North Anderson Baptist Church
1 Peter 5:1-4 NIV
Verge 1
Peter is writing to the leadership of the churches in Asia Minor, appealing to them, urging them to be shepherds of God’s flock. Then instead of “pulling rank” over them, he just calls himself a fellow “elder.” Just one of the group who was to lead the flock of God. Although Peter does rehearse his relationship with Christ as a witness to the sufferings of Jesus, he then lets them know the truth that he will also share in the glory that all of God’s people will one day experience.
Elders are just as it seems, older men. In most cases the leaders of the 1st Century church were all older men and the younger men would be mentored and brought along for leadership later, much like Paul did with Timothy.
Elders were church officers, sometimes it was the pastor, who led the church, who were given authority to care for them and teach them to help follow the Lord and to be able to guide the church (flock) through the difficulties of persecutions and trials that were happening then and were to come. These leaders were given great responsibilities and they were also expected to live in such a way to give a good example to others.
JV McGee says in his commentary that “being an elder is the spiritual office of shepherding; the same word is used for "shepherd." This is all that Simon Peter ever claimed to be -- he calls himself a fellow elder. He never claimed a superior place above his brethren, but as a fellow elder he exhorts them.”
Verse 2
Be shepherds of God’s flock - When you read this and talk about shepherding in the church your mind might go back to the passage in John 21:15-17,
John 21:15-17 NIV
In this passage you hear Jesus talking to Peter about His church and the need for feeding and caring for them. Peter was extending the command from Jesus to the elders of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus wanted Peter to be a servant of the church, the people, as they became a part of the family of God. Each new disciple needed to be cared for as they grew and became the believer God wanted them to be, in doing so they needed instruction and discipleship, feeding as you were. The sheep and the lambs all needed the instructions of the elders so the church could grow and become more of what Jesus wanted for His kingdom. Shepherds were to feed and care for the flock of which the Father in heaven had given them. You see no church really calls a pastor/shepherd to the “flock.” God calls the man of God and equips him for the service of the kingdom. Some are better than others and more skilled at feeding and caring for the flock but regardless God calls them, if they are the obedient church of the Savior and the servant of Christ, the head of the church.
Do pastors and churches jump ahead of the Lord’s guidance and either become pastor/ shepherd of their own will or the will of the church, all without the approval of the Lord? Yes, it seems that it does happen. I have seen what I thought was a situation like that where it seemed to be the case that men made the decisions not God. I also believed it proved out to be true, as you saw the results of the decisions.
In Peter’s letter the elders were given specific directions from Jesus through Peter to “feed and take care of the sheep and lambs of Christ.”
As a shepherd, with what does one feed the flock, the lambs and sheep? As the Word of God clearly spells out an elder or shepherd, preacher/pastor, is to feed them with the Word of God, with doctrine, helping to develop good disciples with the truth from God Himself.
The Word of God is what is preached.
Jesus Himself preached the Word of God - Mark 2:2,
Mark 2:2 NIV
The disciples also preached the Word of God - Mark 16:20,
Mark 16:20 NIV
Deacon Philip preached the Word of God - Acts 8:4,
Acts 8:4 NIV
Peter and John preached the Word of God -Acts 8:25,
Acts 8:25 NIV
Paul and Barnabas preached the Word of God -Acts 15:35,
Acts 15:35 NIV
Paul told Timothy to preach the Word of God - 2 Timothy 4:2,
2 Timothy 4:2 NIV
Peter speaks of the importance of the Word of God -1 Peter 1:25,
1 Peter 1:25 NIV
Take care of them
Beside feeding the flock the shepherd has to take care of them. Sheep are very different from other animals. It has been said that “sheep are clean animals, unlike dogs and pigs.
