Shepherding the Flock of God 1 Peter 5:1-5 Today s passage is 1 Peter 5:1-5 which describes the ministry of elders in the church. Elders are the foundational spiritual leadership in the church. Their primary calling was to pay attention to the lives of people in the church and do whatever was possible to ensure that the church was healthy. In the New Testament, churches met in houses and were therefore relatively small. The elders knew everybody in the church, and everybody in the church knew the elders. Most of the people in the churches who received the letters that are now in our New Testament had never been part of another church; their current church experience was the only church experience they knew. Today s context is often quite different, isn t it? Most of us have been part of numerous churches which have shaped our convictions and preferences. And some churches (like Faith) are large enough so that the church s official elders can t know everybody in the church (at least not very well) and vice versa. Plus, many churches today have a complexity that the New Testament doesn t really anticipate: buildings and budgets and a variety of ministries reflecting various demographics and needs. I think it s important to acknowledge that our context is very different from that of the NT. I think it is equally important to understand that the the need in the church today for the ministry of elders is essentially the same. I would put it this way: If you are a follower of Jesus, you need other spiritually mature persons who have compassion for you, who are watching your life, and who can show you how to walk with God. That is a foundational need in the life of every believer in every church in every generation. This ministry was lacking in Jesus day; when He looked out over Jerusalem He felt compassion for the people because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Every one of us needs a few others who are full of compassion toward us, who are watching our lives, and who can show us how to walk with God. As we ll see today, that is the essential ministry of an elder. This past week I was talking about today s passage with a young man in the church (in his late 20s). His comment was, I can t imagine what my life would be like if I didn t have men in my life [shepherding me]. He named off three men who care about him, look at his life, and show him how to walk with Christ. I walked away from that conversation thinking, This guy gets it. We all need that type of ministry in our lives. In a church the size of Faith, 8 or 10 or 20 elders cannot fulfill this need. We are counting on many others of you to fulfill this ministry at Faith. Of course this should happen in our families; parents are called to shepherd their kids spiritually (and in every way). Shepherding has to happen in our life groups. When Brian trains life group leaders he s very clear that we re not asking people to lead a meeting once a week; we are asking our leaders to shepherd a group of people. Shepherding also happens through Stephen Ministries, Divorce Care, and other recovery ministries. This happens through mentoring/discipleship relationships. Campus ministries tend to excel when it comes to this type of life-on-life ministry.
#16 1 Peter 5:1-5, 6/3/18 2 Today s passage has obvious implications for how an elder board should function. Our elders at Faith take this passage seriously and seek to embody what it teaches. Today I will be applying this passage to elders and to the broader ministry of shepherding in other contexts. As we consider 1 Peter 5:1-5, think about two things. First think about the possibility of shepherding others the way Peter describes. Some of you already do the work of an elder; others of you may have never considered this ministry for yourself. Second, think about being shepherded, receiving this ministry for your own spiritual benefit. If nobody else knows you spiritually, this mind seem like a huge risk. But the benefits are hard to overstate. Peter first addresses Elders, then the Church, then Everybody (elders and the church). To Elders: Shepherd the flock of God. (1 Peter 5:1-4) After spending most of his letter describing how Christians are to relate to those outside the faith, Peter describes how believers are supposed to relate to one another in the context of a local church. He addresses "elders" first: 1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, Beginning with the word therefore suggests that Peter s challenge to the elders and to the rest of the church is a logical implication of what he has just said. In order for the church to carry out the commands he's already given, elders need to function in a certain way and the rest of the church needs to respond in a certain way. In other words, what we re discussing today is vital to our mission in this world. If we are going to live in exile well, we have to embody the relationships described in this passage. Peter identifies with the elders in Asia Minor by referring to himself as a fellow elder ; he isn t asking the leadership in Asia Minor to do something he was unwilling to do. Rather, he was one who also had the heart of a shepherd and cared deeply about the people of God. Peter also mentions that he is a witness of the sufferings of Christ. Even though he initially rejected the idea of a suffering Messiah, he eventually came to see firsthand that the sufferings of Christ not only accomplished our salvation/healing but also that they also provided an example for us to follow. Everything Peter has written in this letter about imitating Christ in His suffering flow from his eyewitness accounts of Jesus. He had seen Jesus rejected by family and by Jewish authorities; he had seen the crowds turn on Jesus; he had seen Jesus arrested and crucified. Peter mentions that he is also a "partaker of the glory to be revealed." Throughout the book Peter has been emphasizing the glory that we'll experience at the return of Christ. The progression from suffering to glory is a common theme in I Peter. In verse 2 we come to the main command of verses 1-3. Peter urges the elders to:
