Spiritual Gifts - [1 Peter 4:10-11]

Well, there's an excellent book that we give out once in a while to a new members here at Bethlehem Bible Church. It's called by the title life in the Father's house. And I always love subtitles because the subtitles of books really give away what they're all about the subtitle to the book life in the Father's house is this a member's guide to the local church.

Very comprehensive book forward is written by Pastor John MacArthur. It's co-authored by two other guys and I know some of the men here in our church are doing it for discipleship. But in one of the chapters the co-authors write the following and they use an analogy to compare church life with a baseball game and.

They write the following quote. At a baseball game the coaches and players do all the work in a combined effort to win the game while the crowd looks on. Some onlookers are vocal supporters who say let's go you can do it at a boy.

Others are critics who say can't you do anything right? I could play better than that. Still others are indifferent like the wife who has been dragged to the ballpark by her husband and looking up from her needle point says.

What quarter is it? These spectators contribute very little to the outcome of the game. Though they may have strong opinions about how it should be played. Unfortunately, many churches are filled with people who approach church life as if they were at a ballgame.

They are content to let the leaders and some members do all the work while they themselves sit back and cheer. Criticize or simply pass at the time. But God's Word makes it clear that life in the Father's house is not a spectator sport.

Close quote my question to you tonight by way of encouragement and by way of exhortation is. Does that describe you? Do you see from your perspective from your lenses or were church life like going to a ballgame?

Is that what you were thinking this morning as you were coming to church? Let me give you a simplified version of the membership class that I teach here. I call it the ABCs of church membership. Why is church membership important?

The first day stands for accountability. Yes, we are ultimately accountable to the Lord. We will all have to give an answer. But we have each other to be accountable to. That's part of why we have church discipline.

That's what we have elders over us. That's what we have other brothers and sisters who disciple us and encourage us and speak words of encouragement and exhortation to keep us accountable. The second B is belonging.

It's important that every genuine Christian belongs to a church family. True, we all belong to the universal Church but we need to belong to a local family of believers those people who will support us through thick and Thin as I tell my children all the time.

We we have a family our family mom and dad in the three children. But we also have a spiritual family a church family and that's Bethlehem Bible Church. And that gives us a sense of belonging to the family of believers.

Accountability belonging and the C stands for what I want to focus on tonight. Contribution. Contribution that everyone who has been saved by God who has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit Has a contribution to make to the body of Christ.

Every single one of us has a contribution to make to the body of Christ. If you would turn with me to our text this evening as we study these two verses. It's in the epistle of 1st Peter chapter 4. We'll be looking at two verses.

Verses 10 and 11. Verses 10 and 11. 1st Peter chapter 4 verses 10 and 11. And as I walk us through this passage I'm going to ask and answer five basic questions that will help us unfold an Understanding of this passage now, you see the title is spiritual gifts.

I can come here tonight and tell you know what I have Revolutionized how we're going to do church life. I have come up on my own with this new inventory that you're going to take tonight. So you can discover what your spiritual gift is and it'll revolutionize your life.

But I'm not going to do that. I'm just going to walk us instead through the scriptures and see what these two verses. What the Holy Spirit says through the pen of the Apostle Peter concerning spiritual great gifts beginning in verse 10 chapter 4 as Each has received a gift.

Use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's very grace. Whoever speaks as One who speaks oracles of God. Whoever serves as one who serves By the strength that God supplies in order that in everything God may be glorified Through Jesus Christ to him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.

Amen. Five questions that we need to ask that are drawn from this passage that will help us give a more clear understanding of spiritual gifts. Question number one. Who receives spiritual gifts. Who? Receives spiritual gifts.

Look at the beginning of verse 10 with me as each. Stop there as each. In The Greek it's emphatic. The term is echoes. And it literally means as each and every one. In other words none Excluded as each and every one of you.

This is not referring to the spiritually elite. This is not referring just to pastors and leaders. This is referring to every genuine Believer. It's both for the new baby Christian and for the mature Christian.

