Sermon Podcast
"Agape characterizes God and what He manifested in the gift of His Son. It is more than mutual affection; it expresses unselfish esteem of the object loved. Christ’s love for us is undeserved and without thought of return. The love that His followers show, Paul now says, should be the same."
Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, Expanded ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), 1836.
1 Peter 4:10-11
1. Each believer has received a gift (v.10a)
2. This gift is for serving other believers (v.10b)
3. Serving one another makes us good stewards of this gift (grace) (v.10c)
4. Spiritual gifts demonstrate the manifold grace of God among the Church (v.10d)
5. The first category of spiritual gifts is "speaking" (v.11a)
6. Those with "speaking" gifts are to use them as "speaking the utterances of God" (v.11b)
7. The second category of spiritual gifts is "serving" (v.11c)
8. Those with "serving" gifts are to use them as "serving by the strength that God supplies" (v.11d)
9. God is glorified through our use of spiritual gifts when they are used His way (v.11e)
* #6 & #8 show that spiritual gifts must be done
by faith, not by flesh. When done by faith, they are then being exercised spiritually.
Faith is how the believer accesses the glorious benefits of the Spirit.
What are the Implications of 1 Peter 4:10-11
1. Every believer has a gift! Therefore, every believer can serve!
2. By giving gifts, this means that God has plans for us- His will/good works- Eph 2:10
3. By giving gifts, His will/good works can only be accomplished by what He supplies. It's His way, done with His Word, done in His power which is by His Spirit in us. We are simply the tools that He chooses to work through.
If it is Him working through us, our submission is the only way to experience the supernatural.
4. We must handle these grace gifts faithfully. Exercising God's gifts in God's way will be a major factor regarding our faithfulness at the Judgment Seat of Christ -2 Cor 5:10.
Imperative- "A command or exhortation”
"But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
And I show you a still more excellent way."
Indicative- "A statement of fact"
"You are desiring the sensational gifts.
And I show you a still more excellent way.
"Agape characterizes God and what He manifested in the gift of His Son. It is more than mutual affection; it expresses unselfish esteem of the object loved. Christ’s love for us is undeserved and without thought of return. The love that His followers show, Paul now says, should be the same."
-Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, Expanded ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), 1836.
"There is no contradiction between humility and an authoritative boldness. Christ had both. He embraced children and also drove the money changers from the temple. Circumstances dictated which characteristic should be publicly manifested."
-Robert Gromacki
"Many believers today do not realize that the church is involved in warfare, and those who do understand the seriousness of the Christian battle do not always know how to fight the battle. They try to use human methods to defeat demonic forces, and these methods are doomed to fail."
-Warren W. Wiersbe
"Grace speaks of a gift, not of barter or trade however unequal. It is pure kindness, not the fulfilling of an obligation. An act in order to be gracious must stand disassociated and alone. Divine salvation is, therefore, the kindness of God toward sinners. It is not less than it would be had they sinned less. It is not more than it would be had they sinned more.
It is wholly unrelated to every question of human merit. Grace is neither treating a person as he deserves, nor treating a person better than he deserves. It is treating a person graciously without the slightest reference to his deserts. Grace is infinite love expressing itself in infinite goodness."
