Emmanuel Baptist Church of Nipawin Sermons Emmanuel Baptist Church

Passage: 1 Peter 2:12-14 | Message By: Chris Hutchison | Series: Thriving in ExileSeptember 10—seven months ago—we opened up the book of 1 Peter together and began to explore these chapters and verses together.



And I think it’s meaningful that we’re ending on grad Sunday, making this Sunday not just a wrap-up but a send-off. And we didn’t plan it that way. At first we thought we’d be done about nine weeks ago. But we all found Peter to be a lot richer and denser than we expected. And I don’t mean “dense” in a bad way. I mean “dense” like a thick piece of cheesecake. It’s so good, but it just takes you a bit longer to enjoy it than you planned on at first.



There’s just three verses left for us to hear from today as Peter concludes his letter, and they come in two halves. First, Peter gives us a summary purpose statement for his whole letter. Then, as letters in the ancient world often did, he ends with a series of greetings.



1. Purpose Statement (v. 12)



Let’s begin with the purpose statement, looking at verse 12: “By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it” (1 Peter 5:12).



Silvanus



There’s three points we want to note here. The first has to do with Silvanus, which is a different form of the name “Silas.” It’s very likely that this is the same Silas who travelled with the apostle Paul and who co-authored the Thessalonian letters with him.



Peter’s language here suggests that that Silvanus, or Silas, was his messenger, who brought the letter from Peter to these people. That’s how this phrase is used in the book of Acts, for example. And Peter commends him, describing him as a “faithful brother,” encouraging his readers to receive him and respect him when he comes to them with this letter. 



If this was the same Silas who travelled with Paul, then no doubt this was a faithful brother—a brother who for years had been putting into practice the truths Peter wrote about in his letter. A brother who had been beaten and thrown in jail with Paul and been by his side through many journeys and many sufferings.



He’s not just the mailman for this letter—he was a living example of what it looked like to live it out.



Summary



Peter next gives a summary of his entire letter. In case we were wondering what the goal is, here it is: “I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God.”



His comment that he wrote “briefly” is interesting, given that this letter is much longer than the typical letters that were exchanged in the Roman world. For some context, the shortest letters in the New Testament, like 2 and 3 John, were fairly average, if not a tiny bit longer, than typical Roman letters.



So 1 Petter is not brief by that standard. But it is brief in terms of everything Peter could have said. The true grace of God is so rich and deep he could have written something as long as Romans or 1 Corinthians, and even that would have seemed brief.



Note the two words Peter uses here: exhorting and declaring. “Declaring” has to do with speaking the truth, bearing witness to what is real. “Exhorting” means “strongly urging” and is about calling people to respond to that truth. In many ways, that’s what preachers should be doing every week. We declare the truth and then we strongly urge, or exhort, people to respond to that truth. And that’s what Peter has been doing here.



What he has been declaring is the “true grace of God.” Everything he’s written in his letter here is an accurate declaration of the grace of God. The grace that has appeared in Christ, is sustaining us in the present day, and will be manifested when our Lord returns.

Passage: 1 Peter 5:6-11 | Message By: Josh Bondoc | Series: Thriving in Exile









If you’re a Christian today, I’m sure you have been through trying seasons in your faith journey where everything seemed to go wrong in the worst way possible. Maybe some of you today are in that season right now. In these moments, when the worst of the worst is all that you can see around you, it can be tempting to ask:



God, where are you?

Where were you during that time? Where have you been all this time?



In these moments, it can be tempting to lose sight of who God is and what He has done for you in the past. As a result, it can be tempting to question what God is doing for you in the present. And of course, it can be tempting to doubt and forget what God has promised to do for you in the future.





















God Is Doing Something



This is what the apostle Peter addresses in our passage this morning, as well as throughout his letter. God’s activity for the believer is what he encourages his Christian readers with, who were the suffering exiles in his day—which means that it’s also for you who are suffering exiles in this day. God is doing something.



Right in the first chapter, Peter tells us that “God has caused us to be born again... to an inheritance... kept in heaven [past tense] for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith [present tense], for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time [future tense]” (1 Peter 1:3-5).



This is the motivation that Peter gives to his readers—what God has done, what God is doing, and especially what God will do for you—who are exiles in this world and are presently suffering in this life.



And not just any kind of suffering, as we saw in chapter 2 and at the end of chapter 4, since Peter talks about suffering for doing good as a Christian (1 Peter 2:19-21; 4:12-19)—which is God’s will for them! This is what God is doing right now, testing and purifying them through their sufferings, so that they receive glory in the end.





















So, in chapter 5, when Peter exhorts the elders/shepherds as the frontline Christian sufferers (in light of Ezekiel 9), as well as everyone else in the flock/congregation to be humble, Peter gives them the same motivation—God is doing something.



And that’s the connective tissue in today’s passage, which is basically a bookend in its structure. We’ll break this down to three main sections (future, present, future), and the first sub-section under 1) Hope of Future Glory can be summed up like this: Humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand and later on be exalted. Let’s look at that first part, Humble Yourselves.



1. Hope of Future Glory (5:6)













a.









Humble Yourselves



“Humble yourselves, therefore.”



Well, who is “yourselves” referring to? If you go back to verse 5, Peter uses the same word: “Clothe yourselves—all of you —with humility toward one another.” So the exhortation to “humble yourselves” is directed to the elders (5:1-4), young men (5:5a), and everyone else in the assembly or congregation (5:5b).





















But why humble yourselves? Well, Peter says “therefore.” In other words, we could also say “because of this or that.” What is therefore there for? Usually, we just have to look back at the previous idea, which in this case is the last part of verse 5: “For God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”



So, Peter says: “Humble yourselves, therefore—because God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.

Passage: 1 Peter 5:1-5 | Message By: Chris Hutchison | Series: Thriving in ExileI wonder if you’ve ever read someone else’s mail. Maybe you got an email sent to the wrong address, or ripped open a package before realizing it had the wrong name on the label. Maybe you’ve read one of those “open letters” written to a specific person but actually meant to be read by the public.



You might get the feeling of reading someone else’s mail as we get in to our passage today. We’ve been enjoying celebrating the resurrection this morning, but for a few reasons the elders decided we’d keep going with our 1st Peter series this morning. And in our passage, most of these words are not addressed to the whole church but to the smaller group of leaders known as elders. And you might wonder whether it’s worthwhile to spend time thinking about these words that aren’t really for you.



I hope you hang in there today, because, as we’re going to see, these words are for you. Peter’s “open letter” to the elders is full of things that you need to know, and which really matter to you in ways you might find surprising.



So let’s dig in and see where this goes.



1. To the Elders



Let’s remember, first, that we’ve just come out of a bigger section in 1 Peter, beginning back in chapter 3, focused on the reality of suffering in the lives of God’s people. Peter’s been encouraging us to to suffer well and showing us how to suffer well. And last week Jordan walked us through verses 12-19 of chapter 4, which he said was the conclusion to this whole section.



Except that wasn’t quite right. Because look at how our passage opens: “So.” This word also could mean “then” or “therefore.” And it’s sad that this little word doesn’t show up in some English translations because it really matters. What Peter says in this passage is very connected to what he’s just said in chapter 4. As Peter thinks about Christians suffering, he especially thinks about elders who will suffer. Elders, as leaders, will often face the brunt of opposition to the truth.



But there’s an even more specific connection. If you look at verses 17 and 18 of chapter 4, we read that judgement is going to begin at the household of God. As Jordan pointed out last week, these words are drawn from Ezekiel 9, which records a vision of judgement on God’s people which begins at his house. And what does Ezekiel 9:6 say about this judgement? “So they begin with the elders who were before the house.”



The people of Israel were led by a group of elders. And these leaders, these elders, were the first to be judged. New Testament churches were also led by groups of leaders known as elders. And as these churches experienced the purifying, testing judgement of God in the form of persecution, Peter has Ezekiel 9 in his mind and knows that the elders are going to be first in line.



Which means that the instruction to elders in verses 1-4 is not just some blessed afterthought to this letter. “I guess I should say some things to the leaders before I sign off.” No, these are battle plans. Marching orders. This is what elders need to know in order to lead the people of God well while taking fire.



Peter’s Identity (v. 1)



But before Peter gives them any instruction, he starts with his own identity. Verse 1: “So I exhort the elder 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.”



Peter probably knows that the elders will better receive and appreciate his instruction if they know who it’s coming from. And there’s three elements to his mini-biography here. First, he identifies himself as a “fellow elder.” And I think this is just wonderfully humble. Even though he was an apostle, even though he had been given special authority by Jesus,

Passage: 1 Peter | Message By: Chris Hutchison | Series: VariousToday is Good Friday, which many Christians for many years have set aside to remember the death of Jesus on the cross for us.



We know that this is not the only time in the year that we do this. Every week, in some form or another, we remember together that Christ died for us, and hopefully Sunday is not the only time you’re meditating on these truths.



But on Good Friday, we seize the opportunity to focus in a special way on the events of that Friday so many years ago. We’ve heard the story read to us earlier. We remember what happened. And I want to lead us for a few minutes to meditate together on what those events accomplished. 



As I’ve thought about this message, my mind has gone to 1 Peter, and the number of wonderful passages where Peter has unpacked for us the meaning of Christ’s death for us on the cross. 



1 Peter 1:10-12 tells us that, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories” (1 Peter 1:10–11).



The sufferings of Christ, and the glories that would follow, are at the core of the prophets’ message. This is what the Hebrew Scriptures all point to.



A few verses down, we’re told that we “were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18–19).



The blood that Jesus shed on the cross that day, representative of His very life, bought us—ransomed us—from the endless cycle of futility that humans pass on from one generation to the next.



In chapter 2 we read that “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24–25).



The death of Jesus has transformed not just our eternal destiny, but our very lives today, causing us to live in a different way because of our harmony with Him.



And in 3:18 we read that “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). That day that Jesus hung suffocating on the cross, He was accomplishing reconciliation between us and God, once and for all.



These truths are weighty and wonderful. But if we’re honest, they don’t always strike our souls with the freshness and power that they should. We don’t always stand in awe of the cross the way that we know we should, or wish we could.



So this week, my mind has been going to the question: What if Good Friday, the first Good Friday, never happened? What if Jesus had lost His nerve in the Garden of Gethsemane? What if He had called in the 12 legions of angels to rescue Him? What if He didn’t go through with it?



What would be different?



And the answer is “everything.”



Without the sufferings of Christ, there would be no glories to follow, and there would be nothing for the prophets to prophesy about. There would be little to nothing in our Bibles, and certainly nothing of hope.



Without Jesus ransoming us with His blood, we would still be in chains to the futile ways inherited from our forefathers. We’d have no motivation or ability to do anything but repeat the foolish and painful sins carried out from one generation to the next.



If Jesus didn’t bear our sins in His body on the tree, we’d still be bearing them. We’d still be alive to sin and dead to righteousness.

Passage: 1 Peter 4:12-19 | Message By: Jordan Dudgeon | Series: Thriving in ExileINTRODUCTION



If you didn’t notice from the Scripture reading, today we’ll be talking about suffering as Christians… Again. 



This is actually going to be Peter's last time in this letter that he addresses suffering in depth. He makes a couple closing comments in chapter 5 on suffering, but this is the last “section” on the issue.



And if it feels like we’ve spent a lot of time on this topic, that’s because Peter has spent a lot of time on this topic. 



Now, Peter’s immediate audience would have been reading this whole letter within 20 minutes, and we’re taking weeks & months to dive into what he’s said, so there is a difference, and this may feel more repetitive for us than it does for his original audience.



But consider this. Yes, the church received this as a letter that they could read in 20 minutes. But they weren’t done with Peter's words as soon as they put the letter down. These Christians would go on to be horribly persecuted, outcasted, and even tortured for their faith in Jesus. 



…



 



And so as they watch the world around them go crazy as exiles; as they’re persecuted; as each week when they gather they notice another brother or sister missing again; as they anticipate their court trials where they will almost certainly be found guilty as criminals for loving Jesus; as they suffer; 



don’t you think they’d store Peter's words up in their hearts like gold? 



Don’t you think they’d be glad that Peter addressed suffering so much? Don’t you think these precious Words on suffering would be on repeat in their heads, just like they’ve been on repeat from this pulpit? 



So I get it. I get it if this feels a bit repetitive. But I hope and pray that the Lord does something to our hearts this morning to make the repetition glorious. 