It's both for male and female. Is both for young and old. No Christian is left out as Each of you as each and every one of you emphatic none excluded. Paul says the same thing in writing to the Corinthians in 1st Corinthians 12 verse 7.

He says to each. Again emphatic is given the manifestation of the Spirit to each and every one as Each has received a gift. Let me use some Abendrothian homiletics here. I like that. It sounds much better than Delegene Edie's true or false Christ gave the Apostles the prophets the evangelists the shepherds and teachers for the work of the ministry.

True or false. Wes are you nodding true. I Did this one with my college group and they got it all of them wrong. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 4. The question for the true or false is God gave some as Apostles prophets evangelists shepherds and teachers for the work of the ministry.

True or false. Most of the college kids said true, but it is not true. Turn with me to Ephesians 4 and We'll see as Paul also highlights with Peter's instruction is here in 1st Peter 4 that each and every genuine believer has received a spiritual gift.

Ephesians chapter 4. Verse 11 and he referring to Christ gave the Apostles the prophets the evangelists the shepherds and teachers For the work of the ministry. No to equip whom the Saints For the work of the ministry.

That's a very strong word. The word equipped there is. I remember nowadays it doesn't happen when you go and you want to fix an apartment. That's not very nice the wall you paint it. I remember the days when as a high school kid, I used to help my dad put wallpaper up that was quite a Challenge.

We'd sit there and paste it have to scrape the old wallpaper off and then we'd have to make sure we put it up On the wall in such a way where the pieces were seamless. That is the idea here that God has given these shepherds and teachers These pastor teachers to equip the Saints for the work of the ministry.

He didn't give him for them to do the work of the ministry. But to equip the Saints and it is consistent with the context of Ephesians 4 notice in verse 7. But grace was giving to the pastor and teachers.

No to whom to each one to each and every one none excluded. Look at verse 16. From whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped. When the pastor teachers work properly know when each part Everyone is working properly makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

So Peter's message in first Peter 4 is consistent with what Paul instructs the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 4 that God Christ the head of the church Gave these Apostle prophets in the foundation of the church and now the evangelists and pastor teachers To equip the Saints each one each and every one to contribute to the work of the ministry.

Back to our text first Peter by the time Peter is writing chapter 4 where he tells us in our text as each who has received the spiritual gift each and every one is Consistent with what he said earlier if you look at chapter 2 verse 9 How does he address these believers?

But you are a chosen race a what a royal priesthood. One of the doctrines of the Reformation that we as Biblical evangelicals believe is the doctrine of the priesthood of every believer. Yes, God has called in a special way through Christ the head those who are to be pastor teaches and leaders above us.

But we believe in that scripture teaches the priesthood of every believer that whether you are paid to be in ministry every born-again believer Is in full-time ministry. Every one of us each and every one none Excluded.

I remember at the former church small church. I used to pastor. I wanted to Kind of get this point across so I did something crazy, which is I know very uncharacteristic of me but I showed up at church one Sunday with a priest collar around my neck and People thought we might be going Catholic which was not the case.

It was just to illustrate as I taught through this the priesthood of every believer. That each one has a contribution to the body of Christ. Who is this each of chapter 4 verse 10 that Peter is talking about.

Go back to chapter 1 of the book and Let's see what he says about each of these. Who has received the gift in chapter 1 verse 1 he refers to them as elect exiles? The each of chapter 4 verse 10 were the elect the each Term chapter 4 verse 10 are what Peter says it also in chapter 1 verse 3.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy. He has caused us to be born again as We heard this morning. It's not our faith that has caused us to be born again.

But God himself has caused us to be born again. This is who he's talking about in chapter 4 verse 10 the each those who have by God been born again. He's referring to those who have an inheritance verse 4.

What kind of an inheritance an inheritance that is imperishable on the father than unfading kept in heaven for you? The each of chapter 4 is referring to those who are guarded by God's power verse 5 chapter 1 who by God's power are being guarded through faith.

These are the ones who according to verse 8 of chapter 1 love Jesus Christ. Where he says here though you have not seen him you love him. It is those who have an inexpressible joy. Verse 8 continues though.

