1 Peter 5:10-14

Church Stability Through the Grace of God

Today, we will continue with the last few passages of our series on 1 Peter. It has been 6 months since we started 1 Peter (March - August). We will pick up in Chapter 5 with the theme “Church Stability in the midst of suffering”...

Church Stability through Servant Leadership (vv.1-4)

Church Stability through Responsive-Membership (vv.5-9)

Church Stability through the Grace of God (vv. 10-14)

Peter closed his letter with a reminder to the church on the importance of remembering, believing, and STANDING FIRM on the TRUE GRACE OF GOD which is at work in their lives and in the church!

The entire Christian life is sustained solely by the GRACE of God.

From the beginning until the end - our lives are always sustained by the GRACE of God. Reality: Suffering by the attacks of the enemy will cause them to be weak, fearful, hurt, and tired.

both Elders and members can be come weak, fearful, hurt, and tired…and will be tempted to just quit.

Who and What would hold them together so that they can stand firm and persevere until the end? The Apostle Peters gives us the answer in verses 10 to 12.

From the Passage we can learn important principles to help in the stability and perseverance of the saints:

A. It is God’s grace that can sustain us in our most difficult hour.

1 Peter 5:10 NASB95

10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

After you have suffered = Peter talks so much about the reality of suffering that believers must go through in this world as part of the Christian life... from chapter 1 to chapter 5 he mentioned the word “suffer” or “sufferings”.

Remember this, God is at work in all our suffering to strengthen our faith and perfect our character so that Christ maybe glorified!

The God of all grace = God himself is grace.

The word grace is repeated 8X here in 1 Peter (this is significant)

Grace (charis is “grace, favor”) = unmerited favor, a favor or kindness that we do not deserve.

God does not give us what we deserve; he gives us more than we could ever deserve.

Even in humanity’s fallen state, God freely grants to his creatures good things they do not deserve.

Common grace = air, water, food, strength…new day.

Matthew 5:45 NASB95

45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Saving grace = The grace that saves us from from the wrath of God against sinful humanity (eternal damnation in hell).

In Grace, God gives nothing less than Himself (Michael Horton)

In the NT, God’s grace manifests itself most clearly in the sacrificial, substitutionary death of Jesus Christ (Rom 3:24–26)

Jesus is full of grace and truth (John 1:14, 17)

Let’s continue to hold on to the truth of the Gospel: “Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone and in Jesus Christ alone.”

The Grace of God at work in the church: A. It is God who called and raised up leaders to lead and serve.

B. It is God who called and raised believers (you and I) to be part of a local to church and to exercise the different God-glorifying and fellowship enriching gifts. (1 Peter 5:13)

The powerful force and cause for stability and growth of the church is no one but the God of all grace.

Servant Leadership and Responsive Membership is both enabled and sustained by the GRACE of God.

Peter assures his readers that the God who called you by his grace “will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (5:10).

Perfect / Restore = to prepare, to complete

the God of grace who called us will preserve us as we trust and obey him.

Application:

Because our God is the God of grace, when we are tempted to give up on the tasks God has given us, we need to remind ourselves that our gracious God has appointed us to those tasks and that he will give us strength and power until the end.

Warning:

The grace of God is there for everyday life, be careful not to miss it! (2 Cor. 6:1-2)

B. Stand firm in the true GRACE of God because He is mighty, just, and eternal (vv.11-12)

1 Peter 5:11–12 NASB95

11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. 12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!

This Concluding brief doxology reminds the believers to look to God’s power and rule over a world where so much evil is present, a world so badly in need of God’s just reign: To him be the dominion for ever and ever, Amen.

Psalm 93:2 NASB95

2 Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.

God is mighty and powerful to govern and direct the church and nothing can stop Him from protecting and sustaining the church.

God is just and that He will give justice to the oppressed and persecuted believers.

God is eternal, and it means unending grace for the believers.

C. Stand Firm in the True Grace of God knowing that we are not alone (vv. 13-14)

1 Peter 5:13–14 NASB95

13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ.

This serve to remind the readers that both churches and individual Christians stand with them. (Babylon = Church in Rome) / (Churches scattered all throughout Asia Minor)

This also reminds the believers to display the love of God through a “kiss of love”. God puts people in our lives and in our church so that we can be strengthened in the love of God. We have our brothers and sisters who walks along side us, prays for us and accountable to us.

Peter closes with a prayer of God’s favor and peace to be with them because their is greater persecution ahead.

Reflection:

Am I displaying the grace of God to my fellow believers resulting in peace and harmony?

Closing Illustration:

Peter failed at every point. But here’s the good news—he was used mightily even after all his failings, because he understood the unending grace of God.

He learned that It’s not perfection that is necessary. It’s “teachability.”

I have failed. You have failed. Yet if, like Peter, we learn lessons from our failures…we can speak with authority. We can say to others, “I’ve been there. I’ve done that. I’ve made mistakes. You don’t have to.”

If as a father or mother, a ministry leader, teacher, elder, or leader at work, you are aware of your shortcomings, if you’re not careful, you will think they disqualify you from sharing with others. Take hope from Peter. He failed at every point. Yet when he learned his lesson, he didn’t fall again.

It’s God’s grace that will establish, settle, and strengthen you as long as you learn the lessons God has for you.

Let us live by grace, serve with grace, and persevere through grace!