1 Peter - 2022

Okay. If you have a Bible, please open up. We're going to be reading from 1 Peter to chapter 3. 1 peter chapter 3 from verse 18 to chapter 4 verse 11.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the spirit. In which he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits to those who were obedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it, only a few people ate in all, were saved through water. And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also.

Not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience towards God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand with angels authorities and powers in submission to him. Therefore, Since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body has finished with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires. But rather, for the will of God, For you've spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do, living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.

They're surprised that you do not join them in their reckless wild living. They heap abuse on you, but they will have to give 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 regards to the body, but live according to God in regards to the spirit. The end of all things is near, therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Offer hospitality to 1 another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you've received to serve others. As faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as 1 who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength 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.

Our men. Great to see you if you're visiting. Really good to see you. Do make sure you go to our new or visiting desk, our welcome desk, and fill in a little card if you wanna know more about about what goes on at the church. And if you're online, I think there's a little thing at the end of the service that you can you can find out about the website and all of that and all of that sort of stuff.

So the end of this service, we're gonna be singing some songs and waiting for the kids to come in. So trying to get the timing right is quite hard. But actually we're it's gonna be great because I think it it it will give us an opportunity to pray in and to think about what we've been hearing. So, hopefully, hopefully, this new sort of format will be really good for us, but, you know, we'll see how it goes. Also, we need to remember that there's a load of students, and I'm not sure how many.

It's about 25, is it away on a student weekend with Tom So we need to remember that. Let me just pray them. For the help us now, as we look at your word, we thank you for this fantastic book. We thank you that it's blessed and challenged people for 2000 years. We thank you that there are people even reading it now around various parts of the world like us, and they're hearing your very word.

And we pray please that you would help us and them to listen and follow what you say in the power of your spirit in Jesus' name. We pray also for the students away and Tom as he's doing his last session now, Pray that you will bless him and help him as he speaks on Isaiah 6 to those students. So bless him we pray in Jesus' name. Okay. Here's a riddle.

It's not hard, but see if you can guess what this is. Put your hand up if you know what it is. Not now because you obviously don't. But here's the riddle. You can't own it, but you can use it.

You can't keep it but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back. Okay? Have a think. You can't own it, but you can use it.

You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back. Anybody know what it is? What do you reckon? Time.

Time. What did you think? Time. Yeah. Of course you did.

What did you think? Yeah. Time. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Time. Time.

Time. Here's some quotes on time. Some of my favorite quotes on times. On time. And you'll probably know a lot of these.

Time waits for no 1. It's true. People talk of killing time while time quietly kills them. It's a harsh 1, isn't it? The key is not spending time but investing it.

We're gonna see that in a minute. I love this 1. Yesterday's the past, Tomorrow is the future, but today is a gift, that is why it is called present. The way you we spend our time defines who we are. That's a challenging 1.

The way we spend our time defines Wanna know who you are? Look at what Look at your diary. Look what you do with your time. Paul, in the new testament, writing to the the Ephesian Christians and the Colosian Christians, He says to both of those in both of those letters, he writes, make the most of every opportunity. Make the most of your time, he says.

And Peter here in our reading, in chapter 4 verse 3 says, for you have spent enough time in the past doing what the pagans choose to do. The clock is ticking. What are you going to do with your time? Is the question I want to ask you. You have 86400 seconds every day.

It sounds like a lot, doesn't it? 86400 of anything sounds a lot, but there's another 1 gone and another. And you can thank me for wasting it. There's another. Yeah?

Time flies says someone, but it's up to you to be the pilot. Peter, in fact, the whole bible really, is saying that if you're a Christian, you live or we order, we live between 2 great events on a timeline. Between the cross obviously in the past, The Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ and that fantastic event and the judgment of God or the second coming of Christ. We're in that timeline. We've no idea how long we've got left, but we're in that timeline.

An award and in order for us and I think Peter is making this point here, To use our time and our opportunities wisely for Christ in this world, in the present, you have to look back at the clock of Jesus on the cross, and you have to look forward to the final judgment to the second coming of Christ. It's like driving a car. In a car, you've got to have a rear view mirror, or you've got to have your side wing mirrors. You need to know what's going on behind you, where you've left, who's coming up behind you. You need to know what's behind you.

