Shepherd The Flock Part 2 - 1 Peter 5:2a Series

1 Peter 5:1-10 Therefore to the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ's sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Shepherd God's flock that is under your care, overseeing--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Introduction

You can always tell when a command in the Bible is especially important when it comes with a big buildup leading up to the command. In 1 Peter 5:2, Peter gives a command like that to the elders of the church. The command is to shepherd the flock, but listen to the buildup leading in to the command:

1 Peter 5:1 Therefore to the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ's sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Shepherd God's flock

That is a solemn and weighty command.

God Our Shepherd

Shepherd = Pastor

The Greek word in that command is poimen. The English translation is shepherd and the Latin translation is pastor. Whenever you say the word “pastor” you are just saying “shepherd” in Latin. So if you hear someone say, “Senior pastor” or “assistant pastor” or “youth pastor” that means senior shepherd, assistant shepherd, youth shepherd. Those two words are interchangeable – they mean exactly the same thing.

God Our Shepherd

And it is the perfect term to describe the way God takes care of His people. He is our Shepherd. And that idea did not originate in the 23rd Psalm. It goes all the way back to Genesis. When Jacob was on his deathbed he spoke of the God ... who has been my shepherd all my life to this day (Gn.48:15).

Ezekiel 34:15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD.

Psalm 23:1The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Again and again, throughout the Old Testament, God calls Himself our Shepherd.

The Needs of Sheep

Why such an emphasis on this one analogy? It is because we are so similar to sheep in so many ways. There are over a billion sheep in the world right now, and every one of them would soon be dead if not for the shepherds who take care of them. Most animals were created with some kind of defense mechanism. Not sheep. God made them completely defenseless. They can't kick. They can't claw. They don’t bite. If one of them trampled you it would probably feel good on your back. They can't jump. They obviously are not built for speed – big, fat bodies with four little toothpicks for legs. They can't outrun anything. They just stand there and die. They have to be the most defenseless creature there is. In fact, the only thing sheep know to do when they are threatened by a predator is to group together. They huddle, so the wolf can have his pick. I guess the idea is that if you just stand next to a fatter, tastier looking lamb chop, you just increased your chases of survival.

On top of that, sheep are very easily confused and lost. Sheep can be completely lost within just a few miles of home.