Farewell to the Scattered Church

Scripture Reading:  Acts 1:6-8

Title:  Farewell to the Scattered Church  - 1 Peter 5:10-14

Introduction:  We love a fanfare goodbye.  As a people we have followed those before and made saying goodbye a celebration instead of a time of sorrow.  For the highschoolers leaving home and headed to college, we start the celebration in May instead of August.  We love to throw lavish celebrations just so that we do not have to face the sorrow of a leaving loved one.  You can watch as troops are being sent overseas, some to battlefields, and as they are headed for their plane the final fanfare ensues.  There is always time during these celebrations for love and a little bit of last minute advice or wisdom for those who have left before them.  Today, in a much less fantastic fanfare, Peter says goodbye to the scattered church, but as in our case there is always time for last minute wisdom and a final goodbye.  

Central Idea:  This is the true grace of God, stand firm in it!

Main Transition:  Peter has taken us through some challenging instructions of who and what we are.  As the final touches are placed in the letter we are reminded that all of it is possible through the Omnipotent power of God.  So we begin with a display of the power of God, which leads Peter to the theme of his letter and the enabling grace of God, and finally Peter says his final farewell, to the scattered church.

I.  A display of the power of God (10-11)

            A.  Your temporal sufferings

                        1.  For the last time Peter reminds the scattered church of their sufferings

a.  Peter has all through the book been encouraging the believers to display the grace of God through their sufferings.

b.  Sufferings will happen to those who love the Lord and are willing to stand firm against a world opposed to God.

                        2.  But sufferings are temporary

a.  Peter offers wonderful encouragement, suffering is only for a little while, it will soon end and when it does eternity begins.

b.  In this final note of goodbye, Peter not only reminds them of eternity, but of the God of all grace.

c.  having suffered to manifest the grace of God through their sufferings, now God manifests Himself to them in grace

            B.  God’s indescribable Grace

1.  This phrase “God of all grace,” means that God is source of all spiritual comfort and strength in every situation

2.  Peter has just grounded everything that he has instructed about suffering on the promise and the power of the God of all grace.

3.  Suffering as a Christian is hard, but the reward is eternal.  The reward is granted by the God of grace who called us.

            C.  Your special calling

                        1.  This calling is much more than an invitation, this is a divine summons

                        2.  The one called responds on their own free will, but comes. 

3.  Peter is only reminding the scattered church what he taught earlier in his letter.  You were called, chosen before the foundations of the earth were laid. But there is more

            D.  God’s perfecting work

                        1.  While you were called you still needed to be prepared

2.  So the Holy Spirit perfects, confirms, strengthens, and establishes you in order that you be equipped for Christian life and service to the Lord.

3.  To be established means grounded on a firm foundation, to perfect, means to put the pieces together. 

a.  In Ephesians 4 this word is used as equip, gifts were to be used to perfect the church body, or put the pieces together, mending the lives of Christians for the service to the King of kings.

b.  All of this is under the control and dominion of all mighty God.  To Him be dominion forever and ever Amen.

Transition:  Peter has emerged from the heart of this book to encourage the persecuted believers to keep pressing on.  We are guilty often of saying that I am not equipped to serve the Lord.  But if you are called, you are equipped to serve.  If you are equipped you are also expected to serve.  It is hard, but the strength to serve does not come from you it comes from the God of all grace.  Peter now expands that wonderful truth a bit further

II.  The enabling grace of God (12)

            A.  Peter’s letter of challenge

                        1.  Peter moves to the close of the letter and the main purpose of the book. 

2.  As he does so he reminds the readers of what he has written, he reminds them of the exhortation to suffer like a Christian, he reminds them to humble themselves now because it should have been yesterday, he reminds them to serve each other as a family, the family of God.

3.  He also has testified, he now says, where you are I have been.

Illustration:  Have you ever watched an infomercial?  I get a kick out the way they are all the same.  The greatest product in the world is demonstrated and abused, the number flashes so you can order and the testimonies start, “This is the greatest product ever, you can wash your car with it, wash the kids up, soak up the bath water, you get the idea.  The reason they do that is because you trust a person more than a salesman.  You see someone who has used it and you trust them.

a.  What Peter is saying is I remember the lesson Jesus taught me when he rose again, to feed His sheep, I remember the day we disciples fought over our places when we got to heaven.

b.  Peter testified where you are I have been, and God is the God of all grace.

            B.  Understanding the “true grace”

                        1.  Peter leaning on what has already happened to him gets to the point.

2.  When you live as a Christian, and suffer, serve, and submit you will understand the true grace of God.

3.  Peter himself testifies that he understood and lived in the true grace, Paul knew it turn to 2 Cor. 12:7-10 –the thorn in the flesh reminded Paul of the grace of God.  Stephen knew it as the stones of the murderers were hurled upon him, he asks the Lord to forgive them.

4.  True grace is only given to those that need it.  If you live like a Christian you will stand out and when you do you will understand the true grace of God.  Therefore Peter gets to the main idea

            C.  “Stand Firm!”

                        1.  Stand firm means to take your stand and keep it.

                        2.  Beloved, stand firm in this world. 

a.  As a Christian you should stand out, your light should shine, your motives, your methods, and your lifestyle must be different from the world’s.

Illustration:  In College we used to talk about dying on a hill.  In other words, what values in your life and theology are so important that you will risk life and limb protecting?

b.  Peter would say, Christian, serve the Lord and each other, suffer as a Christian, humble yourself, understand your salvation, allow the grace of God shine out in your life, let others see Christ in you, and never stop, die on that hill and this is the true grace of God.

3.  The pressures of compromise on our fundamental faith will result in sufferings if you stand firm, but the suffering is temporary and eternity in heaven follows.

Application:  I tell you, as a fellow believer anxious about heaven.  No amount of sufferings should be able to divert us from eternal prospect of home.  We conform too much, we need to practice standing firm. 

Transition:  Peter has now finished the main thrust of his letter.  “This is the true grace of God, stand firm in it!!  We fear too much, we hid too much.  You are to show the grace of God in your life, how can you do that clearly unless the God of all grace is supplying the perfecting, confirming, strengthening, and establishment of grace in your life? 

III.  The final farewell (13-14)

            A.  The chosen few

1.  As Peter know says goodbye he reminds the readers of those that remain in Rome who together with them are chosen this is the church.

2.  Peter’s reference to Babylon is to protect the church still facing Nero’s persecution.  This church sends her greetings to her daughter church now starting because of the persecution. 

            B.  To the scattered church, goodbye

1.  John Mark, a son in the faith to Peter too is in Rome and sends his greeting.     

2.  Finally Peter ends where he began, turn to 1:2 – Peter says goodbye with a prayer for peace to all who are in Christ.  This peace is coming and will soon arrive, maybe not on this earth, but will be at home when we get there.

Conclusion:  Peter’s final appeal does not differ from Paul’s appeal at the end of several of his epistles, run the race with endurance, and finish well.  Since we do not know when the finish line will come around the bend, we must always be about the work of living like a Christian and standing firm on the true grace of God. 

Let’s not be willing to settle for the temporary false grace of this world.  Your reward is waiting in heaven so make this temporary time worth the effort.  Peter says good bye to the church scattered by persecution by reminding them who they were and what they were to be doing.  This church needs the same reminder, we are chosen by God, given grace by the God of all Grace to reach Goodland, KS with the grace of God, displayed the brightest when we live like true Christians.