In the sermon titled 'Consummation Living,' Trent Moody delves into 1 Peter 4:7-11, emphasizing how Christians should live in light of 'the end of all things.' The sermon outlines five key aspects of consummation living: seriousness and watchfulness in prayer, fervent love, hospitality without grumbling, using one's gifts for ministry, and glorifying God in all actions. Moody stresses the importance of being Spirit-led, which means being guided by the Word of God rather than emotions. The sermon underscores the necessity of fervent love within the church, highlighting that love covers a multitude of sins, and encourages believers to actively forgive and reconcile. It also discusses the significance of hospitality, especially in times of persecution, and the use of spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church community. Ultimately, all actions should aim to glorify God, reflecting the teachings of both Peter and Paul.

1 Peter chapter 4 we'll be looking at verses 7 through 11. Thus says the word of the Lord, but the end of all things is at hand. Therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another for love will cover a multitude of sins be hospitable to one another without grumbling as each one has received a gift minister it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks let him speak as the oracles of God.

If anyone ministers let him do it 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 let us pray gracious father we are so thankful lord for the words that have been prayed this morning, Lord for the words that have been sung and now Lord above all we are thankful for your word and Lord we pray that it would fill our hearts with this love that we have read about this morning with this love that we have sung about. Lord would you bring great unity to our body? Lord will we truly pour ourselves out for the church? Lord as Paul did, pouring himself out as a drink offering before you Lord that we would serve one another with full hearts, full of love and fervent love. And Lord, we ask this in Christ's name, amen.

You may be seated. So as we come to our texts this morning and considering this title, the consummation living or Consummation Living, How the Church Shall Live in Light of the End of All Things. We find here in this passage, again, Peter is bringing us through and teaching us how the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ lives in the midst of suffering and persecution and trials and difficulties. And we see this in the former parts of chapter 3 and even into chapter 4 when he speaks about Christ suffering for us that we are to arm ourselves also with the same mind that he had when he suffered for us. And then Peter brings us to this point in verse 7 and he says this word, but the end of all things is at hand.

That's really an attention grabber. It's something that would kind of perk your ears up and make you listen. You know the last thing that Peter had said in the preceding verses is, but live according to God in the Spirit. That is our command to live according to God in the Spirit. And if we are to be Spirit-led people, Paul or Peter here will bring us into these next verses to show us what it means to be Spirit-led people.

You know many times people believe that they're led by the Spirit of God because they have some emotional feeling and have some inclination towards something. But really the scripture teaches us that being led by the Spirit means that we are led by the Word of God. That's what it means to be Spirit led. Not that emotions are thrown to the side, but my friends, your emotions and your feelings should follow the truth of Scripture not lead it and so as we are being led by the Word of God this morning let us turn our hearts and minds towards what Peter teaches us here and so I believe that in this last section, again in the previous section there, Peter is filling out his thought and helping us to understand how to actually do this, how to live according to the Spirit in the flesh. What does it mean to live according to God in the Spirit.

Well, especially in line of what Peter says in verse 7, but the end of all things is at hand. There are a few different ways that we can look at this and that people have looked at this. The end of all things, literally to the present order of things or the end of the present order of things could be in reference to time. It could be in reference to things that are imminent such as the kingdom of heaven or the desolation of Jerusalem. It could speak of redemption and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and then in James 5 8 the end of all things.

So we need to understand that there's a broad understanding of the end of all things and I don't want to get tangled up into that too much because the point is the same no matter which of these it is is that we are to live according to the Spirit that we are to live among one another. Consummation living. The end of all things is at hand. How now shall we live in light of that? That is the point that Peter really wants us to get to.

So Some even consider how long a time it has been since Peter wrote these words. They think, wow, the end of all things is at hand. It's been 2, 000 years since Peter wrote these things. What exactly does this mean? But we must understand that time is to us, what it seems to us, may seem long as we measure it by our lifespan but in the eyes of the Lord this time is but nothing as Peter mentions in this second epistle one day is with the Lord is a thousand years and a thousand years as one day it is nothing to God he is the eternal present I am that I am And so we consider these things in light of that.

Verses 10 and 11 of the same chapter in 2 Peter say this, But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, What manner of person ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? That's what he's really trying to get to here. What manner of person ought we to be?

