Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim

End Times Conduct
1 Peter 4:7-11

Introduction

What time is it? Today is daylight savings turn back your clock day.  Some time we do not have a proper perspective of time.    A little boy asked his grandma, grandma, were you on the ark, and she said, of course not. Well he said, why didn't you drown.

It is the Last Days we are living in.   Look at this scripture and learn how proper it is to call the day we live in the last days.

In Acts, 2:17 Simon tells us "And it shall be in the last days,' God says, 'That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; (NAS)

Do you see since the day of Pentecost it has been the last days.   The signs of the times also indicate to us it is the last days.     The only option open to the child of God is to believe these days are the last days.   I can not say God will not send Jesus back to this earth anytime soon and be following the dictates of scripture.

Simon in this text says it is the end time.  I want us to consider what our conduct in these last days should be.  Follow as I bring out the following principals from this text.
 

The Perspective . . for Our End Time Conduct.

The Prayer . . for Our End Time Conduct.

The Passion . . for Our End Time Conduct.

The Potential . . for Our End Time Conduct.

The Praise . . for Our End Time Conduct.
 
 

A.    This Is a . . Sure Perspective. 7 a
            ". . . The end of all things is at hand; therefore, . . . "

Matt 3:2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (NAS)

James 5:8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. (NAS)
 

B.    This is a . . Sound Perspective. 7 b
        ". . . be of sound judgment . . . "

    1.    Contrasted with one of unsound mind.

Mark 5:15 And they came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the "legion"; and they became frightened. (NAS)

    2.    Correct thinking.
            a.    Not Thinking from your Sex Drive.
            b.    Not Thinking from your Pride.
            c.    Not Thinking from your Pocket Book.
 

C.    This Is a . . Sober Perspective. 7 c
        ". . . and sober {spirit} for the purpose of prayer. "

SOBER 1. Habitually abstemious in the use of alcoholic liquors or drugs; temperate. 5. Marked by seriousness, gravity, of conduct or character
 

Illustration Oh, that they were wise, . . . that they would consider their latter end!" (Deuteronomy 32:29) from Our Daily Bread

In the spring of 1981, a young man was flown into desolate northern Alaska to photograph the natural beauty and mysteries of the tundra. He took along 500 rolls of film, several firearms, and 1,400 pounds of provisions.

As the months passed, the words in his diary changed from wonder and fascination into a nightmare. In August he wrote, "I think I should have used more foresight about arranging my

departure. I'll soon find out." In November he died in a nameless valley, by a nameless lake, 225 miles northeast of Fairbanks. An investigation revealed that though he had carefully planned his trip, he had made no provision to be flown out.
 

Application

I like to sing the song Ill Fly Away/ I believe I will some day because I have made provision for that day through Jesus my Lord and Saviour/
 
 

A.    The . . Seriousness of Prayer relates to the End Times. 7

        1.    Our recent Mass Evangelism Event.
        2.    Especially Effective In Light of The End Times.

B.    The . . Skill to Pray. 7 b
        NASB ". . . for the purpose of prayer."

        NIV ". . . so that you can pray."

Application

The End times should motivate us to prayer.
 
 

A.    Passion Is a . . Heartfelt Love. 8 a
            ". . . Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another,. . . "

* ATR = [Being fervent] [ektenee (grk 1618) echontes
(grk 2192)]. Present active participle of [echontes] . . . to stretch out), stretched out, here only in the New Testament, ". . . "
 

Illustration
Simon Peter asked the Lord how many times should I forgive; should I forgive 7 times? The Lord said 70 times 7. The Lord said stretch your self in your desire to serve Me and My People.
 

B.    Passion Is a . . Hiding Love. 8 b
            ". . . because love covers a multitude of sins."

Illustration
In our earlier years of marriage I would fail to do somethig Christa wanted me to do and she would get mad and we would have words and she would not talk to me.   This really makes me frustrated as I want peace in the home so I would go and say I am sorry.  Christa would say nothing and I would try to get her to speak to me and she would say "leave me alone I want to be mad at you for a while."

I would say  "Christa I love you"  and she would say  "love doesn't cover all Jim".   Do you know what I would do I would site this verse of scripture  "love covers a multitude of sins."

Friend Simon is letting us know how all of us need the Love and mercy of the Lord and of one another.
 

C.    Passion Is a . . Hospitable Love. 9
            9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

    1.    Inviting Others to your home.
            a.    Our home is always open.
            b.    Without Bellyaching.

Luke 5:30 And the Pharisees and their scribes {began} grumbling at His disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax-gatherers and sinners?" (NAS)
 

Illustration
A man came to the pastor one time and said, "I don't know what's wrong with my life, but that first Christian joy I knew has passed by. I still live a moral life. I go to church. But how can I recover the lost radiance of my faith?" His pastor said, "this is what you should do: go to the store and buy a big basketful of groceries and go to an address of a poor family I will give you. Then when you have given your gift, you sit down with them to find out what they need. Let them know that you are interested in them and that you are their friend. Then lead them in the Lord's Prayer before you leave, and the radiance will come back."

Application

Are you giving yourself in hospitality.   It may be used of the Lord to restore your joy.
 
 

A.    The Potential in . . Special Gifts. 10 a
            ". . . As each one has received a {special} gift, . . . "

    1.    We all need to see our gift as special.
    2.    God doesn't make junk.
 

B.    The Potential in . . Serving Gifts. 10 b
            ". . . employ it in serving one another, . . . "

    1.    All gifts are for service to the Lord and His' people.
 

C.    The Potential in . . Stewardship of Gifts. 10 c

        NASB ". . . as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. "

        NIV ". . . faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
 

D.    The Potential in . . Strengthening of Gifts. 11 a
        " Whoever speaks, {let him speak,} as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, {let him do
        so} as by the strength which God supplies;"
 

Illustration
You have your gifts not so much for your own sake as for the sake of others. You are like an apple tree that produces fruit not for its own consumption but for the consumption of others. Your gifts are given so you can bless others by ministering to them. If you have the gift of teaching, you have it so others in the body will be taught. If you have the gift of hospitality, it is because others need the gracious welcome they receive from you. If even one gifted person fails to function, the body of Christ is deprived of a ministry it needs to function well.

Application

Do you know what your gift is, and use it?
 
 

A.    Praise in . . Everything. 11 b
            ". . . so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
 

B.    Praise in . . Exaltation. 11 b
            ". . . whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
 

Illustration
It is said that in Africa there is a fruit called the "taste berry", because it changes a person's taste so that everything eaten tastes sweet and pleasant. Sour fruit, even if eaten several hours after the "taste berry," becomes sweet and delicious. Gratitude is the "taste berry" of Christianity, and when our hearts are filled with gratitude, nothing that God sends us seems unpleasant to us. Sorrowing heart, sweeten your grief with gratitude. Burdened soul, lighten your burden by singing God's praises. Disappointed one, dispel your loneliness by making others grateful.

Sick one, grow strong in soul, thanking God that He loves you enough to chasten you. Keep the "taste berry" of gratitude in your hearts, and it will do for you what the "taste berry" of Africa does for the African.

The Perspective . . for Our End Time Conduct.

The Prayer . . for Our End Time Conduct.

The Passion . . for Our End Time Conduct.

The Potential . . for Our End Time Conduct.

The Praise . . for Our End Time Conduct.
 

*    ATR = Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament