The End of All Things
Question of the day: Can you share with us a story about something your Father did for you, or your heavenly Father?
This lesson covers one of my favorite passages in the entire bible. I first discovered this passage while managing the first recruiting team for Mount Pisgah Academy. I decided to use it as the focus for the entire summer. So we memorized it as a team, and each and every day we had a devotional on one of the lines from this passage. It was a powerful summer. Listening to high school students talk about this and then find examples throughout the summer of how important each and every point was made a huge impact on me. I hope you also enjoy this passage.
I really believe this passage is vitally important to us as Adventists! In our very name we believe that Jesus is coming and He is coming soon, bringing to an end this world as we know it. If we really believe that then, this passage speaks to us directly about what we are called to be doing!
1 Peter 4:7-11
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so 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.
ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION
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.
MODERN ENGLISH VERSION
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be solemn and sober so you can pray. 8 Above all things, have unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without complaining. 10 As everyone has received a gift, even so serve one another with it, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone serves, let him serve with the strength that God supplies, so that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
THE MESSAGE
7-11 Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!
THE END OF ALL THINGS IS NEAR.
Do we really believe it?
The end of all things is near. Therefore be...
This is a call for us. For Those who believe in Jesus Christ and who believe that his return is coming soon.
Do you believe that Jesus is coming soon?
Do you believe that the end of all things is near?
This is key!
A very important point.
It impacts how we live, think, serve!
I'm not talking about selling all we have and finding a hill with a good spot to watch Him come in the clouds. After all this isn't what this passage says at all!
The end is near, and we have a mission, we have some things to do!
The end of all things is near. Therefor be...
SOBER MINDED
BE ALERT and OF SOBER MIND SO YOU CAN PRAY.
It is beautiful to me that prayer is the very first action we need to take. Prayer. Prayer should move us. Prayer isn't a act that is close to the act of sleeping. Instead prayer should be what propels us to move.
Congressman John Lewis said, "When you pray move your feet." What actions then would our faith dictate.
This prayer is not just reciting a few words that we say over and over again. This prayer isn't a prayer that puts us to sleep so for this prayer we must be alert and of sober mind. This prayer that Peter is talking about is prayer time that doesn't pat ourselves on the back, where we wrap up our personal conclusions of how beautiful our life is, but prayer that is seeking to move, to open our minds, to DO SOMETHING!
ABOVE ALL LOVE EACH OTHER DEEPLY BECAUSE LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS!
Above all...
ABOVE ALL!!!!!!!!
So how important is this.
First we understand that the end of all things is near. That makes all this important right! Urgent! The end of all things is near signals that this is the final sprint! We need to dig deep and put all we have into this! We need to leave it all on the table!
Then pray... and the first feet the pavement has above all connected to it! How important does that make this?
Above all love each other how?
This love is not a passive love. This love is not a superficial in word only love. This love is deep, calling us to complete vulnerability.
This love takes risks
This love moves and does things
This love lays it all on the line! All of it!
This love feels, acts, and it most certainly COVERS.
COVERS a MULTITUDE OF SINS
The best way to understand this is to remember what Jesus has done for us. His great love for us provided the covering of our sins. God is LOVE therefore, this love is not only a love that risks, moves, lays it all on the line, because it is a love that comes from God himself, this love COVERS sins.
What does that mean, practically?
Is this covering one directional?
We know that love covers, we have experienced it in our lives and what I know is that this love covers going both directions. Both the receiver and the giver of love experience it. Look at it this way. Love strips away all that doesn't matter or love blinds us to the things that are of little or no importance.
Andrew and Becca have been having a hard time getting Nolan to sleep. He doesn't seem to think that he ever really needs it, at least not for long. So he may sleep for a couple hours but then he wants to play for a couple hours. That isn't easy on parents who need sleep and who need to be working the next day. Yet I have been so blown away by their patience and even joy at their little Nolan's sleeping patterns. There is only one explanation. He has captured their hearts.
