Title: Church Relationships Lesson 2 “The Necessity of Godly Followers”
Text: 1 Peter 5:5-11
Shepherds and Sheep have a Covenant Relationship. It takes both good leadership and good followship to make things run smoothly.
‒ We work together in the roles that God has placed us in order to further the kingdom..
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1. This is the real “no-brainer” for the Sheep. FOLLOWERS FOLLOW! (1 Peter 5:5 NCV) "In the same way, younger people should be willing to be under older people....”
A. Follow with conviction
1. Not knowing wether or not he would live, Paul said in (Philippians 1:20 NCV) "I expect and hope that I will not fail Christ in anything but that I will have the courage now, as always, to show the greatness of Christ in my life here on earth, whether I live or die."
1. Listen to his determination.
1. “I will not fail Christ.”
2. “I will have the courage....”
3. We need to be like a lady I read about. Matthew Henry went to London, met a young lady of the nobility, who was also wealthy, and they fell in love. She went to ask her father if she could marry him and he said, "He’s got no background, you don’t know where he’s come from." She said, "Yes, I know, but I know where he’s going and I want to go with him."
2. The shepherds need sheep who will step up and stand and be counted.
1. I will work.
2. I will lead.
3. I will do what needs to be done!
3. We have enough people who will make excuses about not stepping up ans leading in ministry.
1. “I don’t have time.”
2. “I don’t know how.”
3. “I am afraid.”
B. Follow humbly (1 Peter 5:5-6 NCV) "...and all of you should be very humble with each other. "God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble." {6} Be humble under God’s powerful hand so he will lift you up when the right time comes."
1. Someone said, "The person who looks up to God rarely looks down on people"
2. NIV puts this passage this way, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another....”
1. The word used here is the same as that of a slave that puts on an apron to serve.
3. We are to follow “under His hand” which means that we follow Him even when we do not understand why.
1. When the shepherds are in control of the Chief Shepherd, and the sheep follow them, they all will be traveling toward God.
C. Follow worry free (1 Peter 5:7 NCV) "Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you."
1. Worried sheep have difficulty following.
1. They have anxiety.
2. Peter has in mind the idea of giving God our cares.
1. There are two things you don’t worry about.
1. Things that you can do something about.
2. Things you can’t.
2. “Worry is fear’s extravagance. It extracts interest on trouble before it comes due. It constantly drains the energy God gives us to face daily problems and to fulfill our many responsibilities. It is therefore a sinful waste. A woman who had lived long enough to have learned some important truths about life remarked, "I’ve had a lot of trouble -- most of which never happened!" She had worried about many things that had never occurred, and had come to see the total futility of her anxieties.”
–Author Unknown
3. It is an awesome thing to realize the God cares for me.
1. Through the whole universe he looked down at me and cares.
2. He is my Father.
D. Follow under the control of faith (1 Peter 5:8-9 NCV) "Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. {9} Refuse to give in to him, by standing strong in your faith. You know that your Christian family all over the world is having the same kinds of suffering."
1. Sheep have to continually be on the alert.
1. The lion is a prowler.
2. He is crafty and very good at what he does.
3. You may hate him, but you must respect his abilities
2. Sheep must keep themselves healthy because the lion seeks out the weak, young, and struggling to destroy.
1. That’s why the bible says to “guard our hearts.”
3. Sheep must stay together in the struggle.
1. There is strength in numbers.
2. “know that your Christian family all over the world is having the same kinds of suffering."
4. Sheep must trust the shepherd by standing strong in the faith.
1. (James 4:7-8 NCV) "So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you. {8} Come near to God, and God will come near to you...."
1. Satan cannot stand the presence of God.
2. Stand firm in faith and watch Satan flee!
Conclusion: (1 Peter 5:10 NCV) "And after you suffer for a short time, God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling. He called you to share in his glory in Christ, a glory that will continue forever."
‒ Last Week we talked about godly leaders.
‒ This week we talked about godly followers.
‒ What happens when leaders lead and followers follow?
‒ God will keep us strong.
‒ When its all sorted out in the end, WE WIN!
‒ My encouragement to us all is that when the sheep are being chased around by the lion and the shepherds are putting their lives on the line for the sheep KEEP SERVING ONE ANOTHER!
As I mentioned at the first of this lesson, the relationship between sheep and shepherds in the kingdom is an agreement to work together for the common goal of taking Jesus to the world!
“In modern times we define a host of relations by contracts. These are usually for goods or services and for hard cash. The contract, formal or informal, helps to specify failure in these relationships. The Lord did not establish a contract with Israel or with the church. He created a covenant. There is a difference.
Contacts are broken when one of the parties fails to keep his promise. If a patient fails to keep an appointment with a doctor, the doctor is not obligated to call the house and inquire, "Where were you? Why didn’t you show up for your appointment?" He simply goes on to his next patient and has his appointment secretary take note of the patient who failed to keep the appointment. The patient may find it harder the next time to see the doctor. He broke an informal contract.
According to the Bible, however, the Lord asks: "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" (Isaiah 49:15) The Bible indicates the covenant is more like the ties of a parent to her child than it is a doctor’s appointment. If a child fails to show up for dinner, the parent’s obligation, unlike the doctor’s, isn’t canceled. The parent finds out where the child is and makes sure he’s cared for. One member’s failure does not destroy the relationship. A covenant puts no conditions on faithfulness. It is the unconditional commitment to love and serve.”
–Bruce Shelly
Let us covenant together with our shepherds to serve God with all of our might this year and the years to come!
