Jack Graham - Last Days Living

February 1, 2026 | 27:29

Dr. Jack Graham's mission is to glorify God by introducing Jesus Christ as Lord to all people.

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Power Point with Jack Graham | Jack Graham - Last Days Living | February 1, 2026
  • ♪♪♪
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  • There is no person that god cannot save!
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  • There is no promise that god will not keep!
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  • There is nothing that our god cannot do!
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  • And now we take god's word and turn to 1 peter, chapter 4... 1
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  • Peter, chapter 4, and the title of this message is "living in
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  • The last days ... living in the last days". we're speaking on
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  • Living hope in a hostile world and our hope is in christ and
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  • Christ alone. in fact, the first chapter of 1 peter tells
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  • Us that we are born again unto a living hope. our hope is in
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  • The lord. so let's read the scripture,
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  • Beginning at verse 1 of chapter 4:
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  • 1) since therefore christ suffered in the flesh, arm
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  • Yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has
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  • Suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2) so as to
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  • Live for the rest of the time (key phrase) for the rest of
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  • The time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the
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  • Will of god. 3) for the time that is past suffices for doing
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  • What the gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions,
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  • Drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.
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  • 4) with respect to this they are surprised when you do not
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  • Join them (or participate with them) in the same flood of
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  • Debauchery, and they malign you (they mock you); 5) but they
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  • Will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and
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  • The dead.
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  • The bible says, “it is appointed unto man once to die,
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  • And then the judgment.”
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  • 6) for this is why the gospel was preached even to those who
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  • Are dead (that is, those who are now dead; who have died and
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  • Gone to heaven) ...the gospel was preached..., that though
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  • Judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in
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  • The spirit the way god does.
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  • Now verse 7. mark these words:
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  • 7) the end of all things is at hand; therefore, be
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  • Self-controlled and soberminded for the sake of your prayers.
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  • 8) above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love
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  • Covers a multitude of sins. 9) show hospitality to one another
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  • Without grumbling. 10) as each has received a gift, use it to
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  • Serve one another, as good stewards of god's varied grace:
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  • 11) whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of god; whoever
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  • Serves, as one who serves by the strength that god
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  • Supplies—in order that in everything (and here it is) ...
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  • That in everything god may be glorified through jesus christ.
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  • To him belong glory... (let's say it out loud together) to
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  • Him belong and dominion forever and ever. amen.
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  • Living in the last days. what does that mean? peter says the
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  • End of all things is near... is at hand. was peter wrong? i
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  • Mean, after all, it's been 2000 years plus since this promise
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  • Was made and given. and that christ would come, and come
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  • Soon. so how could the end be in mind at this point?
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  • Well, we are living in the last days, and here's how: from the
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  • Days of jesus forward, we are living in the final epoch,
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  • Epoch, era... of human history. in fact, when peter stood on
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  • The day of pentecost and preached the gospel, he said in
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  • Acts chapter 2 that we are now living in these last days. john
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  • Said it also in john's gospel. he says: "now little children,
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  • These are the last days."
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  • So in these days, though it be epochs later, eons later in
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  • Some sense, we are living in the times of the end. i don't
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  • Know if we are living at the end of the world, but we are
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  • Now living at the world at end. these are the end times. and
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  • The thrust and the theme of the new testament, and really all
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  • Of the bible, is that we should live in view of the return of
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  • Jesus christ!
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  • So then, how do we live? and this is when peter becomes
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  • Practical in showing us how we are to live as last days
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  • Believers. living in the times in which we live. and, oh, let
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  • Me just say that while i believe it is the last days
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  • Prophetically, it could be for any of us the last days
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  • Personally. we... none of us know how much time we have left
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  • On this earth. this could be the last sermon i every preach.
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  • This could be the last sermon you ever hear. and so we all
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  • Are to live knowing that the time is now. as i paused even
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  • Earlier and said we are to make every day count. make your days
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  • Count; make your life count, because we all are living in
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  • View of eternity. as one motivational business speaker
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  • Said, "begin with the end in mind."
