I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the term “preppers.” Preppers are people that are waiting, planning, and preparing for the apocalypse or something like the end of civilization as we know it. These folks are convinced that the world cannot keep going like it is without imploding or exploding, and what life is left will be forced to make do without all the luxuries and amusements and technology that we are now using. And so they are prepping for this coming time by storing up weapons, ammunition, food, water and things like that. These people are pretty serious about it. Some have built underground bunkers out of storage containers in which they have stored a year or two of supplies. And they have weapons because they want to make sure that their neighbors who didn’t prepare, who perhaps made fun of their preparations, do not end up banging on their doorstep after the proverbial dung hits the fan trying to get their food.

Oddly enough, a fair number of Christians seem to embrace this world view and have become preppers as well. I say it’s odd because I find it incongruous that those of us who claim to want to go to heaven, sometimes live like that’s the last place we want to go. There is a popular view among evangelicals especially that we need to do everything we can to hold on to this body, to this life, for as long as possible. That’s quite a contrast to Christians of the first century. They were practically volunteering for martyrdom in the belief that it not only hastened their communication to God, but that it ensured a greater reward.

I don’t know if you recognize this or not, but Peter might be characterized as a prepper as well. He talked quite a bit about the last days and what our attitude should be as we approach the end of the age. In fact, in our text today, Peter says that “the end of all things is near.” He is saying that they were living in the last days, or the last age. In chapter 1 vs 20 he said something else about it; “For He [that is Christ] was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.” A more literal translation reads, “But has appeared at the end of the times for the sake of you. So it’s a parallel statement to our text. The end of all things, or the end of the times is near.

If that was true in Peter’s day, and that sentiment is echoed by the words of other gospel writers such as Paul and the Apostle John, then how much more so is it true for us today? And how can it be true then and still be true today?

The explanation is that the end of the times, or the last times, is speaking of the end of the age, particularly the age or period of time which commenced at the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, and will be consummated at the second coming of Christ. Some have referred to this as the church age, or the age of grace, or the age of the new covenant. I’m not sure that those are the best titles, nor if there is a single title that best describes this age. Perhaps it should be referenced in view of the kingdom of God. It being the age of invitation, of salvation, in the greater realm of the kingdom of God. It’s the age between His first coming and His second coming. And the first coming resulted in salvation, in a universal invitation to repent, to believe in Jesus Christ, to be transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. And Peter is saying that this present age is coming to it’s conclusion, to it’s consummation, when Christ shall come again and claim His bride which is the church.

That consummation of the kingdom results in the fulfillment of vs 11 in our text, which says, “that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Everything in history has been heading to this future glory, when Christ shall reappear in the clouds, this time not with an invitation, but in judgment, to rule and reign not just spiritually but visibly and physically in a glorified kingdom with His church in a new heaven and new earth.

Since then we are living in the last days, perhaps metaphorically in the last hours, how should we live? What should be our focus? The early church definitely lived as if the Lord could return at any second. And the fact that it’s been 2000 years since then should not dull our sense of expectation. Peter says in 2 Peter 3:3 “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with [their] mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For [ever] since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God [the] heavens existed long ago and [the] earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one [fact] escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

Now I am going to save the exegesis of that passage for a few weeks from now when we come to it, but it’s pretty self explanatory, I think, indicating that what seems like a thousand years to us is but a day in God’s reckoning. So it is proper for Peter to say it is the last days, and for us to be still living in the last days. Also, when you consider that the people who lived before the flood lived almost to the age of 1000 years, then it is entirely appropriate to think of the present age in terms of the last days. But the conclusion of Peter’s argument is what I want to focus on at the moment. Since all these things are coming at the end of the age, and we are living in the end of the age, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? Peter is urging us to make the most of our time because the end of time is near. All that we know of this world is temporary and will be destroyed by fire. So how should we live then in light of this?

Paul makes a very similar point in Romans 13:12-14 saying, “The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to [its] lusts.”

It’s interesting that Peter has just given a similar list of behavior that we should put away in these last days. In vs 3 Peter said, “For the time already past is sufficient [for you] to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.” This is the lifestyle of those who don’t know the Lord, who have the mantra “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.” But Peter now gives the characteristics of those who are sanctified, who are holy, who are living in expectation of the immanent return of Christ and looking forward to it eagerly.

Peter gives us four things, four characteristics which should mark our lives as we live in these last days. He says, be sober, show love, show hospitality, and serve one another. Let’s look at each of these briefly. We who are saved, who are living sanctified lives with Christ already reigning in our hearts will exhibit these four characteristics in the last days.

First we are to be sober. Someone has well said, “The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is that the Christian controls his temperament, whereas the non-Christian is controlled by it.” The Christian should live in control of his passions, exhibiting self control and sound judgment in his life and dealings with others. Thus Peter says in vs7, “be of sound judgment and sober spirit.” To be sober is not only to be not drunk or involved in drinking parties and carousing like the unbelievers mentioned in vs 3, but it also refers to being serious minded. Clear headed. We are to have our wits about us at all times. We are to be of sound judgment.

