Persecution, Pastors, and Promise

Introduction

Degradation of Society

Loss of Respect for our Elders

Kid from previous ministry positions years ago who beat up his grandpa (a church member), because the grandpa refused to continue to allow drug addiction to be facilitated and go on in his house.

In October of 2023, three girls ranging in age from 12-13 years old were arrested for beating a 64 year old man, in Washington D.C., who died before police or first responders arrived on the scene.

Loss of Respect for Authority

Assaults on police officers reached a 10-year high in 2023, with 79,000 attacks recorded by FBI statistics. Of those, 60 officers were killed as a result of these increased assaults.

In 2021, the earliest statistics I could find, 1 in 10 educators in the U.S. were physically assaulted in their capacity as educators.

Loss of Respect of Religious Leaders

Some of this loss of respect, like the other categories, have been earned by unethical, dishonest, and tyrannical tendencies among small groups of elders, authority figures, and religious leaders as well.

But, there’s more to the massive decline than a few bad apples, which have always existed.

In early 2024, Gallup conducted a survey and found that less than a 1/3 of Americans viewed religious leaders as ethical and honest.

Less than half of Americans in 2024 are associated with or belong to a church, of any kind or denomination.

There is also massive growth in the cohort of people in the U.S. who don’t identify with any faith at all.

Only 32% of those surveyed considered the reputation of religious leaders in their local area to be a positive one.

In contrast, back in chapter 2, Peter spoke against all of these attitudes among the believers:

1 Peter 2:13–17 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”

In 1 Timothy, Paul instructed young Timothy that:

1 Timothy 5:17 “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”

This is the topic of tonight’s text. Peter addresses what it looks like for elders/pastors/overseers/under-shepherds to “rule well” in the context of intense persecution.

Scripture

Let’s dig into tonights passage:

1 Peter 5:1–5 NASB95

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, 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; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Body

I. The Empathy of Peter (v. 1)

The Shared Purpose of Peter’s Plea - “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you…”

“exhort” = ask for earnestly, beg, plead, urge, or encourage.

ILLUSTRATION: Tony Robbins - Described as the motivational speaker for motivational speakers, or the self-help guru of self-help guru’s.

Likewise, Peter, functioning as a sort of Elder to the Elders, exhorts his fellow elders to faithful leadership in the face of persecution (which we’ll get to in a moment.)

The Shared Position of Peter’s Plea - “fellow elder…witness of the sufferings of Christ…partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed…”

Primary Association: Fellow Elder

Announcement of Degree Change

PhD in Practical Theology to Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Sympathy vs. Empathy

Peter doesn’t sympathize, or feel sorry for the elders, he empathizes, so he can honestly step into their shoes and understand exactly what they’re going through as he exhorts.

Secondary Association: Witness

Note: “Witness of the sufferings of Christ” pointed to Peter’s tremendous failure during the hours leading up to Jesus’s death on the Cross.

Perhaps an acknowledgement that he is a fellow elder who, even as an apostle, has not fully arrived at Christlike perfection.

Tertiary Association: Fellow Follower of Christ

Obviously a reference to the second coming of Christ, like many others throughout the epistle of 1 Peter.

II. The Responsibilities of Elders (v. 2-3)

Shepherd the Flock - “shepherd the flock of God among you…”

The shepherding metaphor is important for pastoral leadership in the NT. At the end of the day, the behavior of church leaders in the time of crisis could encourage or discourage the flock.

The leaders, once known, would also be the first targets of search, capture, torture, and execution.

One commentator summarized the pastor/shepherd’s duties to include:

To guard the flock from all dangers (the poison weeds of false doctrine, the pitfalls in the path of duty, the pernicious ways of ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing)

To gather the flock into the fold (caring for their health and safety)

To watch with great care over everything that regards the welfare of the flock

Jesus sums it up best:

John 10:14–15 ““I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

John 10:11b “…the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

While this may not be a call to physical death on behalf of the Church, it is certainly a call for the pastor to die to himself. It is to commit his own life to care for the spiritual needs of the flock entrusted to him.

As the shepherd guards, gathers, and watches over the flock, so the pastor is called to commit his life to doing the same for the church entrusted to him.

