Sermon Transcript:

Last week, we took a quick break from 1 Peter and Kevin sought to answer the question, “what does the church have to do with salvation?” We saw from last week the importance of being together with a local body of believers and how that plays a large role in our growth in the Lord. Believers should not live isolated from one another. The message from last week is relatable to this weeks message and ties directly to living with one another in the local church.  

Review: Last time I preached on 1 Peter, Peter was commanding the church to arm themselves in the same way of thinking for the purpose of suffering like Christ. We also saw the difference between what suffering for Jesus looks like compared to what the world delves into for satisfaction. This week, we are going to see Peter exhort the church in how to live and serve in the church with the expectation of Christ’s return. 

Relevance: As Peter writes this letter to Christians who are suffering for the sake of Christ. Peter exhorts believers to live Godly in the face of a dying world. Since Jesus suffered, we ought to suffer and live in the reality that our future home awaits. As American citizens, we find ourselves in a place of comfort. While that surely won’t last forever, I believe we have a great church here. We are surrounded by believers who love God’s Word, love one another, and seek to share the gospel to all people and to all places in the world. This will not always be the case as we enter into the roles God has called us in. After all, America is a nation in rapid moral decline. The world is increasingly antagonistic toward Christians. How then do we exist in a world that is increasingly passing away? How should we relate to one another in the church?

Main Point: Three exhortations for the Church when considering the last days: (1) Be prayed up; (2) Be unified by love; and (3) be empowered to serve.

Transition: With our eyes set on eternity, let us first be brought to our knees in prayer.

• Be Prayed Up (v.7) 

1. The Church age has culminated.
1. Be of sound judgment.
2. Be of sober spirit.
1. Sake of your prayers.

Explanation: As we dive into the text, I want us to first see how Peter addresses the Church. Verse 7a tells us, “The end of all things is at hand…” 

Peter is immediately pointing us to the end of all things. What is he talking about here? Clearly, this letter was written 2,000 years ago. The end of all things hasn’t clearly happened. Peter wants believers to recognize the importance of looking ahead to eternity. His world was passing away. His culture was anti-God. The government leaders persecuted believers. The citizens were antagonistic toward Christians. What was viewed as right was wrong, and wrong right. For the church, there was a better way. There was a hope to look forward to. It was the return of Jesus. The presence of the Savior. The end of our sin and brokenness. Peter lived and believed that the time for Jesus to return was at hand. Not that it was merely near, but “drawn near.” A perfect action. This could happen at any moment.

• Why did Peter believe this? Peter was thinking in terms of the “history of redemption.” Which is God’s plan to redeem mankind back to Him through the sending of His Son Jesus to die a sinner’s death on our behalf. All of the events in God’s grand story have already happened for this to occur. 
• Creation, fall of man, the introduction of “the seed”, the promise to deal with sin, the calling of Abraham, the establishment of a nation, land, Law, Temple, Kingship through David, the Messiah born of a virgin, that Messiah fulfilling the Law and Prophets, being put to death on a tree, rising from the grave, giving the Great Commission, ascending into heaven, and the explosion of believers at the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  
• Now as the established Church, in which the Holy Spirit indwells believers, together for the purpose of proclaiming that truth to the world. We look ahead to our final redemption when Christ returns. Not a matter of if, but a matter of when. 

Corroboration: This truth was not uncommon elsewhere in Scripture. Here is what God’s Word says.

Matthew 24:42-44, Jesus says this, “42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Revelation 1:7, “7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”

James 5:8, “8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

Explanation: With the end in mind, Peter uses the imperatives to be of sound judgment and a sober spirit.

Verse 7b, “therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.” We have seen in previous passages throughout this letter the importance of having sound judgment and sober minded. Whether we are preparing our minds for action, or arming ourselves with the same way of thinking related to suffering, being mindful of God when we are suffering, having unity of mind as the church. The point of all of this is that we can not live in the flesh and expect our prayer life to be effective. We can not willfully sin and not think there won’t be any consequences. Our fellowship with God is affected. To be of sound judgment and a sober spirit meant living separately from the world. It meant setting aside the sinful fleshly passions and pleasures for the purpose of a clear mind and honest judgment. 

• Why? So that in any situation or season of life, we can pray with sound judgment, with clarity of mind. We can see the gospel more clearly when we aren’t bogged down by the world and what it has to offer. Living with self-control and sober mindedness means dwelling in the presence of Jesus; putting on the mind of Christ so that we can pray effectively. 
• It was living with the future hope of eternity in mind, with the expectation that now Jesus was with them. This is why Peter writes beforehand that we ought to suffer like Jesus suffered. This is why Peter writes about understanding our reality of being united to Christ. 

Corroboration: Don’t forget what I preached a couple weeks ago, 

1 Peter 4:1, “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” 

• There was an expectation of suffering like Jesus did. Thinking and preparing our lives to endure such suffering. Holy living would be the end result.

