The sermon 'Be Clothed With Humility' by Jason Dohm, focuses on the text from 1 Peter 5:5-7, emphasizing the importance of humility and submission within the Christian life and local church context. Dohm discusses the specific call for younger people to submit to elders, interpreting 'elders' as church leaders rather than simply older individuals. He explains that submission is not one-directional but mutual, fostering a spirit of humility similar to that demonstrated by Jesus in John 13. The sermon highlights that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, encouraging believers to make a 'holy war' against pride in their hearts. Practical steps for achieving humility include prayer and casting anxieties on God, trusting in His care and love. Through biblical examples and teachings, Dohm underscores the transformative power of humility, aligning with God's design for authority and submission.

Our sermon text for this week is 1st Peter 5 verses 5 through 7. Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." Well it's a blessing to be back in 1 Peter. We spent three Sundays talking about local church government, talking about elders, what they are, what they do, and how they're to go about the duties that God has assigned to them.

So that was good, and I'm glad we did it. I think it was the right thing to do. But I'm really glad just to be back into plain exposition of a text. There was a lot, regardless of the fact that we were talking specifically about elders for the last three weeks, there was a lot that just plain old applies to everybody. So you didn't have to be an elder or an aspiring elder to benefit from teaching on elders because it applies very broadly.

But this week our text itself applies to everyone by nature. This week Peter broadens it back out to everyone. And there are three things that I want to speak about this morning. The first thing is particular submission. Peter brings us here first.

Particular submission. Then I want to speak of general submission because that's where Peter goes next. General submission. And then finally to why this is essential. Peter tells us exactly why we should care about what he says about particular submission and then general submission.

And it's a wonderful teaching that will convince you that what Peter is talking about is not an academic exercise, but it's something very pertinent to your life. Very critical to know, but more than to just know, to weave into the fabric of your life. Let's begin our time in prayer. Father, as we come to this text, we do desire to be clothed with humility. We want to humble ourselves under your mighty hand to learn from you.

We want to be like Mary who would come and sit at your feet, less like Martha who's busy in the kitchen and more like Mary who would sit and have the greater part. To be under your teaching, to be taught by you, to learn from you, to submit ourselves to you, and to be in your presence. Oh grant us all of these things in Jesus' name, amen. Particular submission is where Peter starts in this text. Verse 5, likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders.

There's a particular submission that's being called for here. In other words, if you're this, if you're in this particular group, you submit to your elders. So there's something very specific being called for. If you're in the category that Peter calls out, you're supposed to submit to this other type of person. As we come to this, there's two things that have to be decided.

First, what does likewise point back to? Our text starts with the verse likewise. What exactly is that pointing back to? Secondly, Peter is speaking of elders. Is he talking about gray headed people or is he talking about the office in the local church or both?

What exactly is Peter talking about? Because it can be either. This Greek word can mean gray-headed people, people who have a lot of years behind them, or it can mean the office in the local church. So those two things have to be decided to interpret this passage. I want to take those in reverse order.

Peter speaks of elders. And if you just look at verse 5 in isolation, you would probably think it's gray-headed people. It's people who have a lot of years behind them. But we're not looking at it in isolation. We're looking at it in context.

And I think in context what you find is that Peter is really talking about the office. In verse 1, he's talking about the office. In verse 2, he's talking about the office. In verse 3, he's talking about the office. In verse 4, he's talking about the office.

In verse 5, I don't think it makes sense to switch without any indicators for why it would switch. Also, in the larger context of what Scripture teaches, you're not going to find a place in the Bible where it says that all younger people ought to submit to all older people. The Bible does teach that younger people should have a reverence and honor for older people, but that isn't the same thing as all younger people submitting to all older people. So my understanding of this text is that consistent with verse 1, verse 2, verse 3, verse 4, and verse 5, Peter is continuing to talk about the office of authority in the local church. That makes sense to me.

Often the young have a particular struggle with pride. Is that true? Can we agree on that? Often the young have a particular struggle with pride. With knowing everything.

Know it all ism. With knowing everything. Know-it-all-ism is a disease often suffered by the young. I wish it was exclusively reserved for the young, but unfortunately it isn't. We all find ourselves afflicted with know-it-all-ism from time to time.

