Serving In Love, Always Series

Serving in Love, Always

1 Peter Sermon Series, Part 11

1 Peter 4:7-11

Introduction

- Peter now ties these two chapters (sufferings of Christ and living for Him)

-- There is a huge implication here about adopting the same attitude as He did

-- He suffered, was broken, and died because of the things we had done

-- APP: Implication is: Are we living to serve others in a like-manner?

- How do we do this?

• Have the same perspective on suffering that Jesus did

• We’ve spent enough time living in sin – abandon it

• God will judge sin and we should live for Him

Peter’s writing/command here is simple … will we apply it to our lives?

- Read 1 Peter 4:7-11

- Let’s examine how Peter commands the church to act

-- Focus: Living for the will of God in the church

-- Deeper: How we should be living for Christ, together in community

∆ Point 1 – Live focused

- Peter comes right to the point of something all Christians should know (v7)

-- Matthew 24:36, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

-- Everything God has planned to take place has already occurred

-- Mankind has been redeemed – the OT prophecies are completed

-- Therefore, we are now simply waiting for His return to rule as King

- 7 words give us a finality to stand upon and look forward to in our lives:

-- “The end of all things is near.”

-- Therefore … BE ALERT AND OF A SOBER MIND

-- If we are living with the expectation that Christ could return, should act like it

- Peter tells the church to live with a focus of purposeful prayer, but how?

- (alert); nēpsate; be purposeful in our living; means clear minded

-- That we would pray intelligently and be deliberate in how we live today

-- Our senses would be alert and we would purposefully come to God

- (sober); sōphronēsate; be of sound mind; means self-controlled

-- We are called to live with a calm mind as we contemplate praying

-- As well as how we act on coming before God to pray

-- Note: There are obviously times of panic when we pray frantically

--- This would be the exception, not the rule – live purposeful; intentional

- APP: Don’t take prayer casually; it’s communication with the Creator

-- IMP: Prayer was NEVER “our thing”; it is God’s gift to us

-- Through the shed blood of His Son we now have access to Him

-- We ought to come before Him remembering this; with reverence

- TRANS: Once we have the right frame of mind; we are ready for more …

∆ Point 2 – Show unconditional love

- Peter reminds us of the “how to” of living corporately (or together) - LOVE!

-- Most times, we see this word as “Philadelphia”; means brotherly love

-- If so, we would be seeing this incorrectly in this passage (v8)

- The love Peter uses here is actually the word “agape”; unconditional love

-- Why? Because it’s a decision of the mind that Peter calls us to uphold

-- It’s not a feeling we have because our feelings can ALWAYS change

- EX: I love the fact that a swimming pool is so refreshing in the summer

- EX: I really don’t love a pool after the rain because it feels so cold

-- This describes the changing feelings of love, in a matter of 2 sentences

-- Peter says that we are too live above feelings by using “agape” in this line

- IMP: The goal of agape love is ALWAYS to seek the good of another

-- The extent of agape love is ALWAYS self-sacrifice for another

-- True agape love is being stretched to the limit; to go past “just enough”

-- It is not exhausted when situations become difficult of tough to handle

- Two weeks ago I asked you to think of a time you’ve been hurt in church

-- To remember how it felt; ad asked you to think how you handled it

- Peter’s suggestion here is that we move past the hurt; live fully for God

-- Yet, we carry hurt around with us as a burden that just won’t let go

- Peter’s command is really right to the heart of that matter: to love DEEPLY

-- To let it go, to forgive, to move past choosing to be upset/angry

-- Why? BECAUSE love covers a multitude of sins!

- Now, let’s be clear about something … love doesn’t excuse/condone sin

-- We don’t just look the other way if there is correction needing to happen