WEBVTT 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:08.900 Okay, Christian leaders in general and church leaders in particular have not got a very 00:00:08.900 --> 00:00:09.839 good reputation. 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:15.919 Unfortunately, the news is full of stories of scandals involving church and Christian 00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:16.300 leaders. 00:00:16.460 --> 00:00:22.980 If it's not the constant news of sexual abuse cases, either against children or against 00:00:22.980 --> 00:00:26.640 women, then it might be scandals involving money. 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:32.039 Church leaders buying private jets and super yachts and holiday homes in the Caribbean, 00:00:32.840 --> 00:00:38.399 and not to mention churches being very secretive and privative about what happens with the finances, 00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:41.980 where it comes from, where it goes, and what happens in between, right? 00:00:42.460 --> 00:00:48.019 And if it's not that, we hear stories of church leaders becoming controlling and manipulative 00:00:48.019 --> 00:00:55.439 and domineering, building their own empires, celebrity pastors with high-tech security details. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:01:00.640 Well, the church leaders have not got a good reputation, and it feels like the days are 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:06.120 long gone when church leaders saw themselves as servants of a congregation, there to help 00:01:06.120 --> 00:01:08.140 bring the congregation to maturity. 00:01:08.739 --> 00:01:14.280 But today's passage of Scripture in 1 Peter chapter 5 gives us a different view of church 00:01:14.280 --> 00:01:16.620 leadership, and so let's dive into that. 00:01:17.219 --> 00:01:21.719 Now, today we come to the end of our series through the book of 1 Peter, which we've called 00:01:21.719 --> 00:01:24.799 The Splendor in the Furnace. 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:30.920 And in this book, we've seen how Jesus calls His followers, those that are Christians, 00:01:31.420 --> 00:01:34.420 to a radically different worldview, a different paradigm. 00:01:35.079 --> 00:01:40.140 And the worldview he calls us to is, he says in chapter 1, that Christians are a different 00:01:40.140 --> 00:01:41.019 kind of people. 00:01:41.420 --> 00:01:43.239 We live with a different kind of hope. 00:01:43.420 --> 00:01:46.759 We have a different view of suffering and a different view of joy. 00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:52.620 And the reason why Peter gives us this different perspective is he says there's two things 00:01:52.620 --> 00:01:55.380 that we need to learn as we've gone through the book of 1 Peter. 00:01:55.620 --> 00:02:00.780 The one is that Jesus Christ Himself, His own pattern of life and ministry was suffering 00:02:00.780 --> 00:02:02.560 first and then glory. 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:07.600 And he says for those that are Christians, a Christian means a little Christ, that's where 00:02:07.600 --> 00:02:08.719 the word originally comes from. 00:02:08.819 --> 00:02:11.540 For those that are Christians, our lives will follow Jesus' pattern. 00:02:11.539 --> 00:02:16.299 You don't become a Christian and then just life becomes supernaturally glorious overnight 00:02:16.299 --> 00:02:19.120 without a trouble for the rest of your days. 00:02:19.519 --> 00:02:24.280 Actually, our lives are to follow the pattern of Jesus, suffering first leading to glory. 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:28.899 And there's a second reason Peter gives why we should be those with a different worldview 00:02:28.899 --> 00:02:30.359 around suffering and hardship. 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:35.039 And that is because he says in the midst of the furnace of affliction, in the midst of the 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:39.780 difficulty, God wants to do something beautiful, something splendid inside of us. 00:02:39.780 --> 00:02:45.520 God uses the trials in our lives and the difficulties and the oppression and the persecution to 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:47.640 shape our hearts and to make us more like Jesus. 00:02:48.439 --> 00:02:52.900 And so as we've gone through this book, this book has encouraged us to be Christians who 00:02:52.900 --> 00:02:58.439 don't retreat from difficulty, who don't pull back, who don't retreat into self-preservation, 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:01.979 but follow Jesus in the midst of the storms of life. 00:03:02.360 --> 00:03:02.520 Okay? 00:03:02.620 --> 00:03:04.920 And so that's what this series has all been about. 00:03:04.919 --> 00:03:10.559 And now in the final chapter, in chapter 5, we're going to see four marks of a healthy 00:03:10.559 --> 00:03:11.019 church. 00:03:11.219 --> 00:03:15.659 They're not the only four marks of a healthy church, but four marks that every healthy 00:03:15.659 --> 00:03:21.000 church should be known by or we should be able to see in every good and strong church. 00:03:21.079 --> 00:03:24.879 A church, a healthy church which is going to stay the course in the midst of suffering. 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:28.879 A church which is going to keep its eyes fixed on Jesus and not retreat. 00:03:29.239 --> 00:03:33.339 A church which is going to stay faithful to who Christ is even when the difficulties come. 00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:33.860 Okay? 00:03:34.439 --> 00:03:38.860 And so those four marks are, I think we've got them up somewhere, elders whose eyes are 00:03:38.860 --> 00:03:46.099 fixed on Jesus, pastors who lead joyfully, generously, and humbly, thirdly, congregations 00:03:46.099 --> 00:03:50.740 who are marked by humility, and fourthly, congregations whose eyes are fixed on Jesus. 00:03:51.060 --> 00:03:51.240 Okay? 00:03:51.740 --> 00:03:56.819 Now, unfortunately today, I don't have the scriptures on the slide, but we're going to work through 00:03:56.819 --> 00:03:57.180 the scripture. 00:03:57.319 --> 00:04:00.939 So I want to encourage you to grab your bulletin or grab the Bible on your phone. 00:04:00.939 --> 00:04:03.300 And the slides are just going to have those four points. 00:04:03.479 --> 00:04:03.539 Okay? 00:04:04.099 --> 00:04:09.479 So let's dive in with this passage as we come to a close in the 1 Peter series. 00:04:09.620 --> 00:04:13.120 So firstly, elders whose eyes are fixed on Jesus. 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:17.259 So look at verse 1 and 2 with me of 1 Peter chapter 5. 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:18.060 Look at what it says. 00:04:18.339 --> 00:04:19.019 Peter writes this. 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:19.399 He says, 00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:20.399 Okay? 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:35.739 So who's Peter writing to here? 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:39.679 Well, he's actually, he's got two audiences in mind. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.819 On the one hand, he's writing to the entire congregation because he says, to the elders 00:04:43.819 --> 00:04:44.839 that are amongst you. 00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:49.939 So there's an entire congregation, and he's talking to all of them, but then he's honing 00:04:49.939 --> 00:04:51.159 in on a specific group. 00:04:51.259 --> 00:04:55.659 And he's saying, within the congregation, to the elders, I want you to sit up and listen 00:04:55.659 --> 00:04:57.139 to what I have to say to you. 00:04:57.259 --> 00:04:57.479 Okay? 00:04:58.120 --> 00:05:00.079 So to the elders that are amongst you. 00:05:00.459 --> 00:05:06.379 Now, this is important because Peter doesn't write a letter to the church saying, listen, 00:05:06.479 --> 00:05:10.479 when life is difficult and there's hardship and there's suffering, this is how you endure, 00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:15.420 this is how you persevere, and then on the side, write this kind of secretive memo to 00:05:15.420 --> 00:05:19.819 the leaders saying, listen, guys, when hardship comes, this is how you keep control of the 00:05:19.819 --> 00:05:20.120 church. 00:05:20.340 --> 00:05:20.460 Okay? 00:05:20.660 --> 00:05:23.420 This is how you make sure things don't fall apart. 00:05:23.520 --> 00:05:25.379 This is the PR strategy you need to employ. 00:05:25.540 --> 00:05:27.879 This is the leadership techniques. 00:05:28.379 --> 00:05:29.180 Peter doesn't do that. 00:05:29.620 --> 00:05:33.560 He writes to the congregation, and then he says, in the hearing of all the congregation, 00:05:34.080 --> 00:05:36.360 elders, listen up, I want to talk to you now. 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:41.520 But he does so that the congregation can hear what he's going to say to the elders so that 00:05:41.520 --> 00:05:44.939 they can keep the elders accountable to what the apostle says to them. 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:45.759 Does that make sense? 00:05:46.259 --> 00:05:49.720 Okay, so to the elders amongst you, the congregation. 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:55.379 Now, in chapter one, Peter identifies himself as an apostle. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:01.080 Now, the 12 apostles with Paul were a unique group of people. 00:06:01.400 --> 00:06:01.540 Okay? 00:06:01.540 --> 00:06:06.020 They were tasked by Jesus to establish the foundations of the early church. 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:12.280 They were tasked to write scripture, and they were eyewitnesses of Jesus and his sufferings. 00:06:12.460 --> 00:06:12.560 Okay? 00:06:13.140 --> 00:06:20.240 The apostles had a unique calling which ordinary Christians like you and I and church leaders 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:21.180 today don't possess. 00:06:21.480 --> 00:06:24.320 They could say things that church leaders today don't get to say. 00:06:24.580 --> 00:06:24.720 Okay? 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:29.280 They had this calling from Jesus to write scripture and to establish the early church. 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:33.399 But here in chapter five, Peter doesn't call himself an apostle. 00:06:33.559 --> 00:06:34.959 How does he identify himself? 00:06:36.159 --> 00:06:36.979 As an elder. 00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:40.719 To the elders amongst you, I write as a fellow elder. 00:06:41.159 --> 00:06:45.219 Now, he could say, I, Peter, the great apostle, am going to command you. 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:46.159 But that's not what he says. 00:06:46.219 --> 00:06:48.339 So why does he identify himself as an elder? 00:06:49.059 --> 00:06:53.919 Well, the reason he does that is because as he speaks to these elders, he wants to use 00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:59.819 his own life in a sense as an example to say, I'm an elder with you and see how, where I've 00:06:59.819 --> 00:07:03.720 fixed my eyes, see what I've given myself to, and follow my example. 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:04.580 Does that make sense? 00:07:05.300 --> 00:07:10.240 And so Peter writes, to the elders amongst you, the congregation, as a fellow elder amongst 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:10.540 you. 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:12.040 And then he says two things. 00:07:12.540 --> 00:07:13.860 How does he identify himself? 00:07:14.040 --> 00:07:15.100 He says, I'm a fellow elder. 00:07:15.280 --> 00:07:16.340 And two more things. 00:07:17.200 --> 00:07:19.180 I'm a witness of Christ's sufferings. 00:07:19.180 --> 00:07:22.540 And as well as a partaker in Christ's future glory. 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:24.420 Now, what on earth does that mean? 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:25.620 And why is that important? 00:07:26.280 --> 00:07:26.420 Okay? 00:07:26.500 --> 00:07:27.620 Well, it means two things. 00:07:28.420 --> 00:07:32.960 Peter's writing and he's saying, as an elder that's being given this responsibility of leadership 00:07:32.960 --> 00:07:38.960 in the church, I've fixed my eyes firmly on Jesus Christ and on two things in particular. 00:07:39.460 --> 00:07:42.560 One, his sufferings and his death on the cross. 00:07:42.899 --> 00:07:47.240 And two, his future glory, his return, his triumphant return. 00:07:47.240 --> 00:07:50.340 So he's saying, as an elder, I've fixed my eyes on Jesus. 00:07:50.540 --> 00:07:54.300 One eye is fixed on Christ and dying on the cross, his crucifixion. 00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:55.980 I'm a witness of his sufferings. 00:07:56.160 --> 00:08:00.240 But my other eye, at the same time, I've got an eye that's always aware that Christ is 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:00.819 going to come back. 00:08:00.960 --> 00:08:04.540 Christ is going to return in glory and triumphantly. 00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:05.759 Okay? 00:08:06.480 --> 00:08:07.560 And so this is what Peter's saying. 00:08:07.660 --> 00:08:12.639 As I go about my ministry, as I serve the congregations that I minister to, I'm one who 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:16.079 keeps my eyes fixed on Jesus, his sufferings and his glory. 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:22.060 Friends, this is a very important mark of a healthy church, that every church should be 00:08:22.060 --> 00:08:23.620 bifocal in a sense. 00:08:24.060 --> 00:08:28.000 We should have our eyes fixed on Jesus, but there's a part of us that always remembers 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:29.939 Christ's death and his suffering on the cross. 00:08:30.039 --> 00:08:31.620 We never move away from that. 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:34.480 But we're not 100% hinged to this. 00:08:34.840 --> 00:08:39.240 There's a part of a healthy church of every Christian that our eye is always fixed on Jesus' 00:08:39.439 --> 00:08:42.000 future glory, his coming and his return. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:50.000 And remembering this, and the reason for this, Peter says, is not only must a church be like 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:51.879 that, but its leaders must be like that. 00:08:52.460 --> 00:08:56.480 And so a church must have leaders whose eyes are fixed on Jesus. 