Living for Christ with Limited Time

Well, good evening. As it's been said, we're continuing our series in 1 Peter, looking at the first 11 verses of chapter 4.

I think it's a passage that has a lot to say to us and challenging to us as we think about how we live in the limited time that we have in our lives.

Our culture has a really strange relationship with death.

On one hand, we hide away from it.

I'm sure in most cultures, in most societies around the world and throughout history, it would be completely inconceivable that I could have got to this age without having ever seen a dead body.

But on the other hand, it's also obsessed with the idea of morality.

People make bucket lists. Lists of things to do before they kick the bucket.

Publishers have jumped on the bandwagon with 1,001 whatever's to do, see, hear, visit before you die.

And those of you who are a bit younger than me, tag all your posts with YOLO.

You only live once.

It's something I was particularly conscious of towards the end of last year as I was heading towards my 40th birthday.

And sort of looking back and thinking about, yes, the things I'd achieved.

But also possibly the opportunities that may have let pass by.

So with that in mind, let's turn back to the passage that was read to us.

Be helpful to keep it in front of you because we're going to be jumping about a bit in it so you can see where we're going.

And so you can confront me at the end if I completely misinterpret what it says there.

Because in this passage, Peter talks about how the Christians should live.

But this is mixed through with why.

Why should they live this way?

Why does it matter?

As we read the passage, you may have spotted that's full of words giving reasons.

In verse 1, therefore, since, because.

Verse 2, as a result.

Verse 3, for.

Verse 6, for this is the reason.

So that.

Verse 7, therefore.

Verse 11, so that.

Peter wants to make sure that they are not just blindly following what he says.

But that they understand why.

That they are not about legalistic rule keeping.

But that they are about living, intelligent lives of thoughtful worship.

So I want us to take a first pass over the text looking at the reasons why that he gives.

And then go back over it to look at how he says that we should live.

One of the reasons that Peter keeps repeating throughout the passage is that time is short.

In verse 2, he talks about how the Christian lives the rest of their earthly lives.

And he carries on in verse 3 to say, you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do.

You have limited time and you've wasted enough of it already.

Stop wasting time and get on with it.

In verse 4, he compares the Christian life with the reckless, wild living of the people around.

The phrase in some translations, in fact in the older version of the NIV on the pews,

translates it as dissipation.

Essentially, waste.

Waste.

Squandering.

Just letting life run away.

It's the same word that's used to describe how the prodigal son wasted his inheritance.

But he notes how that will be brought to an end.

And they will have to give an account before God for this wasted life.

But then we get to verse 6, which says,

For this is the reason the gospel is preached, even to those who are now dead,

so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body,

but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

When you first look at this, it's a confusing verse.

You wonder if this is going back to those tricky things that Thomas dealt with last week

about imprisoned spirits and such like.

But in the context, he has just talked about having to give an account to God.

And so because of that, it's important that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead,

to those who have died since the gospel was first proclaimed,

since Christ's death and resurrection.

In Peter's time, that would only be part of a generation.

Today, that is many, many generations.

We and the world may judge them by human standards.

We may see some of them as great men and women.

We may see others of them as tyrants.

But many of them we'll see as nobodies that have been completely forgotten to history.

But that is not how God judges them.

He knows the heart.

And he will judge them on how they responded to the gospel that was preached to them.

And I think that's a key thing to point out here.

This passage is not about how to live a good life to please God.

Instead, this whole letter is written to Christians.

It's written to those who have accepted the free gift of salvation

through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.

It's written to teach them how to live in response to what has been done for them.

If that's not you, then that's the issue you need to be thinking about.

But Peter doesn't just want to tell them that life is short.

Because actually, he tells them that time is running out on a far more cosmic scale.

In verse 7, he writes,

The end of all things is near.

In his second letter, he repeats this idea again, saying,

Since everything will be destroyed in this way,

what kind of people ought you to be?

Even at that time, people were questioning,

Will this really happen?

Would Christ truly return?

They'd waited several years.

Decades even.

But Peter insists that the end is near.

And if that was true in around 65 AD,

how much more true must it be in 2020?

So it's not just our individual lives that are short.

But history itself is rapidly heading towards that day

when God will say,

Enough is enough.

When he will bring all things to an end.

When, as we thought about this morning,

he will bring all the earth to justice.

And we'll usher in new heavens and new earth.

So Peter wants us to know that time is short.

But so what?

The world understands that.

We know there is limited time,

but why does it matter what we do with that time?

Peter bookends this passage with two reasons.

Right at the beginning, in verse 1, we read,

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body.

Immediately we see he starts,

Therefore.

This is not a standalone passage.

He's continuing the argument that he's been going through

in the previous passages.