But it does seem to be a particular weakness of the young. And so I believe this is why Peter is addressing the young here. Not that everyone in a church doesn't have the obligation to submit to the elders, but because this is a particular point of exhortation to the young, because oftentimes the young struggle disproportionately with pride and, and knowing it all. Now likewise, what does likewise point back to? There are a number of things that it could point back to, but as I've turned this text over in my mind many times, I believe it refers back to verses two and three and the exhortations that Peter has given to his fellow elders.

In verse 1, he introduces himself as an elder and then he exhorts his fellow elders. And he talks a little bit about what they are And he talks a little bit about what they are, and he talks a little bit about what they are to do. But mostly, he focuses in on how they are to go about their business. There's a certain spirit that Peter is exhorting elders to bring to their business. In verse 2 and 3, Peter calls this an office of service.

So elders in their work are not to be heavy handed, they're to be gentle. They're to be patient in their assigned duties. And that might, if you were a young person who was really struggling with pride, who was finding yourself afflicted with know it all-ism. You might take this gentleness and this patience, this light handedness about the work, you might take that as an opportunity to throw off the submission that you're actually called to. So I believe in saying likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders, that Peter is calling the young particularly to bring the same spirit that the elders are to bring.

The elders are to be very gentle and patient with their assigned duties. And The younger people are being called by Peter to bring the same spirit. Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. It actually paints a picture of a very beautiful life in the local church, where elders are very patient in their duties, they're very light handed, they're not lording it over, they're not acting like big shots, and where people, particularly those who might be afflicted with know-it-all-ism, are consciously making war against know-it-all-ism and submitting themselves to their elders. This is an extension of what Peter has already been teaching a lot in 1 Peter.

He's been teaching particular submission in a number of different categories. In chapter 2, Peter speaks of the Christian citizen and that they owe particular submission to their governors, even the ungodly governors. That's what is taught in chapter 2. Christian citizens owe a particular submission to their governors even when the governors aren't doing what they should be doing. In chapter 2 he teaches that Christian servants owe a particular submission to their governors even when the governors aren't doing what they should be doing.

In chapter 2 he teaches that Christian servants owe a particular submission to their masters even if they are ungodly, even if they are not acting right. In chapter 3, the topic is maintained and Peter speaks of Christian wives that they owe a particular submission to their husbands even if they have husbands that are disobedient to the word. So in these different categories we have the particular submission that a group of people owes to another group of people. Why? Because God says so.

Because God has set up authority and structure in the different realms of life. Now, remember the context for this particular submission. It's not just because. If it was just because, I think we would grow very tired of the particular submissions that God calls us to in different areas of life. And it would be discouraging because we're not naturally wired to run towards submission.

But God has told us the why behind this submission, beginning to flip back to chapter 2, 1 Peter chapter 2. The why is in chapter 2, verses 9 and 12. Look at chapter 2, verse 9. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Why has he taken those who weren't a people and made them a people? Why has he taken those who hadn't obtained mercy and poured out his mercy on them that they might proclaim the praises of him who called them out of a bad kingdom into a wonderful kingdom, that he might be praised, that he might be glorified.

Now on the heels of that in verse 12, Peter says part of how that happens. Now when we think of proclaiming God, we think of, might think of street preaching. Going out and vocally declaring how good God is. Well, that's a part of it. And a hearty amen to street preaching that lifts up God as glorious.

So that is part of it, but verse 12 is part of it too. Having your conduct honorable. Our conduct is another way that we proclaim the praises of Him who took us out of a bad kingdom and put us into a wonderful kingdom, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles that when they speak against you as evildoers they may by your good works which they observe glorify God in the day of visitation. Part of proclaiming the praises of this God who has been so good to us is conduct that draws attention to the goodness of God. That's the intent.

That's the why behind particular submission. Behind particular submission to draw attention to a God who has been good to us. Christians are called to submit to their elders in the local church. Consider 1 Thessalonians 5, 12 and 13. In 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 12 and 13, Paul writes this, and we urge you brethren to recognize those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord to admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake.

Be at peace among yourselves." So Paul is calling people in churches to submit to their leaders, to recognize those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord to admonish you. These are elders. Might be others as well, but elders are a part of those who are over you in the Lord to admonish you. So Paul in 1 Thessalonians is saying how we are to be in submission in the local church. We are to do it in a way that esteems them highly for their labor.

We are to do it in a way that expresses love. We are to do it in a way that is at peace. Or how about Hebrews 13 verse 17. In Hebrews 13 verse 17, the author of Hebrews says, obey those who rule over you and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls as those who must give an account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

So here's another New Testament author calling for submission to local church leaders. And how are you to go about that submission? So that they do their work with joy and not with grief because that would be unprofitable for you. So there is a spirit that you are to bring to your submission. Likewise, like these light handed gentle patient elders, you younger people be submissive to your elders.

All Christians are called to submit to their elders in their local church. And they're to go about it in such a way that it reflects high esteem in love, being at peace, letting them do their work with joy and not with grief. So you see, in no way is this an adversarial relationship. Do you get that? There is authority in the local church, but it's designed to be loving authority in both directions.

It's a beautiful picture of life together in the local church. These repeated exhortations in the New Testament in multiple different books written by multiple different authors is because we have a natural tendency to bristle at authority. Has anyone ever felt that in their heart? Anyone who's got parents ever felt the natural tendency to bristle at authority? Probably not.

I might be the only one, but especially younger people. It's not isolated to younger people, but it is a particular struggle of younger people. So Peter is calling for a particular submission, Younger people to elders. Then Peter moves to general submission. The story doesn't end with particular submission and elders getting to be the boss.

That's not the end of the story. Far from it. All of you be submissive to one another, says Peter. Submission is a two-way street, not a one-way street. Obligations go in both directions.

It's not that people in a local church have obligations to their leader who's free of obligations, far be it from any teaching of the New Testament. That's not the plan that God has given us. That's not what God has designed local church life to be like in any way. The obligations flow in both directions. Peter says, so be clothed with humility.

That's the sermon title and I believe that's the hinge pan of our text. Be clothed with humility. This is the key phrase. Listen to what the Expositors Bible commentary says about this phrase. Quote, clothe yourselves.

And then it gives the Greek word and I won't embarrass myself by trying to say it. But there is a Greek word behind clothe yourselves. Clothe yourselves is a rare word that refers to a slave putting on an apron before serving. The Greek word is a rare Greek word that refers to a slave putting on an apron before serving. In other words, there's going to be dirty work.

So you put on an apron over your clothes so that you can serve without getting your good clothes dirty. This is the picture. There's going to be work. There's going to be dirt under the fingernails, so to speak. Continuing the quote from the Expositors Bible commentary, so Christians are to imitate their Lord who girded himself and served." And it references John 13.

John 13 is the mutual submission that Peter is calling for. In John 13, Jesus makes himself ready to wash the disciples feet. He puts aside his outer garment, his good garment, and He girds himself, he wraps himself with a towel around his waist. That's exactly what Peter is talking about here. To be closed with humility is the Greek word for a servant putting on an apron like Jesus does in John 13 to make himself ready to wash his disciples feet.

And then having washed their feet, Jesus says this in John 13 verses 13 through 16, you call me teacher and Lord and you say, well, for so I am. If then your Lord and teacher, if I then your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, You also ought to wash one another's feet, for I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, Nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him." Looking at Jesus is the key, the key for understanding the mutual submission that Peter is calling for. It doesn't wipe out all authority any more than Jesus washing His disciples feet, wiped out the fact that he was their teacher and master. He affirms at the end of John 13 that he is their teacher and master, that they're right to call him both those things, but it does not keep him from girding himself, from putting on the servant's apron to wash the feet of these men who he's in authority over.

On multiple occasions in the gospels, Jesus says to his disciples, do you want to be great? Be the greatest servant. The greatest one is the one who serves the most. This explains general submission, mutual submission. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another.

Gary's already taken us to Philippians 2. I'm taking us back there again. Go back to Philippians 2. I'm going to start a couple of verses. I'm grateful that he took us there.

We cannot get too much of Philippians 2. This goes to the heart of Jesus being the one we look to, to understand how all of you being submissive to one another looks. Let's begin in Philippians 2 verses 3, I'll read through 8. Paul writes, let Nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. This is mutual submission.

Nothing being done through selfish ambition or conceit. But in lowliness of mind, Let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you, Which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus, the Lord of glory, humbled himself. So Peter has no problem coming to the brethren across all ages to say, you be clothed with humility. Because he watched Jesus humble himself, not just taking on flesh, but even laying aside any sort of earthly kingdom to put the towel around his waist and wash the dirty feet of his disciples. All of you be submissive to one another. To do this we look to Jesus.

Submitting to one another comes from trying to imitate Jesus Christ. Good luck in that endeavor. It's hard to match that. But submitting to one another as Peter is calling for is looking to Christ and trying to do that because that is exactly what Jesus did. Though he was master and teacher, he was not afraid to put on the apron of a slave and get dirty.

Why is this essential? Peter quotes Proverbs 3 verse 34, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Do you need more reasons to clothe yourselves with humility and to be submissive to one another than this? You need something more compelling than the fact that God resists the proud that gives grace to the humble. I can't think of two more compelling reasons than that.

It is good for every human to know this, that God resists the proud. Burn it in your mind. Engrave it on your heart. God Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, God who has called all things out of nothing resists the proud. And so you had better make war on your pride.

You had better make holy war, jihad, on your pride. Christians are jihadists. They don't kill the infidel, they make holy war against the most insidious of all sins, pride in their hearts. The NASB, the ESV, the NIV renders it opposes. God opposes the proud.

He resists the proud. What would God resisting you look like? What would God opposing you look like? How would that work its way out? Well it might look like this.

I'm stuck. I'm in a holding pattern that I can't get out of. God resisting you, God opposing you might look like that. Might look like a holding pattern that you can't get out of And you won't get out of until you repent of your pride. Until you humble yourself under the mighty hand of this God.

You might not be able to move one step until you do. It might look like this. I'm robbed of all comfort. In good circumstances, in bad circumstances, it doesn't matter, I have no comfort. Now the mark of the Christian is that they have comfort in all circumstances.

The mark of someone who God is opposing is that they don't have peace even when things are going well. Do you know that's very possible? Have everything outwardly, sailing along smoothly, and yet you are robbed of all peace. This is a sign that God is opposing the proud. You can go to Deuteronomy chapter 28 and look at all the tools that God has at His disposal to oppose the proud.

To take people who are unrepentant and deprive them of this, that, or the other. Go to Deuteronomy 28. Those are the curses for people who are stiff-necked and simply will not repent. If God stands in opposition to you, if God is resisting you, He has 10, 000 tools to bring to bear to break you. And it is His mercy that He would use the tools in His toolbox to break you.

Because the alternative is he just lets you float along in your pride. Is that where you want to be left, brothers and sisters? I'm so thankful to be able to look back at my life and see God bringing tools from his toolbox to bear to break me, to take my stiff neck and to soften it up by opposing me. Suffering can be for righteousness sake. So you shouldn't look at anything that's not going right in your life and saying, God's opposing me because of my pride.

It does not have to be that. But some suffering is this. Some suffering in life experienced by real Christians is because God is opposing them. God is resisting them to break them of their pride. So we should ask when things aren't going right, when we're stuck in a holding pattern, when we're robbed of all comfort, we should ask, am I acting in pride towards my elders and my other brethren?

Am I? Am I acting in pride? The New Testament is given what submission to elders ought to look like, what mutual submission ought to look like. And if that looks nothing like how you relate with your elders in the local church or with your brethren in the church, it's a good question to ask. You might find that God is opposed to you, that God is resisting you.

And maybe He's brought you to this sermon today to tell you something you need to know so that you can repent and be free and be refreshed. Friends, it isn't just that God promises to resist the proud, that He also promises to give grace to the humble. And I want to pile up the scriptural promises to encourage you. Okay, Are you ready for the assault? I'm going to assault you with promises from scripture about how God gives grace to the humble to encourage us all.

Psalm 34 verse 18. Psalm 34 verse 18. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit. God draws near to to the brokenhearted. And he saves those with a contrite spirit.

He gives grace to the humble. Isaiah 57 verse 15. Isaiah 57 verse 15. For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place with him who has a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. How about that?

Do you like that promise? God Himself says, I dwell in the high and holy place with him who has a contrite spirit and humble spirit. And he dwells there with them to revive their spirit and to revive their heart. Or how about Isaiah 66 verse 22. Isaiah 66 verse 22, for all those things my hand has made and all those things exist says the Lord, but on this one will I look on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word." God looks upon the one who is poor and has a contrite spirit and trembles at his word.

God in Isaiah 66 verse 2, excuse me I think I said 22, it's actually 66 verse 2. God says I made everything but I look upon this one, the one who trembles at my word, the one who has a contrite spirit." Or what about Matthew 5 verses 3 through 5, the first three of the Beatitudes. In Matthew 5 verses 3 through 5, Jesus says, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." The humble are blessed.

Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. They are comforted. They inherit the earth. God gives grace to the humble. Do you need more promises?

We could pile them up more. There are so many more in scripture that says what Peter is saying when he quotes Proverbs 3.34 that God resists the proud, but he gives grace, abundant grace, lavish grace, persistent grace, gracious grace to the humble. Paul defines this for us well, I think, in Romans 12 verse 3. Listen to what Paul writes in Romans 12 verse 3, for I say through the grace given to me to everyone who is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." This is the core of humility to think rightly about yourself, to think soberly about yourself, to see yourself as God sees you. When we do, we won't be lifted up in our hearts, we'll be humble.

God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. What should you do about this? Fact. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. That's what we should do with this fact from scripture, with the fact that God resists the proud but He gives grace to the humble.

We should humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt us in due time. We should totally entrust ourselves to this sovereign God. Again, Jesus is our example for this. If you just flip back in 1 Peter to chapter 2 again. Chapter 2 verse 23, Peter exhorts us, who when he, Jesus Christ, was reviled, did not revile and return.

When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. This is what Jesus did. In all the circumstances of life, he committed himself to his Father. We should do the same. That's what it means to humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God to just commit yourself fully to Him knowing that God alone is wise.

You have to make your peace with this, friends, brethren. Is God alone wise? Yes. He alone is wise. Everything has brought into your life, he has brought because he is wise, because he is wiser than you.

So we should humble ourselves under his mighty hand, that he may exalt us when? In due time. In Luke 18, we have the Pharisee and the tax collector. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee, in his prayers, pats himself on the back.

For how good he's doing. In his prayer the tax collector can't even lift his eyes but he beats his breasts. He says, God have mercy upon me a sinner And then that text ends this way in Luke 18 verse 14. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. Now listen to these words, for whoever exalts himself will be humbled.

And he who humbles himself will be exalted." Those very words are actually said in Luke 14 as well. So the Gospel of Luke captures Jesus saying those very words, exact words in Luke 14 and Luke 18. He who exalts himself will be humbled. He who humbles himself will be exalted. Here's what you get from that.

You can be humble You can be humble, or you can be humbled. Them's the choices, friends. There's two things on the menu today. Being humble or being humbled. One or the other.

If you humble yourself, you'll be exalted. If you exalt yourself, you'll be humbled. I could give some personal testimonies about this in both directions, honestly. God will exalt you in due time. NASB, ESV, NIV all render it at the proper time.

God will exalt you. Not in your time. In due time. In the proper time. In the wisest time.

In the best time. In God's time. You can't see it today, but we'll look back and say, God, you are wise in your timing. This is all hand and glove with humbling yourself under the mighty hand of God. Part of that humbling of yourself is to accept his timing as the wise timing, as the best timing.

If it has to be your timing for your exaltation, then you have not humbled yourself under the mighty hand of God. How do you humble yourself under God's mighty hand? You cast all your care on Him. The NASB, ESV, NIV, render care, anxiety. Cast all your anxiety on Him.

Cast all your care on Him. Cast every burden upon Him. Every worry that you have in your life is to be cast upon him. It's to be thrown upon him as something that you're not able to bear yourself. So you part with it and you throw it on the Lord Jesus Christ because he's able to bear all the things that we cannot bear in our own strength.

Psalm 55 verse 22, cast your burden on the Lord and He shall sustain you. He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." Isn't Psalm 5522 beautiful? I'll read that again. Cast your burden on the Lord. All your cares, all your anxieties, all your worries are to be cast upon him and he shall sustain you.

He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." So how do we do that? How do you humble yourself under the mighty hand of God? You cast all your care on him. How do you cast all your care on him? We're not down to the practical quite yet, are we?

We're getting there. I want to suggest two ways that we cast our care on him. Number one, we pray. You cast all your care, every anxiety, every worry in your life you cast upon the Lord in prayer. Philippians 4 verses 6 and 7.

Philippians 4 verses 6 and 7. Paul writes, be anxious for nothing. Stop carrying those cares. Stop bearing those worries and those anxieties. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, Let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This happened to me just this past Wednesday night. I was heavy hearted. I was preoccupied with worries and cares and anxieties, and we went and prayed for an hour and at the end of that hour I was as light as a feather. We can go to God in prayer and become as light as a feather. We can be weighed down when we start praying and go away like we have not a care in this world because we've transferred them to Him in prayer.

