Book of 1 Peter - Ch. 4, Vs. 17-Ch. 5, Vs. 7 (11/03/2002)

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God, and if it first began at us What shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous Scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear.

Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God. Commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as into a faithful creator. Let's Stop for a moment of prayer, please our most gracious Heavenly Father.

Thank you for once again bringing us together in your house that we may collectively search for your will in our lives. Thank you for into Endowing us with the indwelling Holy Spirit without which we could have no understanding of your Holy Word.

Thank you for the promise that you have made to keep and protect us when we commit our souls into your hands. Guide me through this morning that I may not be an impediment in any way to what you have in store for us.

We ask in Jesus name. Amen. Well, let's go back and look at the beginning of this section for the time has now come that judgment must begin at the house of God and If it began first at us, what shall be the end of it for those that obey not the gospel?

Peter was talking about us a whole set of judgments that were to fall on the people of Israel, but he was also I think dealing with judgments that may befall us. I Need someone to turn to Amos 3 -2. Clarence, would you do that?

David would you do Jeremiah? 25 to 29. And Greg, could you do Matthew 24 9. And Diane did I give you one? Do John 16. John 16 2 and These are some judgments that are going to come on to the house of Israel.

Clarence. And Jeremiah 25 29 and Matthew 24 9. And John 16 to. They should put you out of the synagogue. So that's a very serious time that he was talking about it's a very serious time for us. But there is one that there are two things really that we can Keep in our minds in our hearts.

Number one God's eternal covenant Has made the outcome sure for us as to where we stand in judgment. But it has also made the outcome sure for those that do not have the Lord. In verse 18, and if the righteous scarcely be saved.

So we're going to be saved. Where shall the ungodly in the center appear? This is Both an indictment for The world and a glimmer of hope for those of us who? Have in our Future God's salvation or I guess in our presence God's salvation.

It's a something that's done already. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls To him and well-doing as to a fateful Creator the one who made us will preserve us and although sin Destroyed the original relationship that we had in the Garden of Eden between man and God.

Our Relationship will be restored by this salvation in 2nd Peter 2. I'm sorry 2nd Peter chapter 4, but verse 1 and 2 it says for so much then as Christ I'll wait for you. First Peter 4 1 and 2 it's just the beginning of this chapter.

For then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh Arm yourself likewise with the same mind for he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. That he no longer should live the rest of his time in flesh to the lust of men, but to the will of God so we have a We have a a Judgment ahead of us.

Everyone will face that judgment. The outcome is already assured. We will not be judged for our Misdeeds will not be punished for our misdeeds. Christ has stood in our place and he's going to be judged for us.

But the unsaved world does not have an intercessor to to go between man and God and they don't have a substitute to bear the punishment because we all all of us have seen that all of us are Deserving of Punishment, but the punishment that is ours by by rights.

See none of us should ask for justice. If justice is what we asked for then we will all be condemned. What we need to ask for instead of justice is mercy and now that Concludes chapter 4 in it, but it kind of needed to be done in order that we go into chapter 5.

Elders, Shepherds, and the Call to Feed the Flock

I want to read it just a few verses and then I'll come back. The elders which are among you I exhort who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and Also a partaker in the glory that shall be revealed.

Feed the flock of God, which is among you taking the oversight by thereof. Not by constraint, but willingly not for filthy lucre, but of ready mind. Neither being lords over God's heritage But being examples to the flock.

That when the chief shepherd shall arise you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Now that is a quite an injunction. Greg who are the elders that he's talking about that Said the elders which are among you.

I exhort who is he exhorting? They could be talking about the Apostles that I kind of took that to mean just the basic church leaders of which he associated himself maybe as a Way of identifying himself by coming down into their level rather than rather than staying above them.

I am also an elder, but if you kind of look through the passage it It's at least seemed to me that he was talking about the elders of the church the pastors the elderly people in positions of responsibility.

Now he does talk about I also am an elder and a witness of the suffering of Christ Though all of they would not all have been witnesses Of the sufferings of Christ and Also a partaker in the glory that shall be revealed.

