Long-Term Success and Survival
Notes
Transcript
Predators
Predators
I’m stacking firewood getting ready for winter.
3 cords delivered this week. 3 more next. I’ll have some left over, but better too much than not enough.
I had a little left over from last year. I’ve moved it around a couple of times to keep it out of the weather. Loaded w/ spider webs. I’m sure there are spiders in it.
Most spiders are good. Give them space and let them run.
In the spring, as I get near the end of my stack, I’m uncovering squirrel nests. Got to be a little careful reaching into the stack. What might be in there.
Squirrels bite and scratch.
But, we live in the forest. It’s beautiful. Comfortable. But, we moved into territory previously occupied by animals.
We have to watch and be alert for them.
Javelina. One spring morning a few years ago I went out early to turn the irrigation on in Sara’s garden and there was a big one, about 80 or 100 lbs, behind our house.
He scared me. I scared him. Gave him space and he ran off.
We’ve seen skunks a couple of times. By Tom’s house and at the Bracciale’s. The smell bad but they can also carry rabies.
I saw a gray fox a few days ago at dusk running across the street. We’ve seen coyotes. Less of a threat to us but they will take your pet. Having your dog on a leash in the forest is as much for its protection as other ppl.
Coyotes are smart. One will act lame and lure your dog out where the rest of the pack is waiting.
We’ve had raccoons on our deck. Jack goes nuts when he smells them or hears them. They’re cute but they can be rabid. They could mess your pet up.
I saw a bear on the golf course earlier this year. it ran by the 13th tee box and the 12th green down by the dam. Other golfers were closer. Bears are mostly after our trash. But, you don’t want corner him. If you corner him, his only opening is thru you, and he will take it. Life-threatening.
He doesn’t want to mess w/ you. But, if that’s the only option you give him, he’ll do it.
Somebody here in MP posted pictures of a mountain lion they got on their security camera at there cabin here. Every couple of years someone finds evidence of a big cat.
Those guys prowl at night. They want less to do w/ us than we do them. But again, don’t corner him. He’d rather tackle a little animal than you. But, if you are in the way of his only way out then he’ll do it.
I haven’t seen a timber rattle snake, yet. But when you’re out on the trails you have watch out for them. Watch where you step. Don’t pick up a rock anywhere in the forest or on your lot.
One college summer I worked on a cattle ranch, tagging cattle and baling hay in southern OK. The rancher said always watch where your foot is coming down on every step. Do not step on a rattle snake. You can step right next to one and he will leave you alone.
I was clearing brush by the road one day and something moved in the tall grass behind me. I nearly jumped out of my skin. I think I set a world record for standing long jump.
Over the ditch and back onto the road in one leap.
Turned out it was an armadillo. I’d never seen a live one before. I thought maybe they were just born dead on the side of the road. Gave him space and he ran off.. My heart settled down and I got back to work.
If you’re going to live here in MP, full-time, part-time, however long; you have to be alert for the wildlife that lives all around us.
B/C if you’re not, and you come across one that you’re not prepared for, you’re going to get hurt, or your pet will.
We’re coming to the end of 1 Peter. Last words always carry a little more significance.
These ppl were starting over. They had to get used to their new normal. They had lost a lot. But, opportunity was ahead of them.
Peter was instructing them for that moment in time and preparing them for the opportunities in their future.
Moving forward, not only was their opportunity for them, but there would be opportunities for those who do not want the church to succeed.
This is where we are still today.
Peter’s message in these last verses is, watch out and know where the predators might be, give them an opening to run away not an opening to attack, or else you will get hurt.
Advice for long-term success and survival for your church, marriage, community, and your own life.
To begin w/, we have to eliminate the biggest blinder we have that prevents us from seeing where the predators might be. When we don’t and they attack, we’re dead.
What’s the biggest blinder we have? Pride.
Being humble is what allows us to be alert and see where the dangers may lie.
Humble Yourself
Humble Yourself
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Pride is the biggest destroyer of everything important to you.
It doesn’t do it directly. But, it blinds you to the danger you’re in. And, nobody can walk in the dark w/out getting hurt.
Peter says, humble yourself. We do it to ourselves. It’s a choice.
But, if we don’t do it, God will do it for us.
Trust me, it always goes better when we do to ourselves.
God will introduce a situ where you have to submit and if you’re not used to doing it, it will hurt worse than it needs to.
How do we learn to humble ourselves? Submit. The Xian life is a life of submission. No one is the ultimate authority in their own life. Jesus is.
So, to humble ourselves under Jesus includes humbling ourselves under the human authority that Jesus has put in place over us.
He just wrote about elders in the church. Now, he speaks specifically to those who are younger and he commands that we submit to the elders in the church.
We. Remember, I was hired here because I’m young.
All relative.
