The End Of All Things Is At Hand

Q: What does the Bible say about death?

The Bible teaches that all men must die and encourages a sober attitude towards death. The Bible is clear about the inevitability of death. In Genesis 5, we see a repetitive phrase after each individual mentioned: 'and he died.' This reminds us that death is the common fate of all humanity. Hebrews 9:27 states, 'It is appointed unto men once to die.' Death is not an uncommon event; rather, it is the ultimate reality for everyone. The scriptures remind us, not to be shocked by death, but to prepare for it by living soberly and calling upon God.

Q: Why is being serious about death important for Christians?

Being serious about death prompts Christians to seek God earnestly and live with purpose. A serious attitude towards death can help Christians align themselves with God's will and recognize the urgency of their lives. The Apostle Peter emphasizes in 1 Peter 4:7, 'But the end of all things is at hand.' This calls us to a life of prayer and seriousness in our walk with God. Facing our mortality reminds us to call upon God for mercy and grace. In light of impending death, Christians should focus on fostering their genuine love for one another and engaging in acts of hospitality and generosity.

Q: How does love relate to our understanding of death and dying?

Love is essential as it reflects our relationship with God and prepares us for meeting Him. In the context of contemplating death, love becomes paramount. The Apostle Peter urges believers to 'have fervent love among yourselves' (1 Peter 4:8). As we face our mortality, it is crucial to remember that God is love and that knowing Him compels us to express love toward others. Love not only covers a multitude of sins but also prepares our hearts for meeting God. Genuine love fosters unity, forgiveness, and community among believers, allowing us to showcase the grace we have received.

Q: What is the importance of being generous and hospitable as Christians?

Generosity and hospitality reflect God's grace and counteract selfishness. Peter exhorts believers to practice hospitality and generosity as essential habits in light of the end times (1 Peter 4:9). This reflects a heart transformed by God's grace, emphasizing that all we have belongs to Him. By reaching out to others in love and generosity, we mirror God's benevolence and counter the tendencies of greed and selfishness. It is important to note that such acts should be done willingly and from a thankful heart, as commanded in Luke 6:38, where Jesus teaches, 'Give, and it will be given to you.'

Q: How should Christians respond to trials and sufferings?

Christians should view trials and sufferings as opportunities to grow in faith and maturity. Peter encourages believers not to be surprised by fiery trials, as they are part of the Christian experience (1 Peter 4:12). These trials are not random events but are ordained by God, serving as tools for refining faith, teaching patience, and weaning believers from worldly affections. As believers face suffering, they are called to rejoice and rely on God's grace to sustain them. Ultimately, these experiences prepare them for greater glory in Christ, demonstrating that 'all things work together for good' for those who love God (Romans 8:28).

