1 Peter 4 verse number 10. 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 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 forever and ever. Amen. We ask Heavenly Father your blessing on our consideration of your word. We pray that it might be received as the word of God. not to be denied or cast aside. Bless, we pray, in our Savior's name. Amen. You may be seated. I'll begin with a horrible illustration, one which I pray never takes place in any of our lives. Your family doctor, has just told you that you have a rare and fatal medical condition. And he gives you several options for taking care of this. You decide to attack this disease head on with the latest and the best treatment, which may not actually go down the standard medical pathway. But are you going to heed your auto mechanic who has just heard about this great new engine oil which might cure you of this disease? Or are you going to stop with your granddaughter's faith in magic fairy dust which she sprinkles on your head? Your neighbor has heard while scrolling through the internet that liquefied form of octopus liver has proven to be very effective in the treatment of whatever this is. You gonna listen to these things? I'm talking about your life. I'm talking about your death, potentially, if something isn't done very soon. Under those circumstances, shouldn't you talk to someone who has, what shall we say, confidence in the experience that he has had with this disease over a considerable length of time? I think we might listen to him who has treated and successfully treated this disease before we turn to some of these other supposed blessings, cures. There are a lot of problems and a lot of situations in life which require experts. And when it comes to spiritual things, these experts are as important as an expert electrician might be, or an expert medical assistant. How does someone become an expert in spiritual things? How does someone become an expert in the things of God? By becoming immersed in the word of God. which the Lord has given to us to reveal spiritual things. We have no other place to turn. I'm not talking necessarily about going off to Bible school. I'm not talking about seminary. I'm talking about being filled with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, which the Holy Spirit has given to us. There we become experts in the things of God. No one should listen to a message of salvation from sin by a man who appears to be an expert in sin and he's still taking courses to stay up on the subject. I don't think it would be wise to trust your eternal soul to an illiterate farmer who talks about eternity and talks about history after looking through a transparent stone while wearing magical glasses. We must not trust our souls to someone who isn't sure that God has revealed the truth to us in the pages of his word. I often put articles in our church bulletin which were written by people that I do not quote from the pulpit. I use their material because that particular article or that particular statement is something to which I agree, but yet I don't want to leave the impression that I'm wholeheartedly for this fella and you should listen to everything that the man says. A case in point was a statement I included in last week's bulletin. A well-known and often quoted preacher stated that people sometimes criticize his boldness in preaching. He said that he hears objections to the authoritative way that he preaches God's Word. His reply was, I don't know any other way to speak about the Bible. If you ask me if I like a brown shirt or a blue shirt, I don't care. If you ask me if I prefer this particular meal over that particular meal, I may not care. But if you ask me what is true about the word of God, I will speak to you boldly. In verse number 11, Peter points to two varieties of Christian service, describing how that service is to be performed. It goes back to what that preacher said in the quote from our bulletin last week, and it also goes forward to the glorious end of all things, that all of us may do for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Three men speak. Let him speak as the oracles of God. If a man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, in order that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen. This morning, let's think about the preacher, the deacon, and the glory of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God. In the Bible, the word oracle or oracles is always used in a positive sense. But the false religions of the Greeks and the Romans in biblical times, they had their oracles as well, false oracles. And without using the word, we see some of those false oracles even in the pages of the New Testament. An oracle, by definition, was something or someone acting as a medium through which people could ask God questions and receive answers. One biblical example would be the demon-possessed woman in Philippi, Macedonia, who's described in Acts chapter 16. Indwelt by an evil spirit, she was used by her handlers to squeeze money from the foolish people who sought her advice. Her masters advertised that she was an oracle. She was a medium through whom the gods would speak. It was only a half lie because there was a spirit who was speaking through her. No God, as far as that goes, but nevertheless, a spirit. But when that demon was cast out of her by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, she had no power to make her employers any more money. She was no longer an oracle. She was no longer a medium. In contrast to false or make-believe oracles, the Bible speaks of oracles in a positive way. Just a couple of examples. In Romans 3, Paul said that the Jews had been blessed for centuries because, quote, unto them were committed the oracles of God, referring to the Old Testament scriptures through which the Lord spoke to Israel and through Israel to the rest of the world. In Hebrews 5, Paul taught that all of God's people ought to be familiar with the first principles of the oracles of God. We should know the oracles of God. Besides other scriptures, here, Peter says, if any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God. How many times have you spoken to someone today? How many people have you said hello to? How long were you downstairs enjoying