55. CovenantCommunityLivinge

Covenant Community Living: Intentional Love

1Pe 4:7-11  But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.  (8)  And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "LOVE WILL COVER A MULTITUDE OF SINS."  (9)  Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.  (10)  As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  (11)  If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

We are looking at intentional Christian living in the context of the church in the midst of suffering and persecution. Peter uses the words ‘one another’ in verse 8, 9, and 10. He is calling special attention to our place and function within the body of Christ always pointing back to the example of Christ as He who has ultimately suffered in the flesh for us all. He poured Himself out in accomplishing His Father’s will. Paul said he was poured out as a drink offering. There was nothing left in what he had to give. That reminds me of a football game I saw between the Saints and the Dallas Cowboys many years ago. I can’t remember if it was a regular season or a playoff game, I can’t even remember who won the game. What I do remember is the way the game was played by both teams. The sound of the hits, the sounds of exertion could be clearly heard and at the end of the game there was no celebration for the winner. Players on both sides were either laid out on the ground or bent over gasping for breath. They had literally poured themselves out and they had nothing left. Infinitely greater is the sacrifice of our Christ on our behalf who laid aside His glory in His deity, left the glory of His heavenly home and the worship and adoration of the heavenly host, and left the presence of His Father. He fulfilled the Law in the keeping of it in obedience and suffering the wrath of God for our breaking it so that He secured His people in a salvation that we, could never secure for ourselves and placed us together as a church, as the body of Christ, under His headship. And so in this end of times as we wait patiently or maybe at times no so patiently for His return or our own departure to glory that The Lord speaking through Peter instructs His church to live intentionally.

Intentional Prayer

Intentional Love

Practically Applied in Intentional Hospitality

Practically Applied in Intentional Service

Gifts Received

Gifts Employed

Responsible Stewards

For the glory of God

1. Gifts Received – as each one has received a gift

Words are important. And while some may be similar in meaning the distinctions in meaning are enlightening. Why didn’t Peter use the word all here? The word ‘all’ refers to the entire group as a whole. Each one refers to the individual members of that group. Why is that significant? Because it means that God, in His infinite wisdom, looked at you individually and gifted you particularly for a specific role and function in the body of Christ.

1Pe 2:9  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

As a result of your being chosen, redeemed, saved, you have been made a holy priesthood. The Lord has gifted you for your unique place in this body of believers. Many times, we look at ourselves and think we have nothing to offer. We may think I can’t teach Sunday school or preach. This text exposes the lie of those kinds of thoughts. While we are not all gifted to preach and teach; we are all gifted in accordance to the will of God to fulfill the specific function in the church that He has assigned. What does this mean? It means that when you are absent the body is missing that unique part that you fill. We are one body and many parts.

In western Christianity we have departed from a Biblical view of the function of the church. Western Christianity sees the pastor as really the only functioning part of the church when that couldn’t be further from the truth. Pastors are one part and we are as reliant on the church as everyone one else.

The Greek word for gift is charisma. It literally means gift of grace. According to L. O. Richards Expository Dictionary of Bible Words it focuses attention on how we are called to function within the body of Christ. God has given each believer a special endowment from the Spirit, so that he or she can make a distinctive contribution to individuals and to the community of faith. Living together, united by the bonds of brotherly love, each of us is used by God to enrich our brothers and sisters and to stimulate their growth to love and good deeds and Christian maturity.

Rom 12:6  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us….

Eph 4:7  But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.

You may be asking yourself ‘does this include the supernatural gifts’? Tongues, prophecy, healing, etc. Let me give a brief overview of my position. I believe the Bible teaches that the supernatural gifts were in part distributed as a sign and seal of the apostolic authority in the church. We have a road map set out in Act 1:8  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." On the day of Pentecost tongues were spoken and the apostles were there. Philip preached and the Samitans believed but it was not until Peter and John went that tongues were spoken. Peter went to Cornelius the gentiles house, preached the gospel and tongues were spoken. Paul meeting the disciples who were baptized in John’s baptism spoke in tongues. Paul was an apostle. Paul said he wanted to impart some gift when he visited Rome in the first chapter of Romans.

Gifts are given, but they are not to be placed upon a shelf for display. They are functional, practical, and designed for use by us from God. We have a classification system for gifts in our house. They are divided into do things and be things. Do things are actvity and be things are like clothes. The gifts we receive from God are all do things.

If you are in Christ Jesus, you are gifted. It is amazing that God uses poor, redeemed sinners in His amazing plan for growing us up in Christ. This is what Paul said

Eph 4:15-16  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,  (16)  from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

2. Gifts Employed – minister it to one another

Peter enjoins us to use the gifts that we have been given. The world calls us to use our gifts and talents for self-promotion and advancement. We are called to use the gifts that God has given us in service, in His service. And primarily, though not exclusively in serving one another.

Gal 6:9-10  And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.  (10)  So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

The word to minister is the verb form of deacon. It can also be translated as serve. Though there is an office of deacon and one of the qualifications is service none of us are free from the calling and command of service to and for one another.

How do we minister and serve one another? First me must be a close enough community that we know what each of our needs are. Then just as we learned in Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life we must be willing to sacrifice our time in our service to one another. Service to one another can be as simple as sending a encouraging note. Having a cup of coffee together. Praying for and with one another. It is encouraging to our hearts to be with friends and brothers and sisters in Christ.