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  • And so we live with the end in mind. we live with eternity at
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  • Heart. heaven and hope becomes the habits of our heart. so
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  • Then, how should we live? and peter gives us... i believe
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  • There are about six of them... practical ways in which we are
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  • To live in these last days. i love that about peter. he's up
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  • Here one moment in the heavenlies, and then he's right
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  • Here with us on earth as to how we are to live. so how are we
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  • To live?
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  • Well, number one, we're to live as i've been saying
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  • Expectantly... live expectantly. i could have said
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  • Live purposefully, because he said, "we no longer live in the
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  • Human passions... (verse 2) that we no longer live with
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  • Human passions or desires, but now we live for the will of
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  • God." so in living expectantly, we are to be prepared. i like
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  • Verse one; it says: "since therefore christ suffered in
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  • The flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking..."
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  • Arm yourself. it's a very strong word, of course. that
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  • Just as christ armed himself to go to the cross and to suffer,
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  • We also are to arm ourselves in view of the challenges that we
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  • Face in life. we are to have in this world a militant mindset.
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  • Arm yourself with this way of thinking. be prepared. this is
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  • Always in our hearts; it is always in the hopes of a
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  • Christian that today... today could be the day.
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  • But not only to be prepared, but to be pure. so in verses 2
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  • And following, you see the sinful behaviors of those
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  • Outside of christ. he calls them gentiles, but these are
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  • Unbelievers. these are the secularists; these are those
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  • Who do not know god, and they're living in human
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  • Passions and they're doing sinful things because that's
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  • What sinners do. "... living in sensuality and passions and
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  • Drunkenness and orgies. (this is all in verse 3) drinking
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  • Parties, and lawless idolatry...and debauchery." we
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  • No longer live for the flesh, he says in verse 2 "so as to
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  • Live for the rest of our time in flesh no longer for the
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  • Human passions, but now for the will of god."
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  • Verse one, let me back it up; it says: "we... whoever has
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  • Suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin." it does not
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  • Mean that we live sinless lives this side of eternity, but it
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  • Does mean we seek to avoid sin. why? because christ has changed
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  • And is changing our lives! we no longer live the way we used
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  • To live. jesus died for us and he lives in us, and he's coming
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  • For us, and now our desires have changed from the world to
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  • The will of god. and this is how we win over temptation and
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  • Win over sin. because the will of god is doing what god has
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  • Called us to do is so much better than the bondage of this
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  • World. we have been set free from all this stuff.
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  • And you may not be guilty of some of the gross sins that are
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  • Described here in this passage of scripture, but we're all
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  • Guilty of sin; we're all in bondage, and that bondage is
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  • Now broken by the power of christ. and we're becoming more
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  • And more like jesus instead of more and more like the world,
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  • And therefore, we don't participate in these things.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • In a time of rage, anxiety, uncertainty, chaos. it is
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  • Absolutely essential that we go to the source of all truth and
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  • That is god's word. the bible. during intense persecution in
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  • The early days of the church, the apostle peter wrote a
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  • Letter all about hope and encouragement, encouraging
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  • Believers and giving hope to christians who were navigating
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  • A world that was dead set against them. this is a message
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  • That speaks directly to christians in every generation,
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  • Including our own.
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  • [announcer] drawing from peter's letter, doctor jack
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  • Graham's latest book speaks to the challenges every believer
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  • Faces. how do we live faithfully for christ in a
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  • Hostile world? today, we want to equip you with jack graham's
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  • New book, “living hope in a hostile world” as our thank you
  • 00:10:55.177 --> 00:10:58.447
  • For your continued support of powerpoint ministries. simply
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  • Text feb that's f-e-b to 59789. use the qr code on the screen,
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  • Or visit jack.graham.org.
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  • [jack graham] this is not a book about hype. it's a book
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  • About hope. it's not positive thinking. it is biblical truth.