fellowship with a few others? To how many people have you spoken today? Speech is one of the things which sets man apart from the animal world. And most of us do it constantly. We can speak. We can communicate. We can share ideas back and forth without using pictures. Using words. The average eight-year-old has a vocabulary of 10,000 words, I'm told. And the adult, three times, four times as many words to use. If I didn't speak to my wife within the first 10 minutes of our day together, she would probably think that I was either angry or I'd had a stroke or something like that. We speak to one another. It's a natural thing. Obviously, the apostle is not talking about ordinary speech when he says, if any man speak. We all speak. It's not a matter of if, it's about when or, well, in what way. In other words, Peter is talking here in verse number 11 about the public ministry of the Word of God, not conversation, but the preaching of the Word of God, the teaching and preaching of God's Word. The Greek word he uses, which is translated to speak in this particular case, is also translated to preach. However, I will say that it's not the only word that's translated to preach. One of the best would be euanglizito, to evangelize, to preach the gospel. We might say that this verse is talking about preaching or publicly sharing any aspect of the counsel of God, not limiting itself to the gospel, but not excluding the gospel either. When the Lord Jesus was beginning his ministry, after a few miracles, he returned or came into Capernaum. When the people heard that Jesus was in their village, the miracle man was in their village, they flocked to the house where he was staying. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch as there was not room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door. And he preached unto them. That is the word that's translated speak here in our verse. Acts 8.25 uses both words in a single verse, and they're both translated preach. The people of Samaria begged Peter and his friends to stay and to give to them the counsel of God. But when they had testified and preached, they shared the word of God. They returned to Jerusalem and preached the gospel evangelically along the way. Again, what is it that Peter tells us in his first epistle, chapter four, verse number 11? If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God. Every once in a while, I ask one of the men to get up here and to teach or preach. On that occasion, your speech should be something more than casual conversation. It should be more than just a simple chit-chat. Excuse me. The Holy Spirit, through Peter, is telling you to preach as one of the oracles of God. Take your subject, take your text straight out of the divine word, not out of some theological book, not out of some philosophical dissertation, and make sure that your subject is something about which you are absolutely confident. Don't preach your doubts and speculations about the word. If you must talk about your speculations, do it casually later on. It's perfectly all right. Or perhaps not bring them up at all until you have more confidence in them. We need to be like so many of the Old Testament prophets who said over and over again, thus saith the Lord. Listen to him. Thus saith the Lord. He is speaking here. When people stand behind this lectern, the average Christian becomes an extra special servant of God. And at that point, let him speak as the oracles of God. This morning, I'm speaking as God's oracle when I tell you, if you refuse to repent and trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will spend eternity in the lake of fire. I don't have to raise my voice. That's what God says. It's not speculation. It's not my opinion. That comes straight out of the Word of God. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. But if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, thou shalt be saved. forgiven, regenerated, sanctified. I can speak boldly about these things because they come to me out of the word of God. This is not my idea. It comes out of the revelation of God. Do not, do not cast aside the oracle of God. You will be judged for what you have done with the oracle of the Lord. The second thing in this verse, Something else about which Peter exhorts us is, if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth. The word minister is a translation of a word which is sometimes translated deacon. A deacon is a minister or a servant. In the early days of the church at Jerusalem, there was a need for deacons to serve among the church members in secular things, taking care of widows and orphans among those. And in that case, the deacons were a specific group of seven men. They held one of the very few special offices in that church. But Peter is not talking about a special church office with a select group of men. We find the same word in verse number 10 as we do in verse number 11. As every man hath received the gift, so let him minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Every man, every Christian has been given abilities from the Lord. Gifts and talents. It might be the ability to preach or teach. Two separate but important gifts. It might be singing or playing the harp or playing the harpsichord. It could be signing to the deaf. Then again, it might be simply The heart and the opportunity to spend time in fervent prayer because we're laid up, we're in bed. Some people have the wonderful ability to comfort another person who is grieving. Perhaps they have that ability because they have been in that person's shoes. They know what it is to grieve. I haven't learned the skills necessary to prepare a casserole. to take, to feed to the children of that lady who is grieving. But you have. To one servant, the Lord has given 10 talents. To another servant, five talents. To me, it might be just one talent. As every man hath received the gift, so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. I won't try to re-preach the lesson that we had Wednesday from verse number 10, but I will say once again, Peter tells us, do it. Yes, right. Whatever several abilities the Lord has given to you, use them for God's glory. We looked at the parable of the talents. We looked at the parable of the pounds. The servants who chose not to