Together We Overcome

Where we are at our last message on first Peter next week to take the Lord's supper together and then we got to that will start a series that explores the core of Jesus's call to his people call this series be the movement and I'm super excited about it. By the way, I know that a lot of you have questions about about going to church was to look like this fall. As you know, after a lot of prayer and counsel. We have decided, barring some miraculous reversal we decided to not meet altogether. Each weekend is one body until the end of the year, but we believe that we can and should still gather so were going to get a substitute gathering is several thousand with without with smaller gatherings and other ways Marshall working out the details on all this and making sure that we are aligned with CDC recommendations to make sure that you are Safe in our community is kept safe but we are figuring out what it what is it look like her to gather in and home groups on our premises with outdoor baptisms, times of worship and prayer fellowships and and and etc. here we are going to gather and we want together. It just has to look different in the season and the next few weeks.

Each of her campuses is going to spell out what it will look like for you at your campus because gathering we know it's an important part of the of the body of Christ and something that we I we need to do together. So stay tuned. More not to come here in in the days to come. Our theme in first Peter has been together we endure together as a church we press through a really tough time.

Remember, Peter writes this letter of first Peter to a church in exile. Literally, in exile, persecution and hardship had driven them from their homelands so Peter talks a lot about suffering and frustration, and patience.

I think it's been pretty clear why this book is so relevant to us. We come now to Peter's final instructions in chapter 5 the whole chapter is great but what will really gonna focus on on verses five through 11 because because that's his wrap up to the entire book, listen, this might be the most encouraging message that you did not want to hear the Christian life is hard. It is far better. Of course, than the alternatives but but is not necessarily easier. In fact, following Jesus, sometimes intensifies the hardship that you live with Peter talk about that these last verses are about about hell not to simply survive. In this it in a hostile, cruel, chaotic world that, but how to thrive. How to overcome it is seems like everybody today loves these survival shows there's a bunch of naked and afraid which a lot of you watch would never admit to watching and by the way, that is not what it sounds like a no account sounds, Babbitt.

It's a show where they basically drop two people out in the remote wilderness with with literally nothing but a part of firestarter and and a knife and see if they can survive for 21 days. The first order of business is usually making close out one of her small group leader told her that he and his wife and started to watch a few episodes in there and the small group was over one evening and then have a babysitter so they put the kids up in their bedroom to watch TV during small group. Some kids show Dora the Explorer whatever I want. Evidently their DVR was set to record that show naked and afraid and you know sometimes you do that it'll switch off of what you're watching when start according to go to that show. That's what it did for the kids so right in the middle small group therefore-year-old son, ambles down the stairs and said that that show you a mom like to watch with the naked people came on to the whole. Small group market announces that. So group accountability okay naked and afraid. Then there is a man versus wild out of the wild worst-case scenario I survived. I shouldn't be alive beyond survival in the maybe my personal favorite fat guys in the woods.

This passage is about how to survive and enter thrive and overcome in a hostile world. Listen, I do not know about you but I am tired of just surviving these days and my talking anybody out there. I don't want to just make it I will look back on this season. The some of the best days of my life. Even if even if they they been some of the hardest… Reversal spot dictated again verse five, all of you close yourselves with humility toward one another because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble of a quote from Proverbs 3. Humble yourself.

Verse six.

Therefore under the mighty hand of God so that he may exalt you at the proper time casting all your cares on him because he cares about you, be sober minded. Be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for anybody that he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. We all just read these last two verses out loud together altogether out letter with the verse did God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen and support you after you have suffered a little while to him the dominion forever. Amen. Amen. Here's the first principle for how to overcome number one got to embrace that waiting is normal. Let me make one the most important statements that some of you will ever have heard waiting on God is a normal part of the Christian life.

Every word in these verses points to it took to what to do when you're in a situation you don't like in the you and that you want God to change your suffering. You are the victim of injustice something and you want God to change situation and you're not quite sure why he done.

That's the backdrop for for every single one of the rest of these commands in these verses, verse five. Humble yourself before God.

