1 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:04,800 Good evening, everybody. It is great to see everyone 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,500 who's with us tonight. We have a great crowd and I'm 3 00:00:07,500 --> 00:00:10,000 looking forward to our study together, to share with you, 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,900 some of the things I've been studying and some of the things 5 00:00:12,900 --> 00:00:16,700 that are challenging me today, as I was studying through these 6 00:00:16,700 --> 00:00:20,800 again, every time I give this lesson every time I go back 7 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,600 through this, I looked, I just looked down my shoes. 8 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,400 And I'm like, man, I need to get on this again, I need to be 9 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,400 working on these things because it always challenges me. 10 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:31,500 It always shows. Shows me how much better I need 11 00:00:31,500 --> 00:00:35,200 to be especially in the context of what these verses are going 12 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,100 to say in 1st Peter 4 beginning in verse 7. 13 00:00:38,100 --> 00:00:40,200 If you'll turn with me, there is where we're going to begin our 14 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,000 reading and we're going to spend a lot of time. 15 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,600 Just in this chapter, we will take a couple of tangents but 16 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:47,900 everything is going to be based off the things we're talking 17 00:00:47,900 --> 00:00:50,300 about right here. And first Peter 4 beginning in 18 00:00:50,300 --> 00:00:56,200 verse 7 Let's start off and read the first few verses it says, 19 00:00:56,500 --> 00:01:00,500 beginning in verse 7 but the end of all things is at hand 20 00:01:00,900 --> 00:01:04,099 therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 21 00:01:04,599 --> 00:01:09,200 And above all things have fervent love for one another for 22 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:11,900 love will cover a multitude of sins. 23 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,100 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling as each one 24 00:01:16,100 --> 00:01:21,000 has received a gift minister to one another as good stewards of 25 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,700 the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks let him speak 26 00:01:25,700 --> 00:01:29,900 as the Oracles of God, if anyone ministers, let him do it as with 27 00:01:29,900 --> 00:01:33,800 the ability which God supplies that in all things, God may be 28 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:38,500 glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong, the glory, and 29 00:01:38,500 --> 00:01:41,000 the Dominion forever and ever, amen. 30 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:44,600 I want to go back to the slide real quick. 31 00:01:45,100 --> 00:01:46,900 One of the things I highlighted here is how many times? 32 00:01:46,900 --> 00:01:49,800 It says, one another everything we're going to talk about is 33 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,200 really centered around that around that. 34 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:57,500 First verse they says, the end of all things is at hand. 35 00:01:59,700 --> 00:02:01,400 And the thing we're going to do with that is we're going to look 36 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:03,400 to one another where look to help one another. 37 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:06,700 So he said that first, he started out all these. 38 00:02:06,900 --> 00:02:10,100 All the things we talked about by saying the end of all things 39 00:02:10,199 --> 00:02:14,600 is at hand. Therefore this is a hard harsh 40 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,100 reality. He tells us that the end of 41 00:02:17,100 --> 00:02:19,100 everything is near. What does that mean? 42 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,900 We know that the end of all things is near because of first 43 00:02:21,900 --> 00:02:25,600 because of Jesus's return, we're told that Jesus has returned can 44 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:29,300 happen at any moment. Matthew 24 verse 36 through 39, 45 00:02:29,500 --> 00:02:33,500 Says but of that day and hour when Jesus will return, no one 46 00:02:33,500 --> 00:02:38,700 knows not even the angels of heaven but my father only but as 47 00:02:38,700 --> 00:02:41,600 the days of Noah were so also will the coming of the son of 48 00:02:41,608 --> 00:02:45,200 man be for as in the days before the flood, they were eating and 49 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:49,700 drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah 50 00:02:49,700 --> 00:02:54,000 entered, the Ark going on verse 39 and did not know until the 51 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,900 flood came and took them all away. 52 00:02:57,500 --> 00:02:59,300 So also will the coming of the son? 53 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,500 No man be. So what you just showed us right 54 00:03:01,500 --> 00:03:04,700 here is that when Jesus come back comes back it's going to be 55 00:03:04,700 --> 00:03:07,300 like something that already happened and we have to look 56 00:03:07,300 --> 00:03:11,100 back into the past as some real events that happen and you threw 57 00:03:11,100 --> 00:03:14,000 us back to Noah this story of Noah. 58 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,100 And and the destruction of the world is often told in 59 00:03:17,100 --> 00:03:20,100 children's stories or a children's books that show the 60 00:03:20,100 --> 00:03:22,100 boat and the animals and the rainbow and it's great. 