0:10 verses for as much then as Christ hath
0:13 suffered for us in the
0:16 flesh arm yourselves likewise with the same
0:17 same
0:20 mind for he that hath suffered In the
0:23 Flesh ha ceased from sin that he should
0:26 no longer live the rest of his time in
0:28 the flesh to the lust of men but to the
0:31 will of God
0:34 for the time past of our life may
0:37 suffice us to have wrought the will of
0:41 the Gentiles that means the will of the
0:44 unsaved when we walked in lasciviousness
0:49 lust excess of wine revelings cousings
0:51 and abominable
0:53 idolatries in which they think it
0:56 strange that ye run not with them to the
1:00 same flood of dissipation
1:02 speaking evil of
1:04 you who shall give account to him that
1:08 is ready to judge the living and the
1:11 dead for this cause was the Gospel
1:14 preached also to them that are now
1:17 dead that they might be judged according
1:20 to man in the flesh but live according
1:22 to God in the
1:27 spirit but the end of all things is at
1:30 hand be ye therefore sober mind minded
1:32 and watch un prayer and above all things
1:35 have fervent love among
1:37 yourselves for love shall cover the
1:39 multitude of
1:42 sins use Hospitality one to another without
1:43 without
1:46 grudging as every man hath receive the
1:49 gift even so Minister the same one to
1:52 another as good stewards of the manifold
1:54 grace of
1:57 God if any man speak let him speak as
1:59 the Oracles of God if any man Minister
2:01 let him do it as of the ability which God
2:02 God
2:05 giveth that God in all things may be
2:07 glorified through Jesus Christ to whom
2:10 be praise and Dominion forever and ever
2:13 ever
2:16 amen there's a phrase in verse two that
2:19 is somewhat
2:22 disturbing it has a rather ominous sound
2:27 to it the rest of his
2:30 time I've marked it in my Bible
2:32 and I hope that whenever I look at it
2:35 and see where it's marked it'll shock me
2:39 the rest of his time you don't know how
2:43 long is the rest of your
2:46 time see in verse three he talks about
2:48 time passed he said we can look back and
2:50 see the
2:55 past how we grew up birthday parties all
2:58 that we did and the sins of the
3:00 past but p Peter is not the kind of a
3:02 person whose life is controlled by the
3:04 past he wants our lives to be controlled
3:05 by the
3:08 future and so he says you turn away from
3:10 the past and let's talk about the rest
3:13 of your time how long is it going to be
3:16 you don't know where will you be you
3:18 don't know what is God going to do you don't
3:19 don't
3:23 know I don't know there are many
3:26 Christians who live as though the rest
3:30 of their time is 50 60 years you don't
3:31 know now we're going to spend eternity
3:34 with God he's not talking about that
3:36 he's talking about the rest of our time
3:37 here on
3:41 Earth the work that we're going to do
3:42 the lives that we're going to live
3:45 that's a sobering
3:48 thought the fact that one of these days
3:52 time is going to end for us
3:55 opportunities are going to end for us
3:58 relationships are going to end for us
4:00 and how should we be living in the light
4:03 of the fact that we don't know how long
4:06 is the rest of our
4:09 time Peter was quite conscious of this
4:11 because he knew that soon he was going to
4:12 to
4:15 die our Lord had said to Peter now when
4:16 you get
4:18 older men are going to carry you where
4:19 you don't want to be carried you're
4:21 going to be crucified he talks about
4:25 this in second Peter chapter 1 verse 13
4:27 yeah I think it
4:29 fitting as long as I am in this t
4:34 Tabernacle this body to stir you up by
4:36 putting you in remembrance knowing that
4:39 shortly I must put off this my
4:42 Tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ
4:45 has shown me and so Peter is saying to
4:49 me I'm writing this knowing how short my time
4:51 time
4:53 is and you don't know how long your time
4:57 is therefore says Peter get with it and
5:01 spend the rest of your time makeing life
5:03 worthwhile his great concern is the
5:06 attitude of our mind he said I want you
5:09 to arm yourself with the same mind that
5:12 Jesus had he's concerned about our
5:16 attitude our Outlook as we go toward the
5:17 end of life you say well you're being
5:19 rather morbid tonight no I'm not I'm being
5:20 being
5:23 realistic a person is a
5:27 fool to waste his life or to spend his
5:28 life as though he's going to be here forever
5:30 forever
5:33 we live a day at a time we walk a step
5:34 at a
5:37 time and we have to live the rest of our
