WEBVTT 00:01.516 --> 00:04.876 Welcome to the Valley Baptist Church sermon podcast. 00:04.876 --> 00:08.316 We're so glad you're here, and we hope this message inspires you, 00:08.316 --> 00:12.476 builds your faith, and moves you toward a deep relationship with God. 00:12.476 --> 00:15.516 Today, you'll find great insight into the Bible 00:15.516 --> 00:18.236 and learn how you can apply it straight to your life. 00:18.236 --> 00:20.856 So welcome and enjoy the message. 00:21.057 --> 00:25.617 If you have your Bibles, open them to 1 Peter chapter 4. 00:26.657 --> 00:33.997 We have been studying in the end of 1 Thessalonians and also on Wednesday nights, the end of Revelation, 00:34.217 --> 00:37.537 the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:38.097 --> 00:45.277 And I want to continue that theme this morning as the Apostle Peter describes how it is that 00:45.277 --> 00:50.297 we are to live in light of the second coming of Christ. 00:50.297 --> 00:51.313 Right? 00:51.314 --> 00:57.234 I'll tell you, I am so thankful that Christ came and died for my sins. 00:57.814 --> 01:02.034 I am so thankful that Jesus rose from the dead. 01:02.034 --> 01:11.034 And I long for the time when Jesus will return in all of his glory and we will see him face to face. 01:12.779 --> 01:17.579 And so we are living on the edge of eternity. 01:18.119 --> 01:22.199 We are preparing our hearts for the second coming of Christ. 01:22.199 --> 01:32.679 We are longing to know God without sin, without death, and without pain for all of eternity. 01:33.822 --> 01:37.302 The Apostle Peter tells us in the middle of this passage, 01:37.302 --> 01:40.982 the end of all things is at hand. 01:40.982 --> 01:44.722 Now that doesn't mean that the second coming 01:44.722 --> 01:47.142 of Jesus Christ is immediate, 01:47.142 --> 01:50.662 but what it does mean is that it's imminent, 01:50.662 --> 01:54.502 that Christ could come at any time. 01:54.502 --> 01:57.282 And so you and I need to get ready 01:57.282 --> 01:59.442 for the coming of Christ. 01:59.442 --> 02:03.802 You and I are living on the edge of eternity. 02:03.944 --> 02:11.084 And the big idea of this passage that we're going to look at today is that you and I, our time is limited. 02:12.084 --> 02:16.784 And so use it effectively and productively. 02:17.644 --> 02:22.964 Now, I think all of us are guilty of wasting time. 02:22.962 --> 02:25.482 We waste our time on our cell phones. 02:25.802 --> 02:28.822 We waste our time on the television. 02:29.522 --> 02:32.622 You know, the Gen Z, they talk about brain rot. 02:32.782 --> 02:37.642 Well, they may have coined the term, but we've been wasting our time way before that came around. 02:38.588 --> 02:43.588 All of us are guilty of wasting our life at times, 02:44.108 --> 02:49.028 but the Bible says we are to redeem our time. 02:49.028 --> 02:52.388 Now the word redeem means to buy back. 02:52.388 --> 02:54.668 And so first it means that we confess 02:54.668 --> 02:57.348 that we have wasted our time in the past, 02:57.348 --> 03:00.848 that we're honest about how we are stewarding 03:00.848 --> 03:03.308 the time within our life. 03:03.308 --> 03:05.648 And by the way, we all have the same amount of time. 03:06.584 --> 03:09.104 Nobody gets more, nobody gets less. 03:09.344 --> 03:15.044 The question is, how do we use it to pursue Christ and to pursue his kingdom? 03:15.384 --> 03:19.644 And so redeeming the time admits that I've wasted time, 03:19.804 --> 03:22.904 but whatever time I have left, I want to use it for Christ. 03:23.464 --> 03:25.904 I want to live for God. 03:26.504 --> 03:29.664 Now, the second coming of Christ is not about speculation. 03:30.184 --> 03:32.182 It's about motivation. 03:32.183 --> 03:34.243 In fact, Jesus said, don't speculate. 03:34.423 --> 03:36.203 No one knows the day or the hour. 03:36.483 --> 03:38.323 I'm going to come as a thief in the night. 03:38.643 --> 03:40.583 Don't speculate about when I'm going to come. 03:40.583 --> 03:44.703 Instead of be motivated to live your life so that you're ready when I do. 03:45.843 --> 03:52.183 Because when you live and where you live affects how you live. 03:53.328 --> 03:55.548 You see, you and I have very little time left. 03:56.388 --> 04:03.668 Even if Christ doesn't come in our lifetimes, we have a very brief amount of time here on earth. 04:03.668 --> 04:13.248 And so Peter says, stop wasting time and start spending your time doing these four things. 04:14.128 --> 04:17.508 I love how practical and relevant the Bible is. 04:17.510 --> 04:24.830 Because Peter is going to tell us exactly what to do in light of the second coming of Christ. 04:24.950 --> 04:27.010 So let's begin in verse number 1. 04:28.490 --> 04:28.829 He says, 04:28.830 --> 04:35.270 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourself also with the same mind. 04:35.730 --> 04:38.610 For he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 04:39.050 --> 04:46.330 that he may no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lust of men, but for the will of God." 04:46.332 --> 04:57.212 For we have spent enough of our past lifetimes in doing the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lewdness, lust, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 04:57.552 --> 05:06.092 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. 