SO, GIVE UP THEN!!!
Scripture text: 1 Peter 4:12-13 “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
Introduction:
Did you know that the Church almost never happened, I mean the whole Christian Church, What if Church never happened, the very person that Jesus Christ appointed, almost giving up. PETER, Cephas. Apostle Peter’s “DON’T GIVE UP” motto that kept ringing in his fallen mind and heart made what the Christians has now gathered round, Church, into being.
Opening Prayer:
“Father God we come unto Thy holy of holy’s sanctuary through Thy Begotten Son’s, JESUS CHRIST’ sinless blood that cleansed us and as our Propitiator (Christ is called the “propitiation for our sins.” Here a different Greek word is used (hilasmos). Christ is “the propitiation,” because by his becoming our substitute and assuming our obligations he expiated our guilt, covered it, by the vicarious punishment which He endured.) Lifting our hearts and minds and commiting this very day upon hearing Thy word we will be encouraged, enlightened and strengthened especially in this difficult times where seemed no hope and our faith is fading and failing. You will hold us fast. In Jesus Mighty Name we pray for His Sake. Amen.
FAST TRACK:
Apostle Peter wrote this letter (1:1). He was once a fisherman but now was a disciple, a “witness of the sufferings of Christ” (5:1). He probably wrote the letter from Rome (see 5:13; “Babylon” almost certainly refers to Rome) around A.D. 62–63 during Nero’s reign. The letter is addressed to Christians scattered in “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1:1). This is an area north of the Taurus Mountains in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). These territories had been impacted by Greco-Roman culture and had been under Roman control from the mid-first century B.C.
Disciple’s tumultuous transformation:
Peter’s road to become the hailed founder of the Church is no “Don’t Give Up” celebrated motivation.
- Matthew 16: 13-18 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
- Matthew 16: 22Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
- Matthew 26:33 But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.”
- John 18:10 “Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.”
- John 21 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Right at the very end of the whole divine saga; this bullied, brute Apostle ended up such a total failure!!!…Denying his self in exchange of the Cross was but a cabaret in Sea of Galilee? John the beleoved (John 21:7) was rather the one reminded him that it was JESUS apeared to him post ressurectedly.
SURRENDER/SUBMISSION
- The hit 2006 “haute couture” flick DEVIL WEARS PRADA. Especially in this generation that everyone’s consumed and pathologically obssessed with our own obsession with success as per demanded by our hierarchical culture and dog-eat-dog society that impacted the superficiality how we define of person we become. Though it sarcastically said it, “That’s what happens when you start doing well at work. Let me know when your entire life goes up in smoke, means it’s time for a promotion.”
Piercingly rightly said so of our egotictical view of identifying ourself in Christ. We thought we could make it by our own effort, DON’T GIVE UP!” That what the deceiving world and your prideful and lustful self saying.
Now time for our Saviour to divinely and graciously meddle in our borrowed life. Covid came, un-employment, conficts, wars, persecutions, illness, diseases and faceless sufferings.
Actually we have given up. I’m all done!!! I’m burnt out. For we walk by our mere limited vision or by sight.
- 1 KINGS 19, Prophet Elijah ran away from the death threat mandated by evil queen Jezebel. At one point Elijah was so discouraged that he desired to die: “And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers’” (verse 4).In addition, God offered one important word of comfort to Elijah. During this time when the prophet felt so alone, God said, “Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18). Elijah had thought he was the only one faithful to the Lord, and he took great comfort in the knowledge that thousands of others had never bowed to Baal.
- 2 Kings 6:17-20 Prophet Elisha prayed and made his servant open his eyes. Chariots and horses surrounding them.
HOPE:
Beacon of hope was all lit up through the power of submission and surrendering our selfish desires and acknowledgin that we are but finite and fallen …and we need a SAVIOUR. back to your protagonist, Apostle Peter. When he struck and cut one of the soldiers’ (Malchus) ears, he thought he could recompensed his failing words of promises to Jesus. But because of the unfathomable love and forgiveness to him (Apostle Peter), disciples…believers…His people. Jesus Chrsit Himself prayed for Him. Hence the Church came into being. (John 17:6-26)
6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Rejoicing in the midst of suffering, book of James put it this way,
James 1:2-3: My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Wait, the DON’T GIVE UP motto doesnt work on us, Christians because yes we’ve given up to the world standards and all these temperoal and superficial matters that blinded our eyes and cause our faith to flare, flee and fail. We have surrendered and submitted to the Omni-science, Omni-potent, Omni-present and Omni-benevolence GOD.