The present age has a unhealthy interest in entertainment and escapism. Much of our modern inventions like television or the internet, or sports or even music serve to be a distraction from reality. And it’s difficult in light of the variety of such things to be immune to such things. I’m not suggesting that we cannot be entertained, or see a movie or listen to music. But I am suggesting that it’s a dangerous thing to be consumed with, to have your head constantly filled with frivolous things, which can keep you from thinking about more serious and important things.

Attached to this exhortation to be sober minded, Peter says it is for the sake of your prayers. Our sober mindedness is for the sake of our prayers. Now what kind of prayers specifically is Peter referring to? Is it prayers for other’s salvation? I’m sure that is something we are supposed to be praying for, especially in light of the last days. Is it prayers for health, or blessings or things that might help us or make us more comfortable? Well, the Bible tells us to pray at all times, so those things are certainly included, though not all things are necessarily promised nor profitable. However, I suggest that there is a more probable cause for prayer which Peter has in mind here. And for that we might look back at another event in which Peter was with the Lord, of which it was said that the hour was at hand.

In Matthew 26 we read the account of Peter and the disciples who were supposed to have gone with Christ further into the Garden of Gethsemane in order to pray with Him. And they ended up falling asleep while Jesus went on further to pray alone. And in vs 40 it says Jesus came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you [men] could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

I think that Peter sees the similarities of those last days with Jesus, when they thought things would just continue along as they had been, when they did not discern the signs of the times, and unbeknownst to them it was the last days of Jesus’ time on earth. And the hour of tribulation came and they were sleeping, they were taking their rest. Jesus rebuked them saying, watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

I think that event in many respects parallels these last days of which Peter is referring. We do not know the day or the hour when Jesus is returning. And there is a real danger that we become complacent, that we become tired, weary in well doing, and we let our vigilance wane. We need some rest, we think. Church is too early. We are too tired to pray. We are too concerned with the present reality of our comforts to be much concerned about the things of the kingdom, or the time of the end. And so we don’t watch for His coming. We don’t pray that God would deliver us from temptation. We don’t keep a serious outlook and a prayerful attitude and as such we risk being found unfaithful when He returns. Or even worse, we find ourselves having fallen into temptation to sin, thinking that it will be a long time before the Master returns. There will be plenty of time to get serious about the things of God later, down the road. I think that’s the kind of attitude that Peter said we are to be careful about as we see the day fast approaching. Stay sober minded, for the sake of your prayers, that you do not fall into temptation in these last days. Don’t lose sight of the eternal for the sake of the temporal.

The second characteristic we should exhibit as we are in the last days Peter says is show love for one another. Vs 8, “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another.” Fervency in love is a love that is not complacent. It’s a love that is reaching out, seeking the well being of others. If you love Christ, then it’s presumed that you will love His body. You will love the church, love one other. But what does that mean? Does that speak of warm, fuzzy feelings? Of some sort of emotional attachment, of some sort of sentimentality that occurs when we are together?

Well, the word love there is agape. And that word should need little explanation. Suffice it to say that agape love is a sacrificial love for another. It’s love that is orientated towards others, and not self orientated. Agape love is the antithesis of sinning against your neighbor. Love is the opposite of selfishness. Love is the opposite of pride. Jesus said this attribute was the premier attribute of his disciples: you will be known as My disciples by your love for one another.

Paul speaks of this in Colossians 3, saying in vs 12, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things [put on] love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” In other words, love is what binds together all these attributes Paul lists there. Sacrificial love is what holds the church together.

And there is an additional benefit which Peter mentions there in vs 8, we should love one another, “because love covers a multitude of sins.” Peter isn’t saying that you can do a loving deed and have your sins wiped out. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can atone for sins. But what he is referring to is that love forgives injuries against us. Love forgives sins against us. That’s what Christ’s love is like, forgiving us when we sinned against Him, even if it meant suffering death to accomplish that forgiveness, for our sakes. Love is other’s orientated. Love is wanting to see other’s benefitted, to see others helped, to see others have enough. Agape love is not a reciprocal arrangement, and by the way, neither is your marriage. Love one another fervently, and forgive one another from the heart.

The third characteristic of sanctified saints living in the last days is they are showing hospitality. Vs.9, “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.” Hospitality was a very necessary trait in the early church as there were not many Holiday Inn’s around in those days. And so travelers were dependent upon the kindness of others in order to find a place to rest or to find safety on the road.

But I think that hospitality has a much broader context in Peter’s mind, and especially in our culture today. I think hospitality is simply love in action. I believe hospitality is sharing what you have with those who are in need. God has given you resources to use not just for selfish reasons, but for building up the body of Christ.

