***** 1 peter 5:10-11

1 Peter 5:10–11 (NRSV)

10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.

Peter had instructed the church about the reality of the war. We face a real and powerful enemy. Because all the brethren in the world face the same sufferings we are to trust the Lord Jesus, pray for one another, and give praise to the Lord.

For 27 years Bob Kingsley hosted the “American Country Countdown.” When ABC didn’t renew Kingsley’s contract another Network picked up Kingsley and still today he hosts a weekly radio show “Kingsley’s top 40 Country Countdown.” Through the years Kingsley has counted down the biggest hits and told the stories behind those hits of the singers and songwriters. The forty biggest hits are the most popular, the most played, and the most requested.

Peter makes his most requested list to the Lord for the people of God. Peter moves from instructing the church to interceding for the church. Peter makes a request to the Lord for His work to go on in the lives of the church. A Pastor’s Wish for God’s People

◾ May a dying Savior’s love inspire you.

◾ May risen Savior’s power preserve you.

◾ May an ascended Savior’s blessing enrich you.

◾ May a constant Savior’s ministry aid you.

◾ May a living Savior’s word sanctify you.

◾ May a seated Savior’s acceptance rest you.

◾ May a faithful Savior’s grace empower you.

◾ May a present Savior’s presence cheer you.

◾ May a holy Savior’s indwelling mold you.

◾ May a joyful Savior’s joy strengthen you.

◾ May a powerful Savior’s Spirit use you.

◾ May a loving Savior’s yoke couple you.

◾ May a perfect Savior’s example allure you.

◾ May a coming Savior’s return attract you.

◾ May Christ Himself be all in all to you.

Prayer is the privilege of every born again Christian and we need to pray for one another that God’s work would be done for us and through us. Peter declared the praise for God from the church and the prayer to God for the church. As Christians we need to pray that the Lord’s work would be done in us, for us, and through us. Are we praying to God in difficult times? Are we praising God in the battle? Do we want to be mature in the faith, established in the faith, strengthened in the faith, and settled in our faith? This passage gives us some specifics about our prayer and praise for God.

I. The reality of the war (8–9)

II. The request for His work (10–11)

A. The grace of the Father: He called us (10a)

“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,”

Peter gives a word of encouragement to the church that was suffering afflictions and attacks from their adversary the devil.

The church has always and will suffer attacks until Jesus comes for us, but the good news is that we have the promise and power to resist the devil by being steadfast in the faith.

The suffering of the church is experienced by the whole brotherhood throughout the world. Peter shifts gears to close on a promising note. Peter lays down a godly example for every leader of the church and all the laity of the church. We need to pray for God’s people that God’s work would be done in God’s way. Peter was praying by faith believing that God would do His work in the people of God because He is the God of all grace. Peter gives a word about the grace of the Father. What a description of our Great God! He is the God of all grace.

→ God has the grace to save us, sustain us, strengthen us, and secure us.

Speaking of the God of all grace F.B. Meyer wrote, “Illuminating grace for the seeker; justifying grace for the believer; comforting grace for the bereaved and sorrowful; strengthening grace for the weak and downtrodden; sanctifying grace for the unholy; living grace, and dying grace.” Have you experience the true grace of God? Do you know the God of all grace?

John Phillips wrote, “God’s grace provides strength enough for every situation—grace for living and grace for dying, grace to deal with the penalty of sin and grace to overcome the power of sin, grace to face persecution and grace to forgive the persecutor, grace to see us through and grace to get us home.”

If you’ve walked with Jesus and live for Jesus any time you know His grace is sufficient. The apostle Paul knew personally of the sufficiency of the grace of God.

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 says, “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Peter encourages these saints by reminding them that God is the God of all grace. Peter didn’t deny or diminish the afflictions and sufferings that the saints were facing, but he magnified the grace of God to see them through.

In his book “Captured by Grace,” David Jeremiah wrote, “Compare our Lord to the gods of all the world’s religions and you’ll find that grace is the difference maker. It is the x-factor that radically sets Him apart. Our God is “the God of all grace”. He is kind, benevolent, and longsuffering. We need not beg Him, bribe Him, or appease Him. He actually longs to bless us every single moment, every single day. He comes down to us rather than demanding that we climb the impossible ladder to infinity to reach Him. Grace is God taking the initiative.”

The grace of the Father is sufficient. Peter reminds the believers that it is the God of all grace Who by that grace has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus. God has called us to Himself by His Son! Called: kaleo, kal-eh’-o; to “call” bid, call (forth), (whose, whose sur-) name (was [called]). Kenneth Wuest said, “The word “called” in its Greek usage means more than an invitation. It is a divine summons.”