God actually invites us to do that. Why don't we do that? Have we lost our minds? I think we have. The first way is to transfer those cares, those anxieties, those worries in prayer.

We don't do it enough and we ought to. Secondly, Trade the burdens. Trade the burdens. Give him your burdens and take on his burdens. Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 11, 28-30.

Matthew chapter 11 verses 28-30 Jesus says, Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart. And you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Often when we are feeling the crushing weight of care and anxiety and worry, it is because we are bearing the wrong load. And we need to take Jesus Christ up on his offer to swap.

This is so beautifully put before us in Pilgrim's Progress. When Christian has the burden and he comes to the foot of the cross and this pack that he's been carrying, that he can't hardly bear up under for another minute, comes off him and he's free. But you know what? That's not the last of the burden. We go through this life and often on our way to the celestial city we pick up burdens we shouldn't be picking up.

At the foot of the cross when you're justified and pardoned isn't the last time you picked up a burden you shouldn't have. You'll find yourself collecting burdens that don't belong to Christians. And we need to periodically, very proactively, come to Jesus and switch burdens. Because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. If you're being crushed by a burden, it may be because you're carrying burdens that Christians shouldn't be carrying around.

Go to Him. All you who are weary and heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you and learn from Him, for He is gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. You can cast all your care upon him. You can throw all anxiety and worry and care upon him.

Why? Because he cares for you. I don't really like the translation here because it sounds like a play on word. Cast all your care upon him for he cares for you. In the Greek, there is no play on word.

The two Greek words don't look anything alike. It's not different forms of the same word. Care means anxiety. Cast all those anxieties, those worries, those burdens on him. But when it says he cares for you, it means that he loves you.

So you could take that, he's going to take care of you. Which is true, but it's not what Peter's communicating. God will take care of you. He's promised to do that. He will do that.

He's more faithful than anyone else at doing that. But that's not what Peter is saying. Peter is saying something much better than that. Something much more profound than, he'll make sure you get your food. Peter's saying he loves you.

He cares about you. Not just that he'll take care of you, but that he cares about you. He loves you. Brothers and sisters, this is the most precious truth of Scripture. He doesn't need you, he loves you.

God hasn't folded you into his plan because of the work you can do for him, because of the productivity you can bring to the kingdom. Not one person has ever been saved because of that. It's a privilege to be a co-laborer with God and the things that he's doing. He needs none of us. That's not why he saves people to make you a workhorse.

A pack mule in the kingdom bearing burdens for him. No, he loves you. Before you ever did one thing, evil or good in this life, he loved you. If he's brought you to repentance, this is true. If he's shown you the weight of your sin and sent you to the cross to plead for mercy, it's because he loved you before the foundations of the world.

This is what Romans 9 teaches, using Jacob and Esau as a test case. Before you ever did one thing, evil or good, he set his affection upon you. If you've been given the gift of repentance and faith, he doesn't need you. He loves you. And this is why we can cast our every care, our every anxiety, our every burden, our every worry upon him, simply because he loves us.

I'll conclude with this one thought from Robert Leighton, whose commentary continues to be invaluable on First Peter. Robert Leighton says this, It is undoubtedly the secret pride and selfishness of our hearts that hinders much of the bounty of God's hand in the measure of our graces. The more we let go of ourselves, the more we receive from God. How foolish we are if we refuse, so blessed, and exchange. How foolish we are if we refuse, so blessed, and exchange.

It may be that the graces of God in your life are small at the moment because of secret pride and selfishness in the heart. In my life, in your life, in our life together. And so it is time to make jihad. Holy war. Not to kill the infidel, but to root out pride in our hearts.

To be clothed with humility Because God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. We can cast our cares on Him. He cares for us. Father, I thank you for this text and I thank you for this truth. You love your people.

For this truth, that you love your people. You make them children, your own children, and then you treat them with the same affection that you put in the hearts of human parents towards their children. But even more so, and more so, and more so. We thank you for your goodness and your kindness. God help us to look in our hearts for the pride that might be choking off grace.

Help us to root it out. Help us to gird ourselves up with the apron of a servant. Be submissive to one another. We ask these things in Jesus' name, Amen.