I want to speak to you today
on this subject, the end of all things is at hand. The end of
all things is at hand. Now we're going to be reading
from 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 7 through 13, the epistle of
1 Peter chapter 4 verse 7. You find it in your Bibles and
let me Make a few comments while you're turning to the Scripture.
1 Peter 4, 7 through 13. Now for some reason, for some
reason, people do not like to think and to talk about death
and dying. They just don't. They don't want
to be reminded that we're dying people. Old Richard Baxter once
made this statement. He said, I preach. as one who
may never preach again. I preach as a dying man to dying
men. I preach as a dying man to dying
men. Now, you know, people will joke
about death. They'll joke about death. They'll
joke about heaven. They'll joke about hell. And
they'll even buy insurance to provide for their families In
the event they say that I die, if something happens to me, if
something happens to me, I want my wife and children well provided
for. So they buy insurance and they
pause to pay tribute to people who have died. But they do not
want to talk about dying themselves. They don't want you to talk about
it. And they don't want to be reminded of it. If you start
preaching about death or talking about death or discussing death,
somebody says, oh, let's don't talk about that. Let's talk about
something brighter, something more joyful. But my friends,
death is real. Death is not uncommon. Death
is not unusual. In fact, it's the common lot
of all people. Why are we so shocked when someone
dies? When somebody says, so-and-so died. Did you hear so-and-so
die? Well, I'm shocked. Why are you shocked? Everybody dies. Why do we avoid this subject?
I just don't know. The Bible tells us that we'll
die. I was reading this morning in Genesis chapter 5, and it
lists all of these men, starting with Adam and Enoch and Seth
and all these different people, you know, in chapter 5 of Genesis. Tells about all of our fathers,
and after each name, after each name, how long he lived, in three
words, and he died. Adam lived so many years, and
he died. Seth lived so many years, and
he died. And it says that about all of
them, and he died. It's the common lot of all men.
The Bible tells us we'll die. In 2 Samuel 14, it says we must
die. We are like water spilt on the
ground which cannot be gathered up again. Job said this in chapter
7, Is there not an appointed time to man on the earth? I shall
soon sleep in the dust. And David wrote in Psalm 89,
listen to this, What man is he that liveth and shall not die? Shall he deliver his soul from
the grave? And then the writer of Hebrews
says this, it is appointed, it is appointed unto men once to
die. And the instrument of death is
already prepared. Yet you'll die and I'll die.
But not only does the Bible tell us that we shall die, Our bodies
remind us that we're dying. Do any of you wear glasses? I
do. Do any of you have a failing
ear? Are you getting hard of hearing?
I am. Is your strength fading? Is your hair turning gray? Are
there wrinkles on your brow? Life is slipping away. Do you
realize that? Your body is telling you this.
You're dying. You're a dying person. You're
not going to live always on this earth. You're marching toward
the grave. Your heart, every time it beats,
it's one beat nearer to death. That's what our bodies are telling
us. The Bible tells us that. Our
bodies tell us that. And experience reminds us of
that. How many out there listening
to me, how many of your family, your mother, your dad, your brothers,
your sisters, even your children are dead? I grew up, there were
five members of my family. My mother, my father, my brother,
my sister and I. Well, three of them are dead.
My mother and father are dead. My brother's dead. My sister
and I alone have survived. My son, my oldest son is dead.
So many of my friends, I've been pastor here in this city for
almost 40 years, the same church. Think how many of the members
of this church I've buried. So very, very many. Our friends
are dying. History, experience, all men
have died. I can't say anything new on this
subject. I realize that. When I prepared
this message, I knew that I wouldn't be able to say anything that
I haven't already said on this program many, many times. I've
said these things. I've tried to get people interested.
in knowing Christ, in believing Christ, in loving Christ, in
preparing to meet God. But for those who have ears,
one more time, one more time I'm going to deal with this subject.
This may be the last time I'll deal with it. I may be gone before
next Sunday morning, I don't know. But I want us to look at
2 Peter 4, verse 7, and let me point out some of the things
that the Apostle Peter has to say about about our attitude,
about our conduct, and about our thoughts and our behavior
in the light of death, in the light of approaching death. We'll soon die. That's the way
he starts this scripture. Look at verse 7, 2 Peter chapter
4 verse 7, 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 7. Listen how he starts. He says
in verse 7, but the end of all things is at hand." The end of
all things is at hand. Now, we're not talking about
the end of the world. We're not talking here about the end of
