Closing Commands and Promises.

Opening:

It is a beautiful thing to open the Word of God on the Lord’s Day.

Introduction of the Passage:

This morning we are finishing our study of 1 Peter. We will be in 1 Peter 5:6-14 this morning. We have covered so much in this letter. Peter wrote this to the first century church in order to encourage them in suffering and to call them to holy living. And I hope and pray you have been encouraged in this as well. Peter has laid out some of the most beautiful descriptions of the hope and joy of the gospel and has connected that directly with suffering. He has given a road map to how Christians are to handle suffering. We have seen promises of God, joy in knowing we are redeemed, and much more.

So as we wrap this letter up, I pray you have seen the importance of walking verse by verse through this book. My goal has been to encourage you all through the Word of God. So as we approach this final passage in this book, may we do so humbly and full of joy that the Holy Spirit has inspired this Word to feed us and sustain us. So with this in mind, I would ask that you stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.

Reading of the Passage:

1 Peter 5:6–14“6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. 13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”

Behold, the Word of the Lord, thanks be to God. Let’s pray.

Prayer:

Our gracious Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word. May You use it to draw us ever closer to You. May we take it to heart. May we grow in our faith and in holiness. We ask this in Jesus name, amen.

Need:

When you close out a letter or an address, you often find yourself rehashing some things. It is the point in a letter or a sermon where you give the people the reminders of some of the most important things. You’re saying, and no matter what, remember this! This is what Peter is doing. As Peter closes out this letter, he reminds the church of some central points. And we must take these to heart just as the first century church did.

Text Idea:

Peter is closing his letter and encouraging the first century church to be humble, and to stand firm in the truth in the midst of suffering, trusting in God's promises.

Sermon Idea:

And that is what I hope we can walk away with from this passage. We are to be humble and stand firm in the truth even when we suffer. And we must never forget the promises of God.

Transition:

So let’s dive into this. As we look at the first verses we see Peter command the church to have three things: Humility, watchfulness, and resistance.

Humility, Watchfulness, and Resistance.

1 Peter 5:6–9“6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”

Explanation:

These are commands. Peter is not just saying “You know it is a good thing to be humble and watchful. And you know, your lives will be better if you were to resist Satan.” No, Peter is exercising his authority. If you recall in the last verses we covered the authority of elders in the church. Part of this authority is to command the people of God to obey God’s Word. So Peter is exercising this authority as a fellow elder and an Apostle. He is commanding them to have these three things. These are not suggestions. And his first command is that Christians are to have humility under the hand of God.

Humility Under the Hand of God.

A Christian is not one who seeks to puff themselves up. Christians abhor pride. We are to hate all forms of pride within ourselves. The Christian life is one of humility. Peter has dealt much with this subject. We have seen numerous times that Peter as well as the rest of Scripture is clear that Christians stand on equal ground. No one of us earned our salvation. We were all sinners damned to hell. We are all saved by Grace alone. God did all the work. None of us can boast.

This reality humbles us. None of us can look at another Christian and say, “I am better than you.” All the good in us is due to God. As Augustine said, “everything good in me is due to God, the rest is my fault.” So Christians hate pride. We hate that artificial boasting and puffing up. We must have an attitude of humility. God has placed us where we are and in the position we are in.

But sadly this truth has been twisted. Christians do not hate high status. Christians do not hate wealth. Christians do not hate positions of power. Our humility is not shallow. We do not wallow in the mud like pigs. Christian humility is one of satisfaction with the blessings God has given us. We trust God to give us whatever He wants. If He gives us poverty and struggle, we rejoice and suffer in a righteous way. If He gives us wealth and power, we rejoice and use that in righteous ways to His glory.

This is what Peter is saying here. We are to be humble before God and trust Him to exalt us. We trust in God’s power to bless us. We obey Him, and leave the rest to Him.

Illustration:

Perhaps an illustration would help. Think of how the world gains power and influence. You do whatever you have to in order to gain what you want. Do you want money? Well, you lie and cheat to get whatever you can. You may obey the law to avoid jail time, but you avail yourself of any practice or loophole you can in order to make more money. It does not matter if the loophole is moral or not. If you can exploit it, you do.

Same goes for power. If you want power, you do whatever you can to gain that power. Think of politicians. They will partner with almost anyone in order to get money for their campaigns. Why? Because they want that seat of power. So they go to horrific people and organizations in order to fund their campaign to receive power.

All of this is summed up in the age old phrase, “I look out for number 1.” To the world this makes perfect sense. You have to look out for you. No one else will. Everyone else is too busy looking out for themselves to pay you any mind. So you have to look out for you.

