Growth Is the Work of God

“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.”

(1 Corinthians 3:5-9 ESV)

Ministry can be frustrating. And this is true of ministry whether it’s that of the individual, the local congregation, or mission work in a distant land. It can be frustrating because we aren’t seeing the results we’d like.

We’ve served for years and made every effort to reach out to the lost. Yet, despite our efforts, we see few, if any, coming to faith in the Lord. Despite our efforts, growth is either minimal or nonexistent.

Let’s face it, we all want to see growth. We want to see people receiving the grace of God. We want to feel like we’ve achieved something.

Seeing no results, we feel like failures. We feel like the church is dying. We feel that our efforts to reach out are futile.

Although Paul was addressing a conflict in the church, the above passage speaks to our frustration. We, too, deal with factions in the church. We, too, believe that one leader is better or more effective than another. But we’re reminded, in this passage, that growth is God’s work and not our own.

When speaking of himself and Apollos, Paul says that they are nothing. They did their jobs: One of them planted and one of them watered. But it was God who gave the growth.

The same, then, is true of us. In ourselves, we are nothing. We must do our job. We must carry out our calling. But we must bear in mind that it’s not we who cause the growth. It’s the Lord who does so.

This doesn’t give us permission to slack off. It doesn’t mean that we can excuse a lack of preparation for a sermon or a Bible study. It doesn’t excuse our lack of effort to improve and to grow in our preaching, teaching, and evangelism. And it doesn’t excuse our lack of effort to conduct ourselves as well as possible.

However, we must remember that we cannot change the hearts of men. Nor can we instill faith into the hearts of men. This is the work of God.

We must simply carry on in the calling God has entrusted to us. We must serve as faithfully as possible. And whether we are seeing results or not, we must remember that it’s God who gives the growth.

Equal Standing Before God

“Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”

(2 Peter 1:1-2 ESV)

The above passage is the introduction to the book of 2 Peter. And our tendency is to pay little attention to passages such as these. They come across as a mere greeting as the letter begins.

However, something in the introduction of this book sticks out like a sore thumb. Peter addresses this letter to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with his own. And this tells us that there was no distinction between his faith and theirs.

This is important because we tend to see a distinction between our faith and that of others. Our tendency is to look upon certain people as possessing greater worth than ourselves. We have a tendency to look upon some as more spiritual and others as less spiritual.

We tend to believe that the apostles possessed a faith that was superior to our own. We tend to think that pastors and missionaries have a faith that’s superior to our own. We tend to think that those lay-leaders in the church, who are involved in everything, have a faith superior to our own.

We also let this mindset play out in terms of practice. We believe that the prayers of those with a higher status of faith are more likely to be heard and answered than those with a lower status. We believe that those with a higher status of faith are more deserving of blessing than those with a lower status. We feel that others are far more qualified to minister to others because they have a greater status of faith than we do.

However, Peter tells them, they had a faith of equal standing to his own. Even though he was Jewish and many of them were not, their faith held equal standing to his own. Even though he was an apostle and they were not, their faith held equal standing to his own.

This phrase is worded a little differently in various translations, but it brings home the same point. The NASB says it this way: “To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours…” And the Holman Christian Standard Bible says: “To those who have received a faith equal to ours…”

This phrase means that their faith has the same value. It means that it grants the same privileges. There is no distinction.

There is no difference because the source of their faith was the same. It had been received by the righteousness of Jesus. In other words, the righteousness of Jesus provided for them the same faith and the same standing before God.

It was in no way dependent upon their goodness or virtue. And we tend to think that it is, regardless of the fact that this belief contradicts the gospel itself. Our faith, our salvation, and our blessing are gifts of God given freely to us in spite of our sin.

This, then, is an encouragement to us. We are not of a lesser standing than others in the church. Our faith is not less valuable than that of others. Our faith doesn’t provide lesser privileges when compared to that of others. We share a faith of equal standing. And this is true because the source of our faith is the same.

Resisting the Enemy

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

(1 Peter 5:8-11 ESV)

When it comes to the enemy, we tend to go to one of two extremes. There are those of us who fear him to an extreme. We don’t understand the power of God, and his power over Satan.  And, for this reason, we don’t trust in the power of God to overcome him.

However, there are also those of us who don’t seem to think he’s any real threat whatsoever. We recognize the power that God has over Satan and, because of this, we disregard him completely. We seem to downplay the danger he poses.

Scripture is clear that Satan is real. Scripture is clear that he’s a powerful being. And Scripture is clear that he poses a very serious threat.

It’s for this reason that Peter warns us, as he does, in the above passage. He tells us that we must be watchful and that we must be sober-minded. And we must do so because Satan is bent on destroying us.

