Today, on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe.
So often we have not looked at Christ. help us in the time. of suffering. We must learn as Christians. How we respond to adversity.
Don't be weak. Be strong. Teach this to your children. Teach this to everyone. to stand firm in the true grace of God.
Welcome to the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. Life inevitably includes suffering. broken relationships, shattered dreams, life-changing loss. but suffering isn't the end of the story. As we conclude our journey through 1 Peter, we encounter three magnificent themes that define following Jesus Christ.
suffering, grace, and glory. Here's Pastor John Monroe with his powerful lesson. on Peter's final words of hope and encouragement. Today we conclude the series on Peter's first epistle. I trust that has deepened your faith.
and your love for our Lord Jesus. Last time I said we were looking back over Peter's letter under the headings of suffering. Grace and glory. We focus on suffering. But praise God for His grace and for His matchless glory.
Peter exhorts us to stand firm in the true grace of God. When we're suffering It's easy to allow the suffering to discourage us. to weaken us spiritually. Therefore It's very important that we stand firm in the true grace of God. We're not only saved by grace, but the Christian life is all of grace.
So join me as we think of the grace of God and the coming glory.
Well, open your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 5, and today, to the relief of many of you, We are actually at the end.
So, this is the end of 1 Peter. It's been a transforming adventure for me to study in detail and to read and reread. This first epistle of Peter, an absolutely marvelous. A piece of literature. You think of this man, a fisherman.
Not particularly well educated.
Now he writes superbly under the inspiration of the Spirit. As he looks back, I'm sure, and all of the experiences of his life.
So as we conclude, we're going to think of three important words that Peter has in 1 Peter. Three words that we've seen over and over again. Really, they are part of the themes of First Peter. The first word is suffering. The second word is Grace.
And The third word is glory. Suffering Grace. And glory. We see them all in this passage. Five, we're reading from verse ten.
Penn. And after you have suffered a little, there it is. And after you have suffered a little while, The God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ. Will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever.
Amen.
So first where there's suffering. Suffering Is only for a little while, Peter is saying. That is It's only a little while compared with the vastness of God's eternal day. The second word is grace. We saw that In verse 10.
After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you. And what's Peter saying? He said in verse 9 regarding the devil, resist him, firm in your faith, stand firm. in God's grace. Great.
Wonderful words, isn't it, of the gospel of the Christian faith. That the God of all grace Saves us. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. For by grace, says Paul, you are saved through faith. And that not of yourself is the gift of God.
It's not of your own doing. It's entirely of God through the work of his son. who's accomplished our salvation, and now it is offered to you. Today, I offer Christ to you. I preach Christ to you so that you would know Him, so that you would embrace Him, that you would turn from your sin and come to Christ and know.
That this magnificent Saviour. Can save us from all of our sins. Yes, it was a costly price. Peter has reminded us. In chapter 1, you weren't saved with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.
Points us time and time again, doesn't it? to the cross. And through that death and his resurrection, there is offered life, eternal life for you. And me, I ask you, have you received Salvation, this grace of God saves us. But Peter is emphasizing that this God of all grace will sustain you.
Not only does this grace save us, it sustains us. We need it every single day. Notice the text, verse 10. After you have suffered a little while, The God of all grace. Who has called you to eternal glory in Christ?
What will he do? Will himself Restore. Confirm, strengthen. and establish your As we go through the Christian life and the suffering, we see Stumble. We take our own path.
Peter is saying now, remember this: this God of all grace. He'll restore you, he'll confirm you, he'll strengthen you, he'll establish you. These first century Christians are being battered and persecuted by the world. And Peter is assuring them that this God of all grace who saved them will sustain them. God's grace saves us.
God's grace sustains us. He will say. Peter? He will restore. Will himself Restore.
Where does the men? The word is used for the setting of a bone. It's used for the mending. Of nets. God.
is in the restoration business. In fact, God's speciality is restoration. You you feel broken. We're in a broken world, aren't we?
Some of your life is a mess. You've strayed. You're falling. Possibly. The God of all grace.
The one who called you will restore you. He takes the broken, the bruised, and the fallen, and he makes them whole. Our God is a God who doesn't reject us. Or you've got something at home, a utensil, and it's a bit cracked and it's a bit broken, and you throw it out. God never throws out His children.
He takes us. In our brokenness. In our straying, in our feebleness, in our weakness, and he restores it. Psalm 23, David. who knew this truth says so beautifully.
of the good shepherd. He restores my So Yes, King David knew what it was to be restored. He had strayed. He had messed up big time. But in the goodness of God and the grace of God, this good shepherd had come after him.
and had restored him. This is supernatural. This is a speciality of God. You're broken in what you do, you complain about it, you get depressed about it, look up to Christ. Ask God for this wonderful restoration.
Think of all that God. Is doing and has done in your life. And when the ground around us is shaken, here is the guarantee of the gospel: He strengthens us. He establishes us. He restores us.
