Sanctuary of Peace

War is a great evil caused by the sinfulness of humanity. Most people don’t want war, yet sometimes war must be fought, especially to defend the innocent. My heart is burdened for all those in Ukraine who are suffering from the oppression of the Russian government and army, and I pray daily for justice and judgement: justice for the innocent and judgment for the wicked who are driving this war. But what I also long for along with millions across the world is for peace from all this suffering. I don’t know for sure because I’ve never been in the thick of battle and its destruction, but from what I’ve read and seen in the news, those who are fighting and suffering ultimately want peace.

What is playing out on the world stage in Ukraine is an accurate picture of desire of the follower of Jesus who is feeling the oppression of worldliness and experiencing trials and suffering because of their faith. When you are in the thick of suffering, your soul longs for peace…for the time and place where suffering and pain don’t exist. We know that time to be when Jesus comes again and that place is called heaven. Heaven may seem like a far way off when we are suffering now but God has not left us without hope. In fact, God has designed a specific place where Christians can come to experience a taste of the peace that is to come. That place is called church.

Today’s text

Throughout the book of 1 Peter, the Apostle Peter has discussed Christian suffering in great detail. Just last week we studied the text of 1 Peter 4:12-19 and saw how God uses the suffering caused by our own sinfulness to purify us of sin so that we may experience the fullness of his glory forever!

But in chapter 5, a transition is made. Based on all he has said about suffering and trusting God who redeems suffering, Peter now directs his focus to the church body by first addressing the elders, then the congregation, and then everyone.

Instructions for the Church

Peter first addresses the church elders who are the spiritual leaders of the church. The equivalent nowadays would be Pastors, Bishops, Priests, Cardinals, elders, and deacons. According to Peter, elders are to care selflessly for the people in their charge. This selfless care is demonstrated in at least three ways.

Instructions to elders

First, elders are to lead willingly and not under compulsion. No person should ever take a position of leadership if he is being forced into it or feels like he is being forced. Whenever people are forced into a position, their hearts are never fully engaged and that is so important if someone is going to be a spiritual leader of God’s people. Rather, people must lead and serve with a willingness to be used by God as his tool for his purposes.

Second, leaders of the church must never be motivated by greed or any form of personal and selfish gain. To shepherd the flock of God as a means to selfish gain is pure wickedness. No one should ever even THINK about using the brokenness and vulnerability of God’s children to line their pockets or rise to power. Instead, church leaders should be eager with a joyful readiness to love and serve no matter the cost.

Finally, elders should never demand loyalty and obedience and force others to do their will. Those leaders act as if they were God himself. Instead, leaders must lead by example. Leading by example puts heart change into the hands of God whom we trust to make the necessary changes in a person as he sees fit.

Instruction to the congregation

Having instructed the church leadership, Peter turns to the church congregation with his instruction in verse 5 to submit to the elders.

In the text, Peter literally says “you who are youthful be subject to the elders.” I imagine there may have been some problems with the youth submitting to the leaders of the church who were likely older people. However, the application is for all people and circumstances, whether it’s young people and older leadership or older people and younger leadership. The point is that ALL Christians should submit to the godly and selfless pastoral leadership of their church. Peter discussed submission quite thoroughly in chapter 2 and 3 and so we know that it is God’s will for us to submit to those in authority over us, even if they are not the perfect leaders and people. This submission pleases God.

Instruction to everyone

Bu Peter doesn’t end there. In the second half of verse 5, Peter address everyone in the church and instructs everyone to be humble toward one another. We are to treat one another as more significant than ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4) and we are to serve one another (John 13:14-15). By our humility toward one another we will avoid opposition from God! Pride is the root of all sin for it’s pride that says “I’m better than God.” As the proverb goes, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) And as another proverb goes, “God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble.” (Proverbs 3:34) But if we are to live with humility toward one another, we must also live with humility toward God.

Without exception, everyone is to be humble before God. God directly and harshly opposes the proud and so if we want to experience the grace and blessing of God in our lives, humility is the way to go. We must put to death our pride regardless of position. We must also put to death the idea that we can take care of ourselves and instead give to God all of the fear, worry, anxiety, and problems we face. We need God. We need his Spirit in us. We are completely dependent on God’s daily grace and should live like we believe that to be true, and as a mother takes care of her dependent baby, so does God take care of us.

To sum up Peter’s teaching, leaders are to care selflessly for their congregations, congregations are to submit to the godly leadership of their church, and everyone should have humility toward one another and especially toward God.

A Sanctuary of Peace

Consider for a moment what a church would be like if its leaders were selfless and godly, and the congregation willingly submitted to their leaders, and everyone put to death pride and lived with humility... That church would be a piece of heaven on earth! And I think that’s exactly what Peter wants.

With the previous context being Christian suffering in the world for the sake of Christ, Peter does not want Christians to cause one another suffering. Instead, Peter wants the church to be a sanctuary of peace from the suffering endured in the world and a place where believers come together and experience the peace of God and a piece of heaven here on earth. By no means will any church be perfect, and by no means does this mean the church should only be a place for people who have it all together. But as the gathering of Christ followers, the heart’s desire of every church should be to become more like Christ by following his example and that’s exactly what Peter instructs:

Jesus was a selfless leader who willingly came to earth to die for the forgiveness of sins (John 10:17-19), who served readily and without concern for personal gain (Matthew 16:25), and who led by example of his service (John 13:14-15) Furthermore, Jesus submitted to the spiritual authority of his Father (John 6:38, 7:28-29), and humbled himself before the whole world (Philippians 2:8).

When the body of Christ follows the example of Jesus, those who sin are grieved in their spirits and confess their sin and seek repentance. When the body of Christ follows the example of Jesus, failure is met with grace and restoration with truth. When the body of Christ follows the example of Jesus, they rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. When the body of Christ follows the example of Jesus, the church will be a sanctuary of peace for the tired and weary soul.

Is it even possible for a church to be like this? YES! A thousand times, YES! By the power of the Spirit of God within those who belong to Christ we are being led together to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus. It is my desire that we here in the Church of Blodgett Mills humble ourselves, submit, and lead selflessly in such a way that every person who walks through those doors feels like they are walking into the outskirts of heaven itself. It will be a painful journey as God purifies us and brings us conviction through his word. Great sacrifices will need to be made but it will certainly all be worth it, for not only will it result in a church with an unstoppable witness for Christ, but also because God promises in the text that he will glorify all those who live the example of Jesus. The faithful in Christ will receive the crown of glory and all the humble will be exalted by God himself. (1 Peter 5:4,6)

But until that day of glory comes, may we each work individually and together to follow the example of Jesus and be a church body that is a sanctuary of peace.

Amen.