A Daily Walk

Narrator: Living in the light of the Lord's return, next on A Daily Walk.

John Randall: If the church of the first century was that excited about and anticipating the imminent return of Jesus, what should the church of today be? We're closer than we've ever been. People say it's been 2,000 years and he hasn't come back yet. Do you know the Bible says that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day?

So what does that tell you? He's been gone two days. We're really not that far. It hasn't been that long. From our perspective, it seems like forever, but not from heaven's. It's been two days already. He's outside of time.

So they're anticipating this return of the Lord. They're waiting for it, they're expecting it. The end of all things is at hand. So he says in light of that, therefore, be serious and watchful in prayer.

Announcer: When you're going through a rough time, that's not the time to complain, but a good time to recall Jesus's promise to come again. The end is near. After we come to understand that, our response should be to pray, love, serve, and live for God's glory. That's what we're to do in these last days, and it will make a difference.

Today on A Daily Walk, we see what an end-times prayer life should look like. Pastor John Randall heads back to 1 Peter chapter four with one eye on the day human history will end and another eye on our prayer lives.

John Randall: Peter said, "This gospel, in light of the judge of the living in the day, this gospel was preached to those who are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but alive according to God in the spirit." That's a very interesting passage, some confusion for some, but basically what Peter is saying is he's reminding his readers of the importance of preaching the gospel even though some of the believers had suffered martyrdom. They had died, they'd been judged in the flesh by men, physically put to death, but Peter said, "Listen, they are alive in the spirit." They are alive. They have known the gospel.

The point is that believers under unjust treatment, including death, will be willing to be unafraid even if they had to suffer because what's the worst thing that can happen? Again, the context is many of them were preparing to die. The persecution was so severe, but Peter said even if that happens, what's next? I'm in glory with the Lord forever. What's the worst thing a person can do to me? Take my life. And then what? I'm with Jesus.

So Peter is seeking to inspire those who were literally questioning whether they're going to say Jesus is Lord or Caesar is Lord, and determining on what they say whether they live or die. But Peter says you're going to live forever. So the believers were to be spiritually prepared. Arm yourself. This is a real thing. This is a spiritual conflict. Arm yourself, put on the whole armor of God. It's a battle, it's a fight. Maybe you're in the thick of the fight right now.

You're not alone. Everybody is. We're all at different fronts in this battle. We're all fighting. The battle you fight, I'm fighting in some form. We're all fighting this together. We lock shields, we go forward. We are the army of the Lord. One day we're going to lay our weapons down, but until then, we're involved, we're engaged.

The second thing Peter says is found in verse seven. In addition to being spiritually prepared, he says to the believers that he wanted them to be seriously praying. Verse seven: "But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers." Peter says the end of all things is at hand. Do you know what that's a reference to? The return of the Lord. In the first century, the believers were living with the anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ. They believed it could happen at any time.

They watched him go up. They were expecting him to come right back down any day now. They were anticipating it. If the church of the first century was that excited about and anticipating the imminent return of Jesus, what should the church of today be? We're closer than we've ever been. People say it's been 2,000 years and he hasn't come back yet. Do you know the Bible says that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day?

So what does that tell you? He's been gone two days. We're really not that far. It hasn't been that long. From our perspective, it seems like forever, but not from heaven's. It's been two days already. He's outside of time. So they're anticipating this return of the Lord. They're waiting for it, they're expecting it. The end of all things is at hand. So he says in light of that, therefore, be serious and watchful in prayer.

If anybody knew how important prayer was in the life of the believer, it was Peter. Think about Peter's life. Just go back in the gospels, think in your mind. Remember at one point the disciples said to Jesus, "Lord, teach us how to pray." They'd heard him pray, and Jesus said, "When you pray, here's a model for you. Follow this example." And he taught them how to pray.

At one point Jesus said to Peter, "Hey Peter, watch and pray." And when Peter was supposed to be watching and praying, what was he doing? Remember? Sleeping. Have you ever done that? Lord, I just pray for everybody in the... I can relate with that. I'm just going to get in my face and pray before God. What time is it? You wake up, it's the next morning. I was praying. That's what happened to Peter.

