WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.860 Good morning, church. Our sermon text is 1 Peter chapter 4, verses 7 through 11. 00:00:08.419 --> 00:00:11.200 Let me ask you to turn there with me. As usual, the text will be on the screen, 00:00:11.820 --> 00:00:15.300 but let me encourage you to have the text open in front of you while we consider this passage 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:23.420 together. If you want to do that in the Pew Bible, it's page 955. 1 Peter chapter 4, verses 7 through 11. 00:00:23.420 --> 00:00:31.060 All right, let me read for us. The Apostle Peter writes this, 00:00:53.420 --> 00:01:19.719 Let's pray together. 00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:26.599 Father, through your Son, Jesus Christ, you commissioned the apostles to teach in your name, 00:01:26.920 --> 00:01:29.959 and by your Holy Spirit, you inspired them to do the same. 00:01:31.579 --> 00:01:35.680 And so we realize, having read Peter's words, we have read your words, Father. 00:01:36.980 --> 00:01:43.180 Grant us the grace now to receive these words and to live these words. And may the words of my mouth 00:01:43.180 --> 00:01:49.480 and the meditation of all our hearts be pleasing in your sight, our rock and our redeemer. Amen. 00:01:49.719 --> 00:02:00.159 So, the end is near. That is how Peter begins this paragraph before us. The end of all things is 00:02:00.159 --> 00:02:06.000 at hand. Now, maybe, I don't know about you, maybe you don't think a lot about the end of all things. 00:02:06.980 --> 00:02:12.800 Maybe for you, that just sounds like something for religious fanatics or sidewalk preachers, 00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:18.820 you know, the kind who self-publish books with titles like 77 Reasons the World Will End in 1977 00:02:18.820 --> 00:02:22.300 or things like that, you know. The end is near. 00:02:23.820 --> 00:02:28.520 But maybe for you, maybe for you on the other hand, the idea of the end being at hand 00:02:28.520 --> 00:02:36.180 is not so easily dismissed. You look around the world and you see ongoing proliferation of atomic 00:02:36.180 --> 00:02:40.960 weapons. We look around the world, we see ongoing degradation of the environment. 00:02:41.939 --> 00:02:45.700 And maybe the end of the world isn't something you can just write off so easily. 00:02:48.740 --> 00:02:53.920 Or maybe for you, the end is near doesn't bring to mind sort of global crises, but personal crises. 00:02:53.919 --> 00:03:01.139 Old age? Or serious illness? The end of all things is at hand. 00:03:03.119 --> 00:03:08.359 Now, no matter how much you think about such things, I wonder if you've considered that what 00:03:08.359 --> 00:03:14.919 you really believe, what you really believe about the end of all things has a pretty profound impact 00:03:14.919 --> 00:03:21.879 on how you live. Every year, it seems like there's another pop song written about how the world's all 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:25.539 going to end anyway, so we might as well enjoy whatever life we have left. 00:03:26.359 --> 00:03:32.639 You know, whether it's going 2.47 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu or however that song went. 00:03:32.659 --> 00:03:37.379 Do you remember that one? You know? We're gonna dance until the world ends. 00:03:39.259 --> 00:03:43.060 I don't think people would want to see me dancing until the world ends. That would be kind of embarrassing. 00:03:43.900 --> 00:03:47.560 But you know, this trope kind of in popular music, it goes all the way back to the first century. 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:54.140 Even earlier, let's eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. If we're all going to be annihilated anyway, 00:03:54.280 --> 00:03:58.879 if it all comes to nothing, maybe by a nuclear crisis or just the crisis of old age, 00:03:59.159 --> 00:04:01.699 why not just live to please ourselves and have fun? 00:04:04.659 --> 00:04:09.039 But as we find out pretty quickly, such a life doesn't end up being very satisfying. 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:16.579 In other words, if we have an utterly empty view of how things end, 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:21.319 we will inevitably have an empty view of what it means to live. 00:04:23.579 --> 00:04:28.060 And whether we like it or not, we all live with some end in mind. 00:04:29.099 --> 00:04:29.879 What's yours? 00:04:31.420 --> 00:04:35.680 And if I can be so bold to ask, how's it working for you? 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:44.519 What Christianity offered to the ancient world and continues to offer to our world 00:04:44.519 --> 00:04:46.780 is a better ending. 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:51.199 And because of that, a better way of living. 00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:56.519 Because while Christians do care deeply about things like global peace and global warming, 00:04:56.759 --> 00:05:00.180 our view of the end is not simply annihilation. 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:04.639 Rather, for Christianity, the end is God. 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:10.340 Who will bring judgment, justice, and the wonder of a new creation. 00:05:12.340 --> 00:05:13.480 When Peter says, 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:16.340 the end of all things is at hand, 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:21.199 he means that in the story of God's redemptive plan, 00:05:21.980 --> 00:05:26.920 the only chapter left is the return of our creator and king, 00:05:27.280 --> 00:05:31.600 who will judge evil, defeat death, and make all things new. 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:33.700 Peter's saying, 00:05:33.820 --> 00:05:37.960 we're living in the last chapter of God's great story. 00:05:38.900 --> 00:05:41.220 That chapter might be long or short, 00:05:41.379 --> 00:05:42.720 but it's the last one. 00:05:43.260 --> 00:05:44.340 The end is at hand. 00:05:46.500 --> 00:05:49.120 I like how Karen Jobes puts it in her commentary on 1 Peter. 00:05:49.200 --> 00:05:49.460 She says, 00:05:49.540 --> 00:05:52.520 Peter is saying that because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:57.040 his readers are living in the last stage of God's redemptive plan, 00:05:57.040 --> 00:06:00.180 and the goal of that plan is being realized. 