5:39 time with the right
5:41 attitude now in this section that I've
5:43 read 1 Peter
5:46 41-11 the Apostle Peter describes four
5:49 attitudes that you and I should have if
5:51 we're going to make the rest of our time
5:54 count now some some folks won't like
5:57 this I'm sure some of Peter's readers
5:58 did not like it they said well he
5:59 doesn't know what he's talking about he
6:01 did know what he was talking about he
6:03 was inspired by the holy spirit of God
6:06 now what are these attitudes verses 1 2
6:09 and 3 we must have a militant attitude toward
6:11 toward
6:15 sin arm yourself with the same attitude
6:23 yourself a militant attitude towards sin
6:25 Verses 4 5 and
6:29 six a patient attitude
6:31 toward the
6:35 lost now we reverse that we're patient
6:38 with sin and militant toward the
6:40 Lost he says no I want you to have a
6:43 militant attitude toward sin I want you
6:45 to have a patient attitude toward the
6:47 loss and he explains why then verse
6:50 seven I want you to have an expectant
6:52 attitude toward the lord the end of all
6:56 things is at hand Christ may come
6:59 back and then 8 through 11 I want you to
7:01 have a f fervent attitude toward one
7:05 another that's so easy to remember hard
7:08 to practice a militant attitude towards
7:16 lives a patient attitude toward the Lost
7:17 let's be good
7:20 witnesses an expectant attitude toward
7:23 the lord let's live as though today he
7:27 may come back by the way I will say this
7:28 parenthetically which doesn't mean it's
7:31 any less important important one reason
7:34 why I cannot accept the interpretation
7:36 of the word of God that says Jesus is
7:38 coming in the middle of the
7:40 tribulation or at the end of the
7:42 tribulation is because then he can't come
7:43 come
7:46 today now I know good men disagree on
7:47 this and I never make this a test to
7:50 fellowship or spirituality but I believe
7:52 Jesus Christ can come back
7:55 today I'm not looking for Antichrist I'm
7:57 looking for Christ I'm not looking for
8:00 tribulation I'm looking for Glory
8:02 an expectant attitude toward the lord
8:04 and finally a fervent attitude toward
8:07 one another now let's examine these four
8:09 attitudes verses 1 through3 a militant
8:14 attitude towards sin for as much then
8:16 now what does the then refer to it
8:17 refers to what he said back in chapter 3:
8:19 3:
8:21 18 there's a long parenthesis in here
8:26 about about Noah and about the flood but
8:30 he goes back to uh 3:18 for Christ also
8:34 hath once suffered for sin the just for
8:38 the unjust for as much then as Christ
8:40 has suffered for
8:45 us arm yourselves with the same mind
8:47 ideas are
8:51 weapons attitudes are weapons thoughts
8:54 are weapons and Peter is saying Don't
8:59 Drift through life putting up with sin
9:02 and certainly don't walk through life
9:04 committing sin it's wrong to commit sin
9:08 it's wrong to condone sin what should we
9:12 do we should be in conflict with sin in
9:14 our own
9:17 lives I have noticed how easy it is to
9:19 be critical of things in the lives of
9:21 other people that I'm guilty of
9:23 myself that must have been what Jesus
9:26 meant when he said uh you judge another
9:28 the same judgment's coming back to you
9:30 we believe belies are very quick to
9:32 judge the sins of other people and Peter
9:35 says let's begin with your own life when
9:37 our Lord was here on Earth in a human
9:41 body he fought sin where there was
9:43 hatred he came with love where there
9:46 were lies he came with truth where there
9:49 was Darkness he came with light and
9:51 where there was death he came with life
9:55 and it cost him his life now says Peter
9:57 as you face these last
10:00 days you better have that same attitude
10:04 you are not a child in a playground you
10:07 are a soldier on a Battleground and so
10:09 when you step out of your apartment or
10:11 your house or you get out of your car or
10:14 you walk out of the elevator arm
10:17 yourself with this attitude I am going
10:23 sin because Jesus
10:25 did and sin is the thing that crucified
10:28 Christ it amazes me that you and I can
10:30 condone sin and in our lives even
10:33 cultivate sin in our
10:42 Jesus as I uh turned the news on this
10:44 afternoon and got this terrible report
10:47 that another one of our CTA drivers had
10:49 been shot and
10:51 killed you know I just stood there and
10:53 thought to myself dear
10:56 Lord that's an awful way to solve a
10:59 problem to kill somebody
11:01 And yet when Jesus came to solve the
