1 Peter 5:1-5 “Shepherds and Sheep”

I am also really excited for summer, maybe even more than some of you students, if that

is possible.

We get to have this summer for the first time since COVID, short-term trips to work alongside

some of our mission partners.

How exciting that is.

Opportunities here, Jeremy was telling you about in relationship with our neighbors.

Invite someone to the cookout or VBS.

This is why God has us here, right?

That we would see His name praised among the nations and the next generations.

That's what we're about.

And it's exciting to get to be a part of that in these ways.

One other thing I wanted to mention before we open God's Word together.

Today is a day that has been set aside months ago by our denomination because our denomination,

the PCA, the Presbyterian Church in America, is turning 50 this year.

And so this is a day of prayer to thank God for His work, to pray for the future of our

denomination.

And it's been especially poignant this week because we have experienced the death of multiple

pastors in our denomination.

Last Sunday, Stephen Smallman in Pennsylvania.

Thursday morning, Pastor Harry Reeder from Briarwood, a sister church in Birmingham, died suddenly

in a car accident.

And then the next morning, Tim Keller went to be with Jesus.

He's been in New York City and battling pancreatic cancer.

I know that He has shaped many of you.

He has certainly shaped many of your pastors.

These are men who are fathers in the PCA.

Maybe some of them, no one outside the Presbyterian Church in America would recognize, but significantly

influential for years and years in our denomination.

And so I encourage us to be praying for the future of the PCA and those who will continue

to lead us and shepherd us as we thank God for these who have done that for us.

As these would certainly have it, let's open our Bibles.

Let's hear from God appropriately this morning about leaders.

We are entering the last chapter of Peter's letter to God's people who are scattered through

the world.

He's been telling them and us about the suffering that we're going to endure because this world

is not our home.

home.

Pastor Keller once said, we all long for a place that is truly home.

Jesus says it awaits you.

He's home now.

We're not.

We live in a place that is not our home.

But at the end of chapter 4 last week, Peter told us God's judgment is coming to refine

us.

These difficult times to discipline our hearts, this suffering to purify our faith in Him.

It starts with God's people.

In fact, in the Old Testament passage, Peter is drawing from it starts in the temple with

the leaders of God's people.

So in light of that, he keeps going.

The leaders of God's people are to lead them toward God, to entrust themselves to God in

the midst of painful suffering.

Peter has some words for those leaders.

Then briefly, words for the rest of the church in relation to them.

In Jesus' church, there are elders called to lead.

Peter doesn't explain that here in this passage as many other letters do.

Peter assumes it.

He's writing to a bunch of churches.

He assumes they all have elders.

Shared leadership as with God's people in the Old Testament.

So he writes to the elders here at the start of chapter 5, God's Word.

Really important for elders to listen.

Really important for all of us to listen to what our leaders should do and what kind of

leaders we need as we nominate them, as we pray for them, as we share God's mission alongside

them.

1 Peter 5 at verse 1.

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.

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders.

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another.

For God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Let's pray together.

Father, we thank you this morning again for your word.

Would you keep the PCA true and faithful to your word?

That we would be obedient to the great commission that we would not only know your word, that

we would share your word.

Lord, would you do that in our hearts here today?

Would you speak?

We need hear no voice more clearly than yours.

We are your sheep.

So would we hear your voice?

Would we listen?

Would we follow our shepherd?

We ask it in the name of Jesus, our good shepherd.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

When the people of God are struggling as strangers in a world that's not their home.

When they're enduring suffering at the hands of the world and in their own flesh and their

enemy, the devil.

When they're being tested and refined, in fact, by God himself.

What is imperative for their leaders to do?

Peter has a charge for the elders of every church of Jesus Christ.

He exhorts us.

He urges us as one who has seen the deepest sufferings of Jesus as well as the highest glory

toward one thing.

What is that one thing that Peter exhorts the elders?

Shepherd the flock of God among you.

What is the church of Jesus Christ always in need of?

