Title: Church Relationships Lesson 1 “The Necessity of Godly Leadership”
Text: 1 Peter 5:1-4
Introduce the lessons series, “Making the Most of Our Relationships”
1. For the next several weeks we will be discussing relationships.
a. Church Relationships
1. Elder to member
2. Member to Elder
3. Brother to Sister etc.
b. Family Relationships
4. Marriage relationship
5. Parenting, etc.
The first in this series is entitled “The Necessity of Godly Leadership” from 1 Peter 5:1-4
Introduction:
2. The world cries out for good leadership
a. Morality is out of control.
b. Families are falling apart because of the lack of parental leadership.
c. Wars are on the horizon because of poor leadership like a Saddam Hussein.
3. The church is crying out for good leadership.
a. It has been called the greatest crisis in the brotherhood.
b. It is the cause of false teachings throughout the church.
c. Just like any other organization, the church rises and falls by its leadership.
**As I begin this lesson, I want our shepherds and you to know how much I live and appreciate them.
4. They are godly men.
5. They love the Lord.
6. They are striving to be the kind of leaders I think we need in the church.
a. My point in preaching this today is to:
1. Help us understand their role.
2. Help them to remember their responsibility.
3. Help us understand how to relate to each other in the proper way so the church can grow!
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7. Of all the metaphors God could have used to describe what a spiritual leader looks like, he paints a picture of a sheep herder.
1. I read a quote that fits so well here: “It’s not a picture of a CEO of a church –– sitting behind a desk or in a boardroom, making decisions, tapping gavels, dispatching memos, and announcing edicts it’s not a picture of a dynamic speaker who can hold an audience in his hand and bring people to tears and it’s not even a learned scholar whose skills are so sharp he could exegete the church bulletin for half an hour — the picture is that of a shepherd”
8. We don’t know much about sheep herding in our world, but...
1. In Bible times, shepherds were as common and familiar to most Middle Easterners as telephones and supermarkets are to us
1. Almost anywhere in the Bible world, if you gazed across a landscape you would likely see at least one flock of sheep
2. A shepherd wasn’t really in authority over sheep as much as he was a servant of sheep
3. When a tiny lamb was born, one of the first sensations felt by the shivering lamb was the tender hands of the shepherd
4. His gentle voice was one of the first sounds to awaken his delicate eardrums
5. In Lynn Anderson’s book, “They Smelled Like Sheep” he states, "The shepherd lived with the lambs for their entire lives –– protecting them, caressing them, feeding and watering them, and leading them to the freshest pools and the most luxuriant pastures –– day and night, year in and year out……Each sheep came to rely on the shepherd and to know his voice and his alone. They followed him and no one else."
1. Let me give you a real “no-brainer” LEADERS LEAD “Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Author Unknown
a. Leaders are Trailblazers
1. They are innovative
2. They are visionary
3. They know where the followers need to go and what is best for them.
1. Yes even when the followers think they know better.
b. HOW CAN THEY KNOW THIS? PETER GIVES THE ANSWER.
1. Know the Chief Shepherd, Jesus. Paul put it this way in (1 Corinthians 11:1 NCV) “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” If leaders are following the Chief Shepherd, then the sheep cam safely follow them.
1. Peter begins with reminding them that he knows the sufferings of Christ.
1. Peter could say this first hand. He saw the literal sufferings.
2. We must do that by faith.
1. Shepherds need to be completely convinced of the power of the blood of Jesus.
2. He then tells them to look forward to meeting the Chief Shepherd. (1 Peter 5:4 NCV) “Then when Christ, the Chief Shepherd, comes, you will get a glorious crown that will never lose its beauty.”
1. Peter calls Jesus the Chief Shepherd because, well, He is! (John 10:1-16 NCV) "Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, the person who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. {2} The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. {3} The one who guards the door opens it for him. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. {4} When he brings all his sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. {5} But they will never follow a stranger. They will run away from him because they don’t know his voice." {6} Jesus told the people this story, but they did not understand what it meant. {7} So Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the door for the sheep. {8} All the people who came before me were thieves and robbers. The sheep did not listen to them. {9} I am the door, and the person who enters through me will be saved and will be able to come in and go out and find pasture. {10} A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I came to give life--life in all its fullness. {11} "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. {12} The worker who is paid to keep the sheep is different from the shepherd who owns them. When the worker sees a wolf coming, he runs away and leaves the sheep alone. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. {13} The man runs away because he is only a paid worker and does not really care about the sheep. {14} "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, as the Father knows me. And my sheep know me, as I know the Father. I give my life for the sheep. {15} {16} I have other sheep that are not in this flock, and I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd."
2. Leaders have the responsibility for our souls.
1. It is a responsibility that they desire, not because they are forced, but because they love the sheep. 1 Peter 5:2 “...shepherd God’s flock, for whom you are responsible. Watch over them because you want to, not because you are forced. That is how God wants it.”
1. We might really be surprised to look over our brotherhood and see the shepherds who do it for a number of wrong reasons.
1. Pressure to serve.
2. The “No one else will do it” mentality.
3. Or just because he feels obligated.
4. Please understand that there are times when the pain that is associated with people-oriented ministries is really bad,
1. But over time, emotional and spiritual burnout and the trend to "cool down" after years of service can take its toll and ministry can become an obligation.
2. The church needs leaders who want more than anything for:
1. People to meet Jesus Christ. (Make comments here)
2. The church to grow spiritually. (Make comments here)
3. The hungry to be fed and the naked clothed. (Make comments here)
3. Bottom line here is the shepherds need to be passionate for God’s family and the people of the world! Peter says in our text, “Do it because you are happy to serve....”
2. It is a responsibility that you do not desire based upon power and pride. (1 Peter 5:3 NCV) “Do not be like a ruler over people you are responsible for, but be good examples to them.” For too long shepherding has taken on a sense of power in the brotherhood.
1. Sheep do not need to be ruled, but to be led!
1. “Like a ruler” here means "lording" literally means domineering; forcefully ruling over
1. Peter here forbids arbitrary, arrogant, selfish, and excessively restrictive rule
2. There is no place for pastoral dictatorship, for emotional intimidation, or the flaunting of power shepherds,
3. Shepherds are not sovereigns, but servants.
4. Shepherds are not an authority, but an example.
1. Jesus is the only sovereign Lord and authority.
2. Sheep are animals that have to be led. They need “overseers” who will care for them.
1. They need to be lead by still waters.
2. They need the food of green pastures.
3. They need to be lead in the paths of right living.
4. In the valleys of death, they need to be lead.
2. The gravity of the position of shepherd is awesome. In closing I want to read an excerpt from Myron Rush’s book “The New Leader.” This really adds perspective to the idea of leadership and the importance of having men who will lead!
a. Leaders must be willing to stand alone.
b. Leaders must be willing to go against public opinion in order to do the right thing.
c. Leaders must be willing to risk failure.
d. Leaders must become master of their emotions.
e. Leaders must strive to remain above reproach.
f. Leaders must be willing to make decisions others don’t want to make.
g. Leaders must be willing to say “no” at times, even when they want to say, “yes.”
h. Leaders must be willing to sometimes sacrifice personal wants for the good of the group.
i. Leaders must never be content with the average; you must always strive for the best.
j. Leaders love people more than possessions.
k. Leaders have to work harder to keep their life in balance.
Conclusion: I hope you pray for our shepherds. They need your prayers. I pray that God will led them to lead us to a wonderful future together.
Next week we will follow this sermon with “The Necessity of Godly Followers”