00:08:57.220 --> 00:08:58.519 Now, why is this important? 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:02.200 Well, it's important for a whole host of reasons, but let me just give us one or two. 00:09:02.200 --> 00:09:04.100 Firstly, think about leaders. 00:09:04.540 --> 00:09:09.100 If the elders' eyes aren't fixed on who Jesus is, what are their eyes going to be fixed on? 00:09:09.820 --> 00:09:14.400 They're going to be fixed on themselves, they're fixed on their empire, their kingdom. 00:09:15.020 --> 00:09:18.120 They're going to start to lead the church as if it's an extension of themselves. 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:22.400 They're going to start to do things and say things that they think is right, not what Jesus 00:09:22.400 --> 00:09:23.140 says is right. 00:09:23.139 --> 00:09:27.259 They're going to start to lead the church as if it's their own business, and they're going 00:09:27.259 --> 00:09:32.139 to say what they think is a good idea, lead it how they think is a good way as opposed 00:09:32.139 --> 00:09:33.600 to what Jesus says. 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:39.360 They may start feeling entitled, entitled to certain privileges or ease or comfort. 00:09:40.259 --> 00:09:45.480 What's going to keep these leaders faithful in their call to lead Jesus' people towards 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:45.980 Jesus? 00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:52.659 Well, it's leaders whose eyes are fixed on Christ, on his suffering on the cross and his coming 00:09:52.659 --> 00:09:53.059 glory. 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:57.879 But additionally, the reason why this is so important is because when a congregation is 00:09:57.879 --> 00:10:02.620 suffering, when a congregation is going through hardship, when a congregation is feeling persecuted, 00:10:02.620 --> 00:10:07.839 when there's oppression and difficulty, what's going to stop this congregation from retreating 00:10:07.839 --> 00:10:08.959 into self-preservation? 00:10:09.439 --> 00:10:14.039 What's going to stop them from running away and just going towards ease and comfort? 00:10:14.699 --> 00:10:16.019 Well, they're going to need to be reminded. 00:10:16.179 --> 00:10:19.000 They're going to need leaders who say, remember Christ's suffering. 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:20.539 Remember the pattern of Jesus. 00:10:20.539 --> 00:10:22.839 It's suffering first and then glory. 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:27.699 A congregation under attack is going to need leaders who say, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. 00:10:27.899 --> 00:10:29.740 Don't retreat into self-preservation. 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:34.099 Remember Christ's suffering and that your suffering isn't the ultimate suffering. 00:10:34.259 --> 00:10:35.819 Jesus died for the sins of the world. 00:10:36.219 --> 00:10:40.919 But remember that Christ is coming in glory and he promises that his glory will be your 00:10:40.919 --> 00:10:42.319 glory as well. 00:10:42.839 --> 00:10:48.799 And so that's why the apostle Paul tells this young church leader, Timothy, in 1 Timothy chapter 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:54.899 4, he says, Timothy, as a leader, watch your own life and watch your own doctrine very closely. 00:10:55.059 --> 00:10:59.199 For in doing so, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:00.339 You see what he's saying? 00:11:00.379 --> 00:11:03.959 He's saying, as a leader, Timothy, make sure you don't get distracted. 00:11:04.120 --> 00:11:06.339 Make sure your eyes don't focus on yourself. 00:11:06.479 --> 00:11:09.559 Make sure you don't start building your own empire or your own kingdom. 00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:12.620 Be a leader whose eyes are fixed on Jesus. 00:11:13.500 --> 00:11:14.740 And so that's what Peter's saying here. 00:11:14.740 --> 00:11:20.720 He's saying, as a fellow elder amongst you, to the elders amongst you, follow my example. 00:11:21.080 --> 00:11:23.720 Be elders whose eyes are fixed on Jesus. 00:11:24.259 --> 00:11:24.419 Okay? 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:31.879 Second thing Peter's going to say, as a healthy church is pastors who lead joyfully, generously, 00:11:32.299 --> 00:11:33.100 and humbly. 00:11:33.960 --> 00:11:35.980 Let's look at those two verses again. 00:11:36.120 --> 00:11:37.700 Verse 1 and 2. 00:11:37.700 --> 00:11:42.300 He says, I exhort the elders amongst you as a fellow elder and as a witness of Christ's 00:11:42.300 --> 00:11:45.900 sufferings, as well as have partaken in the glory that's going to be revealed. 00:11:46.540 --> 00:11:48.560 And then he gives an instruction to these elders. 00:11:48.680 --> 00:11:49.920 He tells them to do something. 00:11:50.540 --> 00:11:54.600 And he tells them, shepherd the flock of God that is amongst you. 00:11:55.220 --> 00:11:58.020 Now, that word shepherd, it's obviously the verb. 00:11:58.100 --> 00:11:59.340 He's telling them to do something. 00:11:59.340 --> 00:12:04.660 It means just to take care of the flock of God that is amongst you. 00:12:05.220 --> 00:12:10.220 But the verb is, I don't know how to grammatically say this, is the verbal form. 00:12:10.379 --> 00:12:11.860 There's probably a better way of saying that. 00:12:12.220 --> 00:12:15.280 Of the noun, which is simply to be a shepherd. 00:12:15.740 --> 00:12:15.860 Okay? 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:20.860 So think of in the Old Testament, King David, before he becomes king, he's a shepherd. 00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:23.320 And that's what Peter's saying. 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:24.460 Just be a shepherd. 00:12:24.600 --> 00:12:28.340 The word for shepherd and the word for pastor are actually the same thing. 00:12:29.340 --> 00:12:30.600 There's an amazing verse. 00:12:30.820 --> 00:12:33.879 It's somewhere in the Psalms, Psalm 78 or somewhere around there. 00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:38.500 It says, God took David from shepherding sheep to shepherding his people. 00:12:39.060 --> 00:12:40.379 David never stopped being a shepherd. 00:12:40.519 --> 00:12:42.060 He just changed his flock, right? 00:12:42.139 --> 00:12:45.620 From the sheep on the field to the nation of Israel. 00:12:46.180 --> 00:12:52.180 But here Peter writes and says, to the elders amongst you, now I want you to pastor God's people. 00:12:52.800 --> 00:12:53.980 So what does that tell us? 00:12:53.980 --> 00:13:05.440 It tells us that this verse, as well as many other verses in the Bible, that pastors and elders are actually the same group of people. 00:13:06.180 --> 00:13:06.940 You see that? 00:13:07.300 --> 00:13:09.899 It says, the elders, I've got a job description for you elders. 00:13:10.259 --> 00:13:11.399 I want you to be pastors. 00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:15.539 In other words, we could rephrase the first two points of our sermon. 00:13:16.220 --> 00:13:18.039 Pastors, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. 00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:21.419 Elders, lead joyfully, generously, and humbly. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.879 Or we could say, pastor elders, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. 00:13:25.459 --> 00:13:28.639 Elder pastors, lead joyfully, humbly, generously. 00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:37.699 You see, throughout the Bible, throughout the New Testament, we see this in Acts chapter 20, in 1 Timothy chapter 3, 1 Timothy chapter 5, Ephesians chapter 4. 00:13:38.179 --> 00:13:42.360 God always calls the elders and the pastors, they're the same group of people that have got the same function. 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:44.419 They are to elder and pastor God's people. 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:46.419 Now friends, this is very important. 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:55.120 And the reason why is because there's a trend, and this is very big in Hong Kong actually, to see the elders and the pastors as two different groups of people. 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:59.440 The pastors are those that work in the church, that's their job and their vocation. 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:01.080 They get paid by the church. 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:03.039 And they do all the pastoral work. 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:09.320 They preach, and they teach, and they disciple people, and they walk with people, and they help people in situations. 00:14:09.899 --> 00:14:12.639 But then the elders is a separate group of people. 00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:16.259 They are like kind of a board of elders, or kind of like a board of directors. 00:14:16.419 --> 00:14:21.100 And they look after strategy, and finance, and vision, and hiring, and that kind of stuff. 00:14:21.100 --> 00:14:28.440 But actually throughout the New Testament, again and again and again, God calls the elders, pastor the people amongst you. 00:14:28.500 --> 00:14:34.159 Because the elders and the pastors are actually one group of people that God calls to lead and to shepherd his church. 00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:37.399 And so the question is, is Oscar a pastor? 00:14:37.960 --> 00:14:38.440 Absolutely. 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:40.960 Is Ed a pastor in Watermark? 00:14:41.080 --> 00:14:41.560 Absolutely. 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:44.340 Is Chris Thornton an elder in Watermark? 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:45.080 Absolutely. 00:14:45.259 --> 00:14:48.660 Just as much as Franklin, or Ed, or Oscar, or anyone else. 00:14:48.660 --> 00:14:50.560 Is Simon going to become a pastor today? 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:51.239 Absolutely. 00:14:51.799 --> 00:14:54.419 Even though he works with IBM, right? 00:14:56.239 --> 00:14:58.939 Just pastor that congregation there at IBM, Simon. 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:01.979 To the elders amongst you, shepherd the flock of God. 00:15:02.579 --> 00:15:04.939 Now, look at what he says here. 00:15:05.119 --> 00:15:07.539 Shepherd, who does he tell these elders to shepherd? 00:15:08.239 --> 00:15:12.059 Shepherd your own church in your own name, right? 00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:13.159 Now, what does he say? 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:14.359 Shepherd the flock of? 00:15:15.019 --> 00:15:15.719 Of God. 00:15:16.299 --> 00:15:18.739 Whose people, whose congregation is this? 00:15:18.739 --> 00:15:20.059 Who does the church belong to? 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:22.179 It belongs to Jesus, right? 00:15:22.839 --> 00:15:28.619 So as tempting as it may be for me to rename Watermark Kevin Murphy's Ministries Extraordinary International, 00:15:29.119 --> 00:15:31.500 that's not a good thing. 00:15:31.559 --> 00:15:35.559 If that ever happens, please shoot me or don't allow that to happen, okay? 00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:39.179 Because the congregation is not their congregation. 00:15:39.699 --> 00:15:40.799 It doesn't belong to them. 00:15:41.359 --> 00:15:46.839 They are merely servants of the congregation to shepherd and pastor God's congregation. 00:15:47.379 --> 00:15:50.559 In fact, we see this in verse 4 where Peter writes and he says, 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:57.939 When the chief shepherd appears, that's Jesus, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 00:15:58.339 --> 00:16:00.399 So in other words, the congregation belongs to Jesus. 00:16:00.979 --> 00:16:04.119 And these elders, shepherd, pastors are not in charge. 00:16:04.239 --> 00:16:05.459 It doesn't belong to them. 00:16:05.539 --> 00:16:10.459 They are merely under shepherds, under Jesus, that have been tasked with the job of teaching, leading, 00:16:10.460 --> 00:16:15.840 and bringing the congregation closer to Jesus, to help the congregation fix their eyes on Jesus. 00:16:16.340 --> 00:16:19.259 Now, what are these elder pastors meant to be like? 00:16:19.320 --> 00:16:20.400 What are they meant to do? 00:16:20.759 --> 00:16:25.860 Well, Peter gives us three statements of not this, but this, okay? 00:16:25.860 --> 00:16:27.279 So let's look at the first one. 00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:27.740 He says, 00:16:28.860 --> 00:16:40.460 In other words, shepherd God's people, not reluctantly, not because you have to, 00:16:40.980 --> 00:16:43.759 not because you've got a title or that's in the job description, 00:16:44.259 --> 00:16:50.960 but willingly, joyfully, because you get the opportunity to help God's people grow in maturity. 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:57.920 When someone in your congregation is going through a difficult time or is troubled or tempted by sin, 00:16:58.340 --> 00:17:01.879 it is a joy to come alongside them and help them fix their eyes on Jesus. 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:04.360 Think of a literal shepherd. 00:17:04.519 --> 00:17:10.120 Now, I know it's hard for us in Hong Kong to imagine there's green open spaces and animals rolling around, 00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:12.579 but there are places in the world that that does actually happen. 00:17:13.620 --> 00:17:15.799 And imagine a literal shepherd, okay? 00:17:17.180 --> 00:17:19.759 Sometimes it's not very sexy being a shepherd. 00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:28.359 But imagine it's six o'clock and you're counting your sheep and one has strolled off. 00:17:28.779 --> 00:17:32.519 And you can hear the wolves are out there and you think, time to check out. 00:17:32.619 --> 00:17:34.039 Sorry, I'll check on you tomorrow morning. 00:17:34.220 --> 00:17:34.759 Best of luck. 00:17:34.819 --> 00:17:35.900 I hope you have a good night, right? 00:17:35.940 --> 00:17:37.279 I've got to get back to my family. 00:17:37.879 --> 00:17:38.960 Sometimes it's inconvenient. 00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:41.859 Sometimes you go at night and you're looking for that sheep. 00:17:42.259 --> 00:17:46.779 Sometimes you stay awake with a little lamb all night and you're nursing it back to health, right? 