Category: 1 Peter

“And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.”

My husband is a pastor, and one time (last week) he thought it would be a great idea to have a real live sheep wandering the auditorium while he preached his sermon related to these verses. By God’s sovereign grace, no live sheep were available for this illustration. But his efforts to obtain one made for a great sermon opener.

Sheep are messed up, confused, dirty creatures. And more than any other comparison in the Bible, we followers of Jesus are compared to sheep. The funny thing is, a shepherd actually likes sheep. A disgruntled shepherd would have a pretty lonely, boring, smelly life. If you don’t like sheep, don’t be a shepherd. But if you can tolerate the mess, shepherding God’s “flock” comes with eternal rewards. My husband and I often joke about our amazing “retirement benefits.”

Here’s your freedom for today: serving God is an honor. Sure, we can care for others because we have to, or because we want them to do them same for us. We can be begrudging shepherds. Or we can receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit given to leaders in his kingdom, and recognize that the lowliest places here on earth are the most highly exalted in heaven. Stepping into God’s calling on your life is perhaps the greatest eternal privilege. Whatever mission God has you on today, live it out fully with a grateful heart.

“In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.”

Some of us have authority issues. Maybe it is because we have experienced poor models of authority, or perhaps some of us have been directly harmed by people in authority over us. Humility might not be so bad with friends or when serving your neighbor, but when someone starts telling you what to do? Being a humble follower is a difficult challenge.

Peter quotes Proverbs 3:34 here, and it’s worth reading the entire chapter. God and prideful people are not on the same team. His grace, the very power of the Gospel, is for the people who consider themselves at the bottom. When we studied Luke, we saw over and over again that the people who had issues with Jesus were the ones that wanted to be in charge. The people who were social outcasts with nothing to lose absolutely loved him.

Here’s your freedom for today: God’s view of you is higher than your view of yourself. Pride is a lie, actually rooted in insecurity and self-absorption. It is an anxious and fearful view of ourselves that postures us to be “better” than others. If we were secure in our identities, we would not have any need to compare ourselves to anyone else at all. God is ready to lift you up and honor you at the right time. You lifting yourself up in pride requires you to step on someone else to get there. God raises you up as a part of his body of believers to the highest place: a seat right next to Jesus.

If you are interested in seeing yourself the way God sees you, check out my latest ebook FREE on Amazon now through Saturday: Becoming The You God Sees.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”

We usually find 1 Peter 5:7 quoted by itself, and often misused as a way to shame people who are struggling with anxiety. Put into its context with the very next verse, I find it to take on an interesting meaning. “Give your worries to God” and “watch out!” seem like opposite messages. I thought I was supposed to let go of my burdens, and yet watching out for a lion about to devour me feels a bit worrisome. This is why sometimes quoting individual verses can make Christians feel as if there is a delicate emotional balance they are supposed to maintain — don’t worry, but watch your back all at the same time.

Taken together, these verses provide more clarity on how we are to live the Christian life. I read the whole passage as an encouragement: “Don’t worry about any of the earthly stuff. God’s got that. You can stand up and fight the enemy along with the whole family of believers!” I connect with a positive voice cheering me on, rather than a sense of warning. Getting caught up in our earthly cares is simply a distraction — the real battle we are called to focus on is a spiritual one.

Here’s your freedom for today: faith gives you victory in the spiritual war. When you see with your faith-filled, spiritual eyes you can see that what car you drive or how many outfits you have does not matter at all. As Paul said, he learned to live with a little and live with a lot. His material standing did not matter in the spiritual life he was living. Faith connects us with Jesus and with a family of believers. Faith brings us into a world that is happening beyond the visible. Take your eyes off the visible today and let your spiritual eyes take over. What do you see?

“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen. I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.”

In these final verses of Peter’s letter, some words jump off the page at me: share, restore, support, and strengthen. There is so much we miss about who God is and what the Christian life is supposed to be like, because these words are not usually the first ones that come to mind. God wants to share his glory with you. Not only that, he has called us to share his glory. He is pursuing us so that he can give us an eternal inheritance.

God’s work is inherently restorative. From the moment sin entered the world, God has been at work to restore his creation. He offers us support and strengthens us. Peter offers this encouragement so that his readers, both back then and now, will understand God’s grace.

Here’s your freedom for today: you can be confident of God’s grace for you. His grace is a real spiritual power that saves us, since the Old Testament law proved that no one could save themselves. God’s grace is not too good to be true. It is real. The freedom that Jesus offers you is “truly part of God’s grace for you.” What does his grace look like in your life today? Are there ways you are doubting God’s grace as if it is too good to be true?

Invite your friends to join us tomorrow as we begin a new series!