Society today has placed its seal of approval on single parent households and homosexual adoption. The laws allowing such activity give evidence of such a stamp of approval. The ideas of familial leadership have begun to fail quickly. Sociologists and experts in family studies have just recently come to the conclusion that the father holds an absolutely important role in the family. He, as the leader of the home, sets the example and according to some studies has the most direct and powerful influence on his children choosing to be “religious.” These same attributes seem to be true of the church as well. The leaders of the church hold tremendous influence and seem to be the first attacked should anyone want to hurt the church as a whole. They lead and guide protecting us from the false ideas of the world and yet at the same time constrict our activities to safe-guard our well-being.
Just as God placed fathers in the home so that they would lead their children in the right way of living, so God places leaders in the church. He then empowers them to do their duty. Think of the movie Gladiator. In the movie, Maximus has just finished off the Germanic hordes and now sits in the camp tending to his men and to the plans and strategies he needed to win. Soon, the emperor Marcus Aurelius summons his best and favorite general to his tent to speak to him. During the ensuing conversation he asks Maximus to replace him as the emperor. Here the emperor says one thing to him, “I will empower you to one end alone; to hand the empire back to the senate.”
Today we are starting a series which considers eight different foundational principles upon which the church must be built. If we are going to lay train tracks to the future then we must start where we are. The first track we will lay will be laid today; the idea of empowering leadership. We will be looking at 1 Peter 5:1-4. Preceding the text today Peter reminds the people that they will face hard times through persecution and verbal assault. However, even during the down times they will find hope and healing in Jesus Christ. (READ SCRIPTURE) Peter gives a straight-forward exhortation to the elders of the people to continue diligently in their task even in the face of troubled times. Today we will take a look at the concept of the eldership and their role in the church and then will examine the text specifically to understand exactly how our elders are to lead. God has empowered both the elders and the people to one end alone: to the elders he says “Set the example” and to the people he says “Follow.” Let’s examine the leadership attributes our elders are to possess according to First Peter and how we as a people group are to respond.
First we should probably take a minute to over-view the position of elder and their duties according to the New Testament. 1st Timothy 3:1-7 gives the best list of qualities an elder must possess to attain the position of elder. “If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but on wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.” These attributes are usually considered spectacular and amazing that such men could exist, however basically every single aspect of the qualities of an elder can be found elsewhere in scripture referring to every single Christian. We don’t have time to go through each attribute but we will see many of them in how the elders are to serve according to 1 Peter 5.
Point #1: Serve Willingly – Obey Willing (1 Peter 5:2)
Simply enough, the elders are not to serve under compulsion, because they have to but because they truly want to love and care for the flock of God. In times of turmoil this alone can be one of the most difficult tasks in the world to do. The elders tend to take the brunt of failures in the congregation especially when they are public failures. They generally are expected to live ten times better than every other Christian around them and seem to be the most willing to beat themselves up and feel like they have failed because they don’t perfectly reflect the list in 1 Timothy 3. In the face of such hard times, especially during a family crisis, being an elder and visiting homes and caring for the people can become the biggest drag known to mankind. Soon, the elders find themselves doing their “job” for the church because they are supposed to and then they begin looking for the first exit they can find. However, during the troubling times Peter reminds the elders that they are to willingly serve the people because God wants them to serve.
All the fathers in the room might be able to share the burden of the elders. Every dad knows what it means to willingly sacrifice for your children’s future or even just because you want to give more to your children. You always want the best for your children and also wish you could have the best from your children. I know my parents wished I would have been a bit more obedient when I was a child and especially as a teenager. I had the most rebellious tendencies and what made it worse was that I had ways of actually accomplishing my goals. So I pressed through and did what I wanted to. Bet your older children and teenagers know how to push your buttons.
Elders have the exact same type of plight with the people at times. Some want to go their own way and some push against the leadership at times. Some people can be rebellious while others can be completely obedient. The elders according to Peter are to serve the people willingly even during the tough times. According to Hebrews 13:17, you are to “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.” Just as the elders must set the example so you as a church must obediently follow that example. The elders can support and serve you to help you grow and empower you for ministry. If you choose to listen and obediently follow they can help you grow and show you how to live. On the other hand if you choose to ignore their leadership you will find yourself against Christ’s own commandment and administration. Having our leadership able and willing to lead as servants allows us to be empowered for ministry.
Serving willingly is only the first part of the trio of ways the elders are to conduct themselves and also ways in which we as a congregation can lift them up or hinder them to our own detriment. The second way is also mentioned in verse 2.
Point #2: Serve Eagerly – Encourage Eagerly (1 Peter 5:2)
“Not greedy for money, but eager to serve.” In my mind I have always seen the idea of eagerness as the next level of willingness. Not only do they want to do the job but they can’t be stopped from doing it. Apparently Peter understood that good money could be made spending time elsewhere. Not only could good money be made but having that much more free time could always have its benefits. Especially when you have a family, you don’t want to have to spend more than one or two nights a week outside of your home but when someone calls you know you need to be there. Remember the qualities of an elder mentioned in 1 Timothy 3. The very first statement made says that “If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” From the very beginning of becoming an elder of a congregation they must have already shown the desire to become a leader and to care for the spiritual needs of the people.
