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1 Peter 5:1–5 (ESV)Shepherds and sheep Announce text: 1 Peter 5:1-5Announce Q & A Scripture reading: please stand and follow along as I read… 5 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. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Prayer for illumination: please join me in prayer… Sermon introduction: My senior year of high school I played football for Lewis and Clark high school. We had a great season due to loads of talent and great coaching. Every Saturday morning the entire team sat down and watched film of the next week’s opponent. The coaches developed a game plan from the film that we worked on all week in preparation for the Friday game. The game plan involved plays that were designed to exploit the specific weaknesses of our opponent’s offense and defense. A good game plan based on the film made all the difference. In chapter 4 of 1st Peter we read about the coming judgment, the end of all things, and the promise of persecution. The church needs a game plan to do well in this present evil age. What is that game plan? A large part of the game plan is Godly Shepherds. I can prove that Peter thinks we need shepherds to survive in this present evil age with one word. The word “so”Look with me at 5:1 “So I exhort the elders among you…” So is also translated therefore. “So” is a key transition from chapter 4. So or in light of chapter fours teaching on fiery trials, the end of all things, and coming judgment Shepherds must shepherd the sheep. Shepherds/Elders are a part of God’s game plan for a healthy church. To help us understand this we are going to look at three things. The description of eldersThe duties of elders The duties of sheep First, the description of eldersHow does Peter describe an elder? He is a shepherd! Look with me at verses 1-2 “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: shepherd the flock of God that is among you… ” (1 Peter 5:1–2, ESV) In these verses Peter passionately exhorts the elders of local churches to shepherd the sheep. I say passionately because of how he introduces his exhortation. He stacks up three qualifying remarks to legitimize the seriousness of his charge. He says- 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; Shepherd the flock of God that is among you… This shepherding stuff is really important in the present evil age. So what is an elder? A shepherd of God’s flock! The term Elder is the office and shepherding, pastoring, and overseering are the functions of an elder. (Acts 20:17, 28)The term pastor is simply the Latin word for shepherd. People in Peter’s day were around shepherds more than we are. As a result the shepherding metaphor does not mean much to us. Illustration: He is a description of shepherds in Bible times from the Dictionary of Biblical imagery. “… (In Bible times) Sheep were not fenced in and left to fend for themselves. Instead they were totally dependent on shepherds for protection, grazing, watering, shelter and tending to injuries. In fact, sheep would not survive long without a shepherd. Sheep are not only dependent creatures; they are also singularly unintelligent, prone to wandering and unable to find their way to a sheepfold even when it is within sight….It was the task of a shepherd to lead sheep from nighttime protection in a sheepfold on safe paths to places of grazing and watering… To protect sheep against predators, shepherds would carry two pieces of equipment, the *“rod and staff” of Psalm 23:4, one of them a clublike weapon and the other the familiar crook used for protection…So close is the connection between shepherd and sheep that to this day Middle Eastern shepherds can divide flocks that have mingled at a well or during the night simply by calling their sheep, who follow their shepherd’s voice. Shepherds are inseparable from their flocks, and their work is demanding, solitary and sometimes dangerous (Gen 31:38–40; 1 Sam 17:34–35). (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, 782) Here is a summary- Shepherds know the sheep Shepherds feed the sheep (by the preaching of God’s word)Shepherds lead the sheep Shepherds protect the sheep (from the wolves) An elder is a man who shepherds the sheep Shepherds/elders are part of God’s game plan to protect, feed, and lead the sheep in this present evil age. Application- Sometimes men become elders because they are successful in business, proven leaders in their field, or long time members of the church. In one sense these things are irrelevant. A shepherd is a Godly man who cares deeply about the sheep. A shepherd is not merely a nice guy who loves people. He also needs to be willing to kick out the wolves and discipline the sheep when they stray. At GCF we have 5 elders/shepherds/pastors but we also have 10 home group leaders who help the shepherds shepherd the sheep. The home group leaders are not elders but they nonetheless help the elders with the shepherding. It would be really hard for five shepherds to oversee a flock this large so we need the help of home groups. This is why we think home group is so important. The church needs shepherds to help her flourish. We have talked so far about the description of elders… Second, The duties of an elder What does an elder actually do and how does he do it? Peter does not give us an exhaustive list but it is a good place to start. Here peter lays at five duties of an elder. Shepherds oversee God’s flock! Look with me at verses 1-2, 4 - “So I exhort the elders among you,… (three reasons to strengthen his charge) 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you,… 