61 00:03:22,100 --> 00:03:25,500 And it's it's an amazing story of how God saved his people in 62 00:03:25,500 --> 00:03:28,600 an extraordinary way and cleanse the Earth. 63 00:03:29,500 --> 00:03:31,400 But the sight of that, that's really scary. 64 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:35,200 Is what happened to everyone? Who was wiped out there was I 65 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,800 believe eight Souls were saved. That means the rest of the world 66 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:44,800 died in a very scary way. And he tries to draws back to 67 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:49,300 this in the verses we were just looking at because he's showing 68 00:03:49,300 --> 00:03:51,500 us that okay, this has happened before. 69 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:55,000 It's going to be just like that in the resurrection when Jesus 70 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,600 comes back there's going to be a very similar situation where 71 00:03:58,608 --> 00:04:01,500 it's going to be great for a lot of people but it's going to be 72 00:04:01,500 --> 00:04:05,200 very scary for all those who didn't and it's going to be in a 73 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:07,800 very similar way. It says that Noah was a preacher 74 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,000 of righteousness, he went around telling people, he went around, 75 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,600 living his life building this boat, People would ask him. 76 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:15,400 Probably, what are you building a boat for? 77 00:04:16,100 --> 00:04:18,899 What are you doing? And he would tell them, I'm sure 78 00:04:19,399 --> 00:04:21,500 there's gonna be a flood one day, God is going to destroy the 79 00:04:21,500 --> 00:04:24,800 Earth, change your life, but they laughed and obviously 80 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:28,900 because no one else joined him. 400 years, it took him to build 81 00:04:28,900 --> 00:04:30,500 that boat. Can you imagine what it was like 82 00:04:30,500 --> 00:04:33,500 to be him to be his kids? Everyone laughing at you. 83 00:04:33,500 --> 00:04:36,400 Who's this crazy man? Who's building this boat? 84 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,400 But then that day came and it all everything changed. 85 00:04:41,500 --> 00:04:43,000 Then no one was laughing at Noah. 86 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,700 The same pictures drawn for us. Now, we're living in a world 87 00:04:47,700 --> 00:04:50,400 where a lot of people don't believe in this. 88 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,700 This coming again, of Jesus and he said it's going to be just 89 00:04:53,700 --> 00:04:57,500 like that worthy of this Mass delusion that no one knows 90 00:04:57,500 --> 00:04:59,600 what's really coming. Even though it's clear. 91 00:04:59,700 --> 00:05:02,600 He's there's people here standing for the truth that say 92 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:06,600 this is coming and he says it's going to be just like that. 93 00:05:06,900 --> 00:05:11,000 So Jesus said, so Jesus tells us the end is near and that is one 94 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:12,000 way. We can know that the end of all 95 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,400 things is at hand. Secondly, first before we move 96 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,600 on, I just looked at this picture because I wanted to to 97 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,100 see for myself and maybe have us look at it together. 98 00:05:22,100 --> 00:05:23,300 What? That might have looked like, 99 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:28,400 because I just I've seen pictures before like this and I 100 00:05:28,700 --> 00:05:31,000 need to stop and think what if those are my friends from school 101 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,800 their life that's Spencer and what if that's Megan and what if 102 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:39,000 that's Caden What about some of your friends? 103 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:40,500 You know what if you insert them here? 104 00:05:41,700 --> 00:05:46,700 How scary that will be for them and how scary it will be for us 105 00:05:46,700 --> 00:05:48,700 as their friends to know that this might happen to some more 106 00:05:48,700 --> 00:05:51,900 friends. It's a perspective. 107 00:05:51,900 --> 00:05:54,100 We need to have on this whole situation on the whole 108 00:05:54,100 --> 00:05:57,200 Resurrection on the whole coming again of Jesus so that we can 109 00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:59,000 take seriously what he's about to say. 110 00:06:00,900 --> 00:06:04,600 Okay, so secondly, the end of all things is at hand because of 111 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:08,100 death. Okay, I'm sorry, one more, pause 112 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,700 second, Peter 3, verse 8 and 9 says, but beloved do not forget 113 00:06:11,700 --> 00:06:14,800 this one thing that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand 114 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,100 years and a thousand years as one day. 115 00:06:17,100 --> 00:06:20,000 So we might say, you know what, God hasn't come again, yet it's 116 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:21,300 taken a while. He said, it's near. 117 00:06:21,300 --> 00:06:23,700 What do you how do you reconcile that the end of all things is 118 00:06:23,700 --> 00:06:25,100 near. It's been a couple thousand 119 00:06:25,100 --> 00:06:28,800 years here at tells us that God doesn't count time like we do 120 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,400 God doesn't see it, the same one because he's an eternal being. 