11:03 greatest problem in the world the sin
11:06 problem he had to die now technically he
11:09 was not killed he laid down his life but
11:12 he died Peter is saying to you and to me
11:15 are we willing to die to self and have a
11:18 militant attitude towards
11:21 sin now he'd been talking about their
11:23 baptism in that previous chapter he said
11:25 you remember when you were baptized and
11:28 every scholar of any repute admits that
11:30 in the newest Testament baptism was by
11:33 immersion he said do you remember when
11:34 you were placed under the water and
11:37 brought up from the water it's a picture
11:39 of death burial and Resurrection yes we
11:41 remember that Peter that means you died
11:45 to sin have a militant attitude towards
11:48 sin now let's suppose that they do find
11:50 who killed this CTA
11:52 driver let's suppose they find the gun
11:55 that did it do you think that the loved
11:57 ones of that driver are going to want
12:00 that gun to put it on the mantle
12:02 piece they're going to say oh we want
12:03 that gun we want to put on the manle
12:04 show all of our friends and around
12:06 here's the gun that killed our loved one
12:08 why not they don't even want to see
12:11 it we do this with
12:14 sin sin nailed Jesus to the cross and
12:17 yet we Christians will take sin and
12:19 we'll have it in our lives and we'll
12:22 cultivate it and we'll encourage
12:26 it and it killed Jesus that shows we
12:27 don't have the same attitude towards sin
12:30 that Jesus had he came with a militant
12:33 attitude towards sin he loved Sinners
12:34 but he hated
12:37 sin so much so that he
12:41 died a militant attitude towards sin now
12:43 how can we tell when we have the right attitude
12:45 attitude
12:48 well he says at the end of verse one he
12:50 that ha suffered In the Flesh has ceased
12:52 from sin what does that mean does it
12:54 mean that if you suffer you quit sinning
12:55 there are churches that teach that
12:58 suffering helps to do away with sin No
13:00 in fact many people suffering makes them
13:02 sin worse what he's saying is this if
13:06 you have the same mind that Jesus had
13:09 and you live a holy dedicated life
13:11 they'll treat you the way they treated
13:13 him you'll
13:17 suffer that's why he goes on to say that
13:18 people think it strange that we don't
13:22 run with them and they speak evil of
13:25 us I tell you friends one of the tests
13:29 of a holy life is are there those who
13:32 lie about us are there those who oppose
13:35 us are there those who speak evil
13:37 against us because Peter says when you start
13:38 start
13:40 suffering for
13:44 sin because you won't commit sin it's a
13:47 sign that you're getting Victory a
13:51 militant attitude towards sin but don't
13:54 stop there that's negative let's be
13:56 positive Verses 4 5 and
14:00 six a patient attitude ude toward the
14:03 lost now unsafe people think we're
14:05 crazy I've seen it happen over and over
14:07 again in nearly 30 years of ministry
14:09 somebody gets saved first one in the
14:11 family to get saved he goes back home
14:13 and think he's
14:15 nuts he doesn't he he's lost two-thirds
14:17 of his vocabulary he doesn't curse and
14:19 swear anymore he's not interested in the
14:21 things that he used to be interested in
14:23 they take him to a psychiatrist we've
14:25 had cases here at Moody Church of young
14:27 people who have gotten saved and the
14:32 without realizing that there are more
14:34 psychiatrists who commit suicide than
14:36 any other
14:38 profession and the psychiatrist says
14:40 well she's got religion she'll get over
14:42 but she doesn't get over it and she
14:44 prays and she loves the Lord and she
14:46 lives a good clean life and her light
14:49 shows up all the Darkness at home and
14:50 then the persecution starts I've seen
14:53 this happen over and over again now what
14:55 should our attitude be toward the lost a
14:58 patient attitude they think it's strange
15:01 verse four now we are are strange not
15:05 odd not peculiar well some of the Saints are
15:07 are
15:09 peculiar but strange that means we're
15:11 strangers he tells us that in chapter 1
15:15 verse one to The Strangers who are
15:17 scattered abroad he says as strangers
15:19 and pilgrims in this world we are
15:22 strange as far as the world is concerned
15:25 Why well we have a a new
15:28 nature and that new Nature has new
15:32 appetite and verse three says we don't
15:34 we don't do the will of the Sinners
15:35 anymore we're not concerned and
15:38 interested in lasciviousness and lust
