Sovereign Over Persecution (part 2) - [1 Peter 5:6-14]

Sovereign Over Persecution and the Commands of Humility and Trust

Well, I would invite you to open your Bibles to 1st Peter chapter 5 verses 6 to 14 as we conclude. What has been really a lightning trip through 1st Peter? It's only taken me a year to get through 1st Peter.

Well a few detours along the way. But here we are at the end of the book. I was reading this week one writer speaking about the hounding The persecution of Paul and Silas that you can trace all the way through the book of Acts and then then the subsequent growth of the church in Thessalonica.

And this writer asked. Why would anyone see what was happening to Paul and Silas and Then believe the persecution that was coming upon them. After all Becoming a Christian believing what these men were saying would bring about immediate persecution on them on the church of Thessalonica why would anyone do that.

And He gives the answer. The answer why anyone would do that is the power of the gospel. It's the power of the gospel when that is unleashed. When that supernatural power is Unleashed unnatural things occur in the lives of people.

They do things that previously they would have thought irrational. They look at them and they go that's the right thing to do. I'm going to follow Christ no matter what it costs me. And as we look here at the end of first Peter I want us to just think about what it means that God is sovereign over persecution.

I've mentioned time and time again that the Christian Church the Christian faith was not built on Military might it wasn't built at the point of a sword. It was built Actually on the business end of the sword.

By those who are willing to take a stand who are willing to give their lives for the cause of Christ. First Peter chapter 5 verse 6. Peter writes therefore. Humble yourselves and that therefore just summarizes everything that's gone before how we need to obey authority.

Not so much because the authority is righteous. But because the God who commands it is righteous and because of all that he has done for us in Christ. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you at the proper time.

Casting all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be of sober spirit be on the alert your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. But resist him firm in your faith.

Knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while the God of all grace Who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself perfect confirm? strengthen and establish you.

To him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. Through Sylvanus our faithful brother for so I regard him. I have written to you briefly Exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.

She who is in Babylon chosen together with you sends you greetings and so does my son mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love peace be to you all who are in Christ and This morning as I did last week.

I Want you to see two commands from our text? So that you will live your life in full submission to God the God of your salvation and thus have joy no matter what your circumstances are even in the midst of Difficulty in the midst of trial in the midst of persecution or even in the midst of physical suffering.

Think about Joyce Macklin and Shirley Rathbun the joy that they're now experiencing. I even think one of the last reports From Joyce a few or from Shirley a few weeks ago where Dan said that His mom might have to go to this several weeks ago might have to go to Boston for treatment.

And she looked forward to it because she would have the opportunity to witness to new people. And I thought that is exactly the right attitude. No matter what I'm going through. My focus needs to be on serving Christ.

Focus on the propagation of the Bible or the the propagation of the gospel and. So last week we talked about Submitting the first command submitting to your sovereign. You must submit to your sovereign.

Have an attitude of humility. In verse 6 it says therefore humble yourselves. And that's again the whole point he was making in all. The series of verses that went before it is the need to submit to government.

The need to submit to unreasonable bosses to endure wrongful persecution even in your home and To do so even as the Lord did without complaint. We also talked about how it is futile to resist the mighty hand of God.

God does whatsoever. He pleases. And as we're going to see today, I think that's a great thing. I think that's one of the most comforting doctrines in all the Bible. We also saw that his timing is perfect.

Look in verse 6 it says that he may exalt you at the proper time. Not when we want but when he has designed when it is exactly right. When his purpose for your life and for his plan is achieved. Second command we began last week.

Trust your sovereign and I said that there were nine truths about God that I was going to present and when we Say that nine truths. You can immediately you know that we're not going to get it done in one week.

The first truth God cares for you straight out of verse 7. Cast all your cares upon him because he cares for you. Who cares for more you more than God who cared for Joyce. And who still cares for Joyce.

Or surely? Any more than God does the answer is no one. Secondly, we looked at God is greater than your enemy. That's the second truth about God. He is greater than your enemy in verse 8. We discussed how you have responsibilities even though God is greater than Satan.

