Washington Heights Baptist Church

Made Perfect!

God’s Work After the Pain

A simple follow-along outline for today’s message.

Opening, Word Study, Proposition, and Transition
1 Peter 5:10
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.
We have already walked through the calling and the suffering. Now we come to what God is doing through it.
“Perfect” means to mend, restore, put in order, and set back in place.
God allows suffering so He can fix what is broken, align what is out of place, and prepare you for what He has called you to carry.

1. Perfecting Means Repairing What Is Broken

Psalm 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
God starts with brokenness, but He does not leave you there.
  • Broken thinking
  • Broken priorities
  • Broken devotion
God does not expose your brokenness to shame you. He exposes it to heal you.

2. Perfecting Means Resetting What Is Out of Place

Hebrews 12:11
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Pain often shows that something is out of alignment.
  • Priorities out of place
  • Relationships out of place
  • God not first
God will allow pain in order to put your life back in place.

3. Perfecting Means Preparing You for Function

Ephesians 4:12
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
God is not just fixing you to leave you on the shelf. He is fixing you so you can function.
  • Your walk
  • Your witness
  • What you can carry
God doesn’t fix you just to feel better. He fixes you so you can serve better.

4. Perfecting Is the First Step Toward Establishing

1 Peter 5:10
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.
Notice the order: perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle.
God will not establish what is still broken.
Before God plants you, He prepares you.

Closing and Application

  • What has God been exposing through pain?
  • What is out of alignment?
  • What are you resisting?
Some people want God to remove the pain instead of finish the process.
You are not being destroyed. You are being put back together.
The same God who allowed the suffering is the God who is now perfecting you through it.

Audio Coming Soon

Text Pastor Gary at 601-504-7110 to ask for a notification when the audio is available for listening. :)  Should be soon after service today.

Sermon Notes (Password Protected)

Questions and Answers

Quick sermon takeaways from 1 Peter 5:10, focused on how God uses suffering to repair what is broken, reset what is out of place, and prepare His people for faithful service.

What does “make you perfect” mean in 1 Peter 5:10?

In this sermon, Pastor Gary Caudill explains that “make you perfect” does not mean sinless perfection. It means to mend, restore, put in order, make complete, and set back in place. The message shows that God uses suffering as part of His gracious work to repair what has been broken in a believer’s life.

How does God use suffering to repair what is broken?

The sermon teaches that pain often reveals broken thinking, broken priorities, broken responses, and broken devotion. Pastor Caudill points to Psalm 51:17 to show that God begins with honest brokenness, then by grace starts the work of healing and restoration. The message emphasizes that God exposes brokenness to heal it, not to shame His people.

What does it mean for God to reset what is out of place?

Pastor Caudill uses the picture of a dislocated joint to explain spiritual misalignment. Something may still be present in your life, yet still be out of place. The sermon teaches that suffering can be part of how God resets priorities, relationships, and the order of life so that He is first and righteousness can grow.

How does perfecting prepare a Christian for function and ministry?

Drawing from Ephesians 4:12, this message explains that God does not restore His people merely so they can feel better. He restores them so they can walk better, witness better, and carry what He has called them to carry. Perfecting is tied to purpose, usefulness, and spiritual readiness for service.

Why does 1 Peter 5:10 put perfecting before establishing, strengthening, and settling?

The sermon highlights the order of 1 Peter 5:10: perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle. Pastor Caudill shows that God begins by repairing what is broken and putting life back in order before He establishes and settles His people. Before God plants deeply, He prepares thoroughly.

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