1 Peter5:10-14 A Peace of Eternal Glory

Welcome to the podcast of Recast Church in Madawan, Michigan. This is a message from Pastor Don Filsack from the series

Ready for the Storm on 1st Peter. If you'd like more information on Recast Church, please visit us on the web at www .recastchurch

.com Here's Pastor Don Good morning. Welcome to Recast Church. I'm Don Filsack.

I'm the lead pastor here I want to start off just by welcoming you and Saying that I'm glad that we have gathered together as God's people here in Madawan to worship him this morning

All right. So with the announcements out of the way this morning We come to the close of a sermon series on the book of 1st

Peter We've been walking through this for a few months now and we are wrapping up this awesome book

I chose this because of the sense that I get from the world around me that Christianity may well fall out of favor

Maybe even in our society in my lifetime And so as I look at just current events and kind of see things that are going on around me 1st

Peter speaks into that situation very clearly I want to clarify that the idea of persecution of Christianity is not something that's new

This is not a new storm that's coming up on the horizon It's something that's been around for a long time and from our vantage point

We have the tendency to think that life and the world has always been favorable to Christians now You can at times read history

And so then you're like snapped into reality that it hasn't always been favorable if you're if you're into history

But I would say the average American is not super into history And so particularly because of that we don't have a good sense of the long -term scope that we live in an extremely exceptional time and an exceptional place in the scope of the bigger history of the world in particular the 2 ,000 years of Christianity But we must be alerted.

We must be awake to the reality that we live in an exceptional time. We need to be

Thankful and grateful to God for the great and awesome freedom that we have in regard to our faith

I mean today we are going to rent a community facility KVCC we are renting their pool we are going to go there and actually baptize people in a public forum in What we need to recognize is that around the world even today

Baptism is a scary terrifying thing that when a person makes that choice They are laying their life on the line to be baptized as a follower of Jesus Christ Do you realize that in a lot of countries around the world to be baptized and to identify yourself with Christ in that way?

Is the step to be in danger and yet we have immense freedom here in our country and in our culture

To practice our faith in the way that God has told us to and so it's an exceptional time

It's a time where we ought to be grateful and thankful for the awesome freedoms that we have Feast I hope and it's my prayer that first Peter has served you guys well

In the reminder that suffering and persecution are normative for the Christian community We need to be reminded of that and although it's

I mean I think in in the scope of like series or sermon series that I've done this could be a bit of a downer, right?

There's a little bit of a tendency to kind of go. Okay, we're talking about persecution That's not always super fun but at the same time it's something that's

Essential and necessary for us to get our mind around and the fact of the matter is we all suffer in various degrees And so I hope

I hope it's helped you like it has helped me But we know that the newspapers highlight what Peter has been telling us the newspapers in reality and the things that we see in the news

Are clear Christians will face trial some will be persecuted some even this past week as we're as we know

Lost their lives as a result of their stand for Jesus Christ and and being unwilling to denounce their faith

So in these four five short closing verses here Peter works to give us give the entire letter an eternal scope as He offers his peace out here at the end of the text.

She literally says peace. He doesn't say out but kind of But as he offers his final words he wants to pull back and look at the eternal scope of what suffering is in the short -term things of life and he

He said suffering pain and even martyrdom in its right perspective We may suffer says

Peter in this text. We may suffer I think a lot of us go out down maybe probably not what we may

We may suffer for our faith But it is in Peter's words for just a little while So let's open our

Bibles to 1st Peter chapter 5. We're gonna take the last few verses here verses 10 through 14 if you

Don't have a Bible you can Raise your hand. I know that it's kind of awkward to call you out We're not just trying to look at who's got who didn't bring a

Bible But if you don't have one on your lap, then it's helpful to be able to follow along And so feel free to raise your hand and one of these guys will bring you a

Bible And then you've got one there and then if you if you don't have a Bible at home You can just take that one with you.

It's a free gift We want everybody to have a copy of the Word of God I'll follow along as I read 1st

Peter chapter 5 Verses 10 through 14 and After you have suffered a little while The God of all grace

Who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ? will himself restore

Confirm strengthen and establish you To him be the dominion forever and ever.

