Get Up and Grow: Humility

If you'd like to keep your Bibles open or your iPhones turned on at 1 Peter chapter 5, and let's pray.

1 Peter 5 · chapter mention

Father God, we thank you for your word, and as we come to the end of this series on 1 Peter and Peter's final words here,

Lord, we ask that they would bear fruit in the life of us as a church.

We thank you for that in your wisdom you have ordained some to be elders and shepherds.

Lord, we pray that they would pursue your glory as they minister under the chief shepherd,

and I pray that you would move the hearts of your flock to submission.

And Father, we pray that in all this we'd be prepared for the coming of the chief shepherd with him

and the eternal reward that comes with him, and so we ask it for your glory. Amen.

Today we come to the end of our look in 1 Peter.

Peter ends his letter by addressing the elders amongst God's people.

Not just the elders amongst God's people, but it's obviously a clear aspect of 1 Peter 5.

In chapter 4, which is what you looked at last week, the overall thrust was about suffering.

It appears as Peter moves into chapter 5 that he shifts gear to finish on a completely different topic.

And so to help us to understand 1 Peter 5, we need to put it in context.

This section in which chapter 5 sits actually started back in chapter 4, verse 12.

Remember, Peter addresses the churches with,

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering.

Or quite literally, do not be surprised by the fiery ordeal that you are currently going through.

Then in verse 17 of chapter 4, the suffering he refers to in verse 12 is explained as the beginning of the judgment of God,

which starts with the church and then moves out to the unbelieving world.

For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God.

And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

And then Peter jumps into chapter 5 with,

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder.

What is missing at the very beginning of the NIV translation that was just read out to us and that we're using this morning

is the word therefore.

It's in the original language and for some reason it's left out of the NIV,

but it is the link between chapter 5 and chapter 4.

That is, chapter 5 is an application of these last verses of chapter 4 from verse 12 onwards.

Isaiah 5 · chapter mention

Therefore, in the light of the suffering in the church and in the light of the judgment of God

that is purifying the church before it punishes the world,

in the light of that, here is how to shepherd the suffering flock

and how the suffering flock respond to the shepherding.

Elders are the normal way churches were led in the New Testament.

Peter begins without hesitation or qualification by addressing the elders.

He refers to the elders as shepherds.

Verse 2 says, be shepherds of God's flock.

Notice too that these elder shepherds are charged with oversight.

In verse 2, Peter calls the elders to serve as overseers.

Oversight is not the only duty of shepherding,

but it is the one that Peter mentions here.

Elder shepherds exercise oversight.

They look out over the flock and God holds them accountable

for seeing the big picture and acting for the good of the whole flock.

Of course, the elder shepherds are just sheep themselves,

like every other Christian, with Christ as the chief shepherd.

But by virtue of their calling and their gifting

and their affirmation by the church,

they have a responsibility that is different from the rest of the flock.

And responsibility is the key word here.

It means accountability.

The chief shepherd, when he comes, will hold them accountable.

He will call them to give an account for the exercising of their oversight.

The rest of the sheep will not be called to give an account for oversight.

And the rest of the sheep will not stand with the shepherds

as they are being held accountable for their oversight.

They will not gather around for support.

There won't be letters of encouragement.

They won't even accuse.

It is only the chief shepherd.

And so they'll be held accountable.

Did they see the big picture?

Did they act accordingly?

Did they exercise oversight?

And so as he addresses this situation of the suffering church,

Peter gives three charges to the elders.

And each of these three charges is both a negative and a positive.

Firstly, the second half of verse two,

serve as overseers, not because you must, but because you are willing.

You see, I think there's a threat that these elders in these churches

are feeling like the work is not something that they really would want to do.

They're feeling forced to do it

when they would rather really be doing something else.

It's very simple, I think, really,

that the elder shepherds have less desire to be elders and shepherds

if it's dangerous and it's difficult.

And I think here that Peter has two dangers in mind,

the two difficulties in mind, if you like.

One is that when persecution comes,

the leaders of the flock are the most visible and the most vulnerable.

If you are the shepherd of the suffering flock,

you will be among the first to fall.

It is a dangerous duty to be a leader when the church is under persecution.

And we know from chapter four, verse two,

that these churches were going through a fiery ordeal.

And it is understandable that the elder shepherds

might be looking for another vocation in the midst of that.

A second reason that the elder shepherds might shrink back from their duty

is not only are they vulnerable to the normal antagonism of people,

but they are also vulnerable to God's judgment in a peculiar way.

Recall that chapter four, verse 17,

says God's judgment had begun with the house of God.

And in that there is a very scary reference to Ezekiel chapter nine.