05:06.633 --> 05:10.073 They will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 05:10.073 --> 05:26.713 For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit. 05:27.625 --> 05:32.645 Now, we don't have time to get into every aspect of these verses, but what I want you to see 05:32.645 --> 05:38.505 is that if you're going to live your life productively in light of the second coming, 05:38.505 --> 05:44.505 first you have to deal with your sin. See, the first thing you've got to do 05:44.505 --> 05:49.225 is to move out of the way and let God do whatever he wants in your life. 05:50.322 --> 05:54.622 Before you can use your life, you've got to stop wasting your life on sin. 05:55.242 --> 05:56.682 You've got to work on yourself. 05:56.802 --> 05:59.382 You've got to put your life together. 05:59.382 --> 06:04.162 Now, he lists a bunch of sins of sensualism. 06:04.598 --> 06:13.298 This is kind of the idolatry of our culture, to live for sexual sin or for alcohol or for drugs. 06:13.438 --> 06:21.538 And he says, don't use your time for sinful passions, but use your time doing the will of God. 06:21.538 --> 06:25.358 In other words, your life is not about you. 06:25.642 --> 06:29.362 Your life is not about what you feel or what you want to do. 06:29.782 --> 06:39.782 Your life belongs to God, and you are to steward it in order to accomplish and to live out God's will within your life. 06:40.842 --> 06:48.422 Now, the reason that you are not where you could be is there are certain things in your life that you just are not dealing with. 06:49.722 --> 06:54.582 There's some sins, there's some attitudes, there's some unforgiveness, there's some bitterness, 06:54.942 --> 07:01.482 there's some brokenness that you've been rationalizing and you've been minimizing and you've been 07:01.482 --> 07:07.562 justifying within your life, but deep down you know that you need to deal with it. 07:08.002 --> 07:13.702 Deep down the Holy Spirit is working in your heart and saying, there's some things that 07:13.702 --> 07:19.222 I want to remove to free you up to live your life for Jesus Christ. 07:20.013 --> 07:23.193 Now, that's the opposite of our culture, isn't it? 07:23.353 --> 07:25.573 Our culture says, well, discover yourself. 07:25.893 --> 07:27.333 The Bible says, deny yourself. 07:28.153 --> 07:30.413 Our culture says, listen to your heart. 07:30.513 --> 07:34.953 The Bible says, your heart is deceitful above all things. 07:35.973 --> 07:40.393 Now, in verses 1 and 2, he says, one of the first things that you have to do is you have 07:40.393 --> 07:44.733 to admit that you still have sinful passions in your heart. 07:45.697 --> 07:50.657 Now, there's some religious people that want to act like they no longer are tempted to sin. 07:50.837 --> 07:55.877 They tell all the people out there to stop doing sins that they don't struggle with. 07:56.597 --> 07:59.497 And that's why sometimes people don't like certain religious people. 07:59.817 --> 08:06.637 They tell everyone else to repent, but they don't deal with the sin within their own heart. 08:07.797 --> 08:12.497 And so what Peter is describing is, I still have sinful desires, right? 08:12.950 --> 08:20.610 But I want to deny them, but I don't want to act like they're not there and to hide them from other people. 08:20.710 --> 08:22.810 Well, how do we deal with those sinful desires? 08:22.950 --> 08:27.750 He says in verse 1 that we are to arm ourselves with the truth of the gospel. 08:28.550 --> 08:37.870 The same message that saves you is the message that changes you and transforms you from the inside out. 08:38.790 --> 08:42.630 Now, this is different than just saying, believe the gospel. 08:43.898 --> 08:48.298 In America, we have a very unbiblical and shallow view of belief. 08:48.958 --> 08:52.298 We think of belief as intellectual assent. 08:53.418 --> 08:56.098 And so I can say that I agree with something, 08:56.638 --> 08:59.958 but it doesn't affect my heart or change my life. 08:59.958 --> 09:04.998 But here he says, arm yourself with the truth of what Jesus has done for you. 09:05.278 --> 09:12.058 It means absorb it within your life, integrate it into your heart and how you live. 09:12.434 --> 09:20.554 You see, discipleship is getting the Bible into your heart where it affects you emotionally and volitionally. 09:21.614 --> 09:26.574 That your faith goes from your head to your heart. 09:28.297 --> 09:33.857 Timothy Keller was a pastor and a 15-year-old girl came to him for counseling and she says, 09:33.857 --> 09:36.177 I know that God made me. 09:36.177 --> 09:37.737 I know that Christ died for me. 09:37.737 --> 09:39.257 I know that I have the Holy Spirit. 09:39.257 --> 09:42.417 I know that the church is my family. 09:42.417 --> 09:49.337 Now those are powerful, transformative theological truths. 09:49.337 --> 09:51.617 They should affect everything within our life. 09:51.617 --> 09:54.277 She says, I know all of those things. 09:55.178 --> 09:59.758 But what does all of that matter if no 15-year-old boy is like me? 10:01.558 --> 10:03.038 Now, we kind of chuckle. 10:04.778 --> 10:08.638 But all of us have been where that 15-year-old girl was. 10:09.338 --> 10:11.438 She believed it externally. 10:12.098 --> 10:17.158 But she didn't embrace it and integrate it into her life. 10:17.158 --> 10:22.398 You see, you do not understand theology properly until you apply it. 10:23.444 --> 10:31.224 You don't really understand the Bible in your heart until it has changed and transformed your heart. 