Sermon Tone Analysis

*January 1, 2006—Morning Worship*

 

*The “Soon and Very Soon” Series*

*This May Be The Year!*

*Specific Activities for Your New Year*

*1 Peter 4:7-11*

 

*Intro:*  This may be the year!

That may have been the feeling Andraé Crouch had in the late 1970’s, when he penned the words to the hymn /Soon and Very Soon/.

Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King.

We’re going to a place where there is no more crying, no more dying, no more pain, no more heartache, no more disappointment, no more of the agony that exists in this world!

& we’re just waiting on the King to return to take us to our heavenly home!

This may be the year!

Peter expected Jesus to return in his own day, & if the return of Christ seemed imminent to Peter, how much more should it seem that way to us!

Peter longed for the Lord's return; & if we're alert, we'll wake up every morning saying, "Maybe this is the day Christ will return.”

But what if it were today?

What are the implications for us if Christ should return today or even this year?

How should we live?

If we knew for certain that we were the last generation of Christians on earth, would it make a difference in our lives?

& maybe more importantly, would it make a difference in the lives of those who come in contact w~/us every day?

I’ll be honest enough w~/you this morning to say, that if I knew for sure that I was a part of the last generation of Christians on earth—that would definitely cause me to make some changes in my own life.

Now, having said that, & I’m no different from you, if we are truly walking w~/God, we shouldn’t have to say that!

The Apostle Peter, who was just like us, wrote to encourage people just like us to a daily walk of true holiness when he called to our attention the fact that: /"…the end of all things is at hand…."/ & over the next several weeks we’re going to look closely at the impact & the implications that statement holds for believers & for non-believers.

As we begin, let’s read today’s text together from *1 Peter 4:7-11*, & see four specific activities for your New Year.

*1 Peter 4: /7/*/ But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious & watchful in your prayers.

*8* & above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins."

*9* Be hospitable to one another w~/o grumbling.

*10* As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

*11* If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.

If anyone ministers, let him do it as w~/the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory & the dominion forever & ever.

Amen.

/

 

The 1st activity for your New Year is to…

*1.

Be Serious and Watchful in Prayer* (v. 7).

*/7/*/ But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious & watchful in your prayers./

- The Greek word for "serious" means "sane, sensible."

- The word "watchful" was used for staying sober as opposed to being drunk.

- Together, these two terms indicate that we need to keep our wits about us, to be alert, clear-headed, & self-controlled.

- IOW we’re to…

    *A.

Be aware of needs around us* /“be serious & watchful”/

- I get the idea from our text here, that God puts more value on our prayers than we do.

- He considers prayer a serious activity that can influence world events.

- The prophet Daniel was aware of current events & it influenced the way he prayed (see Dan. 9).

*[*I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of hooked on the Fox News Channel.

I watch it before I come to the office; I watch it when I go home for lunch; I watch it when I first come home in the evening.

I try to be well informed about the events of my times.

But not until recently did I realize that I should be taking that information & praying!*]*

- Peter, through the inspiration of God, said we should be serious & watchful in prayer!

- IOW we’re to be aware of needs around us & we’re to…

    *B.

Be on our knees before God* /“in your prayers”/

- That means not just to be informed about the needs of the world, but to be active in prayer about those needs!

- Are you someone who watches quite a bit of television?

- Try fasting—try offering one of your programs as a sacrifice.

- Tell the Lord, "I'm giving up this show to devote that half-hour or that hour each week to praying over national & world events."

- Have you ever used a newspaper as your prayer guide?

- Have you ever prayed through a copy of Time Magazine?

- Pray for current events & world leaders.

Become a world prayer warrior this year.

- I’m not talking about a New Year’s Resolution—I’m talking about a Revolution that can take place in our lives this New Year!

- Be serious about prayer & God will be serious about answering.

- Be sober & watchful about needs & when you pray, God will meet those needs!

- Let’s dedicate ourselves to at least 5 more minutes in prayer each day & watch God do what only He can do this New Year!

 

- #1, be serious & watchful in prayer…& #

*2.

Have Fervent Love for One Another* (v.

8).

/But the end of all things is at hand; therefore…*8*… above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins."/

- Did you notice…

    *A.

The primary position of love* /“above all things”/

- Peter instructs us that /above all things/ or before any thing else, we are to love others.

- This puts love in the primary position.

Love is above all things.

- The Bible uses the same word for love as it does here, when it tells us God loves us.

- This is the God-like love, the unconditional love, the more-than-a-feeling love, the do-anything-for-you-at-any-time love that is so characteristic of God!

- You say, “I can’t love like that!

I can’t will myself to love anyone the same way God loves me!”

- & you are right!

But if the love of God is in you—it will flow through you to others!

- The Bible tells us that we love God only b~/c God 1st loved us.

- & we have the ability to love others only b~/c God loves them through us!

- So how do we put love in its primary position?

- All we have to do is to stop looking at others through our eyes & see them through God’s eyes.

- Stop examining them w~/our critical gaze & start exhorting them w~/God’s grace!

- B~/c love is in the primary position, we also see…

    *B.

The extraordinary power of love* /“fervent love”/

- The Greek word for "fervent" gives the idea of strenuous effort, like a horse on a full stretch barreling just as fast as possible toward the finish line.

- This kind of love covers a multitude of sins.

- This kind of love enables us to minimize the faults of others & to maximize their strengths.

- This “fervent love” is the same kind of love Jesus displayed when He died on the Cross for you & for me.

- This “fervent love” is the love that took away our sins & freed us from their penalty.

- This “fervent love” is the love that we should display in our lives toward others—even if they do reject us, & hurt us, & mistreat us.

- Jesus is our example & He loved us through our sin.

He loved us through our failures.

He loved us through our waywardness.

He loved us through all those things b~/c He loves us w~/an everlasting love!

- The power of His love saved us; it freed us; it sealed us; it protects us & soon & very soon it will take us home to heaven!

- Sometimes it’s not easy loving others!

& the word “fervent” means strenuous effort!

- So work at it!

Strive for it!

Stretch to grasp it!