Introduction
Video Ill.: Awkward Invites: The Weatherman - The Skit Guys
We have come a long way since we began our study. Jesus is coming soon!
Are we ready?
Are you making sure your family and kids are ready?
Have you told those you know, your neighbors, your coworkers, those who need to know Jesus, about Jesus? Do they know how to be ready when the end comes?
Trade Tower Disaster Teaches "How to Get Out Alive"
Source: Amada Ripley, "How to Get Out Alive, Time (5-2-05), pp. 58-62
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2005/june/15967.html
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A New York Times article titled, “How to Get Out Alive: What the Science of Evacuation Reveals About How Humans Behave in the Worst of Times,” tells what researchers have learned about evacuation from disaster survivors.
In the case of the doomed World Trade Center Towers back in 2001, those who made it out waited for an average of six minutes before evacuating. Some lingered as long as half an hour. What did they do while they waited? Some helped co-workers. Others milled around. The article said, “Many called relatives. About 1,000 took the time to shut down their computers. At least 70 percent of survivors spoke with other people before trying to leave.”
One lesson was that, in spite of a previous attack on the towers, and various efforts to make evacuation effective, less than half the survivors knew there were three stairwells in each building, and less than half had ever entered a stairwell. One investigator said, “I found the lack of preparedness shocking.”
One woman, Elia Zedeno, who was on the 73rd floor of Tower One, “heard a booming explosion and felt the building actually lurch to the south, as if it might topple.” The article stated:
You might expect that her next instinct was to flee. But she had the opposite reaction. “What I really wanted was for someone to scream back, ‘Everything is okay! Don’t worry. It’s in your head.’” Fortunately, at least one of Zedeno’s colleagues responded differently. “The answer I got was another co-worker screaming, ‘Get out of the building!’” she remembers now.….[Y]ears later, she still thinks about that command. “My question is, what would I have done if the person had said nothing?”
This world is going to end. The Bible promises it will happen when people least expect it. But God’s Word also gives clear directions on “How To Get Out Alive.” As followers of God, we cannot afford to keep quiet. People’s lives are on the line.
In 1 Peter 4, Peter confirms exactly what we’ve been saying for the past few weeks: the end of the world is coming soon. Just think how much closer we are to that reality than he was when he wrote those words! He goes on to give us direction, as a church, as a community of believers, about what we ought to be doing until it’s time to get out. Follow along if you will, starting at verse 7:
7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
|| 10 God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God Himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. || Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen. (1 Peter 4, NLT)
This morning, let’s look at four ways that Peter says we ought to be living, things we ought to be doing, especially as the church, as we see the day of Jesus’ return approaching.
First, we must be disciplined and earnest in our prayers.
Peter said in verse 7:
7 …be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. (1 Peter 4, NLT)
We need some genuine, true prayer warriors in the church.
In my life I have seen some pretty amazing answers to prayer — how the seemingly impossible becomes possible when God answers. And every time, I can attribute God working and answering to the prayers of some very Godly prayer warriors.
I know I’ve told this story before, but when we lived in Hillsville, back in 1998, I had a 1989 Ford Escort. It wasn’t that great of a car, but it got me where I needed to go. I can’t remember exactly what went wrong with it, but I remember I was on one of the back roads in Carroll County and the car quit. Completely. I couldn’t start it. I couldn’t get it to go. Nothing. I had it towed into a garage and they told me the bad news — it was going to cost thousands of dollars to fix. Thousands of dollars that we did not have. Amanda and I had just been married maybe a couple of years at that point. She was making not very much money as the director of a church run preschool. I was making next to nothing as the minister of a small rural church. I was even working a second job at the recreation center to help make the ends meet.
What were we going to do? Pray. And pray we did. And some of those very Godly prayer warriors prayed too. It wasn’t long before I received a call from one of the families with whom I had grown up. Steve’s mom was no longer driving, and he wanted to know if he could give me her car as a donation and a way to support my ministry. Well, of course I said! The only condition was we had to drive to Ohio to pick it up.
God answered our prayers and provided what we needed. I am convinced it is because of the faithful prayers of God’s saints.
I’m sure you have stories in your life where God moved mightily, and it was because there were prayer warriors lifting you up to God above.
We need prayer warriors like that today in the church. Each and every one of us need to be prayer warriors.