121 00:06:33,500 --> 00:06:36,500 If you're not affected by time, like we are, if we're not 122 00:06:36,500 --> 00:06:39,700 affected, if God is not affected by wrinkles and slow bowel 123 00:06:39,700 --> 00:06:42,800 movements and all the other things that just beat us down, 124 00:06:43,700 --> 00:06:48,500 he's not affected by time, like we are But the way God sees time 125 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:51,600 as he sees it, as in verse 9, the Lord is not slack concerning 126 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:55,300 his promise as some count slackness but is long-suffering 127 00:06:55,300 --> 00:06:58,200 toward us not willing that any should perish when the but that 128 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,800 all should come to repentance. So what God sees in time is not 129 00:07:02,300 --> 00:07:04,700 the, the wear and tear of his body. 130 00:07:05,100 --> 00:07:08,200 He's all he sees as is an opportunity for more people to 131 00:07:08,207 --> 00:07:12,400 come back to. So the argument that God hasn't 132 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:14,700 come, you know, how can you say the end is near? 133 00:07:15,100 --> 00:07:17,900 That's kind of irrelevant with God's Eternal perspective. 134 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:25,900 Okay, now we're going to go to now, we're to death. 135 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,500 So the other way that the end is near is because of death and I 136 00:07:29,500 --> 00:07:32,600 didn't have this plan before what we the news we got today 137 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:37,800 that Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter accident He was 41 138 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,400 years old. How many people can you think 139 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,600 back on your life that you heard of people who died that you that 140 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,800 you knew of people that died? That it was just so felt weird. 141 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:49,600 It shouldn't have happened. That's not how narratives go. 142 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:51,100 That's not how anything was supposed to happen. 143 00:07:51,100 --> 00:07:55,100 He had a family He had so much ahead of him. 144 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,000 But gone like that, we never know what's going to happen. 145 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:05,300 Buddy, from mine back at Oakdale tide, Jones was one of my great 146 00:08:05,300 --> 00:08:07,300 friends, all my life, you never never would have thought 147 00:08:07,300 --> 00:08:11,000 something would happen to him. He was healthy, we were very 148 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,100 similar on lifestyle. It wasn't like anything should 149 00:08:13,100 --> 00:08:14,500 have been wrong. He got sick. 150 00:08:14,500 --> 00:08:16,900 And in a month later, he passed away. 151 00:08:19,700 --> 00:08:23,700 The end can come anytime. And so we need to be serious and 152 00:08:23,700 --> 00:08:26,200 listen to the things. He's going to tell us Hebrews 9, 153 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,800 verse 27 says it is appointed for men to die once but after 154 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,200 this is the Judgment. So to make this a little more 155 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:36,900 real, what happens when we die as we are judged and we're learn 156 00:08:36,900 --> 00:08:39,299 from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus that there is a 157 00:08:39,308 --> 00:08:41,100 separation that happens at death. 158 00:08:41,799 --> 00:08:47,500 The rich man, when he died went to tournaments And the Lazarus. 159 00:08:47,500 --> 00:08:52,100 When he died the poor man, he went to paradise and it says 160 00:08:52,100 --> 00:08:54,200 that in between those two places, there's a great Gulf 161 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,600 fixed that you can't pass between. 162 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:01,100 So what happens when we die? We go to one or the other and 163 00:09:01,100 --> 00:09:04,800 those are just waiting areas waiting rooms for when we're 164 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:06,200 going to our final resting place. 165 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:08,500 And if you're in Paradise, your final resting place is already 166 00:09:08,500 --> 00:09:09,500 decided. It's Heaven. 167 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,500 If you're in torments, your final resting place is decided, 168 00:09:12,500 --> 00:09:15,700 it's hell. And for me that helps me just 169 00:09:15,700 --> 00:09:18,300 think about how real it is because we don't talk about this 170 00:09:18,300 --> 00:09:20,700 and some things out of sight or out of thought. 171 00:09:20,700 --> 00:09:23,400 It's out of mind. This is real, this is right on 172 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,300 the other side of a car accident, this is right on the 173 00:09:25,300 --> 00:09:28,200 other side of anything tragic than might happen. 174 00:09:28,300 --> 00:09:30,000 We need to know about it. Be ready for it. 175 00:09:33,500 --> 00:09:36,500 And this is this is a scary thought when you compare this 176 00:09:36,500 --> 00:09:37,700 what he's going to say in just a minute. 177 00:09:37,700 --> 00:09:41,800 In 1st Peter 5 verse 8 he says be sober be vigilant because 178 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,900 your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion 179 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,700 seeking whom he may devour. That's a scary thought. 180 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:52,700 That to know that the end is near and all this is happening. 