1 Peter 5:1-11

It is my joy to present to you, I guess, introduce you to our speaker for this morning.

His name is Joel Shory.

He's a pastor of Redeemer Fellowship Church in Newark, Delaware.

It's a church plant also, three years ago.

But before that, he was serving at Covenant Fellowship Church,

where we've had a lot of pastors come and visit us from.

You've been pastors in 2005, right, Joel?

And Joel's married to his wife, Ashley.

They have four children.

They're all a lot older than my kids.

Joel's a wonderful man of God, and he had great leadership gifts

and serves a lot in our denominational context as well.

So he was actually on the ordination committee that was grilling me

when I was getting ordained through Sovereign Grace.

And he serves as a church planting committee now,

helping church plants get started within our denominations in various places in our region.

And Joel, thanks for coming to serve us.

Joel is actually the youth pastor at Covenant Fellowship

for a lot of the Hawkins non-grown children when they were youth.

So it's wonderful to have him come and have that connection.

So Joel, come and serve us, please.

Good morning, everybody.

Good morning.

It really is a joy to be with you today.

I am very grateful for the opportunity,

particularly on this special occasion as we install Matt as an elder here.

I not only love Sean and his leadership of this church,

and Hannah I met last night and spent time,

but I also love Matt and Cheryl and their whole family very, very much.

We were members of Covenant Fellowship Church together for many years.

And honestly, I'll never forget when we first found out

that they were prayerfully considering moving all the way up to Boston

to be a part of this local church family.

I was and I still am blown away by that sacrifice of service

and willingness to follow the Lord in all of life.

So I love it very much.

Not only do I love your pastors, I love all of you,

even though we have never met before.

I cherish being in partnership with all of you in our denomination,

Sovereign Grace Churches,

and my own church family, Redeemer Fellowship,

and you aren't dealt with.

I send their greetings and their love to you and the Lord this morning.

It is an honor.

Friends, if you have your Bibles,

please go ahead and open them with me to 1 Peter chapter 5.

1 Peter 5 · chapter mention

1 Peter chapter 5.

1 Peter 5 · chapter mention

We're going to read the first four verses

as we consider pastoral ministry and elders within the church.

Peter says this.

He says,

So I exhort the elders among you

as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ,

as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed,

shepherd the flock of God that is among you,

exercising oversight,

not under compulsion,

but willingly as God would have you,

not for shameful gain,

but eagerly,

not domineering over those in your charge,

but being examples to the flock.

And when the chief shepherd appears,

you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Amen.

May God bless the preaching of his word this morning.

Friends,

I want to talk to you about godly leadership this morning.

And as you may know,

godly leadership is under attack in our day and age.

And oftentimes,

leadership is under attack

because of very legitimate concerns

about the abuse of power

because of ungodly men

using their leadership to do harm

rather than to do good.

Sadly,

people have an issue with leaders

and sadly,

people specifically have an issue with pastors

because so many pastors

have used their positions of leadership

in very ungodly ways.

But my friends,

that does not mean that leadership

is inherently bad.

Now,

in fact,

God's word

paints a very different picture for us.

It paints a picture not just that leadership is important,

but rather that godly leadership

is an extraordinary gift and a blessing.

That God calls gifted and qualified men

to lead his church

in ways that will edify

and encourage

and strengthen

and build up his people

as they live lives in this fallen world.

God calls weak and unimpressive men

to fill an extraordinary role

in the life of his church.

But these men

will only be a blessing

if they pastor

under the chief pastor

or the chief shepherd.

And this is what we see

in 1 Peter 5,

1 Peter 5:1–4

verses 1 to 4.

This passage

is about the shepherding care

of pastors

within local congregations.

In these verses,

Peter is talking directly

to the men

that are called

to serve as pastors

in the local church.

And so specifically

in our context

here this morning,

Peter is talking

most directly

to Sean

and to Matt

as your pastors.

But Trinity,

that does not mean

that as a church

you should not pay

very close attention

to what he says.

Why?

Because we all need

to be led.

We need to be led

by Jesus first,

but we also need

to be led

by godly leaders

within the body

of Christ.

And because we should

know what to look

for in these leaders.