00:17:46.819 --> 00:17:47.779 You don't get any sleep. 00:17:47.779 --> 00:17:49.879 It's kind of like being a parent, right? 00:17:50.539 --> 00:17:55.200 Wilson, I saw Wilson here earlier, had matchsticks to keep his eyes open. 00:17:55.579 --> 00:17:57.420 Kind of like being a new parent, right? 00:17:57.839 --> 00:17:59.359 You pour out your life. 00:17:59.399 --> 00:18:00.279 And that's what Peter's saying. 00:18:00.420 --> 00:18:03.339 Do so not in a compulsion, but willingly. 00:18:04.059 --> 00:18:08.139 Secondly, he says, do so not for shameful gain, but eagerly. 00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:14.559 In other words, don't shepherd and pastor these people calculating what you can get out of it. 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:15.440 Okay? 00:18:16.099 --> 00:18:17.819 Doing a cost-benefit analysis. 00:18:18.099 --> 00:18:19.839 Is this going to work out for me or not? 00:18:19.919 --> 00:18:21.720 So again, imagine our shepherd here, okay? 00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:29.000 He's about to go back home, the end of a long day, and he counts the sheep and he realizes there's one sheep that's missing. 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:32.000 And he quite quickly realizes which sheep it is. 00:18:32.339 --> 00:18:34.059 It's that one that always goes missing. 00:18:34.379 --> 00:18:37.179 It's the one that's got that weird ear that does that strange thing. 00:18:37.180 --> 00:18:40.039 And it's got like a funny leg and it can't really walk properly, okay? 00:18:40.539 --> 00:18:44.600 And he's tempted to think, I couldn't really sell that sheep for very much anyway. 00:18:45.160 --> 00:18:46.759 I'd rather get an extra hour's sleep. 00:18:47.500 --> 00:18:49.600 Ah, I just won't tell anyone. 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:51.660 I'll just pretend something happened to it, right? 00:18:52.320 --> 00:18:54.039 What kind of lousy shepherd is that? 00:18:54.600 --> 00:18:56.200 No, shepherd loves the sheep. 00:18:56.279 --> 00:18:58.200 And so he says, okay, fine. 00:18:58.519 --> 00:18:59.440 Let me get my pack. 00:18:59.720 --> 00:19:02.539 Let me go and find that stray sheep and bring it back. 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:05.359 The shepherd doesn't do a cost-benefit analysis. 00:19:05.579 --> 00:19:09.700 I wonder whether this is going to work out for me, an extra $50 versus an extra hour of sleep. 00:19:09.980 --> 00:19:12.319 No, I think I'll go for the, okay, I'll go and help the sheep. 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:18.220 No, out of the joy that he has for the sheep because he wants to see the sheep doing well, he goes after it. 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:21.039 I had a friend in school. 00:19:21.539 --> 00:19:23.920 Well, when, sorry, before I tell you that story. 00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:30.279 Here Peter says, do shepherd the sheep amongst you, the congregation, God's flock, not for shameful gain, but eagerly. 00:19:30.899 --> 00:19:34.160 The context here is he's talking primarily around money and wealth. 00:19:34.339 --> 00:19:41.359 Don't do it because you can gain financially from it and you're going to make a lot of money, but do it because God's called you to do it, right? 00:19:41.779 --> 00:19:46.839 Now, in the context of Hong Kong and marketplace elders, they're not going to get paid anything for being elders. 00:19:47.639 --> 00:19:52.440 But there is the question you could ask of doing it for shameful reputational gain. 00:19:52.759 --> 00:20:00.059 So maybe it's not going to make you rich, but actually you can feel like, yeah, that'll look good on my CV, or people will esteem me, people will honor me. 00:20:00.279 --> 00:20:04.819 And Peter says, don't do this for shameful gain, either for the honor that could come your way. 00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:07.240 Do it eagerly because you love God's people. 00:20:07.379 --> 00:20:09.319 Do it generously, giving of yourself. 00:20:09.920 --> 00:20:13.059 When I was at school, I had a friend come to me. 00:20:13.099 --> 00:20:24.200 He was in a drama class, and the class had been given, each person in the class had been given a character that they had to do like a three-minute monologue, you know, impersonating this character. 00:20:24.860 --> 00:20:29.000 And he came to me, and he said, at lunchtime, and we were talking about who everyone was given. 00:20:29.180 --> 00:20:32.980 And so my one friend comes to me and says, I've forgotten the word. 00:20:33.059 --> 00:20:33.819 What is the word? 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:35.900 It's those people that steal money. 00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:42.420 And I was like, I don't know, bank robber or, you know, insurance salesman or something like that. 00:20:42.420 --> 00:20:43.840 Sorry if you're insurance. 00:20:45.460 --> 00:20:46.500 But I don't know. 00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:47.980 Who steals money? 00:20:48.100 --> 00:20:49.880 He said, no, no, those Christian people. 00:20:50.220 --> 00:20:51.300 Those Christian people. 00:20:51.460 --> 00:20:51.700 I don't know. 00:20:51.860 --> 00:20:52.320 The ashes? 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:53.640 Someone who counts the money? 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:54.240 I don't know. 00:20:54.740 --> 00:20:57.019 I'd never been exposed to dodgy leaders. 00:20:57.640 --> 00:20:59.400 Like, I'm an evangelist. 00:20:59.460 --> 00:20:59.840 That's it. 00:20:59.860 --> 00:21:00.759 It's an evangelist. 00:21:00.840 --> 00:21:02.900 I've been asked to be an evangelist. 00:21:02.900 --> 00:21:15.920 And that was his paradigm, that evangelists, pastors, leaders, their job is to fleece the congregation, to take as much money from the congregation and build their own empire and buy massive jets and yachts. 00:21:16.580 --> 00:21:21.759 Friends, if you're here this morning and you're new to church or you're not a Christian, maybe that's your idea. 00:21:22.540 --> 00:21:26.920 Maybe you see Christian pastors on TV and you think, these guys are just in it for themselves. 00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:31.720 Friends, I'm so sorry for the fact that the church has ever given that impression. 00:21:31.720 --> 00:21:33.279 I really am so sorry. 00:21:33.380 --> 00:21:34.259 It breaks my heart. 00:21:35.120 --> 00:21:36.519 This is what God calls us to. 00:21:36.700 --> 00:21:38.400 Don't worry about those bad examples. 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:40.140 This is what God calls us to. 00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:42.259 Elders, shepherd the congregation. 00:21:42.579 --> 00:21:43.579 Not for shameful gain. 00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:45.059 Not for what you can get out of it. 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:47.500 But eagerly, generously, and joyfully. 00:21:48.360 --> 00:21:54.019 Finally, the last thing is, he says, not domineering over those in your charge, but being an example to the flock. 00:21:54.740 --> 00:21:56.140 In other words, lead with humility. 00:21:57.000 --> 00:21:59.700 Don't lead arrogantly, not from your position. 