End Times Ethics

Welcome to Spring in New Mexico

I have friends traveling to phoenix this week to watch a Spring Training Game.

now they are really smart and amazing people

and i had to ask a question when preparing this sermon.

How would you know who is on what team?

of course they looked at me funny...

in the military

i ask them how they know which branch

they said if you see a man coming out of a Ritz Carlton in uniform they are in the air force

if you see them come out of a Marriott they are in the Navy

if you see them come out of a motel six they are Army

Then i ask about ranks ---- bars and stars --- bars and stars

The point is that we can tell alot about things by the uniform

In baseball and the military they sign a contract and they belong

they become part of .....

The challenge as a Christian is we don’t get a special uniform,

or a row of bars or stars.

we don’t all wear the same thing and be identified by our outward looks

As Christians we are known by our FRUIT

We are known by our Character

We are known because we

live differently,

act different, and

most certainly

HOPE differently.

Peter starts today with

1 peter 4:7 “7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.”

One of the biggest challenges is that we live with Heaven in mind,

and miss the opportunity to Glorify God everyday in everything.

Let me explain.

We are to live knowing that Heaven is Real,

that Heaven is our destination

But we cannot miss the calling in each of our life to

Love God

Love Others - Love covers a multitude of sin

Serve Others = Hospitality

and Serve the church with our gifts

Living with Heaven in Mind --Daily

How are you doing with that?

are you active in the church community?

How are you serving others?

Loving Others?

Our mission today is to see that we must Fear God First,

and that He is above all

and IN ALL

Most Christians don’t have an issue with seeing God ABOVE ALL Things

BUT rather in all things.

Our Christian life is a dichotomy

it is both simple --- Follow Christ — On Faith alone

and complex --- obey and fear the Lord in ALL Things

The Lord is not attempting to make Puppets

but Producers of His likeness in there special, unique gifted way.

I often believe that is what a non- believer thinks

that the Lord is seeking loyal puppets on a string.

As the Great Philosopher, Pinocchio once stated “I want to be a real boy”

Christ wants you to be who HE designed you to be

Unique,

Special,

Set apart,

Glorifying Him by growing others,

growing HIS church

_______________________

Lets take a few moments and address the END of TIMES

and in doing this understand that we can be called home at any time

for if you knew the time of your passing, you may be tempted to live different

YET we are called to move towards HIM daily

seeking to be more like HIM

open your Bible to>>>>>>>>

End of Times

1 peter 4:7 “7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.”

Last week i quoted from Ecc 12:13 “13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

So Peter is casting a far reaching goals and a warning

The end of things is near.!!

We should live like everyday is our last day on this earth.

Paying attention to our:

Attitude towards God and Others

Our Conduct with Others

Glorifying Him daily

Growing towards Him daily

Pouring into others

Self controlled is our conduct and sober-minded our attitude always and in every transaction.

We live to be KNOWN by our Character

We live to be different in this world

For the end of all things is at Hand

We need to live like Him and FOR HIM every moment of every day

We live like THIS --- So we can live like this...

End of Times

Slide for End Times Timeline

Describe the church age to the Rapture — you want to go or stay?

Love Covers Sins

1 Peter 4:8–9 ESV

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Just look at the amazing things in theses verses today

1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Keep Loving

We love in all things … we learn to love those that are tough to love

We learn to love our enemies

We learn to love the broken and the proud

we learn to love the bragger and the silent ones

Covering over Sins

The Interpretation of the Epistles of St. Peter, St. John, and St. Jude (Exercising Christian Virtues in View of the End, v. 7–11)

Love hides them from its own sight and not from God’s sight.

Hate does the opposite; it pries about in order to discover some sin or some semblance of sin in a brother

and then broadcasts it,

even exaggerates it,

gloats over it

Peter is not saying at all that our sins are gone

Our Character of Christ changes our focus

He is saying that when we view ours in LOVE,

we are not looking for the wrong but the potential

We are looking at them as

THAT’s where they are at,

and CHRIST met me where I was at and then

showed me LOVE and Grace in patience to lead me to where i am now.

1 Peter 4:9 (ESV)

9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Show Hospitality

Peter goes on to say that we show HOSPITALITY

Hospitality is showing care for people not in our circle

we INVITE them to SEE our Character

we include OTHERS outside of our church

we spent time with non believers so that they see our Character

Don’t you just live for those moments when some one says “umm something is different about you, why are you KIND, Patient, gentle, loving even when that awful thing happened.

Using our Gifts for church

1 Peter 4:10–11 (ESV)

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.

What are your gifts and are you using them for your church?

Are you using them to pour into others?

are you using them to GLORIFY GOD by GROWING OTHERS IN CHRIST

ALL for His Glory

Glorifying God by Growing Others in Christ.

1 Peter 4:11 (ESV)

......in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Living with Heaven in Mind --Daily

We are known by our Character

We are judged by others on a daily basis,

to Honor and Glorify God we seek to live a life that is WELL DONE.