00:06:02.500 --> 00:06:03.379 Earlier in this book, 00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:09.040 Peter has called this our living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 00:06:09.900 --> 00:06:11.960 This is what the psalmists used to sing about. 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:14.100 Like we heard in Psalm 96 earlier in the service, 00:06:14.100 --> 00:06:33.720 The psalmist says, 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:45.480 This past Friday was Earth Day, you know. 00:06:46.820 --> 00:06:49.400 So don't be afraid to go plant a tree, Christian, 00:06:49.740 --> 00:06:55.360 because one day that tree is going to sing for joy at the return of its creator. 00:06:55.360 --> 00:06:58.879 And when people ask you why you care for the environment, 00:06:59.020 --> 00:07:03.720 you can just tell them that you're getting the choir ready for the conductor when he comes back. 00:07:07.780 --> 00:07:10.819 Now, maybe you're not sure about the Christian view of the end of all things. 00:07:10.980 --> 00:07:12.860 Maybe it seems more than a little implausible. 00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:16.360 But why don't we take a look at the life, 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:18.199 at the sort of life it produces, 00:07:19.080 --> 00:07:21.879 and then maybe you'll at least see how beautiful it is 00:07:21.879 --> 00:07:23.379 and consider it for yourself. 00:07:23.379 --> 00:07:26.000 And for those of us who are Christians, 00:07:26.180 --> 00:07:29.639 Peter's showing us here the life that our hope should be producing now. 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:32.079 So let's take a look. 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:32.959 Peter says, 00:07:33.079 --> 00:07:34.279 The end of all things is at hand. 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:35.860 Therefore, in other words, 00:07:36.180 --> 00:07:40.560 here's how you should live in light of this glorious end that we have in Christ. 00:07:41.300 --> 00:07:43.379 And what Peter says here, we can state very simply, 00:07:43.459 --> 00:07:44.860 and then we'll spend some time unpacking it. 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:46.100 In essence, Peter says, 00:07:46.540 --> 00:07:47.959 You're living in the last chapter. 00:07:48.740 --> 00:07:50.879 So first, verse 7, pray. 00:07:50.879 --> 00:07:55.079 And second, verses 8 through 11, love. 00:07:57.360 --> 00:07:58.980 Let's look first at verse 7. 00:07:59.860 --> 00:08:01.000 The end of all things is at hand. 00:08:01.159 --> 00:08:06.500 Therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:12.259 In other words, living in the last chapter of God's great story moves us 00:08:12.259 --> 00:08:18.000 from distraction and dissipation to divine communion. 00:08:18.740 --> 00:08:23.339 It moves us from preoccupation and perplexity to prayer. 00:08:23.339 --> 00:08:28.379 How often do we find ourselves riddled with a hundred distractions these days? 00:08:28.899 --> 00:08:31.500 Whether it's the kind of constant news feed on our phones 00:08:31.500 --> 00:08:33.360 or the ping of another text 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:35.519 or the mindless scrolling through social media. 00:08:37.220 --> 00:08:40.419 And you know, we're constantly distracting and preoccupying ourselves. 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:42.439 Why? 00:08:42.440 --> 00:08:46.660 Why are we so prone to distraction and preoccupation? 00:08:49.220 --> 00:08:53.340 I think because so often we're looking for something, anything, 00:08:54.380 --> 00:09:00.160 to just sort of dull the gaping boredom or even nihilism 00:09:00.160 --> 00:09:03.440 that just yawns under the surface of our lives. 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:08.320 If you think that life ends in nothing, 00:09:09.160 --> 00:09:11.640 that this beautiful world ends in nothing, 00:09:12.280 --> 00:09:15.400 then really everything is just a distraction, isn't it? 00:09:16.540 --> 00:09:18.740 A number of years ago, Alan de Botton wrote an excellent book 00:09:18.740 --> 00:09:20.680 called The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work. 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:23.600 But at the end, he simply says, 00:09:23.980 --> 00:09:25.840 okay, so what's the real purpose of work? 00:09:26.840 --> 00:09:30.380 If the universe just ends in a tidal wave of oblivion, 00:09:30.379 --> 00:09:33.620 then isn't the most meaningful work 00:09:33.620 --> 00:09:35.919 just a distraction from the inevitable? 00:09:38.039 --> 00:09:39.379 He concludes his book by saying, 00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:42.960 let death find us as we are building up 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:46.639 our matchstick protests against its waves. 00:09:49.740 --> 00:09:52.700 Of course, that sounds a little heroic at first, doesn't it? 00:09:54.139 --> 00:09:57.379 But actually, it's deeply and profoundly unsatisfying. 00:09:57.379 --> 00:10:03.100 Because, friend, life isn't simply a series of distractions 00:10:03.100 --> 00:10:05.519 until death washes everything away. 00:10:06.980 --> 00:10:10.299 Life is a series of pregnant moments 00:10:10.299 --> 00:10:13.460 ordained by your loving and just creator 00:10:13.460 --> 00:10:16.019 to be lived in fellowship with him 00:10:16.019 --> 00:10:17.600 and his purpose of redemption. 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:23.759 Therefore, Peter says, be self-controlled and sober-minded. 00:10:24.139 --> 00:10:26.600 Don't live a life of endless distraction. 00:10:27.379 --> 00:10:31.179 Rather, live a life of prayer 00:10:31.179 --> 00:10:35.159 that is of communion with the God 00:10:35.159 --> 00:10:38.939 whose story is about to come to its thrilling close. 00:10:41.340 --> 00:10:43.019 Because Jesus has risen from the dead 00:10:43.019 --> 00:10:45.000 and the last chapter is upon us. 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:48.159 Now, what does this life of prayer, 00:10:48.279 --> 00:10:49.980 of communion with God, look like? 00:10:50.580 --> 00:10:52.159 Well, as we read the pages of Scripture, 00:10:52.279 --> 00:10:55.039 we see that there are many well-marked paths 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:59.279 paths that God himself has marked for us 00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:02.120 and which saints for generations have walked. 