00:21:59.700 --> 00:22:06.380 Let your authority be the fact that you are a humble example who likewise submits to God and his word. 00:22:06.980 --> 00:22:08.279 And you're living for his glory. 00:22:08.860 --> 00:22:15.600 Elders are those who call people that are suffering and hurting to fix their eyes on Jesus because they themselves have fixed their eyes on Jesus. 00:22:16.259 --> 00:22:19.100 And so, as Paul says, follow me as I follow Christ. 00:22:19.099 --> 00:22:28.719 You know, friends, one of the things I'm amazed by is as people move cities, and we do it a lot in Hong Kong, to a new city, or maybe you become a Christian for the first time. 00:22:28.819 --> 00:22:29.039 I don't know. 00:22:29.399 --> 00:22:29.799 Sorry. 00:22:30.439 --> 00:22:31.619 You become a Christian. 00:22:31.779 --> 00:22:37.319 Your colleague shares about Jesus with you, or your family member prays with you, or you become a Christian. 00:22:37.319 --> 00:22:49.019 And when people are looking for a new church, maybe you move to another city or whatever reason, I'm constantly amazed how low down on the priority list is this question of what are the leaders like? 00:22:49.500 --> 00:22:55.679 Are these humble, faithful, shepherd-hearted servant men and women that are going to help lead our church? 00:22:56.879 --> 00:22:59.139 Top of the priority list is how good is the music? 00:22:59.379 --> 00:23:01.399 How entertaining or funny is the speaker? 00:23:01.500 --> 00:23:02.519 How nice is the building? 00:23:02.519 --> 00:23:13.240 And yet one of the most important things about a healthy church is not how pretty the building is, but are these leaders, men and women, whose eyes are fixed on you and are calling the congregation to do the same? 00:23:13.740 --> 00:23:15.279 So that's the second point. 00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:15.720 Okay. 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:21.480 Pastors, shepherds, pastor elders who lead joyfully, generously, and humbly. 00:23:21.799 --> 00:23:22.779 Third thing is this. 00:23:23.819 --> 00:23:25.059 Congregations who are humble. 00:23:25.779 --> 00:23:27.480 Let's look at verse 5 together. 00:23:28.119 --> 00:23:29.379 Peter writes and he says, 00:23:29.380 --> 00:23:33.120 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. 00:23:33.300 --> 00:23:41.900 Now, just so you know there, the word younger does, it generally means literally younger in age, but it can also mean younger in maturity. 00:23:42.140 --> 00:23:52.400 And so most of the commentators said that because of the Greek and the context and the sentence and the grammar, what Peter is saying here is those of you that aren't elders, honor those that are elders. 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:52.660 Okay. 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:54.660 Not just those that are younger in age. 00:23:54.660 --> 00:23:56.340 So just to clarify that. 00:23:56.779 --> 00:23:57.540 Then he goes on to say, 00:23:57.960 --> 00:24:04.600 Clothe yourself, all of you, elders and non-elders, clothe yourself, all of you, with humility towards one another. 00:24:05.160 --> 00:24:08.420 For God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 00:24:09.100 --> 00:24:16.580 So we've just seen in the section before, Peter calls these leaders to lead not domineering, but gently with humility. 00:24:16.579 --> 00:24:23.879 And now he says to the whole congregation, not just the elders, to all of you, let this be a mark of your congregation. 00:24:24.379 --> 00:24:27.379 That together you come to church week in and week out. 00:24:27.480 --> 00:24:33.240 You go to CG with humility, seeing how you can serve and love and encourage one another. 00:24:33.240 --> 00:24:37.539 You see, sometimes a congregation is led by arrogant, domineering leaders. 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:42.140 Those who think that the church is their own empire, an extension of themselves, right? 00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:45.180 But sometimes a church can be led by a strong congregation. 00:24:45.940 --> 00:24:54.220 Sometimes a church can consist of a congregation that sees the elders or the leaders just as mere servants to do the work of ministry on their behalf. 00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:57.279 So it's the elders that must go and evangelize on their behalf. 00:24:57.359 --> 00:24:59.579 Or the elders must go and visit the sick on their behalf. 00:24:59.700 --> 00:25:01.920 Or the elders must do ministry on their behalf. 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:06.680 And the congregation can kind of see themselves as entitled to be served by the leaders. 00:25:07.140 --> 00:25:14.700 But what Peter says here is all of you, whether you're a multimillionaire or whether you're saving money to send home to your family, 00:25:15.279 --> 00:25:19.720 every one of us, no matter what your position or your title or where you serve in the church, 00:25:20.200 --> 00:25:22.060 clothe yourself one another with humility. 00:25:22.700 --> 00:25:28.480 And the word clothe there is actually, it's the verb to put on a cloth. 00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:33.940 But in the ancient world, there was an apron that slaves wore that was of the similar word. 00:25:34.460 --> 00:25:44.059 And if you were a slave in a household, you would wear this apron as you served your master or as you went to the marketplace to go and buy goods on behalf of your master. 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:48.799 And this apron would distinguish those that were free from those that were slaves. 00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:54.960 And so Peter is saying here, clothe yourself, but the connotation is put on the servant's apron. 00:25:55.399 --> 00:26:02.599 As you come to church, clothe yourself with this apron that says, here I am to serve one another, not be served by one another. 00:26:03.079 --> 00:26:05.079 Friends, as we said earlier, you may be a millionaire. 00:26:05.440 --> 00:26:07.740 You may be living carefully to send money home. 00:26:07.740 --> 00:26:13.359 What makes a church a healthy church is not the size of the congregation or the size of the bank balance, 00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:18.099 not how good looking the worship leaders are or how beautiful the building is. 00:26:18.660 --> 00:26:24.559 When a congregation comes together, clothed with humility, willing to serve and love one another. 00:26:25.579 --> 00:26:29.259 And the reason why this is so important is because of the fourth and the final point, 00:26:29.319 --> 00:26:31.900 which is congregations who have their eyes fixed on Jesus. 00:26:31.900 --> 00:26:39.440 Because this humility is going to protect us against spiritual attacks and against the devil's schemes. 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:43.019 So let's read verse 6 and 8 together. 00:26:43.820 --> 00:26:44.620 Peter writes and says, 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:51.340 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you. 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:52.540 Verse 8, 00:26:52.540 --> 00:27:01.500 Be sober-minded, be watchful, because your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 00:27:01.900 --> 00:27:10.480 But you resist him, stand firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of sufferings are being experienced by your brothers and sisters all over the world. 