1 PETER 5:1-72009 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 1 Peter 5:1-7

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2009. We're headed towards the end now, the final stretch of 1 Peter. Starting chapter 5, we'll finish up the book next week.

And here in the first part of chapter 5, Peter is dealing with, well, really how we are to be as Christians and how we are to relate to one another within the body of Christ. He's been dealing with the subject of suffering. He's been dealing with how we are to respond to suffering and conduct ourselves in the world around us to be a witness.

And now as he looks within the church, he's really talking about how we're to relate to one another and respond to authority within the body of Christ.

There's three areas we want to touch on this morning, shepherding the flock as well as submitting to one another, and thirdly, humbling ourselves before the Lord. And so let's pick it up in verse 1, looking at the first subject that Peter's addressing, and it's shepherding the flock. He says in verse 1, the elders who are among you, I exhort you.

I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed.

As Peter begins chapter 5 now, Peter addresses the elders who are among the church, among the body of Christ. The phrase the elders, it refers to a group of men within the body of Christ. It was those who had authority and those who really made the decisions and acted on behalf of the church. But as Peter is addressing the elders, we need to understand that the principles that he's sharing

Although they're specifically towards that group, they apply to all of us. These principles apply to church leadership, of course, those who have authority, those who lead ministries, those who lead different studies or things in the body of Christ. The term elder is not really a reference to age, but it's talking about spiritual maturity. And so for those who have spiritual maturity in the body of Christ, they

These are principles, the things he's going to talk about are things that apply to you. And really, these are principles that apply to every Christian, as I often am quick to remind you that we are disciples who are called to make disciples, as Jesus commanded us on Matthew chapter 28. There he called us to make disciples and to teach disciples.

to teach people how to walk with Jesus, how to observe all that Jesus commanded. And so every one of us being called to make disciples have responsibility within the body of Christ to disciple and to lead. And we have responsibility to raise up others

to walk with Jesus, to be obedient to Him, and to have a relationship with Him. And so it's a specific group that Peter is writing to, and yet these principles are for every one of us. And as Peter is addressing these things, he first of all identifies himself with those leaders that he is writing to. He says...

Verse 1.

As Peter is dealing with this subject, he's making it clear, I'm one of you guys. I exhort you as a fellow elder. I know what it's like to lead. I know what it's like to be in that position. Peter even explains, I've seen the sufferings of Christ. I've been witness of those things. I'm partaking of the glory that's to come just like you guys. We're in this together is really the idea that Peter is conveying here. And it's interesting because the Roman Catholic Church

elevates Peter to an extent that Peter doesn't elevate himself. He says, I'm a fellow elder. And as we deal with the subject of spiritual leadership...

We need to understand the humility of Peter here is appropriate. It's really what's required of spiritual leaders. You know, spiritual leadership is not like what you typically find in the business world or in political arenas. Leadership within the body of Christ is significantly different. And as such, it's not as glamorous as people might imagine.

You remember in Matthew chapter 20, you don't have to turn there, but James and John have this glamorous image of what authority in the body of Christ or spiritual leadership is going to be like. And so they come to Jesus with a request. They involve their mom and they say, hey, can we be on your right hand and on your left hand when you come into your kingdom? They're asking for this position, these positions and roles of authority in the kingdom of God.

And Jesus explains to them that the kingdom of God is not like what we normally see in society. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 20, there at the last few verses, he explained that if you want to be great in the kingdom of God, you need to learn to be the servant of all. You need to learn to be a slave if you want to be first. The way to be great in the kingdom of God is to humble yourself first.

and serve the people around you. That's what spiritual leadership is really all about. It's a humble position of service, not a dictatorship that's full of glory. It's not the glamorous picture that we might imagine.

And so as Peter is addressing the elders, he identifies himself as a fellow elder, and he says, I exhort you, fellow elders, those of you who have authority, those of you who are called to make disciples, he says, I exhort you. And I find it interesting that Peter uses the word exhort, because Peter is an apostle, and yet as an apostle, he has limited authority.

