Tanilba Bay Baptist Church
Worship
  • Praise
  • O Praise The Name (Anástasis)
  • Above All
  • Just Let Me Say

      • 1 Peter 4:7–11NIV2011

  • The End is Near

    A oldish man stands on a busy Sydney street corner with a sandwich board reading - The End is Near. What do you do?
    Well, I suspect in reality, most of us would do something similar, that is, avoid eye contact, try to maximise distance from the man without making it look obvious you’re avoiding him, and then walking past without making any comment.
    Except that today, it’s not so much the man with the sandwich board on the street corner, it’s the social media post with the sensational bible prophecy that links current events to what was told in the bible.
    So let me change my original scenario. You’re on social media, and a post comes up that either explicitly or implicitly points to the return of Jesus. What do you do?
    Maybe you might just decide to keep scrolling, much like you would walk past the man with the sandwich board, but I suspect for many their would be a desire to dig a little deeper.
    In this current age in which we are, it’s not hard to dig a little deeper. All you got to do is click on the next link.
    And so we dig.
    We see that when Jesus talked about the second coming, he spoke about wars and rumours of wars. That’s easy to link to today.
    We dig a bit deeper. We find reports of false messiahs, tick. Famines and earthquakes, tick.
    We’re intrigued now, so we want to dig even deeper. We find prophecies about Israel which we can link to Israel being re-formed as a nation in 1948. We find prophecies relating to Damascus only to hear on the news that Damascus is being bombed.
    We get hooked. So we dig further.
    We then find that there are Biblical references to the Euphrates River drying up, and we see that there are actual references of the Euphrates River drying up.
    This is getting really fascinating now. We keep digging...
    We start finding numerical patterns where two thousand years after Jesus would complete a pattern. Could it be that Jesus will return 2000 years after his resurrection?
    What’s just happened here? Our response to “the end is near”, has resulted in us going down a rabbit hole of sorts.
    Are the links I just made legitimate? Possibly… it might depend on who you ask.
    I wonder if a better question is: was it a profitable use of your time?
    Again, some might argue that it is, but I want to suggest a danger that might occur (and you can be free to push back against this idea if you want)… you see, there is a danger that the Bible becomes this code to crack. It’s almost as if we make an idol out of trying to find the key to unlocking this code.
    Now let me just be clear here - I do actually think there is value in studying biblical prophecies. But just don’t let your study distract you from what I believe the Bible actually calls us to do.
    You see, I’m going to argue that our passage today takes us to a very different place.

    Peter’s message

    Now our passage for today starts at 1 Peter 4:7 which opens with the words: “The end of all things is near”.
    In a sense, it can feel a little click-baity. He’s just said the words that get so many of us believers excited.
    So what’s he going to say next? We might think that he will go on to explain all the exciting parts about the end times - what to expect… when to expect it… what to look out for… you know, all the fun stuff.
    Actually, we’re about to see that he’s going to take this in a very different direction.

    The end in Peter’s day?

    But before we look at what he has to say, there’s perhaps a big question we need to ask.
    You see, this letter was written a little under 2000 years ago.
    And so when Peter says: “The end of all things is near” you might be tempted to think, well, maybe Peter got this one wrong, because almost 2000 years have elapsed, and well… we’re still going.
    Now on one hand, we could point to the fact that in Peter’s second letter, Peter’s going to echo Psalm 90 when he says: “with the Lord a say is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day”. (2 Peter 3:8)
    In other words, God’s timing is not like ours, so saying it’s near 2000 years ago isn’t quite as ridiculous as it might sound.
    But there’s perhaps another way of thinking about this.
    You see, the way the bible talks about the end days is different from how we typically talk about it. When we talk about end times or end days, we tend to think of some short(ish) period of time prior to when Jesus returns. If someone was to ask, are we in end times, what they’re essentially asking is if Jesus is going to come again soon… and by soon, we’re probably thinking at least some time in our own lifetime.
    When the bible talks about end times, it actually generally refers to the entire time between the first and second coming of Jesus.
    When Jesus died on the cross, all the pieces of God’s plan were in place. That was the start of the last phase, the one where we now wait for the return of Jesus.
    In this way, we are most certainly in the last days now, but we have been for close to 2000 years.
    So, in a sense, Peter is reminding the original recipients of this letter that they’re in this period now, so they better listen up.
    What follows is not a call to dig deeper… to study more… or an encouragement to align your calendars with current events. Instead, he gives four exhortations.
    They might initially seem very generic, but as we explore them, we’ll see how they specifically relate to the period of time that we find ourselves in.

