WEBVTT 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:03.540 Hopefully, if someone here just wants to pray, we can hold off the rain for a little bit. 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:10.970 I'm going to share this message with a little more brevity than usual, anticipating we might get some rain. 00:00:12.220 --> 00:00:16.550 I'm going to blame, I think actually the first song that we sang Open Up The Heavens and Let the Floodgate... 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:17.970 What is that? 00:00:18.630 --> 00:00:21.350 You should pick a better song set next week. 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:25.220 Lord answered the prayer. 00:00:26.080 --> 00:00:28.840 1 Peter 4 is where we're going to be today. 00:00:28.900 --> 00:00:36.060 So if you want to turn your Bibles to 1 Peter 4, we're going to look just a few verses here in 1 Peter, we're going to start in verse 00:00:36.060 --> 00:00:43.160 7 and we're going to answer just, I think a question that's, I think important for 00:00:43.160 --> 00:00:47.380 our day, as much as it is in Peter's day. 00:00:47.380 --> 00:00:54.840 If you remember in this book, Peter, in the early church, first century, they're experiencing persecution and 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:56.000 it's about to ramp up. 00:00:56.300 --> 00:00:58.840 It's about to get more significant in the lives of believers. 00:00:59.220 --> 00:01:00.870 And so their faith is going to cost them. 00:01:01.500 --> 00:01:02.970 And in fact, we've seen this together. 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:10.530 We've talked about this, that Peter's own life, he becomes a martyr and his wife is also martyred for her faith. 00:01:11.020 --> 00:01:18.640 And so Peter's writing this letter very clearly understanding the cost that he could face because 00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:20.800 of his faith in the Lord. 00:01:20.860 --> 00:01:24.360 And he's encouraging the early church to stand strong in the midst of the circumstance. 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:29.840 He's writing this letter to what is, what we would call modern day Turkey. 00:01:30.420 --> 00:01:33.640 And he's helping them to understand how they walk in their faith. 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:40.800 And so in today's portion of this text of scripture, we're just going to look at verse 7 to verse 11, but Peter's really answering 00:01:40.800 --> 00:01:48.020 the question for believers, "What do we do?" When you see life just kind of falling apart around you, 00:01:48.810 --> 00:01:53.460 sometimes you want to do something about it, or hopefully as believers, you do want to do something about it. 00:01:54.040 --> 00:01:57.430 But the question we often find ourselves asking is what would be most beneficial? 00:01:57.640 --> 00:01:58.500 What should we do? 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:01.810 And Peter answers that for the first century Christians. 00:02:02.580 --> 00:02:09.680 And what we're going to find is his answer is very relevant to even us and where we are today and how we relate to our lives and he's going to 00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:12.660 use a word that we've already talked about we discussed last week. 00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:19.000 If you remember this word therefore, I focus on that word for quite a while last week on what therefore intends for us. 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:20.810 And Peter's going to bring up that word one more time. 00:02:21.260 --> 00:02:29.040 And when you look at the word therefore, it's important for us to remember or always ask the hermeneutic question or the biblical study studious question. 00:02:29.100 --> 00:02:30.690 What is therefore there for? 00:02:31.060 --> 00:02:34.880 Because the word therefore in scripture is always tied to a belief and an action. 00:02:34.900 --> 00:02:38.760 There's an orthodoxy, a belief, and orthopraxy how you live it out in your life. 00:02:39.260 --> 00:02:45.010 So when scripture comes to a place of therefore it's saying, in light of everything we've taught you to believe this is how you respond. 