Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Peter writes to believers in order to encourage them to yield to what God is doing in their lives amid their trials.

He reminded them in the beginning of the letter of their position in Christ and the hope they have.

He reminded them in light of that hope to endure persecution to live differently then their neighbors.

He pointed out to them that in the end they will realize their suffering was worth it because of their greater exaltation.

After speaking to them about how to conduct their lives and to think about their lives in various circumstances he calls them, and us to humility instead of pride.

to cast their cares on God rather than go it alone.

to be sober minded and on guard regarding temptations to turn from the Lord and to resist with steadfast faith.

That is what has to happen in our lives.

Four commands make what our response is to trouble clear.:

Humble yourself

The contrast between younger and Elder shows the latter is not referring to office, but age.

The Younger are to have a certain mindset towards those who are older, cf.

The word clothe/gird means to tie the knot, like the knot of a girdle.

Ἐγκομβωμα [Egkombōma] was the white scarf or apron of slaves.

It is quite probable that Peter here is thinking of what Jesus did (.) when he girded himself with a towel and taught the disciples, Peter in particular (.), the lesson of humility ().

Robertson, A. T. (1933).

Word Pictures in the New Testament ().

Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.

God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.

Example of course is Peter's own resistance to Jesus foot washing.

cf. and .

Pride/arrogance, pride in one's own being and work, shows resistance to God. bragging about what one has to those who don't have.

the opposite is humility, humble- one who is lowly, not pretentious, one who considers himself as nothing, lowly, servile.

He doesn't exalt himself as self important.

Paul reminds us of this in esp.

v.5 "let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus . .

."

v.6

Therefore, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God,

in order that He might exalt you in time.

The 'therefore' indicates this exhortation is based on v.5 the quote from

"Be humbled" that is passive, let yourself take on the mindset of humility under God's mighty hand.

Notice this is humbling under "the mighty hand of God." this is not something you can avoid or overcome in your own strength.

This is from God, the suffering you are undergoing is not primarily from the enemy or from your sin.

It is from God.

It is the pressure God puts you under.

You cannot get out from under the 'mighty hand of God' by your own strength or conniving.

You can't squirm enough to make God loose His grip on you.

The only thing that will get God to loosen his pressure on you is when you go in the direction He intends for you, - repentance? obedience?

surrender?

Think of , , as samples of a believer under the pressure of God, that was intended to humble David and bring him back to the Lord.

Now then, Allow yourself to be humbled.

Let him control, let Him direct your steps.

This concept was used in where Moses is told that Pharoah will not submit to the mighty hand of God.

He will resist it to the end.

That didn't work out too good for him and it will not for you neither.

The humbling process God uses is the persecution and suffering they were going through.

Peter is telling them to yield to the suffering, to submit to this discipline.

In other words, don't fight against it by trying to avoid it or finding your own way out of it.

How do we normally face these things?

with prayer for relief, leaving the church, leaving God, taking matters into our own hands through ignoring or neglecting the warning signs God has put in our way, as in friends telling us to quit our conduct or we will end up in ruin.

We

I go along not wanting to stir up strife by standing for the gospel.

If I feel threatened by what someone has said I might attack their character or be sarcastic toward them.

Some might run and hide to avoid the danger.

In the context the believer might deny the Lord by giving offering to Caesar.

Look at what Peter did after Christ was arrested.

Maybe try to cut off someone's ear (hypothetically).

Instead, we are called to allow the Lord to use the situation in our lives for His purposes to humble us.

What might that look like?

Searching the bible for comforting words from Him; prayer, asking the Lord to show us what He is trying to do in our lives.

In my own life the situation with my back injury helped me to: appreciate His sacrifice for me in enduring the physical pain; it helped me to regroup and reevaluate the place my horses held in my heart, as well as exercise, being in shape.

It helped me to focus more on His word, spending more time reading and studying, reevaluating or exposing sin in my life.

I know that I have grown over the last year as I dealt with pain, limited mobility, the loss of independence, .

But notice, if you do submit to God He will exalt you in due time, the right time. .

What does the word 'time' refer to?

Some suggest this refers to the end time in Heaven when the believer is glorified along with Christ.

Then all this suffering will be worth it.

You will be lifted up.

Others, think it refers to the right time as God sees it.

It is His choosing.

It may be in this life or it may be at the return of Christ.

Look at Paul, he and Silas are in jail because of their preaching Christ.

God lifts them up in the end, the Jailer tends their wounds and his household gets saved.

The officials are shamed when they release them from jail.

Or Peter when he is released from certain execution at night and returns to the believers hiding in their house.

But it might just look like your home going.

Rest assured, Peter means for the believers, that is you and me, to yield the pressure God puts on us through persecution knowing that in the end we will be exalted.

We will receive the reward for our faithfulness in the face of temptation to denounce Christ.

Merimna-cares doesn’t refer to cares in general.

Peter has a specific one in mind.

Interestingly he states all the care (singular).

He is not talking about partial care, but all the care.

Whatever it is that has got your care.

What is the situation he speaks of here?

Whatever it is that concerns you at the moment.

In the context it is submitting to whomever is over you at the time.

Whether it be the younger to the elder, or whatever.

Humbly submit as to God by casting your care/concern of the moment upon Him.

The word casting means to throw oneself into, to spring overboard, in the centurion made everyone jump overboard and swim to land.

This wasn't a touch your toe to the water to test it, this was an all in kind of experience.

If you want to learn to swim you have to jump in with both feet.

there can be no half way commitment.

When Judas threw the money into the temple, He couldn't get it back.

he didn't want it back.

In this case it is clear that is what you have to do.

You can't give God your cares for a second to see what He will do with them and then when he doesn't act in the way you think He should or as fast as you think He should you take it back.

No, that is to be double minded.

That is pride.

The ptc.