Church Conduct in Hard Times
1 Peter 5:1-7
Introduction:
When Susan Boyle entered the stage on the television show “Britain’s Got Talent,” the judges and audience appeared apprehensive and judgmental in response to her ordinary, unpolished appearance. However, after she sang the song, “I Dreamed a Dream” the audience and judges alike rose for a standing ovation. Susan Boyle is the last person we would have expected to be in the position of an overnight star.
In a similar way, the passage we will consider this morning was penned by a disciple of our Lord whom we would have least expected to be the one writing down these words. This man rebuked the Lord when He spoke of His coming suffering and death (Mark 8:31-32). He argued with the other disciples about who was the greatest and who would be the greatest in His kingdom (Mark 9:33-34). He, like his fellow disciples, wasn’t willing to take the place of the servant at the Passover meal and neither was he immediately willing for His Lord to do so (John 13:6-9). This man, after our Lord predicted he would deny Him, instead of pleading for help so that he wouldn’t in fact do such a horrible thing, proudly asserted he would never deny the Lord (Mark 14:27-31)
This man, Peter, is the last disciple from who we would have expected to read these words:
“To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, 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. Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace 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.”
It is obvious from these verses that Peter is a changed man whose life has been dramatically transformed by our Lord’s ministry.
When Peter exhorts the elders of the church to “shepherd the flock” ( 1 Peter 5:2), we are reminded of Jesus’ words to Peter in John 21:15-17 for Peter to “feed” the Lord’s sheep. When Peter instructs elders not to “lord it over” those under their care (1 Peter 5:3), we are reminded of our Lord’s words in Matthew 20:25-28. When Peter exhorts all of his readers to clothe themselves with humility, we are reminded of our Lord’s example and teaching when He clothed himself with the servant’s towel in the upper room to wash the disciples feet (John 13).
May we be like Peter in our response to the teaching of our Lord. May we receive it, allow it to transform our lives, and pass it on to others.
In 1 Peter, Peter addresses a group of believers who are suffering for Jesus’ sake. He focuses on the interrelationship between present suffering and future glory. He reminds us of our living hope in Christ and of the glory that awaits us while at the same time demonstrating how God uses our present suffering to prepare us for the glory ahead. Peter writes to encourage believers to remain faithful and maintain a good testimony in the midst of suffering, recognizing that in the end, God will be glorified and we will participate in His victory.
In 1 Peter 5:1-7, Peter defines what faithfulness and a good testimony should look like with regards to how the church’s elders and church’s people act toward one another.
1. The appeal to the elders (1-4)
Peter’s addresses first the elders of the church—the group of older, mature believers within the body responsible for oversight and leadership. Peter exhorts these men identifying himself as a fellow elder. As an apostle, he could have imposed his authority and ordered them to follow his instruction, but he does not take this approach. He is not the old power seeking Peter, but the new Peter. He makes his appeal as one on a level with them and thus demonstrates both his humility and his ability to sympathize with challenges and dangers associated with the responsibilities they share together.
Peter further identifies himself as “a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed.”
Peter personally observed the sufferings of Christ and now it was his task as an apostle to bear witness or present a testimony to the reality and significance of His suffering.
Peter looked forward to the day when he would share in the glory to be revealed. He had the opportunity at the transfiguration to get a glimpse of the glory of our Lord. He eagerly anticipated the day when His glory would be manifested fully for all to see when He returns.
Again, in keeping with the theme of the book of 1 Peter, suffering and glory are never far apart. Present suffering is used of God to prepare us for future glory.
The duty of Elders: Shepherd God’s Flock
Again, Peter’s exhortation here reminds us of the words of our Lord in John 21:15-17—“Feed my lambs…Take care of my sheep…Feed my sheep.”
What does the work of shepherding God’s flock involve?
It involves leadership of the flock. Elders shepherd the flock by serving as overseers—they provide overall supervision. It involves folding the flock. Elders shepherd by gathering the flock—they seek the lost, they try to bring back the scattered, and they encourage the faithful to stay and move together as one. It involves feeding the flock. Elders provide spiritual nourishment by preaching and teaching God’s Word. It involves guarding the flock. Elders warn the congregation of the dangers presented by false teachers and by Satan himself.
Let us take note together of who it is that Peter identifies as the owner of the flock under the supervision of the elders. The church is not the elders’ flock. The church is God’s flock, placed under the elders’ shepherding care—a solemn responsibility they dare not neglect or abuse.
How should God’s ownership of the flock affect how we as Elders carry out our responsibility?
The fact that the flock is God’s precious possession challenges to us remember that it is His to decide how the flock should be lead—He is the owner—He is the Master who determines how things should be done. God is the One who ultimately Shepherds the flock and He is the one who Shepherds us as leaders. We won’t do well as shepherds of God’s flock if we aren’t doing well at being a faithful sheep of the Chief Shepherd.
