WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.000 Thank you. 00:00:02.580 --> 00:00:08.519 We're delighted to welcome Kevin Gabriel this morning, who is preaching for us this morning. 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:14.419 Kevin is serving in the church in Douglas Baptist, and maybe, Kevin, as you come up, 00:00:14.540 --> 00:00:18.359 you can read the passage, but maybe you can also say a couple of sentences about you, 00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:21.379 who you are, why you're here, and what you're doing here. 00:00:22.260 --> 00:00:23.179 But thanks, Kevin. 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:23.879 It's good to have you. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:38.480 Good morning. 00:00:39.219 --> 00:00:43.179 If you would open your Bibles with me to 1 Peter 5. 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:46.899 So thank you, Alex, for introducing me. 00:00:47.019 --> 00:00:51.760 Yeah, so my wife, Christine, and I are members of Douglas Baptist Church, so just a few minutes 00:00:51.760 --> 00:00:52.299 up the road. 00:00:52.980 --> 00:00:56.780 We moved here from Canada in January. 00:00:56.780 --> 00:01:04.480 We have two beautiful children, Owen, who is two and a half, and Ellie, who is a year 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:05.579 at the end of this month. 00:01:05.879 --> 00:01:11.260 So that's a little bit about us, but we're just delighted to be serving with you all in 00:01:11.260 --> 00:01:13.879 Ireland and just joining in the work that the Lord is doing here. 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:18.280 We're going to be looking this morning at 1 Peter 5. 00:01:18.620 --> 00:01:22.400 Let's read from verse 6 down to verse 11. 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:26.880 Peter writes these words. 00:01:29.100 --> 00:01:35.620 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 00:01:36.880 --> 00:01:40.640 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 00:01:41.620 --> 00:01:43.740 Be alert and of sober mind. 00:01:44.740 --> 00:01:50.280 Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 00:01:50.280 --> 00:01:57.820 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout 00:01:57.820 --> 00:02:01.320 the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 00:02:02.180 --> 00:02:07.960 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have 00:02:07.960 --> 00:02:15.759 suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. 00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:19.519 To him be the power forever and ever. 00:02:20.219 --> 00:02:20.679 Amen. 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:23.479 Let's pray as we come to God's word. 00:02:28.039 --> 00:02:32.479 Lord, we thank you that you are a speaking God. 00:02:34.500 --> 00:02:41.680 What grace that you would not leave us on our own to blunder our way through life, trying to figure out 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:45.700 how to live and what to do and who we should be. 00:02:46.060 --> 00:02:48.520 But you have spoken into this world. 00:02:49.719 --> 00:02:54.700 And more than that, you have come into this world through your son, Jesus. 00:02:55.719 --> 00:02:58.500 And Lord, we look to you now for help. 00:02:59.500 --> 00:03:01.719 Lord, we are weak and we struggle. 00:03:01.900 --> 00:03:04.760 We are in need of your help this morning, as we are every day. 00:03:04.759 --> 00:03:07.139 So Lord, would you help me as I speak? 00:03:07.239 --> 00:03:13.419 And would you help each of these brothers and sisters who are here as they listen? 00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:19.359 Lord, would you encourage us through your word and change us to be more like our Savior, Jesus? 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:20.859 Amen. 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:28.799 I wonder if you've ever thought before about the connection between suffering and anxiety. 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:35.540 Typically, when life is going well, we tend not to be as anxious, do we? 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:39.060 There's no unexplained medical concerns. 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:41.240 The kids seem to be doing well. 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:43.660 Our bank accounts are in good shape. 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:45.420 We're holding a solid job. 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:47.340 What is there to worry about? 00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:53.620 But even when life is going well, we can still battle with anxiety, can't we? 00:03:54.200 --> 00:03:55.939 And there's many reasons for that, certainly. 00:03:55.939 --> 00:04:03.340 But at least one of them would be we look at the sufferings of other people and we wonder if they will happen to us. 00:04:04.180 --> 00:04:07.560 Maybe a friend's child is diagnosed with cancer. 00:04:08.419 --> 00:04:10.039 Well, is my child healthy? 00:04:10.680 --> 00:04:12.979 Or a co-worker loses their job. 00:04:13.500 --> 00:04:15.719 How steady is my job? 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:24.339 We worry about the present sufferings that we endure and about the future sufferings that maybe we will face. 00:04:24.339 --> 00:04:30.379 And if we were to try to explain that connection there between suffering and anxiety, 00:04:30.799 --> 00:04:36.919 we might say that anxiety is the mental response that accompanies suffering. 00:04:37.899 --> 00:04:41.839 Anxiety is that acting out of possible futures in our minds. 00:04:41.959 --> 00:04:43.639 That's how Jesus describes it to us. 00:04:43.679 --> 00:04:44.019 He says, 00:04:44.019 --> 00:04:45.819 What shall we eat? 00:04:46.339 --> 00:04:47.659 Or what shall we wear? 00:04:48.539 --> 00:04:49.639 Where will we live? 00:04:50.199 --> 00:04:51.319 When will this end? 00:04:51.979 --> 00:04:53.139 What will she say? 00:04:53.859 --> 00:04:54.859 What will I do? 00:04:55.599 --> 00:04:56.799 How will this turn out? 00:04:57.399 --> 00:04:58.459 Will he be okay? 00:04:59.019 --> 00:05:01.879 We're acting out futures in our minds. 00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:06.819 And sometimes those anxieties spring up on us like a stubbed toe. 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:07.500 Right? 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:08.740 They're all consuming. 00:05:08.740 --> 00:05:12.379 Maybe it's a call from a doctor or from a family member. 00:05:13.379 --> 00:05:16.900 Other times anxiety is like a throbbing paper cut. 00:05:17.620 --> 00:05:21.300 It's subtle, but it's distracting and it just won't go away. 00:05:21.420 --> 00:05:23.860 Maybe it's financial concerns that we're facing. 00:05:24.980 --> 00:05:27.180 So I would ask you, take a minute right now, 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:30.259 what anxieties are you currently facing? 00:05:30.259 --> 00:05:35.180 Whatever it is, whenever it happens, 00:05:35.300 --> 00:05:39.579 we are all tempted to turn to anxiety in the face of suffering. 