In other words, don't try to get ahead of them. I'm verse seven cast your cares on him while you wait. If you know help is right around the corner. You might be able to hang on and cure the Lord yourself, but it is going to be a while. You need that you need him to help you shelter the load I my kids any time that that there holding something that weighs more than 3 ounces for any length of time.

They asked me to hold onto it we go to Disney World and I say don't you me all that stuff in your backpack, sunglasses and binoculars. It was metal water bottles and complete collectors edition set of Harry Potter books and and I like you don't need all that.

But they bring them anyway while walking to the parking lot. They're all excited and there down some of the stuff in your backpack that you know this bears just to get you get asked three minutes inside the gate to carry the backpack, the rest of the day right knee. They just can't endure very long what Jesus said when it's going to be a long day when it feels like it's going to be a long day. Let me carry that load.

I'll take it. I'm verse six he says, at the proper time.

That is, that is his proper time, not yours. He's going to exalt you when he decides the time is is right in his purposes have been accomplished that he will restore, establish, strengthen and support you after you have suffered bursting in a little while will restore, establish you and you asked Wolf how long is a little while we don't know that's that's the point you're waiting you're waiting the whole passage has you in a posture of waiting to let me say it again waiting on God is a normal part of the Christian life.

I cannot just be honest with you I don't like waiting on God. But if our Bible shows me anything.

It shows me that waiting is the normal experience of God's children. A lot of them or confuse nestle some of us are confused when you read the profits and songs your your your struck with how much of their lives are spent in a posture of waiting, the prophet Jeremiah who spent many years unjustly imprisoned in a dungeon just for speaking truth to the king on this whole book called Lamentations where he basically just laments cries out to God and says why God where are you have you forsaken me throughout the Psalms. King David says things like like I'm in a pit my enemies of overwhelming my friends betrayed me, darkness is my only friend. Why do you feel so far from me God before God performed the Exodus, Israel waited for 400 years of slavery. That's what 10 generations twice as long as our country is even been in existence. By the way, this was a like punishment for their sins.

Either it was just a God where are you kind of time on he had not had Israel wait again for 400 years between the last prophet of the Old Testament and the birth of Jesus. 400 years of God, where are you if you if you forgot Nesta silence Isaiah describes that time is like like sitting in darkness. Other Bible heroes, like Joseph sat in prison for years waiting on God or Joe who waited for years before God restored his fortunes. The hearing first Peter C Peter expects these believers he expects expects us to define ourselves and and a posture like this. Also, waiting, here's something you don't want to hear.

I but you really need to hear. Waiting on God is a normal part of the Christian experience. The prophet Jeremiah. What we would say this way. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord is good. You say you say why.

While on sale and all the answers so that I do know from experience that there are things you can learn in a time of waiting that you just won't learn any other way out say that Lamentations 326 is a versa. God is been using in my life lately is good for me to sit quietly and wait for God salvation it's good for me to find myself in a posture of helplessness as I wait on God Andrew Murray enumerate 19th century Christian pastor EEE call waiting on God the most essential part of the Christian life. He called waiting on God, the highest expression of salvation, the only true expression of Christianity. So waiting is is normal what you're experiencing. Questions ago. Without it, it's normal and here's the good news just like your first Peter God promises good things to those who wait, Jeremiah, Lamentations 3 verse 25 says the Lord is good to those who wait for him. Here Peter says God will exalt, he will restore he will establish, strengthen and support you cannot tell you no one. No one who is waited on God has ever been let down ever and you will not be the first EEE always comes through. And he will for you so let me just ask where you waiting on the goodness of God right now. Maybe it's it's in regards to a kid that you really want to see come back to God and you pray and you pray and you praying stand with the father. The story of the prodigal son uses his weight is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Maybe your you're being treated unfairly by your spouse. Maybe you're being slandered at work. Maybe for like EE.

In some situations just can't get justice. It's good is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Maybe your and financial giraffes are. You just need guidance and support in the situation.

It's good for you that you should wait quietly for the salvation of, or maybe it's just in regards to tentative over 19 once again in one's life to go back to normal. It's good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord, the Lord is good to those who wait for him he will will Peter says, exalt, restore, establish, strengthen and support you.