We need to be praying for all kinds of things, but consider these as a start: we need to be praying for the lost, one of the steps we mentioned last week as important to our evangelistic efforts!; our church and our impact on our community; we need to pray for our community, our state, our nation, and our world; we need to pray for each others’ families; we need to pray for our family; we need to pray for our friends and neighbors; we need to be praying for our coworkers.
As we grow closer to the end of times, we need God‘s strength, support, and listening ear to help us maintain, and to sustain through the attacks that are going to come on the church and on his people. The only way that we have to gain these things is through prayer.
Folks, we need to be dedicated in our prayers. James said it this way in James 5:
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5, NKJV)
Fervent prayer — prayer that is earnest — prayer that is intense — prayer that is focused — prayer that is offered in conviction and belief — prayer that is on fire — accomplishes great things. We cannot be earnest and focused in our prayers if we are not specific in our requests.
We need to be praying as we are living our lives, eagerly awaiting Jesus’ return.
2. Peter goes on to say that we need to show love for each other.
In verse 8, Peter said:
8 …continue to show deep love for each other…. (1 Peter 4, NLT)
From where does that love come? Jesus. We cannot show a true deep love to others, unless we first have been filled and overwhelmed with the love that Jesus has for us.
We need, then, to love like Jesus has loved us!
Our faith needs to be demonstrated by the love that we have for each other gathered here today, but also for those in the world that need to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Demonstrating that love means that we, individually and as a church, need to be reaching out to those who may be hurting — we need to be a shoulder for them to lean on, maybe even to cry on.
We need to be reaching out to those who cannot attend church, maybe because of their health. Go visit them, love on them, show that you care for them.
Love the unloved.
Share God’s love with our worlds!
Loving those in our lives, in our world around us, means that we build real relationships with them.
Does Facebook Make Us Unhappy?
Source: Susan Pinker, "Does Facebook Make Us Unhappy and Unhealthy?" The Wall Street Journal (5-25-17)
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2017/july/6072417.html
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The Wall Street Journal in an article asked, “Does spending too much time on social media make us unhappy?” A rigorous study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that it does. Researchers found that the more people use Facebook, the less healthy they are and the less satisfied with their lives. The study monitored the mental health and social lives of 5,208 adults over two years. The subjects agreed to participate in national surveys between 2013 and 2015 and, during that time, to share information with the researchers about their health, social lives and Facebook use.
The findings? Using Facebook was tightly linked to compromised social, physical and psychological health. Two other studies have cast a negative light on the social-media use of teenagers and young adults. One, of 1,787 Americans, found that social media increased feelings of isolation; the other, of 1,500 Britons, found that the websites—image-based sites in particular—exacerbated feelings of anxiety and inadequacy.
Why would online social activity be so damaging to health and well-being? According to one researcher, the bottom line is that replacing in-person interactions with online contact can be a threat to your mental health. This researcher added, "What people really need is real friendships and real interactions."
In a world of isolation today, what the world needs is real love — real interactions — real message of hope based on the love that Jesus has for us.
It’s like the old Bell Telephone TV commercials, in a much simpler time before Facebook, smart phones, text messages, etc. Remember this one?
Video Ill.: 1982 Bell Systems Long Distance "Reach out and touch someone" TV Commercial — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEkTMXxeQZw
We need to reach out and touch the world around us as Christians.
Even the simplest things can make a world of difference in someone’s life.
The Power of Kindness: A Tale of Compassion and Humility.
By JM Raja Lawrence
Copied from Sermon Central
The story is told of a lady worked at a meat distribution factory. One day, when she finished with her work schedule, she went into the cold room to inspect something. But in a moment of misfortune, the door accidentally closed and she was locked inside. Although she screamed and knocked with all her might, her cries went unheard as no one could hear her. Most of the workers had already gone, and outside the cold room, it was impossible to hear what was going on inside. After 5 hours, while she was on the verge of death, the security guard of the factory eventually opened the door. She was miraculously saved from dying that day.
When she later asked the security guard how he had come to open the door, which wasn't his usual work routine, his explanation was, "I've been working in this factory for 35 years. Hundreds of workers come in and out every day. But you're one of the few who greet me in the morning and say goodbye to me every night. When leaving after work, many treat me as if I'm invisible. Today, as you reported for work, like all other days, you greeted me. But this evening, after working hours, I curiously observed that I had not heard your bye. See you tomorrow. By not hearing your farewell today, I knew something had happened. That's why I was searching everywhere for you."