Shepherds.

An elder, an overseer is another word used here and elsewhere for the same role, is a shepherd.

One who by definition, by spiritual vocation, by divine sanctification, cares for sheep.

Listen, elders.

You may teach.

You may administrate.

You may pray.

You may evangelize.

You may disciple.

You may organize.

You may serve.

You must always shepherd the flock.

Care for sheep.

Peter is echoing the very words that Jesus spoke to him.

The risen Jesus comes to Peter and says,

Feed my sheep.

Tend my lambs.

Pastor my people.

Picture what a shepherd does, right?

He knows the sheep personally.

He lives among them, protecting them from wolves that would attack or harm them.

He sees that they get proper food when they need.

He gives them rest rather than exhausting them.

He searches them out when they wander away.

This is what a shepherd does.

Specifically here, Peter mentions that elders exercise oversight.

Think of looking over the large group, the guarding and the watchful care over the whole flock.

Who is supposed to wrestle and pray over how to care for the sheep during a pandemic?

The shepherds.

Who is called to be surveying the landscape of the surrounding culture and seeing the idols that are distracting our hearts from Jesus and guide the sheep to safety?

The shepherds.

Who should be noticing even the sinful tendencies among the flock, the ways they tend to wander, the most dangerous temptations they encounter, and warn them clearly about the danger?

The shepherds.

This is a weighty role, isn't it?

A great responsibility.

Boy, I have felt that this week.

Can you imagine?

Over 800 sheep.

Precious souls ranging from five days old to 95 years old.

Every single one of them precious to the master, the good chief shepherd who loves them.

Elders, notice who the sheep are that you're to shepherd.

If they are the focus of your shepherding, there's nothing more important than to know who they are.

They are the flock of God.

They belong to Him.

These are the ones, Peter has told us, think back to the beginning of this letter.

These are the ones that God bought for Himself with the precious blood of His Son, the perfect Lamb.

Even the stubborn ones.

Even the wayward ones.

Even the weak ones.

All of them are His blood-bought lambs.

Don't you dare neglect a one of them.

Or mislead any of them away from Him.

Shepherd the flock of God.

Wow.

Listen, brothers.

There's a comfort that comes with the weight of that heavy hand.

That these are God's sheep.

Right?

If they're God's flock, He never stops shepherding them.

Yes, for a season, He puts them in your care.

But while He puts their hand in yours, they never leave His hand.

He will never let them go.

So let that omnipotent hand lighten your burden without lessening your responsibility.

In Ezekiel chapter 34, God speaks some really sobering words against the shepherds of His people.

Ezekiel 34 · chapter mention

Because they are feeding themselves and not feeding His sheep.

They're not strengthening the weak.

Caring for the sick.

Seeking the stray.

And the result there in the Old Testament with God's people is the sheep are scattered.

And many of them are lost.

As a result, God promises to remove His shepherds.

He will not stand for that from His shepherds.

And He promises to rescue His sheep.

I myself will search for my sheep and rescue them and feed them.

Make them lie down.

Bind up the injured and be their shepherd.

What a faithful shepherd.

You know you have one of those.

No matter what any leader does that fails you, He will rescue you and be your shepherd.

And so elders, shepherd God's sheep.

God's flock among you.

Southwood elders, you can care for.

But you don't specifically shepherd every Christian around the world.

Amen?

You don't have to understand every political climate in every nation.

You aren't called to understand the conflict in every Christian denomination.

You aren't responsible to understand every suffering everywhere.

But these dear people sitting right here next to you, the ones who can't be here this morning,

the ones you live with in your neighborhood, you must shepherd.

We must shepherd.

Shepherd the flock of God among you.

Last week, 35 sheep stood up here and took membership vows.

Even that looked like a lot to me.

Did you realize that when that happens, that's not merely new members making a commitment to this church family?

Those are the ones we saw and heard.

But when that happens, simultaneously, every active elder who has likewise stood and taken a vow to God before this flock is making a commitment to them too.

