The Apostle Paul calls us Jars of Clay (2 Corinthians 4:7). As followers of Jesus we must allow the Word of God to fill us with it's message of Truth and Grace. In this way, we become a "vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:21).

Monday, August 7, 2017

Earnest - August 6, 2017 sermon


By Pastor Greg ...


A baby turtle was standing at the bottom of a large tree and, with a deep sigh, started to climb.  About an hour later, he reached a very high branch, walked to the end, spread all four flippers, and launched himself off the branch.
Landing at the bottom in a pile of soft leaves, he shook himself off, walked back to the base of the tree and, with a sigh, started to climb.  About an hour later he reached the same branch, walked to the end, spread his flippers, and flung himself off the branch.
Again, he landed in the same pile of leaves, shook himself off, went to the bottom of the tree, sighed, and started to climb. 
Watching these proceedings from the end of the branch were two little birds. Mommy bird turned to Daddy bird and said, "Don't you think it's time we told him he was adopted?"
Turtles don’t fly.  It’s not their gift.  You see, God made them different from birds on purpose.  It’s the same with dogs and hedgehogs and emus; each was created with a unique purpose and a unique gift.
When it comes to Spiritual Gifts, we humans are just as different.  The Apostle Paul says, “It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have[1] (1 Corinthians 12:11).  And maybe part of your frustration in life is that you’ve been trying to fly when God created you for a different purpose or a different reason.  Perhaps you’ve been discouraged in your Christian service because you tried to serve the Lord in a way He had not equipped you.  This is why it’s important for you to discern your Spiritual Gifts and discover your passion for ministry.  Knowing these things helps you serve the Lord in ways that keep you from being discouraged.
Also, we must learn these things before it is too late; before the Lord returns and we lose an opportunity to reach someone with God’s message of salvation.
Let me give you a quick summary of what we have learned about Spiritual Gifts thus far.  To possess a Spiritual Gift, a person must be:
1.   Saved.  It only makes sense that God reserves these gifts for those who have been saved.
2.   Transformed.  This is closely tied with salvation.  In response to our faith in Christ, God pours out His Spirit into our heart enabling us to overcome the temptations of the world.  It is His Holy Spirit which guides us away from the destructive temptations in this life.  The Spirit leads us away from our old life and points us to a life surrendered to Jesus.
3.   Called.  We already possess natural skills and abilities.  Many of us have enhanced them through study or practice.  But God will often call the Christian to a task outside their area of expertise.  He does this so they might learn to depend on Him, and so the world will praise Him for what He has done through them.  A Spiritual Gift is usually associated with a calling.
Once we accept Jesus as our Savior, God gives us His Spirit, and He calls us to serve.  The Spirit and our calling flow down from Heaven; they are gifts from God.  God transforms us and calls us, but we are responsible from there.  According to Peter, we must take the initiative to become:
4.   Anxious.  Once Saved, Transformed, and Called, a Christian must make an effort to mature in their faith.  They must turn away from their former life and become anxious to do the will of God.
5.   Earnest, which is the point of today’s lesson.
Continuing in 1 Peter 4, we read, “The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.  10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen[2] (1 Peter 4:7-11).
Peter calls us to be earnest in our labors for the Lord.  If we have been saved, if we have been transformed and called, and if we have the passion, then we must start serving the Lord right now.  We never know when He will return, so we must use sensible judgment about what is happening in the world around us.
And, oh my, is this world a mess.
Peter’s call to earnestness is a call to start using our Spiritual Gift with seriousness and intensity.  It is a wake-up call to the Christian; Christ is coming again when you least expect it; so get to work!!  He warns us to not be slothful or indifferent in our labors.  He points out that we may not have plenty of time to make a difference in our community.  He echoes the words of Jesus from Matthew 24.  45 A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 48 But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ 49 and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 50 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, 51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth[3] (Matthew 24:45-51).
We really don’t know how much time we have.  We really don’t.  And if Peter called the First Century Church to earnestness, how much more intense should we be in our labors?  If Peter was urgent in his call, we should be even more so.
I understand that you may not know your gift or your passion.  You have no idea how God is calling you to serve.  This is why we are going through this process; so you might know.  However, when you learn these things, please don’t wait to begin serving.  We simply do not know how much time we have to make a difference in this world.  Tomorrow might just be too late.


[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Co 12:11). Carol Stream, IL..
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Pe 4:7–11). Carol Stream, IL.
[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mt 24:45–51). Carol Stream, IL.

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