Faithful in our Leadership Roles
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
We are discussing the idea of living faithful lives. WE have discussed faithfulness in our interactions with our spouses, our government leaders, and so on.
Today we see another aspect. I thought about titling this sermon A Message to Myself, and I thought I should have announced it last week and told you that attendance today was optional. However, I was afraid that way too many of you would take advantage, and I would truly be preaching a sermon to myself.
So, today, there are a couple of things that I hope to accomplish from this sermon. Number one, I am inviting you as a church to examine my life and the life of David Albanese. Not in a critical, I want you to tear us apart, but rather in a way that asks whether or not we are living up to the ideals mentioned in this text. And if not, do we demonstrate an attitude that says we can be approached and talked to about the shortcomings in our lives.
Second, I would want you to ask if there are others in the church who demonstrate this attitude, and would they be acceptable candidates as elders, potential elders, in the church. We are always open to the idea of having other qualified men come along, and if they demonstrate the characteristics laid out in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, as well as the principles in this chapter, as a church, we would want to be open to the Spirit leading us to any qualified individual.
And finally, I challenge all of, especially in the leadership roles you may have in your family, in your work, and in the church, to examine your life and ask, does my life measure up? Am I displaying these leadership characteristics in my own life?
So, let’s get into the text today, and notice, first all,
I. The Responsibility of the Leader v.1-2
I. The Responsibility of the Leader v.1-2
As Peter winds down this letter, he turns his attention to the elders of the church. The word elder is not someone who is older, rather elder is a term that is used for the word pastor, shepherd, or overseer.
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, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Elders in the New Testament
The term also referred to an office or role in the early church. In Acts, Paul and Barnabas appoint elders in the churches they start and commend them to the Lord with prayer and fasting (Acts 14:23). Paul tells the elders in Ephesus that the Holy Spirit has appointed them to be overseers and shepherds for the church (Acts 20:28). He also exhorts Titus to appoint elders in Crete and gives specific qualifications that an overseer must meet (Titus 1:5–9; see also 1 Tim 3:2–7).
The functions of an elder were centered on taking care of the church (1 Tim 3:5). Elders most likely were responsible for caring for the people in the sense of administration and pastoral care (Lightfoot, Philippians, 68–69). These roles may be identified with the gifts of administration or leadership (1 Cor 12:28; Rom 12:8; Lightfoot, Philippians, 95–96).
So Peter appeals to the elders, and notice the ground on which he appeals to them as. A fellow elder. Obviously, history teaches us that Peter was in all likelihood the pastor of the church at Jerusalem, we see him in the first part of the book of Acts, assuming a leadership role. Any way you look at it, we know Peter was one of the early elders of the church.
And, then he appeals to them as a witness of Christ’s suffering. The reference to Christ’s sufferings is obviously intentional, for as the letter has made clear, suffering is the pathway to glory. Jesus Christ himself traveled the same road, and hence believers should not be surprised (4:12) that they are called to do the same.
Schreiner, T. R. (2003). 1, 2 Peter, Jude (Vol. 37, p. 232). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
And then he finally appeals to them as one who is going to share in the glory that will be revealed. His eye is clearly on the prize that is waiting for them at the end of the road. His mindset is on who is focused on the future that is ahead, not even the suffering that is imminent. Would that we all take this mindset.
And so, he challenges the elders, be shepherds of the flock of God. Why shepherds? Why not CEOs? Why not leaders? Why does he challenge them to be shepherds?
Well, we know that Jesus is the Great shepherd.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
But think about the 23rd Psalm, the great Shepherd’s Psalm. Think about what the shepherd does. He leads us to green pastures, towards quiet waters. He restores our souls and anoints our heads with oil. His rod and staff bring comfort, know that he is guarding the sheep against enemies. On and on you can go, but all of this is the job of the Great Shepherd, and of those he calls to shepherd the flock.
Shepherds are responsible to lead the flock, to feed the flock, to tend the flock, and to teach and train the flock. And Peter tells us this is what we are to do as pastors, but also as leaders in our home, our families, our Sunday School teaching, etc.
They are to exercise oversight, which is “to have responsibility for the care of someone, implying a somewhat official responsibility within a congregation—‘to minister unto, to be responsible, to care for.’ ποιμάνατε τὸ ἐν ὑμῖν ποίμνιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐπισκοποῦντες μὴ ἀναγκαστῶς ‘be shepherds of the flock of God committed to you, being responsible for the care of such and not as a matter of obligation’ 1 Pe 5:2. It is possible, however, that ἐπισκοπέω in 1 Pe 5:2 is not to be understood as designating some official responsibility but merely as a role of helping and serving (see 35.39).”
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 541). New York: United Bible Societies.
So we see the responsibility of the Leader, and then we see
II. The Attitude of the Leader. 2-3
II. The Attitude of the Leader. 2-3
We know that in life it’s not necessarily what you do, but the attitude in which you do it that counts. We’ve all seen the cartoon of the boy that’s in trouble and he’s forced to sit in a corner, and he tells his mom that he might be sitting on the outside but on the inside he’s standing up. It’s the attitude.
