Deeply Rooted in God's Word

Introduction

We are at the last sermon for our study through 1 Peter. It has been a long road, but hopefully a good and challenging one. We will be studying 5:8-11 today, but in order before we get into that passage I would like to make a few short remarks concerning verses 12-13. Now the first thing we notice is the use of a secretary that wrote down what Peter said. This secretary goes by the name Silvanus. The name Silvanus is the proper name for Silas, who accompanied Paul on his secondary missionary journey. We first meet him in Acts 15:22, as he and Barnabas bring the letter from the Jerusalem Council.

The other name you see is Peter’s “son” Mark. Not Peter’s real son but in the same sense as Paul thought of Timothy as his son in the faith. His full name was John Mark. Mark is related to Barnabas, and went along with Barnabas and Paul on their first missionary trip (Acts 13:13, under the name of John) This Mark went on to write the Gospel of Mark and the inclusion of his Gospel into scripture is primarily due to his close association to the Apostle Peter.

Babylon here is code talk for Rome, which is the same for Babylon’s mention in Revelation. You can look that up when you get home.

Another interesting note is that Peter wrote this letter as an encouragement to the Believers, as well as testimony to God’s grace even in the most difficult times. This he calls God’s true grace. The grace that surpasses all our understanding to work through the schemes of the world and the suffering of His people.

Let me pray.

Peter wrote this letter to instill hope to persecuted Believers in Asia Minor, Modern Turkey. And he writes knowing how hard it is to stay steadfast in the Faith. He had gone through difficult trials. Some with success and others in utter failure. With this in mind Peter begins His first letter by placing our salvation solely in the hands of God. 1 Peter 1:2 says, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Going on, Peter then lifts the Believers out of their circumstances telling His readers that their hope is in what Christ is going to give us at the end of time. This hope is eternal life, which is incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading.

This is not the end of the story, though. Peter goes on to urge every Believer to live holy lives. In does not matter whether we are inside the church or interacting with people outside the church. Our conduct is to be one of servanthood, obedience. There is a time and place for disobedience to the powers over us in the world. If the world commands us to do something that God forbids, then we are not to submit. If the world commands us to not do something that God commands, Again, we do not submit. In either case God trumps the world. We live in accord with our new birth, under Christ’s rule. His rules can be found in our Bible. Along with this Peter explains that since our master is God, the world will be frustrated with God’s moral standards we live by. Not only frustration but a strong possibility persecution.

Fear not, says Peter, God is still in control of the entire cosmos, and the persecution you go through now is God’s purifying fire. God’s fire cleanses us of our impurities, our sins. In 1 Peter 4:19 Peter says that we suffer according to the will of God, and we should entrust our souls to Him in doing good, because He is a faithful Creator.There will be pain and suffering because God is cleansing us of things we hold very dear to our heart.

In this last section, Peter puts all the opposition we have in the world comes ultimately from the devil. Just as God is pure good, so the devil is pure evil. He is not God, though, so we do not have to fear him. We fear the One who sits on the eternal throne, God alone. And so that is where Peter finishes his letter. In great doxology to God the Sovereign, Mighty, King.

The Enemy is Real

Guard Duty

After submitting to God’s authority over our lives, letting go of our self importance, we are then commanded to action. 1 Peter 5:8, Be sober, be vigilant. In rapid procession, Peter gives the ongoing duty or every Believer. Peter made reference to being sober way back in 1 Peter 1:13, and now references it one last time to bring home its seriousness. Sober is simply the opposite of drunkenness. It is used here, as in most other New Testament usages, figuratively. Peter is making the point that Christians are to be clear headed and balanced when living in and among the world. It requires us discipline our mind, so that we can avoid the passions and desires that pull us away from God. John says it this way in 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. Why? Because the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. God’s kingdom is an eternal kingdom. One that can not be corrupted, defiled, nor fade away.

In addition to a sober life, we are also commanded to be vigilant. Jesus commanded His disciples to be watchful because no one knows when He will return. This is the point to the ten virgins, in Matthew 25:1-13. None of the virgins knew when the Bridegroom was coming, and only the five who were watching, who were sober and vigilant, entered the wedding feast. I heard a profound question this week. I don’t remember who said it but I am going to pose this question to you. How many here expect Christ to return this afternoon? We all should be vigilantly waiting for the Master to return, for He can come back at any moment.

Here in 1 Peter 5, though, we are urged to be vigilant like watchmen in the tower, Looking out for signs of the enemy advancing. Christians are not to become lazy, or indifferent to the reality of Satan. Instead, be alert and ready. In Ephesians 6, Paul gives us a beautiful picture of a Roman soldier geared up and ready for onslaught. This is how we are to be sober and vigilant.

