7 But the end of all things is at
hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 8 And above all things have
fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of
sins. 9 Use hospitality one to another
without grudging. 10 As every man hath received the
gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the
manifold grace of God. 11 If any man speak, let him speak
as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability
which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:7-11)
As the righteous converge on the Banks of Jordan Waters, the mighty Shore
Batteries of God will level their barrels from the far side on the enemy behind
and lay down a judgment of fire and devastation on those unholy minions of
Satan who pursue. The first pursuing army of Pharaoh was destroyed by water at
the Red Sea crossing - the second shall be destroyed by the "consuming
Fire of God at the Banks of Jordan. (see Heb
12:29) Of course my
reference to those Banks is figurative of the passing of the righteous into
glory, and the terrific consummation by fire of the wicked and its worldly
platform.
So what are the profound truths that God reveals in the text today, and of what
meaning shall we make of it?
I. The Solemn Truth Here Announced
But
the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. The end of what things?
1. The end of
your earthly engagements is at hand. The Open Door made available by our Lord
Jesus Christ will remain open as long as the full complement of invited guests
have arrived for the Marriage Feast. Once the last qualified and invited guest
arrives, the Door will be shut and those who are not worthy by faith and grace
will be excluded. There will be no recourse for those late comers when the end
comes finally.
2. The end of
your worldly enjoyments is at hand. The illicit desires of youth and even old
age will have come to an end. I once heard an old New Orleans preacher tell the
story of old Joe Larosa who lived a decadent life of drinking, gambling,
adultery, and a seamy life of sin and indifference to God. One day, old Joe
breathed his last breath and fell into the arms of the Angel of Death. The
hearse, on the way to the grave, passed by Old Joe's favorite drinking' hole,
but Old Joe paid no mind at all - he was indifferent to it. It passed by the
house of prostitution that Old Joe frequented, but Old Joe was completely
indifferent to that sordid establishment. It passed by the gambling casino and
tobacco store that Old Joe loved in his heyday, but Old Joe paid no mind at all
to that former choice establishment of his. He was indifferent to all of those
sinful pursuits that once bore such an appeal to Old Joe. Old Joe was
indifferent to those worldly sins in death because he was indifferent to God in
life. The Door had closed for Old Joe!
3. The end of
trial and sorrow to the godly is at hand. Let us suppose that the aging old
minister that once had appealed to Old Joe's conscience to turn from his wicked
ways passed from this life the same day of Old Joe's demise. How different was
the last breath of both? Old Joe knew that the end of all things had come for
him. in abject sorrow and despondency, he breathed that last breath and was
buried. But the old minister simply closed his eyes in a much deserved sleep
and opened them to the smiling face of his Lord. Which outcome would you
prefer, friend? Love will be the seal of righteousness if none can offer a perfect
righteousness - a love sealed in Christ. " And above all things
have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of
sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging."
4. The end of
our privileges and opportunities is at hand. Believe me, there are no
privileges in Hell! There is no hope of amendment in Hell. All of the occupants
are thieves, liars, hypocrites, abusers of themselves with men, perverts and
sodomizers of little children, and sorcerers (druggies). No privileges or
opportunities are necessary on the blissful far shores of Jordan Banks. There
will be not want, but only joyful fellowship and love. "As every man
hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God."
5. The end of
our probation is at hand. It is true that every knee shall bow at the mighty
appearance of the Armies of Heaven with the Heavens as their line of battle.
The wicked and evil of the world will acknowledge Him as Lord in sheer fear and
dread anticipation of that fiery judgment to come upon them.
In view of these great things coming upon the world, how shall the righteous
deport themselves? "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of
God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth:
that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise
and dominion for ever and ever. Amen"
II. The Important Considerations
Founded On This Truth.
"Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
1. Be sober. If
the first thought that comes to your mind is that we must be sober from
alcohol, you need to elevate your thinking above this consideration only.
Though being free of the debilitating and mind altering use of much alcohol is
certainly meant here, much more is also addressed. the second definition of
'sober' is "marked by sedate or gravely or earnestly thoughtful character
or demeanor." We must be serious and solemn concerning our
responsibilities to both God and our fellows. We cannot be serious about
our faith if we are not serious and sober Bible scholars. We must feed from the
Bread of Life Daily (God's Word) or else be malnourished Christians.
2. Be watchful.
We are each watchmen and watchwomen on the wall. Because we know God's country,
we recognize the approach of the enemy on the distant horizon in time to warn
those within the walls of the coming danger. Though we may be as a Voice Crying
in the Wilderness, it is important to expound truth. In that way, the blood of
the silent will not be on our heads. The story is told of the Duke of
Wellington just before the decisive Battle of Waterloo. Seeing an officer
slouching with his uniform in disarray, the Duke asked, "Why do you stand
in such an unmilitary and unbecoming posture?" to which the officer
replied, "I'm off duty, sir." Then the Duke bellowed, "A British
officer is never off duty. Resume your military bearing!" Neither is
the Christian ever "off duty." We must watch ALWAYS for a watchmen
caught sleeping on duty is deserving of facing the firing squad. "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be
accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to
stand before the Son of man." (Luke
21:36)
3. Be
prayerful. Three principles for a military unit on the battlefield are MOVE,
SHOOT, and COMMUNICATE! We, as soldiers of Christ, must GO (move) into all the
world and teach (shoot) the Gospel to all comers. But we must also COMMUNICATE
with each other (worshipful fellowship) and to the Field Commander to whom we
answer (Jesus Christ). That COMMUNICATION occurs by way of prayer. The field
lines must be open in BOTH direction. Prayer is not intended to serve as a
conduit whereby we communicate our needs and wants to God, but is more
importantly intended to serve as an avenue whereby we gain His will for us -
accepting that will as the perfect solution to our appeal.
The Grave Duty of Ministers
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister,
let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be
glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and
ever. Amen How many times have you heard a minister boast of how many souls
he has brought to the Lord? How many have boasted of the massive churches they
have built, or the great numbers that have been brought by them into the
church? So did the Holy Ghost, bearing the Sword of the Word, have no part in
this success, or was it solely attributable to the efforts of human will? If
so, those souls are still lost, and that minister better find some fire-retardant
garments quickly! All of our preaching and sharing must be done according to
the oracles of God, and with every ounce of our ability and talents with which
the Lord has endowed us. The end of all must be for the glorification of God.
For this reason, the Anglican pulpit is positioned - not at the center of the
church sanctuary - but to the right side (Gospel side) facing out; because it
is His Word (Gospel) being preached, and it is the Lord Jesus Christ - not man
- who is the central focus of our worship. For
where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of
them. (Matt 18:20)