00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:46.259 We feel alone, vulnerable, betrayed, abandoned, weak, and weary. 00:05:46.539 --> 00:05:49.599 And anxiety is a natural response to that. 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:54.180 But as Christians, we know that God wants us to live our lives 00:05:54.180 --> 00:05:56.719 free from the burdens of anxiety, don't we? 00:05:56.719 --> 00:05:59.680 We read verses like in Philippians 4 where it says, 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:01.459 be anxious for nothing. 00:06:02.220 --> 00:06:03.959 But maybe when we read a verse like that, 00:06:04.019 --> 00:06:05.740 instead of helping us, 00:06:05.939 --> 00:06:08.720 it just pushes us further down the spiral, 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:12.720 wondering, why am I struggling so much with anxiety if I'm a Christian? 00:06:14.060 --> 00:06:16.280 So friends, how do we deal with our anxieties? 00:06:16.819 --> 00:06:21.360 When the sufferings of our lives cause us to feel abandoned or alone, 00:06:22.019 --> 00:06:25.180 and we start acting out those possible futures in our minds, 00:06:25.180 --> 00:06:26.160 where do we turn? 00:06:26.840 --> 00:06:28.920 How do we please the Lord in those moments? 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:34.240 Well, this question is exactly what Peter is dealing with here in 1 Peter 5. 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:38.959 This passage comes at the end of a letter that is written to a group of Christians 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:41.540 enduring intense suffering. 00:06:42.199 --> 00:06:47.240 And here, Peter is addressing this issue of anxiety and how it relates to suffering. 00:06:47.379 --> 00:06:50.560 And he's giving instruction on how do we please the Lord? 00:06:50.660 --> 00:06:53.960 How do we trust the Lord in these kinds of circumstances? 00:06:53.959 --> 00:07:02.339 And in short, Peter wants to show us that we can trust the powerful God of grace because he cares for us. 00:07:02.799 --> 00:07:04.939 And he shows us that in three stages. 00:07:05.139 --> 00:07:09.439 First, he shows us that there is a God who is above our sufferings. 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:13.779 Then he shows us that there is an enemy who is behind our sufferings. 00:07:13.779 --> 00:07:18.539 And then he shows us that there is a glory that is beyond our sufferings. 00:07:19.179 --> 00:07:26.199 Now, before we get into that, I do just want to affirm that mental health struggles like anxiety are complex 00:07:26.199 --> 00:07:29.479 and multifaceted and anything but simplistic. 00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:33.660 And there's many reasons why many of us struggle with anxiety. 00:07:33.960 --> 00:07:37.400 Physical reasons, emotional reasons, spiritual reasons. 00:07:37.500 --> 00:07:39.759 So I'm not trying to be simplistic this morning. 00:07:40.140 --> 00:07:45.520 What we talk about is not the only word on anxiety or the only way to approach it. 00:07:45.540 --> 00:07:47.840 And it's not the only way the Bible approaches it. 00:07:47.879 --> 00:07:50.819 But it is one way that God speaks about it. 00:07:50.860 --> 00:07:53.500 And so we want to listen to his voice in this passage. 00:07:54.540 --> 00:07:59.000 So first, let's look here at the God who is above our sufferings. 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:02.459 We see that in verses 6 and 7, the first two verses. 00:08:03.420 --> 00:08:09.120 And notice that verse 6 begins with therefore, meaning it's connected to the previous section, right? 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:15.060 Before this, in the verses above this, Peter gives several instructions to the elders of that church. 00:08:15.420 --> 00:08:18.959 And then he reminds the church to be subject to their elders. 00:08:19.740 --> 00:08:26.000 And then he extends that call to the whole church by calling on them to clothe themselves in humility 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:31.199 because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 00:08:32.340 --> 00:08:38.980 And with that context in mind, Peter then fleshes out what does it look like to humble yourself before the Lord? 00:08:39.659 --> 00:08:43.620 How do we do this, particularly in the context of our sufferings? 00:08:43.620 --> 00:08:51.460 How do we humble ourselves, put ourselves under a God who brings suffering into our lives? 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:55.340 And Peter offers three answers for us in these two verses. 00:08:55.779 --> 00:08:59.460 And those answers are three truths about who God is. 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:00.840 He says God is mighty. 00:09:01.879 --> 00:09:04.060 God will lift you up in due time. 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:05.899 And God cares for you. 00:09:05.899 --> 00:09:12.100 Now, before we look at those three answers, I want to just draw a connection between those three things 00:09:12.100 --> 00:09:15.220 and something that I read in a Jerry Bridges book a few years ago. 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:18.519 Jerry Bridges has a really helpful book called Trusting God. 00:09:19.259 --> 00:09:25.500 And in that book, he says that there are three things we need to believe if we're going to trust God in the middle of suffering. 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:30.720 We need to believe that God is sovereign, that God is wise, and that God is loving. 00:09:31.100 --> 00:09:33.000 So think with me about how this works. 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:40.559 You need to imagine that if anxiety is a virus, you need three vaccines to counter it. 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:41.960 That's what he's saying here. 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:46.940 And to miss out on any one of those vaccines means you won't be able to trust God well. 00:09:47.620 --> 00:09:48.399 So think about this. 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:53.159 If you believe that God is wise and loving, but not sovereign, 00:09:53.899 --> 00:09:59.840 you'll believe that God has good intentions, but he's kind of wringing his hands helplessly. 00:09:59.840 --> 00:10:03.000 He wants to help you, but he doesn't have the power to do so. 00:10:03.080 --> 00:10:06.080 And so you'll feel like things are spiraling out of control. 00:10:07.340 --> 00:10:12.280 Okay, well, what about if you believe that God is sovereign and loving, but not wise? 00:10:13.139 --> 00:10:18.100 Well, you'll believe that God wants to do good to you and has power to do good to you, 00:10:18.100 --> 00:10:22.000 but really has no idea how to do good to you because he's not wise. 00:10:22.379 --> 00:10:24.280 And so you'll feel like, God, what are you doing? 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:26.579 Why is my life going this way? 00:10:27.959 --> 00:10:31.639 Well, what about if you believe that God is sovereign and wise, but not loving? 00:10:32.600 --> 00:10:37.059 Well, then you'll believe that God is a cold, controlling tyrant. 00:10:37.779 --> 00:10:41.539 Maybe he is doing what's good for you, but there's no love in it, 00:10:41.559 --> 00:10:43.199 and so you'll feel bitterness and doubt. 