1 Peter 5.1-4
God’s Men for God’s Flock
1 Peter 5:1-7
Turn on Tape, Turn on Microphone
Introduction:
When the world looks for a leader, it looks first and foremost for someone who is smart, flashy, good with finances, naturally talented. Someone who can take a corporate disaster and turn it into multi-million dollar enterprise. Someone with superb skills in the art of managing people.
But when God looks for a leader, he looks for something entirely different. There’s a reason for this.
In the church, there’s an entirely different dimension. That is the spiritual dimension. One cannot master it by going to school, one cannot master this dimension with talents. One can’t even master this dimension with personality.
When God wants to raise up leaders for His church, He wants more than just human talent. He wants Divine giftedness, spirituality, character.
This morning we want to discuss the subject of spiritual leadership in the church.
1 Peter 5:1-4 (read it)
We see three things in this passage in regards to elders.
Verse 1 presents the reason for having elders
Verse 2 shows the responsibility of elders (vs. 2, 3)
Verse 3 talks about the reward of elders (vs. 4)
I. The reason for having elders (vs. 1)
A. Peter begins the fifth chapter by exhorting (or encouraging) the elders in his audience. The Greek word “presbuteros
B. In this passage it refers to someone who holds an official position in the church. The officially recognized men who see to the care of the church.
C. But now, where do we get our modern concept of elders; how they come to be and what they do?
1. Just a few observations:
a. The concept of elders, atleast in part stems from the days of the Old Testament. Israel had certain men who were elders. They were responsible for the oversight of the nation. They were mature leaders. They were responsible to make decisions. They were to see that justice was served. They played a very vital role in the direction and future of the nation. These elders of Israel.
b. Carry that over to the N.T. and we see that these elders of Israel are often mentioned in the gospels along with the priests and the chief priests and the scribes.
c. When the church came onto the scene, it appears that the concept of elders carried over in part from the nation of Israel.
d. In the early church, we see a number of things about elders:
aa. To begin with in Acts 14:23- elders were first appointed by the apostles
bb. Acts 15:2- The elders in the early church helped decide what was proper practice in the church. Some people had been teaching circumcision for salvation. The elders decided otherwise. They guarded sound doctrine.
So the modern-day concept of eldership is not a new one. It’s rooted in the authority of the Old and New Testaments. It is rooted in the authority of the apostles. It was practiced in the early church.
Is every minute detail the same? Probably not. However the objective is the same.
So when the board of elders meets together, it’s not a just a business meeting. Will business be discussed? Yes! Will areas of finance be discussed? Yes! But each subject discussed is for the spiritual welfare of the church. The testimony of the church. The spiritual health of the church. It’s a spiritual meeting, not a business meeting!
2. Notice that Peter exhorts (or encourages) them as a “fellow elder”- I believe that this is very important. Why?
a. There are some who feel that Peter was the 1st pope to ever exist. But Peter doesn’t say that. Peter says look, I’m just a “fellow- elder.”
b. While he was an apostle, he was humble. He was even known to err (though never in his recording of Scripture). In his life, he fallible, human. He was not the first pope.
c. He called himself a “fellow elder.”
d. And so it is with the elders in any church. Biblical elders, though supernaturally called of God are going to make mistakes. Not perfect. They don’t know all the answers.
You know why it’s important to keep this in mind?
Because it gets the leadership of any church off the pedestal. Godly men don’t want to be on that pedestal. They don’t want that kind of pressure. It also keeps people from becoming critical when elders don’t do everything exactly perfect, or don’t know all the answers.
It kind of reminds me of the story of two ministers (but it could just as easily be two elders).
A Baptist Minister and a Presbyterian Minister are sitting next to each other on a long flight from LA to NY. The Presbyterian leans over to the Baptist and asks if he would like to play a fun game. The Baptist just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks.
The Presbyterian persists and explains that the game is real easy and a lot of fun. He explains “I ask you a question, and if you don’t know the answer, you pay me $5. Then you ask me a question, and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll pay you $5.”
Again, the Baptist politely declines and tries to get to sleep. The Presbyterian, now somewhat agitated, says, “Okay, if you don’t know the answer you pay me $5, and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll pay you $50!”
This catches the Baptist’s attention, and he sees no end to this torment unless he plays, so he agrees to the game. The Presbyterian asks the first question. “What’s the distance from the earth to the moon?” The Baptist doesn’t say a word, but reaches into his wallet, pulls out a five dollar bill and hands it to the Presbyterian.
Now, it’s the Baptist’s turn. He asks the Presbyterian “What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down on four?”
The Presbyterian looks up at him with a puzzled look. He takes out his laptop computer and searches all of his references. He taps into the air phone with his modem and searches the net and the Library of Congress. Frustrated, he sends e-mail to his church— all to no avail. After about an hour, he wakes the Baptist and hands him $50. The Baptist politely takes the $50 and turns away to try to get back to sleep.
The Presbyterian, more than a little miffed, shakes the Baptist and asks “Well, so what’s the answer?”
Without a word, the Baptist reaches into his wallet, hands the Presbyterian $5, and turns away to get back to sleep.
The elders don’t have all the answers!
But they are still appointed by God to work in the church to the best of their abilities.
D. Peter calls himself a “witness of the sufferings of Christ.
1. The idea is not just an eyewitness, but a witness who proclaims the sufferings of Christ.
2. And one thing about Peter; he had truly had part in the sufferings of Christ. He was arrested, imprisoned away from family and friends, threatened.
3. He had undergone suffering as a fellow elder
E. He also says that he would one day share or partake in the glory when Christ returns.
Now imagine how this must have made the elders of the various churches to whom this letter was addressed. They were facing persecution, and here Peter says, “look, I’m familiar with suffering, but I also know that one day I will partake of great glory.”
There are things that go along with service to the church as a leader. Being an elder has its own set of privileges, joys, and good things. And it has its own set of challenges.
Paul spoke of the daily concern he had for the churches under his care (2 Corinthians 11:28).
Phillips Brookes says it like this:
“To be a minister to men [which by the way is what elders are] is always to accept new happiness and new distress.”
This is not a complaint, it’s a fact! It’s not something that a church bemoans, it’s a challenge we embrace!
So that establishes the reason for elders. Why do we have elders? Because that is the system that God has ordained. It’s been in existence since the early church.
II. The responsibility of elders (vs. 2, 3)
A. “Feed the flock of God”-
1. It’s interesting that Peter likens the church of God to a flock of sheep.
2. He says, “feed God’s flock that is among you.” That is, the part of God’s flock that exists in this location. God has a grand flock which is world-wide. The believers at Sutter Salem Bible Church are just one portion of that flock.
3. Peter says, “tend the sheep.” It’s the same command that Christ gave Peter after the resurrection. Christ said, “Peter, do you love Me? Then tend My sheep!”
4. The idea is giving good wholesome, nutritional spiritual food, protecting from outside attack (particularly of false doctrine), it even means to manage or rule over. Moving the sheep to the most ideal pasture for growth and nutrition.
5. He also says, “take the oversight” of the flock.
Illustration:
I have a friend who is a sheep rancher. He moved on to his ranch about 7 or eight years ago. When he first moved there he had a very difficult time, because he was losing sheep right and left. He had certain types of weed on the place that was poison to the sheep and just had all kinds of other trouble. One of the things he did was bought some big white Pyranees sheep dogs. They were huge. He would turn the dogs loose and they would go protect the sheep. He had one that he said would even chase down coyotes. Their job was to bond with and guard the sheep.
Not to belittle the role of an elder, but I believe that it’s similar to the role of those dogs. To bond with the flock, to keep a sharp eye out for the enemy. To keep things running smoothly and in a spiritually healthy fashion for each believer in the body.
And this means every member of the body, young and old, man and woman, boy and girl. Seeing to the needs of each member, meeting the needs.
6. Peter also gives the motivation for doing so. One is not to do it because he has to (is forced into it), but because he wants to. “Willingly.”
1 Timothy 3:1 says, “If anyone desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”
It’s all about one’s desire to serve God. The end of verse 2 says to do it with “a ready mind.” That is, with eagerness.
B. Don’t do it for selfish motivations (vs. 2b)
1. “Filthy lucre”- There have been a couple of suggestions as to what this could refer:
a. One idea: Refers to stealing the money which was set aside for the poor.
b. The second idea: Refers to doing it solely for any pay one might get for serving the church. It appears that in the early church they were already giving financial support for those whose oversight of the church kept them from earning money to live on otherwise. He says, don’t do it only for the money. Do it willingly for God.
The principle of application is this. The office of eldership is never to be used for selfish personal gain. Never to become a vastly wealthy person, or to get one’s own way. That is an abuse of the office.
C. Notice there is another abuse against which Peter warns (vs. 3)
1. The abuse of lording one’s authority over others
2. Make no mistake, the biblical authority is indeed there in the hands of the office of the elder.
3. But it is never to be abused by looking down on the sheep in one’s care. Never beating or abusing the sheep.
4. Rather, being an example. Instead of manipulating and strong-arming, and wielding the club to get the sheep to move, the biblical shepherd leads by example.
a. The word example means a figure
b. Or pattern. An impression made by hitting something. The leadership of a church is a role model for the church.
Albert Schweitzer states, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It’s the only thing.”
So these are some of the responsibilities of the eldership
Feed the flock- exercise the oversight
Don’t do it for selfish motivations
Lead by example
III. The reward of the elders (vs. 4)
A. The time-
1. When the Chief Shepherd appears- In ancient writings “Chief Shepherd” seems to refer to a particular shepherd who had a number of shepherds under him.
2. So Christ is the Great, “Chief Shepherd” of the sheep, and those who are elders in God’s flock are the lesser shepherds.
3. They are under His supervision. It is He Who will give them their reward when He comes
4. This seems to be the “glory that shall be revealed” of which Peter speaks in verse one.
B. The reward
1. “a crown of glory”- was a wreath or garland which victors in games wore. It was an honor. Crowns could also be worn in conjunction with a wedding.”
2. It was made of leaves or flowers. They would fade as time went on
3. The crown which the faithful elder will receive will never fade away.
4. It will be a time of great honor. A time of recognition by Christ. A time when that particular elder is recognized! Imagine that!
5. There’s nothing like it. We can’t even come close to knowing how that’s going to be!
So this morning we’ve seen:
The reason for elders
The responsibility of elders
The reward of elders
Are we supporting our elders:
realizing they aren’t perfect, don’t have all the answers
but they do fill the position of shepherds in this portion of God’s flock
Do we pray for them?
Are we critical of them?
We must never forget that the eldership is very important in God’s eyes.