Read 1 Peter 5:5-14
All throughout this book of 1 Peter,
We’ve been talking about how a Christian can suffer successfully.
God never intended the Christian life to be without hardship,
But He also never intended the Christian life to be without victory.
1 Peter 1:3-9 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”
Peter started his letter with victory, and he ends his letter with victory.
In our text this morning, we see a final summation of how to be successful believers in the midst of suffering.
We have examined the ATTITUDE
Don’t be Surprised – Don’t be Sorrowful – Don’t be Shamed
We have examined the ACTIONS
Examine Your Suffering – Embrace Your Shame – Exhibit Your Salvation
Entrust Your Soul
I am going to show you 6 ATTRIBUTES that must be yours.
If these 6 things serve as an accurate description of who you are, you are prepared to turn suffering into victory.
#1 HUMILITY
1 Peter 5:5-6
Last Sunday night we talked about the office of ELDERS.
The shepherd of the flock must be walking
In total submission to the True Shepherd.
Proper Management – “exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily”
Proper Message – “according to the will of God”
Proper Motives – “not for sordid gain, but with eagerness”
Proper Methods – “nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”
And of course these attributes were those of Jesus.
In verse 5, Peter turns to the congregation.
Again, he is not so much speaking of age, but in contrast.
It is not known why Peter singles out young men, probably because they are headstrong.
But in doing so, Peter is speaking to the entire flock.
The analogy is simple.
The Overseer is to shepherd the flock
The sheep are to follow the shepherd
The writer of Hebrews said,
Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
And then Peter expresses his point further by saying:
“and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE”
They word for “clothe” literally means “to tie something on oneself”
You can take that and see the picture Peter is relaying to you.
John 13:3-5 “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”
Perhaps the only greater picture is that of Jesus clothing Himself in human skin.
Philippians 2:6-7 “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”
And Then Peter Reminds Us Of A Vital Truth
“GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE”
The first attribute in the midst of suffering is Humility
Which is why Peter says what he does in verse 6.
“Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.”
Now you must notice the change in what Peter said.
First it was submit to the elders…
Then it was be humble toward one another…
But here Peter says, “humbled yourselves under the mighty hand of God”
Peter is tying all of them together.
It ‘s impossible to walk in rebellious arrogance in one area,
And yet pretend to walk in humility in another area.
To be humble under God is to walk in humility in all areas of life.
THAT IS THE PATH TO VICTORY
See what Peter said…
“humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, THAT He may exalt you at the proper time”
You’ve seen the illustrations all throughout the New Testament.
If you want God to exalt you, then IT IS UNDERSTOOD
That you are not already exalting yourself.
Luke 14:7-11 “And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. “But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Many times we fail to see God exalt us
Because we have never humbled ourselves before Him.
James 4:6 “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”
You cannot experience victory, unless you walk in humility.
#2 TRUST
1 Peter 5:7
You must trust That God is who He says He is,
That He can do what He says He can do,
That He will do what He says He will do.
This life is filled with worry.
That is one of the aspects of the fallen sinful nature.
Worry isn’t from God. Worry is an evidence of weak or absent faith.
Matt. 6:27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”
Matthew 6:31-33 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
But we are still prone to have these “anxieties”.
When in the midst of suffering, worry will flat out destroy you.
So the Bible says you must “cast all your anxiety on Him”
The word “casting” translates (EPIRRIPTO)
It literally means to cast garments on a colt
Luke 19:35 “They brought it to Jesus, and they threw (epirripto) their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it.”
You are going to have to allow God to carry your burdens.
You are going to have to allow God to carry your worries.
This is called faith. Consider again the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 6:30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!”
Consider what David said.
The 55th Psalm could be titled “The Psalm of the Betrayed”
Psalms 55:12-14 “For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal, My companion and my familiar friend; We who had sweet fellowship together Walked in the house of God in the throng.”
Have you ever had a friend stab you in the back?
Have you ever seen close friends turn on you?
That is a cause for anxiety, yet at the end of this Psalm, David said.
Psalms 55:22 “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”
Which is exactly why you must trust God.
“because He cares for you”
UNDERSTAND THIS
God wants you to have victory, but you must trust Him.
Humility, Trust
#3 DISCERNMENT
1 Peter 5:8
“Be of sober spirit” means to have proper self-appraisal.
“be on the alert” means to be vigilant, to watch out, and be perceptive.
You must rightly assess yourself,
And you must rightly assess your surroundings.
WHY IS THAT SO IMPORTANT?
“Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”
It is amazing to me how quickly Christians drop their guard today.
