Sermon Tone Analysis

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Faithfully administering God’s grace

 

 10 Each one should use *whatever gift* he has received to serve others, faithfully administering *God’s grace* in its various forms.

11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.

If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

*To him be the glory* and the power for ever and ever.

Amen.

*1 Peter 4:10, 11*

* *

Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help.

That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time.

Oh, yes!

The Message

 

**10 ἓκαστος καθὼς ἔλαβεν χάρισμα εἰς ἑαυτοὺς αὐτὸ διακονου̂ντες ὡς καλοὶ οἰκονόμοι ποικίλης χάριτος θεου̂,

 

 

If you were here last Sunday evening you will know that we are like folks still surrounded by a great mound of unopened presents!

John – who knew Jesus personally, just like the writer of this our second motto text – reminded us:

 

*From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

JOHN 1 v 16*

* *

Through the coming of Christ we are the recipients of ONE BLESSING AFTER ANOTHER.

What shall we do with all these wonderful things?

And again this morning – we reminded you of the wonder of Christ who is ABLE TO HELP, ABLE TO DEAL GENTLY and ABLE TO SAVE COMPLETELY

 

One blessing after another – surely we are expected to DO SOMETHING WITH ALL THIS WONDERFUL GRACE?

And of course the answer is YES!   Share it!

And so – as I bow out as your moderator I commend to you all in particular this view of the CHURCH IN ACTION as presented by Peter

 

 10 Each one should use *whatever gift* he has received to serve others, faithfully administering *God’s grace* in its various forms.

    ….

so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

*To him be the glory* and the power for ever and ever.

Amen.

I want you to think about it in the following way:

 

 

À                *The gifts                                                                  WHAT*

À                *The grace                                                                 HOW*

À                *The glory                                                                 WHY*

 

But before I settle in to my exposition I want to point out a number of ways in which this little passage is suited to our fellowship here at Bristol Road.

We have been looking for a pastor for a long time now – and the task continues.

We have considered many of the gifts that we expect a pastor to have – but what we really need to know about are the gifts already distributed within the fellowship.

We have been concerned recently with Elders and Deacons – and there is something of the distinction of office here in this little passage too – for Peter distinguishes between the SPEAKING and SERVING gifts of the church.

Notice how his words about sharing actually *begin in verse 8*

 

/8 //Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling./

I do not think you can call love a gift – but hospitality is certainly one of the SERVING gifts.

Keep that in mind as we look at our motto text.

I also want you to notice the full extent of the READING – I chose to read on into Chapter 5 – because that passage has a lot to say to Elders (as well as pastors)  and I want them to study the passage carefully!

So, let’s look at what Peter says here about SHARING THE GIFTS and the MULTICOLOURED GRACE of God – for that is what it means – it is a rich tapestry of different colours – different gifts – whether they be speaking or serving gifts.

! 1.

The gifts – what they are

 

9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.

If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides,

 

Both Paul and Peter have a lot to say about the GIFTS given to the Church.

Sometimes we get a bit sensitive about that – because we think that we are on dangerous ground – and that it is the CHARISMATIC GIFTS that are being mentioned.

Well, so they are, but there are other gifts as well.

If in the great scheme of Christmas presents you had been left out – whether by design or choice – or accident – you would be very much aware of it.

In the great scheme of things the Holy Spirit gives to each believer AS HE WILLS,

and in the light of what Jesus said about talents and pounds and digging holes in the ground – we should all be very careful that we KNOW WHAT GIFT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN.

I remember as a child being made to make a list every Christmas Day – so that I would remember WHO gave WHAT.

This was so that I would be able to say or write a suitable Thank You!

As time passed I developed other strategies.

This applied  particularly in the classroom when – on other occasions – I was given gifts by the children in my class and they didn’t all write their name on the object – but on the packaging that came with it.

Oh it was so easy to forget!

I challenge you to examine the list of your own spiritual life.

What gifts has God given to you which He expects you to use for Him?   How many holes are there in your life and mine – where gifts and talents have been buried that should be “invested” in the service of the King?

Notice that Peter tells us:

 

Given to all

Different gifts

Of which examples are provided

 

10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.

If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.

Amen.

*Each one should use whatever gift he has received*

 

There is no suggestion of being left out – is there?

Notice the stresses:

 

EACH ONE

 

WHATEVER GIFT he has received

 

We notice that Peter describes a range of gifts – although his list is nothing like as comprehensive as those elsewhere in Paul;

 

À    Hospitality

À    Speaking

À    Serving             -  the word is the verb from which we get Deacon!

The one thing that is clearly missing here is INACTIVITY!

 

! 2.  The grace in it’s various forms

 

faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

The phrase Peter uses to describe the grace of God is interesting - 

 

ἓκαστος καθὼς ἔλαβεν χάρισμα εἰς ἑαυτοὺς αὐτὸ *διακονου̂ντες* ὡς καλοὶ οἰκονόμοι *ποικίλης** **χάριτος* θεου̂,

 

*multicoloured grace*    “in its various forms”  “manifold” 

 

What the Message renders as “God’s bright presence”

 

God’s gifts are MANY and VARIOUS – it is not in His nature to be uniform.

Consider the wonderful variety of His creation – and you will begin to understand what manifold grace is!

 

 

Secondly notice that what Peter is stressing is *FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP* OF THAT GRACE

 

faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

Our trouble seems to be that we have a very limited view of that diversity of grace.

We are accustomed to our own particular range of hues and textures – when God offers us the rich diversity of His person.

It is required of us that we take in it’s breadth – and are found *FAITHFUL*

 

 

Then you will also see that Peter tells us that THE EXERCISE OF THE GIFT MUST MATCH *THE POWER IN WHICH IT WAS GIVEN*:

 

11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.

If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides,

 

If a speaking – or perhaps we would say, MINISTRY GIFT – then it must have all the AUTHORITY OF GOD THE GIVER

 

*As one speaking the very words of God…*

* *

That is a very solemn and demanding requirement.

If serving – whatever it be *IN THE STRENGTH GOD PROVIDES*

* *

* *

If ever there were a description of what the believer’s duty in respect of his work for the Master it was this:

 

FAITHFUL

 

SPEAKING THE VERY WORDS OF GOD

 

SERVING IN THE VERY STRENGTH OF GOD