Leading through Suffering - 1 Peter 5:1-7

Introduction

Peter is now in the home stretch of his epistle.

His primary theme has been the Christian journey of suffering to glory, this blessed and beautiful exodus of Christ’s people from the wilderness of this life to the glory of the New Promised Land, the New Eden, the new heavens and the new earth, where we will receive an eternal and glorious inheritance.

Peter is not merely concerned with the esoteric. His vision for the Christian life in the new Exodus is not one of mountain-top navel contemplation. It is not one of social and theological isolation. Rather, Peter expects Christians to be Christians publicly, even in the midst of persecution and suffering, responding with grace and gentleness so that God’s glory might be magnified among the Gentiles.

Twice Peter draws a direct connection between the suffering of the Christian and the suffering of Christ, demonstrating that our path from suffering to glory reflects and follows His, and the more closely we follow Him, the more likely we are to suffer, and the greater the taste of glory in the final day.

So as he closes, he gives some practical advice to these scattered churches and to our church today, as he answers the question: who leads us through suffering? Yes, we acknowledge Christ’s supreme lordship over His church. But who are His stewards here on earth, and how do they help lead God’s people through suffering to glory? That is Peter’s focus as he begins the final section of his letter.

We will orient our discussion tonight around Peter’s three audiences in verses 1-7.

What are the three groups that Peter addresses in verses 1-7?

The elders, the young men, and all of you.

So let’s begin with Peter’s address to the elders.

The Elders - 5:1-4

What type of statement does Peter make in verse 1?

An exhortation. An exhortation is an authoritative call or summons. It’s a gentler way of issuing a command. No less firm in it’s content, but stated more gently.

Who are the objects of this exhortation?

The elders are the object of the exhortation. Now a quick study of the New Testament usage of this word yields fuzzy and varying results. The best way to understand it is simply as an older or more mature person, in it’s broadest sense. It is used to describe both older men and older women, the aged, and the elderly. It’s also used to describe the Jewish religious leaders in the Sanhedrin. It’s also used primarily by Paul to designate an office or role in the church.

We can say with confidence that Peter intends this last meaning in this passage. How? Simply according to what follows. The responsibilities commanded by Peter for elders are official responsibilities to be taken up by those men whom Albert Martin describes as “the gifts to Christ’s church, given by Christ, to lead the church in Christ’s name until He returns.”

This is not a class on ecclesiology or church leadership, so we will leave our definition at that, but as we continue through Peter’s train of thought we will see with some clarity what the official roles and responsibilities of the elders of Christ’s church are.

On what authority does Peter issue his exhortation?

Peter gives three lines of authority:

He is a fellow elder - Peter can speak with authority to other elders because he is one. Peter’s qualifications for the office of elder are apparent throughout the record of the book of Acts, and the fact that he writes two epistles and is the eyewitness behind one of the gospels provides ample evidence that Peter can speak to elders as an elder.

He is a witness of Christ’s suffering - Not only does Peter have authority as a qualified elder, he has authority as an eyewitness of Christ. Peter was there. He saw the betrayal. He saw the flogging. He saw Christ hanging on the cross. He can speak with authority about Christ’s suffering because he was there. These churches would do well to listen to Peter about suffering because he has seen it and he has lived it.

He is a partaker of future glory - Just as Peter saw Christ’s suffering, so he also saw Christ’s glory in the resurrection. He was the second one to the empty tomb. He was there when Christ appeared in His glory to the disciples. He was there at the ascension. Peter can say therefore with confidence that, as Jesus rose to glory, so I will rise to glory. His participation in the future glory of Christ’s church validates his exhortation.

To summarize then: we need to listen to Peter. If we haven’t already figured it out, he speaks with authority the authority of an elder, of an eyewitness, and of a partaker. We must listen to Peter, whether we are an elder, a young man, or part of the “all of us” group, he has earned our attention.

I believe there’s something to be said here about how we think of the Bible and it’s human authors. Do we submit to the authority of the Bible without wavering? Do we take it’s exhortations to heart? The Bible is not a book of suggestions. It’s not one path of many to get to the divine. This is the inerrant, infallible, unbreakable, sufficient written Word of God to us, given so that we might be transformed into the image of Christ, the inerrant, infallible, unbreakable, sufficient living Word of God to us.

What is the first part of Peter’s exhortation?

Shepherd the flock of God among you.

The first responsibility of the elder is that of a shepherd. Now this isn’t a class on church leadership so we won’t dive deep here. But I do want to make a few observations about the usage of this word in the New Testament, and it’s particular significance for Peter.

