'The End Is Near - Sermon Outlines. Org
"The End Is Near!"
1 Peter 4:7-19
INTRO. How soon is our LORD'S coming for us? Personally I believe it is very soon! I don't know when, but I believe it is very near! The Christians in the early Church expected Jesus to return in their lifetime. Paul said in Romans 13:12, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand:
Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." If Paul and the early Christians believed Christ was going to come in their lifetime; surely with all we see happening all around us we can see His Coming is near! Our LORD Jesus in Luke 21 gives us several signs to look for concerning His coming. And in v28 He says, "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up , and lift your heads; for you redemption draweth nigh."
Even though Christ didn't come back during the Early Christians lifetime, it still doesn't negate His Promise! If Christ should tarry for another 30 years, which I don't believe He will, we should ever be looking for His Return! That was the attitude the Early Believers had-one of expectancy! Phils. 3:20-21 declares, "Our conversation (citizenship-GR.) is in heaven; from whence we also look for the Savior, the LORD Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself."
Our Key Responsibility as Believers is to Live for and Look for our LORD! We must all live with an attitude of expectancy! How we live and serve Him today will determine our judgment and Joy on that day! But our expectancy should not be turned to slumber! In Jesus' Parable of the Bridegroom in Matthew 25, v5 tells us, "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept." We must be wide-awake, looking for our LORD at any moment!
Peter in 1 Peter 4:7-19 gives us Ten Commandments, if you will, to keep us alert and serving till our LORD COMES!
THE END IS NEAR, SO
(1) Be Sober
1 Peter 4:7a--"But the end of all things is at hand: Be ye therefore sober..."
*The word “sober” means "to be sober-minded." It implies keeping the mind
steady and clear!
1 Peter 4:1-2
*The opposite of "sober-minded" is "frenzy or madness." It is the Greek
word "Mania."
*God would have us to not think wildly but soberly concerning His plan for
His People! There are those who set dates, claim to know the name of the
beast, things which we cannot know!
Acts 1:6-7
*It is good for us to study about our LORD'S RETURN, but we must do it
with a mind led by the Holy Spirit!
*Also, being "sober-minded" means that our minds are focused and fixed
on what they should be on-Jesus Christ and His Soon Return!
Titus 2:11-14
*We must live our lives as if Christ might return at any time, yet still
planning and serving for the future!
*“If you want to make the best of the rest of your time live in the light of the
Return of Jesus Christ." (1)
(2) Be Watchful Unto Prayer
1 Peter 4:7b--"And watch unto prayer"
*If we live "sober-minded" we will be watching unto prayer!
*"Watch"--GR.--"Keep awake and be spiritually alert"
*“Watching unto prayer" means to be alert in our prayer life!
*There is no place for listless or routine prayer.
*Prayer should be an outpouring of the Soul. A cry to God for help and a
praise of His Person! To be watchful in Prayer we must be led by the Holy
Spirit!
Roms. 8:26-27
*When we fail to watch and pray, then can our enemy gain the advantage
on us!
Matt. 24:42-44
*The greatest gauge of our commitment to Christ is our thinking and
praying. If our thinking and praying is right, our living should be right!
(2)
(3) Be Loving
1 Peter 4:8--"And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: For charity shall cover a multitude of sins"
*Love is what differentiates Believers from the rest of this world!
John 13:34-35
*Sad to say but many churches have "left their first love", so they also have
lost love for each other! As the time of Christ draws nearer, we must have
a greater love than ever before for each other!
*This Love Must Be:
a) Fervent (v8a)--GR.--"Strained or to Stretched"
*It implies that love will go to any lengths!
1 Cors. 13:8a
ILLUS. The word pictures an athlete straining to reach a goal. It
speaks of eagerness and intensity. Christian Love is
something we have to work at, just as the athlete works
on his skills.
It is not a matter of emotional feeling, though that is
included, but of dedicated will! Christian Love means that
we treat others the way God treats us, obeying his
commandments in the Word. It is even possible to love
people we don't like. (3)
b) Forgiving (v8b)
Ephs. 4:32
*Love doesn't condone sin, but love covers sin in that love
motivates us to hide the sin from others and not spread it
abroad!
*The world has enough ammunition against God's People without
us giving them more! We happens here at our Church should
stay at our Church-if one falls or commits a grievous sin, let us
pray for that one; not spread it all over town!
(4) Be Sincere In Hospitality
1 Peter 4:9--"Use hospitality one to another without grudging"
*“Hospitality” according to Webster's Dictionary means "kindness to
strangers and guests." I believe in the world in which we live, Hospitality
is a lost art!
