Good evening, everybody. It is great to see everyone
who's with us tonight. We have a great crowd and I'm
looking forward to our study together, to share with you,
some of the things I've been studying and some of the things
that are challenging me today, as I was studying through these
again, every time I give this lesson every time I go back
through this, I looked, I just looked down my shoes.
And I'm like, man, I need to get on this again, I need to be
working on these things because it always challenges me.
It always shows. Shows me how much better I need
to be especially in the context of what these verses are going
to say in 1st Peter 4 beginning in verse 7.
If you'll turn with me, there is where we're going to begin our
reading and we're going to spend a lot of time.
Just in this chapter, we will take a couple of tangents but
everything is going to be based off the things we're talking
about right here. And first Peter 4 beginning in
verse 7 Let's start off and read the first few verses it says,
beginning in verse 7 but the end of all things is at hand
therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.
And above all things have fervent love for one another for
love will cover a multitude of sins.
Be hospitable to one another without grumbling as each one
has received a gift minister to one another as good stewards of
the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks let him speak
as the Oracles of God, if anyone ministers, let him do it as with
the ability which God supplies that in all things, God may be
glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong, the glory, and
the Dominion forever and ever, amen.
I want to go back to the slide real quick.
One of the things I highlighted here is how many times?
It says, one another everything we're going to talk about is
really centered around that around that.
First verse they says, the end of all things is at hand.
And the thing we're going to do with that is we're going to look
to one another where look to help one another.
So he said that first, he started out all these.
All the things we talked about by saying the end of all things
is at hand. Therefore this is a hard harsh
reality. He tells us that the end of
everything is near. What does that mean?
We know that the end of all things is near because of first
because of Jesus's return, we're told that Jesus has returned can
happen at any moment. Matthew 24 verse 36 through 39,
Says but of that day and hour when Jesus will return, no one
knows not even the angels of heaven but my father only but as
the days of Noah were so also will the coming of the son of
man be for as in the days before the flood, they were eating and
drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah
entered, the Ark going on verse 39 and did not know until the
flood came and took them all away.
So also will the coming of the son?
No man be. So what you just showed us right
here is that when Jesus come back comes back it's going to be
like something that already happened and we have to look
back into the past as some real events that happen and you threw
us back to Noah this story of Noah.
And and the destruction of the world is often told in
children's stories or a children's books that show the
boat and the animals and the rainbow and it's great.
And it's it's an amazing story of how God saved his people in
an extraordinary way and cleanse the Earth.
But the sight of that, that's really scary.
Is what happened to everyone? Who was wiped out there was I
believe eight Souls were saved. That means the rest of the world
died in a very scary way. And he tries to draws back to
this in the verses we were just looking at because he's showing
us that okay, this has happened before.
It's going to be just like that in the resurrection when Jesus
comes back there's going to be a very similar situation where
it's going to be great for a lot of people but it's going to be
very scary for all those who didn't and it's going to be in a
very similar way. It says that Noah was a preacher
of righteousness, he went around telling people, he went around,
living his life building this boat, People would ask him.
Probably, what are you building a boat for?
What are you doing? And he would tell them, I'm sure
there's gonna be a flood one day, God is going to destroy the
Earth, change your life, but they laughed and obviously
because no one else joined him. 400 years, it took him to build
that boat. Can you imagine what it was like
to be him to be his kids? Everyone laughing at you.
Who's this crazy man? Who's building this boat?
But then that day came and it all everything changed.
Then no one was laughing at Noah.
The same pictures drawn for us. Now, we're living in a world
where a lot of people don't believe in this.
This coming again, of Jesus and he said it's going to be just
like that worthy of this Mass delusion that no one knows
what's really coming. Even though it's clear.
He's there's people here standing for the truth that say
this is coming and he says it's going to be just like that.
So Jesus said, so Jesus tells us the end is near and that is one
way. We can know that the end of all
things is at hand. Secondly, first before we move
on, I just looked at this picture because I wanted to to
see for myself and maybe have us look at it together.
