The End Is At Hand

The End is at Hand

7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

—

Illustration:

If you have ever watched a sporting event, when the score is close and the time is running out, the best athletes always work a little bit harder, give a little more. This is how it should be for us Christians living in the “last days”.

Introduction:

Peter sounds a note of warning and motivation—the end is at hand! We like professional athletes should give a strong final push. To finish the race strong.

Sermon Preview:

Because of this contention, there are some specific ways we should be living in order to do the will of God.

Peter shares some practical counseling regarding Christian living and ministry. Within these verses, we find three specific commands.

1. Increase In Prayer

2. Increase In Love

3. Increase In Hospitability

1. “Be serious and watchful in your prayers” (v. 7).

· Prayer is always appropriate for the Christian.

· It is the vital communication vehicle between a believer and his or her Lord.

· To pray is not merely to talk at God but it is to commune with God.

· To come into an awareness of God

· Authentic prayer includes listening to God and responding to Him.

· The word translated in verse 7 as “serious” means “sober,” or to be “clear-minded.”

· Prayer should never become something we do nonchalantly. Our spiritual vitality, to a great degree, depends upon our prayer lives.

· When Paul encourages us to “pray without ceasing” (), he is talking about Christian lifestyle. We must take prayer seriously. We need to live in a constant attitude of prayer—in continual communion with God.

· Quote: “...a single raising of your mind to God, and a single humble genuflexion to His glory and in His honor has infinitely more value than all the treasures of the world...” Lorenzo Scupoli

· God is to be trusted. Coming to Him authentically is important.

· The writer of Hebrews gives us great encouragement to be involved seriously in the lifestyle of prayer, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” ().

· The word translated in verse 7 as “watchful” (nÇphÉ) is to be “sober” or “self-controlled.” Paul shares some similar words of encouragement when he writes, “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober” ().

· Garden of Gethsemane Jesus invited Peter to this type of increase in prayer. “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” ().

· We must be sober and watchful, for these are crucial days. The end is at hand. He repeats this in chapter 5 - “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (5:8).

· Indeed, let us be serious and watchful in our prayers.

2. “Have fervent love for one another” (v. 8).

· As we have seen, “love” (agapÄ) is the mark of authentic Christian lifestyle.

· Jesus said that it was by this love that others would recognize us as His true disciples ().

· Peter tells us not only to love, but to love fervently. The word “fervent” is ektené́s, which means “intense” or “without ceasing.”

· The New English Bible translates this phrase in a refreshing and helpful way: “Keep your love for one another at full strength.”

· This fervent love for one another should be a top priority of Christian lifestyle.

· Verse 8 says that our love should be “above all things.”

· We cannot afford to let it slip or slide. This love must flow without ceasing. The faucet of love should never be turned off or even partially restrained. It should be flowing at full strength. This is the will of God for us.

· How many problems which take place in our lives, in our families, in our churches, and in our communities could be resolved if Christians kept their love for God and each other at full strength.

· “There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance” (, neb).

· After speaking about the priority of love, Peter now contends for the power of love.

· This quality of love can “cover over all kinds of sins” (v. 8).

o He appears to be quoting from the proverb which declares, “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all wrongs” (, niv).

o The word “cover” is kalúptō, which means “to cover up or to hide.”

o This teaching does not suggest that love ignores the reality of sin nor justifies or condones sin.

o To the contrary, the only solution for sin is forgiveness—and love motivates us to forgive. In addition, love builds up rather than tears down ().

o Our Blessed Lord said - “if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you” (, ).

o And, when he pardoned the sinful woman, he said, “her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much” ().

Illustration:

· During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, sentenced a soldier to be shot for his crimes. The execution was to take place at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the bell did not sound. The soldier's fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking. When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell's heart was touched and he said, "Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring tonight!"

In these end times we are to increase in prayer and love… But finally…

3. “Be hospitable to one another without grumbling” (v. 9).

· Authentic love must show itself in action in practical ways, it must be lived out.

· The Greek word for “hospitality” is philóxenos, which means to be fond of guests.

· To be hospitable means to share what God has given to us with others including our home, our meals, our resources, and our very lives.

· The early church “held everything in common.”

· It was comprised of Christian brothers and sisters who learned to love to share with one another.

o Luke’s description of that lifestyle of hospitality - “They met constantly to hear the apostles teach, and to share the common life, to break bread, and to pray… With one mind they kept up their daily attendance at the temple, and, breaking bread in private houses, shared their meals with unaffected joy, as they praised God and enjoyed the favour of the whole people” (, neb).

· This contrasts with the spirit of selfishness and the human desire to protect what we have and keep it for ourselves.

Illustration:

· In the early 1980’s two companies were competing for a standard of video cassette. Sony with it’s “beta” cassette and JVC with its VHS. Sony attempted to keep it’s better technology secret while Japanese JVC corp shared it’s VHS technology with manufacturers all over the world. In the end the beta cassette went away…

· That is our mentality when we seek to run our own lives.

· The ministry of hospitality continued to be very important in the early church. For example, the qualifications for a bishop or an overseer included the requirement of being hospitable (; ).

· Peter not only instructs us to carry on this wonderful ministry of love and sharing, but we should do so without grumbling.

· There is the kind of Christian lifestyle that some practice in which one merely does what he or she is expected to do.

· It is usually done with grimness and with a legalistic spirit which is devoid of love or joy.

· That is not authentic Christian lifestyle; it is hypocrisy and it is religious slavery in its worst form.

· How tragic it is to try to live for Christ and others merely out of a sense of religious duty.

· The fruit of the Holy Spirit can be flowing freely only when we are hospitable out of the motive of love and only when we delight to share the good things which God has entrusted to us.

Conclusion:

Today we have seen that living in these last times we are to increase in three ways:

1. Prayer

2. Love

3. Humility

Amen