00:02:45.320 --> 00:02:52.700 And so what do we do in moments when life seems to be going crazy around us and in 1 Peter chapter 4, verse 7, 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:53.630 this is where Peter starts. 00:02:53.760 --> 00:02:54.520 Let's look at this together. 00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:02.860 He says probably some of the most fitting phrases I think could fit 2020 well, he says, "The end of all 00:03:02.860 --> 00:03:07.040 things is near." It's like how many of you might be feeling like that right now? 00:03:07.040 --> 00:03:09.100 You think about the way 2020 is going over. 00:03:09.100 --> 00:03:13.940 We're just one small step away from feeling like this verse is relevant. 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:16.760 Maybe you already feel like that already the way this year has gone. 00:03:17.340 --> 00:03:24.400 "The end of all things is near." It's like the most obvious statement ever It's like Peter, somehow though he's writing in the first century, it's 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:26.250 like he could see 2020 or something. 00:03:26.620 --> 00:03:27.980 The end of all things is near. 00:03:27.980 --> 00:03:35.000 And then he says therefore, so this is where we come into this with the response, how do we react based on 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:36.190 our circumstance? 00:03:36.700 --> 00:03:44.140 And you know, when I look at this kind of phrase, the end of all things is near, I'm just going to be honest and saying, I have this sort of this love hate with 00:03:44.140 --> 00:03:51.740 that kind of a statement, because oftentimes in Christian circles, when we start talking about the end being near, I 00:03:51.740 --> 00:03:55.480 feel like that's the code word for crazy people to say crazy things. 00:03:55.820 --> 00:04:01.380 This is where you stand out on the side of the street and just yell random things that just makes everyone feel weird around you. 00:04:01.860 --> 00:04:04.060 It's usually the odd people that latch onto these. 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:11.700 I know even at the church, it seems like once a week we get these random letters from all across the country of people making some sort of declaration like this, about 00:04:11.700 --> 00:04:16.540 how we need to listen to them because they can predict the future and everything's going to fall apart. 00:04:17.140 --> 00:04:24.480 So I have this sort of this refrain within me when I come to a phrase like this and I'm like, "Nah, I don't want to give credence 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:29.420 to crazy people." But there's also something significant about this kind of statement. 00:04:29.620 --> 00:04:36.780 And rather than go down the crazy road, I want to go down the road in which Peter intends for us to think about this phrase, "The end 00:04:36.780 --> 00:04:44.060 of all things is near, therefore." And what Peter's going to do from this point on is he's going to give us five statements to practice in our lives, 00:04:44.500 --> 00:04:49.120 in the midst of the struggle of what it means to live for Jesus when the world around you may be falling apart. 00:04:50.080 --> 00:04:52.040 What do you do in circumstances like today? 00:04:52.860 --> 00:04:58.000 And I don't think it means necessarily things have to be bad before you live what Peter's saying here. 00:04:58.040 --> 00:05:05.160 I think this is relevant for us at all times and all places, meaning no matter how crazy the world gets 00:05:05.160 --> 00:05:08.720 around you, what you do for Jesus today, shouldn't matter. 00:05:08.900 --> 00:05:10.600 And what you do for Jesus tomorrow, right? 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:17.640 If the world and everything in this world is perfect or everything in this world is falling apart, tomorrow wake up and live for Jesus. 00:05:18.820 --> 00:05:25.860 And because of the circumstance though, Peter is saying, look, because the end is near, this as God's 00:05:25.880 --> 00:05:31.520 people should give us special sensitivity towards what's being expressed. 