    Pray with alert and sober minds

    Actually, after saying that, the first three words after telling us that the end is near is: “therefore be alert...”
    It’s essentially saying: be awake… keep an awareness of what is happening.
    You know, I hear people sometimes say they don’t like listening to the news because it’s depressing. And I get it. The news can get you down. And look, sometimes if you are feeling particularly triggered by something, it might be worth turning off at that point. But generally speaking, within the limits of what we are able to comprehend and what is reasonable, I think we should be aware of the current issues of the day and the things that affect us.
    But it adds something to the exhortation to be alert, and that is to have a sober mind.
    Just to be clear, the word sober in this context is not referring to the lack of alcohol. A sober mind in this context is a sound mind that is sensible and orderly.
    I actually think that pairing the words “alert” and “sober” together is important. Our alert mind has the potential to put us in a state of hysterics. A sober mind could become oblivious to what’s happening around us.
    But it doesn’t end with just the exhotation to have an alert and sober mind. It actually says, we have this kind of mind - so that you may pray.
    The emphasis on this initial exhortation is to pray.
    In this period of the end a spiritual battle rages. We can often be completely oblivious to what is happening.
    When it’s a spiritual battle, you have one main weapon at your disposal - prayer.
    But what are we praying about? Well, this is why we need to be alert.
    The evil one loves to stop kingdom progress.
    Have you ever noticed that when good things start to happen at church, suddenly something starts to happen to reverse that progress. A conflict erupts. People start bickering with each other. Something drives a wedge between people.
    Be alert - but stay sober. Watch for it. But don’t panic.
    Instead, fall on your knees. Bring it to God.
    In fact, whatever the need, be alert and of sober mind - and pray!
    Here’s an idea - use your newspaper, (or whatever medium you use to get news), become a prayer guide. This way, instead of letting it get us depressed, we let it guide how we pray.
    If you want to know how you should respond to talk of being in end times - let it drive you to prayer!

    Love each other

    So prayer is the first thing Peter is drawn to write to us in relation to us being in end times. The second thing in some ways is actually going to be an overarching priciple that we’re going to need. That’s why he starts verse 8 with the words: “Above all...”
    This overarching priciple is this… “love each other deeply”.
    You might think - what’s this got to do with end times. Of course we agree it’s good advice, (hopefully), but it might feel a bit generic and not specific to end times.
    Well, this might be to misunderstand end times. You see, in this end time period, what we’re seeing is the growth of God’s kingdom.
    The basic economy in this kingdom is that of love.
    Love becomes the basis for which this kingdom operates.
    It’s like a barrier against the attack to the evil one.
    When the evil one attacks, we allow the love that God has shown us to flow through us and into our relationships with others.
    When our love is from the love of God, nothing can tear is apart.
    Just look at why Peter thinks love is important in this situation… he says: “because love covers over a multitude of sins”.
    Now this might sound a little strange at first hearing. Surely the only thing that deals with sin is the sacrifice that Jesus provides.
    Well, I think what Peter is getting at here, is that power of what love can do. Where sin tears apart, love brings together.
    Our sinful, selfish attitudes that we all have to some degree, means that we act in ways that become the wedge in our community.
    We say something hurtful or offensive.
    The other person receives that hurtful comment and now bears a grudge.
    Love puts a stop to this.
    The type of love that Jesus has shown us is the type of love that says: I’m going to keep being loving because this is not about me getting my own way, this is about loving because Jesus first loved us.
    When everything feels like it’s falling apart at the seam, now more than ever is the time to love.
    So, in light of the fact that we’re in end times, love one another.

