1 Peter 5

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0:00 The text that I want to look at this morning from your sign, we put up the new bump look of text so if you like having that card that shows you the readings for each week, those are over there. And so like Brian was mentioning, he was looking at the song this week for this Sunday. You would have that there if that was helpful. And the New Testament reading that they gave us is from first Peter. And that's the one I want to start with this morning.

0:33 First Peter. And the, oh, where does it say start with 21, right? Okay, good. I'm going to get into this card because I didn't write it down. So first Peter was not a book that I paid that much attention to until I fought when I was in college and came home and was talking to my dad about it being hard being a college

1:10 student. I was saying how easy I had it in college. But you know, even when you're in college, everything seems so hard. And I was like overwhelmed and I was sitting and I just had a good relationship with my dad still do. And when I get frustrated or I don't know what to do, I can't really process the letting process out loud. And so I was doing that the summer after my freshman year of college I was processing some frustration and he brought me to first Peter and there are several sections in first Peter that are really encouraging for folks going through struggle.

1:47 And where first Peter now is one of my favorites is it's interesting because you know when we read Ask the Apostles or even when we read some of Paul's letters, we hear stories about Peter going around and teaching and sometimes Peter and Paul getting into some quite disagreement but we don't get a lot of letters from Peter. And maybe that's because Peter was had a smaller circuit. And Paul, you know, Paul had all age and minor really trying to reach the Greek and

2:19 Roman world and Peter was kind of everything, Antioch and Jerusalem maybe. And so maybe he had a smaller circuit so he didn't have to write as many letters. But one time with life, he would hear both of their first sermons that they'd teach when they go to a place. And so this is, we have a deep first Peter and second Peter and that's it. Where if you have like 13 letters from Paul. And so the reading here is first Peter 21 to 25.

2:50 And so I'm just going to read it first and then we'll kind of break it down a little bit. It says for two days you have been called because Christ also touched us for years, leaving you an example that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin. Neither was the seat founded his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in the current. When he suffered, he did not threaten but continued entrusting himself to him which

3:23 does his death leave. He had so for our sins on his body, in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed, where you were straying like sheep but now returns but have now returned to the shepherd and the overseer of his souls. Sounds cool. Quote some Old Testament there. Peter, he does that just naturally because that's how it talks that he probably has

3:56 the Old Testament memorized. He's in this section we're talking about suffering because his curse is so inspiring. You know, they're going through some persecution, especially during the first century. By the Jewish church first and then later they go by Rome. And he says that for two days you have been called because Christ also suffered for you. The first thing you think about and just remember around this side of Easter is of course that

4:27 Easter morning is this great celebration of this resurrection and the women running to the tomb and back and the disciples racing to the tomb and back and the upper room and the meals, right? And then the ascension and after the appearance because Easter is a great celebration time and it comes after a real lose fact, right?

4:59 Like a real, like an embarrassing, difficult, painful, confusing the sheep. And so one of the themes for Peter is like to the church going through hard times. One of the themes for Peter is are you surprised? You ought not be.

5:33 Suffering doesn't mean he says that you're doing something wrong. That were the Christ. Christ would have been doing something wrong and he did nothing wrong. And this is an appropriate thing for us just to think about a little bit because look all hardship and struggle is real and what does the struggle look like for you and where

6:10 does it come from? If we are like attempting to live under the brain of God in a world that doesn't recognize his authority to live according to the new creation in us and allow the old to die away, we're trying to honestly move forward in relationships and love well when we have been

6:41 in and out of the new creation and we have loved selfishly and generously. We will find that relationships are hard, that work is difficult and engagement in our like government is wrong. We will find many places for suffering if we are trying to live under the brain of God in a world that doesn't recognize his authority and deal honestly with our old person, our

7:12 old Adam, our old man coming back up over and over again the way we don't live according to the new creation. We will have plenty of mistakes we have made that we need to deal with. We will engage with many people who think we should ask and live differently than God outlines for us. We will encounter lots of places for suffering and if we find ourselves coasting through making plenty of money and experiencing plenty of entertainment we may not be deeply engaging

7:43 with the brain of God and our own old Adam and sinfulness, not that you need to be sad or that your life needs to be difficult but that the brain of God will naturally clash with your own sinful self and a world that doesn't recognize his authority. So if there is no class inside of us or in the world it's not always a good time for

8:13 suffering. Okay, four to this you have been called suffering that is because Christ also suffers for you Christ also suffers for you. Leave an example so that you might follow in this step. You committed no sin, neither was the seat found in his mouth meaning suffering is not only a product of your sin that were the case Jesus wouldn't have been crucified. And he was reviled he did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten

8:48 and this is the part that I really want to think about because it's in line what we've been thinking about this Easter season but he continues entrusting himself to him who judges justly entrusting himself to him who does his justly. I put a little bit of this in an email because I've been thinking about it since this Friday

9:19 how how faith lists everyone around Jesus was in the week of the past and their faith lessness was demonstrated in their inability to face to open ended future in their strong determination to exercise control over what would come in their life and manipulate the situation in order to get what they wanted. How few people were willing to trust the God of their future to bet on the way of Jesus

9:58 and in the midst of the Pharisees pumping up a trial and manipulating the crowds, potted pilots, feigning powerlessness and choosing apathy in the place of opportunity for action. There are since a co-mission and omission in this path of Jesus. In the midst of all the faithlessness Jesus stands there and best on God rather than his own capability to dissolve the situation.

10:33 He says I will not manipulate the outcome but I'll take what God gives me. And God is offering him death very clearly. It's not ambiguous. All of the situations facing Jesus are death and he could put his arm around pilot and fix the situation to defend himself against the Pharisees. He could mount it up rising and retreat to Jericho and figure out a solution with the village. He could have done a lot of things. He does none of them.

11:04 He bets on God. Extreme facelness. And I want to look at why he does that. I mean who knows right? But one reason might be this little passage in Deuteronomy 32 verse 39 chapter yeah 32 verse 39. And I know Deuteronomy is the biggest number of Deuteronomy. It's in the midst of like Deuteronomy. Most of Deuteronomy is this last sermon. Moses praises before he goes off and gets buried by the hand of God after he looks over

11:39 at the prophet's hand. Moses you all. But he gives this last sermon and it's like really compelling and that he has this little section in Deuteronomy chapter 32. You guys, we could do a long section on this chapter. But but the gist of this section that Moses is getting into talking to them. He's talking to them about first their relationship to the gown and how God called them out of

12:14 a people from the desert and in the midst of the desert multiplied Jacob before they went into captivity in Egypt. They talked about how they forgot the name of God in Egypt but God is faithful to them yet. And then the part that we get to talk about them on the doorstep of the nation and he's been using the metaphor of this rock. If you go back to reach 32 that God is this rock and out of this rock he nurtures the people and then he the rock and Israel's capital are rock.

12:47 Then this chapter there's a lower are rockers of the nations and Moses is what is there though. Who are they hoping on betting on counting on something smaller and less capable right. Verse 37 says then he will say who are their guys the lower case rockings they took that through a perfect factor prices and bring to mind they've been gone. Let them rise up and help you.

13:17 Let them be your protection. We're turning on you so long as you see that maybe allows Jesus to be faithful even in the midst of death. See now that I even I am here. This is God speaking through Moses. See now that I even I am here and there is no God beside me. I kill and I make a lie. I wound and I feel and there is none that can deliver out of my hand or lift up my hand

13:47 to heaven and swear as I live forever. I start to look back. See now that I even I am here and there is no God beside me. I kill and I make a lie. I wound and I heal. Jesus knows that death comes even at the prerogative according to the will of God Abraham as you can take that and a death comes out his paraded so that love is. And Jesus says it's a God offers me death. This is the same guy who offers life and his disposition towards me is one of love no matter

14:23 what. And so he offers me death. He will also then offer me life one day. You can hear the refrain of the disciples when Jesus says I know it's confusing guys. Are you going to leave me like everybody else in the disciples say Lord to whom shall we be? You have the words of eternal life. Jesus recognizes that God is offering him suffering and he says what will I do? Trust him myself.

14:53 He is the one who gives out life and death. He is the one who wounds and the one who heal. All of it happens according to his prerogative. So when he's looking at death he knows God is hard to do that as well. What suffering comes at you? What hardship confounds and confuses you? What difficult places have you found? None are outside or beyond or underneath or above the prerogative of the guy.

15:35 We can go into all of it knowing that when death comes life comes also. When wounding comes healing comes also. The God is in charge of both and will golden out to us appropriately because there is no God above him to whom so to go. So in trusting Jesus in trust himself to the one who judges just to you. And I'm saying we might be like that as well.

