God's Flock: Motivated by God's Glory

Well, good evening. It's a real privilege to be speaking to you tonight from 1 Peter chapter 5 as we bring our little series to an end.

1 Peter 5 · chapter mention

I hope you've found it as challenging and as encouraging as the guys that have been working through it have done.

So, just before we do that, let's pray.

Our God and our Father, we acknowledge and we praise you this evening as our powerful and glorious God.

I thank you that you are gracious and that you care for each one of us.

Please help us to still our hearts so that we can hear what you have to say to us through your living and active word this evening.

In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

Amen.

So, in Peter in chapter 5, his message for us really is that we are to be motivated by God's eternal glory to live humbly together through temporary suffering.

Most of you will no doubt be familiar with the film Chariots of Fire, which tells the story of Eric Liddell,

who in fact went to church down at Holy Corner for a time.

And that's now the Eric Liddell Centre.

And the film tells the story about Eric Liddell competing at the Olympics in 1924.

He was the Usain Bolt of his day and he was the favourite to win the 100 metres.

But the 100 metres was scheduled for a Sunday.

And Liddell, being a committed Christian, famously refused to compete.

And to the world, it looked like he was throwing away his shot at Olympic glory.

However, he entered the 400 metres instead, which wasn't his distance.

He wasn't as good at that.

And nobody really gave him a chance.

But incredibly, he managed not only to win the gold, he also set a new world record.

And Eric Liddell explained his experience of winning the gold medal in this way.

He said,

And after the Olympics, Eric Liddell, who was in the peak of his career and could have gone on to win many more gold medals,

gave up his athletics career and went to China to become a missionary.

His actions demonstrated that he was truly motivated by God's eternal glory to live humbly through temporary suffering.

Serving God was more important to him than the earthly glory that his athletics career promised.

So the question for us as we look at our lives tonight really is, what are we living for?

Is it success in our exams?

Being promoted at work?

Is it about having the best holidays or experiences that you can?

Or are we truly motivated in how we live by the majesty of God and what he's done for us?

Peter is asking us in chapter 5 if we are living like sheep who belong to God.

Because that is what Christians are.

We're going to think about what chapter 5 tells us about what it means to be a sheep of God's flock.

And then what it looks like to live as a sheep of God's flock.

So being a sheep of God's flock means firstly that you belong to God.

In 2005 a group of Turkish shepherds sat down to enjoy their lunch together.

They thought their sheep would be okay.

They kind of enjoyed their lunch, were chatting, having a bit of a laugh.

And as they began to relax, something rather alarming caught their attention.

They could only watch in horror as hundreds of their sheep followed each other,

one after the other over the edge of a cliff.

In verse 2, Peter refers to Christians as God's flock.

This means that we are sheep who belong to God and have him as our shepherd.

If that's the case, can we have confidence that we will fare any better than the Turkish sheep

who were so badly neglected by their shepherds?

Well, Peter's emphatic answer is that we can have such confidence because of who God is.

And if we look at some of the verses here,

we can see some of the characteristics of God that Peter draws out.

Firstly, we see that God is powerful in verse 6.

He has a mighty hand.

And in verse 11, we see that the power belongs to him for eternity.

God is also eternally glorious.

In verse 10, we're told that Christians are called to his eternal glory in Christ.

But the really amazing thing I've found in this passage

is that God isn't just powerful and glorious.

He's also gracious and caring.

In verse 10, Peter describes God as the God of all grace.

In verse 10, sorry, verse 7, we're told that God cares for us.

God isn't just the almighty creator of the world who's perfectly holy, righteous, and just.

He's also a God of incredible mercy who loves his people

and sent his son to live in this world of brokenness and sin

so that we can be brought back into relationship with him.

So Peter assures us that we belong to a God

who's not only powerful and glorious,

but who is also gracious and caring.

And he reminds us that God has displayed these attributes

most fully in Jesus' death and resurrection.

Jesus describes us as lost sheep wandering away from God.

And he describes himself as the good shepherd

who lays down his life for the sheep.

Notice how Peter describes himself in verse 1

as being a witness of Christ's sufferings.

It's Christ's sufferings that was the price that it took to bring us to God.

Earlier in chapter 2, verses 24 to 25,

Peter explains it in this way.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree

so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.

By his wounds you have been healed,

for you were like sheep going astray,

but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

And what a privilege this is,

to know that we belong to a God who is also our shepherd,

who feeds us, cares for us, guides and protects us.

And I suppose this evening we need to ask ourselves,

do we believe that this is who we belong to,

this powerful, glorious, gracious and caring God?

Do you really believe that he's powerful enough to answer your prayers,

glorious enough to merit your praise,

gracious enough to forgive your sins,

and caring enough to deal with the situations that you're facing?

If you don't,

I hope that you might see something of who God is this evening in this passage.

And if you do,

I hope that you're challenged to see how this should cause us to live distinctively for him.

Being a sheep of God's flock also means that you will share in God's eternal glory.

Again, what is your motivation in life?

For me, it's sadly no longer achieving any sort of athletic success,

but it might be making money,

it might be just being comfortable,

maybe it's just simply enjoying your family and your friends.

And for each one of us, the truth lies in our hearts,

but it's normally displayed in the way we spend our time and our money.

For Christians, Peter tells us that our ultimate motivation and goal in life

is to be God's eternal glory.

And this means reminding ourselves each day

who God is and what he has done for you

as your motivation for living for him.

In verse 10,

we're told that we've been called by God to his eternal glory in Christ.

And Peter says in verse 1

that he will share in the glory to be revealed.

And this promise doesn't just belong to Peter,

it belongs to every Christian.

If we belong to God's flock,

then we will share in God's glory.

And this is such an incredible example of the grace of God.

We don't deserve to share in God's glory.

Nothing we could do merits that.

So God not only saves us,

he bestows us this incredible privilege

of sharing in the fullness of God for eternity.

The promise of sharing in God's glory

means that our reward in death

is to enjoy being in God's presence for all of eternity.

What's more, verse 10 says that sharing in God's glory

means that God will fully restore us

and make us strong, firm, and steadfast.

And that is such an incredible comfort

when you're doubting or when you're hurting.

I know that in my own life,

I find myself to be weak, soft, and wavering

in the face of difficulties of life.

I'm frustrated by how often I give in to temptation,

how often I lose my temper with those I love the most,

and how often I fail to share my faith.

And as we look around,

we're so often hurt by the brokenness of this world,

whether it's experiencing relationships breaking down,

friendships lost, jobs being lost,

or the effects of illness taking their toll on our loved ones.

I suspect many of us feel broken or scarred

by the effects of sin

in our lives or in the lives of others.

And it's a tremendous encouragement

that God promises ultimately

to heal us completely, mind, body, and soul.

And it's this hope in God's eternal glory

that is to be our motivation

to live for God's glory rather than our own.

And this attitude should permeate our whole life,

including how we approach our families,

our friends, our work, church, possessions, and leisure.

There's not an area of our life

that this shouldn't touch.

And so what does this look like in your life

on a day-to-day basis?

And perhaps like me,

you might admit that too often

your focus and time

is spent on pursuing success and enjoyment

in these things themselves

rather than in the God

who provides and sustains them.

So as we develop a greater appreciation

of what it means to belong to God

as a sheep of his flock,

we will be challenged more and more

to live humbly together

in the way that Peter sets out in chapter 5.

If you don't belong to God this evening

and you don't have this hope

of being with him for eternity,

then I would challenge you

to consider that Jesus sees you as a lost sheep

and he wants you to return to God's flock.

So how does being a sheep of God's flock

and knowing these things

change the way that we should live our lives

here on earth?

Peter's answer is that we are to follow

the example of Jesus,

who is our chief shepherd,

by living humbly together

through temporary suffering.

It's important to remember,

as Peter Dixon reminded us last week,

that the suffering that Peter is focusing on here

is suffering because of our faith in Christ.

And we can think about this

in terms of three ships.

There's servant leadership,

there's humble fellowship,

and there's enduring hardship.

And in terms of servant leadership,

quite a big chunk of this passage

was about elders

and how they should be acting.

But there's things that we can all learn from that.

And so in terms of servant leadership,

there's,

in verse one,

Peter appeals to his fellow elders

to be shepherds of God's flock.

And he gives three reasons

why elders are to display

this servant leadership

in their role as shepherds.

And firstly,

the first thing to remember

is that the shepherds

do not own the flock.

God's flock belongs to God,

no one else.

In verse three,

Peter emphasizes that the flock

is entrusted to the elders.

And that's really a call

on all of us

to treat the role of an elder

with the utmost seriousness

in recognition of the trust

that has been placed in them by God.

Elders are to care for the Christians

under their care

and the knowledge that

one day they must give an account to God.

And that's a huge responsibility

and challenge,

but it's also one

that can be a huge joy.

And as members,

for those of us who aren't elders,

there's a particular responsibility

on us

to support,

encourage,

and care for our elders,

both in prayer

and in practical ways.

