THE HEART OF A SHEPHERD
INTRO: Have you ever thought about what David’s life must have been like as a shepherd? He did not show up for work at 9 am. and go home at 5. He actually lived out in the fields or hills with the sheep. My understanding is that they did not do this year round because it would be far too cold in the winter. That is one reason scholars believe that the birth of Christ actually took place sometime in the fall. But David likely had to deal with rainstorms and heat and chilly nights. Imagine, one night David counts his sheep and makes sure that Snowball and Fluffy are near him. As he snuggles down next to them he prays to God for protection for himself and for his flock. He strums his harp for a while, and soon falls into a peaceful sleep. What seems like hours later, David is suddenly awakened by a ferocious growl. A hungry lion is crouching nearby, preparing to pounce on Snowball. David leaps to his feet just as the lion lunges at Snowball, and catching the lion by the throat, he proceeds to tear it apart. When it is all over, David stands there trembling from the trauma of the fight. He remembers hearing his father tell a story about a man named Samson, who also killed a lion with his bare hands. Then he thanks the LORD for giving him the strength to defeat his enemy and protect his sheep.
This little amplified story gives us a picture of the heart of a shepherd. David was known as a man after God’s own heart. David reflected God’s own heart as He faithfully tended his sheep, as well as when he later was the shepherd king over Judah and Israel. I’ve used David as an example of one who had a shepherd’s heart this morning because there are still those today whom God has given the heart of a shepherd. Let’s look at what Peter has to say about a shepherd’s heart in our text.
TEXT: KJV 1 Peter 5:1-11 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
PROP: We need a shepherd’s heart to help us care for the people God brings into our lives.
INTERR: How does a shepherd’s heart help us to help others?
TRANS: Our text gives us several insights into the heart of a shepherd. As we will see, the heart of a shepherd comes from the heart of the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
Many of you already have the heart of a shepherd, whether you would call it that or not. I am going to focus on this passage from a shepherd’s point of view. The Lord cares for His sheep. We are all sheep and we all need His care, but God also wants us to keep watch over his flocks as we serve Him. God wants to help us do just that.
I. A Shepherd’s Calling (vv. 2, 3)
-Maybe you remember when you were first called to do something for the Lord. Those are precious memories – early times with the Great Shepherd. Perhaps your calling was similar to Peter’s exhortation to his readers:
a. Feed the flock (v. 2) – preaching, teaching, discipling, worshiping
b. Oversee the flock (v. 2) – lead, protect, give direction and counsel
c. Be an example to the flock (v. 3) – a picture is worth 1000 words
d. Do it because you want to, not because you have to (v. 2) – true shepherd’s heart
e. Don’t be greedy (v. 3)
-I am not just talking about pastors, evangelists, or teachers here. Anyone can have a call from God on their lives. In fact, I would go so far as to say that all believers have a call from God to help lead others closer to Him. How we go about that may look very different from one another, but it is the ultimate business of the Father.
-What have you been hearing from Him lately? Has He been speaking to you to share His love with someone? Has He been prompting you to go and talk with that neighbor or friend, but you dismiss it because you think it is just your own idea? God is calling each of us to help reach and teach His sheep. Are you willing? Are you ready? If you are not ready, come on out tonight for Contagious Christian, and we will begin a journey together, preparing ourselves to answer the call God has given each of us.
II. A Shepherd’s Humility (vv. 5, 6)
a. Value, honor, and listen to those with age and experience (v. 5) – Those with age and experience have so much to offer- wisdom, counsel, insight. We don’t have to make the same mistakes over and over if we will just heed the counsel of the wise. Hey! Don’t wash that gray right out of your hair, share it with someone! Share your wisdom with others. Find a way to make your experience and wisdom relevant to them. You have learned things as you have walked with the Lord that you should not keep to yourself. Take a risk! You may be the key to helping someone else see the way out of their troubles. Speak hope into the lives of others. You are valuable.
b. Avoid the “Burger King Way”- Everyone be willing to “not have your own way” (v. 5) “submit to one another”
-Everyone repeat after me: “My way… is not always… the best way. Sometimes… other people… have good ideas too!” Now, if you don’t really believe that, then you might be struggling with a little bit of pride. Now this does not mean that we don’t have anything to offer. Again, we all have much to share of what Jesus has done in our lives.
c. Pride is indecent (Keep your clothes on) (v. 5)
-(Illus. - The Emperor’s New Clothes)- Perhaps you have heard Hans Christian Anderson’s story about the Emperor’s New Suit. 2 swindlers convince the king to buy a new suit made with such fine fabric that only those who are intelligent, worthy and noble would be able to see it. To everyone else it would be invisible. The king’s pride caused him to purchase the suit and he paraded through the streets wearing it. Everyone pretended that they could see it because they all wanted others to think they were intelligent, worthy and noble. At last, a little girl shattered the king’s illusion as she said, “He has no clothes at all.”
Pride is indecent, so clothe yourselves with humility and keep those clothes on.
1. Humble yourselves (v. 6) (We often would like to humble others who need it more than we do, but the Word instructs us to humble ourselves.) How do we humble ourselves? Well, rather than an action that requires great effort, it actually involves yielding ourselves to God, becoming passive in His hands so He can shape us into what He wants us to be. Don’t resist the pressure God is putting on you. Accept it, thank Him for caring more about you than you even care about yourself, and allow yourself to be humbled. The more you fight them, the longer the lessons of humility will take. God takes each of us through a humbling process. Cooperate with Him!
