Highlands Fellowship Finishing Well Transcript
0:00 All right. All right. Well, hey, everybody. Man, welcome to Highlands Fellowship today. Uh, I'm so glad to be with you.
Before jumping into today's message, I wanna take a moment and celebrate what happened last weekend across all of our campuses. Last weekend, we had 57 baptisms. I mean, how awesome is that? Can we just give God some praise. I mean, that's amazing. And so, hey, uh, if you were here and you were one of those who got baptized last week, man, congratulations. That is just so awesome to see you taking a step in faith and following Jesus Christ.
0:34 Um, it's just been such a good little bit here at Highlands. If I haven't met you, my name is James. I'm our Marion campus pastor, and I also have the pleasure of overseeing all of our student ministries here at the church. So welcome, wherever you are. If you're in Marion, if you're here in Abingdon, if you're in Bristol or watching online or on TV today, just welcome to Highlands.
0:55 Uh, I'm gonna be wrapping up the series we've been going through called Exiles. Uh, Pastor Tim has been doing it. It's been such a great series. Next Sunday, we have Game Day Sunday, so I'd encourage you to wear your favorite team's jersey or colors or anything like that.
1:09 Um, but today, we're gonna wrap up as we're looking at the book of 1 Peter. Uh, I'm really excited to do this. I think it's a great section of scripture. But we're gonna jump into this. 1 Peter 4, if you have your Bibles.
1:23 Um, as we get into it, I wanna give you some context of who this is writing the book of 1 Peter. You could probably guess. His name is Peter. He was the apostle Peter. He was a disciple of Jesus. He followed with him. He's the same guy who walked on water. He cut off the guy's ear, the guard's ear, when they came to arrest Jesus. That's the Peter who is writing this letter to the churches in mostly Asia Minor. There are people there who have been exiled from their homes, who have been persecuted and removed and are suffering where they are living. And so Peter writes them this letter to encourage them and to instruct them: when life is hard, you don't see any way forward, when there's nowhere to call home, this is what you do. This is how you live.
2:12 So 1 Peter 4:1, we're gonna jump right in, and he says this: "Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourself also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin." He starts off by saying, "Prepare yourself." I mean, arm yourself, like you're going to battle. Like, be ready.
2:37 Arm yourself with the same attitude Christ. What was Christ's attitude towards suffering? Well, he knew suffering was built into his ultimate purpose, that he's a suffering savior, that he came to live a perfect life and to die on a cross, beaten beyond recognition. He knew it was part of his ultimate purpose, and he reminds us to take that same attitude.
3:04 Why? He ends that verse with a really interesting line. It says, "Because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin." And he's trying to encourage the people to be prepared that when suffering happens, temptation comes knocking. When suffering happens, that's when the devil usually tries to squeeze in and say, "Well, what if you just did this thing to ease your pain?" Or, "What if you just did this thing to make you forget for a little bit of all the things that you're going through?" But he's telling the people, "Be prepared for battle. Be ready with the same attitude of Christ that when suffering comes, I'm gonna glorify God in it."
3:47 Verse 2, he goes on to say this: "As a result, they" — he's talking to the people, like you, in other words, "they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time," he reminds them, "you've done enough. You've spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do, living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing" — that just means crazy parties — "and detestable idolatry. They were surprised" — so the other people — "they were surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you."
4:29 He's encouraging the people who are exiled away from their home: "Don't be surprised when others slander you to your face or behind your back, treat you different than they do others because you do not live the way that they do."
4:47 I think, in the modern context, this can look like a lot of different things. Not falling into, you know, saying that sin is okay, but holding fast to truth. It could look like, at your work, not doing something that you know dishonors God in order to get a promotion. It might look like being truthful in certain meetings where it'd be easy to lie and easy to boast about yourself. But he's encouraging the people, "You may live different, and because you live different, you're going to look different."