Amen by Sylvanus a Faithful brother as I regard him

I have written briefly to you exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God stand firm in it

She who is at Babylon who is likewise chosen sends you greetings and so does mark my son

Greet one another with the kiss of love Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

I Don't know what to say But I know what to do So let's pray Father we are privileged

We live in a place with freedom

Unprecedented we are privileged with information

You're privileged with a place to meet and safety with our brothers and sisters in Christ While 21 men gave their lives

Not shrinking from death but saying I will not denounce

Jesus Christ father. I pray for their families

Pray for those who are missing husbands today for those who are missing sons For those who are missing dads father,

I thank you for first Peter I thank you for this this text that we have an opportunity to dig into and say just a little while Just a little while and there is an eternal hope

Thank you in Jesus name Amen I've ever planned to lose it in front of you guys.

So please forgive me for that. Give me just a second and With that try to get comfortable, right?

Yeah, try to get comfortable Do you encourage you to have your Bibles open to first Peter 5?

Verses 10 through 14 as we dig into this text that you know, you can't coordinate these things

It it happens and I'm wrapping up a letter about persecution in the church and This kind of stuff is happening out there in the world.

This is real this is real life for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world and And I don't want to make you feel guilty be that you were born in America That's not my goal this morning.

I mean how many of you like sometimes you feel that do you ever feel that like why me? Why me?

Why do I have all this privilege and you you watch the TV and you see what's going on over there? And it's that's not the point

But the point is then what are we doing? Are we praying for our brothers and sisters? Are we sharing the gospel freely or are we are we scared?

And are we timid that someone might laugh at us or we might lose a friend for the cause of Christ When some are losing their head for the cause of Christ It's about a willingness of heart

It's about where our heart is in the willingness to suffer Even if it's not right here at our doorstep because it very well could be

I Think it's naive of us to think that things will just continue on in the way that they have always

Continued on in the future. This is not some kind of fear mongering. It's just a matter of God has laid it on my heart to try to prepare our hearts

For come what may and He has left us this book

To do that for us first Peter exists for the purpose of preparing your heart and my heart for suffering

So keep your Bibles open to first Peter 5 10 through 14 As we dig in the first word in our text this morning shows that we're what we're studying ties in closely with where we were last week in the word and We kind of pick up in the middle of a paragraph

But this is really the beginning of the the wrapping up of the letter of first Peter Last week

Peter pointed out for us three realities three important realities That we carry forward into any

Whatever whatever comes in our lives. These are important for us to grasp God cares for you You can cast your anxiety on him

If you watch that video and it produces anxiety you watch the news and it produces anxiety anybody experience that at all

Do you do you get any anxiety watching the news? I do and so you watch it and you hear it and you listen to it and you listen to the economy or this that or the other

And it's like things can get really Anxious and he says cast your anxiety on me.

I care for you. I Care about you. God is for you The second thing is a little bit less encouraging.

You have a real enemy There is a real enemy Satan who is prowling about How many of you know notice the use of the word evil in the media?

It's becoming more and more prevalent because there's no other words to describe some of the things that are happening around the world

Evil is the right word The the categories begin to get formed as things get more and more hostile and derogatory

But there is evil in the world and Satan certainly has an agenda He's real and he's personal and he has a plan and a plot but lastly the point last week was those who are in with Christ are called to join a resistance a global resistance against the evil one not a global resistance again against politics or political entities or anything like that, but a global resistance against spiritual darkness and This resistance is facing suffering all over the world

Peter told us last week and In a sin -cursed world the reality is even those of us who are here privileged in America everyone suffers

Everyone suffers in a sin -cursed world. There is no one who avoids suffering some suffer

Through and in the midst of abject poverty Some on the other side of the spectrum suffer suffer the psychological pain of rising to the top to find that all the money all the

Fame all the whatever in the world cannot produce one ounce of eternal importance

It's a brand of suffering If you have you ever heard an interview with somebody who you think has it all together only to find that they don't have it

All together and that they are saying I've gotten here and I don't know what where to go from here.

I'm lost I've I've got the Super Bowl ring. I've got the whatever I've got the million bazillion dollars in the bank, and I don't

I don't know where to go There's no there's no place to go from here all suffer I Will not say

I'm unwilling to say that all suffering is the same and I think we know that But I will say that all suffer.

I Think many of us would rather suffer with a lot Then suffer with a little right like that's our mindset which kind of betrays our idolatry if we're honest right, doesn't that betray something of the idol of the

American the average American heart of ease money pleasure self -centeredness all of these things

I Think it's ironic that we claim to serve a Lord and Savior who said it's difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom

Of heaven, but we'll give it a shot Right we'll take our chances It's our mindset

But the fact of the matter is even in this even in this room some of us are up against our suffering

Some of you here have gotten some really bad news within the last few weeks You've you're up against it and you're looking at what is my life moving forward and some of you are suffering to various degrees and various Difficulties and Peter doesn't suggest that your suffering is easy.