What? That might have looked like,
because I just I've seen pictures before like this and I
need to stop and think what if those are my friends from school
their life that's Spencer and what if that's Megan and what if
that's Caden What about some of your friends?
You know what if you insert them here?
How scary that will be for them and how scary it will be for us
as their friends to know that this might happen to some more
friends. It's a perspective.
We need to have on this whole situation on the whole
Resurrection on the whole coming again of Jesus so that we can
take seriously what he's about to say.
Okay, so secondly, the end of all things is at hand because of
death. Okay, I'm sorry, one more, pause
second, Peter 3, verse 8 and 9 says, but beloved do not forget
this one thing that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand
years and a thousand years as one day.
So we might say, you know what, God hasn't come again, yet it's
taken a while. He said, it's near.
What do you how do you reconcile that the end of all things is
near. It's been a couple thousand
years here at tells us that God doesn't count time like we do
God doesn't see it, the same one because he's an eternal being.
If you're not affected by time, like we are, if we're not
affected, if God is not affected by wrinkles and slow bowel
movements and all the other things that just beat us down,
he's not affected by time, like we are But the way God sees time
as he sees it, as in verse 9, the Lord is not slack concerning
his promise as some count slackness but is long-suffering
toward us not willing that any should perish when the but that
all should come to repentance. So what God sees in time is not
the, the wear and tear of his body.
He's all he sees as is an opportunity for more people to
come back to. So the argument that God hasn't
come, you know, how can you say the end is near?
That's kind of irrelevant with God's Eternal perspective.
Okay, now we're going to go to now, we're to death.
So the other way that the end is near is because of death and I
didn't have this plan before what we the news we got today
that Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter accident He was 41
years old. How many people can you think
back on your life that you heard of people who died that you that
you knew of people that died? That it was just so felt weird.
It shouldn't have happened. That's not how narratives go.
That's not how anything was supposed to happen.
He had a family He had so much ahead of him.
But gone like that, we never know what's going to happen.
Buddy, from mine back at Oakdale tide, Jones was one of my great
friends, all my life, you never never would have thought
something would happen to him. He was healthy, we were very
similar on lifestyle. It wasn't like anything should
have been wrong. He got sick.
And in a month later, he passed away.
The end can come anytime. And so we need to be serious and
listen to the things. He's going to tell us Hebrews 9,
verse 27 says it is appointed for men to die once but after
this is the Judgment. So to make this a little more
real, what happens when we die as we are judged and we're learn
from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus that there is a
separation that happens at death.
The rich man, when he died went to tournaments And the Lazarus.
When he died the poor man, he went to paradise and it says
that in between those two places, there's a great Gulf
fixed that you can't pass between.
So what happens when we die? We go to one or the other and
those are just waiting areas waiting rooms for when we're
going to our final resting place.
And if you're in Paradise, your final resting place is already
decided. It's Heaven.
If you're in torments, your final resting place is decided,
it's hell. And for me that helps me just
think about how real it is because we don't talk about this
and some things out of sight or out of thought.
It's out of mind. This is real, this is right on
the other side of a car accident, this is right on the
other side of anything tragic than might happen.
We need to know about it. Be ready for it.
And this is this is a scary thought when you compare this
what he's going to say in just a minute.
In 1st Peter 5 verse 8 he says be sober be vigilant because
your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion
seeking whom he may devour. That's a scary thought.
That to know that the end is near and all this is happening.
I need to be concerned about that, and that there's someone
opposing me. There's someone who wants me to
go down a bad path to where I will be condemned.
That's a scary thought, but what is fear?
Fear is a natural reaction to Danger.
That causes you to make some sort of action to respond in a
certain way. So, what do we do with that
fear? That fear is healthy, that here,
that fears fine? That's why he goes on to say
what's next. He doesn't just leave it with an
empty worry about this. He says therefore, but the end
of all things is at hand therefore be serious and
watchful in your prayers. His first instruction is to our
prayers and this is the probably.
