Sermon Tone Analysis

When I was in high school I started to listen to Christian music.

Back then it was Petra, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant.

But then someone introduced me to Steven Curtis Chapman.

Something about his music really drew me - it was authentic and always directed me to Christ.

Steven wrote a song in 2007 called Cinderella.

He wrote it after a situation that made him realize how short life really is.

One night He was giving his girls a bath and putting them to bed and was convicted after he shut the door to their room that he had been too distracted - focused on other things he had to do - rather than on his daughters who were trying to prolong bedtime by putting on cinderella dresses.

He thought about his older daughter and how fast she grew up.

These little girls too would soon be gone.

[Song]

Steven had no idea how soon that would happen.

Less than a year later, one of those girls, Maria Sue, died in the Chapman’s driveway, accidentally run over by her brother.

Life is too short to waste on trivial things.

We don’t know many days we or those we love have left on this earth.

So why settle?

Why be content with living life mainly for ourselves?

Why be okay with a relationship with Jesus that isn’t growing?

Why live thinking life is about our self-fulfillment?

Why settle for living with a mindset of “because I can” instead of cultivating a heart that has others in mind and desires to please God?

The banner over the passage we’re looking at is verse 7, “The end of all things is near.”

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We are living in the last days.

Jesus has come once and established his kingdom here, but it will not be compete until he comes back a second time - which could be any second.

Until then, our eyes are to be fixed on Jesus and our eternal home with him, living as exiles on this earth knowing that where God is is our true home.

The end of all things is near therefore.

Peter is saying, if you have the mentality that Jesus could bring all things to a close at any time, that is going to change the way you live now.

You’re going to pray differently.

You’re going to love differently.

And you’re going to serve differently.

Pray in View of Eternity

Lets start with verse 7 “The end of all things is near.”

() therefore, “be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.”

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The fact that the end is near should motivate us for prayer.

Why should that be?

What about nearness of the end should cause us to pray?

Think about some things Mr. Fulks said last week, about Christians experiencing suffering.

God was using the suffering that Christians were experiencing in Peter’s day to grow their faith.

Down in verse 12 God says through Peter, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” ()

And then in verse “16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

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In these last days between Christ’s first coming and his second is a time of being on full alert - it’s not life as usual.

The king is coming soon.

There’s a battle raging for the souls of men and women.

And God is at work through it all refining our faith and character through suffering.

Knowing that we are in these days of trial should affect the way we pray, right?

Jesus said “34 Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.

35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth.

36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” ()

There is a sense of urgency in the time in which we live that should drive us to pray.

When we are aware of the evil that is going on around us, and get laughed at for living for Christ - shouldn’t it drive us to prayer?

1 peter 4:

What about those two words in verse 7 translated be alert and sober minded?

What does it mean to be alert?

That we are awake and aware of what’s going on around us.

Then sober minded?

Well the opposite would be to be drunk minded - staggering around, not seeing well, not reacting to what’s going on around us.

These words are getting at the same thing.

Wake up to the reality around us.

This is not Disney World.

This world is passing away and a kingdom is coming, and in fact is already here that will last forever.

So take this mindset into your prayer life.

Let it affect how you pray - with a sense of urgency.

And what you pray for.

If you knew this was your last day on earth, how would you pray differently?

Here’s the Zande believers that Mr. Entwistle showed us last week.

Many of them lost everything they owned on earth.

They gather together with armed guards, risking their lives to be identified with Jesus.

How do you think their prayer gatherings are different?

Do you think there’s a sense of urgency to their prayers?

Do you think they are asking for their earthly stuff back, or is there the taste of heaven in their prayers?

Bring the nearness of eternity into your prayer life!

I guarantee you will pray differently.

Love In View of Eternity

Another thing that Peter says should be affected by having an eternal perspective is our love and hospitality for one another.

“8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

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Love is very important to Peter - because it’s important to God.

He already mentioned loving one another earnestly from a pure heart in 1:22.

Love for God should be reflected in our love for one another.

We could look at a lot of other verses in the NT on love!

So how should an awareness of eternity affect the way we love one another?

Again, it should put a sense of urgency into our relationships.

It means being intentional with each other - not just taking each other for granted or the time that we get to spend together.

Would you spend your time with a friend any differently if you knew they would be gone tomorrow?

What would you do differently?

How would you speak to each other differently?

If your friend doesn’t know Jesus, would you find greater courage to speak about Him?

Notice it says that love covers over a multitude of sins.

What does that mean?

Here’s what it does not mean.

It doesn’t mean that if you love someone enough you can remove their sins, or yours.

Peter’s writing with the awareness that people are going to hurt us, even those who call themselves Christians.

They will say and do things that are going to cause us pain.

We’re going to want to hurt them back.

How does love respond?

It is patient.

It tries to understand why someone would hurt us.

Maybe they are hurting themselves.

Love instead of retaliating offers to forgive.

It chooses to cover over the sin with a lavish love that can only come from Christ.

Please understand.

This does not mean being a doormat.

If someone is abusing you, get out of there and find help.