How we are to shepherd his flock! – 1 Peter 5:1-11
How we are to shepherd his flock! – 1 Peter 5:1-11
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 16, 2020
As look for a pastor to lead us it is vital that we find a man who can mentor and mature us as a church until Jesus returns. We live in a world where the church is dismissed, the gospel is seen as a truism, and Jesus as either a myth or at best a “good guy” who taught good stuff. Shepherding the church is tough task in today’s world and we need to look for a man who is up to the task.
The title “elder” is used interchangeably for pastor in the New Testament and here in Peter’s letter we find him addressing the early church and its leadership. The church in Peter’s day faced troubling times due to Jewish leadership seeking to destroy the gospel and the Roman authorities who wanted to squash any dissent. The church stood out because its leadership and members were different because of their faith. Shepherding the flock properly was important let’s discover why…
READ: 1 Peter 5:1-11
Michael Ray wrote a country western song that states “Real men love Jesus” and this could not be more correct than when it concerns the church’s leadership. Yet we discover that Peter taught…
I. Pastors should be mentors! (Vv. 1-4)
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
1. God was supposed to be mankind’s great shepherd but Israel refused to introduce the world to him and they had wandered away like scattered sheep themselves. In fact Peter saw himself as a pastor/shepherd. Peter’s teaching here kind of reflects Ezekiel 34:1-16 where false shepherds were contrasted with the True Shepherd. Peter is using kind of a double entendre here referring both to pastors and older believers. Elders were respected because of their age but they were also to be respected because of their wisdom and actions. Peter tells these elders to be the mentors they were supposed be so he writes, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed”. Peter knew what he was writing about because he had witnessed it! They too were “witnesses” because they now shared “in the glory to be revealed” in Jesus! Therefore these men were to be “shepherds of God's flock that [was] under [their] care, serving as overseers--not because [they] must, but because [they were] willing” as God wanted them to be! Peter had heard Jesus command him to “feed my lambs… take care of my sheep” and again to “feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17). He took it seriously. These pastor/elders were to feed the sheep (congregations) of their churches! These men were to be “examples to the flock” by “not” being “greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those” who were “entrusted” to them! Peter understood that Jesus was the true Shepherd and his sheep hear his voice and follow him (John 10:14). Those who were chosen by the Lord to be leaders in his church as pastor/elders should therefore be “examples to the flock” until Jesus returns. So “when the Chief Shepherd appears” they would “receive the crown of glory that will never fade away”! As shepherds of Jesus’ church, his flock, Pastors should be mentors!
EXAMPLE: There are a lot of voices out there who demand our attention. Each says it is just as valid as the next but they are not. While the ungodly world wants you to think otherwise those who are wolves in sheep’s clothing are liars, have ulterior motives, and have nothing of value for the Lord’s church. It is therefore extremely important that Pastors should be mentors!
Humility is in short supply in our world. Arrogance and hubris was on full display during the recent Oscars. Peter had experienced this within the early church and he taught that…
II. Young men/pastors should respect their elders! (Vv. 5-7)
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1. Just as those who were “elders” in the church should serve out of humility the “young men” of the church “in the same way” should “be submissive to those who are older.” Our world does not respect older generations thinking that they have nothing to offer. This could simply be because we were not very wise in our examples to the younger generation or that they have not been taught to have the proper kind of respect for those around them. Peter gets right to the issue for the church and reminds his readers that “All of you” meaning the entire congregation should “clothe yourselves with humility toward one another”. Paul would write the church: “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12 NIV)” because like Peter he knew as well that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humility is in short supply in our world. The church has forgotten it is to be the example of Christ in a sinful world. Again Paul would agree with Peter and write that we are to “Let the peace of Christ rule in [our] hearts, since as members of one body [we] were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:15-16 NIV)” Peter knew it was an outward attitude of what occurred inwardly and as God’s church we should “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” When the church understands that it exists only because of Jesus and it is to serve one another as it reaches out to the world around it the concerns of life fade. We can “Cast all” our “anxiety on him because” we know without a doubt that “he cares for” us! Humility is display when young men/pastors respect their elders!
EXAMPLE: I am not teaching that we should respect all senior adults simply because they are older. Both Peter and Paul were referencing the church itself and how individual believers were to respect older fellow believers. Recently I was subjected to an older man whose vocabulary consisted of every foul word in the English language. He could not string two thoughts together without using some of the most vulgar language possible. Without knowing him, I lost all respect for him simply because of how he presented himself. But Peter was not speaking about the world, he was referencing Christians in the church and therefore young men/pastors should respect their elders!
