Sermon Serving as One Body, 1 Peter 4:7b-11

…be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

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Ola – ¡Buenos días! – Good Morning!

WOW WOW WOW – I HAVE TO GIVE IT TO GOD WHO BLESSED ME – many of us GIRL SCOUTS AND FAMILIES – WOW – we had the most fabulous trip ever – to Ecuador and to the Galapagos Islands.

[wearing the poncho – show the audience the textiles and the patterns – the patterns so beautifully weaved together like God weaves us together…]

I feel so blessed to have travelled – and you know that I have been travelling a lot this year – but this trip topped them all in WOW – 2 years in the making and planning and yet we simply show up and go. Yes it was an education programmed trip for the girls but we as adults got just as much education and blessings – wow…

I have to tell you that my trip reframed the way I look at the world and the people – at God’s children – because it was like the whole southern hemisphere opened up to me – and I can see why missionaries travel and why scientists travel – and even why weather-buffs or foodies travel – all of it was an experience…  Yes – in the mountains of the in Ecuador – then to the Galapagos Islands –  this planet is SO BIG but travelling makes it a smaller world – and right across from us one morning – a whole separate excursion was the local high school’s Spanish club trip – wow…  and separately I was chatting with a fellow tourist – he was a bird watcher and he says: well I am from… my town – SMALL WORLD…

And yes in the amazing small place – we found diversity and amazements… It is where the biggest island is only about the size of Rhode Island to give you perspective and then there are many smaller islands – and EVERY ISLAND HAD UNIQUE ANIMALS – some similar and some so specialized into another species – trust me as a scientist it was fabulous – and as a weather junkie so interesting –  the weather was amazing – amazingly cool enough – and amazing warm-enough. It was cloudy and misty in the mountains where the giant tortoises were – lush and green – it was dry and arid and like Arizona down at the base of Baltra island where the airport was – and then back on the mainland – we went from the city full of people up to the Andes Mountains – MORE people – well the villages really did look amazing – and I have this painting of people in their colorful wraps and a village church – and yes I felt this scene – I saw this scene…

And then being on this trip as a foodie – yum or as a weather buff – well not enough time to tell all that…

And then being on this trip as a child of God????? Yes, a child of God?                  It blew me away – God does that – Well – I was whelmed up with tears many times at the beauty – like at this misty waterfall in the mountain (about 9000 feet in the Andes mountains) – and misty whelmed up with teas at the opportunity – and well – as a child of God – realizing that THERE ARE BILLIONS MORE CHILDREN OF GOD THAN WE WILL EVER MEET… WOW!

AND WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOVE THEM AND SERVE THEM and to be served as fellow children of God – they were SO HOSPITABLE TO US…

I come back to this scripture in our sermon series – of being in Pentecost and of sharing our gifts: be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling…

Peter – Peter wrote this as a more wise – more aged – more “in tune” disciple after many years after His first Pentecost and the Holy Spirit coming to them in the book of Acts stories. They say Peter lived 30 more years after Jesus died and arose – and that he died in the time of Nero in Rome – crucified upside down as he deemed himself unworthy to die the same way as Jesus. Scholars also debate the language of 1^st Peter vs 2^nd Peter – but we can imagine for today that Peter grew – Peter matured with every experience he had sharing the Good News of Jesus – and Peter went from a Jew-focused ministry to an EVERYONE – Jews and Gentiles alike – including people from Rome. We know in ministry Peter was called by Jesus – changed for sure – the rock from which the church was built – Peter from a fisherman to a fisher of men – and especially after Jesus re-reeled him in – after Peter’s denial – and charged him on the beach that day (in the few days after His death and resurrection) with that breakfast on the beach to “feed my sheep” – Peter did that…. Peter did change and, always a leader of the local group, took on a role of a spreader of the Gospel in Israel and then beyond Israel into many communities – both physically and socially as he was called to talk to Gentiles in addition to Jews – remember that story where Peter at Cornellius’s house was being led by the Holy Spirit to be with the gentiles even if it was against cultural norms. God said Eat – Preach – Be Mine…

SO – Peter in THIS letter is really educating us – to reach out – to go out – to be in the places against cultural norms. And that time goes quickly. If we don’t bring the message of HOPE – of Salvation – of LIFE to the people, who will? That is the Great Commission – Jesus said GO – and Jesus urged us to listen to God over man…

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Scholars say that these first and second letters of Peter were written in Rome, which Peter calls Babylon – and that is pretty much a description for any community that is wayward and needs help… Rome needed Jesus – we need Jesus – our communities need Jesus and the LOVE of God. Rome was worshiping Ceasar as a God – Peter (who would take flack for this) was emphasizing that Jesus is the ONLY WAY and we need to love – and this love will cover sins – have FEVERENT LOVE.