The first thing, I always think about when I give this lesson,
is how much I need my prayer life.
How much if I really want to be with God?
Why don't I start talking to him?
Like he's here with me now. Like he says he is, Matthew 7
verse 7, through 11 talks, a little about talks, a little bit
about this prayer so we can see the value of it.
He says, ask and it will be given to you seek and you will
find knock and it will be open to you for everyone who asks
receives and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be
opened. He's like he said, he's only
listing great things that comes from this.
He says, or what? Man, is there among you if his
son asks for bread, will he give him a stone?
Of course not nobody does that or if he asks for a fish, will
he give him a serpent if you then being evil know how to give
good gifts to your children. How much more will your father
who is in heaven? Give good things to those who
ask him. He said when we, when we need
something, when we come to, you know, we start our morning and
there's something that comes in our way.
Something we didn't expect talk to God about it.
He shows us in every angle, he says, asking I'll give seek and
you will find knock and it will be open to you.
How many more angles do? I have to say it?
He says, He will take care of us.
Why? Why don't we want that?
I think part of it. Part of it is because of Satan
how Satan wants us to lose sight of these beautiful truths and
second Corinthians 11, verse 3 and 4 says, but I fear less
somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness.
So your minds may be corrupted from the Simplicity that is in
Christ. That's what I'm trying to get
at. Is the Simplicity and the power
of prayer is something that's clear, but our life's get
complicated and Satan kind of wants us to see it as
complicated, and not just fuzzy and The Simplicity that's in the
Christ. That's what we should see in
this prayer life. God says, I'll take care of you.
Ask me, I'll give to you for. He who comes preaches.
Another. Jesus whom we have not preached
or if you receive a different Spirit which you have not
received or a different gospel, which you have not accepted, you
may well, put up with it. That's what happens to me.
I lose a perspective on God. A perspective on the way.
God responds to my prayers way. God sees my prayers.
That I put up with it, I don't have to put up with that.
And Satan wants me to see prayer and see God as kind of an
afterthought and the same, as kind of like a something I can
put my back pocket for later. but he said, He's kind of
getting out, don't be corrupted from the Simplicity, that's in
Christ. There's a beautiful truth.
It is in talking to God, and having that relationship there.
And Peter is telling us this as he's writing this letter, he's
telling us this from personal experience because in Matthew 26
verse 40 and 41 it reads, then he came to his disciples and
found them asleep and said to Peter, what could you not watch
with me one hour Watch and Pray. Lest you enter and sensitive
into temptation, the spirit. Indeed is willing The flesh is
weak. I think I make made a mention
about the scripture before how Peters connection to this
passage is powerful because this is exactly what Jesus told him
to do. Watch and pray, pay attention at
Sirius is a big deal. And his life spiraled from
there, he just broke down he made mistake after mistake.
And so Peter on the other side of this understands that he
understands the value of prayer and talking to God and being
Aware of everything like this. And he says be serious and
watchful and prayer. That's our first instruction
instruction. Number two, going on.
In verse 8, he says in above all things, more than anything else
have fervent love for one. Another for love will cover a
multitude of sins. This phrase, fervent love this
word, fervent. I as I understand from ancient
times, it was used to describe a horse running at full Gallop
stretching and Training, its muscles as it ran across the
battlefield. Do we love like that?
Do I love like that? That's stretching that
straining, maybe that's training for you comes at the end of a
long day when you just have had enough and you don't really want
to deal with anything else, you're stretching and you're
straining in your effort to love.
That's what he commands of us if we're going to live, like,
there's no tomorrow. We're going to live.
Like this is the last day. We have his first above all
preeminent instruction is above all things have.
Fervent love for one another. And he says, for love will cover
a multitude of sins and this is in contrast to what happens with
hatred for proverbs 10. Verse 12, says, hatred stirs up
Strife, but love covers all sins.
