Let us pray
Welcome....
Our theme this year is, With God All Things Are Possible or With
God Nothing Shall be Impossible......elaborate.. I want to thank you all for being so
caring and loving. When somebody say they are praying for me, it means something to
me.......
I would like you to look at the person on your left or on your right. What do you know
about that person? It might be your husband; it might be your wife; it might be a son or a
daughter; it might be a friend or a stranger, but how much do you know about that
person? Besides knowing that person’s name, what else do you know? How much do you
care about that person next to you? If that person had a desperate need, would you care
enough to help?
We all have various needs, and maybe your friends can’t help you, but I know someone
who truly cares about you; I know someone who is ready to help you, and is name is
Jesus, and today you can cast all your cares upon him because he cares about you.
Please turn with me in your bibles to 1 Peter 5 verses 6 through 11 and let’s all stand and read together.
My to-pic for today is, God’s Divine Care. How many of you here today knows that
God cares about you? Whether you believe it or not, it is a fact, God cares about
you...elaborate...
In 1 Peter 5 verses 1 through 4 we find the apostle Peter having settled and explained the
duty of the pastors and spiritual leaders of the church, he now starts to instruct the flock.
In verse 5 he calls the younger as to how they should behave themselves to their ministers
and to one another. He uses the word submit, and that’s something many of us do not
want to do, we like to have things our way; you do what I say, but I don’t have to do
what you say...........elaborate..... These duties of submission, and subjection to one
another, is contrary to the proud nature and selfish interests of men, but here Peter advises
them to be clothed with humility. Let your minds, your behaviour, your garb or manner of
dress, and complete frame be adorned with humility, as the most beautiful habit you can
wear. If you are disobedient and proud, God will set himself to oppose you and crush you,
for he resisteth the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. Since God resists the proud,
and since God gives grace to the humble, in verse 6 of our text, Peter says, Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due
time.
Saints of God, if you want God to exalt you then you have to humble yourselves. If you
want God to give you that mountain top exeperience, then you have to humble yourselves.
God’s almighty hand will pull you down if you are proud, or exalt you if you are
humble....elaborate...
Once you have humbled yourselves before God; once you have submitted yourself into the
hand of God, then you are ready to apply verse 7 of our text, a verse which I love so
much, Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. The apostle Peter knew
that these Christians were already under very hard circumstances; greater hardships were
comimg to them, he knew they would be having heavy burdens, and so he gave them the
best advice possible, to cast all their cares upon God.......elaborate.....
I want somebody to know today that God wants you as his child to cast all your cares, all
your burdens upon him. What cares do you have right now, what burdens are you
carrying? God is saying cast them upon him. Do you have financial burdens, cast it upon
God. Do you have marital burdens, then cast it upon God. Do you have problems with
your children..................elaborate....
That word cast, means to throw; so Peter is saying, throw your cares, throw your
burdens, which are cutting and distracting, which wound your souls and pierce your
hearts, throw these cares upon the wise and gracious providence of God; trust in
him with a firm composed mind, for he careth for you. So often we are trying to
figure out things for ourselves, instead of throwing those cares upon God. So often we are
staying up all night wondering what’s happening to the church, instead of throwing those
cares upon God. So often we are attempting to take matters into our own hands, instead
of throwing our cares upon God................elaborate...I am learnig each day how to lean
on God, and t to throw my cares upon God..................
I want to remind somebody today that God cares about you. The Great Almighty God
cares about little you, and little me. Let’s turn to Matthew 6 verses 25 through 30 (read)
"The best of Christians are apt to labour under the burden of anxious and excessive care,
personal cares, family cares, cares for the present, cares for the future, cares for
themselves, cares for others, and cares for the church." The best remedy for all these cares
is to cast them upon God; he is our care-taker; he is our burden-bearer. I want somebody
to know today, that no matter what may be the test, no matter what problems you are
faced with, God will take care of you. All you have to do is just lean upon God’s breast,
and allow God to care of you. All you may need, all that you desire from God that is for
your good, God will provide, and He will take care of you. Nothing you ask will be
denied, God will take care of you..............elaborate.....
After we have cast our cares upon God; after we have placed all our burdens into the
hands of God, there is something else that we have to do. Let’s look at verse 8 of our text
(read) Peter is sending a warning here, be sober, be careful, watch out for the attacks from
Satan your enemy He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion looking for victims to tear
apart. I want somebody to know today, if you are God’s child, Satan does not like you,
and will do everything to destroy you. He is a hungry, roaring lion, strong, and cruel,
fierce and greedy pursuer of souls. He is on the job 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week.......elaborate..
In verse 9 of our text, we are called upon to resist the devil (read) When Satan make his
attacks on you, just remain steadfast. Don’t you ever try to argue with him, but rebuke
him, get thee behind me Satan. This old Devil will come to you in all kinds of disguises,
but you will have to know how to resist him. How do we resist the Devil? Let’s turn to
Ephesians 6 verse 11 (read) To resist the Devil we need to be equipped with God’s
armour. Ephesians 6 verses 13 through 17 talks about "armour of God." We resist the
Devil by submitting to God. Let’s turn to James 4 verses 7 & 8 (read)..........elaborate...
In verses 10 and 11 of our text, Peter starts his conclusion (read) He talks about the God
of all grace. After you and I have suffered a little while. After we have gone through our
testing time. This God who is full of kindness. This God who is so gracious, will
personally come and pick you up and set you firmly in place, and make you stronger.
This God who so gracious , after you have suffered a little while, will make you perfect,
will stablish, strengthen and settle you. This God who is so gracious will strengthen those
who were weak, and settle them.
Maybe right now you are going through your bout of suufering. Maybe as God’s child it
seems everything is going wrong. Maybe it appears you are being attacked on the right
and on the left. I want to encourage you, don’t give up, but hold on, light is about to break
through for you, for the bible says, after that ye have suffered a while, make you
perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Peter and the apostles were put in prison, and God released them from prison. They were
beaten and told not to speak in the name of Je-sus, but in Acts 5 verses 41 and 42 we
read theses words, And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that
they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple,
and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Je-sus Christ.
Saints and friends, God truly cares about you. What cares do you have? What burdens
are you carrying? Why not throw all your burdens and cares upon the Lord, for he cares
about you?......................let us stand.
Call to discipleship
Closing song/prayer.