Why single out the younger ppl? Maybe b/c when we are younger we are more likely to rebel against authority.
It’s amazing as I get older I get dumber. I know much more today about how much I don’t know than I ever did before.
So, when there are ppl in authority over me I must assume they know more about the decision they are making than the one side I do.
You may not like the decision that is made. But, it’s all of our responsibility to abide by the decisions the elders make.
Some of us live as if submission is rare. And the few times we have to we don’t like. But, no one is exempt from humble submission as followers of Jesus. It’s the norm, not the exception.
This should characterize all the relationships we have as Xians.
Clothe yourselves. Put on the clothes of the servant. Again, picture Jesus washing the nastiness off the feet of the disciples. Whatever decision the elders may make in this church or your church in the valley will not be as nasty as what Jesus washed off their feet.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself less.
Pride trusts in yourself and your own abilities
Always thinking you deserve better.
Pursuing your own advancement over others
Not thinking you need much grace.
Humility trusts God in all situations.
Believing you deserve nothing and are fortunate t/b blessed in any way.
Making God look good, making others look good, and not thinking at all about your own advancement.
Appreciating every bit of grace you get.
Humbling yourself before God means accepting every circumstance and situ as in the providence of God.
Nada happens outside of God’s control. So if you’re in a situ you don’t like, then your options are:
This must be outside of God’s control b/c He wouldn’t let this happen to ME. I deserve better.
Or, God is still in control, He is always and only good to me. But I live in a fallen world where some bad things just happen Or, sometimes ppl make bad decisions. Either way, there is good in this situ for me.
Entrust yourself entirely to God in every situ.
It may mean a temporary personal disadvantage to do so. But it always works out to your advantage in the long-term.
We don’t have to lift ourselves up. God will honor us in time.
There are too many situations we can’t life ourselves out of. But, God will.
This life or the next? Maybe and Definitely!
God may or may not change our circumstances to alleviate our anxiety. But He will alleviate our anxiety whether or not he changes our circumstances.
But, what’s required for that to happen is the humble acceptance of the situ we are in and belief that God only does what’s best for w/in each situ because He loves us.
Proper humility is attained by giving Him your anxiety. Holding onto it is believing you deserve better. And, believing that when you get what you think you deserve then all your anxiety will go away.
It never does.
We have to learn to rest and be content while poor or else we will never rest and be content when rich.
When I’m anxious, stressed, worried about me, I’m not thinking about you. I’m not thinking about anybody else.
I’m not doing anything for anybody else.
B/C, right now, it’s all about me.
Humility is thinking of yourself less.
Letting God have what’s worrying me frees me up to think of you.
When I’ve set my pride aside then I can see the dangers that lurk around me b/c my eyes are no longer focused on me.
And, in order to succeed and survive, for me, my marriage, my ministry, whatever; I have to be aware of the dangers and do everything I can to avoid them.
Once humble, stay alert and stay sober.
Eyes Wide Open
Eyes Wide Open
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
Sober means sound judgement. Aware of your surroundings.
I’ve had that conversation w/ my daughter whether she’s walking across her college campus or to her car at the shopping center. Be alert to your surroundings.
Walking thru the forest. God camo’d animals for their protection. But, it also conceals them from our protection.
There is a predator who can do much more damage than any mountain lion in the forest.
We have an enemy who is as alive as Jesus. He is on the prowl. If he can keep someone from being saved, he will. But if he loses someone to Christ then he will do everything he can to neuter him so he can’t reproduce any more Xians.
He will do it by ruining your life, ruining your marriage, ministry, family, finances, and whatever he can to preoccupy you so you’re little or no good to God.
The opp of being alert is a spiritual drowsiness. Unaware of the dangers that lurk.
It’s only ________________! What harm can a little do?
A little drunk. Or high.
A little flirting. Or 1-night stand.
A little lie.
A one-time thing
We have to understand the strategy of Satan. Rarely does he come directly at us w/ a full, frontal assault.
Almost always it’s a sneak attack by unsuspecting victims. And, he is vicious. He swallows his victims. He doesn’t nibble or nip like a puppy. he devours who he catches.
A couple of weeks ago, a friend here taught me to play cribbage. He’s been playing since he was a kid playing against his dad.
I was no match for him. I still don’t get the scoring or the strategy. I’ve got to play it to understand it. So I know what to do.
He killed me. Losing gets old. Either I quit or I learn how to win.
Is losing battles to Satan getting old? He’s smart. If we don’t understand his strategy we will keep losing and he will wreck our lives. It hurts.
Peter says here we can resist him. We don’t have to let him mess w/ us.
Resisting him requires standing firm in our faith, not on our own ability to fight back. If I think I can fight Satan and win then I am vulnerable and have given him an opening to take me out.
He wants you to believe you are all alone. Nobody likes you and nobody is like you. But that is not true.