*Hospitality is a virtue commanded throughout the SCRIPTURES! it was
commanded in the Law (Ex. 22:21) and Jesus and His Disciples enjoyed
hospitality in their ministry!
*When we show hospitality we are reflecting God's Hospitality to us! He
has promised to go and prepare a place for us with Him and receive us to
Himself. In like manner, we should be willing to receive others!
Roms. 12:13; Luke 6:30
*When we share with others, we share Christ!
Matt. 25:35-40
*This is to be done without grudging (v9b)! In the Greek, the word means
"to murmur in displeasure."
*If it is going to cause us to complain and murmur to help others, I believe
God would be just as Happy, if we didn't bother!
(5) Be Ministering By the Power Of God
1 Peter 4:10-11b—“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any minister, let him do it as of the ability that God giveth."
*Minister"--GR.--"To be a Servant." We, if we are saved, are all His
servants, and we are to serve with gladness!
Ps. 100:2-3
*True Love Serves! Each Christian has at least one Spiritual Gift to use for
the glory of God and the building up of the Church!
Ephs. 4:7,12-13
*We are to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us (1 Cors. 4:2)!
*What Has God Given Us?:
a) Time
Ps. 90:12
b) Talent
Luke 12:48--"God expects Great things from His People!
c) Testimony
Ps. 107:2
*Whatever gift God has given us we must use to glorify His Holy Name
(Cols. 3:23-24). NO matter what!
*Because, “In the Kingdom of God there are no score sheets. menial tasks
rank as high as glamourous ones. Things are measured by the Spiritual
way in which they are done" --Carolyn Schultz (4)
*All service, for it to be pleasing to God must come from the heart!
(6) Be Sound In Speech
1 Peter 4:lla--"If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God..."
*"Oracles"--GR.--"The Very Utterance of God"
*We need preachers and teachers today who are careful to proclaim God's
Word rightly (2 Tim. 2:15)!
*“If I knew the LORD was coming in three years, I would spend two years
studying and one year preaching" --Donald G. Barnhouse (5)
*All human speakers, from time to time, will make mistakes, but if we allow
God's Word to be our Teacher and God's Spirit to guide our words, then we
will have sound speech!
1 Cors. 2:1-4; 2 Cors. 4:1-2
*It takes time, study, and preparation to be sound in speech. Preaching or
teaching is an awesome responsibility because we are dealing with the very
hearts of men!
*“Preaching that costs nothing accomplishes nothing. If the study is a
lounge, the pulpit will be irrelevant" --John Henry Jowett (6)
*We need men who will boldly proclaim God's Word, regardless of the
hazards it may put them in!
(7) Be Praising And Glorifying God
1 Peter 4:llc--"That God in all things may be glorified
through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen"
*Our LORD IS WORTHY of all PRAISE and we, His People, should exalt
and glorify His Holy Name!
Ps. 115:1; Ps. 96:1-9
*“The Christian should be an Alleluia from head to foot" –Augustine (7)
*We have so much to praise God for (Phils. 4:4)!
Ps. 103:1-5
*"An unmistakable mark of a living faith is the readiness to praise" --Howard H. Jones (8)
*But all praise must come form the heart, because if it doesn't we don't
truly praise and worship Him!
John 4:24
ILLUS. Our Worship is Spiritual when the door of the heart is shut against
all intruders, as our Savior commands. It is like going in our
closet and shutting the door. It was not His meaning to command
the shutting of the Closet-door and leave the heart-door open for
every thought that would be apt to haunt us. Worldly affections
are to be laid aside if we would have Spiritual Worship. To have
Spiritual Worship, is to have our souls gathered and bound wholly
in themselves, and offered to God. –Charnock (9)
(8) Be Ready To Suffer
1 Peter 4:12-14
*Suffering is a part of the Christian Life! All of us, if we live close enough to
God, will face persecution and suffering!
2 Tim. 3:12
*But Suffering, Persecution, and Trials are for our benefit (Roms.
8: 28): “As trees must be pruned, gold refined, grain sifted, and pearls
polished, so the Lord tests and tries His children that they may develop
their true potential and reflect their Maker’s glory.” What benefits do
these things bring to our lives?:
a) They Make Us More Like Christ
1 Peter 1:6-9
b) They Teach Us Patience And Make Us Grow
James 1:2-4
*“Adversity is God's University" Paul Evans (10)
*When we suffer, and do it patiently, we grow and become more like our
Savior!
*Suffering also gives to those watching us a wonderful testimony of our
LORD Jesus Christ (vl4b).