He has limited authority in the sense that he is not able to demand of the elders. Instead, he exhorts the elders. Peter, as well as Paul and the rest of the New Testament writers, they, in writing to the church and writing to leaders and writing to different people, they use words like exhort, encourage, request, even beg when they are dealing with things that the people ought to be doing.

The only time that they issue commands, and they do issue commands, and they're bold and they're clear when they issue the commands, but the commands are clearly God's commands, not their own ideas and thoughts. The only authority they have in issuing commands is to bring forth and to make clear the commands that God is laying upon the people.

And those commands that God gives through these New Testament writers, through the apostles and prophets and those who are in leadership there in the body of Christ, were not commands of personal life, you know, like you are supposed to go and marry this person or live in this area or buy this kind of car. They were general commands for the body, how we're to relate to one another, how we're to relate to God and so on and so forth. And

The point I'm making here is that being a shepherd doesn't mean that you rule other people's lives, but that you pass on the commands of God. And other than that, we have very limited authority in the lives of those that have been entrusted to us. And so we can exhort and we can beg and we can encourage and we can request, but that's the extent of the authority that has been given aside from the commands that God has revealed already.

And so as he begins to address the elders, he's going to tell them to shepherd the flock. To shepherd the flock includes really a wide range of responsibilities and activities. And so we're going to deal with and look at a few of those. But it's also insignificant to realize and understand that it excludes, to shepherd the flock excludes many activities and things that sometimes unfortunately are taking place within the body of Christ.

And so I want to take a few moments here and look at shepherding the flock a little more in depth based upon what Peter says in the following verses. And so seven quick points on shepherding the flock and what that means and how we're to do that with those that God has entrusted to us. So let's look at verse 2.

Peter says, shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion, but willingly, not for dishonest gain, but eagerly. And so the first thing we find in shepherding the flock of God is the word shepherd. The word shepherd literally means to perform like a shepherd does. What does a shepherd do with his flock? And so it carries with the sense, carries the idea of guiding people.

As a shepherd guides the flock. Guarding. As a shepherd protects the flock. Leading. As a shepherd leads the flock and takes it to green pastures or takes it to different areas. As well as feeding the flock. And all the things that a shepherd does in caring for his flock is wrapped up in this idea of shepherding the flock. We get another sense of it as well in Isaiah chapter 40.

where God explains that He is going to shepherd His flock. In Isaiah chapter 40 verse 11, it says, He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs with His arm. He will carry them in His bosom and gently lead those who are with young. And so we see that God, as He is shepherding His people, it involves feeding them and gathering them and carrying them and gently leading those who are with young.

And these are the types of things that are involved in shepherding the flock. Really, the picture here, the principle that we're learning, is that shepherding the flock is something that takes personal involvement. You can't shepherd the flock from a distance. But it's done by being amongst the flock. The guiding, the guarding, the leading, the feeding.

It's done as you relate to those that God has entrusted to you. It's done by a close relationship with those that God has entrusted to you. Unfortunately, many times in the body of Christ, we see those who, they want to have authority and they want to make decisions. They want to be influential, but they don't want to have anything to do with people. They want to be disconnected. Their office is off limits. They are untouchable, unreachable. They're hard to approach.

But they want to have the authority, the power within the body of Christ. There are those who want to teach, but they have no desire to serve. They don't want to have to minister to people or clean toilets or vacuum the floor, have long conversations. They just want to teach. They say, I'm a good teacher. I just don't want any of that other stuff. And it happens within the body of Christ.

Peter says we're to shepherd the flock. It requires, well, a servant's heart. It requires much more than just teaching. It also requires guiding and giving biblical counsel and guidance. But to do that, you need to connect with people. You need to have a relationship with them and share with them based upon the things that they're going through and experiencing. It involves protection.

Protection from the dangers on the outside, the lies of the world, the deceitfulness around us, but also dangers within the flock. There's false teachers that raise up. There's things that come up within the body of Christ, gossip and slander, things that are unhealthy and well, they need to be taken care of. And that's part of the job of shepherds.

But also we often need protection from our own selves when sin creeps into our life and we begin down a path that is unhealthy for us. Shepherds will protect the sheep. It involves leading, which is connecting with God, hearing where He wants us to go, sharing the vision and leading the way.

