Commands for Elders.
Notes
Transcript
Opening:
It is a beautiful thing to open the Word of God on the Lord’s Day.
Introduction of the Passage:
This morning we will be in 1 Peter 5:1-5. Peter has labored long on how Christians are to handle difficulty and persecution. Specifically, Peter has been answering the question, how are Christians to suffer well. But prior to his discussion of this topic, Peter was giving commands on how Christians are to respond to authority. He dealt with how Christians are to respond to civil authority. The principle is that Christians are to obey God above all, and obey human authority wherever we can. After this, Peter dealt with the home. He commanded wives to submit to their husbands and husbands to be patient and loving toward their wives. Peter also dealt with the topic of slavery, commanding slaves to submit and honor their masters.
Peter is now picking this theme up again. And he is dealing with authority in the church. Specifically, Peter is giving commands to the elders of the church. So Peter is commanding how the eldership in the church is to live. Peter is calling elders in the church to holy living and calling the church to submit to the elders of the church. So with this in mind, I would ask you to stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.
Reading of the Passage:
1 Peter 5:1–5 “1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Behold the Word of God. Thanks be to God.
Prayer:
Our gracious Heavenly Father, we commit this time in Your Word to You today. May You use it to strengthen us, and to bring Yourself glory. We know that all glory and honor and power belong to You. So we thank You for the gift of Your Word this morning. May we submit to it and grow ever more into the image of Your Son. We pray this in Jesus name, amen.
Need:
Throughout church history, one of the great debates has been on how exactly the church is to be governed. In the early church we have the Apostles leading the church and establishing elders or presbyters or pastors over local congregations. After the death of the Apostles we have debate over the role of bishops over the pastors of those local congregations. Eventually as church history progresses we see the rise of more and more bishops and eventually even the Pope who sat as the chief bishop.
Then during the Reformation we see the debate heat up again as to how the church is to be governed. We see various camps rise and fall. And this debate continues down to this day. But we must see that while there is some debate, the Scriptures are not silent as to who is to lead the church and how they are to lead the church. So in the midst of such debate, we must always go to the Word. Our opinions are never to be placed on the same level as the Word. So what does the Word of God say in regards to the leadership of the Church?
Text Idea:
Well, this is what Peter is briefly addressing in this text. He is commanding the local elders of the first century church to righteousness in shepherding the flock of God.
Sermon Idea:
Elders are under-shepherds of the Good Shepherd and are to conduct themselves righteously in light of this.
Interrogative:
But what does this look like?
Transition:
Well, that is what we are going to be studying this morning in submission to the Word of God. Peter opens this section with commands for elders.
Commands for Elders.
Commands for Elders.
Explanation:
Peter says that Elders are under-shepherds. That they are to exercise oversight, that they are to do this willingly, eagerly, and as examples. Now there is much to be covered here, but perhaps the best place to start is with some definition. What is an elder?
What is an Elder?
What is an Elder?
The term elder used in Scripture is “presbyterous.” It is commonly translated as elder. And in Scripture that term is used interchangeably with “overseer or shepherd.” The elders are the church leaders of local congregations. In short, elders are pastors. That is what they are. The elders are the shepherds of the congregation. Now in our modern vernacular we distinguish the two slightly. We use the term pastor for the chief elder. The pastor is typically the head of the elder board bearing the chief responsibility with the other elders coming along side to aid in the role or elders. But elders and pastors are synonymous. And we see various lists of responsibilities and qualifications. Peter in this passage is giving the responsibilities of the elders. But perhaps we should start with the qualifications.
Not everyone in the church is qualified to be an elder. The Apostle Paul gives two lists for who is qualified to be in this position of leadership. One in the first letter to Timothy and another is found in his letter to Titus. So let’s just briefly look at what the Holy Spirit says the qualification for leadership in the church is.
1 Timothy 3:1–7“1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.”
In the midst of all the debate on church leadership, we find something rather interesting. Scripture is incredibly clear. The office of elder or pastor is a noble position.
An elder must be above reproach. He must not be someone actively engaged in unrepentant sin.
He must be the husband of one wife. This is a gendered role. And elder must be a man. And this man must not be polygamous or adulterous. If he is married he must be faithful to his wife.