3. Good stewards – as good stewards of the manifold grace of God

notice that Peter inserts the word good. Good is not average, it is that which is intrinsically good. Steward is one who had the responsibility of the proper use and disposition of something entrusted to one’s care. He had no wealth himself but accumulated and distributed His master’s wealth as directed. We have gone over this in our Sunday School. We are to be good stewards of the time and finances that God has given us. Again I need to remind all of us that Peter is not merely offering suggestions but commands for the maintaining of the church.

Mat 25:14-28 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  (15)  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  (16)  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  (17)  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  (18)  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  (19)  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  (20)  "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  (21)  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'  (22)  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  (23)  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'  (24)  "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  (25)  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.'  (26)  "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  (27)  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  (28)  So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  

Our ladies meet together on Thursdays to sew. They have made head covers for kids with cancer, face masks during covid. The world may think it is a small thing and of little importance but I can tell you from personal experience that it is in the small things that the love of Christ is displayed.

We see that it is not just a matter of receiving gifts of grace but it is for the distribution of those gifts to others for the benefit of the church. We are to be good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Manifold literally means varied. God’s gifts of grace are varied dispensed to each of His people according to the needs of the moment. There is grace in the ministry of the word and it may bestow grace upon the hearer either in encouragement of their soul of the conviction of sin.

There is grace bestowed from the ones who serve meeting the physical needs of the brethren. We are the means that God uses to show His love, to bestow His provision in times we need it most. It is the small acts of kindness and service that are a constant reminder of God’s tender care. As Christ has loved us so we love one another.

Joh 13:34-35  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  (35)  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Loving one another fervently from the heart goes beyond words. Husbands and wives how do you know your spouse loves you? Do they tell you? But what if there were no actions to confirm that declaration? Would it cause you to doubt? But when the declaration is confirmed by actions it is we are assured. It is when those bonds are strong that they are the greatest help in times of trouble. So it is with the church.

1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

In verse 11 we two classes of gifting. The gifts concerning the ministry of the word and gifts of service. Paul makes the same distinction.

Rom 12:6-8  And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;  (7)  if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;  (8)  or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Those who speak as one who is speaking the oracles of God. He is not the purveyor of his own notions or philosophical viewpoints but is to apply themselves in the careful study and presentation of the word of God. It sets a hedge about us. It is the word of God alone that is to be ministered to one another whether publicly or privately and we rely not on visions or dreams or ‘new revelation’ rather on that Word of God that has been set before us in the Old and New Testament, handling accurately the Word of Truth. Those that preach and teach are those that say ‘Thus sayeth the Lord’

The one who serving in the strength which God supplies. What is the spiritual dynamic? Clearly when we rely on God’s strength, God Alone will receive the praise through Jesus Christ. This begs the question for us all believers with serving gifts -- Who is doing the serving? Or better yet in whose power and for whose glory are you doing what you are doing? Who does my teaching or serving draw attention to? To myself or to God? Does it give those around me a proper opinion of God?

Eph 4:11-13 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.

John Piper says in a summary of verse 10 "the picture we have in 1Pe 4:10 is of a house with variously talented stewards who are given the owner's funds to administer. The house is the church, the stewards are all of you, the various talents are all our varied gifts, the funds are God's grace and the administration is the exercise of our gifts. The most striking part of this comparison is the analogy between the owner's funds and God's grace. Grace is the currency in the household of God. We are called to be stewards of grace. We have a board of stewards in the Minnesota Baptist Conference and they are given the responsibility to receive and disburse thousands of dollars for the household called the Minnesota Baptist Conference. That's the way we should think of our responsibility in the church - all of us. We are recipients of grace and it is our duty to disburse this grace for others. The vehicle by which we make these disbursements is our spiritual gift. So now we have another definition of spiritual gifts: they are abilities by which we receive the grace of God and disburse that grace to others. This fits beautifully with our earlier definition of spiritual gifts as the abilities given by the Spirit which express our faith and aim to strengthen the faith of others. They fit together because faith is what the house owner wants in all his stewards and grace is the only currency that can purchase faith. Or, to change the image, faith feeds on grace and is strengthened by grace. God gives us his grace in Christ and all the promises that are Yes in him, and our response is faith; then we, in the exercise of our spiritual gifts disburse that grace to others and thus feed their faith. It is the free and precious grace that strengthens the heart in faith (Heb 13:9-note). So, what should be happening at… (every church) is that all God's stewards -- all of you -- should be waking up to more and more of God's grace that you have in Christ, and finding more and more ways to creatively disburse that grace to each other and to those outside by the use of your spiritual gifts. O, that the Spirit might cause a wheeling and dealing in the currency of grace at Bethlehem Baptist Church (and in every one of His local bodies across the world)!"

4. For the glory of God. How do we do that? God is glory, it is something that cannot be separated from who He is. So how is God glorified in the context of these verses? He is glorified when we acknowledge and exercise the gifts that He has been bestowed upon us in the power that He Himself supplies, for the purpose for which He has granted those gifts.

Eph 4:7  But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.

We give glory to God in our submission and obedience to the revelaed will of God, His Word.

As God ordained the means of our salvation He also ordained the means of our perseverance so that in all things He is glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen