Shepherds and Sheep After God’s Own Heart

God cares for His flock through humble shepherds serving a humble people.

Intro

Shepherds and Sheep After God’s Own Heart

Today we are going to see that: God cares for His flock through humble shepherds serving a humble people.

Why do I care if I am not an elder?

This gives you all standard to hold your elders to.

This gives you an understanding of who you are to submit to in the church

We all lead and influence others in various capacities, so this gives you are pattern to follow

Peter Humbly Instructs the Elders

1 Peter 5:1 (ESV)

1 So I exhort the elders among you…

The “so” here connects it to what was previously said. If you remember, two weeks back Scott Phillips preached on the end of chapter 4 about suffering the Jesus way. By transitioning to talking about church elders here, Peter is saying that the suffering church needs leaders who are ready to suffer and serve in a Christlike manner. And so he has some instructions for them.

He could have stopped there and continued with verse 2. “So I exhort the elders among you to…shepherd the flock of God that is among you…” But he didn’t.

Instead he says he chooses to humbly relate to them and says…

1 Peter 5:1 (ESV)

1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:

He lists three things in order to humbly relate to them. He says, “guys, I’m a fellow elder - I also lead in the church. I understand the struggle. The anxiety. The pressure. The highs and the lows. I get it.

I am also a witness, literally a martyr of Christ’s sufferings. My life is testimony to the sufferings of Christ. What you suffer for His name, I have and am suffering.

And, along with you all, I am a fellow heir of the Kingdom, a partaker in the glory to be revealed when Christ returns.”

Peter doesn’t speak down to them as someone high up, in a position of power and authority, flexing as an Apostle, but he comes alongside them, puts his arm around them, as a fellow elder, and gives them some instructions that he too is living out in his own context.

In doing so, he models for them what should be true of all elders:

be living out what you call others to live out.

Don’t ask others to do what you aren’t doing or willing to do as well.

He then goes on to instruct them in what to do and how to do it.

First, what to do:

Elders shepherd and oversee God’s flock

Elders shepherd and oversee God’s flock.

Peter is addressing the elders and he exhorts them to…1 Peter 5:2” “2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight…

We find in verses 1-2 what we see elsewhere in the New Testament about leadership within the church, which is that elders are shepherds are overseers.

In Titus 1:5 Paul tells Titus “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—” and then two verses later when describing their qualifications, he says, Titus 1:7 “For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach….”

Elders are then referred to as overseers.

We see this in Acts as well. In Acts 20:17 Luke records that Paul “sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.” And as he is speaking to them he says in verse 28 “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”

The elders are overseers who are to care for, literally “to shepherd” God’s flock, the church of God, which he purchased with His blood. Also, notice the plurality of elders in the church in Ephesus.

And so back in 1 Peter, he communicates the same thing, when addressing the Elders he says they are to shepherd the flock of God by exercising oversight.

[Illustration: Shepherds in India]

As I have shared before, we worked amongst a people group in the Himalayas which were traditionally a shepherding people. Lots of sheep and goats around where we lived, and at times they would cause traffic jams. [Photo]

I loved spending time with these men because it shed light on so many Biblical stories. From David defending his flock from a bear, to the parable of the lost sheep, to Psalm 23, being with these men helped me understand the Bible better.

Observing them was also really helpful as I think about the responsibilities of pastors in a church, and it makes sense why God has given us this metaphor all throughout scripture for leaders amongst His people.

When Peter says for elders to shepherd the flock of God, that verb is pregnant with meaning.

Shepherds feed the flock - taking them to green pastures

Shepherds lead the flock - away from danger and to safety

They protect the flock - from wild animals

They pursue the flock - when one goes stray

They discipline the flock - with a stick to keep them in line and away from harm

They comfort the flock - with their presence and voice as sheep are often timid and skittish

They nurture the flock - by tending to their needs, carrying them when needed, helping them towards maturity

They know the flock- hundred of sheep and goats, yet could recognize their own

They smell like the flock - from spending so much time with them

All of these responsibilities carry over into the role of Biblical shepherds…

They Feed God’s flock with the word of God

They Lead the flock onward in God’s mission

Protect the flock from false teaching and sin

Pursue the straying

Discipline the wayward

Comfort the hurting

Nurture the flock towards maturity

Spend time with the flock and know the flock well, for they are keeping watch over their souls and will give an account for each member of the flock, as Hebrews 13:17 says

Though “shepherd” or “pastor” is a position of leadership, it is more importantly a practice of humble, sacrificial servant-hood for the sake of the flock of God. It doesn’t matter if he has the title, if a man is not doing the dirty work of day-in and day-out shepherding real people in a real proximity to him, he is no pastor.