00:10:43.339 --> 00:10:45.199 God, why do you even care about me? 00:10:46.699 --> 00:10:50.679 I wonder, is there any one of those three that you tend to forget more than the others? 00:10:50.679 --> 00:10:59.339 Because all of us, I think, lean towards forgetting or overemphasizing one of those at the expense of the others. 00:11:00.299 --> 00:11:08.279 Now, look at these verses, and notice how Peter draws those three things together as he comforts these believers. 00:11:08.899 --> 00:11:13.719 First, he says, humble yourselves under God's mighty hand. 00:11:14.439 --> 00:11:16.399 There's the sovereignty piece. 00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:21.559 Whatever your situation, whatever your suffering is that's provoking your anxiety, 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:26.319 we are told to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. 00:11:26.659 --> 00:11:29.019 The situation is in God's control. 00:11:30.379 --> 00:11:33.399 Now, second, why should we be humble under God's mighty hand? 00:11:34.220 --> 00:11:38.360 Because he will lift you up in due time. 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:40.279 There's the wisdom piece. 00:11:40.439 --> 00:11:40.960 Do you see that? 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:42.179 The piece of wisdom. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:43.819 God knows the times. 00:11:43.819 --> 00:11:46.220 He knows the seasons of your life. 00:11:46.220 --> 00:11:51.300 He, in his wisdom, knows the right time to lift you out of your suffering, 00:11:51.560 --> 00:11:55.600 to exalt you, whether that is in this life or if it's in the next life. 00:11:56.139 --> 00:11:59.360 He also knows the improper time to do that. 00:11:59.860 --> 00:12:02.879 In his wisdom, he's working the timing out. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:06.259 And then third, the third thing he says is, 00:12:06.420 --> 00:12:09.860 cast your anxieties on him because he cares for you. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:12.139 There's the piece of love, right? 00:12:12.139 --> 00:12:16.460 God loves you in the midst of your suffering. 00:12:17.059 --> 00:12:20.120 And the word here that's used for how God cares for you, 00:12:20.319 --> 00:12:24.279 we can use the word cares almost as a parallel for anxieties, right? 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:25.899 Like the cares of the world are over me. 00:12:26.019 --> 00:12:27.779 That's not the word that's being used here. 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:30.439 He's not saying, you know, God is anxious about you. 00:12:30.440 --> 00:12:35.800 The word that he uses here for God cares for you is the word that we read in Mark, 00:12:36.280 --> 00:12:38.980 where they are in the boat, the disciples are in the boat, 00:12:39.040 --> 00:12:41.320 and there's a storm, and they wake Jesus up, 00:12:41.340 --> 00:12:44.660 and they say, don't you care that we're perishing? 00:12:45.460 --> 00:12:46.860 That's the word that's used here. 00:12:47.100 --> 00:12:49.980 This is, if he says God cares for you, 00:12:50.260 --> 00:12:52.900 he's saying that God has concern for you. 00:12:53.420 --> 00:12:55.280 He takes you into account. 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:56.919 He loves you. 00:12:58.419 --> 00:13:00.799 So do you see how these three things come together 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:03.740 like a triple vaccination against anxiety? 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:05.279 God's mighty. 00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:08.299 God will lift you up in due time. 00:13:09.139 --> 00:13:10.199 God cares for you. 00:13:11.319 --> 00:13:13.980 And that then leads Peter to address this question of, 00:13:14.379 --> 00:13:17.620 okay, so what do I do with my anxiety then? 00:13:18.019 --> 00:13:20.220 I mean, we might know that those things are true about God, 00:13:20.279 --> 00:13:23.159 but what do we actually do when anxiety attacks? 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:27.259 And in light of the mighty, wise, caring God, 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:33.579 Peter calls us to cast or to throw our anxieties onto him. 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:38.159 Peter is calling us to take those anxieties that are weighing us down 00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:41.719 due to our sufferings and to throw them onto the Lord. 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:45.360 Instead of bearing the weight of these things ourselves, 00:13:45.779 --> 00:13:48.600 we in faith throw them onto his shoulders. 00:13:49.019 --> 00:13:51.259 Instead, the Lord is in control. 00:13:51.259 --> 00:13:53.379 The Lord will lift me up. 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:55.399 The Lord cares for me. 00:13:56.659 --> 00:13:58.139 Now, how do you do that practically? 00:13:59.620 --> 00:14:02.460 Because throwing a burden onto someone else 00:14:02.460 --> 00:14:04.759 takes conscious effort, doesn't it? 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:06.740 To unburden yourself 00:14:06.740 --> 00:14:10.000 takes conscious, focused prayer 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:11.980 to give these things to the Lord. 00:14:12.840 --> 00:14:14.159 In Philippians 4, 00:14:14.360 --> 00:14:15.740 another book in the New Testament here, 00:14:15.740 --> 00:14:19.519 Paul contrasts be anxious for nothing with, 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:21.159 but in everything, pray. 00:14:22.019 --> 00:14:24.399 So really, to unburden ourselves, 00:14:24.659 --> 00:14:27.940 to throw these things onto the Lord means to pray. 00:14:28.980 --> 00:14:30.019 But beyond that, 00:14:30.620 --> 00:14:32.759 we need to help each other in this, don't we? 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:36.639 We need to remind each other of these things that are true about God. 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:40.259 Help each other to take these burdens off of our backs 00:14:40.259 --> 00:14:42.600 and put them onto the Lord's back instead. 00:14:43.480 --> 00:14:44.539 So I would encourage you, 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:46.840 if you are bearing anxiety alone, 00:14:47.580 --> 00:14:48.899 share it with another Christian 00:14:48.899 --> 00:14:50.919 who can help you throw it onto the Lord. 00:14:51.460 --> 00:14:53.720 Or if you know a Christian who is suffering, 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:55.159 then pursue them. 00:14:55.720 --> 00:14:56.299 Help them. 00:14:56.939 --> 00:14:57.539 Pray for them. 00:14:57.720 --> 00:14:59.120 Remind them over and over 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:01.360 to cast that onto the Lord. 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:03.460 So I ask you, 00:15:03.539 --> 00:15:04.300 where do you turn 00:15:04.300 --> 00:15:06.899 when sufferings weigh heavily on you? 00:15:07.659 --> 00:15:09.039 Maybe there are some sitting here 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:11.740 who have given up your belief in God 00:15:11.740 --> 00:15:13.680 because of the sufferings you've endured. 