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  • It's the living hope, the kind of hope that anchors your soul
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  • When storms rage and that holds you when you can barely hold
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  • On. this is the hope that never fades because it's a living
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  • Hope. this book is for every believer in the midst of life's
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  • Greatest challenges, and it will encourage you that there
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  • Is real, lasting living hope that is found in christ and
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  • Christ alone.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • But there's something else and that is, we are to pray
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  • Seriously. are you taking notes? write that down. number
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  • One, live expectantly, number two, pray seriously. look again
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  • At verse 7. “the end of all things is at hand, therefore,
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  • Be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of
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  • Your prayer.” the word sober means clear-minded, thoughtful,
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  • Sane, level-headed. it is in contrast to the mania and the
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  • Craziness that we see in earlier verses and that we see
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  • In the world. we now, according to verse one, and the
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  • Scriptures as well, we have the mind of christ.
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  • So how are we to keep a clear head in a mad, mad, mad world?
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  • How are we to keep our sense of balance and self-control in
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  • Times like these? the way to stay balanced is in prayer.
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  • Prayer keeps us centered in christ. prayer enables us to
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  • Face the challenges and crises of life, to maintain our
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  • Sensibility when everything around us is coming apart. you
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  • Could translate this verse 7: be alert in the practice of
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  • Prayer.
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  • What he's saying to us and what i'm calling us to do: it is
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  • Time to get serious about prayer!
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  • During the times in which we live that is described in the
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  • Bible as perilous times, prayer is the pathway to peace. again,
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  • Emotional stability, spiritual strength, physical ability.
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  • Prayer is the path to peace! and so when you face problems
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  • In your life and perplexities then don't push the panic
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  • Button, push the prayer button! this is what keeps us sane and
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  • Strong.
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  • So first of all, we're to live expectantly. christ is coming.
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  • Be prepared, be pure as christ is changing your life. don't
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  • Live in the past of your old life, but live in the new life
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  • That we have in christ. and then pray seriously. and then
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  • Thirdly, love fervently... love fervently. look again at our
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  • Text. down in verse 8. "above all (or first), keep loving one
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  • Another earnestly (or fervently), since love covers a
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  • Multitude of sins." love earnestly, love fervently.
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  • Now i like this word fervently, earnestly because it's an
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  • Athletic term. it means to strain, to stretch like an
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  • Athlete... like a runner would strain with every sinew, every
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  • Nerve, every fiber, reaching for the finish line.
  • 00:15:38.994 --> 00:15:43.032
  • He says “first of all, this is of supreme importance; above
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  • All. what does the scripture say in 1 corinthians 13? “the
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  • Greatest of these of the virtues of life is love.” real
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  • Love is stretched out; it is first, it is fervent, it is
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  • Maximum effort. the kind of love that he's describing here
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  • Is a love without limits. love that is costly; love will cost
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  • You! when you love someone, no sacrifice is too great. it
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  • Means taking risks. it means being vulnerable. it means
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  • Being willing to have your heart broken. if you want the
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  • Perfect picture of this stretched out love, just go to
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  • The cross and see the hands of god, jesus stretching out his
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  • Hands on that cross and saying “i love you this much.” this is
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  • The agape love, the familiar word agape for christians which
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  • Means sacrificial love.
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  • And he says something very interesting about this kind of
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  • Love. he says, "for love covers a multitude of sins." so if i
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  • Was just outlining this verse as i'm doing, i would say love
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  • Is first; he says first and foremost. love is to be
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  • Fervent, but love is to be forgiving. and that's what this
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  • Little phrase here... he's quoting the proverbs. this
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  • Phrase "love covers a multitude of sin."
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  • Now hear... hear this well: love never condones sin. that's
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  • Not what he's saying. but love does cover sin in the sense
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  • That if you love someone, you're protective of them. if
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  • You care about someone, you don't want their dirty laundry
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  • Hung out for all the world to see. if you love someone, you
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  • Will do everything possible to cover their sin which means...
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  • Bottom line... is to forgive. we cover sin as god does... how
  • 00:18:14.716 --> 00:18:20.689
  • Does god cover sin? he covers it with his blood; he covers it
  • 00:18:20.689 --> 00:18:24.660
  • With forgiveness. and so love finds a way to forgive. love
  • 00:18:24.660 --> 00:18:33.902
  • Covers a multitude of sins.