1 Peter 4:3, “For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.” 

• I can relate to this all too well. And I shared a little of my testimony with you a couple weeks ago.

Illustration: Much of what the world will tell you is to eat, drink, and be merry. Many of the fancy wine shop signs or trendy pinterest pictures tell us to pursue our own satisfaction now. Live the “good” life. Be like Joel Osteen and live your best life now. Stay in the greatest of shape, get a really good job, make lots of money, eat and drink until your bellies are filled up. And be happy.

• The problem with all of this is that when we pursue these sinful things, we are lacking self-control. We are not clear or sober in our thinking when we pursue our own pleasures. Our own happiness. 
• God is less concerned about our happiness as He is about our holiness.

Application: Peter’s setting is not much different from ours. We live in a culture that objectifies women, divides people, drowns in their drunkenness, kills the unborn, and hates Christianity. In some churches these same ideals and things have crept in. Not only this, but the endless distractions and entertainment that keep us far from the Lord. 

• I want to be clear on something. God is not telling us to live joyless lives devoid of ever experiencing the world He created and see the beauty that He has bestowed in this. God is not telling us to be perfect and proper in our demeanor, to never take vacations, to never watch a football game, to never eat a cheeseburger or a slice of cheesecake again.
• The Scriptures tell us that, “all things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.” 
• But if we pursue these things and forget about Jesus, we will not have clarity of mind. We will not have self-control. We will not be effective in praying for one another. 

I believe in the power of prayer. It is our direct line and source of dependence and open communication with God. Without it, our sharing of the gospel would be ineffective. The healing and perseverance through various illnesses would be nil. We would not be able to see life in the Scriptures.

• I am thankful that Redeeming Grace Church places such a high emphasis on the authority of God’s Word and the importance of prayer. This is why we preach expository sermons, in which we try and teach and preach line by line through individual books of the Bible. This is why we dedicate an hour every Wednesday for prayer. We pray for each other. We pray for other churches. We pray for those who are sick. We pray for government officials. We pray for missionaries. I’m not here bragging on how well we do church here. I am simply saying that anything that God has done at RGC has been a result of what people believe about God’s Word and where our dependence lies when calling for help. May we as a church continue to emphasize these two things moving forward. May we be sober-minded and self-controlled for the effectiveness of our prayer life.

Transition: As the Church with our eyes set on eternity, we are brought to our knees in prayer, and equipped to live Holy lives, demonstrating a unified love in Christ. 

• Be Unified by Love (v.8-9) 

1. Keep fervent our love for one another.

1. Covers a multitude of sins.

1. Be hospitable to one another.

1. Without complaint.

Explanation: The most important aspect of our faith is love. Our love is a sure sign of whether we have Christ or not. When we are prayed up, we can then love in a way that is supernatural. 

Verse 8a says, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly.” This means to eagerly and constantly love one another. Loving one another is hard, but a necessary action for the believer. It encompasses all that Jesus was in His ministry, all that He was doing in the 1st Century church and is now currently doing through you and I. This is in fact the entire summation of the Law. When we are prayed up and living out the love of Christ for one another, we are perfectly following God’s Law. Look at the Scriptures. I want to direct you to 3 separate passages that will help us understand how love works through us as believers.

Corroboration: The first is Jesus speaking in 

Matthew 5:17-18, “17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” 

• Jesus fulfilled the Law by His perfect life and submission to God. He was certainly God in the flesh. Look at how this connects to our faith.

Romans 8:2-8, “2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” 

Finally, in 

Romans 13:8-10, “8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” 

• We see how the Law will not be abolished. We see with our unity in Christ, the Law will be fulfilled in us by the Holy Spirit in us.
• Ultimately, love is the fulfillment of the Law. The impact of this love carries greatly in the local church.

Explanation: We must make it a point to love one another in truth, especially as the Church. For Peter, the Church needed to come together. The Church needed to be united. Love accomplished this in the face of persecution and opposition. If the fulfillment of the Law in Christ is through love, the latter half of this verse rings true. 

Verse 8b, “since love covers a multitude of sins.” 

The love of God is such, that He sent His only Son in flesh and blood. Jesus then lived the perfect life, suffered at the hands of the people that was supposed to receive Him, and died a horrifying and terrible death as payment for our sins. Not only did He die, but rose again from the grave. This gospel forgives the offenses and sins of those are born-again. If you are here this morning and believe in this gospel, God has forgiven your trespasses.

• The very essence of that forgiveness allows His church to forgive one another. To not only overlook minor annoyances, but to lovingly correct grievous sins with gentleness and grace.

Illustration: Think about ourselves for a minute. We are sometimes annoying to be around, even unpleasant at times. We have bad breath, we smell bad at times, and are self-centered. We have these little quirks and weaknesses that make it hard to be around. We even sin against one another. 

