MORNING MESSAGE – John Cline
Text: 1 Peter 5
Before we get to the theme of today’s sermon from 1 Peter 5, I want to turn to its last few verses. Commonly during the first century, a composer of a letter would pace the room, saying the words, while another person, a scribe, would put the composer’s words down onto paper. Following that style, Peter didn’t write 1st Peter by himself. It was a man named Silas or Sylvanus who put Peter’s words down into letter form. 1st Peter is written in graceful, flowing, Greek, indicating that it was written by someone whose first language was Greek and not someone, such as Peter, whose first language was different. Silas was a Greek. Here is Silas’ history, as we know it:
First missionary journey to Cyprus and Turkey – Paul, Barnabas, and Mark
Barnabas was Uncle Barnabas to his nephew Mark. That is why he invited Mark to go with him and Paul on that first missionary journey but when persecution came upon them in Cyprus because of their Gospel message, Mark was frightened and he abandoned them and returned home. Paul was very unhappy with Mark but he and Barnabas continued on their missionary journey to areas in Turkey. Barnabas was not willing to give up on his nephew Mark, a belief that was later shown as being wise for Mark became a faithful witness for Jesus, a worker with Paul and Peter, as well as the writer of the earliest Gospel book, the Book of Mark, a book traditionally thought to have been dictated by Peter and put onto paper by Mark. However, well before that spiritual maturity and growth happened in Mark, Barnabas and Paul had decided to go on a second missionary journey, returning to the same churches in Cyprus and Turkey that they had been to on their first missionary trip. But, when Barnabas insisted that Mark once again accompany them, Paul couldn’t agree because of Mark’s earlier abandoning of them when the going got tough. Thus, on their
Second missionary journeys – Barnabas took Mark and returned to Cyprus, while Paul took Silas and returned to Turkey
Not only was Silas a good partner for Paul and a solid Christian, also
Silas was Greek and a native-born Greek speaker
On his journeys with Paul, we read that Silas was his scribe when Paul dictated his first and second letters to the Thessalonians. So, by the time, Peter got around to writing his first letter, Silas was the natural person to write it, having already done so with Paul. It is an interesting fact for researchers that Peter’s second letter is written in a rough, Greek-as-a-second-language style the thinking being that Peter didn’t have anyone act as a scribe for him and that he both dictated and wrote down his words. But that was Second Peter. With First Peter, decades after Paul and Silas had visited the Christians of Turkey,
Peter later wrote to those churches in Turkey’s five regions and stated that, though he dictated it, Silas wrote down his words.
Peter had dictated that letter, we piece together from the New Testament documents, he had left Jerusalem, gone north to Antioch and Syria, then further north and west throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia Minor, and Bithynia (Turkey), than across the Aegean Sea into Greece and to the city of Corinth, and then finally, across the Ionian Sea, into Italy, and up to Rome. So, with that first letter,
Peter wrote from Rome (Babylon) where he and Silas and Mark were ministering
In his fifth chapter, you will hear Peter using the code name “Babylon” when referring to Rome, probably because Rome was a city given over to pagan idol worship and hedonism, just as Babylon had been famous for. There is no evidence of Peter or any of the other early Christians ever going to the physical city of Babylon so, by using a code name, Peter was trying to prevent the enemies in Rome of Christians – and there were many enemies of the faith in Rome, including Emperor Nero – from knowing that he and Silas and Mark and other Christians were living under their noses there in Rome. The church in Rome, you will also hear, Peter refers to also in code, using the feminine form, “she who is in Babylon”, again hiding the fact of the church being in Rome. The enemies of Christians could not be trusted with such knowledge.
With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. (1 Peter 5:12-14)
Now to today’s topic: who cares for you? As Peter states, a government that is anti-Christian clearly does not care for you. That has been a fact throughout history and is still true today, as we know. Perhaps you heard this week that an explosion caused the destruction of the Georgia Guidestones. This is good news of Christians resisting leaders who do not care for them and have been open in their desire to rid the world of us. Last May, Kandiss Taylor, a candidate for the 2022 Republican nomination for Governor of Georgia, made the destruction of the Georgia Guidestones one of her campaign pledges, claiming they were a “Satanic evil”. Erected around 1980 by unknown people, the Georgia Guidestones and its references to Freemasonry, Yale University’s evil Skull and Bones Secret Society, and the coming end of the world and the establishing of a New World Order are not America’s version of England’s Stonehenge, a structure that had to do with astronomy. No, on the Georgian Guidestones, inscribed in numerous languages (English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Traditional Chinese and Russian) are the Ten Commandments of the New World Order. Widely derided by Christians as “The Ten Commandments of the Antichrist”, these are not the Biblical Ten Commandments. Here are the first two commandments for the world:
· Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
The other 7 billion people on our earth would need to be put to death and disposed of, and widespread sterilization would need to happen. The elderly and disabled would be the first to be taken out.
· Guide reproduction wisely — improving fitness and diversity.