The moral of the story is to be humble, love, and respect those around you. Try to have an impact on people who cross your path every day. Love them with the love of Jesus Christ! Reach out and touch their lives. You never know what tomorrow will bring.
3. Peter says we need to show hospitality, both at home and, I believe, within the house of God.
Peter said in verse 9:
9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. (1 Peter 4, NLT)
Peter is reminding us of a teaching that Jesus gave His disciples. Jesus was talking about when He returns, and gives us some great insight about what it means to live in His service. In Matthew 25, we read:
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on His right and the || goats on His left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something || to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you || something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did || for Me.’
41 “Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not || invite Me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, ||whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 40, NIV)
If someone has a need, we as the church, as followers of Jesus, need to meet that need.
Throughout His time on earth, Jesus was doing just that — meeting the needs of those around Him, whether it was a physical need of food, healing, or even life, or a spiritual need, forgiving the sins of those who had made wrong choices in their lives. Jesus sought them. Jesus went to them and provided what they needed.
Jesus was showing heavenly hospitality.
While we cannot forgive sin, we can lead the lost to the One who can. And in the meantime, we can meet their physical needs as well.
While Peter was specifically addressing our personal residences, I believe that this also extends to God’s house on this earth as well.
DeeAnn Billings
Posted on 2/12/24
Facebook Page: Christian Churches and Churches of Christ
Author DeeAnn Billings wrote, recently, about something that happened at her church that I think really illustrates this idea of showing hospitality. She writes:
For quite some time, God has been laying on my heart to bring our homeless to Him. I would keep hearing over and over again, bring them to me. So this past week, we handed out invites to bring people to church. Not our church, but a local church in their community, and here is what happened.
We were supposed to pickup from a local McDonalds between 9-10am. I arrived first at 8:30am. People started running out the doors and climbing into my van. Some had been waiting as early as 6am to make sure they got a seat. As time went on, more people came. In total, we brought 30 people to church, praise God!!
I was talking with one gentleman that was scheduled to go into rehab. He said that a week ago he was offered drugs, and he said “no, I’m going to be free from this.” Then he found a coin on the street that said, “With God, all things are possible”. He was supposed to go to rehab a few days ago, but it got postponed to next week. He said, “I believe God postponed my entry so I could be here at church today.”
As I entered the worship center, the room was starting to fill up, and I saw a young man. He was in the middle of a row and caught my eye. He started moving his things aside so I could sit by him. I squeezed past the people, and he looked at me and said, “I would have never came here on my own, but when I saw you guys in the parking lot, I knew it would be ok.”
As the worship music started playing, the young man had his arms raised to the sky completely immersed in worship. As the music died down and the minister began to preach, the young man was so tired and exhausted from constantly having to keep himself awake and alert, that he fell asleep on my shoulder. He didn’t panic as to where he was, or if someone would steal from him, or beat him up, but he slept so deeply, just resting on my shoulder. He was at peace.
Then the time came for everyone to have an opportunity to give their life to Jesus. I didn’t see what happened with the others sitting in different rows, but three of the men sitting in my row raised their hand to give their lives to Jesus and filled out cards to be baptized. One man in particular was sitting to my right, and after he repeated every word of that prayer, this very stoic man, quietly and continuously wiped away his uncontrollable tears streaming down his face.
Today could have been an ordinary day. It could have been a day filled with songs, and sermon, and hellos and goodbyes, but today, as a collective group of people that are supposed to be the living breathing church, left our homes, left our comfort zones, left our church assigned volunteer positions, and went to Samaria to meet the woman at the well.
We’ve given out church invites countless times to these people, and they have never followed through, but today they did, because Jesus sent us to meet them at their well. Who do you have in your life waiting at the well for you? If you do not have anyone, you best go find one, because they are everywhere and they are dying needless eternal deaths every single day. We can’t expect them to come to us when Jesus would have went to them.
As the church eagerly anticipating Jesus‘s return, we need to be inviting them in — meeting their needs, both physical and spiritual, showing hospitality in our homes, and in the house of God.
4. Finally, discover our gifts and use them.
Peter said in verse 10:
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. (1 Peter 4, NLT)
Florence Nightingale's Call to Serve
Source: Kelvin D. Crow, "The Lady of the Lamp," Christian History (issue 53, vol. xvi, no. 1), p. 35
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2003/october/14630.html
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When Florence Nightingale and her nurses showed up in the British war hospitals at Scutari, on the Crimean front, conditions were worse than they had heard. They witnessed filth, infection, disorganization, and an overwhelming caseload. Shiploads of desperately needed medical supplies sat in the harbor while men died, because some official had not filled out the proper forms. In this environment, 42 percent of the wounded never recovered.
