1 Peter 4:1-19 Time to Reengage

1 Peter • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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When I graduated from college I bought an MG midget. Fun car. Swing it around curves in Kentucky. But it was a piece of junk. Always breaking down.

I have been stuck in many of the parks on the west coast. Sequoia National Park at night in the midst of its black bears. Remote Needles National Monument in the inner valleys of California. Yosemite National Park. Redwoods State Park above San Jose. Palomar Mt State Park in the midst of the snows. I once changed out a manifold in the parking lot of a motel in Malibu. Later I got stranded in a pasture in West Texas. The good news is that I always was able to get the thing going again. I even learned to shift gears without a clutch.

One of the most memomorable times occurred in Death Valley. It was 120 degrees. I had driven out to the Devil’s corn field - a vast basin of salt and other desert chemicals. Nothing grew there except these several feet high piles of salt – like a forest of salt. I had wandered around the area by myself – who else would be at that place in the horrendous heat. I was ready to leave.

Well I got back in my car and the starter just spun. The engine made no sign of engaging. There was no one to push me off – I was an expert at that. I crawled up under the vehicle. I made sure the wires to the electric gas pump had not been disengaged. Fuel was flowing to the carburetor. The plugs would still shock the daylights out of you. All the other ‘break down’ things checked out. The car was in fine shape – it just wouldn’t start. And I was baking in the sun. I thought of those skeletons that people come across in the desert. This could be me.

I’m not sure why I thought of the starter, but I did and began to disassemble the starter laying on the salt bed. When I pulled it out, sure enough the gear that looked like it should easily slide along the shaft was stuck. I worked it back and forth.

I threw a little WD 40 on it – then rubbed it down with motor oil (I kept everything in that thing). I reassembled it. And bam the little car jumped into action again. I tore out of the salt flat and headed for home.

Through the years, that starter would stick again. But now I knew the answer. Sometimes I could just loosen the starter and hit it with a wrench. The key was for the gears to reengage. And when they did – all was well. The power of an MG midget could once again challenge the road.

Sometimes that happens in our lives. For a variety of reasons we take a break. We get benched. We sit on the sidelines. We vacation and never get back to work. And suddenly nothing works any more. In times like this we need to choose to reengage. To once again yield to the power supply. To allow ourselves to do what we were called to do.

I understand that as a church we have had to change what we our doing. We may even consider slowing down again. But I am not really talking about that. The Christian life is more than what we do at church. I am talking about reengaging with Christ wherever we are / whatever we are doing. We may have to not meet the same way, but that doesn’t mean we take a break from serving God in our lives.

Its time to reengage – let’s get busy. Let’s seek to serve Christ. In this last message from our series in 1 Peter, Peter tells this to the churches. The time is late. No matter what occurs let us reengage with Christ.

1 Peter 4:1-19

I. Reengage: Time to live for the will of God

A. Exchange our passions for His

(ESV) 1 Peter 4 1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, … 2 … live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

1. Christ suffered – and accomplished redemption - So things have changed

2. No longer should we be driven by what we want

3. Replace with what God wants

B. Leave the old lifestyle

(ESV) 1 Peter 4 3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

1. Enough is enough – put the old life behind you

2. Driven to seek to fulfill self by feeding the senses

3. They won’t understand

4. But judgement is imminent

C. Embrace Christlikeness

(ESV) 1 Peter 4 7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

1. Because of the urgency of the hour

2. Live under controlled

3. Outwardly focused

4. Love overlooks / forgives sin

5. Ministering to one another - truly

II. Reengage: Invest your giftedness

A. Everyone is gifted

(ESV) 1 Peter 4 10 As each has received a gift, …,

1. Everyone has been designed specially as a package

Ex: Like a custom car – unique – some built for speed / some for carrying people / some utilitarian to get the job done.

a) Not responsible for things not given me – no chuck swindoll

b) I am responsible for what has been given me – my package

c) Very uniquely crafted

(1) We downgrade it as unimportant – excuse to consume it all on ourselves?

2. More than just a spiritual gift

a) Spiritual giftedness

(1) Includes spiritual gifts to produce supernatural results from the overall package

b) Personality

c) Experiences

d) Skills

3. How does this work?

a) Personality

(1) Outward person

(2) Inward person

(3) Detailed & analytical

(4) Visionary

(5) Some steady and reliable

b) Experiences

(1) Troubled times

(2) Health

(3) Relationships

(4) Child raising

c) Skills

(1) Teachers

(2) Craftsmen

(3) Workers

(4) Leaders

d) Spiritual giftedness

(1) Evangelists – Lost are moved to be saved

(2) Helpers – Take care of things

(3) Encouragers – Lift people’s spirits and cause them to serve God

(4) Mercy givers – Meet people’s needs (especially when down)

All are responsible to do these things – some are specially gifted as examples

B. All gifts for serving others

(ESV) 1 Peter 4 10 As each has received a gift, 10 As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

1. Applies to every gift received

2. Not about self but others

3. About service to them

4. Exercise all gifts as a steward

a) Not an option for me

b) Nothing received is my own

c) A responsibility to use everything for the benefit of the master

C. Gifted to speak

(ESV) 1 Peter 4 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles (very words) of God; …

1. Responsible for our speech

2. Speak God’s truth

a) Speaking is the only way others will hear from God

b) The truths we hold are the very words of God

D. Gifted to act

(ESV) 1 Peter 4 11 … whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies

1. Responsible for our actions

2. Serve

a) Accountable for using what He has already given us

b) Accountable for doing service empowered by God’s strength

III. Reengage: In spite of the trials

A. Everything to cause glory to God

(ESV) 1 Peter 4 11 … in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1. An overriding purpose above it all – upward focus

B. With an expectation of trials

(ESV) 1 Peter 4 12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

1. It won’t be easy

2. Struggles are necessary – intense fires – testing to make approved / to show approved

C. Rejoice for opportunity to suffer

(ESV) 1 Peter 4 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

1. A privilege to suffer like Christ

2. A point of rejoicing at His return --- shows true faith

D. Trust Him / Do right

(ESV) 1 Peter 4 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

1. Trust Him

2. Live wisely / Do right

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