How now shall we live based upon what is coming? The end of all things is at hand." And so this pretty much summarizes what Peter is saying here in our passage. You know, too often inexperienced runners will slow down as they approach the finish line. You know they have given it all they had and when they see that finish line instead of running through the line they slow down before they get to the line. And that's not what Peter would have us to do.

Peter is encouraging us, he's exhorting us that as we see the end approaching, we are to press through the finish line. We are to live as Christians, we are to live fervent love as Christians until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Consider what Paul says in 1st Thessalonians 5. He says, but concerning the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say peace and safety, then suddenly destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman.

And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day but we are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as others do but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

But let us who are of the day be sober." He says, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation. You see, this passage I want to show you that Peter has laid out for us five ways of consummation living. They're laid out for you in your outline that I've given. And I want us to understand that As we are approaching the end of all things, let us not slow down. Don't slacken your pace as you think the end may be approaching.

Press through that line. You live as Christians through that line and right into eternity. At the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. So first and foremost, Peter leads us here in this. He says in verse 7, but the end of all things is at hand.

Therefore, therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. Be serious and watchful in your prayers. You know, I've heard complaints before from some who attend serious churches and they think, you know, you are just really serious about this. Yes, we are. We are very serious about the worship of God.

We are serious about the things of the Lord because the Word of God tells us to be serious about these things. It doesn't mean that as Christians we should go around as puddle glums and never smiling and not joyful but yet joyful at the same time in being serious and sober in our prayers. We understand that this world is not a playground. This world is a battleground. This world is where God has called us to fight the good fight of faith.

And so in doing that we are to be serious, literally sober-minded. It means to curb one's passions and to exercise self-control. So focusing, curbing your passions, exercising self-control in your prayers, thinking God's thoughts after him, praying for those things that are in accordance with his will. We don't pray, and Lord my will be done. We pray Lord nevertheless thy will be done.

We want to curb our passions. We want to curb our will to God's will Titus 2 6 as young men likewise exhort to be Soberminded the same idea there that we are in Exhorting to sober mindedness to thinking God's thoughts and not just focusing upon our wishes and our whims. But he doesn't leave it with just sober but he also says being watchful. It means to be calm and collected in spirit, to be temperate, to be dispassionate and to be circumspect, watchful in your prayers. Not being run away with your emotions.

You may see things coming in this world and in our society and in our culture that would make you want to be a little bit passionate if you would or intemperate but God wants us to be temperate and to be circumspect and to be watchful in our prayers seriousness and watchfulness as we pray for the will of God and the kingdom of God to come we see this also in first Thessalonians 6 or 5 verse 6 he says Therefore let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober. It is as the watchman on the wall. In the Old Testament you're thinking about that, the watchman, he had a responsibility to be watching what was going on that's kind of what it is like we know that the Lord Jesus told Peter and the disciples watch and pray that you what enter not into temptation You see our tendency is to enter into temptation. The end of all things is at hand. Does that mean another year?

Does that mean 10 years? Does it mean a hundred years? Does it mean a thousand years? We're not told that. But we know this the end of all things is at hand and we are to live and occupy until Christ returns.

We are to live as sober and watchful Christians. 1st Thessalonians 5 says also, but let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as of a helmet the hope of salvation. Second Timothy 4 or 5 says, but you be watchful in all things. Endure afflictions. Do the work of an evangelist.

Fulfill your ministry. That's Paul's exhortation to young Timothy. You be sober. Be watchful. You see, I believe that what Peter's trying to communicate to us is that we are to not look at life as a safe place to live we are not to look at life as a safe place to live.

You see, why do I say that? Well, Peter tells us in 1st Peter 5, 8, be sober, be vigilant because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. You know my kids, often we have some little kittens and they love to pick them up and play with them and they have a good time with these little kittens. It's amazing what that cat endures. Let me tell you, the devil is not like that.

The devil is much like what you would see on some sort of animal video where they're showing a lion in the wilderness seeking its prey. It doesn't go up to play with it. It goes to devour it. That is what the devil wants to do to each one of you. He is wanting to devour you.

That's why we are watchful in our prayers so that we would not enter into temptation. Consider and think about the temptations that come about us from every direction of life. Be watchful in your prayers. You see we have an enemy of our souls who seeks to devour us. We must live with this in mind.