Argumentation:

But the Christian perspective is totally different. We do not have to look out for number 1 because we trust God to look out for us. Peter is saying that we do not have to bear the burdens of our worry and anxiety. He says that we can cast our burdens upon God. Why? Because He cares for us. What a comforting promise. And Peter is quoting from the Psalms here. Psalm 55:22“22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” Peter is not giving us anything new. He is reminding us of the truth that has endured throughout covenant history. God promises that He cares for us.

You see, the Christian can simply obey God and leave the result to Him. We can be humble and trust God. Why? Because we know that our heavenly Father cares for us. He who redeemed our souls will not abandon us now. And this is the key to mental stability. This is the key to be free of anxiety. Humility. Humility is the key to peace and joy in life. When we know God cares for us, it humbles us. As Calvin says, “...as soon as we are convinced that God cares for us, our minds are easily led to patience and humility.”

Do you want to be free of anxiety? Do you want better mental health? Humble yourself before God. Know that God cares for you. When you know this, you will humbly bow before Him in peace and in joy. And you will rest in Him. You no longer need to strive after the wind. God will exalt you when He sees fit.

I often say that our only task is to be faithful. That is it. True success is faithfulness to God. That is the marker. Humbly obeying God is what success looks like. We work hard, but we trust God. Farming is the perfect picture of this. This is farm country. You till the fields. You plant. You water. But who is it that causes the seed to grow? Who is it that numbers the kernels of corn on each ear? Who is it that causes the sun to shine on your fields? Who is it that sends or withholds the rain? Who is it that breaths life into each seed causing it to sprout and take hold of the soil?

God does this. You see, we work. We work hard. But we work in humility and in faith. We obey God. And we trust Him to pour out blessing or to withhold blessing. He will exalt us in His timing. Our job is to simply be humble and trust God. Why? Because He cares for us. Cast your fear on Him. Cast your anxiety on Him. Simply live faithfully. Repent of your sin. Trust Him. Work hard. Trust Him. Rest. and Trust Him. Trust in the promise of God, that He cares for you.

Transition:

But Peter continues. He commands sober minded watchfulness.

Sober-Minded Watchfulness.

No we will get to the why in a minute. But first let’s just look at this command. Peter has given this command multiple times in his letter so far. But he gives it here again. Christians are to be sober minded. Now this is not speaking of physical drunkeness. Although that is sin. This is a wide reaching command. Christians are to be deep and clear thinkers. We are not to dull our minds. We are to be clear minded. We are to know the truth. We are to love the truth.

Christians stand with their minds on guard. We must not forget that we are in a war. We are to be always at the watch. Now I have never been in combat, but one thing I hear from men I know who have been in combat is that your senses become hyper focused. Your adrenaline focuses you. Adrenaline literally becomes an asset. You are constantly aware of what is happening around you. You are in a state of constant threat assessment. You become like this because it is the difference between life and death.

In the same way, the Christian must be on constant guard. We are in war. And we have a real enemy. So we must be on constant guard. Our minds must be clear and sober for the fight we are in. We are to be on constant watch. Why? Peter tells us. 1 Peter 5:8 “8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Illustration:

Our enemy is crafty. He prowls like a lion. Actually picture the imagery here. How would you react if a hungry lion were in your house? You are locked in your house with a lion prepared to devour you and your family. What would you do? I can imagine this. It is so similar to many nightmares. One strange thing that happened to me when we first had our boys was that I began to be plagued by nightmares. I still have them from time to time.

Most were the same. Some beast was after my kids. It stalked the shadows. Even in recalling this, I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The tense anticipation. Waiting for the animal to strike. Standing in front of Caspian or Arthur’s crib facing sure danger. It is a haunting feeling. And Peter is going for this emotion. Anyone who has encountered a predator knows this feeling. Every muscle in your body is tense. You stand at the ready. When I was young, I was charged by a snarling badger. I am much bigger than a badger. But that shook me. I knew it would severely hurt me if it latched onto my legs. I cannot imagine what facing a lion would be like.

Argumentation:

This is our enemy. And our enemy is not out to simply maul us. It is out to devour anyone it can. It is a crazed and rabid beast seeking to consume life. Our enemy is hungry. And he is not just after us. He is after our children. This why Peter calls us to be alert. These are military commands. Christ has defeated Satan. He is defeated but still dangerous. So we must be on guard. We must be watchful. Men, guard your families. Satan hates us. He will do anything he can to destroy us and see the spread of the kingdom of Christ slowed. We know he loses. But this is not an excuse to be lazy. Christians who are lazy in their faith will see their children become apostates, consumed by Satan. May God spare us from this. We must resist.

