FOUR END-TIME ETHICS

1 Peter 4:7-11

⁷ Now the end of all things is near; therefore, be serious and disciplined for prayer. ⁸ Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Be hospitable to one another without complaining. ¹⁰ Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. (HCSB)

Background:

Date – (62-64 AD) – Nero’s time

AD 70 - Destruction of Jerusalem temple.

Also, it was a time of severe persecution.

“…‘the end of all things’ here is the entire end of the Jewish economy in the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the holy people… It is quite plain that in our Lord's prediction the expressions ‘the end,’ and probably ‘the end of the world,’ are used in reference to the entire dissolution of the Jewish economy” (Expository Discourses on 1 Peter, vol. Ii. Pp.292-294).

These are vital signs of a healthy Christian life.

1st Ethic - Be watchful for Prayer  v.7

·       Many of us could possibly become weary of praying. Especially times like this. Easily we become prey to the devil and stop praying.  

·       Luke 18:1 – Lord Jesus said to his disciples – don’t give up praying.

·       As we are living in last days – make prayer a non-negotiable discipline in your life.

·       If we fail to pray now we will fail to pray even later.

·       It is time for all of us to be watchful and pray. 

     2nd Ethic - Love one another intensely v.8

·       Today we know relationships are falling apart. Losing its value & meaning.

·       1 peter 1:22b - By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves for sincere love of the brothers, love one another earnestly from a pure heart

·       Not only the love of many has become cold today, but it has frozen. Only God needs to break our hardened hearts and show us what love is – He demonstrated it for all of us on the calvary. Pure and sacrificial love.

·       Have you received or understood this unconditional love on the cross?

·       Ro 5:5 - Apostle Paul says – "God has poured out His love into our hearts through His spirit".

·       Spirit of God can help us in loving even tough and difficult people.

3rd Ethic  - Be Hospitable v.9

·       We are not living in isolated islands. We are living in close communities.

·       Now this pandemic has even made this more miserable. keeping our doors closed for others.  

·       Romans 12:9-13 - Apostle Paul also speaks this in the context of spiritual gifts.

     Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in   zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

·       How as families and individuals we can show this hospitality in times like this?

4th Ethic - Use your spiritual Gifts to Glorify God. Vv 10,11

·       Here in this passage, we see serving gift and speaking gift. Every believer in Christ will have at least one spiritual Gift. (1 cor 12, Ro 12, Eph 4, 1 Pet4)

·       If you ask me why there is no growth in our spiritual life? I would say it is because we haven’t discovered our giftedness yet.

·    Do you know what spiritual gift/ gifts you have? Discover it and use it. 

Conclusion

All these ethics will make sense only if you are born again.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead".   1 Pet 1:3

Believe in the Gospel and be saved. Jesus Christ died for your sins on the cross. He was buried and raised on the third day. He will come back as he promised to judge the world and take us home.

Let God bless our hearts and give grace to all of us to practice these end-time ethics and bring glory to his name.

Note: This message was shared virtually on 22.4.2021 on the Memorial Thanksgiving service for late Mrs.Glory Jacob (My grandmother).

Amen!

Tribute to my dear Ammachi (1924 – 2020)

Missed a valuable person today (22-04-2020) from the face of the earth. It was a grim reminder to me that death is inevitable. One day I too will face it.

Glory Maragatham was her name. She was born in a small town in TamilNadu, was married to Mr. Jacob, a made for each other couple. She was a teacher in govt high school in Karur and served as Headmistress in various schools in Tamil Nadu.  She has four children, 8 grandchildren, and 11 greatgrandchildren. God has blessed all of us abundantly. As listed in proverbs 31, she was a prudent woman, blessed by God to be a blessing to others.

All the grandchildren call her dearly ‘Ammachi’. She is close to all of us. She was really a prayerful woman, a devoted person, and a woman of faith. She was consistent in her faith life and prayed for all of us.

I still remember she is the one who taught me the old Tamil song Magizhvom Magizhvom for the first time during my school days when she came to our home at Ooty. She was a good geography teacher and taught me during summer vacations.

On every birthday of mine for several years, I remember she sends money-order through the post and with a postcard handwritten with lots of love and scripture promises. She remembers every need when we share with her and she prays earnestly with concern.

She loves eating sweets (poolipu mittai) and shares with us after every meal. She took care of me like a mother when I was working in night shifts in Bangalore. She checks on me whether I had food or not before I sleep. She was such a sweet and loving grandma I had.

How can I forget that she came to my wedding in 2012 to Hyderabad from Chennai and blessed me and Vasantha. We as a family cherish every moment spent with Ammachi. I could not even imagine how she could travel such a far with all her weaknesses. She is really a strong-willed person.

Thanks to God as we could recently visit her and spend time with her and sang songs with her. I still cherish her humor. With a grateful heart, I thank God for all these memories to recollect on this day. There are many more memories that I could not describe in my words. But I cherish those in my heart.

I learned about prayer from her life. To keep praying persistently to God even when the answers are delayed. Also, I learnt how important to intercede for others. One day personally she said to me I never pray for myself; I always pray for others. That really challenged me. 

Her life was well-lived. A simple and plain life. She was 96 when she entered eternal glory. She lived life to the fullest for God’s Glory as her name sounds. A good example to all of us. I salute her for leaving a legacy to our family. Let her soul rest in peace in God’s presence. One day I will see her in eternity. This is the hope of Resurrection for all those who die in Christ.

No Jesus -No Heaven; Know Jesus -Know Heaven. Amen!