Again we are on a battlefield. You know it's so tempting to get complacent about these things, especially with the material comforts that we possess in this nation, but do not be deceived. We are not on a playground. Be watchful in your prayers. Be watchful in your prayers.

Secondly, we are to give ourselves. How should we live in light of all things? We are to be given to love. Giving ourselves to love. Verse 8, He says, and above all things have fervent love for one another.

What an exhortation. He really gives us an emphasis on this. Above all things, just like the passage there in 1st Corinthians 13, the greatest of these is love. Above all things that we are to have fervent love for one another. Above all.

That is very important that we understand this is that something that we should be focused on more than anything else. That we have love one for another. Look at what he says. This is the first instance of a one another. We'll talk about that in just a moment.

He uses that word and that phrase three times in this passage. Colossians 3.14 says, but above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 1 Corinthians 13, again, that was already read, love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, it believes all things, it hopes all things, it endures all things.

Love never fails. It is the love of God that is poured into our hearts and that is shed abroad. It is to love fervently. Peter here uses this word fervently. It's really an important word and it literally means to be stretched out.

It is earnest in our love. Imagine again that illustration of the runner and he's running neck and neck with someone and he stretches out as far as he can to go across that finish line. It is even beyond that. He is stretching every muscle that he has. That's what we are to do.

We are to stretch ourselves out in love towards one another. We are to pour out our hearts to one another. Look around you brothers and sisters. You are to give yourself for these people. We are brothers and sisters in Christ.

Why did Paul pour his life out as a drink offering? One for the glory of God but he did it for the church. He did it for God's people. You know, oftentimes think of Moses in the Old Testament who likewise did the same thing. And God said, I'm just gonna wipe them off the face of the earth and I'll create a new nation out of you, Moses.

And Moses did what? Yeah, Lord, let them have it. No, he prayed for them. He prayed for them. How often are we praying for one another?

How often are we stretching our love out for one another? It's not easy. Think about how challenging it can be within just a family to love one another. There can be challenges there between husbands and wives and parents and children and siblings and now we've added that and multiplied that many times over here in this congregation. Think about how much we need to stretch our love out one for another.

Not being easily offended, not fleeing when there's issues, but that we love one another. You see, brothers and sisters, it is an intense and earnest love and it's not natural. It's supernatural. You have been given the love of Christ shed abroad in your hearts and it is for the purpose of loving. It is for the purpose of loving each other, the one another's.

It is unique love because it's focused towards each other. It's not focused inward. Believe me, we don't have to be commanded to love ourselves. We stretch that love out, don't we? Boy, we show a lot of grace there, but no, God calls us to stretch it out towards one another.

Again, this is the first of three one-anothers in this passage. As I've said many times, and you've heard it said many times, anytime you see something repeated, especially that many times in one passage, our ears should perk up. Really, this is the one-another passage, one of the main ones in the scripture, that we are to be focusing outward towards each other. It really is a key theme. You see this passage is telling us how we are to live life together in light and in view of the end of all things as the body of Christ.

Specifically those who are in our local church, this local congregation right here, we are to truly love one another. We are in covenant relationship with one another. We read, and I'm going to read here just a few moments, part of the church covenant, we have covenanted before God and man that we will love each other. And we are to do that and stretch it out folks, stretch it out. Those with whom you are living in covenant fellowship with will require that stretching out love.

We are people living life with one another and we are in each other's lives. You know oftentimes my wife and I have talked to other friends and we make this statement, we want you up in our business because we want you to love us. We're opening ourselves up because that's the only way to truly love. You can't love behind the curtain. You have to kind of open it up, be transparent with one another and pour out your love one towards another.

If we're going to live life together, you see Peter fills out the meaning of this by his next interesting statement. Listen, we read over it, but listen to what he says, and above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. That gives you a glimpse into the life of the church. It gives you a glimpse into the extent of the fervent love that Peter is talking about. You see, what he's talking about here is something that goes beyond anything that is natural.

Why would Peter say this? Why would we need to know that love covers a multitude of sins? You know, I find it interesting in the scripture when you just ask these simple questions. Sometimes the writer of the Gospels or the writer of an epistle will say something like this for love covers a multitude of sins. He's quoting the Old Testament here but he's quoting this passage because he's wanting you to understand something.

There's a lot of sin in this church and love will cover it. Love will cover it. There's a lot of sin in me. There's a lot of sin in this church. And Christ's command to us through the Apostle Peter in this epistle is that love will cover a multitude of sin.