But it also involves feeding. And so it's all of these things. Now the feeding is not just a little one. It's just the one that we commonly think of. But feeding is so important. And you need to know as a shepherd that feeding the flock is essential. And the only thing that's worth giving to the flock is the Word of God. The Word of God is what we need. As we saw in 1 Peter 2, it's our nourishment. It's how we grow.

And so the shepherd is responsible for feeding the word of God to those who are entrusted to them. It's a personal involvement of service, guiding, protecting, leading, as well as feeding the sheep. Well, the second thing we find about shepherding the flock, still in verse 2, he says, And I think this is an important point.

One that I touched on already as Peter exampled for us or was an example for us of being a fellow elder. The flock is among you, not under you. You know, shepherds are still sheep. And we must never forget this. Shepherds are still sheep. Sometimes we call them under shepherds because the chief shepherd is Jesus Christ. And so there are those that God has called and

raised up within the body of Christ to fulfill the roles of authority and leadership within the body of Christ. But never does a shepherd cease to be a sheep. And so the flock of God is among you. It's like if you could picture a parent who leaves the house, but leaves one of the kids in charge.

Usually the oldest kid or perhaps the most responsible kid, that's the one in charge. And they're responsible that make sure that nothing happens, that nothing gets broken, that everybody stays where they're supposed to stay and gets their homework done or whatever was laid out for the kids before you left. But the kid doesn't stop to be a kid just because they're given some responsibility. And when you come home, they're accountable for what took place, for what happened while you were gone. In the same way,

We're God's kids. We're His children. He's left some with some responsibility, but they don't cease to be His children. And they're still responsible to Him. And when He comes back, there will be an account that's given for the things that took place while He was gone. Sometimes it will be with reward. Sometimes it will be, well, with discipline.

And so we find that the flock is among us. We are one another. We're involved in each other's lives. There's no one who is above the flock, who ceases to be a sheep because they're a shepherd. But we're all sheep. And we'll deal with that a little bit more as we go. Thirdly, we find that Peter calls us in shepherding the flock to serve as overseers or to oversee the flock. Still there in verse 2.

The word oversee, it means to look after, to care for, or to give attention to. And so a shepherd is to pay attention to the people around them. A shepherd is to pay attention to those that God has entrusted to them, to care for them, to look out for them, to consider them. Even as Paul described in Philippians 2, verse 4, he says, "...let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

This is what a shepherd is called to do. To set aside their own interests in order to pay attention to the interests of others and the needs of others. God has called us to look out for one another. You know, we can't have the attitude of Cain. Oh, am I my brother's keeper? Yes. Yes. Oversee. Look out. Pay attention to those that God has entrusted to you. Those in the body of Christ around you. Number four, we're to serve as shepherds willingly and

And not forced. Not forcibly. He says, not by compulsion, but willingly. Sometimes within a church, within the body of Christ, leaders can get bummed out. Sometimes they get burned out. And they feel like they're trapped. They feel like there's this great burden upon them. And they're forced to

to fulfill their role and responsibility. Sometimes it's because, well, we take on too much responsibility. We take on more than what God has called us to do, and that can be a danger. But Peter's explaining here that we should never serve as shepherds by compulsion, because we're forced to, because we have to. It's not a got to, but a get to is the idea that Peter's explaining here.

Not because nobody else will do it. Not because, you know, there's this great responsibility and burden upon us. But willingly. The idea of willingly, the word means to volunteer. Remember when Isaiah was there caught up into the presence of God, Isaiah chapter 6. And God is expressing a need. He says, who will go for us? Who can we send? Who will deliver this message? And what does Isaiah do? He volunteers.

God didn't catch him up into heaven and say, see, I've shown you all these wonderful things. Now, you are going to be sorry, mister, if you don't go do what I told you to do and I'm going to be all over you until you accomplish. No, God doesn't do that. He shows Isaiah the need. Isaiah says, I'll go. I'll do it. Send me, Lord.