15:41 and excesses of wine and reving and
15:43 carousing and idolatry and they think
15:44 you're crazy because you don't run with them
15:46 them
15:48 anymore now our attitude toward the
15:51 unsaved must be very patient because you
15:53 see they're
15:56 blind you'd be very patient with a blind
15:57 person I know you
16:02 would I spoke at a uh Seminary Convent uh
16:03 uh
16:06 commencement last Tuesday evening and I
16:09 was happy to be there not to hear myself
16:11 speak but to see something I had never
16:14 seen at a seminary convention
16:18 commencement a blind boy graduated got
16:23 his master of divinity degree with a 4.0
16:26 average now those of us with eyes that
16:28 can see had a difficult time even
16:31 approaching in that as he came across
16:33 the platform with his dog leading him
16:35 and the dog was wearing a little Mortar Board
16:40 too the entire group of people just
16:42 broke into Applause and
16:45 cheering now if I had met that blind boy
16:46 out on the street and discovered he
16:49 didn't know where he was I'd be very
16:52 patient with him unsafe people are
16:55 blind your relatives and loved ones and
16:57 neighbors and friends the people you
16:58 work with they don't understand you cuz
17:01 they're blind and explaining salvation
17:05 and the Bible to a blind person what
17:07 like trying to explain a flower show to
17:08 a blind person over the telephone how do
17:11 you do it you just tell them they need
17:13 to be safe they are
17:15 dead and because they are dead their
17:17 their old nature is rotting away and
17:19 that old nature craves all the garbage
17:22 of the world we are
17:24 sheep in his next letter Peter compares
17:27 unsaved people to please I didn't do it
17:31 he did it to pick P into dogs now why
17:34 because a pig goes after the garbage and
17:37 a dog goes after the garbage but a sheep
17:39 is a clean animal it doesn't want the
17:42 garbage and so they think we're strange
17:43 because we live a different life from
17:46 them Everything's changed our Outlook is
17:48 different everything about us is
17:49 different so he says you be patient with
17:52 it and I say how can I do that well
17:55 verses 5 and six give you the answer in
17:58 verse 5 Peter says they have to give
18:01 their account to God God is the judge
18:03 leave them with the Lord if they speak
18:06 against you don't you speak back if they
18:08 argue with you don't you argue back
18:10 leave them with the Lord your job is to
18:12 be the witness God's job is to be the
18:15 judge now don't switch
18:17 that sometimes you and I get the idea we
18:19 have to be the judge and we condemn
18:22 people and no he said you just be the
18:24 witness don't worry about what they say
18:26 God will judge them and in verse six he
18:29 says God will judge you
18:31 now verse six is not talking about going
18:34 preaching to people who are dead I was
18:36 reading a commentator the other day who
18:39 was rejoicing over verse 6 he said what
18:41 a wonderful hope verse 6 is There's Hope
18:43 for the dead people who have never
18:45 trusted Christ verse six doesn't say
18:46 there's any hope for dead people who'
18:49 have never trusted Christ if Peter wrote
18:51 that then he's contradicting the book of
18:52 Hebrews it says it's appointed unto men
18:54 wants to die and after that a second
18:59 chance no after that what the judgment
19:01 verse 6 is saying there are people who
19:04 when they were alive trusted Christ and
19:08 were judged by man they died and now
19:10 they're being judged by God and God's
19:12 Judgment of them is different from the
19:15 Judgment of men so what he's saying in
19:18 verses 5 and six is don't be a judge be
19:20 a witness and don't worry about what
19:22 they think of you the important thing is
19:25 what does God think of you be patient
19:28 toward the lost now our lord Jesus is
19:31 always always the example of
19:34 this when I read Matthew Mark Luke and
19:36 John I feel like crawling under the
19:41 tile when I see how patient Jesus is
19:44 with the ignorant and the lost and even the
19:46 the
19:49 rebellious those who opposed him Peter
19:51 brings this up over in chapter
19:55 2 verse 21 for even here unto were you
19:59 called because Christ also suffered for
20:01 us leaving us an example that ye should
20:05 follow his steps who when he was reviled
20:08 reviled not again when he suffered he
20:10 threatened not but committed himself to
20:14 him that judgeth righteously he repeats
20:18 it over here in verse um well verses 16
