Built for Hope: What to BE when the World is on Fire
1 Peter 5:1-6 (NIV)
Pastor Richard Dahlstrom, Senior Teaching Pastor
https://www.spiritsoulbody.org
In a culture of instant gratification, consumerism, and comfort, Peter’s countercultural path to finding life and meaning ring as true today as when it was first written. He shows us what we need to “be” if we’re to live as people of hope and meaning in the midst of suffering.
I. Be a humble servant.
II. Be awake, but not anxious.
III. Be a hormesis fan.
Discussion Questions
Before questions, attempt to give the group a bit of a summary of the main points of the sermon and then choose a few questions that fit your group’s needs and style. We don’t intend for you to use all of these. Three to five questions may be a good number.
Begin by reading 1 Peter 5:1-6 aloud, taking turns reading the passages.
Pray over the group before beginning discussion.
1. What is a way you do or could learn from the previous generation?
a. What is a way you do or could pour into the next generation?
2. Have you ever experienced yourself withdrawing from society out of anxiety, and if so, how can you give that anxiety to God?
3. Are there any ways in which you participate in hormesis (intentional suffering) for the growth that comes with it? (Examples could include exercise…etc)
4. Reflect on and name a time you have learned from God through the process of suffering.
5. What trial will you welcome this week?
6. Who will you mentor or disciple as an “elder” this week?
I Peter 5:1-11
What to BE when the world’s on fire
Richard Dahlstrom (spiritsoulbody.org)
Public Reading: I Peter 5:1-6
5 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,[a] not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;[b] not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 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. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
In a culture of instant gratification, consumerism, and comfort, Peter’s counter-cultural path to finding life and meaning ring as true today as when it was first written. He shows us what we need to “be” if we’re to live as people of hope and meaning in the midst of suffering.
OPENING ILLUS (Illustration): Karl Muth
Be a Humble Servant - v 2,5,6
A. V2 = Jesus as the example of a good shepherd - see John 10:11: “I am the good shepherd” and it’s in the nature of the good shepherd to serve w/ the well-being of others (in this case the sheep) as the governing consideration. NB (Nota Benne): don’t focus on hierarchy here so much… that will get you in trouble… because it’s a short distance in the mindset of hierarchy to justify using people to strengthen and serve the ego of the so-called shepherd. IF YOU NEED EXAMPLES… pastors using their congregation and platform as a means to achieve wealth and prestige. Politicians using their constituents to strengthen their own wealthy power. Parents viewing their children’s success as the validation of their own egos, and so becoming demanding that they conform to the parent’s goals for them…
APP (Application): we’re born and given life in order to serve — we’re filled in order to pour out — we’re blessed in order to be a blessing — we’re transformed into people of light in order that we might actively shine the light into our world.
B. Intergenerationally — there are challenges on both fronts here — (OLD = I’ve nothing to give) (YOUNG = you’ve nothing to give) — but in reality, everyone has gifts to give… each to the other. When elders aren’t curious … when they only view themselves as givers who have nothing to learn… it doesn’t work.
ILLUS: John Scott… the turf defenders of his day kicked him out of the Church of Scotland… in the 19th century — he challenged the imbalance of a focus on original sin in humans at the expense of the image of God being present in every person - and because this didn’t align w/ their views he was excommunicated.
SO HE BECAME A PROFESSOR INSTEAD… and in that role became a mentor to George MacDonald, who lived w/ Scott for a short time… and, after himself being kicked out of the church, went write the books that became primarily influencers in the theology and writings of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis — APP: don’t become guardians at the expense of continuing to grow… WE’RE NOT TURF DEFENDERS… we’re truth seekers!!
C. Be an example… this requires hospitality, embodiment, accessibility…. ILLUS: this is the rationale for a ministry we did over 30 years ago… and is coming back into our lives in some measure now… Our rationale then: hypocrisy amongst leaders w/ big platforms. — Corr (Correlation): Paul - be followers of me as I in Christ… APP: this means that a great deal that is formative in our lives is CAUGHT rather than taught.
The ingredient that allows you to be open and curious while still believing that you have something to give is HUMILITY. Humility isn’t self negation… it’s a sense my truest self isn’t complete by myself. IT IS NOT GOOD FOR A HUMAN TO BE ALONE… And this is applied to our relationship w/ Christ in II Corinthians 3… “not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves”. This is where Paul understand that ‘apart from Christ we can do nothing”… but his central message was “in Christ we can do all things” (Philippians 4) —
The best self image is my “self” mysteriously united w/ Christ so that I say Galations 2:20
Be awake, but not anxious v7-9
OBS (Observation): this is another ridge… it’s easy to be awake AND anxious - because to be awake we need to pay attention to our world and when we do we realize that the southwest in running out of water, and the Rhine river is so small right now that some boats can’t run, and Texas just had a ‘once in 1000 years storm’ not to mention drought in Africa and China, and racism and sexism and materialism and loneliness, fear, anxiety, depression, gun violence, road rage, and opiate addiction all at record highs and still rising. I haven’t mentioned Ukraine, or the famine in Africa, or democracy hanging by a thread - or the phobias in America that incite violence towards immigrants and all forms of ministries. — so here’s the reality: if I’m awake, I’m anxious
SO THE OTHER OPTION: don’t be awake… SHRINK your world so that it’s about your own personal well being - don’t watch the news. Escape into various diversions… whatever they are.
A. Cast your anxiety v7 - the word cast - ‘to throw’
B. This is closely tied to humility because its an acknowledgement that we don’t have answers, or strength, or peace, or even next steps — Illus: there’s a thing in Celtic Christian tradition called “praying to tears” and it means paying enough attention to something that you enter into solidarity with its want and need and suffering and concern, so much that you’re led to tears — and then you cast that concern to the LORD… believing that there’s power in your intercession.
C. ILLUS: Donna asking for a ride
Be a hormesis fan -
(Resource: https://bit.ly/3KfT39T )
NB: Casting your cares to God doesn’t mean everything is fixed instantly…
This letter both begins and ends with the sequence of suffering and glory —
OBS: suffering and glory are tied together throughout the Bible - 5:1… and the glory is always, always, on the far side of the suffering
The suffering of waiting as seen in Abraham
The suffering that comes from solidarity with other’s suffering and entering into a calling to address that suffering… it’s seen in Moses/ seen in Elijah w/ the famine
The suffering that comes from living w/ integrity and facing rejection as a result…
BE CAREFUL WITH THIS LAST ONE… the arrows don’t always come from ‘the world’ - they often come from institutional religion, which is often threatened by any movement away from status quo…
- 5:1… and the glory is always, always, on the far side of the suffering
CLOSING ILLUS: parable of the seed and the sower… “where are the Christians!!!”