Ezekiel chapter nine is a description of the way that God brought judgment

on his people once before.

And he not only begun at the house of God,

but he began with the elders.

Chapter four, verse nine, sorry, chapter Ezekiel nine, verse four says,

And God said to him, go throughout the city of Jerusalem

and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve

and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.

As I listened, he said to the others,

follow him through the city and kill without showing pity or compassion.

Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children,

but do not touch anyone who has the mark.

Begin at my sanctuary.

And so they began with the elders who were in front of the temple.

In other words, it has been God's way to bring judgment on his own people,

beginning with the house of God, as chapter four, 17 refers to,

and in the house of God, beginning with the elder shepherds.

The fiery trial that chapter four, verse 12 refers to

is the refining fire of God's disciplining judgment upon his people.

It is the same refining fire that Peter refers to back in chapter one, verse 17.

Fiery trials are not easily endured,

but the testing does not destroy us.

These fiery trials are not the destruction fiery trials,

but they are the refining, the purging fiery trials.

They are the firing trials that we must go through in order to be saved.

The trials are designed by God

to purge us of all sinful self-reliance on the flesh.

These fiery trials shape us, if you like, for eternity.

As James says,

Consider it pure joy, my brothers,

whenever you face trials of many kinds,

because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Perseverance must finish its work

so that you may be mature and complete,

not lacking anything.

The role of the elder shepherd

is to lead God's flock

into the fiery trial in humble submission of God.

They open the doors

and they walk into the furnace

of God's purifying trials

and they call the flock to follow them

as they follow Christ.

They don't open the doors

and get their stick

and whack the sheep in there.

How's it going in there, guys?

Odd enough for you?

Tell me what you're learning.

They open the doors

and they walk in.

They call the flock to join them

and as they struggle themselves

in their own hearts and lives

through the fiery trials

of God's purification of them

as sheep and as shepherds,

in the process of their own struggle

in the fiery trials,

they assist the sheep

who have come with them

to endure it

by teaching them

and modelling patient endurance

in the midst of the fiery trials.

They call the flock to endure it

and rejoice in it

and to seek it

from the hand of a gracious

and merciful and sovereign God.

And what this means

is the danger and difficulty

is one test

of a true elder shepherd.

And for whatever you want

in a pastor

and we all have a view

of what one should be like,

you need one

who's courageous enough

not to walk away

from that fiery trial

but to walk into the furnace

in front of you.

And so it's not surprising

that the elders

might be reluctant

to exercise oversight.

And so Peter says

exercise your oversight

not because you must

but because you are willing.

As you, the elder shepherd,

walk into that fiery furnace,

do it with pure joy

on behalf of the people.

But Peter warns

that there are a couple

of strong worldly motives

for being an elder shepherd

even when your heart's not in it

and they are money and power.

At the end of verse 2,

serving as overseers,

not greedy for money

but eager to serve.

Greedy for money

means making the ministry

a means to get rich.

It means being motivated

by money in the ministry.

It means being motivated

by your own comfort.

It means the bad shepherds

of Ezekiel 34

devouring the flock

for your own gain.

It also means thinking constantly

about vacations and days off

and retirement benefits

instead of thinking about

the value of the human soul

and the preciousness of truth

and the power of the Holy Spirit

and the coming glory

of the chief shepherd.

And then in verse 3,

Peter warns against

the other worldly motive.

He says that they should serve

as overseers,

not lording it over

those entrusted to you

but being examples

to the flock.

Lording it over here

is not a reference

to personality types

but it does imply

that the elder shepherd here

is driven by power,

by the love of power.

He gets an ego high

from flaunting his authority

and prestige

and dominance.

He needs to be up front.

He likes to be addressed

with titles.

He craves the praise

and the dependence of people.

The elder does have authority.

They are called to exercise

oversight over the flock.

Christ the chief shepherd

has called them

for the task

of this oversight

but the under shepherd

is not a standing

for the Lord.

The shepherd presents

the word of the Lord,

the chief shepherd,

not their own decrees.

The shepherd enforces

the revealed will

of the Lord,

not their own wishes.

And for that reason,

any undermining

of the authority

of the scripture

turns church government

into spiritual tyranny.

If shepherds add to

or subtract from

the word of God,

they make themselves lords

over the consciences

of others.

And it says here,

far from being a lord

and master,

the shepherd is an example.

That is,

they are to lead others

in humble obedience

to God

by themselves

being humbly

obedient to God

as they put into practice

the word of God

in their lives.

The word of God

is their rule

and they pursue it

in obedience.

And so Peter says

the test of an elder shepherd

is their life,

their whole life.

Are they examples

for the flock?

Is their public oversight

a show

or does their whole life

prove their authenticity?