How do we know

whether our pastors

are leading us

well or not?

Well,

Peter helps us

to know today.

And so while

these first four verses

are primarily directed

towards pastors,

the entire church

should pay very

close attention

to what Peter says here

because this picture

that he paints

of pastoral ministry

is for all of our good

and for all of our joy

and for the strength

of our souls.

The main idea

for our message today

is simply this.

Pastors are gifts

of guidance

to God's people

who must themselves

be guided

by God's grace.

Pastors are gifts

of guidance

to God's people

who must themselves

be guided

by God's grace.

And friends,

believe it or not,

we have ten points

this morning.

I'm not joking.

We really do have

ten points this morning.

I promise not to preach

for an hour and a half.

But there are ten things

that are needed

for pastoral ministry

as seen

in these four verses.

Point number one,

pastors need

to remember

their calling.

Pastors need

to remember

their calling.

So we see this

in the first three words.

Peter says,

So I exhort you.

So I exhort the elders

among the words.

So there

is a tie back

to the preceding discussion

of chapter four,

which was primarily

about suffering

and trials

within the church.

If you read chapter four,

you will see

that an essential part

of our suffering

as God's people

is the testing

or the proving

of our faith

over time

that God is doing.

And Peter says

that this judgment,

he says in chapter four,

this testing

of our faith

we trial

begins with

the household

of God.

He says that it

begins with

the local church.

And so friends,

doesn't it make sense

that Peter would

move directly

from that discussion

about the testing

of our faith

within the church

to talking

about pastors?

If God's judgment

would begin

with the household

of God,

well then how

that household

is led

matters a great deal,

doesn't it?

In fact,

many scholars

see a direct

connection

between the judgment

of chapter four

verse 17,

they see a direct

connection all the way

back to Ezekiel

chapter nine

when God passes

through Jerusalem

to mark out

those who are his

and those who are not.

And it says explicitly

in Ezekiel chapter nine

verse six

that God will begin

with the elders

of the sanctuary.

And so it seems

very clear

in first Peter

chapter five

that it's consistent

with the pattern

of scripture

that when God

comes to evaluate

his church

on that final day,

he will begin

with the pastors.

James says

in chapter three

verse one,

not many of you

should become teachers,

my brothers,

for you know

that we who teach

will be judged

with greater strength.

And so if God's judgment

starts not only

with the church,

but with the leaders

of the church

that these verses

make sense here.

Peter needs to exhort

the pastors

to be faithful

to their calling,

not just for their own sake,

but for the church's sake.

As the pastors lead,

so goes the culture

of the church.

And so if the church

will be judged as faithful,

pastors must be exhorted

to lead faithfully

in their calling.

And Matt,

every pastor needs this

in their life, brother.

We need to remember

that our calling

is a holy calling.

That eternity

is at stake

for ourselves

and for those

that we lead.

Pastors are not just

building a fun club

that people can choose

to be a part of

or not.

No, the pastor's calling

is to the eternal matters

and every pastor

needs to be

regularly reminded

by each other,

by other pastors

and by their church family

that they are laboring

not for this world,

but for eternity

and for the glory of Christ.

Trinity,

pray for your pastors.

Thank you.

Pray for Matt

as he is ordained today.

Pray that he would never forget

the eternal significance

of his calling.

Point number two,

pastors need

team ministry.

Now this is a point

that Peter doesn't

clearly state in this text

but it is clearly

implicit in what he is saying

and it seems important

to highlight this morning.

Verse 1 says,

So I exhort the elders

among you.

That word elder

or elders

is the Greek word

presbyteros.

That word

when used throughout

the New Testament

to speak of the leaders

of the church

is always in

the plural.

It's never singular.

Paul charges Titus

to raise up elders

in the churches.

James instructs

the sick

to be prayed over

by the elders

of the church.

Plural.

Acts chapter 20

Acts 20 · chapter mention

speaks of the elders

at Ephesus.

And we see this pattern

elsewhere in scripture

as well.

Moses raises up elders

to share leadership

with.

Jesus even had

12 disciples

and when he sent

them out

he did not send

them out alone

but together.

Alexander Strzok

in his excellent book

on biblical eldership

says this about

team ministry.