So he's saying we need to be watchful, we need to be serious. And the word that he uses for serious, do you know what word it is? It's the word sober. Interesting. Sober. It means free from every form of mental and spiritual intoxication. The idea is to be calm, collected in spirit, circumspect, self-controlled, well-balanced, and clear-headed when it comes to praying.

Do you know that the early church, you ever read through the Book of Acts? Ladies, you're going through the Book of Acts right now in your study. You know one of the primary purposes in the early church, what did they do on a regular basis? Prayed. Prayer all through that book. When they were in need, they prayed. When they were persecuted, they prayed. When somebody needed a miracle, they cried out to God, they prayed.

And it's an example for us. Prayer is to be consistent. The Bible says pray without ceasing. The Bible tells us that prayer is offered in faith. The Bible says, "I desire therefore that everybody pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and without doubting." Pray in faith. Know that when you pray who it is you're praying to, what he's capable of. He's not limited. All things are possible with him. So I pray in faith.

Also prayer is a matter of devotion. Colossians 4:2 says, "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." Prayer is an area that the devil will attack relentlessly because it's such a great weapon in the arsenal of the believer. Did you know that? Maybe you've experienced it. You ever find yourself being spiritually attacked when you want to pray?

I'm just going to take some time and pray. Good idea. And so you sit down, you start praying. What happens? You can remember everything that you never could remember right then. It just floods back in your mind. Why is this happening? Every person that you needed to call, that you haven't called, that you should have responded to, that you needed to email. "Oh, I forgot. I'll pray later." And you just everything. Why is that? Because there's power in prayer.

There's such power in prayer we don't realize it. The Bible tells us in James chapter five, in verse 16, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James tells us that Elijah was a man like us with like passions, and he prayed and it didn't rain. He prayed again and it rained. There's power in prayer. And so Peter says, "Listen, be watchful in your prayers. Be sober-minded, be clear-headed, be serious in praying."

This is such an important part of a life of the church. Without prayer, we're just going through the motions. We have to be a praying church. That's why weekly here we meet for prayer in the mornings, in the afternoons, on Wednesday nights as a church after service. We just pray. It has to be like breathing for us, the oxygen of the church, prayer.

So we ought to be spiritually prepared, seriously in prayer. But then he adds to this that we are to be sincerely loving of one another. Look at verse eight: "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins." Above everything else, he said love. Love one another. Remember Jesus was asked, "What's the greatest commandment?" And he responded, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength."

He said the second commandment is like unto it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these hang all the law and the prophets. Later on Jesus would say to his disciples in John chapter 13, and verse 34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you love one another. By this all will know that you're my disciples, by this love that you have for one another."

So Peter is saying listen, in the midst of suffering, in the midst of hardship, make sure that you're loving one another fervently. The Apostle Paul told us that the evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian is love. The fruit of the spirit is love. In writing to the Corinthians, he told them if you don't have love, you can be the most spiritually gifted person in this church or in any church for that matter.

You can be the most generous, you could pray like nobody else could pray, call fire down from heaven, but if you don't have love, it profits you nothing. It's sounding brass, it's a clanging cymbal. Nobody wants to hear it. Peter says that the manifestation of this love that they were to have for one another, what does it do? One thing he says here is that it covers a multitude of sins or faults.

It doesn't mean that you condone sin or you excuse it and say, "Oh, that's fine, just go on sinning, no big deal." That's not what he's saying. He's talking about a multitude of faults. You're not going to harshly condemn or expose the faults of others but forbear, bear others' burdens, forgiving, forgetting past offenses. That's what we're talking about, that kind of love that allows us to remain united.

The closer you get to people around you, you've probably experienced this in your own family, your own marriage, with your own kids. The more you know somebody, even in a body of Christ, there are certain things you learn about them that bother you. I don't like that about you. It was so cute when we first met. It's not cute anymore. Stop that. I don't like it.

But it's things like that. It just covers it's not a big deal, I love them. They're part of my family. I'm not going to sweat it. And you have people in your family that you get together with, and you know like, "Oh, here he comes, yep, yep, there he is." But you love them. Why? Because they're your family. I'm just covering that with love. It's not a big deal, I'm not going to stress out about that.