You see, whatever God calls us to do. As you follow Jesus Christ, however difficult, however deep the valley, However much the problem He guarantees that he'll bring you through. And as you go, he guarantees he'll give you all of the grace and all of the strength that you need if you trust him. We have so many of us are weak and complaining. What are you how are you today?
not bad under the circumstances. Why are you under the circumstances? Get above the circumstances. Look to Christ. This is the gospel.
He restores you, He establishes you, He helps you. And so often we have not looked to Christ. to help us in the time of suffering. We must learn as Christians. How we respond to adversity.
Don't be weak. Be strong. Teach this to your children. Teach this to everyone. to stand firm in the true grace of God.
Verse 12. He says, I've written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. This is one of the reasons I'm writing to you, Peter is saying. Stand firm. In it.
I say to your brother, sister, stand firm. Peter has told us what it means to stand firm in the grace of God. He's talking about holiness in chapter 1. He's told us that God calls us to holiness. He tells us that the Word of God is living and abiding.
That our salvation, being born again, is through this living and abiding word of God. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God, he says, as he quotes from Isaiah 40. Endures Forever. Living a life. Standing firm in the trigger of God, as we saw last week, central to it is a life of humility.
How proud we are. No, we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. It is also, as we saw last week, it's a life of trust. Daily trusting the Saviour. That's difficult for us, isn't it?
We wake up in the morning or maybe even during the night and All of these problems in our in our mind and we get up. And we feel weighed down. What do we do? Stand firm. Live a life of faith and trust.
Stand firm in the grace of God. Stand firm in the storms of life. Daily draw on God's power and grace. Stand firm. You serve God in the sunshine.
Will you not now serve him? In the shadows. You believed in God in the light of the noonday sun. Will you not now trust Him? And the darkness of the night.
You praised his name in the good times. Will you not now praise him in these difficult times? You rejoiced in the Lord when you were healthy. Will you not now praise Him through your tears? And your sorrow.
Stand. Firm. Standard Fast in the true grace of God. When we're battered and when we're downcast, We have this anchor that holds. The true grace of God and the God of all grace will keep you firm and fast.
He holds us in his hand and we will never perish. I'm held in the hand of my Savior who's given me eternal life and I shall never perish. I'm going through life. And the Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd, Pass me by the hand. What more would you want?
For the problems to be to be removed, God and them Millisecond can remove them, can't they? But so often He sustains us. through the suffering. No wonder then. Peter Gives this wonderful doxology in verse 11.
He says to him, he bursts out in praise, to him be the dominion. Forever and ever. We sometimes sing we have an anchor. that keeps the soul. Steadfast and sure though the billows roll, Fastened to the rock which cannot move.
grounded, firm and deep. And my Savior's love. No grounded firm and deep in myself. And my gifts, and my education, and my abilities, and my experience. No.
grounded firm and deep. and the savages Love. Suffering. Grace. Here's the final one.
Glory. Again, verse 10. And after you've suffered a little while, The God of all grace. Listen to this. Who has called you?
to his eternal glory in Christ. God calls us. What are the graspers? to His eternal glory in Christ. Peter doesn't use in Christ as much.
As Paul does, for Paul is one of his favorite descriptions of the Christian, that we are in Christ. Here, Peter uses it. That the believer is in Christ. held on by Christ, showing the love and the intimacy and the permanence. of the bond that we have with our Saviour and this grey God, Trousers.
to eternal glory in Christ. Eternal glory. Is salvation completed? This grace that saves us, this grace that keeps us, is the same grace that will take us safely home. Yeah.
We are justified by faith. Justification is sanctification. Begun. Glorification is sanctification completed. I was saved, I'm being saved, I will be saved.
Justification, sanctification, glorification. Paul says in Romans 8: that those whom God justifies, He glorifies. You've been saved by God's grace. This is a guarantee by the God of all grace that you will enter into this eternal glory in Christ. Christ, how wonderful.
Why is Peter telling us this? Why does he mention this? Oh, it's obvious, isn't it? When we suffer, we got the only cop is a little while. And we're going to enter into that eternal Glory.
He's exhorting. Suffering Christians. To look up. To look ahead. This is the constant call on the people of God in Scripture that we.
are different. That we live with an eternal perspective, not a self-centered perspective. Not a little, my little kingdom that I built for myself and I'm so proud of. No, I live with an eternal. perspective, he points to this coming glory.
He's done before. We saw that in chapter one, verse seven. Chapter 1 verse 13. Therefore, Preparing your minds for action. And being sober-minded, set your hope, we were singing about hope, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Look ahead. Chapter 4. Verse thirteen. But rejoice. insofar as you share Christ's suffering, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.
And again here in chapter 5 verse 10. Paul emphasizes faith. John the Apostle emphasizes love. Peter here is emphasizing. Hope.
Hope. and glory are consistent uh with Peter writing about suffering. When we're suffering, we need to remember we have hope that there is coming glory. To suffering saints, then, he's holding out this eternal glory in Christ. Listen, hold on, stand firm.
It's only for a little while.
Soon. You'll enter into that eternal glory in Christ. That is. If You're a follower. of Christ.