The role of abortion and forced sterilization favoured by the New World Order is pure eugenics, the kind practiced by the Nazis and promoted by Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, that horribly racist person who wrote to her followers the message she wanted kept secret, “We don’t want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population”, a philosophy that explains why Planned Parenthood is located in every black ghetto of every major American city.
Friends, these are not nice people. Who cares for you? Clearly not anyone representing the New World Order. I ask you to look up for yourself the other 8 commandments of the Georgia Guidestones –
· Unite humanity with a living new language.
Rule passion — faith — tradition — and all things with tempered reason.
Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
Balance personal rights with social duties.
Prize truth — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite.
Be not a cancer on the Earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature. –
You need to be aware that around the world, Christians celebrated the bombing and taking down of that evil edifice. And we need to take our blinders off and fully understand – and this will sound harsh to some of you who don’t know about this – we would be doomed to despair and trouble if the New World Order ever takes power. Its’ philosophy is most forcibly represented by Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum. It should be very concerning to Canadians that Klaus Schwab brags publicly about having one of their own – Justin Trudeau (there are numerous photos of them together) – in a position of influence and leadership. When Trudeau speaks approvingly of “The Great Reset”, that is straight from the World Economic Forum. This New World Order effort has been largely financed by George Soros who has, in the last 10 years, given $30 billion paying for the election of politicians, and, in the USA, district attorneys and judges who will entrench this philosophy. Thankfully, people are waking up and resisting worldwide. In Brazil, Hungary, Poland, and other countries, politicians are saying, “no” to the World Economic Forum. In fact, certain countries, including Hungary, his homeland, George Soros has been banned. In Canada, there are politicians who are not awake to what is happening, but there are others who are, and some are even talking about banning any Canadian politician from being allowed to ever have anything to do with Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum.
Now, I am aware that some of you are thinking, “what has happened to John? He is angry and deluded today. Those are just kindly, misunderstood people.” No, they are not: they are evil, and they don’t care about you. They are out to crush you and your will. They hate Christianity and want to do away with all influences and symbols of the Christian faith. Those are just facts. So…who cares for you? Not them! But I do care for you, by telling you the truth! And your loved ones’ care for you by looking out for you. And more than any human, God cares for you. Here is what Scripture says:
Everyday God thinks of you.
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, and your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count. (Psalm 40:5)
Every hour God looks after you.
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
Every minute God cares for you.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
Because every second He loves you.
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)
Peter starts the fifth chapter of his first letter saying that we all need to care for each other: pastors, spiritual elders, young men, all of us:
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Peter 5:1-6)
We are to care for and show humility to one another. But then Peter says we are to remember, most of all, that the Lord cares for us.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
When I first became a Christian, this verse was a favourite of mine, but as I read through the Bible, I saw that its message is throughout it. For example, the word “casting” in verse 7 occurred on Palm Sunday when the disciples had been sent by Jesus to get the donkey for him to ride:
“They brought it to Jesus, and casting their garments on the colt, they set Jesus on it.” (Luke 19:35)
If you have a garment on and you want an animal to carry it for you, you “cast” the garment on the animal. In this way you don’t carry it anymore. It’s on the animal, not on you. The donkey works for you and lifts your load. Well, God is willing to carry your anxieties the same way a donkey carries your baggage. One of the greatest things about the God of the Bible is that he commands us to let him work for us.
Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you. (Ps 55:22).
“Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you.” (Isaiah 46:4).
And Jesus, who was God Incarnate on earth, made this promise:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
The Lord wants to be a burden bearer because it demonstrates his power and puts him in a class by himself among the so-called gods of the universe. “No one has seen a God besides thee, who works for those who wait for him”, Scripture tells us. So, throw the garments of your anxiety onto him. He wants to carry it. Why? Because He cares for you. He will not stand by and let things develop without His influence. He will act. He will work. He loves you. However,
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:8,9)
The devil here is not pictured as a sly snake who sneaks up on you and bites your heel. He is a “roaring lion”. Why roaring? He is trying to terrify you. Make you afraid. Fill you with anxieties. Doing so might make you forget that the Lord cares for you and will look after you. But we Christians can resist that attempt to frighten us. We can remain standing by being firm in our faith. We need to be able to identify the ways in which Satan works. Knowledge of his agenda in our world is one such way but so is identifying whether or not the voice we are hearing guiding us to do a certain thing is the voice of Jesus. He told us that we can know his voice and listen to him and be safe. That happens only as we read the Bible, hear and memorize the Lord’s words, plant them in our minds and hearts. The Lord will not fail us
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. (1 Peter 5:10,11)
So, I am not sending you home with a simple formula but with the resounding message of 1st Peter in your ear: the Lord cares for you, and by resisting the attacks of Satan by standing firm in the faith, you will always remember that God cares for you. That will make you “strong, firm, and steadfast”. In closing, say this out loud with me,
“When I am alone, God is my comforter. When I am nothing, God is my everything. When I am sad and lonely, God is my song and my joy. When I am weak and helpless, God is my strength. Amen.”