By the way, Peter is not only talking about this. This help in this restoration is if you don't talk about heaven. Of course he's talking about Abby's Peter is expecting earthly fulfillment of of God's goodness he's expecting God to show up in their lives. Sometimes Christians will think like well I know it will all be better when we all get to heaven. What a glorious wonderful day that will be but they don't expect anything good down here Peter. Peter expects it to happen on earth in the Psalms, David says pretty bluntly, are dead people able to praise you to condemn people proclaim your unfairly goodness, can they stand up and testify to other people about how how good you abandon and put on display the goodness of God know he said, but I I'm convinced that I will be able to look on the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. In other words, before I die and get to heaven so that I can tell other people about Joseph in Job and David all got to see God's goodness break out in the land of the living in their lifetimes and Peter expects that to happen for us also. If we don't get resolution until heaven. That's okay, but we are eagerly waiting for it now.

Jesus was not resurrected in the body on earth so that we as followers could manage a slow retreated and just make it to heaven by the skin of our teeth. Jesus overcame the powers of death on earth so that we could see the out workings of that power on in our lives that we could see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living in an hour days.

So the question is can you wait can you wait like Peter is his tone and the way listen, I really want you to personalize this and I want just write down notes, or to solicit now I want you to want to take some time to make this yours him to put some time there on the screen what you fill in this blank right in your heart. Okay God I choose to believe it is good that I should wait quietly during and you fill in that blank take. We all just pray this together now. I'll put the words in the screen was praying out loud together. Okay Lord it is good for me to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord you are good to those of us who wait for you to those who hope in your steadfast love a man name and number two Peter says you should humble yourselves us in verse six.

This is is part of effective waiting in context that's got me a couple of things at first simply need to receive this waiting is a is a good purpose of God receive it as a part of God's goodness in your life and don't rage against this time of waiting at the second aspect of humility is just admit you need help. Pride says I don't need help I can get through this. I'll make it. It's not really an addiction. It's not really a crisis I can fix all my own problems everything to be fine this command.

Humility is an invitation for you just to admit you need help.

I love this commandment is not really like a command like a be humble it's it's stop pretending you don't need help and just admit it, friend. The only thing you need to access God's help is needed. All you need is need Luke 18 Jesus tells the story of two men to go to the temple. Pray one man was religiously and professionally accomplished. That sense of self-sufficiency. It filled his heart as he prayed. Jesus said that God did not even listen to that man by contrast, you got a man in the back of the of the worship area.

I despise sinner with a messed up life you so ashamed to be there among God's people that they didn't want to space to be seen sits in the back so that nobody can can recognize him and in the aegis he cannot bemoans how unworthy he is, but that man Jesus says left with the help from God that he needed. All you need is need, without need you never get God's help. Number three, number three, Peter says you should cast all your cares on him for seven go.

I love this verse. Also, literally, in Greek it means whole Early on to God and leaving it is not just telling you to pray about. A lot of times will pray about our worries and then when were done praying we pick him right back up and put them back on her shoulders. When Jesus is saying is how it on to me actually making me responsible for that problem set it on my shoulders out. By the way doesn't mean that you will never do anything about the problem, just that the burden of the problem the responsibility of making it work out that's no longer on you right you you put it on him. You casted on the him it's his problem now, not yours.

And he may get you to do some things with it, but the way of solving the problem is not on you. It's on him, he bears the weight of responsibility for solving it. You just bear the responsibility to to obey her lid on me. He says make me the owner of it right.

I will take responsibility for Nazi. I've had a huge problem with this throughout my life I would pray about a problem, but as Mullen done praying. I pick up the way to the problem put right back on the is that the moment I say amen soul is a little thing that I started to do to help me with this I would say to God, after I prayed about some problem I would say God I trust you with this meaning it's it's yours not mine. What a friend we have in Jesus all our grease with him. We share what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer and we leave it there, I made to one of the thing here that's interesting about this work were cast in Greek is a participle that modifies the verb, the verb is humble yourselves cast your care is a participle meaning it's a way that you humble yourself casting your care and Jesus is a form of humility is the opposite of casting his worry, that's an expression of pride, worry is a form of pride because because it carries concerns upon oneself instead of entrusting his concerns to God to casting our cares on him as an expression of our over humility. Here's number four the voices be sober minded. That's verse eight. See the world clearly you say how so Peter what he says because see this your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for anybody that he can devours verse eight there is an enemy in this world whose goal is to kill to still want to destroy. He wants to destroy the church.