The word shepherd is poimenos in the Greek, and it’s almost exclusively translated shepherd.

The notion of shepherds and sheep is central to the imagery of Christianity. Many central figures in the Old Testament were shepherds, including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses for a time, and David. The birth of Christ was announced to shepherds. The shepherd imagery is used in places like Genesis 49, Psalm 23, Psalm 28, Psalm 78, Psalm 80, Isaiah 40, and Ezekiel 34 to prefigure the ministry of Christ, who, as we know, pronounces Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10. And as the story goes with much of the rich Old Testament imagery that finds it’s fulfillment in Christ, the imagery of shepherding is applied to the church in the New Testament after Christ’s ascension. This is where the rubber meets the road for Peter, because he is the first person after Christ to receive what we may rightly call a shepherd’s commission. Let’s turn to John 21:15-19 and someone read that for me.

John 21:15–19 LSB

So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep. “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”

We can see clearly then that what Peter says here in chapter 5 comes straight out of his direct commission from the mouth of Christ to shepherd His sheep and tend His lambs. So Peter effectively is the first undershepherd, the original pastor, and He was commission to be such by Jesus Himself.

It is therefore with great authority that Peter can make this exhortation to the elders to shepherd the flock of God among them.

So what does it mean to shepherd? We can approach this from both the imagery perspective as well as from the linguistic perspective. Let’s discuss this.

What are some things that shepherds do for their sheep?

Care - sheep need care to maintain good health.

Protect - sheep are not able, typically, to defend themselves. So they need someone to protect them from danger.

Lead - sheep wander. They need someone to set the example for them, someone to follow.

Guide - sheep are foolish. They need to be shown the way.

Peter intends for this analogy to translate almost one to one to the church and her leaders.

According to Peter then, those who lead God’s church: her elders, her pastors, her shepherds, are to care for the spiritual health of God’s people. They are to prepare weekly feasts in God’s Word that nourish the flock. They are to apply the balm of God’s wisdom to the wounds of the flock. They are to care for the health of the church both as a whole, and individually.

Likewise, the leaders of Christ’s church are to protect the sheep. The world, the flesh, and the devil pose immanent threats to the flock. The shepherd is responsible to, when necessary, wield the rod and sword to defend the flock from these foes.

Leaders of Christ’s church are also to lead the flock. They are to set the example in Godly behavior, being the first to step in and serve, committing themselves to behavior that is above reproach in all things.

Finally, they are to guide the flock of God into the green pastures of sound doctrine and upright behavior.

What is the second part of Peter’s exhortation?

Oversee the flock of God among you.

This word in the Greek is episkopeo, and it is where the American brand of Anglicanism, known as Episcopalianism, gets it’s name. It’s a rare word in the New Testament, only occurring four times, and only occurring once in this particular context of church leadership.

However, when we look at the early church fathers from the second century into the fourth century, we see that it is a favorite term of theirs to describe the mission and ministry of the leaders of the church. The term has protective overtones, much like the word shepherd, and also smacks of leadership and responsibility.

What these twin terms, shepherd and oversee, tell us about the mission and ministry of the leaders of God’s church is this: the leaders of God’s church must lead from both the front and the back. What do I mean by this? A shepherd leads from the front, by setting the example and being the first to lay the hand to the plow of humble service. But an overseer leads from the back, equipping his flock to walk worthy, and to “self-lead,” as it were. A good elder is one or the other, a great elder is both. I’m thankful that we have great elders here at West Hills Church, who are able to lead from both the front and the back.

Peter now gives us a triple contrast to help us understand how the elders of Christ’s church shepherd and oversee the flock.

How do elders shepherd and oversee?

Not under compulsion, but willingly.

The elder of Christ’s church ought to be a willing leader. If you have to force someone into this role, Peter says that it’s a sign they shouldn’t be in the role at all. Paul says elsewhere that the leaders of Christ’s church “aspire” to the office, and that is what is in view here.

Leaders in the church need to be intentional and purposeful and willful about their role. An elder who only leads because he feels like he has to is setting himself and his church up for poor health and is not being faithful to the pattern set here by Peter.

Not for dishonest gain, but with eagerness.

This is important for us to understand. There are many church leaders out there today who push their way into church leadership because they look at it as a quick way to make a buck.

Think about it. Putting yourself into a position of spiritual authority, telling people whatever they want to hear, and then telling them God will bless them if they give a bunch of money to your “ministry,” is actually a recipe for great wealth and prosperity. It’s the reason guys like Kenneth Copeland and Creflo Dollar and Joel Osteen and Todd White and Oral Roberts and Joseph Prince even exist. Let me tell you as plainly as I can: these men have positioned themselves as leaders of God’s church for the purpose of dishonest gain.