But you also need to look out the front windscreen. If you're gonna drive correctly, that's what you've gotta drive. Where are you going and where have you come from? If you spend your time just looking out the side window, you're in trouble. If you spend your time looking at your phone, the now the thing that's buzzing you and wanting your attention, you're in trouble.

You have to look out the front and you have to look out the back, and that's what I think Peter is telling us. How are we gonna how are we gonna use our time? You need to do those 2 things. Here's my first point then. A time to look back at the cross, a time to look back at what Jesus did on the cross.

In John's gospel, which we're looking at in in the evening services, Jesus refers to the cross, he's coming up to the cross. He keeps on using this phrase, my time, my time. Talks about the cross as my hour, the hour, the time. He says, it's not yet come until he's on the cross. And then John shows us when he's in that time, when he's on that hour, when he's on the cross, his last words in that hour.

It says Jesus said, It is finished. With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. It is finished. Actually, it's 1 word in the in the original language. Tethalestai is the word.

It's 1 word, it is to bring to a close. It is finished. Something's ended. The hour has come, I've done my job. I've done the job.

And when you read through the bible, you understand what's going on there, it means that sin has been paid for. The Savior has done his job. He saved us from sin. Death was the price and it's been paid. The price has been paid.

And because the price is paid, sin is done with. It has no more power over over him. He sorted it out and to prove that, he's risen again. Everything is paid for, sin has been paid for, He's taken death. There's no longer a need for death.

He's risen again. And that's what Peter is telling us, in that phenomenal verse in 1 peter chapter 3 verse 18. It says for Christ, that's Jesus, also suffered once 1 moment in time. He he doesn't have to keep doing it. He suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God, And then in chapter 4 verse 1, Peter says therefore, since Christ suffered in the body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body has finished with sin.

He's finished with sin. Jesus had to suffer for sin, not his own, obviously. He had to go to death for sin, and now he's finished. He's finished with it, never to touch it again. It's suffering and death that breaks the connection with sin.

We're being told here. And that's what Tethalesto is. I've finished. It's not just the punishment that Jesus took on the cross, It's the power, the mastery of sin. He's finished with sin.

Sin is no longer master. Even over death, Jesus is his master. Jesus is master. The only way, and I keep saying it, to destroy sin is by suffering and death. There is no hope with finishing with sin except by suffering and death.

And who's suffering and death? Well, it's very personal. It has to be your suffering and you're deaf, but this is the Christian message. Jesus has stood in for you. Personally, on the cross.

He wasn't just dying for a mass of people he didn't know. Personallyally, taking the wages of sin, personally dying in your place. Personally, Tatellestae, finishing with sin for you. The punishment is on him. And he rose again.

That's what we call union with Christ. It's a lovely, lovely Christian teaching. That on our behalf, we are united with Christ. It's like we were looking at last week about the ark. The people in the ark were saved.

If you're in Christ, you're saved. It's like the symbol of baptism. You die with Christ. That's why we do it as the bible does You go under the water, you die with Christ as if you if as if you died to sin and you rise again to a new life. We're in Christ.

His death is reckoned as our death, and his resurrection, our new life. So that's where Peter's coming from. Then look at verse 1 of chapter 4. Therefore. So we're looking back at the cross.

Therefore. Since Christ suffered in his body. Therefore, as you look back at that, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude because whoever suffers in the body has finished with sin, arm yourself with the same attitude, same mindset, It is better to suffer in the body and finish with sin than to keep sin and not suffer. Arm yourselves with this attitude, with this mindset, it's a military word, arm yourself. Obviously, arm yourself.

It's putting on the armor. It's a military word. In other words, he's saying, when you look at what Christ has done for you, When you look at He's died and risen again, and you are in Christ. You're united with him, and you've died and risen again. Finish with sin.

Treat sin as dead to you. How can you look back in the rear view mirror and see Jesus dying on the cross for sin? And you're still playing around with it. How could you do that? Him in agony, crying out my God, My god.

I'm abandoned and you're playing around with sin. So look in the rearview mirror, because when you look and when you see Christ on the cross, finish with sin, like he did. Be done with sin. Whatever the cost. Whatever suffering you have to go through to be done with it, be done with it.