He tells us that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion. He does so seeking someone to devour. His goal is our destruction. His intention is our ruin.

Peter, in this passage, seems to be referring to persecution in particular. And the enemy does use persecution in an effort to destroy our faith and hope. Yet, he can pursue his goal in other ways as well.

He may use temptation. He may target us where we most struggle, enticing us to sin. He may use our emotions. He may play off of our feelings of fatigue or despair to distract us from our hope. He may use the pressure of the world. He may use our sense of isolation and distinctiveness to cause us to bow under its weight.

For this reason, we’re called to resist him. We’re not to give in under the weight of his attack. We’re to continue our struggle against him every moment of every day. And we’re to do so no matter how things may outwardly seem.

We're to do so firm in our faith. And we’re to do so knowing that, even though things may be difficult, God will establish us. We’re to do so knowing that, although our circumstances are hard,  he will strengthen us and restore us.

Bringing Our Concerns to the Lord

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

(1 Peter 5:6 ESV)

Most of us take for granted our ability to approach God in prayer. We continually bring to him our requests without thinking twice about it. But, that being said, few of us approach him rightly. Our tendency is to approach him in ways that downplay our dependence on him, that exalt us, or that lower him before us.

Quite often, we approach God in a spirit of arrogance. We treat him like a Genie, who is bound to grant our every wish. We treat him like a Santa Claus in the sky, expecting that he’ll give to us each and every thing for which we ask.

We also come to him believing that we deserve the blessings for which we ask. In fact, we come to him believing it would be wrong of him to deny our request. And, for this reason, any unmet request is understood as a failure on the part of God.

We often approach God as an equal, attempting to bargain with him. We ask him to give to us something we need and cannot provide for ourselves. And, in return, we offer to provide for him something he cannot acquire on his own.

We come to God, insisting that he demonstrate his love for us by granting our requests. However, in times when we don’t perceive a need, or once our needs have been met, we completely disregard him. We demonstrate no love for him whatsoever.

However, as we see in the above passage, we are to approach God humbly. But not only is this the case. We’re encouraged to bring to him our requests for no other reason than the fact that he cares for us.

Jesus, in Matthew 7, compares God to a loving Father who longs to give good gifts to his children. He longs to provide for them the things that they need. He doesn’t need to be convinced. He doesn’t require anything in return. And he’s willing to do so despite the fact that we’re undeserving.

In this knowledge, in this faith, we should approach God in prayer. We should cast all of our anxieties upon him trusting in the fact that he cares for us. We should cast our cares upon him knowing that, out of his Fatherly affection, he’ll graciously meet our needs.

Approaching God Rightly

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you…”

(1 Peter 5:6 ESV)

Most of us would say that we approach God in a humble manner. He is God, after all. He is the all-knowing, all-powerful God of the universe. He’s the creator and sustainer of all things. He is our source of life both in this world and in the world to come.

We would also say that we approach God in a humble manner because of who we are. We are the creation. We’re limited in power and knowledge. We’re capable of doing only what God has empowered us to accomplish.

We are also a sinful people. Our heart and mind are corrupt. And, as a result of our sin, we’re subject to suffering and death.

However, even though we may sincerely believe this to be true, reality is far different. We rarely approach God in a humble manner. More often than not, we approach him arrogantly. In fact, we often approach him in a condescending manner.

We approach him believing that we know better than him. We look at the way he handles the affairs of our world and we disapprove. We think to ourselves how we would do things differently. We think to ourselves how we would do things better.

We offer our prayers to him, instructing him how he can best answer them. We often give him step by step instructions so that he can better meet our needs and fulfill our desires. And we become frustrated with him when he works in a different manner.

We look to his Word, and we find issues that we disagree with. We don’t like the way he’s ordered the home and society, because it seems sexist. We don’t like his instructions for marriage and divorce because it seems too restrictive. We don’t like what he says regarding issues like homosexuality and gay marriage because it seems old-fashioned and oppressive. And, because of this, we rewrite it. We reinterpret it so that it better fits our desired understanding.

How arrogant! How prideful! How dare we!

We must repent of the many ways we approach God in an arrogant manner. We must confess our sin, seeking his mercy. And we must humble ourselves before him.

Peter then gives to us a wonderful promise. He gives us a promise that echoes the teaching of Jesus. He tells us to humble ourselves so that, at the proper time, God may exalt us.

Jesus says, in Matthew 23:12, that whoever exalts himself will be humbled and that whoever humbles himself will be exalted. In other words, God will bring low those who raise themselves up. But the one who lowers himself, the one who views himself modestly, will be raised up by God.