He says,

Shared leadership

should not be

a new concept

to a Bible reading

Christian.

Leadership

by a plurality

of elders

is a sound

biblical practice.

Friends,

here's why this is

important and so good

for us to see

this morning.

team ministry

or a plurality

of leaders

is so valuable

because it brings

balance

and accountability

to a pastoral team.

Shared gifting,

mutual accountability,

workload distribution.

Team ministry

is one of God's

primary ways

to strengthen

and to protect

his church.

Friends,

you have a wonderful

lead pastor.

Sean is such a gift

to all of you.

I remember I was on

the ordination committee

that examined Sean

and I was

blown away.

It was probably

the best exam

that I ever conducted.

The man's brilliant.

The man is gifted

and the man loves you.

But listen,

he's not enough

by himself.

He needs team.

And so praise God

that God has brought

Matt to be

by his side

and we pray regularly

that God raise up

even more elders

among them.

Pastors need team ministry.

Point number three,

pastors need to live

in community.

So verse one continues,

so I exhort the elders

among you.

Those two words,

among you,

speak to a value

of biblical leadership

as well.

They speak to the need

for leaders

to not be above

those that they lead

but among those

that they lead.

Pastors have God-given

authority over the church

to be sure

but they live among it

as part of the church

that they lead.

Friends,

too many pastors

today stand apart

from their church.

They stay in their offices.

They study hard.

They work at their books

and then they come

and teach

and then they retreat

back to their offices

but that's not

what a true shepherd is,

right?

Think about the rule

of a real shepherd.

A man with a stack

in his hand

guiding flocks

of sheep

to where they should go.

He can't do that

from behind a desk.

A skilled shepherd

spends days

with his sheep.

A skilled shepherd

knows the young

and the older sheep.

He knows which sheep

are weak

and which are strong.

He knows ones

that are prone

to wander

and need to be brought back.

A good shepherd

sleeps under the stars

protecting

and listening for danger.

A faithful shepherd

doesn't look out

and just see a big

pile of wool out there.

No,

he knows the sheep

by name.

Dr. Timothy Laniak

is a professor

who also trains pastors

and back in 2003

he took a year-long

sabbatical

to visit many different

Middle Eastern countries

in order to study

the imagery

of a shepherd.

During his sabbatical

he lived with

and spent time

with many different

modern-day shepherds

and he tells the story

of one shepherd

whose name was Abu.

he asked Abu

about how much contact

he had

with his flock

of 2,000 sheep.

Now,

Abu was a very successful

and very affluent shepherd

with a lot of hired help

and so he could have

just delegated

the actual shepherding

of the sheep

to other men

but he didn't.

His response

to Laniak's question

of how much time

he says,

he says,

I am with the sheep

every day.

He says,

in the summer

I sleep outside

with them too.

If I weren't

with them every day

I shouldn't be their son.

Church,

a pastor should be

among

and a part

of the church.

Church members

should know them

and that can only happen

when a pastor lives

within the community

and not just

over the community

and again,

I love your pastors

for this.

I traveled up here

with them yesterday

and just hearing them

speak of all of you

by name

reflected this burden

in their hearts.

A pastor needs

to live in community.

Point number four,

pastors need

extra local care.

So verse one continues,

so I join the elders

among you

as a fellow elder.

Very briefly,

what we see here

is a biblical model

of extra local care

and partnership

being put on display.

Peter was not

a local elder

of these churches

that he is speaking to

but he chooses

to relate to them here

as a fellow elder.

The speech

of the beautiful picture

in the New Testament

of partnership

between churches

and between pastoral teams.

Listen,

as we just talked

about team ministry,

pastors should not

pastor alone.

They need plurality,

they need team ministry,

but it's also true

that pastoral teams

should not pastor alone.

No,

they need partnership

with other local churches

and with other pastoral teams.

And friends,

this is why

we thank God

for Sovereign Grace Churches

as much as we do.

We love our denomination

of churches so much

and I don't know about you

but I talk to my church family

about our denomination

all the time

and what a blessing

it is to us

to be a part of.

I hope that you do too.