#16 1 Peter 5:1-5, 6/3/18 3 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; In verses one and two, Peter uses three terms to describe this one ministry: elder; shepherd (or pastor), and overseer (one who exercises oversight). In some traditions these three terms are understood to refer to three different offices. But since all three are used together in this passage, it seems best to understand that they are three aspects of the same ministry. An elder is someone who exercises oversight in the lives of others. Whereas every believer has the responsibility to pay attention his/her own life, there are some who have the heart and the capacity to raise up their eyes and pay attention to the lives of others. Just as a shepherd pays close attention to the condition of the sheep (providing water, pasture, rest, protection), an elder is to shepherd the flock of God. In calling the church the "flock of God, Peter is reminding elders that the sheep belong to God Himself. Later he will call Jesus the Chief Shepherd, reminding us that elders serve at His pleasure and under His authority. No doubt Peter s conversation with Jesus that is recorded in John 21 echoed in his mind as he wrote this. Three times the resurrected Lord asked Peter, "Do you love me?" Three times Peter said, "Yes." And three times Jesus said, "Tend My lambs... Shepherd My sheep... Tend My sheep." Each time Jesus called them My sheep/lambs. The ministry of oversight in the lives of others is a stewardship; Jesus is entrusting others to you (in a limited sense) but they ultimately belong to Him. This is true in the context of parenting, marriage, mentoring/discipleship relationships, and in the church in general. After giving the command to "shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight... Peter mentions three virtues that must be present for healthy, life-giving spiritual oversight. These three virtues offset three common temptations related to spiritual oversight. The first virtue is willingness instead of obligation. Healthy spiritual oversight never flows from a sense of obligation or compulsion which says, "Well, I guess somebody has to take care of these people, so I ll do it. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, willingly became one of us and willingly showed us how to live in the kingdom and willingly went to the cross. He isn t our Good Shepherd because the Father made Him take that role. No, His shepherding flows from a deep place of compassion for us. In the same way, the spiritual oversight you and I provide others should be done willingly from a heart of compassion. I think the reason Peter mentions that an elder needs to exercise oversight with "willingness instead of obligation" is because shepherding is hard work. It s hard enough to pay attention to the condition of your own heart; it s doubly hard to pay attention to the condition of others. And it s messy and complicated and emotionally demanding. It s easy to become bitter and resentful. But ministry that flows from bitterness isn t lifegiving and refreshing.
#16 1 Peter 5:1-5, 6/3/18 4 Think of the opportunities you have to give oversight, whether in your home or among your friends or in the church. Would the people under your care say that you serve them gladly and willingly? Or would they say, I get the impression that I m a bother? The second quality needed is diligence/eagerness instead of opportunism. 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; Instead of trying to profit personally from their positions of leadership, they were to demonstrate an eagerness to serve because that's what they were called to. In the early church some elders were paid a salary (whether in full or in part) so that they could devote more of their time to their ministry (see I Timothy 5:17-18 where Paul made the not-so-flattering comparison between not muzzling an oz and paying an elder who devoted himself to preaching and teaching.) Today, those in church leadership who are paid are generally called "pastors" - but as we've seen, pastor or shepherd is simply another designation for "elder." Peter is warning against being motivated by personal gain - seeing a ministry as a way to get ahead instead of an avenue for serving God. Elders should be "eager to serve" instead of motivated by personal gain. The third quality needed is leadership by example instead of lording it over others. 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. Peter, following Jesus' lead, was condemning the world s model of leadership which said that the leader is the "boss" - the one who tells others what to do. In that model, everybody else exists to serve the interests of the leader. Jesus had told this to Peter and the other disciples thirty years earlier (Matthew 20:25-28): 25..."You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Jesus led His disciples through servanthood, not by lording it over them (even though He is Lord!). Peter reflects that approach when he says that elders shouldn't "lord it over" those under their care. Instead, elders (and spiritual leaders in general) are supposed give others a tangible example of what it looks like to be apprenticed to Jesus. Thinking back through the book of 1 Peter, this would involve steadfast hope (1:13), holiness/obedience (1:14-15), sincere love (1:22), love for God s word (2:2), excellent behavior among those outside the church (2:12), submission to civil authorities (2:13ff), selflessness in marriage (3:1-7), gracious speech, putting aside insults and threats (3:8-9), willingness to suffer for the cause of Christ.