The person who wants to take care of somebody and protect
them and shelter with love. That love covers them.
It doesn't want to like, people up and say, hey, look at
everyone look what he did to me. This guy wrong me know, it wants
to cover and wants to restore it once to make, right?
Let's have a love that will cover and have an attitude of
fervent love toward others. Next in verse 9, he tells us to
be hospitable. The third thing, be hospitable
to one another without grumbling.
How do you live? Like there's no tomorrow.
You take care of other people, You Get outside yourself, you
look to others because this will be your support system for one.
And the way to truly invest, in people, the way to truly live a
fulfilled life is to help others and look out for the needs of
others. And this Hospitality you know
what before I had my own place and stuff, I would read this and
I wonder how do I see this if I if I don't have in my own house
to be Hospital maybe some of you don't if you're younger that
hospital that hospitality is something you can develop in any
point in your life it's an attitude of hospitality it's an
attitude of taking care of people.
You have hospitable person takes what they have and welcomes
other people in and uses what they have to serve.
You can do that at school, you have a friend group, you have a
lunch table, you have whatever it is, what do you use your
space, for your little bubble for do?
Use it to welcome and bring people in or to use it as kind
of a. This is mine.
I want to do my own thing. Be hospitable to one another
without grumbling this second part is, sometimes you can do
the hospitality but you can negate what you're doing by a
bad attitude because, you know, so and so did this and that
frustrated me because it was my stuff and my place and he says
do it without grumbling and light of the fact that the end
is near. It's not that big of a deal.
Let's take care of each other and look out for the needs of
others. In verse 10, you goes on to say,
fourthly to as each one has received a gift minister to one
another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
The fourth thing we do in light of the fact that the end is near
is we use what God has given us to serve others, similar to the
note on Hospitality. But to realize that these are
gifts, we have everything we own is a gift.
Yeah. Well it's my abilities to earn
this gift, who gave you the abilities?
To earn that money to have what you have.
That's God. Everything we have is A gift in
one way or another, he says to use it as good stewards of the
manifold grace of God. The parable, the parable of the
steward rips into us. When it shows us how much we
fail in that. God's given us all this and we
look at like it's ours but it's not.
As good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
The fifth thing in 1st Peter 4, verse 11 in light of the fact
that the end is near. He says, if anyone speaks let
him speak as the Oracles of God, it's covering everything we do.
It's covering our actions that covers our stuff.
It covers the way we talk to God and he says, if you're going to
talk open your mouth for God, speak on behalf of God and speak
things God wants you to say. That's an amazing thought to me
that we can speak on behalf of God.
We are, we are we are God's ambassadors here.
We're told in other scripture, that's an honor.
We get to speak on behalf of God and be a part of something
great, a part of something special.
And we have the ability God would not give us anything.
We can't do if you've given us his word, we're able to study it
tonight. We can take a little bit tonight
and move forward with this knowledge to share with somebody
with this awareness. Us to share with somebody.
We have the honor in the ability to speak for God. 1st Peter 4
verse 12, if anyone ministers, let him do it as with the
ability which God supplies that in all things, God may be
glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs the glory and
the Dominion forever and ever, amen?
You could look at this passage and say if anyone ministers let
him do it and the focused on the ministry.
But I think everything is talked about is already been
ministering and the thing that jumps out at me with this verse
is the know as with ability which God supplies that
everything we do, we realize what's happening right now.
We're using build, he's God has given us.
And to me, that gives me joy in my heart to know that the things
I'm doing have value. And they have meaning.
And I can really know that the things I'm doing today are in
direct relationship to the way God is influencing my life.
That's exciting. That's powerful.
That takes you out of depression.
If you're if you're feeling like me and my life isn't, I'm just
not worth anything that truth alone can help you lift your
spirit. And it's also going to help us
create keep the credit where credit is due.
Because God, deserves the glory for any good we do, as we've
already said and it must be a hard job in God.
