Good Stewards of God's grace

Seeking for the help of the Lord, I direct your prayerful attention to 1 Peter chapter 4 and reading from our text verses 7 through to 11. It's number 18 in our series epistles of Peter and the subject before us this evening is good stewards. of God's grace. So the verses from verse 7 through to 11.

But the end of all things is at hand. Be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality, one to another, without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.

If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4 verses 7 to 11. The verses, they begin with a solemn reminder of Christ's return, the Lord coming at the end of all things.

And of course, since Peter's time to now some 2,000 years, but still for every generation, this word remains, but the end of all things is at hand. and we are reminded in the portion that we read together from the gospel according to Matthew chapter 25 of the parable of the ten virgins and how five were wise and five were foolish and they were waiting for the bridegroom to come, and while they were waiting they all slumbered and slept.

Then when there was the cry at midnight, behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. then they all arose and trimmed their lamps. But there were those then were foolish that had not brought oil in their vessels with their lamps. They had not got grace. They had not got then which had a foundation from God, but only just a outward profession of their own. making and so they were told to go and buy their lamps had gone out they knew where to buy that was a solemn thing but while they went the bridegroom came and they were shut out a solemn reminder of this which is spoken of in our first verse of our text the end of all things is at hand and how we are to be Be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer. But then, following that parable, we have another parable, which is the one of the talents, and the using of those talents to the honor and glory of the one who had given the talents to them. Not to bury those talents, but to use them.

And so we are reminded again, going back to our text, where we read that we are to be, in verse 10, good stewards of the manifold grace of God. We are told in Psalm 84 that God gives grace and glory. The two are joined together. Where the Lord has given grace and we have expectation, When Christ shall come, we shall be with him in glory, then here below, we should be very mindful of the grace that is actually entrusted to us.

If we are a good steward, really, of anything in someone's household, or whether we're working for someone, then it is using responsibly the resources that are given to us we are managing those resources with carefulness and to the good of the one that has given us those things now in the parable there we had the one with the one talent he didn't even use his talent he didn't increase the talent he just buried it no use at all Well, where the Lord gives grace, we are to be good stewards of that grace while we are here below. And in doing so, in a way, we won't be like those either wise or foolish virgins that were sleeping.

And also we will be using those very graces that are not in us, but are given us from God And instead of having to go back to when we were called by grace, we can see day by day the grace and help given, and using that grace to the honor and glory of God, we have fresh tokens of being one of God's children. I believe this is how Peter is strengthening the brethren here, His really message in these verses is watch for the Lord's coming and use the grace that God has given you in a way that glorifies God and also helps and strengthens the brethren. And so he gives throughout this portion, there are some five pointers as to how how we are to be good stewards of the grace that he has given us. Of course we are reminded as well that God not only gives grace directly, the free unmerited favor of God, that is grace, grace to us directly, but he gives grace to others through us.

For instance, if the Lord gave grace of, say, ability in financial matters, skills in those matters to us, and of course we could use them for ourselves, but then we had another brother asking for advice and help what to do, And then we gave that person advice. They might have been praying, Lord, how can I deal with this matter, this difficult matter in my affairs in this world? And the way the Lord answers, He gives grace and help through a brother. So the gifts given to a brother are now made a benefit to us. So there is that sense that grace used by one, or gifts used by one, are the means of giving gifts to another one. That could be done in monetary ways or spiritual ways as well, encouraging and strengthening the brethren.

It's a good thing where we are able to minister the word and there are those that say we never saw it that way before. This is a new way. It's been really encouragement and help to be shown that way. We had a little bit of that reaction this morning at Pilgrim Home, and you don't expect that when you come to age pilgrims, that you actually bring things before them that never really considered and seen before, and that can be very encouraging.

So I want to look, by the Lord's help, at these pointers that Peter gives. We'll introduce them as we go, these five points as to how we may be good stewards as to the grace that God has given to us. Let us read again verse 7. But the end of all things is at hand, Be therefore sober and watch unto prayer. So our first point is by seeking fresh supplies of grace ourselves and to live soberly as saved by grace, watching and praying. There's a real picture here.