And with that there is a word for you all as well: You can find great teaching online, amazing books and podcasts abound, but you can’t be pastored by those men. They don’t know you. You don’t know them. They aren’t responsible for your souls.

I can’t preach like John Piper, Todd might not be able to counsel like Paul Tripp, Lee’s not going to address every cultural issue as eloquently and quickly as your go-to youtube channel, we might not have an Ask Pastor Clay and Dean video series, BUT you are the flock of God amongst us. We are responsible for you. We love you. And we are committed, by God’s grace, to shepherd you all faithfully.

For you are the flock of God amongst us.

The Flock of God

As we saw in Ezekiel 34, the Lord was angry that the shepherds didn’t care for His sheep.

The people of God are His sheep, His flock, and that is why He is so particular about their care. He entrusts the shepherding of His precious sheep, to elders, overseers, shepherds.

[India shepherd hired hand] In India, at times a shepherd would need to run to town for something and so he’d leave his flock in the mountains. He would entrust them to a hired hand for the day, with the expectation that they would be cared for in his absence. If he got back and the hired hand was sleeping or had made a lamb burger out of them, he’d be pretty mad!

How much more so for God who sent His son to redeem His flock, to purchase them with His blood. The church is His flock, and it must be cared for in His way.

And so Peter reminds the elders of the churches that they are not serving their own flocks, but rather they are shepherding and overseeing God’s flock which is amongst them for now, but one day will be returned to the Chief-Shepherd.

This church is not my flock, or Todd’s flock, or Clay’s, or Dean’s or Lee’s. The church is the flock of God, which he obtained with His own blood.

Just like if you borrow someone else’s car, you are super careful with it, you want to return it nicer than you found it. The same goes with God’s flock. It is not ours, and there should be a holy fear in us that we would responsibly shepherd His flock according to His standards until He returns.

1 Peter 5:2 “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight…”

That is the what. Elders are to shepherd and oversee God’s flock. But how are they do it?

Peter continues…

1 Peter 5:2–3 (ESV)

2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

In this section Peter instructs elders how they are to shepherd with three contrasting pairs.

1. Elders must serve willingly (not under compulsion)

Why is this necessary?

Being Voluntold

[“Voluntold”] Think about the difference between volunteering for something versus being “voluntold” to do something.

Your boss is really busy right now but says that you have plenty of time to get those extra TPS reports finished by the end of the day.

There’s a new family in the neighborhood and your mom told them that you would be so happy to show them around school and sit with them at lunch.

It happens to be karaoke hour at the restaurant you at and your friends gently force you up front to sing a 90’s love song.

In situations like these, you are being “voluntold” to do something - it was kind of optional but not really, and you only do it because you have to. How’s your heart in those situations? You are not happy, you do it begrudgingly, and you want to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Elders Voluntold?

Now we wouldn’t want that with elders, right? When elders are recognized, chosen and appointed by others, they should not be ‘voluntold’ to shepherd. God does not want men begrudgingly taking on this responsibility in the church, as if they have to and they only are doing it because others told them to.

If they do that, what happens when ministry gets hard, or criticism comes, or weariness sets in, or persecution arises? They’ll say “I didn’t sign up for this! I didn’t want to do this anyway!” And they will likely give up.

So he says that elder must serve willingly, “as God would have you.”

Not as others would have you. Just as God loves a cheerful giver, he loves a cheerful, willing servant. He isn’t looking for someone to serve out of mere duty, but delight, as His Son did.

Elders must serve willingly.

2. Elders must serve eagerly (not for greedy gain)

An elder is not to serve out of desire to get, but rather an eagerness to give.

Since the beginning of the church, there has been a temptation to make the office of elder a means to an end of financial gain, exploiting people for a profit.

When an elder serves for what he can get out of it: be it financial gain or anything else like status or attention or praise or respect or power, he uses God’s people for his own selfish ends. And God will not be mocked. This was one of the indictments we saw in the Ezekiel passage.

Shepherds are to seek the good of the Sheep, not themselves.

When the money is tight, and the appreciation is low, and the criticism abounds, if you are in it just for what you can get out of it, you’ll give up quickly.

Being seen and known and loved and served by God frees a man up to joyfully serve others for their gain even if he is not seen or known or recognized or compensated for it.

Elders must serve eagerly.

3. Elders must serve as examples (not domineering)

James and John were in Jesus’s inner circle, and they expected to be in positions of greatness and honor in His Kingdom. But in Mark 10 Jesus showed them that the path to true greatness is much different than the world…

Mark 10:42–45 ESV

42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

He says you are acting like the world. You want to be great so people will respect you and serve you and you can flex your power, but that is not the way of kingdom.

[leadership image]

Someone drew this triangle diagram for me many years ago and I have found it to be helpful when thinking about leadership.

The triangle on the RIGHT is typical, top-down leadership seen in the world. And the triangle on the LEFT is servant-leadership found in Jesus’ upside-down kingdom.

In wordly leadership, you push others down so that you can rise up and lord it over them.

In the upside-down Kingdom of God, you work your way down serving others, lifting them up and empowering them.

In wordly leadership, those underneath serve you and your purposes.

In the Kingdom, leaders sacrificially serve others and lead them towards God and His purposes.

Worldly leadership expects quick results and demands it on their timeline

Kingdom leadership is patient and trusts the power of grace to change people on God’s timeline

In worldly leadership, leaders seek praise, glory, and honor for themselves, and find others to blame for problems.

In the Kingdom, leaders give honor and praise where it is due when things go right, and accept responsibility when things go wrong.

Leading this way follows the example of Christ, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant…” It follows the example of Christ who got down and washed feet - who came to serve, not be served.

And leading this way gives others a godly example that they want to follow. There is no need for domineering or manipulating - People want to follow leaders who stick close to Jesus, who look like Jesus, who serve like Jesus, who can humbly say with Paul, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.”

This is not perfection. Both in righteousness and in repentance elders should be examples for the flock.

And at the end of the day the elders, as with any believer, cannot say “look how great I am” but rather we sing “yet not I but through Christ in me.”

[Transition] So that is the what and the how of shepherding and overseeing — Elders are to shepherd and oversee the flock willingly, eagerly, and by example.

Next Peter motivates the elders as they lead with a promise of future reward. Look at verse 4:

1 Peter 5:4 (ESV)

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

Elders Will be Rewarded by the Chief-Shepherd

The logic of the passage is this: If you shepherd willingly, if you oversee eagerly, if you set a godly example for the flock, then when Christ, the chief-shepherd returns, He will give you an unfading crown of glory.

In the first-century Greco-Roman world, a wreath of leaves, or a crown of leaves, was often placed on the heads of those who won athletic competitions or the victors in military conquests.

Peter says you too will receive a crown for your grace-fueled work, but unlike the beauty and glory of the crowns that we receive from the world, this one will be unfading.

You might not receive recognition or praise or honor from men, you might be rejected or even face persecution from others, but if, by His grace, following His example, you faithfully lead as a shepherd after His own heart, you will be rewarded.

Todd, Clay, Dean, Lee, and Lord willing, those whom we presented today, under the chief shepherd, serve faithfully unto the end and He will reward you.

After giving instructions to the elders, Peter turns his attention to the rest of the church.

Instructions to the “younger”

1 Peter 5:5 (ESV)

5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders.

Because elders are usually older and by necessity more mature in the faith, it makes sense that Peter would now address the younger and less spiritually mature folks in the church.

So he says “be subject to the elders, submit to them.”

As we saw in chapter 2 and 3, to submit is to voluntarily place oneself under the authority of another. Those who are younger may be more likely to be headstrong and resistant to authority. So Peter instructs them specifically saying they need to humbly place themselves under the leadership of the elders for their own good. It is God’s design for the church and for your flourishing.

But this applies to everyone, right? We saw earlier that submission is the responsibility of all believers to those in authority. And we all need this instruction because we all have a bent towards independence and we don’t like to be told what to do. We want things our own way. We want to be in control.

And Peter’s exhortation here presses against that and reminds us that submitting to godly leadership is a matter of obedience unto the Lord. He is the chief-shepherd. He places under-shepherds amongst His flock. And He calls members to submit to them willingly.

You can’t be obedient to the Lord and be unsubmissive to godly leadership.

And the same goes for me. One of the blessings of a plurality of elders is that I am called to submit to my pastors as well, as we mutually submit to one another. I am not a lone ranger calling the shots. I don’t want that. You don’t want that. And in order to be an example to the flock, I too need to humbly submit to the elders.

You who are younger, all of you, all of us, be subject to your elders, for your good and the glory of God.

Lastly. How is this going to be possible? What posture amongst leaders and members is necessary for this to even work?

1 Peter 5:5 (ESV)

…Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Leaders and Followers are to Display Humility

Humility is essential for a thriving, God-honoring community. Like an engine with no oil, a church without humble leaders and humble members will grind to a halt, locked up by the friction of pride and self-interest.

And so Peter follows up his instructions to elders and those who may be resistant to leadership and says “All of you listen to me - put humility on display. Clothe yourselves in it.”

I want to close out our time here today answering three questions about humility, because if we get this right, the other stuff falls into place.