Because if any of us do one little thing, we just want all
the credit for it, and if we don't get the credit for it, we
are rubbed raw, man. I know that's speaking for
myself. That's an area I'm weekend.
As you know, if you don't get recognized for something you
did, or if you, you know, someone talks down on something
you did, it's just feels wrong. Like, you were trying to serve
and you get talked about in a bad way.
Imagine how God feels God, created the world that we're
walking on God, created, everything about us, gave us
everything we have and yet somehow he doesn't get the
credit for everything he did. If God gets any credit, it's
just a tiny morsel of what he deserves.
And doing everything we do in serving others with the attitude
that this is from God. Let me serve you with what God
has. Supplied me will help us give
the credit where credit is due. He goes on to say in 1st, Peter
4, verse 12, through 14, beloved, do not think it strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some
strange thing happened to you. But Rejoice to the extent that
you partake of, Christ's sufferings that when his glory
is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding Joy.
If you're reproached for the name of Christ blessed, are you
for the spirit of glory? And of God rests upon you on
their part. He has blasphemed, but on your
part, he is glorified So, the one of the last things he says
in this note is to flip things around in your mind, if we get,
if we suffer for God, awesome. The tough stuff is the best
because that means we are tied to something in a way.
That's we can't buy that. You can't get that anywhere
else, but through the hard things, you deal with, if
therefore, God, and specifically, as he talks about
here partaking in Christ's sufferings He says, be excited
about that. Because the tough things are a
shortcut to Greatness there an Avenue to Greatness.
It's hard to do all your own little things and build your way
up to heaven. You can do that.
But God makes a way for you to face trial and for you to
overcome and to serve him through it.
That is able to bring us. He says, a spirit of glory and
of God resting upon us. Whoa.
That's awesome. And in closing he says some
words at the end of chapter 5 that I feel like really helped
bring all this together all this together and summarize, it make
me feel good. After all the things we've
understood and things. We now know he says therefore
humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may
exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him
for. He cares.
For you all your care. Be sober, be vigilant because
your adversary, the devil walks about like, a roaring lion.
Lion seeking whom he may devour resist him steadfast in the
faith knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by
your Brotherhood in the world. You're not the only one, But may
the God of all Grace who called us to his eternal glory by
Christ Jesus. After you have suffered for a
while, perfect establish, strengthen and settle you.
To him, be the glory and the Dominion forever and ever, amen?
For me, my favorite part of that verse is the settling.
I think it's by nature, some of the thing.
You know, young people have is they need to settle down a lot
of times adults, tell young, people settle down settle down
and that part of the faith that where your faith, grows to the
point where you can be established and settle.
Just bring so much peace to me. So much joy.
You can be settled in God's promises, God's grace, and God's
hope. To the point that you don't have
to worry, you don't have to fear.
So, in summary everything, we just learned and in the way of
living like, there's, no tomorrow.
We're to be serious. We're to be serious and watchful
in prayer. We're to love, fervently, to be
hospitable to serve others with what God has given us.
Were to speak for God and speak things.
God wants us to speak and to remember that, the source and
the purpose of our life is always goes back to God.
That is our lesson for tonight. Thank you to everyone who was
here and for listening Patiently.
I hope these things will help you this week.
I know we always need a constant refresher on our perspective.
Now, love what, what, that song stand up for Jesus, that was led
says, and In this, in the fourth verse, it says, stand up.
Stand up for Jesus. The Strife will not be long this
day, the noise of battle the next, the Victor song that we're
so close. It's just like today, we're here
in this and this is going on. But tomorrow, we're right there
tomorrow, it's a victory song. Let's get on with a victory
train. Let's do this.
And if you're not a part of that that that train going to heaven,
you can be, you've heard a little bit of the word tonight.
You believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
You can confess The he is your savior you can repent of your
past life say I'm going to go God's way now.
I know who wins this game. I know who wins in the end.
I'm going to be on his side. You can confess him as your
savior and you can be baptized to contact that blood of Jesus
that saves us. We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
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