00:05:31.660 --> 00:05:38.740 Now Peter made this statement in the first century, we can look today and say, okay, we've had 20 centuries since then, Peter, were 00:05:38.740 --> 00:05:40.040 you wrong in what you're saying? 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:45.020 And we look at this kind of statement, I don't think Peter is wrong in what he's saying. 00:05:45.320 --> 00:05:50.480 He says to us a little later in 2 Peter, that one day is like a thousand years to the Lord, right? 00:05:50.780 --> 00:05:54.900 What he's getting us to recognize is that we live in light of the return of Jesus at any moment. 00:05:55.560 --> 00:06:01.440 In saying in your, where you are in Christ live knowing one day, you're going to see Jesus face to face. 00:06:01.520 --> 00:06:05.940 That is our expectation in life that what we do we're accountable for. 00:06:06.920 --> 00:06:12.020 Now this kind of statement could provoke a couple of different responses on people. 00:06:12.400 --> 00:06:14.180 One, it could be a statement of fear, right? 00:06:14.980 --> 00:06:16.490 It could be oh no God's going to return. 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:17.390 What have I been doing? 00:06:17.580 --> 00:06:18.440 I don't want to meet him. 00:06:18.460 --> 00:06:21.890 You have all this fear in our lives about seeing God face to face. 00:06:22.600 --> 00:06:28.520 But I don't think for believers that the story of Jesus's return is intended to be that way. 00:06:29.380 --> 00:06:36.260 Meaning when you read about eschatology or end times in the Bible, the Bible tends to say, as believers look up, right? 00:06:36.260 --> 00:06:37.160 Not running fear. 00:06:37.220 --> 00:06:38.560 That's what the world's response is. 00:06:38.620 --> 00:06:44.750 When you see eschatology, end times, and you read about the world's response to it, theirs is to run in fear and hide. 00:06:45.100 --> 00:06:46.880 They never repent, never turn to God. 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:48.360 They're worried about his coming. 00:06:48.780 --> 00:06:54.260 But for believers, we look up with this expectancy because he is our King and we want to be near. 00:06:55.140 --> 00:06:58.990 So for us, this doesn't need to be a statement of fear, but of earnest expectation. 00:07:00.380 --> 00:07:07.440 And so what I think Peter is wanting us to understand what this thought is rather than worry about his 00:07:07.440 --> 00:07:12.240 return, what he wants us to start thinking about is how not to squander his mercy. 00:07:14.280 --> 00:07:21.420 God has been incredibly gracious and merciful to us to give us an opportunity to even live for his glory and to even know him and to walk with him 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:24.800 and to allow his light to shine forth into our lives. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:33.080 And so Peter's bringing this to our attention so that we, as his people can understand the significance of this moment that God has 00:07:33.080 --> 00:07:35.580 put you in this place to make a difference for him. 00:07:36.100 --> 00:07:42.940 So with the end in near, or the idea of your King and all of this for his glory, therefore. 00:07:44.280 --> 00:07:52.300 And then he gives this statement, "Be of sound judgment and sober spirit." Number 00:07:52.300 --> 00:07:57.420 one, if you've got the sermon notes with you this morning, what he's saying here is be stable. 00:07:58.040 --> 00:08:00.040 That's the blank in our sermon notes this morning. 00:08:00.820 --> 00:08:02.020 Be stable. 00:08:02.440 --> 00:08:05.380 Be of sound judgment and of sober spirit. 00:08:05.420 --> 00:08:07.940 So when you look at this statement, the end of all things is near. 00:08:07.960 --> 00:08:08.350 So what do you do? 00:08:08.960 --> 00:08:14.500 You go crazy, you panic, you hold signs on the side of the street and you just randomly yell at people about doomsday right? 00:08:15.320 --> 00:08:16.660 No, that's not what he's saying at all. 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:24.980 He's saying, in fact, it makes you the opposite of crazy when you live in light of thinking about all that God intends for his glory 00:08:24.980 --> 00:08:25.740 in eternity. 00:08:27.080 --> 00:08:32.120 It makes you a person that thinks rational rationally and reasonably. 