Because whoever suffers in the body has finished with sin, he says. Now Peter is not saying, look, those of you that have broken your leg stubbed your toe. You finished with sin. It's normally the other way around, isn't it? You stubbed your toe and all kinds of things come out the mouth that reveal what's inside.

He's not saying that, but what he is saying is, as you learn to live the righteous life, the new life in Christ, as you learn to say yes to what Jesus wants and no to the old habits and no to the self selfish ambitions. As you say no to what others who don't follow Christ want you to do, as you say yes to what is right in the eyes of the lord Jesus Christ, as you stand for the truth of Jesus, as you declare the truth of Jesus to a world that might not want to hear it, you will suffer And whoever suffers like this in the body is finished with sin, because what you're saying is I'm prepared to suffer and not sin. Therefore sin hasn't mastery over me. Jesus has. Jesus is my master.

And I'll follow him even if I have to suffer. When you make a decision to follow Jesus, or you make a decision because you're a follower of Jesus that costs you, that hurts, that will bring suffering into your life, you finish with sin. He's saying, do you see that? It's a reflection of what Jesus did on the cross. When you pay a price for what is right, When you lose popularity or a friend or money or a promotion, because you're doing what is right.

It's costly. You finished with sin. It's not ruling you. Right is ruling you. When sin and we could say that's anything, you know, not following Christ, means anything not following Christ offers you more of a comfortable life.

And you say no to that sin. I'm following Christ and it's more uncomfortable and I'm gonna suffer you finish with sin. If you say no to what you want, in order to do what you know is right, you've died to the power of sin. Your master is Jesus. Not your desires, not the sin.

Do you see that? That's what he's saying. And it's all based on what Christ has done on the cross, so there's my first point. Look back and see what you are. Look back and see what Christ did.

Look back and see that he's paid for sin on the cross and risen again and you're in him. And now, carry that on. Living the light of that. Use your time to look back. In the wing mirrors, in the rear view mirror, see Christ dying for you and rising again to give you a new life.

Since Christ suffered in the body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because Whoever suffers in the body has finished with sin. That's my first point. Second point. A time to finish with sin. First point, look back at the cross.

Second point, a time to finish with sin. Look at verses 2 and 3. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather the will of God. For you have spent enough time In the past, doing what pagans choose to do, living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, oranges, carousing, and detestable idolatry. A time to finish with sin.

Don't waste your time on sin. Look, as a result as a result of what? As a result of the first point, looking back at what Christ has done for you, and how you should live in the light of that. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for human evil desires, but rather the will of God. We've all heard the the expression.

Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. It's obvious, isn't it. Today, unless it's your death day. Today, that would be interesting, wouldn't it? Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

That is true of the Christian when Christ died on the cross and rose again. That's the time you're in as we've just seen. For the Christian, the cross and the resurrection is the day where they start the rest of their life. Having died to sin, they lived to God. The rest of their lives is no longer to be shaped by the power of sin in their life, but by the will of God.

Peter is saying, he's pleading with us. You've already spent enough time walking down that road. You've done it enough. Stop now. Look at verse 3.

For you have spent enough time in the past doing what the pagans choose to do. You've done that. You've spent enough time following the crowds and and your desires and their desires. You spent enough time with the pagans' agenda and the threats that the Pagan put upon you. Now live for Christ You're a Christian.

You've died and risen again. Live that life. Stop being double minded, he's saying. And then Peter lists the sort of things he has in mind, debauchery, he says, that's a great word, isn't it? Does anybody know what it means?

It's basically living a lawless life. The older versions sometimes have licentiousness. Lieentiousness comes from license. So it's the same thing as debauchery. A license is something that gives you permission to do something.

Licentiousness is you think you've got permission to do something and you haven't. Yeah? That's what you try to persuade the policeman that stopped you for speeding. Yeah? Oh, it's 20 because everything is 20 now.

But I thought I had a license to drive at 30 at night or even 40 or even 50. Yeah? And he would say, you have no license to do that. Only I have a license to do that, says the policeman. But you don't.

So this is giving yourself permission to do what God says, don't do. Divatuary, you've spent enough time doing what You want to give yourself permission to do, and God says, don't do. You spend enough time doing that. Stop that now. Come on.