That we're to be gracious towards one another and we're to love and stretch that love out. You see, he's telling us something about a covenant Christian community and what it looks like. When we truly live the Christian life with one another, there will be issues that arise. There will be disagreements, there will be rubbing each other the wrong way because we are sinners. And when there is, Peter wants us to know that this type of stretching out love will cover a multitude of sin.

There will not only be the occasional sin, but Peter tells us that love covers a multitude of sin. Oh, you know, it's easy if my wife or my children only do one thing against me. But can she love me if there's a multitude of things and can I love her if there's a multitude of sin that's what we're called to do you think about the disciples Lord shall I forgive my brother seven times we're just reading this other night and the Lord said no, but 70 times 7? That's how we're to love each other. We're to keep covering that sin, keep covering that sin, keep covering that sin.

Why? Because that sin has been covered by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when we consider in Matthew 18, when we read after that passage about church discipline and the correction that takes place, and when you read in that next passage there, he begins to tell this story about this man who owed this other man lots of money, I believe it was a thousand talents, which he could never pay off in ten lifetimes. And yet he was forgiven. But what did he do?

He went and he found someone who owed him only a hundred days wages. Something that could easily be paid in an amount of time. And what did he do? He took him by the throat and he demanded, you pay me every bit! How often do we act like that man?

You sinned against me. You spoke harshly or you did this. Brothers and sisters, let us consider the abundance of the forgiveness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Think about what is told to us In these passages here in Ephesians 4.31 and 32 he says, Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from among you with all malice and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another even as God in Christ forgave you. That's a stretched out love.

That's a stretched out love. That's how we are to love one another. You see, don't be surprised when sin arises. Now we desire less and less of it and in a mature faith we we pray that it would be less and less and it will in a mature faith but don't be disillusioned when you experience others sinning against you and you sinning against them. You see sin in the church is something unfortunately that will be with us until the end, until we are glorified.

And there's a couple of ways to handle it when it happens. I'm just going to list a few things, there may be more, but here's one of the ways to handle it. Flee. Get out of here. That's the unbiblical response.

That's not the way to handle it rightly, but that is a way. Many people do that. Many people flee when there's sin or issues in the church. I don't want to deal with that. That'll take too much effort.

That's not a stretched-out love. We want a fervent love. The other one is to get mad and to harbor ill will and bitterness towards those that may sin against us. We may not speak about it, but it's always right here. That's not a stretched out love.

You see, God wants us to stretch out. He said, love one another fervently because love covers a multitude of sin. You know there's other ways. It's unbiblical. The meaning of this unbiblical way that I just mentioned is mentioned in Proverbs 10-12 which is what Peter actually quotes.

He said, hatred stirs up strife but love covers all sins. When we harbor that bitterness or that hatred in our heart, all it does is stir up strife in the church. When you see strife in the church, What you're noticing and what you're witnessing is a love that is not stretched out. It's not a fervent love. It's a love that is allowing hatred to build in the heart.

The meaning of this is abundantly clear. If we have hatred in our hearts towards someone, then it will stir up strife. But fervent love stretches out and covers. It's like the love of Christ that's shed abroad, that covers our sin. And that's how we should live, brothers and sisters.

As Christ loves us, we are to love one another. You see, those who consider just how much they've been forgiven by God will find it much easier to forgive others when they are so insignificantly sinned against in comparison. You know, another unbiblical way to handle this is to gossip about it. Let's talk about it. Let's tell others.

Let's tell some friends about it. Maybe share outside the church. And this only leads to disunity and a fracturing and a dysfunctional church. Again, unbiblical and very sinful. When we do this, we add sin on top of sin.

When we gossip about someone's sin, you can do tremendous damage not only to them, but also to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. You bring shame and reproach upon the church instead of building up and edifying the church. If you've done this there is something for you that you need to do that you must do and that is repent. Repent to God and repent to that person that you have infected with your gossip. You need to repent to that person that you've gossiped about as well.

This brings reconciliation and healing among the body of Christ, and it begins to stretch out that love. You're giving them an opportunity to stretch out their love in forgiving. And that's how we're to live, one with the other. There is another response. I've said it over and over.

Love. Love covers a multitude of sin. You see, this is not to say that you don't deal with sin. I'm not saying that we just take every offense and every sin and we just sweep it under the rug and we just pretend as if it doesn't exist. That's not biblical either.