00:11:03.019 --> 00:11:05.319 There's the path of adoration, 00:11:06.659 --> 00:11:08.399 delighting in the godness of God, 00:11:08.519 --> 00:11:09.959 praising him and enjoying him. 00:11:09.960 --> 00:11:12.720 There's the path of confession, 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:15.280 unburdening our souls to God, 00:11:15.379 --> 00:11:18.019 naming and releasing our failures and sins 00:11:18.019 --> 00:11:19.300 into his merciful love. 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:21.800 There's a path of thanksgiving, 00:11:22.220 --> 00:11:23.860 gratitude for all God's gifts, 00:11:23.960 --> 00:11:25.940 supremely the gift of God's own son 00:11:25.940 --> 00:11:26.879 and the gift of the cross. 00:11:28.940 --> 00:11:30.300 There's a path of lament, 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:33.500 expressing our negative emotions to God, 00:11:33.639 --> 00:11:35.280 sadness, anger, fear, 00:11:35.860 --> 00:11:38.420 letting him be God in the midst of our loss and trials. 00:11:38.419 --> 00:11:42.360 There's the path of petition, 00:11:43.379 --> 00:11:44.979 asking God for our needs, 00:11:45.259 --> 00:11:46.839 for ourselves, for others, 00:11:47.779 --> 00:11:50.860 entrusting our desires and needs to him to provide. 00:11:53.199 --> 00:11:56.579 Imagine a life walked in these paths 00:11:56.579 --> 00:12:00.919 and not the endless distractions of our digital age. 00:12:02.980 --> 00:12:05.799 Isn't deep down that the kind of life that you want? 00:12:05.799 --> 00:12:09.240 With a deep center in the holy God 00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:10.879 who made you in all things? 00:12:11.439 --> 00:12:13.699 The God who's coming to judge and to heal? 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:20.319 How can you begin to walk these paths of prayer, 00:12:20.439 --> 00:12:21.639 of communion with God? 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:24.339 Let me suggest maybe a simple practice 00:12:24.339 --> 00:12:25.399 if you're getting started. 00:12:25.399 --> 00:12:28.059 Simple practice. 00:12:28.179 --> 00:12:29.459 For 15 or 20 minutes, 00:12:29.939 --> 00:12:31.480 find a quiet place 00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:33.559 and turn off your phone. 00:12:34.819 --> 00:12:36.539 You know it has an off button, right? 00:12:36.919 --> 00:12:37.480 Your iPhone. 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:39.120 It's that little thing on the side. 00:12:39.639 --> 00:12:40.399 You can push it, 00:12:40.419 --> 00:12:41.220 but you got to hold it in 00:12:41.220 --> 00:12:42.039 because Apple's smart 00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:43.419 and they don't want you to turn off your phone. 00:12:43.639 --> 00:12:44.620 You got to hold it in 00:12:44.620 --> 00:12:45.919 and then your phone turns off. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:47.720 That's possible actually to turn it off. 00:12:47.720 --> 00:12:52.240 Then, take a physical Bible 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:53.160 because remember, 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:54.120 you've turned off your phone. 00:12:54.980 --> 00:12:56.320 So you take a physical Bible 00:12:56.320 --> 00:12:59.480 and just read one psalm 00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:03.040 or one paragraph in the Gospels slowly. 00:13:04.160 --> 00:13:07.000 Read the same passage once or twice slowly. 00:13:07.879 --> 00:13:10.259 This isn't the time to do your annual Bible reading plan. 00:13:10.300 --> 00:13:10.800 If you do one, 00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:12.259 you can do that another time in the day. 00:13:12.560 --> 00:13:13.980 This is time to commune with God. 00:13:13.980 --> 00:13:16.600 And as you read slowly, 00:13:17.500 --> 00:13:21.620 listen, ask with an open heart to the Lord. 00:13:21.740 --> 00:13:23.620 Where is God in this text 00:13:23.620 --> 00:13:27.240 inviting you to walk the path of adoration 00:13:27.240 --> 00:13:30.779 or confession or thanksgiving 00:13:30.779 --> 00:13:33.680 or petition or perhaps even lament? 00:13:34.940 --> 00:13:37.320 What path is the Lord opening up before you 00:13:37.320 --> 00:13:38.899 and beckoning you to come walk? 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:43.000 Maybe you read the story of the disciples 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:44.500 struggling at the oars, 00:13:45.080 --> 00:13:47.379 trying to cross the Sea of Galilee in a storm, 00:13:47.659 --> 00:13:49.720 and how Jesus comes to them on the water 00:13:49.720 --> 00:13:50.139 and says, 00:13:50.500 --> 00:13:51.940 it's I, don't be afraid. 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:54.080 And then you realize 00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:56.220 that you are afraid. 00:13:58.200 --> 00:14:00.059 You've been pulling at the oars of your life 00:14:00.059 --> 00:14:02.279 and the water's still choppy 00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:03.759 and you're afraid. 00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:07.080 You don't think you'll make it to the other side. 00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:10.879 So you pray a prayer that's something like a lament. 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:13.180 I don't know where all this anxiety and fear is coming from, 00:14:13.680 --> 00:14:15.259 but I'm giving it to you, God. 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:18.500 And then you read the passage again 00:14:18.500 --> 00:14:20.320 and you listen to the sovereign Lord 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:20.840 as he says, 00:14:20.900 --> 00:14:21.340 it's I. 00:14:21.740 --> 00:14:22.639 Don't be afraid. 00:14:23.960 --> 00:14:25.440 So you pray a pair of petition. 00:14:26.400 --> 00:14:28.280 Jesus, fill me with your peace and presence. 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:28.860 And suddenly, 00:14:29.020 --> 00:14:30.580 it becomes a path of adoration. 00:14:31.500 --> 00:14:32.540 Lord, you are sovereign. 00:14:32.539 --> 00:14:35.319 I see you standing on the waves. 00:14:35.419 --> 00:14:36.639 You are in control. 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:38.759 Nothing surprises you. 00:14:40.039 --> 00:14:42.219 I know you'll see me safely to the other side. 