How to Serve God While Suffering, Part 2

Even during times of suffering, above all things, we are to be fervent in our love toward others (1 Peter 4:8). This sermon is part 2 of the sermon "How to Serve God While Suffering."

To listen to part one of this sermon, follow this link.

1. Stay focused on the return of Christ. (1 Peter 4:7a)

2. Stay focused on your personal walk with God. (1 Peter 4:7b)

3. Stay fervent in your ministry to others. (1 Peter 4:8-11a)

• Be fervent in your love for others. (1 Peter 4:8-9)
• Be faithful in your service to others. (1 Peter 4:10-11)
  • Every Christian has been given spiritual gifts. (1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12: 7)
  • Christians are to use their spiritual gifts to serve God and one another in the local church. (1 Corinthians 4:1-2)
  • Christians are to be good stewards of their unique, multi-faceted, combination of spiritual gifts given by God’s grace to be used in different ways to produce different results.
    • The “manifold grace of God” points out several things:
      • Spiritual gifts are a result of God’s grace.
      • Each Christian has a unique combination of and different variety of spiritual gifts.
      • God uses different Christians with different gifts to produce different results.
    • Two Categories of Spiritual Gifts:
      • Speaking/Verbal Gifts
      • Serving/Non-verbal Gifts
    • The Purposes of Spiritual Gifts
      • To Build the Church and Edify Believers (Ephesians 4:11-12)
      • To Enjoy Unity in Diversity (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)
      • To Glorify God (1 Peter 4:11)

4. Stay fixed on the ultimate goal. (1 Peter 4:11b)

• A focus on the imminent return of Christ does two main things:
  • It gives us hope of an end to the suffering and trials of life.
  • It challenges us to live for Christ now, even when suffering.