You do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with joy. That is inexpressible and filled with glory. Going further down in chapter 1 verse 18. Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers.

These are the ones who were ransomed Verse 23 since you have been born again not of perishable seed, but of imperishable through the living and abiding Word of God. These are ones Who have been born again by God's great mercy through the living and abiding Word of God.

Chapter 2 verse 9. Which I referred to earlier. These are the ones in chapter 4 that Peter's referring to who are what a chosen race. Who are a royal priesthood. Who are a holy nation. Who are a people for his own possession.

Who have been called out of darkness into his marvelous light. Who are all those people just the pastor teachers. No, every genuine believer. They believe because they've been born of God. That is the ones Peters referring to in chapter 4 verse 10 when he says each and every one of you.

None excluded. So who receives spiritual gifts. The first question. Every believer every one of us. Question number two. When our spiritual gifts given? When a spiritual gifts given verse 10 continues of our text as each has received.

The term received in the Greek is in the indicative mood. The heiress tense, which simply means this that it's a definitive historical event that happened in the past a specific time in the past time when God had Caused these to be born again so that they could believe it's a definitive time in the past.

It has nothing to do with when each of these beliefs decided. I decide now. I want to have a spiritual gift. It's something that happened to them. It's passive by God in The same way that he caused them to be born again.

Something that happened to them in the past. And as we will see who is the one who does this? We see that more than likely it happened at conversion because it is passive we receive it as. Each and everyone has received at a specific time in the past.

Question number three. What is a spiritual gift? What is a spiritual gift? Simply in the Greek here. He says as each has received a gift. The term is hot is my where we get the English term charismatics.

It's really the root word for the term grace hotties. Hot is ma now it's important to understand what a spiritual gift is not before we understand what it is a. Spiritual gift is not the same as a natural talent.

Though natural talents are given also by God and can be developed and nurtured and. Natural talents are specifically to believers and unbelievers. Anybody can have a natural talent. Whereas spiritual gifts are only given to those who have been born again.

To those who are called of God. Let me give you some working definitions that might help unlock this idea of spiritual gifts biblically. This one's taken from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Spiritual gifts are special gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit upon Christians for the purpose of building up the church.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia writes this. Spiritual gifts are varied endowments graciously bestowed by the triune God upon individual Christians. But particularly intended to enhance the community.

Worship and service of locally gathered Christians and thereby to enrich the whole church. Note that it said locally gathered Christians of a local body of believers. Well, many people say well, you know, I I belong to the church and that's an important doctrine.

Soteriologically and ecclesiologically when God causes us to be born again. He places us into the body of Christ. First Corinthians 12 talks about that but in order to serve. To make use of our spiritual gifts.

It has to be done in a local context. A third and final working definition from MacArthur's commentary quote. Spiritual gifts are special capacities bestowed on believers to equip them to minister supernaturally to each other.

The key is equip. You see the marvelous thing about God. God just doesn't save us From hell when he causes us to be born again the work of regeneration whom God justifies he also Sanctifies and he'll ultimately glorify.

But he doesn't leave us like that. He equips us so that we can serve in the local body with these spiritual gifts. Question number four. Why are spiritual gifts given. The all-important question why in other words?

What is the purpose of spiritual gifts? They are given to each and every believer none excluded. There is something that's done passively given by God as we will see. There are supernatural ability to serve the body.

But why are they given. Peter makes that very clear. There's two reasons why spiritual gifts are given. Number one notice in verse 10. As each has received a gift use it to what? To serve yourself. To serve one another.

To serve One another. The first purpose of spiritual gifts that Peter outlines here is for serving one another in the body. Paul makes the same Idea clear in first Corinthians 12 verse 7. He says to each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good.

For the common good of the local body. The Greek term the aqua noon this it's an interesting term. It's kind of a menial term. It literally means to wait on tables. That's the kind of service that Peter is talking about here.

