Imitating Christ

Surviving Times of Suffering

1 Peter 5:5-7

“Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.”         Proverbs 16:18

God equips us to lead a lifestyle patterned after Jesus and to love people.  The more our values mirror what the Bible teaches, the greater pushback (even persecution) we’ll receive from those who don’t follow Christ.  The church will flourish when its leaders truly shepherd and feed God’s flock and when the flock follows its shepherd. We all need to be humble enough to submit to those whom God has placed over us.  Humility is what allows us to work together in unity.  When this happens, the church is a glowing representation of God’s Kingdom.

Peter gave the church three important admonitions to obey
if they were to glorify God especially in the midst of suffering:

1.   (v. 5a)

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”      Ephesians 5:21

Submission is to trust God enough with your life so that you don’t live for people’s affirmation, but you wait for God to lift you up and reward you.

Submission to any authority is an .

Exhortation #1: Submit to those .

2.   (vv. 5b-6)

True humility continually focuses on Christlikeness as well as the wisdom and salvation of God.

Biblical humility is grounded in the .

Matthew 11:28-30

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”   Proverbs 3:5

“Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, they will not go unpunished.”           Proverbs 16:5

“Be humble or you’ll stumble.” -D.L. Moody

Philippians 2:3-8

“Lord, make me humble but don’t let me know it.”  -D.L. Moody

James 1:1-6

“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”     Luke 14:11

Exhortation #2: Humble yourself under .

3.   (v. 7)

Peter was there for many of Jesus’ miracles:

-Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-31)
-Jesus gave Peter a great catch of fish (Luke 5:1-11)
-Jesus helped Peter pay his temple tax (Matthew 17:24-27)
-Jesus helped Peter walk on water (Matthew 14:22-33)
-Jesus healed the ear of Malchus when Peter tried to cut off
his head and missed (Luke 22:50, 51)
-Jesus delivered Peter from prison (Acts 12)

It takes humility to recognize that God cares for you and then admit your need and let others in God’s family .

Matthew 6:25-34

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry.”  Psalm 34:15

“Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”               Psalm 55:22

“We are to cast our care, which is foolishness, upon the Lord, for He exercises a care, which is wisdom. Care to us is exhausting, but God is all sufficient. Care to us is sinful, but God’s care of us is holy. Care distracts us from service, but the divine mind does not forget one thing while remembering another.”           -C. H. Spurgeon

Exhortation #3: Throw yourself onto the of God.

Daily Meditations

Memory verse: “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”                                                                    1 Peter 1:5-7

Monday
Read 1 Peter 5:1-7.  What were the young men encouraged to do in verse 5?

Why do we sometimes find it difficult to be submissive to those in authority over us?

Tuesday
Read 1 Peter 5:1-7.  In verse 5, why were all the readers encouraged to clothe themselves with humility?

Why might we be tempted to “lord it over” the people we are leading?

Wednesday
Read 1 Peter 5:1-7.  Why were these believers encouraged to humble themselves in verse 6?

Why is being humble so difficult?

Thursday
Read 1 Peter 5:1-7.  What did Peter tell his readers to do with their anxieties in verse 7?

What worries tend to plague you?

Friday
Read 1 Peter 5:1-7.  What does it mean to cast your anxieties on the Lord?

How can we cast our anxieties on the Lord?

Saturday
Read 1 Peter 5:1-7.  What worries will you cast upon God today?

In what area will you ask God to help you to be more humble this week?