Kingdom Building Gifts: Part 1

Call to worship

Ps 54 “ O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might. O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves. Selah Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them. With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.”

OPENING PRAYER

Our heavenly Father, we thank you that you are our safe keeper, that you protect us from the evil one and the evil among us. Thank you that you have given us the grace to gather as your people to worship and honor you this Lord’s day, we pray that we would offer our freewill offering of generosity and worship and thankfulness to you with joy because of your goodness. You truly have delivered us from every trouble, even troubles we know nothing of, and especially the great trouble of sin and eternal death, and we are forever grateful to you for it. Let us worship you joyfully this day we pray, in Jesus name, AMEN.

WORSHIP SONGS

SERMON

THE GIFTS OF GOD

REVIEW - long game / passion - today: 1 Peter 4:7-11

these aren’t new, necessarily, but their administration has changed, the way they’re distributed has changed.

in the OT they were given to only a few - prophets, priests, judges, kings.

in the NT, the time that we live, we have all been made priests and under-rulers (1 Peter 2:9 calls Christians a royal priesthood)

and NT also makes clear the the gifts are given to all believers

Eph 4:8 “Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.””

John 14:12 ““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”

So that means, you’ve got gifts. Holy Spirit powered gifts.

REMEMBER - the primary gifts of the spirit are conviction of sin and repentance. BUT! There are others…

and in the work of advancing the kingdom of God, God works through his people, and one of the ways he does that is through his gifts...

1 Peter 4:7-11 “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

I’ve got TWO things I want to convince you of today.

FIRST - the kingdom is advanced today by the gifts of God.

SECOND - those gifts are worthless without real Biblical LOVE

1 Peter 4:7 “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.”

The end of all things - this is a peculiar phrase. This is the only time that it appears in the Bible.

at first glance, because of our dispensational religious culture, we think he’s talking about the end of the world… but I don’t think so.

We know that at the “end” it’s not the “end of all things” but rather it’s the renewal of all things.

“behold I am making all things new” Rev 21:5.

Rom 8:22 “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”

So what end is at hand? It’s the end of the old covenant. It’s concluding, wrapping up, transitioning into the new covenant.

Jesus is pouring the Holy Spirit our upon his people, the ceremonial cleansing laws are being lifted (Peter vision about eating meat), and they are being sent out to the Gentiles after the Jews have rejected Jesus

this transition to NT takes time, it’s not instant

takes about 40 years to happen, and culminates at the destruction of Jerusalem in around 70AD.

The kingdom is here, and it’s growing, and it’s about to explode across the world.

But why is he talking about gifts here? What do gifts have to do with the kingdom? Well… everything.

Ezek 36:27 “And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

Joel 2:28-29 ““And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”

The spirit will be poured out, and part of the signs of that will be the gifts.

AND Matt 12:28 “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

The distribution of the gifts of God is the sign that the kingdom has come, and they are a gift to God’s people for kingdom building.

but sober minded and self controlled? Why does he say that?

First off - it’s a fruit, a gift of the spirit.

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

but also -> be sober minded and self-controled for the sake of your prayers - what prayers?

well, the kingdom advancing prayers - how did Jesus teach them to pray, y’all? THY. KINGDOM. COME.

IN OTHER WORDS: the gifts are here, for the purpose of kingdom advance, and the kingdom is advancing, what a time to be alive!

The LORD will build his church! And he is! And he chooses to do it through his people.

and not only with those gifts - but with all of them. Let’s keep going.

FIRST WAS - the gifts are here to advance the kingdom!!

SECOND - without love… the gifts mean nothing.

1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

Love? Yes. Love. The gifts without love for one another, it’s not going to work.

“above ALL” he says… Paul expounds:

1 Cor 13:1-3 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

BEFORE WE GO TO FAR we mean love in the right sense, Biblical love. Love that loves in truth.

not this mushy, nonsensical love, that ignores truth.

today when we hear love we believe that love means acceptance, “i love/accept you for who you are.”

but Jesus reminds us that if we “love him” we will “keep his commandments”

so real love requires first and foremost submission to God’s truth.

and it is ONLY WITHIN THAT SUBMISSION to his truth that we can forgive and cover other’s sins when they sin against us.

think about it - if we didn’t have a standard of truth - then who’s to say that we were ever sinned against in the first place?

