As many of you know, we are in a series right now called COVID and the Christian. We’ve been spending much of our time together in the book of 1st Peter trying to biblically answer the question: How should we as Christians be living out our faith during this historic moment in history?
• 1st Peter is a great book of the bible to turn to for the answers to that question! I’ve been calling 1st Peter: The Christians guide to enduring COVID with your faith intact!
Peter wrote his letter to Christians who were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus. He wrote to teach and encourage them on how to endure and thrive even during the most difficult of days.
• How do you walk faithfully when the environment around you turns hostile?
• How do you bring glory to God when times get strange and tough?
o And no, there is no mention of a virus outbreak in 1st Peter, but the teaching and application fit just the same! We would be wise to take to heart the words of Scripture all the time, but the Word of God especially rings true and helpful in the most difficult of times!
Please open your bibles to 1st Peter 4. That’s where we’re going to be today, and while you’re finding 1st Peter 4, let me show you a picture and ask you a question: If you were driving down the street and saw this guy holding this sign saying, “The End IS Near!” [SHOW PICTURE] -- What would you think? What’s your first reaction?
• Crazy dude holding a sign!
• Radical weirdo!
• Get a life!
• Freak!
• Not all there!
Oddly enough, I didn’t hear any of you say (or did any of you think), “Well that’s what it says in the Bible!” This is exactly what Peter wrote to the church in his letter!
1 Peter 4:7 (NIV)
7 The end of all things is near.
Now, I don’t think the crazy looking dude holding the sign in this picture was thinking about 1st Peter 4:7 when he made that sign, but it is consistent with the words of Peter! – “The end of all things in near!”
Why on earth would Peter want the recipients of this letter to know that? The end of all things in near?
For starters, if I was one of the persecuted recipients of this letter back in the 1st century who was struggling every day to live for Jesus, this might be welcomed news! This suffering; this ridicule; this always trying to take the high road; this submitting for the sake of God… -- It’s not going to last forever!
• I think Peter is trying to encourage them to stay the course! Life is challenging, but don’t lose sight of the fact that it won’t be like this forever! Jesus is coming back! This too will all come to an end one day. Your suffering will end. God will make all of this right one day and the devil and all those who do evil with be dealt with. In fact, the end of all things is near.
That was nearly 2,000 years ago… Question: Do you believe him? Do you believe the end of all things is near? Do you think that most Christians today believe that the end of all things is near? That Jesus could come back at any moment…
• This is just my opinion (and it’s going to sound contradictory): I believe that most Christian believe “the end is near” this without question, but most of the time, they’re pretty nonchalant about it! They believe it, but they don’t think about it much.
Peter said, “The end of all things is near!” I don’t think Peter is trying to turn the church into a bunch of dooms day preppers! Oh my goodness… Have you ever seen that show! I don’t even know if it’s still on, but--
• It’s a show about people who go to extreme measures to prepare for the end of the world. These are people, who believe that the world is going to end at any moment, or some catastrophic event is going to take place catching most people off guard and unprepared to deal with it! So they build survival bunkers, load up on years’ worth of food and supplies to prepare for what they believe to be the inevitable end; whether that end will come from nuclear war, or an asteroid slamming into the earth, or alien attack, global warming, solar flares, or whatever doomsday prediction that is out there!
• The most extreme doomsday preppers live every day of their lives expecting the end of the world and being ready for it!
I’m confident that Peter is not trying to turn the church into doomsday preppers! But what Peter is doing is challenging the church to have a constant heightened sense of awareness of an unavoidable truth that all of this will one day come to an end. So, church… don’t ever lose your sense of awareness that the end is near!
So, Peter tells the church that the end of all things is near, and then he instructs the church on how to be ready for it!
1 Peter 4:7–11 (NIV)
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 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.
Peter is communicating a very strong message here! He’s telling us to live with the end in mind!
Our study through the book of Revelation a few weeks back taught us that the end can come in an instant! Jesus could come back and any moment! Death could come at any moment (not a one of us is guaranteed even another day)! Peter challenges these Christians to live with the end in mind! Judgment is in your future! Don’t ever live one day and neglect that fact!
Key truth that emerges from our text:
Key truth: Living with the end in mind leads to a fuller and holier life!
