Sermon Tone Analysis

William Miller came to Christ in the mid-19th century during a wave of revival in the churches of the NE US.

It was a time when, like today, there was a keen interest in Bible prophecy, especially those dealing with the return of Christ.

Right after his conversion, Miller immersed himself in the book of Daniel, and after 14 years of study, he announced Jesus Christ would return to earth sometime in 1843 or 1844.

He eventually nailed down the date to October 22, 1844.

On that morning thousands of people gathered on mountaintops and in churches.

Others were in graveyards, planning to ascend with their departed loved ones.

Philadelphia society ladies clustered together outside town to avoid entering God’s kingdom amid the common crowd.

But Jesus Christ did not return that day.

Many Christians grew disillusioned, while many of the unsaved became cynical.

The event became known as “The Great Disappointment.”~*[i]

/The return of Jesus’ Christ is one of the most important doctrines of our faith, and yet for many people, it can be a source of confusion or even disappointment.

It’s not that we don’t believe Christ will return, but it can get confusing trying to make sense of all the conflicting theories about the rapture, the tribulation, and the millennium.

I have many commentaries on the book of Revelation in my library, many of them explaining in great detail what this scholar or that scholar thinks will happen when Christ returns.

Those of you who have read the famous “Left Behind” books are probably familiar with that theory about how the end times  play out.

I’ve seen charts depicting dragons and goats and angels and temples, each claiming to be the only Biblically accurate depiction of what’s going to happen when Jesus returns.

/

/But I want to pose an important question to you: what if all the prophecies of the Bible are given not to answer the question, “how will Christ return?” but instead are meant to make us ask, “how should I live in light of Christ’s return?”

What if the purpose of prophecy is not to give us a roadmap of future events, but to help us live right now, however the future pans out?

This is my approach to Bible prophecy, especially concerning the return of Christ: Lord, how should I live to please you no matter what tomorrow brings?

/

/The apostle Peter wrote his first epistle to a church that didn’t know what tomorrow would bring.

They were suffering intense persecution.

They had guarantee they would live to see tomorrow.

This is what prompts Peter to write in  *1 Peter 4:7-11* how to live as if Jesus would come back today—to live like there’s no tomorrow.

/

*PRAYER*

/How can we live like there’s no tomorrow?

/

*I.

LIVE EXPECTANTLY (v.

7a) */…the end of all things is at hand…/

*            *At first glance it seems Peter is as mistaken as William Miller was.

/The end of all things… /obviously refers to the end of the world as we know it.

No more tomorrows: Jesus fulfills

*Revelation 11:15* /…“The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”/

All true Christians believe this will happen, but the Bible does not tell us /when /it will happen.

Peter specifically states this cataclysmic event is /…at hand…/ = /near in time or place.

/Peter wrote these words almost 2000 years ago, and obviously Christ has not returned.

Was Peter mistaken?

No.

Throughout the NT, Jesus’ return is consistently said to be “at hand.”

*Philippians 4:5* /Let your gentleness be known to all men.

The Lord is at hand./

*James 5:8* /You also be patient.

Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand./

*Revelation 1:3* /Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near./

/            /The idea behind all of these verses is not that Christ’s coming is /immediate /but that His coming is /imminent.

/It could happen at any time.

Peter emphasizes we should all live expectantly /Jesus may come at *any* moment.

/

/            /The idea here is not that we dread Jesus’ return, but rejoice because today may be the day.

We ought to be looking for Jesus to return the way a wife waits for her husband to come home from a long journey, or a child waits for her dad to come from home from the war.

Christians of the early church were eagerly anticipating and praying for their Savior to come and rescue them from evil and make this world right.

/ We ought to be waiting with joy for Jesus to arrive!

/

/            If there’s any reason why we ought to be excited about Christ’s return it ought to be this: Jesus could come at any moment.

His return ought to fill our hearts with joyful anticipation!

/

/            /Dr.

Joe Stowell tells about visiting the Shepherds Home and School for children with Down's syndrome.

The founder of the school told him, “Joe, we always share the Gospel with these kids.

We tell them  Jesus Christ died on the cross for them, and that Christ will forgive their sins, and not only that, but the day is coming when Christ will come back and take them to heaven.”

He went on to explain the school’s biggest maintenance problem: dirty windows.

The windows of the school stayed dirty, he said, “Because our kids spend time every day at the windows, hands pressed, faces and noses pressed to the window, looking up to see if this might not be the day that Jesus, the One who loves them, comes to get them and take them to heaven.”

/When you live like there’s no tomorrow, you live expectantly, hoping and praying every day for Jesus to turn tomorrow into eternity./

/            Do you live life expectantly?

Are you looking forward to His return?

Are you living like there’s no tomorrow, or are you bogged down in the drudgery of the day-to-day?

/

/            Our Lord wants us to live in the joy and certainty that He will return to earth and set up His kingdom, that no matter how dark the storm, there will come a day when the Son will shine and make everything right.

Living like there’s no tomorrow means living expectantly.

/

/            But living expectantly does not mean living recklessly.

Peter says living like there’s no tomorrow also involves/

*II.

LIVE RESPONSIBLY (v.

7b-11a)*

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would

still plant my little apple tree and pay my debts.

—Martin Luther [ii]

            In an effort to live expectantly, some Christians make the mistake of forsaking their duty to God and others.

Like the misguided followers of William Miller, some have given up their jobs, left their families, and done many other strange things.

Peter agrees with Luther: the return of Christ ought to make us more faithful in our duties to God and man.

Specifically, he mentions 4 habits to keep up:

a.    Keep your head.

(*v.

7a*)  The word /serious= not swept away by emotions or passions./

Peter already warned his readers about the persecution that’s coming.

It would be easy to give in to fear of the future.

/Don’t panic /Peter says.

/Don’t become either a fanatic or a doomsayer.

/Keep your perspective balanced.

Don’t become obsessed with what will happen, but keep your mind fixed on faithfully following Jesus whatever happens.

/Don’t lose your head or your faith!

/

b.            Keep praying.

(*v.

7b*)  Peter commands those who expect Christ’s return to focus on keeping the lines of communication open with the Lord.

Don’t let what may nor may not happen distract you from praying for God’s will to be done, or for souls to be saved.

Never let the headlines discourage you from trusting God to do His will in your life.

/Stay in touch with the Lord through prayer!

/

c.    Keep loving.(*v.

8-9*)  Like the rest of the NT Scriptures, Peter stresses the priority of love.

The word /fervent= //“//stretched out” to full capacity.

The term describes a horse at full gallop or “the taut muscle of strenuous and sustained effort, as of an athlete.”1

/The idea is to put all your effort into loving your brothers and sisters in the Lord.

During times of stress, relationships can strain to the breaking point.

The church Peter writes to probably discover when the pressure of persecution is at its highest, you are tempted to take out your frustrations on others, focusing on their weaknesses and faults.

Peter says make the effort to love and  /…cover a multitude of sins…= overlook the sins and faults of others.

/(*Prov.