Shepherds And Sheep, What Do You Want?

7.3.22 1 Peter 5:1-4

Therefore, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and as one who also shares in the glory that is about to be revealed, I appeal to the elders among you: 2 Shepherd God’s flock that is among you, serving as overseers, not grudgingly but willingly, as God desires, not because you are greedy for money but because you are eager to do it. 3 Do not lord it over those entrusted to your care, but be examples for the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive an unfading crown of glory.

Shepherds and Sheep, What Do You Want?

When Peter wrote this he would have probably been in his 60s, and very near death. He was in Rome during the time of the persecutions under Nero. He is said to have been crucified around 64 A.D.. So put that in perspective. Peter, a somewhat old man for the day, was writing to his fellow elders, otherwise known as pastors. He doesn’t put himself above them and call himself their bishop. He just refers to himself as a “fellow elder.” Yet in his older age he has some wisdom under direction of the Holy Spirit to give them, and how to be a good pastor. This text is often used with installations of new pastors.

Today, God places you in the same room as Peter and his fellow pastors listening to a fireside chat on what it takes to be a pastor and what you can expect from your pastor. Maybe, as you listen to this, you can grow a special appreciation for what God calls these men to do, and maybe you can think about how you can help them fulfill their vocation in a God pleasing way.

Before he gives any directives, Peter starts out by mentioning that he was a “witness of the sufferings of Christ.” Peter was there in the Garden of Gethsemane and he saw Jesus get arrested. He was in the high priest’s courtyard and had Jesus look at him in sadness after Peter had denied him three times. The suffering and death of Jesus on the cross left an indelible mark on Peter’s heart and soul. Here was God in the flesh dying for the sins of the world. He fought for us. He died for us. But Peter also witnessed Jesus after the resurrection, who especially appeared to HIM. The fact that Peter was an eyewitness has some special credibility. It changed Peter. It turned him from an overconfident and reckless young man into a confident and humble follower of Christ. This also changed him into a bold professor of Christ, instead of a scared denier of Christ. By this time Peter had gone on his own mission trips, raised the dead, healed the sick, and chased the demons out. He had something he wanted to say to the younger pastors and his fellow pastors to encourage them in their ministry. It was all about Jesus. And that makes sense, because without Jesus we have no confidence and no anchor for our faith. Without the sufferings and resurrection of Jesus we would have no reason to have a church or pastor.

Peter told his fellow pastors to do two simple things. Shepherd and oversee. My mind immediately goes back to Psalm 23 in the picture of the Good Shepherd leading the sheep through pastures and beside waters through the valley of the shadow of death. His job is to feed the flock and protect it from danger. I also think of my father-in-law who would drive the feed truck out to the field and with a simple call the cows would come running for some feed to eat. Back in David’s day shepherding involved a lot more exercise and danger since there were no trucks or fences and there seemed to be more wild animals roaming around. So the shepherd had to be bold and he had to be alert in order to take care of the flock as they went looking for green grass and water. Peter, however, isn’t talking about sheep or cattle. He’s talking about humans with souls. Eternity is at stake here.

Before we go any further, think for a minute about the fact that Peter expects there to be overseers. There are some who would prefer just to belong to a church, but they don’t want a pastor “getting into my business.” But Peter insinuates that an integral part of belonging to a church is having a pastor look out for your soul. If you want to be a member of a church but don’t want the pastor to feed you or try to look out for you in the process, then you don’t understand God’s design.