Living for God in the Last Days • 09.10.23
Nick Lees   -   September 12, 2023

Living for God in the Last Days

1 Peter 4:7-19

Glorifying God as we await His Son’s return

  1. Recognize your place in redemptive history
  2. Replace ungodly thinking and behavior
  3. Prioritize loving one another in word and deed
  4. Expect to suffer for Christ and respond accordingly

 

Good morning church family! Praise God for his faithfulness! I had the opportunity to view the 10 yr anniversary video earlier this week and it had me weeping as I heard and remembered these testimonies of God’s faithfulness to us. And these are only a portion of the many other testimonies that could be given! I was so blessed to hear the repeated themes of dependence on the Word, allowing God to change us and our community by bringing his truths to bear on our lives, being dependent on God in prayer and worship, as well as the importance of Christ-centered community in the local church and small groups. I believe we are embodying the biblical priorities that we say are the foundation of our church and its ministries! What a testimony to God’s faithfulness in us. Not to us, but to his name be the glory! We are simply servants who are obeying our calling, but he is the King of Creation, the Lord over all, and the Savior of our souls. He is infinitely worthy of our worship and praise! Can we make a joyful noise to the Lord this morning?!

It has been an absolute privilege to serve as one of your pastors to walk together on this journey of faith. May our church continue to glorify him in the decades ahead!

Dismiss 4th+5th graders

Ushers + Bibles (1 Peter 4; page 1206?)

Speaking of glorifying God in the decades ahead, how do we make it our aim to do that? How can any church glorify or make much Him? By allowing his Word to shape our daily lives. To give us guidance and direction for how we think and live. I am thankful that we happen to be studying this particular passage in 1 Peter on our 10th anniversary. The title for our sermon today is “Living for God in the Last Days” and the emphasis of this text is the glory of God. *pause*

I hope you would agree that Peter’s counsel in his letter thus far has been challenging. He is calling suffering Christians to radical obedience to God rather than focus on self. Why would anyone live this way? How could anyone live this way? Because they value the glory of God above all else. The only way a believer or an entire church could/would live the way God’s Word calls us to is because we prioritize making much of God. That we believe to the core of our being that he is worthy of all worship, honor, and delight. I thought it of the utmost importance to impress this matter upon us as we begin, because, if we miss it, the teachings in this passage will become burdens that seem unbearable to us.

The question we must ask ourselves today is this – How should Peter’s counsel to the churches of his day instruct us on who we ought to be? (repeat)

As the author of Ecclesiastes says, “There is nothing new under the Sun.” The biblical truths for the 1st century church are the truths for the 21st century church. And just as Peter said to them, he says to us… “The end of all things is at hand.” (1 Peter 4:7a)

How do you respond when the end is at hand?

  • The end of a semester – taking those assignments a little more seriously to make sure you pass. (Share how I would calculate my GPA and figure out what I needed to make the grade).
  • The end of a race – checking your time vs. your goal and dropping your head down to press out every last ounce of adrenaline to the finish line.
  • The end of summer – you plan out your days to maximize the time before school begins again. The same may be said as you approach the end of a vacation – squeezing in the last of your plans before it’s over.

The point being… we tend to act differently when we know the end is near. Especially, when we know there will be accountability or when there is a specific outcome we desire… If we do that for lesser things like these… How much more should we live differently knowing that we are living in the last days of God’s grand redemptive plan? That’s what Peter addresses in our text for today. So, with that in mind, let’s hear what God’s Word says.

1 Peter 4:7–19 (ESV)

7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

       “If the righteous is scarcely saved,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

What a wonderful passage to study! As I was preparing for today, I was challenged by the following thought – So many of us say that we want God to reveal to us his will for our lives. But then when we read God’s Word, where his will is revealed, we don’t like what it says! It is not an easy calling or teaching.

Nevertheless, here we have Peter, writing from his Roman prison cell, to encourage and exhort the churches throughout Asia Minor to think and live rightly, even as they suffer! They lived in a world that opposes Christ and they were living in the “last days” before the return of Christ. As the church today, we still live in a world that opposes Christ and we are still in the “last days” before the return of Christ. We would do well to heed Peter’s counsel and put it into practice in our own lives, as we await the return of our Savior and the living hope of eternal life. Our goal as we unpack the text today is…

Glorifying God as we await His Son’s return

Starting with…

  1. Recognize your place in redemptive history

This is a call back to our sermon on 1 Peter 1:3-12. In that passage we heard that the Old Testament prophets had been learning and prophesying about the future that Peter’s audience was now living in. These Christians had the benefit of knowing the full revelation of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. They were living in a time when the gospel was made known and no longer a mystery and so are we! We know the Savior of the world has come to save sinners like us. What an incredible privilege to be on the receiving end of his mercy!!

