How Shall we Live?
Text: 1 Peter 4:1-11
Introduction
In football the manner of play changes when the Two Minute Warning has sounded
In Verse seven of our text today Peter says that the end of all things is near. I think that thought gives context to this whole passage. The Holy spirit is saying through Peter that...
Proposition: We should live our lives on earth as if life’s two minute warning has sounded.
Interrogative: The question we should ask ourselves as we study this passage is the same one that Peter asks his readers at the end of his second letter: "Since the end of this world is coming, what kind of people should you be?
Transition: I see four important answers to that question in these 11 verses. First as Christians living at the end of time we should be...
1. Armed with an Attitude
You know what’s great about that line? I didn’t make
it up--and I didn’t steal it from Dr. Laura either--it comes right out of the text...
1-2 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
The picture is of putting on an attitude as a suit of armor.. Very similar to the passage Paul wrote in Galatians about putting on the whole armor of God.
And what is this attitude? Well it’s the same one that Christ took toward suffering--armed with the knowledge that once he had completed the task, he would never again have to struggle with sin or temptation--that would all be over. One he had suffered in this body both suffering and sin were over with.
What it’s not saying is that if you suffer once you’ll never sin again. It’s saying that we should understand that suffering for what is right is sometimes part of life in the body, but there’s coming a day when we will neither suffer nor sin. When you get that big picture as a result you won’t live your life as if you must satisfy your earthly desires, for a little suffering here is not to be compared with an eternity free from sin and suffering.
ILLUSTRATION: The attitude we should arm ourselves with is like that of a quarterback in the Superbowl who get’s injured in the 4th quarter. He would be willing to play through a great deal of pain for the sake of that victor’s ring because He know’s everything is at stake and the end is in sight.
Christians we who stand on the edge of history should arm ourself with the attitude that says I can see the goal, and it is worth any price to obtain it. The attitude that free’s us to do God’s will. This is not the way we used to live however...
3For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you..
Verse 3 is actually a direct contrast to verse two it literaly says that enough time has been spent doing the will of the nations, this is in contrast to our new attitude which frees us to do God’s will, we used to live our lives to please the world, and ourselves, Now the world doesn’t understand our attitude, they don’t understand why we don’t plunge into a life of sensual pleasure--drunkeness, sexual immorality, worshipping money and fame, the will of the nations summed up in the phrase "if it feels good do it."
But we don’t have to live like dumb animals if we are armed with the right attitude--I can forgo temporary satisfaction because me goal is upward.
Secondly as Christians living at the end of time we should be...
2. Aware of an Accounting
5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.
To live properly in our position we need to understand that an end is coming. Coaches begin to watch the clock very carefully inside the two minute warning, It’s important that they know where they stand. Peter says we need to understand that the end is near, that living in this time requires clear headedness, self control alowing us to keep in communication with the coach.
It’s important also that we understand what the end means--that the end means there will be an accounting, that wether we are living when that time comes or whether we have already passed on that we will give an account for our lives. Even those who have gone before us will be judged and this is why they needed the gospel too--it’s not just for those who will be living when the accounting comes. And those who have gone before and who have put their trust in Christ, thought by human standards they may have been judged guilty, in the spirit they have life because of the work of Christ.
As we sit on the edge of history’s end we must be aware that Christ will judge the living and the dead. We must consider how we will be judged on that day.
Our deeds will be laid bare and woe unto us on that day if our sins are not covered by the blood of Christ. And whose sins are covered? Those who trust in the saving work of Christ upon the cross, understanding that only His blood can cleanse them and that nothing we could ever do or say could make us worthy, Those who having put their trust in Him also commit their lives to Him to live for him not to earn his affection but to demonstrate our affection--because we have been armed with the attitude of Christ. And because we are aware of an accounting.
Third as Christians living at the end of time we should be...
3. Above All Affectionate
8-9 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
More important than anything else is love. Jesus’ top two list was this: Love God, Love your neighbor-- everything else, He said, all of the Scripture is tied up in those two.
Church tradition says that when John, the beloved disciple, had become too old to even walk, he used to ask to be carried to the meetings of the local church and he would at each meeting go before the saints and say only this "little children love one another" Well that sounds sweet enough but after awhile it started to get on people’s nerves. Finally the elders went to him and asked John why do you keep saying that? His reply was "because it is our Lord’s command and because it is enough."
Love covers a multitude of sins. The good Lord and my good wife know that I have a multitude of sins. But my good wife also knows that I love her. Sometimes when I’ve hurt her feelings I’ll demonstrate that love in a tangible way--in an exercise she has an endearing little term for--"the suck up gift." But the suck up gift works not because I spend money but because she knows that I genuinely care deeply for her.
But it works the other way too, our love for others covers a multitude of our sins toward them but our sin should also cover a multitude of their sins. About 70 times seven I’d say.
There one last thing we should do as Christians living at the end, we should be
4. Administering God’s Annointing
10-11a Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides,
This passage is speaking of course about spiritual gifts and it echoes a lot of what we discussed a few months ago when we looked at Spiritual gifts in depth. You remember how we talked about gifts as packages of God’s grace? Well here we see that again as Peter urges us to be good stewards of the gifts that God gives us, Administors of God’s grace in it’s various forms--that is of the gifts that God has given to you not for your pleasure but as Peter says use your gift to serve others.
And notice also that emphasis is given here, as it was in the passages in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, to the fact that these spiritual gifts are exercised not in our own strength but in the strength of the Lord. And this is the part that makes it important for us who live in History’s two minute warning to operate in the grace God gives us through spiritual gifts.
There’s too much to get done for us to do in human strength. God has assembled us and given us roles to play that He has divinely enabled us to fulfil, doing anything less will fall short of the goal. So as the buzzer approaches (or actualy as the trumpet approaches) we must work in God’s strength, faithfully administering God’s anninting in its various forms.
Conclusion:
Armed with an Attitude that says I have my eyes on a prize above I can’t be distracted by the pleasures below
Aware of an Accounting--keeping our focus and ready for that day
Above all Affectionate--becuase it is the Lord’s command and because it is enough
And Administering faithfully God’s Annointing that through his strength we might accomplish all that he has for us as the day approaches.
