Security, part 4

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. In Christ, we have both a beautiful freedom and an unchanging security, but it's possible to live life unaware of these graces, like a freed prisoner still carrying around the ball and chain of his former life. Today, Rich shares five habits that we can develop to help us enjoy our freedom and security in Christ. Let's listen to this message on 1 Peter 5, 6 through 9 titled Security. This is the fourth part of the sermon, which was first preached on March 12th, 2023. This is the fourth part of the sermon, which was first preached on March 12th, 2023. He consumes particularly looking for the distracted, the disillusioned, and the despairing. This is why Peter is writing this to the first century Christians of Asia Minor, because some of them might be tempted with that. He says, no, you're secure in Christ.

Know that you are secure in Christ. Let me tell you something here why he is called the devourer and how he does that. He consumes—listen to this, please, because this is really going to touch us as very prosperous Americans, every one of us in this room. By global standards, you are prosperous.

No exceptions in this room. He consumes humans by luring us to obsessive consumerism, because he's a consumer. He wants us to be consumers. In other words, he knows our appetites. You know how he knows your appetites? And I'm not just talking about food, all appetites. You know how he knows my appetites? I'm an impatient person.

Sometimes I struggle with my temper. He knows my appetite for I want it now. You know why he knows that? Not because he can read my mind. The devil can't read my mind.

Did you know that? He is not omniscient like God. He is not God's counter equal.

He's a created being. He can't read my mind, but you know what he can do? He can watch me.

And he does. And when he watches me, he knows my appetites. That's the spiritual warfare, because he will throw things in front of me that will cater to my appetites. And he wants us to follow our appetites. He wants us to follow our natural impulses.

But this is why Paul said to the Galatians, walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the passions of the flesh. Those natural impulses, the adversary of our soul knows that we are a self-preeminent people. We're born that way. It's my life. I'm in control.

I will have it my way. We're self-preeminent people. And when we're self-preeminent, we are also a self-preoccupied people. Life is about me.

I perceive everything in terms of how it relates to me and what benefit it brings me. And when I am self-preoccupied, my highest goal is self-preservation. Self-preservation. And if my highest goal is self-preservation, then my greatest objective today is self-gratification. That's the human condition, isn't it?

That's the natural man. And your adversary knows this. And he wants to feed that, because he wants to consume you by doing that. And if this is true of me or you, in my self-preeminence, I'm self-preoccupied, pursuing self-preservation and self-gratification, then that would make you useless for the Kingdom and the mission of the Gospel. And that's what he wants. That's exactly what he wants. That's why Peter's writing this. You're on mission, folks.

It doesn't matter if you're displaced. It doesn't matter if you're disdained by the unbelieving masses. You are on mission. You are secure in Christ. So enjoy the freedom and the security that is yours in Christ. We have a very clear example of this, even in Scripture. Remember when Paul was writing, he says, Demas has forsaken me.

Having what? Loved this present world. Demas lost sight of the big picture. He was living for everything under the sun.

He had forgotten about what is beyond the sun. He was preoccupied in his self-preservation and self-gratification, and for that reason, he forsook the Gospel, the Gospel ministry. But John writes this in his vision of John Revelation, Chapter 12.

Look at this. Now, the salvation and the power of the Son of God, the salvation and the power of the Son of God, look at this. Now, the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God, and they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. That is the portrait of your security.

That's what we're called to, loved ones. And we don't overcome Satan by just simply trying harder to be better, pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We overcome him by the Gospel, the Gospel.

That's what it says there. Firm in your faith, because there is one foundation. There is one faith, one foundation, and so see that faith, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. He is that foundation. Are you on that foundation? Are you building your life on that foundation, on the rock, if you will? That immovable, permanent structure. The more completely you trust God.

Now think about that. I'm not talking about how much trust you have, I'm talking about how completely, if this is the Gospel, is your life entirely built on this, or are you somewhere over here? Are you trusting other things or other people or other events or other relationships for your security and satisfaction? To the degree that you are, your trust in God is incomplete, and your faith is frustrated. Let him be.

Be all the way on the foundation, and trust him, and no one or nothing else. Because I want you to remember this, okay? I think this is the theme of what Peter is writing to the people who are displaced and disdained. He says, your satisfaction in Christ will free you from the destructive enticements of the adversary. Your satisfaction in Christ will free you from the destructive enticements of the adversary.

It is true. To this, you are called this morning. And so he says in verse 9, resist him, firm in the faith, knowing, here it is, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. You're not alone in this. Do you think that you're alone in your spiritual struggles? You're not alone in your struggles.

You're not alone. It's true of God's people around the world. And so when he says this, he says all five habits that we just talked about, all of them are to be formed and carried out, listen to me, in the company of God's people. You're not called to be isolated and alone in this struggle.

These are formed and carried out in the company of God's people, which is why we are the household of God, the body of Christ. We are vitally connected, and part of your ministry is helping others follow Jesus. We're all in ministry if you're in Christ.

It is a common struggle. We are called the brotherhood, and we are called to love the brotherhood. So it is a common struggle because we share, together we share in Christ's sufferings, and as we do that, it creates bonds that unite the family. There is no room for isolation in the family of God.

There's no call to that. And when you're going through a struggle or a crisis, the very worst thing you can do is isolate yourself. Listen to me, please.

Some of you might be in here, maybe some of you listening online. If you're going through a crisis, the worst thing you can do, the most damaging thing you can do to yourself, is to isolate yourself. God calls you into his family. Reach out to the family, and you as the family, if you know someone is struggling, reach out to them, put your arm around them, walk with them in a God-ward direction.

That's what we do as a family. Let's close with this, Psalm 73. Would you stand with me, please?

Let's read this together. Whom have I in heaven but you, and there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is a strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you shall perish.

You put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me, it is good to be near God. I have made him my refuge that I may tell of all your works. Father, thank you that you have done all the work necessary to forgive us, to justify us, to reconcile us, to accept us fully into your presence in Jesus Christ. Thank you for that, Father. And Lord, I pray that you would find us faithful and diligent in developing these five habits that we may indeed know and live our freedom and our security in Christ. Thank you for who you are. Thank you for what you have done. And thank you for what you will do. We pray these things in Jesus' name.

Amen. We're so glad you've joined us for Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, Pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. You can hear this message and others anytime by visiting our website, www.delightingrace.com. You can also check out Pastor Rich's book, Seven Words That Can Change Your Life, where he unpacks from God's Word the very purpose for which you were designed. Seven Words That Can Change Your Life is available wherever books are sold. As always, tune in to Delight in Grace weekdays at 10 a.m.