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Paul (another spreader of the Gospel) would write in Hebrews 12: Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

GIVE JESUS THE CREDIT – BUT TAKE YOUR ENERGY FROM JESUS

And how can we help? Recently I went for a blood draw and the person had a small rubber toy Jesus on her monitor – was great to see that – a comfort in a time of need – ouch…  And then at the mammogram place – same week – the receptionist had 4 Jesus’s – all colors but not purple – well I have a purple one (show audience) and I plan to bring it to her – we comfort each other…

Everyone has their own skills – something they can share – whether material – or encouragement – maybe it is listening – maybe it is just being present – Well, everyone has people they interact with and will provide AGAPE LOVE…

VBS? (in audience was a great young kid – so easy to give him VBS gifts…)

An easy lesson I got this week was in helping teach VBS kids – I was speaking about the gifts that we can share – and we do it to glorify God – not to glorify ourselves but to say: “God gets the glory”, And I told them: when we see miracles – we are to remember that these are to point to God’s Glory…

Well, in this opportunity this past week to help Vacation Bible school, I was doing the science experiments that supported the themes of God is our Safe Place – God is LOVE – God is Forever – WOW GOD… And by Friday, one particular boy who was quite rambunctious earlier in the week seemed to just want to pay attention so much on Friday. He even quieted the other rambunctious boy, so he could hear the story. I was talking about Jesus and how He loves us to teach us, and I was talking about John and the book of Revelation – how God revealed what Heaven is. And I was teaching how John was allowed to live until his old age unlike the other slain disciples like Peter, and when John was away on an island of Patmos, God gave him this amazing vision of heaven, which he wrote down in the book of Revelation. John was gifted this wisdom to share. And this particular boy’s face was so purely paying attention. And I thought at that moment, it’s like looking into the face of God, because each person not only do they deserve respect, they have a hunger, for things that are of God. Whether they know it or not, THAT inspiration from God is what we crave – they crave – that acknowledgement – that understanding – that love. This particular boy, he was really absorbing the story. And so we have the opportunity even to one person – to one soul – we can use our gifts to do what Peter says: give witness and talk about miracles and point back to him. As a source of our strength, we must educate and gift our witness.

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If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever.

That charge – do it with the ability that God supplies works back into our Fruit of the Spirit gifts – it does.  And who are we not to give the HOPE that Jesus has overcome the world.

I have to share that yesterday afternoon I was absorbing the lyrics of Les Mis the musical – which has a few redemption stories within it. And I don’t know if you have seen it – the people we were with had to have a primer (which my daughter gave) – but there is a song where the prisoners are hard at labor and the song is: “Look down, look down, sweet Jesus doesn’t care.” But that’s not true. Jesus cares so much cares about everything cares about everyone knows that each person is both an image bearer of God our Father and of Him too. Jesus specifically can speak to the people who are downtrodden, abused forgotten. Taken advantage of.

And there’s a fabulous line that says, when you love somebody, you’re looking into the face of God.

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In another scene in Les Mis – the one particular prisoner is freed after doing his time – but then the gentleman steals the silver from the church  – and he is caught – and the priest in a great show of the HOPE of redemption – mirroring where Jesus gives us everything, well the priest gives the silver candlesticks to the man and does not persecute him. The priest says: you must use these gifts to become a better man, and that’s what Jesus is trying to tell us, and that’s what Peter is preaching about. We are redeemed and so we must act redeemed. We must give credit where credit is due – to Jesus, and we must give back to society – to people – and at least we must try to be best.

And one last thought on time – we are short on time aren’t we – time moves so fast – and this scripture from James is what I will close with – to urge all of us to live for the opportunity to serve the Lord: James 4:¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 

Yes, Let us ask the Lord where we are going today – and let us always remember to give Jesus credit for the gifts we have – and let us share those gifts with others – because God loves them – we are to love them too.

AMEN