Monday Morning Mail, 29th July 2013

Loving God | Loving Each Other | Loving our Community

Good Morning!

Last week we very much enjoyed having Marcus and Tamara Throup visiting us – Marcus encouraged us strongly to take Jesus with us wherever we go, whether to work or visiting family or on holiday!

Yesterday, at the 9:15 and 6:30pm services, I preached on 1 Peter 5. The big idea in the passage is that God's kingdom is coming, but isn't fully here yet – in posh theological language it's inaugurated but not consummated – it's started, but we don't always see it. And that means that sometimes in the present we find ourselves with the opportunity to live in ways that show we are looking forwards to God's kingdom being fulfilled.

In the passage, Peter highlights three main ways this works out. All of them point back to Jesus' first coming to establish his kingdom, and all of them look forwards to when he will return to complete it. They are:

Eager Service – especially in leadership. Peter describes church leaders as like shepherds, like Jesus was, and like Jesus told Peter to be. Leading a church isn't a glamorous job – it's like living in a muddy field where we serve now and look forwards to God's future reward, not lording it over others, not seeking to get rich, and not only doing what we have to do out of a sense of duty.

Humility – Peter says we should "clothe ourselves with humility", even when it doesn't come naturally to us, and even when we don't feel like it, we should learn the habit of treating others as more important than us. Why? Because even if we want to be great, the only way to be truly great is if God exalts us, and God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Part of that is not being anxious – anxiety is when we think our stuff matters and it's somehow up to us to sort it out. Humility means throwing all our cares onto God, and trusting that he cares for us (v7).

Standing Firm – Peter reminds us that the devil wants to scare us, to get us to give in and stop following Jesus. But if we stand firm, he will restore us. V10-11 are lovely.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus is a wonderful example of all of this. Here are some words to leave you with over the summer.

Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God,

he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

he took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form,

he humbled himself in obedience to God

and died a criminal's death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor

and gave him the name above all other names,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

(Philippians 2:3-11, NLT)