[0:00] There's three things that I want to do just before we welcome our speaker up. The first thing that I want to do is I want to offer thanks for, in case you guys did not know, this weekend we kind of held the first BCTMS Pastors Summit.
[0:21] And what that means is 12 different graduates from the Master's Seminary, that's John MacArthur's ministry. We kind of got together for the first time and Squamish was the host city this time around.
[0:34] And we were able to fellowship, communicate. You're going to introduce, I'm going to introduce you to Carl in a moment, but Carl was the leader of that. One of his main responsibilities, and you're going to read his bio there.
[0:48] And I was commenting to Carl that most guys have five, six gears in life, right? You know, you guys have had a car at some point, I hope. Carl's got ten, right?
[1:00] He's a big rig with all the gears and he's rumbling. I'm happy to have four, maybe to get to overdrive five, but just in what he has been called to.
[1:11] But one of the things he does is he works with this group called Grace Fellowship. And what it does is he helps different pastors around, not just North America, I'd say beyond that.
[1:23] Yeah, just helping set up pastors, working with elder teams, helping pastors find faithful churches, helping faithful churches finding faithful pastors, bringing them all together.
[1:36] As you can imagine, there's not only church planning, there's revitalization. So he's just a busy guy doing that and he found time in his schedule to come to here just with Squamish and just work with us.
[1:50] So I want to thank, give thanks to all the hands that cooked for us, baked, set up, cleaned up, hosted, and more importantly, just prayed for us as we came together.
[2:02] I know it was a labor of love for both Church 99 and SBC just to do that. We had visitors from Alberta, graduates from Alberta, Abbotsford, Mission, Comox, Victoria, Langford, and a few other places.
[2:17] And just so you guys know, Ted and Jack, do you want to raise your hands up? There's a couple more graduates. Ted's from Taiwan, doesn't know what's happening next, but he's kind of finishing up.
[2:29] Jack ministers in Vancouver, kind of working three different fronts, both in English and Mandarin ministries over there. So a lot of work for the gospel to be done.
[2:41] And as just you'll see how much work there is done, you'll see it in Carl's bio. But just before I invite him up, you know, at the beginning, I kind of stuttered over the Squamish Baptist Church, Squamish Bible Church thing.
[2:56] Today, I want to really say that today we're Squamish Bible Church. We are not just primarily, we are Baptistic in our beliefs, but it's under the word of God to whom we find God's holy authority.
[3:10] Amen? This is what directs us, because not only do we have Baptists joining with the non-denoms at Church 99, we've got brothers and sisters from the Presbyterian Church, the Alliance Church, Pentecostal.
[3:25] We have a great many people from different, diverse denominations, but we all come here under the cross of Christ. Amen? And I'm now going to invite up Carl, because Carl is going to be preaching to us God's word, and it's what's God's word that truly drives God's people.
[3:43] Amen? Amen? So come on up, Carl, please. You'll notice he's got his wife, Joanna. She will be leading the tea or having the tea with Lisa. If no one else shows up, there's going to be a lot of tea for them, so please make that time.
[3:57] Hey. Can I pray for you? Just do it. All right. Dear Lord, Holy Heavenly Father, we just give you thanks for Carl, the ministry you have called him to, the various different dimensions. Thank you for the wisdom that he imparts on us younger men, just how he prays for us, cares for us, directs us, provides advice.
[4:17] We just give you thanks for his calling both as a husband, a father, a fellow pastor at Grace Community Church, with John MacArthur, and just all those different dimensions that he's a part of.
[4:27] But most of all, we just give you thanks for his focus on you, and what you are accomplishing here in this world that we get to witness, oh God. So I pray that you be with Carl today as he delivers us this word.
[4:40] In your name, amen. Amen. Thank you so much for that. And it's a pleasure to be here. It really is. I was delighted in our time of praise as well.
[4:53] Thank you, brothers, all those that participated in that and led it. And even leaned over to my wife and said, that's unusual, that everyone that's up there with those musical skills are men.
[5:07] And I don't have any problem with women being there leading as well, but it's a good thing to see men using their giftedness and leading in that way and their talents.
[5:19] That was refreshing to see. And it's refreshing to be here in B.C. I love visiting here. I really do.
