The Pastor is A Shepherd

Introduction

Good morning please turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter 5:1-4 that is 1 Peter 5:1-4. The text for this morning will be found in page 1016 if you are using one of the Bible’s spread throughout the chairs. That is page 1016, 1 Peter 5:1-4.

In modern non-agricultural culture we have often glorified the work of a shepherd. We think of calm scenes in which meek shepherds, usually portrayed by children at Christmas, tend to little lambs. And while it is true a good shepherd knows where to be gentle with his sheep, we also need to remember that the image of a shepherd in the first century was far from glamorous. Shepherds were blue collar, they spent a lot of time alone in unpopulated areas, they worked with smelly animals, they dealt with dead lambs, sick sheep, dangerous predators, and spent a lot of time outdoors, away from civilized society. They were seen as rough uneducated men, who from time to time might even steal from innocent travelers. And yet, elders/overseers/pastors (we see again in this passage that these are interchangeable terms) are often compared to shepherds. Jesus, himself tells us he is the Good Shepherd in John 10 and as we read this morning the Lord is our Shepherd.

So what does it mean for a pastor to be a shepherd? Why use the image of a blue collar, dirty, smelly, herdsmen to describe the Lord, Christ, and the local elders of a church? What do we need to know about the demeanor of elders as we consider that an elder is a shepherd? Let’s read 1 Peter 5:1-4 and then take a look at three realities of an elder’s shepherding ministry.

Read 1 Peter 5:1-4

An Elder Shepherd’s Through Suffering v. 1-2a

1 Peter 5:1–2 “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: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, ….

The book of 1 Peter is written to suffering Christians throughout Asia Minor. Peter writes to people who are suffering unjustly because of their faith in Christ, and he is writing to instruct them in how they are to suffer well. The book is grounded in the gospel in chapter 1, the gospel is applied to suffering that takes place in everyday life in chapters 2-3, and in chapters 4-5 Peter concludes this “how to manual on Christian suffering” by addressing the church.

In chapter 4:7-11 he addresses church members and encourages them to continue to love one another as they suffer together. They are to show hospitality to one another and use their spiritual gifts for building one another up. Christians are to endure suffering together.

And then in verses 12-13 of chapter 4 Peter tells his readers 1 Peter 4:12–13 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” Do you see the overlap between those verses and our text this morning? Peter is telling these Christians that they will suffer for the faith, but they are to remain steadfast because one day they will rejoice in the revealed glory of Christ. Peter calls himself a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker in Christ’s future glory. He sees himself as one of them, not as being above them. Peter then explains in chapter 4 that God is using their unjust suffering, suffering for doing good as Christians, as a way to purify his people before they stand before God for judgement. And this judgement will start with the household of God. God uses suffering in the lives of his people to ready them for his final judgement.

So when Peter addresses pastors/elders he addresses them as being one of them, as one who was a witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has hope in the future glory to be revealed. This is the context that in which the command to shepherd the flock amount you is birthed out off. The command to shepherd God’s people is planted into the soil of present suffering and the hope of future glory. Why?

Because Christians will suffer unjustly, and Christians need examples of faithful living in their lives. Therefore, pastors must prepare themselves for suffering if they are to take on the mantle of pastoral ministry. Pastors are to be a living example for the flock, and you cannot be an example of faithful suffering if you have not endured suffering faithfully. What makes a pastor? Study of God’s Word, time in prayer, moral purity, and pain. They will not know how to care for the humiliated if they have not been humiliated, they will not know how to care for the brokenhearted if they have not been brokenhearted.

Now, there is no way to quantify all of life’s experiences and we cannot know if a man has suffered “enough” to be a pastor. But every pastor needs to acknowledge that his God ordained suffering is purposeful. God uses the pains of life to prepare all of us, especially pastors for the future judgement of God. Men who pastor will be like Peter. They will be men who know what it means to witness and experience the suffering of Jesus, and to do it while placing their hope in the future glory of Christ.