  • 00:18:33.902 --> 00:18:36.672
  • And then he says give joyfully, for the next verse says: “show
  • 00:18:36.672 --> 00:18:46.615
  • Hospitality (this is verse 9) show hospitality to one another
  • 00:18:46.615 --> 00:18:52.487
  • Without grumbling”, without complaining. we are to give
  • 00:18:52.487 --> 00:18:56.692
  • Hospitality. now love one another. that's clearly an
  • 00:18:56.692 --> 00:19:02.064
  • Inside job.
  • 00:19:02.064 --> 00:19:03.732
  • Well, it's also about reaching people outside the church
  • 00:19:03.732 --> 00:19:06.702
  • Because how will people know that we love jesus? how will
  • 00:19:06.702 --> 00:19:10.772
  • People know that we are christians? not by the badges
  • 00:19:10.772 --> 00:19:13.542
  • We wear or the songs that we sing, or even the sermons that
  • 00:19:13.542 --> 00:19:19.414
  • We preach, but that the love that we share on behalf of one
  • 00:19:19.414 --> 00:19:22.818
  • Another. people look at our love and they say that's the
  • 00:19:22.818 --> 00:19:30.292
  • Love of god.
  • 00:19:30.292 --> 00:19:32.894
  • But hospitality, on the other hand, is about the outside. if
  • 00:19:32.894 --> 00:19:39.167
  • Loving one another is about in here... it's inside the church,
  • 00:19:39.167 --> 00:19:42.070
  • Then hospitality is about loving the outsider. it is a
  • 00:19:42.070 --> 00:19:49.878
  • Virtue that is often spoken of in the scripture. it even began
  • 00:19:49.878 --> 00:19:55.717
  • Way back in the old testament when abraham received those two
  • 00:19:55.717 --> 00:20:01.023
  • Strangers who were angelic beings. and the writer of the
  • 00:20:01.023 --> 00:20:05.994
  • New testament book of hebrews went on to say that when you
  • 00:20:05.994 --> 00:20:10.132
  • Entertain strangers who knows but that you are entertaining
  • 00:20:10.132 --> 00:20:15.037
  • Angels when you are hospitable to strangers, who knows but
  • 00:20:15.037 --> 00:20:19.908
  • That you are entertaining angels unaware.
  • 00:20:19.908 --> 00:20:24.046
  • So hospitality... what does it mean? it means opening your
  • 00:20:24.046 --> 00:20:30.752
  • Heart, opening your hands, even opening your homes to
  • 00:20:30.752 --> 00:20:40.762
  • Outsiders, including our church home. rather than being
  • 00:20:40.762 --> 00:20:49.171
  • Inclusive and selective, we are welcoming to all.
  • 00:20:49.171 --> 00:20:58.580
  • You know, there's two kinds of evangelism... witnessing,
  • 00:20:58.580 --> 00:21:02.184
  • Sharing christ. there's the go and tell kind... jesus said "go
  • 00:21:02.184 --> 00:21:08.023
  • Into all the world and preach the gospel", so go and tell.
  • 00:21:08.023 --> 00:21:11.059
  • We're to take the gospel outside of the walls of the
  • 00:21:11.059 --> 00:21:13.395
  • Church and go where people are; go and tell! that's key. but
  • 00:21:13.395 --> 00:21:19.134
  • There's also a come and see kind of evangelism. it's the
  • 00:21:19.134 --> 00:21:25.507
  • Evangelism that took place at the empty tomb... come and see.
  • 00:21:25.507 --> 00:21:33.181
  • And it's what nathanial did... the first disciple. he said,
  • 00:21:33.181 --> 00:21:36.551
  • "come and see. meet a man that knew who i was, that changed my
  • 00:21:36.551 --> 00:21:40.722
  • Life!" it's come and see.
  • 00:21:40.722 --> 00:21:43.925
  • So even if you think, “well i'm really not good at the go and
  • 00:21:43.925 --> 00:21:47.629
  • Tell part. i don't know how i would do that.” everybody who's
  • 00:21:47.629 --> 00:21:51.867
  • A christian can be a part of the come and see brigade.