10:31.224 --> 10:33.024 And so it's time. 10:33.444 --> 10:43.004 It's time to start thinking about the truths of the gospel long enough and to wrestle with them hard enough that we integrate them into our life. 10:43.904 --> 10:45.324 In verse number 7. 10:46.917 --> 10:49.477 He says, but the end of all things is at hand. 10:50.217 --> 10:54.817 Therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers. 10:55.857 --> 11:01.597 He says, first of all, you need to deal with your sin because you're wasting your time with sin. 11:02.517 --> 11:06.477 Secondly, he says, you need to seek God in prayer. 11:07.589 --> 11:13.029 Now, it's not easy to close the gap between what you say you believe and what you live. 11:14.109 --> 11:20.369 And the truth is, only God, by His grace, can help us to close that gap. 11:21.069 --> 11:24.649 And so it's important that we spend a lot of time with God in prayer. 11:25.249 --> 11:30.729 It's important not just that we look forward to being with Him in the future, 11:30.889 --> 11:33.329 but we spend time with Him right now. 11:34.218 --> 11:41.598 And Peter says, when you pray, God changes your heart and he changes your perspective. 11:42.318 --> 11:46.878 This word serious has to do with having the right mind or perspective. 11:47.038 --> 11:48.978 Sometimes it's translated sober. 11:49.318 --> 11:51.518 And this word watchful has to do with your heart. 11:51.678 --> 11:56.678 You're watching and anticipating and longing for a relationship with God 11:56.678 --> 12:01.358 that expresses itself through prayer and spending time with him. 12:02.585 --> 12:06.225 I remember when my wife and I were engaged, we were in a long 12:06.225 --> 12:09.725 distance relationship. I would go visit her when I could and she would come 12:09.725 --> 12:11.205 visit me. 12:11.205 --> 12:15.625 I remember when she was coming, I would anticipate about the time 12:15.625 --> 12:20.545 of her arrival and I would look out the window every few minutes 12:20.545 --> 12:24.345 and I would long and desire for her to return 12:24.345 --> 12:28.825 because I loved her and I wanted to spend time with her. I wanted 12:28.825 --> 12:30.965 to be with her. 12:30.952 --> 12:36.532 And Peter says that is to be the disposition of our heart in prayer, 12:36.712 --> 12:42.292 that we long for intimacy with Christ, that we long to be with him. 12:42.292 --> 12:44.972 And that changes how we think. 12:46.172 --> 12:52.052 You see, as we gain more intimacy in our relationship with God through prayer, 12:52.432 --> 12:58.912 God gives us a heart and he gives us a mind to discern between what matters and what doesn't matter. 12:59.892 --> 13:03.672 What really will last and what won't last at all. 13:04.432 --> 13:11.592 And what we realize is that what lasts and what matters is God and people. 13:12.152 --> 13:14.172 Look what he says in verse number 8. 13:15.832 --> 13:16.711 He says, 13:16.712 --> 13:23.992 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 13:25.289 --> 13:31.829 He said, if you're going to use your time wisely and productively, you've got to deal with sin so you can do God's will. 13:32.889 --> 13:43.129 You've got to also seek God in prayer because it's out of that intimacy with Christ and that love for Christ that everything else flows out of that. 13:43.129 --> 13:46.129 And then he says you need to come into community. 13:47.362 --> 13:52.642 In other words, don't spend your time being isolated and separated from other Christians. 13:53.462 --> 13:54.982 Instead, come into community. 13:55.742 --> 14:00.962 Did you know that you cannot have an effective ministry if you're not connected to other Christians? 14:02.842 --> 14:05.922 I mean, I remember as a kid, Rambo came on TV. 14:06.042 --> 14:08.062 I remember going, man, that was a one-man army. 14:08.162 --> 14:09.862 But you know, that doesn't work in real life. 14:10.702 --> 14:15.442 You can't defeat a whole country or army all by yourself. 14:15.622 --> 14:16.782 And we're in war. 14:17.652 --> 14:19.872 We're at war with the enemy, and we need one another. 14:19.952 --> 14:21.552 We need the body of Christ. 14:22.212 --> 14:27.032 We need the gifts of the Spirit manifested in other people's lives. 14:27.192 --> 14:28.772 We need to be connected. 14:30.032 --> 14:34.552 Now, that goes against the idol of individualism in our culture, doesn't it? 14:35.552 --> 14:39.432 Individualism says, I want to be by myself, and I want to do whatever I want to do, 14:39.432 --> 14:41.392 and I don't want to answer to anyone. 14:41.969 --> 14:44.649 I want to be autonomous and I want to be self-sufficient. 14:44.789 --> 14:48.409 Did you know that that's what led to the first sin of Adam and Eve? 14:49.829 --> 14:51.669 That's kind of the definition of sin. 14:51.769 --> 14:54.729 I want to be autonomous from God and from everyone else. 14:54.809 --> 14:57.309 I want to do whatever I want whenever I want to do it. 14:57.589 --> 15:02.989 That's the opposite of love because love desires the good of the other. 15:04.469 --> 15:08.929 So when it comes to others, God doesn't want us to be dependent. 15:09.109 --> 15:10.869 He doesn't want us to be independent. 15:12.445 --> 15:15.365 He wants us to be interdependent on one another. 15:16.445 --> 15:20.385 And notice he says, above all, have fervent love for one another. 15:20.485 --> 15:22.145 This word fervent is an athletic word. 15:22.205 --> 15:26.245 It means to strive or to strain as you're running towards the finish line. 15:26.325 --> 15:30.765 He says, if you're going to love one another, it's going to cost something. 