Now part partaker partaker. There is an interesting word. It's I was able to look that up on the Greek Dictionary and it say it comes from Conan is which means fellowship or Partnership, so it's more than just something is laid out in front of you for you to partake of.

Which is which is wonderful enough that Righteousness and salvation is laid out there for us to partake of but we are partners in it and that gives us a stronger position and To me, it's a more Wonderful a wonderful thing.

Yes, sir I Think that's absolutely right. I don't think every position in the church Is a is an appointed position. I was just thinking the reason I was smiling was I was thinking It's a it's a matter of the perspective that you look at.

I look at Greg as a young guy, too. But you and I probably the only two that do. Yes, I think the I think the elders are. We have we have in our churches today. We have Official assigned positions and say well, you know, this person has this role and this one has that role and this one does that?

I don't know that that was the case in the early church. I think that the people that Had the wisdom the people that studied That will mature in the faith. I think that's what he's talking about. I may be wrong Brother David, what's your what are your thoughts that?

Yeah, that's that's the the point that I think brother Fred was taking and and certainly I was First to Feed the flock of God which is among you. Taking the oversight thereof not by constraint, but willingly not for filthy lucre, but of ready mind.

By any what you want constraint means that you're you're compelled you're compulsed compelled. Compelled well, it would have been a good word. You're compelled to do something not not that you are forced to do it.

I'm sorry. Well, we're not to do things because we're compelled to do them. We should do them willingly and not for filthy lucre. Georgia you don't want filthy lucre is I Didn't think so. That's kind of a strange word, isn't it?

Your dad can tell you money. And and you don't really it doesn't just have to be spending money. It doesn't have to be greenbacks. It can be whatever. Worldly gain that you have. Some of the some of the TV ministers.

Who maybe don't take a salary? But live in a huge mansion and have all their expenses taken care of. You have to work wonder about whether they are doing it for the financial for the worldly things or for the spiritual things.

Yes. Yeah. Yes, and fame and power would be a I guess could be defined as filthy lucre too, couldn't it? But that we do things not for worldly gain, but for. Because they have been put upon us to do by the Lord.

Yes. These people Position as a way of gaining the stuff on the facts. Anywhere you see Christianity. People are jumping in who is that film and says I want that how much would it cost me a way of gain?

Mm-hmm. And Isn't that the tragedy of it all because as we look out God has blessings for those people to do his will. But he has those blessings for those people who do his will to do his will not to gain things and so we see one person that does God's will and God blesses him and then somebody else says, oh that looks really good.

I want to do it too because I want to bless him and They're they've already started off on the wrong foot. That's not at all what they should be doing. But we are human and we do that brother Fred. Well, yeah, and again, that's that's the tragedy because because a Man of God for the right reason doing the right things can be blessed and I think that there are TV Evangelist and their radio evangelist that are doing God's will and they are being blessed.

And I think that they're in a I think they're in a definite minority. There's a lot of people that are trying to piggyback on that and they're getting the blessings here. But that probably is true, I mean, I'm sure that's true.

God's Word is God's Word in it. He's not Dependent upon the person that's reading it. That's why I was willing to do that this morning. If it depended upon me, I certainly wouldn't be able to to go forward so.

Yes, I think that even those people are doing things for the right reason. I don't think they will get a blessing. But I think the person that hears it might but that's my opinion. Mm-hmm. Well, all well, yeah, the true blessing is the spiritual blessing.

The whatever whatever those things that you have that are physical blessings. Material blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon you. They are they are for your enjoyment. I believe I think Solomon said that in Ecclesiastes there that God gave them to you you're to use them.

But those are not true blessings. They'll be gone. The true blessings are the ones that are the spiritual blessings and So what happens is we get trapped in it and having looking at these physical blessings that we don't emphasize enough the spiritual blessings that we have the spiritual blessings are the ones that That we really need to concentrate on and I think it I don't remember the place.

