From Grace to Glory, 14 February 2016
From Grace to Glory!
Series: What In The World Is Going On? A Study of 1 Peter
1 Peter 5:8-14
Series Overview: God’s grace is present in the midst of suffering.
Big Idea: Remain faithful to God, even in the midst of the battle.
Introduction
This morning we conclude our series on 1 Peter, “What In The World Is Going On?” This short letter to the early, suffering church is a powerful message not only to an ancient people but is increasing relevant to modern Christians as we face persecution. We may never face the horrors of ISIS victims, but nevertheless we can—and perhaps should—feel in the minority as followers of Jesus in a world consumed with money, sex and power. The theme of this book may well be called hope and grace in the midst of suffering.
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. (1 Peter 5:8-9)
Peter says be alert and sober. Don’t get drunk! Recognize what is going on around you. Specifically, recognize the enemy. The devil is real! Pay attention! Wake up!
Exact statistics vary, but more people believe in God than in satan. More people believe in angels than demons.
Many years ago in seminary I was given an assignment that involved interviewing someone of a different religion. I had lunch with an elderly man with white hair who looked like a wizard. He had a PhD in philosophy and called himself a neo-pagan. He told me stories of going into the woods and interacting with the goddess Isis through the deer. It was quite interesting to say the least!
I asked him if he believed in the existence of evil. He said “yes” emphatically, telling me stories of horrible events in his neighborhood. I asked, “Where does evil come from?” to which he said, “Well, I don’t believe in a devil with horns and a pitchfork like Christians believe.” After I told him that’s hardly our understanding of satan, he said, “I don’t know where evil comes from.” For a highly educated man with decades in religious work, it was shocking to realize how incomplete his worldview was, unable to explain evil in our “good” world of “good” people.
Brothers and sisters, satan is real. Demons are real. They are all fallen angels, pushed out of heaven due to the sin of pride we discussed last week.
Isaiah says…
How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:12-14)
The prophet Ezekiel added
Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings. (Ezekiel 28:17)
These refer specifically to the kings of Tyre and Babylon, but also reference satan’s power behind them.
Talk of satan and demons can be scary, especially when the pastor says they’re real!
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”
There are two kingdoms in conflict, good and evil, God and satan. We will not win every battle, but we will ultimately win the war.
Sometimes I forget the battle is real. I get excited about my plans, only to find them often sabotaged by unexpected obstacles.
I was thinking about spiritual warfare last Sunday during The Big Game Party sponsored by our men’s ministry (great party!). I was playing one of my favorite board games, Sequence. The game is simple: place colored tokens on the pictures of the cards you have, one at a time, until you get five in a row before the other players. It would be easy were it not for the fact that the other players are not only trying to get their own five in a row—which sometimes block yours—they can remove one of your tokens if they draw a particular card. It can be so frustrating…to have an opponent.
I’m sure the Carolina Panthers thought it would be easy to win the Super Bowl…if the Denver Broncos weren’t on the field blocking, tackling, intercepting…and ultimately winning the game.
We have an opponent, brothers and sisters. Life would be so much easier if he would just go away! But we will ultimately win the game! Actually, Jesus already won!
We celebrate Jesus and what He did on the cross for many reasons, including His victory over sin and death. Speaking of the forces of evil, Paul wrote
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:15)
Jesus Himself said
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:18-20)
Jesus made a public spectacle of satan’s team!
Jesus saw satan fall!
One of Jesus’ three best friends, John, wrote
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Back to Peter…
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. (1 Peter 5:8-9)
Resist. How? Do the right thing. Say no to temptation. This isn’t something you necessarily do alone. We have one another to encourage, support, pray, and challenge. You are not alone in your struggles.
Stand firm, like an army. You can’t do this alone. We need one another, especially when we face opposition and suffering. We have been very blessed in this country but there are no guarantees of safety and comfort for us or any of our brothers and sisters around the world until Jesus returns.
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. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
Peter speaks again of grace and glory.
God will restore…
God will strengthen…
God will establish…
…after a little while of suffering.
It’s hard to wait for the future when the present is difficult, but God’s Word offers hope. God’s promises are never broken. God is love. God is merciful and forgiving. His glory is eternal.
Peter ends this epistle with a postscript.
With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. (1 Peter 5:12)
Silas helped write and/or deliver this letter. Most scholars believe Peter wrote and Silas delivered.
She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. (1 Peter 5:13-14a)
Make sure you use the right kind of kiss! In the ancient world and in some parts of the world today a kiss is the standard form of greeting. We usually shake hands or sometimes hug.
Someone has said
A kiss to a young girl is hope.
A kiss to a married woman is faith.
A kiss to an old maid is charity.
A handshake will usually work fine!
Peter concludes…
Peace to all of you who are in Christ. (1 Peter 5:14b)
This is God’s salvation and its consequences.
So What?
Peter’s central message is clear: remain faithful to Jesus Christ, in spite of your social condition and its potential dangers, by living obediently and in community with one another. Our lives may or may not be in danger today because of our faith, but whatever suffering we face, God is with us. God’s grace is present. He will sustain us if we seek Him in the midst of our struggles. And there is hope ahead.
In the meantime, we are to faithfully live now. We are to love others, even our enemies. We are to abstain from sin and pursue holiness. We are to serve others. We are to find our identity and worth as children of God, not members of a particular social class. We are to bring honor and glory to God. Always. It will be worth it!
Credits
Some ideas from
Be Hopeful (1 Peter): How to Make the Best of Times Out of Your Worst of Times (The BE Series Commentary) by Warren
Thru The Bible audio messages by J. Vernon McGee
1 Peter (The NIV Application Commentary) by Scot McKnight
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
Series: What In The World Is Going On? A Study of 1 Peter
1 Peter 5:8-14
Series Overview: God’s grace is present in the midst of suffering.
