1 Peter 5:1-4
We have talked about the recipients of this letter being “The Rejected Selected.”
These are people who are scattered, they are on the run, and life is tough.
Peter has penned this letter, he has been very general about some things and very specific about others.
He has been specific about our calling in regard to our citizenship
The calling in regard to the work place
The calling to wives
The calling to husbands
Certainly a very important group that Peter deals with tonight is that of the elders.
In verse 1 Peter says, “Therefore, 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”
Peter is speaking to the elders.
He seeks to remind them of his example
“as your fellow elder”
Peter had lived a life as an elder, as a protector of the sheep, and he wanted them to remember his example.
It was Jesus who gave Peter this calling.
John 21:15-17 “So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, ” Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
He seeks to remind them of his experience
“and witness of the sufferings of Christ”
You can tell Peter wanted to remind these shepherds of their calling to also suffer alongside their sheep.
Peter had done this and would do this.
John 21:18-19 “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”
He seeks to remind them of his expectation
“and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed”
Peter seeks to remind them that it will be worth it all.
Peter is speaking to these men to call them to be obedient, as their role is vitally important.
But honestly, we must first answer the question.
WHAT ARE ELDERS?
If you take 1 Peter at face value, one could say that they are the older men of the church. It would seem that verse 5 adds to this theory since Peter then turns to speak of younger men.
However, the Bible is never as concerned about physical age as it is spiritual maturity.
For example, you have Timothy who was relatively young in age.
1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”
You also have older aged men in the letter to Hebrews who were in no way ready to lead.
Hebrews 5:12 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”
We are not talking about physical age, but rather an actual office in the church.
There are three Greek words that are used interchangeably in the New Testament.
POIMEN
Ephesians 4:11 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors (poimen) and teachers,”
EPISKOPOS (Episcopal)
Philippians 1:1 “Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers (episkopos) and deacons:”
PRESBUTERION
2 John 1 “The elder (presbuterion) to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth,”
It seems that throughout the New Testament, these three titles are all bestowed upon the same office.
The point is, whether we are talking about overseers, pastors, or elders, we are talking about the same office in the church.
But for a moment, we are going to have to get a little “UN-Baptist” and look at what the Bible has to say about elders.
Elders began in the Old Testament.
Numbers 11:16-17 “The LORD therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. “Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone.”
It was carried over into the New Testament.
1 Timothy 3:1-7 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”
Titus 1:5-9 “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”
1) THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF THIS IS A PLURAL OFFICE
Everywhere you look at this, it is mentioned as an office for more than one man.
Paul spoke to the elders at Ephesus.
Peter, James, John where considered elders of the Jerusalem church
WHY?
1) Protection for a tyrant
2) Protection from arrogance
3) To keep the church moving forward continuously
It is worthwhile to note that this does not negate spiritual gifts.
Some elders may have the gift of prophecy, some the gift of leadership, some the gift of administration, but they were all elders.
2) ELDERS RULE THE CHURCH
You won’t find business meetings in the New Testament.
You won’t find majority votes. You find elders ruling.
1 Timothy 5:17 “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”
In regard to Gentile salvation, they didn’t ask the whole Jerusalem church.
Acts 15:6 “The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.”
It was the Jerusalem elders that Paul answered to.
Acts 21:17-19 “After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.”
It was the Elders that controlled the money.
Acts 11:29-30 “And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.”
And for this reason Paul made a point to appoint elders in churches.
Acts 14:21-24 “After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. They passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia.”
They were for the purpose of protecting the flock.
When Paul called the Ephesian elders to himself, he had this word for them.
Acts 20:28-31 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.”
James said when you are sick, call for the elders.
James 5:14 “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;”
There is the need for someone to rightly use the word.
Titus 1:9 “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”
This is why I get so passionate about people only wanting chaplains to serve as pastors. There is a need for men to rightly divide the word of God and also to refute those who are wrong.
The point is, this is an office that is needed in the church.
It is the office of godly men who are set apart by God to lead and rule over His church.
I know that may not be Baptist, but it is what occurred in the Bible.
And it is these elders that Peter is addressing in this passage.
There are two aspects with which he deals with elders.
#1 THE RESPONSIBILITY OF AN ELDER
1 Peter 5:2-3
Peter is clear about their responsibility,
He says, “Shepherd the flock of God among you”
The term shepherd is a logical term for Peter to use. All throughout the Bible, God’s people are compared to sheep.
Sheep are dependant animals.
They need someone to take them to green pastures
They need someone to lead them to still waters
They need someone to protect them
They need someone to feed them
God raised up these men as those who would do just that.
