Church in Exile - Living as Exiles Week 9

Good morning, it is good to be here in this place with each of you. Last week we covered 1 Peter chapter 4:7-11 and discussed the end of all things, being an upcoming event in time, and how that should influence us to love one another. We looked at what it meant to maintain love - as maintaining anything takes a good deal of work, and what it really meant to love one another. We saw the reality that Love covers a multitude of sins - and dug into what that looks like in the life of a believer. Drawing to a conclusion of thought that you, loving each other, loving Christians, in a real and tangible way, maintaining that love, brings Glory to God which is our ultimate goal. As a church we will Glorify God, equip the saints, and share the gospel.

We would jump into verse 12-19 today, but we have already covered a good portion of that text through the study of the earlier chapters. Many of the ideas and concepts are repeated throughout the letter. So we are looking to the beginning of chapter 5, planning to end this study next week - God willing.

Lets pray.

Before we get into Peter’s letter, I want to go back to the book of John, and read a story that I think had a great deal of impact on what he writes here. Turn with me in your Bibles to John 21.

To set the stage, Jesus has been crucified and resurrected. Before that, Peter denied him three times. In John 21, you see that Peter has pretty much given up on everything. He is going back to fishing. He doesn’t know what to do with himself. Life is hard. Everything he thought he knew, died with the Lord. He doesn’t know what to do now. So he goes back to fishing. And Fails. Jesus has to come and do another fishing miracle for him to realize his mistakes.

John 21:15–19 CSB

When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Feed my lambs,” he told him. A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Shepherd my sheep,” he told him. He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” “Feed my sheep,” Jesus said. “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”

Peter had denied the Lord, he denied knowing him, serving him, following him. Jesus wanted to see him restored. In the greek, we see a bigger picture of what is happening here. I want to explain a couple of things before we move on from this passage.

Jesus was definitely in correction mode. He did not call Peter - Peter. He used his real name, Simon, son of John. This was serious business. And he asks him three times a similar question, Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? In the greek, we can see that the question changes a bit, as Jesus asks the first and second time if Peter loved Him the way that he should, with agape love. Peter answers, yes, you know that I love you, but his response is both yes, and not enough, because he says yes I Philia love you. The third time, Jesus questions whether Peter even loves him the way that he claims to - even though it is not sufficient. He says “Do you Philia love me?”

Each time that Peter answers, Jesus gives him an instruction after. Feed my lambs. Shepherd my sheep. Feed my Sheep. Jesus has a desire to restore and to establish Peter. Through this he also establishes a paradigm for church leaders until He returns.

It is out of this situation that I believes Peter writes to us in chapter 5. This was a life altering moment. Jesus, Son of God, gave correction and instruction. Out of your love for me, as much as you can muster, Feed my lambs. As you love me, as much as you say you do,Shepherd my sheep. Peter, if you really do love me, Feed my sheep.

For Peter, the care of God’s people becomes imminently important. It is tied intimately with his love for the Lord. So Peter writes to the church. Lets turn to 1 Peter 5.

1 Peter 5:1–4 CSB

I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed: Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

The message today is not normal, in that the majority of the instructions really aren’t for all of you. Yet, they are still written to you and there are things that you can learn from them about yourself, and about me as pastor, and our relationship. I like this style of preaching where we go through books of the bible because we cover all of the things.

Many of you have been a part of other churches in your lifetime, some of you yet will leave here and go to other churches later. If I am doing my job, some of you may go on to lead other churches - or this church! This relationship between shepherd and flock is something that we should all have an understanding of.

Peter says, I exhort the elders among you.

Just for a minute, he is talking to elders, undershepherds, Pastors, church leaders. To exhort means to strongly encourage, to urge someone to do something.

Every time I get up here and preach, every time I council, every time I give instruction, it is this same way. It is exhortation. Not extortion. I cannot command you to do anything. Peter, here, chooses not to command.

Peter writes in this moment gently - to leaders of a church in exile knowing that leaders go through some nonsense. He writes gently by appealing to them, not flexing. This is a moment when he could have come in large and in charge. He could have said “I am the apostle that Jesus himself said he would build the church upon - Do what I say”

But he didn’t. Because leading is hard. He says, “I know what it is like, what you are going through” In fact, I have dealt with similar things myself. He says he is a witness of the sufferings of Christ. He saw it, he is in it, living it. And he shares in the glory about to be revealed.

Peter describes himself, and describes who elders aught to be.

This isn’t a list of qualifications, we find those in other places.. Paul writes to the two guys that he is training up, Titus and Timothy, and says:

Titus 1:5–9 CSB

The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town. An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion. As an overseer of God’s household, he must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.

1 Timothy 3:1–7 CSB

This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.” An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy. He must manage his own household competently and have his children under control with all dignity. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and incur the same condemnation as the devil. Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and the devil’s trap.

Peter describes himself and talks about who they are spiritually. A witness of the suffering of Christ, sharing in the glory that is to come. And he writes as one who knows what it means to Love the Lord. He is writing to shepherds, who are taking up the same calling that Jesus gave to him. Tend my lambs.

Peter writes to remind them of that calling. Shepherd God’s flock.

A reminder to the pastor in his skinny jeans and driving his fancy car, doing all of the fancy things… The flock that you tend, it don’t belong to you. It belongs to the Lord.

A reminder to the pastor who is fed up and tired and and and and… the flock that you tend, isn’t yours.

Its like this. I don’t let people mistreat my family. My wife, my kids. Those are Mine. I don’t treat my wife that way, you won’t either.

The flock belongs to the lord. This isn’t drive it like you stole it. It is provide the most care

For me - it is a sobering reminder, everything that I do here in this church is as a steward of what God has given me to steward. And in Hebrews, I am told that I will give an account for those under my care.

There is also some freedom in this same verse, because it says to shepherd the flock that is among you.

I am only responsible for the people who call this church home, and submit to me as pastor. Which is really nice.

Hebrews 13:17 CSB

Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

So the elders are called to shepherd, the flock doesn’t belong to them. And then we get into some do’s and don’ts.

Not out of compulsion but willingly

Not forced, not because of fear of the Lord or anything else. Love for the Lord is our motivation. A pastor or elder must serve freely with the security of who they are in Jesus.

This is something that is easy to forget.

Not out of greed for money, but eagerly.

Jesus dealt with this in Luke.

Luke 10:7 CSB

Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages. Don’t move from house to house.

A worker is worthy of his wages, but we serve according to what is given. My provision comes from the Lord. It is He who provides. I serve you, because I serve him. Whatever you give to me, is a blessing.

Foursquare policy ?

3. not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples

This is not do as I say not as I do. I can’t stand here and say give up all of your time and live this way and so on, unless I am also. A pastor cannot be overly proud, but humble and involved.

The difference here, is whether the elders, the pastor is rooted in the world, or in the Lord.

1 Peter 5:4 CSB

And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

The lord is coming back

This puts the elders in their place. Jesus is coming back. We don’t know when, we don’t know the day or the hour.

When he appears -

1 Peter 1:13 CSB

Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 4:13 CSB

Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.

When he comes back, if we have done this correctly, there will be great rewards for all involved.

1 Peter 5:5 CSB

In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Church in Exile - Living as Exiles Week 9

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