The devil

We are told to be sober and vigilant, 1 Peter 5:8, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Many believe the devil to be a myth, made up to scare children, or make Him out to be God’s equal. The devil is real, but he is just a creature, a created spirit being. The image of the lion as a terrible beast can be traced through the Bible. The most popular story is where Daniel spent the night caged up with hungry lions, though in this case the angels kept them at bay. The devil does not need to sleep, but continually prowls his domain. Job 1:6-7 demonstrate the devil prowling the earth, which doesn’t come right out and tell us that Satan is causing trouble, but I think it is implied when God’s asks Satan whether he has considered Job. That same passage in Job 1, also demonstrates that Satan can only do what God allows him to do. God keeps him on a leash.

Peter represents the devil as a roaring lion. A roaring lion is not stealthy and you can hear their roar up to 8 km away. Peter is explaining that all their trials and suffering is ultimately caused by the devil, who is the master of all who do not follow Christ. The devil, though, cannot make anyone do something against their will. Rather, he uses human agents to do great harm upon the elect, and he uses many different tactics. One of his greatest tactics is to distort and twist God’s Word. Biblical teaching and theology. He is far superior to us, in intelligence and power, however he does not even come close to challenge God. And he is always looking at ways to devour, or destroy, the children of God. Always. This is why Peter emphasizes sobriety and vigilance.

Firm Resistance

1 Peter 5:9, Resist him, steadfast in the faith. When we are sober and vigilant, we are in a better place to resist him. Resist means to stand against, or to withstand. We stand against the devil, not by binding him ourselves, but by being steadfast in our faith. To be steadfast in our faith means that we have a solid faith. This faith isn’t airy fairy. It isn’t how I feel. It is knowing and obeying God through His revealed Word. The only way to get a Steadfast faith is to deepen our knowledge of God’s Word, prayerfully read it, and then do what it says. We are called to hold fast to the promises written in God’s Word, especially when the attacks are fierce and overwhelming. The Holy Spirit plants our roots down deep and with a strong relationship with God, we are able to stand-fast in the Faith.

Consolation

1 Peter 5:9, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. It is always encouraging to know that we are not going through this alone. Peter is assuring the Church that the devil is attacking Believers all over the world. And Believers all over the world are sober, vigilant, resisting the devil, steadfast in the faith. We cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and He fortifies us to stay true to God, helps us resist the temptations of the devil.

The word world in the New Testament has a few different meanings. Peter’s uses world to refer to the Roman Empire. In the same way and similar style, Believers all over the Roman Empire were experiencing fiery trials and suffering specifically because they have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are also joined with our persecuted brothers and sisters through prayer. We pray for God to fortify them against the devil’s onslaught. We pray that through their afflictions, The Gospel of Jesus Christ will be clearly seen. The devil desires that we take our eyes off Christ and on ourselves. To take the joy of salvation away from us, that we might wallow in despair, and the name of God be forgotten. But God uses the devil’s evil deeds to bring us closer to our Savior, grow in our dependence on Him. Believers are united in our sufferings and trials. Instead of division, God brings joy.

God is the Champion

The Son’s Work

1 Peter 5:10, But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus. Peter begins by praising God as the sole possessor and giver of all grace. At the same time he qualifies what grace he is speaking of. This is the grace of calling His people to His eternal kingdom, the New earth. God plays for keeps and so we can have full assurance in the God who foreknew us, sprinkled us with the blood of Jesus Christ, and is sanctifying us by the Holy Spirit for obedience, will grace us with eternal life. Paul encourages the Philippian Church in Philippians 1:6, saying, He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. God’s work of sanctification, making us holy, is only completed when Jesus returns and takes us home with Him.

If faith is trusting God in the present. Hope is trusting God for the future, and this is what we hope in. We trust the same God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead will raise us up to on the last day.

Overseeing all that the devil does is God’s sovereignty. Rom 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God. God uses the good times and especially the bad times for the purpose of accomplishing His perfect work in our lives. Growing in holiness, sanctification. Nothing we go through in this life is ever in vain. Though at times it may feel it. Everything happens for the good of those who love God. Notice how God works is not for every person in the world, but only for those whom Jesus redeems.

The Holy Spirit’s Work

1 Peter 5:10, But may the God of all grace...after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. Verse 10-11 are a benediction, which blesses God for who He is and what He has done, is doing, and will do for the Believers. We may go through all kinds of pain and suffering in this life. We may find those we love turn against us because of our Faith. God’s grace is so much more than any pain and misery we will ever face on earth. We all suffer in different ways. God is perfecting us through it all, establishes us upon the steadfast ground, strengthens us for the battle, and settles us in His loving arms.

Adoration

1 Peter 5:11, To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Dominion refers to the exercising of power and strength. We stand under God’s protective wings and so have nothing to fear from man or the devil. God brings us to faith, brings us through trials, temptations, and suffering, And it is God who brings us to glory. All this is done through the finished work of Christ our savior and in the power of the Holy Ghost.

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