing to be interrupted. That’s called being AVAILABLE! Most of Jesus’ ministry and most of Jesus’ miracles were interruptions. Think about it - all the people he healed…the blind man, the lame man, the sick people, the paralyzed man, the dead child…all of them were interruptions. His first miracle - interrupted at a wedding.
The Bible says this in Proverbs 3:28, “Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now”. Servant-hearted people don’t procrastinate. They’re spontaneous, they’re sensitive, and they say “OK, let’s do it!”
Here was John Wesley’s motto:
Do all the good you can by all the means you can by all the ways you can in all the places you can and at all the times you can to all the people you can as long as you ever can.
That, my friends, is greatness. You must be willing to step out and say “OK, out of my comfort zone, God what do You want me to do?” There are hurting people all around us, and the wounded will not wait. We’ve got to help them now.
Now what keeps us from being available? You see a lot of us say “I’d like to be used by God. I’d like His power in my life. I’d like to serve God, but I’m just not available.” And what is it that keeps us from being available?
Number one Barrier…self-centeredness. Philippians 2:4 tells us - Whenever you see a need right in front of you, guess what? MEET THE NEED. In the Pedlowe family we say it like this – “See a Need - Meet a Need”. God is giving you the opportunity to learn to serve, to learn to be like Jesus Christ.
Folks, the number one enemy of compassion, the number one enemy of serving others is busyness. We just get too busy! And because I’m so busy, I don’t have time to serve. I’ve got my agenda, my plans, my dreams, my goals, my ambitions. You know what the problem is? We hold up a “do not disturb sign”on the door of our heart, do not disturb. “Don’t disturb my heart. I’ve got my goals. I’ve got my safe little life going here, so don’t disturb me for the needs of other people.” Self-centerdness! Today, make a decision to start serving. Watch how God grows your life.
These friends had sought pleasure by denying themselves nothing. Together, they did it all. When the Christians stopped, their friends not only are very surprised, but they also say evil things. This describes the reaction of people who love darkness when they become confronted by the light. A believer’s refusal to participate in an activity is a silent condemnation of that activity. Unbelievers then react with hostility, often because they want to justify their actions or silence their own consciences.
Peter then reminds us; No Christian is an island; no one is alone. When believers experience deep love from the fellowship, they have the human network of support that can help them through any crisis (This is why LIFE Groups are so vital).
To cheerfully share one’s home is different from social entertaining. Entertaining focuses on the host—the home must be spotless; the food must be well prepared and abundant; the host must appear relaxed and good-natured. Sharing the home, in contrast, focuses on the guests. Their needs—whether for a place to stay, nourishing food, a listening ear, or acceptance—are the primary concern. This can happen in a messy home. It can happen around a dinner table where the main dish is canned soup. Believers should not hesitate to share with those who need a meal or a place to stay just because they are too busy or not wealthy enough to entertain. Hospitality is a strong expression of love, which Peter already commanded the believers to show.
Then the main point of the passage; Each person has received one or more spiritual gifts from God—a talent or ability empowered by the Holy Spirit and able to be used in the ministry of the church. Spiritual gifts help God’s people to serve and love one another and continue the work of spreading the gospel.
Some of this great variety of gifts are listed in Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 27-31; and Ephesians 4:11-12—these lists are different and are by no means exhaustive. When believers humbly recognize their partnership in the body of Christ, their gifts can be used effectively.
When believers use their gifts in humble service to others, God’s generosity can flow through them. The gifts God gives believers are as varied and many-faceted as are the believers themselves. As God’s grace varies in its dealings with people, so God’s gifts (given because of his grace) are varied in their administration of his grace as Christ’s body on earth. To manage them well means not to hide the gifts, but to use them as they were meant to be used—serving and building up the body of Christ.
Peter encouraged the believers to use their gifts. Men and women with gifts that required being a speaker must be responsible with what they said, speaking as though God himself were speaking through them. Likewise, those gifted with abilities that centered on helping others also have a responsibility—to serve not in their own strength but with all the strength and energy that God supplies. If believers serve in their own strength alone or in order to look good to others, they will begin to find serving a wearisome task. But to serve with God’s strength is to be able to go above and beyond, and to do so for one purpose: God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ. When believers use their gifts as God directs (to help others and build up the church), others will see Jesus Christ in them and will glorify him for the help they have received.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
My question(s) for you today are simple; What spiritual gifts has God given you and where are you using them in the church?
Folks, you were made to make a contribution, not just to consume. God made you to make a difference. And what matters is not how long you live, but how you live. We’re all meant to make a contribution. The Bible says we’re created to serve, we’re saved to serve, we’re gifted to serve, we’re shaped to serve. We’re commanded to serve God back.
Now the good news is that God not only created us for service, He gave us a model. Jesus came to earth Himself and said “This is how you do it. I want you to watch Me”. Matthew 20:28 says, “Jesus said, ‘Your attitude must be like My own, for I did not come to be served, but to serve’”. That's our model for life and service - Jesus. His life was about serving.
One day Jesus was walking down to go to Jericho and some blind men start yelling at him. And the Bible says this (Matt. 20:30-32), “Two blind men shouted ‘Lord, have mercy on us!’…Jesus stopped and called them. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’”.
Underline the word “stopped”. Jesus stopped. If you want to be used by God, if you want to serve God, you must be willing to be interrupted. That’s called being AVAILABLE! Most of Jesus’ ministry and most of Jesus’ miracles were interruptions. Think about it - all the people he healed…the blind man, the lame man, the sick people, the paralyzed man, the dead child…all of them were interruptions. His first miracle - interrupted at a wedding.
The Bible says this in Proverbs 3:28, “Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now”. Servant-hearted people don’t procrastinate. They’re spontaneous, they’re sensitive, and they say “OK, let’s do it!”
Here was John Wesley’s motto:
Do all the good you can by all the means you can by all the ways you can in all the places you can and at all the times you can to all the people you can as long as you ever can.
That, my friends, is greatness. You must be willing to step out and say “OK, out of my comfort zone, God what do You want me to do?” There are hurting people all around us, and the wounded will not wait. We’ve got to help them now.
Now what keeps us from being available? You see a lot of us say “I’d like to be used by God. I’d like His power in my life. I’d like to serve God, but I’m just not available.” And what is it that keeps us from being available?
Number one Barrier…self-centeredness. Philippians 2:4 tells us - Whenever you see a need right in front of you, guess what? MEET THE NEED. In the Pedlowe family we say it like this – “See a Need - Meet a Need”. God is giving you the opportunity to learn to serve, to learn to be like Jesus Christ.
Folks, the number one enemy of compassion, the number one enemy of serving others is busyness. We just get too busy! And because I’m so busy, I don’t have time to serve. I’ve got my agenda, my plans, my dreams, my goals, my ambitions. You know what the problem is? We hold up a “do not disturb sign”on the door of our heart, do not disturb. “Don’t disturb my heart. I’ve got my goals. I’ve got my safe little life going here, so don’t disturb me for the needs of other people.” Self-centerdness! Today, make a decision to start serving. Watch how God grows your life.
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