As we heard in verse 7 – “the end of all things is at hand”. What comes to your mind when you hear this? Perhaps the image of a person holding up a sign or wearing one of those breadboards. I thought this artist’s version was fitting… (Graphic) – Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Depends on who you’re asking! For Christians, it is a good thing.

Perhaps promises from Scripture come to your mind. Here is one from the ascension of Jesus into heaven:

Acts 1:6–11 (ESV)

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Peter was present at this event. He witnessed the Lord ascend. He heard firsthand the promise of the angels that Jesus would come back again. Peter understood that they had entered a new stage of redemptive history and that the hope of all Christians is in the return of the King! Throughout this letter, Peter has spoken of the hope ready to be revealed with Christ, and this is the consistent anthem of the entire New Testament – expectantly awaiting our Lord’s return.

To this day, we are still waiting. Eagerly anticipating his return. We are privileged to have an answer for our sin through faith in Jesus, but we are still living in a broken world, embattled with our sin nature, and we long for the day when faith shall be sight, all will be made new, and the war with sin/death will be over. In the meantime, God has given us very clear instructions for how we ought to live. That’s what Peter emphasizes in this section of his letter. Because we are in the last days, Christians must live differently, starting with what we see in the rest of verse 7. We glorify God as we…

  1. Replace ungodly thinking and behavior

Or as Peter says, “Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.” Being sober-minded is a call to action he repeats three times in this short letter! There was a serious need to think seriously! Remember these were men and women who had been rescued out of ungodly thinking and behavior. Just a few verses earlier in 4:3, he had reminded them of the ways they used to live… sensuality, passions, drunkenness, idolatry, and so on… You could imagine it would be tempting to return to the old ways when things got hard…

Surely you can relate to that temptation! When the pressure is on, where do you turn? In our flesh, we are prone to want to go right back to the same patterns of thinking and behavior that defined our old man/woman.

  • I’ll seek control!
  • I’ll drown out my sorrows in the bottle!
  • I’ll work harder and longer so I don’t have time to think about my problems!
  • I’ll flee to my particular form of comfort! (Whatever it may be…)

But that is not how Christians are called to respond! We are to be self-controlled and sober-minded… To have godly thinking that leads to godly behavior. This is only possible through God’s work in us.

Galatians 5:22–24 (ESV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

As Christians submit themselves to God’s Word through God’s Spirit, they will bear the fruit of self-control and sober-mindedness. He changes us as we obey Him. This is an ongoing, day-by-day battle.

Galatians 5:16–17 (ESV)

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

This captures the battle within a Christian. Peter is calling his audience, and us, to walk by the Spirit as we bear the fruit of self-control. Why? For the sake of your prayers.

Think about this, what is life like when you’re ruled by the desires of the flesh (sin nature)? Your thoughts are running wild, and your actions follow! Anxiousness leads to a whirlwind of activity without glorifying God. Despair leads you to turn inwards and retreat from the Lord and fellow Christians. Fear of man brings silence or capitulating to the culture… These would have been just a few of the possible responses that the suffering Christians of Asia Minor may have struggled with… All of these hinder your prayer life and walk with God! Which is why it is so important to replace this ungodly thinking and behavior with the fruit of self-control and sober-mindedness. For the sake of your prayers!

Prayer is a powerful resource given by God whereby we can draw near to him and he to us. Prayer helps us depend on God. Prayer is a primary way that Christians pursue God’s will being done in our world. And yet, during suffering, it can be hard to pray! Especially if it seems like your prayers aren’t being answered. And yet, what do we need most in suffering? To be near to God and have him be near to us!

We heard earlier in 1 Peter 3:12 (citing Psalm 34:12-16):

1 Peter 3:12 (ESV)

12    For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

and his ears are open to their prayer.

       But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

God hears the prayers of the righteous. Their prayers are not in vain! As history advances and the return of Christ draws near, the church must be known for its fervent prayer. Do you want to see our community reached for Christ? Pray! Do you want to see our church continue to mature in the faith? Then pray! Pray fervently – with passion and urgency and often! May we be a people who recognize our place in redemptive history and the urgency of our mission – sinners need a Savior, and we have the message of hope to give to them! May we be a people who are self-controlled and sober-minded so that we can pray faithfully for the people and situations that God has allowed into our lives.

However, prayer is not our only resource in glorifying God. We also see a call in verses 8-11 to…

  1. Prioritize loving one another in word and deed

Or to put it another way… “Stop being selfish and serve one another.” Peter uses strong language to call them to prioritize loving one another – “Above all!” And don’t just love one another, love one another earnestly! Meaning eagerly or constantly. It is to be our joy and delight to love one another. After all, he says, “love covers a multitude of sins”.