00:27:11.080 --> 00:27:14.200 So here in this final paragraph, Peter tells us to do two things. 00:27:14.680 --> 00:27:17.140 To be humble and to resist the devil. 00:27:17.980 --> 00:27:25.519 Now what's interesting is that there's one other place in the New Testament epistles where the writer also quotes Proverbs 3 that says, 00:27:25.720 --> 00:27:27.660 God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 00:27:27.780 --> 00:27:29.100 And that's in James chapter 4. 00:27:29.099 --> 00:27:34.740 But in James chapter 4, in the very same paragraph, he also says, resist the devil. 00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:41.679 So here in the two places, two places, in the New Testament, where the instruction is, 00:27:41.819 --> 00:27:44.019 God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 00:27:44.159 --> 00:27:46.399 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. 00:27:46.480 --> 00:27:49.559 At the same time, he also says, resist the devil. 00:27:50.099 --> 00:27:55.759 Now what's the connection between being humble and resisting Satan who wants to take you out? 00:27:55.759 --> 00:27:57.920 Well, it's a good question, right? 00:27:58.720 --> 00:28:02.299 Peter's absolutely right when he says that there's a devil who wants to destroy you. 00:28:02.839 --> 00:28:07.779 Friends, if you're a Christ follower this morning, there is a devil who wants to destroy you and destroy your faith. 00:28:08.220 --> 00:28:09.460 He wants to take you out. 00:28:09.879 --> 00:28:14.619 He loves it when we start to just toy with a little bit of sin or when we start to compromise. 00:28:14.619 --> 00:28:19.919 He rubs his hands with glee when he sees our hearts getting hard towards God or towards one another. 00:28:20.099 --> 00:28:24.079 Because he's prowling, waiting to destroy us and to destroy our faith. 00:28:24.379 --> 00:28:27.919 But the way that he does it is not doing it suddenly. 00:28:28.419 --> 00:28:35.500 The way that he does it is by slowly and surely wearing down our faith in the faithfulness and the trustworthiness of God. 00:28:35.979 --> 00:28:36.759 Okay, does that make sense? 00:28:37.439 --> 00:28:38.859 So C.S. Lewis put it like this. 00:28:39.500 --> 00:28:42.899 He said, the safest road to hell is the gradual one. 00:28:42.900 --> 00:28:52.220 The gentle slope, soft under your feet, without sudden turnings, without any milestones, without any signposts. 00:28:52.420 --> 00:28:55.380 See, friends, if you're a Christian this morning, Satan does want to destroy you. 00:28:55.820 --> 00:28:56.960 He wants to take you out. 00:28:57.380 --> 00:29:01.800 But he's not going to do it by waking you up one day and suddenly you doubt the existence of God. 00:29:02.100 --> 00:29:06.900 He's going to do it by slowly dripping seeds and dropping seeds in your mind of half-truths. 00:29:07.900 --> 00:29:11.640 Slowly doubting whether God is really for you, whether God is really faithful. 00:29:11.640 --> 00:29:16.060 He's going to do it by making ourselves think of ourselves more highly than we ought to. 00:29:16.640 --> 00:29:19.200 He does it by sowing lies of false teaching in our mind. 00:29:19.380 --> 00:29:23.660 Which is why we need to humble ourselves under God's word, under God's truth. 00:29:23.900 --> 00:29:27.980 And why we need leaders that can bring us God's word and say, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. 00:29:28.520 --> 00:29:32.940 He does it by telling us, by making us feel sorry for ourselves when things don't go our way. 00:29:33.020 --> 00:29:35.500 Or when we face suffering or persecution. 00:29:35.500 --> 00:29:40.180 Which is why we need shepherd leaders who can remind us of the pattern of Christ. 00:29:40.559 --> 00:29:42.299 Suffering first and then glory. 00:29:42.720 --> 00:29:50.220 Which is why we need leaders who can come around us and lift our eyes to Christ and pray for us when we don't have the energy to pray for ourselves. 00:29:50.900 --> 00:29:54.500 Friends, the way Satan will do it is by puffing us up with pride. 00:29:54.500 --> 00:29:58.839 By telling us that we're better and more wonderful than people give us credit for. 00:29:59.259 --> 00:30:01.319 And to tell us that we deserve more in life. 00:30:01.980 --> 00:30:05.299 Friends, which is why we need a church family that can wash us with the gospel. 00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:07.319 Remind us that it's our sin. 00:30:07.420 --> 00:30:08.220 It's my sin. 00:30:08.299 --> 00:30:10.240 It's your sin that put Jesus on the cross. 00:30:10.680 --> 00:30:15.200 Which is why we need a church family that can come around us and remind us of suffering and then glory. 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:20.920 And can remind us that Jesus will come again and utterly and finally destroy his enemies. 00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:23.819 See friends, the opposite of humility is pride. 00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:25.700 And pride is the devil's forte. 00:30:26.100 --> 00:30:27.759 It stops us seeing our need for God. 00:30:28.299 --> 00:30:30.180 It stops us seeing ourselves very clearly. 00:30:30.720 --> 00:30:32.299 It stops us seeing our own sin. 00:30:33.120 --> 00:30:37.039 It allows us only to see other people's sin and magnify their sin. 00:30:37.600 --> 00:30:42.500 And ultimately pride destroys our relationships and leads to isolation and individualism. 00:30:42.920 --> 00:30:44.059 C.S. Lewis put it like this. 00:30:44.059 --> 00:30:46.059 He said, pride is a spiritual cancer. 00:30:46.579 --> 00:30:51.899 It eats up the very possibility of love, of contentment, even common sense. 00:30:52.460 --> 00:30:53.399 The Christians are right. 00:30:53.759 --> 00:30:59.339 It is pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began. 00:31:00.179 --> 00:31:01.740 And that raises a terrible question. 00:31:02.240 --> 00:31:07.039 How is it that people that are quite obviously eaten up with pride can say they believe in God? 00:31:07.039 --> 00:31:08.919 Or appear to be very religious? 00:31:09.659 --> 00:31:13.419 I'm afraid it means that they are worshipping a God of their imagination. 00:31:14.059 --> 00:31:22.019 Friends, because of our sinful nature, because there is a devil, we are constantly going to be tempted with this challenge of pride. 00:31:22.019 --> 00:31:32.099 We are constantly going to think of ourselves as more highly than we ought, better than we are, and we are going to think that we are entitled and deserve a certain area of comfort in life. 00:31:32.099 --> 00:31:37.019 The devil is rubbing his hands with glee at the thought of you and I being destroyed with pride. 00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:38.500 So what do we need? 00:31:39.299 --> 00:31:39.980 What do we need? 00:31:40.659 --> 00:31:45.659 We need a community that's going to come around us and remind us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. 00:31:45.660 --> 00:31:53.320 And we're going to need leaders whose eyes are fixed on Jesus themselves and are going to remind us to remember Christ and his sufferings, Christ and his future glory. 