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The Year In Review
December 28, 2010
During the last week of December, newscasters often look back at the significant events of the past year—the triumphs and failures of prominent people, natural disasters, economic challenges, and the deaths of celebrities and leaders. The most surprising events usually receive top billing.
If you reviewed the past year of your life, what would appear on the list? Has an unexpected event caused you to question God or to more deeply experience His goodness?
Psalm 77 chronicles the lament of a person in distress who felt as if God no longer cared (vv.7-9). “Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore?” (v.8). Yet, even in anguish, the psalmist said, “I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old” (v.11). The result was a renewal of trust and hope: “You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples” (v.14).
As you think back over this past year, why not write down the significant events in your life. Don’t be afraid to include your difficulties and disappointments, but remember to consider all the ways God has been with you.
During every difficulty, we can always find the faithfulness of God.
When we look back and contemplate
What we’ve been through this year,
We’ll praise You, Lord, for all You’ve done—
Your faithfulness is clear. —Sper
Difficulties in our lives give us the opportunity
to experience the faithfulness of God.
Read: Psalm 77:1-14
I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. —
Psalm 77:11“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
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Sunday the Pastor spoke on the individual assignment each of us have been given from God. Do we know what it is? Usually it goes along with the special gift each of us have. Our gift points to our assignment. We are to use our gift for the LORD God, and His Kingdom. Are we doing this. Examine our life and consider these questions, What is my gift, what is my assignment, am I doing it? If not why not?
There are several gift areas spoken of in the Scriptures. Teaching, service, beautiful singing voice, artist, helps, healing, prayer, kindness,charity, hospitality, ministry, speech/orator.
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an excerpt from a sermon by John Piper might be of interest here
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...” And now, finally, turn to 1 Peter 4:10,11, one of my favorite texts. I want to make four brief observations about spiritual gifts on the basis of these two verses. Let's read them.
As each has received a gift, employ it for one another (or serve it up to one another) as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ...
First, note that “each has received a gift.” Gifts are not for a few but for all, and every believer has abilities which the Holy Spirit has given and can use to strengthen others. And it is the supreme joy of life to discover what they are and then pour yourself out to others through these gifts. And you will find them if you really desire to be God's instrument in bringing about faith and joy in other people. That, you recall, is the fundamental problem.
Second, the picture we have in verse 10 is of a house with variously talented stewards who are given the owner's funds to administer. The house is the church, the stewards are all of you, the various talents are all our varied gifts, the funds are God's grace and the administration is the exercise of our gifts. The most striking part of this comparison is the analogy between the owner's funds and God's grace. Grace is the currency in the household of God. We are called to be stewards of grace. We have a board of stewards in the Minnesota Baptist Conference and they are given the responsibility to receive and disburse thousands of dollars for the household called the Minnesota Baptist Conference. That's the way we should think of our responsibility in the church - all of us. We are recipients of grace and it is our duty to disburse this grace for others. The vehicle by which we make these disbursements is our spiritual gift. So now we have another definition of spiritual gifts: they are abilities by which we receive the grace of God and disburse that grace to others.
This fits beautifully with our earlier definition of spiritual gifts as the abilities given by the Spirit which express our faith and aim to strengthen the faith of others. They fit together because faith is what the house owner wants in all his stewards and grace is the only currency that can purchase faith. Or, to change the image, faith feeds on grace and is strengthened by grace. God gives us his grace in Christ and all the promises that are Yes in him, and our response is faith; then we, in the exercise of our spiritual gifts disburse that grace to others and thus feed their faith. It is the free and precious grace that strengthens the heart in faith (Hebrews 13:9). So, what should be happening at Bethlehem Baptist Church is that all God's stewards — all of you — should be waking up to more and more of God's grace that you have in Christ, and finding more and more ways to creatively disburse that grace to each other and to those outside by the use of your spiritual gifts. O, that the Spirit might cause a wheeling and dealing in the currency of grace at Bethlehem Baptist Church!
The third observation from 1 Peter 4:11 is that grace can be disbursed through gifts which are word-oriented or deed-oriented. “Whoever speaks (let him do it) as one who utters oracles of God.” If your gift involves speaking do not rely on your own insight, but look to God to give His words through you. We impart grace to our listener only if we give them a word of God. It may not be an exact word of Scripture, but a word prompted and guided by God so that attention is directed to him, not us. Our aim is to strengthen faith and He is the infinitely trustworthy hope-giver, not us.
Then it says, “Whoever renders service (let him do it) as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies.” So, if your gift involves practical deeds of service do not try to do them in your own strength. For then your gift will cease to be a “spiritual gift.” It must come from faith and reliance on grace in order to be a “spiritual gift.” So then grace can be disbursed to other people either by gifts of word or gifts of deed, if we speak with the words and act with the strength that God supplies.
The final point from this text, and my final one this morning, is that the aim of all spiritual gifts is “that in everything God might be glorified through Jesus Christ” (v. 11). This means that God's aim in giving us gifts, and in giving us the faith to exercise them, is that his glory might be displayed. He wants us and the world to marvel at him and think he is fantastic. The stupendous reality of God is all encompassing. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things” (Romans 11:36). And there is nothing more thrilling, more joyful, more meaningful, more satisfying than to find our niche in the eternal unfolding of God's glory. Our gift may look small but as a part of the revelation of God's infinite glory it takes on stupendous proportions.” ...
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Excellent idea to look back over the year and see where we are. Thank you, for the Daily Bread today.
God help us this day, to learn more of Thee, in Jesus name, amen.