Big Idea: Remain faithful to God, even in the midst of the battle.
Introduction
This morning we conclude our series on 1 Peter, “What In The World Is Going On?” This short letter to the early, suffering church is a powerful message not only to an ancient people but is increasing relevant to modern Christians as we face persecution. We may never face the horrors of ISIS victims, but nevertheless we can—and perhaps should—feel in the minority as followers of Jesus in a world consumed with money, sex and power. The theme of this book may well be called hope and grace in the midst of suffering.
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. (1 Peter 5:8-9)
Peter says be alert and sober. Don’t get drunk! Recognize what is going on around you. Specifically, recognize the enemy. The devil is real! Pay attention! Wake up!
Exact statistics vary, but more people believe in God than in satan. More people believe in angels than demons.
Many years ago in seminary I was given an assignment that involved interviewing someone of a different religion. I had lunch with an elderly man with white hair who looked like a wizard. He had a PhD in philosophy and called himself a neo-pagan. He told me stories of going into the woods and interacting with the goddess Isis through the deer. It was quite interesting to say the least!
I asked him if he believed in the existence of evil. He said “yes” emphatically, telling me stories of horrible events in his neighborhood. I asked, “Where does evil come from?” to which he said, “Well, I don’t believe in a devil with horns and a pitchfork like Christians believe.” After I told him that’s hardly our understanding of satan, he said, “I don’t know where evil comes from.” For a highly educated man with decades in religious work, it was shocking to realize how incomplete his worldview was, unable to explain evil in our “good” world of “good” people.
Brothers and sisters, satan is real. Demons are real. They are all fallen angels, pushed out of heaven due to the sin of pride we discussed last week.
Isaiah says…
How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:12-14)
The prophet Ezekiel added
Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings. (Ezekiel 28:17)
These refer specifically to the kings of Tyre and Babylon, but also reference satan’s power behind them.
Talk of satan and demons can be scary, especially when the pastor says they’re real!
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”
- - C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
There are two kingdoms in conflict, good and evil, God and satan. We will not win every battle, but we will ultimately win the war.
Sometimes I forget the battle is real. I get excited about my plans, only to find them often sabotaged by unexpected obstacles.
I was thinking about spiritual warfare last Sunday during The Big Game Party sponsored by our men’s ministry (great party!). I was playing one of my favorite board games, Sequence. The game is simple: place colored tokens on the pictures of the cards you have, one at a time, until you get five in a row before the other players. It would be easy were it not for the fact that the other players are not only trying to get their own five in a row—which sometimes block yours—they can remove one of your tokens if they draw a particular card. It can be so frustrating…to have an opponent.
I’m sure the Carolina Panthers thought it would be easy to win the Super Bowl…if the Denver Broncos weren’t on the field blocking, tackling, intercepting…and ultimately winning the game.
We have an opponent, brothers and sisters. Life would be so much easier if he would just go away! But we will ultimately win the game! Actually, Jesus already won!
We celebrate Jesus and what He did on the cross for many reasons, including His victory over sin and death. Speaking of the forces of evil, Paul wrote
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:15)
Jesus Himself said
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:18-20)
Jesus made a public spectacle of satan’s team!
Jesus saw satan fall!
One of Jesus’ three best friends, John, wrote
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Back to Peter…
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. (1 Peter 5:8-9)
Resist. How? Do the right thing. Say no to temptation. This isn’t something you necessarily do alone. We have one another to encourage, support, pray, and challenge. You are not alone in your struggles.
Stand firm, like an army. You can’t do this alone. We need one another, especially when we face opposition and suffering. We have been very blessed in this country but there are no guarantees of safety and comfort for us or any of our brothers and sisters around the world until Jesus returns.
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. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
Peter speaks again of grace and glory.
God will restore…
God will strengthen…
God will establish…
…after a little while of suffering.
It’s hard to wait for the future when the present is difficult, but God’s Word offers hope. God’s promises are never broken. God is love. God is merciful and forgiving. His glory is eternal.
Peter ends this epistle with a postscript.
With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. (1 Peter 5:12)
Silas helped write and/or deliver this letter. Most scholars believe Peter wrote and Silas delivered.
She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. (1 Peter 5:13-14a)
Make sure you use the right kind of kiss! In the ancient world and in some parts of the world today a kiss is the standard form of greeting. We usually shake hands or sometimes hug.
Someone has said
A kiss to a young girl is hope.
A kiss to a married woman is faith.
A kiss to an old maid is charity.
A handshake will usually work fine!
Peter concludes…
Peace to all of you who are in Christ. (1 Peter 5:14b)
This is God’s salvation and its consequences.
So What?
Peter’s central message is clear: remain faithful to Jesus Christ, in spite of your social condition and its potential dangers, by living obediently and in community with one another. Our lives may or may not be in danger today because of our faith, but whatever suffering we face, God is with us. God’s grace is present. He will sustain us if we seek Him in the midst of our struggles. And there is hope ahead.
In the meantime, we are to faithfully live now. We are to love others, even our enemies. We are to abstain from sin and pursue holiness. We are to serve others. We are to find our identity and worth as children of God, not members of a particular social class. We are to bring honor and glory to God. Always. It will be worth it!
Credits
Some ideas from
Be Hopeful (1 Peter): How to Make the Best of Times Out of Your Worst of Times (The BE Series Commentary) by Warren
Thru The Bible audio messages by J. Vernon McGee
1 Peter (The NIV Application Commentary) by Scot McKnight
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.