1 Peter 4:1-7 Therefore, since Christ suffered in flesh, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in flesh is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do--living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not run with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that even though they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, they might also live according to God in regard to the spirit. 7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.
Introduction
In our culture, if you want to convey the idea of a religious kook, it's very easy. Just draw a picture of a guy holding a sign saying, "The end of the world is near." That is the quintessential image of a religious nut. Now, if you think the end of the world is near because of incandescent light bulbs, or because we are using the petroleum we found in the ground, or because the cell phones are going to kill off all the bees – that is a different story. Then you are not a kook; you are a scientist. It is perfectly acceptable to think the end of the world is near because of Styrofoam cups or hair spray, but if you think the end is near for religious reason - if you think God is actually going to come and judge this world - you are a world-class nut job. I don't know about you, but I would rather be called a nut-job by the world than try to argue with the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus promised He would return and judge this world, and the Apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says in verse 7 -
1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is near.
So I think I will side with God on this one. The problem with the sign on the street corner that says, "The end of the world is near," is not that it is wrong or kooky. The problem is it is incomplete. The end is near, therefore what? Therefore eat drink and be merry? The end is near, therefore get your affairs in order? Why are you telling me this information about the end being near? Verse 7 does not end with the statement that the end is near. The very next word is therefore. Peter is going to tell us exactly how to prepare. But that is the end of this sermon. Let's back up to the beginning.
Their Judgment
We left off last week with Peter listing all the sins that result from the attitude that would rather escape suffering than be in God's will. He lists all those sins and then says, "Haven't you spent enough time in that sewage already?" The devil has had a lot of years of our lives, shouldn't God get what is left? The devil should not have gotten any. But since he has, isn't that enough?
That is the attitude of the Christian, and as a result, we no longer join with the world in their headlong plunge into debauchery and dissipation. And that bothers them.
4 They are surprised that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation
That word translated plunge in verse 4 is literally run with. They want you to run with them.
Don't Run with Them
But if you are a Christian, Peter says, you are not running with them anymore. That means if you are running with them - if most of your friends are unbelievers, you prefer the company of nonchristians over Christians, you fit in better with them than in the church, you go to them for counsel, you have more in common with them - those are all signs that you are probably not saved. When you are truly saved, God gives you a new heart that hates that lifestyle, and that is not compatible with it at all. However, even though we have an aversion to it, it is still a temptation because of the pressure they put on us.
The World's Eagerness to Sin (and to bring you along)
They are sprinting into a flood of sin. They cannot wait to dive in. And they are offended that you do not join them. Why is that? They obviously don't like you - so why do they want you to join them? They want you to join in because when you don't, it exposes their evil. I have always found it interesting how those who are drinking to get drunk always want the people around them to join them. You go to a party where there is a lot of drinking, and there is pressure to drink alcohol. Sometimes people go to family events and drink alcohol even though they don't want to, just so they will not offend the family. I have always found that fascinating, because people don't pressure you to drink anything else. If you are at a place where everyone is drinking pop, and they ask you if you want some, it is no big deal to just say, "No thank you." They don't keep pushing, "Aw, come on - just one can. Just a few sips of Dr. Pepper - what's it going to hurt?" They don't get offended if you pass on a lemonade. You do not even have to offer a reason. If you turn down alcohol it is always, "No, I can't because I'm driving," or "I'm on duty" or "I'm abstaining right now" or whatever. But if you turn down an iced tea you can just say, "No thanks - I'm good" - and they will be satisfied.
When people are involved in revelry and partying and debauchery, the reason they want you to join in so bad is because if you maintain self-control, it has a way of exposing the ugliness of their sin. The city of Las Vegas has an entire advertising campaign that says, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." No pictures, no texts, no tweets - why? Because as long as everyone else around you is diving in to the same cesspool, it feels OK. But as soon as that behavior is exposed to those who are not participating, they feel the shame of it.