15:31.685 --> 15:37.105 Now, most people think love is you make me feel good. 15:38.213 --> 15:40.753 We've kind of made love all about us, right? 15:41.273 --> 15:43.493 I love you because of the way you make me feel. 15:43.613 --> 15:45.353 I love because you do this for me. 15:45.713 --> 15:50.853 Really, the reason I love you is because I'm just so in love with myself, you know? 15:51.053 --> 15:52.713 And that's kind of the mentality. 15:52.893 --> 15:54.613 We've made love selfish. 15:55.813 --> 16:01.413 The definition of love in the Bible is not to make someone feel good. 16:01.873 --> 16:06.573 It's to be committed to their highest good for the longest period of time. 16:07.694 --> 16:08.994 Did you know that's not always easy? 16:10.034 --> 16:15.974 If I'm going to love my kids, sometimes I've got to upset them in the present to help them out in the future. 16:17.294 --> 16:23.954 Sometimes you've got to upset present Matthew to help out future Matthew. 16:25.143 --> 16:27.283 You've got to not have a cheap love. 16:27.363 --> 16:35.603 You've got to have a real love that's willing to pay the price for the highest good over the longest period of time in someone's life. 16:35.923 --> 16:39.443 And then he says, not only does love cost, he says love covers. 16:39.563 --> 16:42.703 He says, for love covers a multitude of sins. 16:43.903 --> 16:47.763 Now, love doesn't condone sin, but it does cover sin. 16:47.763 --> 16:53.423 Did you ever notice that hatred takes great joy in exposing other people's sins? 16:54.826 --> 17:00.526 There are some people who will never confess their own sins, but they'll confess your sins in a heartbeat. 17:02.126 --> 17:09.006 They want to expose through gossip and slander, and they want to show how everybody else is all messed up, 17:09.006 --> 17:11.446 and they think that somehow that makes them look better. 17:11.526 --> 17:13.426 Now, it never works out that way, does it? 17:15.008 --> 17:20.448 It ends up tearing us apart and making us look bad, but that's what hatred looks like. 17:20.788 --> 17:24.288 But love takes joy in forgiving others. 17:25.348 --> 17:28.908 Did you know that God delights in forgiving your sin? 17:29.788 --> 17:33.388 The Bible says God rejoices over one sinner who repents. 17:33.388 --> 17:38.028 It says Jesus, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross. 17:38.408 --> 17:44.068 God delights in forgiving your sin when you come to Christ. 17:45.316 --> 17:47.656 Now, that doesn't mean we act like sin's not there. 17:48.916 --> 17:51.456 We are to talk about sin. 17:51.576 --> 17:56.096 We are to talk and be tough on sin, but we are to be tender on sinners. 17:57.236 --> 18:01.596 We are to talk about sin, but then we know where to take it afterward. 18:01.596 --> 18:05.456 And that's not to run from God, but to run to God. 18:05.656 --> 18:08.476 That is to run towards God's grace. 18:09.498 --> 18:12.758 In verse 9, the Apostle Peter says, 18:12.878 --> 18:16.598 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 18:17.718 --> 18:26.118 Now, hospitality is that you love and you welcome and you receive strangers. 18:26.758 --> 18:36.198 That you extend your life and your hand and your time to minister to other people. 18:36.802 --> 18:39.802 Now, why do we have a hospitality ministry here at the church? 18:39.922 --> 18:41.782 Why do we have this new parking ministry? 18:41.942 --> 18:45.382 Why do we have an information tent and a pastor's reception? 18:45.882 --> 18:47.742 Well, it's organizational hospitality. 18:48.782 --> 18:54.322 We are communicating to everyone, God is ready for you. 18:55.302 --> 18:57.122 God loves you and he wants you. 18:58.202 --> 18:59.562 We are ready for you. 18:59.662 --> 19:01.222 We love you and we want you. 19:01.222 --> 19:04.702 And we want you to know that you are welcome here. 19:05.860 --> 19:15.460 Now, hospitality is essential to discipleship because discipleship is mature believers being hospitable and involved in the lives of new Christians. 19:16.320 --> 19:23.480 It's life-on-life love, teaching, and discipleship. 19:24.180 --> 19:25.260 Now, notice what he says. 19:25.300 --> 19:28.300 He says, be hospitable, but then he says without grumbling. 19:28.300 --> 19:32.020 Oh, man, why do you have to say that, you know? 19:33.974 --> 19:39.494 We sometimes want to do the right thing, but then complain about it. 19:39.514 --> 19:40.914 I don't know if you've ever noticed that. 19:42.254 --> 19:43.293 Well, why does he say that? 19:43.294 --> 19:45.074 Well, because hospitality is tough. 19:47.034 --> 19:49.294 Often it involves your weekend or your evening. 19:49.614 --> 19:50.954 It involves your time. 19:51.094 --> 19:52.434 You have to put it in your budget. 19:53.354 --> 19:54.754 You have to give a lot of effort. 19:56.254 --> 20:01.694 Hospitality invites people into the most intimate places in your life. 20:03.235 --> 20:07.035 Now, hospitality is inviting the stranger into your life in the hopes that they become a brother. 20:08.375 --> 20:09.775 It's out of love. 20:09.775 --> 20:14.595 It's a desire to see God work in someone's life. 20:15.035 --> 20:21.215 Jesus is the greatest example of hospitality that we have. 20:22.507 --> 20:27.827 There are three phrases in the Gospels that say the Son of Man came. 20:28.167 --> 20:31.087 The first is the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. 