181 00:09:52,700 --> 00:09:54,800 I need to be concerned about that, and that there's someone 182 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,100 opposing me. There's someone who wants me to 183 00:09:57,100 --> 00:09:59,800 go down a bad path to where I will be condemned. 184 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,300 That's a scary thought, but what is fear? 185 00:10:04,100 --> 00:10:06,400 Fear is a natural reaction to Danger. 186 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:11,500 That causes you to make some sort of action to respond in a 187 00:10:11,508 --> 00:10:14,100 certain way. So, what do we do with that 188 00:10:14,100 --> 00:10:16,200 fear? That fear is healthy, that here, 189 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,500 that fears fine? That's why he goes on to say 190 00:10:19,500 --> 00:10:21,100 what's next. He doesn't just leave it with an 191 00:10:21,100 --> 00:10:24,700 empty worry about this. He says therefore, but the end 192 00:10:24,700 --> 00:10:28,900 of all things is at hand therefore be serious and 193 00:10:28,900 --> 00:10:33,700 watchful in your prayers. His first instruction is to our 194 00:10:33,700 --> 00:10:35,800 prayers and this is the probably. 195 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:37,900 The first thing, I always think about when I give this lesson, 196 00:10:37,900 --> 00:10:40,200 is how much I need my prayer life. 197 00:10:41,300 --> 00:10:43,800 How much if I really want to be with God? 198 00:10:44,700 --> 00:10:46,000 Why don't I start talking to him? 199 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,900 Like he's here with me now. Like he says he is, Matthew 7 200 00:10:49,900 --> 00:10:52,700 verse 7, through 11 talks, a little about talks, a little bit 201 00:10:52,700 --> 00:10:55,200 about this prayer so we can see the value of it. 202 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:59,800 He says, ask and it will be given to you seek and you will 203 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:04,000 find knock and it will be open to you for everyone who asks 204 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,900 receives and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be 205 00:11:07,900 --> 00:11:10,400 opened. He's like he said, he's only 206 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:12,300 listing great things that comes from this. 207 00:11:12,300 --> 00:11:14,700 He says, or what? Man, is there among you if his 208 00:11:14,700 --> 00:11:16,900 son asks for bread, will he give him a stone? 209 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:21,000 Of course not nobody does that or if he asks for a fish, will 210 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,100 he give him a serpent if you then being evil know how to give 211 00:11:24,100 --> 00:11:27,600 good gifts to your children. How much more will your father 212 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:30,000 who is in heaven? Give good things to those who 213 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,800 ask him. He said when we, when we need 214 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:37,000 something, when we come to, you know, we start our morning and 215 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,600 there's something that comes in our way. 216 00:11:38,900 --> 00:11:41,200 Something we didn't expect talk to God about it. 217 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:45,200 He shows us in every angle, he says, asking I'll give seek and 218 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:46,900 you will find knock and it will be open to you. 219 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:48,600 How many more angles do? I have to say it? 220 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:52,100 He says, He will take care of us. 221 00:11:52,700 --> 00:11:54,600 Why? Why don't we want that? 222 00:11:55,100 --> 00:12:03,300 I think part of it. Part of it is because of Satan 223 00:12:03,300 --> 00:12:07,100 how Satan wants us to lose sight of these beautiful truths and 224 00:12:07,100 --> 00:12:10,500 second Corinthians 11, verse 3 and 4 says, but I fear less 225 00:12:10,500 --> 00:12:14,100 somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness. 226 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:18,000 So your minds may be corrupted from the Simplicity that is in 227 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:19,500 Christ. That's what I'm trying to get 228 00:12:19,500 --> 00:12:21,100 at. Is the Simplicity and the power 229 00:12:21,100 --> 00:12:25,100 of prayer is something that's clear, but our life's get 230 00:12:25,100 --> 00:12:27,400 complicated and Satan kind of wants us to see it as 231 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:32,100 complicated, and not just fuzzy and The Simplicity that's in the 232 00:12:32,100 --> 00:12:33,700 Christ. That's what we should see in 233 00:12:33,700 --> 00:12:35,500 this prayer life. God says, I'll take care of you. 234 00:12:35,500 --> 00:12:38,800 Ask me, I'll give to you for. He who comes preaches. 235 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:40,600 Another. Jesus whom we have not preached 236 00:12:40,700 --> 00:12:43,800 or if you receive a different Spirit which you have not 237 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:47,000 received or a different gospel, which you have not accepted, you 238 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:49,600 may well, put up with it. That's what happens to me. 239 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,600 I lose a perspective on God. A perspective on the way. 240 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,700 God responds to my prayers way. God sees my prayers. 241 00:12:56,700 --> 00:13:00,000 That I put up with it, I don't have to put up with that. 242 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,000 And Satan wants me to see prayer and see God as kind of an 243 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,400 afterthought and the same, as kind of like a something I can 244 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:12,700 put my back pocket for later. but he said, He's kind of 245 00:13:12,700 --> 00:13:14,800 getting out, don't be corrupted from the Simplicity, that's in 246 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:16,700 Christ. There's a beautiful truth. 247 00:13:16,700 --> 00:13:19,600 It is in talking to God, and having that relationship there. 248 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,500 And Peter is telling us this as he's writing this letter, he's 249 00:13:23,500 --> 00:13:27,000 telling us this from personal experience because in Matthew 26 250 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:30,900 verse 40 and 41 it reads, then he came to his disciples and 251 00:13:30,900 --> 00:13:34,400 found them asleep and said to Peter, what could you not watch 252 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:38,400 with me one hour Watch and Pray. Lest you enter and sensitive 253 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:42,400 into temptation, the spirit. Indeed is willing The flesh is 254 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:44,100 weak. I think I make made a mention 255 00:13:44,100 --> 00:13:47,100 about the scripture before how Peters connection to this 256 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:50,500 passage is powerful because this is exactly what Jesus told him 257 00:13:50,500 --> 00:13:53,300 to do. Watch and pray, pay attention at 258 00:13:53,300 --> 00:13:57,300 Sirius is a big deal. And his life spiraled from 259 00:13:57,300 --> 00:14:00,200 there, he just broke down he made mistake after mistake. 260 00:14:00,700 --> 00:14:04,300 And so Peter on the other side of this understands that he 261 00:14:04,300 --> 00:14:07,000 understands the value of prayer and talking to God and being 262 00:14:09,100 --> 00:14:12,800 Aware of everything like this. And he says be serious and 263 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,100 watchful and prayer. That's our first instruction 264 00:14:15,700 --> 00:14:17,500 instruction. Number two, going on. 265 00:14:17,500 --> 00:14:22,600 In verse 8, he says in above all things, more than anything else 266 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:26,900 have fervent love for one. Another for love will cover a 267 00:14:26,900 --> 00:14:31,000 multitude of sins. This phrase, fervent love this 268 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,200 word, fervent. I as I understand from ancient 269 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:36,800 times, it was used to describe a horse running at full Gallop 270 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:40,700 stretching and Training, its muscles as it ran across the 271 00:14:40,700 --> 00:14:43,800 battlefield. Do we love like that? 272 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:48,800 Do I love like that? That's stretching that 273 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,400 straining, maybe that's training for you comes at the end of a 274 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:54,500 long day when you just have had enough and you don't really want 275 00:14:54,500 --> 00:14:57,100 to deal with anything else, you're stretching and you're 276 00:14:57,100 --> 00:14:59,000 straining in your effort to love. 277 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:01,700 That's what he commands of us if we're going to live, like, 278 00:15:01,700 --> 00:15:03,400 there's no tomorrow. We're going to live. 279 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:08,000 Like this is the last day. We have his first above all 280 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,500 preeminent instruction is above all things have. 281 00:15:10,500 --> 00:15:14,300 Fervent love for one another. And he says, for love will cover 282 00:15:14,300 --> 00:15:19,100 a multitude of sins and this is in contrast to what happens with 283 00:15:19,100 --> 00:15:22,400 hatred for proverbs 10. Verse 12, says, hatred stirs up 284 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:25,200 Strife, but love covers all sins. 285 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:28,300 The person who wants to take care of somebody and protect 286 00:15:28,300 --> 00:15:32,700 them and shelter with love. That love covers them. 287 00:15:32,700 --> 00:15:35,000 It doesn't want to like, people up and say, hey, look at 288 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:38,900 everyone look what he did to me. This guy wrong me know, it wants 289 00:15:38,900 --> 00:15:41,900 to cover and wants to restore it once to make, right? 290 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,000 Let's have a love that will cover and have an attitude of 291 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:53,300 fervent love toward others. Next in verse 9, he tells us to 292 00:15:53,300 --> 00:15:56,200 be hospitable. The third thing, be hospitable 293 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:58,500 to one another without grumbling. 294 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:00,100 How do you live? Like there's no tomorrow. 295 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,900 You take care of other people, You Get outside yourself, you 296 00:16:03,900 --> 00:16:08,000 look to others because this will be your support system for one. 297 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,700 And the way to truly invest, in people, the way to truly live a 298 00:16:12,708 --> 00:16:16,100 fulfilled life is to help others and look out for the needs of 299 00:16:16,100 --> 00:16:19,200 others. And this Hospitality you know 300 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:21,700 what before I had my own place and stuff, I would read this and 301 00:16:21,700 --> 00:16:25,700 I wonder how do I see this if I if I don't have in my own house 302 00:16:25,700 --> 00:16:29,200 to be Hospital maybe some of you don't if you're younger that 303 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:32,200 hospital that hospitality is something you can develop in any 304 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,400 point in your life it's an attitude of hospitality it's an 305 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:37,200 attitude of taking care of people. 