Elders Are Given to Shepherd Your Soul

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1 Peter 5:1-4 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: 2 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; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Suffering is not fun.

Enduring suffering is not natural.

Reacting to suffering in obedience to Christ is not our initial response.

So, we need help to live the way Christ has called us to live.

Opening Prayer

Peter’s Credentials

Peter graciously stresses his right to be heard.

He was an Apostle

An eyewitness of Jesus’ sufferings and death

As an Apostle, Peter can speak with authority.

He was an elder (Jerusalem Church)

He knew what it meant to shepherd a church through suffering.

As an Elder, Peter can speak with experience.

He was to be a partaker of Jesus’ glory (4:13)

He had suffered himself for being a Christian.

Therefore, he will partake, as promised, in glory himself.

Peter is not an Ivory Tower leader...

He’s a leader that “rubs elbows with the people.”

He’s not only one of the people.

He’s one with the people.

There’s no room for ivory tower leadership in Christianity.

Leaders are not meant to lead from a lofty room in a tall tower...

Isolated from the people…unapproachable.

No, Peter is appealing to the church elders as a fellow elder of a suffering community and as someone who has suffered himself for the name of Christ.

What is an Elder?

An elder is a leader in the Church.

This role is commanded for the NT church.

When the word is used for an office of the church it is used in the plural...

Meaning the church should be led by a plurality of elders.

When we see the word elder being used it most often signifies the dignity of the office.

Paul gives us a glimpse of what an elder is in...

Acts 20:17-18 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them:

Acts 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

So, elders are to oversee the church.

The word for oversee is episkopos, which is where the english word bishop is derived.

So, a function of the elder is to bishop/oversee the congregation...

Or oversee or manage the church.

The NT places great importance on the office of elder...

Acts 14:23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Titus 1:5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—

You can see the importance and urgency in the heart of the Apostle Paul that each church have elders in place for the benefit of the church.

There’s such an importance on the office that God actually warns the church of taking their elders for granted.

1 Timothy 5:17-18 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

are over you...same word used in 1 Timothy 5:17-18 when speaking of the elders who rule.

So, God says that the elders are to be esteemed by the church.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Leaders...same word used in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 to esteem the elders who are over you.

Obey the esteemed ones, the elders.

Why? Because they are ordained by God to keep watch over your souls.

Elders are appointed by God to oversee your souls with the goal of pointing you to Christ in every way possible.

And, when the church cares about their elders...

And, when they care about the physical, emotional, and spiritual welfare of the elders...

They can oversee the church and the souls of the church with JOY.

Now, Peter gives the church elders a charge in the form of a command...

And, in it we see...

The Role of a Shepherd

1 Peter 5:1-4 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: 2 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; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Peter would remember fondly the instruction of His Lord...

When Christ restored Peter after his denial.

In John 21, Jesus said to Peter feed my sheep & tend my sheep.

To shepherd means to tend…we get pastor from the latin word for shepherd...

So, pastoring or shepherding is a function of the elder.

Besides feeding, it includes caring, leading, guiding, and protecting—all duties and responsibilities a shepherd has for his flock.

Peter commands the elders to shepherd the flock of God.

First, and of utmost importance, we take note that the church is the flock of God.

God is the Chief Shepherd and the elders are to be the under-shepherds of the God’s people.

The elders are stewards of God’s flock.

And, as stewards, the elders are tied to shepherding according to God’s guidelines.

Elders must joyfully pursue to lead the church and shepherd the church in the way God prescribes.

God says we are to shepherd his people.

Psalm 23 pictures the Lord as a shepherd to his people.

In John 10, Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd...

The Lord who feeds his sheep, seeks the lost, gathers the scattered, and heals the wounded.

And, He commissions men to become shepherds under Him.

So, elders are to shepherd God’s people:

By feeding them a steady diet of the Word of God (preaching/teaching/counseling)

By going after those who may be straying from the path Christ has set us on (sin is tempting…we need gracious accountability)

By tending to the wounds that this world inflicts on us as we live in this fallen world (applying the healing ointment of the gospel)

Peter tells us the manner in which we are to shepherd God’s people.

He gives us the command to shepherd and then two verbs that describe the attitude and manner of godly shepherding.

The first is by exercising oversight...

Again, that word for oversight is episkopos/bishop...

A function of being the elders is to exercise oversight over the flock that God has entrusted to them.

But the elders are not to just exercise oversight...

It is to be a willing oversight.

Being an elder, nor carrying out the functions of the elders should not be forced.

