In light of Christ's unannounced return, Christians must watch, pray, and live holy lives with strong fellowship, using their gifts to serve others and glorify God.
Hey there, friends and family! It's so good to see all your smiling faces here today as we gather together to dig into God's Word. We're going to be focusing on a passage today that is both challenging and encouraging to us as believers: 1 Peter 4:7-11. In this passage, Peter is writing about the return of Jesus Christ and how we, as Christians, are to live in light of that reality.
Before we dive into the Scripture, let me share with you this quote from A.W. Tozer, "We must never rest until everything inside us worships God." Always be in a state of worship and readiness for Christ's return.
Let me read the passage for us now:
"The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:7-11)
Let's pause for a moment and ask the Lord to open our hearts and minds as we explore this passage together.
Dear Heavenly Father, we come before You today with gratitude for Your Word and for the opportunity to study it together. We ask that You open our hearts and minds to understand the truth found in this passage. Help us to live lives that are pleasing to You and to be ready for Christ's return. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Alright, let's dive in and see what God has in store for us today!
In our passage today, Peter reminds us that "the end of all things is near." Christ's return is imminent and could happen at any moment. As believers, we must live with a sense of urgency and anticipation, knowing that Jesus could return at any time. This reality should shape the way we live our lives and how we interact with others.
One aspect of Christ's return being unannounced is the fact that no one knows the exact day or hour when He will come back. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 24:36, "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." This means that we cannot predict or calculate when Jesus will return.
Throughout history, there have been many who have tried to predict the exact date of Christ's return, but each time, they have been proven wrong. This should serve as a warning to us not to become preoccupied with trying to figure out the exact timing of His return, but rather to focus on living lives that are pleasing to God and being prepared for His coming.
Another aspect of Christ's return being unannounced is the suddenness with which it will occur. In 1 Thessalonians 5:2, Paul writes, "For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." Just as a thief does not announce his arrival, neither will Jesus give any warning before He comes back. This suddenness should cause us to be vigilant and watchful, always ready for His return.
The unannounced nature of Christ's return also highlights the importance of being prepared at all times. In the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus tells the story of ten young women who were waiting for the bridegroom to arrive for a wedding feast. Five of them were wise and had brought extra oil for their lamps, while the other five were foolish and did not bring any extra oil. When the bridegroom finally arrived, the foolish virgins were not prepared and were unable to enter the wedding feast. Jesus concludes the parable by saying, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour" (Matthew 25:13).
In light of the unannounced nature of Christ's return, we must also consider the consequences for those who are not prepared. In Matthew 24:37-39, Jesus compares His return to the days of Noah, saying, "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." The people in Noah's time were caught off guard by the flood, and as a result, they faced judgment. Similarly, those who are not prepared for Christ's return will face eternal judgment.
The unannounced nature of Christ's return also has implications for how we share the gospel with others. Knowing that Jesus could return at any moment should motivate us to share the good news of salvation with urgency and passion. We must not delay in sharing the gospel with those who have not yet heard it, as we do not know how much time is left before Christ's return.
In 2 Corinthians 6:2, Paul writes, "I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation." We must seize every opportunity to share the hope of Christ with others, as we do not know when our time or their time will run out.
Furthermore, the unannounced nature of Christ's return should also impact the way we live our daily lives. Knowing that Jesus could return at any moment should cause us to live lives that are holy and pleasing to God. In 1 John 3:2-3, John writes, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure." The hope of Christ's return should motivate us to live lives that are marked by purity and holiness.
Moreover, the unannounced nature of Christ's return should also encourage us to be diligent in our service to the Lord. In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells the story of a master who entrusts his servants with various amounts of money before going on a journey. Upon his return, the master rewards the servants who have been faithful in using their talents for his purposes, while the servant who did nothing with his talent faces judgment.
Pastor, here would be a good place to share a personal story about how you live knowing Jesus’s return could be at any point.
In this passage, Peter emphasizes the importance of being alert and of sober mind so that we may pray ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
Sermon Central