He must also bear the fruit of true Christianity. This means he must be sober-minded, self controlled, respectable, and hospitable. In other words, he must be a mature Christian not engaged in any unrepentant sin. He must repent when he sins and make amends.
He must also be able to teach. Elders function as the teachers of the church. They are responsible to feed the sheep the Word of God. So they must have the gift of teaching.
They must also rule their household well. If they are married and have kids, their families must be walking with the Lord. You do not elect an elder who’s family is unsaved or un-managed. “For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?”
They are also to be firm in their faith. Not a new Christian. They must be mature in the faith. Now this does not mean they must all be old. We know this because Timothy was a young man, and an apostolically appointed pastor. In fact Paul tells Timothy this in 1 Timothy 4:12“12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Timothy was young. But that did not disqualify him because he was mature in his faith.
This is a really easy to follow list. But sadly much of the church has ignored this. It does not fit with the pagan values of “inclucivity.” But this is wrong. God has told us who should lead the church. It does not matter if we like it or not. God has spoken. Will we obey or will we disobey? Will we be faithful or will we sin against God? Well, I am here to tell you that we will be faithful.
So That is what an elder or a pastor is. But what is it that elders do? In short, the pastors or elders of a church, guard, govern, and guide.
Elders Guard, Govern, and Guide.
Elders Guard, Govern, and Guide.
Elders are to protect the flock. We see this in Acts 20:28–30“28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”
The pastors or elders of a church are to protect the people of God from false teachers and false teaching. But they are also to govern the church. This is a leadership role. God has placed these faithful men in the role governing the church. They are also to function as guides.
This is where Peter is focused. In this passage, Peter is focusing on the governing and guiding roles of elders.
Transition:
So let’s just walk through this passage. We see first that Peter is an elder, apostle, and Christian.
Peter Is an Elder, Apostle, and Christian.
Peter Is an Elder, Apostle, and Christian.
1 Peter 5:1 “1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:”
Explanation:
Peter opens by saying that he is a fellow elder. This is interesting. Peter begins his commands to the elders by identifying with them. He too is a leader in a church. He is a pastor and preacher of the gospel. He is not just giving these commands as an apostle, but as one elder to other elders.
He then does say that he is a witness of the sufferings of Christ. This is recalling Jesus’ words in Luke 24:46–48“46 ...“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.”
One of the qualifications of being an Apostle is that of being an eye witness of the suffering and resurrection of Jesus. Peter is one of these. He was a witness of Christ’s life and resurrection. He was anointed as an Apostle by Christ. As an Apostle, Peter is in a position over the elders. He is their authority. So he opens by saying that he is an elder as they are, but then also shows his credentials as an Apostle.
He then says that he is a partaker in the glory that will be revealed when Christ returns. This is the position all Christians hold. So as Peter closes his list of credentials, he says that he is a Christian sharing in the same benefits that all Christians share in.
So you see, Peter can speak to the elders from all sides. He is an authority. He has the divine right to issue commands from God as an apostle. He is an elder. He is also on the same level as the elders, able to speak from experience. And he is also a fellow Christian, able to address them from the position of the congregation. Peter really is one of twelve of the best people in history to address what elders are to do.
Transition:
So he issues commands. First he says shepherd the flock of God among you.
Shepherd the Flock of God Among You.
Shepherd the Flock of God Among You.
1 Peter 5:2 “2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you.
Explanation:
This is the primary role of pastors or elders. And typically we think of this as being the role of the pastor. And this is true. The pastor’s job is to shepherd the church. But this responsibility is carried by all the elders of the church. They are to shepherd the church. And we can see clearly that Peter is speaking from experience. After all, this was Jesus’ command to Peter in John 21 When Jesus restored Peter to ministry. Peter had denied Christ three times but now Christ asks him three times “do you love me.” Peter says each time that he does love Him. Then Jesus tells Peter to feed His sheep and tend them.
Pastors and elders are to feed and tend the flock. But what are pastors to feed the church? Are we to give our opinions or the opinions of man? No, we are to feed the church the Word of God. One commentator said this. “The greatest service your minister can do for you is to feed you, not with his opinion but with the Word of God.”
