Read 1 Peter 4:7-11
Background
The end of all things is near… (V.7)
• Letter probably written by Peter in mid 60’s AD
• By then Christians were beginning to undergo persecution by Nero
• Peter sees what is happening and thinking back to the words of Jesus believes that the return of Jesus is near
Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.
Matthew 24:33 (NIV)
• From a human standpoint the situation looks hopeless: Christians are undergoing suffering and persecution.
• We know from some of Paul’s earlier letters, like 1 and 2 Thessalonians, that people had lost their hope and they tended to respond to their loss of hope in one of two ways:
o Some had resorted to an ungodly lifestyle, reverting to lives full of sexual immorality and drunkenness
o Others had just withdrawn from society and become idle, figuring Jesus would return again soon, so that there was no sense doing anything at all.
HOW DO I REGAIN MY HOPE WHEN IT SEEMS LOST?
1. Ask God to let me see my situation from His perspective
Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. (v.7)
• When we’re in a situation that looks hopeless there is a tendency to go to one of two extremes:
o Panic
o Complacency
I think what Peter is telling us here is that we need to avoid both extremes.
Wuest:
“Be calm and collected in spirit with a view to giving yourself to prayer.”
Today we might say, “be cool” or “chill out”.
An astronaut bound for the moon was asked, “How will you get off the moon?”
He said, “We fire the rockets and take off in our module.”
“But what happens if it doesn’t fire?”
He said, “Then we’re stuck.”
“How long will your life-support system last?”
“Six hours.”
The reporter then asked, “May I ask you what you will do those last six hours?”
“Sure,” he said. “I’ll work on the engine!”
That’s what Peter is saying here. When all hope seems to be lost, don’t panic, but don’t just sit there and do nothing either. And the purpose for being clear-minded and self-controlled is so that we can pray. But what do we pray? I think Peter gives us a clue what we should pray back in verse 1 of this chapter:
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude…
1 Peter 4:1 (NIV)
Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him.
1 Peter 4:1 (Message)
We tend to think of prayer as asking God for something, as if God were some genie in the sky just waiting to give us our three wishes. But when I look at the prayers in the Bible, especially Paul’s prayers contained in his letters, it seems to me that the real purpose of prayer is for God to help us see things from his perspective:
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe...
Ephesians 1:18. 19 (NIV)
I ask – ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory – to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him – endless energy, boundless strength!
Ephesians 1:18, 19 (Message)
So the first thing I need to do if I want to regain my hope is to focus on God and try to see things from his perspective. That makes sense. In fact, that’s a pretty good principle to apply to every area of my life. But the second principle that Peter writes about comes as something of a surprise…
2. Focus on others
In verses 8-10, Peter makes it clear that once we focus on seeing things from God’s perspective, the next thing we need to do in order to regain our hope is to focus on others. In the self-centered world we live in today, that is not exactly how most of us would chose to do it, but God has a way of turning our world upside down:
- The world says: “hate your enemy”; God says: “love your enemy”
- The world says: “accumulate all you can”; God says: “give all you can”
- The world says: “try to earn God’s favor by your deeds”; God says, “Trust in what I’ve already done for you.”
- The world says: “Take care of your own needs”; God says, “Look out for the needs of others”
• Love others deeply
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (v. 8)
“Above all” = highest priority
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)
“deeply” = athletes striving for the finish line; stretching oneself
This kind of love is not just an emotional feeling, but an act of the will. It means that we can love others even if we don’t like them.
The key to this kind of love: Forgiveness
Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.
Proverbs 10:12 (NIV)
When Peter and the writer of the Proverbs tell us that lover covers a multitude of sins or all wrongs, they are not saying that love tries to sweep sin under the, or ignore it, or accept it. The point they are making is that the kind of deep love that Peter is writing about here is willing to cover over those actions by others that offend or hurt us. In other words – we forgive the other person. Paul says essentially the same thing in 1 Corinthians 13:
Love… is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
1 Corinthians 13:4, 5 (NIV)
“Nothing is a more compelling witness than the love and unity that Christians exhibit toward each other, and nothing is more disturbing or disruptive to the unity of the body than Christians who are stirred up against each other and experiencing strife. Nothing is a poorer witness.”
- Chuck Swindoll
“I like your Christ, but I don’t like your Christians…they are so unlike your Christ.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
What is Christ like? He is characterized by love and forgiveness. He never condoned sin, but at the same time he treated those who had committed sin with compassion and offered forgiveness.
• Welcome others joyfully
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (v. 9)
In New Testament times, hospitality was particularly important because there were few inns and the mostly poor Christians couldn’t afford to stay in them anyway. Especially during this time of persecution, believers relied upon the hospitality of others.
Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Romans 12:13 (NIV)
The word hospitality is much broader than merely providing a place to eat a meal or stay.
“hospitality” = “love of strangers”
Peter tells us that we are to love others, even when we may not know them all that well. And we are to do it without grumbling.
• Serve others faithfully
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (v. 10)
We don’t have time this morning to get into a detailed discussion of spiritual gifts. But we do know this:
o Every believer has been given at least one spiritual gift as the Holy Spirit chooses
o The gifts are to be used for the benefit of the body
o When we use our gifts to serve others, we are actually administering God’s grace in the lives of others.
You want to restore the hope in your life? Then ask God to let you see things from his perspective. And then go out and get your focus off of yourself and your problems and go get involved in the lives of others.
3. Ask God to help me serve with His resources
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it 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. (v.11)
• Recognize God as the source of everything
But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.
1Chronicles 29:14 (NIV)
• Give God all the glory
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Psalm 96:3 (NIV)