306 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:41,500 You have hospitable person takes what they have and welcomes 307 00:16:41,500 --> 00:16:43,500 other people in and uses what they have to serve. 308 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:46,800 You can do that at school, you have a friend group, you have a 309 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:50,500 lunch table, you have whatever it is, what do you use your 310 00:16:50,500 --> 00:16:53,100 space, for your little bubble for do? 311 00:16:53,100 --> 00:16:56,500 Use it to welcome and bring people in or to use it as kind 312 00:16:56,500 --> 00:16:57,600 of a. This is mine. 313 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,700 I want to do my own thing. Be hospitable to one another 314 00:17:01,700 --> 00:17:05,400 without grumbling this second part is, sometimes you can do 315 00:17:05,500 --> 00:17:08,300 the hospitality but you can negate what you're doing by a 316 00:17:08,308 --> 00:17:11,300 bad attitude because, you know, so and so did this and that 317 00:17:11,300 --> 00:17:14,500 frustrated me because it was my stuff and my place and he says 318 00:17:14,500 --> 00:17:17,200 do it without grumbling and light of the fact that the end 319 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:18,500 is near. It's not that big of a deal. 320 00:17:18,500 --> 00:17:20,900 Let's take care of each other and look out for the needs of 321 00:17:20,900 --> 00:17:24,300 others. In verse 10, you goes on to say, 322 00:17:24,300 --> 00:17:28,900 fourthly to as each one has received a gift minister to one 323 00:17:28,900 --> 00:17:31,700 another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 324 00:17:31,700 --> 00:17:34,000 The fourth thing we do in light of the fact that the end is near 325 00:17:34,500 --> 00:17:37,500 is we use what God has given us to serve others, similar to the 326 00:17:37,508 --> 00:17:41,300 note on Hospitality. But to realize that these are 327 00:17:41,300 --> 00:17:43,700 gifts, we have everything we own is a gift. 328 00:17:43,700 --> 00:17:45,000 Yeah. Well it's my abilities to earn 329 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:47,000 this gift, who gave you the abilities? 330 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:49,200 To earn that money to have what you have. 331 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:52,800 That's God. Everything we have is A gift in 332 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:56,700 one way or another, he says to use it as good stewards of the 333 00:17:56,700 --> 00:17:59,100 manifold grace of God. The parable, the parable of the 334 00:17:59,100 --> 00:18:03,500 steward rips into us. When it shows us how much we 335 00:18:03,500 --> 00:18:06,300 fail in that. God's given us all this and we 336 00:18:06,300 --> 00:18:08,200 look at like it's ours but it's not. 337 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,000 As good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 338 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:17,300 The fifth thing in 1st Peter 4, verse 11 in light of the fact 339 00:18:17,300 --> 00:18:20,400 that the end is near. He says, if anyone speaks let 340 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:25,000 him speak as the Oracles of God, it's covering everything we do. 341 00:18:25,300 --> 00:18:27,200 It's covering our actions that covers our stuff. 342 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,700 It covers the way we talk to God and he says, if you're going to 343 00:18:29,700 --> 00:18:34,600 talk open your mouth for God, speak on behalf of God and speak 344 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:38,200 things God wants you to say. That's an amazing thought to me 345 00:18:38,208 --> 00:18:40,000 that we can speak on behalf of God. 346 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:44,900 We are, we are we are God's ambassadors here. 347 00:18:44,900 --> 00:18:48,100 We're told in other scripture, that's an honor. 348 00:18:48,900 --> 00:18:51,300 We get to speak on behalf of God and be a part of something 349 00:18:51,300 --> 00:18:53,400 great, a part of something special. 350 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,800 And we have the ability God would not give us anything. 351 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:00,600 We can't do if you've given us his word, we're able to study it 352 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,000 tonight. We can take a little bit tonight 353 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,300 and move forward with this knowledge to share with somebody 354 00:19:05,700 --> 00:19:07,700 with this awareness. Us to share with somebody. 355 00:19:08,100 --> 00:19:13,100 We have the honor in the ability to speak for God. 1st Peter 4 356 00:19:13,100 --> 00:19:16,000 verse 12, if anyone ministers, let him do it as with the 357 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:20,700 ability which God supplies that in all things, God may be 358 00:19:20,700 --> 00:19:24,700 glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs the glory and 359 00:19:24,700 --> 00:19:26,800 the Dominion forever and ever, amen? 360 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,700 You could look at this passage and say if anyone ministers let 361 00:19:30,700 --> 00:19:33,100 him do it and the focused on the ministry. 