1. What is humility?

If we are to clothe ourselves with it, we should know what it is.

In this verse we see pride and humility contrasted. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” This helps us understand humility because the Bible has a lot to say about pride.

Throughout scripture we see that…

Pride is self-exalting, over God and over others.

Pride is self-relying and independent, saying I don’t need God or anyone else.

Pride is self-glorifying, seeking a name for myself

Pride is self-ruling, where I am in control, it’s my way or the highway, and no one is going to tell me what to do

Pride is self-obsessed, whether I only think of myself because who else would I think of?!

As Puritan Thomas Watson put it, “Pride seeks to ungod God.”

—

Humility, on the other hand, is not thinking of yourself more highly than you ought but with sober judgment. It is an accurate view of self in light of God and others.

Not an inflated view of self, but also not self-hating or self-loathing, which can just be prideful way to get attention.

As CS Lewis says, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”

Humility says I am a creature, He is Creator. All that I am and all that I have is a gift.

In contrast to pride, then, humility:

Exalts God

Relies on God

Glorifies God

Submits to God

As Andrew Murray says, “Humility is the displacement of self by the enthronement of God.”

When God is on the throne, we can have a proper view of ourselves and others and then live like it.

Which leads to our next question:

2. What does it look like to clothe ourselves with humility?

That’s interesting language, isn’t it? He isn’t just looking for an internal disposition of humility, as important as that is. He wants humility to be seen, to be on display in the community, like a garment.

Just as none of you decided to come to church naked today, the believer is called to clothe him or herself with humility each day.

Jesus was gentle and lowly. He was humility on display, so looking to Him gives us a practical picture of what Peter is calling us to. We could go many places in the NT, but let’s just look at Paul’s descriptino in Phil 2.

Philippians 2:3 “3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

1. Humility looks like counting others more significant than yourself

Doing nothing from selfish ambition or conceit

Not pushing my own agenda. Not making a name for myself. Not living just to take, take, take.

I am not more important than you. I am not better than you.

Philippians 2:4 “4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

2. Humility looks like considering others’ interests, not just your own.

I wake up in the morning and I think a lot about me. We are great at thinking about ourselves and caring for ourselves.

When we put on humility we take that same level of concern and put in into others and their interests and needs.

Philippians 2:5–8 (ESV)

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

3. Humility looks like serving, even when it isn’t easy

Pride wants to be served. But humility inconveniences itself for the sake of others.

Humility goes low, does the dirty work, washes feet, is willing to be wronged and mistreated for the sake of others.

When you are getting ready for the day, you think through what’s on the schedule, what meetings you may have, where you need to go, who you are going to see, and then you dress accordingly, right?

Imagine if you thought through your day and did the same thing with the garments of humility.

Lord, I have a hard conversation with my boss today. I know his arrogance annoys me, but really, it is just rubbing up against my own pride. Help me to humbly consider him more significant than myself.

God, I’m having lunch with that friend who seems to always have some problem in her life. Help me to humbly listen and put her interests and needs first.

Jesus, my kids are impossible right now. Help me to enter this day humbly, ready to serve them because I know it isn’t going to be easy. Help me to not pridefully expect perfection because I know I don’t have that same expectation for myself.

As elders, Lord we have some big decisions to make. Help us put your Kingdom and the interests of all members first. Help us to humbly keep severing when it isn’t easy.

As members, God I just want to check out and not show up for GCG or church. I know that it is prideful because I am saying I don’t need God’s people, I don’t need help. But I do. And I know that there are other people who need my presence. Help me put their interests first.

Imagine a church like that. But how is it possible?

3. How is it possible?

First, own up

to our pride and arrogance. Self-exaltation. Self-reliance. Self-obsession. Self-glorification is sin.

Second, open up

to receive grace. God opposes, is against the proud. But he gives grace to the humble. Pride as its fists clenched. Humility opens them to receive all that God is for us in Christ Jesus.

Third, look up.

Trust Jesus’ ability to produce humility in and through you

Jesus was humble for us as a substitute

And now He produces it in and through us by his Spirit. "Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones

A friend was asking me the other day, “How can I be humble?” He felt there was pride in him, and he wanted to know how to get rid of it. He seemed to think that I had some patent remedy and could tell him, “Do this, that, and the other and you will be humble.” I said, “I have no method or technique. I can’t tell you to get down on your knees and believe in prayer because I know you will soon be proud of that. There’s only one way to be humble, and that is to look into the face of Jesus Christ; you cannot be anything else when you see him.” That is the only way. Humility is not something you can create within yourself; rather, you look at him, you realize who he is and what he has done, and you are humbled

Whether it be shepherds leading or sheep following, may we be a people that put the humility of Christ on display.