He doesn't downplay it He doesn't even in this text here in these closing verses address the intensity of your suffering

He's not saying well, you've got come on. I mean just just get tough about it I mean, it's it could be worse right?

Is that how Peter encourages us? No, it could be worse No He doesn't make fun of of us for calling our first world problems suffering.

Although I think there are some issues with that I would never feel comfortable calling it suffering when my cell phone runs out of battery at 3 p .m

in the afternoon Right, but some of us act like that's suffering. Oh You know and that's not suffering

I'm not at all trying to attempting to compare the first world problems That we experienced to the sufferings of the families who lost those 21

Egyptian men that were beheaded last week the fact however remains that all of us suffer and Will suffer in varying degrees a bit of a downer

And so Peter doesn't take on the intensity But he does address He does modify the concept of our suffering by addressing what?

the duration How long is it going to be?

Notice that he gives a time designation to it after you have suffered a little while Peter doesn't presume to know the depths of your suffering, but he has the gall to address the duration

He doesn't say oh, well, don't worry. It's not that bad. No, he says it can get pretty bad, but it can't get too long

Just a little while he has the gall to tell you that whatever you go through in this life torture abuse

Whatever it might be. It's it's a little while Pain and suffering is a little while How can he have the gall the nerve to call to point to you and say you're suffering is just a little while How can he have think about that?

Would any of you have the nerve to say that to someone? Well, it's just a little while Someone who's suffering the loss of a child.

Oh, it's just a little while that's what he's saying, but he knows

That the most you will suffer and an eternal perspective is

Indeed just a little while. How can he say that with confidence?

Because Peter knows God Peter knows

God and has an eternal perspective and He wants to take here at the end of his letter and give us an eternal perspective on the concept of suffering

The big picture and when you have eternity on one half of the equation Peter knows that whatever you place on the other half is a little while It's small

Peter identifies God by two comforting titles in this verse remembering that he's he's talking to those who are about to go through intense suffering in his era the

Romans are about to kill people are about to slaughter Christians and He addresses

God or talks about God giving him two titles. He calls him the God of all grace in verse 10 and Secondly, he calls him the one who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ two titles

Our God is the God of all grace and he is the one who has called you to eternal glory in Christ God is full of grace towards his people

He is a God who gives what his people do not deserve

That our suffering would last for a little while is grace in comparison to what we deserve

That we are not suffering now Physically is his grace

God is full of grace towards his people and And secondly, he is the one who has called us to the eternal glory in Christ our salvation our hope our redemption

Our forgiveness. It's all his idea And he initiated it all by calling us to an eternal.

Hope There is something awaiting us after we have suffered this little while here on planet

Earth And I want to be sure to point out that Peter wants you to have a locked tight.

Hope in Jesus for eternity. It's what he wants for you The Christian life falls apart when it is

Motivated by fear when we when we let fear creep in that is

It breaks down The way we live in our motivation

The motivation that Peter is laying out here at the end of his letter has a complete trust in the

God of grace Who called you to eternity? He didn't call you hoping that you would hold on for dear life.

He didn't call you and leave the rest up to you But he himself the text goes on to say he himself will restore

Confirm strengthen and Establish you he's gonna restore you

Anybody excited about that as you think about suffering as you think about pain as you think about difficulty in this life

He's going to restore you put things right order your eternal life correctly

I Look forward to that day when I'm ordered correctly When my passions are our

God word and my my love for others is complete and righteous and good in all of its ways

And they're the self -centeredness that is in me that resides in me is is gone Anybody looking forward to that day when you are restored

That's the hope That Peter is holding out for the people of God. He's gonna restore you.

He's gonna confirm you as well. That is Vindicate you Vindicate you in your convictions confirm and he will strengthen you

That is he will empower you in in light of the oppression that those who are persecuted Under undergo in the the way that they're oppressed.

