Practical Christianity

Last week Peter declared to the church… we have seen the extent our God went through for us, now get ready, move forward, let people watch, but expect resistance keeping the goal in your sights regardless!

Peter challenged the followers of Christ to PRACTICE PERSEVERANCE!!!

This week as Peter continues his challenge he addresses some very PRACTICAL ways for you and I to engage...

This engagement however is NOT AN INDIVIDUAL thing…

Rather it is PRACTICALLY PLAYED OUT and IMPLEMENTED BEST as a WHOLE!!!

YOU AND I… must come to a point in our walk with God (The sooner the better) where we realize the truth that we are NOT to function apart from one another! When Christ left… He left us His church… NOT super Christians, a bunch of us out their on our own saving the world.

He calls us the body of Christ, the bride of Christ… SINGULAR, all contributing to one purpose, one Savior, one goal… it is this contribution of working together and this goal that Peter addresses in 1 Peter 4:7-11

1 Peter 4:7–11 NASB95

The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

This passage really deserves very little explanation. Peter here is explicitly clear… but in case you missed his in your face message let’s look at it a little closer...

There is Urgency!

Peter does not get into the deep theology of looking at the times, quoting the words of Christ, looking at the anti-Christ or the details of the tribulation period… in true Peter fashion he says “it is near folks”

Christ is coming back!

Peter has addressed this multiple times now in his letter

Peter is excited, looking forward to, anticipating the coming of Christ for His bride the church

This is EMINENT!!! Any day any hour any minute!!!

What would you do if you knew when Christ was coming?

How would you live if you had 12 hours left?

The motto of the Revolutionary War minutemen was: “Trust in God, but keep your powder dry”

Church… you and I need to live like He is coming any moment!!! So if we do now what???

Peter answers himself… Because of this there are things we need to BE and DO!!!

So Pray!

You and I are called to think and Discern for purposeful prayer!

WHAT are you praying for?

Temporal or eternal purpose in mind and heart

WHO are you praying for?

yourself, your own needs, desires

others, the lost souls around you, brothers and sisters in the church

WHY are you praying

For the purpose of the Holy Spirit to work in and through you

For God to show you where He desires you to change

ARE YOU PRAYING?

Most of our days, our coming and going goes without prayer

Most of our ministries are not bathed in prayer

Most of our relationships lack prayer

Scripture calls us to be a people of prayer!!! “pray without ceasing!” make Him involved in every aspect of your life!

You and I will be more of a praying people as we see the His return as imminent and as we learn to love one another better...

Love One Another

As Peter would remember Christ words as He spoke of the end times in Matthew 24:12 he would recall Christ say, “Most people’s love will grow cold”. Paul would tell Timothy that people will become “lovers of self” in 2 Timothy 3:1.

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

― Brennan Manning

Peter is almost pleading with the church as he writes them… “love each other guys!!!” He quotes from Proverbs 10:12 here as he reminds them of this truth.

FERVENTLY: great effort, a stretching, striving, without ceasing, consistently!

WHY???

BECAUSE… “love covers a multitude of sins!”

We are not asked to love perfect people

We are called to love sinners, people in the church

It covers sin… your sin and mine

NOT blind love

But intentional love… not an emotion but an ACTION 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 NASB95

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

How can I do this… Peter goes on to explain some practical ways! Glad you asked!

Be Hospitable

We are to be giving of yourself to others… especially our brothers and sisters in Christ

Open your home, be welcoming

Open up to others, giving time, effort, sacrifice for the sake of others

WITHOUT COMPLAINING!

Love in action… FERVENT

Stop being busy, Stop making excuses, Stop being selfish

But Peter How? Pastor How am I to reach out to others and be hospitable???

Use Your Gifts

God has prepared and equipped you to do this as His church… He has given GIFTS… USE THEM!!!

they are used to serve one another

They are to be stewarded well

Accountable to God for how you used it

It is according to His grace and will

Peter understands that we may have trouble understanding and gives two examples clearly:

Two Examples

SPEAKING:

We all speak… understand that we are God’s mouthpiece

Guard what we say, understand we speak to build up the body

Allow the Holy Spirit in you speak through you

SERVING:

God has called all to serve

Jesus Himself served those He was with

This is hard especially when there is a Judas in our lives…

But we do this in His strength not ours

Consider yourself small… humility “making God great and large in your heart and life, making yourself small”

IMAGINE: coming Sunday morning…

People genuinely loving as through the arms of God embraced them

Each person seeking to welcome and give of themselves to others

Words that are said were as though the Lord Himself was speaking through others around you

Each one present seeking how they could minister and serve the other

God has NOT called you to be a part of His church, to be joint members of His body, to sit and do nothing, to hail yourself as God seeking to be waited on hand and foot, entertained, rather He has called us to be poured out, giving of ourselves to the point we ask ourselves how can I do this realizing we can’t and that it is Him who does this through us and we see Him use us for His glory in powerful ways!

ALL For God’s Glory

Peter ends this final charge to the church he writes to as he declares the outcome and the why to the reason to live this way as the body of Christ...

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 4

so that din all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, eto whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen

Our God deserve the GLORY and HONOR!

We love because He loved us first

We serve because He came to serve us

We pray because He is the source of ALL power

We build up one another because we are members of His body

OH GOD YOU DESERVE OUR PRAISE!!! THANK YOU! OH GOD PLEASE HELP US BE MORE LIKE YOUR SON JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR!!!