And in the body of Christ, there's a lot of idiosyncrasies and different types of personalities, and you don't know everybody next to you. You're sitting with the majority of the people around you, you have no idea who these people are. I mean, really think about it. Don't get up, don't leave, but I'm saying to you, you really don't. People in front of you, behind you, beside you, you don't know what's going on. You have no idea.

And yet we're all here, united as one because we love the Lord. We're united around this doesn't happen everywhere, I just want you to know. This doesn't happen everywhere, not in this context like what we're seeing here. But there's times when you can get easily offended. For example, somebody says, "Hey, how are you doing?" "What do you mean how am I doing? Why are you asking how I'm doing?" "I was just curious how you're doing." "It's none of your business how I'm doing."

"Hey, how's your wife doing?" "Well, you think I'm having problems with my marriage?" "I was just asking how you're doing in your family." Just cover a multitude of things. Or people sometimes in the body of Christ, they just say strange things. They say things that you just go, "Wow, that's okay." I love the sheep, man, and sometimes they say crazy stuff and you're just like, "All right, you know, that's cool, hey, God bless you." And you just love one another.

You just overlook things that don't matter. That's what he's saying, covering a multitude of faults. Someone said it this way: "Where love abounds in a fellowship of Christians, many small offenses and even some large ones are readily overlooked and forgotten. But where love is lacking, every word is viewed with suspicion, every action is liable to misunderstanding and conflicts abound."

The fervent love will be demonstrated in covering one another with that love, but also receiving one another without complaining. Verse nine: "Be hospitable to one another without grumbling." You know the Jews had a saying that there are six things the fruit of which a man eats in this world and by which his horn is raised in the world to come, and the list began with hospitality to the stranger and visiting the sick.

Did you know the early church was marked by hospitality and receiving people from every walk of life? Whatever your status is, it doesn't matter. We're one in Christ. That's what matters, that's what brings us together. They sought to meet urgent needs, and there was a beautiful generosity among the believers, and the scriptures actually commend hospitality. You ever read that passage in Hebrews?

Hebrews chapter 13, verse 2, when it says, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some have unwittingly entertained angels." You never know. One of the marks of a minister, Paul said to Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter three, is that they were to be blameless, husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, good behavior, hospitable, able to teach.

And this hospitality is to be shown without grumbling, without murmuring. "Oh man, they're coming over again? I feel like they were just here last year. Why are they back? Why do we have to do this again? Can't we just do like a FaceTime with them? Do they really have to come into the...?" Don't be like that. That's not hospitable. Just hospitable. I read something that made me chuckle. It said, "Some folks make you feel at home, others make you wish you were."

So Peter says to the believers, be spiritually prepared. Arm yourself, be ready for this. Stay sober-minded in prayer. Sincerely loving, and then finally serving faithfully. Verse 10: "As each one has received a gift, minister, serve one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever."

Now Peter says to these believers, make sure that whatever God has given to you, that you are understanding that you are a steward of what belongs to him and you are using that ultimately for his glory. How? By ministering, by serving others. You know it says concerning Jesus that he did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. He was the servant of all.

Jesus said the greatest in the kingdom is the servant of all. Every single person here has been given something by God. Life itself is a gift, but God has entrusted to us, given us a stewardship of a life, and we want to, as Peter exhorts us here, minister faithfully. Do you remember in Matthew chapter 25 when Jesus told that parable about the master who entrusted a certain allotment of his goods to individuals and then he went away?

He gave this much to this guy, he gave that much to the next one, and then this much to the third one. And then he said, "Hey, I'm going away. I'll be back." They didn't know when he was coming back. He just said he was coming back. And so he leaves, and when the master leaves, two out of the three take what they were given and they just invested it, they just used it.

They were good stewards of what belonged to their master, and actually as a result, there was more that was added to their master because they were faithfully using what they had been given. But the third guy, not so wise. Remember what he did? He took it and he buried it. Eventually the master comes back and each one of them had to give an account for what they'd been given.