You still have responsibilities. You need to be of sober spirit. You need to be on alert. You need to be at the ready watching for what? For the plans of Satan. For the untruths of Satan. We also said that your enemy is fierce and we talked about Satan at some length.

How he prowls around the world like a roaring lion. But he's not omnipresent. He's not like God. He can't be everywhere at one time and he cannot take up residence in believers. The God of the Bible does not make room for Satan or demons within his residence, which is the body of Christ you believers.

We also talked about how Satan does not have to whisper in your ear. It doesn't say things to you. You can't audibly hear him. I don't believe we sin on our own. Satan is powerful. He cannot be bound by earthly powers.

He is no one to be trifled with but we can defeat him in the Bible tells us how. Your knowledge of the truth is your best weapon. But resist him firm in your faith. The objective truth of the Bible is our best weapon.

And he's given. God has given us the only weapon we will ever need. We talked about how the devil will flee when resisted. It's James 4 7. It is with a solid foundation of Scripture that we are able to resist Satan and force him to flee.

We don't cast him out. We don't bind him. We resist his lies and the lies that he pushes through the world system and he moves on to better targets. Also, we noted that you are not alone in your suffering.

You're not alone in your suffering. Knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. Listen all around the world. Satan is the prince of this world.

He's the the power behind the power as it were and There is suffering and persecution being visited upon the church around the globe. Truth number three and here we are into the new material. God is mindful of your limitations.

God is mindful of your limitations. Think about this. Could you forever for the rest of your life and then beyond that endure persecution unending suffering. What if there was no hope of? Seeing the end of it, but look at verse 10 after you have suffered for a little while.

I would just imagine if Peter had said something like this. Look you're going to suffer period. That's the way it's always gonna be. That's all there is. That'd be pretty bleak that wouldn't be an encouragement.

Satan is out to get you the world system is out to persecute you and to mock the truth of God and the God of truth. You are going to suffer but that is not the end of the story. There's more to it. One commentator kissed a mocker calls this section of Scripture a Benediction that is eloquent and at the same time touching.

He speaks from the heart and from the personal experience of suffering. Peter knew what he was writing about. He knew the difficulties of being persecuted. He knew the difficulties of life and he wrote this to encourage them and he said listen it's going to be a little while and In a sense, this is the culmination.

This is the final Bit of this letter and it really states the entire purpose for writing it and it is to strengthen and encourage the same in a time of increasing persecution. Every Christian will suffer.

But look Peter says it's only for a little while. Great ten minutes and it's over. That's a little while to me. That might be a long while for me. But that's not what it means. It could be your entire life.

You say wait a minute. Wait a minute. That's not a little while. Well, it is in the eyes of God. It is compared to all of eternity. We thought about eternity in hell. No, hope eternal suffering and We compare this lifetime to it.

That's a short while. That's a little time. The pain and distress you suffer in this lifetime in light of the riches of Christ that await you in heaven. That amount of time is insignificant. It is a little while and it really is amazing if you catalog all the ways that Christians have suffered all throughout history.

It's hard to imagine how that's just a little while. On a broader scale. What about the difficulties of life? The death of a loved one as we experience this week financial difficulties illness physical maladies strained relationships.

Just the normal bumps and Bruises of daily life. Is that a little while again? Let's put it in perspective. How long will you live? Psalm 90 verse 10 says this as for the days of your life. They contain 70 years or if due to strength 80 years.

But their pride. Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow for soon it is gone and we fly away. There's hope in that life is hard. I said at the graveside on Friday. I read from Genesis 3 the curses That fell upon Adam as a result of the fall.

How life was going to be tight toil and sweat and difficult and hard and That's all we're promised in this life. But I can promise you this that Joyce Makala Who had 83 years due to strength. 83 years of life and the last several in a great deal of pain.

She isn't thinking about that suffering. If you if we could talk to her now. She would not consider one minute of that 83 years a bad thing. Why. Because she's face to face with Christ. She's in the presence of God.

She's not thinking about her suffering. She's rejoicing. It's a little while God is mindful that we could not do this forever. And he's promised us. It's only going to be a little while. Truth in number four.

He is the God of all grace the God of all Grace. Look again at verse 10. That's what it says. It says he's the God of all grace. And this is the only place in the New Testament where this title appears.