Showing God’s Grace to Others

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

(Colossians 3:12-13 ESV)

As believers, as people of the church, we sometimes find ourselves living a contradiction. And there’s one such contradiction that often affects our relationships.  It affects our relationship with our spouse, children, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and fellow church members.

We understand the teaching of Scripture. We understand the message of the gospel. We believe and confess that we are a sinful people. We believe and confess that we are in no way deserving of salvation. We believe and confess there’s no way we can earn salvation. And we believe and confess that, in spite of our condition, God has graciously provided for us the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of everlasting life.

However, when it comes to our relationships here in this world, it seems that we forget these truths. Even though we believe that all people are sinful, we seem to think that they should never sin against us. Even though we believe that there’s no way we could ever become deserving of God’s love and forgiveness, we seem to think that others must become deserving of our own.  And even though we believe that God’s love is given to us as a free gift, we demand to be paid back for our own.

I’m certainly not trying to excuse the harm others have done to us. I’m also not denying the fact that, when others harm us, they’re to confess their sin and repent of it. However, we are clearly holding people to standards they could never attain. We are holding them to standards to which we could never measure up.

This is harmful to any relationship. It’s setting our relationships up for failure. Just as God is gracious with us, so must we be gracious with one another.

This is exactly what Paul is telling us in the above passage. As believers, we’re to be compassionate with one another. We’re to be kind to one another. We’re to approach one another in a spirit of humility and meekness. We are to be patient, and bear with one another. And, if we have a complaint against one another, we’re to forgive.

He tells us that we’re to forgive one another just as Christ has forgiven us. As Jesus forgives us freely, we must freely forgive one another. As he forgives, demanding nothing in return, we must forgive others demanding nothing in return. As he forgives us again and again, so must we forgive one another again and again. As he forgives our continual failure without giving up on us, we forgive the continual failure of others without giving up on them. As he bestows his grace upon us, so must we extend grace to one another.

Regarding our Fellow Believers Rightly

“…Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

(1 Peter 5:5 ESV)

Most of us like to think of ourselves as humble. We would never admit that we believe ourselves to be greater or more important than others. We would never admit that our tendency is to put ourselves first.

In fact, we would say that we despise the proud. We would say that the attitude of the prideful is a complete turn-off for us. We would say that we want nothing to do with these people.

However, this humility that we profess tends to be a false humility. In reality, we do believe ourselves to be greater and more important than others. In reality, we believe ourselves to be smarter than most.  And, in reality, we do put ourselves first.

We constantly question those who are in authority over us. We question their decisions and the actions they take. In fact, we look down on them and tend to think that we could do better.

We tend to think that people should listen to us. We tend to think that they should heed our instruction. It should be clear to them, we think, that they have a thing or two to learn from us.

We tend to believe that we’re entitled to the help that others have to offer. We tend to think that they should gladly be there for us. We tend to think this way even though we’re too busy to help others.

We tend to think that our needs should be addressed, first and foremost. Although there are countless others who need help, and although there are many with greater needs than our own, we think that our needs should be the priority. We think that everyone else should cater to us.

There are many more examples we could cite, but you get the point. Although we claim a spirit of humility, we are a proud people. Although we claim to detest pride, we display it unceasingly.

This is why we need Peter’s admonition, seen above. He calls upon us to clothe ourselves with humility toward one another. He calls on us to possess a modest opinion of ourselves when it comes to others.

He goes on to say that God opposes the proud. He tells us that God is against the proud. And this stands as a warning for us.

We cannot live in a spirit of arrogance and rightly expect God’s blessing. We cannot live in a spirit of conceit and expect to be in his favor. This attitude makes us deserving of his disapproval. It makes us deserving of his resistance.

However, Peter says, God gives grace to the humble. God gives his grace to those who recognize how little they deserve. He gives his blessing to the one who understands his lowliness in relation to God and others.

May we, then, recognize the pride in our heart and confess it to the Lord. May we recognize our arrogance and repent. May we ask God to transform our heart so that we gladly lay aside our desires and interests for the sake of others.

Regarding Pastors Rightly

“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders.”

(1 Peter 5:5a ESV)

I remember, as a youth, how much I looked up to my pastor. I both respected and admired him. And, because he invested in my life, I’ve always thought of him as much more than a pastor. I’ve always thought of him as a spiritual father.

Now that I’m a pastor, I hope that I can be as great of a blessing to others as he was to me. I hope and pray that God will use me in my calling to direct people to himself. I hope and pray that I can live up to the responsibility he’s entrusted to me.

That being said, even after twenty years of full time ministry, I’m still not fully comfortable with the respect people give to me. I’m not fully comfortable with it because I know my sin and my shortcomings. I realize that I’m not deserving of the role God has assigned to me.

No pastor is perfect. No pastor is deserving of the role into which he’s been placed. Yet, as we see in the above passage, those who are younger are called to be subject to the elders. They are called to be subject to their pastor and spiritual leaders.

This doesn’t mean that those who are older are free to disrespect him. Age isn’t the primary issue in this passage. Spiritual maturity is the matter at stake. Peter is telling us that those who are young in faith, he’s saying that those who aren’t as spiritually mature, are to be subject to the leaders God has placed over them.

This is something that’s missing in many places today. Often, pastors are treated as hired hands. Their voice is regarded as only one in the crowd. They are bullied and pushed around. And we must repent of this and give to them the esteem they deserve.

However, pastors must also ensure that this doesn’t go too far. They must ensure that they aren't treated like a god. And they must ensure that they don’t take it too far. As we saw in the first several verses of this chapter, they are not to become dictators. Putting this all in perspective, the people are to respect their pastors and spiritual leaders as they humbly carry out the calling given to them.

Why We Serve, Part 4

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you…And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

(1 Peter 5:1-2,4 ESV)

As we’ve looked through Peter’s encouragement to elders, one thing is clear. Our ministry can easily become self-serving. We can serve to relieve guilt or to fulfill the expectations of others. We can serve for personal gain. And we can serve in order to control.

Throughout history, and even today, it’s clear how the office of ministry is used for self-serving purposes. And we must never believe that we’re immune to this sin. We must never believe ourselves to be so strong that we’d never fall into it.

The simple fact of the matter is that, even as pastors (elders) or lay leaders in the church, we are a sinful people. We are subject to temptation. We are vulnerable to the seduction of the world, the devil, and our own sinful nature.

This is what makes the above passage so timely. As we come to the end of this admonition, we’re reminded of a very simple truth: Jesus is the chief shepherd. Although we have been called to shepherd the flock of God that’s among us, we must bear in mind that it’s his flock. We must bear in mind that Jesus is the chief shepherd while we are under-shepherds.

As we carry out our ministry, we are to serve him. As we carry out our ministry, we’re to do so under his authority. We must continually remind ourselves that he is our Lord and that we are his servants.

When we serve with impure motives, we also fail to recognize the source of our blessing. We act as though we must provide for ourselves the blessings we need or desire. However, Peter reminds us that the Lord is the source of our blessing.

If we use the office of ministry for personal gain, the only thing this will bring about is worldly gain. It brings to us something temporal. However, if we serve faithfully, we’ll receive something greater.

At the return of Christ, Peter says, we’ll receive the unfading crown of glory. We’ll be honored by the Lord himself. We’ll receive the blessing of everlasting life and be clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

Moralism is not Christianity

I’ve recently been reading a book titled: Broken. The subtitle of this book is: 7 “Christian” Rules That Every Christian Ought to Break as Often as Possible. It was written by Jonathan Fisk and published by Concordia Publishing House.

The second chapter of this book deals with the issue of moralism. This resonated with me because I’ve become convinced, in recent years, that a majority of our teaching in the church is nothing more than that. It’s become nothing more than a system of laws, a system of right and wrong.

As a result, our faith has become a system of making good people. It’s become a system of doing good things. And, in this way, the message of the gospel becomes lost.

Moralism is defined as the belief that access to God can be achieved through our own personal efforts or attempts to improve ourselves. And, as Fisk rightly points out, moralism is nothing more than the worship of our own works. It’s a dependence upon ourselves and our own efforts to attain salvation.

Please don’t misunderstand me. We do have to deal with issues of morality in the church.  God has given to us his Law that we might see our sin and our need for a Savior.  And, if we fail to understand our sin, we’ll never understand our need for Jesus or receive the grace offered to us by God.  He’s also given to us his Law that we might know how he desires for us to live as his people.

However, we have to realize that our faith is more than just a system of good morals.  We must realize this because we are a sinful people, incapable of living up to God’s standards.  And we must not begin to think that, if we only try harder, or if we can only fix ourselves, we’ll be acceptable to God.

When this becomes our version of Christianity, we’re lost.  As Paul tells us in Galatians 3:10, “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse…” If we are trusting in the Law for salvation, if we’re trusting in our efforts to attain the forgiveness of sins, we stand condemned.

We must take to heart the message of the gospel. We must trust in the message of Christ, and what he’s done for us. We must believe that the Son of God became man, that he might give his life on our behalf. We must know that he died on the cross, paying the penalty of our sin.  We must understand that, through faith in him, we can receive the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life.  And we must proclaim this message to one another, as well as to the world around us.

Yes, as Christians, it’ll be our desire to serve God. We’ll want nothing more than to turn from our sin and live the life to which he’s called us.  Yet we must always realize that our salvation is found not in what we do, but in what Christ has done for us. As we’re told in 1 John 2:2, “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Why We Serve, Part 3

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight… not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.”

(1 Peter 5:1-33 ESV)

There are many different leadership styles that are used in churches around the world today. Some churches are lead exclusively by the pastor. Others are led by a group of elders. And still others are congregational led.

When churches are ruled by the pastor, or by a small group of individuals, it creates the possibility of leaders becoming overbearing. They are enabled to dominate those in their care. They are empowered to lead by coercion. And, being sinful human beings, there’s a tendency to take advantage of these possibilities.

However, the leadership style advocated by Peter is very different. He calls on elders to shepherd the flock of God that is among them, not domineering those under their charge. In other words, their leadership is not to be characterized by control of the church.

This fits in with the leadership style encouraged by Jesus. He said that the one who is great in the kingdom of God will be a servant of all (Matthew 20:26). And he calls on us to sacrificially give of ourselves to bless others.  He calls on us to perform even the most menial and degrading of tasks to serve one another (John 13:12-17, 34).

Instead of domineering the flock, Peter calls on elders to be examples to those under their care. As we feed and care for the flock of God, under our oversight, we’re to model a life of faith. We are to live out our faith in front of them. This doesn’t mean that we’re expected to be perfect. However, we’re to live a life of trust in Christ before them. We’re to model a life of confession, repentance, and confident expectation before them. We’re to model a continual reliance upon the Word of God.

This isn’t to downplay the role of the pastor or of elders in the church, nor does it downplay the respect they’re to be given. Paul says that they’re to be respected (1 Thessalonians 5:12). He says that those who rule well are worthy of double honor (1 Timothy 5:17).

However, we are called to be servant leaders, and not dictators. We're called to be examples, and not task-masters. Our leadership is not to be characterized by dominance and control of the church.

Why We Serve, Part 2

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight… not for shameful gain, but eagerly…”

(1 Peter 5:1-2 ESV)

As we look around at our society, and as we read the news, we’re confronted with the reality of “celebrity” pastors. They have massive congregations. They have huge book deals. And they bring home incredible salaries.

Some of these men live in absolute luxury. They reside in the biggest of mansions. Some of them own private jets. And, when we see this, it sickens us. It fills us with disgust.

After Jesus’ arrest, and as he was on trial, Peter was asked three times if he was one of his disciples. And three times Peter denied it. Fearing that he might suffer the same fate as Jesus, Peter disowned him.

After the resurrection, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him. And, three times, Peter professed his love for Jesus. Jesus then called on Peter to tend and feed his sheep.

In the above passage, Peter calls upon elders (pastors) to do the same. He calls on them to shepherd the flock of God that's among them. He calls us to tend and feed Jesus’ sheep.

However, they are to do so not for selfish gain. And, as much as we hate to admit it, this can become a motivation for our service. We can begin doing so that we might profit from it.

This is not an argument against paying pastors. Scripture says, in fact, that those who preach are deserving of their wages (1 Timothy 5:17-18). And, although he would take no pay, Paul insisted that this was a right in 1 Corinthians 9. The Bible is clear that pastors should be treated fairly.

Yet, a pastor’s service should not to be motivated by enriching himself. It should not simply be a job that he does in order to get ahead in life. He should willingly and eagerly carry out the call Christ has given him.

Even though this passage is addressed to pastors, I believe the same mindset is to govern all who serve in the church. As we seek to minister to one another, and as we reach out to those outside of the church, it’s not to be done in a self-serving way. It’s not to be motivated by greed.

There are those in business who use the church as their customer base. Their motive, in being part of the church, is merely to bring in clientele. There are those who market their business as “Christian” that they might profit from the church. And there are those who abuse the trust placed in them by their fellow believers to take advantage of them.

There are many examples that come to mind.  However, Peter is clear that greed is not to drive our behavior. It’s never to motivate our service. We are to care for the flock of God willingly and eagerly.

Why We Serve, part 1

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you…”

(1 Peter 5:1-2 ESV)

Often, as we serve in ministry, as we use the gifts entrusted to us by God, our motives are less than pure. They’re selfish. They’re egotistical. They’re narcissistic.

The above passage is addressed to pastors. The word “elder” in Scripture is synonymous with “pastor.” However, even though this is true, it has an application for all of us who serve in ministry, whether we’re on paid staff or we’re volunteers.

Peter exhorts us to shepherd the flock of God that is among us. This means that we’re to lead his people. This means that we’re to care for God’s people. It means that we’re to feed his people.

However, he then gets into the underlying motive of our doing so. In fact, he addresses three different motivations we might have for doing so. But, today, we’ll look at only one.