Matthew 18 gives us instruction on how to deal with someone who has offended us. He gives us clear instruction on how to do that. And we should do that. That is a proper biblical response. In fact, that is love.

If you have been sinned against and it is a personal offence, this is just my counsel on understanding the Scriptures, if you have been sinned against and it is a personal offense against you, how should you deal with that? There's one of two ways. Number one, ask yourself, can I cover that sin with my love for that person? Can I just cover that sin with my love? I love them.

You know what? They didn't mean that. You know what? They're probably having a bad day. You know what?

Maybe they're not feeling well. I just want to cover that sin. I'm going to love them as Christ has loved me. The other way is to go if it's a fence and a sin that you cannot overlook that you believe is something that is malicious and something that needs to be dealt with perhaps that you see a sin against someone else it's too great or you're unable to cover it maybe you can't help but harbor bitterness and you feel like I need to make this right, go to that person. Tell them their fault and may God grant you the grace to love and forgive one another.

And if not, what happens? Well, then you bring take someone else with you come to the elders with it and if that does not work then yes we bring it before the church that's what's listed in Matthew 18 15 and following that's how you deal with it you see this is vitally important Because it's impossible for this many people to live in close community with one another and not sin against each other. Don't be surprised. Plan for it in that sense of how will I deal with this? I'll love and cover it or we will take care of it biblically because remember it is handled in a biblical way it's not malicious it's not gossipy it's not one that flees from these situations but one who comes to each other comes to one another and they love each other and they cover sin and they are ready to forgive.

You know that is truly the mark of a Christian is that they forgive. They forgive one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples that you have love one for another. Stretch it out brothers and sisters. Hope Baptist Church has a church covenant that I believe is very helpful in this area and this is why we spell it out so clearly.

I'm gonna read from you and I believe I have it there in your handout as well in the Hope Baptist Church covenant and it's down a little bit if you're looking at the whole covenant but this specific part here I believe is so vital for our church and I want to read it and so often I'm afraid that what we do because we read this every time someone becomes a member of our church. We all read it and recite it together, but I'm afraid it's mindless recitation. Think about what this says. Think about it. We will cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech.

Strive to avoid all scriptural prohibitions such as tattling and backbiting and unrighteous anger. To refrain from speaking evil of one another, to be slow to take offense." Let me pause there just for a moment. I believe this is one of the most important things that we can do, that we would be slow to take offense. Different personalities are different, But we must be careful in this area. Not only in receiving that offense that we're slow to take offense, but let's be gentle.

These other things are for us that we're courteous in our speech. Strive to avoid all scriptural prohibitions and be slow to take offense. Picking up again, to think the best of one another, to always be ready for biblical reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure it without delay so far as it depends on us. Think about that. We have laid out in this church covenant exactly what I'm telling you.

That there are biblical ways of reconciliation. Let's be mindful of the rules of our Savior. He goes on down, he gives us some passages there that we can consider, and he says this, we will if necessary submit to biblically defined and regulated church discipline for the purpose of reconciliation with God and man and we accept that refusing to communicate or to flee is to usurp the power of the church and to break this covenant. Have you truly thought about these words? When you join this church, did you consider these words?

Do you hold them as what it is? It is a covenant before God and man that we would live this way. Brothers and sisters, if you've not read the church covenant lately and if you or perhaps like I said mindlessly recited it not really thinking about what all it says I encourage you this week it's on the website I believe of Church and Family Life go there and read it. Look at what it says. There's scripture all throughout it.

This is how we should live with each other. This is how we should live. So read it and think about it because this is what we expect as elders from the church. This is what I expect from my brother elders right here to live with me this way and me with them this way. This is how we should live.

These are biblical things. Consider it carefully. You know next in verse 9 Peter takes us on from here and he says this, be hospitable to one another without grumbling. Very interesting words here. So hospitable to one another literally means to it is the love of strangers.

Here Peter's second use of the term one another's. So he's talking about again how we live with each other in light of the end of all things, which shows that our hospitality is primarily for the benefit of the saints. I don't know that it only means it's so limited as right here. I believe it stretches out and it's all saints that we should show this love and this hospitality towards all. And in fact other words and other areas of the scriptures we know that hospitality goes to strangers because you never know.

