1 Pter 4:10 for Youth Extravaganza

Start with prayer… Always!

Intro:

Give God glory for this opportunity to be used in this role, for the sole purpose of glorifying God though Jesus Christ.

Let’s give God glory for this Youth Extravaganza and to all who serve the Lord in the area of ministry for our youth… I know the sacrifice that you make all too well… so let’s give a round of applause in the sight of God and thank you for being a living sacrifice for our children to whom are our future

Transition…

Speaking of our future… I’d like to take some time for a moment speak to our youth based upon the theme of this event… Titled

YOUR GIFT… IS YOUR SUPERPOWER... SO USE IT!

If you have access to God’s word this morning… go to the book of

1 Peter 4:10 CSB

10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.

Body

Who’s your favorite super hero?

Batman… Spider man… Wonder Women… Black Panther {T-Challa / M’Baku or Shuri / Nakia}… 1 of the Avengers… or maybe the X-men

We grew up on a lot of those Characters but also we had Pop-eye the Sailor Man, Mighty Mouse, Thunder cats

For me… it’s Superman… hands down

Why superman?, you ask… he just has the best super powers compared any of the rest… I may entertain a debate considering who your super hero is… but as y’all like to say, I’m standing on business when it comes to superman

If you could have 1 specific gift or super power, what would it be?

I’d venture to say… that 9 times out of 10… your preferred super power would be close to or exactly like that of your favorite super hero

The other question would be what would do if you discovered that you had it?

A gift / superpower with the wrong mindset can hurt others instead of the purpose it was given to you, to help others… w/the wrong mindset it can even hurt you.

So what would you say that your superpower is?

So when we look at what this 1 verse of scripture says, that written by the apostle Peter… A real live person… he lived

An apostle is a man who was chosen / hand picked by the Lord Jesus Christ to be His apostle… They were chosen to be eye witnesses of the ministry of Jesus Christ and of His life, death/crucifixion, and His resurrection/brought back to life from the grave… So therefore, Peter is someone we want to listen to when it comes to things pertaining to Jesus Christ

We read what he wrote to a bunch of Christians who were being basically bullied for being Christians… have you ever been bullied / persecuted / ghosted or shunned just because you and your family go to church, etc? This is what’s going on in the time that Peter is writing this letter to them… He says to them

Every one… who is a Christian… has recieved a gift from God

Each one of the collective group to whom he is speaking to.

Each individual person in here has a gift/s

Some of us may even share the same gift, yet the way God has given it to you specifically is unique… can’t nobody do you like you… and God knew that when He gave it to us!

So what is this gift?

Charisma… a present given freely for the whole purpose of being shared with others… especially towards members of God’s family… Christians

and just like any gift we receive from someone, the hope is...

We would appreciate it and enjoy it

And that we’d use it for the purpose of which was given…

Parents… when you give your child a gift… especially one from the heart… It does our hearts joy when run out tell people… look at what my parents gave me… let me show you my gift

I wanna share it with you

so like our favorite super heroes… and the superpowers they possessed, they understood that the gift was not for only themselves, but it was to be used to serve/save others… Therefore...

If we look at our favorite super heroes… they had to take responsibility for that gift/superpower.

Peter says to these Christians… that they must be

Good/Faithful Stewards = Managers

Again we have to realize and understand that the gift/s that we bless with has been given to us... for us... to manage well

This means cultivating that gift… So that it can be at used to it’s fullest capacity

God wants His children to train that gift and then distribute it amongst His children and to those who are lost and bring them to the source of the gift / superpower that you were assigned to manage/steward <<< to be responsible for.

Transition

So I’m let you sit with these few thoughts on this verse… but I assume that some of you may be asking what gift do I have and some may think that there gift is their talents {though associated with your gift} the gift that Peter trying to teach here is spiritual

Spiritual Gifts

Romans 12:6–8 NLT

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Prophesy = speaking aka preaching

Serving

Teaching

Exhorting / Encouraging others

Giving… position to be a blessing

Leadership…

Kindness

Here is the clue if God may have blessed you with 1 or more of these super powers / gifts

It come easy to you… you don’t naturally where others or we struggle when trying to operate in a gift that wasn’t assigned to us… for us to manage…

Conclusion/Application

So in closing here is what God would have us all to take away from this lesson…

He want us to… Know and Believe… the God created all of us with a spiritual superpower/gift

Learn what it is if you’re not sure… and still having a tough time at it… God has blessed you with people around you

Manage it… Stewards

Take responsibility of it and cultivate it… train it… so you’re at full strength in that gift

Use it… to serve/help others… especially for those who belong Christ

Because it’s by God’s grace that you have the gift...

Make the gospel plea

Gifts… though we get receive them freely from those who give them to us…

But we know at know at some point a PRICE was PAID for us receive this gift of grace

But the greatest GIFT of GRACE that we’ve recieved is the gift of Jesus Christ

He paid the ultimate price… in order that we may have true access to the gift that God has given to us

Jesus is the gift… that all other gifts stem from…

Like my favorite fictional super hero Superman… get his gift / his strength / and his powers … from the sun… the S U N… you too… can receive your gift / strength / and superpowers from the Son the S O N