SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). Be humble (vs 5-6).
(2). Be dependent (vs 7).
(3). Be alert (vs 8-9).
(4). Be assured (vs 10-11)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• After a particularly long and bumpy the flight crew of an airplane were tired.
• This were especially weary after a very difficult and rough landing.
• This particular airline had a policy that the pilot must stand by the door,
• And with the rest of the staff thank the passengers as they exited for flying with them.
• The pilot was dreading this because of the rough landing but he stood faithfully by.
• Surprisingly most people walked past them, and no one really said a word.
• Then came the last passenger, an elderly lady walking with a cane.
• As she got up to the captain she said, “Can I ask a question?”
• “Sure,” answered the captain.
• She asked, “Did we land or were we shot down?”
• TRANSITION: Well, this is our last sermon in 1 Peter,
• So today we hit the landing strip,
• I hope it will not be a rough ride!
There are four things in this passage that I want us to look at.
(1). Be Humble (vs 5-6).
“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because,
‘God opposes the proud
but shows favour to the humble.’
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
Ill:
• D. L. Moody was a well-known evangelist in the 19th century,
• He revolutionized evangelism in the United States,
• And undoubtedly one of the greatest evangelists of all time.
• He was a simple man, who used simple sayings, one of those sayings is,
• “Be humble or you'll stumble.”
Humility has been a theme all the way through this letter:
• e.g., Peter instructed Christians to be submissive to those in government.
• (Chapter 2 verses 13-17).
• e.g., Peter instructed Christian slaves/employees to be submissive to their masters/bosses.
• (Chapter 2 verses 18-25).
• e.g., Peter instructed Christian wives to be submissive to their husbands.
• (Chapter 3 verses 1-7).
• Now Peter instructs all Christians to submit to God and to each other.
• All Christians whatever their age, occupation or sex.
• (Chapter 5 verses 3-7).
As I read these words on humility, a question comes to mind,
''Was there ever a morning that the crowing of the rooster did not remind Peter of his pride and his need for humility?''
• The apostle Peter found out first-hand the truth of the idiom; “Pride comes before a fall”.
• When we have too much pride or confidence it will cause a person to make mistakes,
• And as Christians we so often end up living and acting for God in our own strength.
• The idiom/phrase “Pride comes before a fall” is adapted from a verse in the Bible:
• A verse found in the book of Proverbs (chapter 16 verse 18).
• “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
In contrast to pride,
• True humility, will show us in our best light,
• And it will make us a blessing to others.
• Quote: Anglican author and preacher John R.W. Stott said:
• “Pride is your greatest enemy; humility is your greatest friend.”
• The world sees humility as submission and weakness.
• They would never say, “…it is your greatest friend.”
• I like what C.S. Lewis wrote,
• “True humility isn’t thinking less of yourself; but it is thinking of yourself less.”
Notice what Peter says,
• All believers, young and old should submit to each other.
• All believers, young and old should submit to God.
• I would suggest we will never be submissive to each other,
• Until first we are submissive to God.
Ill:
• To make the point even clearer the apostle quotes from the Old Testament.
• He quotes from Proverbs chapter 3 verse 34.
• NIV: “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble”
• KJB: “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”
• NLT: “God gives special blessings to those who are humble...”
• We might be willing to submit to God,
• But often it takes grace to submit to other people!
Ill:
• Submission is a bit like driving a car,
• If everyone could drive as good as me what a difference it would make to the roads,
• But of course, they cannot not!
• You know that I am not as good a driver as I think I am,
• And other people are not as bad as I often make them out to be.
• TRANSITION: If you replace driving with the word, Christian,
• It would show us all why we need to submit to God and to each other.
• Humility means we lose our pride, but we gain God's favour.
• I think the idea is, when we are humbled, when we are respectful,
• When we come to a sense of our own weakness,
• We will be forced to depend upon God more.
• And that's the next thing I want you to see in this section. Look at verse 7.
(2). Be Dependent (vs 7).
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
Ill:
• This verse is a classic verse to adorn posters, bookmarks and greeting cards,
• Yet, we so often forget it comes with conditions, with ‘strings attached!’
• Unless we meet the conditions of verses 5-6,
• We cannot really claim the promise of verse 7.
The anxiety that was being faced by Peter’s first readers was clear and unmistakable.
• They lived their lives with the threat of persecution.
• At any time, like a volcano erupting, they may be confronted by their lives in jeopardy,
• By their families being taken away from them.
• So, for Peter talking about anxiety was not theoretical,
• It was extremely practical.
• Now our worries may be different, or maybe not…
• I imagine they fall into several categories, family, health, money, the future.
• The things that produce worry or anxiety in the human heart are the same,
• Irrespective of which century we are in.
• We’re not called upon to deny anxiety or to run from it or to ignore it.
• Instead, Peter says, we are to cast all our anxiety on God.
Note:
• In Greek, it actually reads, “Auto melei peri hymon”:
• “To him it is a care concerning you.”