Is there a public shepherd

and a private shepherd?

What about their family

and their finances

and their hospitality

and their discernment

and their reputation

among spiritual people

and those outside?

are they bringing

the word of God

to bear in their lives

and walking forward

in humble submission

no matter what the cost

of that obedience?

Oh how discerning

the church needs to be.

Oh how we elder shepherds

need to take heed

to ourselves

as well as all the flock

as Acts 2 says

to search ourselves

and to test ourselves

and see if there is

any wicked way in us

because if we don't

God will.

These are but just

a couple of verses

and the rest of scripture

set a very high standard

for shepherds.

The shepherd serves the flock.

They love the flock.

They tend the flock.

They lead the flock.

He's accountable for the flock.

They sacrifice for the flock.

They protect their flock.

They pour their lives

out in service

of the flock.

And the high calling

of their vocation

makes the shepherd

vulnerable

to the judgment

of the sheep.

It is not an easy thing

for a pastor

to stand up

in front of the flock.

He leads to preach

a message about

the high calling

and nature

of his vocation.

Because it's easy

to point an accusatory finger

and just say

we're just not that.

You just fall

so far short.

You're defective.

You're substandard.

You may even be false.

In that place

of vulnerability

it is comforting

to know

that the Peter

who calls

the elders

to be shepherds

of God's flock

is the Peter

who had an unforgettable

breakfast with Jesus.

This is the Peter

who

through his three years

of ministry

with Jesus

basically

stuffed it up

every time.

This is the Peter

who consistently

failed,

consistently suffered

from foot-in-mouth disease.

Peter

and

he's the only one

who Jesus

referred to

as Satan

get behind me

as he tried

to hinder

Jesus

going to the cross.

He's the one

who

for all of history

has gone down

as the one

who ran

from Jesus

in his greatest

hour of need.

In the greatest

hour of fiery

trial

trial,

Peter denied

Jesus

three times

and ran.

What a coward.

there was

the self-assured

bravado

that he would

never turn

his back

on Jesus

but in that

fiery trial

he thought

only of himself

and his safety.

And then

just a matter

of weeks

later

on the

shore of

Lake Galilee

days later

even the shore

of Lake Galilee

the risen Lord

Jesus

restores

the failed

Peter.

restores

the failed

Peter

to his

apostolic

office

and he

charges

him

to be

a shepherd

to Christ's

little ones.

And so

when calling

others to

be elders

and shepherds

of his

sheep

of the

flock

Peter

was well

aware

of his

own

failings

and

shortcomings.

There was

plenty of room

for people

to point a

finger at

Peter

and say

Peter

weren't

you the

one

who ran

how dare

you give

such a

high

standard

of the

elder

shepherd.

But this

Peter

loved

the good

shepherd

who lays

down his

life for

the sheep.

Peter

and all

the elders

are under

shepherds

serving the

good

shepherd

and Peter

like all

the elder

shepherds

are firstly

sheep

themselves

who have

come to

the good

shepherd

who is

the overseer

of their

souls.

But for

this gathered

flock

he has

promised to

raise up

faithful

shepherds

faithful

shepherds

who can

stand

and shepherd

because the

good shepherd

is their

love

their hope

their forgiveness

their enabling

and their

comfort

even when

they don't

feel worthy

even

when they

fail

faithful

shepherds

look to the

good shepherd

for their

affirmation

and for

their rebuke

not the

changing

whims

of the

flock.

So what

sustains

a good

shepherd?

What

sustains

a faithful

shepherd?

How

might a

good

shepherd

exercise

oversight

willingly

and eager

to serve?

That is

what makes

the good

shepherd

want to

serve?

To love

to serve?

To delight

to shepherd?

Not motivated

by money

not motivated

by power

verse 4

and when

the chief

shepherd

appears

you receive

the crown

of glory

that will

never fade

away.

What's

the motivation?

The good

shepherd

the chief

shepherd

a shepherd

who loves

the good

shepherd

will have

a strong

sense of

his

accountability

before God

for the

souls of

his flock

even when

they don't

want him

to.

A good

shepherd

will look

to the

end

they will

take

the

long

view

they will

walk

into the

fiery

furnace

and prepare

God's

people

for

eternity.