And so I suppose

I would just challenge

you,

and I would challenge myself,

next time you're speaking

to one of the elders,

why don't you make a point

of asking specifically

what would they like to be,

you to be praying for them?

Secondly,

the shepherds

have a chief shepherd.

Elders aren't just shepherds,

they're also sheep

like the rest of us

who have a chief shepherd.

And Jesus is the chief shepherd

that Peter speaks of

in verse four.

Jesus set the ultimate example

of how to shepherd the flock.

In Jesus' death on the cross,

we see perfect love,

humility,

and sacrifice.

And elders have a responsibility

to model

a Christ-like attitude

of love,

humility,

and sacrifice

to the rest of the sheep.

Because,

in so doing,

Peter tells us

that in verse three,

they are examples

to the flock.

And elders who model

Jesus in their lives

help to establish

a healthy tone

for the life of the church.

And that doesn't mean

the elders

strut around

saying,

look at me,

look,

I am doing things.

But rather,

it means that they should be

constantly

striving to point people

to Christ.

And thirdly,

the shepherds

have an eternal reward.

In verse two,

Peter talks about

an elder's motivation.

They should be willing

and they should be eager

to serve.

And the reason

for this eagerness

is made clear

in verse four.

The chief shepherd

is coming again

and the elders

will receive

a crown of glory

that will never fade away.

The reward

for shepherding

the flock

isn't earthly.

It's not money,

it's not power,

it's not recognition,

it's not status,

it's something

far more precious

and infinitely

more enduring,

a crown of glory

in heaven.

And on the basis

of this promise

of eternal reward,

elders are to resist

all earthly motivations

for leadership

which are worth

nothing in comparison.

In verse two,

we see that

elders

are not to be greedy,

they're not to pursue

dishonest gain.

In verse two again,

we see that

they're not to serve

simply out of duty,

they're not to serve

simply because

they must.

And in verse three,

we see that elders

aren't to serve

for some

ambition

to get power.

It says that elders

are not to lord

over those

entrusted to them.

So,

I think both elders

and the rest of us

should be

seriously challenged

but also strongly

motivated

by the truths

Peter sets out here

and we should be

reminded how

important it is

to actively

support our elders

as they seek

to guide

and support us.

So,

living together

as God's flock

also means

living together

in humble fellowship

and this means

that the church

should be

marked by an attitude

of radical humility

firstly,

before God

and secondly,

amongst our

fellow Christians.

in verse six,

we're commanded

to humble ourselves

under God's mighty hand.

And why is this?

Because God

opposes the proud

but gives grace

to the humble.

Humility

before God

means to recognize

that God

is God

and we are not.

True humility

grows out of

an increasing

dependence on God

and the challenges

to trust God

with all aspects

of our lives,

not just the bits

we want to give to him.

It's really easy

to think that we know

what is best

and to pursue

our own plans,

our own ambitions

and give God

only a second thought.

Humility means

to reverse this

and acknowledge

that God knows

what's best

and to pursue

his plans

for our lives.

During his time

in a Japanese

prison camp,

Eric Liddell

wrote a little

devotional book

which is a

really fantastic read

and in it

he describes

the power

of authentic

Christian humility

like this.

He says,

humility is powerful

for it is based

in the sense

of being absolutely

dependent

on the grace

of God.

That is why

a Christian

has such a serene

and confident

spirit

combined with

the utmost humility.

He aims very high,

attempts great things

and yet without

proud looks

or thoughts

because he is not

thinking of himself

but of God.

Would it not be

wonderful

if we were

known as people

who demonstrated

this kind of

humility

as we live

our lives

in the world?

Peter says

in verse 6

that we are

to be humble

so that God

may lift you up

in due time.

That means

that we don't

need to promote

ourselves

now

even when

we are unfairly

ignored

or put down

because we know

that God's

timing is perfect.

And that doesn't

mean that we'll

necessarily gain

recognition

or success

in this life.

It means so much

more

that we will

ultimately be

united with our

God in heaven.

And truly

believing this

liberates us

to serve God

more fully

in the midst

of a hostile

culture

which encourages

and demands

incessant

self-promotion.

I was looking

at a statistic

the other day

and it said

that 86%

of people

aged between

13 to 38

would like

to become

a social media

influencer.

Now I don't

know if

how many of you

know what a

social media

influencer is.

I'm certainly

not one.

But they're

basically people

who want

to earn

their money

by promoting

their wonderful

lives,

wonderful products,

holidays,

and take

photographs

and all

that kind

of stuff.

Now there's

not many

in here

that probably

want to

pursue that

as a career

but often

as Christians

we do put

a mask

on on a

Sunday

to demonstrate

that we've

got our

lives together,

that we are

sorted.

