1 Peter 5:8-14 Your coming journey

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1 Peter 5:8–14 NASB95

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 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. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. 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! She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ.

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Introduction:

Now finishing up Peter’s letter to the Christians in Asia Minor.

Human Characters:

Peter - writer of the epistle.

John Mark, who is likely his amanuensis, also a companion of Paul and Barnabas.

Silvanus (Silas), his trusted friend and messenger. She who is in Babylon

Supernatural characters

Satan - seeking the destruction of the elect.

God of all grace, who called us all to eternal glory, will sanctify us and preserve us.

His concluding message is this: We are against a powerful foe, but he is weak compared to our Lord and Saviour, who has already defeated him. No doubt, he will inflict persecution, but it is temporary, and in the end God will bless us with sanctification and His eternal love. God wants us to persevere and Peter has sent his trusted servant, Silas, with this letter of encouragement.

It has impressed on me the immense power of Satan, of sin, and the damage both are capable of. Peter is very concerned with this.

Some believe this chapter is for elders only. I don’t. He is instructing the Christian communities

He gives an number of commands here: Stay alert and serious. You will need to have your wits about to to respond in a godly manner to the persecution coming. You must resist the devil, and he is wily. To emphasize the importance of this message he sent hos most trusted friend, Silas, to tell them to stand firm in the faith. This is going to be very important to them..

Key Question: How do Christians persevere against the attacks of Satan?

Answer: by having the courage of our faith in Jesus Christ, who loves us and is more than capable of protecting us.

Lets get to our first point:

1 Peter 5:8 NASB95

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

The power of the devil

Explanation:

Better understanding of the power and motivation of Satan. Can’t underestimate him.

Peter illustrates this point by portraying Satan as a lion. Mean, strong, powerful, seeking to destroy his prey. Africans are terrified of lions, and we should be too.

JFB Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Chapter 5)

roaring lion—implying his violent and insatiable thirst for prey as a hungry lion. Through man’s sin he got God’s justice on his side against us; but Christ, our Advocate, by fulfilling all the demands of justice for us, has made our redemption altogether consistent with justice.

James 4:7 “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Psalm 22:13 “They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion.”

Peter likely has in mind Christ’s warning to himself to watch against Satan -he forgot this when he betrayed Christ in the end.

Spurgeon: It is because of his sin that Satan was expelled from heaven, and he will always be bitter over it. He is the sworn enemy of Christ and all his followers. Satan is out there, powerful, and not to be underestimated. He is as real as you or me.

Spurgeon 1 Peter - Only God can be omnipresent. Hence, Satan can only be in one place at one time. Yet if you will consider how much mischief he does, you will easily gather that he must have an awful degree of activity. He is here and there and everywhere; tempting us here and soon scattering his temptations in the countries that are antipodes to us; hurrying across the sea or speeding over the land. We have no means of ascertaining what are his means of flight, but we may easily infer from his being so constantly in all places that he must travel with inconceivable velocity. He has, besides, a host of fallen spirits who fell with him. This great dragon drew with his tail “a third of the stars from heaven” (Rev 12:4)—and these are ready to execute his will and obey his behests, if not with the same potency and force which belongs by hereditary right to their great leader, still with something of his spirit, his malice, and his cunning.

Illustration: see above

Argumentation:

The world would have you believe that Satan and sin are myths designed by the church to use to control people.

This may have been used by other denominations in the past

If no sin, then explain the consequences of sinful behaviour.

If no Satan, explain the evil in the world.

Application/Exhortation:

Satan is the father of sin

Those in sin get angry when it is pointed out - they are bitter, like Satan

The only possible rescue we have from dying in our sins, is Christ

1 Peter 5:9 NASB95

But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

Resistance

Explanation:

Earlier in this letter: 1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 1:13 seems to set the tone of this epistle, and Peter concludes with this sentiment (gird up your loins).

As Peter said earlier, persecution is a fact of life for Christians - sadly it is no strange thing.

Resisting a foe as powerful as Satan is impossible for humans. How can it be done? Through faith.

Illustration:

2 Kings 19 Account of Hezekiah and Sennacharib

Argumentation:

In many ways Sennacharib’s approach was the same as the evil powers of this world use.

Trust me, your faith is not real

Application/Exhortation:

Christ beat the devil at the beginning of His ministry

He beat the devil at the cross

He is God almighty and can protect His disciples - He has been doing so for thousands of years.

No matter what they throw at you in this world, they can’t take heaven away from you, because Christ won it for you.

1 Peter 5:10–11 NASB95

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. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Peter's prayer

Explanation:

As Peter said earlier: 1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;”

The good news is the suffering will only be a little while, then

then God almighty will make you ready for heaven and fellowship with Him

Matthew Henry’s Commentary:

(Christ) would establish them against wavering, either in faith or duty, that he would strengthen those who were weak, and settle them upon Christ the foundation, so firmly that their union with him might be indissoluble and everlasting

Now that isn’t easy - no one can do it - except God

Matthew Henry’s Commentary. The perfecting, establishing, strengthening, and settling, of good people in grace, and their perseverance therein, is so difficult a work, that only the God of all grace can accomplish it; and therefore he is earnestly to be sought unto by continual prayer, and dependence upon his promises.

Application/Exhortation:

Be in church

Use the ordinary means of grace:

Read, study, listen to, study, share the God’s word

Pray often

Worship

Take the sacraments/ordinances

1 Peter 5:12–14 NASB95

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

Peter's Summary and greetings

Explanation:

Peter considered this message of utmost importance - that is why he sent his most trusted helper, Silas, to deliver it.

Silas and Mark were with Paul for much of his ministry - It may be when Paul was executed, they may have joined up with Peter

Application: Trusted friends are hard to come by.

Silas was with Paul through his last trip to Jerusalem - went through tough times

Mark had a disagreement with Paul, but came back to him when needed

This is the grace of God - this is a message from God, so it stands as a commandment

Urgency of this writing suggests Peter knew the end was near.

Argumentation:

Much of the teaching I've heard indicates that Peter was in Rome, and that Babylon was a kind of code word for Rome.

Peter was executed around AD 64-67. Some historians believe he used Babylon as code for Rome, because he did not want to provoke the Roman authorities.

RC tradition holds that Peter was the first Pope. RC sources advocate for Rome

Bottom line is that there is no authoritative information on where Peter or Paul were executed.

Application/Exhortation: In summary, Christ wanted you to know this, and Peter delivered His letter:

As God’s chosen, adopted children, God has formed us into a kingdom of priests. We are the kingdom of God

As Christians, we are the lively stones upon which the new Temple is built

The cornerstone is the Lord Jesus Christ - The kingdom is built on His foundation

God is calling out His people, and sanctifying them as they perform His will - completing the Kingdom

The path will not be easy/has not been. Satan and the world hate us, and will do what they can to destroy us. They don’t know the end, but we do.

When all of God’s people are called out, Christ will return, and we can look forward to joining Him in heaven. If He calls us home before then, we will still join Him

This project has taken 2000 years so far, and it will continue until all God’s people are saved.

Gospel Appeal

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Next week: 2 Peter

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