Resilience
Pastor Chang
1 Peter 5:6-11
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.
Introduction: Life is hard.
Who do we turn to, what do we turn to?
J.I. Packer says that for God to be wise means that he’s always able to determine both the best ends and best means to those ends. Psalm 46:1 reminds us God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
There are three ways we should respond to adversity: first, humble ourselves before God.
Humble Ourselves before God v6
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you
Charles Spurgeon writes, “O believer, learn to reject pride, seeing that you have no ground for it. Whatever you are, you have nothing to make you proud. The more you have, the more you are in debt to God; and you should not be proud of that which makes you a debtor. Consider your origin; look back to what you were. Consider what you would have been but for divine grace. Look upon yourself as you are now. Great believer, you would have been a great sinner if God had not made you to differ. O you who are valiant for truth, you would have been as valiant for error if grace had not laid hold upon you. Therefore, be not proud, though you have a large estate—you once did not have a single thing to call your own except your sin and misery.”
Humbling ourselves in the midst of adversity involves admitting two things. First, “I’m not in control.” And second, “It’s okay that I’m not in control, because I don’t know what’s ultimately best of me anyway—and God does. Second way we should respond to adversity, cast our anxieties on God
Cast Our Anxieties on God v7
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Philippians 4:6-7 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Third and final way we should respond to adversity, be watchful for adversary
Be Watchful for Our Adversary vv8-9
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.
Satan attacks us in a variety of different ways. One way is through doubts. Another way is through discouragement. Third way is to stir up dissatisfaction within our hearts. And a final way he attacks us—and perhaps his most fundamental way—is through deception.
Conclusion: verses 10-11 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.