Peter identifies himself as a fellow elder who has witnessed Christ suffering and will also partake in his future glory… Yet we know the story about Peter and how he was unfaithful witness to Christ suffering in the Gospels. When Jesus was undergoing his trial Peter denied Jesus three times. He did not endure suffering well. His hope was not in the the future glory of Christ. And yet, we also know that God used that very failure in Peter’s life. When Jesus meets with Peter after his resurrection in John 21 he tells him three times, what Peter says here, shepherd the flock. Peter gives a command to these fellow elders that was first relayed to him by Christ. And it came to him, not in his moment of victory but this command came to Peter in the midst of his failure and restoration. God uses even our humiliation to prepare us for our future calling.

You see, Peter did remain the man that denied Christ, but in the book of Acts he is a changed man. He is beaten with rods, imprisoned, and undergoes trials himself before the same religious leaders he cowered from in the Gospels. And in Acts he is an example of endurance and Christian strength when he says to his persecutors Acts 5:29–31 “But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

Pastor’s shepherd as men who bear witness to the sufferings of Christ and experience suffering themselves, while holding on to the hope of the future glory to be revealed in Christ. And this makes them potent in ministry. It enables the elder to look to his flock and say, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Don’t be surprised by suffering, instead remember God is using it and something better is coming. Elders shepherd through suffering as God uses suffering in the lives of His people.

And as Peter gives this command to shepherd God’s people he then explains how the elders are to shepherd and exercise oversight.

An Elder Exercises Oversight Willingly v.2-3

1 Peter 5:2–3 “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; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.”

Peter gives clear instruction in how an elder is to perform oversight in three not but statements. Not this way, but this way. First the elder is to not exercise oversight under compulsion but willingly. The elder is to want to do the job. 1 Timothy 3:1 “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” It is good to want to be an elder. Yet, this is tricky because all of us can want good things too much. Yes, the elder cannot be forced into the roll by the church or other elders. They need to take the role willingly, but they need to take the role soberly. Understanding what it really means to be an elder. It means to be an example of suffering, it means to live a holy life, it means to continue to faithfully lead your family, be a good witness for Christ to outsiders, and it means teaching the truth even when people want their ears scratched. It doesn’t mean desperately wanting to be on stage and preach, it doesn’t mean he really wants to make all the decision and have all the details about every decision made in the church. These are haughty aspirations for power and influence. They are not the same as the aspiration to shepherd God’s people through suffering. Elders must be willing in their duty, and they must have a clear understanding of the role. The willingness to be lay down their life and their desires for the sake for the sake of the people is what it means to be willingly as God would have you. When God took on flesh, he laid down his life as a ransom for many, and it did it willingly. Elders must be willing to die to self for their people.

And if they are willing to lay down their own wants for the people they lead they will not use their authority of influence for shameful gain. Pastors can and should be paid 1 Corinthians 9:14 “In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” And yet, they can’t do ministry for the sake of money. Money cannot be the primary motivator for being called to pastoral ministry. 1 Timothy 6 we told of men who long to gain materially from “godliness.” Paul says this 1 Timothy 6:6–8 “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” Elders serve eagerly when they are contented with their material goods that the Lord has blessed them with through the generosity of their flock. We must remember 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” Elders who take the role for the sake of material gain, will be pierced with many pangs. It is dangerous to allow the love money to motivate the aspiration for ministry.

And while the love of money is alluring there is another passion that hides in the background of pastoral ministry. A passion that will lead to the destruction of the elder and the church if it is not rejected, and that is the passion for power. The pastor cannot domineer over those in his charge, but instead must live as an example to the flock. Power is intoxicating to any mortal man. Humans long to admired, revered, and dare I say worshipped. This is as old as Adam and Eve who took of the forbidden fruit because of the false promise of the serpent that said if they ate of it they would be like God. The exercise of oversight is not the same as the exercise of dominance. A my way or the highway type of attitude in a pastor is dangerous. Pastors do not demand obedience to their will, but rather they point their people to the will of God by living as examples before the flock.

A pastor must embrace humility or he will never make it to the end of his life as a faithful pastor. And this end, is what the pastor lives for.

