The Viral Church [part two] ...

An elder moves with caution.  History has been his teacher, and longer years of experience have taught him to think before he moves.  All too often, the natural human state of a spiritual elder asserts “itself”.  Long years of victory over sin give rise to the idea that perhaps they are a result of the efforts we have undertaken ourselves instead of the complete providence of God.  In that instant where credit is wrested from God and ascribed to the image in the mirror, failure enters the horizon.  This example serves to introduce apprehension, and caution in the movement and journey of a spiritual elder.  The lesson of total dependency on Jesus is not lost on someone who has seen victory over an addictive sin in their lives, and then watched themselves throw that away for a dalliance they don’t even really want.  It is this very scenario that helps to qualify the elder to provide guidance to those of less years living the salvation experience.  The lesson of total dependency on Christ to be remade, is ever-new, ever-fresh, and ever-needed.  It is no less exuberant in infancy than it is after long years of embrace.  In our previous study, Peter laid out the basis for a viral church, beginning with spreading out the leadership responsibilities to elders who live the salvation experience.  But diversifying leadership responsibilities, and eliminating the financial incentive to lead, were only the beginning of his plan.

Peter also understood that the passion of youth must be employed in the cause of Christ.  Peter knew that while history tames the activity of an elder adding insight to their arsenal, there is still much value in the passion that arises from “first” loves.  The first experience of living what it means to be made free from the slavery of self, is often very profound, and burned into the memory of the Christian who discovers it.  The testimony is unique to the person, but common to the cause of Christ.  Someone, no matter what their physical age, or sex, discovers they are enslaved to a particular sin, simply powerless to defeat it.  After varied attempts, they finally give up and in desperation call out to God as ONLY His mercy can see this addiction removed from their lives. 

And in that moment, they empower God to do for them, what He always longed to do for them, but was unable to do. because up to now, they would not let Him.  He changes what they want, and therefore what they do.  It is in this moment of absolute desperation, that we finally discover absolute surrender, and the absolute power of God to defeat in us, what we cannot defeat.  And this experience is life altering.  It is liberating beyond any other form.  The freedom from past obsessions is not where it ends, it is where it begins.  The time we used to spend obsessed with sin, or controlling sin, or longing for sin we dare not perform, is replaced with freedom to think about other things, better things.  We begin to see scripture more clearly.  We begin to see how loving others would steer us away from the sins that reflect only a love of self.  We begin to lose the judgmental outlook we once had on those engaged in the same sins we embraced.  And the passion it inspires in the Christian who has finally discovered how sin will be defeated is like a white hot flame, yearning to spread.

In this “first love” salvation experience, the youth of a Christian and the passion of this first discovery, yearn to act.  The “new” experience of being made free from self can come at any age.  When an 80 year old experiences it for the first time, they are as exuberant as the 12 year old who has seen the same thing transpire.  It is hard to tell them apart.  They yearn to share with others what they have found for themselves.  The passion of being made free is not something to be set on the mantle-piece and admired from afar.  It is life altering.  It infects the mind, the heart, and the thinking, for it is Jesus Christ remaking all three.  Love for others begins to become more than a concept, it becomes a passion that WILL not be ignored.  And in this is the adoption, the internalization of the gospel, that is needed for any viral church to succeed.  It takes the message from theory to personal experience, from which there is no substitute.  And the actions those on fire yearn to take SHOULD be taken.  Peter knew there was a place for this youthful passion and it must be directed in the right form so he offers counsel in his first letter to the churches.

Peter continues his outline for the viral church, offering counsel to those younger and more passionate in the first love of the faith in chapter 5 beginning in verse 5 saying … “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”  First Peter begins by stating that the direction in which to share our passion for the living gospel should be deferred to our elders who have had this experience for a longer duration.  It is great that we wish to share the passion for Christ, but Peter says to allow the elders to point us in the right direction to take it.  Peter reminds the youth, that their experience will only grow as they are WILLING TO LEARN.  The first experience is NOT the last one.  The road is long, and those who have journeyed ahead of you can help you navigate it better, if only to avoid the same mistakes they made on it.  One of the dangers of the new passion of discovery, is to believe that “now” you have all the answers, and need no more “help” from those who must be by definition, less enlightened than yourself.  Arrogance is a temptation the devil presents to the newly inspired.