It has been interesting over the years watching adults react to teenagers or staff members at the academy that have not had teenagers of their own. Then watching those same adults after their children have become teenagers or adults. They don't see teenagers in the same light. Now, what they see is through the lenses of love, and that CHANGES EVERYTHING!
Above all love each other....
OFFER HOSPITALITY TO ONE ANOTHER WITHOUT GRUMBLING.
What does this look like?
Why does Peter say "without grumbling?"
Continuing on it is as if I can hear people objecting to offering hospitality giving all the excuses why they can't, so he continues. However I don't believe that hospitality is optional. He didn't list all the other things we can be doing but this one he did.
Hospitality is the action of LOVE and God's GRACE.
It is meat between the two slices of bread one Love and the other Grace. HOSPITALITY is the action. How that hospitality looks, God will direct you and show you and it is as varied and individual as you are. He doesn't want you to offer hospitality like I do and I shouldn't offer it like you do.
EACH OF YOU SHOULD US WHATEVER GIFT YOU HAVE RECEIVED TO SERVE OTHERS, AS FAITHFUL STEWARDS OF GOD'S GRACE IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS.
I love that here it isn't just our gifts that are varied but even God's grace has various forms.
In essence. If we don't use our gifts, the ones he gave us, then the world will never fully see God's grace.
What are your gifts?
How do you use those specific gifts to share God's love and grace with those around you?
I want to challenge you this next week to everyday ask God what gifts of love and grace is He asking you to share with the world today?
PLEASE!!!! If you do nothing else, be sober minded and alert as you pray, asking Him to show you how your gifts can be shared for Him!
This is THE MOST IMPORTANT work you will ever do!!!!
We spend a lot of time on wanting to better ourselves, to clean out our hearts, etc. All good, but perhaps the very act of praying this way and then stepping out and loving with God's grace will accomplish all that is needed for heart work in our own lives.
IF ANYONE SPEAKS, THEY SHOULD DO SO AS ONE WHO SPEAKS THE VERY WORDS OF GOD.
If anyone writes on Facebook or Instagram they should only write as if writing the very words of God....
Is this a standard we can't live up to?
How on earth are we, so flawed supposed to speak as if we are speaking the very words of God.
It all goes back to that relationship with him. Filling our minds with His word. Spending time in prayer.
I think one of the most important elements of this is to wait and choose our words carefully which means you have time to LISTEN!
Too many times we just speak, instead of LISTENING. REALLY listening to those around us. If we are first in prayer, then looking through lenses of LOVE and GRACE and listening with the auto tune of LOVE and GRACE, all before speaking, then our words can be words that come from God himself!
IF ANYONE SERVES, THEY SHOULD DO SO WITH THE STRENGTH GOD PROVIDES, SO THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD MAY BE PRAISED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
There is no point, absolutely no point in us serving or doing any of this unless we are completely relying on Him. It is in that relying on His strength that we stay in the right space of humility. Asking him for not only the grace and love from which to serve but all the strength needed, keeps us in a mindset of dependence on Him. It keeps us from letting it all be about us and our "good" works. It keeps us from doing things we should be leaving for others.
If God has not given you the strength to do something then you shouldn't be doing it! The question to ask yourself is are you asking for the guidance and strength.
This is a vital important part of loving because it keeps us in check and doing HIS will!
JUST because we can and it is good doesn't mean He is asking us to do it!
Oh what he calls us to do is risky, vulnerable, laying it all on the line kind of love, where we give all of who we are to the hospitality He has called us to. BUT!!!! We must make sure we are not DOING to make ourselves feel a certain way, or to look a certain way, or to even get out of doing something else He is calling you to. How we make sure we are serving in the right space is to rely completely on Him for the guidance and strength to get it done.
TO HIM BELONG GLORY AND DOMINION FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
If we stay in our lane, do what Peter speaks of here, our lives will have the distinct and unimaginable honor of speaking to the Glory and Dominion of God. It all should always direct those around us to HIM!
THE END OF ALL THINGS IS NEAR, THEREFORE!!!!!
TO HIM BE THE GLORY AND HONOR FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN
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