invest their Lord's gifts were punished. It didn't matter what their excuse was. As Peter says, even so minister the same one to another. Don't talk about doing it, do it. Don't exhort one another to do it, do it. Do it as if it was something that the Lord has given to you as his special ambassador and steward. If any man minister, let him do it as the ability which God giveth. Most of us know what it is to have been given something from a chosen loved one, a close loved one. It might be a trinket, it might be absolutely useless, it might be a piece of cheap jewelry. It may have no intrinsic value whatsoever, but it's valuable to you because of grandma who gave it to you, or how it came to you in whatever fashion. It's the giver who makes it valuable and important to you. Peter is talking about gifts given to you by God out of his manifold treasury of grace. Someone may look at that gift and suggest that it has no value. He may even convince you to agree with him. He may convince you that it has no value. But I ask you, from whom did it come? If it came from the Savior, then it has value. It is important. 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. I know that this is something to which I pointed several times over the last year or so. But I'll also point out that there's good reason for it. Here it is once again. We are to do what we do for the glory of God. If you have been saved, you have been delivered from the punishment that your sins deserve. It was not so that you might feel good about yourself. Ultimately, primarily, it was for the glory of the Savior, the glory of God. You are bought with a price in order to glorify God in your body and in your spirit, both of which belong to God. Again, God redeems sinners like us first and foremost for himself, for his honor and glory. And he gives gifts to people for the same reason, for the Lord's honor and glory. Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. This little light of mine, I'm going to let shine for the glory of your Father which is in heaven. Lord, one little light. What meager works do I have? He replies, the talents and the pounds which I have invested in you. Later, Jesus said, herein is my father glorified, that ye bear much fruit. Lord, how shall I bear fruit in your name? Again, he says, by properly investing the seeds which I have given you. Some Christians think that unless they do something large and outstanding, they can't bring the Lord proper glory, the glory that's due unto Him. Large or small, whatever is done in the name of the Lord and for His sake is important to Him. And that's all that matters. What's important to Him? as every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. The Lord said to Moses, what is that in thy hand? Moses said, it's a rod. And the Lord said, where is it? Use that rod to glorify my name before Israel and the Egyptians. David, what is that in my hand? It's a slingshot. Well, David, get to work and bring down my enemy. Mary, what do you have there? It's a box of ointment. Well, use that to highlight my death and burial. Elijah, what's draped over your shoulders? Well, it's just an old mantle, Lord. Well, I want you to use that mantle to divide the river. I want you to use that mantle to call your successor. What have you got there, Noah? A hammer. Well, I've got something for that hammer to tend to. Put it to use. Oh, Lord, I don't have ten talents. I don't have five talents. God replies, what I have given to you, whatever it is, Use it. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Why are we to put these talents to use? That God may in all things be glorified through Christ Jesus. Why do I authoritatively declare the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? so that God the Father might be glorified, so that he will be glorified in the salvation of souls as wicked as yours and mine. He will even be glorified in your rejection of that message, but that's not what you want. And speaking about Jesus Christ, To him be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen. I can tell you with all the authority of the Oracle of God that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. I know that to be a fact because God has told us. One day you shall bow before Jesus Christ. Perhaps bow before the one you are rejecting today. You may despise the thought that he could be your Lord and Savior, but one day you will admit that he is Lord of all to the glory of God the Father. He shall be given praise and honor throughout eternity by those who worship him today. In addition to that praise, he will be given dominion forever and ever. These last words of verse number 11 sound very much like something that theologians call a doxology. We have several of these in the word of God. One of them, Paul shares with us toward the close of his first epistle to Timothy. Listen carefully, Timothy. Keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, which in his times he shall show who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords. who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see, to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. The word power in 1 Timothy is the word dominion in 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse number 11. The God-man who gave his life on the cross will soon display his power and authority over his creation. He who shed his blood to redeem a bunch of unworthy sinners will one day have complete dominion over absolutely everything. And he will say to them on his left hand, depart from me, you cursed. in everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. But to those on his right hand, he will say, come, you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. On which side of Jesus Christ are you standing? Where are you today, right or left? Are you in love with Jesus, or do you hate the thought of his dominion over you? Are you trusting him for your eternity? Or are you trusting yourself? Pretty much a waste of time. I exhort you based upon the authority of God's word. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. In addition to that, God's oracle declares that if you reject him, you will spend eternity in the lake of fire. Won't you humbly come to Christ? Won't you submit yourself to Him? Please stand.