The End Is In Drawing Near 1 Peter 4:7-11 Series

Title: "The End is In Drawing Near"

Big Idea: Peter is bring to a close God's message to the pilgrims and therefore we are to be mindful of that the end is near. The End of all things, The End of sorrow and even more important The End of Waiting. Believers have been waiting for the return of Christ and that time is drawing near when God will send the Son to bring His children home. That return will not only Glorify God but it will reestablish God's dominion over all the earth. While God reigns supreme over all because of sin He has allowed evil to exist in this world but, soon and very soon it will come to an end.

Introductory Illustration: PLUNGING TO MURKY EARTH

A family was out vacationing at the lake one summer. Dad had been puttering out by the boat house. Two of his sons, a 12-year old and a 3-year old were down playing along the dock. The 12 year old was supposed to be watching his little brother, but he got distracted. The 3 year old, little Billy, thought that would be a good time to check out the shiny aluminum fishing boat tied up at the end of the dock. So he went to the dock and put one foot on the boat, and one foot on the dock. He lost his balance and fell into the water, which was about 5 or 6 ft deep.

The splash alerted the 12-yr old who let out a piercing scream. Dad came running from the boat house, jumped into the water, swam down, but unable to see anything, came up for air. Sick with panic, he went right back down into this murky water, and began to feel everywhere around the bottom. He couldn’t feel anything. Finally, on his way up, he felt little Billy's arms locked in a death grip on one of the posts of the dock, about 4 ft under water. Prying the boy's fingers loose, they burst up together thru the surface to fill their lungs with life giving air.

Finally when the adrenaline had stopped surging, and nerves had calmed down a little bit, the Father asked his son, “What on earth were you doing down there hanging onto the post so far under the water? And little Billy’s answer was a classic, laced with the wisdom only a toddler could give. He said, "I was just waiting for you dad. Just waiting for you."

Friends, today we celebrate that 2000 yrs ago, the God of the universe left the glory and the splendor of heaven, a place where there was no pain and no sickness, no accidents, no hurt, and no death.

And he plunged into this dark, murky world on a rescue mission, a

rescue mission for all of us who are drowning, a rescue mission for all of us who are barely hanging on, a rescue mission for all of us who are lost in the darkness. (SOURCE: Story told by Gene Appel.)

Read Sermon Text:

1 Peter 4:7-11 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 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. NKJV

1. The End of All Things (vs.7)

1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. NKJV

a. End of Worldly Living

From the fall of Adam the world has lived a life outside the will of God. Adam, in ignored the warning of God, "not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil"

(Gen 1:16-17). Yet Adam and Eve chose to ignore the warning of God and took the word of the "tempter" that if they ate of the "tree" they could be come as god's. Just as Esau sold his birthright for food. The actions of Adam/Eve began a pattern for mankind throughout the history of this world. Today men continue to resist the Word of God and turn the many enticements of this world. But now Peter is looking to the "end", although Peter wrote these words more than 2000 years ago there is coming a day when God will reach a point as He did in the days of Noah before the flood.