If we have been given what countless millions have not been given, the saving grace of God, the new birth, we've been quickened into divine life, we've seen what this world is, we've seen what we are as sinners, we've seen the gospel, embraced the gospel, and believed in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

If that is the case, then we also know our dependence upon grace itself. We know what the Lord taught in the parable of the vine in John 15, that we cannot bring forth fruit of ourselves. The branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abide in the vine, neither can ye except ye abide in me. If we are mindful of where our saving grace came from, And where every grace, every favor, every ability, every hell to live as the Lord would have us to live here below, when will be much in prayer for it?

Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock it shall be opened unto you. And especially where we have set before us the Lord coming again, the end. of all people that should know that the Lord can come as in a moment, unawares, to be ready in that way, to then be much in prayer, watching providence, knowing the Word of God, comparing what is happening in the world, with the Word of God, being of those that are able to discern, our Lord reproved his own people at the time. He said you can discern the face of the sky. He said when it is red and lowering, what we would put in our language, red sky at night, shepherds to night, red sky in the morning, shepherds warning, He said to the Jews, you can discern the face of the sky like that, but how is it you cannot discern the sign of the times? And so we are to watch the times, comparing it with the word of God.

And of course, being in prayer, when he's exhorting to soberness, that's not specifically pointing to being drunken, but it's a good illustration, isn't it? because if we were drunken with wine, then we are not in a ready state for anything that will come upon us.

And so if we're drunk with the pleasures of this world, the precious of the world, remember how many times the Lord exhorted that we be without carefulness, that we cast our cares upon him, that we're not anxiously saying, what shall we eat? What shall we drink? shall we be clothed, all these things the Gentiles seek, but seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and his righteousness, God's righteousness, all these things shall be added unto you. So the first way of rightly using God's grace is to be seeking to him, seeking for that fresh grace, watching for his coming, being really mindful of whose we are, what we are, and where we are in a world, as those sojourning, as pilgrims passing through, this is not our rest, it is polluted, and that's a very evident display and right use of the grace that God has given to us. If you put it the opposite way and think here's one that makes a profession and they say that I'm a Christian, I've got grace, but they seldom pray and they're all the time trying to get as much as they can of this world and living after its pleasures and joining with the people of this world and their whole life doesn't give the appearance of those that are new creatures in Christ All things passed away, all things become new. And so the first pointer then that Peter brings before us, here be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer. Praying, watching, sober, serious people to right use. of the grace of God that God has given us.

The second is by paying attention to what reflects God's grace and mercy most. And for this I want to look at verses 8 and 9. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. showing grace, showing mercy, and the word that has so struck me with these two verses is in verse 8, among yourselves, and then in verse 9, one to another.

This doesn't mean, of course, that we don't show love or practical love, charity, to those that are not of the brethren and sisters in faith, or that we only show hospitality to those of the faith. But the emphasis here is on the household of faith. Sometimes we might think, well, we can be good missionaries. We can be good advocates of the things of God. And we spend our time and we spend our money and our time and our helps upon the ungodly and neglect the Lord's people. But right through the scriptures, the emphasis is that it is the church, or it is the families that look after widows.

If they can't help, then the church helps them. It is the brethren helping one another. They have a unique bond, a joining together, that God designs, that iron sharpeneth iron. And two walk together and they agreed and the help and strength that is given one of another.

And I believe this is the real emphasis here, that the grace that the Lord gives, it is specifically strengthening the body of Christ. It is strengthening the church of God. It's doing good for itself. Now, let's get this balance right. You think of the picture of a body.

You think of ourselves, and we might be given money and skills and abilities, and as a father, as a husband, it is right that I use them for my wife, my children, our grandchildren, and for the benefit of my household. And we still give to charity. We still help those round about. But you look at the proportion, how much is actually spent on one's own people or one's own person, and how much is spent on those that are without? Now sometimes it can be, and I don't say this against my dear father, but I know as a child sometimes we thought his dad was quite generous to those without. Well, you're giving all of this to these other people, but what about us?

Maybe that was unjustified as a child thinking of that way, but our Lord looks after his own, his own blood-bought family, and the way that he looks after them, one of the ways is through each other, through the grace that each has been given to edify, or edify means to build up the body of Christ.