He wants to destroy the work of God in your life you want to destroy you and your family.

CS Lewis in his in his great book Screwtape letters to the Christians make two primary mistakes in regards to the Satan and the demonic realm is his first. Also, he will give Satan way too much credit.

Every flat tires because of some demon any sinner like that.

Satan. Satan got me fired. That was you coming into work late 10 days in a row right that's one mistake blaming everything on Satan. The other mistake. Maybe even more problematic are those who seem totally unaware of of his work at all.

Well my son just made some bad choices he got in with the wrong friends. Don't you see how Satan could be at work there were maybe in some temptation you're dealing with something your families going through something plaguing our church in this will Peter is telling us like hey there's an enemy in the book of Job, Satan is the one that causes Job's financial issues because Job's family strife in the book of Job, Satan causes weather problems health problems. Some of these things that you're dealing with are from Satan. Satan is described as as being the prince of the power of the air, which means he's everywhere you have the ruler, but is everywhere friend I mean can't you see him roaring today and problems that are plaguing our society and in the church in the world last month over 300 Christians were killed for following Jesus. That's pretty much the average every month over 200 churches destroyed by vandalism every week for some kind of persecution turned out over 800 Christians enough space of the week will be beaten and tortured or imprisoned due to their faith. Places like Iran, Iraq and Somalia and Sudan, Libya and Yemen, Eritrea and China, North Korea, Morocco, even places like Malaysia, we should not forget about her brothers and sisters over there. We should also realize that Satan has his own plans for the church in the West and you gotta be sober about that.

I can see him at work in and how how much he is attacked marriages and families in this season. Make no mistake about it. He wants your complete destruction.

He is coming for you, but away before I go on to the next. The next commander that works sober met then what it means today means don't get drunk. That's the third time Peter uses the word sober in this book, and that's not accidental because most people and stress in hard times. Do what they drown the problems in alcohol or some kind of distraction appears as you can afford to drown your troubles and alcohol because there's an enemy at work prowling around is trying to destroy you gotta be sober and open-minded to read that in March of this year, ABC stores reported a 75% increase in the sale of our letters and is maintained every month since then. Since lockdown started there is too much happening.

Your enemy is coming for you.

You need to be sober minded the number five is is gotta be alert you to be alert notice. Notice he says that Satan roars lines only war when a collective one lives of two modes right stealth and roar stealth when they're hunting their prey war when they got there.

Pray Peter says we can hear we can hear Satan roaring in various parts of the world you can hear more in your life. It's it's because he's in stealth mode. He still Connie still there be alert my burden is that some of you are totally unaware you compromise or send you give Satan a foothold in your life you will pray much. You don't stay very close to God, you just act like the enemy is not there.

He is excellent article that that that said that the odds of you being attacked by shark is one in 3.7 alien and still wants you won't get in the water the beach. I odds of being attacked by grizzly bear in the woods one and 2.1 million, and a lot of people will go in the woods or go camping for that reason, your chances of being attacked by a supernatural lion one out of one Peter says, and yet you don't live aware that he's got your number is zero roaring or he's in stealth mode, but he is is they are Petersons be awake to that number six. He says, resist the devil verse nine.

I wasn't sale that you may feel pretty overwhelmed, like what's discouraging decision to be discouraged as you can overcome why because you're stronger, smarter than Satan, but because Jesus is already defeated him on the cross, Jesus said it is finished.

He was talking about Satan's work Revelation 20 verse nine tells us about that final battle between Satan and Jesus and spoiler alert gate.

