Peter addressed the slaves. Slaves were at the whims of their masters. The master could command the slave to do jumping jacks, face the east, and spit three times. The master could demand anything regardless of how senseless his demands seemed to the slave. Peter understood this reality, and he wrote to encourage believers who were in situations that seemed to make little or no sense. Peter tells us that the grace of Christ is still available to help us in absurd and nonsensical situations. What does the grace of Christ do for us in such times? If you take one application from this message, please take the following: Place your trust in God during times of unjust suffering, following Christ's example.
Having described the paradox of the difficult privilege of the pastoral office, let me encourage you to support those who are pastors. We will talk about the specific applications of that support as we move through the text. Quite simply put, the pastor is to be an example to the flock, which means that the flock should follow the pastor as he follows Christ. In other words, the pastor is not an ideal Christian to which the average church member can never reach. The pastor simply serves as a tangible role model for how every Christian should be living. We will see that the pastor should follow Christ with joy, enthusiasm, and thoughtfulness about his testimony. If you take one application, please take the following: Let us all serve Christ with joy, enthusiasm, and thoughtfulness.
If you are a Christian who passionately follows Christ, you have already experienced persecution. Your persecution may not have been as dramatic as what we read in Hebrews 11 where believers were stoned or sawn in two, but you have still faced some sort of persecution. As long as you profess Christ openly with your mouth, you will face persecution. Peter provides encouragement for us as we face the reality of persecution. In fact, Peter's instruction about persecution applies to any kind of problem we may face. If you take one application from this message, please take the following: Remain faithful to Christ in your problems because He is testing the depth of your faith.
Peter presents to us another vital truth concerning suffering. Our relationships hold immense value for us. In the previous paragraph, Peter gave his readers divine instruction concerning the preparation for suffering and persecution. We are commanded to arm ourselves with the mind of Christ in preparation for suffering. Christ's mind was to do the will of God. How did Christ do the will of God? Christ said it best when He said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” We must prepare ourselves for suffering with the mind of Christ, and we must also prepare ourselves for suffering through ministry to others. If you take one application from this message, please take the following: Build relationships with other Christians through ministry to them.
When we endure suffering for the sake of Christ, He will reward us. Like King William III, we will receive glory in place of suffering. What is our reward? When we have been judged according to the Gospel, we will stand before Christ as worthy to receive glory because we were faithful to Christ. As Peter wrote, he wrote with a now but not yet mindset. He addressed matters happening right now, but he always had an eye toward the future when God will finally set everything to right. Our text tells us that what we sacrifice in this life is nothing in comparison to the reward of glory. If you take one application from this message, please take the following: Expect and prepare for suffering, for it is the prelude to glory.
Peter presents to us the standard by which we should assess everything in this life, including suffering. Christ is the standard. Now, Christ is God; He is infinite. What about Christ should we use as our standard? Peter tells us to exalt Christ as Lord in our hearts. Christ's Lordship means His absolute sovereignty over all that exists. In other words, Christ has the authority and the ability to do all that He pleases and plans to do. He will accomplish every tiny detail of His plan, and He will do so perfectly. A God who can do such a thing is worthy to be worshiped, is worthy to be valued above all by us. We must assess our lives, our sufferings, our problems and persecutions by Christ's sovereignty. If you take one application from this message, please take the following: Exalt Christ in your heart so that you will endure your problems faithfully.