• When we fervently love others, despite their weakness, we overlook and forgive others of their shortcomings. We remember the grace that God has bestowed on us and we can bestow that grace onto others. When we do this, we embolden others to live for Jesus. The last thing the church needs is to be constantly reminded of our weakness. To be reminded that we are not good enough. The truth is, none of us are good enough. I am sure we could all come up with a list of about 15 things that we fall short in. This is why Christ came to die one time. The righteous for the unrighteous, that we would be brought to God. 
• If you have been born-again, you have been redeemed, made righteous, and sanctified in Christ. We need love to encourage one another to understand this. This does not replace the need for tough love, but instead goes hand in hand. We may need to call someone out on their sin if they are walking away from the Lord. But we do so, not going out of our way to humiliate one another or weaponize Scripture, but to gently restore them back to the Lord. 
• With that being said, when we love one another, the way Christ loved us, we cover a multitude of sins. People often say if they walk into the church, they are afraid the building will catch fire. Clearly, that’s not the case and we want anyone to feel welcome here. Often though, we can create smaller fires when we let the little problems destroy our unity of fellowship. We let smaller fires begin when we don’t lovingly address larger sin. We let smaller fires begin when we decide not to show grace to one another. Most importantly, smaller fires begin when we forget that the gospel finds it’s fulfilment in love. Which is the regular practice of showing one another grace.
• One specific way we love one another is through hospitality.

Explanation: Verse 9 says, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 

Loving others goes hand in hand with hospitality. For the early church this action united the believers. It allowed them to meet regularly and was a common practice with the ministry of Jesus. It was not uncommon for them to meet regularly and provide for the needs of one another. Loving others through hospitality is not always easy. How do we accomplish this?

Application: I could give you several actions that would be hospitable. Things like sharing a meal together, including one another in daily events, providing for one another’s physical and spiritual needs, etc. The matter that I want us to consider is how do we get motivated for such works? The truth is that we cannot by our own strength. In our flesh we are self-centered. We are inconvenienced at the thought of doing life with someone else. We want to be happy and live the Christian life without getting our hands dirty. We are Americans in our individuality. So, I want us to realize that we cannot actually practice genuine love and hospitality by our own power alone. Our own will often causes grumbling, complaints, or disappointment. 

• Kevin spoke about the sin of grumbling last week in Bible Institute. We often overlook this, because it’s easy to be overcome by it. Feels like a minor sin after all, but the implications or results can be far worse. 
• When we are complaining about serving one another, we are essentially telling God that we don’t believe that He is able to use that situation. When we complain about the person that God wants us to serve, we are telling God that person is not worthy of experiencing love. When we complain about church programs, events or how people are handling ministries, we are telling God that He is wrong about the direction He wants to take the church. Grumbling then, is a lack of faith on our end about the will of God over our circumstances and situations. 

The application is that we need not try and will this out by our own strength. We need the power of God in our lives to love like God loves and practice hospitality. We need to be prayed up and seek God’s strength to sacrifice our own lives for the sake of Jesus and others. In this way of living, God will compel us to love one another. God will compel us to be hospitable with one another, and others will see the demonstration of God’s work over our lives.

Transition: As the Church with our eyes set on eternity, we are brought to our knees in prayer, demonstrating a unified love in Christ, and finally to serve by God’s power.  

• Be Empowered to Serve (v.10-11a) 

1. God has blessed each one of us with a gift.

1. Employ it in our service as good stewards.

1. Whoever speaks.
2. Whoever serves.

1. Do both by the strength of God.

Explanation: Do you know that God has blessed each one of you with a special gift? 

Verse 10 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” 

You see, by God’s will some of us are going to be great preachers, some are going to be great evangelists, some of us are going to be great shepherds, some of us great singers, great leaders, strong communicators, cheerful givers, joyful greeters. Some may even be well rounded with two or more of these gifts. Likewise, Peter tells the church to recognize the gift they have received from God and use it to serve one another. If you are here this morning and are born-again, God has gifted you in one way or another.

• The best definition of spiritual gifts that I have heard is from John Piper. I am paraphrasing, but he says, “Spiritual gifts are any skills or unique gift that God created you with that points people to Jesus.” So, if God has gifted you the ability to play music and understand it, play the piano in such a way that displays the majesty and glory of Christ. If God has gifted you with an extroverted personality, become a greeter and greet in such a way that people see the love in Christ in you. If God has gifted you with a sense of humor, employ that gift to make others laugh and experience the joy of the Lord. Do all these things in order to point each other to Christ.
• In this verse, these gifts are not related to anything specific. This a general statement. As we are prayed up, unified in our love and hospitality, we employ our gifts to demonstrate love and hospitality toward one another in His Church. We accomplish this by God’s grace.