This is this is good news. This is good to hear He's gonna empower you maybe not in this life but there is a time coming when you will you be empowered by God himself and Lastly, he will establish you

That is he'll place you on a firm foundation We sang that earlier secure and unshakable

God is the one who does these things for those who are called To be his in Christ Jesus He is the one who does these things

He restores he confirms he strengthens he establishes at the start

Maybe the notion that our sufferings last only a short while aren't crazy comforting to you

Right, like I mean how many of you are like, well, I'm not signing up for any kind of torture, right? Like I mean and nothing that hurts nothing that hurts nerve endings, please

Do you know what I'm saying? I mean, even if it's just five minutes, could I hurt you just five minutes? No, you're not gonna sign up for that the

Crucifixion of Jesus was not a huge duration of time Right broad scope of things a little while of suffering

But I don't think anybody in the room would sign up for that right, but as Peter goes along and begins to compare our

Future as he begins to talk about what will be true of us and what

God is going to do for us The sufferings of this world begin to fade away What helps us to endure suffering for the cause of Christ What gave strength to the numerous martyrs down through the centuries even up to this very week?

What motivated Jim Elliott does anybody in the room know the name Jim Elliott Jim Elliott was a martyr

He gave his life a young man with uh, is it five others? four others four others to five total who died trying to bring the gospel to An ancient stone like a

Stone Age type tribe down in Ecuador The Akka Indians and they were run through with spears as they came to proclaim the gospel to them

How how was how was Jim Elliott ready for that like how do you how do you prepare your heart for that kind of thing

Well, the amazing thing about Jim Elliott is that we have his journal there's actually a book that I'm that's a record of his wife wrote that includes a bunch of excerpts from his journals

And he wrote this he is no fool who would give What he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose

Before he was called to give his life for the cause of the gospel. He is no fool

Who would give what he cannot keep? The cause of what he cannot lose this was a

Christian man who left family who left the comforts of the u .s. behind and Was eventually called upon to give his very life for the cause of Christ And when that day came he knew that his life was not even his to keep

But what he was gaining Could never be taken away verse 11

Peter declares a doxology in light of the God who is going to restore and confirm and strengthen you the one who in in light of this little while has set forward in front of us an eternal glory in Christ and So Peter declares a doxology a word of praise

To this God be the dominion forever and ever amen God will be in charge

God will be the ruler God will have his way forever and ever the

God of all grace The God who called you to his eternal glory in Christ This God who will restore you

This very God who will confirm you this very God who will strengthen you

This very God who will establish you This God will be in charge forever and ever and ever

And Peter adds the final amen the strong I agree or the strong so it is

God will have dominion forever and ever Verses 12 through 14 wrap up the ending of the letter in a fairly common

Greek way There was a pattern to Greek letters And so we kind of really the meat of the text ends with verse 11

And then he's wrapping things up in a very formal way. He identifies his scribe and his courier

He highlights the purpose of the letter which was common at the end and he sends greetings from friends

So that's what's going on here at the end Sylvanus is mentioned there what he was a traveling companion of Paul who had been up through the very area he had gone and traveled with Paul through the area that Peter is writing to so he was aware of this area and likely he's the one who actually is carrying the letter the shortened form by the way of Sylvanus is

Is Silas kind of like somebody named Charles might be called Chuck Someone named

Donald might be called Don You know the shortened form Sylvanus was shortened to Silas and you might recognize that name as a man who traveled a lot with Paul and was imprisoned with him

He is called a faithful brother here by Peter Hi, how many would like like the title faithful?

Could you like that title to be true of you? I love it that that that Peter calls

Silas faithful here And the words that are used to talk about what

Silas did here in this text for Peter indicates that he is the one who carried this letter whenever that this this this group of Greek words occur together

It's not as much when he says by Sylvanus a faithful brother as I regard him that that Composition almost always includes a courier somebody who carries the letter so he probably

Carried it to the exiles as they needed didn't have post office They didn't put stamps on things and all that and then so he carries it

But he also probably many scholars believe sat down with the pen while Peter dictated to him

So he was probably the actual took part in Helping to compose this letter

The technical word for it is amanuensis. It's a personal secretary a personal assistant back in the day

And it was pretty common Peter wraps up with a word of commendation for his own writing

It gives an indication that Peter had some clue that what he has recorded here for us is worthy is worthwhile

He calls it the true grace How many of you when you write you like? Commend your own it'd be like having your own endorsement on the back of your own book, right?

