Living With The End in Mind 1 Peter 4:7-11
The opening words of our Scripture for this week, found in 1 Peter 4:7, tell us, “The end of all things is near.” What you and I believe about the end will determine how we live in the present. If the end is truly the end, and the end leads into nothingness like many people believe, then what we do in the present really doesn’t matter. We are all just passing time, inching ever closer to the arms of death, waiting for the end to come. Life has no meaning because there is no future. It is not just modern-day people who hold to this kind of belief.
In 1895, H.G. Wells’ first novel, The Time Machine, was published and it is widely regarded as one of the top 100 books ever written. In the science-fiction story, the hero of Wells' book creates a time machine so he can travel far, far into the future to discover what the future holds for humanity. The further the Time Traveller ventured into the future the more dark and dystopian life became. Finally, near the end of the book, the Time Traveller finds himself at the furthest reaches of the future. What did he discover about the future of humanity? When he stepped off the Time Machine all he found was a dreary, drab existence with no life, other than some moss and lichens. The air was silent except for a gentle breeze and the ripple of the sea. Wells writes,
Beyond these lifeless sounds the world was silent. Silent? It would be hard to convey the stillness of it. All the sounds of man, the bleating of sheep, the cries of birds, the hum of insects, the stir that makes the background of our lives—all that was over. (Wells, H.G., The Time Machine (New York: Berkeley, 1957), chap. 11.)
What does the future hold for you and me, for all of humanity, according to H.G. Wells? Nothing. Silent nothingness. And if this is true then why bother? The Time Traveller got back in his time machine, traveled back in time, and waited for the open arms of death to swallow him up at some future point in his life.
This idea that it all ends in nothingness led the famous French philosopher, Albert Camus, to describe what became known as the philosophy of absurdism. Camus defines the absurd as the conflict between people’s search for meaning and an indifferent universe which offers none. In 1942, Camus wrote, The Myth of Sisyphus, a story about a man who was sentenced by the gods to roll a boulder up a hill every day for the rest of his life, only to never make it to the top and watch the boulder roll back down the hill. The futile effort became, for Camus, a symbol of the absurd nature of what we go through as human beings in a world without purpose or meaning. In the book, Camus writes,
It was previously a question of finding out whether or not life had to have a meaning to be lived. It now becomes clear, on the contrary, that it will be lived all the better if it has no meaning. (Albert Camus)
For Camus, since there is no one to give us meaning and purpose in life, we must come up with our own. The problem with this mindset is that the very meaning and purpose we create will most definitely be a creation of our own desires, desires which might destroy us and leave us empty in the end.
Aldous Huxley was a famous British novelist, the author of Brave New World, written in 1932. He died on the same day as C.S. Lewis, another famous British author. Those two men were both atheists at one point in their lives, but C.S. Lewis would later find meaning and purpose for his life as a follower of Jesus. Aldous Huxley, because he denied the existence of God, created his own meaning and purpose. He wrote,
I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption. …For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom. The supporters of this system claimed that it embodied the meaning–the Christian meaning, they insisted of the world. There was one admirably simple method of confuting these people and justifying ourselves in our erotic revolt: we would deny that the world had any meaning whatever. (Huxley, Aldous. Ends and Means: An Inquiry Into the Nature of Ideas)
“The end of all things is near.” What you and I believe about the end will determine how we live in the present. Let’s take a look at our Scripture for this morning found in 1 Peter 4:7-11.
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:7-11 NIV)
I’m certain that because of our time together last week, the word “Therefore…” jumped out at you. Do you remember what we learned about this important word? Any time we come to the word “therefore” we need to look back to the big idea that will be unpacked with an application following “therefore.” The big truth which comes before “therefore” actually began in verses 5-6, where we learned that judgment is coming. Peter follows this with, “The end of all things is near. Therefore…” And what follows is the application of the truth that the Day of the Lord is near, the day when all people will be held accountable for the lives they have lived.
In days gone by, preachers like myself filled their Sunday morning sermons with “hellfire and brimstone.” They were constantly warning those who filled the pews of the soon coming judgment day. The theme of God’s judgment rang out Sunday after Sunday. Sermons like “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards left people in tears, shaking, as Edwards described the coming day of judgment. Today, the emphasis of preachers has dramatically shifted. We can hear a thousand sermons on God’s love and forgiveness before we will ever hear one sermon on the judgment of God. Many of those who know about the day of judgment that is coming are embarrassed to talk about it because it has been almost 2,000 and still that day has not come. Time is not an issue with God. Timing, His perfect timing is all that matters. There were those in Peter’s day who had the same mindset as many people today and Peter answered their skepticism in 2 Peter 3:3-9. Read it with me.
