Feeding the Sheep - Blessed Life 10

"Now the end of all things is near. So be self-controlled and sober-minded for prayer. Above all, keep your love for one another constant, for “love covers a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable one to another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of the many-sided grace of God."

1 Peter 4:7-10

[This is the 40th message of this series]

This lesson is intended for mature believers (or adulting believers). For a more orderly study, please go through all the previous messages first, if you haven't yet.

1 Peter

[This will be the 10th and last lesson in this series within a series]

Living the Blessed Life

Peter instructed the first church (among other things) to be good stewards.

Good Stewards

Now we finally come to the meat and potatoes of how to live the blessed life. So after having gone through the appetizers, we now are going to consume the main course, the fundamental truth about living the blessed life. And this is all about God expecting us to be good stewards (good managers & overseers) of the blessings He has given us.

Giver Not the Gifts

We already know that we owe everything to God. We know He has given us good gifts. His grace is amazing. His goodness is everlasting. His mercy is new every morning. He has blessed us and we are so loved by Him.

We are the apple of His eyes. He will leave the 99 other sheep to come after us, the one lone lost sheep. Christ is the Good Shepherd. His staff and His rod comfort us. Our cup overflows with His gifts. And we will dwell in His house forever.

Until He returns or until we are called home, we are in this world, migrants, travellers and temporary residents. The blessings we receive is more than enough and we ought to be good stewards (good caretakers & custodians) of these gifts.

Luke 12:42-48 The Message Paraphrase

The Master said, “Let me ask you: Who is the dependable manager (steward), full of common sense, that the master puts in charge of his staff to feed them well and on time? He is a blessed man if when the master shows up he’s doing his job. But if he says to himself, ‘The master is certainly taking his time,’ begins beating up on the servants and maids, throws parties for his friends, and gets drunk, the master will walk in when he least expects it, give him the thrashing of his life, and put him back in the kitchen peeling potatoes.

“The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he’ll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!"

Expectation

We are give much because God trusts us more to do what is expected of us. God's will is made known through God's Spirit as confirmed in God's word. Christ is the Word made flesh. He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith. His love covers our sin. Let us whose sins have been paid for by the blood of Christ, sin no more.

This is living the blessed life.

Let us love one another, for love is from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.