2 Peter 2:20-22 NIV
Sheep tend to flock together, and God's people need to be together. Sheep are notoriously ignorant and prone to wander away if they do not follow the shepherd. Sheep are defenseless, for the most part, and need their shepherd to protect them”
Psalms 23:4 NIV
As this shepherd in Psalm 23, the Great and Good Shepherd, we who are undershepherds of God, have to care for the sheep of His flock as this Shepherd did. The elders, pastors, should lead and guide so the sheep can feed and rest well, they need to be taught how to have their lives lived in righteousness of the Lord. They also need to be led so they can refresh their souls and grow under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and God’s leaders. Since this is a Psalm about the Lord, shepherds will not do everything like the Great Shepherd would do but we are to take guidance for His leadership to lead the sheep that have been given into his care.
Under your care
Notice in this case, the pastor of one church is not responsible for the feeding and care of the sheep and lambs of another congregation because they are “not under their care.” But it is quite obvious that those under his care need his attention when there is a need. Caring comes in all flavors. Sheep need all kinds of care from the shepherd and so do the people of God. They have been given this responsibility to watch over all the flock, not just a few, and not just those he likes.
It has been said “sheep are very useful animals. Jewish shepherds tended their sheep, not for the meat (which would have been costly) but for the wool, milk, and lambs. God's people should be useful to Him and certainly ought to "reproduce" themselves by bringing others to Christ. Sheep were used for the sacrifices, and we ought to be "living sacrifices," doing the will of God
Romans 12:1-2 NIV
Feed the flock of God
The word feed means "shepherd, care for." The shepherd had many tasks to perform in caring for the flock. He had to protect the sheep from thieves and marauders, and the pastor must protect God's people from those who want to spoil the flock
Acts 20:28-29 NIV
“Sometimes the sheep do not like it when their shepherd rebukes or warns them, but this ministry is for their own good.
A faithful shepherd not only protects his flock, but he also leads them from pasture to pasture so that they might be adequately fed. The shepherd always went before the flock and searched out the land so that there would be nothing there to harm his flock. He would check for snakes, pits, poisonous plants, and dangerous animals. How important it is for pastors to lead their people into the green pastures of the Word of God so that they might feed themselves and grow.”
Sheep in real life and people of God, in the flock of the church, sometimes act very much alike. Some seek to go off on their own and find trouble and end up in trials because of their poor choices. I have experienced that over the years. Sometimes the sheep of a church responds quite well to the rebuke of the shepherd and other times they do not. But the shepherd is to try and seek to help where he can. Everyone needs personal attention, not just in times of troubles but for all kinds of reasons.
Some of the writers of the New Testament call for the sheep who have gone astray to be disciplined by the body. At times that is important but in this day we see little of that happening. It is an act of mercy and helps one put in perspective the act of disobedience but at times it is not received well. Sheep and Christians are stubborn and don’t want help and at times it seems and is in reality only God who can help the believer.
We know from the understanding of the job of shepherd that his work is never done. They stay out in the fields with their sheep regardless of their personal need. Being a shepherd is a commitment that takes all there is in a pastor/shepherd as well. God has told us that He is our strength and help in time of difficulty and trouble. He is our steadfast rock and anchor. What comes to the pastor/shepherd comes through the Lord and He is there to touch our hearts with His grace and mercy. It is a task that never ends and that demands the supernatural power of God if it is to be done correctly.
The shepherd needs to remember that the sheep are not the pastor’s, they are God’s. It is not “my” church but it has been purchased by the precious blood of His Son
Serving as overseers
Take the oversight (v. 2). The overseer is one who looks over the flock for the purpose of leading. The pastor/shepherd lives with and among the sheep as a part of them, therefore it is difficult for them to “oversee” if the flock of God does not understand the concept. There are two problems here. One is that the shepherd is only “among” the sheep and a part of them and doesn’t have that “overseer’s” authority and then the second is the situation where the pastor/shepherd is placed on a pedestal and made a “super saint.” Both of these create great problems. The effective pastor needs both relationships. He must be "among" his people so that he can get to know them, their needs and problems; and he needs to be "over" his people so he can lead them and help them solve their problems. The preacher needs to be a pastor so he can apply the Word to the needs of the people. The pastor needs to be a preacher so that he can have authority when he shares in their daily needs and problems.