00:31:53.660 --> 00:31:57.019 That are going to remind us that the pattern of Jesus is suffering and then glory. 00:31:57.140 --> 00:32:02.779 That are going to remind us that it's our sin that put Jesus on the cross and so there's no reason to become puffed up with pride. 00:32:03.120 --> 00:32:08.360 But are going to remind us that Jesus is coming and one day he's going to wipe away every tear and every sickness. 00:32:08.359 --> 00:32:13.199 And he's going to destroy Satan and sickness and sin and suffering forever. 00:32:14.779 --> 00:32:19.439 Friends, for nine weeks we've been looking at this book of 1 Peter, this remarkable little book. 00:32:19.979 --> 00:32:27.399 And it's a book that calls us to see our difficulties as a severe mercy, as a kindness of God. 00:32:27.779 --> 00:32:34.679 To see the trials that we go through as a kind of furnace of affliction that does something beautiful and splendid inside of us. 00:32:34.680 --> 00:32:41.080 In this book in chapter 1 Peter called us to see those of us that are Christians as a different people. 00:32:41.299 --> 00:32:42.500 With a different hope. 00:32:43.060 --> 00:32:44.560 With a different view of suffering differently. 00:32:44.740 --> 00:32:45.880 With a different view of joy. 00:32:46.400 --> 00:32:49.400 We've seen that Peter's called us to be holy because God is holy. 00:32:49.880 --> 00:32:54.820 We've seen that Peter has called us to see the church as a temple of God's presence on earth. 00:32:54.960 --> 00:32:57.519 Built on the rock and the foundation that is Christ himself. 00:32:57.519 --> 00:33:04.139 We've seen that Peter's called us to, in the midst of unjust suffering, not to exert our rights and to fight back. 00:33:04.440 --> 00:33:07.759 But to submit and to surrender to those that God puts in our lives. 00:33:08.220 --> 00:33:11.559 We've seen that Peter's called husbands and wives to love and serve each other. 00:33:11.859 --> 00:33:15.680 Not assert their self-rights but to sacrificially serve one another. 00:33:16.200 --> 00:33:19.240 We've seen in chapter 4 how Peter said, pray for your enemies. 00:33:19.500 --> 00:33:21.079 Bless those that persecute you. 00:33:21.079 --> 00:33:24.779 And we've seen in chapter 4 how he calls us to be a gospel community. 00:33:24.899 --> 00:33:29.460 Not a self-centered community but a community that serves one another and looks out for the interests of others. 00:33:30.059 --> 00:33:37.199 And then finally last week we saw how Peter said, do not be surprised when hardship and suffering comes because you carry the name of Jesus. 00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:39.779 And now Peter calls us to be a church. 00:33:40.240 --> 00:33:41.179 A healthy church. 00:33:41.679 --> 00:33:47.079 A church which is marked by those in leadership and the congregation whose eyes are fixed on Jesus. 00:33:47.799 --> 00:33:48.679 Remembering Christ. 00:33:48.680 --> 00:33:51.279 One eye fixed on his cross and his suffering. 00:33:51.759 --> 00:33:53.960 One eye fixed on his coming glory. 00:33:54.620 --> 00:33:59.100 Friends as we've journeyed through this book it's been a prophetic word from God for us. 00:33:59.680 --> 00:34:01.120 God has been speaking to our church. 00:34:01.580 --> 00:34:03.700 The gospel does call us to be a different people. 00:34:03.799 --> 00:34:04.920 To live with a different hope. 00:34:05.340 --> 00:34:09.039 And if we follow Jesus faithfully in Hong Kong we will have trouble. 00:34:09.539 --> 00:34:10.680 We will have difficulty. 00:34:11.200 --> 00:34:13.220 There will be suffering and there will be opposition. 00:34:13.219 --> 00:34:21.239 But Peter reminds us that the suffering and the opposition God is using as a furnace of affliction to do something beautiful and splendid inside of us. 00:34:21.980 --> 00:34:27.279 Friends my hope is that as we finish off we don't just tick off this book and say we've done it. 00:34:27.339 --> 00:34:28.139 Let's move on. 00:34:28.139 --> 00:34:34.619 But that as the trying and difficult seasons come we will come back to the book of 1 Peter again and again. 00:34:35.219 --> 00:34:36.779 And remember Christ our Lord. 00:34:37.460 --> 00:34:40.239 And so Peter ends off here in verse 10 of chapter 5. 00:34:40.299 --> 00:34:42.019 And this is my prayer that we will remember this. 00:34:42.019 --> 00:34:43.019 He says, 00:34:43.019 --> 00:34:48.320 After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory, 00:34:49.019 --> 00:34:55.480 he himself will restore you, confirm you, strengthen you, and establish you. 00:34:55.960 --> 00:35:02.039 To him be the dominion and the glory forever and ever and ever. 00:35:02.759 --> 00:35:03.059 Amen. 00:35:03.599 --> 00:35:04.900 Let's pray together. 00:35:12.019 --> 00:35:15.980 Oh Father God, we come before you as a congregation. 00:35:16.659 --> 00:35:26.980 All of us sheep of your flock, whether we are pastors or whether we have just joined this church last week, 00:35:27.480 --> 00:35:29.840 we are members of your congregation. 00:35:30.500 --> 00:35:31.920 And you Christ are our chief shepherd. 00:35:32.579 --> 00:35:34.500 Jesus, we want to be a healthy church. 00:35:34.780 --> 00:35:38.519 We want to be a church that is faithful to your calling. 00:35:38.519 --> 00:35:41.460 In the midst of trials and difficulties. 00:35:42.079 --> 00:35:44.420 In the good times and the tough times, Lord. 00:35:45.179 --> 00:35:47.380 We want to glorify your name, God. 00:35:47.420 --> 00:35:48.739 We want to lift your name on high. 00:35:48.840 --> 00:35:51.000 We want to be a light into our city that says, 00:35:51.380 --> 00:35:52.000 Follow Jesus. 00:35:52.679 --> 00:35:54.199 He is glorious and magnificent. 00:35:55.920 --> 00:35:57.579 Christ, won't you help us to do that? 00:35:59.019 --> 00:36:00.380 God, I pray for our leaders. 00:36:00.579 --> 00:36:01.300 I pray for our elders. 00:36:01.860 --> 00:36:03.239 I pray for our CG leaders. 00:36:03.480 --> 00:36:05.280 I pray for those that serve in so many ways. 00:36:05.280 --> 00:36:10.620 Christ, won't you cause us to fix our eyes on you, God? 00:36:13.019 --> 00:36:17.780 God, even if you have to do it with a degree of severity, Lord. 00:36:17.780 --> 00:36:20.120 Even if you have to grab us by the collar. 00:36:21.180 --> 00:36:23.380 God, don't let us get sidetracked, God. 00:36:24.880 --> 00:36:28.340 I pray, God, that we will be a church which is marked by humility, Lord. 00:36:30.140 --> 00:36:31.140 Serving one another. 00:36:31.400 --> 00:36:34.920 Clothed with the apron of humble service, God. 00:36:36.019 --> 00:36:40.840 And, Father, we pray that every one of us in our church will keep our eyes fixed on you, God. 00:36:41.940 --> 00:36:43.280 As we remember Jesus. 00:36:43.519 --> 00:36:44.600 We remember your sufferings. 00:36:44.680 --> 00:36:45.600 We remember your glory. 00:36:46.660 --> 00:36:52.540 God, as we go to work tomorrow and the challenges arise, as we face difficulty, 00:36:52.920 --> 00:36:55.700 as we maybe do well and make a lot of money. 00:36:56.340 --> 00:36:58.420 God, won't you help us to keep our eyes fixed on you? 00:36:59.240 --> 00:37:03.800 Won't you help us not to get puffed up with pride and open the back door to the devil? 00:37:03.800 --> 00:37:06.760 God, help us to stay close to you. 00:37:07.940 --> 00:37:10.860 We pray these things in your wonderful name. 00:37:11.680 --> 00:37:12.039 Amen.