Good morning brothers and sisters, welcome to Lighthouse Evangelism Online Service.
Let us stand up to read the Bible passage: from 1 Peter 4:7-11
“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.”
Introduction
Peter tells us in Verse 7a “The end of all things is near”.
During last Sunday service, we heard the message from 1 Pet 4:1-6 on “Judgement is Coming”.
Today I am going to share with you a message entitled: Living with The End in Mind.
In the not- so- distant past, I attended a church camp in Melaka.
Like all overseas trip, there was a beginning and an end to the church camp.
Before the trip, we made all the necessary preparations. Once we arrived in Melaka. We had a lot of fun, fellowship and also was fed with the full course of the Word of God. We enjoyed ourselves very much during the 5 days.
On the last day, there was a retro themed gala night with one of the pastors dressed up as Elvis Presley. Finally, that concluded the church camp.
The exchange rate for Singapore Dollar to Malaysia Ringgit was so good, so we felt very rich during the trip to Melaka. It felt like we were living by the motto
“EAT MORE, SHOP MORE, BUY MORE, SPEND MORE.”
Especially on the final night of the camp, people rushed out to do their last-minute shopping and had a durian feast. They wanted to spend all their ringgit and enjoy themselves before heading back to Singapore.
Can you imagine that if we can do that in the natural, how much more should we do that for the spiritual things especially because they have eternal consequences?
Peter tells in Verse 7a “The end of all things is near”. We must prepare ourselves diligently for the end to come. This life journey will one day come to an end and we must all go home. The Key ideas we want to take note of are – “BE PREPARED” & “BE READY”
We may not know how or when it may happen. But till then, let us do the following:
PRAY MORE, LOVE MORE, SERVE MORE, SHINE MORE.
Point 1 - PRAY MORE
Verse 7b tells us, “Therefore, be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray”.
We remember Jesus tells a parable in Matt 25:1-13 of five wise virgins and five foolish virgins. All of them have a lamp in their hands. The difference between the wise virgins and the foolish virgins is that the wise ones have prepared oil for their lamps and the foolish ones have not.
The oil represents the Holy Spirit and prayer. We must constantly be in communion with the Holy Spirit through prayer and the Word, in order to have our flask filled with oil.
Do these in preparation of the difficult and trying times which will descend on all the people of this world. Those dark days can arrive at any time. By the time an emergency or a crisis strikes, it may be too late to panic and start looking for oil.
Now is the time to build up your prayer life. Pray more. Be in prayer at the Upperlight Service, form a small group of 2 -3 brothers and sisters to pray regularly.
And pray weekly on a weekend with your family and make the family devotion time a priority.
There are SEVERAL BENEFITS OF HAVING A REGULAR FAMILY DEVOTION. Here are just 3 of them.
1. Family devotion promotes Unity - A family that pray together stays together.
2. Family devotion builds the spiritual strength of each member through reading and meditating on the word of God.
3. Family devotion is a time to pray for the protection of God for each family member and also bring their particular needs and stress to the Lord. For example, we can pray for their struggles at work, or pray for their school exams and those who have fallen ill.
Point 2 - LOVE MORE
Verses 8 & 9 tells us, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling”.
I find that there is a verse in the Bible which is often overlooked. And this verse is: John 13:1
Let me read “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
This verse is the opening statement that leads to the familiar occasion when Jesus washes his disciples’ feet.
With the help of this verse, we have the key to understanding the motivation of Jesus washing their feet.
John 13:1 tells us that whatever happened that night was the demonstration of the full extent of Jesus’ love for the twelve disciples. From verse 4 to verse 10, what Jesus did was to wash their feet.
Let me explain to you.
Jesus knew what was going to happen that night. A few hours after that, Judas would betray Jesus and bring a band of soldiers to arrest him. Peter would deny him 3 times and all the other disciples would run for their lives and leave him alone.
Jesus could have said that he was not going to wash Judas’ and Peter’s feet because he knew what they were going to do to him. He could also choose not to wash the rest of his disciples’ feet for abandoning him.
However, Jesus showed them that despite him nowing what they would do to him. He still loved them deeply. He forgave them from his heart.
This truth really changes and transforms me to see how much Jesus loves me and forgives me. The moment when this understanding of His love gripped my heart, I cried and said to the Lord that I am no better than any of the twelve disciples.
Jesus has shown us by his example how we must love one another and forgive one another,
despite of our differences and misunderstanding. We must do this even though it can be very hard to do at times.
Think of a brother or sister in Christ, a former best friend or maybe your natural parents or siblings that you used to be in very close fellowship and now you don’t even talk to one another.
We pray and ask the Lord to give us the strength to forgive what the person has done and ask the Lord to empower us to love them.
When you do this, you will experience the heavy burden that you have carried with you for many years, be lifted off your hearts.
The joy that you once had many years ago will be restored back to you.
