Shepherd Leadrship in the Church

Opening Comments:

Today we begin 1 Peter 5 in our “Stand Firm” series and with the turning of the page to chapter 5, the focus of 1 Peter shifts from the individual believer to the church corporately.

How does the the church function corporately under persecution?

The answer to that question starts with the leadership of the church. As someone has once said “everything rises and falls with leadership.”

Let’s look together a 1 Peter 5:1-4

1 Peter 5:1–4 NKJV

1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Introduction:

This may be the most critical passage in the book of 1 Peter as it is Peter’s personal message to the pastoral leaders in the churches.

Good leadership is vital in the local church, and perhaps there is no more vital time for good leadership than when under persecution.

In the Bible, there are three words that are used for the pastoral office. Those words are elder, bishop and pastor. All three of these words refer to different aspects of the same office and all three are used in some form here in the text.

Peter began his instructions by first stressing why they should listen to him. He is an elder just like they are and an eyewitness to the sufferings of Christ(v.1)

On the basis of his qualifications, he tells his fellow elders to “Shepherd the flock of God...” over which they have been given the job of leading.

Shepherd is the greek verb form of the word for pastor (poimen)

The analogy of God’s people as sheep in need of a shepherd is common all through out scripture. Sheep are just about the neediest animals in the world. They get lost easily, have no way to defend against predators, are unable to properly clean themselves, and are unable to even feed properly on grass without the help of a shepherd.

For Peter to liken a pastor to a shepherd makes a lot of since too.

Shepherding is a lowly and demeaning job do to just how dirty sheep are. Shepherds were the lowest of the low and complete outcast from even jewish society.

Understanding this analogy, opens up the rest of the meaning of the text before us.

In vs2-4 we see what Shepherd leadership is to look like in the church and why it is so important.

1. The rules for the shepherd leader (v.2-3)

The most important job of the shepherd is to feed the flock.

Shepherd is an all inclusive word that covers all the duties of the pastor/shepherd.

Guide

Protect

Restore

Reward

Seek those who stray.

However, in doing all his duties, he must never forget his primary duty which is to “feed the flock of God.”

He should spend most of his time studying and preparing to preach the Word of God. That is the primary job that God has called the pastor/shepherd to do.

“A good shepherd spends more time preparing the pasture than he does tending the sheep.”

Philip Keller, A Shepherds look at Psalm 23

He must never be distracted from this greatest task or be tempted to be lazy in this task. Feeding the flock is his primary job.

Notice though, while its the pastors job to feed the flock, it’s not his flock to do whatever he wills.

It’s the “flock of God.”

This is not my church. This is not your church. This is God’s church.

Acts 20:28 NKJV

28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Notice with me here the instructions Peter gives to Pastors concerning their shepherding of the flock:

A.) He is to willingly take the oversight. (v.2b)

While we must feel the constraint of God and our own love,

1 Corinthians 9:16 NKJV

16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!

2 Corinthians 5:14 NKJV

14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;

but we should never have to be forced or coerced to lead God’s people. We must carefully and constantly have our eyes on God’s flock all the time. There is no space for laziness and idleness in the oversight of the Lord’s flock.

B.) He is to enter into the pastorate eagerly but not for personal gain (v.2c)

No man should ever enter the pastorate just as a job, means of service, for the gifts he may receive. The pastorate is a call from God and when that call comes, we myst be eager and ready to take the oversight of God’s flock.

C.) He must remember his call is not to be a dictator but an example. (v.3)

God has given each pastor a very special task to care for and oversee God’s own flock.

The pastor is to lead it, not lord over it and he is to lead it by example not fiat.

The pastor leads the flock by living for Christ Himself. He practices what he preaches and is a pattern and example for others to follow.

Mark 10:42–44 NKJV

42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.

1 Timothy 4:12 NKJV

12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Titus 2:7 NKJV

7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,

2. The reward for the shepherd leader. (v.4)

A.) Soon Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, will return.

There is nothing that can stop His return, He will return and He will reward all those who have faithfully fed and lead his flock properly.

B.) This reward will be a crown of glory.

This crown is not a trophy for us to set on our heavenly mantle to admire, but a reward we can give back to Jesus as we cast it as his feet in worship.

It is the prayer of my heart for the Lord to find me faithful when He returns as it should be the prayer of every pastors heart.

Conclusion:

The challenge for anyone on pastoral ministry is to properly feed and care for the flock of God over which God has placed him.

That is never more important than during a time of persecution.

May we found faithful, so we can give the reward back to Jesus.