362 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:35,300 But I think everything is talked about is already been 363 00:19:35,300 --> 00:19:38,800 ministering and the thing that jumps out at me with this verse 364 00:19:39,300 --> 00:19:43,800 is the know as with ability which God supplies that 365 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:48,200 everything we do, we realize what's happening right now. 366 00:19:50,500 --> 00:19:52,600 We're using build, he's God has given us. 367 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:56,500 And to me, that gives me joy in my heart to know that the things 368 00:19:56,500 --> 00:19:59,300 I'm doing have value. And they have meaning. 369 00:20:00,500 --> 00:20:04,300 And I can really know that the things I'm doing today are in 370 00:20:04,300 --> 00:20:07,900 direct relationship to the way God is influencing my life. 371 00:20:08,900 --> 00:20:10,700 That's exciting. That's powerful. 372 00:20:11,900 --> 00:20:13,100 That takes you out of depression. 373 00:20:13,100 --> 00:20:17,000 If you're if you're feeling like me and my life isn't, I'm just 374 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,800 not worth anything that truth alone can help you lift your 375 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,800 spirit. And it's also going to help us 376 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:25,700 create keep the credit where credit is due. 377 00:20:26,500 --> 00:20:29,400 Because God, deserves the glory for any good we do, as we've 378 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:33,100 already said and it must be a hard job in God. 379 00:20:34,100 --> 00:20:38,200 Because if any of us do one little thing, we just want all 380 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:41,600 the credit for it, and if we don't get the credit for it, we 381 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:44,200 are rubbed raw, man. I know that's speaking for 382 00:20:44,208 --> 00:20:45,600 myself. That's an area I'm weekend. 383 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,700 As you know, if you don't get recognized for something you 384 00:20:47,700 --> 00:20:51,800 did, or if you, you know, someone talks down on something 385 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:55,600 you did, it's just feels wrong. Like, you were trying to serve 386 00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:57,100 and you get talked about in a bad way. 387 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:00,900 Imagine how God feels God, created the world that we're 388 00:21:00,900 --> 00:21:04,100 walking on God, created, everything about us, gave us 389 00:21:04,100 --> 00:21:08,000 everything we have and yet somehow he doesn't get the 390 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:12,800 credit for everything he did. If God gets any credit, it's 391 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:16,600 just a tiny morsel of what he deserves. 392 00:21:19,500 --> 00:21:23,200 And doing everything we do in serving others with the attitude 393 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:25,600 that this is from God. Let me serve you with what God 394 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:27,300 has. Supplied me will help us give 395 00:21:27,300 --> 00:21:32,200 the credit where credit is due. He goes on to say in 1st, Peter 396 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:35,700 4, verse 12, through 14, beloved, do not think it strange 397 00:21:35,700 --> 00:21:39,100 concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some 398 00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:42,900 strange thing happened to you. But Rejoice to the extent that 399 00:21:42,900 --> 00:21:45,500 you partake of, Christ's sufferings that when his glory 400 00:21:45,500 --> 00:21:48,900 is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding Joy. 401 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:52,700 If you're reproached for the name of Christ blessed, are you 402 00:21:52,700 --> 00:21:57,400 for the spirit of glory? And of God rests upon you on 403 00:21:57,400 --> 00:21:59,300 their part. He has blasphemed, but on your 404 00:21:59,300 --> 00:22:04,300 part, he is glorified So, the one of the last things he says 405 00:22:04,300 --> 00:22:09,600 in this note is to flip things around in your mind, if we get, 406 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:14,000 if we suffer for God, awesome. The tough stuff is the best 407 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,000 because that means we are tied to something in a way. 408 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:20,900 That's we can't buy that. You can't get that anywhere 409 00:22:20,900 --> 00:22:23,300 else, but through the hard things, you deal with, if 410 00:22:23,300 --> 00:22:26,200 therefore, God, and specifically, as he talks about 411 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:30,600 here partaking in Christ's sufferings He says, be excited 412 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:35,200 about that. Because the tough things are a 413 00:22:35,208 --> 00:22:39,300 shortcut to Greatness there an Avenue to Greatness. 414 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:42,700 It's hard to do all your own little things and build your way 415 00:22:42,700 --> 00:22:44,000 up to heaven. You can do that. 416 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,900 But God makes a way for you to face trial and for you to 417 00:22:47,900 --> 00:22:50,600 overcome and to serve him through it. 418 00:22:50,700 --> 00:22:54,800 That is able to bring us. He says, a spirit of glory and 419 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:58,000 of God resting upon us. Whoa. 420 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:05,100 That's awesome. And in closing he says some 421 00:23:05,100 --> 00:23:07,800 words at the end of chapter 5 that I feel like really helped 422 00:23:07,900 --> 00:23:11,600 bring all this together all this together and summarize, it make 423 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,200 me feel good. After all the things we've 424 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:16,900 understood and things. We now know he says therefore 425 00:23:16,900 --> 00:23:20,500 humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may 426 00:23:20,500 --> 00:23:24,600 exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him 427 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:25,400 for. He cares. 