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:45.980 And as you read 00:14:45.980 --> 00:14:47.240 and as you pray, 00:14:48.179 --> 00:14:50.500 if you find that you've prayed all the things 00:14:50.500 --> 00:14:52.799 that God in this 15, 20 minutes 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:53.879 is inviting you to pray, 00:14:54.899 --> 00:14:56.620 then simply be still before him 00:14:56.620 --> 00:14:58.559 and enjoy his presence. 00:15:00.519 --> 00:15:01.699 Be self-controlled. 00:15:02.539 --> 00:15:03.679 And sober-minded 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:05.759 for the sake of your prayers. 00:15:07.339 --> 00:15:09.099 You're living in the last chapter, friends. 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:11.879 Don't let distractions rule your life. 00:15:12.719 --> 00:15:14.559 Begin communing now 00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:16.860 with the God who's coming soon. 00:15:19.480 --> 00:15:20.839 But Peter doesn't stop there. 00:15:21.539 --> 00:15:23.139 He speaks not just of prayer, 00:15:23.500 --> 00:15:24.559 but of love. 00:15:25.179 --> 00:15:25.819 Look at verse 8. 00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:26.539 Above all, 00:15:26.539 --> 00:15:29.299 keep loving one another earnestly 00:15:29.299 --> 00:15:32.459 since love covers a multitude of sins. 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:34.539 You're living in the last chapter, 00:15:34.699 --> 00:15:36.559 so love one another earnestly. 00:15:36.959 --> 00:15:37.279 Why? 00:15:37.599 --> 00:15:40.379 Because love covers a multitude of sins. 00:15:41.379 --> 00:15:43.139 Peter's quoting from the book of Proverbs there. 00:15:43.219 --> 00:15:44.939 In Proverbs chapter 10, verse 12, 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:45.360 we read, 00:15:45.719 --> 00:15:47.199 Hatred stirs up dissension, 00:15:47.719 --> 00:15:50.939 but love covers all wrongs. 00:15:50.940 --> 00:15:54.900 So this idea of love covering wrongs, 00:15:54.900 --> 00:15:55.880 or in Peter's paraphrase, 00:15:55.920 --> 00:15:57.040 a multitude of sins, 00:15:57.040 --> 00:16:00.360 is the opposite of stirring up dissension. 00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:02.340 In other words, 00:16:02.740 --> 00:16:05.540 love doesn't repay evil for evil. 00:16:05.960 --> 00:16:09.420 It breaks these cycles of petty retaliation. 00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:13.800 It breaks the cycle of assuming the worst in someone else. 00:16:13.799 --> 00:16:18.639 And Peter knew that we would need that. 00:16:19.779 --> 00:16:22.159 Peter knew that living life as the church would be hard. 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:23.159 Why? 00:16:24.379 --> 00:16:27.079 Because Christians are sinners. 00:16:27.080 --> 00:16:31.120 Christian marriage would be hard. 00:16:31.240 --> 00:16:32.620 Christian parenting would be hard. 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:34.200 It would be delightful, 00:16:34.340 --> 00:16:35.139 and it would be joyful. 00:16:35.420 --> 00:16:36.920 And being in the church would be delightful, 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:37.560 it would be joyful, 00:16:37.560 --> 00:16:39.040 but it would at the same time be hard. 00:16:39.100 --> 00:16:39.420 Why? 00:16:39.419 --> 00:16:42.679 Because we're all still battling our sinful desires. 00:16:45.620 --> 00:16:46.659 What's the antidote? 00:16:47.959 --> 00:16:49.399 Peter says it's the love 00:16:49.399 --> 00:16:52.000 that covers a multitude of sins. 00:16:53.219 --> 00:16:54.679 But where does that come from? 00:16:55.379 --> 00:16:56.759 It doesn't come from our old nature. 00:16:58.120 --> 00:16:59.479 It comes from the new nature 00:16:59.479 --> 00:17:01.439 that we've received in the gospel. 00:17:02.839 --> 00:17:04.059 Do you remember earlier in this letter, 00:17:04.180 --> 00:17:05.379 Peter wrote in chapter 1, 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:06.839 verses 22 and 23, 00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:07.259 he says, 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:08.740 Love one another earnestly. 00:17:08.740 --> 00:17:09.519 The same command. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:10.120 Why? 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:11.440 Because you've been born again 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:13.460 through the living and abiding word of God. 00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:14.819 And what is this word? 00:17:16.779 --> 00:17:17.620 Friends, it's a message 00:17:17.620 --> 00:17:19.200 that the God who made all things 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:20.740 took on human nature 00:17:20.740 --> 00:17:21.900 in the person of Jesus 00:17:21.900 --> 00:17:24.819 to live the life that we should have lived 00:17:24.819 --> 00:17:27.579 and to die the death that we deserve to die 00:17:27.579 --> 00:17:29.559 so that in love 00:17:29.559 --> 00:17:31.960 he might cover over all our sins. 00:17:34.120 --> 00:17:35.960 God did not repay us 00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:37.460 the wrath and judgment 00:17:37.460 --> 00:17:39.100 that our sins deserved. 00:17:39.819 --> 00:17:40.220 Instead, 00:17:40.600 --> 00:17:42.240 he absorbed that cost 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:44.299 into himself on the cross. 00:17:46.380 --> 00:17:47.500 Amazing love. 00:17:48.120 --> 00:17:48.960 How can it be 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:51.200 that thou, my God, 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:52.840 shalt die for me? 00:17:55.160 --> 00:17:56.340 And three days later, 00:17:56.440 --> 00:17:58.200 God raised Jesus from the dead 00:17:58.200 --> 00:18:00.240 so that all who receive 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:01.900 the risen Christ by faith 00:18:01.900 --> 00:18:03.819 might be given a new heart 00:18:03.819 --> 00:18:05.139 and a new nature. 00:18:05.779 --> 00:18:06.859 We're born again, 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:07.539 Peter says, 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:09.200 and in this new nature, 00:18:09.339 --> 00:18:10.899 we're able to turn to others 00:18:10.899 --> 00:18:11.379 and forgive 00:18:11.379 --> 00:18:13.819 because we've been forgiven. 00:18:14.919 --> 00:18:16.919 It covers a multitude of sins. 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:21.119 So this is what love doesn't do. 00:18:21.220 --> 00:18:23.279 It doesn't pay back in kind. 