20:31.867 --> 20:34.507 And aren't you glad that Jesus came to die for sinners? 20:35.407 --> 20:39.807 Aren't you glad that Jesus came to save sinners, of which we are? 20:40.227 --> 20:46.487 The second is it says the Son of Man came to serve and not to be served. 20:47.650 --> 20:50.390 Jesus didn't come so that we could all serve him. 20:50.490 --> 20:53.110 He came so that he could serve us. 20:53.810 --> 20:58.970 And the third is the Son of Man came eating and drinking. 21:00.190 --> 21:02.510 In fact, when you read the Gospel of Luke, 21:03.390 --> 21:06.650 Jesus is kind of eating his way all the way through the Gospel of Luke. 21:07.670 --> 21:09.350 I mean, he's always going to a mill. 21:09.350 --> 21:13.230 He's always at a mill or he's coming from a mill. 21:13.739 --> 21:19.239 And so because I want to be like Jesus, I'm always coming from a meal, going to a meal, or at a meal. 21:20.619 --> 21:22.639 I mean, I love food. 21:23.399 --> 21:24.879 I love hospitality. 21:25.119 --> 21:28.159 I love food and friendship and fellowship. 21:29.519 --> 21:32.879 But before Jesus died for sinners, he dined with sinners. 21:33.938 --> 21:37.098 It said that he ate with sinners. He was a friend of sinners. 21:37.478 --> 21:47.758 You see, Jesus was hospitable in order to invite us into his home, to bring us into his family. 21:49.018 --> 21:55.338 In Matthew chapter 25, Jesus says, I was a stranger and you welcomed me in. 21:55.338 --> 21:56.958 It's this idea of hospitality. 21:58.593 --> 22:07.533 Jesus is saying there's an intimacy with me that you will only experience in practicing hospitality within your life. 22:08.213 --> 22:11.173 Notice what he says in verse number 10. 22:13.173 --> 22:20.933 He says, as each one has received a gift, minister to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 22:21.273 --> 22:24.053 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. 22:24.053 --> 22:28.013 If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, 22:28.753 --> 22:33.593 that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, 22:34.173 --> 22:40.133 to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 22:41.590 --> 22:46.530 He said, if you are going to use your life effectively and productively, 22:46.650 --> 22:48.490 if you're going to get ready for the second coming, 22:48.870 --> 22:52.870 first, you've got to deal with your sin so that you can live for God. 22:53.970 --> 22:57.590 Second, you've got to seek God in prayer, 22:57.590 --> 23:02.950 because out of that flows all the ministry and everything else within your life. 23:03.210 --> 23:07.070 He said, third, you've got to be in community with other people 23:07.070 --> 23:10.550 so that they can strengthen you and you can strengthen them. 23:11.425 --> 23:17.905 But fourth, the fourth thing he says we're to do is you are to deploy your spiritual gifts. 23:19.005 --> 23:23.425 See, we have to move from consumers to contributors. 23:24.725 --> 23:27.865 You can't have more customers than co-laborers. 23:28.672 --> 23:30.712 You can't have more takers than givers. 23:31.252 --> 23:34.752 You can't have more selfish people than servants. 23:35.092 --> 23:39.552 You need people to step up and make a difference for eternity 23:39.552 --> 23:41.172 if we're going to live for the Lord. 23:42.252 --> 23:48.732 Now, the Bible teaches that every Christian has at least one spiritual gift, 23:49.392 --> 23:54.512 that God has empowered you in a special way to minister. 23:55.232 --> 23:58.192 A spiritual gift is a divine enablement. 23:58.844 --> 24:02.464 for you to uniquely serve others in ministry and mission. 24:03.244 --> 24:07.824 And one of the greatest joys in life is to discover how God made you 24:07.824 --> 24:14.484 and using that unique design and that gifting in ministry and mission towards other people. 24:15.664 --> 24:22.364 Now, our desire is that every Christian in our church would discover their spiritual gifts, 24:22.764 --> 24:24.904 that you would develop your spiritual gifts, 24:25.044 --> 24:28.724 and that you would deploy your spiritual gifts. 24:29.810 --> 24:38.090 We want you to find out how God made you to help move the message and the ministry of Jesus forward. 24:39.310 --> 24:48.150 We want you to find why Jesus has you here on earth and what his plan and his purpose is. 24:48.410 --> 24:50.850 You see, you go, well, what is God's will for my life? 24:51.010 --> 24:57.130 I don't know all of that, but one thing I do know is it is God's will for you to use your spiritual gifts. 24:58.490 --> 24:59.510 Don't waste them. 25:01.062 --> 25:05.802 Now, there are two categories of spiritual gifts that the Apostle Peter gives us. 25:06.282 --> 25:10.002 There's the speaking gifts, and then there's the serving gifts. 25:10.522 --> 25:12.982 It's as if you speak, speak as the oracles of God. 25:13.262 --> 25:16.822 In other words, the Word of God is the basis of the speaking gifts. 25:17.870 --> 25:20.290 And so, if you're a teacher, teach God's Word. 25:20.850 --> 25:27.390 If you have the gift of faith, then strengthen people's faith by pointing them to the promise and the truth of God's Word. 25:27.390 --> 25:34.870 If you have the gift of encouragement, point them to the wonderful truths that God has revealed within the gospel. 25:35.950 --> 25:38.550 People are so hungry. 25:38.550 --> 25:39.621 Hungry. 