00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:16.980 Or maybe you've never experienced much suffering yourself, 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:18.700 but as you look at the world around you, 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:20.720 you reject any God 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:22.379 who would allow this kind of suffering. 00:15:23.639 --> 00:15:24.560 But let me ask you, 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:26.940 if you turn away from God in your sufferings, 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:29.259 do you have somewhere better to turn instead? 00:15:29.259 --> 00:15:32.200 And if you are turning away from God, 00:15:32.299 --> 00:15:33.919 are you turning away from this God? 00:15:34.419 --> 00:15:35.460 This caring God? 00:15:35.539 --> 00:15:36.860 Or are you turning away from a God 00:15:36.860 --> 00:15:38.879 you've created in your own mind? 00:15:40.379 --> 00:15:41.559 Maybe some of us, 00:15:41.679 --> 00:15:44.100 when we feel the weight of anxiety and suffering, 00:15:44.200 --> 00:15:46.700 we turn to something to help numb us, 00:15:47.059 --> 00:15:48.220 to forget our worries. 00:15:48.580 --> 00:15:50.080 Maybe that's drink, 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:52.319 or maybe it's something less damaging, 00:15:52.500 --> 00:15:53.980 like watching a show, 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:55.399 or playing a game, 00:15:55.559 --> 00:15:57.340 or scrolling through social media, 00:15:57.340 --> 00:15:58.860 or listening to a podcast. 00:15:59.620 --> 00:16:01.580 Now, we need to rest. 00:16:02.139 --> 00:16:03.759 And it's good for us to do things, 00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:04.500 maybe like this, 00:16:04.580 --> 00:16:07.019 that we enjoy with people that we love, 00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:08.620 things that lighten our spirits, 00:16:08.840 --> 00:16:11.360 and that help us to bring rest to our souls, 00:16:11.460 --> 00:16:13.179 and take our minds off of heavy things. 00:16:13.179 --> 00:16:13.899 That's good. 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:18.559 But it's not helpful for that to be your ultimate strategy 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:19.939 for dealing with sufferings. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:21.379 Because the problem is, 00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:23.519 the thing with suffering and anxiety is, 00:16:23.740 --> 00:16:25.039 it's going to be right back tomorrow, 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:26.480 when you wake up, 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:28.580 or when that TV show ends. 00:16:29.460 --> 00:16:31.740 When sufferings can't be ignored, 00:16:31.860 --> 00:16:35.620 when anxieties pile up and stare us straight in the eyes, 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:38.300 we must be learning and helping each other 00:16:38.300 --> 00:16:41.120 to throw those anxieties to the Lord. 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:44.179 Well, why is that so important? 00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:46.799 Because in the next two verses, 00:16:46.980 --> 00:16:48.379 Peter gives us an answer, 00:16:48.379 --> 00:16:52.820 because we have an enemy who stands behind our sufferings. 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:55.259 Peter reminds us now, 00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:56.620 in verses 8 and 9, 00:16:57.019 --> 00:16:59.779 that there's not only a God above our sufferings, 00:16:59.899 --> 00:17:02.419 but an enemy behind our sufferings. 00:17:03.179 --> 00:17:05.579 And notice with me that there's two commands 00:17:05.579 --> 00:17:07.699 he gives at the beginning of verse 8. 00:17:08.220 --> 00:17:08.779 He says, 00:17:09.179 --> 00:17:11.679 Be alert and be sober-minded. 00:17:13.079 --> 00:17:16.240 Sober-mindedness brings that imagery of drunkenness, 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:16.799 doesn't it? 00:17:17.139 --> 00:17:20.179 To be sober is to have an alert mind, 00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:22.059 a mind that is not dulled by alcohol, 00:17:22.240 --> 00:17:23.119 or something like that. 00:17:23.179 --> 00:17:25.619 It's to possess your own senses, 00:17:26.299 --> 00:17:28.799 to hear and see and think 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:30.259 and make decisions clearly. 00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:33.339 Alertness, the other command, 00:17:33.480 --> 00:17:35.059 brings in the imagery of sleep. 00:17:35.579 --> 00:17:37.000 We could translate this word here, 00:17:37.079 --> 00:17:38.099 just be awake. 00:17:38.839 --> 00:17:40.419 Don't be drifting off to sleep. 00:17:40.419 --> 00:17:42.179 Notice what's going on around you. 00:17:43.539 --> 00:17:45.179 We need minds, Peter is saying, 00:17:45.339 --> 00:17:47.099 that are clear and awake. 00:17:48.019 --> 00:17:48.259 Why? 00:17:49.740 --> 00:17:52.799 Because of your adversary, he says. 00:17:53.399 --> 00:17:54.859 We go through life, friends, 00:17:54.980 --> 00:17:58.480 with an adversary who opposes our faith. 00:17:59.159 --> 00:18:01.379 And look at how he's described there in verse 8, 00:18:01.699 --> 00:18:03.460 like a roaring lion 00:18:03.460 --> 00:18:05.720 looking for someone to devour. 00:18:06.120 --> 00:18:09.340 Our enemy's intention is to swallow people up. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:11.559 Now that's a very familiar verse, 00:18:11.640 --> 00:18:12.519 probably for many of us. 00:18:12.600 --> 00:18:15.000 We often quote this in context like 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:17.600 maybe sexual sin or addiction 00:18:17.600 --> 00:18:19.059 or these kind of things. 00:18:19.140 --> 00:18:19.660 We say, you know, 00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:22.059 the devil seeks to swallow us up in these ways. 00:18:22.059 --> 00:18:23.279 And that's true. 00:18:23.840 --> 00:18:26.600 But what is the specific context here 00:18:26.600 --> 00:18:27.559 of this verse? 00:18:27.559 --> 00:18:31.099 Anxiety and suffering, right? 00:18:31.980 --> 00:18:33.460 That's what we're dealing with here. 00:18:34.440 --> 00:18:36.619 Now maybe you've never thought of Satan 00:18:36.619 --> 00:18:39.039 and associated him with your anxieties. 00:18:40.579 --> 00:18:42.679 Because without a sovereign God in the picture, 00:18:42.819 --> 00:18:44.220 our culture views these things 00:18:44.220 --> 00:18:46.819 that happen to us just as cosmic accidents. 00:18:47.319 --> 00:18:49.480 We don't really have control over our sufferings. 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:52.079 It's just life in a survival of the fittest world. 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:54.179 So when suffering comes 00:18:54.179 --> 00:18:55.539 and we respond with anxiety, 00:18:55.699 --> 00:18:57.839 for many of us it just kind of feels natural. 