I mean, that's kind of what he does here But I mean that just demonstrates that Peter understood that this was not just solely from him

He had some sense that this was completely from the hand of God He calls his audience to stand firm in these exhortations and declarations

I love the combination of those two because what it is is that's that's kind of the The the crux of the whole letter is the declarations are earlier

What is true of the believer read read chapter 1 if you want to see the? declarations of Peter on your life as a follower of Jesus Christ glorious Beautiful things that you've been caused to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ Declarations things that are true of you, but then we know that he doesn't just end there

But then he follows it up with exhortations. So go and live in this light in this way because of these things

And so exhortations and declarations he says are the true grace. You need to stand in these things

So what does he want his readers to stand firm in I think just by calling attention to those

Exhortations and declarations. He's begging me to give you guys a recap of the book of first Peter in a nutshell

He's saying recap it here at the end Just just think through what are some of the things that he has actually said to us

So let's recap since I think that's what he wants us to do you These are the types of things that just a quick overarching flow of the book here in just a second

You've been caused to be born again to a living hope an Inheritance has been secured in Jesus Christ for you.

That is imperishable undefiled and unfading kept in heaven for you and As God's children we are to be set apart and holy just as our

Father is holy We are like living stones being put together like a spiritual house for God We are a holy priesthood

We are a people called out to respect the authority that God has placed in our lives

So that we stand out in the culture around us We ought not be surprised when difficulties and trials strike us for doing good

But we should remember that this is the way that they treated our Lord and Master Jesus Christ We should entrust our souls to a faithful creator while doing good

For he will exalt us at the proper time. This is the true grace

Peter has in this short letter summarized the Christian life in concise yet very deep terms

I'd encourage you that maybe just maybe an application Maybe you're looking for something to do this week as a result of this message

Go back and read it again now that we've wrapped it up now that we've many of you have been here throughout the series

But go back and just maybe in one sitting Read first Peter from beginning to end in just one sitting just take it probably take you 10 minutes 10 or 15 minutes tops

And just sit down and just read it Just get the flow of it again and just be reminded of some of these awesome truths that Peter has recorded for us

This this is the true grace If all you had if all you had was first Peter If that's the only book you had access to you could come to faith in Jesus Christ through it it's enough there

Enough meat there The final greetings give us some indication as to where Peter was writing from He refers to a greeting from she who is at Babylon And so you might go well, okay.

He was in Babylon while he's writing this and he's greeting these churches that are in exile But it's basically unanimous among ancient and current scholars that Babylon is not a reference to Babylon But actually to the city of Rome and that she would refer to the church in that place the text by the way declares that She is chosen

Just like the elect exiles that Peter has been writing to she is the church Church tradition has

Peter in Rome during this era, but even the ancient historian Eusebius Recognizes the use of the word

Babylon for the actual city of Rome frequently Rome had achieved the not very nice nickname of Babylon for two different reasons

First being that it was a place for exiles a place of exile for God's people

So many of God's people had been removed to the city of Rome To await trial and eventually they were persecuted some of them, you know were thrown to the gladiators

Thrown to the Lions actually, yeah, even thrown to the gladiators at times, but There they were there awaiting

Trial and punishment. It was a place of exile just like Babylon was a place of exile in the Old Testament So they would use that phrase for it

The second is because the city of Rome was known as the capital city of sin And Babylon was always a picture of that in the

Old Testament. And so Rome got that title early on So The church in Rome Sends its greetings to these exiled

Christians all throughout Asia Minor and so did John Mark text says my son

John Mark Peter and John Mark obviously had a close relationship as indicated by the phrase my son

It's possible a lot a lot of people don't recognize this in a particular if you come out of a

Roman Catholic background This is gonna maybe surprise you but actually in the scripture. It's mentioned that Peter had a mother -in -law and You there's only one way to get a mother -in -law, right?

And so Peter was married. Peter was married. Whoa, the first Pope, right? He was married and May have had children most likely had children.

And so some have actually said well Maybe John Mark was literally Peter's son. It could be possible.

Most people don't see that and don't believe that to be the case Because this term is used loosely

I mean we could we could say, you know, someone's my son and they're not really biologically my son And so you recognize that it's just it could be used as a term of closeness

Could also mean spiritually that it's possible that Peter was there with John Mark when

John Mark gave his life to follow Jesus Christ And so he's in a spiritual sense John Mark's son, but it might be interesting for you.

Just a little tidbit of information It's quite likely that This is the same

John Mark. That was the author of the gospel Matthew Mark Luke and John and think about his proximity and his relationship with Peter when it comes to his writing

I Witness account of the life of Jesus Christ. So when you read mark

You should be thinking Peter. That's kind of funny But when you are trying to figure out whose eyewitness account is this whose eyes were on?