  • 00:21:51.867 --> 00:21:56.138
  • Everyone of us can say, “come and meet the one who has
  • 00:21:56.138 --> 00:22:00.242
  • Changed my life!”
  • 00:22:00.242 --> 00:22:02.611
  • Jesus told a story about this when he said there was a man.
  • 00:22:02.611 --> 00:22:07.416
  • He had a banquet and he had it all ready. he sent out the
  • 00:22:07.416 --> 00:22:12.421
  • Invitations and no one responded, nobody came. so he
  • 00:22:12.421 --> 00:22:15.690
  • Said to his servants... he said, "go out into the highways
  • 00:22:15.690 --> 00:22:18.860
  • And the hedges, go out into the streets and the lanes, go our
  • 00:22:18.860 --> 00:22:22.297
  • Where people are and find the poor and the begging and the
  • 00:22:22.297 --> 00:22:26.001
  • Hurting and the lame and the blind. go out there where
  • 00:22:26.001 --> 00:22:29.638
  • People are and bring them in so that my house would be full."
  • 00:22:29.638 --> 00:22:33.975
  • And he wasn't talking necessarily about the church
  • 00:22:33.975 --> 00:22:36.311
  • House; he was talking about god's house... so that heaven
  • 00:22:36.311 --> 00:22:39.481
  • Could be enlarged by the work. he said, "bring them in...
  • 00:22:39.481 --> 00:22:44.453
  • Bring them in."
  • 00:22:44.453 --> 00:22:47.155
  • One final thing and i'll close. and that is, if we could kind
  • 00:22:47.155 --> 00:22:50.292
  • Of wrap this up... if we're going to be living in the last
  • 00:22:50.292 --> 00:22:52.727
  • Days, we live expectantly, we pray seriously, we love
  • 00:22:52.727 --> 00:22:57.966
  • Fervently, we give joyfully! we don't complain about this
  • 00:22:57.966 --> 00:23:02.637
  • Hospitality. we don't complain because it costs money to
  • 00:23:02.637 --> 00:23:05.540
  • Invest in these missions. we don't complain because somebody
  • 00:23:05.540 --> 00:23:08.844
  • May get our seat at church. we don't complain about anything.
  • 00:23:08.844 --> 00:23:11.980
  • We do this joyfully! (i don't even have time to hit that, but
  • 00:23:11.980 --> 00:23:15.150
  • I hit it really quick.) [laughter]
  • 00:23:15.150 --> 00:23:16.485
  • Alright, and then... and then, finally, he said serve
  • 00:23:16.485 --> 00:23:20.655
  • Faithfully. look again, down in verse 10. "as each has received
  • 00:23:20.655 --> 00:23:25.560
  • A gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of
  • 00:23:25.560 --> 00:23:29.197
  • The grace of god." god's very grace... it's a word that means
  • 00:23:29.197 --> 00:23:32.634
  • Like a rainbow of grace, the multi-colored grace of god. so
  • 00:23:32.634 --> 00:23:36.805
  • What are these gifts? he said we're to serve faithful
  • 00:23:36.805 --> 00:23:40.208
  • Utilizing our spiritual gifts.
  • 00:23:40.208 --> 00:23:43.311
  • These are spiritual or even supernatural abilities given by
  • 00:23:43.311 --> 00:23:47.582
  • The holy spirit for mission and for ministry. and it is our
  • 00:23:47.582 --> 00:23:52.754
  • Responsibility... each on of us to discover our spiritual
  • 00:23:52.754 --> 00:23:56.625
  • Gifts... what god made us to do, what god has gifted us to
  • 00:23:56.625 --> 00:23:59.794
  • Do: to discover those gifts, to develop those gifts, and then
  • 00:23:59.794 --> 00:24:05.066
  • To deploy those gifts in ministry. jesus said, "work...