But meantime, we understand that God's purposes for us include suffering, not that we suffer all the time. But God, the God of all grace, who's working all things for our good and for His glory, as we just sang, He's also redeeming us. for that future glory. And nothing will defeat this coming glory. Our Savior has conquered sin and death, has risen from the dead, and because He lives, we shall live also, and we will one day enter into the eternal glory, either when Christ comes.
or when we die. Glory. follows suffering. First the suffering. Then the glory.
This is our sure. and certain hope. First the darkness of the night. Then the dawn of that great, eternal, unending day.
Soon, we'll enter into that eternal glory. J. C. Ryle writes.
Now we are tossed upon a stormy sea. then we shall be safe in harbour.
Now we have to plough and sow, then we shall reap the harvest.
Now we have the labor, but then the wages.
Now we have the battle, but then the victory and reward.
Now we must needs bear the cross, but then we shall receive the crown.
Now we are journeying through the wilderness. But then we shall be at Home. You couldn't have it as your home. Got pretty comfortable here. My soul.
Heaven. is our eternal home. The Lord took home my mother. Ninety-four years old, a wonderful Godly. Mother And We stood round.
that open grave in Scotland, and as is the tradition there. the family, close friends. Take the cords. of the coffin and Literally. put it in.
So my brothers and I And uh A couple of her cousins. And we Lord. The coffin. That was sad. And one way.
Then we sang this little hymn. Fallen asleep. lying at rest. Tranquil and deep, safe on her breast. Life's journey o'er.
Pilgrim No more. Safe home at last, safe home at last. A recognition that the follower of Christ is a pilgrim. But now In the true grace of God. The believer.
that we bury is now safe Home. At last, no more to fear, no more to die. All of the trials are gone. The pilgrimage is over, the suffering is ended. The suffering is only for a little while, but soon Peter is saying we'll enter into that eternal glory in Christ.
God has called you to it. Not only to forgive your sins, But to take you safely home. into that eternal Glory. He finishes as I must. He says, She who is at Babylon, Babylon probably is a code name for Rome.
And Peter is sending greetings along with Mark. And uh then he dim he asked us to To demonstrate our Christian love for one another. Verse 14, greet one another with the kiss of love. It's one of our themes this year: love one another. Peter has told us, exhorted us.
The great virtue of the Christian faith. Yes, there's humility, but there must be love. We must love one another. And Peter is saying: kiss one another. With this kiss of love.
In other words, the love is to be demonstrated. What's the point of loving someone if it's not demonstrated, if it's not communicated, if it's not shown? You show your love for your children by hugging them, by kissing them. You put your arms around those that you love and you care for. We, as followers of Christ, we demonstrate our love for one another by actions of love, by praying for one another, that bearing one another's burden.
And it's wonderful at Calvary to know all of you. Who are doing this, loving One and others. We are, as he says, In Verse twelve. We're to stand firm. in the grace of God.
As we await. The wonderful revelation of our majestic Saviour.
Soon the heavens will open.
Soon our Savior will come.
Soon we shall be at home.
Soon the suffering will be over. Therefore, do not be discouraged, brother. Don't Be downcast, sister. I would hope Is in the Lord from this day and forevermore, and whatever our circumstances. Stand firm.
in the Lord. Knowing whatever happens. It's well with her soul. And soon. All of us who are in Christ will enter.
into that eternal Glory. This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe and the powerful conclusion of our study in 1 Peter titled, suffering Grace and glory. What a fitting way to end this remarkable letter from the Apostle Peter As we reflect on this journey through First Peter, we're reminded that our Christian life unfolds within the framework of eternity. The sufferings we face to day are temporary, but the glory that awaits us is forever. John has authored an exceptional resource called For the Time is Near, Lessons from Revelation.
that addresses the necessity of having a Biblical perspective and a better understanding of God's plan for the future. This booklet doesn't speculate about dates or create fear, but rather provides solid biblical teaching about God's prophetic plan and how it should impact our daily lives to day. Whether you're seeking to understand biblical prophecy better, Or looking for encouragement during uncertain times, this resource will anchor you in God's Word and fill you with hope. You can receive your free copy of For the Time is Near by visiting our website at theverdict.org. Your support of the verdict enables us to share this message about following Christ with believers around the world.
Every contribution helps prepare God's people for Christ's return by teaching them to live with love, urgency, and hope. Will you partner with us today? Make your secure donation at theverdict.org. Don't forget to subscribe to the Verdict podcast for convenient access to this entire series on 1 Peter. You'll also receive John's weekly Avizandam commentary, where he applies biblical perspective to current events.
Find us on all major podcast platforms. And now, here's Pastor John Monroe with his final thoughts on our study.
Well, what's your verdict? Have you personally experienced the grace of God in your life? Are you saved by grace through faith, and that not of yourself? This is the gift of God. and is not of her own doing.
So there's no busting. Look up. Look forward. Followers of Jesus have this eternal glory in Christ. God calls us to His eternal glory in Christ.
This is all of His grace. Are marvelous. Today. Do you have the assurance that you're heading for this glory? There's nothing more important or life-changing.
Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