00:18:58.619 --> 00:19:00.199 But Peter is reminding us here 00:19:00.199 --> 00:19:02.500 that we have an adversary out there 00:19:02.500 --> 00:19:04.159 behind our anxieties 00:19:04.159 --> 00:19:06.359 who is seeking to devour us 00:19:06.359 --> 00:19:08.039 through our anxieties. 00:19:09.460 --> 00:19:10.339 And in verse 9, 00:19:10.500 --> 00:19:11.339 Peter instructs us 00:19:11.339 --> 00:19:12.559 how do we respond to him? 00:19:13.059 --> 00:19:14.699 We resist him. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:16.199 We oppose him. 00:19:16.579 --> 00:19:17.819 We stand against him. 00:19:18.179 --> 00:19:19.659 And he describes that resistance 00:19:19.660 --> 00:19:21.380 for us in two ways. 00:19:22.100 --> 00:19:23.540 Peter says to resist Satan 00:19:23.540 --> 00:19:24.320 we need to have 00:19:24.320 --> 00:19:26.860 a specific orientation towards God 00:19:26.860 --> 00:19:28.560 and then we need to know something 00:19:28.560 --> 00:19:29.500 about the church. 00:19:30.600 --> 00:19:31.740 Look, the first thing he says 00:19:31.740 --> 00:19:34.580 there is stand firm in the faith. 00:19:35.019 --> 00:19:35.800 That's the orientation 00:19:35.800 --> 00:19:37.300 we need to have towards God. 00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:38.340 That brings us back 00:19:38.340 --> 00:19:39.080 to our first point 00:19:39.080 --> 00:19:39.820 we've been looking at 00:19:39.820 --> 00:19:41.580 that Satan would desire us 00:19:41.580 --> 00:19:43.420 to think that God is not in control, 00:19:43.800 --> 00:19:44.940 that God is not wise, 00:19:45.160 --> 00:19:46.700 he doesn't know what's best for us 00:19:46.700 --> 00:19:48.200 and he doesn't care for us. 00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:50.640 And faith resists that. 00:19:51.700 --> 00:19:53.580 But then look at what Peter says next. 00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:55.140 He says, 00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:56.779 because you know, 00:19:57.340 --> 00:19:58.200 what do we need to know 00:19:58.200 --> 00:19:59.259 in the midst of our suffering? 00:20:00.140 --> 00:20:00.900 You know 00:20:00.900 --> 00:20:02.640 that the family of believers 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:03.640 throughout the world 00:20:03.640 --> 00:20:05.779 is undergoing the same kind 00:20:05.779 --> 00:20:06.840 of sufferings. 00:20:07.799 --> 00:20:09.340 Okay, the family of believers here, 00:20:09.420 --> 00:20:10.220 that of course means 00:20:10.220 --> 00:20:11.759 the universal church, 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:13.759 the church through all of space and time. 00:20:14.279 --> 00:20:16.019 And we are to resist Satan, 00:20:16.180 --> 00:20:16.600 Peter says, 00:20:16.599 --> 00:20:18.599 by knowing that they are experiencing 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:20.939 the same kind of suffering. 00:20:22.039 --> 00:20:23.039 How does that work? 00:20:25.179 --> 00:20:27.079 Here's what I think Peter is saying here. 00:20:28.099 --> 00:20:30.419 When suffering comes into your life 00:20:30.419 --> 00:20:32.500 and you begin to give yourself over 00:20:32.500 --> 00:20:34.259 to anxiety because of it, 00:20:34.679 --> 00:20:37.139 the devil is seeking to devour you 00:20:37.139 --> 00:20:39.419 by getting you to feel alone. 00:20:39.819 --> 00:20:40.119 Right? 00:20:40.819 --> 00:20:41.959 No one cares for me. 00:20:42.359 --> 00:20:43.419 No one is with me. 00:20:43.420 --> 00:20:46.140 No one has experienced anything like this. 00:20:46.500 --> 00:20:47.640 Where is God in this? 00:20:47.740 --> 00:20:49.060 I'm all alone. 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:50.400 We all feel like that 00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:51.380 in the midst of our suffering, 00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:51.820 don't we? 00:20:52.580 --> 00:20:54.380 And Peter steps in at this moment 00:20:54.380 --> 00:20:55.180 and he says, 00:20:55.600 --> 00:20:55.940 no. 00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:57.420 What you are experiencing 00:20:58.060 --> 00:20:59.960 is happening to your brothers and sisters 00:20:59.960 --> 00:21:01.480 all over the world. 00:21:01.620 --> 00:21:02.539 Don't listen to Satan. 00:21:02.900 --> 00:21:05.019 You're not alone in these things. 00:21:06.380 --> 00:21:06.759 And friends, 00:21:06.840 --> 00:21:08.400 there's very relevant application 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:09.240 for us here 00:21:09.240 --> 00:21:10.259 as churches, 00:21:10.519 --> 00:21:10.960 isn't there? 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:11.900 As local churches 00:21:11.900 --> 00:21:13.420 and as a universal church, 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:16.079 as we journey through life together, 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:19.420 we must not let others feel alone. 00:21:20.059 --> 00:21:21.900 We must not let them feel alone 00:21:21.900 --> 00:21:22.880 in their sufferings. 00:21:23.220 --> 00:21:24.480 When we know of trials 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:25.700 that other people are enduring, 00:21:25.860 --> 00:21:27.799 of anxieties that they are facing, 00:21:27.880 --> 00:21:29.299 we need to stand with them, 00:21:29.380 --> 00:21:29.960 assuring them 00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:30.840 that they're not alone 00:21:30.840 --> 00:21:31.819 in these things. 00:21:32.380 --> 00:21:33.880 God has not abandoned them. 00:21:35.380 --> 00:21:37.079 Think back to the imagery here 00:21:37.079 --> 00:21:38.559 that Peter is using of a lion. 00:21:38.559 --> 00:21:40.399 If you've ever watched 00:21:40.399 --> 00:21:41.440 a nature documentary, 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:43.659 who does the lion go for? 00:21:44.119 --> 00:21:45.740 The strongest bull in the herd? 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:46.980 No. 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:47.599 Right? 00:21:47.679 --> 00:21:49.139 The lion goes for the weak, 00:21:49.639 --> 00:21:50.240 the young, 00:21:50.659 --> 00:21:51.440 the immature, 00:21:51.859 --> 00:21:52.799 the vulnerable, 00:21:53.259 --> 00:21:54.039 the isolated, 00:21:54.539 --> 00:21:55.220 the struggling. 00:21:55.639 --> 00:21:56.119 In other words, 00:21:56.200 --> 00:21:56.779 all of us 00:21:56.779 --> 00:21:58.299 at different times in our lives. 00:21:58.419 --> 00:21:58.700 Right? 00:21:59.659 --> 00:22:00.879 We need to remember 00:22:00.879 --> 00:22:02.679 that these types of people 00:22:02.679 --> 00:22:03.799 at their seasons 00:22:03.799 --> 00:22:04.679 of their lives 00:22:04.679 --> 00:22:06.659 will be particular targets 00:22:06.660 --> 00:22:07.500 for Satan's 00:22:07.500 --> 00:22:08.880 and we need to remind them 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:10.040 that they're not alone 00:22:10.040 --> 00:22:10.980 in this battle. 00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:13.259 So if any of you here 00:22:13.259 --> 00:22:15.019 are suffering today alone, 00:22:16.060 --> 00:22:17.900 beginning to maybe feel these things, 00:22:18.040 --> 00:22:18.960 to give yourselves over 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:19.800 to your anxieties, 00:22:19.940 --> 00:22:20.519 I encourage you, 00:22:20.580 --> 00:22:21.880 speak with a trusted friend, 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:23.259 speak with your elders 00:22:23.259 --> 00:22:24.200 here at the church. 