#16 1 Peter 5:1-5, 6/3/18 5 Think about the spiritual influence you might have in the lives of others. At the core of that influence is the example of your life. We all need to have a life worth imitating. And then we need to live transparently so that others can learn from our example (both our successes and failures). In verse 4 Peter points toward the reward received by elders who serve well. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. As we ve seen throughout this letter, Peter points his readers toward the second coming of Jesus Christ. In biblical times, when the chief shepherd returned, he compensated the under shepherds for their faithful work. The compensation which elders receive is "the unfading crown of glory. It s hard to say what this crown will be; but it will involve having our glory restored in a way that is permanent. Peter mentioned this in verse 1 when he wrote that he was a partaker of the glory that is to be revealed. It is legitimate to be motivated by this future glory; it doesn t make you mercenary (as if you are serving Christ for personal gain). Glory at the return of Christ is an appropriate crown for those who are motivated by the glory of God throughout this life. With elders selflessly giving themselves away on behalf of the church, Peter urges the church to receive what the elders have to offer them. To the Church: Receive the ministry of elders (and others who invest in you spiritually) (1 Peter 5:5a) 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders... The noun translated "younger men" or "young men" is masculine; but masculine nouns were often used to refer to a group of both men and women. Peter is probably addressing "young people" because they might be less likely to submit to elders. Of course, this doesn't imply that others have the option of submitting or not submitting. What is Peter talking about? In the context of spiritual relationships, when you submit to another person you receive what that person has to offer you. In Ephesians 5:21, for example, Paul says to the entire church submit to one another in the fear of Christ. That was a mutual submission in which you receive what the other person brings to you. Instead of giving each other a stiff arm and rejecting their insights and giftedness, we receive what they have to offer. We don t blindly obey each other, but we are open to what God might do through another person. I think that s basically what Peter is saying here in verse 5: Receive what God might want to give you through your elders (and others who are in positions of spiritual oversight in your life). Let God nourish and protect you through those who devote themselves to shepherding. Learn from their example and insight.
#16 1 Peter 5:1-5, 6/3/18 6 Think about the issues in your life that cause anxiety, the temptations you face, and the doubts you have. Are you submitting to anyone else in the context of these issues? Said another way, are you receiving spiritual help from someone more mature than you? God has not designed you to handle these issues on your own. We all have blind spots. We all have areas of relative immaturity. Have you given anybody else in the body of Christ the green light when it comes to your spiritual health? To round out his discussion on how believers should relate to one another in a local church, Peter addresses everyone: To Everyone: Clothe yourselves with humility. (1 Peter 5:5b) 5... and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. This morning you went to your closet and decided, "Oh, I think I'll put on the blue shirt... That s what you show to others; that s what people see. In the same way, Peter says that we should clothe [ourselves] with humility toward one another. Clothing ourselves with humility isn t like catching a cold ( maybe I ll have humility today, maybe I won t... I never know... ). Rather, we decide, By God s grace I will put on humility today. In other words, I will consider others in the body of Christ as more important than myself. Instead of seeking only my own personal interests, I will seek the interests of others. That s what I put on this day; that s what others see. In this context of spiritual dynamics within a congregation, I can't think of a more important command. Why? Because God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. If a church is full of pride, it largely operates without the grace/help of God; it becomes basically a human institution. We can t begin to fulfill our calling and our mission without the supernatural grace of God. How do you know if a church is full of pride? If its people (both leaders and others) only care about themselves instead of each other. C.S. Lewis said, The more pride we have, the more other people s pride irritates us. Ouch. As we approach the Lord s Table this morning, I plead with you to bring yourself before God in light of the issues raised by today s passage. Are you in a position of spiritual influence in the lives of others? Are you receiving the spiritual influence of others in the body of Christ? Are you clothing yourself with humility day by day?