In times of persecution, the need for a godly shepherd is even more apparent, and this is why Peter is writing.
He exhorts elders in regard to 4 areas.
1) MANAGEMENT
“exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily”
It is the idea of willingly leading, guiding, protecting, and correcting the sheep.
Paul said, that an elder ought to have a desire to protect and guide God’s people.
1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”
But more than just a willingness to take office,
We are talking about a willingness to shepherd the sheep.
An elder, or overseer who will not shepherd his flock
Is not fulfilling God’s purpose for his life,
Nor is he benefiting the flock.
Ezekiel 34:1-6 “Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? “You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. “Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. “They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. “My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them.”
Of course this is a physical analogy with a spiritual meaning.
An elder who doesn’t spiritually guide his flock is not helping his flock.
A preacher must feed his flock
A preacher must apply the word of God to bring spiritual healing
A preacher must apply the word of God to call in the lost
Otherwise they are like sheep without a shepherd
A shepherd must manage his sheep.
He is not called to allow the sheep to manage him.
2) MESSAGE
“according to the will of God”
A shepherd does not have the right to institute his own ideals, or desires.
John Owen said, “A minister may fill his pews, his communion role, the mouths of the public, but what that minister is on his knees in secret before God almighty, that he is and no more.”
Much is made today of using psychology in our leadership
Much is made of clever business tactics
But an elder has but one person he must follow, and that is God.
Jeremiah 10:21 “For the shepherds have become stupid And have not sought the LORD; Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flock is scattered.”
If a shepherd does not know the will of God,
Then it is impossible for him to lead the people to follow it.
You can read all the church growth books you want
You can read all the pop-psychology books you want
You can know how to influence people
You can know how to persuade people
You can know how to keep your congregation on your team
But if you don’t know the will of God, you are sunk, and useless to your flock.
Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.”
Peter exhorts elders in regard to management, message
3) MOTIVES
“and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness”
Just as there is in all things, there is a right reason and wrong reason to do things.
The right reason to shepherd God’s flock is an eagerness to protect and to feed the flock of God.
An eagerness to lead them after the will of God.
An eagerness to find the lost, build up the broken, correct the foolish,
And get all of the sheep exactly where they need to be.
A wrong motive for shepherding sheep is to get sordid gain.
This can be financial, this can be in the form of power and prestige.
An elder is forbidden from taking on this task for carnal purposes.
REMEMBER WHAT GOD TOLD EZEKIEL?
Ezekiel 34:2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?”
An elder must have a proper motivation
4) METHODS
“nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock”
Another vitally important aspect is that elders are not those who simply sit back and give orders, but those who lead by example.
This, above all else is why God has called me on mission trips.
I know I’m not going to be a career missionary. I know my calling.
I go because some of my sheep are going.
You’ve probably heard the statement.
“You can lead them past where you are.”
How true that is.
An elder has no right to dominate his flock, but rather through oversight, godly wisdom, pure motives and humble methods, he leads the flock of God.
That is the responsibility of an elder
#2 THE REWARD OF AN ELDER
1 Peter 5:4
Peter promises that the elder who does it right, will some day receive a great reward.
He will receive a crown that will not fade.
Many of us know what it is to have a medal that tarnishes, or a trophy that rusts, but there is no such problem with the elder’s crown.
Those men who lead according to God’s instruction will receive an amazing reward.
There is a need for godly shepherds.
A shepherd is an amazing person.
They willingly devote their lives to living with sheep.
They leave their places of comfort, in order
To protect a defenseless animal,
To guide ignorant an ignorant animal,
To help an ungrateful animal,
To feed a feeble animal.
That is what a person who raises sheep does.
It is not my desire to get you to look at me, God forces me to apply this text.
While in one sense, a shepherd of God’s flock must leave his own life, spend time protecting the flock, feeding the flock, and guiding the flock.
The one that truly amazes me is the Chief Shepherd.
John 10:11-15 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”
A shepherd will leave civilization in order to put on sheep skins and dwell with the sheep.
This is what Jesus did for you.
Philippians 2:5-7 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”
A good shepherd will feed his sheep.
This is what Jesus did for you.
John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”
A good shepherd protects the sheep.
John 10:27-28 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
A good shepherd literally lays down his life for the sheep.
This Jesus did.
Philippians 2:8 “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Jesus has done the unthinkable for you.
He was willing to lay it all aside in order to take care of you.
He has proper management,
He exercises oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarity.
He has a proper message,
He leads you according to the will of God.
He has proper motives,
He doesn’t do it for sordid gain, but with eagerness.
He has proper methods,
He came as an example for you to follow.
Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, and the intention is that the sheep would follow Him.
Are you?
John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;”