How Elders Should Exercise Their Shepherding Responsibilities
Peter recognizes that shepherding necessitates the exercise of the elder’s God-given authority and leadership in the oversight of God’s flock. He also knows all too well how power and authority corrupt, even Christians in leadership roles. He therefore clarifies how elders should exercise authority by contrasting fleshly temptations leaders face with the spiritual characteristics that are modeled and taught by our Lord and should be exercised by His “undershepherds.”
The Elder’s Willingness to Lead: Elders ought to serve willingly because they want to, not reluctantly because they have to.
At the time Peter was living, it wasn’t easy to stand up and be counted as a leader of God’s people. Church leadership was, as it is today, a very public, visible task that made church leaders vulnerable to the attack of persecutors. It’s difficult to lead God’s people in times of suffering. It’s easy to understand why finding willing leaders might have been a challenge. Just the same, this is the time when the church most needs leaders who willingly, voluntarily serve. Who wants a reluctant leader in times of crisis?
Elders should serve because they are willing and desire to serve God in this way, not because they “HAVE TO!” The elder shouldn’t act like a reluctant draftee who does his job only because someone twisted his arm. Instead, the elder should act like the willing volunteer who serves as the taste tester for a chocolate company.
The Elders’ Motivation to Lead: Elders ought to work, motivated not by personal gain, but by an eagerness to serve others
Peter isn’t prohibiting an elder from receiving a fair wage for honest work (Luke 10:7; 1 Timothy 5:18). Rather, he is warning against taking up the work motivated by the opportunity for material advantage. When love of material gain is the motivation, elders act as mere hirelings, eager for profit, but not all that excited about sacrifice or service. Instead of being motivated by self-gain, elders should exhibit the heart of a shepherd, demonstrating an eagerness to serve. Elders should serve without giving any thought or calculation to self-gain. The elder’s attitude should not be “What’s in it for me?” but “What can I do to serve as a leader for the edification of others?”
The Elders’ Manner of Leadership: Elders ought to lead not as dominating authoritarians, but as examples for others to follow
The temptation of elders is to misuse their position of authority by lording it over those entrusted to their care. For elders to act as lords of the flock is to act as if they own the flock. Remember, the flock is God’s, not theirs. It is inappropriate for an elder to lord, to dominate and proudly demand compliance to his orders. Instead, his job is to lead by the example of his life, to live a life worthy of imitation. The elder doesn’t stand behind the sheep, driving them forward, but goes before the sheep, leading the way, serving as a model for others to emulate.
The Outcome of Faithfulness as a Shepherd of God’s Flock
One day, all elders will have to stand before and give an account of their actions to the Chief Shepherd of the flock, the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who faithfully carry out their responsibilities as undershepherds will receive a reward when Jesus appears. The prospect of reward in the future helps to motivate and encourage elders to continue in faithful service in the present.
The difficulties of the elders’ work, especially in times of persecution and suffering, along with the elders’ awareness of their own inadequacies and failures, can at times discourage the best of men. To provide encouragement and perspective, Peter turns the elders’ eyes on Jesus and the reward they could anticipate at His coming for their faithfulness. Again, we see the theme of suffering giving way to glory.
What is the reward that Jesus will bestow on faithful elders?
I don’t believe that the crown given as a reward is an actual, physical crown labeled “glory.” I think Peter uses the term crown as a synonym for reward.
The reward that elders receive for faithful service is very different from the rewards of which they were familiar. The rewards they received for athletic events faded away. The reward Jesus gives is glory that will never fade away. The reward for faithful elders is the opportunity to share in His unfading glory.
There are many rewards that motivate church leaders today: some work hard to build not the church, but personal empires; others strive for the applause of men; some are after more possessions. All of these will fade one day. They are all temporal in nature. How much better to be motivated by the unfading glory that faithful elders will share with Christ!
2. The appeals to all of the members (5-7)
An appeal to younger people who don’t serve as elders: Submit to your elders
Who does Peter mean when he speaks of the older and the younger?
I agree with the notes that appear in the NET Bible:
“In this context younger and elder are terms that combine two meanings: relative age and an official structure of leadership in the church. As in verse 1, elder here denotes those who exercise spiritual leadership, who for the most part are older in years. Likewise younger means the rest of the community, who for the most part are younger in age, who are urged to accept the authority of their leaders.”
Peter’s second command in this passage is short, sweet, and to the point. No explanation is needed as to what Peter means. The non-elders of the church need to submit or place themselves under the authority of the elders of the church. We ought to submit to the authority God has established rather than fighting for what we personally want.