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:25.919 It covers a multitude of sins. 00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:27.799 But what about what love does do? 00:18:27.799 --> 00:18:30.779 And in the rest of our text, 00:18:30.879 --> 00:18:32.259 Peter gives us kind of two pictures 00:18:32.259 --> 00:18:33.919 of love in action. 00:18:34.399 --> 00:18:35.960 We're living in the last chapter 00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:37.000 of God's story. 00:18:37.379 --> 00:18:37.899 Above all, 00:18:37.960 --> 00:18:38.879 we must love. 00:18:39.220 --> 00:18:39.639 And here, 00:18:39.740 --> 00:18:40.200 Peter says, 00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:41.440 is what love looks like. 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:42.399 First, 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:43.940 it looks like hospitality. 00:18:45.180 --> 00:18:45.700 Verse 9, 00:18:46.139 --> 00:18:48.399 show hospitality to one another 00:18:48.399 --> 00:18:49.700 without grumbling. 00:18:50.700 --> 00:18:52.259 Once we were filled 00:18:52.259 --> 00:18:53.680 with sort of hostility 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:54.659 and animosity 00:18:54.659 --> 00:18:55.740 towards one another, 00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:57.000 but in light of the hope 00:18:57.000 --> 00:18:57.720 that we have 00:18:57.720 --> 00:18:59.259 that's broken in upon us, 00:18:59.799 --> 00:19:01.059 our hostility 00:19:01.059 --> 00:19:02.960 is traded for hospitality. 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:06.240 Don't you see, 00:19:06.380 --> 00:19:07.400 if this life 00:19:07.400 --> 00:19:08.720 is all that you have, 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:10.599 if this life 00:19:10.599 --> 00:19:11.380 is all that we have, 00:19:11.420 --> 00:19:12.059 then of course, 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:13.500 we're all just scrambling 00:19:13.500 --> 00:19:15.059 for a scarcity of resources 00:19:15.059 --> 00:19:16.759 and the scarcity of time 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:18.400 being the most poignant of all. 00:19:19.380 --> 00:19:20.140 And if that's true, 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:21.799 why would I even open my home 00:19:21.799 --> 00:19:22.359 to another? 00:19:22.779 --> 00:19:24.400 Why exercise hospitality 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:25.780 when it's so costly 00:19:25.780 --> 00:19:26.780 and time-consuming? 00:19:30.980 --> 00:19:31.980 But if this chapter 00:19:31.980 --> 00:19:32.840 of God's story 00:19:32.840 --> 00:19:33.720 is about to give way 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:34.440 to justice, 00:19:34.740 --> 00:19:35.000 healing, 00:19:35.180 --> 00:19:36.120 and the new creation, 00:19:36.900 --> 00:19:38.720 if that's what 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:39.880 we're looking forward to, 00:19:41.019 --> 00:19:42.560 then our homes 00:19:42.560 --> 00:19:44.840 opened in hospitality 00:19:44.840 --> 00:19:47.000 become a signpost 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:48.740 of the coming kingdom. 00:19:52.140 --> 00:19:53.360 Hospitality would have been critical 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:54.279 to the life of the church 00:19:54.279 --> 00:19:55.119 in the first century 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:56.759 since most churches 00:19:56.759 --> 00:19:57.959 in the first century 00:19:57.959 --> 00:19:59.059 met in believers' homes. 00:20:00.199 --> 00:20:01.179 Hospitality made 00:20:01.179 --> 00:20:02.679 church gatherings possible. 00:20:04.959 --> 00:20:06.139 So remember that, 00:20:06.500 --> 00:20:07.439 small group hosts, 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:09.019 the next time 00:20:09.019 --> 00:20:09.679 your small group 00:20:09.679 --> 00:20:10.579 gathers in your home. 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:12.579 You are practicing 00:20:12.579 --> 00:20:13.959 one of the most ancient 00:20:13.959 --> 00:20:15.099 and vital 00:20:15.099 --> 00:20:16.599 of Christian practices. 00:20:17.099 --> 00:20:18.799 As you open your home 00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:19.839 to fellow believers 00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:21.519 for the purpose of prayer 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:22.400 and Bible study, 00:20:22.500 --> 00:20:23.220 you stand 00:20:23.220 --> 00:20:24.539 in a long line 00:20:24.539 --> 00:20:25.139 of saints 00:20:25.139 --> 00:20:26.160 who have blessed 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:27.019 and supported 00:20:27.019 --> 00:20:27.960 the people of God 00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:29.079 all the way back 00:20:29.079 --> 00:20:29.599 to the time 00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:30.259 of the apostles. 00:20:30.940 --> 00:20:31.920 Be encouraged. 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:34.779 But of course, 00:20:34.859 --> 00:20:35.779 hospitality isn't just 00:20:35.779 --> 00:20:37.119 for hosting formal gatherings. 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:38.400 A local church 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:38.920 is meant to be 00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:39.619 a fabric 00:20:39.619 --> 00:20:41.039 of relationships 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:43.079 where there is welcome 00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:44.200 and support 00:20:44.200 --> 00:20:45.339 and care, 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:46.619 where we welcome 00:20:46.619 --> 00:20:47.079 one another 00:20:47.079 --> 00:20:47.700 as Christ 00:20:47.700 --> 00:20:48.619 has welcomed us. 00:20:48.619 --> 00:20:50.659 You know, 00:20:50.699 --> 00:20:51.239 in the first century, 00:20:51.339 --> 00:20:51.819 many Christians 00:20:51.819 --> 00:20:53.039 were losing their friends 00:20:53.039 --> 00:20:54.439 and being ostracized 00:20:54.439 --> 00:20:55.339 by their families 00:20:55.339 --> 00:20:56.179 because of their 00:20:56.179 --> 00:20:57.219 allegiance to Christ. 