Well, good evening. It's a real privilege to be speaking to you tonight from 1 Peter chapter 5 as we bring our little series to an end.
I hope you've found it as challenging and as encouraging as the guys that have been working through it have done.
So, just before we do that, let's pray.
Our God and our Father, we acknowledge and we praise you this evening as our powerful and glorious God.
I thank you that you are gracious and that you care for each one of us.
Please help us to still our hearts so that we can hear what you have to say to us through your living and active word this evening.
In Jesus' precious name, Amen.
Amen.
So, in Peter in chapter 5, his message for us really is that we are to be motivated by God's eternal glory to live humbly together through temporary suffering.
Most of you will no doubt be familiar with the film Chariots of Fire, which tells the story of Eric Liddell,
who in fact went to church down at Holy Corner for a time.
And that's now the Eric Liddell Centre.
And the film tells the story about Eric Liddell competing at the Olympics in 1924.
He was the Usain Bolt of his day and he was the favourite to win the 100 metres.
But the 100 metres was scheduled for a Sunday.
And Liddell, being a committed Christian, famously refused to compete.
And to the world, it looked like he was throwing away his shot at Olympic glory.
However, he entered the 400 metres instead, which wasn't his distance.
He wasn't as good at that.
And nobody really gave him a chance.
But incredibly, he managed not only to win the gold, he also set a new world record.
And Eric Liddell explained his experience of winning the gold medal in this way.
He said,
And after the Olympics, Eric Liddell, who was in the peak of his career and could have gone on to win many more gold medals,
gave up his athletics career and went to China to become a missionary.
His actions demonstrated that he was truly motivated by God's eternal glory to live humbly through temporary suffering.
Serving God was more important to him than the earthly glory that his athletics career promised.
So the question for us as we look at our lives tonight really is, what are we living for?
Is it success in our exams?
Being promoted at work?
Is it about having the best holidays or experiences that you can?
Or are we truly motivated in how we live by the majesty of God and what he's done for us?
Peter is asking us in chapter 5 if we are living like sheep who belong to God.
Because that is what Christians are.
We're going to think about what chapter 5 tells us about what it means to be a sheep of God's flock.
And then what it looks like to live as a sheep of God's flock.
So being a sheep of God's flock means firstly that you belong to God.
In 2005 a group of Turkish shepherds sat down to enjoy their lunch together.
They thought their sheep would be okay.
They kind of enjoyed their lunch, were chatting, having a bit of a laugh.
And as they began to relax, something rather alarming caught their attention.
They could only watch in horror as hundreds of their sheep followed each other,
one after the other over the edge of a cliff.
In verse 2, Peter refers to Christians as God's flock.
This means that we are sheep who belong to God and have him as our shepherd.
If that's the case, can we have confidence that we will fare any better than the Turkish sheep
who were so badly neglected by their shepherds?
Well, Peter's emphatic answer is that we can have such confidence because of who God is.
And if we look at some of the verses here,
we can see some of the characteristics of God that Peter draws out.
Firstly, we see that God is powerful in verse 6.
He has a mighty hand.
And in verse 11, we see that the power belongs to him for eternity.
God is also eternally glorious.
In verse 10, we're told that Christians are called to his eternal glory in Christ.
But the really amazing thing I've found in this passage
is that God isn't just powerful and glorious.
He's also gracious and caring.
In verse 10, Peter describes God as the God of all grace.
In verse 10, sorry, verse 7, we're told that God cares for us.
God isn't just the almighty creator of the world who's perfectly holy, righteous, and just.
He's also a God of incredible mercy who loves his people
and sent his son to live in this world of brokenness and sin
so that we can be brought back into relationship with him.
So Peter assures us that we belong to a God
who's not only powerful and glorious,
but who is also gracious and caring.
And he reminds us that God has displayed these attributes
most fully in Jesus' death and resurrection.
Jesus describes us as lost sheep wandering away from God.
And he describes himself as the good shepherd
who lays down his life for the sheep.
Notice how Peter describes himself in verse 1
as being a witness of Christ's sufferings.
It's Christ's sufferings that was the price that it took to bring us to God.
Earlier in chapter 2, verses 24 to 25,
Peter explains it in this way.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree
so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed,
for you were like sheep going astray,
but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.
And what a privilege this is,
to know that we belong to a God who is also our shepherd,
who feeds us, cares for us, guides and protects us.
And I suppose this evening we need to ask ourselves,
do we believe that this is who we belong to,
this powerful, glorious, gracious and caring God?