Not only does our partnership

help us to do global work,

missions throughout the world,

not only does our denomination

encourage us as pastors

as we get to lead

with other pastors

and other churches,

you know,

extralocal partnership

is also a significant blessing

to individual church members

as well.

You get to partner

with people throughout the globe

who are like-minded

and are serving

in the same way.

One of the ways

that this is true

is how extralocal partnership

holds your pastoral team

accountable

to how they are shepherding you

on a daily basis.

Friends,

did you know this

about our denomination?

Did you know that

within Sovereign Grace Churches

there are policies

and procedures in place

that allow members

of any local church

in Sovereign Grace

who feels as if

their pastors

are not being faithful

or who are being authoritative

or abusive,

if they have a charge

against their pastor,

there are ways

that members

of a local church

can invite

the care

and accountability

and leadership

of extralocal churches

to come in

and to help.

What a gift!

That your pastors

don't have the authority

in and of themselves

just to do whatever

they want to do,

but you have the place

that you can go

and invite help

and accountability

for them.

We try to tell our members

that all the time.

So yes,

pastors and churches

need extra local partnership

and so we should loudly

celebrate our partnership

within our denomination

Sovereign Grace Churches.

Point number five,

pastors need

to long for glory.

They need to long for glory.

I love how Peter continues here.

He says of himself,

a witness

of the sufferings

of Christ

as well as a partaker

in the glory

that is going

to be revealed.

When Peter references

the sufferings

of Christ,

that is perfectly

consistent

with the rest

of his writings

in this letter.

The sufferings

of Jesus

have been spoken

of frequently

throughout this letter

and he has spoken

of those sufferings

of Christ

as an example

for us to follow him.

And so it seems

that in this verse

Peter is referencing

the sufferings

of Christ again

and then immediately

transition to the hope

of glory

as an encouragement

not just to every Christian

though he has already

done that in this letter

but he's doing it

specifically to weary

and suffering pastors.

He wants to direct

your pastors

beyond individual

moments of pain

and trial

to the hope

that lies before them.

He wants to direct

Sean and Matt's eyes

beyond the fear

of persecution.

He wants to direct

your pastors

beyond the bone

deep weariness

of caring for church members

who are living

in unrepentant sin.

He wants to direct

your elders

beyond the weight

of anxiety

and the fear

of walking

through trial.

Peter is directing

your pastors

beyond the immediate

burden and weariness

of needing to prepare

yet another someday

warning message

or to lead another group.

He wants to point

their eyes beyond that

to the glory

that is to come.

Peter's been doing this

for the whole church

as they suffer

but he's now doing it

in a particular way

for pastors

as they labor

and even as they suffer

in a particular way.

He says that he

is a partaker

of the glory

that is going

to be revealed.

That glory

still needs to be

fully revealed, right?

We live in a fallen world

but because of the

gospel church

because of the sufferings

of Jesus

because he died for us

and because he rose

from that great triumphant

the glory

is not in question.

It is a certainty.

It is a guarantee.

In fact, Peter

and all of the pastors

and all of God's people

can say

that they are partakers

of that glory

even now.

It is ours

because of the work

of Christ.

Amen?

This is amazing.

Pastors need to hear this

as they fight

and struggle

for faith

to lead their church

and the church

needs to hear this

as we wrestle

through all of life.

Brothers and sisters,

be encouraged

this morning

by this.

No matter what

you are going through

right now,

no matter how tired

you may be,

no matter how

worn your marriage

might seem,

no matter how painful

that disease

continues to be,

no matter how anxious

you are about the future

in this broken

and dark world,

Peter reminds us here

that glory is coming.

Heaven awaits.

We will be victorious

together.

Amen?

Point number six,

pastors need

to shepherd the flock.

They need to shepherd

the flock,

and here we find

the very heart

of Peter's exhortation

to pastors

in these verses.

This is the center

of what he is saying.

Much of what we have

seen so far

are hints

of what a pastor

needs,

but this is what

a pastor must do.

This is the job

of a pastor.

Matt,

this is your

job description.

Verse two,

shepherd the flock

of God

that is among you,

exercising oversight.

But what does that mean?

Well, we get at

what this means

by considering

what an actual

shepherd does

and by considering

the terms

that Peter uses

here to describe

us as pastors.