00:08:33.400 --> 00:08:37.620 In fact this verse is intended to be contrasted with verse 3. 00:08:38.580 --> 00:08:43.960 And in verse 3 of this same chapter, Peter is demonstrating the idea of the world. 00:08:44.660 --> 00:08:51.680 And in verse 7, now the idea of believers, people in this world might look at you and be like if you live your life thinking about 00:08:51.680 --> 00:08:54.300 the end and before the Lord, you're crazy. 00:08:55.640 --> 00:09:02.900 But what Peter's actually saying is if you don't live your life in light of meeting God face to face, actually you're crazy, because 00:09:02.900 --> 00:09:07.300 all of this is leading to somewhere and to think about what it all means matters, right? 00:09:07.620 --> 00:09:11.130 So if you look in verse 3, let me just remind us of this passage of scripture. 00:09:11.340 --> 00:09:18.420 And in first Peter chapter 4 in verse 3, he says, "For the time already passed is sufficient for you to 00:09:18.420 --> 00:09:25.480 have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality." And so what Peter is 00:09:25.480 --> 00:09:28.760 saying in this story is he's like, look, the world. 00:09:28.820 --> 00:09:29.880 Here's how they live their lives. 00:09:30.260 --> 00:09:32.540 They don't think about ultimately what this leads to. 00:09:33.920 --> 00:09:38.720 They may live for a purpose, but not truly define the ultimate purpose behind why they do what they do. 00:09:39.320 --> 00:09:45.700 It's this core sensuality, which what he's saying is look, they get up each day and they answer the question what makes you most happy? 00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:51.100 And because you're God of this earth, how can you use everything else for your purposes and your pleasure? 00:09:52.520 --> 00:09:53.820 But what Peter is saying is no, no, no. 00:09:53.820 --> 00:09:54.980 You got to think bigger than this. 00:09:56.020 --> 00:09:56.980 Think stable. 00:09:56.980 --> 00:10:01.100 Think beyond yourself, because life was created for a purpose greater than you. 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:05.440 And so what's the ultimate reason behind anything that you do in this world. 00:10:06.420 --> 00:10:12.510 And so when you think about living a life that's intentional and a life that matters, it starts in this place live stable. 00:10:12.980 --> 00:10:15.640 Don't let your emotions just determine what you do. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:18.690 And don't just make this emotional response to your circumstance. 00:10:19.300 --> 00:10:22.280 But ask the question, "God, what ultimately matters to you? 00:10:22.420 --> 00:10:29.600 Why are we doing this?" The world, the modern man can look at us today and say, look, there is no ultimate truth. 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:30.660 There is no moral absolutes. 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:32.820 There is no ultimate meaning of life. 00:10:33.140 --> 00:10:40.300 We don't even know if God exists, but when you start on that basis, you have no premise for any moral stand that you make in life, 00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:42.780 because there is no ultimate purpose behind your moral stance. 00:10:44.540 --> 00:10:49.340 You can argue in this world that racism is wrong. 00:10:50.900 --> 00:11:00.540 That violence is wrong as the modern man says, or that with sexuality, you can do whatever you want, but 00:11:00.540 --> 00:11:01.240 based on what? 00:11:06.600 --> 00:11:07.200 Based on what? 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:20.020 Why is it today that we're encouraged to suppress our aggressive instincts, but 00:11:20.020 --> 00:11:21.400 pursue sexual instincts? 00:11:25.940 --> 00:11:28.940 What makes racism wrong without a gun? 00:11:31.940 --> 00:11:33.260 Who says violence is wrong? 00:11:34.400 --> 00:11:41.790 If I'm the determiner of what is right or wrong within myself, what is the ultimate purpose to morality? 00:11:44.520 --> 00:11:46.220 And this is what Peter is saying, right? 