Do you really believe that he's powerful enough to answer your prayers,
glorious enough to merit your praise,
gracious enough to forgive your sins,
and caring enough to deal with the situations that you're facing?
If you don't,
I hope that you might see something of who God is this evening in this passage.
And if you do,
I hope that you're challenged to see how this should cause us to live distinctively for him.
Being a sheep of God's flock also means that you will share in God's eternal glory.
Again, what is your motivation in life?
For me, it's sadly no longer achieving any sort of athletic success,
but it might be making money,
it might be just being comfortable,
maybe it's just simply enjoying your family and your friends.
And for each one of us, the truth lies in our hearts,
but it's normally displayed in the way we spend our time and our money.
For Christians, Peter tells us that our ultimate motivation and goal in life
is to be God's eternal glory.
And this means reminding ourselves each day
who God is and what he has done for you
as your motivation for living for him.
In verse 10,
we're told that we've been called by God to his eternal glory in Christ.
And Peter says in verse 1
that he will share in the glory to be revealed.
And this promise doesn't just belong to Peter,
it belongs to every Christian.
If we belong to God's flock,
then we will share in God's glory.
And this is such an incredible example of the grace of God.
We don't deserve to share in God's glory.
Nothing we could do merits that.
So God not only saves us,
he bestows us this incredible privilege
of sharing in the fullness of God for eternity.
The promise of sharing in God's glory
means that our reward in death
is to enjoy being in God's presence for all of eternity.
What's more, verse 10 says that sharing in God's glory
means that God will fully restore us
and make us strong, firm, and steadfast.
And that is such an incredible comfort
when you're doubting or when you're hurting.
I know that in my own life,
I find myself to be weak, soft, and wavering
in the face of difficulties of life.
I'm frustrated by how often I give in to temptation,
how often I lose my temper with those I love the most,
and how often I fail to share my faith.
And as we look around,
we're so often hurt by the brokenness of this world,
whether it's experiencing relationships breaking down,
friendships lost, jobs being lost,
or the effects of illness taking their toll on our loved ones.
I suspect many of us feel broken or scarred
by the effects of sin
in our lives or in the lives of others.
And it's a tremendous encouragement
that God promises ultimately
to heal us completely, mind, body, and soul.
And it's this hope in God's eternal glory
that is to be our motivation
to live for God's glory rather than our own.
And this attitude should permeate our whole life,
including how we approach our families,
our friends, our work, church, possessions, and leisure.
There's not an area of our life
that this shouldn't touch.
And so what does this look like in your life
on a day-to-day basis?
And perhaps like me,
you might admit that too often
your focus and time
is spent on pursuing success and enjoyment
in these things themselves
rather than in the God
who provides and sustains them.
So as we develop a greater appreciation
of what it means to belong to God
as a sheep of his flock,
we will be challenged more and more
to live humbly together
in the way that Peter sets out in chapter 5.
If you don't belong to God this evening
and you don't have this hope
of being with him for eternity,
then I would challenge you
to consider that Jesus sees you as a lost sheep
and he wants you to return to God's flock.
So how does being a sheep of God's flock
and knowing these things
change the way that we should live our lives
here on earth?
Peter's answer is that we are to follow
the example of Jesus,
who is our chief shepherd,
by living humbly together
through temporary suffering.
It's important to remember,
as Peter Dixon reminded us last week,
that the suffering that Peter is focusing on here
is suffering because of our faith in Christ.
And we can think about this
in terms of three ships.
There's servant leadership,
there's humble fellowship,
and there's enduring hardship.
And in terms of servant leadership,
quite a big chunk of this passage
was about elders
and how they should be acting.
But there's things that we can all learn from that.
And so in terms of servant leadership,
there's,
in verse one,
Peter appeals to his fellow elders
to be shepherds of God's flock.
And he gives three reasons
why elders are to display
this servant leadership
in their role as shepherds.
And firstly,
the first thing to remember
is that the shepherds
do not own the flock.
God's flock belongs to God,
no one else.
In verse three,
Peter emphasizes that the flock
is entrusted to the elders.
And that's really a call
on all of us
to treat the role of an elder
with the utmost seriousness
in recognition of the trust
that has been placed in them by God.
Elders are to care for the Christians
under their care
and the knowledge that
one day they must give an account to God.
And that's a huge responsibility
and challenge,
but it's also one
that can be a huge joy.
And as members,
for those of us who aren't elders,
there's a particular responsibility
on us
to support,
encourage,
and care for our elders,
both in prayer
and in practical ways.