But what profit a man if he if he gained the whole world and lose his own soul? That's certainly a. But Puts the pin right in the correct spot. Verse 3. Neither being at Lord's over God's heritage. But being in samples to the flock now, I know brother Otis has told us of many times what an example is.

I know what it is now. It's an engraving or a die. It's more than just a an example. It's a physical model. But What is I'm curious about in this statement. Neither being Lord's over God's heritage. Somebody have an idea over what God's heritage is Greg.

That's us. Yeah, I think so. I didn't want to prejudice that answer. Yeah, I think it's us and So if we have oversight Are you gonna give back and you look at the at the previous? Verse feed the flock of God which is amongst you.

Taking oversight thereof not by constraint But willingly not fulfilled the lucre but of ready mind and not being as Lord's over God's heritage but being examples to the block so those people that were that were Enjoying to lead the church the the official leaders of the church like David Is the pastor of our church the deacons the elderly folks ever the song leaders people that have official positions?

Also, the people that Fred was talking about just the elderly people that. Or the mature people that have something to contribute. If you have oversight of anything, it's not your role to Be the Lord over God's people.

Lord the Lord is the Lord and we are all servants and What we should live and what we should do is we should live and carry our way in a in a way to Be an example to the rest of the flock. One other thing that I found interesting about these two verses and I forgot it it went past verse two.

We had Is this Phrase feed the flock of God. Greg would you uh, please read for me. John 21 15 through 17. John 21 15 through 17. This will while he's looking The idea of feeding the flock and why would why would Peter go to this particular Use that particular Instruction.

So Peter never forgot that set of instruction. But as I was going through this for the first time because I was checking Greek meanings of words and I don't know if I've heard this before I Probably have David's probably said it but all of those mentions of love were not the same word.

The first time Jesus asked him Do you a gap a oh? Do you have? Christian love for me and Peter answered him. I have Filet-o which is brotherly love of friendship and Then the second time Jesus asked him.

Do you have a cocktail? And he said I have brotherly love and The third time Jesus asked him. Do you have brotherly love. And Peters was great and to me that was uh, I guess Jesus was great too. I don't know what to make of that.

I Know that it meant a lot to Peter. Peter Here years later It's probably still the most important thing on his mind because he had rejected Jesus. He had claimed. He had claimed that he was people was brave.

He was braver than any of us and he told Jesus he would stay with him through thick and thin nothing will drive me away from you and Within hours it rejected and this meeting came After the resurrection and if you read if you read that section You will you will see that the Lord talked about the disciples and Peter Almost as if Peter wasn't one of the disciples and here what he was doing Was gathering Peter back to him and I think that's something that maybe all of us go through.

Anyhow, that was to me. That was a very Moving message. Yes, yes and and and and the beautiful part is that even though He could not stand the suffering the offense of the cross and he rejected Christ.

At least temporarily. Jesus never rejected him. It's like the prodigal son. The prodigal son ran away and rejected his father but the father Never rejected the prodigal son. And of course there were two of the prodigal sons not one.

He said I'm going to initiate a peer review disorder. Yeah, it was not about physical bravery was it it was about something else altogether. No, and of course we don't either but. And we don't want to seek Christ on the cross either.

But he had to be there or we had to pay This penalty that we're talking about early, but he paid for us so it's a I Think you could do a whole series of sermons on that verse. That was a very power. And then finally in this little section and When the chief Shepherd shall appear you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

I think that goes back and talks about the kind of spiritual blessings that we have that. If you do the kinds of things that the Lord wants you to do and that you should do. The blessings that you will have will be the real blessings.

They won't be the kind of temporary blessings that the some of the TV evangelist have. Let's look on down to section 5 the chapter 5. Likewise you younger. Submit yourself to the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility.

For God resisted the power proud and gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care on him for he careth for you.

Yes. Mm-hmm. Absolutely. That's huh? You had you peaked on my notes. No. That that's exactly what I was thinking and I didn't do it as well as you did. But I'm gonna read what I have in here. When you look back at this beginning that says yea all of you be subject to one another.

And it kind of goes through your mind all the times all the people that have been asked to be subject to one another. Wives are to be subject or to submit to their husbands and we say Young you submit to the elder and elder you you you submit to Christ.

