1 Peter - Part 30 - 5:5-11 - 9-24-2017

Humility

Last time in 1 Peter we starting talking about the structure and function of the church. We talked about church leadership and how if a body of believers wants to have more than just a get together, that they must leaders. A church is more than just gathered believers - there is structure and substance, there are people leading and training leaders and people submitting to that leadership. We talked about what this leadership looks like, that God ordains that the church have elders who are the leaders of the church, they are the spiritual oversight and the ones making decisions that benefit the body and glorify Christ. The deacons while not leaders in the sense of decision making and spiritual oversight are servant leaders doing what they are charged with by the elders to serve the church. The deacons are living examples of Christ-like behavior which people can model their behavior after. The church needs both elders and deacons to function both biblically and properly. But the church is more than just elders and deacons. The church is also made up of members who are in submission to the spiritual oversight of the elders of the church. This is what we’re going to focus on in our text today. And so Father as we approach 1 Peter today we ask for the Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us. We ask that He will help enlighten our understanding and help us to learn to conduct ourselves in the Biblical pattern for congregation life which we see here. Help us as we learn to be the body you command us to be. May we become a humble, loving, committed, strong community who glorifies you in word and deed. In Jesus name we ask this - Amen.

1 Peter 5:5–11 ESV

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 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. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

In our text today Peter shifts focus a little bit while still staying within the broad topics of Christian behavior and congregational life. While last time we saw what he has to say to the elders, this time we’re going to see what he has to say to the rest of the congregation.

Peter says to us, you who are younger, meaning everyone who is not an elder. In this context this phrase doesn’t mean just the young people need to be subject to church leadership - that would be foolish. Rather Peter is using a common way of speaking to communicate that everyone who is not an elder in the church needs to be subject to the elders. No exceptions, this is not optional. You don’t get to call yourself a part of the church if you aren’t willing to function in the way God commands for the church to function. I’ve encountered a whole lot of people over the years that say I believe in Jesus, but they won’t come to church or be subject to the elders of the church. They either don’t like the organizational structure or they don’t like the idea that they have to submit to leadership other than themselves. Either way when I hear them say such things I wonder do you really believe in Jesus? Do you really love Him? Because Jesus said that the one who loves Him is the one who does what He commands. And Jesus has commanded not only the assembly of the believers but also the structure for that assembly. If you don’t like the way Jesus setup shop I’m here to warn you that telling God He’s wrong is never a good idea and your should repent quickly.

We don’t like idea about being subject to an outside authority, ever since the days of the enlightenment people have become more and more obsessed with the idea of free functioning autonomy. You can’t tell me what to do, you can’t tell me what to think, you can’t teach me, you can’t lead me, you can’t rebuke me, and you can’t tell me I’m wrong. We have this utterly rebellious attitude that refuses to be lead. We think I know better, I can do better, I am better - I don’t need to submit to anyone. Our culture has embraced the idea of human autonomy to the extreme and we have every type of unbiblical autonomous worldview from secular humanism right down to newbie on the scene - feminism. But here’s the thing folks you aren’t autonomous, nor were you every made to be. Not only does God create us all to exist in community, to have communion with Him, but also to exist in community with one another. We are designed to function together and without the pattern for the church that God commands, bad things happen - to individuals, to the local church, and even to the church as a whole throughout the world.

Don’t get me wrong - it isn’t easy sometimes. Peter himself says that in order to live like this we will need to clothe ourselves with humility. We need to be humble people, we need, each of us as individuals to recognize - I’m not always right. I can’t do everything on my own. I don’t know everything. I need good teaching. I need people to point out when I’m wrong. I need people to encourage me when I’m hurting. It takes humility to recognize these truths and live in light of them. My friends we must put our hubris to death or we will not survive. It’s a tall order, but our God has conquered even death and Hell and is more than capable of making us humble. My prayer is that it is a gentle humbling and not because of our rebellion a sudden humiliation that teaches us humility. God does indeed work in both ways, giving good gifts to those who ask and bringing deserved judgment upon the unrepentantly proud. Don’t be the latter.

And Peter says that if we will humble ourselves, by the might of God, we will one day be exalted. We don’t really know the full details of this exultation - it could be a reference to the future expectation of glory in the life that is coming after this one, our resurrection and new eternal life or it could that God has an earthly exultation in mind, or it could be both. Peter doesn’t give us much detail, but based upon what he says just a few verses further I tend to think this is a future expectation of the eternal life.

Peter once again warns us to be sober-minded, he seems awfully concerned with this issue. And rightfully so. As human beings we tend to drift towards ejection from our problems rather than engaging with our problems. We like to self-medicate by tuning out or zoning out, we like to numb our brains with all kinds of things - whether that be abusing God’s gifts like alcohol or prescription medication or simply just pretending that the real world doesn’t exist for a while by living in a digital one through our computer and TV screens. But we are called to sober-mindedness. And while Peter is reiterating a point he’s already made, he gives us a little bit different emphasis about why this time. Peter says we should be sober-minded because we are being hunted. He says watch out because our adversary the devil is on the prowl like a lion, seeking whom he will devour.

Do you know how a lion hunts? It’s actually very fascinating to watch. Lions are opportunists, they don’t like to run, and even when they do they can’t maintain speed for very long. Oh don’t misunderstand you don’t want to try to out sprint a lion - a full grown lion can reach speeds of up to 50mph. But a lion cannot maintain that speed for more than a few seconds. No lions, lions don’t like to chase their prey, they like to stalk it. Lions like to slowly and silently slink through the grass watching their prey. They are incredibly patient hunters who will remain perfectly still for long periods of time, hiding in plain sight of their quarry, until they wander just a little to close and then WHAM! It’s got em. Lions also like to hide near where they know their prey will be - like near water sources and rather than stalking their prey they let it come right to them. Lions are devious, crafting, intelligent, and patient - everything you don’t want your adversary to be, yet this is exactly what Peter compares our adversary the devil to. My friends we must be ever vigilant and ever on our guard against the attacks of Satan and his agents.

But Peter gives us some encouragement. Just like lions Satan doesn’t like strong, alert, combative prey. He’s an opportunist. Peter says that we can resist him, if we will be firm in our faith. If we will resolve ourselves to trust our lord than Satan, as James so aptly put it in his letter, will flee from us.

As Peter begins closing his letter he once again reminds believers that they are never alone in their sufferings, that Christ knows what it is to suffer and that in fact we have brethren throughout the world suffering. But Peter says to hang on, to hold on, to hold fast to our faith, to trust in Jesus and that when we do the God of all grace will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. What a wonderful hope for the future that is my friends. God Himself is not only our refuge in times of trouble but will one day be our healer from every harm. To him be all glory forever and ever - Let us pray.

PRAYER

Invitation