These stories and putting this together Peter you're getting the gospel according to Peter in Mark that's what most scholars believe and he was very close and tight with Peter and Would have gotten certainly have used

Peter significantly as a resource in his record of the life of Jesus Christ, and so That's where you're going with when you're reading the book of Mark Lastly Peter encourages the churches to greet one another on his behalf with a kiss of love

And then offers his final peace out and it's clear that Peter is encouraging the congregation to show affection towards one another he wants there to be an affectionate love in the church and By telling them to kiss.

This was a cultural acceptable Culturally acceptable form of affection within that era in that time think of much like even in the

Middle East And throughout different places in the world, I guess probably in France in different places the two old friends when they see each other

They'll give a kiss on each cheek right and you've seen that in the movies or whatever But they really do do that so that that really does happen and that's kind of the picture of what's going on here

Very far from encouraging people to make out with each other here. I just I did not say that Sorry everyone that was not great

That's gonna be on the highlight reel isn't it You know some honestly,

I've often been tempted and I've heard pastors say this in the past. Oh, that's a handshake Shake hands.

That's what we do in our culture to show this kind of affection as you shake hands, right? It's not like what would be the appropriate?

I mean, I'm not a touchy -feely guy. So I want it to be a handshake I'm gonna be honest. They're just kind of like fist bump or whatever like that's good.

That's good. I'm good right there But I think this is more affectionate than that. What would be more affectionate than a handshake?

A hug, I think this is Peter is saying hey when you when you all get together and you read this letter

Give each other a hug for me I'm missing you guys, and I'd love to be together with you

But I'm not so just just give each other a hug when when you're when you're together and do that do that for me

I think it's more than just a handshake And his very last words are a prayer of peace to all of you who are in Christ Peace to all of you who are in Christ Peter assumes

That you've taken encouragement enough to take his word peace literally Because as there have been some down moments in this letter

Have there been some unpeaceful? Unsettling moments like the watching of the video earlier and me blubbering

We've been some unrest and some unsettled moments. Yeah, and so he ends with Peace Peace to you who are in Christ There's irony in that he ends a letter that spoke so much of hardship and suffering

With the phrase peace to all of you Where does peace come from in the

Christian life? There's a sense of settled rest Like I'm I'm on the foundation here.

No, I'm no longer shaken. I haven't found a car

I can give me peace my house

My house isn't big enough to give me peace My health health has not given me peace

And tell you it gets harder and harder to recover from a workout every feels like every day is harder than the one before Prosperity Fleeting popularity not really even existent

There's no such thing as popularity It's just that somebody's somebody's watching you for a second Where does peace come from it comes from knowing that after we have suffered this life a little while that God himself the

God of all grace Himself the God who called you to this eternal.

Hope in Christ. Jesus will restore you Will confirm you will strengthen you and will establish you could that happen in this life?

Are there moments and glimpses Linda and I were talking about this this morning there are moments and glimpses in this life of that Confirming of that restoring of that empowering but it will not be complete until that day when we stand before our

Lord and Savior and He says well done good and faithful, sir. It's interesting though at the very end last two words in the entire letter peace to all of you who are

Where in Christ Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

He doesn't offer peace to those without Christ He offers peace to those in Christ True peace and true forgiveness and true salvation are found only for those who are in Christ Where is eternal glory found in Christ?

Christ Who for the joy set before him endured the cross He suffered for a little while Then he was raised up Who's vindicated and he now sits on a throne of power at the right hand of God Almighty?

And anyone who is found in him Anyone who is found in the location of him in the scope of his protective arms

Encapsulated in the sphere of his love and forgiveness They will like him be restored and be

Confirmed and be strengthened and be established those in Christ are the ones who will have peace

So as we come to communion Tables are open for those who are in Christ If you're trusting in his sacrifice for hope if you're following him as your master and your king

Then please feel free to come to one of the tables during this next song and Thank God for the eternal glory that is yours in Jesus Christ He suffered hell

That our suffering might be for only a little while Let's pray

Father I thank you so much for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ I am so unworthy of that sacrifice and yet as we come to this table

We have a an opportunity to recognize in humility that we couldn't do it on our own

We needed you to save us And so we rejoice as we've had an opportunity to go through first Peter to to rejoice in the

Declarations of those things that you state are true of your children those things that are reality for us

That we have an inheritance is unfading undefiled Imperishable waiting for us kept in heaven by you

We also ask that you would give us the strength to meet the exhortations father

That we would go out from here with boldness always being ready to give an answer for the hope that we have within us

Father would you move us and transform us and change us by the hearing of your word and by the gathering together with your people in Jesus name