It took all of Nightingale's training and dedication, and then some, to turn things around.
Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy, (hence her first name) in 1820 to an English family of ample means. She traveled and attended parties with the "chosen of society" on the family estate in Derbyshire. When she was 16, she received a divine call: "On Feb. 7th, 1837," she wrote, "God spoke to me and called me into his service."
The call was as mysterious as it was audible — what service? Seven years of uncertainty followed. Over family objections, she began "cottage visiting" taking food and medicine to poor farmers who lived on the family's lands. Then she began to think about nursing; her family was scandalized. In the early 1800s, nurses were considered unskilled laborers and were reputedly drunken and promiscuous. Proper ladies kept a fine house, gave parties, and made brilliant conversation.
In 1844 American philanthropists Samuel and Julia Ward Howe (the author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic") visited the Nightingale home. Florence asked them, "Do you think it would be unsuitable and unbecoming for a young Englishwoman to devote herself to works of charity in hospitals?"
Dr. Howe replied, "It would be unusual, and in England whatever is unusual is thought to be unsuitable. But I say to you, 'Go forward.' "
After that, she later wrote, "there never was any vagueness in my plans or ideas as to what God's work was for me."
That work did not begin for another nine years. Family objections had to be overcome. Meanwhile she studied nursing, first in books, then by visiting European hospitals, and finally by training at hospitals in Germany, England, and France. She was serving as director of a home for "invalid gentlewomen" when the Crimean War broke out in 1854.
When she heard about the deplorable conditions on the front, Nightingale took 38 nurses to see what they could do. She ended up organizing the barracks hospital, including a kitchen, laundry, and clean latrines. She opened windows to let in fresh air and provided supplies by cutting administrative red tape or buying them herself. She provided reading and recreation rooms for the patients, wrote home to their loved ones, and provided a safe way to mail their pay home. The soldiers adored her and christened her the "Lady of the Lamp," after the Turkish lantern she carried on her midnight rounds.
Her efforts brought remarkable results: the death rate dropped from 42 percent to less than 3 percent.
Florence Nightingale felt called to be a nurse, and she made an incredible difference.
What are you called to do? What is your gift that God has given to you? If you do not remember, there are gift inventories, or quizzes, that can help guide you to discover the gifts that God has given to you.
Once we figure out our gifts, we are expected to use them. Peter challenges us, though, not to just use them, but use them well. We need to plug into the church in whatever way God has enabled us.
Make the most of every chance we have to use the talents and gifts God has given to us within His church, to help His church, to reach out to the world as the church.
Every one of us is expected to be involved in ministry. This is our duty as members of the church.
What ministry do you have? Serving? Leading? Teaching? Within the bounds of Scriptural guidance, we must be found serving God and serving His people.
We must be following the Great Commission to go, and as we go, using our talents and gifts to reach the whole world before Jesus returns.
When you follow God’s leading, you can make a difference. You may make a difference in one life. It may be a whole family’s life. It may be the entire community.
When we are all working and serving in the Kingdom, the world will be touched. We will be reaching out to those who need to know the gospel — to those who have physical needs — to those who are suffering and need peace — to those who need hope — to those who need to know the love of Jesus.
Who knows whom we can touch and how much of a difference we can make when we surrender to His will for our lives and we use His gifts for His glory and service.
Conclusion
This morning, we need to bring all glory to God in everything that we do — making sure we are living lives that honor God.
Paul writes in Colossians 2:
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. (Colossians 2, NLT)
In this world, the time is coming when the church is going to come under persecution for standing up for what is right.
When that time comes, we need to make sure we have let our roots grow in Him. He is our firm foundation. When we build our lives on the rock, Jesus said, no matter the storm that comes, no matter the winds that blow, we will prevail. We will stand.
As the church, we must be willing to stand up for the truth of scripture, no matter the cost. We need to be sharing the saving truth of scripture to those who need to know of God’s love.
If we live as Peter instructs, in all of this, we are fulfilling Jesus’ command to go and make disciples. Lives will be touched. Lives will be saved.
But it starts with us reaching out — getting out of our comfort zone — extending the offer of love to those who might be secretly hurting, aching, lonely, addicted, whatever — loving them and showing them who Jesus is, not by condemning or criticizing, but by loving them with the love of God.