An Elder Lives for His Crown v. 4

1 Peter 5:4 “And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

An elder lives his life and conducts his ministry knowing that there will be and end to both life and ministry. And at the end comes judgment before God. All churches and all pastors are temporary. Pastors must shepherd as if they could die at any moment. We pastor knowing we are not guaranteed tomorrow and therefore we desperately long to pastor in such a way that will please the chief Shepherd.

While in the day to day of life it might seem like other pressures are more important, this is the ultimate aim of ministry: the pleasure of Jesus Christ. When we shepherd the flock, elders must do so not to impress the world, their church members, or even each other. They shepherd the people willingly, eagerly, and as examples so that they might stand before the chief Shepherd when he comes. Jesus is coming back for his church and he will judge the living and the dead! Therefore, we must always remember that this church is not my church, or your church, this church belongs to Jesus. That is the “right” thing to say while preaching isn’t it? This is Jesus’ church, not my church.

But what about when things don’t go our way, when the church votes to spend money that you the individual don’t particularly agree with.. the money that you gave “cheerfully” suddenly becomes your money, rather than God’s money. When the people won’t follow the pastor where he wants to go, suddenly they are all wrong and only he is right. When an elder is out voted in the elder’s meeting and needs to come behind the decision of his fellows pastors for the sake of the church these are moments when we really this belief on display. Is this Christ’s church and will He ensure that it is protected even if you think things are not going in the right direction? A firm belief that the church belongs to the Chief Shepherd frees us from panic when the church makes a misstep. When a fellow leader gets it wrong or your pastor makes a mistake and needs a little grace. If we function like this church is all ours and that we build it up, then we are doomed to become frantic in the exercise of our duty as pastors and as church members. But if we know that is true when it says, Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” or that Matthew 16:18 is true when Jesus says, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” or that this text is true when it tells us that Jesus is the Chief Shepherd then are free to trust in the Lord’s Sovereign hands. Its his church and he not worried about it, not for one second. He made a promise to build his church, and he will fulfill it. Our church, Redemption Hill Church, is temporary. Unless Jesus returns soon, our church might not see His appearing. And my goal is to plant a church that out lives me. Even with that goal, it is a but a vapor. There is no one who can make a factual claim that any church Paul planted is still around. And yet, the church marches on 2,000 years later and has infiltrated every populated continent. Why? Because Colossians 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” Everything including local churches. This is His church. He will as he pleases, our job is to seek his pleasure.

And if we do that then we will receive the unfading crown of glory. I do not believe that elders get special crowns. Rather I believe Peter is alluding to the crown that all faithful Christians will one day bear, that is the crown of eternal life. It just so happens in the of a pastor that the faithful discharge of pastoral duty is a part of general faithfulness in his life. God sovereignly appoints pastors through faithful congregations, and pastors are to live faithfully through the faithful exercise of their calling.

A pastor lives as all Christians are supposed to live. We live with eternity in mind. We conduct all of life not just knowing that Jesus will return to judge the world and present Christians with the crown of eternal life, but placing all of our hope in that truth. The only hope for faithful pastoral ministry turns out to be the only hope for faithful husbandry, the only hope for faithful parenting, the only hope for faithful employment, the only hope for faithful citizenry… the only hope for a faithful life is to live knowing that one day we will be partakers of the glory that is to be revealed! We must live knowing that one day that the chief shepherd will appear and present us with the unfading crown of eternal life. Your very heartbeat in this life as a Christian is the be the same heartbeat of the pastor that we might all say with the apostle Paul, 2 Timothy 4:8 “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

Conclusion

As we conclude our series of What is a Pastor? And we get ready to vote to affirm Kendall as an elder at our church I pray you have a clear vision for a pastor. I pray you see that pastors are imperfect men who are sculpted by their weaknesses and failures into mature leaders. I pray you see the importance of faithful teaching, and how the teaching ministry of a church is ultimately a reflection of the hearts of the listeners in the church. That those who love God’s word will seek teachers who display the same love for His Word. I pray you see that a pastor is ultimately a godly man who lives an upstanding life of Christian character. We all need pastors in our lives, even other pastors. This is why plurality is so important. I need an pastor in my local church, you need pastors to guide you as well. And these pastors ultimately point us to the chief Shepherd of the flock. I pray that you would see that the shepherd that we need most is the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s pray.