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:3-9 NIV)
So, you can see, the Lord is not slow in keeping His promise. “Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The scoffers will continue to scoff, mock, and roll their eyes at the idea that Jesus will return one day, and on that day we will all give an account of the life we’ve been given. They may scoff, but you and I, those of us who follow Jesus, can we look forward to that day with certainty and joy.
I do need to point out that we have brought some of this skepticism on ourselves. There have always been those followers of Jesus who were sure they knew the day of Jesus’ return. They have held the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other and become convinced they had pinpointed the time of Jesus’ arrival. I first became aware of this while I was in Plano, Texas. There was a man, who had been a NASA engineer, named Edgar Whisenant, who wrote a little booklet entitled, 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988. The booklet sold 4.5 million copies and detailed why Jesus would return to earth between September 11-13, 1988. As the day was approaching, Christian TV shows told the followers of Jesus how to prepare for the rapture.
Needless to say, Edgar Whisenant was wrong. Did he apologize and say he shouldn’t have set dates? Naw, he wrote another book, The Final Shout: Rapture Report 1989. That book didn’t sell as many copies. He went on to predict Jesus’ return in 1993. When that prediction failed, he set the date for 1994. I could go on and on.
All of those who set dates in the past were able to find prophecies in the Bible that they thought matched up with what was taking place in their day. They were convinced, wrong, but convinced. Evidently, they skipped over that section of the Bible where Jesus said,
36 "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. (Matthew 24:36-42 NIV)
Who knows when Jesus will return? Not Edgar Whisenant, none of the angels, and not even Jesus Himself, but only the Father. We don't know when He will return, but we certainly know Who will return, and we know why He is coming–it will be a day when all people will stand before God and give an account.
What we have been talking about falls under the heading of “eschatology.” That’s a big word that Bible teachers use, but it means, “The study of last things. The point of the study of last things is to help us understand the future so that we will live faithfully in the present. And this leads us into the application of the big truth that “the end of all things is near.” Look at verses 7-10 with me.
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:7-10 NIV)
As we take a look at these four verses we can see that when we live with the end in mind we will be motivated to focus on living life with intentionality. Unlike those who get caught up in the frenzy of setting dates or shutting down their life while they wait for Jesus’ return, we are to be focused and intentional. Look at what Peter outlines here for us.
Be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. (vs. 7)
Love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. (vs. 8)
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (vs. 9)
Use whatever gift God has given you to serve others. (10)
These are no passive commands, these are actions we are to take as we look forward to the Lord’s return. There is a key found in verse 7 that I want us to focus on for a moment. In verse 7, we read that we are to be “alert” and “of sober mind” in our thinking. The Greek word translated “alert,” or “serious” or “sound judgment” in some other translations is the Greek word, “σωφρονέω” (sōphroneō) and it means, “be sensible; be reasonable, to be sane, or to be mentally healthy and behaving responsibly.”
There is a great story told in Mark’s Gospel about a man who lived in the tombs. Mark says the man had an “impure spirit.” The man was out of his mind. He cut himself with stones, yelled at the top of his lungs, and had superhuman-like strength–they couldn’t even restrain him with chains. Jesus was in the area and the man yelled out at Jesus, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name don't torture me!" (Mark 5:7 NIV) Jesus asked him his name and he said his name was “Legion, for we are many.” Jesus cast the spirits out of the man and he was changed. We read that some people came to Jesus after He had healed the man. Listen to this.
15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. (Mark 5:1-15 NIV)
It’s the same Greek word that is used by Peter when he tells us to be “alert” or “sober minded.” The man was in his right mind. Going back to what Peter wrote, I can tell you that living with the end in mind helps to keep us sane and in our right mind so that we can pray as we ought. Living with the end in mind reminds us that we know how this story plays out and therefore we pray with the full knowledge of God’s Sovereignty over every situation. We don’t get caught up in the thinking of the world. Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about.
Right now in our country there are countless people who are all worked up over an election that is just around the corner. Half of the population is convinced that the world is going to end if one of the candidates wins. The other half of the population is convinced that the world is going to end if the other candidate wins. For you and me, those of us who are followers of Jesus and daily allowing His Word to inform us, mold us, and shape us–we know that God is Sovereign and we will do our civic duty and vote, but neither of the candidates are God. We will not trust who is in the White House. We will trust the King of all kings! We are to pray in our right minds, prayers that are shaped by the truths of God’s Word.
We are to pray and we are to love one another deeply. Peter begins the verse by saying, “Above all…” Take a look at verse 8 with me.
