Because Christ Is Coming

[The transcript below is incomplete]

There is an all-too-common question that moms and dads have to deal with when they’re driving somewhere with their kids. “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”

When your destination is far off, and when it’s the first time your kids ask, it’s isn’t that big a deal. But as you get closer to where you’re going, that question might get a little more aggravating. As parents, we want our kids to learn patience. We want our kids to understand that life doesn’t always move at the pace you want it to. You have to learn to wait, and you have to learn to endure when things are uncomfortable, like wearing a seat belt or sitting next to your little sister.

As that destination approaches, a typical parental response to the question is, “We’re almost there. Hang on. Just a little more.” “As we mature, we understand that “almost there” doesn’t have to mean 5 seconds. It could mean 20 minutes. It’s good to remember that “almost there” is a relative term.

Well, from God’s perspective, in terms of eternity, we’re almost there. The end is near. We just need to hang in there a little longer. The day will come when we meet Christ, and the day will come for Christ to judge the world.

The language of the New Testament, when describing the return of Christ is one of imminence. To say that something is imminent [inminente] means that it’s ready to take place, it could happen at any time. For example, during war, a leader might say that an attack is imminent.

Now, just to clarify a little bit, imminent is different from immanent and eminent. For something to be immanent means that it’s inherent in something. And for something to be eminent means that it stands out; it’s east to take note of. Our passage for today is a reminder that the end of this life is imminent.

Ever since Christ ascended back to the heaven, His disciples have expected and awaited His return. If you read the Apostle Paul’s letters, you find that he expected Jesus to come back in his lifetime. That didn’t happen, but that doesn’t change the fact that it could happen at any moment.

In terms of theology, I am convinced of what is called pretribulationism. That means I think the rapture of the church is the next major event on God’s timetable. After the rapture, I believe there will be a seven-year tribulation in this world under the temporary rule of Antichrist. That period will be followed by Christ’s return to inaugurate a 1,000-year kingdom, and then there will be the final judgment for Satan and the unbelieving world leading us to the eternal state with a new heaven and a new earth.

Today is not the time to defend that position, but we should all be able to at least say that there’s a lot God is going to do to wrap things up here. And we need to know that it can begin at any moment.

This is what Peter says at the beginning of verse 7. The end of all things is at hand. In other words, it’s close. It’s coming soon. A skeptical response might be, “Well, gee Peter, it’s already been about 2,000 years, so how close is it?” But Peter is looking at this in light of eternity. He’s talking about imminence, which is what the rest of the Bible authors do too.

In Hebrews 10 is says we need to “[encourage] one another… all the more because the Day is drawing near.”

In James 5, it says “Be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”

Like we said, there is nothing left on God’s timetable before the end comes. It could happen at any moment. And even if it doesn’t happen during our lifetime, Scripture also reminds us how brief our lives are. We are a vapor, a mist, a puff of smoke.

The fact that we will see Christ soon is supposed to affect us. There is only a limited amount of time left. Once we see Christ, there will be a major change in our relationship with Him. One of those changes will be our complete freedom from sin. We will be free from this fleshly body. But another change will be that we will lose one major way to glorify God.

We will glorify God in eternity; be sure of that. But there is something we do now, that are not going to do once we see Christ, that is using our life as a testimony to unbelievers.

We’ve been talking about this for the majority of our time in First Peter. Our righteous conduct and our willingness to suffer for Christ leads unbelievers to glorify God. Our holiness is a remarkable testimony to the truth of Jesus Christ. And that holiness is fueled by our hope in the return of Christ.

We saw that last week in verse 5. The unbelieving world, which reject Christ and His truth will give account to Jesus Christ. That truth should lead to comfort and endurance. But there’s more that it should lead to. And for our time this morning, we are going to talk about 3 practical responses to the judgment of Christ. And I’ll give them to you upfront.

These responses are sober mindedness, prayerfulness, and brotherliness. Sober mindedness, prayerfulness, and brotherliness.

Notice, the very next word after Peter says the end is near is “therefore.” So, these are responses that flow out of that reality. These are responses to the nearness of the end.

Sobermindedness

• Thinking properly about reality
• Connected to the mental preparedness of verse 1
• Contrasted with drunkenness, demons possession, and sleepiness
• Vital for spiritual safety (1 Pet 5:8) and effectiveness
• The sins mentioned in verse 3 are powerful forces
• What are you addicted to? What consumes your thoughts, your time, your money? What are you looking at all day on your phone? What has a great power to distract you from what really matters in life.
• Jesus is coming soon, so focus on what matters

Prayerfulness

• Sobermindedness is connected to our prayer life.
• Sin brings a barrier to our prayers, perhaps as a judgment of God (1 Pet 3:7)
• Sin impedes our fruitfulness in prayer. You don't feel like praying if your life is a mess.
• Sin robs us of the time to pray.
• Selfishness makes our prayers about us, forgetting the glory of Christ.
• Prayer is a key weapon in fighting sin. Peter learned the hard way.
• Jesus is coming soon, so be urgent in your prayers.

Brotherliness

• "Above all" means this matters. Love may have been especially important during a time of persecution. Tensions rise and people have needs.
• Love was Peter's first major exhortation (1 Pet 1:22). Since God's word is alive and powerful, our love should be alive and powerful too.
• We don't have the option of magically removing our sin or someone else's. But we do have love which "covers a multitude of sins" (Prov 10:12).
• We don't ignore sin, but we can forgive and overlook many petty offenses. In the bigger picture, is the issue really that big a deal?
• God forgave us, so we should forgive others (Col 3:12-14).
• Besides forgiveness, another expression of love is hospitality.
• Hospitality meant more in the first century—letting someone live with you, forfeiting privacy and resources.
• The basic idea is that "your stuff" is not just your stuff." Love should be shown in tangible, sacrificial ways.
• Peter notes: without grumbling. Not by compulsion. From the heart. Sincere.
• Our unity in Christ matters more than our stuff and our privacy.
• Even if you don't have a job or a home, how can you use your time, abilities, and resources to minister to others?
• Jesus said His disciples will be known by their love.

For further study on the connection between the coming of Christ and how we must live today, see Philippians 4:4-7 and Romans 13:11-14.