And the Lord uses it. This Peter here is to strengthen the brethren. You might say Peter is using the grace God gave him to strengthen the brethren, to help them. And the specific ones here is fervent charity. And we're not left in a doubt as to why. Why should be that fervent love among ourselves and a practical love, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. We sung of that in our hymn, how we're to declare the faults of another, but with love, with compassion, with a desire for restoration, to help one another, not to crush, not to push down, not to destroy, but with all the time the idea of strengthening, comforting, helping the family, the body of Christ, those for whom Christ suffered, bled, and died. And it's not just put as charity, it says fervent charity. One of the blessings, one of the tokens of God's children in John 1, we know that we pass from death unto life because we love the brethren.

And here is an exhortation to love the brethren, and to minister to them, and to help them, and use hospitality one to another. We're warned in Hebrews, be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for some have entertained angels unawares. You think of the angels that came to Abraham, three men, while there was two angels. and one was the Lord himself and he entertained them.

There's been many cases of those who have entertained a stranger in the chapel or in their home and then found out really who they were. But other times it may be that the Lord uses that hospitality in conversion. But especially I felt with this, this gives an opportunity of communing and fellowship one with another. Our Lord often went from house to house. The house in Bethany was a special house with Mary and Martha there.

Martha, hospitality, gone a bit overboard, but so diligent, you might say, so caring, careful about many things. And Mary sitting at the feet of the Lord. that the hospitality doesn't need to be a banquet, but that which is sufficient to allow you to have fellowship, communion, one with another. Yes, we might have someone back or some families back after a service and I might be speaking to them in the lounge and my dear one is busy getting the tea ready and the cups are ready and the things She's missing out on some of the fellowship and the talk that's going on.

If it's kept to the minimum that's needed, that's good. If it's overdone so that she cannot join a talk with us, then that defeats the object of, then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. And really, Peter's joining it here have them come into your home, be hospitable, give them what things they need to drink, to eat, but have that fellowship, that time together. Make it possible.

One thing perhaps that's sad amongst many of our churches, we don't spend much time in each other's homes in conversing of the things of God. and with communion one with another. Most of the time we just meet perhaps in the Lord's house or outside the Lord's house, but it's good to remember this use of the grace of God. He has given that whereby God's people have something to speak about more than the poor world has. And they have that which is able to sharpen each other's countenances, and to help each other in the way.

We're not to be strangers to one another, as to not knowing about each other at all. Ships passing in the night. I believe what Peter's setting forth here, this is what sets forth God's grace and mercy most. because we are giving grace, we're giving mercy, we're showing kindness, we're practically doing those things that show our love to the brethren. So I put that as the second point here, covering verses eight and verses nine. Above all things, have fervent charity among yourselves, For charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

This is not covering sins in a wrongful way. You know, if there's criminality in the Church of God, there's been so many sad cases where the Church closes up, covers matters that should be brought to the police. But these are small matters. These are non-criminal matters.

They are things whereby we can, by love, cover one another's failings and not be repeating them to others and be a help to deliver each other out of those failings and those things that we've fallen into. For charity shall cover the multitude of sins, use hospitality one to another without grudging. What a reminder that we can do a good thing with a bad spirit. The Lord says, do a good thing with a good spirit. If you do something, if you show hospitality, don't do it in a grudging way.

True grace, true faith, true religion is a very practical one. We've only got to read James, the epistles of James. only very clear that we are to show forth our faith by our works. And I find this a very searching word for myself as well, many times in these series I feel I'm preaching to myself as much as to any that hear me.

But then thirdly, in verse 10, By using gifts God has given us in helping one another. What a pointer to being a good steward of the grace of God. We read here, as every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. reading past the word of the gifts that God has given of ministering, of speaking, of comforting. He's given apostles, he's given pastors, he's given elders and deacons, he's given mothers in Israel, he's given those that have ability like Betheliel to build all of the things of the ark and of the temple He's given gifts of wisdom to Solomon. He's given gifts of faith and trust as he gave to David and to Daniel.

Those gifts that God gives to his people are to be used for the church of God. and then he versed me, might have something that we're able to do. Some might be very good at English or letter writing, what a help to the Church of God or the brethren. Another one might be very good at maths or accountancy, how good for each church it has accountancy matters to do. Another one might be good at And fixing clocks, we've all got clocks and they need fixing, they need working on sometimes.

And if we've got those gifts to do that, then we're to use them. There's been something amongst our churches that, well, you must not put yourself forward. But if you're in a church meeting and that church is trying and seeking, we need someone to be able to do this and this and this. We're looking to the Lord to provide that person, and you're sitting silently in your seat thinking, well, I've got all of these gifts, I've got these, I could do this, but they're not asking me, so I'm not putting myself forward. If we've got those gifts, we are to put ourselves forward. I often think of this with the ministering actually to the pilgrim home, especially in our churches, we expect as ministers we'll be invited to preach. And for each engagement, we're given an invitation.