25:39.622 --> 25:47.182 to receive a word from God. They're so hungry to hear from God. So if that is the gift that 25:47.182 --> 25:55.782 God's given you, employ it, deploy it, and use it to bring other people closer to the Lord. 25:56.662 --> 26:02.422 The second category of gifts, he says, are the serving gifts. Now the serving gifts 26:02.422 --> 26:08.942 are where you're able to serve in a strength and a capacity that can only be from God. 26:10.132 --> 26:13.412 That God gives you supernatural ability to serve. 26:13.732 --> 26:16.932 Not only do you have the ability in the gifts, 26:17.052 --> 26:19.872 but you also have the supernatural blessing of God 26:19.872 --> 26:25.712 that he uses that gift to bring about his manifold grace 26:25.712 --> 26:27.992 within the lives of other people. 26:28.592 --> 26:32.572 And that gift is a matter of his grace within your life 26:32.572 --> 26:34.932 that God not only has saved you, 26:35.092 --> 26:39.092 but he also has graced you with the ability to be a part of what he's doing. 26:40.608 --> 26:45.108 Now, notice he says, whatever gifts you have, use them with the ability that God supplies. 26:46.248 --> 26:49.288 In other words, you can't do it in your own strength. 26:50.248 --> 26:55.668 You have to rely on the Holy Spirit who empowers you. 26:57.088 --> 27:03.708 The last couple of weeks, I had a couple of people come to me and want to pray for me. 27:03.788 --> 27:08.168 And they said, well, what's your greatest problem or greatest challenge that you're facing? 27:10.426 --> 27:12.266 And I didn't have a lot of time to think about it. 27:12.266 --> 27:16.026 I said, well, you know, probably the biggest challenge I face is my inadequacy. 27:17.166 --> 27:22.566 God keeps calling me and to do things that I'm not capable of doing 27:22.566 --> 27:26.046 and I'm not competent to do, and he's stretching me and so forth. 27:26.046 --> 27:28.606 But I said, you know, that's my biggest challenge. 27:28.606 --> 27:32.646 But my greatest joy is God's sufficiency in my weakness. 27:34.246 --> 27:37.186 And so sometimes our greatest weakness 27:37.882 --> 27:44.902 is our greatest opportunity to be used by God and to see God work in other people's lives. 27:46.362 --> 27:48.622 So he says, do it with the ability God supplies. 27:48.622 --> 27:53.402 He says, as a steward of the manifold grace of God. 27:53.682 --> 27:59.522 In other words, your life and your time and your talents don't belong to you. 28:00.022 --> 28:01.342 They belong to God. 28:03.211 --> 28:08.831 And you're going to waste God's time if you don't understand that it belongs to him. 28:10.091 --> 28:15.251 So I want to challenge you every morning to say, God, how do you want to use this day? 28:16.131 --> 28:17.431 What do you want to do today? 28:18.652 --> 28:22.732 What do you want to do with my week? How do you want me to spend my month? How do you want to 28:22.732 --> 28:30.792 employ my time and my talents for your glory and for doing your will? You see, we have so little 28:30.792 --> 28:39.112 time left, and Peter says, make sure you don't waste your time and your talents on nothing. 28:40.825 --> 28:43.605 Now he says all of this is that God would be glorified. 28:43.865 --> 28:48.005 In fact, Peter just breaks into a doxology right here in the middle of his letter. 28:48.265 --> 28:51.125 And he's saying, man, God is so good. 28:51.325 --> 28:56.065 But what he's saying is use your gifts to make God look great, not to make you look great. 28:57.065 --> 29:08.245 Use your gifts because you want everyone to know how great and how glorious and how graceful God has been in your life. 29:09.580 --> 29:14.160 Now he says that God would be glorified through the Lord Jesus Christ. 29:15.260 --> 29:17.160 You see, all of this comes from Jesus. 29:17.360 --> 29:20.480 All of it's through Jesus and all of it points to Jesus. 29:20.880 --> 29:26.020 We deny ourselves because he denied himself to save us and to sanctify us. 29:27.012 --> 29:30.372 We love one another because he first loved us. 29:30.632 --> 29:36.192 We are hospitable to one another because he died for our sins to welcome us into his home. 29:36.472 --> 29:43.332 We use our gifts because he used everything he had to save us and to serve us. 29:44.552 --> 29:47.332 So it's all because of Jesus. 29:48.232 --> 29:50.052 And it all is about Jesus. 29:50.292 --> 29:52.972 And it all ultimately points to Jesus. 29:54.232 --> 29:55.972 I tell you, I long for. 29:57.370 --> 29:59.370 for the second coming of Christ. 30:01.510 --> 30:03.270 Sometimes I get tired of being a sinner. 30:03.270 --> 30:05.530 Does that ever happen to you? 30:05.530 --> 30:07.750 My wife probably gets tired of me being a sinner too, 30:07.750 --> 30:11.670 but I long to be with the Lord 30:13.470 --> 30:15.990 and to experience His glory and His grace 30:15.990 --> 30:20.070 in a way that's without sin, 30:20.070 --> 30:22.490 in a way that's eternal. 30:23.628 --> 30:28.068 When I was a kid, one of my favorite games was hide and seek. 30:29.488 --> 30:35.288 And somebody would count down 50 to 100, whatever it was, 30:35.328 --> 30:37.648 and everybody would go and they'd find their hiding place 30:37.648 --> 30:42.708 and then they'd come to find them and to chase them. 30:42.708 --> 30:46.188 But they would count down and when they finished, 30:46.288 --> 30:49.588 they would say, ready or not, here I come. 30:51.303 --> 30:53.563 Brothers and sisters, Jesus is coming back. 30:54.703 --> 30:56.463 And the countdown has begun. 