You're a resurrection person. Jesus died to give you new life. The idea that a Christian can flash around his free grace license to do anything he likes or not do anything he doesn't like. The idea that free grace, I'm saved by grace, not by works, there's my license, to not do or to do what they like is appalling in the light of what Christ has done on the cross. Lust, Last isn't just about sex.

It's basically just doing what you you want when you feel like it. It's just doing what you feel like, basically. It's much bigger than sex, although it includes that. Lust. Just doing what you feel like whenever you feel like it.

Come on. Says Peter, you're a resurrection person. Jesus died to give you new life The idea that a Christian can say, oh, don't feel like doing something or I only do what I wanna do, the idea that there's no duty in you, the idea that there's no commitment, no suffering, no cost, to your Christian life. It's ludicrous when you look at Christ on a cross and the resurrect drunkenness. Drunkness, well, it's it's doing too much of anything to the point that it controls you, and you don't control it.

It can it can be all kinds of things. It can be alcohol, obviously. It can be drugs, it can be sports, eating, computer games. You can be so addicted to something pornography. You can be looking at it when there's a whole load of people around you.

And you just can't really control yourself. And if you heard the MP on the radio today, he was fairly honest about that. He didn't know why he did it. He said it was a moment of madness. He couldn't control himself.

In the House of Commons, And now we're finding out there's loads of people that look at this stuff on trains and buses and all that sort of stuff. They can't stop it. You're in control of something. Now, come on. Says Peter, you're a resurrected person.

Jesus Christ die to give you a new life. Don't you know that? The idea that the Christian is following a false mark a master like a puppet on a string and can't control himself in these areas. He's ludicrous when Jesus has finished with sin and risen again. Orges, that's riotous parties, just for sensuality.

Carrassing, that's that's actually riotous parties for sensuality, but it basically has the feel of doing what others what you wouldn't do unless you were with others. Others have egged you on, you know. Come on. Come on. Come on.

And you do stuff because you're in the company of others. Come on, says Peter. You're a resurrected person. Jesus died to give you a new life. The idea that a Christian is as weak as water and when everybody suggests something they go along with it, have no resistance, could easily say no to Jesus and yes to the crowds, is ludicrous when you see what Jesus has done on the cross.

He's dealt with sin, Tethalesta, he'd finished with it. He's risen again, and you are in him. So says Peter, do you see these important truths that are here? As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives. Spend their time for evil, human desires.

But rather for the will of God for you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do. We have limited time. Will you go God's will or human will? You've spent enough time drifting in some second rate compromised Christian way. Stop it, says Peter.

When the day comes for you to stand before the Lord Jesus, remember you're between the cross and the second coming and the final judgment when the day comes for you to stand before the Lord Jesus. I don't think any of us will proudly admit but I was just watching pornography for quite a lot of my life. Not even on a human level is anyone proud of that, try to cover it up, but you can't cover up before the lord Jesus Christ. I doubt if anyone's gonna say to Jesus, but I had a a free grace license, didn't I? I mean, I'm not saved by works.

Therefore, I can do what I like, can't I? There's my free grace pass. I've even put a cross on it. Look, just to remind you, I can do what I like. Who's going to say that to him?

Don't you want to stand before him and say I did the will of God? We have a limited amount of time to make our lives count for God, stop messing around. Time is short. Do you not feel the urgency? I mean, there are some games, and I I I forget which they are but Rory or no.

What what what what games have sin bins, you know, things like ice hockey. That is does that have a sin bin? And rugby has a sin bin. So it's quite an interesting phrase, a sin bin. If you're in the sin bin, it means you're out of the game.

You're not playing the game. You're in the sin bin. You're not helping the team. You're in the sin bin. You're actually a burden.

You're in the sin bin. You're being paid and you're in the sin bin. You're being paid to be on the on the pitch and you're in the sin bin. It's extraordinary. Christian is not to be like that.

Listen. Let me remind you that there are seasons of life and we're all in a season of life. Shakespeare talks about the 7 ages of man or the 7 ages of mankind, the 7 ages of life. So you go from infancy to death, and these got these 7 ages, you probably know that. But there's there's also sort of, you could call it seasons seasons of life.