00:11:47.920 --> 00:11:54.980 In light of knowing that all of this leads to the glory of God and in before his presence, don't just simply pursue 00:11:54.980 --> 00:11:57.240 the sensual desires of your life. 00:11:57.920 --> 00:11:58.720 As if you're God. 00:12:00.340 --> 00:12:07.260 Rather understand that God has given you his mercy and grace for a reason and provide an ultimate basis for the way that you choose to live your life. 00:12:08.780 --> 00:12:09.800 And what is that reason? 00:12:12.040 --> 00:12:16.760 Well, it's based on the Lord who gives the framework for everything. 00:12:18.300 --> 00:12:20.420 He is the ultimate cause to a morality. 00:12:20.900 --> 00:12:21.960 Let's just stop and ask the question. 00:12:23.140 --> 00:12:24.560 Does God care what you do? 00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:26.860 If so, why? 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:29.960 Does God care what you do to your body? 00:12:31.980 --> 00:12:32.680 And if so, why? 00:12:33.980 --> 00:12:36.520 Provide a reasonable basis for all people? 00:12:36.520 --> 00:12:39.690 So one is don't respond to things emotionally. 00:12:40.160 --> 00:12:44.820 I know today that the news is wonderful at giving this emotional charge to circumstances. 00:12:45.180 --> 00:12:49.500 But just because you say things on Twitter and you spew hate, is that really going to make the change? 00:12:50.740 --> 00:12:55.460 What the world needs is a basis towards why we're doing what we're doing. 00:12:55.740 --> 00:12:58.280 And the Christian community provides that place, right? 00:12:58.540 --> 00:13:05.860 It's the stability of God's people, not just responding in a sensual way towards the things of this world, but to look at the circumstances around 00:13:05.860 --> 00:13:11.900 us, in light of who God is, and then providing that framework for why we do what we do as God's people made in his image. 00:13:13.560 --> 00:13:20.560 Number two, he says this, he says, "Be sober, be of sound judgment and sober 00:13:20.560 --> 00:13:27.720 spirit." Listen to this "for the purpose of prayer." Number two, I would say for your blankets to 00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:30.840 be prayerful, be prayerful. 00:13:30.880 --> 00:13:34.650 And look, I want to just be clear in saying this is not where you end. 00:13:34.660 --> 00:13:36.840 This is where you start, right? 00:13:36.840 --> 00:13:43.060 So you start with this basis, that's stable and the identity of God, and it leads you into prayer, right? 00:13:43.520 --> 00:13:45.880 And so it's not about ending in prayer and that's it. 00:13:45.880 --> 00:13:46.700 You've done your part. 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:48.240 This is where we start as Christians. 00:13:48.580 --> 00:13:51.720 We begin with an attitude of prayer, and this is why this is important. 00:13:52.400 --> 00:13:59.440 It's important because when we think in terms of prayers as really people in general, and sometimes as Christians, I want to say 00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:01.470 that oftentimes we treat prayer poorly. 00:14:02.380 --> 00:14:05.020 And what I mean by that is when you ask someone, what's the purpose of prayer? 00:14:05.560 --> 00:14:09.120 Oftentimes the way that we see prayers, we come to God and we tell God what we want. 00:14:09.820 --> 00:14:11.380 And then we leave it up to God to do it, right? 00:14:11.400 --> 00:14:12.100 That's the part. 00:14:12.420 --> 00:14:13.940 You just go to God and you say what you want. 00:14:14.380 --> 00:14:17.440 And then God responds however he wants to in those moments. 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:21.760 And that's typically, if we pray to God, how oftentimes people would just practice prayer. 00:14:22.160 --> 00:14:23.780 I have a need, I share with God my need. 00:14:23.780 --> 00:14:28.220 And that's what prayers there for well, and I want to say that is a aspect of prayer. 00:14:28.220 --> 00:14:31.320 Peter's going to talk about that aspect of prayer when we get to chapter five. 00:14:31.740 --> 00:14:35.100 An important part of prayer, but I don't think that's the primary reason of prayer. 00:14:35.960 --> 00:14:39.980 When you read in 1 Peter chapter 4, and he's talking about prayer. 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:48.660 Well, if you consider the idea of prayer in terms of Jesus teaching us about prayer in Matthew 6, in Matthew 6:9-10. 