the universe. We're talking about your end
and my end. That's what we're talking about.
You see, the end is near. It's much nearer than it was
yesterday. It's nearer than when I began
this message. The end is near. Because life
is a vapor. James says, what is your life?
It's a vapor. And Job said, what is your life? It's a shadow. Quickly, it vanishes
away. What is your life? It is a flower,
blooming today, withering and dying, gone tomorrow, and the
place thereof shall know it no more. What is your life? Here's
an interesting comparison. It says, life is but a tale that
is told. Remember old so-and-so? Remember
Mr. So-and-so. See, you're telling
a tale. I remember him. He's been dead how many years?
Oh, we say three, four, five, seven, eight years. Oh, I remember
him. A tale that's told. Now, what's this next verse? He says, the end is near. The
end of all things is at hand. So, and he gives us five or six
things. He says, first of all, be ye
therefore sober, serious. about this matter and call on
God. Watch unto prayer. The end is
near. So let's be serious about it.
Let's quit joking about it. Let's quit acting foolish about
it. Let's get serious about this matter and call on God. This
is not a game. This is not something to joke
about and take lightly. You're dying. Life will soon
be over. Judgment is staring you in the
face. Eternity is near. We're going
out to meet a holy God. The end is near. So he said,
be serious about it and call on God. Now, we're not talking
here about the formality. You say, well, I pray. We're
not talking about the formality of prayer. We're not talking
about occasionally acknowledging that there's a God. We're not
talking about just going to church on Sunday. We're not just talking
about religious sideline. We're talking about calling on
God. The end is near. The end is at
hand. Therefore, be serious and call
on God. Call on God for mercy. Call on
God for pardon. Call on God for grace. Call on
God like the publican did in the temple who smote on his breast
and cried, God, oh God, be merciful to me, the sinner. Call on him
like Bartimaeus who would not be silent, who would not be intimidated
by these people about him. They said, hush, hush. He called
out the Lord, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, have mercy
on me. And Jesus stood still and had
mercy on him. or the thief on the cross. He
was facing death at the moment. What if he had not called on
God? What if he had not seriously faced this situation? He said,
well, I'm a sinner. I'm getting what I deserve. He
said to the other thief, don't you fear God? Seeing we're in
the same condemnation and we indeed justice, we're getting
what we deserve. But this man's done nothing amiss.
Lord, you're not going to stay dead. You're coming into a kingdom. Oh, remember me when you come
into your kingdom. That's calling on God. That's
what I'm talking about. My friend, listen to me. I've
been around a long time and I've watched some people die. And
I've preached a lot of funerals. You're going to die alone. That's
right. This is not an experience that
anyone else can share with you. We don't die in groups, and we
don't die in bands, and we don't die in assemblies. We die alone. We meet God alone. Every man
shall give an account of himself to God. I can't share this experience
with you, and no one else can share this experience with you.
The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and call
on God. Since you're going to die alone,
And since you're going to meet God alone, since you're going
to enter judgment alone, would it not be wise for you now to
get alone with God and seek forgiveness? Wouldn't it be wise for you to
get out of these big assemblies and walk in the aisle and carrying
on and making professions and praying at all these benches
with folks around you? You're going to die alone. You're
going to meet God alone. You're going to give an account
of yourself to God alone, as if you were the only son of Adam
that ever walked on this earth. When they pull the shades and
the doctor looks at his watch and turns to the family and shakes
his head, you're going to be as alone as you've ever been.
Alone. And you're going to meet God alone. So I tell you, like
Peter says here, let's be serious. And call on God. And I mean get
alone with God. Enter like Christ said into your
closet and shut the door. And settle this matter. Well,
I've made a lot of professions. That's one of your problems.
You need to get alone with God. Alright, what's the second thing?
Verse 8. The end of all things is at hand. Let's be sober, serious,
and call on God. And above all things, above all
things, Let's have fervent love among yourselves. That's what
he says here in verse 8. You see, God is love. God is
love. Let us love one another, for
love is of God. That's godliness. Love is godliness. And everyone that loveth is born
of God and knows God. And he that loveth not knoweth
not God, for God is love. You say, wonder why the Apostle
Peter, in talking about death and talking about meeting God,
the end is at hand, the end is near. Be serious and call on
God, and the very next thing he says is, have fervent, genuine,
sincere love among yourselves, because to know God is to love. That's what it says, God is love.