Let me put this another way: men who try to get into ministry or positions of leadership in the church because it’s a way to make a quick dollar ought to be put out of the church swiftly and permanently.

But dishonest gain can take other forms. Perhaps you want a leadership position in the church because you want the feelings of power and authority. Perhaps you think that being in ministry will allow you to indulge in your laziness because you’ll only have to work on Sundays. Perhaps you want to be perceived as a person of status in your community. All these things fall in the category of dishonest gain in the ministry.

So how does Peter contrast this? Not for dishonest gain but with eagerness. This is an interesting word ad might be better translated with passion rather than with eagerness. Simply put, the leaders of Christ’s church are to lead with passion, with vigor, with energy.

Let me put it this way: an elder in Christ’s church ought to be so passionate about Christ, about His Word, and about His people, that he would do what he does for free. That ought to be his mindset. Now we affirm with Paul that the worker should be worthy of his wages and that we should not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain. But that’s a command for the flock, not a command for the shepherd. As a leader in Christ’s church, the moment you get a thought in your mind along the lines of “Well, at least I’m getting paid for this,” that’s the moment that you need to take a sabbatical and evaluate your continued fitness for the office. Let me give you an example from my own life. About a year ago, I was beginning to get a little weary. Those thoughts began to cross my mind. So I asked Scott if Zach could take over the Sunday school class for a few months so I could get married, recenter, and refocus. That time was critical for me in my role here, because it helped me recenter, refocus, and regather my energy and my passion for teaching and serving our church and I came back as eager and passionate as ever to serve in my role here at the church. As a side note, this is why sabbaticals are so important and need to be part of every church’s agreement with their elders and leaders. Rest and recuperation help extend and energize your church leadership.

Not lording it over, but being examples.

Finally, elders and leaders in Christ’s church are not to lord it over their flocks. Implicit in this wording is the acknowledgement that Godly elders in Christ’s church acknowledge that Christ Himself is the Lord over His church, not them.

In any position of leadership, it is tempting to puff your chest and throw your weight around. It’s tempting to build yourself a little cult following. It’s tempting to sit in your office and stand at the pulpit and promote a high view of yourself. It’s tempting to position yourself as a little king over your kingdom.

This is what I call the mega-church syndrome. Implicit in the notion of massive churches, and by massive I mean more people than the pastor can know by name, is that the main preaching or teaching guy is so good and so valuable and so this and so that, that the goal should be to continue to grow around this one guy rather than training up other equally qualified, though perhaps less magnetic, men to plant and lead sister churches. That opens the door to another part of my ecclesiology which is a discussion for another time, but suffice it to say that this mega-church mentality is contained within Peter’s sense here when he warns the elders not to lord it over their people.

No elder is lord over his flock. Christ alone is the great shepherd, and the great elder submits himself and his personality and his magnetism to Christ.

The opposite of lording it over for Peter is being an example. Again we have a principle of leading from the front. A great elder shepherds and oversees not by casting down edicts ex cathedra, as it were, but by setting the example for the flock. The great elder ought to be the first person to step in and serve when there’s a need. The elder ought to be the most financially supportive of the mission of the church. The elder ought to have a well-managed household, setting the example for other men in the church in what it means to be a good husband and a good father.

Peter’s exhortation to the elders concludes with an appropriate and poetic ending:

1 Peter 5:4 LSB

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Shepherding and overseeing willingly, with eagerness, as an example to the flock will yield eternal reward.

I want to point out some implications of this text, targeted at three groups.

First, we have some older men in the room who have been commissioned by God and by this church to serve in the office of elder.

I want to encourage you to take these qualifications from Peter to heart. Meditate on them and allow them to refresh you as you think about God’s calling upon your life to serve our church in this way. Look forward to the unfading crown of glory that awaits you when the Chief Shepherd appears.

Second, we have some young men in the room who aspire to the office of elder.

I want to warn you to take these qualifications from Peter to your hearts. Weigh seriously the pattern demonstrated here. None of you are elders yet, but start thinking like one now. Guard yourself from compulsory behavior now. Guard yourself from dishonest gain now. Guard yourself from lording it over others now.

Third, we have the rest of us in the room, who don’t aspire to the office of elder.