We don't go around inviting ourselves to pulpits. But when you get a home, a pilgrim home, you can't take the attitude and say, well, they haven't written and invited me to come. You think, well, I'm a local pastor. I'm a local minister. There's a home that has a need, and they have those that need ministry too. I'm going to offer my services. Really, no payment at all. This is not a paid job.

And so that's where it is right. When we feel we are in an ability, in a position to help, we've got the gifts to do it, we've got the ability to do it, we can find time to do it, then we should do it. And do it for the good of the people of God. Every man's gifts in a different way. Now what a a blessing to the Church of God, to have a mother in Israel, a peacemaker in Israel, or one to just give a little bit of silent advice every now and again. No, the gifts that God gives, they are those that are needed.

You wouldn't think of giving someone gifts and abilities and they're not needed. Sometimes it's a tragedy with our young spend years going to university and they get degrees and they get all of these skills and then they end up a farmhand or something. They never use the gifts, they never use the abilities that they've got. And you think, well what a waste.

But when God gives grace and he gives gifts They are to be used, and we have to think, why has the Lord given me this ability? Why has he given me this help? And oft times it's a real confirming that we are the Lord's, we are where he'd have us to go, because we see we need those gifts, or the church where we are needs those gifts. and others are Lord's servants or others are Lord's people, maybe have not got those gifts, but they don't need them. Others perhaps have got them instead and are able to help them. So we need to ask ourselves, has the Lord given us a specific gift to fill a gap, to do something, that another can't do, or that we have an ability to do.

Going back to the Pilgrim Home, not so much now, but years ago we used to have those that were more ability, those that come from the flats. And when we were using the handbooks, I printed sheets now, but we used to have those that were so willing to go around and hand out the books and find the places and help the other residents because they were able and they had the gifts and ability to do it. And to have that, we used to have those to be able to play the organ as well as another ability to start the singing a cappella or to play the organ. Those sort of abilities to run computers, to do that sort of thing. but especially in spiritual things, discernment, a gracious discernment, a knowledge of the word, a good memory of the word, an understanding of the doctrines of grace. Remember the word says, there must needs be heresies among you that they that are approved shall be made manifest. Those that come out of the woodwork, as it were, hidden ones.

They're not the deacon. They're not the minister. There's a heresy. There's a real error. The minister doesn't pick it up. The deacon doesn't pick it up. But an insignificant member of the church does and says, look, this is wrong. This is against the scripture.

And the thing is found out. And the Lord says, that's why there are heresies in the church. that these ones be made manifest, that they come out, they are seen. So if we are saying things, you think of Elihu, he waits for those three friends to finish all their saying. He realizes that they've got it wrong. They're not saying the right thing. Keeps his silence till they're finished. And then he speaks his mind.

And then he gives, as it were, the grace that God has given him to speak to Job and to speak to his three friends in that time. I think of how God used David with Goliath. God not only gave him the gifts of grace and the preparation for that time, But he also first ruled out in 40 days that there was no one else that had those gifts to go and stand before Goliath. And then Jesse just sends David to go and see his brethren, see how they do. And all that unfolds from that spectacle before Israel and the Philistines of David's grace.

You know, David had just been anointed to be the next king, secretly done, as it were, by Samuel. But now in public, he's thrust by God's providence into the limelight. He has the grace to lead, to stand, to fight with the enemy, to lean upon God and to trust in him. And this came out to the full. And David, when he heard Goliath, he didn't wait, as it were, to be invited. He kept asking about this until his asking came to Saul's attention.

And we are not to bury, we're not to hide what the Lord has given us, especially where we see there is a lack or a gap And we think, has the Lord given me this grace, ability, knowledge, understanding, wisdom for this very time to deal with it and this matter?