Illustration: Imagine a prism. A piece of glass or other transparent material cut with precise angles and plane faces. It is useful for analyzing and reflecting light. An ordinary prism can separate white light. A single white light into an array of colors. Much like you would see in a rainbow, or on the Pink Floyd album cover for their album titled, “Prism.” 

• This is what our gifts look like in the church. God’s varied grace, or powerful white light, passes through the prism of the local body of believers. Out of the other end comes an array of gifts and talents purposed to encourage one another, provide opportunities to love and serve, and specifically to point each other to the gospel.   

How do we employ these gifts? How do we truly serve one another as a good steward? In two ways: whoever speaks and whoever serves. All of this is by the power and will of God.

Explanation: Verse 11a, “Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God.” 

• May none of us preach another sermon, teach another Sunday school class, share the mission moment, or the reading again outside the power of God. May none of us speak another word, lest we rely on the thoughts and words of God. 
• Being a good steward means to take seriously the roles and ways that God has called us to serve. My hope and prayer is that we who are called to serve in this way would not be lazy in their preparation to serve in the grace that God provides. Why? There is a seriousness about God’s Word. There is a weight to preaching and teaching God’s Word.  I am thankful that Redeeming Grace Church values it as such.
• Including gifts that include the gift of communication comes acts of service as well.

Peter did not only include those who preach or speak, but those who serve in general. 

Explanation: Verse 11b, “whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies”

I have already mentioned several ways believers would employ their gifts to one another. There are many ways to serve at Redeeming Grace Church. As the church, we are called to serve for the larger purpose of God’s Kingdom. If this is the case, there is only one way we can walk hand in hand with service. By the strength of the Lord.

Illustration: We never want to understand our spiritual gifts through the lens of a mechanical mindset. We aren’t machines and try to work really hard for God’s approval. We instead come together and look to the strength which God supplies when serving one another. 

• Look at what the commentator writes, “Peter goes on to say that if Christians are engaged in practical service they must render that service in the strength which God supplies. It is as if he said: ‘When you are engaged in Christian service, you must not do it as if you were conferring a personal favour or distributing generous gifts from your own store, but in the consciousness that what you give you first received from God.’ Such an attitude preserves the giver from pride and the gift from humiliation.”

Application: Are we being good stewards of the gifts we have received? Are we being idle in our service? Let me encourage you to embrace the unique gifts that God has given you and serve one another for the Lord. If you are gifted in preaching and teaching, devote yourself to the Word. Set a time each day. Read large portions of Scripture, small portions, meditate on the Word. Consult others on the Word. Be prepared in and out of season to give a reason for the hope that is within you. 

• If you are gifted as a shepherd or have a heart for those that are in need, employ that gift. Make appointments, invite people over, make a meal and meet these people’s needs. Whether we speak or serve, we need to always remember the why? Why should we do all of this?

Transition: By setting our sights on eternity for prayer, dedicating our lives to service, and serving by the power of God, we ultimately reflect and point others to Jesus on His throne. 

Conclusion (v.11c)

Clarification: As we conclude here this morning, I want us to envision Jesus on His throne. I want us to look ahead to the glory that awaits us in paradise. For all of this has in mind the end of all things. One day we are going to serve our King for eternity in His Shikinah glory and we are going to look just like Him. I think it is fitting to conclude with the end of 

Verse 11c, “in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 

While we look ahead and await that day. The day of His return. Let’s not forget our current and future service now. All of it is done to glorify Jesus. Our life is not ours. Our lives belong to Christ. And our lives belong to one another as the flesh and blood of Jesus. And all of it is for the purpose of glorifying our Lord and King Jesus. I believe if we remember and live out these three exhortations from Peter: Be prayed up, be unified by love, and be empowered to serve, Jesus will indeed be glorified.   

Exhortation: So as you leave here this morning, please put Jesus first in all that you do. Help me to do the same. I need to hear this. Encourage one another in the same mission. As we continue to strive in the pursuit of holiness as the Church, let’s first pray. As God’s grace and mercy begins to change us and compel us toward action, let’s love one another. By the work of the Spirit, in loving one another, we set aside our selfish pursuits. We set aside our agendas. We take off our crown and lay it at the foot of Christ. We suffer like Christ did. We love with earnest pursuit. By the work of the Spirit, we get the privilege to employ our gifts in service toward one another, and watch the gospel spread like wildfire to Southgate, and to the rest of the world. 

Invitation: Finally, I want us to respond to God’s Word this morning. As we bow our heads and pray, I want us to think about Jesus on His throne. I want you to pray that we would do all things to glorify Him. That He would prepare us to serve in a world that is hostile to Him. That we, as the church, would set our minds on the future glory of Jesus and His return. That this would embolden us to live radically for Him. Let us pray.