A shepherd's

responsibility

is to live

for the well-being

of his flock,

and that happens

in a number

of different ways.

A pastor's role

is diverse

and varied.

See,

in this passage

we see three words

used by Peter

to describe

the role

of each pastor.

And so we see

the word elder,

we see the word shepherd,

and we see the word overseer,

and they all speak

to different parts

of the pastor's job.

Pastors must be elders.

They must have

spiritual maturity

about life.

They must not be careless

about how they

carry themselves

throughout life.

And so praise God

that Sean

and now Matt

have this

spiritual maturity

and godly character

to be examples

to you

as your elders.

Pastors must be

shepherds.

That's actually

what pastor means.

This speaks

to the need

to feed

and to teach

and to at times

correct and adjust.

This speaks

to the need

to protect

from wolves.

And the pastor

must do this

with the word

of God

as his staff.

Paul charges

the young pastor

Timothy,

preach the word.

Faithful shepherds

use the staff

of God's word

to guide his people.

Matt,

we together

must love God's word

and we must love it a lot.

It must be our staff

and our leadership

and in our care

of God's people.

Pastors must also

exercise oversight.

We must be

overseers,

meaning we must

watch over the practices

and the direction

and the mission

and the habits

of the church.

We must stand watch

and we must bring

direction in spiritual

and in practical ways.

Pastors call

to care for the flock

and that happens

not just through preaching

and counseling

but through bringing

godly leadership

and direction

and vision

to the people of God.

Yes,

the pastor is called

on many things

but he does it all

for the sake

of the flock

and for God's glory.

And that brings us

to our seventh point.

Point number seven,

pastors need

to cultivate joy.

They need to cultivate joy.

Listen,

too many pastors

hate their jobs.

I'm part of a pastor's lunch

in the area

in which I preach

and I can't tell you

how many of those pastors

groan and complain

about their calling.

Too many pastors

view their role

within the church

as just a mere vocation

that they need

to be faithful to

when in reality,

friends,

pastoral ministry

is an honorable

and joyful call.

To walk in this role

as under shepherds

of the chief shepherd

is a privilege

and it should always

be seen that way

by faithful pastors.

Peter says

that we are to do

all of this

not under compulsion

but willingly

as God would have you

not for shameful gain

but eagerly.

Those words

willingly and eagerly

they speak of desire

and enjoyment

and pleasure

in the work.

A loving shepherd

should not be forced

to do his job.

He shouldn't care

for his sheep

begrudgingly

and then run back

to do what he really

wants to be doing.

Though a pastor,

a true shepherd

and I see this

in your pastors,

a pastor should find

joy and delight

in his calling.

How can we not

as pastors?

If a pastor is following

the chief shepherd,

if we're following

Jesus,

then our eyes

are fixed

on the hope

of the gospel

and we know

that what God

is doing

in our lives

and in the lives

of those that we lead

and that's a glorious

thing to be a part of.

If we do not

pastor eagerly,

then we have forgotten

the power

of the gospel.

If we have no joy

in the task,

then it likely means

that we have lost

our hope in Jesus.

But when we keep

our eyes on him,

our service will be

marked by eager

and joyful anticipation

of what God

is calling

and equipping us

to be and do

even in the most

difficult situations

and triggers.

I hope and pray

that you feel that

from Sean and Matt.

I believe that you do.

You know,

there's a documentary

on ESPN.

I don't know

if you're into

basketball or not,

but I'm sure you know

the name Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan,

the greatest basketball

player of all times.

Michael Jordan

was unbelievably good

and he played

for 15 long seasons

and there were

struggles along the way.

But did you know

that Michael Jordan

had a clause

in his contract

with the Chicago Bulls

that was called

For the Love of the Game

Clause.

Though basketball

was his job,

Jordan never wanted

to stop loving the game.

He didn't want to be

restricted by

the Chicago Bulls

and so he wanted

to be able to play

basketball wherever

and whenever he wanted to.

He didn't want to be

restricted by his

employment as a

basketball player.

Friends, I want that

to be my heart

as a pastor.

And I believe it should

be the heart of your

pastors as well.

If we ever run out

of love for the

ministry, we should

step out of ministry.