And if no one has sinned against us - What’s there to forgive?

but if we love, with real love, that is love based on the truth of the Bible,

ILL: Imagine a little boy going to the doctor and being told he has to get a shot. From that moment forward the little boy FREAKS OUT, loses his mind, has to be PINNED DOWN in order to get the shot done.

then afterward the doctors and nurses, after the wiping the sweat from their brow from holding the kid down, tell the little boy “you were so brave, great job.”

They aren’t helping that kid at all. Now he’s got the wrong categories for what brave even means. Now his parents, if he’s got good ones, have to go home and explain, “actually son, that wasn’t brave....” so that they can raise a good Godly son that knows wha the truth is and knows what being brave REALLY LOOKS LIKE.

The same applies here.

We must love with truth, so that if/when we are sinned against, we can call the sin what it really is and either choose to confront, out of love, or cover, out of love.

otherwise, we aren’t being loving, we’re being cowardly, for refusing to deal with the sin at hand for what it truly is.

we aren’t willing to sacrifice our peace, our ease, our comfort, whatever. We just want it to be over so we refuse to enter into conflict.

Real love, requires submission to God’s truth, and it requires courage. The courage to call sin what it is, and to deal with it as it is.

SO REAL LOVE holds to REAL TRUTH...

but theres more than that... real love also requires proximity.

this isn’t hard, and it’s a pretty clear application from this.

1 Peter 4:9 “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

First - be hospitable. Invite folks from church to dinner, take them out to lunch, be friendly,

and do it without complaining.

“But their kids are gonna mess up the house and break my kids toys”

“But I really don’t feel like doing extra dishes”

“But they always show up early and then leave way too late”

But… stop it. Stop grumbling, and do it.

BECAUSE - it is a command of God, and it has a refining purpose. It matures you.

You can’t grow as a Christian, you can’t mature, without hospitality… without proximity. It’s not possible.

other Christians are one of the primary means of God refining you! of his maturing you in the faith!

they challenge you, they encourage you, they sin against you… all that good stuff!

Christianity is not a solo religion! We need one another.

Over the last eight years here in our church I have been blessed with some amazing deep friendships...

BUT PASTOR!

nobody ever invites me over! - invite them.

My house isn’t big enough! - Israel had one room tents in the wilderness, figure it out.

I can’t afford that much in groceries! - get creative! - tater tot casserole, google it, you’re welcome.

Rachel has this great book full of 20$ soup recipes that feed a crowd and we’d be happy to share some with you.

Listen - you have to do this. It’s not optional...

If you don’t have time with your covenant brothers and sisters, you won’t have opportunity to love them and you won’t mature.. Why?

well, because you won’t be sinned against.

1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

Isn’t that interesting?

Go spend more time with one another, so that WHEN you sin against one another, you can forgive /cover one another’s sins and GROW IN LOVE.

SO YOU CAN MATURE

You can’t grow, you can’t mature, unless you’ve got controversy to grow through.

Trials mature. Without fail.

they are the “fire” that Jesus speaks of that burn away the dross.

and you can only do this with folks you’re in COVENANT with. Work friends are great, but they come and go. School friends are great, but same difference.

ah but your church - that’s different. At least here it is.

See, at church we aren’t in covenant with one another because we like each other - we’re in covenant because of what Jesus has done for us.

This is why covenant church membership matters.

Church hoppers don’t grow. They don’t mature.

Why? Because when the controversy arises, when the drama starts, when they are sinned against, they run.

They don’t endure the gift of the refining fire that God gives us INSIDE OF COVENANAT CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

So. Spend time with one another, show hospitality to one another, and don’t complain about it “without grumbling”

because you’re going to rub one another the wrong way, you’re going to intrude on one another’s graces, you’re going to sin against one another.

Good. Because this is part of the way that God’s church is refined. We get to practice covering one another’s sins. We get to practice calling one another to repentance.

we get to practice laying down our lives in service of one another.

And we do it in love, love that is built on the standard of truth of God’s word.

