Lesson Focus: to Be Prepared to Follow Jesus

1 Peter 4:1-11

“Watch & Pray!”

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:1-11

Memory Verse: “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.” 1 Peter 4:7

Lesson Focus: To be “prepared” to follow Jesus.

Activities and Crafts: Coloring Page; Word Search

1st & 2nd: Watch and Pray Stop Sign: Give the kids the “watch and pray” sign

Have them color their sign and then glue or tape to a wooden stick.

Introduction: During large group teaching hand out the paper (Find the Difference) Tell the kids that they are to find 10 things that are different between he two pictures. (Give them some time to do this and then go over the differences with all of the kids.)

Differences:

1)Sun; 2)Tree; 3)Boys T Shirt 4)Bumper sticker on car; 5)Dad’s Shirt has a different pattern; 6) Surf board; 7)Hood ornament on the car; 8) Birds; 9) Bite of hot dog 10) Grill at the front of the car is different

Tell the kids, today in our Bible lesson we are going to be told to be watchful. Just like you had to look and try to find the things that were different, we are to be watchful and notice what is going on around us. We are to be watchful and prayerful!

Bible Lesson:

1 Peter 4:1

Once again Peter focuses on how Jesus suffered for us. Jesus did not have an easy time when He was on earth.

the religious leaders did not like what Jesus said
He was not respected in His home town because they saw Jesus grow up
He was tortured and killed on the cross
People told lies about what Jesus said
People wanted to see Jesus’ miracles but did not believe He was God

Jesus knew that His suffering was what God had asked of Him to do here on earth. “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed.” Mark 8:31

√ Because of Jesus’ suffering how are we suppose to get ready?

Arm ourselves – get ready….when the military get ready for battle they put on what battle gear they need to fight a war. In the same way we are to take the time to get ready to follow Jesus. We need to prepare for the spiritual battle that we will be facing. The verb used here (arm yourselves) is only used in the New Testament and means literally to “arm yourselves with weapons” or to “put on the armor.”
We “arm ourselves” by having the same mind of Jesus. The Bible tells us to have this “same mind that was in Christ Jesus” Philippians 2:5 We need to think clearly as Jesus thought.

√ How do we have this same mind?

Humility; to not think more highly of ourselves than we should ( Philippians 2:7, “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.)
Obedience: to obey God no matter what! (Philippians 2:8; “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross.”) Jesus obeyed what God had for Him. In the same way we are to obey God and when we do we will not sin and follow God like we should.

1 Peter 4:2-4:

√ How are we to live on earth?

Live for the will of God. Peter has already told us in 1 Peter 1:14-15 we were told to be holy as God is holy. We don’t behave as the world does – we do the things that God would want us to do.
Do not live for the sins of this world. Peter tells us we have had enough with the sins of this world. Let’s put that behind us now.

√ What are the sins of this world? (Just like we clean our bedrooms, we are to “clean our spiritual house” and get rid of the things that we used to do:

Lewdness (doing things sexually that are wrong)
Lusts (giving in to the passions that would lead us to sin)
Drunkenness (being drunk)
Revelries (wild parties)
Drinking parties (wild drinking parties)
Abominable idolatries (worshiping false gods)

√ According to verse 4, what do people think that we should do with them?

They are surprised (strange) when we don’t do them with them
Do the same things that they are doing
They don’t like it when we don’t do the things that they are doing
They will talk badly about us when we don’t

Those people that do the evil and the wrong things always want others to do the wrong things with them. They try to persuade others to follow in the evil that they are doing. They try to tell you to “loosen up” or “live a little.” These are just words to try to get you to do the wrong thing.

There is a story of a wild duck. One day a duck was flying with his friends northward across Europe. During the flight he came down in a barnyard where they’re were tame ducks. He enjoyed some of their corn. He stayed for an hour, and then for a day. One week passed, and before he knew it a month had gone by. He loved the good food and stayed for an entire summer. After the summer was over and the fall had begun, the same wild ducks were flying once again southward and they passed over the farm. The duck on the ground heard their cries. He was filled with a strange thrill and joy of flying freely. He wanted to be with them again. He tried flapping his wings and he rose in the air to rejoin his fellow wild birds. But he found that he had gotten fat and flabby and could not get very high at all. He dropped back to the barnyard and said to himself, “Oh well, my life is safe here, and the food is good.” He settled for the easy life and never lived the life he was meant to live.

God has plans for you. He has plans for your life and your body and they are plans for purity and good. Don’t cheapen life by sinning. Sin robs us of God’s best for us!

√ Have you ever known friends that are doing a bad thing and try to get you to do it with them?

√ Has any one ever made fun of you if you did not do the same things with them?

1 Peter 4:5-6:

√ Who will they give an account to?

All of us will have to answer to God for how we lived here on earth. God is the judge of the earth. We do not need to worry about how others live their life…we need to take care how we live our own.

1 Peter 4:7

1. The end of all things is at hand:

The word “end” does not mean the end of creation but the fulfillment of Christ’s reign. Since Jesus left the earth and went back to heaven we have been looking for the return of Jesus. (Acts 1:9-11; “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”)

According to the Bible the end has already begun. It began with the death and resurrection of Jesus. We are actually in the final stages of history. This is not something to be afraid of, this is something to be ready for!

The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus will come back to earth some day. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection He has already won. Jesus is the King! He will reign and we will live with Him forever. (1 Peter 4:11b: “In all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever, Amen.” The only thing that is keeping Jesus from returning is that more people may be saved.

2. We do not know when the end is only God knows.

God does not measure time like we do; ( 2 Peter 3:8; “Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”)

3. We are to be ready for when Christ returns:

a. be serious (sober minded – or clear headed)

b. be watchful (be spiritually observant)

c. be in prayer

Jesus told us this Himself when He was on earth. Matthew 25:13, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

1 Peter 4:8-11

Ways to live on earth as we wait for Jesus:

Love others (earnestly or fervent) Our love is to be real. The word “fervent” means “stretching out or straining” and gives us the picture of a horse stretching out and running at full speed.
Be hospitable (without grumbling) the word “hospitable” literally means “to love strangers.” We love by showing acts of kindness to those that we do not know well.
Use the gift that God gives you. The Spirit of God gives all of us in the family of God a gift to use in the body of Christ. We use these gifts to build each other up.
We do all to the glory to God and by His power. In all we do we do it for the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31

Conclusion: We are to be ready to meet Jesus. We are to be watchful and prayerful for the things that are happening around us. Your challenge this week is to “get ready” every day to follow Jesus. Wake up and pray that God will help you follow Him each day. Then throughout your day watch what is happening around you and see what you could do for Jesus. Also, pray throughout the day.