Nobody is alone. We are all in this together. Every Xian around the world throughout history have been in his crosshairs more than once. We get it. We all do.
We don’t have to wait till heaven to win. We can win battles now against him. He does not have to destroy our marriages, careers, or any of it.
James 4 says if we resist him, he will flee from us.
Don’t corner him. That leaves his only option to go thru you. And if he goes thru you he will hurt you.
Don’t step on him.
Strategically, this is how you can confront o0ur enemy and win your battles.
Paul told us how in Eph. 6. Put on the full armor of God.
First, understand who the enemy isn’t.
Not flesh and blood.
Not your husband, not the cops, not Antifa, not BLM, Not Trump or Biden.
But, there are forces at work behind each of these that are either trying to destroy what’s good or build something good.
Don’t get caught fighting shadows and distractions.
Next, put these on.
Belt of truth.
The belt was used to tie up a soldiers skirt, kilt, or robe. Otherwise they’d trip over it.
Tell the truth. Always. Lies will trip you up and open the door for you enemy to attack you and take you out.
Breastplate of righteousness
Protect you heart by eradicating the desire to do things that create a distance between you and God.
Righteousness is a right, close rel. w/ Jesus. Stay close.
Shoes of the gospel.
Shoes take you places. When you go and do the things that Jesus has called you to go and do that promote the good news of his Salvation you are most protected.
But, when you are where you are not supposed t/b you are exposed to unnecessary danger.
Shield of faith.
Trust God deeply to protect you. Do not drop your shield as if you can protect yourself. Like wearing flip-flops thru snake-infested weeds instead of snake boots.
Helmet of Salvation
Wear the confidence and security that you are saved. No need to doubt or question when you believe and received Jesus as your Savior.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
There are 2 offensive weapons
Sword.
The Word of God. For you to study, memorize, quote, and know. Know what to expect of God and what He expects of you. Use it to know what His will is for you life.
Go and do those things and Satan can only nick you. He can’t take you out.
Prayer
God has already sent the answers to your prayers that He has prompted you to pray. When they arrive you will be blessed that He answered you.
Don’t pray what you want. Pray what He wants and it will happen.
Active, not passive. Stand your ground. Stand strong w/ the armor fully engaged and tightly fastened.
Then, you will never lose a battle.
There is still better news regarding the war. The war is already won.
We win!
We Win
We Win
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Whatever happens in the battles between now and the end, we win in the end!
Satan’s attacks are hard, they hurt but we can w/stand them and they won’t last long.
Whatever we lost to him will be more than made up for by God at the appropriate time. What we we get from God will last forever.
God called you to this. He will not abandon you in it.
That’s glory! Abundance awaits.
Don’t give up. Don’t quite. When this is over we will still be standing strong, rock steady.
God has the power to rule over a world where there is so much evil. His power will reign supreme forever and ever. Amen.
We win. Foregone conclusion. No matter what happens in the meantime.
Applications
Applications
Humility
Humility
Clothe yourself. It always goes better when we do this ourselves rather than making God do it to us.
Think of yourself less. Think less about what you want and more about what those around you want.
Submit to the authority in your life. Stop fighting the authority trying to get your own way.
We all submit. Nobody doesn’t. But rebellion is in our heart.
The root of that is believing you deserve better than you’re getting.
Part of clothing yourself is appreciating whatever you’ve got and finding the good in it.
Can you find the good even in the bad in your life?
Trust
Trust
Trust God entirely.
He is always and only good. Stop trying to do things on your own.
Do you think you deserve better than you have?
Better spouse, better house, better retirement, better position of leadership?
Is your greatest concern what you want, what you get, and what others think of you?
Do you need much grace? Afterall, it’s you.
Rather, do you realize you don’t deserve anything. But, God does for you b/c he loves you.
Your greatest concerns should be what others want and that God looks good.
Appreciate every little bit of grace you get.
Trust God, not in your own ability to manage your own life.
Armor
Armor
Which piece of the armor do you need to tighten up?
Belt of truth (lies)
Breastplate of righteousness (desires)
Shoes of the gospel (going and doing what God called you to)
Shield of faith (trusting in your own ability to fight off the fiery darts)
Helmet of Salvation (doubt you’re save? Confidence)
Sword (know, believe, apply the word of God)
Prayer (Hear God and pray back to Him what you hear)
Pick one and work on tightening it up.
This is 1 Peter. These are his last words. They carry more importance b/c Peter knew how we would struggle 2000 years later.
Put your pride away so it cannot blind you.
Watch out and know where the predators might be, give them an opening to run away not an opening to attack, or else you will get hurt.
Advice for long-term success and survival for your church, marriage, community, and your own life.
We can win every battle. But regardless of what happens in the battles. The war has already been won. By us.