That's the idea that we're called to be a shepherd. We're called to volunteer, to voluntarily serve, to look out for the needs of others, to guide and guard and lead and feed, to do it willingly, not because there's some great burden upon us in that we feel forced and obligated to do what it is that's before us. The only thing that should compel us

is love. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5.14, for the love of Christ compels us. That's what drives us because of our love for God and His love for us. It flows naturally out of our relationship with the Lord. And so, willingly, readily, we volunteer. You know, if you have to wait to be told what to do, well, that's not what Peter's talking about here. If you have to be talked into it,

That's not what Peter's talking about here. No. Shepherd the flock of God. God has entrusted you with people that He wants you to disciple, to raise up, to encourage, to teach, to walk with Him and obey His commands. And so as you see the need, as the need is brought before you, that God shows you the message that you're to bring or the need that needs to be met, volunteer. Choose willfully. If you feel forced, listen,

For those who are involved in this body here, for those who are serving around this place, if you feel forced, if it's a bummer, if it's a burden to serve in the capacity that you have, please quit. Stop it. Don't go on feeling like you have this great burden and responsibility and you have to do it. Listen, if you're doing it grudgingly, it's not an offering that God accepts anyways. God loves a cheerful giver.

He's concerned about our heart. And so I'm doing this as unto the Lord, but I'm grumbling and complaining about it. Well, that's not an offering that God desires. And don't kid yourself and think, well, I'm the only one who can do this. No, Elijah thought that and God said, what are you crazy? I've got 7,000 more. God will take care of his body. Please don't continue on making yourself miserable, serving in a capacity that, well, you're not willingly volunteering for.

Because that's how God calls us to serve. Not that it's never hard. Not that it's always easy and never difficult. No. But I volunteer. When God told Isaiah the message he was going to bring, he said, look, they're not going to understand. They're not going to be perceiving. They're never going to hear and understand. Isaiah says, well, how long? But he volunteered. He says, I'll go. It's going to be difficult. It's going to be tough. Yes. But volunteer to serve God. Volunteer to shepherd the flock which is among you.

Number five, we're to do it eagerly, not greedily. He says there in verse two still, he says, not for dishonest gain, but eagerly. We're to serve God, we're to shepherd the flock eagerly, not greedily. Shepherds cannot be in it for the money. And now to assume that there's money in it is a great assumption. And so you need to be warned of that.

But there are those who rip off the body of Christ, who are in it for the money, and they use it to try to make for themselves and build for themselves a kingdom, to make wealth for themselves. You've probably heard the quotation from Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. At one point, he said, you don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion.

And so that's what he did. He started Scientology and he is getting rich. But to assume and to think that there's money in the ministry or money in shepherding, well, that's a great assumption. It's not to be our motivation. Peter says you're to serve eagerly, not greedily.

eagerly is the idea of having a cheerful readiness. It really goes along with what we talked about in being willing just a moment ago. It means to be cheerfully ready and prompt so that quickly and eagerly, cheerfully, joyfully respond. It's like, you know, someone asking you if you want to go get ice cream. Yeah! Yeah!

You want to go get a steak? Yeah. Can I buy you lunch? Yeah. That's the idea. Like, just joyful response, like, alright, let's go. Excited about the opportunity to serve. Not, well, let's see, what am I going to get out of this? Hmm, what's in it for me? What am I going to get? Not hesitating, well, am I going to be compensated? I need some type of, Peter says we're to do it

not for dishonest gain. And the idea of dishonest is because, well, in order to be doing it for gain, it's got to be dishonest. Because you don't tell someone, I'm going to spend this time and pray for you and counsel you and I'm expecting you to pay me $25 afterwards. No, no, no. That's not how it happens. How does it happen? Oh, you do it, but your heart's not really in it. You're not necessarily caring for the person that you're ministering to, but you're not

But you're kind of thinking and you're hoping and you're planning and plotting in the back of your mind, well, this is what I'm going to get out of it. Well, I'm going to serve you. But what I'm going to get out of it is other people are going to see me ministering to you and they're going to think that, well, I'm really doing a great job or I'm really reaching out and serving the body and so they're going to give me an opportunity to serve in other areas or give me responsibility over this ministry. And there's lots of dishonest gain plotting and planning that takes place

Within the body of Christ. But Peter says it's not to be that way. Not for some kind of money. Not for some kind of advancement. Not for some kind of recognition. But to do it eagerly. It's a great joy. It's exciting. It's a great privilege and honor to serve the body of Christ in this way. So shepherd the flock of God eagerly. Not for dishonest gain. Number six.

