Holiness in an unholy world... (17)

Qualities of a healthy church

When I was coming up with a title to the message, I wasn’t sure if this was the right title, but to have a healthy church, there needs to be health in leadership as well as the congregation. I know that we want to see our church healthy, and that takes the whole body: young and old, leadership and laity, one and all.

This morning as we look at the Scripture, Peter puts emphasis on leaders as well as those being discipled.

Let’s read 1 Peter 5:1-7

1 Peter 5:1–7 NIV

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 starts chapter five addressing the elders as a fellow elder.

To the elders

1 Peter 5:1 NIV

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:

Peter comes with an appeal and with clout because he was a witness of Christ’s sufferings. He wasn’t at the cross. He wasn’t at the whipping pole, but he was a witness of Jesus’s sufferings. It was Peter on the day of Pentecost who stood up with the eleven and proclaimed that Jesus had died for our sins.

Acts 2:22–24 NIV

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Everywhere Peter went , he preached the Good News that Jesus was nailed to the cross, but God raised Him from the dead. Brothers and sisters, we too need to proclaim the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Not only did Peter experience hardship and suffering. Not only did Peter witness to the sufferings that Christ endured, he believed that he would share in the glory to be revealed.

1 Peter 4:13 NIV

But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

This gave Peter the authority to speak as an elder, as a leader to other leaders.

Peter’s exhortation

Be shepherds...

1 Peter 5:2 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;

What is a shepherd?

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Shepherd > Trades and Occupations)

Shepherd. The task of the shepherd was to care for the flock, to find grass and water, to protect it from wild animals (Am 3:12), to look for and restore those that strayed (Ez 34:8; Mt 18:12), to lead the flock out each day going before it and to return the flock at the close of the day to the fold (Jn 10:2–4). At times the shepherd led the flock far from home and sheltered the animals by night in a cave or sheepfold built of fieldstones; he would lie across the entrance. The shepherd was responsible to the owner for every sheep and was required to make restitution for losses (Gn 31:39; Ex 22:10–13). Shepherds and their flocks enjoyed a close relationship (2 Sm 12:3; Jn 10:3, 4) giving them constant care (Ez 34:4, 5; Mt 9:36; 26:31).

My experience with livestock, is that you need to get to know their habits. It’s necessary to learn their routines. Now cattle are far different than sheep in the sense that sheep are far more dependent. One just can’t leave the sheep by themselves because, they can’t defend themselves from the predators that may attack them.

A shepherd needed to be really observant as far as sickness or if a sheep had gone lame or even missing, the shepherd, was to lead and feed, care for and protect, to search for the lost sheep as well as nurse the sheep back to health.

Good qualities in shepherds

Most of us have applied for jobs and before we applied, we looked at the job description as well as the qualities that the employer was looking for. Peter mentioned some qualities that a shepherd must has and some that must be avoided.

The shepherds must

Watch over your flock

In a lot of cases, the shepherds were hired by an owner, the shepherds needed to take the time to know their sheep.

Brothers and sisters, we are called to be discipled and to make disciples. Many of you have been in the faith for a long time. You may not consider yourself an elder, a leader in the church. I want to encourage you to help care for the sheep. You may be leading a small group, such as, a worship team, Sunday School, Women’s ministries, Bible Study, let’s be looking out for each other.

As leaders in the church, we are called to lead, but we are called to lead by serving. You might not be the pastor, but you might be greeting, and you see somebody coming in the church that looks a little down. Take time and see what’s going on. Let’s take time and pray for a brother or sister that is needing to be encouraged. Let’s watch out for each other.

Ephesians 4:11–15 NKJV

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

We are called to watch over the flock.

1 Peter 5:2–3 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.

Not because you must

Let’s not watch over the flock because you must, but because you are willing. The work of the ministry is a calling, it’s not an obligation, it’s not a job.

Romans 12:9–16 NIV

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

God calls us to love the sheep. He calls us to

Be eager to serve

Jesus gave the ultimate example of this when He laid down His life for us. Are you willing to lay down your life for your brothers and sisters,

John 15:13 NIV

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Do you want to be great in the kingdom, become the servant of all.

Just before Jesus shared the last supper with His disciples,

He washed His disciples feet

The teacher, the Good Shepherd, their Rabbi got down on His knees and took a basin of water and started to wash His disciples feet. He humbled himself and washed the dirt, the sweat, the refuse from His own disciples feet.

He didn’t sit and expect His disciples to serve Him.

Mark 10:45 NIV

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Peter goes on to admonish the elders

Not to lord over

1 Peter 5:3 ESV

not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

The Strong’s Concordance describes this for lord over, “To exercise authority over, overpower, master. From kata and kurieuo; to lord against, i.e. Control, subjugate.”

In other words, we are not called to control those entrusted to our care, but we are to be examples to them. I believe that as we build relationships within our church, we will all grow and be built up together.

To those who lead, elders, leaders...

1 Peter 5:4 NIV

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

As you faithfully serve, as you faithfully care for our church, as you see needs and meet them, Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, when He appears, will give you the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Peter switches from the elders to the younger in faith.

To the younger

1 Peter 5:5–6 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.

Just as the elders are called to be eager to serve the flock entrusted to their care, the younger, those being discipled, are to submit to the elders.

You might say, I don’t need to submit to anybody but the Lord, that’s not what the Scripture says. Nobody wants to submit to anybody who is domineering, it causes disunity and it can even cause a rebellious spirit.

An earthly examples happen when there are uprisings against dictators.

In our fellowship, we have constitutions that we agree to follow. These are put in place for our safety. These are there so that there is a system of checks and balances.

If we follow Jesus’ example, He showed us how to lead by serving and He leads us to follow Him. Submission is an act of the will, it is not something that can be demanded. When we take out membership in the church, we make a choice that we believe the Statement of faith and that we want to walk in fellowship with this body, serving together.

All of you...

1 Peter 5:5 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.”

Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. This is something that we must actively do. We must put on humility.

Philippians 2:3–8 NIV

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. It is God who will lift us up in due time. In whatever we do, let’s do it for the glory of God.

Finally,

Cast all your cares

1 Peter 5:7 NIV

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Throw all your cares and anxiety on the Lord, He is that Great Shepherd that cares for you. You don’t need to carry any burden, He will carry it.

Matthew 11:28–30 NIV

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The key to the body is that we walk and work together. Let’s take time to care for each other. Let’s humble ourselves before God and in turn humble ourselves and truly look at each other as not just equals but more highly than we look at ourselves.

Amen