He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. All the
law of God is fulfilled in one word, love. They asked our Lord,
what is the greatest law? He said, the whole law is summed
up in two. Love God with all your heart,
mind, soul, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. By this shall all men know you're
my disciples, if you love one another. This is the evidence
and mark of a disciple. He loves Christ, and he loves
Christ's people. That's right. Well, he said,
fervent love. Above all things have fervent
love among yourselves." What is fervent love? Well, it's genuine. It's not make-believe. It's genuine. It's not hypocritical. It's genuine
and sincere. It's not love in word only. It
is heart love. It's heart love. It's genuine,
sincere heart love for Jesus Christ and for others. And I
ask, how can we be otherwise if I would but remember If I
would but remember the love of God to me, why would it be difficult
for me to demonstrate that love? If I would but remember the grace
of God to me, why would it be difficult for me to show grace
to others? Huh? If I would but remember
the mercy, mercy of God to me, then why would it be difficult
for me to show that love and grace and mercy to others? Huh?
That's the reason he says, he that loveth not knoweth not God.
Have fervent love. This is evidence that you've
called on God and that you've been heard. For love, he said,
covereth a multitude of sins. His love to me covered a multitude
of sins and still does. And true love to others will
do the same. What does it mean covers a multitude
of sins? It means this. True love overlooks
infirmities in others. It disregards weaknesses and
failures. It forgives. That's how it covers
a multitude of sin. Love concealeth a matter. And
that's this love that he's talking about here. The end is near.
The end is near. The end of all things is at hand.
Therefore, be sober and serious and call on God. And above all
things, have fervent, genuine, sincere love among yourself."
All right, look at the third statement now, in the light of
death, verse 9. And use hospitality. Use hospitality,
one to another, without grudging. What's he saying? What's he saying? Well, he's saying this, practice
hospitality and generosity. Reach out to people. Reach out
to people. Reach a helping hand to people.
Our Lord said in Luke 6, give to everyone that asketh of thee.
As you would that men should do unto you, do ye also to them. Be ye merciful as your Father
also is merciful. Not only is love an evidence
of regeneration and a mark of grace, but generosity is also. I mean not only to family, but
to friends and neighbors. Generous. You see, we're stewards
of God. And what we have, God gave us. What I have, God gave me. A man
can receive nothing except it be given him from above. So I'm
a steward of God's property. I really don't own anything.
You don't either. The earth is the Lord's in the
fullness thereof. He said the cattle on a thousand
hills are mine. The gold and silver that haven't
been mine belongs to me, God said. Everything belongs to Him. Well, what we have, you see,
He has loaned us or He has entrusted us with the care. and stewardship
of these things. And so we're to be generous and
hospitable and giving, not of necessity now, not out of a duty,
not because it's a duty or responsibility, not grudgingly, but of a willing
spirit and a thankful heart. Guilt, hospitality. You see,
selfishness. Selfishness is not grace. Greed
is not grace. And selfishness and greed are
going to come home to people at the judgment. My Lord said
this, talking about people who've hoarded gold and hoarded silver
and hoarded material possessions and kept them all for themselves,
He said this, now listen, the rust, the rust, R-U-S-T, the
rust of your gold will rise up in judgment against you. What's
that mean, preacher? It means that when we, out of
greed and selfishness, keep everything for ourselves and to ourselves,
we don't share with others who are in need, that when we stand
before God at the judgment, that hoarded material is going to
be one of the witnesses against us. That's exactly what he said.
As you have received, freely received, freely give. And I'll
tell you this, people who know something of the grace of God,
They know something of the meaning of this scripture. It is more
blessed, and just in plain everyday language, it's more fun to give
than to receive. It's a greater pleasure for a
regenerated heart to give than to receive. And then he goes
on. He says the end is almost here. It's around the corner. So call
on God. Call on God. Love one another, be generous,
cast your bread on the water. And then he says in verse 10,
be good stewards of the grace of God. You know, usually when
the word stewardship is mentioned, and I know a lot of churches
have stewardship Sunday and all this sort of thing, they preach
on tithing. So we usually think of material things, material
goods when we think of stewardship. But this says, be good stewards
of the grace of God. of the grace of God. So what
I'm saying is this, the grace of God includes everything that
I am or have or ever shall be, which is by the grace of God,
a good steward of the grace of God. If any man speak, teaches,
