So let us hear the word of God, starting at verse 1.
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ's sufferings,
who will also share in the glory to be revealed.
Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care watching over them,
not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be,
not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve,
not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders.
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another,
because God opposes the proud, but shows favour to the humble.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand,
that he may lift you up in due time.
Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
Be alert and of sober mind.
Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Resist him.
Standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world
is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
And the God of all grace,
who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,
after you have suffered a little while,
will himself restore you
and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.
To him be the power forever and ever.
Amen.
With the help of Silas,
whom I regard as a faithful brother,
I have written to you briefly,
encouraging you
and testifying that this is the true grace of God.
Stand fast in it.
She who is in Babylon,
chosen together with you,
sends you her greetings.
And so does my son Mark.
Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to all of you
who are in Christ.
Dan.
Good morning.
Before we start,
let's just go to the Lord in prayer.
Father, we give you great glory and thanks
for yet another day to gather in your name.
the privilege of being able to bring our concerns
and our anxieties to you,
regardless of where we've come from this week,
whether we find ourselves doing well
or doing not so well.
We give you thanks for what you've done in our life.
So help us to lay our concerns at the altar of your throne,
to open our hearts and minds
to the truths and the realities
of what your word would have us learn this morning.
As we continue in our worship through the word,
may we enter into worship with you.
We ask these things in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Really is difficult to believe this is the last Sunday.
I'll be with you in this series.
And a lot of people have been asking me
how I'm feeling about this being the last Sunday.
And I've been responding with,
it's kind of bittersweet.
It'll be good to get back to my hometown,
home congregation,
but it's hard to leave
because it's been just a great time of blessing
being here and ministering to you
and with you
and praying for you
and praying with you.
And really, it's felt like our home church
for the last couple of months.
So it's really been our church family
while we've been here.
It's also been a great reminder to me
that there are things going on
outside of the little bubble
that we can create in our own local environment,
in our hometowns.
It's a great reminder to me
that we're not alone in this fight.
And that's just what this Christian walk is.
It's a fight.
It's a war.
We're all soldiers in this war,
in Christ's army.
And we wage war every day,
not with guns,
not with bombs or swords or shields
or all that kind of thing,
but with prayer,
with fellowship,
with kindness and love.
And that's what I've been reflecting on
as I'm bringing you this last message this morning,
the idea that we're servants
and soldiers.
In fact,
the title of today's sermon is
We Are Servant Soldiers.
We serve and we fight.
So we're going to look at two things
in terms of being servant soldiers,
what Peter has to say.
We are to be humble towards one another
and we are to fight against sin.
Be humble towards one another
and fight against sin.
So let's dive in at verse one.
To the elders among you,
I appeal as a fellow elder
and as a witness of Christ's sufferings
who will also share in the glory
to be revealed.
Remember that Peter is writing
not to a specific church somewhere,
like the church in Carrig
or the church in Middleton or wherever,
but he's writing to all the churches
in what we now call Turkey.
So it's not one particular church,
one particular problem,
one particular group of elders.
This is a message for all churches
in all contexts at all times.
And he grounds his appeal in three things.
Take a look at verse one.
He says, I'm a fellow elder,
so I understand what your calling is
and I share that responsibility.
He says, I'm a witness of Christ's sufferings.
I actually saw him nailed to the cross.
I was there when he died
and I was there when he rose.
And he says, I'll also share
in the glory to be revealed.
I'll share in the glory to be revealed.
I'm your fellow brother in Christ.
Not just an elder,
not just a witness of Christ's sufferings,
but I will participate with you
one day in the glory
that will be revealed
when Jesus calls us to himself.
And on the basis of that,
Peter is saying, I get it.
I get the responsibilities that you have,
elders.
I know why Christ died.
And I share in this fellowship with you
in Christ.
And on that basis,
verse two,
Peter says,
be shepherds of God's flock
that is under your care,
watching over them.
