Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the latter part of the Epistle Lesson just read, from 1 Pet. 5. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- I guess that life could be viewed as nothing more than a succession of troubles. It’s not what we want – and we don’t even want to have this kind of a pessimistic view of life. Perhaps that is why we are irritated and angered much of the time – we are not anticipating all the troubles that end up coming our way.
- Much of this is because we can see how things could be much simpler and better. Even Rodney King could see this – when he called out: “Why can’t we all just get along?” We try to do this – and to focus on the good and enjoyable things in life. But troubles just always seem to keep rolling into our lives.
- Now we can avoid many troubles by doing the right thing – and most of us work pretty hard at this, so that we do not “suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.” But we often fail at this – many of us as “meddlers.” It is interesting that this fairly innocuous predilection is listed along with murder, thievery, and other serious evildoing!
- But it seems that even when we are minding our own business and just trying to “get along” in life and to enjoy life, troubles come our way. And this exacerbates our common response of fearfulness and anxiety.
- It is helpful for us to recognize and consider that God is well aware of the difficulties and troubles of our life in this world. It is also comforting and helpful for us to recognize that God has provided us with a protocol – a list of instructions – for “ABIDING THE TROUBLES” of life in this fallen world of sin. It will truly be helpful to us if we adopt this strategy of faith and trust in God. First, Peter urges us that:
I. When Troubles Come, We Humble Ourselves Under God’s Hand Rather Than Complaining Against Him
Text: “Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God.”
A. We Do So In Faith That Ultimately God Will Exalt Us And Lift Us Up
Text: “At the proper time He will exalt you.”
B. Rather Than Losing Faith In Times Of Trouble, We Exercise Faith By Casting Our Cares And Anxieties Into His Hands
Text: “Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”
Statement: Yes, part of our exasperation and frustration comes from the realization that not everything that pertains to life, health, liberty, and happiness is within our control. But we do recognize – or at least we are supposed to believe – that all things are within God’s power and control. So try as we may to be careful about this, our anger and frustration is often toward God. And our sinful nature, like Job’s, would like to get God face to face so that we could give Him a piece of our mind.
Application: The opposite of this is what Peter advises, and is the way of faith. Rather than proudly insisting that everything should go our way, and that everything should please us, we allow our trials and troubles to humble us – “under God’s mighty hand.” We acknowledge that He is almighty, and we trust that He knows best. So we receive troubles as His discipline, correction, and training for us. We do not insist upon having our hand on the controls, but rather entrust ourselves and our issues – our anger, fears, frustrations, sorrows, and anxieties – into God’s hands. Only let us take care not to do so angrily, despairingly, or obstinately. Rather, let us walk through our afflictions with God at our side, knowing “that in all our afflictions He is afflicted” – just as He has always been with His dear children. [Is. 63:9]
Transition: We are able to do this when we understand the circumstances of life in this fallen world of sin – which God has yet to destroy completely because of His patience and mercy, His desire that more be saved and come into His Kingdom. Peter makes this clear that:
II. In This Life We Are To Battle Against The Devil And All Evil
Text: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
A. We Must First Acknowledge The Danger That He Poses
Text: “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
B. We Must Also Be Aware That We Can Successfully Resist And Oppose Him
Text: “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
1 John 4:4 “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
Statement: One of our goals in life is to make things better, to get rid of troubles and dangers. This is a goal that is going to be constantly frustrating! We cannot destroy the devil and all evil; we can only resist them and overcome them each time they attack. They are like the weeds we battle; it is a constant struggle. So, rather than trying to “re-create a little Garden of Eden” here and now, we are called to continue battling the weeds of the devil and the evil in the world.
Application: So the better protocol is to “put on the whole armor of God” as Scripture instructs [Eph. 6:10] and figure out how we are going to keep our strength up to continue this ongoing battle. Part of this is not looking at the recurrence of evil as our personal failure and defeat! Part of this is not looking to “fault” God for all of this! No, He has warned us that this is going to be the nature of our existence so long as we are in this fallen world of sin. Peter wrote: “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.” We are being successful so long as we are “resisting.” The goal is to be “faithful” in all of this. This is enough; the final outcome is in God’s hands, and He is able to do much more than we are!
Transition: And our struggles and troubles will not last forever, for Peter assures us that:
III. In The End God Will Deliver Us To The Eternal Glory He Has Called Us To
Text: “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, Who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
Statement: After growing weary of all of this conflict and struggle, this sounds absolutely delightful, exactly what we need. We need God to restore our faith and fortitude, to confirm us in what we what we are struggling for, to strengthen us for the battle, and to establish us firm and unmovable! And we need to remember our destination – what we have been called to in Christ: His eternal glory!
Application: As we recognize this we join with Peter in affirming that to God alone belongs all dominion and rule and authority, forever and ever! And as we continue on in faith, faithfully taking up our resistance to all evil, we will be provided with all the strength that we will need – as we cast our fears and anxieties upon God, knowing His great care and love for us. We know that we will prevail in the end, for God is faithful; He accomplishes all that He sets out to do, and His calling of us is to eternal glory, His eternal glory!
Conclusion: Here lately I have remarked on several occasions that I am trying hard not to become a “grumpy old man.” We all know about the “angry young man” syndrome, and the general grumpiness of old age. The antidote to this can only be supplied by God – and He is eager to do so. He has given us the protocol to be “ABIDING THE TROUBLES,” but we may need to change our expectations and our goals, and to understand that our responsibility is for process not outcome! Outcomes are in God’s hands, not our own; He alone establishes reality.
We are however blessed to participate – and we cannot do otherwise. So rather than lamenting the ongoing troubles, perhaps we can find a way to actually embrace the warfare – humbling ourselves under God’s mighty hand, casting our cares and anxieties on Him, and receiving His encouragement, strength, and vitality. May God grant it to us all in rich abundance! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.