We share a meal with the church on Wednesday nights in order to illustrate this principle in a practical way. It’s obviously not to show off our house, or even our culinary skills, or to try to get people to respond in some way. We share because we have the opportunity to do something for others that expresses the love of Christ for the church. You might say that hospitality is the cost of love. In other words, it’s not just a sentiment, but an action, an action that sometimes costs you something, even to the point of sacrifice, in order to bless someone else.

The final characteristic Peter gives as a principle to live by in the last days, is serving one another. Vs 10, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” It’s interesting that Peter doesn’t give us some long list of spiritual gifts which we can take a test for to see which we might qualify for. I believe there are a variety of spiritual gifts, taking on a variety of forms. But as Paul said when speaking of spiritual gifts, he said if they aren’t accompanied by love then they are a clanging gong. They are just a loud noise to draw attention to yourself.

Please understand this. Spiritual gifts are not given for your edification but for the edification of the church. Paul says in 1Cor. 14:12 “So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual [gifts,] seek to abound for the edification of the church.” Edification by the way, means to build up, not to break down. You haven’t been given a spiritual gift to bust people’s chops. You haven’t been given spiritual gifts to show off your superior spirituality. Whatever gift you have been given is to be used to build up others, not to tear down.

I’ll never forget one fellow that came to our church a few times, and I suppose he fancied himself someone that the Lord had blessed with an abundant sense of discernment. And so one day he invited me to breakfast because he said he had some things he said he wanted to share with me. I supposed that he needed some counsel and so I agreed and met him in a nearby diner. In fact, he had something else in mind. He pulled out a yellow legal pad, and proceeded to read about 10 pages of notes that he had made concerning the style and substance and mannerisms and so forth in my preaching. At first I tried to humbly accept his criticisms about the way I stood, or how I looked or sounded, but after a while I have to admit I had enough. He managed to completely demoralize me and discourage me in about 30 minutes. And all the time he kept assuring me that the Lord had shown him all my faults and he was just trying to do the will of the Lord in setting me straight. Listen, that’s not building up the body, folks. That’s just a critical spirit. The devil does more disservice to the church using so called Christians than he does with unbelievers and atheists. Seek to abound for the edification of the church. That’s what we should be about.

That’s what Peter is saying, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Another point that should be made, is Peter says that you have received at least one spiritual gift; “As each one has received a special gift.” Probably many gifts. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you don’t have a spiritual gift. The only way that happens is if you aren’t saved. But if you’re saved, God has given you a special gift that you are to use. Peter says, put it to use in serving one another as a good steward of the grace of God.

Many years ago I used to be a fine dining restaurant manager. And I had a couple of wine stewards who worked for us. They were in charge of storing, and caring for and dispensing the wine from the wine cellar. They did not own the wine, they were just to care for the dispensing of it in the proper way. And in like manner, we do not own our gifts, they are given to us to use, to dispense, to serve others.

Now Peter breaks down this characteristic into two divisions. First are those who serve the church by speaking or teaching. Peter says that they are to speak as one who is speaking the oracles of God. The description of a steward is very apt when it comes to preachers and teachers in the church. It’s important that we speak what God has spoken. It’s important that we carefully and properly dispense the word of God. That is our job. Not to entertain, not to tell sentimental stories, not to tickle your ears, but to faithfully transmit the word of God and exhort you to listen and obey it.

Paul used this same terminology to describe his own ministry in 1Cor. 4:1-2 saying, “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.” Our trustworthiness comes from accurately and carefully studying the word of God, and then serving it to our congregations without contrivance or addition.

The second division Peter relates to those who serve. Vs 11, “whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies.” This illustrates an important aspect in regards to spiritual gifts. Its not talking about talents. A lot of people confuse natural talents with spiritual gifts. They are not necessarily the same. God gives you a spiritual gift to give you the ability or strength to do something that you could not do in the flesh. People hear someone sing who has a beautiful voice for instance, and they say what a tremendous gift God has given them. That’s not a spiritual gift, that’s a talent. It’s possible to give your talent to the Lord to serve Him. And that’s appropriate. But it’s difficult when it’s a talent to not have pride get involved.

The key is, according to Peter, to serve by the strength which God supplies, so that He might get the glory. Serve “by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” The same thought is expressed in Heb. 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, [even] Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom [be] the glory forever and ever. Amen.” 

So our gifts, and our strength and our sufficiency comes from God, that we might do His will, and be pleasing in His sight. What a contrast to the way of the world Peter has put forth in these few verses. As we see the end drawing near, let us show self control and soberness, praying at all times lest we fall into temptation. And let us show sincere love for one another, even as Christ loved the church and laid down His life for her. And let us show hospitality, sharing with one another, acting out love in practical ways for the sake of others even when it costs us. And let us serve one another, either by sharing God’s word, or by serving one another through the gifts which God has given us for the building up of the body of Christ. And may we be found holy and blameless when He comes. He is coming soon. The time is at hand.

You know, the trees are finally starting to bud as we enter Spring. Jesus said in Luke 21, ”Behold the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they put forth [leaves,] you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. “So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. “But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”