30:57.323 --> 30:58.983 I don't know where we're at in that count. 30:59.023 --> 31:00.882 Maybe we're at 95. 31:00.883 --> 31:02.063 Maybe we're at 98. 31:02.223 --> 31:04.223 Maybe we're at 99.9. 31:04.303 --> 31:06.503 And he's about to come back right now. 31:06.503 --> 31:12.843 But someday Jesus is going to say, ready or not, here I come. 31:14.135 --> 31:21.975 And the clouds will part, and the trumpet will sound, and the Lord will return in all of his glory. 31:21.975 --> 31:26.155 Let me ask you, are you ready for Jesus to return? 31:28.375 --> 31:32.655 See, when he comes back, he's going to be our judge, but right now he could be your Savior. 31:35.498 --> 31:43.618 Jesus took on the judgment of our sin upon the cross so that you and I wouldn't have to face judgment for our sin. 31:43.958 --> 31:46.178 And so my question is, are you ready? 31:46.478 --> 31:50.638 Are you trusting Jesus as your Savior and as your Lord? 31:50.638 --> 32:04.518 And if you are, are you using your life and the precious time that you have to employ it for his kingdom and his glory? 32:05.823 --> 32:07.583 Jesus is coming soon. 32:08.703 --> 32:10.803 And so let's throw out the old playbook 32:10.803 --> 32:16.643 and let's reimagine how to live every moment of our life 32:16.643 --> 32:18.563 on the edge of eternity. 32:19.003 --> 32:22.483 Moses says, Lord, teach us to number our days 32:22.483 --> 32:24.743 that we may have a heart of wisdom. 32:26.363 --> 32:30.123 If we could just see how brief our life is. 32:31.321 --> 32:36.681 And how short this stewardship that God has entrusted to us is. 32:36.981 --> 32:41.781 And we could see the vastness of eternity and the glory of heaven. 32:41.781 --> 32:45.581 I think that we would all forever be transformed. 32:45.981 --> 32:52.021 And we would say, let me use every single second, every minute of my life, 32:52.501 --> 32:56.181 knowing Christ and living for Christ. 32:57.481 --> 32:59.401 You say, well, I'm too busy. 33:01.257 --> 33:03.117 Well, Peter says, well, then you're too busy. 33:05.177 --> 33:09.797 You need to stop wasting your life with sin and neglect. 33:09.797 --> 33:12.039 Neglect. 33:12.040 --> 33:15.560 doing things that won't matter and won't last in eternity. 33:16.060 --> 33:20.320 Stop accumulating things for the great fire of God's judgment 33:20.320 --> 33:24.140 and start using what little time you have left 33:24.140 --> 33:27.420 and whatever gifts that God has given you 33:27.420 --> 33:33.160 and employ them and employ that time in what will last forever 33:33.160 --> 33:36.500 and what will matter for always. 33:37.520 --> 33:41.400 Because the Lord is coming back. 33:42.888 --> 33:45.167 Are you ready? 33:45.168 --> 33:46.988 Are you trusting in Jesus? 33:48.088 --> 33:52.448 And are you living your life for Him? 33:54.388 --> 33:57.148 Let's bow together as we prepare to pray. 33:57.288 --> 34:00.128 Here in a moment, we're going to have a time of invitation. 34:00.808 --> 34:03.928 There's going to be pastors and prayer partners here at the front. 34:04.028 --> 34:06.308 You can come and say, I want to give my life to Christ. 34:08.088 --> 34:10.068 Jesus died for sinners. 34:11.980 --> 34:14.280 That means he died for you and for me. 34:16.740 --> 34:19.360 And he offers us grace and forgiveness. 34:22.400 --> 34:26.600 He rejoices in saving sinners. 34:27.520 --> 34:30.560 In fact, that's why Jesus came, to seek and to save the lost. 34:31.800 --> 34:34.620 I want you to know that God loves you. 34:36.635 --> 34:39.775 Jesus came to die on the cross to pay for your sins. 34:39.855 --> 34:42.155 He rose from the dead and he's coming back 34:42.155 --> 34:45.235 because he wants to welcome you into his eternal home. 34:47.195 --> 34:48.635 But you have to trust him. 34:50.175 --> 34:53.575 You have to surrender to his grace 34:53.575 --> 34:56.115 and his lordship within your life. 34:56.175 --> 34:57.855 I want to encourage you to do that this morning. 34:58.335 --> 35:00.875 Don't waste another second of your life 35:00.875 --> 35:03.055 not knowing the Lord. 35:05.015 --> 35:06.415 But come to him. 35:07.820 --> 35:09.880 And experience a relationship with Him today. 35:12.480 --> 35:15.160 Maybe you're here this morning and you've given your life to Christ, 35:15.260 --> 35:19.780 but you never publicly professed your faith in Christ through Believer's Baptism. 35:19.840 --> 35:21.040 We want to invite you to do that. 35:21.040 --> 35:25.120 Next week is Easter Sunday as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. 35:25.640 --> 35:29.640 What a wonderful day to come and declare your faith in Christ through baptism. 35:31.276 --> 35:32.676 Now, baptism doesn't save us. 35:32.716 --> 35:34.316 Only Jesus can save us 35:34.316 --> 35:36.336 as we put our faith and trust in him. 35:36.456 --> 35:39.556 But baptism is a way to go public with your faith. 35:41.553 --> 35:42.573 Maybe you want to come and say, 35:42.733 --> 35:45.093 I'm ready to be baptized, to go public 35:45.093 --> 35:49.053 with my faith in Christ, my relationship with Him. 35:49.973 --> 35:52.533 Maybe the Lord's leading you to come into community, 35:52.633 --> 35:54.333 to be a part of this faith family 35:54.333 --> 35:57.793 and say, I want to deploy my gifts and use them. 35:58.093 --> 36:00.553 I want to discover them. I want to develop them. 36:00.553 --> 36:03.413 I want to be a part of what God is doing here. 36:03.733 --> 36:07.413 I need other Christians to encourage me and strengthen me 36:07.413 --> 36:10.353 and help me as I follow the Lord. 36:12.670 --> 36:15.110 We invite you to come and be a part of our family, 36:16.850 --> 36:19.070 to make it official, become a member of our church. 