5:19 In the context he's writing to, the people in Asia Minor, the pagans would have crazy huge parties. They would all get drunk. They would have orgy parties. I mean, it was a mess. But it was very obvious if you do not attend these things. You would be outcast from their friend groups. They would not do business with you. They would not hold you in the same regard as other strangers. They would just do away with you. And he's saying, "It's going to cost you to live different for God."
5:52 And also, there's gonna be times when it's gonna be easy to say, "Well, what if I just did this thing, then maybe I could get business with them, and then I could share the gospel with how many more people?" Or, "If I just went along with this thing, then maybe I could witness to this group of broken people." And we can make all the excuses in the world, and here's the truth: the devil has always wanted Christians to feel comfortable with sin. And man, there's been points in my life when I've been way too comfortable with it. He's always wanted Christians and followers of Jesus to be comfortable with sin and doubt what God has said.
6:28 It was his first playbook in the very start of the Bible, Genesis Chapter 3. When he comes to Eve, what does he say? Not, "Oh, look how good that fruit looks," or, "Aren't you so hungry?" You know what the devil says? "Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?" The first thing the devil does is try to get you to doubt the word of the Lord and to fall into sin.
6:55 So what do we do with that? What do we do next? Peter reminds us of what's to come in Verse 5. He says, "But they" — the other people — "will have to give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was 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." He reminds them there's gonna be a day coming where they stand before God and are judged for what they do.
7:30 Romans 14:12 says this. This is Paul writing. "So then each of us will give an account of ourselves to God." Now, if I was writing this and I was writing a sermon, I'd probably wanna put this at the end. It's a good closer. But Peter puts this here for a reason — that as you read the rest of this and we go through the rest of this, that there is a time coming when we will all stand before the throne and give an account for how we lived through suffering, through joy, through life. There's gonna be a time when we all stand before the Lord and give an account of the breath in our lungs that He gave us, of the life that He gave us.
8:23 There's a pastor, his name is John Piper. He gave an excellent example of this, and to be honest, I'm a little scared to say it to this room. I've given this example to college students. It's a little bit easier to do with them, but this is probably gonna apply more so to you. He gives an example — right now, all around the world, there's horrible things happening to Christians: persecutions, murders, entire families killed, people having their kids threatened and killed because of their belief in Jesus, but they are standing firm in their faith. And I wanna ask you, and this begs the question: when people give ultimately everything for the gospel, is that a tragedy? Someone living their life standing on the truth of the gospel and then giving everything for it — is that a tragedy?
9:20 And now I wanna paint you this picture that we are sold in America: go to school, get a good job, make as much money as you can, accumulate as much stuff as you can, make your life all about me. Maybe one day retire to the beach, get a boat, have a nice house, collect seashells on the shore. And then hopefully die peacefully in your sleep and then wake up in heaven. That's the picture of the American dream, and unfortunately, I think the picture that a lot of Christians hold in America. And I wanna tell you, friends, that is a tragedy.
10:18 To get before the throne of God one day and He demand an account of your life, and to say, "But God, look at my stuff. Look at my shells. Look at my attributes. Look at my collections. Look at my nest egg." That's a tragedy. And I'm not saying to not save and invest. Anna and I do that to prepare well for our future. But I am asking you and begging you to consider what you're doing with what you have now — with your time, your resources, your family.
11:02 Christ is very, very clear with the great commandment to go and witness to others, to go live a life. And unfortunately, I think most of us think "go" means around the world. I think that's true. I think that's awesome, if you want to go on a mission trip. But for some of you, he's calling you to go to work and to live differently than your coworkers, to love different, to forgive different. For some of you, he's calling you to go to your neighbor. For some of you, he's calling you to go to your kids' room and share the gospel with them when it's hard and they make you mad. I get it. He's calling you to go somewhere. Because here's the truth: every Christian is called to be a missionary. That doesn't necessarily mean around the world. I think that'd be amazing, again, if you can do that. But if you can't go to your neighbor, you probably shouldn't go around the world.
