ILLUSTRATION: STAYING WARM TOGETHER
In what the news called "The Miracle at Quecreek", 9 miners, trapped for three days 240 feet underground in a water-filled mine shaft, decided early on they were either going to live or die as a group.
The 55 degree water threatened to kill them slowly by hypothermia, so when one would get cold, the other eight would huddle around the person and warm that person, and when another person got cold, the favor was returned.
"Everybody had strong moments," miner Harry Mayhugh told reporters after being released from Somerset Hospital in Somerset. "But any certain time maybe one guy got down, and then the rest pulled together. And then that guy would get back up, and maybe someone else would feel a little weaker, but it was a team effort. That¡¦s the only way it could have been."
They faced incredibly hostile conditions together¡Xand they all came out alive together. What a picture of the body of Christ.
The Close of 1st Peter: 1 Peter 5:1-11
We Find...
A Call for Pastors, Ministers, and Deacons/Elders to Shepherd and Care for the Church
A Call for The Church Family to be Responsible
A Call for All to Stand Firm & Together
- Remembering God is In Control
Peter closes this 1st of 2 letters to a small, beat up, and worn down church by reminding them of their purpose AND their FOUNDER. WE CLOSE REMINDING OURSELVES OF OUR PURPOSE AND CALLING!
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH?
1. A Call to the Leadership
2. A Call to the Church Family
3. A Call to Stand Together
POEM: There is a small little poem titled "This Is My Church" that goes like this:
This is MY Church!
It is composed of people just like me.
It will be friendly if I am.
It will do a great work if I work.
It will make generous gifts to many causes if I am generous.
It will bring others into its fellowship if I bring them.
Its seats will be filled if I fill them.
It will be a church of loyalty and love, of faith and service,
If I who make it what it is, am filled with these,
Therefore, with God¡¦s help, I dedicate myself to the task of being
All these things I want my Church to be.
Based on your testimony & example: WHAT KIND OF CHURCH DO WE HAVE?
I. A CALL FOR LEADERSHIP (VS. 1-4)
Remember the GRK language is a small language with words having may different applications.
A. READ VERSE 1
1. ’to the elders’ - to those in Called Positions of Leadership - some say ’a fellow elder’(Peter was all)
2. ’a witness of Christ’s sufferings’
a) As a Called Leader, Peter participated in the sufferings of Christ
b) ’witness’ also means ’martyr’ -one who bears witness by his death.
Application: There is a Cost of Leadership and it includes PAIN
3. ’will share in the glory to be revealed’-reminds us that the cost will be rewarded.
Peter, now having identified who this last section was addressed restated the calling.
B. READ 2-3: What is an Elder’s Responsibility?
1. ’be shepherds’ - to tend, care, feed, lead, guide, protect, and admonish
a) What does a shepherd do? Your Call is to do the same.
b)EVERYTHING a shepherd does is in the best interest of his sheep.
2. ’of God’s flock that is under your care’
a)’flock’ - Most see as a volunteer position and NOT a calling!
b)’under your care -assigned a certain flock (church, class, group)
To those Called, Peter Gives 3 CHARGES
1. the Right Motivation: 2a) ’not because you must, but because you are willing;
2. the Right Goals: 2b) ’not greedy for money, but eager to serve’ (recognition, status)
3. the Right Methods: 3a) ’not lording it, but being examples’
a) not ’lording’ You are CALLED TO LEAD - this is not a popularity contest - it¡¦s not a fence - it’s also not a dictatorship. Having the Right Method requires the right heart
b) 3b) ’being examples’-doesn’t mean to be perfect (as so many require) but rather ’Lead by Your Example’ of doing what you are calling on others to do.
Leaders, based on your Motive, Goal, Method, WHAT KIND OF CHURCH DO WE HAVE?
READ JOHN 21:15-17
(at verse 17, insert your name and answer the question)
____ - do you love me? (Your answer) ’lord, you know all things; you know ______?
II. A CALL FOR FAMILY (VS. 5-7)
So what is the RESPONSIBILITY of the FLOCK? Before going into this section, consider for a moment what you believe -what your actions have shown -the answer to be to this question. Based on your actions (here and away from the church), what IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to NHBC?
ILLUSTRATION: CHURCH
A man called a pastor’s office at a church one day to inquire into membership in the church. He stated that he would not be able to get involved or anything, but he felt it was important to have some religious affiliation. The pastor advised this man that the church he pastored might not be the best fit for him, but he knew of a place where he would fit in quite nicely.
On Sunday morning, the gentlemen followed the directions and pulled up into the yard of a delapidated building. The roof was falling in, the doors were locked, and vines were growing into the windows.
This gentlemen called the pastor and told him that he must have given him the wrong address. "Oh no," the pastor replied. "Not at all. That is the place. That church has a membership roll filled with people who just want to attend the morning service on Sunday. That is what will always happen to a church whose members do not care about its success in ALL areas."
A. READ VERSE 5 -BE SUPPORTIVE!
1. ’young men’ those not in sacred office.