20:21 and 17 having of chapter 3 having a good
20:24 conscience that whereas they speak evil
20:27 of you as evildoers they may be ashamed
20:29 that falsely accus use your good manner
20:32 of Life In Christ for it is better if
20:34 the will of God be so that you suffer
20:36 for welld doing than for evildoing for
20:40 Christ also hath once suffered for sins
20:44 a patient attitude toward the lost now
20:48 he moves in verse 7 to a third attitude
20:51 and that is an expectant attitude toward
20:55 the Lord but the end of all things is at
20:58 hand be ye therefore sober minded and
21:01 and watch unto prayer the end of all
21:03 things is at hand Peter wrote this centuries
21:05 centuries
21:08 ago centuries ago he said the end of all
21:10 things is at
21:12 hand hasn't ended
21:14 yet of course Peter knew that people
21:16 would raise that question that's why he
21:19 wrote his second letter second Peter chapter
21:20 chapter
21:24 3 this Second Epistle beloved I now
21:27 write unto you in both of which I stir
21:30 up your pure Minds by way of remembrance
21:33 that you may be mindful of The Words
21:35 which were spoken before by the holy
21:38 prophets and of the Commandment of us
21:41 the Apostles of the Lord and savior he
21:43 puts the apostles on the same level of
21:46 authority as the prophets knowing this
21:49 first that there shall come in the last
21:52 days scoffers walking after their own
21:56 lust and saying where is the promise of his
21:57 his
22:00 coming for for since the fathers fell
22:02 asleep all things continue as they were
22:05 from the beginning of the
22:09 creation verse 8 but beloved be not
22:11 ignorant of this one thing that one day
22:13 is with the Lord is a thousand years and
22:17 a thousand years as one day God is Not
22:19 punching a
22:23 clock God has his schedule and God says
22:25 I'm going to work out my schedule on
22:26 time then why is he
22:30 waiting why is he delaying his coming
22:32 you unsafe people ought to be thankful
22:35 that he has verse 9 the Lord is not
22:37 slack concerning his promise as some men
22:40 count slackness but is
22:44 longsuffering toward us not willing that
22:46 any should perish but that all should
22:49 come to repentance the reason he is
22:52 waiting is to give people an opportunity
22:59 saved his delay is not because he can't
23:01 keep his promises his delay is because
23:04 he wants you to trust his promises verse
23:09 10 says but the day of the Lord will
23:12 come and when it comes the unsaved
23:15 world's going to find out that God keeps
23:18 his word an expectant attitude toward
23:21 Christ now how can Peter say the end of
23:23 all things is at hand and 2,000 years
23:26 later we're still we're still here for this
23:27 this
23:32 reason when Jesus died on the cross he
23:36 ended the old age and he introduce the new
23:37 new
23:42 age once at the end of the age he
23:44 appeared to put away sin by the
23:47 sacrifice of himself and so when Jesus
23:50 died and rose again he ended the old age
23:53 he ushered in the New Age we are in the last
23:55 last
23:58 times the last times began with the the
24:02 resurrection of Jesus Christ God does
24:05 not have to do one more thing before he
24:07 wraps everything
24:11 up nothing more has to be done before he
24:14 wraps things up our lord Jesus can
24:17 return at any time and then all those
24:20 prophetic events begin to take place God
24:21 wraps it
24:24 up so you and I must live in the light
24:27 of the coming of Christ most Christians
24:29 don't most Christians when they get up
24:31 in the morning turn the radio on check
24:33 their watch well I guess my watch is
24:34 right the clock is
24:37 right what's the weather going to be
24:39 what is the traffic on Dan
24:43 Ryan and we get all of our Logistics
24:45 straight before we walk out the house
24:47 this is
24:49 good I wonder how many of us stop and
24:51 say this may be the day when the Lord
24:52 will come
24:54 back you say what difference will it
24:57 make oh it'll help you in your life for
24:59 one thing he says here the end of all
25:02 things is at hand be sober minded that
25:06 means have a sane outlook on life you
25:08 know why people are falling apart today
25:10 they're afraid of the
25:12 future we have people today who are just coming
25:14 coming
25:17 unglued no hope no future you saw in the
25:20 Tribune this morning the front page the
25:22 number three cause of death among
25:23 teenagers is
25:27 suicide young people today have more
25:29 than any generation of young people have
25:32 ever had except for one thing a future