So you've got spring and summer and autumn and winter. And we're in those seasons. Now you can argue when spring ends and when summer begins and it'll be different for for each person. I'm I'm sure but you know what it is. You're in a season of life.

I'm in a season of life. Yeah? You you could talk about, you know, childhood and teenagers and young adults and middle age and retirement. You know, you however you divide it up, there's a sort of season that you're in. But here's my point.

You only get 1 go at that. You only get 1 go. You get 1 chance to live for Christ at school. I can't go back and do that. You get 1 chance to be sold out for Christ when you're a teenager.

You can't go back. You get 1 chance to use your twenties and thirties in a godly way. You get 1 chance to use your midlife complacency for God. You get 1 chance to finish strong in retirement. 1.

You only get 1 chance. You can't put off serving Christ. There's no good saying, yeah, because when I'm a teenager, then I'll I'm young now, but or when I'm a young adult, then oh, yeah. And then when I'm when I'm retired, yeah, definitely be sold out for Christ It doesn't work like that. God has got so much for you to do and there's so little time left to do it in.

For you. So don't waste your time, says Peter. You may delay, but time doesn't. So time. Look back at the cross, who you are in Christ, what he's done for you.

Secondly, a time to finish with sin. Listen, finish with those sins. And listen, if any of you are battling in those areas, then come and talk to us. We're Christians. We're not meant to battle alone.

If those areas are dominating you and taking you over, then you need to talk to an elder in the church or your home group leader or, you know, 1 of us talk to us and we book up a time and we'll look and pray together and help you out. Time is short, stop messing with sin. Thirdly, We're living in a time of surprise and suffering. A time of surprise and suffering. Look at verses, 4 to 6.

And this is why we need to look forward, by the way. A time of surprise and suffering. Look at verse 4 to 6. They, that's the non Christians that don't like that that that you're not obeying them and following the sins of the world. They are surprised.

See the word? That you do not join them in their reckless, wild living and they heap abuse on you. There's the suffering. But they will have to give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. Look forward.

Times coming when they will be judged. 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. Because we don't do those things as a Christian, we're resurrected people dying to sin, then the under converted think we're weird, because they think they're they're they're that's everything. That's freedom, they think.

When they're enslaved to it. Especially, unconverted people that remember you doing those things and you've changed. If you've been converted, when I became a Christian, with a number of friends that became Christians, we had 1 friend called Andy, and he hated us becoming a Christian. He was very angry, very angry at us. The last time I saw Andy was walking down a street in Windsor and he was lobbing rocks at us.

Over the street and shouting and swearing and blaspheming at us as loud as he could telling us what he thought of us. He was a mate. I I I remember being at a party around a house and a friend a girl rang up and asked on the phone because he didn't have mobile phones in those days, they had to ask his Pete there and the owner of the house or the the girl that was, you know, the teenager of the house came and gave the phone, and there was an old girlfriend on there saying, Pete, I've got some friends coming around. Are you talking about the bible? Because if you're talking about the bible and we're not coming.

And I said yes, I am. She said, you so and so. And they came anyway and we talked about the bible. I said, that was alright. But there we go.

But, you know, they think you're weird, you know, how how odd it is. You know, we're we're we're just very odd. We we believe things that people think are stupid. We we don't do the things that they wanna do. We look boring and uninteresting and yet we're not.

That's what they think. We no longer do those things and they think it's strange and not only strange, they think we're the bad guys. Are you judging us are you the bad guys. That's the sort of stuff we've been seeing that. Now, I want to say to you, and I think Peter does, don't you want to be 1 of those like those old brave We were talking about I I gave his name James Denny.

I don't know why I got it wrong, but his name's Thomas Denny, who who was in that place in 15 13, that little building there. In 15 13. Isn't it interesting that all his prayers that people would come to know Christ and we're here as a church when he was there praying Isn't that isn't that amazing? And he was taken out and taken into Kingston and burnt alive for following Jesus. Don't you wanna be like?

I know I know the idea, but actually, wouldn't you dream of being a hero like that? You know, when you're a little kid, you wanted to be a hero. Well, heroes aren't just having bright times. We know that from the Marvel films and all of that, heroes are often despised and looked down upon and not understood, and yet they're the hero. Don't you want to be a hero for Christ?