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” What I want you to see in this passage is that the elders are shepherding God’s flock. That is clearly what verse 2 says. It is not the elder’s flock it belongs to God. There is only one chief shepherd and he is mentioned in verse 4. Understanding this point alone would probably keep 75% of church splits from happening. The sheep are God’s sheep. Other parts of the Bible make this abundantly clear. In Ezekiel 34:1-4 God rebukes the shepherds of Israel for doing a lousy job of shepherding. Then we read- ““For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness... And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. ” (Ezekiel 34:11–13, ESV)“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. ” (Psalm 23:1–4, ESV) Application- You may be thinking, yes, that is right I’m God’s sheep and I don’t have to submit to a local group of elders. That would miss the point completely. Yes you are God’s sheep but God has given you under shepherds, elders of local churches. On the other hand, pastors must always remember that the sheep are God’s sheep. Understanding this helps pastor’s release the reigns of control on the sheep. Furthermore, God loves the sheep way more than the under shepherds so under shepherds don’t have to stay up all night worrying about the sheep. Shepherds oversee God’s flock! Shepherds oversee God’s flock willingly! Look with me at verse 2. “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you”A shepherd needs to oversee God’s flock not under compulsion, but willingly. They serve willingly means they freely chose to shepherd not because they feel obligated to shepherd but because they feel called to shepherd. A shepherd sees a fellow Christian struggling in their marriage, struggling in their parenting, struggling in their giving, struggling at work, struggling in their relationships and he is burdened. He wants to help, he feels called to help, and he is willing to help. An elder is more than a Godly man, although he is no less than a Godly man either. An elder has to have a passion to see Christ formed in other people and a willingness to help. Shepherds oversee God’s flockShepherds oversee God’s flock willingly Shepherds oversee God’s flock not for shameful gain! Look with me at verse 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; .” Unfortunately there are shepherds who are in it for the money. NBC’s dateline did a special on televangelist Benny Hinn. I highly recommend watching it on you tube. Here are some of the facts- -Hinn's salary is somewhere between $500K and a million dollars per year. -he has a $10 million seaside mansion,. -he owns a private jet with annual operating costs of about $1.5 million. and he drives a Mercedes SUV and convertible, valued at about $80,000 each."He has also been criticized by a number of Christian watchdog groups for not joining the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. The Council is the leading accreditation agency that helps Christian ministries earn the public’s trust through adherence to seven standards of accountability. It has over 1,100 members, including Pat Robertson and Billy Graham. Benny Hinn refuses to join.Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, is investigating six prominent televangelist ministries for possible financial misconduct.” (including Benny Hinn)Peter (and 1 Tim 3, Titus 1) are clear that elders should shepherd not for shameful gain (i.e. the love of money)! Shepherds oversee God’s flockShepherds oversee God’s flock willingly Shepherds oversee God’s flock not for shameful gainShepherds oversee God’s flock non-domineeringly! Look with me at verses 2-3. “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, … 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.” This text tells elders to shepherd the flock exercising oversight… but in a non domineering or controlling way. There is a temptation for elders to domineer over the flock. Many of you have been in churches or know people who have been in churches who have been controlled by their pastors. This is not good. Pastor’s are clearly called to exercise oversight at the end of verse 2. Verse 5 calls the sheep to be subject to the elders. So Elders do have authority over the sheep but their authority is derived from scripture. The only thing pastor’s can control the sheep with is the word of God and nothing else. Here are some examples of power being abused- Rarely do elders comes out and says this but it is strongly implied in some churches that if you ever make a big decision you are required to talk to a pastor first. If you are going to buy a car, change jobs, start dating, send your kids away to college or move to a new city you need to talk to a pastor. Where does the Bible say that you have to do this? No where! It is wise to talk to a pastor or a trusted friend before you make a big decision but you don’t have to get your pastor’s permission to ask Suzy on a date! On the other hand you should obey your elder when he tells you to stop gossiping, start loving your wife, or stop living with your girlfriend because these things are all in the Bible. If an elder can’t pull out his Bible and point to a verse when insisting that you to do something he is controlling you. It is ok for a pastor to give his opinion on what you should or should not do but he can’t demand that you submit to him if he does not have a chapter and verse. If the Bible is not the seat of an elders authority than we open ourselves up to all kinds of abuses of power. Application: The elders of this church are sinners. We will probably sin against you, maybe we already have. Please be patient with us and tell us if you think we are abusing authority.Shepherds oversee God’s flockShepherds oversee God’s flock willingly Shepherds oversee God’s flock unmotivated by shameful gainShepherds oversee God’s flock non-domineeringly! Shepherds oversee God’s flock by example! Look with me again at verses 2-3. “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, … 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.” Elders/shepherds need to be examples to the flock. This is one of the primary ways they lead the church which is why peter says that they are to exercise oversight by being examples to the flock. Godliness is the key. I can’t say enough about this quality. A shepherd must be a compelling example of Godliness to the flock. This is clear in the qualifications for an elder. 