Site Logo
← Table of Contents

A PRAYER FOR GODS PEOPLE

March 10, 2002 PM

Sermon Outline

1 Pet 5:10,11

INTRO: Though Peters immediate concerns were of those first Century saints who would see the tribulation of which Jesus spoke in Mt 24, the words of these two verses are certainly an apostles prayer for the Lords people in any age ... for those whom He has called ... unto ... eternal glory. So many years before Jesus had said to Peter, When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren (Lk 22:32). Surely, the nature of this first letter and especially the words of this prayer are involved in Peters accepting responsibility in the Lords challenge to him. Its a powerful little prayer so full of promise. Consider A Prayer For Gods People.

I. THE GOD TO WHOM PETER PRAYED

A. The God of all grace - 5:10a

1. God has been variously described

a. Rom 15:5 of patience, of consolation

b. 2 Cor 1:3 of comfort

c. 2 Cor 13:11 of love, of peace

d. but in a way those descriptions only partially tell the story

2. the God of all grace is the full picture

3. grace describes Gods favor to us in all of His gifts patience, love, comfort, peace, etc.

4. but one thing above all is on Peters mind ...

B. Our call to eternal glory through Jesus Christ - 5:10b

1. eternal glory ... our future inheritance (1:3,4)

2. but it is only possible through our precious Lord ... Jesus His substitutionary death (2:24)

3. to love the unlovable ... to give for the unlovable that was the nature of Gods grace so, Gal 1:15

4. how were we called? 1 Thes 2:12,13 and 2 Thes 2:14

C. The consequences of the call? - 5:10c

1. after that ye have suffered for a while

2. no New Testament writer for a single moment deceived readers about the conflicts of conviction

3. suffering, sacrifice are simple facts of discipleship

4. but no New Testament writer offered hopelessness ... a while we move from experience to experience knowing were heaven bound, growing toward that destiny daily

II. THE PETITION OF PETER FOR US - 5:10d

A. Firstly, the four points are promises

1. Peter is not hoping or wishing God would provide

2. the form of the words is that of a certain promise

3. Peters saying, You can count on God

B. Make you perfect

1. to make fit, complete - to mend, restore

2. a word commonly used for setting a fracture

3. used in Mk 1:19 for mending nets

4. putting all of this together, God takes that which is broken and makes it useful for His purposes! 2 Tim 2:21

C. Establish ... you

1. fixity, immobility to make firm as granite

2. two things may happen in conflict ... collapse or greater conviction!

3. until our conviction is tested we do not ruly become toughened, tempered unmoveable

4. 1 Cor 15:58 ... Eph 6:13,14a ... Stand therefore

D. Strengthen ... you

1. to impart or to fill with strength

2. how exactly? not any direct, tangible inpouring

3. the immediate things of which I think? strengthening of forgiveness, of the church, of the word, of prayer, of worship ... of the presence of the Lord and the anticipating of heaven

4. I love to read 2 Tim 1:7!

E. Settle you

1. to lay or give foundations

2. isnt this really what God does for us? He gives us foundation for our lives

3. and, friends, we need - come what may - to rest on that bedrock of faith in life every day!

4. we ought - in this crazy world - to be the most settled know what were doing and where were going people there are

CLOSE: What marvelous things flow from Gods grace. Yes, to God be the glory ... and the power forever. He is truly worthy to be praised.

Cecil A. Hutson

10 March 2002

God's Plan of Salvation

You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

You must believe and have faith in God because "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)

You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called "Sinner's Prayer" that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the "Sinner's Prayer" to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)

You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus "Lord of your life." Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just "accept Jesus as your personal savior." We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)

Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God's grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God's grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)