And so I suppose
I would just challenge
you,
and I would challenge myself,
next time you're speaking
to one of the elders,
why don't you make a point
of asking specifically
what would they like to be,
you to be praying for them?
Secondly,
the shepherds
have a chief shepherd.
Elders aren't just shepherds,
they're also sheep
like the rest of us
who have a chief shepherd.
And Jesus is the chief shepherd
that Peter speaks of
in verse four.
Jesus set the ultimate example
of how to shepherd the flock.
In Jesus' death on the cross,
we see perfect love,
humility,
and sacrifice.
And elders have a responsibility
to model
a Christ-like attitude
of love,
humility,
and sacrifice
to the rest of the sheep.
Because,
in so doing,
Peter tells us
that in verse three,
they are examples
to the flock.
And elders who model
Jesus in their lives
help to establish
a healthy tone
for the life of the church.
And that doesn't mean
the elders
strut around
saying,
look at me,
look,
I am doing things.
But rather,
it means that they should be
constantly
striving to point people
to Christ.
And thirdly,
the shepherds
have an eternal reward.
In verse two,
Peter talks about
an elder's motivation.
They should be willing
and they should be eager
to serve.
And the reason
for this eagerness
is made clear
in verse four.
The chief shepherd
is coming again
and the elders
will receive
a crown of glory
that will never fade away.
The reward
for shepherding
the flock
isn't earthly.
It's not money,
it's not power,
it's not recognition,
it's not status,
it's something
far more precious
and infinitely
more enduring,
a crown of glory
in heaven.
And on the basis
of this promise
of eternal reward,
elders are to resist
all earthly motivations
for leadership
which are worth
nothing in comparison.
In verse two,
we see that
elders
are not to be greedy,
they're not to pursue
dishonest gain.
In verse two again,
we see that
they're not to serve
simply out of duty,
they're not to serve
simply because
they must.
And in verse three,
we see that elders
aren't to serve
for some
ambition
to get power.
It says that elders
are not to lord
over those
entrusted to them.
So,
I think both elders
and the rest of us
should be
seriously challenged
but also strongly
motivated
by the truths
Peter sets out here
and we should be
reminded how
important it is
to actively
support our elders
as they seek
to guide
and support us.
So,
living together
as God's flock
also means
living together
in humble fellowship
and this means
that the church
should be
marked by an attitude
of radical humility
firstly,
before God
and secondly,
amongst our
fellow Christians.
in verse six,
we're commanded
to humble ourselves
under God's mighty hand.
And why is this?
Because God
opposes the proud
but gives grace
to the humble.
Humility
before God
means to recognize
that God
is God
and we are not.
True humility
grows out of
an increasing
dependence on God
and the challenges
to trust God
with all aspects
of our lives,
not just the bits
we want to give to him.
It's really easy
to think that we know
what is best
and to pursue
our own plans,
our own ambitions
and give God
only a second thought.
Humility means
to reverse this
and acknowledge
that God knows
what's best
and to pursue
his plans
for our lives.
During his time
in a Japanese
prison camp,
Eric Liddell
wrote a little
devotional book
which is a
really fantastic read
and in it
he describes
the power
of authentic
Christian humility
like this.
He says,
humility is powerful
for it is based
in the sense
of being absolutely
dependent
on the grace
of God.
That is why
a Christian
has such a serene
and confident
spirit
combined with
the utmost humility.
He aims very high,
attempts great things
and yet without
proud looks
or thoughts
because he is not
thinking of himself
but of God.
Would it not be
wonderful
if we were
known as people
who demonstrated
this kind of
humility
as we live
our lives
in the world?
Peter says
in verse 6
that we are
to be humble
so that God
may lift you up
in due time.
That means
that we don't
need to promote
ourselves
now
even when
we are unfairly
ignored
or put down
because we know
that God's
timing is perfect.
And that doesn't
mean that we'll
necessarily gain
recognition
or success
in this life.
It means so much
more
that we will
ultimately be
united with our
God in heaven.
And truly
believing this
liberates us
to serve God
more fully
in the midst
of a hostile
culture
which encourages
and demands
incessant
self-promotion.
I was looking
at a statistic
the other day
and it said
that 86%
of people
aged between
13 to 38
would like
to become
a social media
influencer.
Now I don't
know if
how many of you
know what a
social media
influencer is.
I'm certainly
not one.
But they're
basically people
who want
to earn
their money
by promoting
their wonderful
lives,
wonderful products,
holidays,
and take
photographs
and all
that kind
of stuff.
Now there's
not many
in here
that probably
want to
pursue that
as a career
but often
as Christians
we do put
a mask
on on a
Sunday
to demonstrate
that we've
got our
lives together,
that we are
sorted.