They Pass Judgment on You
So when you become a Christian and you no longer join them, they heap abuse on you. That is what a guilty conscience does - it attacks whoever is responsible for making it feel guilty. So it is the height of irony. If you do not participate in their sin, they pass judgment on you. They point the finger of judgment at you, and accuse you of being ... judgmental, of all things! You have not even said a word. All you have done is not participate, and they accuse you of having a holier than thou attitude and being judgmental. Or they accuse you of having bad motives for not participating. "You're just doing that so you can impress everyone." Or, "You are doing that because you're trying to win brownie points with God." Or, "You're just afraid - chicken!" Their conscience is guilty, and so they want their behavior to be justified and affirmed, and it is affirmed when you join them. And when you don't, they go on the attack. So they sit in judgment, and they bang the gavel and pronounce you guilty (which takes the focus off their guilt).
God's Judgment
About Them
But in verse 5 another Judge comes into the picture.
5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
Imagine a courtroom. The criminal who is on trial is over on one side, you are sitting as an observer in the gallery, and the judge hasn't entered the courtroom yet. And so the criminal makes his way up to the bench and sits down as if he were the judge, and he points at you and pronounces you guilty. And just then the real judge walks in and says to the criminal, "What are you doing in my seat? Go sit down there at the defendant's table." That is the picture here. They are passing judgment on you now, but when the real Judge comes, they are going to have to answer to Him.
Then It Will Be Too Late to Change
Peter says God is ready to bring Judgment Day. that means it could happen any time. God has been patient with humanity for a very long time, but make no mistake - the time will come when God will say, "OK, time's up. Today is the day - this is Judgment Day." When that happens it will be too late for anyone to switch sides or do anything about any past sin. The books will be closed, the time of patience over, and every single human being who has ever lived will be judged by God. The dead will come to life, and all will stand before God and will be required to give an account for all their sin.
Important Theme
Judgment Day is a theme in 1 Peter. Back in chapter 1, our motive for living in fear of God is the fact that God judges each man's work impartially (1:17). And in 2:23, the way we can have a calm, gracious response to those who abuse us is by entrusting ourselves to Him who judges justly just like Jesus did. And later in chapter 4 he will bring it up again.
4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
Peter has two main objectives in this book - he wants us to live in hope and he wants us to live in holiness. And both of those require a keen understanding of God as Judge. We have to understand that all wrongs will be made right. That will keep us from doing wrong, and it will also keep us from fretting over others who do wrong to us.
So the people who have mocked you, hurt you, mistreated you - God will make them stand before His throne and He will ask, "Why did you do that? Why did you think it was OK to mistreat one of My children? Give Me an explanation." And their mouths will be shut. It will be painfully obvious at that moment that no excuse will fly.
There may be some of you who have been pretending. You know you are not really a Christian. Or maybe you are not even pretending. You freely admit you are not a Christian. You need to understand - Judgment Day is coming. And if you are thinking, "I tried my best, I'm a basically good person - I think God will give me a pass on my sin."
Hebrews 10:31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
For those who reject the gospel and continue in their sin there will be no forgiveness, no second chance, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God (Heb.10:27). In Luke 16, Jesus gave us a glimpse of what happens to a person after he dies. There was a wealthy unbeliever who died and went to a place of fire and torment and begged for someone to come and just put one drop of water on his tongue because of his agony. And he was told no - no one can ever cross the gap from heaven to hell in either direction (Lk.16:24-26). There is no second chance, no way out, no appeals, no escape - ever. You do not want Judgment Day to happen at a time when you are guilty of sin.
About Us
But aren't we always guilty? Wouldn't that mean every human being would be condemned?
Mercy Precedes Judgment
6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached
What reason? Because Judgment Day is coming. Judgment Day is a problem because every one of us has sinned against God - many, many times. We all deserve condemnation. But one thing about God - His mercy always runs out ahead of His wrath. Mercy precedes judgment. So prior to Judgment Day arriving, the gospel arrived.
The word gospel means good news. It is the good news about how a person can be forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the good news about how you can actually have your slate wiped clean and be declared not guilty on Judgment Day. So before the arrival of Judgment Day, God sent preachers to proclaim the gospel, so that whoever believes might not be condemned but have eternal life instead.
The World's Judgment Overturned
So do you see the conflict? The world points the finger of condemnation at those who follow Jesus and slams the gavel down and says, "Guilty!" But the One who judges the living and the dead points to those very same people and says, "Righteous!" It is the battle of the judges.