He says in verse 3, nor is being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And so number six is that we're to be examples, not lords. We're not to be lords, but we're to be examples. The same idea is before that we're all sheep is we're all God's children. And every person, every Christian has their own connection to the Lord. Some people are confused by that.

Some people think, "I hear from God for you." And they come and tell you, "God told me to tell you." And you need to be careful. Because you have your own connection to the Lord, and God does not delegate that position. He doesn't say, "Okay, now relate to this person as your Lord." He says, "I'm your Lord." Every one of us have our own connection with God. Every one of us have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, by faith,

He can speak to us. He is speaking to us. And so we are not to be other people's lords. And we're not to lord over those who are entrusted to us. That's God's role. That's His responsibility. And in no way are we to take that responsibility or that role upon ourselves. So He says, instead of being lords over those entrusted to you, He says, be examples to the flock.

And I really like this word "examples". It's one of my favorite words because the word "example" it means literally the mark of a stroke or blow. And so if you hit something and leave a mark, that's what this word "example" means. It's the Greek word "tupos". We get the word "type" from this word "tupos" in the Greek. And a good picture for me, one that I like to remember, is a typewriter.

You know how a typewriter works? Now I'm not talking about computers, I'm not talking about a keyboard. Think old school. Let's walk into the museum for a moment. You hit the key on the typewriter, I don't know all the technical names, but the arm comes out and it hits the paper. Of course it hits the ribbon of ink and the paper at the same time.

On the end of that arm is the shape of the letter of the key that you push. So you hit the letter A, and the A comes out, and it hits the paper through the ribbon. Now you can tell when something is typed, can't you? You hold a piece of paper of something that was typed. It's not like something that was printed. Well, you can feel the letters because there was an impact that took place.

The form of that letter was smashed into the paper, leaving that mark. That's the idea of example. To leave a mark. To make an impact on people's lives. And to make an impact in a way that they can follow that example. So that you love them in such a way that it makes an impact in their life. And then they say, this is how to love people. This is how I can love others.

So you serve others in the body of Christ and it makes an impact and they learn this is how you serve. This is the model to follow. This is the form that I am to be molded into to serve others. It's making an impact. And so Peter says not lording over people

being some great authority and disconnected, but being involved with them and making an impact in their lives so that they learn by your impact, by your example, how they can in turn turn around and love and serve and minister to the people that have been entrusted to them. So we're to be examples to make an impact in people's lives. Number seven is found in verse four. It says, and when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Number seven is that the chief shepherd will appear. We must remember the chief shepherd will appear. God may have given you some authority, some responsibility, but he's coming back. We're accountable for what we do and what is done while he is gone. Jesus Christ, the chief shepherd, is coming again soon. And so he says, shepherd the flock of God. Fulfill this role that God has given to you

Because when he returns, there's reward. He says, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. It's an everlasting and eternal reward. Yes, it's hard work. It's difficult. It requires sacrifice. And there's often hurt and heartache that's involved in shepherding. But there's great reward that Jesus has promised when he returns. And so we're to shepherd the flock of God which is among us. As we go on now, the second subject Peter addresses is,

is submission. We're to submit to one another. Look at verse 5. He says, Now, he's been talking to the elders. Now he addresses the younger people.

The idea here, this word younger people, means recently born. And so it's not necessarily younger in a physical age, but a spiritual age, a spiritual maturity. In the same way that elder is also referencing or referring to those who have spiritual maturity, the younger are those who are, well, they're newer in the faith. And so as Peter is addressing those who are younger in the faith, he says, submit yourselves to your elders.

For those who are younger in the faith, you're not as mature as those that God has placed around you. You're growing. And it's good. It's appropriate. It's right. The hard thing, many times, for young believers is submission. Because, of course, not just younger believers, but all people, we, as a general rule, are convinced we're right. We think we know. We've got it figured out. We understand what we need.

