Good morning, today is Wednesday, May 20, 2020. My name is Keith and I am one of the pastors at Green Acres Baptist Church in Athens, GA.

Today we are going to read the last chapter of 1 Peter, 1 Peter 5:1-14.

1 Peter 5:1-14

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.

She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Just two things in this passage that I think are worth pointing out. First, notice that Peter, while speaking to the elders and the younger in the church reminds them that to cloth ourselves in humility and preference toward each other is actually one way that we remind ourselves that Jesus opposes the proud and favors the humble. When you really sit and think on this a while, this is a startling application and a challenging warning. I think it would be prudent to spend a few minutes today considering how the Holy Spirit might be inviting you in to deeper humility. Ask yourself how well you prefer others. Ask yourself how far is too far before you become uncomfortable not getting “your way.” Then ask the Holy Spirit to remove the pride in your life and lead you into better humbleness. Remember, Philippians tells us that Jesus himself humbled himself to the cross. And humbling ourselves to prefer others, regardless of your status in the faith community, is how we identify with Jesus.

Second and finally, notice how Peter continues to use rich metaphors loaded with meaning from his Bible, what we would call the Old Testament. First, Peter reminds us that our enemy is a spiritual reality called the Devil that walks like a lion trying to devour you. This is a startling image and meant to startle us into understanding the seriousness of the threat. He also calls Rome, the place he is writing from, Babylon. This is another image from his Bible, our Old Testament, that is loaded with meaning. We know that we face a spiritual enemy who is behind the structures and systems built by the world that ultimately maim, cripple, and ultimately destroy those who are under them. 

And now we are left asking ourselves, how do we live well in the Babylon we currently live in? How do we resist the Devil, the spiritual reality behind the world’s systems, who seeks to devour us? Well, Peter’s whole first book is the answer. Walk in love. Walk in humbleness. Do these things, even when under persecution, because this is the way of Jesus and the new life that Jesus is offering us. A life where peace comes to the sojourners and strangers, this new kingdom of priests, who live in Babylon but have an allegiance to a kingdom where love and humbleness become our new way of life— just like Jesus.

So, like before, I’ll finish by reading some of Peter’s final words to you again: “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”