[5:29] I wish I could bottle the air and take it back with me to Southern California and see what effect it would have on that film of pollution that lingers over the city.
[5:41] So it's great to be out and had a chance to even, B.K. took us out in the Jeep and we got up and could look back on just the Pacific coming into the area and looking back on Squamish.
[5:56] We were about 3,200 feet there. It was a wonderful experience. And it was a good time just to meet with the men over a day and a half as we talked about ministry together.
[6:07] How do we cooperate? How can we bring ourselves together as pastors and fellowship and even our churches so that we can do a greater work for the Lord? And ultimately, that's what we want, isn't it?
[6:20] That we would do something for the Lord, that we would leave this life saying that we gave our all to him. And even the songs we sang earlier were appropriate to my text and the message as they talked about this great king that we serve and we do serve an awesome and wonderful king.
[6:43] Do you agree with that? That Jesus Christ is an awesome and wonderful king. And the text before us, why don't you turn to 1 Peter chapter 4? 1 Peter chapter 4 is our text for this morning.
[6:59] And the title of the message is Serve Your Returning King. Serve Your Returning King.
[7:12] Let me read the text. And I think what would be helpful because I am going to touch on a greater context verses 1 through 9.
[7:24] So let me just read 1 through 11. That would help us. Peter writes, 1 Peter chapter 4. What does he say?
[7:34] Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose because he who suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.
[7:46] So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lust of men, but for the will of God. For the time already passed is sufficient for you to have carried out the desires of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lust, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
[8:10] In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you.
[8:21] But they will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For the gospel has for this purpose been preached, even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.
[8:37] The end of all things is near. Therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins.
[8:54] Be hospitable to one another without complaint, as each one has received a special gift employed in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God, whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God, whoever serves is to do as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever.
[9:29] Amen. What a wonderful way to end a passage. Everything belongs to Jesus Christ all dominion and glory belong to him.
[9:40] And when we think about service, we are to do that service unto him. You come together and all of you represented here in some capacity, you are to be servants of the living God.
[9:55] And you have a great privilege to do that because you can now serve the king, the king. We think about our lives prior to coming to the Lord Jesus Christ and the scripture is clear.
[10:07] It tells us that we were formerly sinners. We were formerly ungodly. We were formerly helpless. We were formerly actually enemies, is what Paul tells us in Romans.
[10:19] And now a great transformation has taken place. And we can now, instead of being a person that is ungodly, to be godly and serve unto the Lord.
[10:32] Instead of a person that was helpless, no capacity whatsoever to save themselves. And now, demonstrated by the grace of God, he has saved us. And now by grace, we can serve him.
[10:44] We were people that were, in fact, sinners. And now, we are called saints. Although we do stumble in many ways, as the scripture tells us, now we can use our giftedness to serve the living God.
[10:59] And when you think about Paul's words, when we were enemies of God, I mean, that seems to be perhaps the most extreme thing to say in that context now, no longer enemies of God.
[11:10] We are actually friends of God, children of God, and we can serve our Heavenly Father to the glory of God. But, I want to emphasize something in this text, because I titled it, Serve Your Returning King.
[11:26] So there is a motivation that you're going to hear me speak throughout this message, and that motivation is, Jesus Christ is, in fact, coming again. He will return.
[11:37] We have five adult children, and four have moved on, and they're scattered actually in different parts of the country, and one even outside of our country, and one is still there.
[11:55] But I still remember times when we would be away, and we would have to give our kids instructions about what was to be done, what chores were to be done, what was the lights were to be turned on, to be turned off, doors to be locked, what was supposed to happen with the trash, when they were supposed to take it out.
[12:15] And my wife with her garden, I need you to water the garden, I need you to put so much water on it, if it doesn't, it's all going to die. And guess what? We love our kids, but they didn't always follow our instructions.
[12:30] And what happens sometimes is, they delayed the instructions until they thought we were returning. And those moments when we returned sooner than they thought, guess what happened?
[12:43] Now, some of you, I see the look on your faces, and you say, yes, I remember that as a parent, but you probably remember as a child as well, when your parent told you something that you needed to take care of before they returned, and what did you do?