But the reality is often opposite of that. And so as a younger believer, God would say to you, listen, you don't fully understand what the dangers are. You don't fully understand what your needs are. You need some help. And so for that, I've placed people around you who can help you.

I've given spiritual authority. I've given responsibility to people around you that they can look out for your souls as those who must give account, as Hebrews 13 says. And they can help you learn to walk with me, God says. They can help you from falling into those pitfalls and falling into the traps of the enemy. But you have to submit yourself unto those that God has placed in that position around you.

The word submit, it means to arrange yourself under. It's the idea of surrendering to, being obedient to. You know, it's really easy to be obedient and to submit whenever we agree, isn't it? It's when we disagree that it's hard. And so consider that. We can easily think, well, yeah, I submit, unless, you know, they say something crazy or they say something I don't like or they say something I don't agree with. No, no. Try something new. Submit.

Even if you disagree. Even if you can't understand why. Even if it doesn't make sense. Someone's encouraging you, spend time in the Word of God. Here's some good examples of how to do that and do it every day. You say, why do I need this? I understand. I read these stories. Just try something different. Submit. Someone's encouraging you, come on out to the Truth Project, man. You'll be really blessed. I really believe God wants you to... God's given them this role of spiritual authority in your life. Listen. Submit it.

Do something different. Don't just disregard and do your own thing. He says to those who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. It doesn't mean that you obey everybody who tells you whatever they want, but your elders, God has placed in your life those who have spiritual authority and he calls you to submit to them. Now you see the balance here.

First of all, he goes on and says, yes, all of you be submissive to one another. And so there is authority in the body of Christ. It is real. It must be honored and respected. And yet at the same time, we are to submit to one another because we're all sinners saved by grace. We're all works in progress. And we all need to receive from one another and minister to one another. God has designed the body of Christ in such a way that we need one another.

And when I'm messed up and when I fall short and when I get off track, well, the rest of the body of Christ helps me and ministers to me and helps me overcome those areas in my life. And then later on, those who helped me and ministered to me, well, they're in need and they're struggling. And so now I'm able to participate and help them overcome the issues that they're facing and going through. We have this reliance and dependence upon one another, right?

It's the way that God has designed us as the body of Christ. And so that's why we need to submit to one another. As spiritual leaders, we really cannot demand. Spiritual leaders are not our lords, but we're to choose to willingly submit to them because God uses them in our lives to correct us, to build us up, to prepare us for what he wants to do and to mold us and shape us into his image. And so we're to shepherd the flock, but we're also to

to submit to one another. Again, you see this balance. It's not lording over. It's not this great authority and being untouchable, but it's this close-knit relationship, relying upon one another and growing together within the roles, responsibilities, and callings that God has given to us. Well, thirdly, the third subject he addresses is that of humility, which really goes right along with shepherding the flock and submitting to one another.

He says there at the second half of verse 5, he says, And be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you. We're to be clothed with humility. Humble yourself, Peter says. The phrase to be clothed with humility says,

is the phrase that was used to describe when a slave would put on an apron before serving. Or perhaps a better picture for us, John chapter 13. Jesus took the garment of a servant. He girded himself and then he went around and he washed the disciples' feet. That's the idea here of being clothed with humility. Putting on the garment of a slave or a servant.

Peter says, clothe yourself with humility. Take on the attitude, the heart of a servant. Humble yourself and serve the people around you. Paul described this in Philippians chapter 2 of Jesus. He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but he humbled himself and came in the form of a man, but not just a man, as a bondservant, Paul says. And he was obedient to the point of death, the death on the cross.

He took the form of a servant. He was clothed with humility. That's what we're called to do as well. The word humility, it means lowliness of mind, or I like this definition, a deep sense of one's littleness. Do you have a deep sense of how little you really are? A deep sense of your littleness. Peter says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. If humility is having a deep sense of one's littleness, well then pride...

Well, it's quite the opposite of that. To be proud is to show yourself above others, to despise others, or to overestimate your means and merits. Do you have a deep sense of your littleness or do you overestimate who you are, what you're worth? Do you ever think to yourself, don't you know what I've done? Do you ever think to yourself, don't you know who I am? Do you ever think to yourself about how great you are, how important you are?