Wishy-washy behavior has become a way of life; in fact so much so that we now condone and applaud mediocre behavior. It has infected the church as well. Peter warned against it and taught…
III. Everyone should be unyielding in faith! (Vv. 8-11)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
1. Believers often forget they live in enemy territory. Not that the world is ruled by Satan (far from it) but rather a sin-fallen universe! Never forget that Satan is a created being and not all powerful. He has a beginning and he has an ultimate end coming in a “lake of fire” (Revelation 20:10). Jesus reminds us that “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. (Luke 10:18 NIV)” and that we have authority over him and his minions! (Luke 10:20) In this ungodly country we are to be “self-controlled and alert”! Just like diligent soldiers we are to be on guard always. Why? Peter tells us it is because “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” An ungodly sinful world wants to gobble believers up! Christians have an active fierce enemy who desires to destroy their faith. As we look for a new pastor there will be gossip, don’t listen to it. There will be fear, overcome it. There will be those who try to dissuade you in staying the course, ignore them. Peter writes that the only way we defeat this enemy is to “Resist him, standing firm in the faith”! As a church and as individual believers we can stand firm in our faith “because [we] know that [our] brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” We are not alone! Peter understood this well because he lived it daily. In our day and age and here in America we do not experience the persecution other believers throughout the world experience. As we look for a new pastor this is not persecution. It is not even a time for concern but one of joy and excitement. So as we pray, seek God’s wisdom, and weigh candidates we can remind ourselves that “the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast”. This is a promise for every believer and a promise for our church as well! We can be strong, confident and secure because “To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.” Therefore everyone should be unyielding in faith!
EXAMPLE: At one time we used to have a huge black walnut tree that stood out by the parking lot here at church. It was well over a hundred years old and may have been one of the oldest nut trees in the County. As magnificent and large as that tree was it had a secret. It was rotten in its core. While it was bigger around than most cars and its branches were thick and huge, it was about to come crashing down. Sadly, we had to cut it down. A church needs to guard against inner rot by standing firm in the faith and especially while we are looking for a new pastor. At this time during a time which for some may seem uncertain, everyone should be unyielding in faith!
Conclusion:
Pastors should be mentors! Young men/pastors should respect their elders! Everyone should be unyielding in faith!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2020 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 16, 2020
As look for a pastor to lead us it is vital that we find a man who can mentor and mature us as a church until Jesus returns. We live in a world where the church is dismissed, the gospel is seen as a truism, and Jesus as either a myth or at best a “good guy” who taught good stuff. Shepherding the church is tough task in today’s world and we need to look for a man who is up to the task.
The title “elder” is used interchangeably for pastor in the New Testament and here in Peter’s letter we find him addressing the early church and its leadership. The church in Peter’s day faced troubling times due to Jewish leadership seeking to destroy the gospel and the Roman authorities who wanted to squash any dissent. The church stood out because its leadership and members were different because of their faith. Shepherding the flock properly was important let’s discover why…
READ: 1 Peter 5:1-11
Michael Ray wrote a country western song that states “Real men love Jesus” and this could not be more correct than when it concerns the church’s leadership. Yet we discover that Peter taught…
I. Pastors should be mentors! (Vv. 1-4)
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
1. God was supposed to be mankind’s great shepherd but Israel refused to introduce the world to him and they had wandered away like scattered sheep themselves. In fact Peter saw himself as a pastor/shepherd. Peter’s teaching here kind of reflects Ezekiel 34:1-16 where false shepherds were contrasted with the True Shepherd. Peter is using kind of a double entendre here referring both to pastors and older believers. Elders were respected because of their age but they were also to be respected because of their wisdom and actions. Peter tells these elders to be the mentors they were supposed be so he writes, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed”. Peter knew what he was writing about because he had witnessed it! They too were “witnesses” because they now shared “in the glory to be revealed” in Jesus! Therefore these men were to be “shepherds of God's flock that [was] under [their] care, serving as overseers--not because [they] must, but because [they were] willing” as God wanted them to be! Peter had heard Jesus command him to “feed my lambs… take care of my sheep” and again to “feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17). He took it seriously. These pastor/elders were to feed the sheep (congregations) of their churches! These men were to be “examples to the flock” by “not” being “greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those” who were “entrusted” to them! Peter understood that Jesus was the true Shepherd and his sheep hear his voice and follow him (John 10:14). Those who were chosen by the Lord to be leaders in his church as pastor/elders should therefore be “examples to the flock” until Jesus returns. So “when the Chief Shepherd appears” they would “receive the crown of glory that will never fade away”! As shepherds of Jesus’ church, his flock, Pastors should be mentors!