Take a long and hard look at these qualifications. Soak in them and tumble them around in your minds until you are intimately familiar with them. These are the things you are looking for in your leadership as a church. I want to urge you in no uncertain terms: weigh me against these qualifications. Weigh Pastor Scott against these qualification. Weigh Ron against these qualifications. Weigh Kirk against these qualifications. As a conscientious Christian and as a member of West Hills Church, you each have a sacred responsibility to hold your leaders to the standard to which Christ and the Scriptures hold your leaders. Do not take that responsibility lightly.

This concludes Peter’s exhortation to the elders. He now moves to a second target audience, a second object of exhortation.

The Young People - 5:5a

Who are the objects of Peter’s second exhortation?

The young men (LSB, NIV, NASB) or those who are younger (ESV)

What is the content of Peter’s second exhortation?

Be subject to your elders.

Now there is some question here about who the object actually is here. The LSB, NASB, and NIV all say younger men, with the implication that older men, older women, and younger women, all groups addressed elsewhere in the New Testament, being excluded. Both Wayne Grudem and Tom Schreiner point out that the ESV rendering of “you who are younger” is preferable because the word is used as a mixed-gender generic term elsewhere in the New Testament.

So why does Peter specifically urge the young people to be subject to their elders?

Grudem:

1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary 2. Younger People (and All Others): Be Subject to the Elders (5:5a)

It is probably because the younger people were generally those who would most need a reminder to be submissive to authority within the church (and there is no need to restrict this to ‘young men’, NIV, or ‘younger men’, NASB, since the masculine plural noun would be used to refer to a mixed group of men and women as well). This would not imply that the others were free to rebel against the elders, but quite the opposite: if those who are likely to be most independent-minded and even at times rebellious against church leaders are commanded to be subject to the elders, then it follows that certainly everyone else must be subject to the elders as well.

Schreiner:

1, 2 Peter, Jude (1) Exhortations for Elders and Younger Ones (5:1–5)

The younger in particular, then, should submit (hypotagēte) to the leadership of the elders. We have seen elsewhere that Peter understood submission as the responsibility of believers to those in positions of authority (cf. 2:13, 18; 3:1, 5). The purpose is not to encourage obedience no matter what leaders might say, for if leaders give counsel that contravenes God’s moral standards or violates the gospel, then they should not be followed. Nor is the verse suggesting that leaders are exempt from accountability before the congregation. We have already observed that elders are admonished not to use their authority as dictatorial rulers but are to serve those under their charge. Conversely, those who are under leadership should be inclined to follow and submit to their leaders. They should not be resisting the initiatives of leaders and complaining about the direction of the church.

Peter thus provides a word of exhortation to the young people: commit yourselves to submitting to the leaders of your church. If they shepherd and oversee in the manner Peter describes in verses 1-4, they have earned your respect, they have earned your trust, and you owe it to them and ultimately to the Chief Shepherd to follow their lead.

I speak from experience when I say that it’s easy to think you’ve got sound doctrine and the Scriptures and the life of the church figured out as a twenty-something, but as I’ve gotten older, I realize that everything I thought I knew 5 years ago, I actually know nothing about.

So Peter issues a word specifically to our college students tonight: honor, respect, and trust the leadership of your church. As those who shepherd well, Peter exhorts you to follow their leadership and put yourself behind their direction. God has given them to you for your good.

The Whole Church - 5:5b-7

As Peter approaches the end of this letter, he now gives the first part of a final word of instruction to these churches, and also to us.

Through the end of verse 7, Peter issues three commands. Let’s look at these.

What is Peter’s first imperative for the whole church in verse 5b?

Clothe yourself with humility toward one another.

How does Peter validate his first imperative?

He quotes from Proverbs 3:34, which says that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. As Peter has done at every major juncture of his book, he validates his major points by appealing to the Old Testament, and this is no different here.

The call to humility goes hand in hand with Peter’s previous encouragement to these churches to love one another fervently. One cannot love in the fullest and truest sense without also being clothed in humility.

This also connects in the more immediate context to the idea of submission to elders in the church context. Not only are we to be subjected to the good leaders God has placed over us in the church, we must also be subject to one another, acting in humility.

Humility also fosters unity. Paul tells us that in Philippians.

Philippians 2:1–4 LSB

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, fulfill my joy, that you think the same way, by maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, thinking on one purpose, doing nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind regarding one another as more important than yourselves, not merely looking out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Let me be as clear as I can here. A healthy church is a humble church, because a humble church is a loving church and a humble church is a unified church.