And I'm sure when Peter's is penning this text under the inspiration of the Spirit he might be thinking back to the words of his Lord and Recalling when Jesus told the disciples I'm going to be mocked and I'm going to be crucified but I will rise on the third day.

And immediately after that two of the disciples begin to Argue and ask Jesus a question. Could I be on your right hand and on your left hand? After he just told them about his crucifixion and resurrection the other disciples became indignant probably because they didn't get to it first and Jesus used that as a teaching tool and told them the Gentiles lord it over you.

But he who shall be first among you shall be last and the greatest is the slave of all. And he highlighted it with this Jesus's words. For even the Son of Man came not to be served. But to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Same word he came as a suffering servant. Peter not only knew this from his own Lord. He knew this from his experience in the early church in Jerusalem. Listen to this serving mentality that the early church had in Acts chapter 2.

Excuse me, I thought I turned it off and all who believed were together and had all things in common and they were selling their possessions and belongings in Distributing the proceeds to all as any had need.

All things were in common coin. O 'Neill a fellowship and of course one of the issues that rose up in the early church I'm sure Peter was remembering in Acts chapter 6. Luke writes. Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number a complaint by the Hellenist arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution and The twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said it is not right that we should give up preaching the Word of God to Serve tables.

Same word that Peter used here. Therefore Luke continues brothers pick out from among you seven men of good repute Full of the Spirit and of wisdom whom we will appoint to this duty, but we will devote ourselves to pray and to the ministry literally the service of the Word.

That's the ministry of the Word. It's it's a service. We don't have to prepare the meal the meal has already been prepared by the Lord. We simply come and serve it. This is why I guess we're given Peter says to serve one another.

He knew this not only from the Lord himself. But he knew it as he experienced in the early church in Jerusalem, but he continues how we're to serve one another in this first purpose of spiritual gifts verse 10 use it to serve one another as what as good stewards stewards.

Now let me ask you typically when when I might think initially of the word Stewardship, I usually we have a tendency to think of what? Money and finances and giving. And I remember hearing as a young Christian a great series from 2nd Corinthians 8 through 9 on financial stewardship.

But biblically stewardship encompasses more than just that it encompasses all of our Christian life. You're not only a steward of your finances. If you're a husband, you're a steward of your wife. If you're a father or a mother you are stewards of your children.

You are a steward you and I those of us who have been born again by the Spirit of God of the gospel that we Have been entrusted to By God to get preach it to others. So when we only think of stewardship in terms of finances, it's a narrow scope.

The biblical scope is a lot larger. And of course Paul tells us in 1st Corinthians 4. Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found. What? Faithful. Faithful, let me give you my own working definition of a steward.

A steward is this they revolve three parts based on scripture. A faithful manager. A steward is a faithful manager of the owners possessions. Of the owners possessions that The owner has entrusted to your care.

Faithful manager of the owners possessions that the owner has entrusted to your care. Everything we have is God's. Naked we came from our mother's womb and naked. We shall return and We're to be faithful stewards.

God has entrusted those things that are his To our care and one of those things is our spiritual gift because it is from him. We are stewards of this gift for the purpose of serving one another. But Peter doesn't stop there.

He continues in verse 10. Use it to serve one another as good stewards of what of God's Very grace. Emphasis on God's. This leads us to our fifth question who gives spiritual gifts. God is the one who gives spiritual gifts.

Specifically Paul says in 1st Corinthians 12 verse 11. All these are empowered by one and the same spirit Who apportions to each one individually as He wills as He wills. As the Spirit of God wills the same Spirit of God by which we are caused to be born again.

Chapter 1 verse 3 of 1st Peter is the same Spirit of God who endows us with these spiritual gifts. Well, let me speak on a practical level a little bit here. A couple of warnings. Couple of extremes to avoid.

One extreme is this you might have the attitude of. This I have the better gift. My gift is better. My gift is more useful for the church if you do have that attitude. You need to remind yourself. Your gift was not determined by what you wanted or what you sought after.