36:19.590 --> 36:23.110 But it may be that you're here this morning and you've given your life to Christ, 36:24.290 --> 36:27.930 but you have wrecked your life with sin. 36:30.690 --> 36:36.730 And you need to come back to a life of surrender to the Lord Jesus. 36:39.299 --> 36:48.419 Maybe you've wasted your time in the world, but maybe this morning you've wasted your time and your talents with neglect. 36:49.539 --> 36:50.799 You're just coasting. 36:52.239 --> 36:53.919 You're not really using your time. 36:54.019 --> 36:55.279 You're not redeeming your time. 36:55.419 --> 36:57.759 You're just wasting your time. 36:58.539 --> 37:05.339 You're not even asking the Lord what he wants in your life or how he wants you to use your time or to use your talents. 37:05.979 --> 37:07.939 You're just like, hey, it's just all about me. 37:10.552 --> 37:13.632 Maybe the Holy Spirit is moving in your heart right now 37:13.632 --> 37:17.012 to show you how he wants to use you 37:18.712 --> 37:22.952 with the few months or years or decades 37:22.952 --> 37:24.472 you have left within your life. 37:24.472 --> 37:28.232 He wants to use you for eternal weight of glory 37:28.232 --> 37:30.992 that cannot be compared to the passing, 37:30.992 --> 37:32.932 fading glory of this age. 37:35.572 --> 37:37.752 And you just pray right where you are, Lord, would you? 37:39.560 --> 37:46.140 Would you use me? Would you take my time? Would you take my talents and use them for your glory, 37:46.760 --> 37:56.360 for your kingdom? Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time where we can hear from you. 37:57.000 --> 38:00.040 I pray, God, that you would 38:01.970 --> 38:05.910 Help us to recognize our struggle with sin 38:05.910 --> 38:09.410 and to deal with those things within our life 38:09.410 --> 38:13.270 that are keeping us from being all in for you, Lord. 38:13.270 --> 38:17.170 Whatever sin it is, I pray, Holy Spirit, 38:17.170 --> 38:20.110 that you would convict us and show us 38:20.110 --> 38:21.750 what it is that we need to deal with 38:21.750 --> 38:23.430 and what it is you want us to do. 38:24.970 --> 38:29.570 Father, I pray that we would seek you in prayer 38:30.100 --> 38:34.560 And out of that intimacy, all of our life would flow out of that. 38:34.620 --> 38:38.260 And everything would be built around our relationship with you, Lord. 38:38.320 --> 38:41.500 That we would be men and women and boys and girls of prayer. 38:41.640 --> 38:44.480 That we would seek your face above all else. 38:45.800 --> 38:52.420 Father, I pray that we would come into community and we would live out the design that you have for your family. 38:53.860 --> 39:00.480 that we would be a part of your work and your will here through the church. 39:01.280 --> 39:08.820 And Lord, I pray that we would discover and we would develop and that we would deploy and use our spiritual gifts for you. 39:10.160 --> 39:16.180 But God, I pray if there's anyone here that doesn't know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, 39:16.300 --> 39:17.560 I pray that today... 39:18.616 --> 39:20.376 that you would open their eyes, God, 39:20.436 --> 39:21.916 that you would open their heart, 39:22.076 --> 39:24.616 that they would see their sin 39:24.616 --> 39:27.416 and their need for grace and forgiveness, 39:27.636 --> 39:30.656 that they would see what Jesus did on the cross 39:30.656 --> 39:33.076 for their paying their sin 39:33.076 --> 39:35.616 and that he rose from the dead and he's returning. 39:35.756 --> 39:38.836 And I pray, Lord, they would see the beauty of the gospel 39:38.836 --> 39:41.196 and they would be compelled, Lord, 39:41.276 --> 39:44.556 to come and put their faith in Jesus Christ. 39:45.447 --> 39:52.327 God, that you would change lives, that you would change hearts, that you would draw us to you. 39:53.187 --> 39:59.407 So Lord, thank you for this time. Bless it and use it for your glory, for our good, and for the 39:59.407 --> 40:06.287 furtherance of your kingdom and your cause here on earth. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. 40:07.537 --> 40:08.977 Thanks for listening today. 40:08.977 --> 40:10.637 We hope you enjoyed this message. 40:10.637 --> 40:12.737 And if you did, we would be so grateful 40:12.737 --> 40:14.417 if you left us a review. 40:14.417 --> 40:16.857 Also, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast 40:16.857 --> 40:18.157 if you would like to be notified 40:18.157 --> 40:20.057 when a new sermon is released. 40:20.057 --> 40:21.717 If you feel the Lord calling you 40:21.717 --> 40:23.317 to take the next step in faith 40:23.317 --> 40:27.617 through salvation, service, or giving, don't wait. 40:27.618 --> 40:31.078 reach out to us by texting podcast to 88988. 40:31.078 --> 40:34.618 That's podcast to 88988 or connect with us 40:34.618 --> 40:36.998 on one of our social media platforms. 40:36.998 --> 40:40.138 You can also visit our website, valleybaptist.org 40:40.138 --> 40:42.718 to find even more great resources. 40:42.718 --> 40:44.918 No matter where you are in your journey, 40:44.918 --> 40:47.638 know that we love you, we're praying for you 40:47.638 --> 40:50.678 and we can't wait to see what God will do in your life.