The first guy said, "Master, I took what you gave me, I invested it." Well done. Good job. Awesome. He gave him more. Next guy, "Master, I took what you gave me, I did what you wanted and look, here you go. This is return back." Great job. Well done. The third one said, "Master, I'm so glad you're here. I knew you were coming back and I knew you were an austere man, and so here's what I did." Basically he's making excuses.

"Great news, I took what you gave me and I buried it. And here it is. I cleaned it off, the dirt is not on it, and I am returning back to you what you gave to me. Nothing added to it, just there you go." Thinking he's going to be commended for burying what he'd been given. And the master said, "You wicked servant. You knew that you were going to have to give an account and what I gave you, you did nothing with it. You just buried it."

And of course what he had was taken and given to others. The point of that whole parable is the Lord's gone away for a time. And he's entrusted to each of us something. And whatever it is he's given to us, then I just want to use it for him because I know one day we're going to stand before him and hear well done, good and faithful servant. You invested what I gave you, you used what I entrusted to you for a reason. You didn't bury it.

And I want to say to you this morning, by way of encouragement, if you have taken what God's given you and you have buried it, listen, dig it up now and start. It's not too late. He hasn't come back yet because we're still here. But he will. Lastly, fifth and final thing: Here it is, and this really is the sum and all of it, living for God's glory.

That is what is said here in verse 11: "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen." This is ultimately what we're to be living for. That which lasts: the glory of God.

Whether I'm serving or I'm praying or loving, all of it is for the glory of God. You know the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 31, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." As we look over our lives and we think about what we do, what we eat, what we drink, whatever we do, can we say this right here, this is for the glory of God?

I can do this for the glory of God. This is for your glory. That should be the guide. God's glory. Not man's, but God's glory. And so Peter says to this church that was really going through hard times, wanting to encourage them to not lose heart, wanting them to embrace their calling. In embracing their calling, listen, be prepared. This is part of the Christian life. But you've got everything you need.

All things that pertain to life and godliness are made available to you. You can clothe yourself in the armor, you can be victorious. You're not going to run the life that you used to run any longer because things have changed. And that will lead to being a person of prayer, seriously, soberly praying, watchful because I know Jesus is coming. That's the incentive.

And also loving people sincerely and just overlooking things that you don't need to make such a big deal about that. Just let that go. Maybe they had a bad day. Think the best about them rather than assume the worst, which is typically what we do. And serve faithfully. Man, be consistent, just faithfully pour it out. What has God given to you? Let's invest that: our time, our heart, whatever, just our life. And then ultimately for God's glory. That is the goal.

Jesus be glorified in this. You know when I was a little kid, we used to sing "In my life, Lord, be glorified." Remember that song? Oh man, it was a good one. "In my life, Lord, be glorified, be glorified, be glorified. In my life, Lord, be glorified today." That was the song. Do you remember it? Who knows that song? Raise your hand. Whoa, you guys remember that song? That means you're old. That means that we are all old. Everybody just went on record. It's all right, we're together.

Announcer: You've been listening to Pastor John Randall on A Daily Walk. Did you join us late? Or maybe you want to share this message with a loved one? You can hear the program again at adailywalk.org and then share the content with friends and family. You can also hear John's messages through our free app. This is a great way to listen to current and past teachings from Pastor John. Just search for Calvary South OC.

Here's a question for you: Has this ministry blessed and encouraged you in your daily walk? If so, we'd like to know. You can email us at adailywalk@gmail.com. Let us know the station you're listening to as well. Here in the month of May, we've picked out a resource we think moms will benefit a great deal from. It's "A Mom After God's Own Heart: 10 Ways to Love Your Children" authored by Elizabeth George.

She writes, "God has put you in a unique situation where you have tremendous influence in the lives of others. Be a mom after God's heart. Help your children, no matter what their ages, experience God's love, God's blessings, and God's provisions." We're making it available for the cost of $12. Ordering is really easy online at adailywalk.org or just call 877-242-0828.

Please remember us in your prayers and your giving to the Lord. We want to help as many people as possible in their daily walk through the teaching of God's word, and you can help to make that possible through either a one-time gift or ongoing monthly support. Donations can be made online rather easily at adailywalk.org or call 877-242-0828. We'll be right back here next time on A Daily Walk with another study in the word designed to help you in your daily walk. God bless.