An Abiding Pillar Pt. 3
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Tonight, we conclude our study of the book of 1 Peter.
I went back through my data and this will be message number 35 out of this little book. We have been here almost every Wednesday since the middle of January…I love studying the Bible.
Now, in this section of Scripture we have been looking at the thought of “An Abiding Pillar” which is the Church…This chapter is all about the Church.
The first four verses show us “A Godly Leadership” and are directed toward the Pastor…Verses 5-9 show us “A Gracious Congregation” and are directed toward the members of the Church.
Tonight, we will be focusing on the ending verses and looking at “A Glorious Love.”
It is interesting how Peter keeps coming back time and time again to this theme of God’s love. Peter faced many ups and downs in his spiritual walk; he failed numerous times, and backslid more than once. But he could never doubt that God loved him.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
God, in His love, sends things our way to make us better so to speak.
We go through trials and tribulation, suffer persecution, not because someone is playing a cruel trick on us, but we go through things to grow, we face things in life to make us better!
Helen Keller wrote, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
Max Lucado wrote, “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.”
Look with me in verses 10 at four things suffering does for the believer:
I-Suffering completes the believer
I-Suffering completes the believer
1 Peter 5:10 (KJV 1900)
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect...
Perfect...This word speaks of maturity in the faith!
Many people grow old and never grow up in the faith.
God’s will for His saints is that we grow up as we grow older in the Lord.
God is going to do this for us one day. We will be perfect and complete, lacking nothing in glory, but until then we need to press on in the faith and allow God to do His work in us. The church today is in dire need of men and women that are mature in the faith and are allowing the Lord Jesus to work in them. The world needs to see mature saints that will not turn away, fall away, deny the faith, or compromise with evil. Are you being made perfect by Christ Jesus? Are you growing in the faith? Are you growing in your worship, in your witness and in your work for the Lord Jesus Christ?
Suffering or the trying by fire refines us, as we have studied earlier, to make us more useable for God. Don’t resist the fire, for you will never be complete until you endure the furnace of trial.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
II-Suffering concretes the believer
II-Suffering concretes the believer
1 Peter 5:10 (KJV 1900)
10 ...stablish...
This word means “to set fast, to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or to confirm.”
God doesn’t want his people tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, but to be firmly planted and rooted in their beliefs and practices.
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
14 In righteousness shalt thou be established:
Thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear:
And from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
The trials have a way of making us more sure of our God and His promises. Once we have been through a few storms with God, we never want to be anywhere else. We are safe when we are with Him no matter how severe the storm.
III-Suffering cultivates the believer
III-Suffering cultivates the believer
1 Peter 5:10 (KJV 1900)
10 ...strengthen...
This word means “to fill with strength.”
God will infuse us with strength:
• to face the daily trials,
• the wisdom to make the right decisions,
• the courage to proclaim His word,
• the love to care for those in need.
God will give us strength from on high to accomplish His work. God will equip us and empower us to do His work! It is as we suffer affliction that our faith is developed and that we learn to depend on the Lord Jesus completely.
William Barclay wrote, “We never really know what our faith means to us until it has been tried in the furnace of affliction. There is something doubly precious about a faith which has come victoriously through pain and sorrow and disappointment. The wind will extinguish a weak flame, but it will fan a strong flame into a still greater blaze. So it is with faith.”
The fire of trials separates the dross from the pure gold and thus makes it more durable and valuable. Impurities weaken the gold, but the fire drives out these flaws in God’s design.
12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder:
He hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces,
And set me up for his mark.
You look around at people in the Church. Notice the ones who have been through severe trials. They are strong Christians aren’t they?
They have been strengthened by walking through the fire. None of us like the process, but the product is certainly desirable.
IV-Suffering calms the believer
IV-Suffering calms the believer
1 Peter 5:10 (KJV 1900)
10 ...settle you.
We might use the phrases “calm down” and “settle down” similarly. When the farmer would sift the grain from the chaff, the chaff would be blown away by the wind, but the grain would “settle” down into the bin.
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
It is the Lord Jesus that settles us on the firm foundation in Him.
He is the One we trust; the One who has saved us and secures us and settles us.
The church of Jesus Christ needs the God of all grace to settle us that we may know Him, that we may be assured of His promises; that we may be settled in our faith.
When the trial or persecution is passed, all the dross of our lives is gone, but things that matter have settled down into our character and become more rooted than ever before.
It is that pure grain that God can now use in His harvest.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Do you feel the heat? Do you feel like you are in the midst of a fire? Are you walking through a fire in your life today? Take comfort in God’s Word.
Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Whatever begins with God’s grace will always lead to God’s glory.”
I thank God that He gives us the purpose for the things we face in this life. He tells us in His precious Word what to expect and how to navigate it and why it comes in our lives.
10 But he knoweth the way that I take:
When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.