In particular, I think this is a reference back to

verse 18 of chapter 3,

which says,

Christ suffered once for sins,

the righteous for the unrighteous,

to bring you to God.

If Christ suffered for our sins,

to bring us to God.

If, as we read back in chapter 1,

we were redeemed by something as valuable

as the blood of Christ.

Then, we are under an obligation

to live in response to this.

Our lives are not our own.

And so how we live matters.

But he then finishes the section,

in verse 11,

with the ultimate reason.

The reason that we,

and in fact all of creation,

exist for.

So that,

in all things,

God may be praised

through Jesus Christ.

To him be the glory

and the power

forever and ever.

Amen.

It's not about us.

It's not about us

feeling fulfilled.

It's not about us achieving.

It's not even about what we do for others.

Although, as we'll see later,

that is important.

As the Catechism says,

and probably the only line of it I know,

man's chief end

is to glorify God

and enjoy him

forever.

forever.

So how we use

our limited time

is important

because Christ

has died for us.

Because

we have been redeemed.

And because

we were made

for an amazing purpose.

To bring glory

to God.

So then,

having thought of the reasons

of our limited time,

of the great price

that has been paid

to redeem us,

what does Peter say

about how we should live?

About what

we should do?

We see back in verse 1,

he talks about suffering.

It's a major subject

of his letter

and one that will be dealt with

far more fully next week.

But primarily,

he says

that just as Christ

was willing to suffer for us,

we should be willing

to suffer for him.

He goes on to say,

whoever suffers

in the body

is finished with sin.

Obviously,

suffering for Christ

does not bring about

moral perfection

in this life.

So what on earth

does he mean?

I think he's saying here

that if we're willing

to suffer for Christ,

it demonstrates

that we are

no longer living

for the desires

of the flesh.

If what is driving us

is what feels good,

then of course

we will not be willing

to suffer.

Everything in us

will flee from it.

If we are willing

to suffer,

it shows that something

has changed.

We will

still fail.

We will still stumble

and fall

again

and again.

But that's

no longer

what defines us.

Last week,

we were reminded

about how

baptism demonstrates

the fact

that our old self

has been put to death

and that we have been

raised

to new life

in Christ.

But in Romans

Romans 5 · chapter mention

chapters 5 to 8

that we studied

last year,

Paul discusses

the complexity

of all of this.

Yes,

we have been made

alive in Christ,

but we still

must daily

put to death

the deeds

of our sinful nature.

I think

what Peter

is saying here

is that

if we are willing

to suffer

for Christ,

it shows that sin

is no longer

our identity.

It's no longer

what defines

who we are.

He continues

this in verse 2,

writing that we

should not be

living for

evil earthly

desires.

We're really

not sure why

the NIV

chose to

translate it

that way,

because almost

every other

translation

just talks

about human

desires.

desires.

I think

what Peter

says

is true

whether

these

desires

are evil

or not.

What drives

us should

not just

be what

feels good,

what our

bodies want.

Some of the

things we

long for

may be good

in themselves,

but they are

not what

life is about.

We are made

for far more

than that.

rather than

our lives

being driven

by our own

desires,

our own

ideas,

our plans,

our own

wisdom,

Peter says

we should be

seeking to

live for

the will

of God.

When we

make the big

decisions in

life,

or when we

make the

small ones,

when we

choose what

career to

follow,

where to

live,

or how to

respond to

the person

that's just

said something

that really

annoyed you?

Are we

just trying

to do

what feels

good,

what feels

right,

or are we

seeking to

know and

learn what

would be

honouring to

God?

He goes on

in verse 4

to talk about

how we should

not be

living.

I think the

key idea that

links all of

these things

together is

losing control.

being carried

along by our

feelings,

our fantasies,

by losing

our inhibitions.

But probably

one of the

least popular

parts of the

fruit of the

spirit is

self-control.

We should

not be

losing our

inhibitions to

alcohol,

good though it

may be in

moderation,

or allowing

ourselves to be

controlled by

anything else.

But instead,

we should be

seeking to be

led by the

spirit.

This may

make us not

fit in with

the world

around us.

Like Noah,

who we thought

about this

morning,

we are

sometimes called

to go against

the flow.

Some people

we meet

may be

curious.

Some may

mock,

as they can't

understand why

we don't want

to live the

same way as

they do.

But we

know why

it's important.

We know

what we have

been made

for.

We know

that we

have been

redeemed.

So Peter

then goes on

to detail

some of the

positive things

that we

should do.

In particular,

how we should

respond to the

fact that

there's so

little time.

And they're

not necessarily

the things

that we

would

automatically

put top

of the

list.