It's not really a big fight back is a little anti-climatic. To be totally honest. It takes about a second, Jesus speaks in pretty much over. The point is I can bring that kind of confidence into this fight as I was a Satan. I remember Robert in the story of Henry Stanley. You went searching for David Livingstone, the missionary Explorer in Africa.

There's a lot of warring tribes a lot of hostile groups that he had to press through Henry Stanley learned of the custom in that part of Africa where when two people want to make a peace treaty to chiefs they would they would make a cut on their arm them would have the same shape on the cut and then they would bleed in together that symbolized that that we are now one. And what happens to you, what happens to me and I will bring my forces to support you. By the time that Henry Stanley got to David Livingstone. They said that he had cuts all up and down his arm of all these protections that had been given to him by by these various tribal leaders so that when some hostile force came to he would just raise his arm and that arm would show that he was protected by forces much stronger than him. What Peter is saying is when your enemy calms you pretty much as raising your arm and your saying that I have the protection of Jesus Christ because he shed his blood to overcome Satan when he said it is finished. He was talking about Satan's work against you.

The point is you don't need to fear it going to fear, but you should also not ignoring you have to fight MS the way God is appointed and you don't fight with weapons of the flesh is not your personality that overcomes of your wisdom, your resolve your family as I bring a knife to a gunfight you the weapons of the Spirit to be frequent in prayer. You stay close to God you repent and confess your sin often so that he has no foothold to work from you to memorize his word. Yeah, keep faithfully doing the right thing.

You don't just give in and go along. You fight but here's one you stay in community.

Peter writes this letter tells them to resist the devil. He tells her to a community. I remember hearing a story about that.

The famous Maasai warriors in Kenya.

I'm there walking around with her with her she put all the sheep start acting skittish Mr. Sansom grass it isn't swaying with the rest of the wind right they know what that means that there's alliance what they do. They run at it.

No, you don't run a line to get together. They say with the other warriors start making noise to agitated them in the line attached to band together one warrior should one of our missionaries some scars on his chest for light had attacked him right in to discuss it with a lie fell on me. My fellow warriors follow the line in the lime skill but this man and his brothers were not under some of your bone that we can we get all meet together right now I am Sue, but that doesn't mean we can gather, the name should gather and really promoting some ways in the next few weeks of how we can still gather for for worship and prayer, baptism and fellowship you need. You can't podcast community by yourself writes resist the devil number seven last one embrace graces verse 10 I love this verse to the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, he will himself restore, establish, strengthen, support you after you suffer just a little while, the God of all grace, what freight note in.chances are right you have a way to perfectly you probably like, I'm like me, you pretty much fail your times waiting. You haven't fully humbled yourself you haven't trusted God, you have a been sober and awake and alert when it comes to Satan you ever resisted Satan fully. The great news of Peter hands-on is it's okay because Jesus did all those things for you in the greatest hour of temptation and trial ever to occur on earth by the garden of Gethsemane, the disciples slept, they weren't sober and alert right. Jesus had to wake him up three times. Jesus still went and died for them and defeated Satan said it is finish he still secure the victory. When you sleep when you sleep spiritually when you mess up, he still got you at any point, no matter how bad you messed it up you can turn and say I need you, I died. I messed it up. I'm ready to do it your way, the God of all grace stands ready to receive you and offer his protection in his victory was a living for God is hard.

Peter will tell you that not living for God is ultimately even harder Jesus he says has dominion. He overcame the world you go along fully to him, really belong fully to the world. There's no middle ground you choose one of the other day why not bow your head right here at the University of first Peter and just give yourself fully to him, I am feckless. Everybody was power has together and if this is in your heart.

You can pray this prayer with me right now God, I surrender all my life to you right now, and I received Jesus as my Savior a man if you just pray that prayer which is go to Summit church.com/guest is a place that you can let us know about this decision and how we can we can support you in a more close of the last verse of first Peter verse 14 greet one another with a kiss of love, go ahead and say let's not do that today right millionaire high-five. Instead, the point is not to kiss there. The point is that you and I are connected in ways even the physical gestures that shows her family were in this together. Together we endure. And Peter says peace to all of you who are in Christ