Transition:

And this is Peter’s next point. We are to be active. We resist the Devil.

Resisting the Devil.

This an active command. We are not to be cowards. We have no need to flee from the enemy. We are to stand firm. Listen to Peter’s words. 1 Peter 5:8–9“8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” Do not cower at our enemy. Christ has crushed the head of the serpent.

Here is the truth we all must remember. In our own strength we are hopeless to stand against Satan and his demons. These spiritual forces of darkness are no match for us on our own. But in Christ, we are armed and defended. Recall the armor of God in Ephesians 6. God has not left us alone. He has given us Spiritual armor to resist the enemy. And beyond this, remember that every Christian is indwelt with the Holy Spirit. And because of this, the power of hell itself crumbles before the church.

This is why James says this with confidence. James 4:7 “7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Listen to this promise. If we resist, Satan flees. The church in not in retreat from hell. We often get this so backwards. We so often think that hell is advancing and the church is losing. But Scripture says Satan flees from us when we submit to God and resist the Devil. Christ promised that He would build the church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Gates are not offensive weapons. They are strictly speaking, defensive. We must forget that the Kingdom of God is advancing. And satan flees before the church. As the song says, “shout on, pray on, we”re gaining ground! Glory Hallelujah!”

We stand firm in our faith. And in doing this, we resist the Devil. So what does this mean? It means that we are to know our faith. We are to be well founded Christians. In our day there is much hatred of doctrine and theology. The Christian church of our age despise theology. But to be firm in the faith means to be doctrinally and theologically firm. We are to know what the Bible teaches. We are to know what we believe and why. Why? Because we are at war.

One of my goals as your pastor is to train you. It is to educate and equip you. I want to see you all mature in your faith, firm in sound theology. I long for this because there are lions and dragons in this world who are hungry for you and your children’s blood. I want you to have good armor and a sharp sword. And I want you to know how to use that sword. My charge to you, beloved, is go forth and slay dragons in the name and power of Christ.

Transition:

But for time’s sake, we must continue. Peter has given us the commands now he gives us the promises of God.

The Promise of God.

1 Peter 5:9–11 “9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Explanation:

Peter closes verse 9 by reminding us that we are not alone in our suffering. Often, suffering causes us to feel isolated. But we must remember that when we suffer for our faith, we are not alone. We are united in the Church Universal. And together, we suffer for Christ. And this was especially important in the first century. Persecution was taking off. Rome was beginning to heavily persecute the Christians. The Jews were also horrifically persecuting the Christians. Jews and Romans truly hated the gospel and sought to eliminate it. And this led many first century Christians to despare. Their own families were rejecting and persecuting them. The Christian Jews were violently oppressed by their own people and family. Same with the Gentile Christians.

But Peter is reminding them that they are not alone. No matter how isolated they felt, they were united in suffering with all Christians across the world. This was a period of global persecution. So people calls them to unity and hope in the fellowship of the Saints. And then Peter gives them further hope in the promises of Christ. First, he reminds them of the glory all Christians have with Christ. He reminds them that God has called us into eternal glory in Christ.

God Has Called Us Into Eternal Glory in Christ.

Peter says that God, the God of all grace, is the one who has called us into eternal glory in Christ. In suffering we must always remember that our end is one of eternal joy and glory. In this life we face pain and suffering. We face trial and tribulation. But we know that when we die, we will be with Christ. And we know that when Christ returns, we will share in His glory for all time. This hope motivates us. We know how the story ends. Or perhaps more accurately, we know how the story begins.

Our suffering is only the prologue to the true story. The true story that will begin when Christ returns and makes all right. That is the not the end, but the beginning. Then, sin will end. Finally death will be destroyed. The end of all evil and pain will come, and we will live forever with the Lord. There will never be an end. We will never suffer, never feel pain, never strive after the wind again. At last we will work with joy. We will love without heartache. We will laugh with no tears. We will explore with no fear. At last, glory will come. And we have hope because God has promised us this.

But there is more.

After Suffering, God Will Restore, Confirm, Strengthen, and Establish You.

Think of the specifics of this promise. There was a coming great tribulation just on the horizon for these Christians. The church was about to endure horrific suffering. But Peter is promising them that after this coming suffering, God would restore them. He would confirm them. He would strengthen them. And He would establish them.

Illustration:

And we see exactly that happen. If we look at church history, we see this perfectly fulfilled. One of the most moving things I have ever read was the writings of what happened at the ecumenical council of Nicea in 325 A.D.