428 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:30,300 For you all your care. Be sober, be vigilant because 429 00:23:30,300 --> 00:23:32,800 your adversary, the devil walks about like, a roaring lion. 430 00:23:32,900 --> 00:23:37,500 Lion seeking whom he may devour resist him steadfast in the 431 00:23:37,500 --> 00:23:39,900 faith knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by 432 00:23:39,900 --> 00:23:45,500 your Brotherhood in the world. You're not the only one, But may 433 00:23:45,500 --> 00:23:49,400 the God of all Grace who called us to his eternal glory by 434 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:52,200 Christ Jesus. After you have suffered for a 435 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:58,000 while, perfect establish, strengthen and settle you. 436 00:23:58,900 --> 00:24:02,000 To him, be the glory and the Dominion forever and ever, amen? 437 00:24:03,300 --> 00:24:06,000 For me, my favorite part of that verse is the settling. 438 00:24:06,900 --> 00:24:08,800 I think it's by nature, some of the thing. 439 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:11,200 You know, young people have is they need to settle down a lot 440 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:13,700 of times adults, tell young, people settle down settle down 441 00:24:14,300 --> 00:24:17,100 and that part of the faith that where your faith, grows to the 442 00:24:17,100 --> 00:24:19,600 point where you can be established and settle. 443 00:24:20,700 --> 00:24:22,900 Just bring so much peace to me. So much joy. 444 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:27,200 You can be settled in God's promises, God's grace, and God's 445 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:29,900 hope. To the point that you don't have 446 00:24:29,900 --> 00:24:31,200 to worry, you don't have to fear. 447 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:36,000 So, in summary everything, we just learned and in the way of 448 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:37,600 living like, there's, no tomorrow. 449 00:24:38,100 --> 00:24:41,000 We're to be serious. We're to be serious and watchful 450 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:44,100 in prayer. We're to love, fervently, to be 451 00:24:44,100 --> 00:24:47,700 hospitable to serve others with what God has given us. 452 00:24:48,100 --> 00:24:50,700 Were to speak for God and speak things. 453 00:24:50,700 --> 00:24:55,100 God wants us to speak and to remember that, the source and 454 00:24:55,100 --> 00:24:58,600 the purpose of our life is always goes back to God. 455 00:24:59,700 --> 00:25:03,100 That is our lesson for tonight. Thank you to everyone who was 456 00:25:03,100 --> 00:25:04,700 here and for listening Patiently. 457 00:25:05,300 --> 00:25:06,900 I hope these things will help you this week. 458 00:25:07,300 --> 00:25:10,400 I know we always need a constant refresher on our perspective. 459 00:25:11,100 --> 00:25:14,800 Now, love what, what, that song stand up for Jesus, that was led 460 00:25:15,100 --> 00:25:22,500 says, and In this, in the fourth verse, it says, stand up. 461 00:25:22,500 --> 00:25:25,400 Stand up for Jesus. The Strife will not be long this 462 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:29,700 day, the noise of battle the next, the Victor song that we're 463 00:25:29,700 --> 00:25:31,800 so close. It's just like today, we're here 464 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:35,000 in this and this is going on. But tomorrow, we're right there 465 00:25:35,300 --> 00:25:37,800 tomorrow, it's a victory song. Let's get on with a victory 466 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:39,700 train. Let's do this. 467 00:25:40,300 --> 00:25:43,300 And if you're not a part of that that that train going to heaven, 468 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:46,000 you can be, you've heard a little bit of the word tonight. 469 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,700 You believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 470 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,200 You can confess The he is your savior you can repent of your 471 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:54,900 past life say I'm going to go God's way now. 472 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:57,900 I know who wins this game. I know who wins in the end. 473 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:01,000 I'm going to be on his side. You can confess him as your 474 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,500 savior and you can be baptized to contact that blood of Jesus 475 00:26:04,500 --> 00:26:09,000 that saves us. We thank you for listening to 476 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:13,800 our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. 477 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:17,400 Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional 478 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:20,600 information or you would like to receive a free Bible 479 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:26,100 correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at True 480 00:26:26,100 --> 00:26:28,500 Church of Christ Bakersfield.com. 481 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:34,400 Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 482 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:38,800 Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us. 483 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:41,600 We would love for you to be our honored guest.