Being Good Stewards of God's Gifts

Believers are to be Good Stewards of God’s Gifts by staying Focused ()

Explanation: Peter reminds the scattered believers that they are living in the final times. The phrase end of all things does not necessarily refer to the final end time of Tribulation and the 2nd Advent; instead, it refers to the consummation of all things. With His death and corresponding Resurrection, Jesus has accomplished all that was required. On this side of the Cross, we are living in what the Bible refers to as the Last Days.

Because of this reality, Peter is urging these persecuted believers to live out their faith without holding back. Peter is trying to get them to realize the urgency of the situation, and to live in the moment by staying focused.

Argument: If the situation in the 1st century required urgency, it is even more important for us to stay focused and on-task. Since the amount of time we have left is an unknown, we don’t want to waste it. The human life span is basically fixed (80 years give or take) and each generation has to be focused on contending for the faith once delivered (). Add to this the closing window of opportunity in America with the culture’s increased hostility towards Christianity, and we definitely have the call to stay focused and maintain clarity concerning what is actually important

Application: We are called to be light in the darkness, and the Gifts are tools that empower our lights to shine brighter. Live with a clear sense of intentionality as representing Jesus. Seize the day for Jesus, not the Dollar

Believers will be Good Stewards of God’s Gifts when we keep on Loving one another ()

Explanation: Peter emphasizes the need for believers to act with sacrificial love towards one another. He elevates the need for love by stating above all, an indication of the priority of agape love to be our motivation for service. This emphasis on loving one another closely echoes Paul’s concerns as found in .

Argument: The repeated emphasis on love is one that we ignore at our peril. The love God has for us is sacrificial in nature as demonstrated in , “But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.” The Gospels repeatedly demonstrate the love of Jesus for sinners (, ), and the letters of the NT affirm that love.

Love for others is the hallmark signature that is required of those who follow Jesus (cf ). When we fail to love each other, we give the world the right to question the genuineness of Jesus. When we do love each other in a sacrificial manner, the world (and other believers) take notice. Peter explains that this type of love covers a multitude of sins. Thomas Schreiner comments on this by saying, “When believers lavish love on others, the sins and offenses of others are overlooked.” He references which states, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” Schreiner comments that, “The clear meaning is that love covers over the wrongs of others, while those who are full of hatred use the sins of others as a springboard to attack them.”

Schreiner, T. R. (2003). 1, 2 Peter, Jude (Vol. 37, p. 213). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Illustrate: Conversation with 3 ladies at the doctors office on Friday. Two of the three were out of church because of being hurt by other believers. I took the opportunity to point them to Jesus instead of the people, but it is difficult to separate. Jesus people are supposed to live like Jesus people

Application: The reality for genuine believers is that our life is not our own to do with whatever we want. We have been bought with a price (), and we are called to serve others with the same type of love that redeemed us.

Schreiner, T. R. (2003). 1, 2 Peter, Jude (Vol. 37, pp. 212–213). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Application: The reality for genuine believers is that our life is not our own to do with whatever we want. We have been bought with a price (), and we are called to serve others with the same type of love that redeemed us.

Believers will be Good Stewards of God’s Gifts when we actually use them to serve one another ()

Explanation: Peter issues an imperative to the believers in vv. 10 & 11. He reminds these believers that each has received a gift which reinforces the same teaching of Paul (; ). And since each genuine believer has been given a Grace Gift from the Spirit, they are to use them to serve others. Peter doesn’t list the various gifts as Paul does, but he sets up two categories to capture the essence of all the gifts. The type of gifts are either serving gifts or speaking gifts. Whichever specific gift, the emphasis is to actually use it!

Illustrate: Think of a giving a gift to a 5 year old, and then telling him to leave it in the box and not to play with it. Not going to happen!

Argument: We could use a sense of excitement and adventure as we think about the Gift we have been given. Think and consider: as one of the Redeemed, you have been called out of the cesspool of sin and hopelessness and given purpose and meaning. You used to be living alone in the darkness, and by the grace of God you have been brought into His marvelous light (). And why has God done this for us? So we could sit on a pew and sing a few songs every couple of weeks? Absolutely not! He Redeemed us and Empowered us that we might live for Him!

Application: If you aren’t serving, you are being selfish. You are withholding what God has graced you with from the rest of the Body.

When Believers properly use what God has given them, God receives the Glory! ()

Explanation: Peter tells these scattered & persecuted believers the ultimate meaning behind the giving of the Grace Gifts: that God would receive glory. Peter tells them to show hospitality to each other, to serve one another, and to proclaim the truth to one another. When believers do these thing with the motivation of love, the focus will be on God, not on the individual.

Argument: Peter reminds the believers that God is to be the focus because He is the One to whom the Glory belongs. The Living God is the giver of the Gifts and He is the One who gives the Gift of Spiritual Life itself. God is the ONLY One who is worthy of this type of praise and worship. He is the Supreme Being who is in control of the entire Universe, and it is His Kingdom that will have Eternal Dominion (). We commit the sin of idolatry when we abuse the gifts by placing the focus on ourselves.

Application: Is God receiving glory from the way you live your life? If you are a believer, that is the expectation you are under. God has redeemed you and equipped you and gifted you that you might serve Him by being His light in the darkness. Covering up His light through worldliness and/or neglect is sin.