Did you know that?

That was happening last week.

When you're received into membership, the elders of Southwood, the session, we call them as a group,

They're receiving you as sheep that they promise to shepherd.

Not even just they promise you, they promise God.

Elders, your sheep are suffering today and will suffer in the future in some ways that are common to all of them

and in 800 plus unique ways.

Following Jesus is different for every one of them, but it's not easy for any of them.

So shepherd God's sheep.

At Southwood, we have 20 active elders, teaching elders we call pastors,

and ruling elders who shepherd together.

That's part of why I'm often saying we this morning.

We as shepherds need your prayers.

We are far from perfect.

But one of the things I want you to know that I most love about these men is how they love the sheep.

How they work to prioritize their time for shepherding the sheep.

We talk about it in terms of praying for you and pointing you to Jesus.

That's pastoring, shepherding, right?

And part of that role as under shepherds, that's what we are, under shepherds to the chief shepherd,

is to raise up other under shepherds so that we shepherd one another better.

Our deacons help.

The women on our advisory team help us shepherd.

Our grace group leaders are a big part of that.

I hope if you are a member here in this church family that you're in a grace group

and that you know that your leader loves you and shepherds you.

We have organized our shepherding as a church so that each of those grace groups has an elder who is responsible for it.

If you want to know who that is and you're confused, we'd love to let you know.

If you're not engaged in a grace group, we love you too.

And you should have an elder who prays for you and contacts you and, among other things, encourages you towards a grace group.

If you feel that we're missing you somewhere in there, you feel lost, you don't know that any shepherd is watching over you, praying for you,

please let us know that if that's what you're feeling this morning.

We don't want to overlook any of the sheep that God has entrusted to our care, but I'm sure that sometimes we do.

Talk to me or any of us.

Email all of us at the same time.

Elders at southwood.org.

You can do it right now.

We'll get it before the sermon's over.

Well, they'll get it.

Our heart is to shepherd this flock so that you are persistently prayed for and pointed to Jesus,

so that you taste his grace more and you share his grace more.

That's what we want.

Next, Peter gives three warnings about the heart of a shepherd.

Elders, I hope you've been reminded we have a weighty calling.

Okay?

Now it's heart check time.

Verse 2, shepherd not under compulsion, but willingly as God would have you.

Don't become or remain an elder merely out of obligation, begrudgingly for your own motivations.

Peter's saying you should be motivated and called by God.

You should shepherd because you are inspired by the grace of Jesus.

You're empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

You're focused on the glory of the Father.

The love of Christ compels you.

The Spirit of Christ indwells you.

The Father of Christ calls you.

And you willingly respond to his call to be an elder and to shepherd his sheep.

Warning 2, verse 2.

Don't do it for shameful gain, but eagerly.

And most of our elders are thinking, oh good, the easy one.

I don't get paid a dime, so no problem on that, you know.

Shameful gain, wow.

Haven't really experienced any of that.

I know y'all are thinking that.

That's fair.

But guard your heart.

Guard your heart against being an elder for your own benefit rather than for the sheep.

It could be for your own influence, your own position, your own social gain.

Listen, if you're to be a faithful shepherd of God's flock for his sake, to watch over his sheep,

then you have to be motivated to love the sheep when it costs you.

When suffering comes to God's people, who usually gets attacked first?

It's usually the leaders.

People may think you're leading poorly and tell you.

They may be right.

When suffering comes, elders, shepherding the flock may cost you friends.

And that is really hard.

It may cost you time and health even.

So often, the anxieties and the sufferings of the people of God will be yours to carry

and your body may feel it.

It may cost you your life.

So many elders have died when persecution comes to the church.

All of those things may happen.

It may cost you all of those things.

Nevertheless, shepherd God's sheep.

Stay in the game for the sheep even if it costs you.

Thank you.

And thank you to those of you who've done that here.

Some of you for many, many years.

Warning 3, verse 3.

Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

Do you sometimes enjoy too much being in charge?

Being on the inside?

Being respected?

Servant leadership in Christ's church must look like the one who modeled it by getting up from the table,

wrapping a towel around his waist,

and washing his disciples' feet.

Elders are not to preach at others while leaning back and propping up their own feet.

They're to set an example in service,

in zeal for evangelism, not by Jeremy's methods,

in friendship,

in priority of knowing God,

in repenting quickly and deeply,

in shaping their lives and families after Jesus,

and standing firm in their faith and suffering.

See, the chief shepherd is coming.

And your job, elders,

is to join everybody else in longing for him to come.

I want you to remember that.

Every time you're serving the Lord's Supper,

and you get to serve that to the sheep,

and then after you do,

you turn,

and as a sheep of the Lord Jesus,

you're fed at his table yourself.

He is your joy.

He is your joy.

He is your shepherd.

You are his sheep,

and he will honor you even for caring for his sheep,

receiving an unfading crown.

What he's saying is that your gain is eternal.

Know how much that matters to Peter?

It's the one that lasts.

Your gain is eternal,

even though being an elder likely costs you in this world.

Even that unfading crown,

we will join the elders of Revelation 4

in casting at the throne of the chief shepherd

because he's the one worthy of the honor.

He's the ultimate caretaker of all the sheep.

He's the one who, as the good shepherd,

actually does lay down his life for the sheep.

Friends, you have all known church leaders

who failed to shepherd the sheep,

who failed to shepherd faithfully,

as God calls us to here.

If you're not sure of that,

hi, I'm Will.

Now you do.

Now you do.

But the good shepherd will not fail.

So his under-shepherds here

must above all else keep pointing to him.

Many of you have heard my favorite literary picture

of shepherds pointing others to follow

a Jesus they can know and love.

It's in C.S. Lewis's Prince Caspian.

For much of the story here,

the young children who are the main characters,

they're struggling.

They're suffering.

They're in this dark predicament

where they're wandering around

and they can't see the lion, Aslan,

kind of, sort of the Christ figure.

They can't see him

because they don't believe he's there.

How hard it is

when sheep can't see the shepherd, right?

But there's Lucy,

the youngest of the bunch.

She trusts him like a child

and so she sees him, she alone.

Listen to what happens.

Aslan turned and walked at a slow pace

about 30 yards ahead of them.

The others had only Lucy's directions to guide them.

For Aslan was not only invisible to them

but silent as well.

His big cat-like paws made no noise on the grass.

He led them to the right of the dancing trees.

Whether they were still dancing,

nobody knew.

For Lucy had her eyes on the lion

and the rest had their eyes on Lucy.

Lucy had her eyes on the lion

and the rest had their eyes on Lucy.

Fellow elders,

my dear brothers whom I love,

any of you who would consider God

calling you to shepherd his sheep

and we need you.

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Don't lead his sheep anywhere else.

Chase after him

so that any sheep following your leadership,

even following you in your failings,

will see through you

to the good shepherd

that your eyes are on.

We need to pray for that.

I've asked Carla Cash

who has for many years been married

to an elder

who is currently serving

on our women's advisory team

that labors alongside of our elders

and prays for us

and helps us.

I've asked her to come lead us in prayer.

As she comes up,

if you're an elder here on our session,

would you stand for a second?

And then as you stand,

would you step out into the aisle

near you

and just kneel?

And if you're near

one of these guys

and you want to put a hand

on his shoulder

or gather around him

while we're praying,

they'd appreciate that encouragement,

I'm sure.

You guys kneel.

Carla's going to lead us

in prayer.

Would all of you

pray for these guys?

Let us pray.

Father,

we praise you

for who you are.

Our Father,

our Redeemer,

our Shepherd,

and our Protector.

You're our guide.

Right now, Lord,

we take a moment

to lift up these elders,

these men

who love you so much,

and we pray for them.