The writer Hebert says that grace is the undeserved favor. That's how we think about it. Undeserved favor. Bestowed upon us in our unworthiness. We don't deserve it, but we get it anyway. Our unworthiness our lack of merit our lack of righteousness our lack of anything commendable.

We have nothing in us that God would look at and go. That's good. We are completely unworthy. There is no reason for God to do anything for us and Every reason for him to do something to us. Isn't that right?

Doesn't he have every right to do something to us to judge us to send us into hell and Apart from his being the God of all grace. There would be no hope for us. No redemption. No reconciliation. No Christ to pay our debts.

And the end result would be what? Eternity in hell. But he is the God of all grace. What a great truth. God is the source of all grace. Well, where else could grace come from? Where else would we get grace.

Who else could give it to us in our relationships with people? What's typically the best we can hope for? You break even you break even but with God. We can't break even. We owe him an unpayable debt by virtue of our sin.

Once we sin we have created for ourselves an Account that we can never pay off. We can't undo it. We can't make it right on our own. It's only the grace of God who gives us merit through Christ. He not only brings us up to even with him, but he gives us a righteousness that we could never attain to ourselves.

When we become believers we are not only forgiven of our sins because of the price that Christ paid on the cross where he Eradicated the debt of every sin past present future that believers will ever commit.

Not only do we get that Bring us up to essentially even but that's not enough to get into heaven. We also have to have Christ's perfect righteousness the obedience to every single law and we get that by the grace of God.

God has given believers that grace. The ultimate unmerited favor and he's given it to us. He's given us faith. He's caused us to repent. He has caused us even a first period we would read this in the beginning of it he has caused us to be born again, and he promises us an inheritance of incalculable value and yet he has also given us the grace to deal with Persecution and difficulty in the here and now in this life.

If it weren't for the fact that we know God that we know that he cares for us. That we know that he's given us eternal life and promised us eternity with him and his riches. What hope would we have right now?

How could we deal with the here and now the struggles of every single day life? We couldn't do it. This is so valuable to us. This is so important to understand. That how do we deal with the present difficulties?

Because we know the God of the universe. We know the God of grace. We know the God who has said you will suffer for a little while and then it's eternity with me. He is the God of all grace. Truth number five.

His calling of you is Irrevocable again. Look at verse 10 the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ. The term called is not merely an invitation which a person can accept or reject as he pleases.

This is an RSVP time Which people have forgotten how to do but that's a whole nother matter. It is a royal command. Which the recipient must obey and cannot ignore. If election is God's choosing of those who will be saved before the foundations of the world and that's what it is.

We looked at Ephesians 1. Then calling is bringing about that election within the confines of time. It is God's Drawing as it were his call of us out of the world and into his kingdom. Even Peter writes this.

But you are a chosen race first. Peter 2 9. You are a chosen race a royal priesthood a holy nation a people for God's own possession. So that you may proclaim the excellencies of him. Listen who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Imagine for a moment that God called you out of darkness and into light, but you declined. God was standing in the light. You were in the darkness. He said come on over here and you said no. Is that what that verse says?

No, it's a perfect tense. It happened. It happened once and it actually took place. He called you out effectually. The God of the universe does not call anyone in vain. And I would suggest that that very notion is blasphemous.

In other words, it is a Picture of God that does not exist anywhere in the Bible. Often we hear about this idea that God is calling. Softly calling every single person. He's kind of whispering to them everywhere.

Hoping that some will come to their senses and accept his wooing his longing to see them saved. I'll talk about that in a second. But this is not the God of the Bible who whose love whose desire whose affection he sets upon people and then they reject it.

God's love is not unrequited. He is not the heartbroken rejected suitor who has no say in what men do. When dictionary defines call this way from the meanings Summon and invite there develops the extended sense choose for receipt of a special benefit or experience.

Ask yourselves this does God call someone invite them to salvation and then they reject the call. They reject that special benefit. Does he fail to draw those he desires to draw? Is he somehow unable or unwilling to overcome their objections.

