Serve one another so that God may be glorified (1 Peter 4:10-11)

In the last 3 devotions I encouraged us to live in light of Jesus' return.

I said we should pray so that we may not fall into sin, love others by forgiving them and welcome Christians without protest.

 This week I would like us to serve one another so that God may be glorified as seen in 1 Peter 4: 10-11:

 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order (Purpose) that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen

 If you are a Christian you have a gift. Some Christians have more than one gift. There is no Christian on the face of the earth that doesn’t have a gift or gifts. You might not know what it is, therefore get involved in your local church and slowly but surely, God will reveal it to you. Your gift comes from God himself. He gives you this so that you may serve your Christian brothers and sisters. 

This is what it means to be a good steward. Then by implication, bad stewards are those who do not use their gifts from God to serve other Christians. Instead they serve themselves. But we are called to be good stewards of God's gift or gifts by serving other Christians. What are these gifts that we should use to serve one another? Peter mentions two.

One is speaking the word of God, verse 11(a) says, “whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God;

So when Christians get together, there will be some who are gifted in speaking, teaching and preaching, a good orator. Therefore, their role is to use that gift to speak the word of God. But why not speak about politics - the state of the nation, corruption, police brutality, sports - the latest transfer news like which soccer club is Messi likely to end up in? Man City or Man. United? 

Let's talk about the most popular subject in the world, corona-virus and its effects. Why not speak about what’s trending, what’s not trending, what should be trending. Let's talk about our favorite shows, series and movies.

Although these are good things to talk about, however when you are suffering like these Christians are suffering. When you are mocked, insulted and ridiculed. When you are verbally abused. When you have lost your place in the university, job, income, loved one, and health. When you are pressured and tempted to sin, the one thing that can bring you back from falling into sin, falling into discouragement, falling in depression, drifting away from God, is the word of God.

So those of you who have the gift of speaking, don’t waste your gift, don’t say I will leave it to the professionals. 

Don’t say I am busy right now. Instead speak the word of God to your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. They need you!

The first gift is speaking the word of God.

The second gift is practical service, “whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies.”( 1 Peter 4:11b)

In my mind if you need God's strength to serve, then it means one of two things: One is that the people you are serving are difficult, so you need divine resolve or determination to serve them or serving them involves hard labour, energy sapping, draining work.

I have chosen to go with the second option, because these Christians would have gathered in homes which meant that they needed to be shown hospitality. They needed to be fed, seated and well looked after. So you need energy for this.

But also these Christians were going through a tough time. They were suffering and being pressured to return to sin. Perhaps taken to trial and asked to defend their faith. Which meant they needed to be listened to. For someone to lend an ear to their plight. This can be draining, therefore you need energy, you need Gods’ energy. So there are some who are gifted in serving others in a practical way.

Today practical service, in the church, would be welcome greeter at the door, ushers, tea and coffee makers. Any one who works hard to ensure that you are well looked after.

However, Covid-19 has changed this. So practical service would take the form of calling people and checking in on how they are doing and buy groceries for those who cannot.

But why this particular gift? Again, when you are suffering, rejected by friends and family because you refuse to live in sin like them. When you are un-welcomed in your own community, when you are unwell and lost your job as a result of Covid-19, the thing that will keep you going is a community of believers, the church, God's people serving their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in a practical way.

So for those of you who have this gift of practical service, don’t waste your gift. Don’t say I don’t have time! I am doing too many things! Give others a chance! Don’t waste it and don’t be selfish!

Your brothers and sisters need you in order to push on, to persevere in their faith, so serve them. Treat them with dignity and sincerity. Give them a meal, go to the shops for them, buy their groceries and drop them off at their house, and take an interest in their lives.

And when we serve others by speaking the word of God and in practical ways, God receives all the glory. Not you, nor anyone else, but God alone.

For he is the one who gives the gifts to us, and so he deserves the praise as and when it benefits our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Our master, your Lord will return. Will he say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”?  “You have been a good steward of what I gave you as you have served many in need.”  Or will he say, “You wicked lazy servant! You wasted the gifts I gave you, because you did not speak the word of God nor serve others in practical ways for my glory!”

When he returns, what will he see you doing with his gifts?

Brothers and sisters, if you have fallen behind, on a break, have completely ceased from praying, expressing agape love, showing hospitality without grumbling and serving others, PLEASE  REPENT.

Ask God to forgive you and help you to do these things, so that when he comes, he may find you doing what he called you do.

To my non-Christian friends, what would Jesus’ return mean for you?

Perhaps an opportunity to believe in Him. 

When you see him coming down from heaven, then you will know that he is true, and everything he said and did was true, and cross the line and say yes: I WILL FOLLOW YOU! 

Dear friend, let me be clear, on that day it will be too late. 

For Jesus is coming, not as a lamb to forgive your sins and offer you an opportunity to follow him. No! You’ve got it wrong. He’s coming as a lion to judge your sins. 

So now, right now, at this very moment you need to put your faith and trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus, so that you may be forgiven and enter the new heaven and new earth.

For some of you, you might be saying that if Jesus is coming to judge sinners - bad people - the murderer, alcoholics, drug addicts, child molesters and abusers, I am safe because I am a good person, I don’t do those things, I do good things like feed the poor, pray the serenity prayer every single day and help other students with their homework. I'm a good person and therefore safe if Jesus returns.

Dear friend, let me be clear, on that day he will see you for who you really are. For his eyes is like a consuming fire. What will he see? A sinner! For the bible says there is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who does good, not even one (Rom 3:10). He will see a totally depraved person. 

So, when the door opens so to speak and Jesus appears, YOU ARE NOT SAFE!

Your good deeds will not make you right with God and allow you to enter the new heavens and earth. 

SO YOU ARE NOT SAFE!

But you can be. How? By asking Jesus to forgive your sins and cover you with his precious blood. 

THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL YOU BE SAFE! 

Then make time to pray so that you may not fall into sin, love by forgiving one another, welcome repentant sinners and serve each other.

God Bless.