There are times that people receive a summons to appear on a jury for a trial. They receive this mandate which gives the date and place that they must be. We are not picked to serve on a jury because of our looks, because of our wisdom, because of our social standing, because of our jobs. There is nothing in us that specifically makes the state summons us to serve on a jury. Unlike jury duty, where those who are called must meet certain criteria, God calls by His grace those who can never meet His standards. We can never be rejected from heaven once we’ve been called by grace.

Romans 11:29 says, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

In verse 10 Peter proceeds to remind the church Who called them, where He called them, and by Whom He called them. The Bible says, “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,” The Lord has called us to His eternal glory! Eternal: aionios, ahee-o’-nee-os; perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well) eternal, for-ever, everlasting, world (began). God has called us to His eternal, forever, without end glory.

The eternal glory of God which Peter speaks of us the Lord’s unending, unfading, and unfathomable presence.

We sometimes refer to heaven as glory and that is a Biblical term for heaven. God has called us by His grace to be with Him forever in glory. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God! We are going to heaven by the grace of God; we are going to be in the very presence of our Maker because of His grace. The Scripture would have encouraged those suffering saints to be faithful to Jesus. This Scripture is still encouraging saints today. We need to emphasize what the word of God is teaching here. It is by Christ Jesus and Him alone that God calls sinners to be saved and gives them eternal life.

◾ There is no other: no other: no otherthat can save a lost sinner.

◾ Peter reminds those saints that they are suffering for their faith in the Lord Jesus and it is by the Lord Jesus that they have been called to trust in and they would one day be in eternal glory with God the Father.

◾ Jesus said in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

◾ John 14:6 Jesus declares, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

It is the grace of the Father that calls us and He calls us by His only begotten Son. Have you been called by the grace of God? Do you know the Son of God? We’ve been called to eternal glory by Christ Jesus. In verse 10 we’ve seen the grace of the Father: He has called us.

B. The grounding in the faith: He consecrates us (10b)

“after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

Peter makes a prayer for the saints of God and he also makes a promise to the saints of God. We need to pray that the work of God will be carried out in our lives. We need to pray that we would be grounded in the faith and that we would live for the glory of the Father. It is the Lord’s work in us that makes the difference! In one sense we understand that God is going to do these things for us when He takes us home to eternal glory! Peter gives a word of hope and encouragement to the saints who were suffering.

Peter reminds them that suffering is not forever, but glory is forever. “After you have suffered a while,” reminds me that God is aware of where we are and what we are going through.

◾ This word tells us that God allows His saints to suffer for their faith at times.

This word also tells me that God is in control because He is in control and He can deliver us from suffering. While: oligos, ol-ee’-gos; puny (in extent, degree, number, duration or value); especially neuter (adverb) somewhat:-+ almost, brief [-ly], few, (a) little, + long, a season, short, small, a while. This word was to comfort the saints by letting them know that the suffering was just for a season. There is an end to all suffering! Compared to eternity all the suffering on this side is just “a while.” Suffering is for a while, but the grace of God and glory of God will last forever.

Johnny Hunt reminds us that, “Suffering in the will of God accomplishes the purposes of God.”

When saints suffer for their faith and in their faith they look for God in their sufferings, trust in God through their sufferings, and glorify God by their sufferings. Peter was reminding the saints that God cares for them and He is going to take care of them. By faith we can look to the Lord in times of affliction.

Psalm 121 says, “A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.”

The grace of God calls us and the Son of God saves us and then He grows us in the faith. It is the Lord Jesus that calls us and consecrates us. We are set apart and built up in the faith by our Lord. When we pray for one another may we pray that God would do a work in us so that we would be grounded in our faith!

Peter uses four words to describe the work of God in the life of the believers. It was the prayer of Peter that the suffering saints would be made perfect, established, strengthened, and settled. This must have been a model for Lancelot Andrews who prayed thus for himself:

Be Lord, within me to strengthen me,

Without me to guard me,

Over me to shelter me,

Beneath me to establish me,

Before me to guide me,

After me to forward me,

Round me to secure me.

It is God the Father through Christ Jesus the Lord who does this work in us. Perfect: (KJV: make you perfect) katartizo, kat-ar-tid’-zo; to complete thoroughly, i.e. repair (literal or figurative) or adjust:-fit, frame, mend, (make) perfect (-ly join together), prepare, restore. This word speaks of maturity in the faith!

◾ Many people grow old and never grow up in the faith.

◾ God’s will for His saints is that we grow up as we grow older in the Lord.

God is going to do this for us one day. We will be perfect and complete, lacking nothing in glory, but until then we need to press on in the faith and allow God to do His work in us. The church today is in dire need of men and women that are mature in the faith and are allowing the Lord Jesus to work in them. The world needs to see mature saints that will not turn away, fall away, deny the faith, or compromise with evil. Are you being made perfect by Christ Jesus? Are you growing in the faith? Are you growing in your worship, in your witness and in your work for the Lord Jesus Christ?