  • 00:24:05.066 --> 00:24:11.439
  • Work, for the night is coming when no one will be able to
  • 00:24:11.439 --> 00:24:15.544
  • Work." jesus said, "occupy till i come." you know what that
  • 00:24:15.544 --> 00:24:20.048
  • Means? take care of business. tcb- take care of my business
  • 00:24:20.048 --> 00:24:25.654
  • Until i come again.
  • 00:24:25.654 --> 00:24:28.123
  • There are two kinds of gifts mentioned here: there are
  • 00:24:28.123 --> 00:24:30.892
  • Speaking gifts and there are serving gifts. you can see it
  • 00:24:30.892 --> 00:24:34.963
  • In the passage yourself. those who speak as the oracles of
  • 00:24:34.963 --> 00:24:38.166
  • God; and what we need in the church of the lord jesus christ
  • 00:24:38.166 --> 00:24:41.603
  • Today are god called, anointed preachers of the gospel of
  • 00:24:41.603 --> 00:24:46.508
  • Jesus christ who bring the word of god and not the word of men.
  • 00:24:46.508 --> 00:24:53.648
  • And there are speaking gifts beyond preaching. there is
  • 00:24:53.648 --> 00:24:56.885
  • Teaching and there is writing and there is witnessing and
  • 00:24:56.885 --> 00:25:01.389
  • There is praying and there is singing. all of these are
  • 00:25:01.389 --> 00:25:05.694
  • Gifts, if you will, that are up front so that all can see.
  • 00:25:05.694 --> 00:25:09.130
  • These are the speaking gifts.
  • 00:25:09.130 --> 00:25:11.232
  • But then he said there are serving gifts. because many
  • 00:25:11.232 --> 00:25:14.102
  • People are not on platforms, speaking, but out serving the
  • 00:25:14.102 --> 00:25:18.707
  • Lord; leading and administrating and helping and
  • 00:25:18.707 --> 00:25:22.877
  • Giving and working hard. and how are we to do this? the
  • 00:25:22.877 --> 00:25:27.015
  • Scripture says here we all the strength and ability that the
  • 00:25:27.015 --> 00:25:31.052
  • Holy spirit gives you. so if you're parking cars and your
  • 00:25:31.052 --> 00:25:36.658
  • Spiritual gift is helps, for example, don't just do it; do
  • 00:25:36.658 --> 00:25:40.195
  • It in the power of the holy spirit. if you're ushering...
  • 00:25:40.195 --> 00:25:44.899
  • If you're working in children's ministry... if you're working
  • 00:25:44.899 --> 00:25:49.137
  • In special needs ministry, human effort will fail but god
  • 00:25:49.137 --> 00:25:53.875
  • Will enable you to do it. do it as the holy spirit enables you
  • 00:25:53.875 --> 00:26:00.548
  • To do it.
  • 00:26:00.548 --> 00:26:02.050
  • And to what end? what's this all about? that in these last
  • 00:26:02.050 --> 00:26:09.324
  • Days, the end of all things is near. were to live in light of
  • 00:26:09.324 --> 00:26:13.728
  • The return of christ, so we are to live expectantly; we are to
  • 00:26:13.728 --> 00:26:18.933
  • Pray seriously; we are to love fervently; we are to give
  • 00:26:18.933 --> 00:26:27.776
  • Generously and joyfully, without complaint; and we are
  • 00:26:27.776 --> 00:26:33.181
  • To serve faithfully. why? “that in everything (say everything)
  • 00:26:33.181 --> 00:26:43.491
  • God may be glorified through jesus christ. to him belong the
  • 00:26:43.491 --> 00:26:47.295
  • Glory and the dominion forever and ever.”
  • 00:26:47.295 --> 00:26:50.598
  • Lord, it's all for you. this is all for you. this... what we
  • 00:26:50.598 --> 00:26:57.572
  • Saw today, lord, is all for you. it's all for your glory.
  • 00:26:57.572 --> 00:27:02.777
  • Every baby saved, every soul won, every work accomplished,
  • 00:27:02.777 --> 00:27:12.821
  • Lord, is for you... is for you.
  • 00:27:12.821 --> 00:27:17.692
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:17.692 --> 00:27:17.692