[12:58] You delayed it, and you delayed it, and you thought, well, they said it's going to be at 1700, they're back, I have several more hours to go, and lo and behold, you hear, it's not a knock, you just hear the door open, oh my.
[13:13] And there you are scrambling to get things done. They came back, and things weren't in order. You weren't being a good steward.
[13:24] You hadn't listened to the parents. Christ is coming back. And your order of business right now is to live for the living God while you have time.
[13:39] And we all know that time is not guaranteed. It's passing by us in ways that we, sometimes we say, where is it gone? Even in some of our discussions over the last day and a half, we talked about time a little bit.
[13:53] Even time from Ephesians chapter 5, 15, and 16. Make the most of your time because the days of evil. Don't be unwise, but be wise.
[14:06] And my wife and I recently celebrated, you know, 31 years of marriage. I think, where did 31 years go? It seems like just the other day, my perspective on her changed.
[14:20] We just had a, you know, friendly relationship. And some of it was just a working relationship. And she was in ministry to women. And I was ministering as the leader of the group that she was participating in.
[14:35] And one day, I looked at her and thought, oh, okay. I saw her differently. And now, more than 31 years later, here we are.
[14:45] Where did that time go? Our five children. I remember them running around and I remember packing them up and going camping and going to the Grand Canyon and going to the Sequoias and things like that.
[14:58] And now they're scattered everywhere. Where did the time go? Even one of the brothers said, it seems like time is, somehow, it comes and goes faster than before.
[15:09] Because as I'm preparing for my messages, Sunday just seems to come sooner than it used to. Where does the time go? And we look around and we say to ourselves, what have I done for the Lord Jesus Christ?
[15:23] Have I been serving this returning king? And Jesus Christ, stamped by an example of his own life, servanthood, because the scripture tells us plainly in Mark 10, 45, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life.
[15:42] And what does it say? A ransom for many servants. I believe in some measure that the modern church needs to be confronted because in the modern church, there is an attitude that we often come wondering, what can be done for me?
[16:00] And what we do is we can go even sometimes from local church to local church looking for what fits me best, what needs can be addressed that I have, and we don't first think about, oh, this is a wonderful opportunity, what a great opportunity to serve.
[16:21] I can be like the Lord Jesus Christ in even a pronounced way, and I can serve the Lord Jesus Christ in this local body. Jesus Christ was a humble servant, and we must be humble servants.
[16:39] Consider this. If we were to all somehow duplicate ourselves and create a congregation, and so instead of it being Squamish Baptist Bible Church, it would be just your name, take your name and church, your name and church, and you just replicate yourself a hundred times and the spirit in which you approach God and the spirit in which you approach the things of God and the spirit in which you approach service and using your giftedness, if you could take that and replicate it and there would be a church here and a church here and a church here, what sort of church would it be?
[17:30] What sort of church would it be? That's for you to answer. That's for you to consider. But I think it's something for all of us to contemplate and say, if I replicated myself, would that be a God-honoring, serving church.
[17:50] This is what we call to do and be. Let me give you a little bit more of the context of verses 10 and 11. We see in verses 1 to 6 that Peter is communicating here the example of Christ calls us to a new life.
[18:09] He tells us that Christ has suffered in the flesh. Now we have a similar purpose. We will suffer, but we have also ceased from sin.
[18:22] No longer live your life as you did in the past. No longer live your life as the sinner and the enemy and the ungodless and the helpless. We no longer live for the lust of men, verse 2, but for the will of God.
[18:36] And then he says in verse 3, the time is sufficient for you to have carried out the desires of the Gentiles. In that plain language, what he's saying is that your opportunity to live in the world is gone.
[18:49] Some of you, perhaps you came to the Lord at 20 or 30 or 15 or 40 or 50. Wherever you came to the Lord, what Peter is saying, that time prior to coming to Christ was in one sense your time.
[19:04] It's no longer your time. You had a sufficient time to live for self and to live in the ways of the world. Now, for the rest of your stay on this earth, live for the glory and honor of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[19:19] It's sufficient for you. And then he tells them that the gospel has been preached. And the gospel in verse 6, he says that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.
