7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. 8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint. 10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
(1 Peter 4:7–11 – NASB95)
In the movie, The Princess Bride, one of the stars of the show, Wesley, was mostly dead. A man named Miracle Max asked him, “Hey in there, what you got that’s worth living for?” Wesley answered, “True love.” Earlier in the movie, Prince Humperdink (the villain), found out about that true love and said that you don’t find love like that no matter what the fairy tales say. He then attempted to kill Wesley because of it. Wesley’s true love stood the test in the movie.
What about our love? Will it stand the test? What is true love? How does it act under extreme pressure (like a pandemic)? What does it look like in a local church?
The Apostle Peter wrote to a group of believers who were suffering because of their faith. Emperor Nero blamed them for the fires in Rome. Some were killed, some were persecuted in the workplace, and some were slandered & reviled because of their godly behavior. Peter encourages them not to quit. Persevere because you have a living hope. Much like James 5:1-11, in the passage above, Peter reminds them of God’s coming judgment as motivation to stay pure no matter what the cost. He then challenges them to have true love in four different areas.
- True love for God (v. 7). He tells them to be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. When you’re under a lot of pressure, exercise self-control and look at the situation sensibly. Don’t let the world tell you how to respond in times like this. Remain calm and rest in the fact that God is in control at all times. Then go to God in prayer and seek His mind and will on everything you and other church members are facing. Prayer is vital when times are tough. How are you doing in that area? Are you spending much time in prayer during the past year? God loves it when you come and cast down your burdens. He cares for you and wants to minister to your deepest needs. And so do we! Over the past year we have received fewer and fewer prayer requests. We would love to hear from you. You can call the church office, send an email, or go on the church app and scroll down to the last section of the “Home” page where it says, “Submit A Prayer Request.” Go there, type in a request, and decide if you want it to go out to the whole congregation or just to the Elders. Praying for you is one of the highest calling of the elders (Acts 6:4; James 5:13-18).
- True Love for Sinful Believers (v. 8). In this verse, Peter tells them to keep fervent in their love for one another (see also 1 Peter 1:22). “Fervent” is the picture of a runner straining with every ounce of energy to reach for the finish line. Others in the body of Christ will sin and at times it will hurt you personally. At that time, apply maximum effort to love them and restore the relationship. Don’t let temporal things get in the way of your eternal fellowship. And definitely don’t go out broadcasting their sins to others. Instead, keep those sins private and celebrate their repentance. Demonstrate the kind of love Paul talked about in 1 Cor. 13:4-8. Difficult times can divide churches and/or individuals inside of churches. Fervently reach out in love to sinning believers and make it easier for them to repent. True love will fight to preserve unity and restore sinning brothers and sisters.
- True Love for Believers (strangers) in Need (v. 9). In times of persecution (or pandemic), there will be a large number of people with real needs (money, food, clothing, and even housing). Peter tells them to be hospitable (love strangers – see also Rom. 12:13; 1 Tim. 3:2; Heb. 13:2). The Apostles were often on the receiving end of that hospitality (see Rom. 16:23; 3 John 5-8). This allowed for the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth. Open up your lives, your heart, and your home. And do it without complaining. Why might they complain? Perhaps they don’t have much for themselves, let alone others. These people might never be able to reciprocate. Maybe by serving those who are persecuted it brings persecution to them as well. Peter says to do it without complaint. Meet the needs of people in the church you don’t know very well. Host a missionary. Host a LIFE Group. Give to the Benevolent Fund. Share what you have with those who have less.
- True Love for the Church (v. 10-11). Yes, our church buildings need a lot of love right now, but Peter is talking about the PEOPLE in the church family. Everyone in the church has received a unique spiritual gift so they can serve other people in the body of Christ. And we are to love each other by exercising those gifts continually, week after week. There is no retirement from serving in the body of Christ. Read 1 Corinthians 12 to see how important EVERYONE is in the body of Christ. Some may be more prominent than others, but everyone is critical for the body to function as it should. Most gifts fall into one of two categories: 1) speaking gifts; 2) serving gifts. Those who speak should do so with the awareness that they are speaking God’s very words, not their own. They need to be teach the Word of God with accuracy, clarity, and conviction. Those who serve should do so with the strength that God supplies. When you’re persecuted or in a pandemic, and you feel like you don’t have the strength to do one more thing, turn to God and receive His strength to serve others in the body of Christ. God will lavishly supply what we need to carry out His purposes and meet the needs of others. What is your gift? Are you using it to love the church? The church needs you and the unique gifts that you bring..
Peter wraps up with True Love’s Ultimate Purpose (v. 11). Love God. Love sinful believers. Love strangers. Love the church. Do all of these things, even in incredibly difficult times, for the glory of God! Let me summarize: True Love comes from God; waits expectantly for God; calmly trusts in God & prays; loves fellow believers & covers their sins; shows hospitality without complaining; builds up the church by proclaiming God’s Words and serving in God’s strength; and ultimately gives all praise, honor & glory to God! I would say that is something worth living for!