I Peter 5

I Peter 5:2-3:
Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

This portion of our text gets to the heart of why God has designed the church to be led by supernaturally empowered, biblically qualified, shepherds. Specifically, it’s because the church is comprised of people whom God compares to sheep. As one author rightly noted, “It is no accident that God has chosen to call us sheep…The behavior of sheep and human beings is similar in many ways…sheep do not ‘just take care of themselves’ as some might suppose. They require, more than any other class of livestock, endless attention and meticulous care. -Kevin Hay

I Peter 5:5:
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:12)
Humility and respect for humility have become the exception rather than the rule in modern America. Both are notably absent in our politics, media, sports, entertainment, and, most tragically, much of our public Christian witness. I see two primary reasons for this. First, we do not understand what humility really is. Second, we do not appreciate how important humility is to God.
The best way to initially understand humility and its importance to God is by contrasting it to its opposite: arrogance and pride. The Book of Proverbs says God hates pride and arrogance. (8:13) Pride and a haughty spirit lead to disgrace and destruction. (11:2, 16:18) Haughty eyes and a proud heart are the lamp of the wicked and sin. (21:4) -Doug Tweed

I Peter 5:7:
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

It is the Lord. The Lord, gracious and loving. The Lord, strong and wise. The Lord, the Creator and sustainer of all things. The Lord, like whom there is no other. This is the invitation we are given. It’s not just to fling off our burdens into nothingness or onto someone barely more capable than we are – it is to cast them on the Lord.
In those terms, then, casting is not just a command; it’s an act of logic! Why would we try and bear the weighty, complicated, troubling burdens of life when there is someone so much more equipped to bear them? --Michael Kelly; Outreach Magazine

"He Careth For You"
Cast all your care upon Jesus,
Who ever careth for you,
He will sustain and uphold you,
He will be faithful and true.
Jesus our blessed Redeemer,
Jesus, our Shepherd and Guide,
Ever will bear all your burdens,
Ever will stay by your side.
Jesus knows all of your problems,
Knows all our trial and care,
He's ever ready to help us,
Ready to answer our prayer.
Oh! what a comfort in trial,
Just to lean hard on this Friend,
Trust Him for grace and deliverance,
Learning on Him to depend.
Jesus wants you to be happy,
Wants you to have peace and rest;
Cast all your care then upon Him,
Lean on His strong, loving breast.
Careth? Oh yes! Jesus careth,
His own are dear to His heart;
All His beloved whom He died for,
They are to Him set apart.
Oh! how He cares for His people,
Guards them and keeps them alway,
Wants them to share in His glory,
All through eternity's day.
Make your requests then to Jesus,
Trusting His promise so true;
Roll on the Lord all your burden,
For He is caring for you.
—by Lois Beckwith

I Peter 5:8:
"Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

Notice it does not say that he devours everyone, but that he looks for those who he can devour. Also note that he is not pictured as a roaring lion, but that he just acts like it. Lions prey on the weak, the wounded, the naive, and the innocent. When they are hungry, whatever flesh is easiest to get becomes their dinner. It is interesting that they are often referred to as the "king of the jungle." Mike Taliaferro, a pastor in South Africa wrote a book called "The Lion Never Sleeps" and notes that "To the lions sharp eye, dinner becomes very obvious. He notices who is old, who is tired or who is injured. A slight limp or any mannerism imperceptible in the human eye is obvious to the lion. He frightens the herd in order to spot the weak ones. Once he decides on his target, he will run past the others to get to his chosen prey."

Satan and his forces have a plan to terrorize your soul, to render you impotent as a believer, to make you worthless to the cause of Christ, and to make your life one of misery and spiritual defeat,

Throughout our lives, each of us will be targeted by the enemy. And he will seek to sift each of us like wheat in a moment when we are weak. A moment when we deeply need an income to support our family, and a church or teaching job comes available, but at a cost. A moment when our dignity as a theologian has been abased, and we covet the validation of another. A moment when we have been rejected, and covet the love and acceptance of someone we can see and hear and touch.
Stand strong my brethren. The battle is not behind us. It is in front of each of us. And we do not know where the ambush for us has been set.
I believe that one of the ongoing assaults on the true universal church is people and ministries posing as defenders of grace, but who in reality are not clear on the gospel.
Their tactics are the same as the tactics of anyone who wants to gain acceptance within a group. They press the flesh. They find common ground. They attend the same churches and conferences that we attend. They are all around “stand up” kind of guys. We like them.
In other words, they come among us secretly. SOURCE: Notes from a Retired Preacher

1 Peter 5:10:
“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.”

No suffering will last forever for the believer in Christ. Peter is writing to Christians who have been undergoing a large amount of persecution. He encourages them by explaining that none of their suffering is in vain, but is meant to produce spiritual fruit as a “refining fire” for the Christian (1 Peter 1:6-7).