Peter then reminds BOTH the youth, and those longer in the faith, that the key to continued growth and success is to remain in a state of humility.  No matter how long I have been on this road, living this freedom, there is still something the newborn baby can teach me, or inspire in me.  No matter how new the convert is standing next to me in my own discovery, equal distance on the road to perfection, he still has something to teach me about the body of Christ.  Whether newer, older, or the same distance, there is no limit to the blessing I can receive from another believer, IF I will allow them to teach me through a spirit of humility in myself.  Peter uses strong language regarding the state of the proud, saying that God resisteth them.  What Peter reminds both young and old, is that once “self” or pride emerges, even in our Christian experience, it constrains what God is able to do for us.  We fail.  God does not.  We stumble.  God does not.  If we are to attain perfection, and hold on to it, it will be through complete and consistent absolute surrender to God.  The minute we think “we” have anything to do with our perfection; we. Like Peter will start sinking into the sea, we were just walking across.

Peter continues in verse 6 … “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”.  Peter speaks to the passionate youth in the salvation experience.  He knows their role in spreading this message is vital to achieving the viral church status.  And his first words of counsel is not restraint of spreading the gospel message, it is of remembering how it is achieved.  We are to remain humble before the enormous power of God to free us.  We did not deserve our freedom from sin, it was a gift.  We did not earn it, nor work for it.  It was given to us.  It is NOT because we are special above all other men; it is because all men and women are EQUALLY special to our Father God.  Peter’s counsel to the spiritually young who discover freedom from sin, is to remember to point to God for this victory.  For it is the power of God that frees us; and it is equally available to any who would ask it.  “We” are not to be celebrated for having discovered the power of the gospel.  “We” are not the subject of the message.  God is.  “We” are only examples of what His power is able to do.  To remember we are not perfect examples, is to keep ourselves clothed in humility while pointing others to the perfect power of God to transform how you think, feel, and act.  In His time, God will complete the work of perfection in us, exalting us to a status of sinlessness through His power, and as evidence of His glory.  It is for that day we wait in patient humility.

Peter continues in verse 7 … “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”  Peter now liberates the youth as well as the elder leadership as he writes we are free to let God take care of us.  How often is the gospel message stunted by the ideas that we must take care of ourselves, or perish in the world around us.  So we prioritize our work first, our survival, our ability to pay the bills we owe, and put the sharing of the gospel in second, third, or a worse place in our lives.  Peter liberates our thinking.  Peter does not advocate abandoning responsibility, he merely tempers it and reprioritizes it, by stating the first priority is the gospel itself.  It can be shared with co-workers.  It can be shared with creditors.  It can be shared with friends and family.  And if it comes to a choice to “worry” about preserving our lives or to spread the gospel, choose the gospel.  The whole point of this promise Peter makes on behalf of the Christ who inspires his writings, is that “we” DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY.  We are free to cast our cares upon Christ, because Christ is not only interested in freeing us from sin.  He is interested in our lives and how we live them, and that we live them.  After salvation it no longer matters how “long” we live, but how “well” we live.  All of us will die someday, unless blessed to see the Lord’s return.  But living everyday between now and that day, unburdened by the cares of this life, is a continued liberation the viral church has to offer.  It is an expansion of the freeing power of the gospel.

Peter continues in verse 8 … “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”  Peter resumes his counsel to the youth and less experienced in the faith.  The viral church will grow as we are careful with the decisions we make, always asking the Lord to make them for us.  To be sober or vigilant is to be aware that now past the discovery of being made free from any given sin, we enter the real battlefield with our enemy.  The devil walks as a roaring lion, looking first, for those who understand the power of the gospel.  He knows he cannot win a head on battle with Christ.  But like a lion who hunts at night, and in the dark.  He hopes to have us defeat Christ for him, as we begin to entertain ideas of self-accomplishment instead of self-reliance.  Satan hopes to devour those who understand the freedom God brings, for if they were to share their personal experience, he would lose others to the cause of Christ.  Therefore those who have discovered the power of Jesus to transform must be the first targets on his radar.  Peter does not tell the youth to cower in fear at this.  He is not attempting to squelch their passion, only to make them aware of the reality of our world.