00:20:58.919 --> 00:21:00.000 So the practice 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:01.279 of hospitality 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:02.719 didn't just sort of 00:21:02.719 --> 00:21:03.639 meet those needs 00:21:03.639 --> 00:21:04.319 of belonging 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:05.099 and relationship, 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:06.799 but it was a sign 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:08.819 that in Christ 00:21:08.819 --> 00:21:09.259 there's now 00:21:09.259 --> 00:21:10.099 a new family, 00:21:10.359 --> 00:21:11.419 a new belonging, 00:21:11.699 --> 00:21:12.599 a new place 00:21:12.599 --> 00:21:13.259 to be welcomed 00:21:13.259 --> 00:21:13.819 and loved. 00:21:13.819 --> 00:21:17.579 Of course, 00:21:17.619 --> 00:21:17.919 you don't need 00:21:17.919 --> 00:21:18.819 to own a home 00:21:18.819 --> 00:21:20.019 or own a big apartment 00:21:20.019 --> 00:21:21.639 to practice hospitality. 00:21:22.819 --> 00:21:23.599 Hospitality literally 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:24.359 just means love 00:21:24.359 --> 00:21:24.939 of the stranger. 00:21:26.139 --> 00:21:27.099 So the next time 00:21:27.099 --> 00:21:27.700 you're headed out 00:21:27.700 --> 00:21:28.639 for lunch or dinner, 00:21:29.220 --> 00:21:30.259 you can just invite 00:21:30.259 --> 00:21:30.980 someone from church 00:21:30.980 --> 00:21:31.859 that you don't know well. 00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:33.639 Welcome them 00:21:33.639 --> 00:21:34.460 to come along. 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:36.519 That's showing hospitality. 00:21:39.220 --> 00:21:40.079 That's the first way 00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:40.759 to love that Peter 00:21:40.759 --> 00:21:41.299 mentions, 00:21:41.700 --> 00:21:42.139 hospitality. 00:21:42.140 --> 00:21:42.960 The second way 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:44.759 we see in verses 10 and 11. 00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:45.580 Look at that with me. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:46.280 He says, 00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:48.259 as each has received a gift, 00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:50.000 use it to serve one another 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:51.300 as good stewards 00:21:51.300 --> 00:21:52.440 of God's very grace. 00:21:53.280 --> 00:21:54.120 Whoever speaks 00:21:54.120 --> 00:21:55.140 as one who speaks 00:21:55.140 --> 00:21:56.000 oracles of God. 00:21:56.580 --> 00:21:57.540 Whoever serves 00:21:57.540 --> 00:21:58.700 as one who serves 00:21:58.700 --> 00:21:59.360 by the strength 00:21:59.360 --> 00:22:00.420 that God supplies. 00:22:01.100 --> 00:22:02.020 In order that in everything 00:22:02.020 --> 00:22:03.160 God may be glorified 00:22:03.160 --> 00:22:04.140 through Jesus Christ, 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:05.640 to Him belong glory 00:22:05.640 --> 00:22:06.220 and dominion 00:22:06.220 --> 00:22:07.060 forever and ever. 00:22:07.660 --> 00:22:08.020 Amen. 00:22:09.259 --> 00:22:10.520 So if love moves us 00:22:10.520 --> 00:22:11.440 from hostility 00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:12.220 to hospitality, 00:22:12.420 --> 00:22:12.779 Peter's saying 00:22:12.779 --> 00:22:13.580 it also moves us 00:22:13.580 --> 00:22:14.640 from selfishness 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:15.519 to service. 00:22:17.059 --> 00:22:18.000 Everyone in the family 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:18.400 of God 00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:19.200 has received a gift, 00:22:19.320 --> 00:22:19.840 Peter says. 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:21.440 When the Holy Spirit 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:22.880 causes us to be born again 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:23.960 into this new family, 00:22:24.259 --> 00:22:25.200 into this new body, 00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:25.860 the church, 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:27.460 He makes sure 00:22:27.460 --> 00:22:28.140 that we have 00:22:28.140 --> 00:22:29.500 a vital role to play. 00:22:30.500 --> 00:22:31.180 In other words, 00:22:31.299 --> 00:22:33.160 no one is an appendix 00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:34.279 in the body of Christ, 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:34.940 right? 00:22:35.220 --> 00:22:36.680 There are no useless organs 00:22:36.680 --> 00:22:37.420 in the church. 00:22:38.420 --> 00:22:38.920 The appendix 00:22:38.920 --> 00:22:39.539 is that little thing 00:22:39.539 --> 00:22:40.019 that's supposedly 00:22:40.019 --> 00:22:41.460 we don't have any use for, 00:22:41.579 --> 00:22:41.759 right? 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:42.659 That's supposed to be funny. 00:22:42.779 --> 00:22:43.440 You're supposed to laugh 00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:43.700 at that. 00:22:44.119 --> 00:22:44.460 Never mind. 00:22:45.259 --> 00:22:46.460 I'll go back to the drawing board 00:22:46.460 --> 00:22:47.180 with that illustration. 00:22:47.379 --> 00:22:47.519 Okay. 00:22:48.159 --> 00:22:48.879 What do we do 00:22:48.879 --> 00:22:49.399 with these gifts 00:22:49.399 --> 00:22:50.019 that we've been given? 00:22:50.980 --> 00:22:52.079 Do we hoard them 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:54.240 or do we share them? 00:22:55.960 --> 00:22:57.440 Peter uses this great metaphor 00:22:57.440 --> 00:22:58.339 of a steward. 00:22:59.339 --> 00:22:59.599 You know, 00:22:59.619 --> 00:23:00.700 a steward in the ancient world 00:23:00.700 --> 00:23:01.420 was put in charge 00:23:01.420 --> 00:23:02.079 of a household 00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:02.859 to make sure 00:23:02.859 --> 00:23:03.659 that all the resources 00:23:03.659 --> 00:23:04.779 were distributed properly 00:23:04.779 --> 00:23:05.659 and everyone got 00:23:05.659 --> 00:23:06.159 what they needed. 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:07.620 But the steward 00:23:07.620 --> 00:23:08.360 wasn't the owner 00:23:08.360 --> 00:23:09.140 of the household. 00:23:09.580 --> 00:23:10.460 They were responsible 00:23:10.460 --> 00:23:11.640 for what belonged 00:23:11.640 --> 00:23:12.220 to another. 00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:13.560 They were put 00:23:13.560 --> 00:23:14.360 in this position 00:23:14.360 --> 00:23:16.220 to care for what 00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:17.120 belonged for another. 