1 Peter 4

Intro

We are going to be going through

The book of 1 Peter

How many of you have read that book before?

Before we get into any book

I always like to give you guys some background

On why any book is written

The book of first and second peter were both written by

WHO

Peter good job

If you know your bible

This is the same Peter that was one Jesus closest diciples

Same Peter that walks on water

Same Peter that cuts a mans ear off to protect Jesus

Same Peter that also denies Jesus 3 times

Same Peter that Jesus tells he will build his church upon

Scholars believe that Peter wrote the book

Sometime between WHEN??? 62-64 A.D.

Which most scholars belive was only a few years before Peter was matyerd for his faith

And he was primarily writing to scattered Christians

likely in WHERE?? Modern day Turkey

Around this time mass persecution of Christians hadn’t happened in Rome YET

But it was starting to become more difficult

Alot of them were experiencing

Social rejection Insults and slander Economic hardship Family tension Increasing pressure from Roman culture

Overall scholars belive that Peter simply wanted to encourage early Christians to continue in their walk of faith

Later over time they would come deeply persecuted

By a certain Roman emperor WHO???? Nero

Today as we look at the book I want to just look at chapter 4

You will learn as we go through this book

There is alot of content

And honeslty I would encourage you

Read, read, read this book on your own

Because I could do an entire series just on Chapter 4 of this book

But we aren’t going to do that

You will learn that as we go through it

Its all about your walk with God

When I walk with Jesus how should i live?

How should I act?

How should I think?

These are all things that this book tackles so well

So to get us started off today

1. God wants something new for you

1 Peter 4:1–5 “So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead.”

How of you guys remember that I used to work at Meijer?

One core memory that I have

after they remodeled the store

There would be customer after customer

That we be so thrown off because of the new layout

There were many times

People would complain

Whats the point I want to make

People knew how something used to be

And they don’t understand the new way

Now these people don’t get it

“It was like this”

“This is how I always remember it”

people don’t recogonize the new thing

because they are so used to the old thing

Why do I tell you this?

As Peter starts off chapter 4

He begins to talk about

living the Christian life

Not just around other christians

But around people who aren’t

And he explains to them

When following Jesus

people are going to remember your old way of life

You used to not be a christian

And with that comes with misunderstanding from others

You will hear things like:

You used to listen to that kind of music

You used to make those kind of Jokes

You used to love gossiping about that person

You used to live the way that you wanted to

But when you chose to follow Jesus

We make a consious choice

We lay down the sin that we once lived in

And we say

“Jesus I want to follow you”

You take these things

I want you instead

BUT HERE IS THE POINT THAT PETER MAKES

When we do that

There will be people

who will want you to be the old you still

What do I mean by that

Jesus like the customers at Meijer

They remember how things used to be

“What, why did you guys move that”

“Why does this look different”

“Well I just won’t even shop here anymore”

When that happens

When have to ask ourselves the question

are we going to conform to what everyone else does?

Or are we going to continue to walk with God

Here is what I want you to hear

Don’t let familiar become your prison

When we find ourselves in that space

Being challenged by the integrity of our faith

We can’t give into the temptation of going back to what is familiar

It can be so tempting to go back to how things used to be

But the truth is

If we do

We miss out on the new things God wants to do in our lives

2. We don’t know what tomorrow holds

1 Peter 4:6–9 “That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit. The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.”

After I graduated high school

I was a student at UT 

I remember I had a super busy season 

I was talking summer classes 

And I was working for the mudhens

Literally everyday 

I would get there are around noon

And be there until like midnight every night

I remember there was one time

I came home from a game

And I relaized that I had an assignment that was due

30 mins that I hadn’t even started

How many of yall have experienced that?

in that moment I realized

I had been putting off

This homework assignment for such a long time

I had it assinged for about 2 weeks

I continued to not want to do it

I avoided it

If you are honest

How many of you have done that before?

I share my embaressing story with you guys

Because I think in many ways

Just how we can put off doing homework

We can put off sharing the love of Jesus with others

WE feel like we are too busy

We are frustrated with someone else, so we hold grudges

We are worried of what someone else will think of us

And the truth that Peter is trying to explain in our scripture

One day Jesus is going to come back

This Earth will be no more

And the truth is

We have no idea when that will happen

What does Peter say:?

“The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

Love now, not later

There are times when we have to choose

are we going to respond with hate

Or are we going to respond with love

Peter is telling us to show the love of God to others

with our attitude

With our service

You do not know what tomorrow holds so love others now

3.We weren't created to compete; we were created to complement.