00:14:49.220 --> 00:14:56.320 Jesus is asked, "How do we pray?" And he says, "Pray in this way: Our father in heaven, hallowed be 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:57.540 your name, or sacred be name. 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:06.020 Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." That's how Jesus starts in 00:15:06.020 --> 00:15:07.670 teaching us how to pray. 00:15:08.700 --> 00:15:15.800 And in doing so, Jesus identifies something in the very beginning of prayer about the significance of the basis of prayer in the life of 00:15:15.800 --> 00:15:16.300 a believer. 00:15:17.060 --> 00:15:17.840 And here's what he's saying. 00:15:18.980 --> 00:15:22.480 Prayer isn't about you telling God your will, so that God does what you want. 00:15:23.460 --> 00:15:29.960 But rather what Jesus is saying, his prayers about you aligning yourself with his will to accomplish his desires in this world. 00:15:31.620 --> 00:15:34.510 And that's a total paradigm shift to the way that we often treat prayer. 00:15:34.980 --> 00:15:36.890 The only time I talked to God is when I need something. 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:38.800 And so I just say to God, what it is that I want. 00:15:39.160 --> 00:15:41.400 And then I just walk away as if God's here to serve me. 00:15:44.420 --> 00:15:46.440 But God doesn't exist to serve me though. 00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:49.380 I think God does find delight in providing for our needs. 00:15:50.520 --> 00:15:56.660 Rather we were created to serve him and to find our joy in living for his purposes in this world. 00:15:56.680 --> 00:15:58.660 And that's exactly what Jesus says in Matthew 6. 00:16:00.040 --> 00:16:03.420 Your will be done, your will be done. 00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:11.160 And so the purpose of prayer is to take our hearts in pursuit of our King, to live out his desires in this world. 00:16:11.160 --> 00:16:14.660 When we look at this world around us and say, "God, this world seems to be falling apart. 00:16:16.340 --> 00:16:23.340 And I want to make a difference." The desire of our heart should be to pursue our King and that is what the basis of 00:16:23.380 --> 00:16:30.380 prayer becomes for us, but all are we looking at the grand picture of God's perspective in this world by being stable in 00:16:30.380 --> 00:16:37.400 our minds, not just following an emotional drive, but to also seek God and prayer, to align our 00:16:37.400 --> 00:16:44.580 hearts with our King and to communicate to our King, "Lord, my desire right now is for you." There is something beautiful about the Christian life when 00:16:44.580 --> 00:16:48.360 you can wake up every day and say, "God, you have gifted me another day. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:54.500 And God, there's nothing that I do to deserve today, but by your grace, you give today. 00:16:56.100 --> 00:17:03.180 And so God, as one who follows you and you being my King in these moments, I surrender myself to 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:05.000 let your light be made known in this world. 00:17:06.819 --> 00:17:13.819 God, lead my heart the way you desire to make yourself known today." I mean, that's what 00:17:13.819 --> 00:17:15.160 Romans 12 is, right? 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:22.359 "I beg you brothers by the mercies of God that you present yourself as a living sacrifice." So Peter says to 00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:29.420 us, "Be sound of judgment and sober in spirit for the purpose of prayer," so that your heart 00:17:29.420 --> 00:17:31.120 begins really to align with God's heart. 00:17:31.460 --> 00:17:35.500 And in verse 8, he says this, "above all." So this is important, right? 00:17:35.980 --> 00:17:43.700 "Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins." 00:17:44.060 --> 00:17:51.440 Blank number three, if you've got the sermon notes is be fervent in love, be fervent in love. 00:17:53.300 --> 00:18:00.460 When you think about this idea of love, he really says the way that we are to practice love is in two ways, one, he uses this word 00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:03.740 fervent, and then he talks about love covering a multitude of sin. 00:18:03.800 --> 00:18:10.640 So it gives us two pictures of how he wants love to play out in difficult circumstances that he's writing in. 