It was determined by God who willed it. Just as your salvation and my salvation was bestowed by God Sovereignly and graciously your spiritual gift was bestowed by God sovereignly and graciously. It is as he wills.

The other extreme attitude might be. My gift is not that important. I'm not really Important in the body. I'm not needed. Turn with me to 1st Corinthians 12. 1st Corinthians 12 beginning in verse 21 to answer that attitude.

The illustration of the body that Paul uses here. Verse 21. 1st Corinthians 12 the eye cannot say to the hand. I have no need of you. That's the first attitude of the one who says I have the better gift.

Verse 21 continues. Nor again the head to the feet. I have no need of you. On the contrary the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are what? Indispensable. And on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor in our.

Unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty. Which are more presentable parts do not require but watch this but God has so composed the body. Giving greater honor to the part that lacked it that purpose clause.

There be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. Verse 26 it closes if one member suffers all suffer together. If one member is honored all rejoice together.

Everyone in the body because God has caused you to be born again and place you into the church the bride is Important. It's by God's design by God's will. And Peter highlights continued in verse 10 here.

Not only is it of God, but it's of God's very grace. There's a diversity of gifts. Paul highlights this in Romans 12 when he says having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us and. Then Peter continues to describe these gifts a little bit more in verse 11.

And he gives two categories. Two general categories of gifts. But before I get into those a little bit as we close with verse 11 There are really three categories of gifts. Peter highlights here the speaking gifts and the serving gifts, but there are also sign gifts.

Notice how they're not included here. By this time in church history and in the canon there was no need for the sign gifts. Hebrews chapter 2 which I know pastor Mike will be getting to in his Exposition says clearly how should we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?

It was declared at first by the Lord and it was attested to us by those who heard the Apostles. Well, God also bore witness by signs and wonders in various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Now I'm not going to take the time to go over the sign gifts. I just want to get into a little bit about Speaking gifts and serving gifts as outlined here in 1st Peter 4th, but let me give you a couple of resources for the sign gifts two of them.

From pastor Mike actually, this is from his message. You can look it up on the on our Website and church website is from June chapter. June 3rd 2012 he was doing a series on 1st Corinthians 12, but he was expositing through that whole Letter and it's called spiritual gifts 101 and it's part three of that message, but The key to understanding that is at the very end.

He gives seven questions. What you would ask people who still believe the sign gifts are operable today. Seven questions. And another great resource you can look up online is by pastor Tom Pennington.

It's called the case for cessationism and he Taught that at the strange fire conference in 2013 two great resources on the sign gifts, but we're not going to get into that tonight. But notice here the first general category that Peter refers to is speaking gifts.

Whoever speaks how watch this as one who speaks the oracles God not my own philosophy not secular humanism. The one who speaks how to speak is one who speaks the oracles of God. The Greek term is a diminutive of the term logos where we get the word in our English Bible the word referring to the Word of God.

Peter knew about this in Acts 7. He was there at the martyrdom of Stephen when Stephen said in Acts 7. This is the one when he was talking about Moses who was in the congregation In the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai and with our fathers he received living oracles to give to us.

The Apostle Paul knew about the oracles of God. When he wrote in Romans chapter 3 then what advantage has the Jew or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way to begin with the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.

That is why we do expository preaching because we speak as one. Who speaks the very oracles of God? It means the very words of God. These are divine utterances. After all, he did say earlier. We are stewards.

It's not our word is God's Word. We are stewards of the words of God. That's why we can say thus saith the Lord this is his word we are his stewards. Spurgeon quote. Reckon that every sermon is a wasted sermon, which is not Christ's Word.

Believe that all theology is rotten rubbish. That is not the Word of the Lord. Do not be satisfied with going to a place of worship in hearing an eloquent discourse unless the sum and substance of it is The Word of the Lord.

Close quote. It's no wonder The Puritans understood this that they were speaking the oracles of God. Richard Baxter would have to say as a dying many preached to dying men. That's why Martin Lloyd-Jones Said that preaching is logic.