As some men hath received the gift, no, as every man hath received the gift, even so minister something different to another no the same same as the gift the same one to another and here we have this same word isn't it the same as what was in verse eight and nine and here it is in ten one to another the emphasis is on building up edifying strengthening the body of christ as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

This is where our title and main theme comes from. But then we have in the fourth place, we can be good stewards, especially by paying attention to how we speak and minister the word. In verse 11, If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God, the word of God. If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth. Every one of us in the ministry have different abilities and different skills. If I had skill and i hope the lord has given abilities in this way to divide a text to study the word to understand the word but i neglected that and thought oh i'll just add a text i'll just come up into the pulpit and just speak as led but i'm not going to study to approve myself approved unto god rightly dividing the word of god I'm just going to hope it comes in the hour that would be taken out of context. The Lord promises to do that, and we are helped in the time of preaching certainly, and need the Lord's blessing upon the preaching.

But that given in the hours, especially when we are being persecuted, brought before kings and rulers, and we have no idea what questions or what we're going to be asked or what's going to be faced before us. then is where we're not to premeditate, not to think beforehand because we don't know what is going to be said. If we do, we're liable to answer the question that hasn't been asked. They say something to us and instead of listening to what they've been saying or what they've asked or accused us of, we answer a preconceived question that is in our mind, completely missed the point. But when we know if we're going to visit someone in a hospital, if we're going to preach the word, if we're going to give a conference, if we're going to speak to someone, if we're going to take a Sunday school lesson, a youth lesson, a young people's meeting, and we know that the Lord has given us grace to be able to study. Some struggle with it. They can't. They haven't got that ability. But if we know that we have, Where to use that?

Use it to real advantage and blessing. So if we are called in any way to speak, it is to be according to the Word of God. To be able to do that, we need to know the Word of God, study the Word of God, love the Word of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God. conversation of the people of God, we think of in the hospitality situation, and to be speaking of the things of God, the gracious words that proceeded out of the mouth of our Lord, and to have something of that grace upon us, gracious conversation, and a speaking of the things of the word, and the ministry of the Word. If ever there is something, how do we glorify God? How do we be good stewards of the gifts of God, the grace of God?

It is to do with speaking the Word, ministering the Word, edifying the body of Christ, preaching the Word. So we have to pay attention to that. Of course, that would include as well with our children and grandchildren. How good stewards are we in that? I find that very, very challenging as well.

If our grandchildren were asked, if our children were asked, how much has your grandfather, how much has your father spoken to you of the word of God? How much has he opened up to you what he My grace knows what they have to say. Well, he doesn't do it much. No searching, isn't it?

Well, the last point that I bring before us is that we are good stewards of the grace of God. When we use that grace given to glorify God, through Jesus Christ in all things. The end of verse 11. That God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Again we may ask ourselves, how much in those things that we've looked at here, is God glorified? Is it through the Lord Jesus Christ? or is it just we're praising ourselves look at what ability i've got look how good i am it's easy it's a snare isn't it hymn writer says the heart uplifts with god's own gifts and makes even grace a snare how easy that can be how easy it can It's a narrow line, isn't it?

So this is a good ending to these verses, to really put a stamp over the whole of it and say, beware of this. You don't use God's graces and say, look, here I am. What a wonderful, gracious person. What a wonderful, skilled person I am. The Apostle Paul says, by the grace of God, I am what I am. He says, I'm not worthy to be an apostle because I persecuted the house and the church of God. That which God gave him humbled him.

And we are constantly to be reminded of this, whatever gift or grace it is, what hast thou that thou hast not received? And sometimes, especially in the ministry, we're solemnly reminded of this when we feel the Lord just takes away ability, light, understanding, and a darkness over the Word. We cannot understand it, cannot fathom it, can't get it to text, can't set it forth, or in our own feelings at all.

And that makes us more humble and dependent upon the Lord. And it's good for us that the Lord does that. So that when we are good stewards of the grace of God, it is to God's honour, it is to his glory, and it is through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Every grace and every favour comes to us through Jesus Christ. And we are to be reminded of that. And in exercising and as being a good steward of those graces, to always point and put the crown upon the head of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless these word and these pointers so that while we're here below, we might have daily those encouragements the Lord has given us grace. And we love the church, we love the body of Christ.

And we seek to use those graces to his honour and glory and for the good of his people. And that in doing so, we walk by grace with that expectation when the Lord comes, we shall be found ready and waiting. Occupying, our Lord says, till I come. And this is the way we are to occupy in using the grace he has given and walking By grace, may the Lord add his blessing. Amen.

Good Stewards of God's grace

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Good Stewards of God's grace

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About Rowland Wheatley

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