You Need Church • 1 Peter 4:7-11
Notes
Is church really necessary?
I can hear better singing and playing elsewhere. I can be entertained better elsewhere.
It’s a lot of effort to get out of the house on time and get to church. Besides, I stayed up real late, and I’m going to fall asleep the minute the pastor starts talking.
Is this really necessary? Why do I need church?
In our scriptures today Peter says the end of all things is at hand. There are a number of things to be done in order to be ready for the end of all things. The only way these things can be done is at church.
You need church because it’s the end of all things, and you need to prepare for that.
Let’s read our scriptures in 1 Peter 4 from verse 7.
1. Church is where you hear the truth about the end of all things.
A. Some people might disagree. The BBC is full of what’s going on in the world: global warming, systemic racism, gender dysphoria, pride, unfounded baseless conspiracy theories. Other websites give updates on biblical prophecy, updates on the Middle East, news about vaccine side-effects, Chinese oppression of Uighurs, ocean pollution, deforestation in the Amazon, and fake news.
B. What you get at church is the context for all that news, that it is expected in the light of Jesus’ return to the earth.
1. If you only look at what’s going wrong in the world you get overwhelmed and paralysed, bitter and angry. You can’t do anything. That’s the feeling you get. Just let it roll you over like a steamroller.
2. At church you get the full gospel. Man has sinned against God. God sent Jesus to die for the sin of the world and rise again from the dead. And Jesus is coming again in power to destroy all rule and power and authority. He will raise the dead and judge every living being.
3. All this evil and lying is predicted in the Bible. So the fact that it is happening on this scale and is increasing says, Jesus is coming soon. And the church doesn’t cower hoping things will get better. We say, this is your last chance to repent.
C. But even then some people are not taking this seriously. Really? The end of all things? It’s been 2000 years since Peter wrote that. We agree with Peter: as sure as Jesus historically died for our sins and rose from the dead, He is returning in power historically.
D. Because we take the return of Jesus seriously at church, we remind everyone that you need to prepare for His return.
2. Church is where you get clear headed and watchful through prayer.
A. Jesus said this about His return in Luke 21:34-36 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
B. Peter was there when Jesus spoke those words. He’s passing them on to us who are alive and waiting for Jesus.
C. The day when Jesus comes is going to be a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the earth. A snare is a trap that you don’t see. You trip it, and it slams shut before you know what’s happened. You can’t get out.
D. Only if you watch in prayer can you escape this trap. Prayer is how you maintain contact with God.
1. When you praise God you see His glory.
2. You give God thanks, you are seeing His goodness all around you.
3. When you ask God for things you stay focused on Him providing for you, not your own efforts, not the actions of others. You look to God for your needs.
4. When you confess your sins you are looking to Jesus as your Saviour.
5. When you are praying you are not sinning. You are not getting intoxicated so you can’t think about your actions and where you are going and who is coming. You are watching for Jesus.
E. Church is where you stay clear headed and watchful through prayer. That’s one thing we do here. It’s hard to pray. So we do things together.
1. We have daily prayer every morning.
2. We pray together Tuesday nights.
3. We have the prayer online on Telegram.
4. Men, we pray after church. What a great time!
5. We can pray spontaneously right here at church. Why not? You talk with someone and they mention a difficulty, pray right then. Not, “I’ll pray for you.” When? Pray now together!
F. In all this You are staying current with God. You are aware of His presence close with you. The alternative is to drift off, looking at something distracting, something absorbing, something solitary, like your phone, that sucks all your attention and moves you away from looking at Jesus.
3. Church is where you love one another.
A. This is the most important thing, says Peter, that you have fervent love for one another, for love covers over a multitude of sins. Fervent means intense. Love greatly, intensely.
B. Jesus warned Matthew 24:12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
C. Paul shows why in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
D. Remember, Peter was there and he heard Jesus say, don’t grow cold in your love, so he says now, grow hot.
E. If you know that Jesus is coming, you prepare for His coming by growing in love. We understand that this is not easy.
1. When you love people it costs you your comfort. You have to put up with strange behaviour. You have to speak the truth in love. You have to forgive and absorb that hurt. Because the beloved is more important than your own comfort. That’s how Jesus thought. You are more important than My own comfort. So you have to be more important than my own comfort.
2. Jesus said all men will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another. No one else can love like Jesus. This is the proof that Jesus lives in us. And if Jesus doesn’t live in you, you are not saved, no matter how nice you are.
F. Church provides that opportunity that you need to grow in love.
1. You can’t love people if you don’t associate with them. How will you do that if you are not plugged in to a local gathering of believers?