Shepherd,
pastor,
overseer,
elder,
they're all words for the same thing.
They all describe
the same duties
and responsibilities
of those who lead
in the local church.
And now this isn't just for elders.
I'll come to you in a second.
But let's let the text speak
for itself first.
Still in verse two,
Peter says,
watch over the flock,
not because you must,
but because you are willing,
as God wants you to be.
Have you ever thought
the only reason that you're serving
in a particular way
is because nobody else will do it?
Because there's nobody else there
to fill the gap.
You might also want to do it.
Maybe you do,
maybe you don't.
But it's still easy
when we think like that
to get self-important.
Well, I'm filling in this gap.
I'm so important.
I'm such a martyr for the cause.
And it's easy to develop this complex
or to be entitled about things.
And Peter says,
don't do that.
Don't.
Just put that thing to death
and serve humbly,
not haughtily.
And here's the thing.
Because we're all people,
this is news to you, right?
Because we're all people,
we all do this
from time to time.
It's going to happen.
So for example,
when someone else is preaching,
it's really easy for me to sit there
and be thinking,
oh, I wouldn't have stressed that point.
I wouldn't have used that application
or drawn out that illustration.
And just like it's easy for others to do that
when I'm standing up here.
Or it's easy for us to get an attitude that,
well, I'm really the only one
who's capable of doing this,
so I guess I'll just get on with it
and do it.
No real joy,
just a sense of entitlement,
wanting constant pats on the back,
that sort of thing.
And you know,
the one thing I have to pray for,
the hardest,
when I get up to preach,
is against all those things.
Is that it wouldn't go to my head.
That when I do have someone
who gives me good feedback
or plaudits or whatever,
that I wouldn't start getting too big
for my boots.
And let's be honest,
Peter talks about selfish gain.
I'm not exactly going to become a millionaire
by being a preacher in Ireland in 2019.
Not in this church,
and not in Middleton anyway.
Maybe there are churches out there
where it might happen, but...
I might be able to make a reputation
for myself, though.
I might be able to get people to see,
oh, you know,
there's this guy down in Middleton
and you really want him to come to preach.
That can go to my head.
I might get in a position
to influence other people
by taking the word
and not necessarily teaching what it says,
but using it to manipulate people
and to influence them
in a way I would like them to be.
Or I might be able to get
a certain amount of public limelight
on myself.
Be in the spotlight.
That's still gain, isn't it?
That's still something I get
out of doing this.
And I ought not minister
for those reasons.
Just as Johnny was talking about,
we're saved by Jesus
and therefore
we ought to be humble.
Because of the sacrifice
that Jesus made.
You know,
I'm not standing here going,
oh, well,
Jesus paid for my sins,
so I'll just lord it over everybody.
I'll just show everybody
I know the best.
Peter says,
don't do that.
Verse 3,
don't lord it over people
who might be looking to you
to lead or to shepherd
or to disciple,
but by being,
and underline this word,
an example
to the flock.
An example
to the flock.
You know those times
like I have them
when you're thinking about
raising your kids,
do as I say,
not as I do.
Don't copy what I'm doing,
just do what I tell you to do.
And Peter says,
get that out of your head.
Not do as I say,
not as I do.
Be an example,
he says.
Paul,
the apostle Paul,
exhorted the Corinthians
to follow his example
just as he followed
Christ's example.
Faithful.
Temperate.
Even-tempered.
Self-controlled.
Sober.
Honest.
Hospitable.
And here's the point.
This isn't just for elders
or pastors.
No one's sitting here
wondering,
oh, well,
that's okay then.
I'm not a pastor,
I'm not an elder,
I don't need to be humble
or faithful
or all that kind of things.
But because Peter says,
elders,
be an example
to the flock,
this is a picture
of how all believers
ought to imitate
the character
and the deeds
of Christ.
And if that's how elders
ought to behave,
how pastors ought to behave
as an example,
then maybe think about
things like this.
do we want people
to be saying,
he's so great
with the kids' ministry
or she's such a wonderful
addition to the
whatever ministry?