Being a leader of the flock of God has its difficulties but what must not be a problem are these two problems, being greedy for money and laziness. You will be compromised if there is greed in your life and possibly be motivated to find other ways to make money that compromises your position as a pastor/shepherd. Please understand there are pastors that need to work a full-time or even part-time job to make ends meet because the church can not afford to provide for their family but that is different than a pastor seeking to make more money on the side because he wants more. I was once approached to see if I would be willing to work for a company to sell phones long ago. I thought that would really be a problem. My mind would be divided and then I would have to deal with going to talk with someone and not being able to share the Gospel because I was working for a company. Situations like that would not be good. I have also seen the lazy pastor and it seems really sad to me to hear them and to see what is not done on behalf of the church where they pastor.
Eager to serve
This is a heart situation for the shepherd. Eagerness is part of the ministry. Paul said in Romans 1:15,
Romans 1:15 NIV
There is the difference between a true shepherd and a hireling: a hireling works because he is paid for it, but a shepherd works because he loves the sheep and has a heart devoted to them. Read Acts 20:17-38 for a description of the heart and ministry of a true shepherd.
Verse 3
Not lording over the flock
Peter says here that a shepherd should not lord over others. Ezekiel indicted false shepherds: "You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd"
Ezekiel 34:4-5 NIV
The elder is not the king or “Lord” over the congregation and if he thinks he is he truly has missed the calling by a mile.
Be an example to the flock
This is an area in the life of the church where it is imperative that the leader be the example for the flock of God. One can not be successful in a congregation if they do not lead by example in spiritual and in physical life. It is not only a “duty” to live by example but it should be the heart of the called shepherd of God, to want to lead by example in your life. A leader needs to go before the church to lead, you can not effectively drive the church to goals or a faithful life. It has been well said that the church needs leaders who serve and servants who lead. A Christian leader said to me, "The trouble today is that we have too many celebrities and not enough servants."
People in the church are willing to follow someone who is sincere in their faith and willing to be a servant as well as a leader. If you preach and do not do, who wants to follow that example?
Warren Wiersbe said “I know of a church that was constantly having financial problems, and no one could understand why. After the pastor left, it was discovered that he had not himself contributed to the work of the church but had preached sermons telling others to contribute. We cannot lead people where we have not been ourselves.”
Verse 4
The Shepherd
Who is this Chief Shepherd? Of course, He is the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is the One who died to establish His church and we are but servants of His. By the blood of the Savior we have ”the Church.” Remember Jesus said to Martthew and the other disciples in Matthew 16:18,
Matthew 16:18 NIV
What happens when The Chief Shepherd appears? - The Bible says that “you will receive the crown of life that never will fade away.” The Greek word translated “crown” is stephanos (the source for the name Stephen the martyr) and means “a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor generally.” This crown of glory is not only given to the pastor/shepherds but this is that crown that all will receive who are faithful servants of God Almighty. Peter is speaking of the Second Coming according to some scholars. It is obviously speaking of the rewards for believers when they are taken up to heaven by the Lord Jesus. We will receive this “glory” crown. We are going to be blessed by the “glory” of God, which is truly reserved for only God Himself. This word “glory” is an interesting word referring to the very nature of God and His actions. It entails His great splendor and brightness. Some believe that this is a way God allows us to be a part of His nature since it is His glory, we enter into heaven to partake of this very nature of Christ Himself.
What do we do with this crown?
“Crowns received in heaven will be cast before Jesus' feet.
Revelation 4:10 NIV
We will lay them down as a tribute to the One who created us, saved us, gifted us, equipped us and lived in us!”
Are you ready for your crown? Hopefully we are believers here today, but if not there will be a crown reserved for you IF you turn from your sin and turn toward the Lord Jesus and give Him your heart and life in exchange for your sin. Today is a good time to turn your life and heart over to the Lord God. He will save you by your faith in Him when you believe that Jesus came to die for your sins and then be raised to give you eternal life. He is the risen Savior and will lead you into the heaven He has prepared for you.
Won’t you trust in Him today?