This is too great

a thing for us

to do begrudgingly.

As Christ loved us

and joyfully

sacrificed for us,

so we as

under-shepherds

should find great

joy and fall

in his steps.

And that's so important.

It's so important

because the joy

in ministry

will change the way

that we do

ministry.

And that brings us

to our eighth point.

Point number eight.

pastors need to be

gentle.

Peter says in verse

three,

not domineering

over those in your

charge.

Here's the thing.

When leaders find joy

in the gospel,

they will find joy

in their ministry.

And when they find joy

in the ministry,

they will lead the

church with

gentleness.

it is when people

have taken their

eyes off of the

chief shepherd

and the hope

of the gospel.

It's when we forget

Christ that bad

things begin to happen.

First of all,

we start leading

in our own strength.

And when we lead

in our own strength,

we begin to

domineer.

We become

pushing.

We become

bullies.

We become rough

in our leadership.

We want people

to do what we

want them to do

rather than allowing

the grace of God

to be at work

in their lives.

That's where

poor leadership

comes from.

Abusive pastors

are pastors that

have forgotten

the power of the

gospel that they

are preaching

and they're relying

too much on their

own strength

and their own

wisdom.

Abusive leadership

also happens

when pastors forget

who they are

in Christ.

If pastors forget

that they have

everything that they

need for life

and godliness

already given to

them in Christ,

then pastors

will begin to look

to others for

what they need.

They will want

to control others.

They will want

to manipulate

others.

They will serve

for selfish gain.

But when we

cultivate joy

in Jesus

and joy in our

calling,

we will see it

as a privilege

and an honor

and we will

lead with gentleness

because we know

we're not the ones

doing the work.

It is Christ

doing the work

through us.

Now it's not

that pastors

should not have

authority

or that pastors

should not at times

exercise their

authority

with great strength.

No, pastors

are called by God

to govern

and to protect

and to lead

the church

and at times

that will require

strong leadership

against certain

patterns in the church.

It will take courage

and boldness

on their part

but that strength

of courage

and that leadership

must come

not from their

own authority

but from the

authority of Christ

and it must be

gentle.

Paul the Apostle

is such a good

example of this.

Even when he wrote

to the church

of God

in Corinth

which was a pretty

jacked up place

a church that needed

strong correction

and redirection

Paul still does it

with gentleness

and with a shepherd

in care.

He says,

I thank God

upon every

remembrance of him.

He writes to the

church in Thessalonica

in 1 Thessalonians 1

he says,

but we were gentle

among them

like a nursing mother

taking care

of her own child.

Meaning they led

with grace

and not with force

not domineering.

A pastor must

be gentle.

Point number nine

pastors need

to have godly

character.

Peter says,

not domineering

over those

in your charge

but being

examples

to the flock.

Peter makes

the connection

here from

gentle leadership

to being

godly examples

and really what

this speaks to

is the sincerity

of the pastor's

heart.

We should be

conformed

by the gospel

before we seek

to preach

about the gospel.

Our ministry

is not just

in words

but in our

actions

as well.

And friends,

this is seen

throughout the

New Testament

particularly

in the pastoral

epistles

of 1 Timothy

and Titus

Paul gives

the qualifications

for pastors

and most of

these qualifying

characteristics

are not distinct

from other

Christian

men and women.

This is what

we should all

be.

But they

are highlighted

in a way

that speaks

to the fact

that the pastor

should be

faithful and

seek to excel

in these things.

How we live

out the gospel

as pastors

matters.

Our godly

character is a

significant part

of being faithful

to preach the

gospel as

understanders.

One of my

favorite books

is called

The Reformed

Pastor by

Richard Baxter.

Now have you

ever read that

book?

It's an

extraordinary

book.

It's an

old book

but it

is so

good.

The first

hundred pages

or so of

that book

Baxter

doesn't even

talk about

our leadership

of the church.

The first

hundred pages

he charges

pastors to

shepherd their

own hearts

before they

go and shepherd

the church.

He says

this, he

says,

take heed

to yourselves

lest your

example

contradict

your

doctrine

lest you

lay such

stumbling blocks

before the

blind as

may be the

occasion of

their ruin

lest you

unsay with

your lies

what you say

with your

tongues and

be the

greatest

hinderers of

the success

of your

own ministry.