00:22:24.700 --> 00:22:25.800 Your brothers and sisters 00:22:25.800 --> 00:22:26.560 around the world 00:22:26.560 --> 00:22:27.480 are experiencing 00:22:27.480 --> 00:22:28.920 these kinds of things too. 00:22:30.740 --> 00:22:31.660 A part of life's journey 00:22:31.660 --> 00:22:32.720 for my wife Christine 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:33.480 and I involved 00:22:33.480 --> 00:22:35.140 a number of miscarriages 00:22:35.140 --> 00:22:36.759 before our children were born. 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:38.519 And as we began to share 00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:39.259 about those things 00:22:39.259 --> 00:22:40.019 with other people, 00:22:40.259 --> 00:22:41.720 we had multiple couples 00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:43.279 tell us that they had experienced 00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:44.319 miscarriages as well 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:45.440 but never told anyone. 00:22:46.019 --> 00:22:47.180 Some of them for decades 00:22:47.180 --> 00:22:48.559 had never told other people 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:49.559 that they had endured that. 00:22:50.360 --> 00:22:50.700 Friends, 00:22:50.839 --> 00:22:52.779 don't suffer alone like that. 00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:54.660 Share these burdens 00:22:54.660 --> 00:22:55.100 with others 00:22:55.100 --> 00:22:56.200 so that they can help you 00:22:56.200 --> 00:22:56.900 to bear them 00:22:56.900 --> 00:22:58.079 and to remind you 00:22:58.079 --> 00:22:58.880 to be sober 00:22:58.880 --> 00:22:59.519 and alert 00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:00.640 to Satan's devices 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:01.920 so they can help you 00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:02.940 throw those things 00:23:02.940 --> 00:23:04.080 onto the Lord together. 00:23:05.800 --> 00:23:06.240 Now, 00:23:06.300 --> 00:23:07.120 with all that said, 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:08.680 just knowing 00:23:08.680 --> 00:23:09.440 that other people 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:10.180 are experiencing 00:23:10.180 --> 00:23:11.660 the same kinds of sufferings 00:23:11.660 --> 00:23:13.000 doesn't really give us 00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:13.840 ultimate hope, 00:23:13.940 --> 00:23:14.340 does it? 00:23:14.660 --> 00:23:14.920 I mean, 00:23:14.980 --> 00:23:15.759 suffering together 00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:17.400 is better than suffering alone 00:23:17.400 --> 00:23:19.080 but it really doesn't sound 00:23:19.080 --> 00:23:20.320 like much of a final redemption 00:23:20.320 --> 00:23:20.840 to me 00:23:20.840 --> 00:23:21.960 to just suffer together. 00:23:22.660 --> 00:23:23.380 The question is, 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:24.340 is there an end 00:23:24.340 --> 00:23:25.300 to our suffering 00:23:25.300 --> 00:23:26.280 and our anxiety? 00:23:27.500 --> 00:23:27.720 Well, 00:23:27.740 --> 00:23:28.800 that's what we're going to see here 00:23:28.800 --> 00:23:29.759 in the third part. 00:23:29.759 --> 00:23:30.500 We've seen the God 00:23:30.500 --> 00:23:31.480 above our sufferings, 00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:33.259 the enemy behind our sufferings, 00:23:33.339 --> 00:23:34.819 now let's look at the glory 00:23:34.819 --> 00:23:36.519 beyond our sufferings 00:23:36.519 --> 00:23:38.140 here in verses 10 and 11. 00:23:38.980 --> 00:23:39.680 And the first thing 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:40.359 that we need to notice 00:23:40.359 --> 00:23:41.119 in these verses 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:43.599 is that there are no commands. 00:23:44.220 --> 00:23:45.059 The first two sections 00:23:45.059 --> 00:23:46.039 were full of commands 00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:47.420 but in these last two verses, 00:23:47.940 --> 00:23:48.640 no commands. 00:23:49.299 --> 00:23:51.339 As Peter turns his focus 00:23:51.339 --> 00:23:52.319 to glory, 00:23:52.940 --> 00:23:53.859 he just spills out 00:23:53.859 --> 00:23:54.480 encouragement 00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:55.819 and affirmation 00:23:55.819 --> 00:23:56.879 after one another. 00:23:57.940 --> 00:23:58.460 Commands 00:23:58.460 --> 00:23:59.380 and our obedience, 00:23:59.740 --> 00:24:00.340 in other words, 00:24:00.420 --> 00:24:01.759 are not the final word 00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:02.539 in these things. 00:24:02.920 --> 00:24:03.960 The God of grace 00:24:03.960 --> 00:24:05.220 is the final word 00:24:05.220 --> 00:24:05.900 in our suffering. 00:24:06.779 --> 00:24:07.559 And this is the way 00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:08.480 that Peter introduces 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:09.079 this section 00:24:09.079 --> 00:24:10.019 with the God 00:24:10.019 --> 00:24:11.380 of all grace. 00:24:11.840 --> 00:24:12.759 We suffer 00:24:12.759 --> 00:24:13.600 and struggle 00:24:13.600 --> 00:24:14.360 and sin 00:24:14.360 --> 00:24:15.519 and we give ourselves 00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:16.579 over to anxiety 00:24:16.579 --> 00:24:17.840 again and again 00:24:17.840 --> 00:24:18.840 but God 00:24:18.840 --> 00:24:19.940 does not run out 00:24:19.940 --> 00:24:20.480 of grace 00:24:20.480 --> 00:24:21.180 to us. 00:24:22.140 --> 00:24:23.100 Notice how Peter 00:24:23.099 --> 00:24:24.279 describes the Lord 00:24:24.279 --> 00:24:24.619 here 00:24:24.619 --> 00:24:26.379 as the one 00:24:26.379 --> 00:24:27.579 who has called you 00:24:27.579 --> 00:24:28.939 to eternal glory 00:24:28.939 --> 00:24:29.740 in Christ. 00:24:30.639 --> 00:24:31.219 What does God 00:24:31.219 --> 00:24:31.959 call us to? 00:24:32.980 --> 00:24:33.939 Eternal glory. 00:24:34.759 --> 00:24:35.839 Life might be filled 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:36.439 with suffering 00:24:36.439 --> 00:24:37.539 and anxiety now 00:24:37.539 --> 00:24:38.959 but God's intention 00:24:38.959 --> 00:24:39.559 for us 00:24:39.559 --> 00:24:40.240 is to share 00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:41.639 in eternal glory. 00:24:42.759 --> 00:24:44.139 But what is the assurance 00:24:44.139 --> 00:24:44.919 that we'll receive 00:24:44.919 --> 00:24:45.459 that glory? 00:24:45.899 --> 00:24:46.059 I mean, 00:24:46.099 --> 00:24:46.699 if we look around 00:24:46.699 --> 00:24:47.500 at our lives today, 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:48.279 for many of us, 00:24:48.339 --> 00:24:49.319 our lives look like 00:24:49.319 --> 00:24:50.740 anything but glory, 00:24:50.879 --> 00:24:51.359 don't they? 00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:53.159 But notice those 00:24:53.159 --> 00:24:54.079 next two words, 00:24:55.439 --> 00:24:56.219 in Christ. 