6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached - even to those who are now dead, so that although they might be judged according to human standards in regard to this life, they might live according to God in spirit.
I believe that is talking about Christians who have already died. The world judged them according to human standards and found them guilty. But now a higher Court has overturned that verdict.
So Peter does not just want to say, "The gospel was preached so that they could be saved." His point is that they will be saved in spite of the fact that the world's judgment went against them. Remember back in 2:12, Peter says in many cases they respond to our righteous living by accusing us of wrongdoing? And in 3:16, they speak maliciously against our good behavior in Christ. But Peter says, "That's not the final verdict."
Don't Worry About Their Opinion
So don't worry about their opinion. The world court has a terrible track record - their decisions are overturned by the higher Court 100% of the time. So when they have a negative opinion about you, do not worry about it. They are not the final judge. In fact, they are not any kind of judge - they are the ones on trial! If you are rejected by men but chosen by God, do you realize whose company that puts you in?
1 Peter 2:4 you come to [Jesus], the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him
That is how accurate their judgments are. They are so bad at making right judgments that when they examine the most beautiful, perfect, wonderful, marvelous man who ever lived - Jesus Christ, who was sinless, when they examine Him they toss Him aside as so much rubbish. And you are going to worry about their opinion of you? Being rejected by them should be a badge of honor. The only thing we should worry about is if we are not rejected by them.
Luke 6:26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.
They are such bad judges that if they like you, that probably means you are not righteous.
Sentenced to Life
But if you trust in Christ then you are innocent in God's sight. And what you get from God is not just a favorable verdict. Peter does not say, "On the one hand, the world judges you and wants to condemn you, but on the other hand God judges you and finds you innocent." He goes way beyond that. He says, "On the one hand they condemn you, but on the other hand, God gives you life." In God's court, if you are a believer, you have been sentenced to life. Not life in prison - just life!
6 ... although they might be judged according to human standards in regard to this life, they might live according to God in spirit.
Remember, the phrase in spirit refers to the next life - when we will be raised from the dead with a body that is imperishable, full of honor, glorious, powerful, immortal, and in sync with spiritual realities. Then you will know what living really is.
Spiritual Life
So many times in Scripture spiritual life is the ultimate prize.
Isaiah 55:3 Come to me; listen, that you may live.
Life is the highest prize because it is so intrinsic to God.
John 5:26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
Life emanates from God, so that if you have life, you are partaking of part of the very nature of God. And so God's great desire for us is more and more life.
John 10:10 I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Abundant life, having life to the full means having an ever-increasing amount of strength, sensitivity, health, joy, and growth. So the real Judge comes in, and He condemns them, repays you for ways you have been wronged, and if you are a follower of Christ, His verdict on you is to give you all that in increasing measure forever.
Our Preparation
So, we have seen their judgment, we have seen God's judgment - now Peter wants to make one more point in verse 7 - our preparation. It seems like every little kid strongly desires and fully intends to be an astronaut or professional athlete or both. Many, many people have strongly desired to be the one who hits the winning home run in the World Series, or make the spectacular catch for a winning touchdown in the Superbowl, or to be on stage with millions of screaming fans. But despite all the desiring and intending, there is very little accomplishing. If desiring and intending always equaled success in doing, the entire moon would be crawling with 8 year old boys. And there would be no fire danger because every one of them would also be a fireman.
When you say, "I plan to persevere all the way to the end, and I plan to endure the coming persecution and tribulation without falling away – that is a lot like saying, "I want to be a pro athlete." It is not going to happen just because you have every intention of doing it. Professional athletes got the way they are through many years of very arduous preparation. And it is the same for those who make it through tribulation. At the beginning of the sermon I said that Peter does not just say, "The end is near." He gives us the "therefore what?"
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and sober so that you can pray.
The fact that the end is near means we need to pray hard. That brings up a bunch of questions in my mind. First, how can Peter say the end was near 2000 years ago? And second, why does the arrival of the end of all things call for special prayer? Prayer for what? And also - what does it mean that we have to be alert and sober in order to pray the right way about the end of all things?