16:06 First, phone four. He, Jesus himself, bore our sin in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness by his wounds you have been here. This one by his wounds you have been healed obviously. Well, obviously there's a famous like of section and Isaiah that talks about that. But the second I want to look at the reference that to build off of that is in Hebrews chapter

16:36 12. Isaiah, I mean like hundreds of years before this before he even knows who the person of Jesus is. The great chair to God, the O'Gresna the creator of life and earth, the creator of future and eternity comes down and whiskers into Isaiah's ear. The problem of God says is coming today where one will look like this for the end century since people have described this story that Isaiah saw from the God as a description

17:09 of the suffering service and he describes beautifully one who will suffer and says you like all like lambs, led to the slaughter but by his stripes you have been healed. By his wounds you have been healed. He carries your transgressions and accomplishes your sin. This is what Peter is referencing, the ancient prophecy from the God through the person Isaiah in the fulfillment of Jesus relevant in the first century and today that the cross

17:39 of Christ accomplishes your forgiveness. So look at what the writer of Hebrews does about in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 12. He's been talking about forgiveness and the capacity of God to restore, redeem and heal and he says in verse 12 therefore lift your drooping heads and strengthen your weak needs and make straight paths for your feet so that what his lane may not be put out of

18:15 the joint but rather be healed. He writes for peace with everyone and for the boldness without this no one will see the Lord. What I hear here is that you may have difficulty in your relationships and your work you might find suffering in your interactions of worlds, in your role in your family, in the situation

18:46 of the political environment, whatever it is you may find suffering within your own self you may be conflicted and confounded. What the suffering servant has come and by his wounds you are healed so the writer of Hebrew says lift up your drooping hands. Don't give up or despair. He says strengthen your weak needs.

19:18 Don't put up with a body that is failing with a spirit that is quitting. Pick up your head and walk straight. Make a path for yourself. Live as though restoration is coming. Be prepared for the forgiveness and the restoration of your health, your soul, your mind and your body. Be prepared for it all because the suffering servant by his stripes you are healed. This is though it was true as though healing were coming as though restoration were coming.

19:55 So let's lift up your drooping hands and strengthen your weak needs. If your life is hard don't be surprised. They killed the Christ but don't hurt your head or we allow your body to act as though it's been defeated. Get ready because though they kill them, you will be restored and though you will be here

20:26 and though you killed, she makes the life. Get ready. Make straight the path so that your knees may not be put out of joint but will be restored. Even self-war ascension is the body. I'm sure that you may die to sin and live the righteousness by as long as we have been healed for a 25 for you. We're strained like sheep but have now returned to the shepherd, the overseer of your soul.

21:04 I love the two assumptions here. Peter writes to the church and the church preserves for all antiquities. The people of God, down their time until his return will read this letter and they assume both things in this phrase. It is one little verse. They assume that you have prayed and that you have returned both.

21:40 They assume that you got lost, that you forgot, that you gave up. They assume that you trusted someone else, that you demonstrated faithlessness, that you controlled your future, that you manipulated those around you, that you believed that you were some of the worst choices and your basis in things. They believe they understand and anticipate you have prayed and they understand and anticipate that you came back, that you returned, that you spurned the voices in your head and heart

22:17 that pointed finger and condemned, that said you were some of your worst choices in your basis and things, that said that you could not believe, that there was no future for you, that there was no God, that God was against you. They assume that you pointed that you left those things behind and liked the Christ through suffering into faithfulness, setting your future again on the God. Each is seasoned.

22:48 Here we are. Christ was killed, buried, dead and buried, and raised in the death for real, flesh and bone, by and spirit, life forever. You and I will experience both with this God. He's in charge of them both, life and death, both. He did some of those. He wound, he healed, he killed, he mixed the life.

23:22 Stick with the rod, but know how it ends. You come through the suffering and into life. You come through the death and into resurrection. Over and over again. Speaking about this, last little place to take it to your mind, you only have to turn one page to go to James 5 verse 16. I want to get really plasmatic here.

23:56 How do we return? How do we return? It says, but for you are straining like sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and the overseer of your soul. If you're thinking, how might I return? If I have hope in the resurrection, James 5 verse 16, therefore confess your sins to another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

24:31 The way we come back, the way we return to the shepherd and the overseer of our soul is recognized, oh my gosh, I just will call you. Way out over there, it's way better to just be your sheep than try to be some kind of, I don't know, goat out there on my own. You know? Just finding my own food, eating whatever occurs to me.

25:02 I'd rather be a sheep, follow your voice, forgive me, give me a place to end the clock again. And James decides, if you want to confess to God the Father, find someone to confess to and let them speak to you, you'll forgive me. Okay. That's good, guys. That's good, guys. I'll read one more time and then I'll pray for you.

25:34 1st Peter 2 21 2 25. For to this you have been called because Christ Jesus also suffered for you, leaving you an example so you might follow him to death. He committed no sin, neither was the seed found in his mouth. When he reviled, he did not revile in return, he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

26:06 And he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his hands you have been healed, for you were straining like sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and oversteer of your soul. Hey Lord, make this field sweet this morning. Jesus wants life to return to you. We want you to be our good shepherd for the sake of our souls and to the benefit of those

26:42 around us and our eternal life. In Jesus' name we ask you to know.