8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8 NIV)
“Above all” means more important than anything else on the list, “love each other deeply.” The Greek word translated “deeply,” is “ἐκτενῶς” (ektenōs), and it means, “fervently, eagerly.” William Barclay writes that this word,
Means outstretching in the sense of consistent; our love must be the love that never fails. Here is a fundamental Christian truth. Christian love is not an easy, sentimental reaction. It demands everything a man has of mental and spiritual energy. It means loving the unlovely and the unlovable; it means loving in spite of insult and injury; it means loving when love is not returned. Christian love is the love which never fails and into which every atom of man’s strength is directed. (Barclay, William. Daily Study Bible)
You and I can read 1 Corinthians 13 and learn about the kind of love we are to offer to one another. It is a love that is patient and kind. It is a love which does not envy or boast. It is a love that will never dishonor another person. This love is not self-seeking. It is a love which always protects and always perseveres. Is this the kind of love that you have for your brothers and sisters in Christ? I’m not talking about your favorite brothers and sisters in Christ, but I want you to think about your least favorite brothers and sisters in Christ. Is this the type of love you have for them? Now can you see how loving one another deeply is going to stretch us? Living with the end in mind, being mindful of the fact that we are going to give an account one day of the way we loved, or failed to love one another deeply, will enable the Lord to stretch our love for one another. Peter says, “...love covers over a multitude of sins.” Love doesn’t dismiss the sins of others or minimize the sins of others, but it forgives in the same way our sins have been forgiven by the Lord.
When we live with the end in mind we will also be willing to offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Peter writes, in verse 9.
9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:9 NIV)
Hospitality was a vitally important necessity for the early church where there were very few Motel 6 or Holiday Inns to house traveling evangelists and teachers like Paul and Peter. It was also important because the early church didn’t have buildings like Britton Christian Church where people could gather for worship, Bible study classes, or fellowship opportunities. It was important for there to be people who were willing to open their homes for other believers to fellowship and worship together, but they needed to do so without grumbling.
I can open my home to you and let you know that I really don’t want you to be at my house or that I’m counting the minutes until it will be time for you to leave. That’s not hospitality–that's an obligation. We are called to have a good attitude, to let others know they are a blessing and not a burden to us. The writer of Hebrews let us know that we have no idea who we might be serving when we open ourselves to others. Look at Hebrews 13:1-2 with me.
1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:1-2 NIV)
When we live with the end in mind we will be much more aware of how we treat others. We will know that the Lord leads people into our lives and we have been given the blessing of serving them and loving them, showing them hospitality in the same way He has shown us His love and devotion.
We could spend an entire week on each of the things we’ve been discussing this morning, but we might never finish our study of Peter’s letter. Let’s turn to verse 10. Read it with me.
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10 NIV)
In the New Testament there are four primary Scriptures where lists of spiritual gifts are found. In Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4:11, and here, in 1 Peter 4:10-11, you will find about 20 different spiritual gifts listed. None of the lists are exactly the same and if you combine them you still will not have an exhaustive list of the gifts God gives to His people. The key for you and me is to recognize that God has given you a gift that is to be used for His glory and for the common good of the Body of Christ. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 and let’s read together.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7 NIV)
I was thinking about this during the week. God gives us gifts with others in mind. He has equipped you to do for others what they are unable to do for themselves. When the Body of Christ is functioning as it has been designed to function–there is nothing more beautiful in all the earth!
I need to point out a trap that we can easily fall into if we ever fail to recognize the purpose of our gifts. If we are not careful we can turn our gift inward, convince ourselves that we are the ones who have created the gift, and use it for our own benefit. Peter said we are “faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” Do you know what a steward is and what a steward does? Robert Mounce helps us understand in his commentary on this verse. He writes,
The Greek trustee or steward was responsible for managing the estate of his master. Entrusted into his care were domestic affairs, supervision of tenants, and the distribution of wages. It was a responsible position. The steward himself owned no part of that over which he exercised control. He was fully accountable to his master for the way in which he carried out his task. (Mounce, Robert. A Living Hope: Commentary on 1 and 2 Peter. pg. 71)
The gifts we have been given to be used in service to the Lord and His people are gifts of grace. Are you using the gifts you have been given to serve, to bless, and to help meet the needs of others? If not, I would encourage you to begin to do so immediately. There is no greater joy than to know the Lord is using us to bless the lives of others.
It’s time for us to leave here today. I hope you have come to realize that true purpose and meaning in life comes through a relationship with Jesus and being fully aware that He is coming back one day. Living with the end in mind makes such a difference in life. Not only, in the way we view the future, but in the way we live in the present. I want to encourage you, if you have never committed your life to Jesus, to that this morning.
Mike Hays
Britton Christian Church
October 20, 2024