00:24:57.699 --> 00:24:58.659 We are tempted 00:24:58.659 --> 00:24:59.379 to look at 00:24:59.379 --> 00:25:00.500 our surroundings, 00:25:00.699 --> 00:25:01.599 our circumstances 00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:02.359 and to doubt 00:25:02.359 --> 00:25:03.259 that God cares, 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:04.379 to doubt that God 00:25:04.379 --> 00:25:05.079 is wise, 00:25:05.240 --> 00:25:05.799 to doubt that 00:25:05.799 --> 00:25:06.679 he is powerful. 00:25:07.679 --> 00:25:08.599 Suffering abounds, 00:25:08.819 --> 00:25:09.459 sin abounds 00:25:09.459 --> 00:25:10.019 in our lives, 00:25:10.099 --> 00:25:10.819 our circumstances 00:25:10.819 --> 00:25:11.399 worsen 00:25:11.399 --> 00:25:12.000 and we wonder 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:13.619 where is this care 00:25:13.619 --> 00:25:14.899 that we are promised 00:25:14.899 --> 00:25:15.699 in verse 7? 00:25:17.159 --> 00:25:17.699 But friends, 00:25:17.879 --> 00:25:19.000 where do we look 00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:20.659 to see God's care 00:25:20.660 --> 00:25:21.800 on full display? 00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:23.620 In Christ, 00:25:23.860 --> 00:25:24.140 right? 00:25:25.040 --> 00:25:25.580 Where do we look 00:25:25.580 --> 00:25:26.620 to see his wisdom 00:25:26.620 --> 00:25:27.779 on full display? 00:25:28.560 --> 00:25:29.340 In Christ. 00:25:30.060 --> 00:25:30.660 Where do we look 00:25:30.660 --> 00:25:31.740 to see his power 00:25:31.740 --> 00:25:33.120 on full display? 00:25:33.720 --> 00:25:34.700 In Christ. 00:25:35.400 --> 00:25:36.580 In the trenches 00:25:36.580 --> 00:25:37.560 of our lives, 00:25:37.840 --> 00:25:38.800 we need to look 00:25:38.800 --> 00:25:39.560 to Christ 00:25:39.560 --> 00:25:41.620 as the ultimate evidence 00:25:41.620 --> 00:25:42.900 of God's care for us. 00:25:43.259 --> 00:25:44.240 We look to Jesus, 00:25:44.840 --> 00:25:46.140 the suffering Savior 00:25:46.140 --> 00:25:47.740 who knows our pain, 00:25:47.740 --> 00:25:49.579 who knows our suffering 00:25:49.579 --> 00:25:50.839 and defeated it 00:25:50.839 --> 00:25:51.660 once for all 00:25:51.660 --> 00:25:52.200 on the cross 00:25:52.200 --> 00:25:53.079 and now lives 00:25:53.079 --> 00:25:53.900 to intercede 00:25:53.900 --> 00:25:54.620 for his people. 00:25:55.539 --> 00:25:56.160 We are members 00:25:56.160 --> 00:25:57.240 of Christ's body 00:25:57.240 --> 00:25:58.980 and so if God 00:25:58.980 --> 00:26:00.019 has raised Christ 00:26:00.019 --> 00:26:00.680 from the dead 00:26:00.680 --> 00:26:01.620 and brought him 00:26:01.620 --> 00:26:02.579 to eternal glory, 00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:03.460 which he has, 00:26:03.700 --> 00:26:04.700 then he will surely 00:26:04.700 --> 00:26:06.180 raise us from the dead 00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:07.019 and bring us 00:26:07.019 --> 00:26:07.680 to that same 00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:08.500 eternal glory. 00:26:09.880 --> 00:26:10.819 Now notice 00:26:10.819 --> 00:26:11.579 that Paul 00:26:11.579 --> 00:26:13.160 contrasts the God 00:26:13.160 --> 00:26:14.500 of all grace 00:26:14.500 --> 00:26:16.019 and eternal glory 00:26:16.019 --> 00:26:17.319 with the reality 00:26:17.319 --> 00:26:17.859 of suffering 00:26:17.859 --> 00:26:18.420 in our life 00:26:18.420 --> 00:26:20.139 being a little while. 00:26:20.339 --> 00:26:21.139 You see the contrast? 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:22.680 All eternal 00:26:22.680 --> 00:26:24.960 contrasted with little. 00:26:25.960 --> 00:26:26.619 Paul wants us 00:26:26.619 --> 00:26:27.420 to see our suffering 00:26:27.420 --> 00:26:28.500 in perspective here. 00:26:29.500 --> 00:26:31.220 Just to illustrate this, 00:26:31.319 --> 00:26:32.660 I think my son, 00:26:32.779 --> 00:26:32.980 Owen, 00:26:33.079 --> 00:26:33.579 who is two, 00:26:33.700 --> 00:26:34.240 loves playing 00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:34.940 with little trucks, 00:26:35.079 --> 00:26:36.139 what little boy doesn't, right? 00:26:36.639 --> 00:26:37.779 When he was about one, 00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:38.900 I was taking him 00:26:38.900 --> 00:26:39.519 for a walk 00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:40.559 and we came across 00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:41.339 a real, 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:42.420 massive, 00:26:42.519 --> 00:26:44.099 moving bulldozer. 00:26:44.839 --> 00:26:45.720 And when I looked down, 00:26:46.019 --> 00:26:46.519 my son, 00:26:46.579 --> 00:26:46.759 Owen, 00:26:46.819 --> 00:26:47.400 was literally 00:26:47.400 --> 00:26:48.759 shaking in fear 00:26:48.759 --> 00:26:50.579 at the raw power 00:26:50.579 --> 00:26:51.559 of this machine 00:26:51.559 --> 00:26:52.480 that was in front of him 00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:53.440 just pushing dirt. 00:26:54.779 --> 00:26:56.440 I think Peter 00:26:56.440 --> 00:26:57.480 is taking us 00:26:57.480 --> 00:26:58.259 and saying, 00:26:58.619 --> 00:27:00.200 you think this bulldozer 00:27:00.200 --> 00:27:00.740 is big? 00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:02.240 So far, 00:27:02.299 --> 00:27:03.279 it's all you've ever known. 00:27:03.660 --> 00:27:04.619 You should see 00:27:04.619 --> 00:27:06.039 a real bulldozer. 00:27:07.059 --> 00:27:08.500 You think this suffering 00:27:08.500 --> 00:27:09.019 is big? 00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:10.559 So far, 00:27:10.619 --> 00:27:11.480 it's all you've ever known. 00:27:11.980 --> 00:27:13.059 But you should see 00:27:13.059 --> 00:27:13.879 eternal glory. 00:27:14.580 --> 00:27:15.140 That's what Peter 00:27:15.140 --> 00:27:16.160 is doing for us here. 00:27:17.340 --> 00:27:17.780 Friends, 00:27:17.900 --> 00:27:18.640 our suffering 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:20.920 will not last forever. 00:27:21.660 --> 00:27:22.780 God is not calling you 00:27:22.780 --> 00:27:23.920 to trust him eternally 00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:24.800 with your anxiety 00:27:24.800 --> 00:27:25.480 and your suffering. 00:27:25.760 --> 00:27:26.520 You won't need 00:27:26.520 --> 00:27:27.900 to cast your anxieties 00:27:27.900 --> 00:27:28.500 forever. 00:27:29.140 --> 00:27:30.520 It's just for this time, 00:27:30.680 --> 00:27:31.280 Peter is saying, 00:27:31.540 --> 00:27:33.560 just for a little while 00:27:33.560 --> 00:27:34.760 until your faith 00:27:34.760 --> 00:27:35.560 becomes sight. 00:27:36.340 --> 00:27:37.340 This time of faith 00:27:37.340 --> 00:27:38.460 is coming to an end 00:27:38.460 --> 00:27:38.940 soon. 00:27:38.940 --> 00:27:39.420 Remember, 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:41.480 faith doesn't carry on 00:27:41.480 --> 00:27:42.039 into heaven. 00:27:42.700 --> 00:27:43.380 Paul tells us that 00:27:43.380 --> 00:27:44.539 in 1 Corinthians 13. 