Peter says, have a deep sense of how little you are. I think a good way to do that in verse 6, he says, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. A good way to remind ourselves how little we are is to remember the mighty hand of God. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the creator of the universe.

To the point that we ask ourselves like the psalmist, what is man that you're mindful of us? Now we're talking. Now we have the attitude, the heart that God's looking for. Who am I, Lord? So many times we think we're the answer to everyone's problems. We exalt ourselves and we forget that God is the answer to everyone's problems. Clothe yourselves with humility, Peter says. Shepherd the flock of God. Humble yourself and serve those who have been entrusted to you.

Humble yourself and submit to one another. Humility is an essential characteristic for us. Really, it's not a beating down of ourselves and trying to tell and convince everybody how worthless we think we are. No, it's having an accurate estimation of ourselves and the perspective of understanding who God is, who I am, what God has done for me.

He gives grace to the humble, undeserved favor and kindness. That's what I need because I don't deserve favor and kindness. We need a deep sense of humility, understanding who we are. And he concludes that saying, casting all your care upon him for he cares for you. And you could ask, well, what does that have to do with humility, casting your care upon him? Well, Peter's explaining, look, you need to let God meet your needs first.

You need to understand that it's not up to you. Humble yourself and rely upon Him. Yesterday at the men's breakfast, Harvey was sharing from Matthew chapter 6 about worry. Where Jesus says, you know, don't be anxious. Don't worry about what you're going to eat and what you're going to wear. The flowers in the grass, they're clothed with glory.

The birds of the air, they eat, they have food, they're provided for it, and you're much more important than these, God says. He knows what you need. So Jesus says, so don't worry about it. But so many times, we worry about it. What do you care for? What are the cares that you have? What is it that you're concerned about? That you're fretting over, that you're anxious about, that you're worrying about, that you're trying really hard to...

Or to make sure it doesn't happen? Or to get yourself out of the situation? What are your concerns? What are your cares? Peter says, humble yourself. Recognize how little you are. You can't meet your own needs. But God can. So cast your cares upon Him. He cares for you. Yes, you have needs. But you don't have to worry about them. And it's not up to you to meet those needs. Humble yourself and rely upon God.

Trust in Him to supply your need, to accomplish in you what needs to be accomplished, to take care of your family, to take care of our nation, to take care of your food, to take care of your finances, to take care of those things that are cares for you. Humble yourself. Humility. To try to do it on our own, to try to meet our own needs, to try to accomplish it ourselves, well, that's an overestimation of God.

who we are and what we can do. It's thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought. Peter's saying, look, you don't worry about that. Trust in God. And you, instead, shepherd the flock of God. Minister to the people around you. Be a servant. Don't be so caught up and consumed with what you need. Be caught up and consumed, eagerly, ready, voluntarily, helping others, meeting their needs and ministering to them.

This morning we have the opportunity to partake of communion together. So the worship team is going to come up and make ready and the ushers can make ready as well. As they do, would you please turn with me to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. Really continuing with the thought that Peter leaves us, humbling ourselves and casting our cares upon him because he cares for us. Paul says something that's so powerful in verse 32 of Romans chapter 8. He says...

He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also, I'm sorry, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Paul is saying, look, if God didn't spare his own son, how is it that you think he won't give us everything else that we need? Sometimes we think that way. Jesus gave us the elements of communion as reminders for us. He gave us the bread that

As a reminder of His body that was broken for us. And He gave us the cup as a reminder of His blood that was shed for us. It's a reminder for us of what He did for us in suffering the crucifixion upon the cross. Making it possible for you and I to have eternal life. Making it possible for our sins to be forgiven. The humongous debt that we owed to God because of our sinful condition wiped away.

by what Jesus did for us upon the cross. It was at great cost. And so Paul is saying, if he sacrificed this much, if he gave himself and paid this great price, why do you think, how is it, that you think that he will not provide for all of your other needs? You know, you have no need that compares to your need for a Savior. I have no need that compares to my need of salvation.

Not even close. The needs that I face, they're much, much, much smaller. And so Paul is saying, if we have a God who has paid the ultimate price, we can know, we can trust, we can rely upon Him. He will meet our other needs as well. So we can cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.