No, the very word says no. He summons those whom he elected or chose before the foundations of the world. Would anyone come to Christ of their own free will? No, would anyone repent of their? Repent of their sins by their own free will.

No. Would anyone open their hearts surrender their will turn their lives over whatever terminology you want of their own free will. No. God must give them think about how the Bible talks about this. This new will new desires a heart of flesh eyes that see a heart that longs after Christ.

Listen to how Hebert describes the effectual call of God. He effectively called them to his kingdom and service. The call came to them at the time they heard and accepted the message of the gospel in Calling them God not only delivered them from their past sins, but also turned their faces toward the future.

Calling them to his eternal glory as the new goal of their lives. Now there may be some objections. There's certainly in the Bible a sense of a general call and Ezekiel 33 11. This is written say to them as I live declares the Lord God.

I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back turn back from your evil ways. Why then will you die? Oh house of Israel? You say well that seems to indicate that God doesn't want anyone to perish.

Well, he doesn't. But the flaw is that we sometimes think that God is capable of only one attribute one emotion. That he can only do one thing at a time that he can only exercise one attribute at a time.

But what makes God God is that he's exercising all of his attributes at the same time. He loves. He judges. He's righteous. He's holy. Every attribute of God all at the same time. You say I can't really understand that.

Well, neither can I. I can't really understand that God's sovereign and man's responsible. But that's what the Bible teaches. I can't reconcile those things, but God can. He could be merciful in not immediately dispensing wrath and yet not saving not giving saving grace.

He's not grace is not obligated but he doesn't immediately judge someone the moment they sin most of the time and Send them straight to hell. But ultimately his holiness his hatred of sin his righteousness his judgment will all be on full display.

Another verse that deals with this kind of general call. Matthew 22 14 for many are called. For many are called. I heard one man teach in front of hundreds of people one day. Says for many are called but few are chosen.

He says a better way to understand it as few will accept. I Said I sat there and just thinking well, I prefer to stay with what God said. He said for many are called but few are chosen. Listen, the gospel is to be proclaimed widely.

We want everyone to hear the gospel, but who will believe. Who are? The called those who are Ultimately called into his kingdom. The call can be general. But the specific call goes to the elect. Those who are chosen.

Many are called. Many receive Here the gospel. But few accept it in the sense that few are able to accept it. Few have their hearts of stone replaced with hearts of flesh that they might embrace the God of the universe.

Look what Peter wrote. 1st Peter Chapter 1 verses 3 and 4 and we discussed this just about a year ago in his opening Peter said blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his great mercy Has caused us to be born again.

He has caused us to be born again again. The same concept He compelled the believers here To be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Why to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away reserved in heaven for you.

Again in 1st Peter. 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 10 for you once were not a people. But now you are the people of God. You had not received mercy. But now you have received mercy. Well, then you say well see they had to receive.

They had to actually receive it. They had to make an act of will know know. That verb in the Greek is passive. In other words, they were mercied. God had mercy upon them. Salvation is of the Lord. If it were up to us being dead in our sins and trespasses We would never be saved.

But God is the God of all grace. He is the great the God of all mercy. He is the God who? Extends that call and ensures that it will be received. He elected people from the foundation of the world unto salvation and he doesn't leave those people out there.

Hoping that they will somehow choose on their own to do it. He calls them. He affectionately draws them remember what Jesus said no man can Come to the Father. No one is able to come to the Father or to come to me He said unless the Father draws him.

Listen God elected the Father elected them before the foundations of the world and in time he draws them. He calls them he brings them to himself. He takes out their heart of stone gives them a heart of flesh.

He opens the eyes of their heart. He enables them to see and they believe if grace mercy even salvation Does not depend on him who calls. Does not append depend on God but on those who choose of their own free will to receive grace.

Well, then they've got some saying it they've got some reason to boast but the Bible says clearly salvation excludes boasting because it's all of God and If that's the case and we've got a rewrite if somehow it's us who does it we've got a rewrite whole sections of the Bible.

God calls and. And In time he convicts the heart he draws he cut he brings about repentance. We have to do those things. God does not do them for us. But he brings about an attitude in us that wants to that flees to the cross.