00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:45.120 Faith, 00:27:45.220 --> 00:27:45.360 hope, 00:27:45.420 --> 00:27:45.839 and love. 00:27:46.140 --> 00:27:47.099 Only love carries on. 00:27:47.259 --> 00:27:48.539 Faith ends. 00:27:49.240 --> 00:27:50.460 Think of the joy 00:27:50.460 --> 00:27:51.819 of faith 00:27:51.819 --> 00:27:53.120 no longer being 00:27:53.120 --> 00:27:53.940 a part of your life. 00:27:54.680 --> 00:27:55.920 All of God's promises 00:27:55.920 --> 00:27:57.839 right there in front of you 00:27:57.839 --> 00:27:59.160 all of the time. 00:27:59.579 --> 00:28:00.700 No room for doubts, 00:28:00.819 --> 00:28:01.460 for questions, 00:28:01.599 --> 00:28:02.200 for struggling, 00:28:02.440 --> 00:28:03.059 for wondering, 00:28:03.299 --> 00:28:04.000 for anxiety. 00:28:04.740 --> 00:28:05.440 Your faith 00:28:05.440 --> 00:28:06.900 is sight. 00:28:07.799 --> 00:28:08.900 That's what's in store 00:28:08.900 --> 00:28:09.360 for you, 00:28:09.660 --> 00:28:10.240 Peter says. 00:28:11.300 --> 00:28:12.280 And as you journey 00:28:12.280 --> 00:28:13.120 your way there, 00:28:13.860 --> 00:28:14.600 Peter reminds us 00:28:14.600 --> 00:28:15.420 that we're not left 00:28:15.420 --> 00:28:16.300 to our own devices 00:28:16.300 --> 00:28:16.700 in this. 00:28:16.780 --> 00:28:17.519 Look how Peter 00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:18.420 ends the verse. 00:28:19.120 --> 00:28:19.519 He says, 00:28:19.620 --> 00:28:20.200 this God, 00:28:20.280 --> 00:28:21.540 this God of grace, 00:28:21.660 --> 00:28:22.720 this God who called you 00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:23.860 to his eternal glory, 00:28:23.940 --> 00:28:24.820 he says he will 00:28:24.820 --> 00:28:26.380 restore you, 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:27.820 make you firm, 00:28:28.380 --> 00:28:28.980 strong, 00:28:29.360 --> 00:28:30.420 and steadfast. 00:28:31.320 --> 00:28:32.120 This, friends, 00:28:32.180 --> 00:28:33.340 is how God cares 00:28:33.340 --> 00:28:33.980 for us, 00:28:34.080 --> 00:28:34.820 even today. 00:28:35.360 --> 00:28:36.160 Even in the midst 00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:36.800 of our suffering 00:28:36.800 --> 00:28:37.620 and anxieties, 00:28:37.619 --> 00:28:39.239 God promises here 00:28:39.239 --> 00:28:40.500 that he will mend us, 00:28:40.579 --> 00:28:42.139 he will support us, 00:28:42.239 --> 00:28:43.899 he will strengthen us 00:28:43.899 --> 00:28:45.159 and establish us. 00:28:46.099 --> 00:28:47.159 So come, 00:28:47.699 --> 00:28:48.979 God calls to you today, 00:28:49.479 --> 00:28:50.799 all you who feel broken, 00:28:51.419 --> 00:28:52.359 he will mend you. 00:28:53.399 --> 00:28:55.179 Come all who feel shaky, 00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:57.079 he will support you. 00:28:57.779 --> 00:28:59.459 Come all who feel weak, 00:29:00.219 --> 00:29:01.439 he will strengthen you. 00:29:02.259 --> 00:29:03.239 Come all who feel 00:29:03.239 --> 00:29:03.879 that your life 00:29:03.879 --> 00:29:04.859 has no foundation, 00:29:05.719 --> 00:29:07.059 he will establish you. 00:29:08.139 --> 00:29:08.939 How do we know 00:29:08.939 --> 00:29:09.759 that he'll do this? 00:29:10.479 --> 00:29:11.079 Look at the end 00:29:11.079 --> 00:29:11.699 of verse 11. 00:29:12.959 --> 00:29:14.879 To him be the power 00:29:14.879 --> 00:29:16.699 forever and ever. 00:29:17.179 --> 00:29:17.599 Amen. 00:29:18.479 --> 00:29:19.359 That word power 00:29:19.359 --> 00:29:20.359 is the same word 00:29:20.359 --> 00:29:22.199 for God's mighty hand. 00:29:22.479 --> 00:29:23.539 Back in verse 6, 00:29:23.959 --> 00:29:24.699 that God under 00:29:24.699 --> 00:29:26.439 whose powerful mighty hand 00:29:26.439 --> 00:29:28.059 you humble yourself today, 00:29:28.939 --> 00:29:29.859 to that God 00:29:29.859 --> 00:29:30.779 belongs power 00:29:30.779 --> 00:29:32.219 forever and ever. 00:29:32.819 --> 00:29:33.679 Nothing will stand 00:29:33.679 --> 00:29:34.979 against his good purposes 00:29:34.979 --> 00:29:35.919 to bring you 00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:37.300 to glory one day. 00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:38.980 So friends, 00:29:39.060 --> 00:29:40.039 today we have seen here 00:29:40.039 --> 00:29:40.980 in 1 Peter 5 00:29:40.980 --> 00:29:42.440 the God above our sufferings, 00:29:42.700 --> 00:29:43.680 the enemy behind 00:29:43.680 --> 00:29:44.480 our sufferings, 00:29:44.660 --> 00:29:45.800 the glory beyond 00:29:45.800 --> 00:29:46.600 our sufferings. 00:29:46.940 --> 00:29:47.920 So for those here 00:29:47.920 --> 00:29:49.080 who may not be Christians 00:29:49.080 --> 00:29:49.920 this morning, 00:29:50.779 --> 00:29:51.980 where do you turn 00:29:51.980 --> 00:29:53.560 when your suffering 00:29:53.560 --> 00:29:54.580 and your anxiety 00:29:54.580 --> 00:29:55.820 pays you a visit? 00:29:56.560 --> 00:29:57.400 Won't you come 00:29:57.400 --> 00:29:58.200 to this God 00:29:58.200 --> 00:29:59.460 who cares for you 00:29:59.460 --> 00:30:00.840 in our brokenness 00:30:00.840 --> 00:30:01.560 and our weakness? 00:30:01.559 --> 00:30:03.440 come to the one 00:30:03.440 --> 00:30:04.819 who sent his son Jesus 00:30:04.819 --> 00:30:06.599 into this broken world 00:30:06.599 --> 00:30:07.500 to die for us 00:30:07.500 --> 00:30:08.599 and remake us 00:30:08.599 --> 00:30:09.859 and bring us 00:30:09.859 --> 00:30:11.179 to his eternal glory. 00:30:12.440 --> 00:30:13.019 And for those of us 00:30:13.019 --> 00:30:13.559 who are Christians 00:30:13.559 --> 00:30:14.379 here this morning, 00:30:14.639 --> 00:30:16.539 as you face sufferings 00:30:16.539 --> 00:30:17.019 in life 00:30:17.019 --> 00:30:18.500 that provoke anxieties 00:30:18.500 --> 00:30:19.399 in your heart, 00:30:19.899 --> 00:30:20.279 remember, 00:30:20.799 --> 00:30:21.759 you can trust 00:30:21.759 --> 00:30:23.539 the powerful God of grace 00:30:23.539 --> 00:30:25.119 because he cares for you. 00:30:25.679 --> 00:30:26.220 Let's pray. 00:30:26.220 --> 00:30:29.680 Lord God, 00:30:29.740 --> 00:30:30.500 we thank you 00:30:30.500 --> 00:30:31.860 for your care. 00:30:33.240 --> 00:30:34.360 And we pray, Lord, 00:30:34.440 --> 00:30:35.400 I pray for all 00:30:35.400 --> 00:30:36.220 of these brothers 00:30:36.220 --> 00:30:36.900 and sisters, 00:30:37.100 --> 00:30:37.600 these believers 00:30:37.600 --> 00:30:38.339 here this morning. 00:30:38.500 --> 00:30:39.079 Lord, would you 00:30:39.079 --> 00:30:40.759 help us, 00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:42.440 give us the faith 00:30:42.440 --> 00:30:43.779 to see Christ, 00:30:43.980 --> 00:30:45.339 the one who cares for us. 00:30:45.720 --> 00:30:46.920 Help us look to Jesus, 00:30:47.079 --> 00:30:48.279 the ultimate evidence 00:30:48.279 --> 00:30:49.779 that you love us, 00:30:49.860 --> 00:30:50.740 that you care for us, 00:30:50.779 --> 00:30:51.740 that you will establish 00:30:51.740 --> 00:30:52.960 and strengthen us 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:53.940 until the day 00:30:53.940 --> 00:30:54.640 when our faith 00:30:54.640 --> 00:30:55.319 will be sight. 00:30:55.319 --> 00:30:57.339 And we will dwell 00:30:57.339 --> 00:30:57.859 with you 00:30:57.859 --> 00:30:59.000 in eternal glory. 00:30:59.519 --> 00:31:00.220 Lord, help us 00:31:00.220 --> 00:31:00.859 until that day, 00:31:00.939 --> 00:31:01.279 we pray. 00:31:01.700 --> 00:31:01.960 Amen. 00:31:14.279 --> 00:31:15.079 Thank you, Kevin.