It might be.
But is that what we
want people to say?
Do we want the plaudits?
Do we want the pat on the back
and the recognition?
Or are we happy
just serving,
just using our gifts
as God gave them to us
without wanting
this public recognition?
Or how about this,
kind of linking in
with what I just said
about preaching.
Do we view our ministries
as stepping stones
to bigger things?
So bigger churches,
flashy worship music,
whatever.
Are we content
that God,
as Paul says
in 1 Corinthians 12,
has placed the members
of the body
just where he wants them
for his glory
and to serve
and to give him glory?
Do we think
we know better than others?
Even if we do,
sometimes.
Are we kind
and gentle
and humble
in our service?
In other words,
friends,
do we make this
all about us?
All of this,
the seating,
the music,
the preaching,
the kids ministry,
do we make this
all about us
and our gifts
and our abilities
and our ministry
and our church?
Even verse 5,
have a look at this.
Even if we're not elders
or officers in the church,
do we puff ourselves up
and act like it?
Do we think we know better
than the church leaders
and therefore
we don't submit to them?
Now that's not to say
that doesn't happen
sometimes,
regularly,
a lot of the time,
whatever you want to say,
but that's not the point.
The point is
whether or not
we're willing
to submit
and to defer
to the church leaders
just as the church leaders
submit
and defer
to Christ
and offer themselves up
as an example
for the rest of us
to follow.
Are we humble
towards one another?
It's not about
our talents.
It's not about
whether we know better
or we have the right ideas
or plans
or whatever the case.
This isn't about us.
This is about
Jesus.
This is all
for Jesus.
And so much of our walk
depends on humility.
I was reflecting on this
during the week
and I don't think
I'm going out on the limb
to say this
that I think the greatest
part of our flesh
that we have to be
actively crucifying
every day
is all this
me, me, me stuff.
It's all about me.
It's all about what I can do.
Because if we can do that,
if we can
work on those things,
if we sow that seed
and we water it
with the word of God
and with the fellowship
of the local church,
then we'll see it grow
and we'll see it produce
its fruit
in its season.
Verse 4,
if these attitudes
are in us,
if these are the fruit
of our faith,
then we receive
the crown
of glory.
The crown
of glory.
So what crown is this?
Well,
remember what Jesus said?
Whoever exalts himself
will be humbled.
Whoever humbles himself
will be exalted.
And that's exactly
what Peter says
in verse 6.
Humble yourselves.
Bring yourselves low,
therefore,
under God's mighty hand
that he might lift you up
in due time.
Bring yourself low.
Humble yourself.
Empty yourself
so that at the right time
Christ will exalt you,
will lift you up,
raise you up,
and seat you
with himself
at the right hand
of God.
Because at the end of it,
friends,
isn't that what Jesus did?
Emptied himself,
made himself nothing,
and humbled himself
to the point of death,
even on a cross,
so that he might be exalted
and that we might be exalted
with him.
this isn't just about
being nice to people
for the sake of it.
This is about echoing
the very life
of Jesus himself
because that echo,
while imperfect
and while incomplete,
that echo,
that modeling out
of this character of Christ
is the fruit
of the life
of somebody
whose heart says
it's all
for Jesus.
It's all about him.
In this war,
in this Christian life,
we are servant soldiers
and we serve
by being humble
towards one another.
Secondly,
finally,
have a look at verse 8.
Since we are servant soldiers,
we fight against sin.
Verse 8 says,
Be alert,
be of sober mind.
Your enemy,
the devil,
prowls around
like a roaring lion
looking for someone
to devour.
I read a lot
about strange things
in the lead up to sermons.
This week isn't too bad.
It was lions.
So, you know,
pretty easy.
If you don't know
anything about lions,
then you at least know
that they're pretty
fearsome hunters.
And some of you
have cats,
like I do.
