Intro: The end of all things is at hand. (7a) There have been many times I wished this had been said to me. LOTR. Pokemon. Terror/Racism/Violence.

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1 A Change in Allegiance: A series through 1 Peter Pray, Love, Worship 1 Peter 4:7-11 (ESV) Intro: The end of all things is at hand. (7a) There have been many times I wished this had been said to me. LOTR. Pokemon. Terror/Racism/Violence. It certainly feels like the end times. Many people are turning off entirely. Others are blowing up. Hatred, divisions, escalating tensions. People tend to drown out, escape, or medicate the end times. The Christian is called INTO all of those environments. But with an altogether different stance: Clear and controlled thinking. therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers (7b). Why think this way? Because we believe in an end according to God s terms. (Not the weird prophecy stuff that some people obsess with. The end refers to the particular age we are living in, where all that needs to happen in redemptive history has happened other than Christ s return. The end of all things is the period when Christ comes back to rule and reign, and set all things right. Jesus tells us that we can expect many of the things we see today to happen (Mark 13:7), and that the one who endures to the end will be saved (Matt 10:22). The end of all things is good news to us! And yet sobering news. We need to think clearly. This means the age in which we live is an opportunity for us. Think clearly for what? We must pray for the sake of your prayers. (7c) Objection: thoughts and prayers. Sympathetic: Praying does not mean we must avoid social issues to simply pray. Guys, we must be at the front line of social issues. How is the city of Santa Barbara going to see that the Gospel is good news, unless they see that it touches them where they hurt: socially. But certainly, we must pray. Difference: We believe that prayer changes things. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4) The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. (James 5:16, NASB) You do not have, because you do not ask. (James 4:2) We believe that prayer changes things. And so we pray with vigilance. This is why we have prayer meetings. This is why we have prayer teams. This is why we intercede. We also believe that prayer changes us. So we spend time in the presence of God in these times. This time shapes and forms us. The focus in this passage starts with a healthy relationship with God. But as soon as that s lodged Peter then turns all of his attention towards the Christian community. We ve seen how we must respond to those in our city who are hostile towards us. But how do we treat one another? Sermon by Chris Lazo Reality Santa Barbara 1 of 5

2 We must love Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, (8a) Love earnestly (ἔχοντες): to hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to Present active verb: continue to lay hold of this thing (love) Essence: Practice your love for one another, until you progress at it. Why? since love covers a multitude of sins. (8b) I think this means that our ability to love allows us to look over the mistakes of others. Why love? Because earnestly loving will cultivate an environment where wrongs are let go. And that is an environment the church should be like. Caveat: still accountability, responsibility, and consequence. Ex: Abuse. Broken trust. Job responsibility. What this verse is provoking is the innate tendency we have of harboring grudges. Some of my worst days in life were when I was angry and unforgiving towards someone. We hold grudges as a way of punishing that person in our hearts. The crazy thing: it only hurts us! This is a call to freedom. A call away form the disease of anger. And it starts with covering people s faults in our minds. 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV) [Love] does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. To disregard these passages is to allow the disease of resentment entrance into our church. Perhaps you ve done that. You can begin the long journey of releasing it to God today. Why? Love can soften the tension in the room. You could be that peacemaker that changes everything. Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Love can break the cycle of bitterness. Bitterness is a strange and terrifying thing. It can cause to angry people to be completely blind to their own sin, and completely deaf to the grievances of the other. I ve seen where both sides in a conflict had been hurt, and both had valid grievances, and yet were so angry and embittered that it was impossible for them to hear even the most reasonable suggestion from the other party. And when both sides were like this terrible ordeal that breaks apart friendships and pulls people in. Bitterness can destroy a church. But love (that is eagerly practiced) can break the cycle. But love can seem so abstract. What does love really look like? 1 1 ἔχοντες. Greek NT. Sermon by Chris Lazo Reality Santa Barbara 2 of 5