The same principles apply to learning and education in many ways. You cannot force someone to learn something; especially children. Some children will learn but it’s like pulling teeth to get them to. However there are always a few children known as the teachers delight. These are the kids that are always eager to learn something new. Many times children who start this way end up being those who continue to learn for the rest of their lives willingly. Adults as well as children grow the most when they are eager and ready to learn. Those unwillingly to learn and grow throughout their lives end up becoming embittered and immature; whether believer or non-believer. If the elders don’t have the desire to do their job, they will not make it because other ways of living will crowd out their responsibilities. They must be eager to shepherd the flock and not give in to the temptation to go after money, extra time, and the many other temptations that can distract them.
However just as in their willingness to serve, it isn’t totally up to them about their eagerness in the way they shepherd the flock. Hebrews 13:17 continues by saying to the people “Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Honestly, this should be easier than just helping them with willingness. How often do you open your homes to the elders to come over and see how you live and what you act like at home? Instead of making them call and ask you about whether or not they could come by some random night, invite them over just to sit and chat about your spiritual life. Instead of making them ram through the brick wall of your heart to talk to you about your personal issues and the help you need, openly trust and confess your needs to them so that they can help you. They already love to serve you and take care of you. Make it a joy to them to care for you. The elders will set the example by serving you eager. Follow by eagerly encouraging them to continue.
In the face of adversity and this dying world the elders must serve willingly and eagerly just as you must help them by supporting and encouraging them in their ministry for the Lord. They truly want to serve and empower you to do ministry. Peter names one more way in which the elders must serve; with humility.
Point #3: Serve Humbly – Honor Humbly (1 Peter 5:3)
This last part of how the elders should shepherd the flock can be found in verse three of first Peter. “Not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” The temptation to give orders and direct people more like a dictator than a loving and willing servant can be overwhelming at times. The urge to do this generally doesn’t come from a vindictive or hurtful attitude. It usually comes from the desire for those they are working with to do what is right. Life becomes that much harder when someone you love decides to do something that will hurt them. None of us wants for the ones we love to make mistakes and neither do the elders. Yes pride could set in and that is why Peter tells them to not lord it over people. They are not to use their power to control people but so that the people may benefit from their wisdom and spiritual life. The elders exemplifying humility gives an up-to-date look at what true humility looks like. If they truly imitate the humility and servitude of Christ, then you can imitate them without fear.
Now, going back to the idea of children and obedience. Parents never truly want to control the lives of their children as must as they want to make sure their children grow up to be strong, healthy, sound of mind, and intelligent. You as Christian parents desired that your children would become Christians and follow the Lord all their lives. Sometimes you may have had to take the wheel sometimes to help guide them. It wasn’t easy and they may have fought it the whole way but you really did know best. Your teens may have made the journey very bitter but you did it in love. However, the elders can’t do that with the church even if they wanted to nor can they redirect your life for you. Even if they wanted to shake you awake so that you would see the path you’re on, they couldn’t.
The only way they can show you how to live is to live the life themselves. The last part of Peter’s exhortation speaks to the most important part of the elder’s lives. Elders, you must live humbly if you want to teach and lead the flock. First Thessalonians 5:12-13 tells you as those under the elders what is needed to help the elders lead humbly. It says “Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.” Allow me to translate this into one sentence. Honor them so that they won’t be tempted to honor themselves. From my interactions with the elders, they seem quite adamant about trying to stay humble but if we withhold encouragement and lifting them up, we will find that their struggle gets that much harder. We want them to lead and to care for us. We want them to help us with our struggles and build us up. They cannot continue to empower us to live our daily lives and to move through our struggles if we continually leave them to the wolves of temptation. Elders, set the example by serving humbly. Everyone, follow the example and build them up so that they can continue.
God has appointed a system for the church that directly reflects that of the family. Just as the family needs a strong spiritual leader, so does the church. Just as the family needs a leader who sets the example by serving willingly, eagerly, and humbly, so does the church. However, the elders themselves can work hard and diligently at their ministry and the church can still fall in on itself. The opposite is true as well. The people can be completely obedient, uplifting and encouraging and the leadership crumble and bring the church down. If we want to lay tracks so that our train will move into the future, we must start by developing and maintaining empowering leadership. We need both pieces of the track for the train to ride on it; servant leadership and people who will follow. So once again I will say it: Elders, SET THE EXAMPLE. People, FOLLOW OBEDIENTLY. Allow the elders to build you up and strengthen you through their example. This is how we will build leaders to take us into the future.
(note: Sermon subject is from NCD.)