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:17.380 When you think about fervent love, what he's saying to us is love takes effort. 00:18:18.580 --> 00:18:26.220 In fact, this picture is of an athlete straining towards a goal, if any of you've ever played sports as a kid in life, all 00:18:26.220 --> 00:18:33.080 of the practice and all of the repetition that went with that and all of the muscle development and muscle memory that you gain. 00:18:33.320 --> 00:18:39.460 And it leads up to this one moment, this one performance, this end of the season, trying to strive for that goal. 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:41.360 And that's the picture here. 00:18:43.960 --> 00:18:45.960 It's as if to stop and ask does your love have limits? 00:18:48.920 --> 00:18:50.740 You think about the world today. 00:18:52.520 --> 00:18:58.360 Let me just ask of all the things that you've seen, maybe in the news lately, what have you disliked the most? 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:04.000 And is there a person attached to that dislike? 00:19:06.580 --> 00:19:09.400 And how would you feel if they were around you right now? 00:19:12.340 --> 00:19:13.640 Is there a limit to your love? 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:22.460 I think Peter is talking to a group of people that he wants to see make change in this world for the glory of God. 00:19:24.280 --> 00:19:32.660 And so when he talks about this fervency of love, he's saying, "Look, if you can't find a place in your life where your love is taking effort and 00:19:32.660 --> 00:19:38.500 to challenge yourself in the way that you're living in light of this world." It's not about complaining for change. 00:19:39.800 --> 00:19:41.840 It's about being the change you want to see made. 00:19:43.340 --> 00:19:45.160 And so love takes effort. 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:51.940 And if there's a limit to your love, that doesn't sound very Jesus like does it? 00:19:53.160 --> 00:19:58.680 Because he loved us while we were still sinful or sinners, the Bible tells us in Romans 5:8. 00:20:00.300 --> 00:20:02.600 And so Peter is saying, look, okay, make a difference in this world. 00:20:02.660 --> 00:20:04.040 First don't respond. 00:20:04.220 --> 00:20:05.580 Don't respond emotionally. 00:20:06.040 --> 00:20:06.970 That'll get you in trouble. 00:20:08.120 --> 00:20:09.110 But take a God perspective. 00:20:09.580 --> 00:20:10.320 Be stable. 00:20:10.320 --> 00:20:13.060 Think rationally towards the greater picture of what God desires. 00:20:14.020 --> 00:20:19.060 Enter into this prayerfully to seek after your King's will, but not your will. 00:20:19.180 --> 00:20:22.240 And then think about fervent love. 00:20:22.340 --> 00:20:24.160 What is fervent love looks like? 00:20:24.260 --> 00:20:26.160 And he says, love covers a multitude of sins. 00:20:26.420 --> 00:20:33.540 It's sort of like this sin is ammunition that destroys, but love is sort of that protective armor. 00:20:35.860 --> 00:20:39.720 Sin will rip this world apart, it is the bullet to destroy this world. 00:20:40.220 --> 00:20:44.220 But God's people become the covering to sin to shield this world. 00:20:44.560 --> 00:20:49.380 It's not to say you're not honest with sin or not to say you're trying to hide it or anything like that. 00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:56.960 But rather what it's saying to us is look, we come in as ministers of mercy to the destruction of sin and we speak truth and love and the life 00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:59.120 of people we're fervent that way. 00:21:01.660 --> 00:21:05.240 It's not just simply about proving you're right to people or putting people in their place. 00:21:05.260 --> 00:21:06.330 It doesn't help. 00:21:07.730 --> 00:21:11.860 There's a time to stand, but there's also an important way in which you stand. 00:21:13.180 --> 00:21:20.260 It's not about just what you say, but it's also about the way you say it and you can allow truth to 00:21:20.260 --> 00:21:21.540 still be seasoned with grace. 