Point 3 - SERVE MORE
Verses 10 & 11a tells us, “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,”.
Mark 10:45 says “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”.
God has given each one of us, gifts, talents, strengths, abilities and time. They belong to God, and we are his stewards.
There are many opportunities for us to serve others. In the office, the marketplace and in the cell group. When we look beyond our own burdens and needs and begin to look at how we can serve others, we are actually growing to become more like Christ.
We will not grow if we are always inward- looking. Do not wait until you are totally free from trouble, worry or burden before you can serve others.
That day will never come, because we all have our own problems and issues at work, family and our personal lives.
Start to serve others to show them the love of Jesus. Jesus values even the smallest thing that you do to others in His love.
In Matthew 10:42 He says that if we give a cup of cold water to a thirsty brother or sister in his name, he will take notice of it. We shall not lose our reward for doing even the smallest thing.
Point 4 - SHINE MORE
Verse 11b tells us “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”.
We are called to be the light of the world and salt of the earth. Like a table lamp, our role to shine during the night and brighten up the entire room. If we abandon our responsibility, then the people will be deprived from seeing the light and they remain in the dark.
I wish like to paraphrase and share the lyrics of a familiar song from 1980s, made famous by several singers such as Steve Green.
The title of the song is PEOPLE NEED THE LORD.
THE SONG SPEAKS OF THE PEOPLE WE MEET EVERYDAY AND THEY PASS US BY, WE CAN SEE IT IN THEIR EYES
THEY ARE EMPTY PEOPLE FILLED WITH CARE, SO BUSY AND HEADING TO NO WHERE
THEY LOOK FINE OUTWARDLY BUT ACTUALLY THEY ARE GOING THROUGH PRIVATE PAIN
THEY LIVE FROM FEAR TO FEAR
THEY USE THEIR LAUGHTERS JUST HIDE THEIR SILENT CRIES
ONLY JESUS CAN HEAR THEIR CRIES
WE ARE CALLED TO TAKE HIS LIGHT
TO A WORLD WHERE WRONG SEEMS RIGHT
WHAT COULD BE TOO GREAT A COST?
FOR SHARING LIFE WITH ONE WHO'S LOST?
PEOPLE NEED THE LORD, PEOPLE NEED THE LORD
WHEN? WILL WE REALIZE THAT WE MUST GIVE OUR LIVES?
BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED THE LORD
We are reminded that the people we meet and interact everyday need Jesus. They are like sheep without a shepherd. Sheep become prey for the wolves when they do not have a shepherd to protect them. People without Jesus become oppressed and enslaved by sin, fear and the devil.
Jesus has come to seek and save them from the devil, sin and death.
Jesus loves your parents, your family members, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Will you hear the heartbeat of Jesus for them?
I read an interview of an author named Johnnie Moore. He wrote a book entitled “The Martyr’s Oath”.
He described an experience that he had that gave the book its name. Once, he attended a graduation service of a Bible College in India. The archbishop Dr. M.A. Thomas who chaired the graduation required all the graduates to take an oath during the service.
After they graduate, they would receive a new Bible, a bicycle and a one-way train ticket to go to preach to an unreached people group of their choice.
At the final segment of the graduation service, approximately two-thousand graduates stood to their feet and took the oath together. The oath, which the author called “The Martyr’s Oath”, was a declaration of their willingness to give up their earthly comfort and possession, and if necessary, even their very lives in order to proclaim the Gospel.
They will not stop preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ even at the threat of death, but be willing to lay down their lives in order to fulfil the Great Commission.
The graduation service was held in a church’s hall. Next to the stage was a large board, with a list of names,
from the previous batches of the Bible College graduates who have been martyred for the cause of Jesus Christ.
Dear brothers and sisters, we are encouraged by those who are fully committed to the preaching of the Gospel even to the extent of laying down their lives. They have demonstrated to us what it truly means to live for Him who died for us.
Let us be more dedicated in our efforts to share the Gospel with those need to hear the Words of Life. Only we who knows the Saviour can share the truth about the Hope we have in Him, how much He loves us and the blessedness of our sins being forgiven. These we must share with our loved ones, neighbours, colleagues and friends. How can we keep the Good News to ourselves and not to share with others?
We must be the Light of Christ everywhere. Let’s take the Light and shine wherever we go.
CONCLUSION
The time is now that we should start to live with the end in mind. Not next year, not next month, not tomorrow, it is today. The time is now that we should make a decision to live for Jesus Christ.
LET US PRAY. Father in heaven, we need your grace and strength to live for Jesus. Holy Spirit, please help us to live purposefully with the end in mind, and remove from us the love of the things of this world and the sins that so easily entangles us.
Lord Jesus, fill us with the Living Word of God, and with the Holy Spirit. May the zeal of the Lord fill our hearts today. We pray this in the Precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