The pastor's

life should not

contradict his

doctrine.

The two

should be

consistent.

Now that

does not

mean that a

pastor's life

should be

perfect.

Church, you're

not to be

nitpicky about

your pastor's

sin.

God knows

that we are

not perfect

but a

pastor's

shepherd should

be able to

be seen as

a faithful

example of

what it means

to live for

Christ in

this world

in every

area.

And so Matt,

even as we

are thrilled

by the events

of today,

even as you

are now going

to be spending

hundreds of

hours in

studying God's

word and

preparing sermons

as you already

have been,

Peter charges

you though,

brother,

to not ignore

your own life

and godliness.

Matt,

keep close

watch on

your conduct.

Keep close

watch on

your soul.

How you

walk in

humility.

How you

love your

family,

which you do

so well,

brother.

How you

exercise

self-control.

How you

use your

words for

good.

Be shaped

by the

gospel before

you seek

to preach

the gospel.

God's

point number

10.

Pastors

need a

chief

shepherd.

Pastors

need a

chief

shepherd.

Peter concludes

with these

amazing words,

and when the

chief shepherd

appears,

you will

receive the

unfading

crown of

glory.

There is no

better way for

Peter to end

this than in

this way.

by focusing

our eyes

on Jesus,

the chief

shepherd.

He ends

where he

began.

King Jesus

is coming,

church,

and he is

going to

judge his

church.

He is

going to

test his

people,

and that

testing is

going to

begin with

the pastors,

the elders

of the

church.

But as we

see in

chapter 4,

this is not

reason to

fear.

This is not

reason to

run away.

This is not

reason to

quit the

ministry,

because King

Jesus promises

that those who

have faith in

him will be

proven faithful.

Peter says

that we will

receive a

crown of

glory, and

indirectly, that

is for the

church as

well.

If the

pastors are

faithful,

indirectly, Peter

is saying that

the church will

be judged

faithful as

well.

Why?

All because

of Jesus,

amen?

The chief

shepherd, the

one who laid

down his

life for the

sheep, who

died so that

we might live,

who gave us

everything that

we need for

life and

godliness.

Because of

Jesus, because

of his

sacrifice, because

of his life of

righteousness, because

of his resurrection

over the grave, you

and I will receive

crowns of glory on

that final day.

But when we receive

them, you know what

we're going to do?

We're going to turn

very quickly, and

we're going to throw

those traps right

down at his feet,

because what pastor

is them?

Church, what

Christian,

man, or woman

is there who

can cling to

any glory for

himself?

It's all Jesus.

It's all his

grace.

He has loved us.

He has sacrificed

for us.

He has equipped

us, and he is

going to sustain

us.

He will call and

equip pastors to

be faithful to their

calling, and he

will call and equip

church members to

follow the chief

shepherd, even as

they follow their

imperfect undershakes.

Friends, pastors

are gifts of

guidance to God's

people who must

themselves be guided

by God's grace.

It is all about

Jesus, and it's

all about his

grace.

We need him, and

we need the gifts

of guidance of

pastoral ministry

that he has given

to us until that

final day.

Church, again,

pray for your

pastors.

And church, by

God's grace, follow

you pastors, even

as they follow

Christ.

Amen.

Let me pray.

Jesus, we thank

you for being our

chief shepherd.

We thank you that

as we seek to live

this Christian life

in a fallen and

broken world, we

are not looking to

fallen and broken

men for our hope

and confidence.

We are looking to

you, the perfect

God of God, the

one in whom all

our hope is placed.

But we do

acknowledge, Jesus,

that you have

given under

shepherds to

guide, to

lead, to

feed, to

protect your

church.

And we pray

that you would

equip both

Sean and Matt

to do that

well here at

Trinity.

And we pray

that you would

give Trinity

faith and

ambition to

follow them

well.

And God, we

pray for more

pastors to be

raised up.

We pray that

you would equip

more men to

lead your

church for the

glory of your

name.

Father, we love

you.

We put all of

our hope and

all of our

confidence in you.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Even hoping that

our