And now,
my cat,
you know,
she wouldn't exactly
win the cat version
of Mastermind
or whatever.
You know,
you could take her,
stick her in front
of an open door
with a bit of cheese.
She'd miss the cheese
and still bang her head
against the door.
But despite all those things,
she's still one heck
of a hunter
because she's a cat.
Quiet,
stealthy,
quick,
lethal.
And she's only
a house cat.
She's only the size of,
I don't know,
half his laptop.
If you take a lion,
just like smaller cats,
the thing about them
is that they stalk
their prey.
They slowly
and they patiently
walk around
in the long grass,
hidden,
not letting themselves
get given away
until they absolutely
have to.
And I was reading
that lions
generally won't charge
at their prey
until they're basically
right up on top
of them.
Satan does
the same thing.
It's not like
the movies
or whatever
where Satan
has bright red skin
and horns on his head
and a pitchfork
and a tail
and hooves
and he's not going
to come up to you
wearing a sign
that says,
hi,
I'm Satan,
I'm here to tempt you today.
You're not going
to have a personal
encounter
with the devil himself.
Not because he's not real,
he's very real,
but because the whole
world lies
in the power
of the evil one,
Paul tells us.
John tells us,
excuse me.
World.
Kosmos
is the Greek word.
The orderly arrangement
of the whole world system
is fundamentally influenced
by Satan
and by sin himself.
So be alert,
Peter says.
Just be awake.
Just be realistic.
Know that this is
the devil's playground.
It's where he's at work.
And not just that,
but be sober,
he says.
It's actually the third time
Peter has used that word
in this letter.
Be sober.
Clear-headed.
Free from anything
intoxicating.
Go out of your way
to avoid intoxication
because the things
that cause them,
maybe they're not bad
in and of themselves,
but the things
that cause them
are ways
Satan uses
to tempt you
into sin.
Things like this.
Since he said sober,
let's start with alcohol.
There's nothing wrong with it
in and of itself.
You can have a drink
if you like.
Jesus himself
was pretty familiar
with the wine production process.
But if you can't have
just one drink,
or if when you drink
you get gossipy,
angry,
lustful,
whatever,
simply put,
don't drink.
Be sober.
How about career?
As a civil servant,
I think about this often.
Again,
not bad by itself.
Good to have goals.
Good to have aspirations.
But when we covet
a career,
and we esteem it
higher
than how we treat
other people,
then we're going to
start to think
a little bit less
about what that
ladder climbing means
when we hurt people,
or we
cheat people,
or we step
on people.
Here's a topical one.
Being involved
in politics.
We live in a democracy.
It's good to be
civically aware,
informed,
active,
all that kind of thing.
But be careful
how you do this.
This is a double-edged sword.
Don't just read things
by people you already
agree with,
and reinforce
your own ideas
about things.
Because the next step
is don't demonize
people
that you disagree with.
Don't act like
the person who
disagrees with you
on any particular subject,
even if they agree
with you
on everything else,
is somehow
a fascist
or a communist
or whatever the case
might be,
whatever names
you might call them.
Don't become
one of the hysterical
voices,
and there are many
of them out there,
the hysterical voices
that get outraged
by everything
and anything.
I've said it before,
the most common word
in Ireland
is disgraceful.
The health service
is disgraceful,
or bus fare
went up by five cents.
It's disgraceful.
Don't be one
of those people.
Be mindful
about how people
can hear
and interpret
your words
and your actions,
whether in person,
social media,
whatever the case
might be.
In other words,
Peter says,
be alert.
Wake up.
Just actively
be on the lookout
for all of these
things that can
sneak up on you
like a predator
and devour you.
Usually not all
at once.
I don't know about you,
but I know from
my own experience
that those times
in my life
where I've sinned
in a very visible
kind of way,
it's never been
in isolation.