Peter gives us three attitudes to have and three to avoid in order to faithfully fulfill our role as leaders, as those who have responsibility to lead others’ lives. And he does this in a contrasting way. So what are they
A. Not under compulsion, but willingly.
A. Not under compulsion, but willingly.
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;
The word compulsion simply means pout of obligation, something you ought to do. The NIV translates this as because you must, but I like how the New Living Translation renders this word. They say because you must. Because you must.
Leadership should never be done out of a sense of obligation, out of a sense of I have to do this or no one else will. I pray that I will never find myself in a place where I don’t want to pastor, don’t want to teach or preach on a Sunday morning, but feel like I have to because I’m in debt or I feel responsible for my family, or I feel like I’m too old or don’t have any other skills to contribute in a different job. Let it be said that there is a willingness to serve in my life.
And may that be so in the leadership roles you have in your lives. Now, let’s be honest. Not every morning do I feel like getting out of bed and hitting the books and not every Sunday do I wake up at 2 am, so excited to get to church. There are times you don’t feel good, you’re worn out, whatever.
But the point is, we as a church, as a leader in the church, as a leader in any aspect of life, we serve in our leadership capacity with a willing heart, not out of a sense of obligation.
We serve willingly, not compulsively, we also serve
B. Not for shameful gain, but eagerly.
B. Not for shameful gain, but eagerly.
The idea behind this phrase, this contrast is that we as pastors, and all leaders in the church, should have the attitude that they want to serve, regardless of the financial or other gain that a person might make.
This does not imply that a church should support their pastoral staff. The Bible teaches something different.
In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
Nor does this imply that if God blesses your teaching or singing or whatever and a door opens for a bigger platform, or to step into a bigger role, that you should not take advantage of it. This is the parable of the talents. the man who was given five and proved faithful, was given the talent of the man who hid his talent and did not prove faithful in stewarding it.
But regardless, our attitude must never be to look for more and bigger and better and greater opportunities. Out attitude must simply be to serve and to be faithful in the role we have.
This is a contrary view that many have in today’s culture. WE have youtube sensations, instagram influencers and on and on where you can become really wealthy or influential simply through social media. And it falls prey even to pastoral leadership, church leadership. But let it not be said of us. Let it be said that we served out of a desire to serve, nothing else.
The apostle Paul talks about it when he says,
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
Our attitude should be not under compulsion, but willingness, not desirous for gain, but eagerly, and then,
C. Not domineering, but by example.
C. Not domineering, but by example.
not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
The word has the idea of lording it over. Ruling over. Reigning over someone. Jesus said,
But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
We have in this pandemic seen this fine line from political leaders where you are not sure if they are trying to protect the public health or whether they are being authoritarian, or lording over us. Part of the concern is whether or not you can meet by the thousands to protest racism, but can’t meet to worship God. It’s hard to say that a bar can’t serve potato chips with their beer, but a restaurant can serve beer with their steak and potatoes. You can do this, but not that. And it makes you wonder.
but this is what it is like when church leaders put onerous burdens on people, when there are others who won’t allow people to examine how the finances are used in the church, and we can give numerous other examples. We knew a pastor who thought the church he was pastoring should have bought him a father’s day gift and his wife a mother’s day gift, and when they didn’t, he took money and bought a new suit for himself and something for his wife.
That’s a domineering attitude. Rather our attitude should be an example.
I like the words of the Apostle Paul to the church at Thessalonica.
For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness.
Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
The responsibility of the leader, the attitude of the leader, and
The Reward of the Leader. v.4
The Reward of the Leader. v.4
Look again at verse 4.
And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Peter closes this section by letting the shepherd, the overseer, the elder know that what they are looking for is the reward that will come from the chief Shepherd. We want to see Christ, and to hear Christ say well done, good and faithful servant. That is what matters.
Paul states as much in
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
What is he saying there? The athlete trains, disciplines him self so that he can win the trophy. WE call it the Lombardi Trophy, the Stanley Cup, whatever. But we do it, not for a perishable trophy.
I’ve seen sports teams that have won their trophies and displayed them in cases. But we are not looking for that. We’re looking for the reward of hearing our Master say well done, good and faithful servant.
That’s why, when it is our turn to clean the church, we clean. That’s why, when we teach children in Sunday School, and they squirm and don’t seem to be paying attention, we keep on teaching them, week after week. Who knows but one Sunday they accept Christ? Who knows but one day they look back and say I remember this lesson and it has guided me through all my life.
So the challenge is simple. Do I, do the elders of this church exhibit this life, exhibit these attitudes, are we looking for rewards in this life, or is there a desire to hear the Master say well done?
Do we as a church have other men who exhibit this attitude?
And, in your life, whether or not you teach, or worship, or lead in a business. Do you exhibit this attitude in your life?