[19:37] men may judge you but when the gospel is preached and you come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, even though the world which we see in society today, it is liking us less and less.
[19:51] And maybe I shouldn't even say liking us, it is hating us more and more. And that pressure will continue to increase. And as that pressure increases, we must be prepared to stand and to not give way but the gospel transforms lives.
[20:12] So he says, you have a new life, live this new life. And then he says, another thing that motivates you in the new life is that Jesus Christ is coming back again.
[20:23] Verse 7, the end of all things is near, therefore, think, what, properly, be of sound judgment, understand the times properly, know how to make spiritual decisions properly.
[20:39] And he says, and be of sober spirit, sober spirit, why? The opposite of someone that is not sober, sobriety, the sense of sensibility, stability, is what he is communicating here.
[20:52] And he says, notice, so interesting enough, he says, for the purpose of prayer, be of praying people. What else does he say? Be a loving people, verse 8.
[21:03] Verse 9, be a hospitable people. That is, your homes are open to one another. You're using your resources to encourage the body of Christ. And notice he says in verse 9, be hospitable to one another without complaint.
[21:20] So in one sense, you may be doing it, but if you're grumbling inside, that does not honor the Lord. But what's moving all of this is the eschaton of Christ, this return of Christ.
[21:34] And he says, the time is, in fact, near. Now, obviously, he writes this, this is 2,000 years ago. So what does near mean? Near means just that, that it's closer than when it first began.
[21:49] And because of what we would believe, that at any moment, Jesus Christ, can come for his church. And then the opportunity to work in this harvest field is over for us.
[22:02] Make decisions in view of that. And what's interesting about the wording in verse 7, the end of all things is near.
[22:14] The order of the words is important here because what's first is all things. The end is near. All things is first. And why does he say first all things?
[22:26] He's saying the scope of Jesus Christ in his sovereign hand touches every nation and every thought and every person and every church.
[22:38] All things. All that is under the umbrella of God's sovereign rule. It's all coming to an end. Christ will set in order the events of time.
[22:50] Imminency is important. This word, the imminent return of Christ, and you hear that before. What does it mean the imminent return of Christ? It really can happen any moment.
[23:04] We believe in Christ coming back to rapture his church. It is imminent. His return is imminent. He will bring his church to the clouds.
[23:15] We don't know when that may happen. And then once that happens, certain other events are then set in order. But let me take this word, the imminency of Christ, and the other words that are similar to it by way of sound, but yet have a different meaning.
[23:35] We can think about the imminence of Christ in the sense that Emmanuel, God is with us. That's important that we think about that. There is a sense in which he will come suddenly, and we don't know when he's going to come, but there's also the sense of we believe in the imminence of Christ, that he is with us.
[23:56] He is among us. He is even in us. As we think back in the Old Testament, he is called Emmanuel. God is with us.
[24:07] But there is also imminence. That is in the sense of his splendor. It communicates that he is that great king. As you think about a king, look at his, the imminence of his garments, if you will.
[24:22] The imminence of his kingdom. The splendor of it all. And even as we sang earlier about this good and great God and this wonderful king, there is a sense in which the Lord Jesus Christ will return again at a time when we are not sure he will be with us in a way that is very intimate with us and we will see the display of his great eminence, the greatness of who he is.
[24:50] We wait on that and that should motivate us. We should say to ourselves, I want to serve this great king with all my might and with all my soul and with all my energy.
[25:02] What an opportunity I have to serve the one that at one point in time I ran from. One point in time I denied.
[25:15] One point in time I hated. One point in time I ignored. And now you can serve him.
[25:27] This is the graciousness of God. But this idea of imminency is important in Peter. Go back with me to 1 Peter chapter 1.
[25:38] And all of this leading to 10 and 11 because we have to be motivated properly. If we're not motivated properly what would generally happen after a period of time our commitments will wane.
[25:55] We will say yes I see it. I understand. Who is going to argue with the preacher and what he said about serving the Lord? Who is going to argue that I have a giftedness and I should use that giftedness?
[26:06] And you may walk away and say surely yes I will make a decision. But if you're not motivated properly how long will it last? The motivation for us must be that we have the privilege and honor and obligation to serve the living God.