Africa, – “Be Careful” There are wild animals in Africa.
Lebanon, – “Be Careful” there are Muslims in Lebanon.
Israel – “Be Careful” that country is unstable.
China, – “Be Careful”, it’s illegal to witness in China.
We seem to be so aware of the enemy in those places,
But he prowls in America too.
You are in just as much danger from the enemy in America
Because the greatest danger is not imprisonment.
The greatest danger is DECEPTION.
It would be foolish to drop your guard.
The enemy desires to destroy you.
That word for “devour” literally means “to drink down”.
He doesn’t just want to intimidate you.
He wants to completely and totally destroy you.
You must be alert!
Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”
Illus. WHAT IF YOU WERE IN THE ARMY?
We are at war, don’t forget there is an enemy.
You don’t claim victory by losing sight of the enemy.
Consider Peter as an example here. Failed to discern self
Luke 22:31-34 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”
Peter failed to discern his surroundings.
Matthew 26:36-41 “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Notice Jesus said, “Keep watch WITH Me”, not Keep watch for me.
They were all in danger, but the disciples weren’t alert.
They did not claim the victory. They all fled, and Peter denied 3 times.
You cannot claim victory if you lose your discernment.
Rightly discern yourself, and rightly discern your surroundings.
#4 ENDURANCE
1 Peter 5:9
The first step is to recognize the enemy. The second step is to resist him.
James 4:7 “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
SO HOW DO YOU RESIST THE DEVIL?
“firm in your faith”
1 John 5:4 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.”
Why did people succumb to worry? – little faith
Why could the disciples not drive out the demon? – little faith
Why did Peter sink in the waves? – little faith
ENDURANCE IS A BY-PRODUCT OF FAITH
SO WHERE DO YOU LOOK TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH?
Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”
Faith comes as a gift from God, and through studying His word.
If you need encouragement , then look at what Peter says next.
“knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world”
The NIV says,
“because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
The NIV seems to say that you should look to people suffering like you are.
But that is not the word there.
The word is EPITELEO
TELEO = “to finish, to bring to an end”
EPI = “intensity”
It means to accomplish perfectly.
You find encouragement by looking at those who accomplished God’s perfect will in the midst of their suffering.
REMEMBER THE FAITH HALL OF FAME?
Hebrews 11:37-38 “They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.”
Then the writer says this.
Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE FAITHFUL
This is what Peter is saying here.
You need endurance if you are to win. Nobody ever won without it.
Don’t let your best days be in the past. Don’t put yourself out to pasture.
Philippians 3:12-16 “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”
Remember the church at Philadelphia?
Revelation 3:11 “I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Humility, trust, discernment, endurance
#5 HOPE
1 Peter 5:10-11
You must believe that some day it will be worth it all.
These trials are temporary.
“After you have suffered for a little while”
Know that it will be worth it.
“the God of all grace…will Himself, perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you”.
All four of those words are synonyms.
Perfect = to render complete, finished, steady
Confirm = to fix in place, to make fast
Strengthen = to make strong
Establish = to lay a foundation
Trust that no matter how bad it gets, it is only temporary,
And it will be worth it all.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Colossians 3:1-4 “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
Look past the pain to the glory that awaits at the victory circle.
Humility, Trust, Discernment, Endurance, Hope
#6 GRACE
1 Peter 5:12-14
In verse 12 he says, “I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!”
Not only has Peter been teaching about the grace,
He is a fellow partaker of this grace and so he can testify as to how vital it is.
And here is the point.
All the other attributes stand or fall based upon this one.
Humility, trust, discernment, endurance, hope
But if you do not have the grace of God, you will not succeed.
It is the strength which only He can provide.
We are dependant upon Him to have victory.
2 Corinthians 12:9 “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
Christians all over the world want God to display His power.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE GOD DISPLAYS HIS POWER?
In your weakness.
If you are unwilling to let God use your weaknesses,
Your life will never manifest God’s power.
WE NEED GRACE FOR THIS
It is the very strength of God to allow you to endure,
To allow you to obey, to allow you to claim the victory.
1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”
DO YOU WANT A LIFE OF VICTORY?
Then humble yourself under God’s might hand
Trust God with your soul
Discern what is true, and flee from what is evil
Reveal your faith through your endurance
Look past the difficulties through eyes of hope
And base your life upon the grace of God.
God’s grace is available to you today.
John 1:14-17 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘ He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”
The ultimate victory is found
In surrendering your whole life to Jesus Christ.
Confessing your sin to Him, and trusting Him with your life.
