Friday, November 3, 2017

Two dangers that require our awareness as followers of Jesus...

This week we are looking at a section of a letter in the New Testament of the Bible, called the book of 1 Peter, where we discovered a timeless truth about how we are to live out our identity as followers of Jesus who are part of God’s kingdom community in the midst of a rapidly changing culture in that living as part of God’s kingdom community requires that we recognize the danger around us. And in 1 Peter 5:6-14, we will see Peter reveal three different dangers that we need to recognize as followers of Jesus who are part of God’s kingdom community.

Wednesday, in verses 6-7, we see Peter reveal for us the reality that, as followers of Jesus, we are to recognize the danger of difficult times. Just like the readers of this letter, as followers of Jesus living in a rapidly changing culture, we can experience difficult times. Just like the readers of this letter, as followers of Jesus, we can feel like we are being squeezed by trials and difficulties in our lives.

And because of that reality, we are to respond to danger of difficult times by humbly placing ourselves under the Lord, knowing that the Lord will lift us up upon Jesus return. And as followers of Jesus, we are to respond to the danger of difficult times by humbly placing ourselves under the Lord, knowing that we can transfer our cares to Him while we wait His return. Instead of trying resolve our anxieties and concerns ourselves without the Lord in a way that exalt ourselves, we are to transfer those anxieties and concerns to the Lord in a way that exalts the Lord. Peter reveals a second danger that we need to recognize as followers of Jesus who are part of God’s kingdom community in verse 8-11. Let’s discover that danger together:

 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Now to fully understand what Peter is communicating here, we first need to understand a few things. The first thing we need to understand is what Peter means when he commands followers of Jesus throughout history to be sober of spirit. As we discovered earlier in the book of 1 Peter, the phrase “be of sober spirit” here refers to being well-balanced. This phrase conveys the sense of being self controlled.

Peter here is commanding followers of Jesus throughout history to demonstrate a sense of self-restraint and self control.  As followers of Jesus, we are not to allow our mental or emotional states to be filled with confusion that comes as a result of excess emotion and rash responses to our circumstances. Instead of becoming emotionally or mentally intoxicated by riding the emotional or mental roller coaster of “what if”, as followers of Jesus we are to focus on the confident expectation that we have for the future in light of Jesus return so as to have balance in our lives emotionally and mentally.

Now that leads to the second thing which we need to understand, which is what Peter means when he commands followers of Jesus throughout history “to be on the alert”. To be on the alert means to be in a constant state of readiness.     Peter then explains that the reason why followers of Jesus were to be sober in spirit so as to be emotionally and mentally balanced regardless of our circumstances: the reason why followers of Jesus were to be in a constant state of readiness, was due to the fact that “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Now, in the Greco-Roman culture of the first century, the word adversary was a term used to refer to one who brings a charge in a lawsuit. The adversary would be one who was an accuser of another. Peter explains that the one who brings a charge, the one who accuses, is the Devil. Now Jesus and the other authors of the letters that make up the Bible teach us that the Devil is the leader of a group of supernatural beings who known as demons. We also know that the Devil and demons have superhuman, but limited knowledge and power.

The Devil and demons are a group of angels that were created by the Lord before the creation of the universe, who rebelled against God sometime before the fall of humanity that is recorded for us in the very first letter in the Bible in Genesis 3. And the Devil and the demons that follow the Devil are driven by a desire to destroy the Kingdom of God and the people of God. The Devil and the demons are driven by a desire to be worshipped as gods instead of worshipping God.

And because of that reality, Peter states that the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Peter paints a word picture of a lion hunting for prey to reveal the reality that the devil devotes serious effort to find people that he can oppose, accuse, and destroy. Peter wanted the readers of his letter to understand the danger of the devil by getting off the emotional and mental roller coaster so as to be in a state of mental and emotional balance and readiness for any potential attack by the devil.

Peter then provides the strategy for opposing any potential attack by the Devil with the phrase firm in your faith. Peter’s point here is that followers of Jesus are to respond to the accusations and enticements of the Devil by being steadfast in our confident trust in Jesus and the message and teachings of Jesus. In addition, Peter reminded the readers of his letter that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. In other words, the readers were not to feel alone when it came to the accusations and enticements of the Devil as the Devil and the demons that follow the Devil are driven by a desire to destroy the Kingdom of God and the people of God. Instead, Peter wanted the readers of his letter to clearly understand that their experience was a common experience for followers of Jesus throughout the world.

In addition, in verse 10, we see Peter reveal the reality that he wanted the readers of his letter to clearly understand that after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. You see, Peter wanted the readers of his letter, and followers of Jesus throughout history, to clearly understand that the suffering and sadness that they were experiencing at the hands of the Devil and those in the culture around them who were hostile to God and the things of God were only temporary.