2. Wait for humility’s reward (v. 6) – If we humble ourselves, God will exalt us in due time.
III. A Shepherd’s Comfort (v. 7)
a. Cast your care / anxiety / worry on the Lord (v. 7) - Cares and worries can eat away at the peace and confidence we have in Christ. That is why He invites us to give that burden to Him. The imagery is that of rolling a heavy burden off of our shoulders and onto His. He can carry it – we cannot!
b. The Lord cares for you (v. 7) – This is why we can cast our cares and anxieties on the Lord. We are His concern. His care for us is tender and complete. He has not forgotten us, nor cast us off. He knows us by name, He knows who we are, where we are, and He is right here with us. What a wonderful caregiver He is! He knows my name. He knows my every thought. He sees each tear that falls and hears me when I call.
-We should not be our own greatest concern. Others should be our greatest concern, because we are God’s concern – and He can handle it!
IV. A Shepherd’s Vigilance (v. 8, 9)
a. Guard yourself against the enemy (v. 8) It is not selfish to take every spiritual precaution against the enemy of our souls and against sin. If we want to protect and watch out for others, we must keep ourselves out of the jaws of the lion as well.
b. Guard the flock against the enemy (v. 8) – When it is needed, we can be sure that we will have the supernatural strength necessary to defeat the enemy, just as David did against the lion and the bear.
c. Resist him with faith (v. 9) (Neither presumption nor fear)
d. Know that you are not alone (v. 9) (Elijah thought he was the only prophet left.) Christians all over the world are suffering for their faith. I thank God for our freedom, but sometimes I wonder, “Why me, Lord? Why am I here where it is safe to worship as I see fit when others die for their faith?” We do experience hardships and sufferings, though mine seem very small and insignificant. Some of you may live in constant pain (whether emotional or physical). Maybe you are battling against an illness. Please know that God has not forgotten you. He still loves you and has you here for a reason. You are loved! You are valuable! Keep fighting and be aware of the discouragement the enemy wants to use against you. Remember that the joy of the Lord is your strength! You can make it!
V. A Shepherd’s Sufferings (vv. 9,10)
a. Suffering is necessary
Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
b. Suffering is painful
c. Suffering is temporary “a little while” (1 Pet. 5:10)
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
-Keep the right perspective in the midst of suffering. Expect it. Be ready for it. And trust the Lord to help you walk through it.
VI. A Shepherd’s Renewal (v.10)
Why did Peter use four words, when 1 would give the meaning? Perhaps he was really emphasizing the point that the God of all grace is making His strength complete in our weakness. A great question to ask in the midst of hard times is “How can I grow through this experience?” It may be one of the hardest questions to ask as well. However, God’s plan is to...
a. Perfect - katarti,zw katartizo {kat-ar-tid'-zo} ethically: to strengthen, perfect, complete, make one what he ought to be
b. Stablish- sthri,zw sterizo {stay-rid'-zo} to strengthen, make firm, to render constant, confirm one's mind c. Strengthen- sqeno,w sthenoo {sthen-o'-o} to make strong, strengthen - of one's soul
d. Settle- qemelio,w themelioo {them-el-ee-o'-o} 1) to lay the foundation, to found 2) to make stable, establish
-God wants to renew and restore us. He wants to breathe strength and life in us as we rest in His presence. We all need time in the green pastures and still waters, where God restores our soul. If you’ve been staying out where it is hot and dry, maybe you need to follow the Great Shepherd beside the still waters. Maybe you need to lie down in the green pastures and spend some time being strengthened by the care of the Shepherd. It is only after we follow Him to these places of renewal and restoration that we will be able to say, “My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”
Finally, we can look forward with eager anticipation to a reward.
VII. A Shepherd’s Reward (v. 4)
a. The Chief Shepherd will appear (v. 4)
-His coming is certain
-His coming is imminent – it could be any moment – Maranatha- come, Lord Jesus!
b. The Chief Shepherd will give you a crown of glory (v. 4)
“You shall receive a crown of glory that will never fade away.”
Conclusion: The heart of a shepherd really follows after the heart of the Chief Shepherd. Christ is the Good Shepherd who cares for his own. He came to serve, not be served. He humbled Himself, submitting to His Father, yielding His own will to His Father’s will. He cast His care on His Father, receiving renewal and restoration through times of prayer. He guarded Himself and those entrusted to His care from the enemy. He experienced the ultimate suffering on behalf of His sheep. He was resurrected, rewarded, and restored to His rightful place at the right hand of the Father. Now He is preparing to return to us and reward those who have committed their hearts and lives to Him.
All of the difficult times we face here on earth are worth it, knowing that we will see Him face to face and so shall we ever be with Him. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.
Perhaps you are discouraged today and you needed to hear this word. God promises to comfort us and strengthen us as He is accomplishing His eternal purpose in our lives. We can cast all of our cares and worries and pain and suffering on Him because He cares for us. We are His concern. Today, let me remind you that God has not forgotten you nor cast you aside. He comforts those who mourn and who are afflicted. He cares for you. One of the most beautiful Psalms is Psalm 23. It really sums up all that we’ve talked about today. Feel free to quote it with me if you know it.
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.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
If any part of this message spoke to you today and you would like to spend some time talking with the Lord about it, I encourage you to do so. Let the Good Shepherd give you what you need today. Let’s sing the chorus, “He Knows My Name,” and you can either come and receive prayer, or find a place to pray at the front, or in your chair. Don’t be in a rush to leave if you need this time to reconnect with the Lord.
[Sing / Pray]
2005