Trusting in
God frees us
to be open
and honest
with others
about the
fact that
we're still
works in
progress.
And we
can be
confidently
humble
before God
because we're
told in
verse 7
that he
cares for
you so we
can cast
all our
anxiety on
him.
Just think
for a moment
how amazing
that is.
The almighty
God of the
universe wants
to know about
the things that
matter to you.
We live in a
world where
Christians and
non-Christians
alike struggle
on a daily
basis with
worry,
stress and
anxiety and
it seems to
be getting
worse all
the time.
How reassuring
it is to
know that
our God
is compassionate
and invites
us to
throw the
weight of
all our
anxieties
onto him.
And we're
not to
trust and
depend on
God in
some abstract
sense.
We're to
trust in
God in
a real
and concrete
way in
our lives
day by
day.
What
specific
concerns do
you have
on your
heart this
evening?
A difficult
relationship?
Health concerns?
Finances?
Loneliness?
Job worries?
Tiredness?
God wants
you to
cast these
onto him
because he
cares for
you.
And there's
also to be
humility amongst
God's flock
because we
know that our
status before
God matters
infinitely more
than our
status before
men.
But what
would it look
like to
actually live
like that?
In my
work as a
commercial
lawyer,
time is
quite literally
money.
Every six
minutes is
more money.
So there's
always a
pressure on
productivity,
efficiency,
and all that
kind of thing.
So for me,
humility can
sometimes be
as simple as
taking the
time to
help someone
fix the
printer or
taking the
time to
help a
more junior
colleague who
is struggling
with something
that I think
is blindingly
obvious.
And there
are countless
opportunities for
me to display
God's care to
the people I
come into
contact with
each day.
But without
reminding myself
every day that
I belong to
God and that
I'm to live
for his glory,
it's so easy
to forget the
importance of
caring for
people as I
rush around
trying to
meet deadlines.
humility will
look different
for each
of us in
our different
situations,
maybe at
home, at
university, or
at work, or
just with your
friends and
family.
But Peter
commands all
Christians in
verse 5 to
clothe ourselves
with humility
towards one
another.
Again, my
work recently
introduced a
dress-for-your-day
policy.
It means we're
moving away from
a strict
dress code of
suits, shirts,
and ties to
a flexible
dress code that
lets you decide
every day what
to wear depending
on what you're
doing.
I prefer just
wearing suits and
ties, but there
you go.
So every day I
now have to get
up and make a
conscious decision
about what I'm
going to wear
depending on what
I'm doing.
I don't always
get it right, but
that's the
theory.
In the same
way, Christians
need to make a
deliberate choice
about what
attitude we're
going to
clothe ourselves
with each
day.
But Christians
don't have a
flexible dress
code.
We're always to
clothe ourselves
with humility
because we know
that we are to
live for God's
glory and not
our own.
And that means
consciously
investing our
time, resources,
and skills to
build up God's
kingdom rather than
establishing our
own little
fiefdoms.
We do this not
in our own
power, but in
reliance on the
grace that God
gives to the
humble.
And perhaps you
need God's
strength this week
to show humility
to a colleague
at work whose
opinion always
seems to be at
odds with yours.
Or perhaps you
need to admit to
someone that you
were wrong in the
way that you
treated them and
ask them for
forgiveness.
God wants you to
pray about these
specific situations
and ask for the
strength and wisdom
to show humility
in them.
And the church
should be recognized
as a place where
people interact with
one another in a
genuinely humble
manner.
And I think we all
see good examples
of this.
We see people who
are perhaps regarded
in the world as
very successful,
high-powered jobs,
but then you see
them doing some of
the most menial
tasks in the church
and taking a genuine
interest in those
that others might
avoid.
Christians and
churches aren't
perfect and things
do go wrong.
Where pride creeps
in unaddressed in a
church, it causes
division, disruption
and heartbreak.
And some of you
may have experienced
that yourself.
So it is really
important that a
culture of authentic
humility is actively
promoted within the
church.
So what can we be
doing practically to
contribute to
cultivating a culture
of humility here at
Brunsfield?
Do we show humility
in the way we express
our opinions about
how things are done
or how we would like
them to be done?
Do we make the effort
to speak to those who
are on the margins
of our church?
A church community
that is founded on
genuine humble
fellowship is a
powerful example to
a world that is
increasingly founded
on the pride of the
individual.
And we all need to
actively play our
part in creating
that culture.
And enduring
hardship.
Peter is very clear
that living together
as God's flock
requires all Christians
to endure hardship
for the sake of
Christ.