And after this temporary time of suffering that they would experience here on earth, Peter wanted the readers of his letter, and followers of Jesus throughout history, to clearly understand that God, who is the source of all favor and blessings and who had chosen them to experience the splendor and radiance that is without end as a result of His activity through Jesus that resulted in their relationship with Jesus would perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. In other words, after their temporary time of suffering, the readers of this letter would experience the fullness of God’s activity in their lives through Jesus that would result in them being put in the perfect condition that they were created to experience. After their temporary time of suffering, the readers of this letter would experience the fullness of God’s activity in their lives through Jesus that would result in them being totally committed, empowered and provided a secure basis from which they would experience the fullness of the relationship with God that they were created for.

And it is here that we see Peter reveal for us the reality that, as followers of Jesus who are part of God’s kingdom community, we are to recognize the danger of the Devil. As followers of Jesus, we are to respond to the danger of the Devil by being emotionally and mentally balanced. As followers of Jesus, we are to respond to the danger of the Devil by being in a constant state of readiness for his attacks. And as followers of Jesus, we are to respond to the danger of the Devil by opposing his attacks.

We are to oppose his attacks by being steadfast in our confident trust in Jesus. We are to oppose his attacks knowing that we are not alone in these attacks. And we are to oppose his attacks knowing that God promises us a glorious future. God promises a glorious future where He will put us into proper condition. God promises a glorious future where He will cause us to be totally committed. God promises a glorious future where He will make us strong. And God promises a glorious future where He will provide a secure base for our life in relationship with Jesus.

A glorious future, that is sure, because as Peter points out in verse 11, God has the dominion, or ruling authority to accomplish His promises for all eternity. Peter then concludes this letter by revealing a third danger that we need to recognize as followers of Jesus who are part of God’s kingdom community in verse 12-14:

 12Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! 13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ.

Now so often, when we come to the final verses in a letter in the New Testament we can find ourselves just skimming through so that we can move on to the next letter. So often, we read these final verses as though they are the fine print in some item that we purchased. However, it is in these final verses, it is in the fine print, so to speak, that we discover another timeless danger that we need to recognize.

When Peter refers to Silvanus, this is another name for a man named Silas. Silas was a travel companion of the Apostle Paul and Timothy during one of his missionary journeys and helped write several letters that are recorded for us in the New Testament. In addition, Silas often delivered correspondence for the leaders of the early churches to churches, as we see in Acts 15:23. Silas delivered the letter that we know as 1 Peter to the original readers of this letter.

Peter explained that the letter that Silas was delivering contained the true grace of God. Peter’s point is that the contents of his letter contained the genuine and authentic truth about God’s transformational intervention and activity through Jesus that results in forgiveness and the relationship with God that we were created for. And because of that reality, Peter commanded the readers of this letter to stand firm in it. In other words, the readers of this letter were to remain firmly rooted in the truth of the letter so as to remain unmoved from the truth of this letter.

And it is here that we see Peter reveal for us the reality that, as followers of Jesus, we are to recognize the danger of failing to remain rooted in the message of the gospel. As followers of Jesus, we are to respond to the danger of failing to remain rooted in the message of the gospel by recognizing the message of the gospel as being the real deal. As followers of Jesus, we are to respond to the danger of failing to remain rooted in the message of the gospel by standing firm on the truth of its message.

And as followers of Jesus, we are to respond to the danger of failing to remain rooted in the message of the gospel by recognizing those who are also rooted in the gospel. Peter recognized those who were followers of Jesus that comprised the church in Rome as those who remained rooted in the gospel. Now a natural question that could arise here is “why would Peter refer to the church at Rome with the name Babylon? Is Peter speaking in code? What is going on here?”

Peter here uses the word Babylon as a word picture that connected the idea of living as aliens and strangers. Just as the Jews lived in Babylon in the OT, these early followers of Jesus were living in exile now as strangers and aliens whose true citizenship was in God’s kingdom community. Peter then wished the readers of his letter would experience a state of well being with God and others that came as a result of embracing and living out their identity as part of God’s kingdom community.

And part of living out our identity as God’s kingdom community is to understand that living as part of God’s kingdom community requires that we recognize the danger around us. As part of God’s kingdom community, we are to recognize the danger of difficult times. As part of God’s kingdom community, we are to recognize the danger of the Devil. And as part of God’s kingdom community, we are to recognize the danger of failing to remain rooted in the message of the gospel.

So here is a question to consider: Do you recognize the danger around you? Do you recognize the danger of difficult times? Do you recognize the danger of the Devil? Do you recognize the danger of failing to remain rooted in the message of the gospel?

And how are you responding to the danger? Are you responding to the danger by placing yourself under the Lord so as to place the Lord first? Are you responding to the danger by being steadfast in your confident trust in the Lord? Are you responding to the danger by recognizing that the message of the gospel is the real deal?


Because the timeless reality is that living as part of God’s kingdom community requires that we recognize the danger around us…

No comments:

Post a Comment