HOW TO BE A GOOD SHEPHERD and FROM
GRACE TO GLORY
Peter was
concerned that the leadership in the local churches be at its best. When the fiery trial would come, the
believers in the assemblies would look to their elders for encouragement and
direction. Peter addresses the personal
qualities that make for a successful pastor:
*Shepherding
the flock…
As shepherd,
the elder will provide spiritual food for his people by teaching them the
Bible, but he does much more than that.
He prays for each one, comforts them, watches over them to keep them
from straying, goes after those who have wandered away, and guards his flock
against wolves—false teachers who would destroy his flock and against Satan,
the “roaring lion” who would devour them.
Being a shepherd is a tremendous responsibility and no one should enter
the ministry lightly. Consider the words
of this verse Luke 12:48.
As shepherd,
he must live in continual dependence upon the Lord. Praying, preparing sermons, counseling,
comforting, rebuking and sharing the joys and sorrows of others …task that no
human being is capable apart from the enabling work of the Holy Spirit.
**Serve
willingly…v.2…no one should perform his task reluctantly or grudgingly as if
they were an unpleasant ordeal or just a job to get done. A pastor should be so convinced he is doing
God’s will that he serves with joy. If a
man believes God has called him, he can’t be happy doing anything else.
**Serve
unselfishly…There is no room for selfishness in shepherding. “Not for filthy lucre”…includes money of
course, but also the idea of “fondness for dishonest gain.” The “best pastorate” is not necessarily the
one that pays the most, but the one God has called a man to accept. The rewards of the ministry are to be found
in the lives of the people in the congregation, and in the Lord’s
blessing.
**Serve
Humbly and Purely v.3…A shepherd must not become a petty tyrant. The tendency to be dictatorial is a common
failing among church officials. Some men
cannot handle authority without becoming autocratic. This man come from pride or from feelings of
insecurity. Paul states in I Tim 3:6
that an elder should not be a “novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall
into the condemnation of the devil.”
A positive
aspect of Peter’s exhortation is expressed “but being examples to the
flock.” The pastor leads by his Godly
life more than by the authority of his office.
A shepherd
LEADS sheep; he does not DRIVE them. Every elder must lead, not by coercion or
by pulling rank, but by the example of a life that is above reproach.
RESPONSIBILITIES
OF THE YOUNGER: v. 5 - …These were
Christians of less maturity either in spiritual development or in actual
age. Peter sets forth two requirements
for those BE SUBMISSIVE and HUMBLE as they fulfill their roles in the church.
A Submissive
Spirit…Acknowledge the God given authority of the elders and submit to
them. No organization can run
efficiently unless this principle is followed.
In earlier years, a rebuke by the church leadership was taken very
seriously, but the breakdown in the matter of respect for authority has almost
destroyed the effectiveness of disciplinary action in most all churches
today. A change needs to be made with a
return to the old ways. Everyone who
holds a position of leadership must consider it as a solemn trust, and church
members must be taught to look upon their leaders as having been chosen by
God. Heb. 13:17 states…
This
attitude of submission should begin in the home…speaking respectfully of elders
and deacons, the parents can set a good example for their children. Most often we think of submission in terms of
the wife and husband relationship.
However it is important for each individual Christian to be
submissive…to be TEACHABLE. When one of
the Body comes to share…sometimes a negative aspect of our life or behavior, we
need to humbly listen and receive what they say with careful consideration and
a schooling session with the Holy Spirit in prayer.
“Clothed
with OBEDIENCE”… V.4…will receive a crown of glory…and in v. 6 “Humble
yourselves… Even the most ornery church
member won’t be able to pick a fight with you if you wrap yourself in the
garment of humility. In fact, he may
become ashamed of his wrong attitudes and start behaving more like a Christian. HUMILITY IS A TOTAL DEPENDENCE UPON THE LORD
AND NOT TRUSTING IN OUR SELF OR FLESH EFFORT!
We can look forward to a day when the Lord will bestow great honor upon
us. As we read through the Word, we
often see words such as crowns and rewards.