[26:24] A king who is returning. And this king has set an example and I want to serve him. 1 Peter 1 verse 3 His resurrection sets these things in order.
[26:39] When Peter says the end of all things is near his resurrection initiates it if you will. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
[26:57] So now here there is a living hope we look to that it is not fully realized but the resurrection of Christ initiates it. Verse 4 This idea that our salvation is reserved in heaven again it's something we look to.
[27:15] Verse 4 To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away reserved in heaven for you.
[27:25] I look for it again that motivation it's in front of me. I have one of my students at the Master's Seminary is he is he loves mountain biking so I I know he's a bit I'm going to send him pictures because I just see mountain bikes everywhere here in Squamish.
[27:48] I've never seen so many bicycles on the back of cars on the top of cars in my life. I knew this is like Adventure Capital of BC or maybe even Canada perhaps even all of the Pacific Northwest and so I already took a couple pictures and we I saw some trails yesterday and I'm going to send them off to Calloway and say Calloway you must make your way up to Squamish and he's got me into my mountain biking as well so I say you know I'd be willing to come up there with you and I'll do some mountain biking and maybe I can preach again if they'll have me back and so adventurous reserved in heaven reserved in heaven it's there waiting for you and I'm sure when I send those pictures off I know Calloway's going to say I'm going to get a spot there I'm going to reserve a spot I'm going to anticipate it and there's anticipation my wife is that way she doesn't like surprises
[28:51] I mean there are times when I try to oh hey I'm going to surprise mom I'll surprise you for this and she doesn't like it because here's a key word and you can correct me if I'm wrong after 31 years she likes anticipation so instead of saying we're going out to dinner where and it's a surprise she wants to know where because she's starting to think about it and she anticipates it we're going to go on a little weekend away where we go it's a surprise no I want to anticipate it I want to look forward to it is what she says and okay alright I'll make adjustments right we have a great anticipation do we not reserved in heaven we have an inheritance that's waiting on us we have a hope that's real that's living and the resurrection of Jesus Christ initiates it notice verse 7 in 1 Peter 1 it says so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold which is perishable even though tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ so now our faith realized and we can express it fully at that revelation when we see Christ again the end of all things is near be motivated live your life appropriately and here is something that's in direct application of what I'm communicating this morning look at verse 13 so he says this coming revelation should then orient our life choices notice verse 13 therefore in light of these truths therefore prepare your minds for what what does he say action keep sober in spirit fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ and there it is it's in front of us and we must use that as a motivation to drive us there and even as I was referencing the mountain biking and it's an adventurous city and area and what does that mountain biker do they have a goal that's there they're fixed on it now obviously to do it properly you must take care of what's in front of you first
[31:15] I've been out with Callaway before and there's a number of we have our LA mountains and San Bernardino mountains and I've been out before and I've made some mistakes because he's the expert I'm a bit of a novice and there were definitely times when I was out biking with him and I was not looking at that turn and dip I was looking at where I wanted to go there and lo and behold all I can say is that I'm glad I had a helmet on and it could have been much worse I think my wife just found out about that so I know I know her she's going to ask what what happened so there's a sense both are happening I'm looking at the goal that's there but I must also pay attention to what's right in front of me and Peter says yes that should be motivating you but if you're going to reach that goal properly and if you're going to be a good steward you have to pay attention to what's right in front of you how are you presently being sober minded what are you presently fixed on what are you presently battling what are you presently discarding so that you can keep running the race properly this is what he's saying the idea of last hour is really important through scripture let me give you some let's go on a bit of a biblical journey here
[32:40] Romans chapter 13 Romans 13 and then it's really 11 through 14 here Paul says that it's already the hour for you to awaken from sleep for salvation is nearer to you than when you believe and then he says in verse 12 therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness put on the armor of light 13 let us behave properly as in the day verse 14 then what does he say put on the Lord Jesus Christ why must I put on the Lord Jesus Christ because now I'm in Christ why must I put on Christ so that I can battle properly in this world and against the flesh and I must realize that salvation is near than when I first believed let me look ahead but as I look ahead