12:04 Don't waste your life. And he's reminding people in suffering, don't waste your life. And here's the good news. He says this, verse 7: "The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind" — not so that you may serve people, watch this, the greatest — "so that you may pray." I mean, how amazing. Be alert and ready and of sober mind so that you may pray. So that you may spend time with the Lord. I think about myself and how many times in my life it's easy to get ready for church and be alert for church and be ready to serve people and go do all cool things. But in the same seasons, not take prayer seriously or to slack off on my time with the Lord. But he's saying in all things, be alert and of sober mind so that you may spend time with the Lord, listening for him, speaking with him.
13:16 And then verse 8, and he takes this from Jesus: "Above all, love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sins." Peter is showing the exiles that people will know that you're a follower of Jesus by two things. He starts off with how you live. People will know that you're a follower of Jesus by how you live, how you treat others, how you live according to the word. And the second thing is how you love. People will know you're a Christian, a follower of Jesus, by how you live and how you love. And both of those things should look so alien and different than the world.
14:04 An author wrote this, and I think this pretty well paints the picture. He says: "Where love abounds in the fellowship of Christians, many small offenses and even some large ones are readily overlooked and forgotten. But where love is lacking, every word is viewed with suspicion, every action is liable to misunderstanding, and conflicts abound, all to Satan's perverse delight." I think there's a lot of marriages in that same spot — to take every word and view it with suspicion, every action and misunderstand it, to seek out conflict instead of resolution. I think in workplaces, what would it look like to be someone that's the opposite of that? All those things happening to Satan's perverse delight.
15:03 Jesus said this in John 13:34-35. He says, "A new commandment I give you: love one another as I have loved you. So you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." People will tell you're a Christian by how you live and how you love.
15:27 So he goes on to say this, verse 9: "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling" — without the dread, without saying, "Oh, well, maybe we'll just cancel small group tonight, we don't really feel like it." But offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. In the original language, the word hospitality was a compound word, two words brought together, but it simply means love strangers. Even when you're in exile, even when you're different than everyone at work, even when you're different than everyone at school, love strangers.
16:05 I wanna take a moment and focus on this. The Bible is very clear about what love is. I'm gonna read this. A lot of you guys, if you're married in here, with your spouse, this was probably something read at your wedding, but something so easily forgotten in the weeds of marriage. Let's look at this. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 says this. This is Paul writing. He says, "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." If you have kids in band or in percussion, you know exactly what that is.
16:44 Verse 2: "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can literally move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." And he finishes it with this — and I would encourage you to examine your life, examine your relationships, and say, "Do they reflect what this is?" He says, "This is what love is. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never—"
18:00 And then he goes on to continue. He says, "Because of this love" — there's a transition in the text — "what do you do?" So it's one thing to have love for one another, but then what do you do with that for the strangers, for people who are not followers of Christ? What do you do? Verse 10: "Each of you" — everybody, not just 10% or 20 — "each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God's grace in various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength that God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen."
18:59 He's clear that everybody is to use whatever gifts they have to serve other people. Everybody in the church. Everybody.
19:12 Let me tell you a story of a guy building a lawnmower one time. It came apart — I'm not very mechanic-y, I don't even know the word for it. But this guy was building a lawnmower one time, and he got all of the parts on it. He lived on a hill. Got all the parts on it, and at the very end of it, at the build, he had one piece left over. Now, y'all ever been there building a piece of furniture, you have one piece at the end and you're like, "Looks good to me"? But he had this lawnmower, put it all together. He starts it, the thing runs, the blades come on, and he's like, "Oh, this piece must not matter." Well, he starts goin' down this hill, hits the brake. No brakes. That piece mattered a lot.
19:53 And listen, it's the same way in a church — it can look good when you walk in and you can think, "Man, they got plenty of people serving everywhere." Or your community or your work: "Well, there's other Christians here who will witness well, who will — I don't need to be the one to always be loud about the gospel." Peter says, "Each of you should use whatever gift you've received to serve others."