He reminds us that
we are in a fierce
spiritual battle.
Peter describes the
devil in verse 8
as our enemy,
who is like a
prowling and roaring
lion that is looking
for someone to
destroy, to devour.
The devil wants us
to doubt that our
God is powerful,
glorious, gracious
and caring by
attacking us through
temptation and
suffering.
And this is how the
devil has always
tried to tempt
humans.
If you've been here
for some of the
Genesis talks, you
might want to think
back to Genesis 3
where the serpent
asks Eve, did God
really say you must
not eat from any
tree in the garden?
It's the same today.
The devil wants us to
make us doubt who
God really is and
what his word really
says.
And we can't be
complacent about sin
because it has
devastating consequences.
We need to be
self-controlled and
alert and active in
our resistance to
evil.
We need to be on our
guard or we will let
Satan get his foot in
the door and when he
does, he will seek to
steal, kill and
destroy.
But our resistance
isn't to be founded in
our own strength.
It's ultimately to be
founded on us standing
firm in the faith.
As Peter says in
verse 9, on our own
we're defenseless
against the devil.
The devil is described
as a lion in the
context of us being
described as sheep.
In any normal
situation, there's only
going to be one winner
in a fight between a
lion and a sheep.
But with our chief
shepherd, we are able
to stand firm because
Jesus is not just like a
lion.
He is the lion of
Judah who is all
powerful.
Throughout his letter,
Peter's made it clear
that there is an
inescapable link between
sharing in God's glory
and enduring hardship
for the sake of
Christ.
In verse 9, we're
reminded that our
brothers and sisters
across the world are
also suffering for
their faith.
We're not alone.
Others are also
suffering for Christ
just as Christ suffered
for us.
And we need to
remember them in
prayer.
But the important
thing Peter wants us
to realize here is
that the suffering of
a Christian is
temporary.
Verse 10 says that
God will restore us
after we have
suffered a little
while.
Peter wants us to
view our suffering
in the context of
God's eternal glory.
And he wants us to
remember that our
certain hope that we
will ultimately be
restored and made
strong, firm and
steadfast by God
will motivate us to
resist evil and endure
hardship in the
present.
And Peter here isn't
trying to ignore or
diminish the present
reality, pain and
difficulty of suffering.
But it does mean that
we can always have a
certain hope in the
God that cares for us.
And so just as we
finish, after winning
his gold medal at the
Paris Olympics, as we
heard, Eric Liddell
turned his back on
his athletics career
and walked away for a
life of obscurity in
China as a missionary.
And he was asked if he
regretted exchanging
this glory, this
athletic glory for life
as an obscure
missionary.
And it was very
interesting how he
replied.
He said, oh well, of
course it's natural for a
chap to think over all
that sometimes.
But I'm glad at the work
I'm engaged in now.
A fellow's life counts
for far more for this
than the other.
Not a corruptible
crown, but an
incorruptible one.
Liddell was imprisoned in
a Japanese internment
camp during the Second
World War.
And he was separated
from his wife and his
children who were back
in Canada.
And rather than him
sitting around moping,
he busied himself by
helping the sick and the
elderly.
He taught Bible classes
at the camp school, he
arranged games, and he
taught science to the
children.
And if you read any of
the books about his
life, you'll find that his
fellow prisoners universally
described him as a man who
had displayed incredible
faith, humility, and care for
others in the most difficult
of circumstances.
So Eric Liddell is a famous
example of a remarkable
Christian who lived humbly
through his temporary
suffering because he fully
believed that the glory of
gold was nothing in this
world compared to the glory
of God.
But we have a greater example
than Eric Liddell.
We've got the example of our
chief shepherd, Jesus.
And Jesus invites us to join
God's flock and to share in
God's eternal glory as our
motivation for living humbly
together through temporary
suffering.
In verse 12, Peter tells us
that he wrote the letter of
1 Peter to encourage his
readers and to testify to the
true grace of God.
And he challenged his readers
who were about to experience
real suffering under Nero to
stand fast in the true grace
of God.
And that really remains our
challenge here today in
Edinburgh in 2020.
We're not called to run away
from the challenges of our
society, but we're called to
stand firm in Christ and face
them together.
We'll just pray to close.
Our gracious God and Father,
we thank you for the privilege it
is to be able to call you our
chief shepherd.
Lord, I pray that as we go out
into our different weeks, we
would do so with a renewed
focus on you and your glory,
and that the world would be
more, and that we would be
motivated to live more
dependently on you.
In Jesus' name, amen.