Peter continues in verse 9 … “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”  Peters advice for dealing with the attacks of the roaring lion, is to remember that it is our surrender to Christ that will defeat Satan.  To remain steadfast in a trust in Christ to save us in spite of our weakness and inability to save ourselves, is to remain safe from the otherwise unconquerable lion.  The temptations we face, the hardship we face brought about by our enemy are universal in nature.  Satan attacks both those in the world and those in the faith using the very same methods.  He tempts both believer and non-believer to entertain ideas of self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and self-accomplishment.  He tempts both those inside and outside the church to believe that “they” are responsible for all the good things in their lives, and “others” responsible for the bad.  These afflictions are common to humanity.  And if we do not ground ourselves in surrender to Christ to see them defeated in us, they will take hold in us.

Peter concludes his exhortation to what would become a viral church in his day in verse 10 writing … “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. [verse 11] To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”  Peter recounts the lifecycle of young to old in spiritual experience.  He begins by reminding us that our God, is the God, of “ALL” grace.  There is no grace outside of the God we serve, and no method outside of Jesus Christ to find grace.  For we are called, chosen, selected, treasured, prized, and made free because of His glory, through the mechanism of surrender to Jesus Christ.  Peter offers no other deity to substitute for Christ.  Peter offers no other path to grace and freedom from the addictions of sin, than through Jesus Christ.  There are not many paths to God, there is only one.  It is only through the son of God that we can be made free from the power of self-service, made free from ourselves.

Peter points out that our suffering has a purpose.  The attacks of the enemy that drive us in desperation to the feet of Jesus Christ has a purpose.  It is to see us saved.  It is to see us made “perfect”.  We are to achieve a state of perfection, or the absence of continued sin, through our initial submission to Jesus Christ because of His glory.  Our initial state of perfection, or our journey towards perfection is then to be established in our continued surrender to Jesus Christ.  The road to perfection is one in which we will be established to travel.  Next on this road, is the promise to strengthen our resolve to surrender to Jesus Christ.  Having discovered the method, we are now only to deepen ourselves in it.  To give up more and more of ourselves, until we have given it all, trusting God with every part of our lives, from our sexuality, to our family, to our finances, to our very core desires.  To trust God with all of it, through the strength He provides to do so.  And having done this, comes the promise to “settle” us in this path and pattern until it is finally completed within us through His glory and power.  For it is to Jesus Christ, that glory and dominion belong.  It is Jesus Christ alone who is to rule this viral church, and our own salvation.

We must ask ourselves, if our church is in a state of decay, is it because we have substituted the traditions of men, for the wisdom and plan of a viral church?  Peter advocates that elders lead, and not be incented by using this position as a way to make a living.  Peter advocates that our youth be free to express their passion and have it directed and encouraged by the elders who have the honor to feed the flock of God.  Peter points out that Jesus Christ alone is the true Shepherd of His church, and that any who assume the mantle of leadership are only under-shepherds who serve the cause of God.  A diversified leadership, and an impassioned constituency who are all LIVING the salvation experience, form the basis of church organization Peter espoused and witnessed the success of.  The early Christian church internalized the message of the gospel, allowing it to free them from sin.  They had a personal experience all too many of us talk about, but have not experienced for ourselves.  It was that personal experience that empowered their witness to the Truth of Jesus Christ.  Long before the terminology was popular or understood, Peter laid out the plans for a viral church.

If the power of the gospel is to go viral, it must begin in you.  If the love of others is to replace the love of self, and end evil in existence for all time and eternity, it must begin in you.  The transformation that will empower the viral church to complete the work, and see the return of our Lord, begins as you submit the core of who you are to Jesus Christ to be remade.  Once that fire is lit, it will consume everything in its path.  Scripture is not irrelevant in our day, it is lost in the traditions of men, that have infected our minds so that we do not see the simplicity and beauty it would otherwise espouse.  If Peter could lay out plans for a viral church 2000 years before the internet would even exist, what can God use you to accomplish right here and right now?

And the counsel of Peter’s first letter had one more thought to convey …