The Need For Jesus

Introduction

Last year when I was a Freshman, I was a student senator at Rose State College

With being a senator, twice per year we had our big Oklahoma Student Government Associational meeting.

At the meeting we would go over different new campus policies that would be spread all over the state and even write legislation that would go directly to our real state senators.

Last year at our spring meeting we had the awesome opportunity to literally sit in the real Senate chamber at the state capitol.

Now, after the senate meeting things got really interesting. Our state capitol sits incredibly close to one of the toughest areas in OKC. It’s a sad situation, but in reality it is one of the toughest parts of OKC.

Afterwards, I can’t place exactly what but I had something at home I needed to get back to quickly. I drove to a gas station with barely enough gas for my car to glide into the pump station, and because of my rushing when I stepped out of the car I forgot one very important thing!

In the midst of my rushing I forgot to grab my keys.

So here I am in one of the toughest places in OKC, wearing a full piece suit with a Ford Mustang, and just my phone in my hand.

Now I was freaking out because my family lives an hour away with the spare key, so I try speaking with the police and they aren’t able to do anything because of liability purposes, so ultimately I decide my best option is to go ahead and call my family.

In one of the scariest, most tough situations I have ever been stuck in my family showed up, even though I had to wait some time, my family showed up.

When you are in the scariest, most tough situations of your life Jesus will always show up, it may not be in the way that you anticipate or even in the time you anticipate,

don’t miss this, that the more you are abiding in Christ the more clearly seeing him and his goodness in your trials will be.

I’ll say it again

the more you are abiding in Christ the more clearly seeing him and his goodness in your trials will be.

This idea of allowing Jesus to take over your life and guide and direct the way that you respond to situations and live your life is seen consistently throughout scripture, but I think that through out study in Peter we have seen an incredible emphasis of this need for Jesus.

Remember the context in Peter as we finish our study in it today, We see Christians living as resident aliens, or outsiders in a culture that didn’t want them there.

This culture made fun of them, beat them, and even killed them for following Jesus

and as we conclude today with Peter we are again encouraged of that core theme. That if we want to live a life on purpose, that glorifies God we each have a desperate need for Jesus.

We can try all we want to glorify Christ at work or to rejoice in our challenges, but if we try to do that in our own strength without Christ, we will fail over and over again.

Are you relying on Jesus?

Body

1 Peter 5:6–11 CSB

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. 8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9 Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. 10 The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. 11 To him be dominion forever. Amen.

When we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God we will find rest.

That isn’t to say that all of your problems will go away, no, but I don’t think that’s what it was ever about anyways.

See the big mistake that Jews during the time made was thinking that Christ was coming to conquer for earthly means, for power and relief of his people under the harsh Roman rule.

That’s not why Jesus came though, see Jesus came so that we could have abundant life and eternal life.

What is abundant life you make ask?

Abundant life is living your earthly life knowing that this is as bad as it’s ever going to get and that in the end Christ will always win and that the suffering you face will come to an end.

This passage tells us in verse 10 that God is the one who will restore, establish, strengthen, and support you and without realizing that, the abundant life that I speak of cannot happen.

God is our strength and salvation

Are you relying on Christ for your strength and understanding?

Conclusion

Maybe you’re not.

Maybe you have lived your life for so long thinking I got to figure it out all on my own

Maybe you have been stranded in one of the worst situations of your life like I was at the gas station, maybe you have felt alone, maybe you have felt like you didn’t belong, or that you aren’t good enough, or whatever else.. fill in the blank

but understand this, that even in our darkest moments, Christ is calling, he eagerly desires for you to live an abundant life, which is glorifying him and living for eternity. We will never be able to measure up on our own human standards.

BUT

Choose today to put the pride to the side and instead lean on Christ and his understanding and reach out to the one

In that you will find rest.