He tells us that we’re to do so, not under compulsion. In other words, we’re to do so not because we feel pressured into it.  We’re to do so not because we feel we’re being forced into it. And we’re not to do so because we’re being coerced.

If we’re honest, this is often the reason that we serve. Our service is not heart-felt in the least. It’s not a personal desire that we possess. Instead, we feel that we have to do it.

The reasons we feel this way can be many. Some may serve in a small church and, because there’s no one to fill a certain role, we feel that we must. Some of us serve because people keep hounding us to do so. And we give in, just to get them off our back. We may serve because we feel the call of God. However, even though we feel his call, we don’t want to obey him. Yet, we feel that we can’t say no to God. We feel that, because he’s offering us salvation, we have no choice in the matter.

We have to acknowledge that these things do happen. And we must take care that we don’t pressure others to serve. We must take care that we’re not trying to twist-arms to get certain roles filled within the church. As we see above, God doesn’t want us to serve under compulsion.

It’s God’s desire that we should serve willingly. It’s his desire that we would serve freely and eagerly. It’s his desire that we would answer his call not because we have to, but because we want to.

Faithful in the Face of Suffering

“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

(1 Peter 4:17-19 ESV)

“Judgment” is a scary word for us. It carries with it negative connotations. It speaks to us of punishment.

It brings to mind the image of a parent, issuing a consequence for disobedience. It brings to mind the sentence of a judge for a crime that’s been committed. It brings to mind the reprimand of an employer for a failure on the job. It brings to mind the condemnation of God because of our sin.

This makes the above passage concerning. It catches our eye as it tells us that judgment begins with the household of God. And this tells us that, as believers in Jesus, we’ll be judged first.

Many of us have a false picture of what this means. As we envision judgment, as we envision standing before the judgment seat of Christ, we envision all of ours sins being manifest. We envision ourselves being fully exposed before God and all creation. And, understandably, we find this idea frightening.

However, the gospel tells us that, because Jesus died in our place, because he bore the punishment of our sin, we have the forgiveness of God. It tells us that our sins have been washed away. It tells us that we are no longer subject to death and hell. And, for this reason, when we stand before God in judgment, our sin will not be manifest. It’s the righteousness of Christ that will be seen. Instead of our guilt being exposed, we’ll be declared “not guilty.”

This, then, leaves us confused when Peter speaks of judgment.  It doesn’t seem to fit with the message of the gospel. And, if we’re to understand what he is saying, we must look at the context of these words.

Peter has been talking about persecution. He’s said that we should not be surprised at the trial when it comes upon us. He tells us that, if we suffer for the name of Christ, we are blessed. And he tells us that, if we suffer as a Christian, we need not be ashamed.

This, you see, is the key to what he’s saying. Judgment will indeed begin with us.  But the basis of our judgment is not our sin. It’s not what we’ve done. It’s, instead, the merit of Christ.

The point being made is that, as we suffer persecution, we must remain faithful to him. As we suffer persecution, we must not be ashamed. If we fall away in the face of suffering, it’s this that will lead to condemnation.

For this reason, as we suffer, we must entrust ourselves to care of God. And we must do so because he is faithful. We must commend ourselves into his care as we continue to serve him.

No Surprise

“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. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”

(1 Peter 4:12-16 ESV)

Many of us have an unhealthy tendency. We have a tendency to believe that the Christian life should be easy. We have a tendency to believe that, if we trust in Christ, no evil should befall us. And when it does, we have a tendency to believe that we’re outside of God’s blessing.

This mindset completely contradicts Scripture. The Bible tells us, in fact, that the Christian life will be hard. It tells us that we will face problems and difficulties. It’s not merely a possibility, it’s a certainty.

We see an example of this in the above passage. Peter tells us that we’re not to be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes to test us. We are not to think, when this happens, that something strange is happening to us. 

This occurrence is not unusual. It’s common. It’s something we should both expect and anticipate.

He then tells us to do something that’s completely contrary to our natural tendencies. He tells us to rejoice. We’re to rejoice that we share in Christ’s sufferings. We’re to rejoice because the Spirit of God rests upon us.

He’s clearly not talking about suffering we bring upon ourselves by our sinful actions. He’s not talking about the suffering we bring upon ourselves by our own stupidity. In fact, he tells us that we’re not to suffer as a murderer, a thief, or a meddler.

However, if we suffer as a Christian, if we suffer for our faith and for our expression of that faith, we are not to be ashamed. We’re not to be embarrassed or humiliated by it. In that case, we’re to glorify God. We are to rejoice because the gospel is evident in both our life and our witness.

