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.

The Close of 1 Peter and the Reality of Christian Suffering

All right. So with the announcements out of 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 is 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're privileged with information.

We are 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.

Don't ever plan 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 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 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 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. You have 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 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 Than 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 could be worse right? Is that how peter encourages us? Well, 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 to point to you and say your suffering is just a little while. How 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.

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 Uh, it breaks down. The way we live in our motivation. The motivation that peter is laying out here at the end of his letter is 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 going to 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 are godward 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 going to restore you. He's going to confirm you as well. That is vindicate you.

Vindicate you and 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 going to 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 nothing that hurts nothing that hurts nerve endings, please. Um.

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 going to 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. Uh, he gave his life a young man with uh, is it five others? Four others four others five total who died trying to bring the gospel to uh, An ancient stone like a stone age type tribe down in ecuador.

The aca 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 the amazing thing about jim elliott is that we have his journal. There's actually a book that um, 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.

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. So vanness is mentioned there. Well, 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 um is sylus.

Kind of like somebody named charles might be called chuck. Someone named donald might be called don, you know. Short and form sylvanus was shortened to sylus and you might recognize that name as a man who traveled a lot with paul and was Imprisoned with him.

And he is called a faithful brother here by peter. 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 sylus faithful here. And the words that are used to talk about what sylus 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 um when he says by sylvanus a faithful brother as I regard him. Um that that composition almost always includes a courier somebody who carries the letter so he probably uh carried it to the exiles as uh, They needed they 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.

Uh, 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 one 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 uh, 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. There's enough there.

Enough meat there.

Babylon, Mark, and the Final Greetings

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 who's 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. Of 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 um, uh thrown to the lions, actually, yeah, even thrown to the gladiators at times, but um there, uh.

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 as indicated by the phrase my son um, 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 going to maybe surprise you but actually in the scripture. It's mentioned that peter had a mother-in-law and um you there's only one way to get a mother-in-law, right? And so Uh peter was married peter was married.

Whoa, the first pope right? Um, he was married and um 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 um, and don't believe that to be the case. Um 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, um, he's in a spiritual sense john mark's son. But it might be interesting for you just a little tidbit of of information. Um. It's quite likely that um this is the same john mark that was the author of the gospel matthew mark luke and john and uh, Think about his proximity and his relationship with peter when it comes to his writing Eyewitness 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 um would have gotten certainly have used peter significantly as a resource in his record of the life of jesus christ and so.

Um.

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 uh. 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 uh 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. Um, Very far from encouraging people to make out with each other here.

I just I did not say that. Um, sorry everyone that was not great. Um. That's gonna be on the highlight reel, isn't it? Um.

Uh.

You know some honestly i've often been tempted and i've heard pastors say this in the past. Oh, this is a handshake. Just shake hands. That's what we do in our culture to show this kind of affection as you shake hands, right?