The End
Let's start with the end of all things. What does that refer to? The word end means a lot more than just stopping place. It means the point where the purpose is achieved. The goal is realized. All things are moving toward a very definite purpose and final goal. Sometimes you hear people say that the Eastern conception of history is cyclical, and the Western conception is linear. So we think of time going in a straight line, and they think of time being an endless cycle that just keeps repeating. But the biblical conception of history is not a circle or a line – it is a magnificent portrait, or schematic, or blueprint. Picture human history like a giant jigsaw puzzle where every hour that passes puts another piece in place.
Romans 13:11 The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
The end is closer now that it was when you became a Christian. More pieces have been put in place since then. And someday that last piece will be placed and the masterpiece will be finished. We are not on and endless line or in an endless cycle, we are not in a holding pattern waiting for Jesus to come at some arbitrary time. It is all moving toward a glorious consummation.
Near
And Peter says that is near. And a lot of times you hear people say, "I believe the end is near - like, in the next few years. Or for sure in my lifetime." Is that what Peter meant by near? Did he think the end would come during his lifetime, and he turned out to be off by at least 2000 years? No. Peter knew that the Second Coming would not happen in his lifetime. In John 21:18-19, Jesus told Peter that Peter would grow old and then die by crucifixion as an old man. So Peter knew for sure it would not happen in his lifetime. He knew there would be a delay. In fact, Peter told us that the delay of the Second Coming would be so long that people would scoff about it.
2 Peter 3:3 in the last days scoffers will come (in the future - they had not come yet, but some time in the future they will arise) ... They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”
Then Peter goes on to explain that God's timeline is not like ours.
2 Peter 3:8 With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
So Peter even injected the thought of thousands of years of patience on God's part before the Second Coming.
Near Enough to Take Action
So if the Second Coming was still more than 2000 years away, in what sense could it be said to have been near? God knew it was that far off in the future, so why did He inspire the writers of Scripture to say it was near? We know that the end times began with the first coming of Christ 2000 years ago, and so the end times are already underway. But I believe Peter has more in mind than just the first stage. When he says the end of all things, given the context of the previous verses I think He has Judgment Day in mind. Judgment Day is near.
Near Enough to Take Action
So how can something that is 2000 years off possibly be near in any sense? Well, think for a second about what defines nearness. Something is near if it is close enough to where it calls for action, right? When is Christmas time near? It is near for you when it is time for you to start preparing. If it takes you six weeks to do all your Christmas shopping, then Christmas is near for you in mid-November. For a little kid who does not have to prepare, Christmas isn't near until a couple days before. If you are the music director for a church, when is Easter near? It is already near right now, because it is already time to plan. Whenever it is time to take action in preparation for something, then it is proper to say that thing is near. That is always what Scripture means when it says something is near – it is near enough so that action is called for. In Matthew 21:34, the harvest time was near, therefore the servants went to collect the fruit. In Luke 21:20-21, when desolation is near, then take action and run for your life. Luke 21:28, when redemption is near, lift up your heads. James 5:8, the Lord's coming is near therefore stand firm.
Romans 13:12 The night is almost over and day is near. Therefore let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Every time you see a statement in the New Testament about the end being near, it is always followed by, therefore, take action! And the nearer it gets the more action we need to take.
Hebrews 10:25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Every day that passes brings it nearer, which calls for ever-increasing preparation. And there are various things we are to do to prepare - what part of the preparation does Peter single out? What comes after the "therefore" in Peter's statement about the nearness of the end?
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and sober so you can pray.
Judgment Day is near enough so that it is already time for us to prepare by being alert and sober. Your Bible might say clear-minded and self controlled.
Alert
The first word refers to calm, composed, clear thinking.
Mark 5:15 they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind
That is this same word. In 2 Corinthians 5:13 it is the opposite of being beside yourself. It is the opposite of being confused, distracted, worked up, freaked out, agitated. It is calm, composed, poised, clear thinking. Your mind is not racing or distracted; it is focused and alert.
Sober
The other word is sober. It means the opposite of the way people think when they are drunk or high. When someone has been smoking pot or has had several drinks, their thinking is slow and imprecise and clouded by impulses and emotions. And in most cases they do not even realize it. They think they are sharp as a tack - which makes their dullness even worse.