preaches, witnesses, let him be a good steward and speak according
to the truth of God's Word. That's the reason that in preaching
to you, I keep back nothing profitable unto you. I haven't shunned or
declared unto you all the counsel of God. I haven't tried to please
men. I haven't tried to court this
listening audience. I haven't tried to get you to
send money and begged and sold gimmicks and all these things.
I'm a steward of the grace of God. I'm a steward of the Word
of God. I'm a steward of the mercy and
grace of God in Jesus Christ. And I intend to be a good one
because the end is mighty near. I intend to be a good one. Oh,
I tell you, a person who preaches ought to preach the truth of
God's Word no matter what it costs. Why? Because it is God's
Word. I preach God's sovereignty, God's elective grace, Christ
effectual sufficient, particular redemption, atonement. I preach
the priesthood of believers. I preach the security of the
believers, the elect of God, the sheep. No problem there.
A lot of people don't care for it. God's Word. I'm a steward
of God's Word. We'll continue to preach these
things. A man who preaches ought to preach the truth of God's
Word because it is God's Word, but a man on the brink of death
and judgment is a fool not to preach God's Word. Well, I'd
be a fool to compromise the Word of God. I'd be a fool to compromise
the truth of God, especially when I'm standing right on the
threshold of death. The end is near. Be a good steward
of God's Word. If any man minister, let him
do it according to the ability God's given him. If a man renders
a service in the kingdom of God, whether he reads, prays, sings,
waits, tables, gives, visits the sick, relieves the poor,
builds the church, whatever he does, let him do it with all
his heart, as unto the Lord, because the end is at hand. Get serious. that God may be
glorified. That's what he says, that God
may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ the Lord,
to whom be glory both now and forever. The end is near. The
end is near. Call on God. Love one another. Be generous. Be a good steward
of the grace of God. Serve God and others with all
your heart for the glory of God. But verse 12, listen, and think
it not strange, and think it not strange, Or don't be alarmed
by the fiery, difficult trials that come upon you. Don't be
alarmed. Don't be amazed. Because in this
world, in this life, in this dying world, you're going to
have tribulations. You're going to have trials.
You're going to have times of suffering, sickness, sorrow,
bereavement, brokenheartedness. You're going to have trials.
That's all there is to it. It's not being fair to believers
to tell them life is a bed of roses. It's not. It's difficult. And I'll tell you what I know
about trials. I know, first of all, that trials
and troubles are the common lot of all God's people on this earth.
God had one Son without sin. He has no sons without sorrow
and suffering. And I'll tell you this about
trials. They're not by chance. They're according to the will
of God. They're ordered of the Lord. I tell you this about trials,
they're good for us. Yes, sir, they're good for us.
David said, it's good for me that I've been afflicted, that
I might learn thy ways. And then trials prove our faith.
That's what James says, they prove our faith. And then trials
teach us patience. You'll never learn patience without
trial. You'll never be able to weep with those that weep unless
you've wept. You can't enter into troubles
unless you've had troubles. You can't be a good servant of
God without troubles. Trials also wean us from the
world. We get weary of this world after
so many trials. You see, heaven's not here, it's
there. And all these trials and afflictions on this earth are
to wean us from this world. And Paul wrote this, all the
afflictions, and he called them light afflictions, All the light
afflictions are not worthy to be compared with the glory that
shall be ours. And finally, the end is near. Call on God. Fervently, earnestly
seek the Lord. Love one another. Be generous. Be a good steward of the grace
of God. What you have, glorify God. It doesn't matter what folks
think or what they say. glorify God, be a good steward,
and don't be upset when you have to go through a trial. God's
ordered it for your good, for your eternal good. And he says,
last of all, rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice that the hand of God
is upon you. He could have passed you by.

The End Of All Things Is At Hand

What does the Bible say about death?

Why is being serious about death important for Christians?

How does love relate to our understanding of death and dying?

What is the importance of being generous and hospitable as Christians?

How should Christians respond to trials and sufferings?

Sermon Transcript

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The End Of All Things Is At Hand

What does the Bible say about death?

Why is being serious about death important for Christians?

How does love relate to our understanding of death and dying?

What is the importance of being generous and hospitable as Christians?

How should Christians respond to trials and sufferings?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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