Temperance, Sobriety, and Prayer

Intro.

A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the beginning of 1 Peter 4. We were shown by the Apostle that we must be willing to be uncomfortable and to suffer to stay away from sinning in this life. He tells us 1 Pet. 4.3

1 Peter 4:3 LSB

3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have worked out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

The Apostle now continues in today’s text, saying: 1 Pet. 4.7-11

1 Peter 4:7–11 LSB

7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound thinking and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. 8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10 As each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God— 11 whoever speaks, as one speaking the oracles of God; whoever serves, as one serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and might forever and ever. Amen.

This text presents us with a number of things for us to get into this morning, so let’s dive in!

Facing the End

Firstly, let’s look just at verse 1 Pet. 4.7

1 Peter 4:7 LSB

7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound thinking and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

The End

What does Peter mean by “the end is at hand”?

End of the world

commonly thought that early Christians believed the end of the world was eminent, and Christ was swiftly to return

A view toward the end of life

Perhaps, Peter is calling their attention to the shortness of a man’s lifespan.

Could be the coming end of Jerusalem (approx. 6-10 yrs. after the letter was written)

This would come with the expectation of Roman persecutions, not just civil ones.

Could be that the end of the former things has come upon us, and a view towards the coming of Christ at a time unknown.

This would be challenging the Christians to have in mind that Jesus could now return at any moment, without necessarily believing firmly the world was going to end soon.

Like saying, “Be prepared at all times”

This is what I personally think Peter means.

Either way, regardless of what the “end” is, Peter tells the Church to whom he wrote that it is “at hand” — this word literally meaning that it is quickly approaching, or the idea that a thing is so close you could touch it with your hands.

This “end” being so near, Peter has some instruction for the Church about how they should be armed (as he used that word in the previous few verses) in mind.

1 Pet. 4.1 — “arm yourselves also with this same way of thinking”

Sound Thinking, Sober Spirit

It is necessary for us to ask: What is sound thinking and a sober spirit?

Usually when we think of soundness biblically, we think sound doctrine

We often believe this means to be correct — that word in Greek is “healthy”

This word, however, is very different indeed.

This word means to be clear headed and sensible

In other words, Peter tells us that we are to be of a level-headed mindset since the “end” is coming soon!

Secondly, the word sober:

Now, when we think sober we usually think of not being inebriated. While there is a sense of that to this word, it goes further.

It is not enough to be merely free from inebriation. Rather the word more fully means to be temperate and self-controlled.

Therefore, Peter calls the Christians, in light of this impending end, to not only be sure to think right and be serious about it, but also to be self-controlled in spirit — that is, to not allow yourself to be given to vice in view of the “end” at hand.

How do these tow things relate one to another?

If you are thinking rightly, or in your right mind, you can understand the reality of the matters before you. If you allow your thinking to be lazy and undisciplined, you will inevitably lose focus on what is important, and lines get blurred.

When you no longer are thinking rationally, you’re more likely to allow your spirit to be unrestrained — this is where temptations come in and we get swept away into sins.

If you’re spirit is undisciplined, if you are not self-controlled, you will not be holding your body back from sins. This calls us back to 1 Pet. 4.3

1 Peter 4:3 LSB

3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have worked out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

We know that enough time has been spent in these evils, and therefore as we know Christ may return at any moment we as His Body must be disciplined and controlled in mind and spirit.

Relating to Prayer

Peter rounds this all off by saying, “…for the purpose of prayers.”

Now, from the commentaries I read, most of them seem to agree in a general way with what Peter is saying here — and I can attest to is with my own personal life.

A strange thing happens when we stop thinking right and stop disciplining ourselves: We stop praying.

Every time in my life that I recognize it’s been awhile since I prayed, I can trace it back to the fact that my mind hasn’t been right, and I’ve probably also been quite undisciplined in some ways.

We get caught up in the haze of whatever is distracting us, whatever is obscuring our view of God. Then when our view is obscured and our mind is no longer set on Christ, we begin to focus on the thing we are thinking about, however pleasant or unpleasant it may be, and like cats to a lazer-pointer we easily can get swept away wherever it desires to take us.

Is it any reason why Peter calls us to be clear headed and disciplined?

We need remove ourselves and guard our hearts from any distractions and temptations so that our communication with God will not be hindered! Anything that would keep us from praying fervently has to go! Our prayers must be more than an occasion or a rote list of “I wants”. We cannot go on and undervalue the necessity of prayer in our relationship with God. Without it, we so easily can lose touch with reality, and with His will for us.

Then, our brother goes on to, I believe, build on how one behaves as we are disciplined and clear headed: 1 Pet. 4.8-11

1 Peter 4:8–11 LSB

8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10 As each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God— 11 whoever speaks, as one speaking the oracles of God; whoever serves, as one serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and might forever and ever. Amen.

I would love to dive into these verses as well but we simply don’t have the time today, so I want to whet our appetites for this so we are eager for it next week. Study this out during the week, meditate on what Peter is saying here! Is this us? Is this you and me?

Conclusion

As for our text this morning in v. 7, let’s ask of ourselves right now:

Where is my head? Am I thinking straight about God the brevity of time on earth? Am I taking the return of the Lord very seriously, or am I just going about from distraction to distraction?

Am I living a life that is disciplined? Do I take control of my spirit within me and submit it to the will of God?

Are these things affecting my prayer life? How can I grow in prayer to be more serious about it?

If we genuinely reflect on ourselves in this way, it is possible we will find things we want to hide from. I am going to encourage you not to! Be serious about these things, and think reasonably about where you might be and submit your life entirely to God wherever we night not have done so yet.

Whatever is keeping us from prayer, keeping us from being serious and devoted to prayer more than “Thank you, here’s what I want” — these distractions and lazinesses have to go… and as always, I’m speaking to myself more than anyone else here because I have to get this right too.