*"I believe there is nothing that honors God more, or that God honors more,
than praising Him In Tribulation" --Brownlow North (11)
ILLUS. Polycarp was the Bishop of Smyrna about the middle of the Second
century. He was arrested for his Faith and threatened to death if
he did not recant. "Eighty and six years have I served Him, the
Saintly old Bishop replied, "and He never did me any injury. How
can I blaspheme my King and Savior?"
"I have respect for your age,” said the Roman officer. "Simply say,
“Away with the Atheists!' and be set free." By "the atheists” he
meant the Christians who would not acknowledge Caesar was
"lord". The old man pointed to crowd of Roman pagans
surrounding him, and cried, "Away with the atheists!" He was
burned at the stake and in his martyrdom brought glory to the
Name of Christ. (12)
(9) Be Not Ashamed
1 Peter 4:15-16
*Our LORD gladly bore our shame for us, we should gladly bear shame for
Him and not be ashamed of him!
Hebs. 13:13-14
*Someone has said, "Shame arises from a fear of man, Courage from a fear
of God!"
Acts 5:40-42
*We need men and women today who are not ashamed to stand up for
Jesus Christ and the Principles of The WORD OF GOD!
Luke 9:26—“For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words,
Of him will the son of man be ashamed…”
*What gave the Apostles and early Christians the boldness to stand up for
Jesus? His Spirit!!
2 Tim. 1:7-8a
ILLUS. A boy playing in a field got stung by a nettle. He ran home to his
mother, telling her that he had but touched the nasty weed, and it
stung him. "It was your just touching it, my boy," said the
mother, "that caused it to sting you; next time you mettle with a
nettle, grasp it tightly and it will do you no harm." (13)
*That is how some of us deal with out service to God! We want the joys of
Heaven, but not the pains required to live Holy for Him. We want to touch
the handle of the plow, but let go when it is convenient for us!
Luke 9:62
(10) Be Ready To Stand Before God
1 Peter 4:17-19
*All of us will one day stand before Holy God to give an account of
ourselves to Him!
2 Cors. 5:10-11
*How we fair on that day depends on us! What have we done with the
opportunities and talents He has given us!
1 Cors. 3:11-15
*Because God's Judgment will begin “at the House of God” (v17), it
should motivate us to be as pure, holy, and obedient as possible!
*Peter Gives Us Two Things To Keep In Mind Seeing We Must Appear
Before God:
a) We Must Seek To Win The Lost (vv. 17-18)
Ps. 126:5-6
*Every two seconds three precious lost souls slip off into Eternity!
*Peter says, "If the righteous scarcely be saved" (vl8a). The word
"Scarcely" means “with difficulty!”
*There are some that will “scarcely be saved” They will be saved
“though as by fire"! Everything they lived for will go up in
smoke!
*Our times of trial and persecution are times of opportunity for
us to witness to our persecutors!
ILLUS. It was not the earthquake which brought the Philippian jailer to the LORD, it was Paul's loving concern for him that brought him to faith in Christ.
b) Commit Yourself To God (v19)
*To live godly in this present world, we must give ourselves to
Him!
Roms. 12:1-2
*“The prayer of commitment must be a way of life-not just a
despairing cry at the end of failure" (15)
*As we serve, love, and give to God, we show our commitment to
Him daily!
*AS the days grow more and more wicked, we need more and
more men, women, boys, and girls, who are truly committed to
Christ and His cause! Will you be one of those!
CLOSING: How long is the rest of our time? Only God knows! But we must not waste it, but make the best use of every opportunity to serve Him! Ephs. 5:16 says, "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Let us by the Grace of God, do all we can for His Glory! Let us be willing to suffer, serve, share, and speak out for Him!
Are you making the most of the things of which God has given
you? Remember we are stewards for God; and 1 Cors. 4:2 says,
"Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful!”
NOTES: 1. Warren W. Wiersbe. The Bible Exposition Commentary. Volume 2. PP. 421-422.
2. Wiersbe. Pg. 422.
3. Wiersbe. Pg. 422.
4. Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary & Classical. Pg. 184.
5. Wells. Pg. 162.
6. Wells. Pg. 163.
7. Wells. Pg. 158.
8. Wells. Pg. 138.
9. Elon Foster. 6000 Classic Sermon Illustrations. Pg. 767.
10. Wells. Pg. 206.
11. Wells. Pg. 208.
12. Wiersbe. Pg. 425.
13. Foster. Pg. 90.
14. Wiersbe. Pg. 426.
15. Wells. Pg. 45.
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