00:23:18.920 --> 00:23:19.400 Friends, 00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:20.519 if you are in Christ, 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:22.200 you have gifts to share. 00:23:23.400 --> 00:23:24.220 But these gifts 00:23:24.220 --> 00:23:25.160 ultimately belong 00:23:25.160 --> 00:23:25.700 to another, 00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:27.720 to your generous Lord 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:28.860 who gave them to you 00:23:28.860 --> 00:23:29.880 and you are called 00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:30.980 to steward them 00:23:30.980 --> 00:23:32.300 for his sake. 00:23:32.299 --> 00:23:34.960 Some of you maybe 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:36.220 have particular gifts, 00:23:36.259 --> 00:23:36.919 as Peter says, 00:23:36.980 --> 00:23:37.740 in speaking. 00:23:38.819 --> 00:23:39.539 You can teach, 00:23:39.639 --> 00:23:40.319 you can instruct, 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:41.259 you can counsel, 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:42.159 you can offer wisdom 00:23:42.159 --> 00:23:43.159 or discernment. 00:23:44.099 --> 00:23:45.460 Don't hoard these gifts. 00:23:46.019 --> 00:23:47.180 The church needs them. 00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:49.899 Speak as one 00:23:49.899 --> 00:23:50.879 who speaks the oracles 00:23:50.879 --> 00:23:51.379 of God, 00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:52.079 Peter says. 00:23:52.940 --> 00:23:53.579 That is, 00:23:53.720 --> 00:23:55.440 do it with the boldness 00:23:55.440 --> 00:23:56.440 and the humility 00:23:56.440 --> 00:23:57.700 that comes from realizing 00:23:57.700 --> 00:23:59.319 whose word it is 00:23:59.319 --> 00:24:00.039 we're teaching. 00:24:00.039 --> 00:24:02.779 because we teach 00:24:02.779 --> 00:24:04.339 and instruct from God's word, 00:24:04.500 --> 00:24:05.500 we can do so 00:24:05.500 --> 00:24:06.480 with boldness 00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:08.740 because it's God's word, 00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:10.180 not ours. 00:24:11.619 --> 00:24:12.899 But at the same time, 00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:14.119 we do so with humility 00:24:14.119 --> 00:24:16.200 because, again, 00:24:16.259 --> 00:24:17.220 it's not our own. 00:24:21.779 --> 00:24:22.579 Some of you have 00:24:22.579 --> 00:24:23.700 particular gifts in serving. 00:24:24.639 --> 00:24:25.359 You can organize 00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:26.299 and administrate 00:24:26.299 --> 00:24:27.720 love and care, 00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:29.159 identify needs, 00:24:29.160 --> 00:24:30.200 design solutions. 00:24:30.980 --> 00:24:31.420 Do so, 00:24:31.500 --> 00:24:31.960 Peter says, 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:32.820 with the strength 00:24:32.820 --> 00:24:33.880 that God supplies. 00:24:35.340 --> 00:24:36.720 Just as our speaking 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:37.820 ultimately derives 00:24:37.820 --> 00:24:38.560 from God's word, 00:24:38.740 --> 00:24:39.900 so our serving 00:24:39.900 --> 00:24:40.960 ultimately derives 00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:41.940 from God's strength. 00:24:43.620 --> 00:24:44.900 That's why we're stewards, 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:45.220 right? 00:24:45.320 --> 00:24:46.380 Because it's God's word 00:24:46.380 --> 00:24:47.300 and God's strength 00:24:47.300 --> 00:24:48.200 at work through us 00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:49.120 by God's spirit. 00:24:52.120 --> 00:24:52.759 Now, of course, 00:24:52.800 --> 00:24:53.259 the best way 00:24:53.259 --> 00:24:54.019 to figure out 00:24:54.019 --> 00:24:55.279 what your gifts are 00:24:55.279 --> 00:24:57.060 is to actually 00:24:57.060 --> 00:24:58.180 start serving. 00:24:59.160 --> 00:25:01.560 give something a try. 00:25:03.420 --> 00:25:04.480 Ask to help lead 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:05.360 a Bible study group 00:25:05.360 --> 00:25:06.040 in small group. 00:25:06.840 --> 00:25:07.900 Join a ministry team 00:25:07.900 --> 00:25:08.720 and give it a try. 00:25:09.940 --> 00:25:10.759 If you don't know 00:25:10.759 --> 00:25:11.300 where to start, 00:25:11.420 --> 00:25:11.980 ask an elder 00:25:11.980 --> 00:25:12.820 or ask a deacon. 00:25:12.940 --> 00:25:13.980 We'd love to help you 00:25:13.980 --> 00:25:15.900 find your particular gifts. 00:25:17.080 --> 00:25:17.820 We're stewards, 00:25:17.940 --> 00:25:18.320 Peter says, 00:25:18.380 --> 00:25:20.019 of God's varied grace. 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:21.900 There's a beautiful 00:25:21.900 --> 00:25:23.180 diversity of gifts 00:25:23.180 --> 00:25:24.019 in God's body, 00:25:24.320 --> 00:25:25.680 a varied grace 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:27.039 that when each part 00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:28.220 finds its place 00:25:28.220 --> 00:25:29.320 as a body, 00:25:29.380 --> 00:25:30.220 we sort of shine 00:25:30.220 --> 00:25:31.080 like the splendor 00:25:31.080 --> 00:25:32.380 of a stained glass window 00:25:32.380 --> 00:25:33.600 where every piece 00:25:33.600 --> 00:25:34.279 sort of contributes 00:25:34.279 --> 00:25:34.920 to the beauty 00:25:34.920 --> 00:25:35.480 of the whole. 00:25:38.039 --> 00:25:38.860 We're not meant 00:25:38.860 --> 00:25:39.600 to hoard our gifts 00:25:39.600 --> 00:25:40.560 but to share them. 00:25:43.060 --> 00:25:44.019 That's why we sort of 00:25:44.019 --> 00:25:45.360 crafted our membership vows 00:25:45.360 --> 00:25:46.940 to say simply 00:25:46.940 --> 00:25:47.940 but profoundly 00:25:47.940 --> 00:25:49.680 that we're committing 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:51.880 to give and receive 00:25:51.880 --> 00:25:53.279 gifts of love 00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:53.879 and service. 00:25:56.940 --> 00:25:57.639 We're living 00:25:57.639 --> 00:25:58.859 in God's last chapter. 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:00.720 Life's about more 00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:01.859 than just stockpiling 00:26:01.859 --> 00:26:03.220 comforts for ourselves. 