25:33 and they're
25:35 scared and they're lonely and they're
25:38 running afraid now I'm not condoning
25:40 what they do but I'm understanding what
25:43 they do you know what keeps you going
25:47 Jesus is coming back be sober minded
25:52 keep a San level head don't be a fanatic
25:54 just be sane and sensible nothing to
25:57 fall apart about Jesus is coming back
26:00 watch on of prayer that word watch means be
26:01 be
26:04 calm take time to be holy be calm in thy
26:07 Soul oh how many Saints are all churned
26:10 up down inside uh they've got a blender
26:11 down there it's always running and it's
26:14 blending all the problems down
26:17 inside and and they're
26:20 sick now dear friend God's word says
26:23 Jesus is coming back you can be sane and
26:25 you can be
26:27 calm and the best way to do this is to pray
26:28 pray
26:30 isn't it beautiful how he says you don't
26:31 know when the Lord's coming back but you
26:34 better be praying Watch and Pray prayer
26:36 is a beautiful way to keep your head
26:39 sane your heart
26:42 calm in fact he's suggesting here that
26:45 if I'm not praying as I should pray I
26:47 won't be ready for Jesus to come back oh
26:48 I'll be ready to go to heaven that's the
26:50 blood the blood takes care of that but
26:51 to meet
26:55 him that's another story an expectant
26:59 attitude toward Christ now the final
27:03 attitude in verses 8- 11 a fervent
27:04 attitude toward the
27:07 Saints and above all things here's the
27:09 most important it's important to have a
27:12 militant attitude toward sin and it's
27:15 important to have a patient attitude
27:17 toward unsaved people and it's important
27:19 to have an expectant attitude toward the
27:22 Lord but oh more than any of these
27:25 things here's number one priority a
27:28 fervent attitude toward God's people
27:30 it's too bad we've mixed all these up we
27:33 have a militant attitude toward God's
27:35 people oh when you read some of the
27:37 things that are being
27:40 printed in so-called Christian
27:43 Publications one Saint fighting another
27:46 Saint one school fighting another school
27:48 one radio preacher fighting another
27:51 radio preacher and the devil loves all
27:53 that there are people who think they're
27:56 being very spiritual by militantly
27:59 fighting the Saints
28:01 Peter says you know if you want to be
28:03 militant be militant towards sin in your
28:05 life but if you want to be fervent be
28:08 fervent toward God's people this word
28:11 fervent is a beautiful word above all
28:13 things have fervent love not just love
28:16 fervent love I used to think that word
28:19 fervent meant um hot boiling but that's
28:20 not what it
28:24 means this word fervent was used by the
28:27 Greek people to to describe an athlete
28:30 who was training to do his
28:32 best now you folks know I'm not
28:35 athletically minded or athletically
28:37 inclined but I can tell when an
28:40 athlete's not doing his best you go to a
28:42 baseball game and the Fell's just giving
28:43 up you know and he just goes soldering
28:45 up to the plate and picks up the bat you
28:48 know one
28:50 two three you sort of wish they'd hit
28:52 him with the ball you know wake him up a
28:55 little bit you want him to do his best
28:58 fella catches the the the the pass and
29:00 he starts to run that's the word it's
29:03 it's a picture of an athlete straining
29:06 and pushing to do his very best do we
29:13 people we don't we say I like him I
29:15 don't like him I like her don't like him
29:17 don't like her loving is not liking
29:19 Christian love means you treat other
29:22 people the way God treats you I'll
29:23 confess you there are people I love that
29:25 I don't
29:27 like I wouldn't want to take a vacation
29:33 Christian love doesn't mean that you
29:35 have great feelings down inside that
29:37 overwhelm you Christian love means that
29:40 we treat other people the way God treats
29:44 us and sometimes you have to strain like
29:47 an athlete to do that Peter says do
29:50 it have a fervent attitude the Greeks
29:53 use that word fervent for a second
29:56 picture it's a picture of a horse
29:59 running at full gallop
30:02 just chasing the the enemy you know
30:05 really running
30:07 straining to put it in everyday language
30:09 Peter is simply
30:11 saying work
30:16 hard use every effort you've got to love
30:19 God's people now how can we tell if we
30:22 really love God's people well verse 8
30:26 says we'll have an open
30:28 heart and above all these things have
30:30 fervent love among yourselves for love