Trusting in

God frees us

to be open

and honest

with others

about the

fact that

we're still

works in

progress.

And we

can be

confidently

humble

before God

because we're

told in

verse 7

that he

cares for

you so we

can cast

all our

anxiety on

him.

Just think

for a moment

how amazing

that is.

The almighty

God of the

universe wants

to know about

the things that

matter to you.

We live in a

world where

Christians and

non-Christians

alike struggle

on a daily

basis with

worry,

stress and

anxiety and

it seems to

be getting

worse all

the time.

How reassuring

it is to

know that

our God

is compassionate

and invites

us to

throw the

weight of

all our

anxieties

onto him.

And we're

not to

trust and

depend on

God in

some abstract

sense.

We're to

trust in

God in

a real

and concrete

way in

our lives

day by

day.

What

specific

concerns do

you have

on your

heart this

evening?

A difficult

relationship?

Health concerns?

Finances?

Loneliness?

Job worries?

Tiredness?

God wants

you to

cast these

onto him

because he

cares for

you.

And there's

also to be

humility amongst

God's flock

because we

know that our

status before

God matters

infinitely more

than our

status before

men.

But what

would it look

like to

actually live

like that?

In my

work as a

commercial

lawyer,

time is

quite literally

money.

Every six

minutes is

more money.

So there's

always a

pressure on

productivity,

efficiency,

and all that

kind of thing.

So for me,

humility can

sometimes be

as simple as

taking the

time to

help someone

fix the

printer or

taking the

time to

help a

more junior

colleague who

is struggling

with something

that I think

is blindingly

obvious.

And there

are countless

opportunities for

me to display

God's care to

the people I

come into

contact with

each day.

But without

reminding myself

every day that

I belong to

God and that

I'm to live

for his glory,

it's so easy

to forget the

importance of

caring for

people as I

rush around

trying to

meet deadlines.

humility will

look different

for each

of us in

our different

situations,

maybe at

home, at

university, or

at work, or

just with your

friends and

family.

But Peter

commands all

Christians in

verse 5 to

clothe ourselves

with humility

towards one

another.

Again, my

work recently

introduced a

dress-for-your-day

policy.

It means we're

moving away from

a strict

dress code of

suits, shirts,

and ties to

a flexible

dress code that

lets you decide

every day what

to wear depending

on what you're

doing.

I prefer just

wearing suits and

ties, but there

you go.

So every day I

now have to get

up and make a

conscious decision

about what I'm

going to wear

depending on what

I'm doing.

I don't always

get it right, but

that's the

theory.

In the same

way, Christians

need to make a

deliberate choice

about what

attitude we're

going to

clothe ourselves

with each

day.

But Christians

don't have a

flexible dress

code.

We're always to

clothe ourselves

with humility

because we know

that we are to

live for God's

glory and not

our own.

And that means

consciously

investing our

time, resources,

and skills to

build up God's

kingdom rather than

establishing our

own little

fiefdoms.

We do this not

in our own

power, but in

reliance on the

grace that God

gives to the

humble.

And perhaps you

need God's

strength this week

to show humility

to a colleague

at work whose

opinion always

seems to be at

odds with yours.

Or perhaps you

need to admit to

someone that you

were wrong in the

way that you

treated them and

ask them for

forgiveness.

God wants you to

pray about these

specific situations

and ask for the

strength and wisdom

to show humility

in them.

And the church

should be recognized

as a place where

people interact with

one another in a

genuinely humble

manner.

And I think we all

see good examples

of this.

We see people who

are perhaps regarded

in the world as

very successful,

high-powered jobs,

but then you see

them doing some of

the most menial

tasks in the church

and taking a genuine

interest in those

that others might

avoid.

Christians and

churches aren't

perfect and things

do go wrong.

Where pride creeps

in unaddressed in a

church, it causes

division, disruption

and heartbreak.

And some of you

may have experienced

that yourself.

So it is really

important that a

culture of authentic

humility is actively

promoted within the

church.

So what can we be

doing practically to

contribute to

cultivating a culture

of humility here at

Brunsfield?

Do we show humility

in the way we express

our opinions about

how things are done

or how we would like

them to be done?

Do we make the effort

to speak to those who

are on the margins

of our church?

A church community

that is founded on

genuine humble

fellowship is a

powerful example to

a world that is

increasingly founded

on the pride of the

individual.

And we all need to

actively play our

part in creating

that culture.

And enduring

hardship.

Peter is very clear

that living together

as God's flock

requires all Christians

to endure hardship

for the sake of

Christ.