Our Motive in Serving

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies-- in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

(1 Peter 4:10-11 ESV)

Have you ever given a gift, only to find that it was wasted? Have you ever given a gift, only to find that it was used for a purpose other than the one you intended? I think you'd agree that this is frustrating. It makes you regret giving the gift in the first place.

As believers, we have each been gifted by God. We’ve been given a particular grace that we might serve him and bless one another. This tells us that these gifts are not something that we possess in ourselves. It tells us that they are not inherent abilities.

For this reason, we’re called to be good stewards of this grace. Because these abilities have been entrusted to us by God, we’re to make use of them.  And, more than that, we’re to use them for their intended purpose.

We’re to use them in the way he intends for them to be used. We’re to use them in the manner desired by God.  They are not to be neglected or used in a selfish way.

If we speak, we are to speak as one sharing God’s Word.  If we serve, we are to do so with his strength. We are to use our gifts recognizing that he is their source, seeking to accomplish his purpose.

We are to do so that, in everything, God may be glorified. Our goal in serving, our goal in using our gifts, is for the glory of God. If we’re to be a good steward of God’s gifts, they’re to be used that he might be honored.

This is convicting because, instead of using our gifts for the glory of God, we often use them for our own. We serve for the accolades it brings to us. We serve for the attention we gain from it.

Each person to whom we proclaim the gospel becomes a notch on our belt.  We bake each pan of bars hoping that people will think well of us. We serve on the council for the title it provides. We sing in the church for the applause that it brings.

Even if we are well-intentioned, this can be the underlying motive of our heart. As we serve, it’s not God’s glory we’re seeking, but our own. And, for this, we must repent. We must seek God’s forgiveness and the humility to serve for his glory alone.

Christ Has Risen. So What?

“While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, "Tell people, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."

(Matthew 28:11-14 ESV)

We know the significance of the resurrection for the disciples. We see that it was the focus of the message they proclaimed. As they carried out their calling, they wanted the people to know that Jesus had risen.

However, as I read the accounts of Holy Week and Easter in the Gospels this year, something else struck me. It’s clear that even Jesus’ enemies understood the significance of this event. And, for this reason, they tried to both prevent the perception that he’d risen and to keep it quiet once he had.

We see that, after his crucifixion, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered before Pontius Pilate. They came to him, requesting that a guard be placed at the tomb. They remembered Jesus’ statement, that he would rise on the third day. And they wanted to make sure that his body was not taken. They wanted to make sure that the message of Jesus’ resurrection could not be falsely proclaimed.

Yet, in spite of their efforts, Jesus did rise. And we see, in the above passage, their efforts to keep this truth from spreading. They paid off the soldiers who had guarded the tomb, instructing them to report a failure of duty. They were to tell people that they'd fallen  asleep on the job, allowing the disciples to steal Jesus’ body.

By doing so, they would be confessing to a capital offense. A failure of duty, like this, was typically punished by death. And, for this reason, the chief priests and Pharisees also offered to pay off the governor if this report reached his ears.

More than anything, they didn’t want the people believing that Jesus had risen. They didn’t want them believing this because of what it meant. Jesus’ resurrection proved, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he is the Savior, sent by God into the world. It proved, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he is the fulfillment of Scripture. It proved, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the penalty of sin had been paid and that eternal life was available through faith in him.

It seems crazy that they would want to deny this blessing to the people. It seems crazy that they would reject it for themselves. However, receiving Jesus as the Savior meant drastic changes.

It meant the end of a system that they had led for so long. It meant an end of their authority. It meant eating crow, and accepting Jesus as the Savior after they’d resisted him so adamantly.

Even as we celebrate Easter, we often fail to recognize the significance of the resurrection. We fail to recognize what it demonstrates. We fail to recognize that the resurrection proves Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God. We fail to recognize that it proves him to be the resurrection and the life. We fail to recognize that, by the resurrection, it’s made clear that the penalty of sin has been paid and that the power of death has been broken.

Understanding this, may we carry the message of the resurrected Christ to the world around us. Like the disciples, may we proclaim this truth, perceiving its significance. May we proclaim to the world Jesus, who both died and rose again.

A Lost Art

“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

(1 Peter 4:9 ESV)

In our present age, it seems that hospitality has become a lost art. Perhaps this isn’t true of all cultures. But I believe it’s largely true here in the United States.

I remember the stories, told by older generations, of their visits to neighbors and family. These visits were often unannounced. Yet guests were always welcomed warmly. They’ve also told me of their preparations for company. Knowing that someone might stop by for a visit, they always made sure they had something ready to share.

This doesn’t happen anymore. We do welcome guests from time to time. But it’s more of a rarity these days.