30:34 shall cover the multitude of sins how do
30:37 I treat sin in the life of a
30:40 Christian that shows whether or not I've
30:42 got fervent love now there are some
30:44 saints if they hear about a sin in the
30:46 life of some Christian they're on the
30:48 telephone immediately they're writing letters
30:49 letters
30:51 immediately there are other Saints who
30:52 when they hear about it they just weep
30:55 and say oh I'm so sorry and they pray
30:57 that's what Peter's talking about he
31:00 hasn't that love condones sin even God
31:03 in his love chastens when we sin what
31:06 he's saying is that love covers sin why
31:12 public why do we have to go out and tell
31:15 the unsaved and tell other Christians
31:16 what people have done that they
31:18 shouldn't have
31:20 done a fervent attitude toward the
31:23 Saints means I forgive sin doesn't mean
31:26 I condone it I want to help a person get
31:29 right with God but I can forgive I can
31:31 cover Only God Can cleanse now Peter
31:32 knew all about
31:34 that Peter came to Jesus one day and he
31:36 said Lord how many time should I forgive
31:39 my brother when he sins against me Peter
31:40 never thought that possibly he might sin
31:43 against his brother you see it's never
31:45 we who sin against other people they
31:47 always sin against us you ever noticed
31:50 that our lord said um what do you think
31:52 Peter he said about seven times I can
31:55 count that high I'll forgive him seven
31:59 times Jesus said how about 70 times
32:03 seven love covers a multitude of
32:05 sins Peter said well that's kind of
32:07 extreme isn't it but Jesus had to
32:10 forgive him Peter sinned against the
32:12 Lord and Peter sat at breakfast that
32:15 morning and Jesus said Peter you boasted
32:16 one night that you love me more than
32:18 they love me do you love me more than
32:20 they do he said Lord you
32:23 know and Jesus had to forgive
32:27 Peter now if my Lord not only covers my
32:30 sin but cleanses my sin surely I can do
32:33 the same for others a fervent attitude
32:36 toward the Saints forgiving sin verse 9
32:38 a fervent attitude among the saints
32:42 sharing in needs use Hospitality one to
32:44 another without
32:47 grudging back in those days Hospitality
32:48 was a very important thing because they
32:51 didn't have any holiday in
32:55 Marriott Hotels
32:57 McDonald's they didn't have any of these
32:59 things and here were some Christians who
33:01 were chased out of their homes they lost
33:03 their jobs they're fleeing for their
33:05 lives and they come to a city and knock
33:07 on the door and they say we're Believers
33:09 can you take us
33:11 in Hospitality was very important back
33:12 in those
33:15 days Peter says if you really love God's
33:17 people you'll have your home open to
33:19 them now some folks can't do this they
33:20 just don't even have
33:22 room they would if they could they make
33:24 it possible for somebody else to do it
33:26 he's not only talking about opening your
33:29 heart in verse 8 but opening your home
33:33 in verse 9 use Hospitality one to
33:35 another and don't complain about
33:37 it don't you hate to stay at somebody's
33:39 house they just they're so it's all
33:42 sunshine and Roses then when you
33:44 leave oh if you could only hear what
33:47 they boy am I glad she's
33:56 know a fervent attitude toward the
33:59 Saints forgiving sins in Sharing in
34:02 needs verses 10 and 11 helping each
34:05 other to grow here's the Third Way We
34:07 show our love helping each other to grow
34:09 you've got a gift Minister it one to
34:12 another notice three phrases here verse
34:15 8 among yourselves verse 9 one to
34:17 another verse 10 one to another he's
34:19 talking about Saint ministering to Saint
34:22 believer ministering to believer too
34:27 spectators have you ministered to
34:29 somebody face to face heart-to- heart
34:32 this past
34:34 week have you sat down with somebody and
34:37 tried to minister and use your gift to
34:39 help that person he said some people
34:42 have a gift of speaking then speak some
34:44 folks have a gift of serving then serve
34:47 over in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12
34:50 and Ephesians 4 he lists all of these
34:52 gifts he said now find out what gift you
34:55 have and use it to build up other people
34:57 a fervent attitude
34:59 toward one another you say oh that's
35:02 asking a whole lot that's why he says in
35:06 verse 11 God will give you the ability
35:08 God will give you the strength that you
35:09 need to