[33:40] I must pay attention to the trail that's right in front of me and then if you will look with me to Philippians chapter 4 two other verses but we don't I won't go there it's 1st Corinthians 10 11 1st Corinthians 15 58 communicating the same things as well Philippians 4 and what does it tell us in verse 4 rejoice in the Lord always again I will say rejoice let your gentle spirit be known to all men the Lord is near and what is I believe Paul communicating here our lives should be a a landmark if you will to say Christ is real he has transformed my life and your example how you live life will be a testimony to all those around you that I believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ Hebrews chapter 10 and we know
[34:42] Hebrews 10 perhaps 24 and 24 well stimulate one another to love and good deeds don't forsake your assembling together encouraging one another but the latter part of verse 25 is so important because he says there all the more do this as you see the day drawing near and when the writer of Hebrews says you see the day drawing near I believe when he's communicating look around you and you see what's happening around you all the more come together all the more encourage one another all the more stimulate one another and that's why I think even our time for the last day and a half was so important we see the day drawing near this world hates us more and more it is a promise from our king that we would be hated in fact if he was hated so what must we do we must join arms with one another and encourage one another and say brother sister fight this fight well we surely can't expect it from the world of course not not at all it must come from one another so again it's near near near the same thought comes in James 5 7 and 8 2 Peter 3 11 through 16 return return return so let's go back to 1 Peter chapter 4 1 Peter 4 and there are three exhortations that are clear in 1 Peter 4 10 and 11 and there are three words I want to give you if we're going to serve a king we have to do it responsibly we'll see that in verse 10 we have to do it consciously we'll see that in verse 10
[36:51] I mean verse 11 and we have to do it worshiply some of my background when I was university and even in my high school days I played football and one thing about it once you came to the fourth quarter one thing that always happened in a football game was you if you've ever seen it before you'd see guys doing this they put up their four fingers and when the fourth quarter started everyone put up their four fingers and what that meant was we have one more quarter this is it and if you were behind you were saying we have to give it all we're behind by 14 we're behind by 21 we're behind by what it's only three points we can make up the difference and then the team that was even leading would put it up as well saying we have a lead don't blow it keep playing hard and all of us would say leave it on the field and what that meant by leave it on the field is walk away exhausted walk away knowing that you've given your all and we put those fingers up but sometimes it didn't matter because you weren't a very good team you can put the fingers up all you want but guess what you just don't have the resources to come from behind you don't and I played on some good teams and had some good seasons and there were some seasons
[38:26] I'll be honest with you I put my four fingers up and I don't know why we're doing this we're losing by 42 points yeah I do believe in miracles but this won't be one of them it was a motivation it was a time to say the first 15 minutes is gone the next 15 is gone halftime is gone the next 15 minutes is gone yeah 15 minutes people ask me you know about all the things that I do and I'm privileged to do them and a part of it I don't know how much time I have I try to stay fit and do things but we all know that doesn't necessarily matter does it when the Lord says your time is up it's up it could be on one of my trips that I'm flying somewhere and I just never make it it could be on some of those moments
[39:32] I'm being a bit too adventurous and something happens or I could be right in my living room and they'll say wait a minute how did that happen he seemed to be in pretty good shape he ate fairly well you just never know how much time you have it's not guaranteed I was this early part of this year I grew up in Florida that's where my childhood days until I went off to university and received a call from a relative because there had been a death in my family tragic death and it was a great nephew who was only 33 years old 33 years old and you say to yourself that's not supposed to happen parents aren't supposed to bury their children a grandmother isn't supposed to bury a grandchild that's not supposed to happen is it but it does you never know how much time you have your fourth quarter could be coming to an end and so the question is how will we live we have to live responsibly notice verse 10 he says as each one of you who has received a special gift employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of
[41:11] God what's the responsibility here there are really three ways that we can see this responsibility one is that we have to recognize God's gift notice what he says as each one has received that means every believer you have been given a gift a set of tools that you must use for the living God that's the responsibility you have each one of you when people I hear sometimes say in the life of the church well I'm not sure where I fit in I don't know either but I know you do and the reason I can say I know you do is because this text says each one of you has received a special gift the text is plain and direct and now as a responsible Christian living in the last times because the time is nearer than when we first believe then you must ask yourself a question what will
