Four Commands - One Goal

please open your Bibles to 1 Peter 4:7, found on page 1365

I should remind you that every week I provide an outline of the message in the bulletin, with convenient space on the back to doodle

but I hope you’ll follow the outline if you feel it can be a help to you

I like people who don’t beat around the bush

I sometimes feel like saying, "Give me the bottom line – spare me the details!"

I also like people who tell it as it is

and that’s why Peter is my type of person

he doesn’t dance around the issues – he just says what he wants to, cuts through the red tape, and gets down to business

when Peter, the big fisherman, took up his pen to write about suffering saints, he cut to the chase

and when he addressed the reality of the end times, he summed up his game plan in a one-two-three fashion

no beating around the bush

four commands, and one goal

(1 Peter 4:7) The end of all things is near.

as Peter contemplates the bizarre behavior of the emperor Nero, the persecution looming on the horizon, and the probability that he would not survive longer, he concluded that the end was near

Jesus was coming back to bring a dramatic end to the world and everything in it

Peter knew that the next major event on God’s calendar was the return of Jesus Christ

I’ve noticed today that we make two mistakes when it comes to thinking about the second coming

the first mistake is to think we have it all figured out

early in his ministry, Warren Wiersbe gave a message on prophesy that tried to explain everything about the second coming

a pastor friend came up at the end of his message and said, "Brother, you must be on the planning committee for the return of Christ!"

Wiersbe got the point, but his friend added quietly, "I’ve moved from the planning committee to the welcoming committee"

some make the mistake of thinking that they’ve got it all figured out

I think it’s important to study the Word of God and come to know everything we possibly can about the Second Coming – provided we do so with a large dose of humility

the mistake that you and I make more often, though, is to forget that Jesus is coming back again

one out of every 30 verses in the Bible mentions the subject of Christ’s return or the end of time

of the 260 chapters in the New Testament, there are well over 300 references to the return of Christ

only 4 out of the 27 New Testament books fail to mention Christ’s return

one-twentieth of our entire New Testament is dedicated to the subject of our Lord’s return

Christ spoke of his return often, especially after he had revealed his death – never in vague or uncertain terms

and those who followed his teaching in the first century frequently preached and mentioned his return in their preaching and in their writings

we don’t know when, and we don’t know all the details, but we do know that Jesus is coming back again

one day the disciples visited Jerusalem

it would be the equivalent of a prairie boy visiting Toronto

they were staring at the temple – in modern terms, it would be like looking in awe at the CN Tower, the bank buildings

becoming enamored with faster computers, more amazing technology, faster airplanes

and Jesus told the disciples:

(Mark 13:2) "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."

we need to hear that message today

our condominiums, cottages, cars, bank buildings – everything – is headed for the scrap heap

Jesus is coming again

the things we think are so important now are all going to be gone – career, mutual funds, retirement plans

Christ will come again and in a climactic display of justice and love will bring this world to its knees

it’s guaranteed

and when will this take place?

Peter says, "The end of all things is near"

it’s nearer now than when Peter wrote this

(2 Peter 3:8) But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

(2 Peter 3:9) 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.

(2 Peter 3:10) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

all the previous acts of redemptive history have been completed

the last great "last act" remains: the end of all things

the curtain could fall at any time, ushering in the return of Christ and the end of the age

somebody has said "…almost without exception, when the coming of Christ is mentioned in the New Testament, it is followed by an exhortation to godliness and holy living"

I once lived boarded with a young couple

one week the wife went away, and the husband lived on a solid diet of pizza and pop the entire time

in light of his wife’s return, however, the husband did a thorough cleaning of the house

in the same way, Christ’s return prompts us to be ready, specifically in four different areas:

BE FOCUSED SO YOU CAN PRAY

(1 Peter 4:7) The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.

if I were to tell you that the end was near, and you really believed me, you would probably panic a little

but Peter says, "Don’t panic – stay clear-minded and self-controlled"

don’t be filled with anxiety

don’t quit your job

Peter says that we need to remain sane, which means that we think and evaluate situations maturely and correctly

and we need to remain sober, which means that we need to avoid intoxication with anything that inhibits our spiritual alertness, whether alcohol or any other worldly concern

in other words, keep a clear head and don’t get drunk on money, possessions, career, or anything else that keeps you from praying

you see, the reason given for staying sane and sober is "so that you can pray" more effectively, and more appropriately

when we’re alert to events and interpret them correctly, we’ll be able to pray more intelligently and appropriately

I don’t know if you struggle with your prayer life, but many of us do

one of the reasons why is that we lack sanity and sobriety in our lives

if we were really self-controlled and sober, as Peter writes, we would automatically begin to pray better

I think if we really understand how totally and completely dependent we were on God, and how we can do nothing without him, we would pray a lot more

I think if we understood that the church is engaged in a battle for souls, and that the stakes are higher than any of us previously thought, we would pray with greater focus

if we opened our eyes and saw the vast amount of people who need the Lord and who are headed for judgment, we would pray more

if we really believed that the end of all things was near, we would pray – I guarantee it

so, Peter says, stay focused so that you can pray

Peter gives a second command:

(1 Peter 4:8) Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER EARNESTLY

you’ll notice a few things about this verse

Peter begins, "Above all…"

the expression "above all" speaks to the priority and preeminence of love as a Christian virtue as we wait for the Day of the Lord

love is the MVP of Christian virtues – it is given top priority here and in other places in Scripture

you can be a Christian with a thorough knowledge of the Bible and theology, a sparkling church attendance record, a tax receipt showing your generosity to the church and to the poor, and yet if you don’t have love – you’re nothing

love is not a virtue that should characterize us in the church, it is the virtue that should characterize us in the church

the word translated "deeply" has the idea of a strenuous, intense love – in other words, it takes work

we know it takes work because the proof of this love, according to Peter, is forgiveness: "love covers a multitude of sins"

the community that loves one another is able to forgive one another more rapidly when issues arise

where love abounds in a fellowship of believers, many small offences, and even some large ones, are overlooked and forgotten

but when love is lacking, every word and action is liable to suspicion and misunderstanding – much to Satan’s delight

so love one another earnestly

I’ve said it before – if you are lacking in the love department, you’re missing the key virtue of the new life

the Bible says that if you don’t have love for your fellow believers, you had better question the authenticity of your relationship with God

you had better love another fervently in light of the end, and if that means forgiving some offenses, you had better go ahead and forgive

love is the perennial solution to problems in the Christian community; it is the "above all" virtue

Peter gives a third command:

BE HOSPITABLE WITHOUT COMPLAINT

(1 Peter 4:9) Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

the verse says "one another"

it means that we need to be hospitable to not just those who are loveable or friendly or fun to be with

we’re to receive others into our homes, making them feel welcome, meeting their needs, and providing them a place of welcome and acceptance

but Peter knows that people are better at conforming externally than at doing something from the heart

so he adds "without grumbling"

then, as now, guests could overstay or otherwise abuse their host’s welcome

hospitality can be an exasperating, not to mention expensive, chore

so Peter says – do it but don’t grumble

let love open the door, get your priorities in place, and by all means, use your house to serve others

we should say that any friend of Jesus is a friend of mine, and they’re welcome in our house – regardless of their nationality, age, color, or social status

if they’re a friend of Jesus, they’re a friend of mine, and they’re welcome in my house

your house, no matter how big or small, is a gift from God to be used to serve others

when was the last time you had somebody in your house?

and was it just somebody that you know and enjoy being with, or are you even inviting others you don’t know to your house?

I’m convinced that Sunday morning Christianity is just scratching the surface of what Christian community is about

use your homes, invite people over, and when they come and stay later than you would have liked, and leave dirty dishes on the counter, and the kids have broken something – don’t grumble!

stay focused to pray, maintain love as the MVP of Christian virtues, be hospitable, and lastly:

USE YOUR GIFTS

(1 Peter 4:10) Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

(1 Peter 4:11) If 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, 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.

Peter says here that every Christian has been given a gift and is expected to use it

verse 10 tells us that every single Christian has received at least one spiritual gift and is to use it to serve others in the church

one of the problems in the church is that we have allowed ourselves to believe that ministry is what the pastors do

every person in the fellowship of believers is to use their spiritual gift for the life of the church to serve one another

the pastor’s job isn’t to do the work of the ministry; his job is to equip you to do the work of the ministry

in other words, my job isn’t to do the work; it’s to get you to do the work

I believe the health of a church is measured not by the number of people who attend or the size of the offering, but by how many people are involved in ministry

the pastors can’t do it alone

in most churches, 20% of the people do 80% of the work

but in a healthy church, every single believer knows their spiritual gift and every single believer is active in ministry

every single one of you should be able to identify where God has gifted you, because God has given you, regardless of your age, a spiritual gift that is vital to the functioning of Richview Baptist Church

Peter here lists two types of gifts – speaking gifts and serving gifts, but there is an almost limitless variety of different spiritual gifts, all manifestations of the richly varied and abundant grace of God

if there are going to be two emphases in my ministry here at Richview this fall, it is going to be prayer and lay ministry

if you want to know my game plan for September to December 1998, it’s going to be to cry out to God for his blessing on this church, and to give every single person in this church an opportunity to discover and use their spiritual gifts

but we need to understand right now that the church is incomplete without every single person using their spiritual gifts

in fact, not using your spiritual gift is displeasing to God

in Word War II, a little French town had a statue of Christ in their town square

and when the bombing came, the bomb got the statue and pieces were broken off

they stored the pieces, and after the war began to rebuild the statue of Jesus

it had cracks now, but they appreciated it even more

to their dismay, the only pieces they couldn’t find were the hands of Jesus

and that was tough on them, because the hands had the nail prints and that was significant to them

they thought they would have to take the statue down, until one person slipped a gold plaque at the bottom of the statue that said, "He has no hand but ours."

all of a sudden the community began to understand something

we are his hands and the extensions of his ministry

Peter says, use your gifts

these are the four commands

NOTICE WITH ME THE ONE GOAL BEHIND THESE FOUR COMMANDS: TO GLORIFY GOD

(1 Peter 4:11) …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.

imagine a church where everyone prays, people love each other, there’s hospitality going on, and people are using their spiritual gifts

that would be a church that is glorifying God

I didn’t tell you this earlier, but these verses in 1 Peter are my life verses – the ones that I keep going to over and over

they motivate me; they state my dream for ministry, and my dream for Richview Baptist Church

that we pray, that we love each other, entertain each other, everyone uses their spiritual gifts, and God gets the glory

I think you’ll agree with me that these four commands are do-able; they’re real and achievable

they constitute my dream for Richview, and quite honestly, these commands only make sense given that the end is near

so what are you going to do?

which of these four areas are you going to begin working on today?

before you file this message away, you had better get busy and invite somebody over to your house; forgive someone for a past offense; love somebody earnestly; pray; and find and begin using your spiritual gift

what are you prepared to do?

let’s pray

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Four Commands – One Goal (1 Peter 4:7-11)