Our Lord told Peter to, "feed My sheep.” In this particular passage of scripture, he is feeding the “Spiritual Chefs”, the ministers of the gospel. Notice that he speaks of:
I. THE ELDER
Verse 1. "The elders which are among you...”
From this verse we see who he is addressing and where they are located: “Which are among you…”
A. WHO ARE THE "ELDERS"?
The elders were probably individuals whom the apostles had placed over certain congregations after they established these churches.
We can see this in Acts 14:23, "And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. "
Illus: Today when missionaries go to a heathen land, they first start a church, and are the Pastor of the church themselves. As the church begins to grow, and God saves a man and calls him into the ministry, they begin training him to take over as Pastor of the church. When that man, who is a native of that area, becomes the Pastor, the missionaries move on to start another church and repeat the same process.
This is what Paul and the other apostles had done, and now Peter is writing this letter back to the native pastors to instruct them in certain things because the church is going through some difficult times.
The church always needs strong leadership, BUT ESPECIALLY DURING DIFFICULT TIMES.
When the wolves are attacking the sheep, the sheep need a shepherd for PROVISION and PROTECTION.
B. WHY ARE THEY CALLED ELDERS?
When we speak of an ELDER today, most of us relate the position to one's age, but this was not the case here. It had to do with RESPECT.
When we consider the RESPECT that God’s Word is teaching, the scripture shows us a parallel between the PHYSICAL and SPIRITUAL.
The Word of God says, "...but entreat him as a father... "
WHO ARE TO REBUKE THE ELDERS (Ministers of the gospel)?
• The elders (physically) are to rebuke the elderly (physically).
• And the elders (spiritually), are to rebuke the elders (spiritually).
Notice, when Peter is writing to these other elders, he says to, "the elders which are among you I EXHORT, WHO AM ALSO AN ELDER...."
• Many times the younger folks show disrespect, and treat older folks as if they do not know what they are talking about, only to later discover that they themselves did not know what they were talking about!
• Sometimes church folks will treat the Elder of the church as if he does not know what he is talking about, only to find later that they themselves did not know what they were talking about!
God placed the Elder in the church, and He is under His control. Listen to this, this might be shocking! That "Elder' is not an employee of the church, he is God's employee!
Illus: We probably all have heard church members say, "We pay the pastor’s salary, and he had better do as we specify or we will give him his walking papers.”
Professing Christians, who express themselves in this way, generally are expressing their ignorance of the Scripture.
Illus: A minister can preach for seventy-five years, and not one time will a church ever pay his salary. I say that because the Scripture says, in Leviticus 27:30, "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord "
Every pastor’s salary comes from the tithes of which the Lord said, “…all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, IS THE LORD’S…”
Since the tithe belongs to the Lord, it is the Lord Jesus who pays the minister his salary.
If the tithe belonged to the congregation, then they could say, “We pay his salary!” But since it does not, they cannot say that.
• In the physical realm, it is the elderly that rebuke the elderly.
• And in the spiritual realm it is the spiritual Elder that rebukes the Spiritual Elders.
Peter was an elder, and Peter had the right to exhort these elders.
Illus: Remember when Jimmy Swaggert, the television evangelist, got caught with a prostitute? It made national news. And the religious leaders of the group that he was affiliated with, met with him behind closed doors, and they came to the conclusion that the disgrace he brought on himself, and the Lord’s work, warranted that he cease preaching for one year. It was commendable that they took this stand, but he refused to accept their advice.
But they had every right in advising him to do this. These were ELDERS speaking to an ELDER.
Peter wanted to make it clear that he was an elder, and had every right to exhort them, but also he was-
C. A WITNESS
Look at 1 Peter 5:1, we read again, “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:”
Peter said he was a “witness of the sufferings of Christ”.
Notice the word "witness." This is the same "witness" that we use in our judiciary system today. A "witness" is one who speaks what he knows to be the facts. Peter was telling those ministers that he knew what he was talking about.
If any of them had any false notion that life was one big party for Christ, he wanted them to know that this was not the case. He saw how Christ suffered. He was a personal witness of the sufferings of Christ. He saw Him suffer, and he also had suffered.
But because he was a PARTAKER OF THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST he also shall be a partaker- “…Of the glory that shall be revealed.”
Notice that Peter has this in the future tense. Some television preachers would have you believe that Heaven is to be enjoyed here on earth. It is true, the Christian life is the best life a person can have on this earth, but it is surely not trouble-free.
Look at Job 4:7, we read, "Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.”
But even though the SAINTS suffer, SINNERS suffer more.
The Bible says the way of the transgressor is HARD!
Illus: This is why they turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with life. They do not have Christ within to give them strength in times of trial.
We cannot tell those who would come to Christ that the Christian life is trouble free, but we can tell them that when we suffer for the cause of Christ, the Bible says that one day we shall be partakers "Of the glory that shall be revealed. "
Peter wrote to these Elders because he was very much aware of the suffering the church was going through at this time. And this could be a temptation for an Elder to back off. But Peter wanted to remind these Elders that if they were willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, one day they would be partakers "Of the glory that shall be revealed. "
But also he encouraged them to be-
II. THE ENSAMPLE
Look at verses 2 and 3. We read, “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: Neither as being lords over god’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.”
There are several items here that concern Peter.