If I'm honest,
and I think
if you're honest
when we look
at those things,
we look back
and we'll see
this trail
of seemingly
little insignificant
things that lead
up to them.
the little white lie
or,
well,
it's only five euro,
I'll put that
in the expense account
or just little things
like that add up
because James says
each person
is tempted
when they are
dragged away
by their own
evil desire
and enticed
and then after
desire has conceived,
it gives birth
to sin
and sin,
when it grows up,
gives birth
to death.
This isn't a game.
This is serious stuff.
Jesus said,
if your right eye
causes you to sin,
gouge it out.
If your right arm
causes you to sin,
cut it off.
If there is something
in your life
that is fundamentally
getting in the way
of you glorifying God
by the way
you live your life,
get rid of that thing.
I don't know
what it is.
You know
what it is.
And the Lord
knows what it is.
The Puritan
John Owen
said it this way,
be killing sin
or sin
will be killing you.
Be killing sin
or sin
will be killing you.
So verse 9,
we need to resist
the works of Satan
in our lives.
We need to recognize
what we are tempted by.
We need to limit
our exposure
to those things.
And then we need to
do what we often
do last
after everything else.
Pray
against those things.
Pray against
whatever it is
that you are
struggling with.
Pray by yourself.
Involve your spouse,
your best friend,
an elder in this church,
whoever.
Pray against
those things.
Resist the devil,
James says,
and he will flee
from you.
Prayer is more
powerful
than psychology
or philosophy
or anything like that.
It's a weapon
in the believer's armor.
And remember,
we're not alone.
Jesus brought us
from death to life
not to be by ourselves,
as I've said so often
through this series,
but to be born again
into a family
of believers.
A family that
transcends
nationality
and language
birthplace,
whatever.
And just like
the world,
the church
and the world over
suffers,
no matter where they are,
we all sin.
No matter where we are.
We're all tempted.
We all stumble.
And even though
we seek to glorify God
in our lives,
as Paul says,
who will rid me
from this body
of sin?
We're still here.
We're still in the reality
of living here.
In a fallen world
in Ireland
in the 21st century.
And so we need to pray
against these things.
And to remember this,
this world can be hard.
Cruel.
Bleak.
So when our relationships
fail
and break up,
or when our kids
get sick,
or our loved ones
die,
or our workplaces
are full of gossip
and strife
and bitterness
and unpleasantness,
when the depression
overcomes you,
when the eviction notice
comes through the door,
back in verse 7,
cast all your anxiety
on him
because he cares
for you.
Friends,
in this world,
Jesus said,
we will have suffering.
It will happen.
But fear not,
Jesus said,
I have overcome
the world.
Jesus has destroyed
death
and sin
itself
so that regardless
of what happens
in this life,
regardless of what
Satan throws at us,
if we hold fast
to Christ,
then we get
this crown of glory.
We go to be
with him forever.
Verse 10,
fight against sin,
resist the devil,
and the God
of grace
who has called us
to eternal glory
with Christ.
will,
after the suffering,
restore us
to strength
and firmness
and steadfastness,
even when it's hard,
even when we have
setbacks,
even when we think
we're not being
the best Christian
in the world,
and we never will be,
by the way.
In all of these things,
we still look forward
to that day
when Jesus calls us
to himself
and there's no more death
and every tear
will be wiped away
and there'll be
no more suffering
and no more pain
and you get
a nice new body.
Some of us
are looking forward
to that.
Fear not,
Jesus said,
I have overcome
the world.
I'm just about done.
I've taken you
through this letter
which is just loaded
with these deep,
great truths
about God,
his love
and his plan
for redeeming us,
what that ought
to look like
in our lives.
And I sincerely hope
it's impacted you.
I sincerely hope
that you get a sense
of just what great mercy
God bestowed on us
when he sent his son
to die
so that he would
save us out
of the world.
As Peter says,
verse 12,
and this is what
I've tried to do
over the last couple
of months,
I have written
to you briefly,
verse 12,
encouraging you
and testifying
that this
is the true
grace
of God.