Our true rewards will be in the knowledge that we are His creation,
sustained by Him to do His will and bring glory to His name. We will be overwhelmed with joy and gratitude
when we know that He has fulfilled His purpose for our lives through us here on
earth. To know that He is pleased with
us will be such a delight that there will be no room for pride! As the redeemed, we will be in perfect
harmony with the infinite purity of heaven, where nothing sinful can enter.
Peter has
taken us on quite a journey through this letter of I Peter. He is readying to draw his letter to a close.
He is concerned about the spiritual welfare of these believers because
he knows the turbulent times and severe trials that lay ahead for them. He gives us three practical parting
words…advice we all are to follow if we wish to retain our Christian integrity
and fulfill our mission here on each.
1. Maintain a Ceaseless Vigil…
Be levelheaded and on the alert. V. 8 Be sober is to maintain serious,
disciplined self-control at all times.
We are not to let emotional extremes – fear panic anger get the best of
us. Keep a clear mind and firm grip on
ourselves. Be VIGILANT … keep on the
alert and be watchful at all times.
Don’t let down not even for a second.
Peter was likely writing from deep emotion…*watch and pray and they fell
asleep in the Garden…cut off a man’s ear…denied the Lord 3 times. The Lord forgave him and restored him to
fellowship, but you can be sure it hurt Peter deeply whenever he remembered
what he had done that night. If only he
had been watching and praying instead of sleeping. If only he had controlled his emotions
instead of using the sword. Etc.
Self control and continual alertness are absolute necessities for
Christians who live as aliens in a hostile environment.
2. Know the true situation…
The reason for vigilance…we have an enemy v. 8 – 9 A bitter enemy who is determined to destroy
us, using slander or accusation as his primary weapons. Also, II Cor. 11:14…but his goal is always
the same…to destroy. The wise Christian
never underestimates this fierce enemy! In
our total dependence upon the LORD, we can overcome Satan James 4:7, I John 4:4
REMEMBER the
God of all grace: We will suffer awhile,
but don’t give up…there is His marvelous grace!!!! Grace saved us, grace forgives us, grace
enables us to stand true in hardship and persecution and by the power of His
grace we are sustained in the hour of death.
Whatever the demands of a varied and complex life, God’s grace “fits us
all.”
Sometimes
the hours and days seem to go by very slowly.
The few years we spend here are almost nothing when compared to the
endless ages of time with Him that awaits us!!!
When we reach heaven and view life on earth from the vantage point of
eternity, we’ll know how brief the time of suffering has really been.
The Lord
permits the afflictions suffered here for our eternal good. The Lord is preparing us for heaven. Peter states how the fires of affliction will
enrich us for all eternity. He says…
1. Make you perfect…perfecting His
children through trial and testing.
Perfecting as in mending nets or setting a broken limb or replacing a
missing part.
2. Establish you…to support, to set up,
to fix firmly. Suffering gives a yielded
Christian a quality…a spiritual stability which enables him to stand true in
every test. When we trust the LORD day
by day, He gives us grace to withstand the most grievous affliction with
despair.
3. Strengthen you…to make strong…Through
suffering we become strong-hearted and strong-willed, that we may resist the
onslaughts of Satan and effectively serve the Lord.
4. Settle you…to found or to lay the
foundation. Suffering makes us keenly
aware of the foundation of our faith…a deep appreciation for the great truths
upon which our Christianity is grounded.
All incidentals fall away and we are driven to the bedrock of our
faith…the death, resurrection, ascension and intercessory ministry of
Christ.
God has not
granted us immunity from affliction … they are bound to come and they have
purpose. They give us opportunity of
spiritual growth…glowing witnesses for Christ and result in everlasting riches
for us in the glory that awaits.
Peter closes
in v. 14 with Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus…as in his
salutation Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. V.2 And there is the first epistle of Peter…it
begins with peace, in between are troubles, difficulties and persecution, but
it ends with peace. And that is the way
it can be for you as you appropriate the good news of this epistle to your
life. Do it…and you will praise God with
“joy unspeakable and full of glory.
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