1 Peter 4:10–11 “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”

Many of you guys are good with computers?

I have a friend who I have talked about before

Jonathan

Jonathan has always been so good with computers

I have known the guy since middle school

He eventually got a degree in computer and mechanical engineering

I will never forger

There was one time. he was over at my house

And had these computer speakers

I told him they weren’t working anymore

He pulls out a saudering iron

Sauders these 2 wires together

They have worked ever since. I still have them today

I tell you about jonathan

because just like many other people in our lives

I went to him

Because he can do something that I can’t

He undertands it better than I do

He has skills and now how that I don’t have

And we are honest we do this all the time

We go to barbers

We Get our nails done

We hire roofers, plumbers

We go to medical doctors

There are people that have certain skills who can help us

because we don’t have those skills

What if I told you

That just as we have these earthy skills that others don’t

We also have spiritual giftings and talents that the Lord has given us

Remember what Peter said

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

There are skills and talents that the Lord has given you

For some its the gift of encouragement

For some its the gift of prayer.

For some its the gift of speaking and teaching

Prophesiying, speaking in tougnes

The Lord can use us in all of these different ways

Its important for us to know this

Not just for us to serve

But becasue God has made you on purpose for a purpose

He made you different than everyone else

That is important

because I think many times

We put so much enregy into being a different version of oursleves

Whether its from what others say or its from what we think we should be in our own eyes

Here is the OTHER thing I want you to hear \

God has given you your gifts to be stewarded

Now when I say that

Who can tell me what the word steward means?

Here is an explanation that a Bible dictionary gave

“stewardship represents “partnership with Christ, through the Holy Spirit, in fulfilling the purpose of God in the world.”

in other words

God has called us

To not just know we have gifts

But to use them to our full capacity

Whatever way God has wired you

He made you that way so you could serve

Serve those who don’t him

But even

Serve those who do

At our church

In CSM

God wants to use you

Steward the giftings he has given you

4. Jesus is worth the fight

1 Peter 4:12–14 “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.”

How many of you guys know who that is?

That is Winston Churchill

Famoulsy known for being the Prime minister of Great Britian

during World War 2

Winston Churchill famously

Helped Rebuild and Lead Great Britian after all the attacks that they faced during WW2

From Hitler and Nazi Germany

Churchhill has always gone down in Britians History as a strong leader

Willing to fight, to keep the country secure

However he is not who I want to talk to you about this morning

How many of you know who that is?

That is Neville Chamberlain

Neville Chamberlain was also the Prime Minister

And he served his term from 1937-1940

History trivia question for you who knows when WW2 begin and end?

1939-1945

Why do I tell you all of this?

I tell you all of this because

Even though Winston Churchhill is always known as

Great Britians prime minister during WW2

Neville Chamberlain is forgotten about

Not only because Churchhill made more of a difference

But becasue Chamberlain failure of leadership

As Hitler began to form and grow Germanys military

Neville Chamberlain sat in office and watched for

7 full years

as Hitlers powers grew and he did nothing

Many times during his time in office

He underestimated what Hitler planned to do

1 quote from him in 1938 he said

"I believe it is peace for our time."

Which was less than one year of when Hitler first attacked and invaded poland

Why do I tell you all of this

I tell you think not just because I want you to get a history lesson

But I tell you because in this example

Nevielle was someone who didn’t fight the fight

He was complacent when he should have been fired up

There was a threat and he ignored it

In our scripture Peter is talking about living for God

And explains

When we live for him

We will face trials

In other words

It can mean I fight for you

We have to go through some trials

There are challenges

We have to fight

be willing to step out of our comfort zone

be willing to stay in it

Keep going

keep pursing the Lord

becasue Peter explains to us

That when we suffer for Christ.

our suffering honors God

Here is what I want you to hear

Don’t pull punches with the Devil

We live in a world that wants to manipulate

That wants to bring you away from Jesus

The Devil wants to try and do everything can for you to lose that fight

“Its okay if you do that sin”

“Its not a big deal”

“no one will notice”

“Its just one time. whats the big deal”

So for you, and I we can’t be pulling punches

use scripture

Be in prayer

Surround yourslef with other beieves

becasue when does Peter have to say about siffering for God

1 Peter 4:16–19 “But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?” So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.”

We have a God that will never fail us