    Offer hospitality

    So, Peter’s given us two points now. First, pray with alert and sober minds. Secondly to love one another.
    The third point in some ways follows out of this love, but it’s one particularly outworking of it: offer hospitality (verse 9).
    Some people might have a specific gift of hospitality, and if this is you, then you should be going above and beyond with this one. But actually, this is a call for all of us.
    Now possibly some of you might be thinking I can bearly cook toast, so how am I meant to do this?
    Well, hospitality is far broader than just cooking a meal.
    In a sense, offering hospitality means proividing a welcoming environment to those in need. We all play a role in doing this. If you’re not much of a cook, then perhaps direct them in other directions for that, but you can still put the needs of others first and think about what they might need.
    Now again, this might not feel very end times like, but here’s the thing… these end times leave people feeling very disorientated. People are lost and without hope.
    Sometimes when we get so caught up in what’s happening in this world around us, we can actually become blinkered to the people in our very midst. There are people on our door step who are hurting.
    So we offer hospitality.
    And Peter is quick to add on this one - and do it without grumbling.
    When we grumble, it’s actually an indication that there is something wrong in our heart. Perhaps we’ve lost the love. Perhaps it’s our selfishness bumbling over.
    If you get your heart right, you’ll find this will actually be much easier.
    If you actually let love be the driver, you’ll find that this is something you want to do.

    Using your gifts

    So the first three things...
    Pray
    Love on another
    Offer hospitality.
    The fourth one then is to use whatever gift you have received to serve one another.
    God has gifted each of you.
    We’ve already mentioned hospitality. But there are many others, like evangelism, encouragement, administration, leadership, and teaching, just to name a few.
    Each are important and are needed in the body of Christ.
    In these end times, the reality is, what is needed is very wide in its scope. There are many needs. And no single person can do it all.
    If you want to know what specifically you should be doing, think about the gift God has given you.
    Now, some of you might be very familiar with your spiritual gifting. Some of you however might not know. Or some of you might even be wondering what I’m talking about in terms of Spiritual gifts.
    Today’s not the day for a full message on this, so let me be very brief.
    When you become a believer, the Holy Spirit will equip you in some way. It’s more than just your natural abilities. It’s something that can be used to build up God’s kingdom.
    Now if you go through Paul’s letters, there are quite a few passages where he lists different gifts. Each list is different, so he’s never giving a comprehensive list. That being said, people have made a composite of the lists and found about 20 or 21 different gifts.
    Some people have even created surveys you can fill out to help you identify which of these might fit you best. They can be useful, and if you’re interested, I can point you in the right direction for one of these surveys.
    But whether you do a survey or not, try to take the time to figure out how you can best serve Jesus in this world, and do it for the glory of God.
    There are many needs and so we all need to be contributing where we can.

    Conclusion

    So what should our response be when we hear that the end of all things is near?
    We might be tempted to just dig deeper, and while I never want to discourage someone for studying the word of God, but don’t let that become a distraction from what the word of God is pointing us to.
    We’re called to be the light of the world. We’re called to love one another… to offer hospitality.
    We’re called to make a difference.
    This world is hurting. This world is without hope. In these end times, this is only increasing. And yet we have the ability to make a difference.
    So… pray with an alert and sober mind
    Love one another deeply.
    Offer hospitality.
    And use what gift God has given you.
    Let me pray...
  • How Great Thou Art
Tanilba Bay Baptist Church
secretary.tbbc@gmail.com
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http://www.tanilbabaybaptistchurch.com
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