 



Repetitive? Yes… Just like eating is repetitive to strengthen your body, so too I pray that these truths are repetitive to strengthen your souls.



 



So, there's a lot of material here that isn’t new, but there’s some that is. Here’s how our passage comes at us today.



 



COMMANDS:



Do not be surprised

But rejoice



REASONS:



That you may rejoice when Jesus’ glory is revealed

Because the Spirit of Glory & of God rests upon you



COMMANDS:



Don’t suffer for evil

Suffer as a Christian, giving God glory



REASONS:



Judgment starts with us

The ungodly will perish



THEREFORE:



Trust your creator & keep doing good



 



So, we’re going to walk through the text, see what Peter wants us to do, untangle Peter's arguments for why we ought to do it, and then we’ll take some time to meditate on the truth in application. 



 



If you’ve got your Bible, start with me in verse 12, and notice how Peter addresses believers



 



“12. Beloved…”



Right out of the gate, Peter addresses his brothers and sisters warmly, calling them beloved.



Peter’s being a good shepherd. He’s not just telling them to toughen up and do what he’s about to say. He’s addressing them in a warm, kind, loving tone. And this brings us to our first set of commands.



 



COMMANDS:



 



DON’T BE SURPRISED (v. 12)



“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.” (1 Peter 4:12)



 

Passage: 1 Peter 4:7-11 | Message By: Chris Hutchison | Series: Thriving in ExileI remember when I was a young teen, walking through a park in a big city and seeing a guy standing on a box holding up a sign that said something like, “the end is near.” And I was pretty sure that this guy was crazy.



No doubt the fact that he looked like he hadn’t showered in a couple of decades helped me form that conclusion, not to mention the fact that he was just standing on a box holding up a sign. But what was on the sign was perhaps the craziest part to a lot of people.



This was pre-Y2K, pre-9/11. Here we were, on a sunny day, with normal people walking around going about their normal lives, and this guy thinks the end is near. What could be more crazy?



But this week, I thought about that guy, and wondered, “What if he’d just been reading 1 Peter?” I’m sure Peter would have a thing or two to say about this guy’s methods and presentation, but Peter sure seems to agree with the message on the sign. “The end of all things is at hand.”



If that’s true, we want to know what that means. And then we want to know what we’re supposed to do about it. Thankfully, Peter is very clear on that second part. But before we get there, we want to back up, looking at the whole Bible, to try and understand what Peter means by “the end of all things is at hand.”



The end is near! So… (v. 7a)



The Old Testament Scriptures paint a picture of history with two major eras or ages in it. There is this present age, and there is the age to come. At some point, the Jews understood that this age was going to be completed, and the age to come would arrive and go on forever.



One of the markers of this present evil age is death. And so one of the great events that would mark the end of this age and the beginning of the to come was a great resurrection of the dead, like we read about in Daniel 12:2-4. Resurrection = end of the age.



So when Peter and the other apostles went that first Sunday to the tomb of Jesus and found it empty, and slowly came to terms with the fact that Jesus is alive, what was one of the realizations that he and the other apostles were dealing with? They were dealing with the reality that the age to come had already dawned and was breaking in this present age. The end-times resurrection had already started. They were living in the last days.



That’s the perspective of the whole New Testament. Since the resurrection of Jesus, we’ve been living in the end times, already beginning to taste the first-fruits of the age to come. 



Peter said this on Pentecost, when he explained to the crowd what was happening. “But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh’” (Acts 2:16-17). We saw this perspective in 1 Peter, back in 1:20, which told us that Jesus was “manifest in the last times.”



The last days are upon us, because we’ve been living in the end times since the resurrection of Jesus. He is ready to judge the living and the dead, like we saw last week. All we’re waiting is for the gospel to go everywhere it needs to go. All we’re waiting is for the full number of the people of God, chosen before the foundation of the earth, to be gathered into the fold. And when the work is done, then the end will come, when Christ returns and judges his enemies and reigns forever.



When you really get that, it makes a difference. When you understand that history is not just endlessly meandering on, but is headed somewhere, when you understand that we are all hurtling at a rate of 24 hours a day towards an eternal appointment with the Lord Jesus Christ, when you understand that this might all happen a lot sooner than any of us think—that makes a difference in how you look at your life and how you evaluate...