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SERMON:
When
I was a kid we used to visit my grandparents in Faulkton, South Dakota. Out in
back of the house my uncle Mike had a couple of dogs that he took care of.
These
weren’t show dogs. They were what you’d call “mutts”. And they were a bit of a
rescue effort. Whoever had owned these dogs previously had treated them
harshly, and it showed.
I
can’t remember the names of the dogs, but I do remember that one of them was
missing an eye. You had to be careful when you approached him. His hearing
wasn’t so good, so if you came up on his blindside you were likely to startle
the little beast and get yourself bitten. And even if you approached from the
right side, more often than not the dog would slink away from your touch.
That’s
not the way it’s supposed to be. Dog is supposed to be man’s best friend,
greeting its owner with excitement and energy, not slinking away in fear.
Clearly, there is a right way to treat animals, and a wrong way.
▬
And
the same is true when it comes to the people of God’s Church. There’s a right
way for us to treat one another which leads to peace, harmony, and spiritual
growth. And there’s a wrong way to treat each another which leads to friction,
fear, and spiritual stagnation.
In
our sermon reading for today, the Apostle Peter teaches the right way to be a
leader in God’s Church, and also how the flock should interact with their
shepherds, and one another.
1
Peter 5:1-5 (NASB)
1Therefore, I exhort the elders among
you, as your fellow elder and witness
of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be
revealed, 2shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight
not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3nor
yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be
examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you
will receive the unfading crown of glory.
5You younger men, likewise, be
subject to your elders; and all of
you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
▬
When
Jesus described the Church of God, he didn’t use the analogy of a dog and his
master. Instead, he used the analogy of a shepherd and his flock of sheep. In
our text Peter uses the same comparison.
As
our Savior from sin, Jesus is our caring shepherd. He leads us, he feeds us, he
protects our souls from danger by continually revealing our sins to us and
bringing us back to the Gospel of forgiveness.
As
the Good Shepherd of many sheep, Jesus also assigns under-shepherds to watch
over us. It is these under-shepherd of Christ that Peter addresses first in our
text. Peter knows that leaders in the church need guidance and encouragement in
their work. And Peter is well qualified to offer this.
First
of all, Peter was himself an elder in the church. He knew what it was like to
watch over his fellow believers. He had served as a leader in the church in
Jerusalem before persecution drove the apostles out into the larger world. And
there is reason to believe that Peter was writing this particular letter from
the city of Rome, where we believe he served as an elder shortly before he was
martyred for the faith.
Peter
was also particularly suited to counsel shepherds because he had witnessed the
suffering and death of the Good
Shepherd. He had been taught by Jesus himself, both before Christ’s crucifixion
and resurrection, and after. He knew the importance of Christ’s cross, that it
was the only way sinners could stand before God in the final judgment. And so,
Peter was well qualified to teach pastors how to shepherd the flock of God,
while keeping them focused on the most important message.
Peter
was also qualified to counsel the leaders of God’s people because, like them,
he was part of the flock also. He too looked forward to sharing in the glory of
heaven when Christ returned to round up his flock on the Last Day.
It’s
notable that before telling the elders of the churches how to shepherd the
people, Peter reminds them of two important events: the suffering of Christ, by
which their sins were atoned for, and the glory to come, which was the sure
hope of everyone who looked to Christ as their Savior. This made up the prime
substance of their shepherding work. Remind the people of the forgiveness they
had because of Christ’s suffering in their place, and remind the people of the
glory that was to come to those who held on to Christ by faith.
▬
From
these pillars of the Christian faith, Peter then moved on to address the “hows”
of shepherding God’s flock.
First
of all, elders in the church were to have the right attitude. They
weren’t to serve as elders in the church because they were forced to. Rather,
elders in the church were to serve because they chose to. They wanted to. Sure,
they were elected to serve as elders by the congregation, but they were to recognize
that this wasn’t just an assignment forced on them by others, this was an
assignment graciously given to them by God. And if it was God’s will for them
to serve as elders, then they should gladly do the will of God.
This
is the right attitude when it comes to service in God’s church. And I think we
all understand why attitude is important. The worker who does something because
it’s “his job”, often does shoddy work, just good enough to be passable. But
the worker who does something because it’s his PASSION, that’s the kind of
worker you want.
▬
Secondly,
the elders of the church were to serve with the right emotion.
We’re
not told which shepherds got paid, and how they got paid, and how much, or with
what. But we are told that some leaders in the church were paid so that as they
devoted their time to serving their fellow Christians, they would have what was
needed for daily life.
But
elders weren’t supposed to serve in the church for the PURPOSE of getting paid.
And they weren’t supposed to use their position as a way to get stuff for
themselves. Greed wasn’t to motivate their service in any way.
But
all the same, they were to serve with enthusiasm. It’s sad how money can wield
so much power over the way we do things. A common way of thinking is that if
you’re getting paid for it, you better do a good job! But if you’re not, well,
then do whatever you feel like doing.
This
wasn’t the way leaders in the church were to act. Money, or no money.