Exercise oversight - “exercising oversight…”

Three positive/negative comparisons used as instructions for faithful pastoral leadership:

“not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God…”

Definitions:

“under compulsion” = out of obligation, by force of will, or because it is a must (‘I have to do it, I guess, because nobody else will…’),

“but voluntarily” = whole-hearted desire, willingly, of one’s own volition, purposely, or deliberately.

Balancing necessary:

“not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God…”

1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”

James 3:1 “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”

Leadership that is ‘not under compulsion, but voluntarily’ must be balanced with the honor and the danger of pursuing leadership.

As I’ve witnessed in my own life, and I’ve heard Bro. Jeff say from this pulpit, there are many days in ministry leadership were a firm grasp of your calling to ministry is the only thing that keeps you from quitting and going to work at the local factory.

This ‘calling’ is what it means to oversee “voluntarily.”

“not for sordid gain, but with eagerness…”

Definitions:

“not for sordid gain” = shameful greediness, dishonest gain, embezzlement

“with eagerness…” = eagerness to do the work, willingly working.

Key points:

Eagerness is a big picture word for pastors. It is a long-haul term that describes the overall tone of a pastor’s shepherding.

Without eagerness or willingness to do the work, pastors have a tendency to drift toward a harmful approach to ministry.

‘Sordid Gain’ does not imply that elders were being paid at this time, though that is perfectly within reason according to NT writings.

It means that pastors shouldn’t serve for opportunities to make personal gain from ministry, whether monetary or otherwise.

It could also be political gain, social gain, influence gain, power gain, relational gain, etc.

ILLUSTRATION: Congressmen/women using their role for their own fame and following rather than to serve their constituents.

In other words, the pastor should not use his position as a stepping stone to bigger and better things.

Leadership that is ‘not for sordid gain, but with eagerness’ means that the pastor is not driven to excellence by his status influentially, relationally, socially, financially, or politically.

He serves as a faithful leader willingly and eagerly as long as the Lord gives him charge over those allotted to his charge.

“nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”

Definitions:

“nor yet as lording it over…” = oppression of those under them, bossing others around, delight in the use of authority, dictatorship

“examples to the flock” = model or pattern to be copied (e.g. sensitivity to needs, affection for the flock, authenticity and integrity of life)

Key Points:

Pastoral leadership should not be sought out to boss people around, but to exemplify the character of Christ to those under their charge.

Pastors should not be oppressors in their leadership, but examples to be imitated.

Perhaps this is the reason for the stricter judgment of pastors/teachers noted in James 3:1.

What a task the pastor has!

Who in here would like to volunteer to be the example of Christlikeness that everyone in the room should follow? Any takers?

Helpful thought to consider, and one that I’m reminded of often in the midst of my failures:

What would Christianity accomplish in the next 10 years if every Christian in the world suddenly looked, talked, and lived exactly like you?

Does your answer bother you? If you’re like me and it does….don’t let it pass. REPENT AND CHANGE!!!

If nothing else, this passage should drive the members of the flock to stay in constant prayer for the pastor. He needs it.

III. The Recompense of Faithfulness (v. 4)

[Recompense = to give something to by way of compensation (as for a service rendered).]

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The Appearing of the Chief Shepherd - “And when the Chief Shepherd appears…”

“Chief Shepherd” is a rare Greek term that occurs nowhere else in the New Testament or Septuagint.

Reminder to church leaders that they are fundamentally servants, not autocrats.

Church leadership positions are a responsibility, not a privilege by which they advance their own status.

Church leadership serves under the authority of the Chief Shepherd, doing His will rather than theirs.

“appears” points to a theme of the 2nd Coming of Christ found throughout the epistle, in every chapter.

Peter’s ‘already-not yet” paradigm

The Rewarding of the Under-Shepherd - “…you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

“unfading crown of glory” derives from the Greek word amarantinon.

amarantinon means “of amaranth”

Amarantinon is the namesake of a flower that was believed, at this time in history, to be one which never withered.

This flower was set in opposition to the laurel leaves that were often used to create crowns for athletic victors.

The laurel leaves were well-known to wither and fade quickly.

So, the unfading crown of glory, whatever it may be, is a reward that is imperishable, unwithering, unfading, eternal, and indestructible.

Peter, as he’s done for every instance of suffering covered in this epistle, encourages pastors to remain faithful by pointing them to the eternal reward waiting for them at the appearing of Christ.