The greatest service a pastor can give is not to visit the sick and dying, although that does matter. It is not to be a community leader, although that is important. It is not to be a gifted administrator, although that is also helpful. No, the greatest thing a pastor can do is to feed the sheep the Word of God. That is the primary calling of a pastor or elder, to feed and guide the sheep in the Word of God.
And we must notice that this is because the sheep do not belong to the pastor. The flock belongs to God. All pastors and elders are under-shepherds of the Good Shepherd. Ramsey Reformed church does not belong to me. It belongs to God. I am tasked to shepherd you in the name of Christ. I am merely an under-shepherd for Christ. This means that I must feed you and guide you in obedience to Christ and according to the Word of God.
Transition:
But what does this look like? Well, in summary, Peter says that pastors or elders exercise oversight.
Exercise Oversight.
Exercise Oversight.
1 Peter 5:2–3“2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.”
Explanation.
Peter gives a list, but that list all falls under exercising oversight. What does this mean? It means that the role of pastor or elder is a leadership role. And in that role, the elders hold authority. As I said earlier, they are to guard, govern, and guide the church. Shepherding speaks to all three, but oversight speaks to governing. The elders are to be the ruling body in the church. But in this, there are specifics.
Elders are not to govern the church however they feel best. They are to obey the chief shepherd. And Peter gives the specifics.
Elders are to govern the church not under compulsion, but willingly.
Not Under Compulsion, but Willingly.
Not Under Compulsion, but Willingly.
No one should be forced into the role of elder. No one should be forced to do it. As Paul said in his letter to Timothy, it should be desired. A person should bear the burden of leadership with a willing heart. As a pastor I should not begrudge my role and it’s responsibilities. I should willingly make the sacrifice of leadership. If God has called me into it, I should willingly obey Him.
Peter continues saying elders should lead not for shameful gain, but eagerly.
Not for Shameful Gain, but Eagerly.
Not for Shameful Gain, but Eagerly.
This should not need to be said, but elders should not be lining their pockets with the offering. Now this is not to say that pastors don’t deserve to be paid. Scripture makes it clear that the one serving in ministry ought to be paid for it.
1 Timothy 5:17–18“17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.””
A pastor is worthy of his pay. But the pastor or elders ought not rob the church. There is a big difference between being able to comfortably feed your family and getting fat off the church. For too long the American church has gotten this wrong in one extreme or the other.
A pastor has no business being a celebrity who lives in a millionaires mansion because he is robbing from old women. We see this all the time from preachers on t.v. They claim that God will heal you if only you “sow a seed” into their ministry. But the only thing that happens is you fund their new private jet fund. This is wicked and the “preachers” who do such wicked things will find their reward in the fires of eternal damnation. But I also know many pastors struggling to even feed their families.
So what is the solution? Pastors should not seek shameful gain. They should serve eagerly for the joy of the work the Lord has set before them. And the church should support the pastor and his family. There should be eager service on the part of the pastor and eager support on the part of the church. Neither the pastor nor the church should be stingy toward one another. There should be love and a longing to support one another on both sides.
But Peter continues. Elders and pastors are to lead not domineering, but as examples.
Not Domineering, but as Examples.
Not Domineering, but as Examples.
The pastor is not a king. The church has one King, and that is Christ the Lord. The pastor should never domineer over the church. The pastor as the chief elder and the under elders are to shepherd the church. They are to lead the church. But they are to be kind and gracious. They are not to be dictators. Listen to the words of Matthew 20:25–28 “25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.””
The pastor has genuine authority in the church. But that authority is not to be abused. It is to be used to love and care for the sheep. The authority of the pastor is summarized in this; bring the sheep closer to Christ.
But the pastor and elders are to do this through their example. They are to lead lives of holiness, setting the example for the church. The church ought never to put their pastor on a pedestal, but they should be able to look up to their leaders. Remember 1 Timothy 4:12“12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
Recall also the words of Titus 2:7–8“7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”
As the pastor and elders lead the church from the Word of God, they are to live lives of holiness. This is why Paul is so strict with the qualifications for the position of pastor or elder. There is genuine authority in the role. Pastors and elders lead the church. I like to say the pulpit is the rudder of the ship. From the pulpit, the position of pastor, the ship is to be steered. The Word is the wind in the sails. The pastor and the other elders are to steer the ship well. We are to obey the King, and rule well.