What

keeps true

shepherds

going is

that when

the chief

shepherd

comes

with him

will come

his

everlasting

reward

the unfading

crown of

glory

glory

and that

in

itself

is

enough

not

money

not

power

but there

is a

message here

for the

flock

in all

this

verse 5

young men

in the

same way

be submissive

to those

who are

older

all of

you

clothe

yourselves

with

humility

towards

one

another

because

God

opposes

the

proud

but

gives

grace

to

the

humble

the

reference

to

younger

men

here

being

submissive

to

older

is

linked

to

this

issue

of

eldership

it's

not

a

complete

change

of

gear

into

something

else

the

reference

to

older

is

a

reference

to

spiritual

eldership

it

was

normally

the

case

that

the

older

members

of

the

community

were

the

elders

but

it's

not

always

the

case

Timothy

according

to

church

tradition

was

anywhere

from

between

the

age

of

18

and

Peter

particularly

identifies

the

younger

men

probably

because

they

most

likely

typified

the

rejection

of

authority

but

the

point

here

is

that

there

is

to

be

church

wide

submission

to

spiritual

eldership

and

my

friends

our

culture

doesn't

help us

with

this

right

from

our

convict

beginnings

we

have

rejected

authority

our

national

heroes

are

the

underdogs

and

those

who

stand

against

authority

we

live

in a

time

when

we

are

very

quick

to

know

our

rights

and

to

stand

on

them

we

even

have

bumper

stickers

which

say

question

authority

but

in

case

you

think

that

you

have

left

that

culture

behind

another

issue

for

us

is

our

evangelical

church

history

our

origin

my

friends

is in

the

reformation

and

its

reaction

to

ecclesiastical

abuses

as

one

person

has

noted

Catholics

preach

contraception

but

don't

practice

it

and

evangelicals

preach

submission

but

don't

practice

it

we

have

been

taught

for

centuries

that

we

have

direct

access

to

the

good

shepherd

to

God

through

the

good

shepherd

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

we

have

been

taught

for

centuries

to

believe

as

the

scriptures

say

the

priesthood

of all

believers

scriptures

we

have

the

Bible

as

I

have

the

Bible

and

we

have

the

indwelling

presence

of the

spirit

to bring

out the

richness

of the

scriptures

and so

submission

is hard

when you're

not even

sure you

need the

people that

you're

meant to

submit to

people

and

yet

God

in

his

wisdom

has

appointed

shepherds

for

his

flock

and

he

says

that

they

are

absolutely

crucial

for

the

flock

the

flock

need

the

shepherd

they

need

feeding

they

need

tending

and they

need

protecting

because

the

devil

is

on

the

prowl

and

he's

waiting

to

pounce

and

he

wants

to

devour

and

what

makes

the

difference

is

the

shepherd

the

shepherd

working

under

the

good

shepherd

and

so

let

me

finish

by

considering

the

words

of

one

of

the

all

time

great

shepherds

in

my

view

Charles

Simeon

his

church

at

Cambridge

didn't

want

him

to

be

their

shepherd

and

he

suffered

terribly

for

at

least

the

first

12

years

he

was

there

in

his

first

year

there

he

preached

a

sermon

on

the

nature

of

his

office

a

very

bold

thing

to

do

in

the

face

of

the

enormous

opposition

he

was

facing

from

his

congregation

he

said

the

pastor

is

like

the

keeper

of

a

lighthouse

and

he

painted

a

vivid

picture

in

this

sermon

of

the

rocky

coast

just

strewn

with

dead

and

mangled

bodies

with

the

wailing

of

the

widows

and

the

orphans

on

the

shore

with

the

big

question

ringing

out

why

how

did

this

happen

and

then

he

pictured

the

delinquent

keeper

being

brought

out

and

finally

the

answer

as

to

why

this

tragedy

happened

was

given

asleep

asleep

and

he

went

on

to

say

remember

the

nature

of

my

office

and

the

care

incumbent

on

me

for

the

welfare

of

your

immortal

souls

consider

whatever

may

appear

in

my

discourse

as

harsh

earnest

or

alarming

not

as

the

effects

of

enthusiasm

but

as

the

rational

dictates

of a

heart

impressed

with

a

sense

both

of

the

value

of

the

soul

and

the

importance

of

eternity

by

recollecting

the

awful

consequences

of

my

neglect

you'll

be

more

inclined

to

receive

favorably

any

well-meant

admonitions

pray for

your elders

pray that

we would

not

neglect

our

charge

that

we

would

not

go

to

sleep

pray

that

we

would

not

take

our

eyes

off

the

appearing

of the

great

shepherd

pray

that

we

would

grow

in

humility

and

submit

to

him

and

to

see

the

nature

of our

office

with

such

clarity

and

pray

that

the

sheep

would

grow

in

humility

and

submit

to

the

shepherds

and

the

grace

of

God

working

those

things

together

the

grace

of

God

who

called

you

to

his

eternal

glory

in

Christ

after

you

have

suffered

a

little

while

will

himself

restore

you

and

make

you

strong

firm

and

steadfast

to

him

be

the

power

forever

and

ever

Amen

You

name