[42:15] I do with the gift I know I have and I'm talking about spiritual gifts like the brothers who were up here earlier wonderful loved it you saw natural talents being displayed because those natural talents they have could be displayed in places that are not God honoring and then there are those that have spiritual gifts and I would just I'm putting them on the spot for a bit but it's a good illustration they also have spiritual gifts as well to be used in the body of Christ so if it's a brother that's on the drums or piano or the guitar or leading vocals but he also has a spiritual gift of exhortation our encouragement our teaching he's using that spiritual gift as well along with the natural talents that God has given him just as his creature each one of you so it starts there I have a gift I must use it and that's the second part of being responsible you have to meet
[43:19] God's expectation because it says plainly each one of you has received a special gift employ it employ it essentially saying use it you don't have the prerogative not to use your giftedness you when you withhold your giftedness the body of Christ is not going to be as mature as it can be it's not going to have the reach that it can be have it's like on the illustration of the football team I mean there's certain positions on the football team and I when I played well high school too but in college ball I was a linebacker and can you imagine if when it was time for us to go out there that I decided I don't think I'm going to go out this go around coach I'm going to sit out why don't you send the guy that's the cornerback to play my position Hargrove he's 70 pounds lighter than you that's not going to work are you guys can do without me for a couple snaps of the ball
[44:26] I'm just going to take a break they can get out there and play but you obviously know they're going to be at a deficit and when you're not using your gift in the body of Christ the church is at a deficit you have a contribution to make you remember you were formerly sinners and ungodly helpless and enemies and now you can make a contribution to the work of God and then surely it's responsible because look at verse 10 again employ in serving one another and what does he say as good stewards of the manifold grace of God so the language here is very plain a good what is a steward it means he's someone that manages he he can use things properly and so now with my giftedness your giftedness how do I manage it properly for the glory of
[45:27] God and notice what he says the manifold grace of God and that's the beauty of the body of Christ you have different gifts and if I look at now and I would ask you what is your giftedness what is your giftedness what is your giftedness I would hear different words communicated or maybe some of you might say I'm not terribly sure okay but that's a starting point now go and serve and have people so well here and then you can flourish and the body of Christ is better because you're being a good steward of God's manifold grace to you grace must be used it is not to be presumed upon it must be used you are new creatures in Christ 2nd Corinthians 5 17 all things become new it's Galatians 2 20 Paul says
[46:27] I have died now I live a new life let me live it for the glory of God we are now these freed slaves who can serve the Lord is a second consideration look at verse 11 serve your returning king consciously what does this mean we have to have an awareness Peter wants them to be conscious of two things the source of their words and the power behind their service notice what it says whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God that's a sober statement so what it's saying for the preacher myself for the men who gathered and not just for them anytime you speak for the Lord Sunday school teaching what was it Jody that gathered the kids up and did you call it junior church I like that I like junior church the kids go off to junior church and whoever is going to teach those kids they are speaking the utterances of
[47:35] God think about that for a moment when you talk to your neighbor and you share with your neighbor about the Lord Jesus Christ and you say to him friend you need not perish Jesus Christ has died and if you would believe you're speaking the utterances of God so don't limit the application of that text just to preaching itself and the expositional preaching or when Pastor BK as he makes his way through Romans or Dave is preaching the word of God no it's not just that whenever you speak the words of God you're speaking as very utterances and what is being communicated here what a privilege you have whereas before in your life I remind you again you resisted the word of God and now you can speak the word of God on God's behalf for the glory of God what a privilege I mean what a privilege I think about my own life sometimes how is it that
[48:38] I do the things that I do how is it that my life has been so transformed and he has so redirected it that I can be here in Squamish preaching the word of God and then next Sunday go over to Chilliwack and preach the word of God how is it that a month ago I was preaching the word of God in Cape Town and in Johannesburg how is it that things like this happen and how is it that I can go back to Southern California and I can teach the word of God there and then instruct students in the seminary what a great transformation has taken place but I remind you it's only taken place by the grace of God so lest you hear me talking about these opportunities that I have and be confused or think that I'm confused I only have the opportunities because of the grace of God the scripture is clear he sought us amen we did not seek him so we have to be aware of this it's a divine proclamation that we're speaking for the Lord but it's also this it's divine enablement notice verse 11 so yes it's the utterance of God whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies it's good to be tired in the work of the Lord and to be tired in
