Back to the Basics 1 Peter 4:1-11
If you are visiting … or have just started attending … “Welcome”
… “Connect Card” … Mailing List … Prayer … Re-Dedication
… the end of the service this morning … we will receive our offering
… mention … “Welcome to KCC” … Room 202 … “Green Blade”
I think a lot of us are familiar with “Vince Lombardi” …
PICTURES:
… Coach of the Green Bay Packers …
… Back in the 1950’s and 60’s … “which is not that long ago” for some
Vince Lombardi was known for His passion for the game …
… He was an excellent Football strategist …
… He was a fanatic about Fundamentals …
He was all about … Blocking and Tackling … “Toughness”
… Technique … Discipline
1 He believed “The Team that did the Basics the Best” … were going to win
He said … Razzle Dazzle plays may please the crowd…
… might fill the stadium for a time … might even win some games
But in the end … those who master the Basics … fundamentals
… consistent winners
On one occasion … On the way to their 1st championship win …
The Green Bay Packers were like 10 and 1 …
… Playing a team that was … 1 and 10 … a pretty inferior team
… It was a game they should have won easily …
They got beat bad … Inexcusable …
Monday Morning … after a Brutal loss … He called a team meeting …
… “Team was Terrified
Gritting his teeth … staring holes … through player after player …
He started the meeting … “Gentlemen”
… “Today we are going back to the “Basics”
… “This is a Football” …
These were some of the greatest players … who ever played the game
… Bart start … Paul Hornung … Max McGee
2 … “If we are going to win … you have to do the fundamentals
… You have to block … better than the other team
… You have to tackle … better
… Hustle … knocked down … Get up … pursue …
The Green Packers won 3 back to back championships …
… 1st one … NFC Championship
… 1st 2 Super Bowls … “I watched both” …
They became one of the greatest teams … ever to play …
They put Green Bay Wisconsin on the map …
This morning the Title of our Message … “Back to the Basics”
… Christianity … is about the Basics …
Peter is writing to believers scattered throughout Asia Minor
… who are going through a difficult time … lots of persecution
What is going to get them through the hard times … going through?
… the persecution … they were facing … “Back to the Basics”
In 1 Peter 4:1-11 …
1) Breaking free from the hold this world has on you … v.1-6
2) Be ready when Jesus returns … v.7
3 3) Be devoted to prayer …
4) Love one another deeply from the Heart … v.8
5) Share with one another Cheerfully … v.9 … Hospitality
6) Serve one another diligently … v.10-11 … with the gifts
Let’s Read 1 Peter 4:1-11 … NLT …
So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. 2 You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. 4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead. 6 That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit. 7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. 10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. 1 Peter 4:1-11
Prayer … Jesus … we all know what it is like to go through difficutly
… hard times … discouragement … doubt …
… Bring us back to the basics …
4 How many of you remember … When you were younger …
… People would sometimes say things …
… You just didn’t grasp completely … You knew it was true
“Your kids are so cute” … “enjoy the time you are having now” …
… “ before you know it … they will be graduating from HS”
You would smile … nod your head … but not really get it
… some days lasted forever … some nights … some weeks
“When your kids are growing up … you are always looking forward”
… to the next stage … for them to grow … become responsible
… take care of themselves …
All of a sudden … you wake up one day … they are all grown up
… “How did that happen?”