So these two terms come from two opposite extremes. On the one hand you do not want your mind racing and worked up and distracted, but on the other hand you do not want it bogged down and sluggish. You do not want it running too fast or too slow.
Prayer Requires Alertness and Sobriety
Why?
7 …So you can pray.
If your mind gets too worked up, or if it gets too bogged down - either way you are not going to be able to pray effectively. End times prayer requires alertness and clear thinking and concentration. When you try to pray when your mind is all scattered or agitated, it does not work very well. And when you try to pray when your mind is bogged down and lethargic, that does not work either.
Sin and Trivia Bogs Down Your Thinking
What kinds of things will tend to bog your thinking down?
Luke 21:34 Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.
What did Jesus say will bog down our thinking so that we fail to pray properly? Dissipation and drunkenness. Where have we heard those two terms before? That's what Peter just got done warning us about in verse 3.
But then Jesus mentions something else that will also bog us down.
Luke 21:34 Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life
Getting your oil changed and trying to lose some weight and picking up the kids from soccer and paying your credit card bill and getting your taxes done and deciding whether you should go to the doctor about your insomnia and getting a haircut. Even important things like trying to get your marriage back on track or finding a job.
1Corinthians 7:29 the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30 … those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
Those are all cares of this life, and they can weigh you down and distract you so much that it becomes impossible to take Judgment Day seriously enough to pray properly. Compared to Judgment Day all those things are trivial, right? But when they are right in front of our face they seem so important. Kind of like taking a pebble and putting it so close to your eye that it looks bigger than the mountain off in the distance.
The trivia of this world screams for your attention – a sore joint, a broken appliance, an upcoming bill, signs of aging, your kids report card, a problem with your dog, the must-see movie that just came out - all these things that will not matter in the slightest in 100 years (a lot of them won't even matter in 100 weeks - in fact, some of them don't even really matter now) - but they scream for your attention. You have to give some of your attention to those things, but too much focus on them will result in spiritual lethargy and inability to pray.
And sin will do the same thing - bog down your mind. It is a graphic image when Jesus says it will weigh you down. Have you ever had one of those dreams where you can hardly move? Somehow you are stuck in slow motion, or you are trying to run away but it is like you are stuck in molasses or something. That is what happens to your spirit when it gets weighed down with sin or earthly cares. And prayer becomes laborious, difficult, distracted, and unfruitful.
Agitation Over Suffering Distracts Your Thinking
So those are the things that tend to bog your thinking down. What about the other side - what kinds of things will tend to set your mind racing and get you so worked up that you will not be able to pray properly? How about the other topic Peter has been discussing - suffering? Especially unjust suffering. When people treat you unfairly, lie about you, wrongly accuse you, mistreat you - what typically happens? It dominates your thoughts, right? You cannot think about anything else. You try to put it out of your mind, and that works for about three seconds and then you are right back to dwelling on it and obsessing about it. And that gets you all worked up emotionally, and you cannot focus on prayer. You can pray about that one thing, but you cannot pray with the kind of end-times prayer Peter is calling us to.
Have you ever tried to explain to a 2-year-old that this horrible crisis he is having will be completely over in two minutes? What effect does that have? Does he usually say, "Oh, that's a relief" and stops crying? No. Usually it has no impact at all because he is locked himself in the prison of short-term, temporary things. We do the same thing. Our two minutes is more like 60 years, but it is the same thing - so imprisoned by the short term that we blow it way out of proportion on the scale of what matters.
End Times Prayer: The End of All Things Calls for Prayer
What does matter? What is really important? What should dominate our prayers given the fact that the end is near enough that it calls for us to take action? What does end-of-the-age, human-history-is-about-to-wrap-up kind of prayer look like? Peter's words here are so close to Jesus' words in Luke 21, let's go back to that passage and see what Jesus said.
Luke 21:34 Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.
Why is it so important that we be alert and sober minded? Because if we are not - if we get bogged down with sin or trivia, or if we get worked up with anxiety about suffering, then we will pray in a way that will not adequately prepare us for the trouble that is coming. Right before the Second Coming there will be a time of extreme trouble and tribulation, and those who are not prepared will not be able to make it through, and so when Jesus returns they will not be ready, and on Judgment Day they will not stand. End times prayer is prayer that prepares you for the end times.