35:12 serve I tell you friends ministering to
35:14 the Saints is not an easy thing some of
35:16 the Saints can be more demanding than
35:18 some of the
35:21 Sinners but he tells me in verse
35:25 11 glorify God don't don't ask for
35:26 yourself don't say what am I going to
35:30 get out of it glorify God by using the
35:32 gift God's given you and the strength
35:39 church one of our sad situations in our
35:42 churches today is people say well we've
35:44 got a pastoral staff they'll solve all
35:47 of our problems well maybe we can solve
35:49 some of them but you're missing the
35:51 blessing you're the ones who ought to be
35:53 ministering to other people drying the
35:56 tears carrying the burdens strengthening
35:59 the weak to the glory of
36:01 God well how are you going to live the
36:07 time you say Well if I knew I only had two
36:08 two
36:12 years I would do thus and so no you
36:15 wouldn't I'm sorry you
36:17 wouldn't if an angel from heaven came
36:19 down and met you at the street corner
36:20 tonight and said hey you've got 6 months
36:23 to live if it changes your life there's
36:26 something wrong with your
36:29 life can I repeat that it went over some
36:32 of you if tonight you discovered you
36:34 only had 6 months to live and it
36:35 radically changed your life something's
36:37 wrong with your life because we should
36:41 be living every day realizing our time is
36:46 short we can't afford to waste time we
36:49 can't afford to waste money let the
36:51 Christians uh laugh at us let the
36:54 unsaved laugh at us we don't care we
36:56 can't I can't run to every meeting I
36:58 can't go to Every dinner I can't attend
37:01 every banquet God's called me to do some
37:02 things and I have to do them my time is
37:04 short how do you know everybody's time is
37:06 is
37:09 short everybody's time is short God
37:11 gives me 80 years it still isn't enough
37:14 time to do all I want to
37:17 do and you feel the same way about your
37:19 life I say it again if you found out
37:21 that the rest of your time was only six
37:24 months and you had to shift gears
37:26 radically something wrong start living tonight
37:28 tonight
37:30 the rest of your
37:33 time as though Jesus could come back
37:36 tonight you've seen that poster I see it
37:38 often over I better not point over here
37:40 at Well
37:42 street today is the first day of the
37:43 rest of your
37:47 life it's a good
37:50 thought Thomas aquinus no I'm sorry it
37:51 wasn't Thomas aquinus it was another one
37:54 of the great Saints used to say so live every
37:55 every
37:59 day as though with the first day of your
38:01 conversion that's
38:03 good live every day as though it were
38:06 the first day of your conversion excited filled
38:09 filled
38:11 rejoicing but tomorrow morning should we
38:13 awaken we say to ourselves today is the
38:16 first day of the rest of my life I'm
38:18 going to live it as though it's the last
38:20 day of the rest of my life how am I
38:22 going to do it by having a militant
38:23 attitude towards sin I'm going to fight
38:26 sin in my life I'm going to try to
38:27 witness to the Lost I'm going to look
38:29 for Jesus to come back I'm going to love
38:32 God's people now if we're doing that he
38:35 can come back anytime and we're ready if
38:37 we're doing that we'll be using our
38:40 gifts and using our time to serve
38:42 him and he won't look at us and say
38:44 why'd you waste your life why'd you
38:46 waste your opportunities why'd you waste
38:48 your money oh I gave you all that you
38:52 wasted it instead he'll say Well
38:56 done live the rest of your time my
38:58 friend and as though the time is short
39:01 because the time is short if you're not saved
39:03 saved
39:05 tonight if you sat through this entire
39:08 service and you've never trusted Christ
39:10 you better trust him and then start
39:13 living the rest of your time for the
39:16 glory of God haven't you spent enough
39:18 time living for sin haven't you spent
39:20 enough time Living For The
39:22 World why not spend the rest of your
39:23 time living for the
39:28 Lord gracious father we want that
39:31 tonight we shall adjust our priorities
39:34 and fix our sights on things that really
39:38 mean something in your will we don't
39:40 want to
39:43 drift we don't want to go backward we
39:47 want to March forward to your glory and
39:49 live the rest of our time no matter what
39:52 it may cost accomplishing your
39:55 will may that be done tonight in Hearts
39:57 May there be decisions tonight
40:01 that'll change lives for Jesus