1 Peter 4.7-11 part 1
What’s an End-Time Church to Do?
1/31/99
1 Peter 4:7-11
Part 1
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Introduction:
Are we living in the end-times? Have you ever noticed the date setting that has taken place throughout history. Here are a few of the dates that have been set for prophetic events:
Hienz von Foerster established Friday, November 13, 2026 as doomsday. He felt that the earth would no longer be able to hold all it’s occupants and they would be squeezed to death.
Augustine predicted that the world would come to an end around the year of 650 a.d.
William Miller established the date of 1843 for the Second Coming of Christ.
Not many years ago many South Koreans sold there homes and quit their jobs to await the rapture which was supposed to take place on October 28, 1992.
Maybe you’ve noticed that the trend has only heightened within the past couple of months. People are moving to Israel (particularly) the Mount of Olives, to welcome Christ back at His Second Coming.
Today we want to look at what a church is to do in light of end-time events.
Our study will be in two parts today. Part one will be presented this morning and part two this evening.
In 1 Peter 4:7-11, Peter presents three things which a church should be doing in the light of coming prophetic events.
This morning we want to do two things:
To begin with, we want to ask the question, “Are we living in the “last days,” or the “end times?”
And secondly, we want to examine the first of the three things we can do as a church in light of future events.
So the question is, “are we living in the end-times, or the ‘last days?’ ”
1 Peter 4:7-11 (read it)
I believe Peter makes it clear that we are living in the last days in verse 7 (“But the end of all things is at hand”)
Other New Testament writers say the same thing:
A. The biblical evidence
“. . .but now once in the end of the world hath He [Christ] appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”
Hebrews 9:26b
“Who [Christ] . . .was manifest in these last times for you”
1 Peter 1:20
“Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”
James 5:8
“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.”
1 John 2:18
“. . .knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”
Romans 13:11
Are we living in the last times? ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT A DOUBT!
If the biblical writers could say two thousand years ago that they were living in the last days, then we could certainly say the same and that we are even closer to the time when Christ returns for His church.
B. But what exactly does Peter mean when he says “The end of all things is at hand?” Does he mean we are living in the Tribulation period, or some other terrifying event?
1. I believe that what Peter is saying is that we are living in the last days of God’s timetable or plan. We are living in one of the final segments in His plan and program for all humanity.
2. Let me give you a brief outline of His plan
a. It started in eternity past with God planning to create and redeem man
b. Man was then created and then sinned against God in the Garden of Eden.
c. It was at this point that God put into action His glorious plan to save man from sin.
d. Many, many years later God chose a man by the name of Abraham. To found a nation.
e. This nation was Israel, and it was through Israel that God would raise up the Messiah called Jesus, the Redeemer of man from sin.
Now, what we have just described represents several thousands of years of history in the outworking of God’s plan to save man. From the time of creation to the time of Christ.
What Peter is saying when he says, “the end of all things is at hand” is that God has worked His way down through history to the point of Christ being sacrificed.
This also relates in the context to the judgment in 4:5. Christ’s coming opened the way for the rest of the prophetic events to take place.
So now what, what happens at this point?
Display overhead on End Time events
explanation:
The church age: Began technically in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost, but for our purposes today we could say it was set in motion with the coming of Christ.
The rapture: The rapture is the event which could take place at any moment. It is when Jesus Christ will come back to take all who have trusted in Christ as their Savior (from the time of Christ on) to heaven to be with Him. (1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thess. 4:13-18) True believers have an appointment with Jesus Christ in the air. Genuine Christians will not be late, won’t forget it, won’t miss it. When it’s time for the appointment, genuine Christians will be summoned, drawn, taken, raptured.
The tribulation: The tribulation is an event that will start after the Rapture and will last 7 years. It will be a time of great suffering and anguish, apparently like the world has never known before. The wars that man has known, even the holocaust do not seem to even come close to the suffering that will take place during this time. It will be a time of the outpouring of God’s wrath on mankind. Men will want the rocks and mountains to fall on them so they will be hidden from the wrath of God (Revelation 6:16). Up to this point mankind has known primarily only the grace of God. His goodness in postponing judgment.
During this time the beast will rise up and defy God and will draw much of mankind to his side.
Second coming and Armageddon: This event will take place at the close of the Tribulation period. Jesus Christ will return with His saints to defeat the beast, the false prophet and the armies of men. (Revelation 19) It is called Armageddon because that is the location where the battle will take place. Many battles in the Old Testament took place here. It appears from Revelation 14:20 that the blood from this battle will be as some have estimated 4 and a half feet deep for 200 miles. Of course, Christ will be the Victor in this as every other battle.