For those who don’t know, for the first several hundred years, Christianity went through various periods of persecution. The worst was right at the start under Nero. But there were many others. They went through horrific pain and suffering. But in 312 A.D. the Roman emperor Constantine was radically converted to Christianity. And during his rule, Christianity was no longer persecuted. In fact, he organized the first empire wide council. He called all the bishops from across the world to come together and meet. This was radically moving. To go from being hated and persecuted to being welcomed in.

Not many historical accounts move me to tears, but this one does. Because many of these faithful men bore in their bodies the marks of persecution for their faith. They wore their suffering on their skin. Many had scars from whips and chains. Many were missing body parts from Roman torture. But when they arrived, do you know how the Roman emperor greeted them? Do you know what tile the ruler of known world used for these saints? He called them “beloved brothers.”

That moves me to tears. Can you imagine these saints who had suffered for generations being welcomed in by the man in the same office as your greatest persecutors? And imagine then how those men would read this promise the Apostle made to their own grandparents. 1 Peter 5:10 “10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

Argumentation:

These men must have wept with joy. God is faithful. God always keeps His promises. You see, the recipients of this letter did not live to see this moment. But their offspring did. Throughout the Bible we see these promises of death leading to life. This is one of the themes of the Bible. Through Christ, death brings life. Suffering leads to flourishing. God has made countless promises to His people. We may not always live to see these promises fulfilled, but that does not make them untrue. God works in generations.

Let me apply this to our day. If we look outside, things look pretty bad. Our American culture is spinning in the bottom of the toilette. And the church has become so liberal that it is impotent to do anything. It is here that we are tempted to give us. We are tempted to say, “we will be left abandoned, fading, weak, and broken.” But it is in this moment that we har the voice of the Spirit promising that the God who called us WILL restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish His holy Church. God will not fail.

Now I may not live to see it. Judgement has come. But here is the hope. If we are faithful, if we repent and trust God, if we train up our children, they may see it. They may live to see the days renewed. If Christ tarries, I hold no hope of seeing this promise. But I know God keeps His promises. And I know that perhaps, my sons will see it fulfilled. Their children may live to see brighter days. And you can bet your life that I will fight for that. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God keeps His promises. We, as Christians must stand firm in this. God never lies. God always keeps His Word. And we trust Him. And we trust His timing.

And because of this, Peter closes with praise. Peter declares Christ is King.

Christ is King.

1 Peter 5:11 “11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

This really is the only appropriate finally to this letter. Christ is King. To Christ belong all dominion. Christ has all authority. Christ has all glory. Christ has all majesty. Christ is seated on the throne with all power and dominion forever and ever amen. Peter ends this section with the greatest truth known to man. Christos Kurios. Christ is Lord. We may suffer. We may endure pain. We may not even live to see bright days again. But in the midst of all of the suffering and pain of this life, there is one truth that shines brighter than the noon day Sun. Christ is Lord. He has all dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Transition:

What follows is the signature. Peter is signing his letter. So let’s just take one moment to look at Peter’s closing.

Peter’s Closing.

1 Peter 5:12–14“12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. 13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”

Explanation:

Peter used a Scribe. He dictated this letter to Silvanus, or Silas. Silas is mentioned often in Acts. And Peter gives his greeting as well as the greeting of the saints in Babylon. Likely this is a code for Rome. But Peter cannot help himself. As he closes, he calls the readers of this letter to stand firm in the truth he has declared.

Stand Firm in the Truth Peter Has Declared.

He issues this military command once more. Stand firm. He declares that what he has written is the truth. It is the true grace from God. Contained in this letter is the truth. It is Scripture. It is the Word of God. So Peter gives the charge to stand firm. Take up arms and stand strong.

He tells them to great one another with the kiss of love. This was a common eastern practice. It means simply to love one another and great each other with warm brotherly love.

And Peter closes in perhaps the most gracious way. He gives the final hope of this letter. He gives his last words of this incredible book. And it is a reminder that we have peace in Christ.

We Have Peace in Christ.

In the midst of suffering, in the midst of pain, there stands this hope. Those in Christ have peace. We have peace with God and we have peace with one another.

It from here that we get the age old church tradition of telling one another “peace be with you.” And responding back with “and with your spirit.” In Christ we have peace. We have peace of mind and peace of spirit. In Christ, there is true and lasting peace.

Conclusion:

As we close Peter’s first letter it is this I wish to leave you with. Christ is Lord. He has all authority in heaven and on earth. And in the midst of suffering, we have peace. Peace be with you. And with your Spirit. Let’s pray.

Closing Prayer:

Offering:

Offertory Prayer:

Benediction:

1 Peter 5:11 “11 To him (Christ) be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

1 Peter 5:14 “Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”

Go now in the peace and joy of Christ.