The Manifold Grace of God

Preliminary:

I invite you to 1 Peter 4:7

Introduction:

It is interesting to me that as soon as a new skirmish begins in the Middle East - those who are deep into prophecy immediately begin their “I told you so speech.”

Now I am not here to tell you that what is going on right now does not have any significance in regard to end time prophecy - I don’t know - but I do know the Bible gives specific instructions on how to handle the end of the age. That is what I want to talk to you about this morning -

The Lifestyle of the Last Days.

Now in reality - there isn’t much change in how we should live prior to the last days and during the last days but Peter gives us a fascinating look at what living in the last days should be like.

Lets read about it:

1 Peter 4:7–11 KJV 1900

7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging. 10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

The first thing we notice is that Peter acknowledges that we are in the last times and that the end of all things is at hand.

We have to realize that this earth this life isn’t forever.

James, 1, 2 Peter, & Jude 1. Serious Minded Prayers (v. 7)

It makes no difference that Jesus did not return in Peter’s lifetime, or even soon thereafter—as we regard “soon.” In God’s terms, “the culmination of all things” is always “at hand,” and Christians must always live in that awareness.

In light of this Peter then gives four characteristics that should identify God’s people in these last days. The lifestyle of the last days, the end time ethics.

He begins with an imperative or command to be sober.

Lifestyle 1 - Be Sober

What does it mean to be sober? Sometimes today we think in terms of sobriety from drugs or alcohol -

Peter did not think in those terms - he was thinking of the frantic, panicked frenzy people worked themselves into over the end of all things.

We would use the word “sane”

Peter says, “The end of the world is near - keep a level head”

Isn’t that quite a contradiction in terms.

But fear, panic, frenzied thoughts, mind running wild is a lifestyle of the world -

but we as Christians know that ‘

God has the whole world in His hands,

he has our life in HIs hands,

He has the end of the world under control

We don’t have to loose our minds over the fact that the end of all things is at hand.

Sober at its root means to be of a sound mind - to be in full possession of ones faculties.

I don’t want to be narrow minded about this - but there is alot of “undue excitement” of end time prophecy

It has a grasp on the imaginative, the creative, the frenzied, the frantic

All types of scenarios have been submitted from Aliens, to AI from Climate Change to Nuclear Fall-out and warfare

From Robots to world domination

There is a sense in the modern mind that there is an Armageddon out there just waiting to happen and fear and terror are controlling many people

But Peter says those who are in Christ should be thinking level-headed about this.

But sober can also mean to think seriously - that Christians ought to set themselves in a serious frame of mind gathering and focusing their faculties for prayers.

Which brings us to the second lifestyle

Lifestyle 2 - Prayer

We as humans often try to work ourselves into what Dr. Wingrove Taylor called the “flow of prayer”

I’ve seen others who get louder and louder

And I’m not condemning those ways of prayer

But I am condemning any prayer that is panic or frenzied driven

There is a difference between earnest prayer over a serious situation and frantic prayer attempting to get God’s attention like he’s off on some vacation or asleep.

We can pray in trust, knowing that we are His Children if we belong to Christ - he hears us when we pray.

At the same time knowing that the end is near - should produce an attitude or desire of prayer - sane and sober prayer

The reason for the sane and sober prayer is to pray more effectively and more appropriately

Yes we should be alert to current events and have the ability to evaluate them correctly - but not just to furnish conversation, discussions, or debates - but rather- in order to pray more intelligently

There is a relationship between being sober and prayer

Lifestyle 3 - Fervent Charity among yourselves

Love one another - yes we are to love everyone - but Peter places even above the love to everyone is the LOVE TO ONE ANOTHER

The love among Christians

Love when you misunderstand them or they misunderstand you

Love when you disagree with them or they disagree with you

Love when you feel left out or neglected,

Love - fervent love

Love covers a multitude of sins

Love doesn’t want to broadcast all over the faults and failures of their brothers - of those thy love

There should be such a love and loyalty between Christians that they don’t want the world to have any more ammunition against us.

Now I should say that Love does not take away the need for accountability

We should still hold one another accountable

No person in place of authority should be allowed to hurt children in anyway -

This love will bring about hospitality one to another without grudging

Without being grumpy about having to do it

Without being grumpy about feeling as though not enough is extended to you.

Lifestyle 4- Speak & Serve

Not just speaking and serving but properly using them

Just because you have the gift of gab does not mean you should say everything that comes to your mind.

Speak as the oracles of God (the doctrine, teaching, or Word of God)

Use the gifts as God has given them - use them as good stewards

There is the phrase that I have been meditating on recently “manifold grace of GOd”

That word manifold can mean many, but in this context it is more likely that it means various

One has put it this way, “many in color and light and bloom and beauty.”

It’s not about quantity or even quality but of variety

Every color of the spectrum, all the colors belonging one to another and totalling up into one ineffable whiteness.

Let every one bring his color to every other’s color and let all the world see the variety, diversity, in charm and hue of the