• It is a reminder that God knows you exactly, he knows you intimately,
• The Bible (Psalm 139 verse 13) says he even knew us,
• When we were being complexly formed in your mother’s womb.
• This means he still knows all about you!
• This means he knows about every problem, every worry and every concern we face.
• So, we have a confidence that he wants us to take our anxieties to him in prayer,
• Peter says to these stressed and persecuted Christians:
• Instead of struggling with your cares, nursing your anxieties,
• And complaining about all God has allowed to come into your lives,
• Instead, we are to turn them back over to him,
• And we are to look to him to sustain us because he cares for us.
(3). Be Alert (vs 8-9).
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
Ill:
• Video illustration: How Aware Are You? - Situational Awareness - #1
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/MYEAQG62pYA
Every Christian has an enemy, a real devil: a spiritual being:
• Nowhere near as powerful as God,
• But far too powerful for you and me to deal with alone.
• He has an agenda to bring harm to Christians.
• So, the apostle Peter tells us how to stay safe.
• His advice is, ‘Be sober-minded. Be alert.’
• I make that the third time in this letter Peter has urged his readers to be clear minded,
• (chapter 1 verse 13 & chapter 4 verse 7).
• We need to be paying attention says Peter,
• Because there is danger beyond the physical persecution of Roman emperors,
• That some of his readers were facing.
• Now that news would make us more anxious, more worried,
• Peter telling them that they have a fiercer enemy than the emperor!
• Yet, instead of being anxious about this enemy the devil,
• We can depend on the Lord and fight him in his strength.
• We can therefore remain mentally calm,
• Despite the fact our enemy wants to use every circumstance of our lives to destroy us.
• Note: Part of being ‘sober minded’ or ‘clear thinking’
• Is that we do not blame the devil for everything.
• Some Christians see the devil or a demon behind every bush,
• They blame the devil for everything from a headache to a punctured tyre to a late train.
The apostle Peter will describe how to fight that enemy.
• Notice, what he doesn't tell Christians to do.
• He doesn't say to live in fear.
• Nor does he say to live as if the reality of the devil is unimportant.
• We are not instructed to ignore the devil, nor to cower in the shadows.
The imagery here is that of a hungry lion on the prowl, looking for someone to devour.
• The literal meaning of this word translated "devour,"
• Means to, ‘consume’, or ‘to swallow up’.
• Question: How does he do this?
• Answer: He may attack us using temptation, deception, discouragement and other ways.
• The devil wants to devour us, like a roaring lion.
• But instead of giving into his tricks, his temptations, deceptions and discouragement,
• We are told to resist, steadfast in our faith.
• Leads us on to verse 9 where we find our fourth observation.
Note:
• All through this letter Peter has told these believers to submit,
• But here the language is striking because he says,
• We can and should resist Satan. When the battle comes, fight back!
We fight back by standing firm in our faith.
• The strategy for fighting back is simple,
• Trust God more; increase our reliance on Him.
• Say "no" to the devil and "yes" to the Father.
(4). Be Assured (vs 10-11).
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
• Peter then concludes this letter with a benediction.
• i.e. Just like preachers often conclude a service with these types of blessings.
Notice: the last part of verse 9 and the first part of verse 10.
• Verse 9a: “the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
• Verse 10b: “…after you have suffered a little while”
• This blessing is not just a nice peace of poetry or a simplistic prayer,
• It actually captures or summarises Peter's letter in one powerful sentence.
• In the benediction:
• Peter repeats the fact that suffering is real, all people experience it,
• Especially Christians who will be persecuted for their faith in Christ.
• Being a Christians is not a way to avoid suffering,
• In fact the opposite is true, in this life we may well suffer more than most people.
• But… the benediction does not end there, it goes on to say,
• The believer knows that one day our suffering will come to an end, and end forever.
Ill:
• In July of the year 64, Nero set a fire in Rome that devastated the city.
• Needing a scapegoat, he placed the blame on Christians.
• The result was that Christians were beaten, tortured, and many were killed.
• Some were thrown into the arena, where they were torn apart by wild beasts.
• Others were boiled in oil or encased in wax and burned at the stake like candles.
• For the better part of three centuries Christians would be persecuted.
• Until in 313 the Roman emperor Constantine issued the edict of Milan,
• Declaring religious freedom for all faiths, including Christians.
• TRANSITION: The blessing is offered to "the God of ALL grace."
• To handle suffering we will need to depend on God’s grace and not our own strength!
• Notice too that this blessing reflects an important truth,
• That power and dominion in the universe belong to God, both now and forever more.
• The Nero’s of this world may seem to win the battles,
• But God will always win the war!
But note four things that Peter says from verse 10.
• God will (#1). restore or perfect us.
• He will make us (#2). strong, (#3). firm, and (#4). established.
• When death comes to the Christian it is never the end!
• God will restore every lost thing of value, and much more.
• He will make us strong and secure forever.
• That is his promise to all those who put their faith in Him.
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=F9nWqfXbvqm159AYpzUdy1xmgIjmXqdH
SERMON VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/yWurUmFBLQo