3 Peter gives us some examples: 1. Hospitality Show hospitality to one another without grumbling (9) φιλόξενοι > philos (friend) + xenos (stranger) = Generous to guests Hospitality 1. Opening space for friendship 2. Inviting the stranger into that space Opening space for friendship To really get at the idea of NT hospitality, one must have a understanding of space. Space is sacred. It is ours. It is private. It is where we hide all our stuff, including the things we don t want others to see. We don t want to share. It is this idea of sharing your space that is at the heart of NT hospitality. This is big, because many of us can wave hi at someone from afar, go home to our hideaway, and think we were hospitable. But this is an invitation into our space that is at the idea of biblical friendship and hospitality. But my space isn t big enough (or it s dirty). - Hospitality is not entertainment < perhaps where we get the pressure to perform from - Caveat: if you have nine cats, then maybe do use some Fabreeze (haha) Inviting the stranger into that space Xenos: Stranger. Foreigner. Resident alien. Someone who does not belong or have a place. The Bible is replete with examples of God s heart for people who do not belong. Including refugees & immigrants. The political rhetoric of our day regarding keeping foreigners away should disturb us. Luke 14:13-14 (NIV) But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Why? It is rooted in the story of Israel as exiles Exodus 23:9 (NASB) You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt. Christine D. Pohl (Making Room) When we offer hospitality to strangers, we welcome them into a place to which we are somehow connected a space that has meaning and value to us. 2 Communities without hospitality are just cliques. There must be an inviting way in. Be careful also of homogeneity when everyone you let in looks like you. True Christian hospitality is always extended to those who cannot benefit you. We invite the stranger into the space we so value, not as a guest, a client, or a problem to be solved. But as CHRIST Himself! READ Matthew 25: Christine D. Pohl. Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999). 13 Sermon by Chris Lazo Reality Santa Barbara 3 of 5

4 Examples: Home: inviting other believers over (home group leaders, and homes) Pohl, Church: welcoming (Sundays, Wednesdays) The way you interact: even the way you look at someone can be hospitable. 3. Serving As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies (9-11) Through gifts. We all have gifts meant to be used for ministry to one another. It is not the elders who are charged with doing most of the ministry, but the church itself. Our gifts must be known and used for the church to function well 3 Types of gifts 1. Speech 2. Action Method: see foot-washing (John 13:1-16) Serving a way to show others that you consider them more important than you. Love looks like a safe space for other believers to be served by our gifts. Invite people in. Into your safe space. This could be your home. It could be your introversion. It could be your family. It could be the gym. It could be the ocean. Wherever your safe space is invite in. Serving is the criteria for love. If you invite someone in, but shout at them not serving. Hospitality is the space. Serving is the action. Objection: but what if they don t appreciate it. What if I open up, and they use it against me? Le Miserables Jean Valjean is unjustly imprisoned for 19 years. In prison, he becomes victimized, bitter, and self-righteous. He leaves prison a criminal. Bishop Myriel takes him in; Jean steals silverware, and gets caught. Bishop rescues Jean by calling the silverware a gift...then, offers the candlesticks! Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I buy from you; I withdraw it from black thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God. The self-righteousness that he built up in prison is now colliding with the grace of the bishop. It renders him a new man. This is EXACTLY what happened to us in Christ. 3 I. Howard Marshall. 1 Peter. (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1991). 146 Sermon by Chris Lazo Reality Santa Barbara 4 of 5

5 GOSPEL Ephesians 2:12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Ephesians 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God The great reversal. Mark 10:42-45 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. All of this is so that a hostile world that speaks against you as evildoers may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:12). (All this is through Jesus Christ) This is for the glory of God in the city of Santa Barbara. Our prayers, love, and service are an act of worship to a God who loves us. We must worship That s why Peter breaks off into a doxology. as one who serves by the strength that God supplies in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Living in Christ, by God s power, and for his glory so that His name/kingdom may be known. We come every Sunday to remember that. Christ is on the throne. And we are to remain faithful. Amen - greek / surely, truly, so be it. Heidelberg Catechism 129. What is the meaning of the word Amen? Amen means: So shall it truly and surely be, for my prayer is much more certainly heard of God than I feel in my heart that I desire things of Him Sermon by Chris Lazo Reality Santa Barbara 5 of 5