2. How you grow in love is, you be together. If you take a burning stick away from the fire it will stop burning. If you put that stick back in the fire, it will start burning again.
G. Church is the place where we know what to do with sin. We confess it and we forsake it, looking to Jesus to help us. His blood cleanses us from all sin and we keep following Jesus. That means forgiveness, mercy, restoration, and a commitment to loving one another. All men will know that we are Jesus’ disciples if we love one another.
H. Hard things happen at church. I have been comfortable and not loving. I’m sorry. I want to grow in love because I want to be ready when Jesus comes. I need church. Do you?
4. Church is where you practice your love towards one another.
A. You might think, what does showing hospitality without grumbling have to do with the end of all things? That doesn’t seem so important!
B. Love is more than a feeling, it must be shown in practical action. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. That is practical!
C. 1 John 3:16-18 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
D. You show your fervent love for one another by practical hospitality. Especially if that person can’t pay you back. Jesus is going to repay you at the resurrection of the dead!
E. Without grumbling means you understand that this will cost you. Being hospitable costs you comfort. People will spill their food and ruin your carpet. Jesus said, inasmuch as you have done this to the least of these, My brethren, you have done it unto Me.
F. Church is a place where you can be hospitable, show love in a practical way. You need that opportunity.
5. Another way to practically love one another is through exercising spiritual gifts in church.
A. Spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit for the building up of the body of Christ in love.
1. Remember, without love, all the gifts are nothing, our speaking is nothing, our giving is nothing. We have no witness, no testimony in the world without love.
2. But without the gifts we are reduced to our own strength and our own ability to love, and that is practically nothing.
3. We need the enabling of the Holy Spirit in order to love and serve one another.
B. Notice that each one has received a gift? If you have received Jesus, the Holy Spirit has given you a spiritual gift.
1. You may not know what that gift is, but it’s there! You have received probably more than one.
2. The Holy Spirit distributes gifts as He wills, and He has manifold grace. Different coloured, many- sided. Everyone is different, and the Spirit does something in you that He will not do in someone else. There is no substitute for you in church, do you realise that?
3. If you haven’t already, ask the Lord, what have You given me? Please help me to use this gift for You.
C. There’s a list of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. Peter reduces that down to two: speaking the word of God, and serving practically.
D. Speaking the word of God is a great service to the church.
1. A person can preach the gospel, teach what the Bible means and apply it correctly. A person can prophesy, speak what God is saying. That can be predicting the future. It can be comforting and upbuilding faith. It can being merciful and gracious. It can be admonishing and sharp. The word of God can be sweet and it can bitter but it is always wonderful. The word of God is always timely and fitting. We don’t accept everything uncritically. We are to test all things and hold fast to what is good. We measure that by the Bible.
2. The point is that speaking the word of God is important to building up people in their relationship with God.
E. There’s another use of spiritual gifts, practical service.
1. Paul speaks of helps and administrations. Organised people who can get things done. God filled Bezalel the son of Uri with the Spirit in order to supervise and build the Tabernacle for God to dwell among Israel.
2. Bible teachers are great but they can’t do everything, nor should they. Every church needs practical help. Practical help and administration are tremendous expressions of the love of God. Are you a practical helper? You are really somebody I’d like to get to know!
6. All these things result in a lifestyle of glorifying God together.
A. God provides the words. He provides the strength. He provides the enabling, He provides the love.
B. People can look at a church loving one another and see that there is a God.
C. It’s more obvious as time goes on because people are blowing up their relationships left and right. Health Secretary Matt Hancock blows up his marriage with his aide. They were both married, both with three children. Faithlessness. He didn’t get married to his wife thinking I can’t wait for an extramarital affair to blow all this up. He distanced himself from his wife, and his love grew cold.
D. We can’t let our hearts grow cold in love. We grow in love by being together, being hospitable to one another, building up one another in word and in deed. All the more as we see the day coming.
7. So what?
A. You need church! You need to be fruitful and growing in love. You need the ministry of the word. You need everyone and they need you.
B. The time when you don’t want to go to church is the time you need it most. You need to love people and you need to be loved. Where in the world will that happen besides church?
C. Work out problems in church. Speak the truth in love. If you are avoiding church because you don’t want to work out difficulties you are not going to grow in love. If you decide you are leaving one church you are going to take your immaturity to another church and Jesus will teach you there what you need to know.
D. It is the end of all things. Jesus is coming to end this wicked world. You need to see He is coming. You need to be in contact with Him so you are clear headed and don’t forget the plot. You need to love other people and they need to love you. Church is how we prepare ourselves for Jesus’ coming.
Let’s pray.