If the dispersed and scattered Christians, being hunted by the government because of their beliefs, were to survive onslaught of persecution, according to Peter they must be unified and they must be bound up by love, and the only way to do that is through humility. As we prepare ourselves to face the onslaught of our day, it is time to put away petty squabbles. It is time put away silly fights. It is time to forgive, put the needs of others first, and center ourselves around Christ and Scripture. This is the surefire, Biblical way to build unity and strength as a church. Make no mistake, the onslaught is coming. Will we be prepared for it by pursing unity and strength through humility?

The whole Christian life, from start to finish, happens according to humility. Repentance is an act of humility. Faith is an act of humility. Christian obedience and holiness is an act of humility. And in response to that, God gives grace. God lifts up. God exalts. As Christ humbled Himself and inherited glory, so we also, in His name and by His power, must humble ourselves and will then, like Christ, inherit glory.

That is the grace that is given to the humble, which leads us straight into our next imperative.

What is Peter’s second imperative?

Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.

In addition to horizontal humility, the Christian life is also centered on vertical humility. I would argue that the two go together. Humility with your brothers and sisters goes together with humility with your God, and vice versa.

The whole Christian life, from start to finish, happens according to humility before God. Repentance is an act of humility. Faith is an act of humility. Christian obedience and holiness is an act of humility. And in response to that, God gives grace. God lifts up. God exalts. As Christ humbled Himself and inherited glory, so we also, in His name and by His power, must humble ourselves and will then, like Christ, inherit glory.

Notice that Peter is clear here with the timing of this. Humility is not a secret key to power and exaltation and glory in this life necessarily. Humility will result in exaltation, but that exaltation is only guaranteed in eternity. Peter’s promise that God will exalt us is in keeping with the promises of exaltation given in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 2:7 LSB

‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’

Revelation 2:11 LSB

‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will never be hurt by the second death.’

Revelation 2:17 LSB

‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’

Revelation 2:26–29 LSB

‘And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Revelation 3:5–6 LSB

‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Revelation 3:12–13 LSB

‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My God, and he will never go out from it anymore. And I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Revelation 3:21–22 LSB

‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

This is the exaltation that awaits the Christian who clothes themselves with the humility of Christ, both toward others and toward God.

What is Peter’s third imperative?

Cast all your anxieties on the Lord.

What is the motivation for the third imperative?

God’s fatherly care for us.

The tight lexical and grammatical connected between verse 6 and verse 7 demonstrate that casting your anxiety at the throne of grace is an exercise in humility, and the converse is also true - committing the sin of worry and anxiety is ultimately a manifestation of pride. Worry and anxiety are born out of the mindset that either God is not powerful enough to take care of your problems, or He’s not good enough to care, and so you’re wracked with fears and worries and anxieties. So we can see here fairly clearly that worry and anxiety is born out of a failure to rightly consider and understand who God is and what He does. Simply put: worry and anxiety are a result of bad theology.

That’s unpopular today. Many armchair psychologists want you to believe that worry and anxiety are mental disorders that should be treated with drugs and therapy. Peter and Paul and Jesus tell us that it’s a baldfaced sin issue. The question becomes this then: will we cast our worries and anxieties and fears on the Lord? Will we trust that He is good enough and powerful enough to deliver us from the temptation to worry and fear about our lives?

So what’s the antidote to fear? What’s the solution to worry? What’s the secret sauce for anxiety?

Four things:

Reflect on the visible care that God has for His creation.

Focus on pursuing the will of God in the world.

Matthew 6:25–34 LSB

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? “And who of you by being worried can add a single cubit to his life span? “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Submit your worries to God in prayer.

Reflect on the good, the true, and the beautiful.

Philippians 4:6–9 LSB

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is dignified, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, consider these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

So let’s summarize:

As a church, we need to pursue three things:

Humility toward one another

Humility toward God

Casting all our anxiety on God

As we pursue those three things, God will bless us in three ways:

A consistent outpouring of sustaining grace

The hope of future exaltation

The ever-present knowledge of God’s care for us.

Conclusion

This text provides further instruction for us in how the church ought to conduct itself as it walks through this life of suffering, looking forward to the life of glory to come.

Elders are to shepherd and oversee with willing hearts, passionate to serve God’s people by serving as examples of Godliness to them.

Young people are to submit to that leadership as to the Lord, trusting that God gives leaders as good gifts to His church.

All members of Christ’s church are to clothe themselves with humility toward God and toward one another, not worrying but trusting that even in the midst of trial and suffering, God sees, God cares, and God acts. He will pour out His grace. He will exalt His people in the last day. He will care for his people as a shepherd cares for his flock.

May we be encouraged and spurred on to walk worthy.