Humility In Serving Series

“Humility in Serving”

1 Peter 5:1-5

Pastor John Bright

1 Peter 5 “1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

“God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the humble.”

As I begin my third year at LHGMC, this is a wonderful reminder for me. After more than 30 years as a local church pastor, it’s easier now to look out at the congregation on a Sunday morning and commit all of you to the Lord’s care. In the beginning, I thought that it was my J.O.B. Hahaha! Again, I want to give God thanks and praise for sending me to the shepherd of HIS flock right here.

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Leadership is important to any organization. If you keep up with the news, there have been multiple changes in leadership at big businesses in the last few months. There have also been some very public changes to the pastoral leadership at some megachurches. Some of these were the result of the same moral failures that led to the downfall of televangelists in the 1980s. Let me share a basic truth: a church will be unable to grow beyond the pastor, and pastors can elevate their leadership potential by the leaders surrounding them. So, how the pastor and church leaders serve has consequences.

Earlier this year, Forbes magazine published an article that highlighted the leadership style of Dwight D. Eisenhower, who led the Allied forces to victory in World War II and served two terms as President of the United States. He was known for his humility. “Eisenhower’s humility was evident even in small moments. During World War II, upon discovering that a luxurious villa had been set aside as his quarters, he famously objected, “This is supposed to be a rest center—for combat men—not a playground for the Brass.” For Ike, leadership was about serving others, not elevating oneself. This ethos extended to his behavior: he was approachable, collaborative, and unafraid to admit what he didn’t know. As he once wrote, “Always try to associate yourself with and learn as much as you can from those who know more than you do, who do better than you, who see more clearly than you.”

They went on to share some of the research on business leaders: “Modern research validates what Eisenhower intuitively knew: humility is a game-changer for leaders. Professor Jeffrey A. Chandler and several colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 212 published studies. They found, Chandler told me that, “some of the strongest effects of humble leadership are improving satisfaction and performance among their followers.” Additionally, they found that humble leaders empower their teams, foster collaboration, and create environments where employees feel valued.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/martingutmann/2025/02/03/why-humble-leadership-is-a-superpower-now-more-than-ever/

I am NOT suggesting we act like a business; rather, what we see here is that business leaders have discovered the TRUTH of GOD that Peter shared with the church long ago.

Encouragement for the pastor v. 1-4

“1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. ”

Pastors are meant to serve as the shepherds of God’s flock, not the pastor’s flock. The imagery of the shepherd as the one who cares for God’s people is used throughout the Bible:

• Psalm 23 is probably the best known – “1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

• Zechariah 11:17

“Woe to the worthless shepherd,

Who leaves the flock!

A sword shall be against his arm

And against his right eye;

His arm shall completely wither,

And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”

• John 21:15-17 “15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”