What on fire. And I love the story that Lloyd-Jones pens in his book preaching and preachers of George Whitfield. Somebody came to George Whitfield one time and said could I print your sermons? Have him in print so people can read him.

Whitfield obliged. You said sure you can but what you'll never be able to print is the lightning and the thunder. These are the words of God the oracles of God divine utterances. So you come Sunday morning to church you're not the preacher.

But you're a listener. My question is how do you hear the Word of God? Do you hear it as the oracles of God? Are you a passive listener or an active listener? I Know if somebody once told me I purposely sit in the front.

They told me because I don't want to be distracted by everything else. That's going on in front of me so they can focus their attention on the very words of God that are being proclaimed. These are the speaking gifts.

Secondly Peter highlights in verse 11 the serving gifts and he says this in our text whoever serves as one. Who serves by the strength that God supplies? Whoever serves do it by the strength that God supplies.

So you might erroneously think well. This is easy. By the strength that God supplies. I will serve. I won't be exhausted. I won't be tired. It's by the strength that God supplies. True it is by the strength that God supplies.

Our verse that we have in our bulletin every Sunday morning Colossians 128. Him we proclaim Christ. We proclaim Teaching admonishing everyone that we may present everyone maturing Christ. The very next verse Paul says the following that'll help shed some light on on this Colossians 129.

Paul says for this I what I toil struggling with all his energy. It's both in it's by the strength that God supplies as Peter says which with God's energy. But Paul says it's toil involved the Greek work or Piazza means tolling to the point of extreme fatigue and exhaustion.

When you serve others it can be exhausting. The term struggling the Paul uses there is a term where we get agonized. You go through great pains. To not think of yourself, but to think of others to serve them.

But we do it according to the strength that God supplies. And finally, what's the second purpose for why God gives spiritual gifts. First to serve one another but ultimately and primarily as Indicated by the Hinnik laws in verse 11 notice in order that in order that what in everything in Everything God may be glorified through whom through Jesus Christ to him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.

Amen. Jesus told the disciples in the upper room discourse John 15 8 by this is my father glorified that you do what? Bear much fruit. So I thought would ask you how is God glorified? We say we want to glorify God.

Jesus had said there in John 15. It's by bearing fruit. Well another way. We glorify God as according to Peter here in our text is by serving. In order that God may be glorified and that brings glory to God because why.

Because whether it's a speaking gift. We don't speak our own words. We speak the oracles of God. Because if we serve we serve by the strength that God supplies. We do it as Peter tells these believers in light of what God has done already chapter 1 and 2 which I highlighted earlier.

Because God has caused us to be born again because he's given us an inheritance because we are a chosen race. He will receive the glory when we serve his church. It's his church. Sometimes one of my professors used to tell me how we Hendricks.

He said he would go to different churches to preach and the pastor would use the term my church. And somebody said that to me recently and I said to them it's not your church. It's nobody here. Of course somebody had another church.

I was reading. I said it's Christ Church. We are simply stewards under shepherds. It's for the glory of God why we serve. So when you come to church, you think as you're part of the member of the church life here at BBC Lord I want to serve for no other reason than to bring glory to you.

It might mean that you might not get that pat on the back you may and we try to encourage people thank you for serving. But are you doing it to get a pat on the back. Even if you go unnoticed we do it for the glory of God.

Same with the speaking gifts. It's done for the glory of God and that's why we do expository preaching because expository preaching highlights the glory and supremacy of God. I Was listening recently and I loved listening to this Steve Lawson in his Teaching class at the Master Seminary on his preaching class.

He gave an example of the late Donald Gray Barnhouse a former pastor of 10th Presbyterian in Philadelphia and Barnhouse was invited at one point to go back to his alma mater to preach in Princeton. And he knew on the very front row were going to be some of his professors.

So that's a high honor to go back and be invited to preach it preach at your alma mater. But knowing that your professors who taught you are sitting there and as he's preaching ten minutes into it didn't pass.

One of his professors he looks down gets up and walks straight out. Barnhouse could barely get through his sermon. When he was finally done. He went to find his professor and asked him. What what did I do wrong?