Everybody submits to somebody but children submit to your parents employees submit to your boss slaves submit to your masters. But there's one part of that that you know, we never we never read. All of you be subject to one another so there is no.

See you kind of think if you I do I kind of think you know. This person submits to that person who submits to this person and you have like a chain and you know. We got up here. Everybody submits to God and you kind of work your way down.

Jesus submits to God the Holy Spirit submits to God, I guess the the Apostle submitted to Jesus the other people submitted to the Apostles and the preachers submits to the and you kind of work your way down to you know.

Somebody down here to bottom so it's everybody. But that's not what it is. It is not a chain it is everyone. Submit to everyone and I think that's. I think that's exactly what you said, but I think about maybe you're all God resisted the proud and give grace to the humble Georgette could you.

I'm sorry. But Say don't you think that's human nature? I mean it to me as. Yeah, because we do we want to make a chain and we and so what we're trying to do is work our way up the chain. And and that's getting back to Doing things for the filthy lucre for the power moving up that chain.

You don't have to have physical blessing just moving up the chain. And that's that's what we're not doing that the whole we've missed the whole idea. If we if we're trying to move to to higher status Georgette could you look up James 4 6 and Greg could you get Proverbs 3?

34 God resists the proud and give grace to the humble. Okay, so so James also makes this same statement both all of them are quoting from from Greg's. Oh Wait, Greg, so all of the all of the Bible is tied together and the authors of the Bible I guess you even view it as the authors of the Bible did their research they and they all came to the same conclusions or maybe you can make the Claim and I think that's the claim that we make that is that the same person wrote Proverbs James and Peter and.

That's kind of a district interesting thought in itself, isn't it? Yes. Well, I think I think it does. I think it's absolutely true. Yes, and I kind of lost my I kind of lost my thought and then that's reason I was it was quiet for a second because I was thinking as you began.

We all that's the way we all should be all of God's children should be that way. Unfortunately, we're not always that way. But. But that's that's something we certainly should strive toward. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think so.

I think that we're instructed to submit to in some areas of our lives to the law and to Maybe even evil people that are in positions of above us. But not to the extent that it brings evil upon us that we do evil.

I think there is a there's a line where you have to say No, I will not submit to this. Because this is an immoral one ungodly act and so I can't do that. And I think we're. It's my personal opinion. That we are moving close to the point where we will have to as a Christian community say no, I will not do that there there are several issues that I can think of that.

Maybe the church ought to take a position of rebellion and say no we won't do that. Yes, and because ultimately we have to follow God's truth and God's Plan not the plan of the world. Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God.

That he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him for he care. Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God. That mighty hand of God Is the hand that is going to save us and it's going to protect us.

But that is also the hand that may in some cases Bring suffering into our life. Not all of the suffering that we have is the result of some sort of bad influence. Some evil influence on the outside some of the bad things that happen to us are God's way of discipline us if we quickly turn to.

Back in Peter 2 3 17 for is it is better if the will of God be so. That you suffer for well-doing rather than evil doing. Now what that tells us is. Sometimes the suffering that we have is the will of God and if you'll turn on to Chapter 4 1st Peter 4 1 and 2.

For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm yourself likewise with the same mind for he that suffered in the flesh hath Ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his life.

In the flesh to the lust of men but to the will of God. So not everything bad that happens to us. Is the result of bad things some of the bad things some of the discipline? Is at the hand of God, but chapters of the chapter, but verse 7 is the most.

Maybe the most beautiful verse in the in the Bible, and I have never seen it before. Casting all your care upon him. For he careth for you. I don't think there's anything to be said about that. Mm-hmm.

Yes, I had seen that. Hey, it's even it's even better now that you pointed that out to me. I was going to research that for you, but I I couldn't do it. It doesn't. I've got one that does but I'm not.

I don't have that one up. I think that's a Good stopping point. I had planned to go a little bit further, but Time flies when you're having fun Brother Greg, could you offer up word of benediction, please?

You.