He reminds us that

we are in a fierce

spiritual battle.

Peter describes the

devil in verse 8

as our enemy,

who is like a

prowling and roaring

lion that is looking

for someone to

destroy, to devour.

The devil wants us

to doubt that our

God is powerful,

glorious, gracious

and caring by

attacking us through

temptation and

suffering.

And this is how the

devil has always

tried to tempt

humans.

If you've been here

for some of the

Genesis talks, you

might want to think

back to Genesis 3

where the serpent

asks Eve, did God

really say you must

not eat from any

tree in the garden?

It's the same today.

The devil wants us to

make us doubt who

God really is and

what his word really

says.

And we can't be

complacent about sin

because it has

devastating consequences.

We need to be

self-controlled and

alert and active in

our resistance to

evil.

We need to be on our

guard or we will let

Satan get his foot in

the door and when he

does, he will seek to

steal, kill and

destroy.

But our resistance

isn't to be founded in

our own strength.

It's ultimately to be

founded on us standing

firm in the faith.

As Peter says in

verse 9, on our own

we're defenseless

against the devil.

The devil is described

as a lion in the

context of us being

described as sheep.

In any normal

situation, there's only

going to be one winner

in a fight between a

lion and a sheep.

But with our chief

shepherd, we are able

to stand firm because

Jesus is not just like a

lion.

He is the lion of

Judah who is all

powerful.

Throughout his letter,

Peter's made it clear

that there is an

inescapable link between

sharing in God's glory

and enduring hardship

for the sake of

Christ.

In verse 9, we're

reminded that our

brothers and sisters

across the world are

also suffering for

their faith.

We're not alone.

Others are also

suffering for Christ

just as Christ suffered

for us.

And we need to

remember them in

prayer.

But the important

thing Peter wants us

to realize here is

that the suffering of

a Christian is

temporary.

Verse 10 says that

God will restore us

after we have

suffered a little

while.

Peter wants us to

view our suffering

in the context of

God's eternal glory.

God's eternal glory.

And he wants us to

remember that our

certain hope that we

will ultimately be

restored and made

strong, firm and

steadfast by God

will motivate us to

resist evil and endure

hardship in the

present.

And Peter here isn't

trying to ignore or

diminish the present

reality, pain and

difficulty of suffering.

But it does mean that

we can always have a

certain hope in the

God that cares for us.

And so just as we

finish, after winning

his gold medal at the

Paris Olympics, as we

heard, Eric Liddell

turned his back on

his athletics career

and walked away for a

life of obscurity in

China as a missionary.

And he was asked if he

regretted exchanging

this glory, this

athletic glory for life

as an obscure

missionary.

And it was very

interesting how he

replied.

He said, oh well, of

course it's natural for a

chap to think over all

that sometimes.

But I'm glad at the work

I'm engaged in now.

A fellow's life counts

for far more for this

than the other.

Not a corruptible

crown, but an

incorruptible one.

Liddell was imprisoned in

a Japanese internment

camp during the Second

World War.

And he was separated

from his wife and his

children who were back

in Canada.

And rather than him

sitting around moping,

he busied himself by

helping the sick and the

elderly.

He taught Bible classes

at the camp school, he

arranged games, and he

taught science to the

children.

And if you read any of

the books about his

life, you'll find that his

fellow prisoners universally

described him as a man who

had displayed incredible

faith, humility, and care for

others in the most difficult

of circumstances.

So Eric Liddell is a famous

example of a remarkable

Christian who lived humbly

through his temporary

suffering because he fully

believed that the glory of

gold was nothing in this

world compared to the glory

of God.

But we have a greater example

than Eric Liddell.

We've got the example of our

chief shepherd, Jesus.

And Jesus invites us to join

God's flock and to share in

God's eternal glory as our

motivation for living humbly

together through temporary

suffering.

In verse 12, Peter tells us

that he wrote the letter of

1 Peter to encourage his

readers and to testify to the

true grace of God.

And he challenged his readers

who were about to experience

real suffering under Nero to

stand fast in the true grace

of God.

And that really remains our

challenge here today in

Edinburgh in 2020.

We're not called to run away

from the challenges of our

society, but we're called to

stand firm in Christ and face

them together.

We'll just pray to close.

Our gracious God and Father,

we thank you for the privilege it

is to be able to call you our

chief shepherd.

Lord, I pray that as we go out

into our different weeks, we

would do so with a renewed

focus on you and your glory,

and that the world would be

more, and that we would be

motivated to live more

dependently on you.

In Jesus' name, amen.