First Peter - Part 7

Consent to Your Roles

In our previous talks, I shared with you that the Apostle Peter described Christians as becoming one people, a royal priesthood and a holy nation. In other words, we are one through Christ Jesus. Even though there was a time when we were not a people, because of Jesus, we share a common identity and inheritance from God.

Today, I want to let you know that because we are one people, we must be willing to conduct ourselves in ways that will ensure the Church remains strong even during difficult times. That requires great leadership and Peter teaches us that we can become those leaders by remaining strong in the face of hardship.

Let’s read together from I Peter 4:12-19:

1 Peter 4:12 - 19
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Peter is careful to tell us that even though we are Christians, we will face difficult times. Trials do come and they are never easy. The trial that Peter speaks of is persecution. That’s different than being punished for something you did wrong.

Instead, it is a persecution directed at a person simply because they placed their faith in Jesus Christ. It can and does happen and has happened ever since Peter wrote these words 2000 years ago.

Peter urges us to live carefully so that our actions do not bring shame to the name of Jesus. If we choose to make ourselves accountable to each other, we do not need to fear outside judgment.

Peter also teaches us that we need to be concerned about the eternal destination of those who do not know Jesus Christ. If someone dies without Jesus Christ, they face God’s judgment and eternal separation from God in a place of punishment. That is a frightening thought.

We can stop that awful judgment from happening by telling others about Jesus. He is willing to save anyone who asks for His forgiveness. It’s a great message that our generation needs to hear.

This might seem like a really hard lesson that Peter gives. Was his message all negative? Not at all, in fact, his teaching prepares us to rise above the situations we face from day to day and live lives of victory. In order for that to happen, we need to be very intentional about creating a healthy church. That’s why Peter turns his attention to leadership. Let’s read I Peter 5:1-11 together:

1 Peter 5:1-11
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:
shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;
not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders.
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

In verses 1-5, Peter teaches us that the elders of the church must assume great responsibility in times of trial.
Leaders must serve as shepherds of the flock. That means that the well-being of the sheep, not the shepherd is the object.

There is a reward in leadership if we do not try to take our reward ourselves. When we oversee the work of Christ willingly, we do it from pure motivation. Not for what it can give us, but for what we can give.

We are not to serve because of outside pressure; we are to serve as leaders because we are called of God and convinced that He rewards those who seek Him.

We should avoid any idea of being the master of those we lead, but rather we are the servants of those who follow Christ. When we serve from a good heart, we are serving as examples to everyone in the church.

If we serve Christ well as leaders, there is a special blessing awaiting us for serving. That’s a great promise for every Christian leader who truly serves Christ.

When leaders lead well, followers follow well. They will show humility toward one another and find God’s grace.

This is both a command and a promise. When we humble ourselves, God will exalt us. There is a second promise too, we can cast all our anxieties on him, because he cares for us. That’s important because we do have an enemy, the devil who wants nothing more than to defeat us in order to dishonor God.

Peter commands us to resist the devil because while the campaign the enemy wages against us happens to believers around the world but cannot defeat us if we stay true to our calling in Christ.

The final promise Peter offers in this passage is that when we stand firm, God will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. These are great promises and should strengthen our faith in difficult times.

Next time, we will conclude our study on I Peter and talk about how we should respond to the message that Peter gave us in this letter to the church.