THREE COMMANDS FOR THE END

TODAY’S PASSAGE: 

1 Peter 4:7-13 NLT 7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. 10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. 12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

• In today’s passage, Peter passes on an important command that he received from Jesus himself, “Keep watch and pray!”

Matthew 26:41 (NLT) – “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

• Peter’s own failure to obey this command led to one of the most painful moments of his life – rejecting Jesus publicly.
• Having learned his lesson the hard way, Peter now warns us to “be earnest and disciplined” in our prayers.
• Jesus directly linked our prayer life to our ability to overcome temptation, and Peter admonishes us to not only pray but to do so regularly and carefully.
• Every Christian should be praying regularly and intensely, especially as the end of the world approaches.

• Once again, Peter passes something on to us that he heard directly from Jesus!

John 13:34-35 (NLT) – 34 “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

• Loving others well is what convinces the world that we belong to Jesus. This is how they know we are His disciples.
• Not only does it show the world who we are, but “love covers a multitude of sins.”
• After Peter rejected Christ, he may have thought his run as a disciple was over. He may have thought that he’d gone too far, that he’d blown it one too many times, but Jesus proved all those lies wrong when he lovingly restored him later (John 21:15-19).
• If anyone knew the power of love to cover over sin, it was Peter. Now, he reminds us that we’re all going to make mistakes, and all of us will need love to get beyond those failures.

• The command to “be very glad” when we suffer for being Christians also came from something that Peter had lived and experienced with Jesus.
• When Peter failed his first trial, denying Christ to avoid punishment and shame, he left in tears (Luke 22:62).
• Just a short time later, he found himself faced with the same threat of punishment and shame and welcomed it.

Acts 5:40-41 (NLT) – …They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go. 41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.

• After being arrested and flogged, suffering punishment and disgrace for Christ, Peter left rejoicing.
• Over the course of his life, Peter learned something that every believer should remember – the greatest joy we will ever know is found in partnership with Jesus.
• The word “partner” (v. 13) refers to someone who has special access and fellowship with another.
• Peter commands us to be very glad when fiery trials come because he knew firsthand how much closer those trials could bring us to Jesus.
• If we keep our perspective right, enduring whatever pain or trial comes our way because of Jesus, we will be very glad.