Would you continue

to be with them

as they lead

and guide us

as sheep,

that they would shepherd us

and love us

and not lead us astray?

Lord,

we pray that your Spirit

would rest upon them

so that the decisions

that are made

are made with wisdom

and compassion

so that they experience

a bond of unity

and that their hearts

are willing

and not duty-bound

to guide us

as a congregation.

Protect these men,

Lord,

and their families

from the evil one

who only desires

to deceive us.

We praise you

and we thank you

for each of these men

who serves us

and loves us well.

To you,

O Lord,

and to the Lamb,

be praise

and honor

and glory

forever and ever.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you so much, Carla.

Thank you for praying

just then.

Please keep

praying for us.

One verse now

to the other members

in the church family.

you get your turn too.

Particularly,

it says,

to those who are younger,

best understood here

as all those

not serving as elders.

Verse 5,

likewise,

you who are younger

be subject

to the elders.

It's that same word

we've seen before

several times

in 1 Peter

for submitting.

For submitting,

placing ourselves

under authority

for our own good

and the struggle

is the same one

we've seen before.

We know it.

We don't like that.

We are independent.

We are self-sufficient.

We're often sure

that no one

could possibly know

what's best for us

other than me.

But Peter is saying,

you need shepherds.

You need people

who will point you

to Jesus.

Put yourself

in relationship

with them.

Nominate them

and encourage them

to serve as elders

in your church

and then follow them.

Follow godly leaders.

Ones you've seen

are following Jesus

because that's where

you need to go.

We have already

acknowledged our elders

won't always be right.

Sometimes you will need

to help us see that

and that's part of this.

But the posture

of your heart

is to be subject

to our shepherding,

to follow our leading,

to trust ultimately

the God

who called us.

Hebrews chapter 13.

Hebrews 13 · chapter mention

13.

Obey your leaders

and submit to them

for they are keeping

watch over your souls

as those who will

have to give an account.

Let them do this

with joy

and not with groaning

for that would be

of no advantage

to you.

But in fact

it is to your advantage

when people

are shepherding you

and pointing you

to Jesus

with joy.

Following Jesus

is not easy.

Especially when

suffering comes

on that account.

Your heart

will need

to be shepherded.

Trust the good shepherd

and as a result

of your trust in him

those that he puts

in place

to shepherd his sheep.

We do love

to pray for you

as your elders

so I've asked

one of our ruling elders

Alan Judge

to lead us

in praying

for the sheep

of Southwood

this morning.

You don't all

have to get up

and kneel

because that would be

even more awkward

than it was

the first time

but we want

to pray for you.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Lord you are

a great God

a great king

above all gods.

You alone

are worthy

of all worship

adoration

and praise.

I praise you Lord.

You dwell

in unapproachable light

such that all

the beings

around you

constantly cry

holy

holy

holy

holy

is the Lord.

And yet

you who dwell

in unapproachable light

became approachable

by becoming flesh

and dwelling

among us.

And over

and over again

you have demonstrated

your great love

toward us.

the rich irony

of me

being called

upon to pray

after a sermon

on submission

is too funny

for me not

to also note

that you clearly

have a great

sense of humor.

For you know

all of my sin

as it is ever

before you.

So you know

that submitting

to anyone

other than myself

is one of my

greatest struggles.

Until this morning

I refused

to sign in

using this stupid

code scan thing.

But since I was

being called up

to pray about submission

I thought I better

do it today.

Lord as I have been

called upon

to pray for your church

here at Southwood

I must first confess

that I am

unworthy to do so.

I am selfish

self-reliant

and I constantly

seek to get

my own way.

Have mercy on me

a sinner.

For I can only

stand up here

because of your grace

mercy and love.

But I am not alone.

As Isaiah said

I am a man

of unclean lips

and I dwell

among a people

of unclean lips.

We all struggle

with submitting

to one another

and submitting

to the church.

As I examine

my heart

before you

and ask

why do I

and indeed

why do we all

struggle so mightily

in submitting

to each other?