No one is dragged to the cross kicking and screaming. We run full throttle. Why. Because we long to be saved because God has let us see how horrible We are how bad our sins are the whole of Scripture at?

First Peter Shouts of the sovereignty of God in salvation. What has happened. A gigantic change has been has taken place. You were not a recipient of divine grace and now you are graced the God of all.

Grace has graced you and note also that in this case God has called Christians to his eternal glory in Christ. That the calling is effectual is evidenced by the purpose for which believers are called.

God has called us for the very purpose of having a share in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Which he describes as what eternal just as eternally God in the person of Jesus Christ. The second person of the Trinity will sit as it were at the right hand of the Father as he will rule and reign in heaven.

Forever we will be with him forever. We will share in that glory forever. When we think about the sovereignty of God and salvation, this is again. I I don't think Peter. By virtue of the Holy Spirit, I don't think he ever had an original thought.

I think the Holy Spirit Directed him. I think he he wrote down exactly what the Holy Spirit wanted through his own personality. But note, this is very similar teaching to what Paul said in Romans 8 29 and 30 and we know it.

Well the chain of golden chain of salvation. For those whom he foreknew whom God foreknew Intimately knew them. He also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son. So that he would be the firstborn among many brethren and these whom he predestined Elected chose before the foundations of the world.

He also called Again before time during time and these whom he called he also justified. He declared you righteous and these whom he justified He also glorified looking forward to the day when you will be conformed into the image of your Savior.

Your calling is irrevocable. Because it is of God. If God were not sovereign in saving you in calling you. Then why would it not be irrevocable if it was your free will then could you not undo that? But you were chosen you did not choose you were graced.

You did not decide to be graced. You were called you did not decide to be called because of your because your calling and salvation are based on grace. Unmerited Favor to those who are unworthy. You did nothing to earn eternal forever glory and.

So there's nothing that you can do to lose it. You did nothing to get it and there's nothing you can do to lose it. Up to this point we've seen truth number three God is mindful of your limitations. Truth number four God is the God of all grace.

Truth number five God's calling of you is irrevocable. And truth number six. His plan for you is irrevocable. Verse 10 again will himself perfect confirm strengthen and establish you. Himself is emphasized in this sentence.

This is a personal work of God. Cell one says that it is no merely fortuitous or instrumental helps that are promised. But God's own active intervention and personal presence. He himself is going to do these things.

You know, sometimes we think that maybe salvation is all of God but sanctification. That's where I have to step up. It's all of me. It's God who's going to do these things. Listen. No, and by the way, these four verbs are all future tense and they are God's guarantee of what he will do.

Now I'm going to suggest to you that that is divine encouragement. In the midst of persecution you have troubles. Listen to what the sovereign Lord of the universe promises to do for you in the midst of your troubles.

So, how will God himself perfect you? The word is self-perfect means to put into proper condition. With the idea of a trainer who adjusts parts of the body kind of like a chiropractor. He adjusts completes or makes complete.

God will make you what you ought to be. He conforms you into the image of his son. He brings about the circumstances the trials the persecutions the people. Every single event that is necessary to perfect you.

And that is the purposeful the design of events again that Paul wrote about in Romans 828 all things for good. Even things that we don't like even things that we don't understand. All things work together.

For good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose. How does he perfect you by bringing in exactly the things that you need to reshape the form to? Mold you into the image of his son.

How will God himself? Confirm you. Confirm means to set up your inner being so that it remains immovable. God will provide the grace to strengthen your inner man to enable you to resist temptation. This is we're talking about spiritual strength.

Even potentially to give you the grace to caught to die for the cause of Christ. When facing charges that he refused to worship the pagan gods of the Romans polycarp Was brought before the local pro-council who asked him to deny Christ and even threatened him with death.

Polycarp said 80 and six years have I now served Christ and he has never done me the least wrong. How then can I blaspheme my king and my Savior? The pro-council. The ruler of this area told polycarp he'd be thrown to wild beasts.

He'd be burned at the stake, etc, etc, etc. Polycarp told him that while the pro-council's fire lasts, but a little while the fires of judgment Reserved for the ungodly cannot be quenched. Polycarp concluded.

