"Peter, Feed My Sheep” (11 Of 21)

In the passage of scripture under consideration, it seems as though Peter has examined us and has discovered we all have a deficiency when it comes to having the proper attitude toward certain things.

One's attitude is how one thinks toward a certain thing. Our thinking can be correct or incorrect. For example, in this nation different groups have different attitude problems.

For example:

(1) MANY YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM. They have a rebellious attitude. Their thinking is incorrect.

Illus: Someone said, "There may be no fool like an old fool, but some members of our younger generation seem to be doing a pretty good job of competing for the position."

(2) MANY ADULTS HAVE AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM.

They are supposed to think like adults but so often they think like children as they confront certain issues in life.

Illus: Someone said, “You are young only once. If you act foolish after that, you'll have to find some other excuse."

In this portion of scripture, Peter deals with the way we THINK about certain things. Such as:

I. OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD TEMPORAL THINGS

Look at verse 7, we read, “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

Peter warns us about something, look at-

A. THE STATEMENT

Peter's statement is that “The end of all things is at hand…” WHAT IS HE SAYING? He is saying that nothing that surrounds us in this life is permanent.

Even nature itself tries to teach us this valuable lesson!

Illus: As spring comes we marvel over the beautiful flowers, but in a few short months the beautiful flowers that we marveled over wither away and die.

Even though we should observe the lesson nature is trying to teach us, Christians and sinners alike still live their lives as if they were going to live forever.

Peter is telling us that, since temporal things of life soon come to an end, we should subdue and restrain those appetites.

Illus: F.B. Meyers made a distinction between today’s Christians and Christians of years ago. When it comes to loving this world he said,

• We live in the world and pay occasional visits into the unseen and eternal; they lived in the unseen and eternal, and paid periodic necessary visits to the world.

• We conform to the world; they were transformed by the daily renewing of their minds.

• We read the society papers, discuss society gossip, send our children into society and strive to hold our own in dress and appointments with the cream of society around us; they, on the other hand, were thought strange and ridiculous.

In other words, they recognized we live in a land that we know is not permanent. And they restrained themselves, not to give their life to things that are only temporary. We should do the same!

HOW SHOULD WE RESTRAIN OURSELVES?

(1) CONSIDER FAME - Many seek fame every day.

Did you know that you can be famous today, and all of the world will know your name and face, but in a few short years or months your name will be forgotten? When your name is mentioned, someone will say, "Who is that?"

Illus: We that are older than some in this congregation can talk to young people about people who were famous on television when we were growing up. Such as: Howdy Doody, Pinky Lee, Red Skelton, Cheyene, Buster Crab, Bob Steele, and Sugarfoot. They will look at us and say, “Who are those people? I have never heard of them?”

WHY HAVEN'T THEY HEARD OF THESE PEOPLE? Because no matter how famous you may be today, you will be forgotten in the near future.

Peter is telling those who have an appetite for fame and have no time for God in their pursuit of these things, they need to subdue and restrain this appetite, because one day they will realize that fame will not buy any favor with God.

Fame is not a permanent thing. We can be FAMOUS TODAY, but in a short period of time be completely FORGOTTEN!

2. CONSIDER FORTUNE

Many live for the purpose of acquiring as much of the world's wealth as they can in the time period allotted to them to live.

To watch them live their lives, you would think nothing counts in life but money. It is all they talk and think about. It has become the god they serve and worship.

But did you know what Howard Hughes discovered after he breathed that last breath? He found that all his billions would not buy him any favors with God whatsoever.

Illus: In January of 1991, it was revealed that Queen Elizabeth was worth over 13 billion dollars. However, if she does not give her heart to Christ, she will discover that all her wealth and her position in life don’t give her any advantage over others with God.