How to Live in the Final Days
I. INTRODUCTION
a. The letter Peter wrote to the Christians that were once gentiles y not so many with the Jewish background. He writes to “foreigners” but not of a geographic place but “foreigners” in their own land due to the decision they made to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be a foolish people before friends, family and society.
b. Peter gives counsel on how to face these types of situations and he encouraged them to be faithful even in the midst of the trial and persecution.
c. Peter shows them Christ’s example that suffered to give us redemption by dying like a lamb.
d. Peter is getting to the end of his letter when he gets to this part of how to live in the last days.
e. What good is it to believe in the second coming of Jesus if this fact does not affect how we live our lives today?
II. 1 Peter 4:7
a. The end of all things is near
i. Peter assures his listeners and readers that they are living in the last days.
ii. This may give hope to them since they know that one day all the suffering and pain will be done away with.
b. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.
i. In light of the fact that the end of all things is near it is important to live in the following way:
1. Clear minded – have a good judgment. In this context, Peter is telling them in light of what is going to happen, they need to have good judgment 1) about the end time scenario. That no one get too fanatical about the end times to the point where the unbelievers are totally turned off by the message. 2) in these days the mind is constantly bombarded from every corner and many times we fall prey to society that gives us so many wrong messages about the purpose of life. In these last days Satan has unleashed a war against the human mind. We have so much information but the world continues to be in ignorance about that which really matters.
a. This “good judgment” also has to do with being self-disciplined. What enters the mind affects our actions. Therefore we need to guard our minds and also stand firm and decide to live differently.
2. So that you can pray.
a. We need to be clear minded so that we can pray
b. The importance of prayer is made evident once again because its right by the words to be clear minded.
c. We cannot be clear-minded if we are not praying.
d. We try to live good lives, we want to do the best but many times we find ourselves defeated by temptations and sins. But he or she who is watching in prayer is waiting on the Lord just as Jesus did when He lived on this earth.
e. If we want to be ready for the 2nd coming and to live victoriously while we wait, we must have the lines of communication open at all times with God.
f. When Christ shall come He will call us by name because we have been talking for such a long time.
g. “The apostle sought to teach the believers how important it is to keep the mind from wandering to forbidden themes or from spending its energies on trifling subjects. Those who would not fall a prey to Satan's devices, must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. The mind must not be left to dwell at random upon every subject that the enemy of souls may suggest. The heart must be faithfully sentineled, or evils without will awaken evils within, and the soul will wander in darkness.” AA, 518.
h. The Lord Himself gave counsel on how to live in these last days
i. Luke 12:25-43; 17:26, 27
i. Peter himself has given us a good example of what happens when we don’t watch and pray (Matt. 26:40, 41)
j. In Jesus’ final days He told the disciples the same thing and they didn’t do it. What was the result? In the moment of the Lord’s arrest and the crisis that came over the disciples, Peter denied the Lord. (It is in the crisis that our faith is tested and tried).
k. Peter knows first-hand what it is to not be ready for the end and he tells us not to the fall the same way.
l. If we want to know what not being ready looks like, look at Peter’s example.
m. Peter repented and was forgiven for his lack of preparation and we too have time now to repent for our lack of watching and praying.
n. “There is necessity for diligence in prayer; let nothing hinder you. Make every effort to keep open the communion between Jesus and your own soul. Seek every opportunity to go where prayer is wont to be made. Those who are really seeking for communion with God will be seen in the prayer meeting, faithful to do their duty and earnest and anxious to reap all the benefits they can gain. They will improve every opportunity of placing themselves where they can receive the rays of light from heaven.” {SC 98.1}
ii. 1 Peter 4:8
1. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
a. Be clear-minded, be people of prayer and be people whom love each other very much, because love has the ability to look over many faults and to freely forgive. It doesn’t say that we are going to expunge their sins but that this love doesn’t disseminate or makes the sins of others public.
b. This is “agape” love and it is a command to love and it can be demanded because this is not only a emotional feeling but it is a decision of the will that leads to action.
iii. 1 Peter 4:9
1. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
a. Hospitality among Christians was important because in a time where there were no real inns and motels it was necessary.
b. This virtue was a requirement of elders and widows (1 Tim 3:2; 5:10; Titus 1:8) and it is required of us in the gospels (Mat 25:35; Rom 12:13; 3 John 5-8)
c. We have to do this without grumbling of the person that will enter your house.
III. Conclusion
a. There are various ways to live in the last days
i. Be clear-minded
ii. Pray
iii. Love one another
iv. Offer hospitality w/o grumbling
b. Why this last point is important for the last days?
i. Strangers don’t arrive in our homes like they did back then and we are told to be hospitable.
ii. It will not be wise to do this probable
iii. But how can we apply this to today’s time?
1. I propose that in this individualistic society we live in our homes can be centers where those who feel lonely have a place to go
2. A place where brothers and sisters from the church can go to just like one goes to a family members home.
3. A place where we can study God’s word together, pray, share needs and find that love among brothers.
4. How to we stay clear minded?
a. When I know I can count with the support of my family, that when I encounter difficulties, temptations that I don’t have to go through it alone.
b. When I have a home that I can go to when I need to talk with someone, offer hospitality over the phone.
c. When I know that I can go to a place (that’s not a church) where I can arrive and pray with and find spiritual encouragement
5. That is why we need to get used to being close to one another and to know that “mi casa es tu casa”.
6.