Does God promise us the grace to persevere? Yes. But does that mean it is automatic? No. Jesus gave us warning after warning to prepare. Once the events of those days begin, things will progress so rapidly that if you are not already on a track of preparation before it all starts, it will be too late. We have to be on guard now. Judgment Day is near enough that we need to really be praying hard about righteousness and spiritual warfare and the success of the ministry of the Church and the fulfillment of the Great Commission and all the great, glorious purposes of God in this age. And you cannot do that when your mind is fogged up by the cares of this world. The more hours you sit in front of that TV, or play video games, or read shallow fiction books or magazine articles or surf the web for trivial, pop-culture junk, the harder it will be to get serious about prayer. Prayer is an expression of the desires of your heart, and what you care about. And when you spend too much time immersed in this world, you will find that you care just as much about who wins some sporting event or where you are going to eat lunch today, or what some celebrity is up to, or whether your favorite store is having a big sale, as you do about the souls of the lost and the health of the Church and the proclamation of the Gospel and your own sanctification. You try to pray about something serious, but your mind keeps drifting toward something that 100 years from now will not matter in the slightest. We need to pray hard, and we cannot do that while we are in the fog of this world's trivia. And the thing that will help shake us out of that fog is realizing that the end of all things is near. The moment that trumpet sounds and the Lord appears in the sky, your 401K or the carpet stains in your living room or that funny noise your car is making will not matter to you in the slightest. Nor will the fleeting pleasures of sin matter to you at that time. But that person you have been meaning to share the gospel with will. The purity or impurity of your thought life will. So we need to be alert.
And we also need to be sober. We can't be all worked up and stressed out about how people are treating us. Otherwise our desires will be dominated with wanting relief, as if relief from suffering were the most important thing. And you pray most for what you desire most, so when your desires are out of balance your prayers are out of balance.
What would you think about someone who spends four hours every day, year round, praying that his team would win the Superbowl? Doesn't God want us to ask Him for the desires of our heart? Yes, He does. Is it OK to ask Him for small things? Yes, it is. But when small things become bigger in our heart than big things, then those big things get choked out. Ron Underwood is in New Orleans today - not to watch the game, but to preach the gospel to the folks outside the stadium. It is fine to care a little bit which team wins, but if you care more about that than about the souls of the fans, that is a perverted priority.
"But how do I keep my priorities in check? How do I avoid getting so worked up over being mistreated?"
By remembering that the end of all things is near. Peter is saying, "Pray like you would if you knew Judgment Day would be this week." James 5:9 says the Judge is standing at the door! God will make all wrongs right - we don't have to get all worked up about that now. And knowing that will free us up to keep our focus on the important things.
Conclusion: Passion in Prayer
What kind of prayer did James say is powerful and effective? The earnest prayer of a righteous man. Our prayers must be earnest. They must be passionate. The heart of God is moved when our hearts are moved, but God is not moved by routine, passionless, half-hearted prayer. E.M. Bounds: "Prayers must be red hot. … It takes fire to make prayers go. … Our Lord warns us against feeble praying.” "Men ought always to pray," he declares, "and not to faint." That means, that we are to possess sufficient fervency to carry us through the severe and long periods of pleading prayer." The warfare is too fierce and our enemies are too powerful for us to be bogged down with limp, passionless, powerless prayers. Too much is at stake. Hell is too hot, and eternity is too long, and Judgment Day is too serious and Jesus' return is too near for us to falter in prayer.
1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is near, therefore be alert and sober so you can pray.
Benediction: 1 Thessalonians 5:4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of [the] day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:4-11, emphasis mine).
1:25 Questions
1. What is it that most often threatens to weigh you down with earthly concerns, so that your prayers for the most important things lack fervency and passion?
2. What is it that most often threatens to rile you up so that your prayers for the most important things become distracted?
3. When people make one judgment about you and God makes the opposite judgment, which one has the greater effect on your thoughts and feelings? What could you do to increase how much you care about God's judgment and decrease how much you care about the world's?