1 Timothy 3:1–7 (ESV) “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” Application- Pray for the elders of GCF. We need grace to live the way Paul describes in 1 tim 3. Satan loves to ruin churches by ruining the personal lives of elders. We need your prayers.Furthermore, we need more elders… The office of elders is reserved for males. This is clear in 1 tim 3 and Tit 1. This is not because males are better than females this is simply the way God has ordered things. Come to the elders if you have suggestions, comments, or snyde remarks We have looked so far at… The description of elders The duties of elders Third, the duties of the sheep What are the duties of young sheep? Submit to the elders! Look with me at the first half of verse 5. “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders.” Peter is addressing the “younger”. There is some debate as to who Peter is referring to but most scholars think he is referring to younger members of the congregation in his culture that meant people under the age of 30. “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. ” (Hebrews 13:17, ESV) Peter tells the younger to be subject or submissive to elders. Why is he calling out younger people? Because younger people often have a harder time with authority. Our cultural in general has an increasingly harder time submitting to authority. One writer says- “The late George Carlin was once asked if he still supported the adage of the 1960s, ‘challenge authority.’ He answered in the negative and said that his new adage was ‘destroy authority.’ (Witmer, 76)Young sheep, we are called to submit to the elders… Let me make one application point- People of my generation and younger have a hard time making commitments and submitting to authority. Can I get on a soapbox for second? How in the world can you obey this command if you are not a member of a local church? How in the world can you obey this command if you think that church is you and your friends reading your Bibles together at Starbucks or in your home? If you are not a member of a church you are accountable to no one and you are not obeying this command? Do not think “I will go to a church but I will not join and submit myself to anyone because they may rub me the wrong way and then I will leave.” Every pastor is going to eventually rub you the wrong way. Trust God and obey his commands. One of his commands is submitting to shepherds. What are the duties of young sheep? Submit to your eldersWhat are the duties of all the sheep? Be clothed in humility! Look with me at the second half of verse 5. “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”Peter tells all of us to clothe ourselves in humility. The term he uses for cloth was the term used to describe a slave clothing himself or herself with a large apron so as not to soil their garments while they worked. All of us, shepherds and sheep need to be clothed in humility. If we are all clothed in humility things will run very smoothly in the church. When one is clothed in humility they are good listeners, they put the needs of others above their own, they are not defensive, they have nothing to prove, they are slow to speak and quick to listen, they are submissive, and they are not arrogant or rude. If everyone, shepherds and sheep lived this way there would be no abuses of power and no church splits. Peter commands all of us to clothe ourselves in humility and when we do he will give us grace and that is what we all need more of. Conclusion: The message of 1 Peter 5:1-5 seems clear. The church needs a game plan to survive in this present evil age. What is the game plan? An important part of the game plan is Godly Shepherds shepherding humble sheep. Some of you are struggling with what Peter is saying because you have been burned in the past. You subjected yourself to an elder only to be mistreated, manipulated or controlled. We hope that does not happen here but we are sinners.The elders of GCF will fail you. But there is one shepherd who will never fail you. Listen to the words of Jesus in John 10- “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ” (John 10:14–16, ESV) Jesus the good shepherd loves his sheep so much that he died on a cruel roman cross for them. If Jesus is not your shepherd you will be tossed to and fro by the waves of life. You will not have his protection, his guidance, his nourishment. Apart from him you will be eaten up by the wolves and your sin will destroy you. Look to him for grace and forgiveness, look to him for protection, look to him to shepherd you through this life. Trust him to guide you and lead you. And yes part of trusting him is trusting his under shepherds who also need a shepherd to forgive them. lets pray.. ................
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