For God
The Apostle Peter writes,
“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4: 7-11
Here is a simple message to all who believe in Jesus Christ. He makes the statement “the end of all things is near”
Peter and the early church believed Christ’s return was immanent. They, I’m sure, had no concept of the monumental task that was at hand with respect to taking the gospel to the whole world. Still this worked in their favour. They gave spreading of the gospel precedent. They proclaimed the good news of Jesus as if he was returning the next day. The result being, within a century or less the salvation message of Christ had reach all the Roman empire and beyond.
This is a lesson we as Christians in the twenty-first century should take to heart. We need to give precedent to presenting the Salvation message of Jesus to the world and not get side tracked with other issues.
Peter also calls on Christians to love other Christians deeply and to be hospitable. In doing these things we honour God.
He then states,
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”
These were all things done in the early church. They lived their faith in full view of everyone, and people noticed. The book of Acts records,
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47.
Even non-Christians noted what they did Pilney
Pliny the Younger governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor wrote to the Emperor Trajan (98 to 117 AD), wrote,
"They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food--but food of an ordinary and innocent kind...”Piliny the younger.
Billy Graham the American evangelist said,
“The men who followed Him (Christ), were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same.” Billy Graham.
We as twenty-first century Christians need to remember this. We need to live our lives in full view of all. We need to live lives wholly acceptable to Jesus. We need to follow what the writer of Hebrews said,
Please think about it.
The Apostle Peter writes,
“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4: 7-11
Here is a simple message to all who believe in Jesus Christ. He makes the statement “the end of all things is near”
Peter and the early church believed Christ’s return was immanent. They, I’m sure, had no concept of the monumental task that was at hand with respect to taking the gospel to the whole world. Still this worked in their favour. They gave spreading of the gospel precedent. They proclaimed the good news of Jesus as if he was returning the next day. The result being, within a century or less the salvation message of Christ had reach all the Roman empire and beyond.
This is a lesson we as Christians in the twenty-first century should take to heart. We need to give precedent to presenting the Salvation message of Jesus to the world and not get side tracked with other issues.
Peter also calls on Christians to love other Christians deeply and to be hospitable. In doing these things we honour God.
He then states,
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”
These were all things done in the early church. They lived their faith in full view of everyone, and people noticed. The book of Acts records,
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47.
Even non-Christians noted what they did Pilney
Pliny the Younger governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor wrote to the Emperor Trajan (98 to 117 AD), wrote,
"They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food--but food of an ordinary and innocent kind...”Piliny the younger.
Billy Graham the American evangelist said,
“The men who followed Him (Christ), were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same.” Billy Graham.
We as twenty-first century Christians need to remember this. We need to live our lives in full view of all. We need to live lives wholly acceptable to Jesus. We need to follow what the writer of Hebrews said,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men
and to be holy;
without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14.
If you claim to be Christian are you doing this?Please think about it.