Experience is a great teacher …
There are certain things … you gain perspective over time …
You can’t get any other way …
Peter was pretty young when Jesus invited Him to be one of His disciples
… probably in His mid-20’s … most Bible scholars believe
5 Peter was an outstanding young person …
… He got to see incredible miracles …
… He got to listen to incredible teaching …
There was a lot he didn’t understand … about the reality of who Jesus was
… the reality of the Kingdom of God
… On the night before Jesus was crucified … “After all he had seen” soldiers arrested Him … Peter panicked … Denied the Lord 3 x’s …
In 1st Peter 4 …He is a lot older now …
… Peter received the Holy Spirit … Baptized
… He began to see the reality of the Kingdom of God
… He began to understand who Jesus was … is … more clearly
He understands the conflict … the people in Asia Minor are going through
… The Doubts … they are feeling … from the difficulty … persecution
… He knows the fear … losing your life for your faith
There is a whole system of values to base your life on …
… than this worlds value system …
“The lust of the flesh … the lust of the eyes … boastful pride of life”
6 … That this world we live in … is just an illusion …
… But the Kingdom of God will last forever …
Peter writes about it here in His letter …
… 1 Peter 1:25 …
“All flesh is like grass … it’s glory is like the flower of the grass”
“The grass withers … the flower falls … but the word of the Lord last forever”
… He has a whole new perspective
Here in 1 Peter 4 … He writes … “Don’t be surprised by suffering”
… Jesus suffered … and so will you …
… Since Jesus Suffered … prepare yourself to suffer …
He who has suffered physically for Christ … has finished with Sin … v. 1
What does He mean by that …
… He who has stood up … who has been willing to suffer
… has broken ties with this world …
… He is serving a “New King … and a New kingdom”
… the power that holds us captive to this world
… it is the power that holds us back …
… They have decided to follow Jesus …
7 How many remember … when you 1st became a Christian …
…. There were choices … you had to make …
… To identify with Jesus … “Amy” …
I remember … When I decided to follow Jesus … “Music”
… “I had a girlfriend … “Queen” … I was president … Perfect couple
I remember … She wasn’t following Jesus … I had to make a decision
… It was painful … It was frightening … “Letting go”
I remember … choosing Ministry … vocation …
I remember staying in Eugene … “Choosing God’s call” …
… “Going to a Nursing home” …
… Street witnessing …
“Those who Have suffered … and free from sin”
… They are part of the world any more …
They are pursuing another King and another kingdom …
… doesn’t mean they don’t struggle with weakness …
One of the Basics of the kingdom of God …
… You have to break your ties with this world
… if you are going to follow Jesus with your life
8 When you do that … there will always be pain involved … suffering …
… The way of the world … offers instant gratification
… When you chose to follow Jesus … there will always be
… a certain amount of suffering … Pain …
He who has suffered … is free from sin …
… We have to make decisions that break the worlds hold on our life
2. Be ready When Jesus Returns …
The end of the World is coming soon … v.7
I will never forget a story … Pastor Jack Hayford shared …
… at conference … I attended … years ago …
Jack was a Significant leader … in the Charismatic renewal …
… Shared a story … when He was 14 years old …
… He was a mentor in my life
Had a Dream … In His dream … Jesus was coming back …
… It was early morning … Sun was just coming up
… There were people being caught up with Him …
The Bible talks about Jesus descending with a shout … 1Thesselonians 4
9 He was a long way off from Jesus … where Jesus was …
… He was afraid he was going to be left behind
He started running … “Maybe He will see how much I love Him”
… He is running … with a sense of panic …
… Then he woke up …
Wide awake … heart racing … He is lying in bed …
… eventually he went back to sleep …
… When He got up … dad was gone … ask his mom
“Who will be taken up with Jesus … when Jesus comes back?”
… 14 … great question …
His mom … a very wise woman … she said …
… “let me pray about that for a couple days”
… we can talk about it again …
… Jack was a Christian … grown up in Church … been baptized …
… Jacks Mom didn’t want to give Him a pat answer
… “There are Sunday school answers to our faith”
… “Well … If you believe … ask Him in”
There are a lot of people who have a Sunday school faith …
10 … There are a lot of people … go through the motions
The Bible Talks about the “Coming of the Lord”
The Bible talks away …
… 2 are working in the field … one was taken
… 2 people in a bed … one is taken … one is left
… When Jesus returns … “Lord Lord … did we not do these things”
I’m not trying to frighten you … But it is good to ask ourselves
… “Where our heart is sometimes”
Jacks mom … was a wise woman … wanting Him to follow Jesus
… Wanting to answer in a way that might help Him follow
A few days later .. she said …
… “The ones who will caught up with Jesus when He returns”
… “Are caught up with Him now”
How many have ever heard the phrase …
… He is so taken … with her …
Our Son called Friday Morning … “Told us … He was Engaged”
… We saw Him … “He was in love”
11 The Bible talks about being in love with Jesus
… not losing your 1st Love …
… It is one of the Basics …
When you go through difficulty … discouragement …
… Break free from the hold of this world …
… Be ready for Jesus to return … “Stay in love with Jesus”
3. Be devoted to Prayer …
One of my favorite Stories … about prayer …
… is the story of Jabez in the OT … 1 Chronicles 4
There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. 10 He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10
I don’t know how much you know about this man named Jabez …
Jabez’s Father is not mentioned …
… Maybe there was something He had done to be stricken from the record
Painful … we aren’t sure whether this is referring to physical pain
… emotional pain … or a difficult season Israel was going through
Whatever the reason … Jabez was more honorable than His brothers
12 He was the man who prayed …
He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request. 1 Chron. 4:10
Jabez was in a difficult situation …
… He took a stand … Prayed
… The Lord turned around whatever it was He was facing
How many believe in the power of prayer …
How many have taken a stand to pray …
So often when we go through difficulty … struggle with doubts
… we drift away from God … We stop praying
We are in a battle …
… We need to get back to the basics …
Break free from the ties of this world
Be caught up with Jesus …
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