Healthy Community with Pastor Athol Barnes | 10.20.2024

Healthy community is a goal for every church, but cultivating it is challenging. Even the first century church that the Apostle Peter wrote to in 1 Peter had to be encouraged to work towards a healthy community. Watch and PrayIn 1 Peter 4:7, Peter writes, “The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.”The state of the world today indicates that we are rapidly getting closer to the day of Christ’s return. As we see “the day” approaching, we need to be mindful of how we live. Preparing for Christ’s return does not mean hiding in a cave and isolating from the world while stockpiling food.  Rather, it means focusing on living as the salt and light of the world, being self-controlled and sober minded. To be sober minded is to use right judgment, to have steady and clear thinking. If you are sober minded in this world, you will not be drawn to false teaching regarding the return of Christ. Instead, you will be focused on preparing for his return. If our minds are confused, we will have an unfocused prayer life. It is crucial that we are people of prayer, watchful, alert, and sober minded as we see the day of the Lord approaching. Peter wrote these words with his own painful memory in mind. Jesus asked him to watch and pray, but Peter fell asleep and couldn’t pray with Jesus as he fought the greatest battle in human history before going to the Cross (see Mark 14). There is no place for listless prayers in the Church; we need to be alert and energized in our prayer warfare. Love One AnotherPeter continued in verse 8, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins”.Within the body of Christ, we must prioritize loving one another earnestly and with intentionality. We can only love with the love that comes from God; it is a supernatural love by the Spirit of God. It is not an optional extra (see John 13:34). It is always humbling to realize how little grace we have for someone we don’t know and love, yet for someone we love, we are quick to overlook an offense. Out of relationship comes grace.If someone is bothering you, take the time to learn about them. Get to know them and see how God has uniquely designed them to be a blessing to the church—including to you. Show Hospitality to One AnotherIn verse 9, Peter exhorts the church to be hospitable, which is a spiritual gift and essential for a healthy church community. This is not the sole function of a small team in the church; it is everyone’s responsibility. We cannot outsource this command. Serve One AnotherIn 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul teaches about the spiritual gifts given to the church for the health of the church. Peter underlines the fact that these gifts are for us to steward within the church family (see 1 Peter 4:10). If you are not serving one another, you are missing out by not exercising the gift God has given you. Everyone is gifted differently, and we all have differing roles to play. Two Spiritual GiftsIn verse 11 Peter highlights two gifts, “Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies…”Teaching: This is more than simply information transfer; this is declaration of the truths of God’s word. This is the crucial declaration of the Bible in the church. Serving: Serving one another in the Body of Christ. Why are these two so important?In 1 Corinthians 12:31, Paul wrote, “…But earnestly desire the higher gifts.”What are the higher gifts?I would like to propose that the higher gifts are the servant gifts. The gifts done in secret, the “non-platform” gifts (see what Jesus said in Matthew 20:26)Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/