Appreciation, or no appreciation. Either way, the leaders in God’s church were
to serve with enthusiasm, knowing that it was God whom they were ultimately
working for.
In
Colossians it is written…
“23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not
for men, 24 knowing
that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are
serving the Lord Christ”
(Colossians 3:23-24 ESV).
▬
Thirdly,
in shepherding God’s flock, the elders
of the church were to use the right method.
The
rulers of secular government might rule with an iron fist, but that wasn’t the
way Christ’s representatives were to govern the church. Instead of making rule
after rule and imposing harsh punishments for those who didn’t get things
right, the leaders of God’s flock were to serve the people in a way that was a
good example for the people to follow.
Mahatma
Ghandi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world” (Mahatma
Ghandi). This was the method that Christ’s under-shepherds were to
employ. Sure, they would teach God’s
Word verbally. Sure, they would rebuke bad behavior. Yes, they would gently correct
their fellow Christians when appropriate. But the way they went about every
aspect of their ministry was to be a good example for others to see and
emulate.
This
is a high calling, and when leaders in God’s church meditate on how God has
called them to carry out their ministry, we can’t help but feel inadequate. For
who can say they have always served as a good example for their fellow
Christians. Sins stain our thoughts, our choices, our words, the way we deal
with situations, and even the counsel we give.
And
yet, even in connection with our sins we can serve as good examples to the
flock. We can openly admit our faults and failings. We can apologize, and ask
to be forgiven. We can bring our sins to Jesus through prayer, trusting that in
Him we will find everlasting forgiveness. Perhaps this is why Christ set sinful
human beings as leaders in his Church instead of holy angels. For when we bring
our sins, and the sins of others to Christ for forgiveness, what better example
can be set for those whose hope rests in Christ Jesus?
▬
Voluntary
service, eager service, and service by example—this was how the leaders in
God’s church were to serve. And while seeking to serve in this way, the elders
of the churches were to remember that THIS FLOCKDIDN’T BELONG TO THEM, and IT
DIDN’T BELONG TO THE PEOPLE EITHER—it was GOD’S FLOCK. The congregation was
made up of people bought by the precious blood of God’s own Son.
And
since this was God’s flock, the elders were also to remember that they weren’t
the CHIEF SHEPHERD. That was Jesus. And that was a good thing. For one day the
Chief Shepherd would appear. And Peter says that with him he will bring an
unfading crown of glory for his shepherds, and all his flock.
Crowns
symbolize different things. In the Olympic games of ancient Greece, a crown of
laurel leaves was given to the winner of each event. It symbolized victory.
This is the crown Jesus will give each one of us on the last day. A crown that
says, “In Christ I have triumphed. In Christ I stand forgiven.”
It
was this crown that Peter encouraged the elders to think about as they went
about serving their fellow Christians.
▬
But
what about the flock? So far we’re heard a lot about how the leaders of the
flock are to act. But what about the flock itself?
In
the final words of our reading for today Peter addresses the congregation in
general. He says…
“5You
younger men, likewise, be subject to your
elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for
God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1
Peter 5:5 NASB).
For the younger men in the
congregation, those who weren’t elders yet, Peter says, “Know your place. Order
yourselves under the leaders that God has put over you for your blessing.”
And to everyone in the congregation,
Peter says, “Be humble. Put each other first.”
The analogy of a flock of sheep
helps us to visualize what Peter is teaching. Imagine the scene. A shepherd
walks through a narrow gate, leading his flock. If the flock is panicky, they
cram into the doorway, wedging against each other, slowing the progress of the
flock, and injuring the weak. But if the sheep fall in line calmly, things move
smoothly, and the slower, weaker sheep don’t get hurt, or left behind.
“5You
younger men, likewise, be subject to your
elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for
God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1
Peter 5:5 NASB).
▬
On the night before his crucifixion,
Jesus told his disciples…
“34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one
another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people
will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John
13:34-35 ESV).
There is a
connection between the love which Jesus spoke of, and the humility that Peter
encourages in our text. You could say that humility is a manifestation of love.
Godly humility is love in action.
When you love
someone, you want what is good for them. You’re willing to put your own needs
on hold, for them. When our interaction with fellow Christians is marked by
humility, we are showing love. And as Jesus said, love is one of the things
that marks Christ’s followers as his own redeemed people.
And you know,
the versatile thing about humility, is that it can be practiced in almost every
situation. Whether you’re serving as a pastor or a teacher, an elder or a
deacon, a builder or a cleaner, a musician or a singer, a leader or a helper—in
all these roles we can clothe ourselves with humility, and thus show the love
we have received and learned from Christ.
▬
When it comes
to animals, there is a right way to treat them, and to train them. And in the
flock of God, there’s a right way too. A right way for leaders to lead. A right
way for the flock to follow. May the Holy Spirit bless the portion of God’s
flock that gathers here at Redemption Church so that our elders lead according
to God’s instruction, and we all show ourselves to be Christ’s people by
exhibiting the love and humility that mark us as His own.
Amen.
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will
guard your hearts, and your minds, in Christ Jesus.
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