EXAMPLE: There are a lot of voices out there who demand our attention. Each says it is just as valid as the next but they are not. While the ungodly world wants you to think otherwise those who are wolves in sheep’s clothing are liars, have ulterior motives, and have nothing of value for the Lord’s church. It is therefore extremely important that Pastors should be mentors!
Humility is in short supply in our world. Arrogance and hubris was on full display during the recent Oscars. Peter had experienced this within the early church and he taught that…
II. Young men/pastors should respect their elders! (Vv. 5-7)
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1. Just as those who were “elders” in the church should serve out of humility the “young men” of the church “in the same way” should “be submissive to those who are older.” Our world does not respect older generations thinking that they have nothing to offer. This could simply be because we were not very wise in our examples to the younger generation or that they have not been taught to have the proper kind of respect for those around them. Peter gets right to the issue for the church and reminds his readers that “All of you” meaning the entire congregation should “clothe yourselves with humility toward one another”. Paul would write the church: “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12 NIV)” because like Peter he knew as well that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humility is in short supply in our world. The church has forgotten it is to be the example of Christ in a sinful world. Again Paul would agree with Peter and write that we are to “Let the peace of Christ rule in [our] hearts, since as members of one body [we] were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:15-16 NIV)” Peter knew it was an outward attitude of what occurred inwardly and as God’s church we should “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” When the church understands that it exists only because of Jesus and it is to serve one another as it reaches out to the world around it the concerns of life fade. We can “Cast all” our “anxiety on him because” we know without a doubt that “he cares for” us! Humility is display when young men/pastors respect their elders!
EXAMPLE: I am not teaching that we should respect all senior adults simply because they are older. Both Peter and Paul were referencing the church itself and how individual believers were to respect older fellow believers. Recently I was subjected to an older man whose vocabulary consisted of every foul word in the English language. He could not string two thoughts together without using some of the most vulgar language possible. Without knowing him, I lost all respect for him simply because of how he presented himself. But Peter was not speaking about the world, he was referencing Christians in the church and therefore young men/pastors should respect their elders!
Wishy-washy behavior has become a way of life; in fact so much so that we now condone and applaud mediocre behavior. It has infected the church as well. Peter warned against it and taught…
III. Everyone should be unyielding in faith! (Vv. 8-11)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
1. Believers often forget they live in enemy territory. Not that the world is ruled by Satan (far from it) but rather a sin-fallen universe! Never forget that Satan is a created being and not all powerful. He has a beginning and he has an ultimate end coming in a “lake of fire” (Revelation 20:10). Jesus reminds us that “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. (Luke 10:18 NIV)” and that we have authority over him and his minions! (Luke 10:20) In this ungodly country we are to be “self-controlled and alert”! Just like diligent soldiers we are to be on guard always. Why? Peter tells us it is because “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” An ungodly sinful world wants to gobble believers up! Christians have an active fierce enemy who desires to destroy their faith. As we look for a new pastor there will be gossip, don’t listen to it. There will be fear, overcome it. There will be those who try to dissuade you in staying the course, ignore them. Peter writes that the only way we defeat this enemy is to “Resist him, standing firm in the faith”! As a church and as individual believers we can stand firm in our faith “because [we] know that [our] brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” We are not alone! Peter understood this well because he lived it daily. In our day and age and here in America we do not experience the persecution other believers throughout the world experience. As we look for a new pastor this is not persecution. It is not even a time for concern but one of joy and excitement. So as we pray, seek God’s wisdom, and weigh candidates we can remind ourselves that “the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast”. This is a promise for every believer and a promise for our church as well! We can be strong, confident and secure because “To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.” Therefore everyone should be unyielding in faith!
EXAMPLE: At one time we used to have a huge black walnut tree that stood out by the parking lot here at church. It was well over a hundred years old and may have been one of the oldest nut trees in the County. As magnificent and large as that tree was it had a secret. It was rotten in its core. While it was bigger around than most cars and its branches were thick and huge, it was about to come crashing down. Sadly, we had to cut it down. A church needs to guard against inner rot by standing firm in the faith and especially while we are looking for a new pastor. At this time during a time which for some may seem uncertain, everyone should be unyielding in faith!
Conclusion:
Pastors should be mentors! Young men/pastors should respect their elders! Everyone should be unyielding in faith!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2020 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
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