Maybe

sort of

naturally,

he starts

in verse

seven

by calling

us to

be alert

and of

sober mind

so that

we can

pray.

It's

interesting

because so

often we

think of

prayer as

a means

to an

end,

of a way

of achieving

something.

even if

that thing

that we're

trying to

achieve is

just a

closer

relationship

with God.

But Peter

here sees

prayer as

an end

in itself.

Because

prayer shouldn't

be something

that we

fit into

the gaps,

as so

often I'm

inclined to

do.

I think

possibly many

of us

rebel

against the

sort of

perceived

legalism of

fixed daily

quiet times

and think

that somehow

spontaneity

is more

spiritual.

But what

Peter's telling

us here

is to

shape our

whole lives

in such

a way

as to

enable

prayer.

That's

what we

should be

fitting

everything

else

round,

not fitting

it into

the gaps.

We may

think that

we're too

busy to

dedicate

much time

to prayer.

But Peter,

in light of

the fact

that we

have so

little time,

puts living

a life of

prayer as

his top

priority.

It should

be the

central focus

of our

lives.

But then

the next

thing he

prioritizes

in verse

eight is

living in

community.

He tells

us to

put loving

each other

above all.

And not

just loving

each other,

but loving

each other

deeply.

This should

not just

be a

passing

concern for

a brother

or sister,

but an

intense,

deep,

sacrificial

love,

a willingness

to put

ourselves

out for

the benefit

of our

brothers.

And the

reason he

gives is

quite

interesting.

Because love

covers a

multitude of

sins.

He's not

saying here

that love

is salvific,

that it's a

means to

gain salvation.

That is

only available

as a free

gift from

God.

But what he

is saying

here is

that in our

relationships

with one

another,

as we

try and

live as

best as

we can

as a

community

of broken

people,

we will

sin against

one another.

And it's

only if we

have that

sort of

love that

we will

be able

to forgive,

that we

will be

able to

put aside

our grievances

and keep

seeking the

best for

those who

have wronged

us,

knowing that

we likewise

need forgiven

for the

way we

through our

own

selfishness,

arrogance,

pride,

and just

general

carelessness

hurt those

around us.

To go

perhaps slightly

off-piste,

on Friday

many,

many cards

and gifts

were given

in the name

of love.

many romantic

words were

spoken,

and I

don't want

to belittle

the importance

of that

for a

moment.

But this

morning,

I saw

something

different.

I watched

as a few

rose in

front of

me.

John

Cameron

put his

arm

round his

wife,

Rose

Marie,

and helped

her to

stand up.

That is

love.

The love

that is

there through

thick and

thin.

the love

that is

there when

it hurts.

And that

is the

love that

we are

called to.

In

verse 9,

he teaches

us to

offer

hospitality

to one

another.

And he

goes on to

say that we

should do

this without

grumbling.

I think

all of us

appreciate

generous

hospitality,

and we

often

aspire to

it,

but then

allow other

things to

get in

the road.

Whether it

is being

too worried

about having

to impress

with our

homes,

or our

culinary

abilities,

or just

being too

keen to

keep our

own space,

and not

wanting

others

intruding

on it.

Recently,

I had a

friend asking

if one of

their friends

could stay

with me for

the weekend.

I must

admit that

when I

initially

asked,

it took a

while to

respond.

If I

had been

my friend

himself,

yes,

I'd have

dropped

everything

immediately,

and welcomed

the opportunity

to spend

time with

him.

But,

I felt

this would

be an

intrusion.

I'd had a

hectic week.

I just

wanted to

be able to

collapse in

a heap,

and not

worry about

anyone else.

To be

honest,

it was

partly

studying this

passage at

the time

that persuaded

me that I

should be

willing.

And,

to be honest,

he was no

problem at

all.

And I've

welcomed him

back several

times when he's

here tonight.

So,

yeah,

but,

I've

experienced

two great

examples of

hospitality in

my life.

Before coming

to Brunsfield,

I lived and

worked for

about a

year and a

bit down

in Guernsey.

I went

along to

a small

gospel hall

there.

There was

only about

15 to

20 people,

and there

were many

things that I

would have

happily changed.

But one

thing they

got right

was their

welcome.

I was

really made

to feel

part of

the family

right from

the beginning.

I was

fed four

nights a

week,

every week,

for the

year and a

bit I was

there.

For a

young man

away from

home for

the first

time in

a strange

place,

that was

amazing.

second was

a woman who

used to be

in Brunsfield,

Sheila

McBride.

Many of

you will

have known

her, but

it's amazing

how many

of you

never met

her.

In fact,

some of

you may

not even

know her

name.

