Living with the End in Mind | 1 Peter 4:1-11

Series: A living Hope in a dying world

Title: Living with the end in mind

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:1-11; Phil 2:5-8 NIV

Bottom line: Living with the end in mind requires us to arm ourselves with the attitude of Christ.

SERMON OUTLINE
NOTES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
OUTLINES
MAIN REFERENCES USED

SERMON OUTLINE

Introduction

This is a difficult world to live in for everybody. But Christians have additional challenges that come with our faith. For example, recently, a pastor from Pakistan was speaking about the many challenges that they’ve faced since 2019.

COVID-19 & ARC 2020: Not long after this pastor began a formal partnership with the Association of Related Churches (ARC, based here in Charleston), Covid hit. This caused pastors (along with everyone to quarantine and isolate). Christians in the US explained that because churches in America were not meeting they weren’t seeing a lot of offerings. As a result, they should not expect a lot of support until Covid settled down. But this pastor pushed back saying, “Didn’t Christians in Rome in the first century run into the plague to serve people?” We’re not going to isolate ourselves. We might not have the money now but we’re going to trust him for it. And $4 million would eventually come in for the pastors and ministries of the Pakistani church.
Refugees 2021: Debacle in Kabul, Afghanistan in August ‘21

The Taliban stepped in when the US left Afghanistan returning the country to its Shiria law ways. As a result, many Afghanis who’d been supportive of the US presence began to run for their lives running to other countries like Pakistan.
Because of the agreements between these governments and the Taliban, when the pastors approached the Pak government to see how they could help the refugees, the Pak gov’t denied their existence. Eventually, these pastors found ways to get around this that the govt could accept and ministered to refugees.

Massive Flooding 2022: “While some smaller floods occurred post-2020, the most significant event impacting Pakistan was the 2022 monsoon season deluge. Here's a brief summary of its scale:

Devastating: One-third of the country submerged, impacting 33 million people.
Deadly: Over 1,800 lives lost, making it the world's deadliest flood since 2020 and Pakistan's worst.
Economically crippling: $30 billion+ in damages and losses, pushing millions into poverty.
Widespread: All provinces affected, causing infrastructure destruction, agricultural losses, and health crises. (145 hospitals destroyed)

Remember, this is just a snapshot. The long-term consequences of these floods are still unfolding.” (Bard, 1/14/24)

Persecution 2023: Due to zealous, misguided Muslims, Christians became unfairly targeted accused of slandering Muhammad.

25 churches burned
400 homes burned or looted
But…Water mission water treatment units

Bottom line: Living in light of the end requires us to arm ourselves with the attitude of Christ.

Relying on David Helms’ commentary for this outline and looking back to our previous passage:

3 Commitments to be resolved to

“Arm yourselves also with this same attitude”

Because to be willing to suffer for Christ is to be willing to be done with sin; be holy
Phil 2:5-8 mind/attitude of Christ

Don’t live “for evil human desires” but
Live “for the will of God.”

Enough already!

2 Costs to embrace

They’re surprised you’re done with the past
They’ll heap abuse on you and slander you for being faithful

1 Encouraging conclusion to look forward to—they will have to give an account to God

Who’s ready to judge the living and the dead

Next we see

The reign of Christ

The resurrection of Christ

The return of Christ

4 ways to be a living hope in a dying world:

Be alert and soberminded

Why?
Because it helps us pray
Matt 6:33 reminds us that when we “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, all these things (that we tend to worry about) will be given to us” as well. So we pray with this in mind.

Love each other deeply

Why?
Because God’s love covers a multitude of sins
The cross (the love of God on display) covered all sins (Rom 5:8)

Offer hospitality to one another

How?
By serving believers in particular (“one another”) but not limited to
By serving people using our spiritual gifts

Every Christian has at least one.
No Christian has them all.
They’re to build up the body of Christ.
2 basic categories

Speaking
Serving

Without grumbling (meaning we’re tempted to)

Serve one another using your spiritual gift(s) (not an exhaustive list)

How?
As a faithful steward

Through speaking
Through serving using your specific gifts

Why?
So that in all things God may be praised…

Conclusion

Barney Reeves was the father of Jimmy Reeves, the founding pastor of our church, Grace Christian Fellowship, Summerville.