[50:11] God's work is done because we have something in front of us and we say Lord I tired of living in the world and I was tired when I was in the world and now it can be tired for you if I can be worn out for Christ that's what we should want in life I am I'm you know retirement is something that happens eventually one decides to retire but I'm just not one for people ask me what are you going to do when you retire what does that mean I don't know what that really means I may not have the position that I have now but I'm going to work in some capacity for the Lord until I can't work in that capacity until perhaps I'm not making sense is what I want to do for the Lord you know I grew up in Florida and Florida you know retirement capital for the most part of even maybe even
[51:14] North America surely for the United States and retirement places everywhere I don't understand someone living until 65 and now their hope in life is to come to Florida and drive golf carts and play bingo what sort of life is that no there's a king coming again and must be found doing his work what sort of life is that the men that I serve with at Grace Community Church they have retired retired judge retired lawyer retired insurance broker and now they'll say to me Carl you're running me ragged I'm busier than I was before amen because you're doing it for the king are you not why would you not want to give the king the rest of your life especially now in a retirement age you should have wisdom and insight and I'll say to you that are younger right now you're far from retirement prepare your life right now for retirement so that you can have contributions to make in life you can speak to younger people about life and about
[52:26] Christianity and you can serve them in your quote retirement phase of life divine enablement he says it's by his strength I wanted to give you some examples of it but I have to let me dive in here travel with me for a moment September 29th 1770 1770 you know the name George Whitfield great preacher great awakening it says that on that day Whitfield worn out from many evangelistic tours and suffering from asthma was headed to Newburyport Massachusetts where he was scheduled to preach in the morning his colleague says he asked his colleague asked him he said Mr.
[53:25] Whitfield you are more prone to sleep than to preach more but Whitfield says true sir but yet I must preach listen to even what Whitfield prayed as he was walking upstairs he says Lord Jesus I am weary in thy work but not weary of thy work if I have not finished my course let me go and speak for thee once more in the fields seal thy truth and let me come home and die and when he says in the fields if you know the story of Whitfield he would often preach in the fields and even Benjamin Franklin when he would come to hear him though he really didn't come to faith he says at one point in time he calculated that maybe 25,000 people were hearing him in the fields he says just a week earlier Whitfield had written to a friend in London that he knew the day of release will shortly come in that letter he aspired to even greater dedication for okay the time real live illustration but
[54:39] I'm in control of this time so I'm not of the other he says oh for a warm heart oh to stand fast in the faith to quit ourselves like men and be strong that was his prayer my release may be coming soon so he goes out to preach he's weak asthma is affecting him and it says this there he stood that is Whitfield shaky and weak and he prayed I will wait for the gracious assistance of God for he will I am certain assist me once more to speak in his name and it seems as written those that saw the account miraculously it was so witnesses have said that the Holy Spirit seemed to descend upon him and he grew stronger even as time went on strong enough that he preached for two hours on the text test yourselves to see if you be in the faith test yourself later that night he said maasma is coming on again when he was asked about working so hard for the Lord
[56:05] Whitfield said this I would rather wear out than rust out does that make sense don't rust out friends wear out for the Lord shortly as he made his way back up those stairs that evening they asked one more time do you have a word for us Mr.
[56:33] Whitfield and he shared briefly some devotional thoughts and then it's time it come and he flew away he flew away the strength the strength which God supplies he rested in the Lord one more thought for you so important look back at verse 11 you must serve your king worshiply how so where do we see that notice what it says the strength which God supplies so that in all things remember we said earlier all things near here all things all things because Christ is sovereign over all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever amen what's going to motivate you salvation is for the praise of the glory of
[57:43] God we can serve for the glory of God we preach for the glory of God we live for the glory of God and we need to serve for the glory of God so that God will be glorified all of our life is just that to live for the glory of God that you would want people to know this king who gave his life for you that you would want people to know this king who died a horrible death for you for his glory serve your returning king father we thank you for these words you give us you are good and kind use them for your glory for your name for it