Stand fast
in it.
This is the grace
of God.
It is the unmerited
favor,
the undeserved
favor that he
bestows on those
who come in faith
to Jesus.
Nothing you have
to do.
You don't sign
anything.
There's no secret
handshake.
None of that
kind of stuff.
Just come in faith.
So be a servant
soldier.
Be humble
in your dealings
with your fellow
man and woman
inside the church
and outside
the church.
Fight against
sin.
Be killing
sin
day by day.
Watch out
for the lion
that's prowling
around
looking for ways
to devour you.
Remember that
God chose you.
That he called
you out of darkness
into the glorious
light.
That Christ
suffered once
for sins,
the righteous
for the unrighteous,
to bring you
to God,
having himself
being made alive
in the spirit,
the same spirit
that now lives
in you
if you profess
Christ.
If you didn't
know it before,
you certainly
know it now,
two months later.
I'm not one for
mincing words.
If it's true,
it's true.
If you don't
follow Jesus,
here's my final
plea.
Follow him.
God became
man
and suffered
death
that you
might have
life.
Jesus
is not
one way
to God
out of many
ways.
In the words
of Jesus
himself,
he said,
I am
the way,
the truth,
and the life,
and no one
comes to the
Father except
through me.
There is no
other name
here on earth
or anywhere
in the universe
on which you
can call
and have any
hope of
anything
after this
brief life
here on earth.
It's Jesus
or it's
nothing.
So as we
close,
if there's only
one thing you
take away from
my time with
you,
that'd be
this.
This is not
about us.
This is about
Jesus.
It's all
about Jesus.
it's all
his.
As verse 11
says,
to him
be the
power
or the
glory
or the
dominion.
To him
be the
power
forever
and ever.
And all
God's people
said,
Amen.
Let's pray.
Father,
we thank you
that your
word is like
a double-edged
sword and
it pierces
to the
division of
bone and
marrow and
soul and
spirit.
We thank you
for the
reminders that
you have
given us
through your
word that
we are
chosen,
that we are
kept,
that we are
shielded.
We also
thank you that
you're honest
enough to
tell us the
truth,
that we
must fight
against sin,
that we
must be
humble.
humble us
Lord,
in the
ways where
we glorify
ourselves and
exalt
ourselves.
We ask
you for
your mercy.
We ask
for your
grace once
more to
pour over
us and
to make
us realize
that this
is not
about us.
This is
about you.
Wherever we
serve,
whatever we
say,
whatever we
do,
help us to
do it for
your glory,
not for
our own.
Be with us
Lord,
as we
live out
our lives
here in
this fallen
world as
new creations,
help us to
be salt and
light to the
world around
us, a
beacon of
hope in
a world of
darkness.
Help us to
say the right
words with
the right
attitude and
give us ears
to listen when
we simply need
to listen.
For those who
don't know
you, for
those who
don't call on
your name,
maybe even
sitting here or
listening right
now, be
drawing them
to you,
Father.
Give them
the realization
that they
have been
drawn to
where they
can hear
your word,
where they
can hear the
good news
that you
sent your
son who
died so
that we
might have
life.
Be working
in them,
Holy Spirit,
convicting
them and
breaking down
their barriers
and drawing
them to
you so
that they
would declare
that Jesus
his Lord.
Be with
us as we
go to
the Lord's
table and
remind ourselves
of these
great truths
that you
sent your
son as
the suffering
servant,
as the
humble
sacrifice
who didn't
open his
mouth but
who went
willingly like
a lamb to
the slaughter.
Help us to
remember that
we are part of
one body with
many members
others and
that together
we seek to
glorify you.
We ask these
things in
Jesus' name.
Amen.
We're going to
sing together in
response the
song Jesus
all for
Jesus.
Do we have
that the
only place
that we
should run
to, the
only one
who we
should commit
our life
to is
him.
So let's
stand together.
Amen.