Barney was a gruff, retired USAF sergeant and he loved God’s word and God’s church. He was a huge fan of his son being a bi-vocational pastor of our church. But he was also excited when Grace stepped out in faith to hire a full-time pastor. That meant that he and I could talk during the day.

Anyway, in Barney’s later years, he fought intestinal cancer a long time. This meant he was in and out of hospitals. I remember one time in particular when I was visiting him there and it was just the two of us.

He was tearing up as he shared with me how he felt like the Lord was right there in the room with him. It was the glory of the Lord in that place. And it greatly encouraged him as he suffered.

I have no doubt that Barney was a great witness to Christ whenever he was in the hospital. But I also believe he needed that glory of encouragement to press on (a phrase he used very often).

We need this too. Glory and suffering…Peter gives us a theology of suffering in this letter and links it to the future glory we will enjoy and receive.

Our Bottom Line today is that we can live in light of the end but it requires us to arm ourselves with the attitude of Christ himself. An attitude that is so willing to serve people that it’s willing to suffer and serve people “To bring them to God.” (3:18)

And we know that God wants to do this in and through us.

Let’s follow Pete’s advice as we embrace the suffering in our lives as an instrument of glory for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

Pray

Q. What do I want them to know?

A. How to live in light of the end.

Q. Why do I want them to know it?

A. Because it helps us deal with suffering that comes to every Christian.

Q. What do I want them to do about it?

A. Live as Peter describes and calls us to.

Q. Why do I want them to do it?

A. Because this will empower us to show people what God’s love looks like.

Q. How can they begin to do this?

A. By

Staying alert and soberminded
Loving one another deeply
Offering hospitality to one another without grumbling
Serving one another in the power of the Holy Spirit

NOTES

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Discovery Bible Study process:

Retell the story in your own words.
Discovery the story

What does this story tell me about God?
What does this story tell me about people?
If this is really God’s word, what changes would I have to make in my life?

Who am I going to tell about this?

Final Questions (optional or in place of above)

What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?

Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast

OUTLINES

NIV Study Bible brief outline

After the opening (1:1-2), the letter has three main sections:

1: Peter first tells his readers to be holy in all you do. As Gentiles they once lived in ignorance (they did not know the ways of God). But they are now a holy nation, part of God's own people, and are called to a new way of life.

2: Peter then explains how this way of life will impress those who might accuse and persecute them without just cause.

3: Peter acknowledges that his readers are suffering for their faith, but he explains that this is only to be expected. The Messiah himself suffered, and believers all over the world are facing the same challenge. The followers of Jesus are waiting for the day God will visit them, and even in their suffering they can show they belong to God.

The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®

“Their ultimate enemy, that roaring lion, stands ready to devour them, but they have the conquering, suffering Shepherd at their side.” - P Schreiner

0. Elect exiles (1:1-2)

Hope as Exiles - The church has hope amidst trials because of their new future and new family. (1-2)

New future - Their new birth grants them an inheritance that can never be taken away. (1:3-12)
New family (and new calling) - Their new birth grants them the rights and responsibilities of God’s people. (1:13-2:10)

Exile Identity - In the midst of the world, they are to live as chosen exiles. (2-4)

Submit - They are to submit to authority figures because this is how Christ acted. (2:11-3:7)
Suffer well - Like Christ, they are to suffer for good because suffering leads to life. (3:8-4:11)

Stand Firm - To keep their exile identity, they must stand firm to the end. (4-5)

Suffer joyfully - They are to entrust themselves to God while doing good. (4:12-4:19)
Resist the devil - The elders should shepherd the people, recognizing the danger they are in. (5:1-11)