Love that is motivated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He laid down his life for us...

we can wash some extra dishes...

we can invite one another over...

we can forgive when we are wronged and sinned against...

because he forgives us...

and we can do it in love...

because he first loved us...

let’s pray.

SERMON PRAYER

Father in heaven we thank you that you have sent your son to make our paths clearly straight in this calling. We pray that you would help us see hospitality as a gift given to us first by Christ, and we pray that through our hospitality we would love one another according to your standards, according to your truth. We pray for this supernatural power that can only come through your Gospel promise and through your pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon your church. We thank you that you have already done this, and that you are continuing to do it. We thank you for your kingdom building plan to renew the Earth through your church and the work you have prepared us to do before the foundation of the world and we pray that we would do it to your glory and honor.

We pray all these things in Jesus name, and we pray together saying:

(Matt 6:9-13 KJV) Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

RESPONSE HYMN

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Father we thank you that your word gives us marvelous promises. That if we confess our sins, you are faithful and just and you will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We thank you for the grace of forgiveness.

We confess that we have not loved our brothers and sisters faithfully according to your word. We confess that we have refused to offer one another hospitality, and we confess that we have loved ourselves and our own personal comfort over your commands and your people. Please forgive us.

We confess that we have been casual, not covenantal in our Christian relationships. That we have bounced from church to church, covenant to covenant, and have been immature as a result. Father forgive us, and help us to be covenantally stable so that we may grow and be mature in your grace.

Please give us the gifts that we need, the gift of love, the gift of hospitality, the gift of courage and truth, that we may work out our salvation with fear and trembling and grow to be mature followers of Christ. And may our children and our children’s children grow and confess and enjoy the grace of your forgiveness as well. In Jesus name, AMEN.

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

And now we celebrate the goodness of the Lord in that he communed with us, that he came and lived with us, he died for us, and he rose again to save us from our sins. To give us eternal life by his grace and power, and offer an inheritance for us to enjoy for the rest of eternity.

That he offered us his hospitality, while we were still sinners, that he didn’t refuse us and never grumbled against us, though we grumble against him perpetually, and that he grafted us in to the family of God by his overwhelming grace.

Today we celebrate that grace, that goodness, as God’s chosen people and we offer the world around us that same rest. That they may see us and know us by our love for one another, that they may be intrigued, and come in to enjoy that same inheritance.

Today this Lord’s table is a reminder to us of the one table that we all share as his people. The one loaf, the one cup, reminding us of the one body that we all are a part of. The one sacrifice to atone for all who would believe.

Today we don’t receive this sign solemnly, or sadly, or introspectively, but with joy! And with fellowship with one another! We practice offering one another hospitality in these moments as we visit and rejoice together while receiving the bread and wine. LET US PRAY

LORD’S SUPPER PRAYER

Father we thank you for this sign, for this reminder of the Gospel of grace and of your covenant promises to your people. Thank you for this celebration that we get to participate in this day, and I pray that we would honor you in it. In Jesus’ mighty name, AMEN.

OFFERATORY & PRAYER

The Lord doesn’t need your money, he will grow his church and fulfill his mission with or without you, but he commands us to give anyway.

And not only that, but he offers us a rich blessing Malachi 3:10 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

May we trust the Lord in this way, and may we experience his blessing of meeting ALL OUR NEEDS as a result. LET US PRAY

Father in heaven, thank you for your good commands and good law. We delight in it this day, and we pray that you would help us to see and realize your promises being fulfilled around us and through us as your people. We ask that you would use these tithes and offerings to continue to build your kingdom on this earth, and that you would help us to see it and celebrate it daily. We pray all these things in Jesus name, AMEN.

CLOSING HYMN

DOXOLOGY

BENEDICTION

And now in the name of the Lord JESUS CHRIST I send you out, I commission you, as God’s missionaries to the world. May we bring the good gifts of love, truth, forgiveness, and hospitality to those around us and may we be a light that shines before men. May the world see our gifts and be glad and glorify our FATHER in heaven and may many come to faith in HIM as a result.

And now in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ:

Numbers 6:24–26 (ESV)

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

YOU ARE DISMISSED.