Millennium: This is the thousand year reign of Christ on earth. It is the time when Jesus Christ will establish his kingdom (the one that the Jews had been awaiting)after the tribulation. Christ will be the King. This will be government at its best. It will be a true Theocracy, that is, “God-ruled.”
One of the next major events will be the Great White Throne Judgment: This is the event to which Peter refers in 1 Peter 4:5. It is the time after the thousand year reign of Christ on earth, when unbelievers are judged, and cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20)
Eternity: From here on is eternity. The unbeliever will be confined to hell and eternal torment. The believer will be assigned to heaven and eternal joy with God.
So God has a timetable, a plan for the history of mankind. It began long before the garden and we are now living in the latter portion of His plan. Jesus Christ has already come, and the next event on the timetable is the Rapture. It could happen at any moment.
So are we living in the last days? Yes we are! Has the Rapture happened yet? No. Has the Tribulation started? No. Has the Millennial kingdom begun? No.
But the events could start with the Rapture at any moment. It’s the next event on God’s calendar!
What are we to do then? As a church, what are we to do?
Generally speaking the answer is prepare:
Illustration:
The name Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton probably has no meaning to most today. Hi was an Irish Antarctic explorer who lived around the turn of the century. It is reported that on one of his expeditions (quite possibly the one on which his ship was crushed by ice in 1914) he was forced to leave his men on an island, with the hopes of returning for them and taking them back to England. He was delayed for a time and found that the water had frozen over, cutting him off from his men.
He made several attempts and failed to reach them. Finally, he was able to make his way through a channel which was open and reach his men. When he arrived on the island, he found his men, alive and well, packed, and ready to board the ship.
When they were on board the ship, he asked how it came about that they were all ready for him. They told him, that each morning their leader would roll up his sleeping bag and say, “Get your things ready boys, the boss may come today.”
Preparedness. We must be prepared for the coming days; for the coming of Christ.
And it’s right here that we are going to see the first out of three items which Peter says we can do.
The rest will be seen this evening.
In order to prepare for the future prophetic events, Christians must first of all have
I. Minds that are stable (vs. 7)
A. Be sober- That is, having a good mind, thinking clearly and rationally. The opposite of being sober is to have gone mad (or crazy).
The call here then is to clear thinking in regards to the end.
Do you think this is a necessary call today? I do. If you doubt that, just take a look at the Christian books that are sold these days. Books on prophecy are the “in” thing. They are the rave.
One man (as I’m sure many others do) claims to have received a vision about certain aspects of the book of Revelation.
But the problem with this man’s claims is that the last time I checked, the end of the book of Revelation says, “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (22:18, 19)
We must be careful how we add to and take away from God’s word, especially in the area of prophecy.
We are living in days which call for clear thinking, not sensationalism.
B. Peter says in verse 7- “watch” The word has been defined as a calm collected spirit.” Not a spirit that is on the edge of its seat in fear. Not being afraid of what is going to happen. The truth of the matter is, if you have trusted in Christ as your Savior, when the rapture takes place, you will be in the hands of God, with nothing to fear. Think soberly, be calm. Your God is the One Who controls the events to come.
C. Pray. When we are clear-minded, we are ready to pray. Ask God to show you how you can best be ready. Be persistent in that prayer. To be in prayer means that you are not giving in to fear.
Conclusion:
So we’ve seen first of all this morning that we are an end-time church. We are living in the last days.
Secondly, we’ve seen the first of three items on how to live in the light of the future. We must first of all be stable in our thinking, and be in prayer.
The following are some suggestions:
.
-Don’t go for every book on prophecy you see. Prophecy is one of those areas where people seem to go nuts. They seem to know everything about end-time events, but don’t know the One Who controls the events. At the present-time, authors are turning these books out because they know the books will sell. It’s on people’s minds.
-Don’t go for the sensational. You stick with God.
-Don’t fall into the trap of fear. That’s how men make their money. By selling things to people who are afraid.
-Pray. If Christ were to come right now, in what state would He find our prayer lives? Have we done any significant praying (more than just, “Lord, help me make it through this day, or this situation,” or “Lord, please bless so and so”)
-Are we ready spiritually for the Rapture? I mean, if it were to take place today, on what do we base our belief that we will be among those who go with Him?
If it’s anything but the blood of Jesus, then the truth is, we won’t go with Him!
Living in the Last Days
“. . . but now once in the end of the world hath He [Christ] appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”
Hebrews 9:26b
“Who [Christ] . . .was manifest in these last times for you.”
1 Peter 1:20
“Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”
James 5:8
“Little children, it is the last time. . .”
1 John 2:18
“. . .knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”
Romans 13:11