20:23 Now, this is a little bit of a transition as well going into the next part of the word, but Peter — I want you guys to think back to this. Peter once told Jesus to avoid the suffering of the cross. Do you remember, he calls him the Messiah? It's in Mark 8:32-33, but he tells Jesus, "No, no, no, Lord, do not — that's not for you. You're the Messiah. That is not for you." And Peter says, "Get behind me, Satan." That story — once it seemed strange to Peter that his master should even think of suffering. But now, after seeing the goodness of God, after witnessing Jesus conquer the grave, now he thinks it's strange that he could have ever imagined anything else.
21:16 In fact, watch what he says. Verse 12: "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on to test you as though something strange were happening to you." So don't be surprised when suffering happens. "But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed. But praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, 'If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, then what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?'" So with all that in mind, with suffering in mind, that it's for His glory, that it's for His name, that we get to bear His name enduring suffering, what do you do?
22:35 He says this, verse 19, I love this: "So then, those who suffer according to God's will" — what should they do? — "commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." When life's crashing down, when the world feels different, not like home, feels like you're in a strange land: commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
23:09 He wraps up — he fits in all of his last thoughts to the believers in Asia Minor in chapter 5. He says a bunch of things back to back to back to back. So we're gonna start verse 6. This is how he wraps up the whole book. Verse 6: "Humble yourselves, then, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. But resist him, stand firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
24:02 Verse 10: "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."
24:24 So how do exiles finish in a world of suffering, when the world looks different, when it's easy to doubt, when there's so many things pulling you away from church, pulling away from spending time with the Lord? What do exiles finish like this? Exiles finish humble and faithful. Exiles finish humble and faithful, doing good, serving others, loving well, going where God has called you to go.
24:58 I wanna wrap up with this, and the thought that we started with — that we are all going to stand before the throne of God one day and give an account for our lives. I want you to know there's only one way to stand before God and be justified, and that is through declaring Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and giving your life to him. It's not about earning salvation. All these things, doing good — that's what Christians are called to do, but it doesn't earn salvation. The only way to get to God the Father is through the Son.
25:34 And I wanna invite you — if reading this has convicted you and you don't know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I want you to know He is a good Savior. While you were still a sinner, while I was still a sinner, He came to the world, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross to pay for my sin debt that I could not pay. He bore the death that I deserved, and that you deserved, so that you can know Him and live a life sold out for Him — so that one day when you die, your life is not a tragedy, but that your life was lived sold out for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the one true Savior.
26:29 So if you wanna invite Him into your life and say, "Today is the day I wanna get right with God. I wanna follow after Him, that one day I wanna stand before Him and not say anything about what I did to earn it, but just say, 'Lord, you were good enough to send your Son to die on a cross for me when I didn't deserve it,'" will you pray with me?
26:53 Dear Lord, we are so humble and grateful today. Lord, I pray that you would challenge people's hearts. Remind them that one day they're going to stand before you and give an account for their lives. Lord, that they would make changes that would impact their relationship with you, make changes that would impact their relationship with others, with their family, with their coworkers, with their schools.
27:31 And Lord, I pray for those who are in here right now who realize they've never accepted you as Lord and King of their life. Lord, if they're here right now and they wanna do that, they would say this, they would just pray this: "Lord, I know I'm a sinner. I know I've fallen short. But God, I believe that you gave your Son to die for me on a cross. And Lord, I believe He conquered the grave. Lord, I wanna repent of my sin and my past. I wanna turn away from it and turn towards you and follow you all the days of my life. God, I give you my life. I give you everything."
28:25 God, thank you for anyone who just said that prayer, that they know now they have a home in your kingdom while they may be in exile on Earth. Lord, would you strengthen us to stay humble and faithful all the days of our life. Lord, thank you for loving us.
28:47 Lord, we love you, too.