What does that mean? Simply that biblical love is not looking for a fight. It is not easily offended. Biblical love is looking to put down dissension rather than stir it up. Rather than putting the other on blast and sharing how shocking their sin against us was, biblical love moves towards reconciliation.

Love like this is necessary to have unity in a church made up of diverse people from many different backgrounds. For the church of Peter’s day, already attacked from without, this type of love would have been necessary to protect it from within. It is also a key element that reveals to the watching world that we are Jesus’ disciples.

John 13:34–35 (ESV)

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

When people love one another earnestly within the church, it creates a compelling community that others notice, and it becomes a testimony for Christ. We heard some examples of this in our anniversary video earlier today. How sweet it is to be part of a church where this kind of love is actively practiced. Let’s continue to prioritize loving one another in word and deed!

Peter gives some very tangible ways to do this in these verses, starting in verse 9 with the call to show hospitality to one another without grumbling. The without grumbling piece is telling, isn’t it? It won’t always be easy to do this. It will be tempting to say, “I’ve sacrificed enough! Can’t I have a break from serving others?” In the early church, they were heavily dependent on one another’s hospitality. If you were traveling from town to town, it was rare to have public accommodations or to be able to afford them, so you were looking for a hospitable Christian to provide you with food and lodging. The same was true for traveling missionaries like Paul or Barnabas. They depended on hospitality to preach the Gospel across the world! Many of the early churches met in homes of the church members. Talk about hospitality!! It might be tempting to grumble after having 20-30+ people gathering in your home week after week. There is work and sacrifice in living life together as the church… but it is SO WORTH IT! Show hospitality to one another without grumbling! You’re not hosting the whole church these days, but you might be hosting a small group gathering… or being intentional to get to know these fellow brothers and sisters by breaking bread together. I hope you make it a regular practice to have people into your home or apartment for the sake of hospitality. Will it be hard? Maybe. Will it be worth it? Absolutely! Don’t let the cares of this world hinder your hospitality – your home can be messy, your kids don’t have to be perfect, your meal can be from a box… just be together and share life together! (The Gospel Comes with a Housekey + Sept Prayer Handout) (Personal Testimony) This is one way we can glorify God as we wait for His Son’s return.

Peter gives us another way to glorify God in verses 10-11. Use your gifts to serve one another. He breaks down our gifts into two basic categories – words and deeds. Regardless of which gifts you are exercising; they are to be for the good of others and in the strength that God provides. These gifts aren’t about drawing attention to yourself – “Wow, isn’t he/she so great/talented! But, wow isn’t their God so incredible!”

Peter helpfully tells us that this is a stewardship issue! God has entrusted these gifts to you for the good of others. I find this to be a helpful reminder of the corporate nature of our faith. None of us were saved into an isolated relationship with God apart from the local church. We were saved into God’s family, into his Son’s bride, the church. Upon salvation, we have a community we belong to that needs our giftings to be complete. A good question to write down and answer later is… what are my gifts and how can I use them to serve others? Each one of us is interdependent on one another as we are built up for the glory of God!

And that’s the “why” behind prioritizing loving one another in word and deed… We do this in order that in everything God may be glorified… And he is greatly worthy of glory! Peter even closes this section of his letter with praise at the end of verse 11:

1 Peter 4:11c (ESV)

11  To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

God is the glorious One, the powerful One and it is appropriate and right for Christians to live in a way that proclaims these magnificent truths! Living this way is a tangible witness to our watching world. By our lives being submitted to his will and ways, we declare that he is worthy of glory and praise.

From this praise to God, he then transitions back into the reality of suffering for the remainder of his letter. How do Christians glorify God in the face of suffering? Lets read verses 12-19 again to find out:

1 Peter 4:12–19 (ESV)

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

       “If the righteous is scarcely saved,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

These verses remind us that glorifying God in the last days means we should…

  1. Expect to suffer for Christ and respond accordingly

Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you. Not if it comes upon you, but when it comes upon you. It is a fiery trial that tests you! This is the same language he used at the beginning of his letter in 1:6-7.

1 Peter 1:6–7 (ESV)

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

These trials are not strange or unexpected for the Christian! They are allowed into your life by a good God who is seeking to refine you and prepare you for eternity. Is that how you think about the trials in your life? God has allowed this into my life, and he is able to force it to do good to me! He will not waste this hardship; it is not meaningless. Thinking this way brings incredible hope to our suffering. How do you think it would have impacted the 1st century believers who were facing hostility for converting to Christianity? These sufferings weren’t a surprise to God! And he is not suddenly off the throne in these circumstances. He is at work in the midst of them!

Peter is writing this as one who has walked the walk. Consider what he and the other apostles did in Acts:

Acts 5:40–41 (ESV)

40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

Our proper response, as Peter commands and exemplified in his own life, is to rejoice! Rejoice, insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings. Don’t suffer for doing evil or living sinfully… but be willing to suffer as a Christian.