A. THE FLOCK
Peter told the ministers, "Feed the flock of God... "
It becomes easy for a minister to feel that a church is his church. But just as it is God who provides his salary, so also it is God's flock, and the minister is to obey God's command to “Feed the flock of God…"
It will be hard on many preachers, when they have to give account to God for feeding the flock of God the “Junk Food” they feed them each week.
God has given them the position of being an Elder. Let’s look at-
B. THE POSITION
WHAT KIND OF POSITION HAS GOD PLACED HIM IN? It is not one for sissies!
Peter says it is one of “...taking the oversight thereof …” Like the Elder of Peter's day, the Pastor of today has the total responsibility of caring for the flock of God, by PROVIDING for them and PROTECTING them.
For him to do the job, he certainly can’t be a sissy!
Illus: Today, we find many churches claiming to be Bible-believing, Bible-practicing churches. However, the fact is that many times a deacon, or a deacon board, takes the responsibility of running the church, and the preacher is no more than a puppet under their control.
• They tell him what he can preach and cannot preach.
• They tell him how long he is to preach, and he had better not go a minute over.
• They tell him he had better not use the “H” word, and had be better not break a sweat.
There are churches all across this nation that are like this: they are DEACON CONTROLLED.
That is not to say that the Elder/Pastor should be left to run things with no accountability to the congregation.
But make no mistake about it, God's Word teaches that the pastor had better be man of God enough to, "...take the oversight thereof.."
Notice the word "take". This implies that no one is going to give it over to him. God holds him responsible for taking the oversight thereof! When he stands before God, he is going to be held accountable for his obedience to God's direction, not the direction of any individual or board.
But look how he is supposed to do this! Look at-
C. THE WILLINGNESS
"...not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind…”
This “Ready Mind” here, is the same thing we read about in the book of Nehemiah when he rebuilt the wall. The Bible said they had a MIND TO WORK. In spite of the fact that they were outnumbered, mocked and ridiculed, they had a MIND TO WORK.
Peter is writing to these Elders because the church at this time is under tremendous attack, but the Elder has to have a READY MIND that is saying, “GO FORTH, WE WILL NOT RETREAT!”
Peter wanted the Elders to know that Pastors are to do what they do, not because of “filthy lucre” (Money), but because they know it is God's will for their lives, and they are willing to accept the responsibility.
Those who are motivated by “filthy lucre” are motivated by the wrong purpose.
We hear today of television preachers who are making millions.
Illus: Preaching is like the game of baseball.
• Some receive millions to play each year.
• Some do not make minimum wage.
• Some do it bi-vocationally.
But no man should use the ministry to get wealthy.
D. THE ENSAMPLE
“...Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock."
Every pastor should preach in such a way as to please the Lord. His greatest illustration of his message should be the way he lives his life. He should be such an example of what he preaches, that if all the flock of God did as he did, it would be a church that pleased the Lord.
A pastor can preach God's Word as straight as an arrow, but if he does not live what he preaches, he is wasting his time. A pastor's best sermon is his Christian life as he lives before others.
III. THE ELATION
Look at verse 4, we read, “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” God has promised that when He returns, He will award a special crown to the elder who does his job well - "...a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”
Illus: A professional football player on a television show, was showing off the super-bowl ring that had been awarded to him. He told the news reporter that receiving that award was the highlight of his life, for that was special and no amount of money could buy it.
People like that ball player, receive their rewards here, while they are on earth. But God has promised the faithful elder that if he would be true, He would give him a crown that would never "fade" away!
Illus: A missionary was returning back home after many years of faithful service to the Lord. He stood on the ship’s deck as the ship approached America, and saw this country for the first time in many years. He noticed a band and a large crowd of people that had gathered on the shoreline. His face lit up with joy as he thought, “My, what a WELCOME HOME this is going to be.” But as they began to unload, he soon found out that the big WELCOME HOME was not for him, but for one of the dignitaries on board. He was saddened, but the Lord spoke to his heart and said, “You have not arrived home yet. But when you do, the welcome you will receive will be a hundred times greater than this one!”
CONCLUSION:
Illus: Charles Spurgeon once commented on the last chapter of the Gospel of John, where Jesus charged Peter with the responsibility to shepherd His sheep. He said, "Jesus could not give to Peter a more affecting proof of His confidence, than by committing to his care the dearest object of His love. It is only those who truly love Christ that are fitted to minister to His flock. The work is so laborious, the appreciation is often so small, the response so discouraging, the criticisms so harsh, the attacks of Satan so fierce, that only the love of Christ, His for us and ours for Him, can constrain to such work. The hirelings will feed the goats, but only those who love Christ can feed His sheep."
Spurgeon was a man who understood the spiritual aspects of playing a vital role in the lives of people who have been called to faithfully represent Christ, and how he was to feed the flock in such a way, so as to encourage growth and vitality in the lives of Christ's sheep.
In fact, he once made the comment that if the enemy wasn't trying to stir up trouble for him, he wasn't doing his job. Because he understood his "job" as coming against the kingdom of darkness with the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Only in that kind of an environment will the enemy see any one person as a threat. That isn't limited to Elders and Pastors. Every child of God is called to be Christ's witness, and as we are all faithful to our calling, the enemy will come against us in a variety of ways.
I. THE ELDER
II. THE EXHORTATION
A. A PARTAKER OF THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST
B. A PARTAKER OF THE GLORY OF CHRIST
III. THE ENSAMPLE
A. THE FLOCK
B. THE POSITION
C. THE WILLINGNESS
D. THE ENSAMPLE
IV. THE ELATION