Your word

reveals the answer

over and over again.

We like sheep

have gone astray.

We forget

who we are

and whose we are

and we have served

the creation

rather than the creator.

In short Lord

we have failed

to submit to you

because we have

forgotten

why we are here.

why did you

who needed

nothing

to be fully

complete

why did you

create us?

You knew

what we were

going to do

Lord.

We would betray

you over

and over again.

You knew

that we would

desire things

of this world

comfort

financial security

reputation

but really

above all else

Lord

like spoiled

children

we want

to get

our own way

most of all.

Even so

knowing all

of that

at the right

time

Christ

died for us

the godly

for the ungodly

he who

knew

no sin

became sin

on our behalf

he who was

and is

equal with the

father

did not

consider such a

quality

a thing

to be grasped

but he

humbled himself

submitting to

the father

to the point

of death

even death

on a cross

at the hands

and for the

benefit of

sinful humans

us

Lord

we caused

you to die

why

Lord

why did you

allow that

to happen

it doesn't

make sense

there's no

way

that if I

was in your

place

that I

would have

done that

in my

judgment

we're not

worth it

but thanks

be to God

that you

are God

and I

am not

your ways

are not

my ways

or our

ways

your thoughts

are not

our thoughts

you do not

treat us

as our sins

deserve

for as high

as the heavens

are above

the earth

and as far

as the east

is from

the west

so far

have you

removed

our sin

from us

and cleansed

us from

all unrighteousness

why

because you

who are

love

wanted to

share that

love with

us

you

who lived

in perfect

relationship

between the

father son

and holy

spirit

created us

to share

that relationship

you created

us to know

you

that is why

we are here

oh what

love the

father has

lavished upon

us that we

might be

called

children

of God

it cost you

everything to

adopt us

your children

as your

children

you are

faithful

and your

faithfulness

is more

than enough

God give us

a picture of

your beauty

and let us

desire to

know you

above all

else

so that your

name will be

glorified in

your church

and in all

the earth

teach us to

remember why

we are here

Lord

and be able

to say with

the psalmist

your face

Lord will we

seek

let the words

of our mouth

and the meditation

of our hearts

be pleasing to

you

our Lord

our Savior

our King

Amen

Amen

Thank you

Alan

Finally a word

for all of us

shepherds and

sheep

honor others

above yourself

verse 5

clothe yourselves

all of you

with humility

toward one

another

for God

opposes the

proud

but gives

grace

to the

humble

you've heard

Paul call us

to this

same humility

following in

Jesus

footsteps

and humility

consider others

better than

yourselves

so elders

care more for

the sheep

than for yourself

sheep

care more for

the elders

direction

than your own

agenda

honor others

in your church

family above

yourself

after all

he said

there is one

person

for sure

you need

to know

is on

your team

and that's

God

you don't

want him

against you

and he

opposes

the proud

those who

think they're

okay on

their own

can trust

their own

instincts

their own

wisdom

their own

gifts

but

God

gives

grace

to the

humble

don't we

need grace

Alan's

right

we need

it

doesn't

God

have

so much

of it

abundant

grace

it says

amazing

grace

grace

upon

grace

he gives

more

grace

so confess

how much

you need

him

trust

that

in this

family

there is

one

strong

father

there is

one

perfect

shepherd

there is

one

unending

source

of grace

and praise

God

we are

his

sheep

amen

let me

pray for

all of

us

father

would you

make us

humble

show us

more

of how

much

we need

your grace

that we

might

never

think

there is

something

in us

that commends

us to

you or

anyone

else

oh

but there

is

there is

indeed

more

grace

give it

to us

father

more

of your

spirit

dwelling

in us

empowering

us

making

us

yours

would you

give us

that

grace

that we

might

indeed

live

as your

people

faithfully

in your

church

sharing

the good

news

of eternal

life

with everyone

help us

know you

more

we ask

in Jesus

name

amen

for more

information

visit us

online

at

southwood.org