No? Well, I'm often. Come on. Don't you want to give your life like those people for Christ? Well, how do we do it?

How do we surprise the pagan world? How do we get noticed? Yeah? You don't need to be flamboyant, actually. You don't need to be some weird fanatic.

You don't even need to to fly a giant Jesus flag, although why not, you just need to live for Jesus. You just need to say no to sin and yes to him, and you'll get recognized. You'll get recognized. People will see you. That's how to be a hero.

Isn't it? You don't actually have to be burnt alive. That may happen, but You're a hero. If you stand up for Christ, stand up for right, say no to sin. In verse 4, the ESV version, the English standard version translates verse 4 like this.

With respect to this, they are surprised. They are surprised that you're living this life. So let's be a surprise to someone. When you do not join in, the same flood of debauchery. That's the that's the ESV translation of it.

And of course, I think it's a good translation because the flood of debauchery reminds you of nowhere again. And they had a flood of debauchery before they had the flood of judgment. Remember the world that persecutes you and mocks you will be judged. Look at the clock. Here comes the flood, you can hear them saying after they mocked Noah.

Here comes the flood. We'll say goodbye to flesh and blood. The waters will rise, but the spirits, our spirit survive to stand before the mighty God. Imagine hearing them say that, as the flood start coming and the door was shut. Here comes the flood we say goodbye to flesh and blood.

We must look at the future. We must look at the clock. We must look at what God says, is on the agenda what's coming up. First 5 though. But they will get have to give an account to him, who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

My dear friends, this is really sobering stuff. We don't do it like weird preachers shouting out this with joy. We do it with a broken heart, and I'll show you that in a minute. But they will have to be if someone's having a go at you for following Christ, pity them. Pray for them.

They're gonna have to stand before God. They're gonna have to give an account. Now, I don't know what you think about the last day of judgement. We often sort of have this idea that there's God and, okay, all along Christians off you go, And there's like a big crowd, go to hell, and all the Christians, it's like a big crowd. But this seems to me to be much more personal than that.

They will have to give an account a personal account. Why why did you mock my Christian friend? Why did you mock my child? Why did you persecute? Why were you sold out for debauchery instead of suffering?

For what is right. Why did you do that? Why were you such a weak, willed person that you listened to the crowd but not to the word of God? Why did you do that? Why?

And the person will have to answer in their own words. And their own words will condemn them. You know we were seeing last week, you may remember if you were here, we were seeing that when Noah preached, Peter was telling us that actually Jesus was preaching through Noah. When we preach Jesus, when we preach faithfully the Bible, Jesus is preaching. He's preaching now.

So if you want to hear Jesus, you know, you come and hear the preaching of the word. So we we saw that. It's an amazing thing. But there's another connection as well. When the people of God are persecuted, you're poking Jesus in the eye.

You poke a Christian, you poke Jesus. In the in the book of acts, you've got that amazing story of Stephen, He's the first Christian martyr. He's preaching about the lord Jesus Christ. And along comes Paul and his followers and they start lobbing rocks at him, and they log rocks at him and he dies and he sees Jesus and Jesus welcomes him. But what happens to Paul?

Listen to what happens to Paul. As he neared Damascus, on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around Paul. He fell to the ground, and he heard a voice say to him, saul, saul, that was his name. Why do you persecute me? Who are you lord?

I am Jesus whom you persecuting. Get up and go into the city, and you'll be told what you must do. You could have died there, but I'll give you the opportunity to preach. And that's what we are to do in this time. We're suffering as we preach the gospel.

Look at verse 6, For it is this reason the gospel was preached even to those who were dead. That they might be judged according to human standards, And in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. Now there's a lot of controversy of what this first means. In our home group, we rocked backwards and forwards and ended up on what was wrong, and now I'm gonna tell you what is right. I think what this is saying is, look Christian, even back then the gospel was preached and you became Christians You became Christians.

Remember that? And they became Christians back back then. So there were people back then in time before you existed that heard the gospel became Christians and the world the humans judged them laughed at them, mock them, and may have even killed them. They're dead now, but their spirits are alive. They're with Christ.

