Living Under Spiritual Authority

The Elders

1 Peter 4:19–5:7 NIV

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Peter has been teaching the church and us what it looks like to live in a world that is so vehemently against the Lord. He continually points us to the truth that we will face suffering because of our beliefs. The very basic tenets of our faith stand in the face of the world and the world desires to destroy what we believe and if it means destroying us in the process, so be it. This is the reality of the world’s response to the things of God.

1 Peter 4:19–5:1 NIV

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:

In 4:19, Peter states that in our suffering, we must trust the Lord and believe that He is working good from our suffering. To aid us in accomplishing this monumental task, the Lord has given us elders.

In the NIV, there appears to be a clear break from chapter 4-5, but in the Greek, the opening of chapter 5 is not the word “to” but rather the word “therefore.” So Peter is saying since God desires you to trust him and surrender your suffering to His good and perfect plan, he has given us elders.

Elders is a biblical position in the church given by God to the body for the purpose of shepherding, overseeing, leading and care-taking the body of Christ. The position of elder is one that is ordained by the Lord. Elders were installed at every church in the New Testament.

Acts 14:21–23 NIV

They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

Paul and Barnabas were out preaching the gospel and seeing people converted into the family of God. They tirelessly moved from one city to the next finding the same thing. Then they pause and back track. They return to the churches that they had just established and they identified men from each church body to serve as elders over the body.

Elders refers not to the age but rather to calling. Elder refers to the maturity of the individual, which often is seen in age, but maturity does not lie in the physical growth but rather the spiritual. Elders are individuals who have been fervently seeking God for a long season and through that journey have allowed God to take root in their lives and shape and mold them intentionally. Elders are not sinless, faultless, or perfect by any means. They are works in progress like we all are. Elders should be individuals though that are further in their maturity than the mean of the body to which they serve that they might lead others toward the Lord. It is impossible to lead from the back.

Role of Biblical Elders

1 Peter 5:2–4 NIV

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Peter charges elders, to whom he sees himself, to be shepherds of God’s flock. This is a powerful description of the role of elders. The primary role of an elder is to shpeherd. Shepherds know their flock intimately, ther needs, quirks, desires, shortcomings, and the shepherd desires to meet the flocks needs even when the flock does not think that is what it needs. Elders are charged with guiding and directing the flock, watching over it and keeping it safe.

Elders are called to serve willingly. As the church, we should not see our needs, concerns, or trials as a burden when brought before the elders. You are not a burden. We do not see you as a burden. We are willing and that is why we are here. One of the greatest tools of the enemy is deceiving our hearts into believing that we are a burden to others. This mentality prevents honesty, asking for help and receiving God’s blessings.

Good elders are quick to seek the Lord, ready to serve others and are living examples of Christ. The issue in the modern church is that we have selected worldy value to determine our elders. God has always had the same guidelines, quick to seek Him, ready to serve and a living example. When we allow the world’s values to sneak into our church leadership, we end up with people who are driven by their own agenda manipulating people to fit their means int he name of Jesus Christ.

Our Response

1 Peter 5:5–7 NIV

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Our response to the help that the Lord has provided is to accept it, surrender to it, and give yourself fully to it. The church of today fails to look like the church of the first century because we as the body have failed to respond to the church as God has called us. We are hesitant to surrender and give ourselves to the church. We are inauthentic and wear masks to hide who we really are and what we are really going through. We try to clean ourselves up and appear to have it all together so as to not be a burden. This is the response of the world to clubs and secret societies. God and his family are called to respond differently. We are to be obedient to the Lord’s calling. When He says surrender, we surrender. When He says trust, trust wholeheartedly. When He says give of yourself, we do so with all of who we are.

Too many of us truly are here Sunday after Sunday in a vicious cycle of manipulation. You come to manipulate God into supporting you, meeting your wants, and filling your cup. Sadly, this is why many of you find yourselves here, broken, hurt, jaded, dismayed, spiritually empty, and lost. You will not find what you want in church because church was never about your wants in the first place. This is not Burger King, a country club or your dating network. Church is about gathering to worship God and surround ourselves with people and situations that bring us into greater alignment with Him and His plan.

So we must submit ourselves to the authority that God has placed above us. We must come to church humbly, knowing that we are in progress. We should come humbly knowing that we are horrible kings of our lives. We should come humbly knowing that God is not only desiring to mold and shape us but He is also desiring to use us to help mold and shape others.

Finally respond by trusting God. Trust God that He is sovereign. Trust God that He has tomorrow already worked out. Trust God that His plan will result in the filling of your cup that you desire, even if His plan is not to fill it in the way that you want. Trust that the final product will be what He has promised.