Peter acknowledges 4 specific areas of your life that will improve when you live with the end in mind!
The first area is this: When you live with the end in mind, your prayer life will get better!
1. Pray
1 Peter 4:7 (NIV)
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.
Another way of understanding this is “Because the end of all things is near, be alert and clear-minded so that you can pray!”
When we are living our lives knowing that Jesus could end at any moment, our prayer life will improve! Peter challenges the church to stay alert to this truth so that you can pray. Simply put, we need to be dialed-in to this truth so that we can pray!
Jesus told his disciples a parable in Matthew 25 that really speaks to this idea of being alert and dialed-in! [Parable of the 10 virgins]
• In the parable, the bridegroom is Jesus and the virgins represent you and me who are living our lives with the end in mind; mentally and spiritually alert; - ready for judgment to come at any moment!
Peter says that this is the kind of mental alertness is necessary so that we can pray!
Thinking that the end of history is at the door and the judge is about to enter through it can energize your prayers and lead to a specially effective focus in those prayers.
When you live with the end in mind, not only will your prayer life improve, but you’ll be motivated to love more deeply than ever before!
2. Love
1 Peter 4:8 (NIV) [He’s talking to the church]
8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
These Christians were going through a very traumatic experience together! They found comfort in the fact that in the end, God will make everything right when he comes to judge the world. Until that day, (they need to be mentally alert and prayerful) and Peter calls us to love each other deeply!
We are to work at loving one another especially in the midst of stress and hard times! Nothing will test a relationship (or a congregations unity) like stress and hard times! Peter encourages them to love one another with great effort because he knows how much work it takes to keep relationships healthy, especially with persecution in the air.
What do you think? Do you think the Coronavirus has tested your love for people? (Especially your love for other believers) This virus has certainly created some difficult and stressful times, but I think it has challenged the church to love more deeply.
• This command to love each other deeply extends to those in the church who even have differing convictions about the virus than you have.
• This command to love each other deeply extends to those in the church who have differing points of view about the government’s directives and application of laws.
• The command to love each other deeply extends to those in the church who make you angry by what they post on social media, and to love them whether they wear a mask or not, and love them even if they choose differently than you about sending their kids to school.
• The command to love each other deeply applies even to those in the church who vote for other guy!
When Christians can love deeply (even when life is messed up, stressed out, and difficult), Peter says it covers a multitude of sins. What does that mean exactly? When you can love others deeply, it’s a sure sign that you have put away your own sinful behaviors. You’ve put away gossip, malice, slander, lying, jealousy, hate, revenge… And in that, your deep love covers over a multitude of these sins that would love to have the limelight in your life. Sins that would love to win the day but they can’t because your deep love covers them over.
Warren Wiersbe writes that: “Love is the badge of every believer in the world!”
Jesus said in John 13:35 (NIV)
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
When you love deeply, you have risen above the way the sinful world reacts and hates. You’ve put the spotlight on Jesus and that truly can cover a multitude of sins.
When you live with the end in mind, first off, your prayer life will improve. Secondly, you’ll be better equipped to love more deeply! Third, living with the end in mind helps you be hospitable!
3. Be Hospitable
1 Peter 4:9 (NIV)
9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
The church was built on hospitality! The early church regularly expressed its love for one another within the context of hospitality!
When Jesus sent out the 12 disciples in Matthew 10, Jesus said when you enter a new town, find a hospitable person to stay with and let your piece fall on that house!
Over the years I have been on the receiving end of some incredible hospitality! Whether it be people opening up their homes, or going the extra mile (and it makes me feel very loved). I’ve seen many great examples of hospitality right here on the weekends! Countless times many of you have reached out to new people to help them feel welcome here!
The church regularly expresses its love for one another within the context of hospitality! Living with the end in mind helps keep that in perspective.
Live with the end in mind improves your prayer life. Helps you love more deeply and be more hospitable!
Finally, when you live with the end in mind, then you’re ready to exercise your spiritual gifts!
4. Exercise your spiritual gifts
1 Peter 4:10–11 (NIV)
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 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.
Living with the end in mind enables you to:
• Pray better
• Love deeper
• Be more Hospitable
• Serve with true passion
WHY? – Because the end is near! – Why would we be anything else?
These are challenging days we’re living in! But perfect days to shine bright for the Lord!