Willing in what categories?

Willing to take the office.

The desire must come from the man.

1 Timothy 3 … if a man desires the office of overseer

Willing to perform the responsibilities.

There should not be a sense of having to shepherd...

There should be a sense of joy in the privilege of shepherding.

Why is this a thought?

Why is Peter even warning the elders of not shepherding under a sense of feeling forced?

Because it is easy, and I speak with 21 years of experience in the ministry...

And, I think this may come as a surprise to many of you...

But, it’s not hard to feel disheartened in the ministry.

I’m speaking personally…not for anyone else...

Although, I know from conversations that other pastors feel the same as I do...

It is easy to fall into a disheartened state as a pastor.

I shouldn’t fall into that state, but I’m just being honest with you about myself...

And, I think I’m being honest about how it is to be a pastor at times.

It can be disheartening when someone you love falls away or strays from the faith...

And, from the doctrine that we’ve diligently sought to teach, year after year.

It can be disheartening to hear complaints or being told how to pastor from someone that doesn’t want to pastor...

Nor do they have any experience pastoring...

Nor insight into things going on behind the scenes...

That as a pastor you’re often obligated by God’s Word not to tell.

Sometimes people mean well.

Sometimes they don’t.

There are many reasons that pastors can be tempted to be disheartened...

And, I’m ashamed to say that I’ve given in to being disheartened at times in the ministry...

However, my unfaithfulness has been rewarded by God’s faithfulness to provide other elders that you can talk to...

And, church members that love you through the disheartenment.

And, the love of God poured out into my heart to re-awaken me to the joys & rewards of shepherding.

Willing to love the people God has placed in their charge.

The call of God on an elder’s life is one of unrelenting love for the people that God has placed in their care.

We are to love the flock no matter how they behave...

No matter how they treat us.

No matter what they do.

We are to continue to love them, pray for them, and in whatever way we can help them be their best unto the Lord.

We are to be long-suffering towards God’s sheep because He is long-suffering towards us.

Another component of shepherding is it should not be for shameful gain.

1 Peter 5:2 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;

Part of the willingness of shepherding is not performing your responsibilities because of the wages.

In other words, don’t let the quality of your shepherding be gauged on the quality of your pay.

Being an elder is a call to serve the Lord with excellence, no matter the cost...

And, no matter the wage.

Entrust your care to the Lord and know that the Lord will deal with the Church that mistreats their elders.

There should be, within every elder, an eagerness to point the flock of God to God...

To lead the flock of God to drink from the sweet fountain of Christ.

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

Now, not only does shepherding consist of exercising oversight...

But, it is also to be carried out with gentleness…not domineering.

This is the second verb that describes shepherding.

Elders shouldn’t be forced to shepherd...

And Elders shouldn’t try to force God’s people to obey Him.

Obedience, true obedience is always from the heart…willing obedience.

You’ve heard the saying that you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot force them to drink.

Well, Elders are to lead the people of God to the waters of Christ...

But, instead of forcing them to drink...

They drink from it themselves...

And the flock sees them drink and walk away satisfied.

Elders are to be examples to the flock.

Elders do not force…They teach and exemplify obedience.

An interesting note, when Jesus said to Peter feed my sheep & tend my sheep.

He ended that conversation with “Follow me.”

Feed my sheep, tend my sheep…Be a good shepherd.

The way to do that is by following me.

Be an example to the flock of God on how to love, follow, and suffer for the name of Christ.

Let me close by saying one more thing about the role of the Elder...

And their responsibility to shepherd.

Peter says in v. 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you.

Elders are only charged to shepherd the people of their church.

They are only charged to shepherd the people that God has placed in their charge.

Elders are not responsible for every Christian.

Oh, how often pressure is put on elders to minister to everyone under the sun...

Every family member from the east to the west.

But, that is not the charge God gives elders.

They are charged to tend the people of their church.

As Christians, we care about all people.

But, as elders and shepherds our charge from God is to tend to the people of our church.

The people God has entrusted to us.

And, when we do this...

We are promised something from the Lord...

Eternal Reward Awaits

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

As elders, our faithfulness should never depend on the circumstances we find ourselves in...

It should never depend on the people we are caring for.

It should never depend on the wages we receive in this life.

Our faithfulness is to the Lord who has redeemed us...

And, in His grace promises reward for being faithful to His people.

Faithful elders will receive honor and recognition for their enduring work...

They’re enduring care for the people of God.

God is gracious to His church...

And, to the men He has called as elders.

Closing Prayer