What a great combination it is when the elders of a church are godly men who faithfully shepherd the flock with the right motives and when godly people respond by submitting to their leaders.
I want to commend Pleasant View Bible Church and its leaders for what I observed on Sunday night, April 26th, at our quarterly congregational meeting. At that meeting, the leadership of godly men was evident. The concern of the men in leadership was to lead in the building refurbishment project in such a way as to promote worship, fellowship, and unity. The leaders demonstrated a listening ear to the concerns of the people and no agendas as to how things had to be. Godly leaders led and godly people followed.
What a blessing it was to observe the spirit of cooperative unity that characterized PVBC on that night. May this be the pattern of Pleasant View for years to come. What a great combination it is when godly leaders lead and godly people follow.
An appeal to elders and non-elders alike: Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another
I wonder if Peter had in his mind’s eye a picture of Jesus putting on the servant’s towel to wash his feet in the upper room as be penned the words exhorting us to clothe ourselves with humility (John 13:1-5). Humility is the willingness to assume a lowly position to serve others and put their needs and concerns ahead of our own.
In humility, leaders need to exercise their God-given authority in a loving, self-sacrificial manner, laying down their lives in service to God’s flock. In humility, the people of the church need to support, follow and graciously submit to the leadership of the elders.
To emphasize the important of our demonstration of humility toward one another, Peter quotes from Proverbs 3:34, giving us a sobering motivation to heed the command to clothe ourselves with humility. God resists or sets Himself against the proud, but extends grace to the humble.
A second appeal to elders and non-elders alike: Humble Yourselves under God’s Mighty Hand (6-7)
The temptation in this world is to be self-seeking, self-serving, and self-sufficient—all characteristics of pride—all demonstrating the desire to exalt self. Instead of living in this manner, we need to submit ourselves to God in humble dependence on Him.
God’s training process requires God’s people to go through fiery trials and persecution. Under such conditions, the temptation is high to go proudly in the direction of selfish pursuits—to live for here and now instead of living as strangers here, to live as pagans do instead of living for the will of God, to live for self instead of living to serve, to assert ourselves and our rights instead of submitting to the authorities God has placed over us, to lord it over those under our authority instead of providing loving, servant leadership, to live for personal happiness at all costs rather than being most concerned about holiness, to live for that which perishes instead of living in anticipation of the permanent glory ahead, etc.
Instead of proudly going in our own direction in response to the difficulties involved in living for God, we are to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand. Sure, this submission will often bring difficulty now, but God gives us this perspective—our humble submission to God will lead to future exaltation. Peter apparently had in mind the promise of Jesus to exalt those who humble themselves (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14). When we humble ourselves, God will exalt us in due time—in His time, not ours.
As we go through the often difficult process of being trained by God through hard things, cares and concerns pop up. Memories of the past, pressures of the present, fears of the future can weigh us down. The temptation is to worry and fret, demonstrating a desire to trust ourselves more than God. If we continue carry our concerns on our own, they will burden our lives.
The good news is that we don’t have to carry these. We can cast them upon our Lord, handing them over to Him, entrusting to Him the things that concern us most. What is the ground or basis for the action of casting our cares on God?—God cares for us.
All that creates anxiety for us is a matter of concern to God that He wants to handle for us—HE CARES! Elders, when we come to realize again and again that the task of shepherding is impossible in mere human strength, we can cast our shepherding cares on Him, confident He cares for us. People of the congregation, when we come to realize again and again that it is impossible to follow the lead of elders in mere human strength, we can cast our cares on Him, confident He cares for us.
In times of suffering and difficulty, what greater assurance and comfort is there than knowing not only that God is in sovereign control and has a wonderful plan for us that involves victory and glory, but also that HE CARES FOR US!
Conclusion:
Our text today brings us face to face with choices. What will our choice be? Elders, we are called to shepherd the flock by exercising leadership in a way that is vastly different than the way the unbelievers lead. Will we pursue the world’s view of success measuring our ministry in terms of the size of the church’s budget, congregation, and building? Or will we view success in terms of how faithfully we carry out our God-given task of Shepherding God’s flock in God’s way in the midst of difficult times. Are we willing to embrace the truth, as Bob Deffinbaugh puts it, that “Success is not the test of leadership; suffering is?”
People of the congregation, will we be characterized by independence and rebellion or by submission to those in authority over us?
May all of us be like Peter, receiving the teaching of our Lord, allowing it to transform us, and passing it on to others.
Living in humility toward God and men in this world will not be an easy task, but we have this encouragement—glory is ahead for us, God cares for us and invites us to cast our burdens on Him, and God’s grace is ours to enable us to faithfully carry on—Carry on Pleasant View—Carry on.