She was a

fairly quiet,

unassuming

woman who

lived alone

just across

the road from

the church,

where many

people say,

oh, drop

in at any

time.

Sheila

meant it.

Her door

was always

open at

any time

of day

or night.

As students,

we'd be

frequently there

for a Sunday

lunch, and

it was always

full three

courses, the

full Sunday

roast, all

the trimmings,

and we

were gathered

there around

huge dining

table, and

another table

set up in

the corner

to take the

overflow.

She frequently

had one or

more guests

staying with

her, even

sometimes when

she wasn't

even there

herself.

I remember

one time

turning up

at her

door at

about half

ten at

night.

I've locked

myself out

my flat,

and my

flatmate's

not back

till tomorrow.

Do you have

a bed for

the night?

And

unquestioningly,

I was

welcomed in.

We sat

and talked

for several

hours, and

before heading

off to bed.

When at

the end she

was seriously

ill, it

was announced

that visiting

was for

family and

close friends

only.

But they

discovered a

slight problem.

There was an

awful lot of

people who

considered

they were

close friends.

When John

Gemmel, our

previous pastor,

first came to

Brunsfield,

probably about a

year after

Sheila's death,

he made a

point of meeting

up with as

many people in

the church as

possible and

talking to

them about

the church.

And he

commented that

almost everyone

he spoke to

mentioned the

huge influence

that Sheila had

had on the

life of the

church.

And so

finally, in

verses 10

and 11,

Peter teaches

us to use

all of the

gifts that

God has given

us to serve

others.

For some

of us, like

Sheila, that

gift may be

going way above

and beyond

expectations in

hospitality.

For others, it

may be a

great ability

to get

alongside those

who do not

yet believe

and share the

gospel with

them in a way

that they can

relate to.

For others, it

may be being

great at

encouraging those

around you to

keep on in

their Christian

faith, to

listen to their

struggles, their

difficulties, their

doubts, to

offer wise,

godly advice.

For others, you

may be those

people whose

life is defined

by prayer, who

spend much time

alone interceding

for brothers and

sisters around

the world.

We're told to

do whatever we

do as

faithful stewards,

recognizing that

God has

graciously given

us these

gifts, not to

use for our

own benefits,

but for that

of others.

He specifically

focuses down

in verse 11

on anyone who

speaks.

That's

particularly

humbling when

in this position.

conversation.

But I don't

think it just

means in this

context, but

whenever we

speak of God

and his word,

in public, in

small groups, in

our homes, one-to-one,

in any of these

situations, we have

to make sure that

we are not saying

what we want to

say, or what we

think our

hearers want to

hear, but that

we're trying as

much as we are

able to keep

faithful to God's

word and to

allow him to

speak through

us.

But of

whatever we

say, whatever

we do, however

we serve, Peter

reminds us in

verse 11,

that we cannot

do it by our

own strength.

We can't

love as we

need to.

We can't

share hospitality

as we should.

We can't

speak the right

words in the

right way at

the right time

by our own

strength.

Instead, we

must do

everything relying

on the strength

that God

provides to

us.

And so as

we draw to

an end, we've

seen that Peter

agrees with the

slogan, you

only live

once.

As C.T.

Stud, the

English international

cricketer who

gave up a life

of fame and

fortune to go

as a missionary

to China and

beyond, famously

wrote, only

one life

will soon be

passed.

Only what's

done for

Christ will

last.

It doesn't

matter if you

visit all

1001 buildings

and have only

managed 108 on

the list so

far.

Watch all 1001

films or

whatever.

Ultimately, at

the end, it

doesn't matter.

Do you want to

be remembered at

your funeral by

those who knew

you for having

done all the

amazing things on

your bucket

list?

Or do you

want to stand

before the

throne of God

after a life of

service to him

and hear the

words, well

done, good and

faithful servant?

for some, like

Sheila, our

lives may be cut

short by

illness.

For others, like

her father who's

commemorated the

plaque on the

back pew, we

may live past

100.

Either way, time

is limited.

So what we do

for Christ

matters.

others.

I'd like to

finish with the

words of a

hymn that were

quoted at my

gran's funeral.

Don't remember

much else of it.

It was quite a

long time ago, but

this stuck with

me, and I hope

it's a challenge

to all of us.

We bear the

torch that

flaming fell

from the hands

of those who

gave their

lives proclaiming

that Jesus

died and

rose.

Ours is

the same

commission, the

same glad

message ours,

fired by the

same ambition.

To you we

yield our

powers.

O

Father who

sustained

them, O

Spirit who

inspired,

Saviour whose

love constrained

them to toil

with zeal

untired.

From

cowardice

defend us,

from lethargy

awake, forth

on your errands

send us to

labour for

your sake.

Amen.