Being willing to suffer for Christ now is preparing you for the praise, glory, and honor that will be revealed when Jesus returns! Being willing to suffer now is preparing you to endure to the end. A person who professes that they believe in Christ but is not willing to count the cost of following Christ will not endure to the end! Expect suffering and rejoice that God is at work in it.

Verse 14 tells us of the blessing that comes from suffering for Christ – “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” When you live boldly and righteously for Jesus and it invites pushback into your life, God is with you! You are not alone in your righteous suffering. That ought to embolden your witness! If you truly believed that God is with you and blessing you, why wouldn’t you open your mouth to share the Gospel with your unbelieving coworker/friend/neighbor/family member? The truth of God’s presence encourages me, and the question convicts me. I must open my mouth and preach the gospel!

Peter went on to say that if anyone suffers as a Christian, they should not be ashamed, but glorify God in that name. This fits so well with Jesus’ preaching in the Sermon on the Mount. This is a passage I’ve shared before, but it bears repeating again because it is helpful truth to motivate us to action!

Matthew 5:11–12 (ESV)

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

There is no reason to be ashamed of your faith in Christ. When you suffer for Christ, you can rejoice and glorify God because you know he has the last word!

Unfortunately, sometimes this kind of reviling and insults come from those who profess to follow Christ. If you’re in the church long enough, you’ll face hard relationships or situations wherein a professing brother or sister in Christ treats you poorly for obeying Jesus. This often happens when you try to come alongside someone struggling or enslaved to sin. Not everyone wants accountability or help in growing in holiness and they lash out at you. What will you do then? Peter’s counsel is very helpful here. Do not be ashamed. Glorify God. Rejoice that you’ve been counted worthy to suffer for Christ. And, as we’ve heard earlier in this letter, do not return evil for evil or reviling for reviling.

I am thankful to have served alongside believers who take this call seriously. The men on our pastor team have been reviled for obeying God’s Word. People within our body have been treated poorly for pursuing someone caught in sin. Praise God for suffering saints who are willing to count the cost of following Christ! Do not grow weary in doing good!

In fact, we could also consider Peter’s counsel in verse 19 – “Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

Entrusting yourself to your faithful Creator is a great response to opposition! It is a response of humility, acknowledging that God is in control. He has the dominion or power as our Creator and he could have prevented this situation, but he didn’t. Do you trust him in this? Entrusting your soul to your faithful Creator requires you to believe that he is faithful and that he is trustworthy. Peter made it clear that Jesus believed these things:

1 Peter 2:23 (ESV)

23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

Do you agree with Jesus about the character of God? Or do you think you know better? A Christian who is responding well to suffering will entrust themselves to their faithful Creator, while doing good… Meaning they won’t stop serving others even in their own suffering! What a high and holy calling! Yet again we are forced to realize that this will only be possible as we look to Jesus as our example and cry out to him in prayer for help and allow his Holy Spirit to transform us into this kind of man or woman.

“Lord, help me to have this HIGH view of God that leads me to humbly depend on him in all my days and circumstances. Help me to trust him in the lowest valleys and highest peaks of life. Please work in me to help me to continue to serve others, especially when I am tempted to turn inwards and focus on myself. May I not be ashamed of you nor allow suffering to silence my faith.”

I don’t pretend that any of this will be easy for us. As men and women still beset by selfishness and sin, we are in a fight for holiness. Peter’s own words of warning echo in my mind:

1 Peter 2:11 (ESV)

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

There is a real war going on within each of us who professes faith in Christ. A war between the flesh and the Spirit. And we are called to be engaged in this battle for holiness.

There are real stakes in this war. Peter made mention of them in 4:17-18 and it is to these truths we now turn:

1 Peter 4:17–18 (ESV)

17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

       “If the righteous is scarcely saved,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

Peter provides the reasoning for entrusting yourself to your faithful Creator while doing good… We will all face the Just Judge. Whether you believe in Jesus or not, Judgment Day is coming… Far better to face this Just Judge as one of his children who has been refined by suffering than as someone who has rejected him…

These are powerful words to end on… I would encourage all to take heed of these words from Peter. If believers face such scrutiny from God, how much worse do you think the judgment of someone who has rejected Him will be? You don’t want to find out.

I implore you, if you do not believe in Jesus Christ, do not leave here today without considering the truths we’ve discussed. It is not too late for you to confess your sins and believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and salvation of your soul. I would love to talk to you more about how to do this after the service.

For those who are in Christ, I hope this text has invigorated you to consider how you are living for God in the last days. May we be a church who seeks to glorify God as we await His Son’s return.

Let’s pray.

Pray