Guests, today, are seen as an intrusion. They’re seen as an inconvenience. Unless we’re out and about, we prefer to remain in the privacy of our home.

This is especially true in the case of unannounced guests. We consider it rude of people to show up without making prior arrangements. It’s looked upon not as a blessing, but as an interruption.

As a pastor, I’ve been welcomed into many homes and people have been very gracious to me. And I’ve enjoyed these visits. However, I’ve experienced a level of hospitality that I find convicting as I’ve traveled overseas.

I’ve been welcomed by people who are very poor and who had little to share. Yet, despite their poverty, they’ve shared their best with me. And it wasn’t done in a grudging manner. It was sincere on their part. They felt honored to have a guest in their home.

I confess that I struggle in this area. I’m not as hospitable as I ought to be. I don’t often welcome people into my home. And when I have hosted people in my home, even if I put on a good display, I’m not as gracious as I should be. I sometimes grumble about the inconvenience. For this I need the Lord’s forgiveness.

Let us prayerfully consider how we can display hospitality to one another. Let us prayerfully consider how we can experience this fellowship with one another. As we see in the above passage, this is something we are called to do.

Love is Blind

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

(1 Peter 4:8 ESV)

We’ve all heard the adage: “Love is blind.” What’s meant by this is that, when people are in love, they don’t see one another’s faults. It’s as if they’re blind to them.

People who’ve been married for some time often use this phrase as a form of ridicule. We laugh at those who’ve recently fallen into love believing them to be naïve. We laugh at young love knowing that both people in the relationship are overlooking the flaws in the object of their affection. We laugh knowing that, one day, those flaws will become apparent. We laugh knowing that they aren’t entering into the relationship logically.

We assume that, if they saw the flaws in their partner, they would likely rethink the relationship. We assume that, if they saw these flaws, they may even break off the relationship. We believe that, if they understood what they were getting into, they would end the relationship before it even began.

We’ll never find the perfect person with whom to enter into a relationship. Everyone with whom we fall in love is flawed. I’ve often told couples that, if they end their current relationship in favor of another, they will only trade ten problems for ten new problems. We’re all sinners, after all.

Yet, as much as we scoff at young love because it is blind, this is what Peter is calling us to in the above verse. He’s not addressing romantic love, in this passage, although his words can apply to it. He’s primarily addressing our relationships with one another.

He encourages us, as believers, to love one another earnestly. Our love for one another is to be sincere. It’s to be zealous. And we’re to love one another in this way because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Peter is saying that, if we love one another in this way, their sins will be hidden from our sight. We’ll be blind to them. If we love others, we won’t be intently searching out their flaws. If we love others, we’ll assume the best about them. And if we love others, rather than exposing their sin, we’ll do what we can to help them deal with it.

Hate does the exact opposite. It intentionally seeks out the sin in others. It assumes the worst about them. And it does so that it might make public their shortcomings.

As faithful as we believe ourselves to be, this is how we often live with each other. We live not in a spirit of love, but hate. We seek only to hide our sin while, at the same time, we expose the trespasses of others.

May we repent of this attitude. And may we live as Peter calls us. May we love one another earnestly. And may we do so knowing that, in this way, we’re covering over a host of sins.

Room to Grow

“Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more…”

1 Thessalonians 4:9-10

It seems like, more often than not, the Christian life is one of conviction. As we spend time in the Word of God, we continually see our sin and our shortcomings. We’re continually driven to our knees in confession and repentance.

This is good. We must be willing to acknowledge our sins. We must be willing to receive correction. We must live a life of daily repentance. And we must trust in Christ, each day, for the forgiveness of our sins.

However, every once in a while, we discover that we’re doing something well. We find that we’re doing the very thing God has called us to do. We must then consider our response to this finding.

In talking to the Thessalonians, Paul notes something good happening in the life of the church. They were demonstrating brotherly love. And, for this reason, they didn’t need to have anyone write to them on this subject.  They didn’t need anyone to teach them.

They didn’t need this because they’d been taught by God himself. The Lord had so worked in their heart that they were demonstrating this brotherly love. And they were doing so not only among themselves, but among the churches in their region.

Seeing that they were doing well when it came to brotherly love, what encouragement did Paul give them? He told them to keep doing so more and more. Even though they were doing well, there was still room for growth. There were still ways in which they could better express this brotherly love.

The same principle is true for us, as well. Even when we are doing well, even when we are obeying the Lord’s leading, we must do so more and more. There is still room for us to grow. We can always find ways to do so in a greater capacity.

We can never come to the point of thinking that we have it all together. We can never come to the point where we believe there’s nothing more we can do. We can seek God’s continued work in our life that we might carry out his calling in greater and greater ways.