In Hebrews we were told you may be entertaining angels unaware. You didn't know them before, you didn't go to church with them. It may be angels that you're having hospitality with and that you're sharing a meal with. But it goes beyond a meal. So often we think we've done our duty in hospitality when we had somebody over for dinner.

That's not what this is talking about. Now let me help you. Back up context. Remember a text out of context is a pretext so let's bring it back to context. What's the context of this book?

This book is written because it's written to people who are suffering persecution. Who was it written to? Turn back to 1st Peter chapter 1 and he says this in verse 1, to the pilgrims of the dispersion. These were people, these were believers who had been dispersed because of their faith and because of persecution. Can you imagine right now, think with me just for a moment, persecution came and squeezed us so hard right here in this church that we literally had to flee for our lives.

We had to get to another area. Maybe the laws of this area became so tyrannical that it was going to lead us to the very point of death or imprisonment and we may have to flee. Now, this is the context because remember they're scattered all over here. He says to, in Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, these people were scattered abroad, and they were experiencing heavy persecution. And think about this, when they left, they didn't have a U-Haul with them to take all of their stuff they went most likely with what was only on their bodies or could be easily carried and now they're coming to the church I need a place to stay I've got my family with me we fled for our lives We love Christ.

Would you take us in? And you bring that family into your home and you show hospitality. It is a love of strangers. Remember this love of strangers I believe is closely connected with the fervent love, the stretching out love that we are to have one towards another. You know it's amazing and I know that you've experienced it as well when you've met other believers elsewhere in other places maybe even in traveling or on an airplane you've met these people and you instantly have this connection with this person.

I love this person. Why do I love that? I don't know this person, but I love this person. The Spirit of God dwells in them, and I love them. And we show this love towards one another, and in this case, this hospitality, this stretching out love, which shows itself primarily for the benefit of the other.

And it may stretch you beyond what is comfortable. It may cost you something. In fact, it will cost you something. It is a hospitality that stretches you beyond what is comfortable. Matthew Henry says this, the hospitality here requires a free and kind entertainment of strangers and travelers.

The proper objects of Christian hospitality are one another. The earnestness of their relation and the necessity of their condition in those times of persecution and distress obliged Christians to be hospitable to one another. Sometimes Christians were spoiled of all that they had. They lost everything and were driven away to distant countries for safety. In this case, they must starve if their fellow Christians would not receive them.

Therefore, it was a wise and necessary rule which the apostle here lays down, and it is everywhere commanded. Hebrews 13, Romans 12 says this, Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and honor, giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality." It wasn't an unusual thing. It was a normal thing, given to it. You know, elsewhere Paul mentions there about Timothy and it's mentioned about men who are going to be elders of a church and preachers of the gospel, that they're given to it. That's what we're to be with hospitality.

It means that hospitality is a way of life. It's a life of openness and charitableness, holding all that we possess with open hands, ready to use it for the service of others. The purpose of material blessings, brothers and sisters, is not to feed it upon ourselves, but it is so that we would have opportunity to love and serve and for the benefit of others. Why does God give us wealth? It's not just to build up our wealth, It's not to build up all of the things that we possess, but it is to build up the kingdom of God It is to use it for the benefit of others and all this should be done.

He says without grumbling Why again does he say this? Because the natural inclination of our heart is to grumble Anytime that we've been put out Anytime that we're you know in a situation that's not comfortable, anytime something may cost us something, especially unplanned, We're put out, we grumble. Matthew Henry again notes, the manner of performing this duty is this, it must be done in an easy, kind, handsome manner without grudging or grumbling at the expense or trouble. Whatever a Christian does by way of charity or hospitality, he ought to do it cheerfully, without grudging. Freely you have received, freely give.

That should be the heart of a Christian. We don't really fully understand the length of this command. Again, as I mentioned earlier, think about this context that Peter is writing and to these believers who have been persecuted and destitute of all that they had. It wasn't just a meal. It was bringing a life and a family into your home and caring for them and without grudging.

Doing it with love, stretching it out. God gives us opportunities brothers and sisters to practice this stretching out. As we live in covenant community, we are going to be stretching out. And lastly this, he says that we are to be given to ministry. Notice in verse 10, as each one has received a gift, minister it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

It is as a gift received. Each one of us has received a gift. Why? Why do we have giftings? Well, so that we can just use it upon ourselves and get praise for ourselves, right?

