Scripture Introduction
The cowboy symbolizes the rugged individualism of America and our westward expansion. He is tall and tough; honest, but friendly only to his horse; a protector of women-folk, but not family-focused. He rode hard, worked hard, and probably drank hard. Cattle were his livelihood. He did not mistreat them, for that would be of no advantage; but compassion for a cow is not an image conjured up by the word, “cowboy.”
Our mental picture of a shepherd is very different.
I grew up on a farm, but we did not have sheep. Therefore, the descriptions I share with you today must come from others. I am drawing from Phillip Keller’s book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 (1970) and W. G. Bowen’s, Why the Shepherd? (undated). Both of these men raised sheep, and they wrote to illustrate and explain that life.
We must meditate on shepherding and sheep because God chose that metaphor to explain important relationships. The cluster of words for “sheep” and “shepherd” are used about 500 times in the Bible. Many refer simply to the animal; but we also find that God is our Shepherd, and we are his sheep. And the Chief Shepherd, Jesus, places men in his church—men to comfort us through life’s difficulties, men to care for our souls, men to protect us—as a shepherd does his flock.
The Apostle Peter understood well Jesus’ command to “shepherd,” and he draws from that image to remind us that God gives elders to love us and lay down their lives for us. Our church designates September for nominating men to office, so it is appropriate that we begin in 1Peter 5 to embrace God’s job description for elders. [Read 1Peter 5.1-11. Pray.]
Introduction
“At sunrise, he makes for the sheep fold. As he rattles the gate and gives his morning call, they spring forward, anxious for the shepherd to lead the way to fresh grass and cool water. His path is different than it was the last several weeks. The lead sheep are at first unsettled, they want to return to the well-trodden ways, but they reluctantly follow as he directs them to fresh, clean pastures that have not been grazed for months.
After entering this new range, the flock comes alive. Each sheep tries to out-step the others in a search of the first morsel—a sweet wildflower, a ripe seed head, a rich bottom clover. Each tender morsel is nipped off on the move, a bite at every stride.
Some sheep run ahead, pushing and jockeying for position, demanding the first and best morsel for themselves. Eventually they will charge beyond the field and up a barren rock plateau. The shepherd turns the rest into a path leading to the sweet side valley, then he goes back to the greedy sheep, turns them, and brings them back, making sure they have had ample time to nourish themselves on the first fruits.
As the sun climbs and the day grows hotter, the mob searches for shade—each sheep showing signs of thirst—the drooping ear and licking of lips. But the sheep must be persuaded to move down a steep, rocky path. It is often difficult going. They would rather climb then descend. The path is narrow and perilous. The rocks hurts their tender feet. Finally, they make the low ground and a spring, gently gurgling, provides a still pond of crystal clear water. Within a few minutes, thirst is replaced with refreshment.
The sheep now search out the cool shade of boulders and bushes and trees for a 2-hour nap. The shepherd moves higher, where he can survey all the flock and ensure there are no predators, no perils, no dangers.
At mid-afternoon the shepherd stirs the sheep in order to lead them home. The leaders of the flock are started back first, up the steep path. The rest slowly follow. On regaining the tops, afternoon winds are strong, flinging dust into their faces. If they were allowed to stand they would immediately turn their backs to the wind. They hate the dusty, blowing air. But the shepherd insists they move on, for if they do not make the fold by sunset, the flock will be scattered and lost, and some will become prey.
The way is hard, and the flock becomes quite unsettled. Then the shepherd observes an old ewe limping along. He goes to her and finds a small stick between her hooves. He takes the ewe in his arms, holds her gently and reassuringly, and carefully removes the offending hurt. He rubs in soothing salve, lifts her to her feet, and moves her into the homeward path.
But a count reveals one sheep is missing. He retraces the path, finally finding it caught in the thicket of a thorn bush. Gently he works the yearling loose and carries it over his shoulders the half mile to rejoin the procession home.