00:26:03.799 --> 00:26:04.639 It's about giving 00:26:04.639 --> 00:26:05.299 and receiving 00:26:05.299 --> 00:26:06.000 these gifts 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:07.220 that God has poured 00:26:07.220 --> 00:26:07.839 out on us 00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:09.160 in these last days. 00:26:09.220 --> 00:26:09.500 That is, 00:26:09.539 --> 00:26:10.559 these days between 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:11.440 Christ's resurrection 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:12.240 and His return. 00:26:15.720 --> 00:26:16.519 So this is how 00:26:16.519 --> 00:26:17.359 we're meant to live then. 00:26:18.359 --> 00:26:19.139 Because the end 00:26:19.139 --> 00:26:19.660 of all things 00:26:19.660 --> 00:26:20.379 is at hand. 00:26:20.599 --> 00:26:21.420 We're to move 00:26:21.420 --> 00:26:22.340 from distraction 00:26:22.340 --> 00:26:23.400 to communion 00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:25.160 and from hostility 00:26:25.160 --> 00:26:26.360 to hospitality 00:26:26.360 --> 00:26:27.800 and from selfishness 00:26:27.800 --> 00:26:29.960 to generous service. 00:26:31.259 --> 00:26:32.500 And when we live 00:26:32.500 --> 00:26:33.259 like that, 00:26:33.539 --> 00:26:34.980 who gets the credit? 00:26:36.019 --> 00:26:37.279 Who gets the glory? 00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:39.820 Not us, 00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:40.460 Peter says, 00:26:41.120 --> 00:26:42.039 but Jesus. 00:26:43.120 --> 00:26:44.120 He ends by saying 00:26:44.120 --> 00:26:44.900 we do all this 00:26:44.900 --> 00:26:45.500 in order that 00:26:45.500 --> 00:26:46.440 in everything 00:26:46.440 --> 00:26:48.300 God may be glorified 00:26:48.300 --> 00:26:49.300 through Jesus Christ. 00:26:50.080 --> 00:26:51.200 To Him belong glory 00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:51.740 and dominion 00:26:51.740 --> 00:26:52.640 forever and ever. 00:26:53.019 --> 00:26:53.319 Amen. 00:26:55.319 --> 00:26:57.100 If it is God's future 00:26:57.100 --> 00:26:58.080 that changes our lives 00:26:58.080 --> 00:26:58.840 so dramatically, 00:26:59.180 --> 00:27:00.019 then surely 00:27:00.019 --> 00:27:01.279 it is God's name 00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:02.900 that gets all the credit 00:27:02.900 --> 00:27:03.720 and all the attention. 00:27:05.980 --> 00:27:07.019 And when you think about it, 00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:07.880 isn't that the last 00:27:07.880 --> 00:27:09.220 great gift to us 00:27:09.220 --> 00:27:10.819 of this living hope 00:27:10.819 --> 00:27:11.559 that we have? 00:27:13.019 --> 00:27:14.100 Being liberated 00:27:14.100 --> 00:27:15.960 from having to live 00:27:15.960 --> 00:27:16.799 for ourselves 00:27:16.799 --> 00:27:18.400 so that we can live 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:19.420 for something greater, 00:27:19.420 --> 00:27:20.700 something greater 00:27:20.700 --> 00:27:22.000 and more lasting 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:23.759 than we had ever dreamed. 00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:27.580 Our own little story 00:27:27.580 --> 00:27:28.279 is a part 00:27:28.279 --> 00:27:30.480 of a much grander drama, 00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:31.340 a much more 00:27:31.340 --> 00:27:32.560 magnificent tale. 00:27:34.100 --> 00:27:35.240 Isn't that ultimately 00:27:35.240 --> 00:27:36.019 what your heart 00:27:36.019 --> 00:27:37.000 longs for? 00:27:37.460 --> 00:27:38.360 A place 00:27:38.360 --> 00:27:40.060 in a greater plot line. 00:27:41.500 --> 00:27:42.820 And here it is. 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:44.180 Peter says, 00:27:44.180 --> 00:27:44.980 the end of all things 00:27:44.980 --> 00:27:45.640 is at hand. 00:27:46.180 --> 00:27:47.900 Come step into this story. 00:27:48.779 --> 00:27:49.640 Christ is risen, 00:27:50.019 --> 00:27:51.400 the kingdom is on the move, 00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:52.680 and the last chapter 00:27:52.680 --> 00:27:53.340 is speeding 00:27:53.340 --> 00:27:54.220 to the conclusion. 00:27:54.960 --> 00:27:55.720 Christ will return 00:27:55.720 --> 00:27:56.120 in glory 00:27:56.120 --> 00:27:56.820 to judge 00:27:56.820 --> 00:27:57.779 and to save 00:27:57.779 --> 00:27:59.019 and to make all things new. 00:28:00.400 --> 00:28:01.220 You can keep living 00:28:01.220 --> 00:28:01.620 for your... 00:28:01.620 --> 00:28:02.500 Flooding into history 00:28:02.500 --> 00:28:03.340 and covers the earth 00:28:03.340 --> 00:28:04.000 like the waters 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:04.740 cover the sea. 00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:07.880 Join your story 00:28:07.880 --> 00:28:08.360 to His. 00:28:09.840 --> 00:28:11.460 Live for someone greater. 00:28:11.460 --> 00:28:13.640 live for His glory. 00:28:15.340 --> 00:28:16.400 And then watch 00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:17.299 as your distraction 00:28:17.299 --> 00:28:18.940 becomes communion 00:28:18.940 --> 00:28:21.220 and as your hostility 00:28:21.220 --> 00:28:22.460 gives way to hospitality 00:28:22.460 --> 00:28:25.220 and as your selfishness 00:28:25.220 --> 00:28:26.500 becomes generous service. 00:28:27.900 --> 00:28:29.180 To Him belong glory 00:28:29.180 --> 00:28:29.680 and dominion 00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:30.500 forever and ever. 00:28:31.640 --> 00:28:31.980 Amen. 00:28:32.500 --> 00:28:33.019 Let's pray. 00:28:37.900 --> 00:28:38.920 Our Father in heaven, 00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:40.039 as we sung 00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:41.819 before considering 00:28:41.819 --> 00:28:42.379 Your Word, 00:28:43.139 --> 00:28:44.159 we pray again 00:28:44.159 --> 00:28:44.539 that You would 00:28:44.539 --> 00:28:45.619 take our life, 00:28:46.819 --> 00:28:47.819 take our lives, 00:28:48.500 --> 00:28:50.579 and let them 00:28:50.579 --> 00:28:51.720 be consecrated to You. 00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:53.579 Take our moments 00:28:53.579 --> 00:28:54.200 and our days, 00:28:54.379 --> 00:28:55.059 take our speaking 00:28:55.059 --> 00:28:55.779 and our giving, 00:28:56.339 --> 00:28:57.059 take our hands 00:28:57.059 --> 00:28:57.599 and our feet, 00:28:58.079 --> 00:28:59.420 and use them 00:28:59.420 --> 00:29:00.059 for Your praise. 00:29:03.259 --> 00:29:04.059 We ask this 00:29:04.059 --> 00:29:04.759 in Jesus' name. 00:29:04.879 --> 00:29:05.099 Amen.