Big Idea - In 1 Peter 4:12, Peter writes, "So that in everything, God may be glorified." In the context of this passage, "everything" certainly means everything in the ministry and life of the local Church, the body of Christ living in community. The Church's highest goal and purpose is to bring glory and honor to God. We often think of this taking place most significantly in the Sunday morning worship service, where we sing praises to God, hopefully with a genuine and joyful heart! This is important and the main reason we gather together. But, in this passage, Peter doesn't say anything about singing praises or exalting God in our energetic worship on Sunday morning. His vision for glorifying God is much broader. When he says everything, he really does mean in everything - in all the life of the Church. So, how do we truly glorify God in everything as a local fellowship of believers living in Chiang Mai, Thailand?
The "everything" Peter refers to most directly connects to verse 11 and has the idea that all the ministry of the Church, whether preaching or serving, should glorify God. But, it is not a stretch to put all the commands to the Church given in this section under this great overriding purpose, to glorify God in everything. So then, Peter lists four ways that we as a Church are to bring glory to God. The first is through our focused prayer. He speaks of an effective kind of prayer because we pray with a pure and alert mind. Secondly, we glorify God in the Church by loving one another. This is our highest calling ("above all") and must be the focus of diligent effort. Love is hard because we all still struggle with sin, and it's not easy loving people who, at times, can be very unlovable. But we must do it for the sake of God's glory in the Church. Thirdly, we are to show hospitality. The life of the Church must extend beyond a meeting on Sunday morning. Loving each other requires more involvement than just an hour or two on Sunday. We must be involved in each other's lives around the dinner table! Finally, we glorify God by using our spiritual gifts to serve each other. God is glorified through all the ministry (serving) in the body because He fills it with power so that our ministry has a supernatural impact. So that, in everything, God might be glorified through Jesus Christ. If we seek the glory of God, then we must commit to active participation in the community life of the Church. Too often, we think only about glorifying God in our personal life, which is essential. But, God is most greatly glorified and most significantly exalted, not in our individual lives, but collectively as we live out the Gospel together in the community of faith. Church matters - the very glory of God depends on it!