A “day in the life of a shepherd” which helps explain while Phillip Keller wrote: “I would, as their owner, have to lay down my life for them, if they were to flourish and prosper. Sheep do not ‘just take care of themselves’ as some might suppose. They require, more than any other class of livestock, endless attention and meticulous care.”
God characterizes us in the very same way—we require endless attention and meticulous care. And that we might receive it, notice that elders are told that they…
1. Elders Must Shepherd As Their Highest Privilege (1Peter 5.1-2a)
It’s an old saying with some truth: “Don’t marry a girl you can live with; marry one you can’t live without.”
There are many reasons a man might want to be an elder, a leader in the church, a man in charge. He might want the respect he does not get at home or at the office. He might want to show off his Biblical knowledge and theological precision. He might hope to fill his own sense of emptiness by giving to others. He might believe he can fix the problems where others have failed. All of those have motivated; none is adequate.
I remember the first time I desired to be a pastor. I had always enjoyed public speaking, so when I saw Dr. deWitt explain the Word of God, I felt I had to do the same. Of course, the chance to preach is not a terrible motive; but I had no idea of shepherding God’s flock. What gripped my heart was the thought of an adoring congregation and the steady flow of honor I would receive at the back door.
There was a time when Peter wanted the same. He was one of the inner three, the apostles closest to Jesus — present at the raising of Jairus’ daughter, seeing the transfiguration personally, and the one chosen to find tax money in the mouth of a fish. Peter attempted to walk on water; Peter rebuked Jesus for saying he had to go to the cross; and Peter first recognized Jesus as the Son of God. Peter insisted that Jesus not wash his feet; and Peter was part of the debate over which disciple was the greatest (and we might guess, that since part of Jesus’ answer was given directly to him that Peter might have been winning the argument). But most tellingly, Peter said, “Even if they all fail you, I will not.”
Peter was a strong and proud man, and he had ample authority to give orders to all other shepherds. He was the first among equals; after the resurrection, he was personally restored to ministry by Jesus, and told to feed the sheep; he was the pillar of the early church.
Yet notice how he writes: “I exhort you as a fellow elder,…shepherd the flock of God….” None of the other titles carry significance. No other experience is important. One passion pushes Peter: being a elder who shepherds. This is the service he counts as his greatest privilege; this is the one verb which carries the weight of his job description; this is his willing service.
In officer training we will read the book, The Elder and His Work, written about 150 years ago by David Dickson, a ruling elder in Scotland. It has been edited and updated by Pastor Philip Ryken and Ruling Elder, George McFarland, both of whom serve on the session of Tenth Presbyterian Church (PCA) of Philadelphia. They write (in the introduction) of how to use this old book when life and times have changed so much: “First, the book reminds us that the elder’s work is spiritual…. The task demands sacrifice, perseverance, commitment, and sometimes even suffering for the cause of Christ. It requires extra time in studying and meditating on God’s Word, in listening to people and their problems, and in counseling and discipling God’s people. There is no instant solution for most of the troubles that Christians face…. Elders are still called to care for people’s souls” (17-18).
“Don’t marry a girl you can live with; marry one you can’t live without.” The same is true for elders: “Don’t shepherd people you can live with; shepherd ones you cannot live without.”
The highest privilege for this office cannot be theological nitpicking, or church management or even understanding the Bible. It must be caring for sheep.
2. Elders Must Shepherd With Utmost Precision (1Peter 5.2-3)
There was a time when Peter wanted to give up. But before he hung up the Spiderman suit, he remembered something Uncle Ben told him: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
More profound was Winston Churchill’s insistence that the United States take great responsibility in the post-WWII world. In his famous “Iron Curtain Speech,” delivered on March 5, 1946, from Westminster College in Missouri, he said: “The United States stands at this time at the pinnacle of world power. It is a solemn moment for the American democracy. For with primacy in power is also joined an awe-inspiring accountability to the future. If you look around you, you must feel not only the sense of duty done but also you must feel anxiety lest you fall below the level of achievement.”
Peter gives a similar speech to the elders. Notice, please, three details.