But why do you delay. Come do what you will? That's grace. Facing a horrifying and painful death polycarp trusted the Lord as he had since salvation. How will God himself strengthen you again in verse 10?

That verb strengthen means to cause someone to be or to become more able or capable with the Implication. Get this of a contrast with weakness to make more able to strengthen. To build you up to pump you up.

In other words God takes you who were once weak and provides you spiritual muscle. It takes you to the gym. He is your personal spiritual trainer. He's going to get you fit. For the difficulties that lie ahead.

How will God himself establish you that means that he is going to give you spiritual resources? And I don't mean to be trite, but I think you could think of it this way. These are kind of a spiritual supplements.

Vitamins. And at the big picture he is going to grant you spiritual health. He's going to perfect you. He's going to grant you spiritual strength confirm you train you spiritually even give you strengthening exercises as it were and grant you all the spiritual resources.

You need to run the race set before you you will lack for nothing the God of the universe has promised you all these things. What greater encouragement could there be in a time of persecution in a time of difficulty than to know God has promised these things?

The Irreversible Dominion of God and the Sufficiency of Grace

Truth number seven his power is irreversible. His power is irreversible. Look at verse 11 to him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. When Peter considers the incredible promises of God, what's his response?

Great just when I need Some theology, you know as I was hoping for something practical no. No. He praises God for his dominion. He's excited that God is sovereign. He delights in it. In fact, he even says let it be so that's what amen means.

He goes that is great truth. That is something I can hold on to. Dominion denotes the possession of force or strength that affords supremacy or control. God is sovereign. Rejoice in it. Who can stay his hand who can hold back the power of God?

This Apostle of Christ chosen by him personally to lead the twelve is Thrilled that God is in complete control. And my question for you this morning is are you thrilled that he's in complete control? Can you believe the promises of a God?

Who promises these things to you? Would you believe the promises of a God who's not a control who's not sovereign? What if God said, you know, I'd really like to do these things. I really hope I can. Let's just kind of cross our fingers and hope that's that comfort.

If we cannot rely on the promises of God if he is not able to do these things. There is no comfort whatsoever in the words of Peter. But Peter rejoices why because he knows the sovereign God of the universe.

He is confident in the sovereign God of the universe. He knows that no purpose of God can be thwarted. That is comfort. All of God's children should rejoice that their father in heaven is the sovereign Lord of all creation.

Your father is in charge. That is a reason to rejoice truth number nine or number eight, sorry. His grace is sufficient. God's grace is sufficient. Verse 12 through Silvanus our faithful brother for so I regard him.

I have written to you briefly Exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God stand firm in it. Silvanus also known as Silas was a frequent companion of Paul's and Silvanus delivered this letter to the churches in Asia Minor.

Now, how would you like just imagine Peter's writing this letter somewhere else. I'll say he's sending it to Worcester first Worcester and he says You know, I've sent this via my faithful brother or sister so-and-so.

What a great thing to think about through the ages you'll always be known as the faithful brother or sister. That's great. The truths of this letter the doctrine the challenges and the encouraging truths That Peter writes about are what he means when he says the true grace of God everything that I've written.

This is the true grace of God and he says if it's it look life is going to get tough. But if you'll heed what I've written to you through the ages of the Holy Spirit Through the auspices of the Holy Spirit by the agency of the Holy Spirit.

I just want to explain what ages is. You will be. You will be obedient to the true grace of God. Listen, if you just read this letter that I've written and you obey it You will live a life that is obedient to the true grace of God.

You will be a child indeed of God the Father. And notice his last exhortation for the readers is to stand firm stand firm in this grace. He says. As the Christians face cruel oppression because of their faith Peter exhorts them to stand firm.

Hold your ground. Don't yield don't give up. Obey Christ in all Circumstances do what he has said. Don't capitulate. Don't give up. Don't jump ship. Stand firm. Truth number nine. He has given us brothers and sisters to strengthen us and encourage us.

Look at verse 13 and we'll see that he's talked first talks about the church in Rome. She who is in Babylon chosen together with you sends you greetings. Because of the persecution that had begun and the escalation that was coming Peter does not reveal his true location.