00:21:22.900 --> 00:21:25.880 And so it's about being this type of fervent love for people. 00:21:25.900 --> 00:21:30.900 And then he goes on further in verse 9 and he, I think, develops this idea of fervent love. 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:37.600 He says, "Be hospitable to one another without complaint." Be hospitable to one another without complaint. 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:40.640 This is an important picture, I think of how love continues to develop. 00:21:41.040 --> 00:21:48.040 When you look at the word hospitable in scripture, nearly every time it's used in the New Testament, it's always in relationship to the unbelieving 00:21:48.040 --> 00:21:55.590 world and the blank that you have in your notes is to be welcoming, to connect with people. 00:21:56.900 --> 00:22:04.500 I think this is a beautiful word that Peter's using here is especially as you think about Jesus as ministry, because the accusation of Jesus in 00:22:04.500 --> 00:22:09.300 his hospitality was he was a friend of sinners and drunkards and tax collectors. 00:22:10.580 --> 00:22:15.080 That was the criticism that Jesus received in this world that he didn't go to. 00:22:15.300 --> 00:22:18.380 Those that were well, but as Jesus said, he went to those who were sick. 00:22:18.440 --> 00:22:20.260 Those who knew that they needed help. 00:22:21.620 --> 00:22:25.570 And this is a matter of looking at ourselves and saying, "Okay, how do I treat this world that I feel like is broken? 00:22:25.860 --> 00:22:27.800 Or are those that maybe even frustrated me? 00:22:27.840 --> 00:22:29.860 What kind of person am I to them? 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:31.170 Am I a bridge builder? 00:22:32.560 --> 00:22:34.100 Or do I throw stones and return"? 00:22:35.640 --> 00:22:42.720 And when you read Jesus ministry, some of the greatest things that happened in Jesus's life happened around a dinner table, 00:22:44.840 --> 00:22:51.040 hospitality, welcoming. 00:22:51.660 --> 00:22:53.540 How do you treat people that you don't always agree with? 00:22:56.200 --> 00:22:57.160 What do they think about you? 00:22:59.840 --> 00:23:06.840 And they may know you don't agree with them, but when they think about you, is it fond 00:23:06.840 --> 00:23:07.320 thoughts? 00:23:09.300 --> 00:23:12.180 I think about Jesus's interaction with people that were sinful. 00:23:13.540 --> 00:23:20.810 Jesus was, he was honest with their relationship to God and how sin destroyed that relationship. 00:23:20.900 --> 00:23:27.900 I think about the woman at the well, and Jesus starts the discussion with her and he says to you, "Where's your husband." And she says, "I don't have one." He 00:23:27.900 --> 00:23:29.060 says, "You know, you're right. 00:23:29.120 --> 00:23:30.100 You've been married five times. 00:23:30.100 --> 00:23:35.140 And the person you're with now is not even your husband." Jesus was honest, but you know what? 00:23:35.280 --> 00:23:36.560 This lady thought about Jesus? 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:45.440 That Jesus loved her and she loved Jesus because of how she was treated 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:46.020 by Christ. 00:23:47.420 --> 00:23:52.460 We might have to end here, huh? 00:23:53.940 --> 00:23:54.580 Love one another. 00:23:54.580 --> 00:23:55.180 Be hospitable. 00:23:55.220 --> 00:23:56.080 Here's the last one real quick. 00:23:56.620 --> 00:23:57.260 Be a giver. 00:23:57.440 --> 00:23:58.810 Use your gifts to give for the Lord. 00:23:58.980 --> 00:24:01.500 I think that might be it for us today. 00:24:01.800 --> 00:24:03.180 Use your gifts, the gift from the Lord. 00:24:03.180 --> 00:24:04.400 I want to pray for us. 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:05.720 And then we're going to dismiss. 00:24:05.720 --> 00:24:06.420 Lord, we love you. 00:24:06.520 --> 00:24:07.140 Thank you for today. 00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:07.860 Thank you for worship. 00:24:08.220 --> 00:24:09.780 And we are done. 00:24:09.860 --> 00:24:12.710 God, and we appreciate your goodness for us in Christ's name. 00:24:12.940 --> 00:24:13.140 Amen. 00:24:14.080 --> 00:24:15.000 Run for cover.