First, observe the corrupting danger of power. Shepherding must be precise because of the danger of power — we are warned about oversight that is greedy and domineering. The desire for respect is strong in many of us, especially in those who rule. But we do well to note that people in positions of power are always warned about abuse even as they are reminded to serve. The godly husband does not give orders to his wife; he lays down his life for her good. The godly father must not rule with an iron hand, but to raise his children without discouraging them or provoking them to anger. The godly supervisor is not demanding; she treats her subordinates fairly and justly.
This principle comes from the teaching and life of Jesus.
Matthew 20.25-28: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
And acting as the servant, he wrapped a towel around his waist and washing the feet of his disciples. And then he said: “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13.12-15).
There is a temptation to corruption that comes with power — precise shepherding serves rather than lords.
Second, observe the responsibility that comes with power. Elders do oversee, serve as examples, and care for the people — but never forget to whom the people belong. Think of elders like the nurse and tutor who raise the prince or princess. The position offers some authority, that is true enough; but the children do not belong to the nurse, and must always be treated as royalty, even under discipline. Ruling is a duty of the Elder, even if such is unpopular in egalitarian America. But let us never forget that with the right to rule comes the added responsibility of recognizing that these belong to King Jesus, and they will one day take the throne.
C. S. Lewis writes (The Weight of Glory, 39): “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship…. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendours.”
Matthew Henry: “They are God’s people, and should be treated with love, meekness, and tenderness, for the sake of him to whom they belong.”
Responsibility requires utmost precision.
Third, observe the opportunity that comes with this responsibility, for these precious saints are “in your charge.” Hebrews 13 reminds elders that we will “give an account” for the souls entrusted to our care. Elders give an account because elders have a great opportunity. Not an opportunity to rule, but to serve, not to make money, but to model maturity, not to be an arrogant leader, but a humble learner.
Bernard of Clairvaux wrote to Pope Eugene, criticizing him for using the title of “Successor of Peter” as a way to rule the church for his own prestige and benefit: “Peter could not give you what he did not have. What he had he gave: the care over the Church, not dominion.”
3. Elders Must Shepherd For Christ’s Promises (1Peter 5.4)
Being an elder in Christ’s church offers few material or temporal rewards. The sheep can be hard to help; the work wearies; the spiritual battles overwhelm. At least as a pastor, I get paid. Those who serve as elders cannot even rely on a deposit to sustain them on hard days. Therefore, every elder must know what reward he seeks and what glory motivates him.
Peter has found what alone will keep him serving with eager and willing joy: looking forward to the return and reward of Jesus. Elders must not seek the kudos of the people. The congregation never has enough “atta-boys.” In fact, as a shepherd, our goal is to point people to Jesus, not to us. The reward which will sustain is future, unfading, and from the hand of Jesus. Shepherd for such, and not for fleeting fame.
4. Elders Must Shepherd Against Natural Pride (1Peter 5.5)
Lord willing, we will return to 1Peter 5 in two weeks to consider the humility required by us who are under elders. Today, however, notice exactly what happens in verse 5. Peter begins to exhort the younger men to submit to their elders with all humility. But bringing the subject up reminds him that elders must lead with humility: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another.”
There are times when it is hard to submit to our elders. We are not omniscient. We make mistakes. We are men who struggle and fail. So how will the church remain unified and focused? How will the church survive our natural tendency toward pride and rebellion? Humility—not simply in the congregation—in all of us. Leadership does not mean superiority and the right to domineer. It means, first and foremost, following a Savior who laid down his life for the sheep.
5. Conclusion
Abraham Lincoln got caught up in a situation in which he wanted to please a politician, so he issued a command to transfer certain regiments within his army. When the secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, received the order, he refused to carry it out. He said that the President was a fool.
Unfortunately, gossip ensured that word got back to Mr. Lincoln of what Stanton had said. Lincoln said this: “If Stanton said I’m a fool, then I must be, for he is nearly always right. I’ll see for myself.” As the two men talked, the President quickly realized that his decision was a serious mistake, and without hesitation, withdrew it.