No. Your gift, your spiritual gift is not for you. It's for the benefit of the church. It's for the edifying of the body of Christ. It is so that you can bless others with it.

It's not something so that we can have boasting about. It's something that will benefit our brothers and sisters, benefit the one another. Here's the third one another. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another. What is your gift?

What has God given you? Now, minister it, serve with it, give it to others for their benefit and for their blessing. That's the point of it. You see, who makes you to differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive?

So each of you have a gift and it's intended to be used for the edification of the body of Christ. Many of you are using your gifts, But some fail to see opportunity. There are some people who come to hope and because of the lack of programs and the lack of opportunities that we see in other churches they think I can't really use my giftings. Not so. Not so.

You see there's all sorts of ministering that goes on. He lists here just two. He lists speaking gifts and he lists these ministry gifts or serving gifts. These are the only two that are mentioned. The scripture only has two offices in the church, elders and deacons.

What about the rest of us? Does that mean no one else serves? No one else ministers? Of course not. How often do we hear brothers and sisters ministering with the Word to each other?

It may come in the form of a text or an email or a phone call or during fellowship time. This is ministering. This is serving one another. It may look and take the shape of helping to clean up in here. There's young men who have gone and helped people and mowed their yard and cleaned gutters and do all sorts of things.

These are the gifts of God for the purpose of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Minister it to one another. Again this third one another here helps us to understand that we live life together. I am to love you and you are to love me and we're to function as the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. And notice he says this also that we're to be good stewards of that gift.

God's given you a gift. Don't be as the man who had the talent, wrapped it in a napkin and buried it. Be the man who used his gift and it was a benefit and a blessing and it increased the kingdom of God. That's how we're to use our giftings. Have you been found faithful in ministering your gift?

Have you been found faithful? Are you burying it in the ground? Are you using it for the kingdom of God and its increase? There again as I said two kinds of giftings here specifically speaking the Word of God and in that one gifted communication of God's Word. It's whether in private or public and it's the Word of God should be our guide in it.

If anyone speaks, verse 11, if anyone speaks let him speak as the oracles of God, the utterances of God. Let this be our communication as we minister to one another and as it is taking place even now. It is being ministered unto you, you're being served for this. This is not for me, this is for you. That you would hear the word of God and that you would be encouraged by it and that you would use your giftings for the benefit of the body of Christ.

It should be the rule of life. The word of God, It is the Word of God and of eternal life. Peter says in the second epistle 1 in chapter 1 verse 3, as his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue. God's word should be our language. Speak it one to another.

2 Timothy 3.16 of course says, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine to prove correction and instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. And this, serving with God's supply. Notice quickly, This gifting that we have, he tells us to minister it as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. You have it because it is a grace of God poured out into your life and you should use it.

Ephesians 4.11 says, and he gave Some apostles and some prophets and evangelists, some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry. This leads us to understand that the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, there's not a comma there. You have a ministry to work out. Minister to one another. Love one another.

Serve one another. Use your gifts for the building up of the body of Christ. And why do we do all of this? Well, lastly, for the glory of God. Why do we do all things for the glory of God?

1 Peter chapter 4 and the latter part of verse 11 says that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever amen. I understand this to include all that has been said and is not limited to verse 11. That in all things our prayer, our love, our hospitality, and our service in ministering whether through word or through actions is for the glory of God. He says in Matthew 5 16, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Calvin said this, God does not adorn us with gifts that he may rob himself and make himself as if he were an empty idol by transferring to us His own glory. By that on the contrary, His own glory may everywhere shine forth.

God's not giving us gifts to rob Him of glory. He's given us gifts to give Him glory. Give glory to God, church. Give glory to God in serving and loving one another, being hospitable to one another. May all the world know that we are his disciples because we love and serve and forgive one another.

The doxology is this, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, to whom belongs the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Our Father, we are so encouraged and also so challenged by the text laid before us. Oh God, I'm looking out onto the faces of the people that you have redeemed with your blood and I love them. Help me to love them more.

When I look at them, help me to see Christ. Lord, I pray that you would stretch our love. Lord, I pray that you would keep us from petty differences. Being easily offended or speaking harshly or whatever it may be, Lord keep us from these things. Help us to truly love one another fervently for your love, Lord, in us covers a multitude of sins.

Help us now I pray. Amen.