2. ’in the same way’ vs. 2 ’not...must but because you are willing as God wants you to be’
3. ’be submissive to those who are older’- (NKJV ’your elders’) Simply saying to support your leadership!
WHY? READ EPHESIANS 4:11-13
4. ’all of you, clothe...wi humility toward one another’
’clothe’ -Picture is to tie on oneself with humility;
’wi humility’ -not proud or haughty: not arrogant or assertive. right motive.
5. Proverbs 3.34 -God only supports servant hood toward another
B. READ VERSE 6 ¡V 7: BE FOCUSED
These two verses are actually one thought. The NKJV does a better job in expressing this:
1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
1. ’humble yourselves’-actually ’allow yourselves to be humbled’ -the same mighty hand that allowed you to suffer is the same mighty hand that will ’in due time’ will ’lift you up’.
2. Quoting Psalm 55.22 ’This is a statement of being positive and being active:
3. ’cast all your anxiety’ to ’throw’ your ’distractions’ on Jesus (BE FOCUSED)
When we continue to carry our worries, anxieties, stresses, and daily struggles by ourselves, we actually prove that we have not completely trusted in God.
-It takes ’humility’ to turn everything over to God. It takes ’trust’ to believe that God will use it to refine and perfect us.
-Peter says ’give it to God-He cares and will lift you up’
DON’T SUBMIT TO CIRCUMSTANCES BUT TO GOD WHO CONTROLS CIRCUMSTANCES.
III. A CALL TO STAND FIRM (VS. 8-11)
Finally, Peter closes this first letter by calling on ALL elders, leaders, and the entire church family -STAND FIRM because GOD IS IN CONTROL.
QUESTION TO PONDER: WHO IS THE DEVIL TO YOU?
I believe if there is a danger in the church that is more NEGLECTED & MISUNDERSTOOD it is the power and the influence of satan in the lives of believers as well as the church.
READ VERSE 8
1. ’be self controlled and alert’ ’Be sober and watchful’ in control
2. ’your enemy’ the ’devil’ -He has many names. What is his name to you? (Pictured as¡K)
3. ’roaring lion’ - A lion prowls quietly sneaking in on victims that are sick, young (immature - not grounded), or straggling (from being mentally exhausted). Has only one motive...
4. ’to devour’ - means to swallow. His goal is to finish you ’to drown you.’
A Lion¡¦s biggest asset is his ability to sneak up on his prey w/o being detected. The prey, being caught off guard does not have time to adjust and prepare for the attack.
READ VERSE 9
1. ’resist him’ -standing firm in the faith
a) His only purpose is to devour you and separate you from God.
b) CHURCH -don’t think he’s not trying to defeat, wear down, and create discension.
c) We are tired, broke, beat up, and confused -The call from Peter is to ’STAND FIRM’.
2. ’brothers...are undergoing the same kind of sufferings’
a) satan wants you to believe that no church has gone through what we are...
b) Just as SATAN can WEAR YOU DOWN ¡V so YOU can WEAR SATAN DOWN!
READ JAMES 4.7 -Stand firm with God and Satan will RUN- (notice verse above vs. 7)
READ VERSE 10-11
Verse summarizes the entire letter. Endure suffering in such a way that the grace of God would be made manifest in their lives (2.12). Now in his benediction, Peter commits them to the God of Grace.
1. ’God of grace who ’called you’ -This letter began and ends with a reminder of all being ’called of God’ -his elect -strangers in a sin sick world.
2. ’after you have suffered’ -While enduring these persecutions, know that God will cause all to work for your good
3. ’will himself restore you and make you strong’
Only God can use all for our good.
While satan has NO POWER against GOD, he DOES over PEOPLE when they FAIL TO GROW UP SPIRITUALLY.
SUMMARY
ILLUSTRATION: WHY GO TO CHURCH?
A Churchgoer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I¡¦ve gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can¡¦t remember a single one of them. So, I think I¡¦m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."
This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: I¡¦ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.
Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible!
Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH?
1. A Call for Leadership (to prepare the family)
2. A Call for Family (to encourage each other)
3. A call to Stand Firm (for battle)
So what do you think? HOW ARE WE DOING?
I have found myself over the last year or so almost apologizing for asking people to come to church on Sunday and Wednesday and occasionally for a meeting.
But I believe and am realizing that God has used our study of this awesome letter of encouragement to renew my conviction to The Purpose of the Church.
God knew there would be distractions to weaken our ability to stand up to Satan. And through the last generation, we have allowed certain GIFTS OF GOD to become our biggest distraction: family, school, entertainment, sports, and money.
You see, the CHURCH was designed by God to encourage, strengthen, and equip the believer to become GOD¡¦S WITNESS¡¦S into the world so that ONE BY ONE, HIS KINGDOM would grow and others would escape the wrath of God and receive instead His GRACE.
WE CAN NOT STAND UP TO SATAN ALONE. We NEED EACH OTHER and WE NEED THE CHURCH to PREPARE EACH OTHER.
I ask you today TO RENEW YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE CHURCH. I ask you to pray about Your Area of Calling, Your Use of your Gift, and Your Support of your leaders.