Romans 8:28–29 says, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, the He also glorified.”

It was by the will of God that any of us are saved! It is by the call of God that we are born again and it is the will of God that we be conformed to the image of His Son. That means that it is the will of God that we be made like His Son. God’s will is for us to grow in our faith and mature as Christians and reflect the love, character, etc. of the Lord Jesus.

Peter prayed that the Lord Jesus would perfect the saints and he also prayed that the Lord Jesus would establish the saints. We are to be established in the faith. We are to be grounded in what we believe and why we believe. Established: (KJV: stablish) sterizo, stay-rid’-zo; to set fast, i.e. (literal) to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or (figurative) to confirm:-fix. God’s will is for His saints to be resolute in their faith and steadfast and sound in their faith. So many today jump from one church to another; one doctrine to another; and there is no consistency. So many false teachers mix the lies with the truth; dilute the truth and some flat out deny the truth.

Peter was praying for the saints that they would be established in the faith by the Lord Jesus. Under the intense persecution that the Christians in Asia Minor were going through it would have been a daily temptation to fall away, give up, give in, and give out! We need to pray for one another that we would be established in the faith. May it be our prayer to pray for each other that we would all be established in the faith! It is God that calls us and it is God that consecrates us!

Peter prayed that the Lord Jesus would perfect, establish, and strengthen the believers. Strengthen: sthenoo, sthen-o’-o; bodily vigor; to strengthen, i.e. (figurative) confirm (in spiritual knowledge and power) strengthen. This word means “to fill with strength.” God will infuse us with strength:

• to face the daily trials,

• the wisdom to make the right decisions,

• the courage to proclaim His word,

• the love to care for those in need.

God will give us strength from on high to accomplish His work. God will equip us and empower us to do His work! It is as we suffer affliction that our faith is developed and that we learn to depend on the Lord Jesus completely. William Barclay wrote, “We never really know what our faith means to us until it has been tried in the furnace of affliction. There is something doubly precious about a faith which has come victoriously through pain and sorrow and disappointment. The wind will extinguish a weak flame, but it will fan a strong flame into a still greater blaze. So it is with faith.”

God wants every believer to be grounded in the faith. We need to pray that every believer would be consecrated to the Lord for His glory. Peter also prays that the Lord would settle them! We need to pray for one another that we the Lord Jesus would perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. Settle: themelioo, them-el-ee-o’-o; to lay a basis for, i.e. (literal) erect, or (figurative) consolidate:-(lay the) found (-ation), ground, settle. It is the Lord Jesus that settles us on the firm foundation in Him. He is the One we trust; the One who has saved us and secures us and settles us. The church of Jesus Christ needs the God of all grace to settle us that we may know Him, that we may be assured of His promises; that we may be settled in our faith. There are people, problems, pain, and persecutions that will try to unsettle us.

• Friends may turn away;

• family may push you away,

• jobs may end,

• health may diminish,

• bill collectors may call,

• etc.… all of these things could be unsettling,

• but for the child of God they have their faith in the Lord Jesus.

We have learned by faith to cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us. Peter makes a great prayer for God’s people. It is the Lord’s will that we be perfect, established, strengthened and settled. We’ve learned about the grace of the Father: He called us. We’ve learned about the grounding in the faith: He consecrates us. Lastly we see:

C. The glory forever: He is celebrated by us (11)

“To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Peter moves from the prayer to God for the church to praise for God from the church. Peter has a spell thinking about the grace and goodness of God. He gets excited about the will and the work of God for the saints. He breaks out into praise for the One who deserves all praise. It is the Lord Jesus who is worthy of all glory and dominion forever and the church said, “AMEN.” I believe the church would have joined in with Peter in praising the Lord. As a matter of fact we should be ready, willing, and able to praise the Lord Jesus anytime and anywhere. He deserves all the glory all the time! Glory: doxa, dox’-ah; glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative, object or subject):-dignity, glory (-ious), honor, praise, worship. Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Whatever begins with God’s grace will always lead to God’s glory.” Psalm 84:11 says, “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Dominion: kratos, krat’-os; vigor [“great”] (literal or figurative) dominion, might [-ily], power, strength. The Lord Jesus has all power and might to rule and reign.

• He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

• We are to give Him praise for Who He is!

• We are to give Him praise for what He has done!

The Lord Jesus is worthy of praise because He has all power and dominion forever and ever. There is no one who can match Him, there is none like Him, no one can steal His glory; His dominion will not diminish. The glory is forever and ever. Amen! His glory and dominion is unfading and unfaltering. God has called us by His grace to His eternal glory! We will behold Him one day because we have trusted in His only begotten Son. We will worship Him unhindered in heaven.