Unlike those in chapter 3, who were disobedient, whose spirits are in prison, who didn't respond to the gospel. Now, we're in this time of suffering, the righteous for the unrighteous. Why? To bring people to God, So part of your suffering for following Christ is to get attention for the message to preach. So that in your suffering you might bring people to God so that their spirits will live.

This is an opportunity. See, where is nowhere now? He's with Christ. Where are the prophets now? They're with Christ.

Where is Peter now? They're with Christ. Where are the people that Peter is writing to? If they follow Christ, they're with Christ. They're not in prison.

They're not in hell. They're in life. Waiting for their resurrection body. So here we are. We're in this moment and when we see judgment coming, we feel sorry for those that will be judged and cast into the of hell, and we preach the gospel, and it will mean suffering to us.

It means suffering to us. But we're done with sin. We're not following the world's comfortable way of life. We're standing up like Thomas Denny and saying, this is Christ, Kingston, this is Christ. Okay.

Well, kill you. You can kill me, but Thomas Denny, where is he now? Where are his persecutors now? We live in a time of surprise and suffering, so keep your eyes on the judgment to come and where we're going. Time is ticking.

My last point, and I've got to hurry because the kids are coming in. I thought I'd have loads of time, but I haven't got any time now. This is my problem. I start early and think, oh, I've got ages. Here's a fourth time and I will be very quick.

Fourth time is a time to serve. That's what verses 7 to 11 are about. It's a time to serve. Look at verse 7. The end of all things is near Therefore, be alert and sober minded so that you may pray.

Come to the prayer meeting on Wednesday. Come and pray. Let's pray. Don't don't play what's the time mister Wolf with your life, sneaking up and then wolf turns around and grabs him, that's it. Be clear minded, be sober minded.

Christianity is not a hobby. And then he says, above all love each other. We need to learn to love each other and forgive each other. Love is the greatest thing. So we love.

And then he goes on and in verses 9, he says, offer hospitality without grumbling. Are you a grumbling person? Gumbling destroys almost anything. They're the most obnoxious people, aren't they grumblers? They are.

Grumble grumble grumble. Do you like your burger? I did not really? Always not a lovely day, not really. It's too hot.

Oh, gosh. Whoa, it's raining this afternoon. Oh, I don't like rain. Yeah. Anyway, let's move on.

I've got I've I all kinds of scenarios are coming into my mind. And many faces, I may say. Or for hospitality, to 1 another without grumble, you know, when you offer hospitality? I mean, I have a joke in our house. I always say to Anne, you know, we've offered hospitality and then they go, My first line always to Anne is only a joke, most of the time, is I thought I'd never go.

I thought they'd never go. And I said, shooosh, especially if you've got a barbecue because their car is parked out, but I sometimes say it loud enough. I thought they'd never go. Do it without grumbling. And then there's the use of gifts verses 10 to 11.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God's grace in various forms. Use your gifts, use the time A time to look back at the cross. Time flies, but it's up to you to be the pilot. Living the light of what Christ has done on the cross. A time to finish with sin.

The way we spend our time defines who we are. If you need help there, go to an elder. Thirdly, a time to surprise and to suffer The key is not spending time but investing it. Are you a surprise to the non Christians? A time to serve.

Yesterday's the past, Tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That is why they call it do the kids stuff in a minute so don't panic. But I'm gonna ask an elder to pray. Rory, would you just pray for the things that we've we've just been thinking about. Here's a mic here.

It's great. Our father got in heaven. We do thank you and praise you for the things that you've heard this morning. We thank you so much that we have been reminded of the amazing sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you that it is indeed finished on that cross.

We thank you that because of what Christ did, that the power has been dealt with, that we are no longer masters on the sin, but we are under the master mastery of Jesus. And so we pray father that you will help us to keep on looking back. At that amazing act upon the cross so that we may look forward, that we may be finished with sin in our lives, that we may live lives that are so good, to this world that reflects something of the lord Jesus Christ that when people see us, yes, they may persecute us, but that actually, they may also want to know something of the glorious reality of who Christ is. We pray father that you'll help us not only look back. But also to look forward to the day coming when we will know you for eternity, but the day when you will judge as well And as we think through those things, will you give us an urgency to live for you now?

Help us not to be people that waste our time. But use our time, use our gifts, use our energy, to love 1 another, to love the world, to love you. We pray these things in Jesus' name, our men.