And with this comes a great promise.
When Christ Returns, Faithful Elders Will Be Blessed.
When Christ Returns, Faithful Elders Will Be Blessed.
1 Peter 5:4 “4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
Explanation:
For faithful pastors there is this promise, you will be glorified when Christ returns. This is the motivation for me. I am to lead Ramsey Reformed well. I am called by God to be faithful. The elders of this church share this. They are commanded and called by God to be faithful. And if we run the course well, we will share in the glory of Christ.
But the opposite is true as well. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:25–27“25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
The sad reality is that many pastors are disqualified. They lack self control. They lack biblical discipline. They may tell others what is right but in their own lives they fall short. This scares me. I pray for faithfulness all the time. I know that I and all the other elders are sinners. We are sinful and struggle.
This is why repentance of sin is so central for me. We must all regularly repent. As a church we must do this. Repentance must be part of our very DNA. And this includes me. I must regularly go to the Lord, ask Him to search my heart, reveal my sin, and bring me to repentance. I am a sinner. I am far from perfect, just as we all are. But the mark of a faithful Christian is not perfection, but repentance. When we sin, we are to fall before God, confess it, and turn from it. The pastor must do this. The elders must do this. The congregation must do this. This is why we open each service with confession of sin as a church. We acknowledge our sin and the forgiveness found only in Christ.
Transition:
But Peter continues on in this theme. He has given commands for Elders. Now he gives commands for others in the church.
Commands for Others in the Church.
Commands for Others in the Church.
But the question may come as to why I combined these in one sermon? Why not break here? Well, these are really all connected. Peter is addressing the congregation. He has given commands for elders and now is speaking to the others in the church and it does relate to the elders.
Since elders are to govern and shepherd the church, then how else it the church to act? Well, Peter starts with the young.
The Young Are to be Subject to Elders.
The Young Are to be Subject to Elders.
1 Peter 5:5 “5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders.”
Explanation:
Now there is some confusion here as to what exactly Peter means. And it all comes down to Peter’s choice of words. That word “young” could mean children, young adults, or both. And when Peter says “elders” there, He could mean the leadership of the church or simply the older members. Or it could mean both.
We know that young people are to honor and reverence older people. Leviticus 19:32 says “32 “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.” Many young people are so arrogant in their interactions with those older than them. This is sinful. We are to honor those older than us.
We also know that we are to honor our parents. Exodus 20:12“12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Children are to obey their parents. But this command means more than just this. It also means we are to reverence those who have gone before us. We are to honor those who have gone before.
But personally, I believe Peter is using a play on words. The word “elder” is “presbyterous.” And this can mean one who is advanced in age or one who is in leadership. I think Peter used this word as a play on words. He is calling the church to obey the elders of the church. And he is playing on the double use of the term elder.
He is calling the young in the church to submit to the leaders in the church. Do not be headstrong. God has given the church leaders for a reason. And this fits almost perfectly with what the author of Hebrews says regarding church leadership. Hebrews 13:17“17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
And this should make it clear that this command is not just for children or youth, although they are the subject here. The church is to submit to the leadership of the church. Now this does not mean that the members have no say. No, obviously the congregation is to be highly involved. But they are to be easy to lead. And while Peter is speaking to the young, it is clearly a lesson for us all.
This is the key. Pastors are to lead well. Churches are to follow well. It is two sides of the same coin. Pastors are to be joyful to follow. Congregations are to be joyful to lead.
Transition:
Peter then closes with saying that all Christians are to interact with humility.
All Christians Are to Interact With Humility.
All Christians Are to Interact With Humility.
1 Peter 5:5 “...Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””
Explanation:
The Christian interaction should not be one marked by pride or arrogance. We are all sinners saved by grace. We are all unified in this. None of us earned salvation. We are all saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. This marks the Christian with humility.
As Paul says in Ephesians 2:9 Our salvation is “9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” I have no reason to boast over anyone else. As Saint Augustine famously said, “O Lord, everything good in me is due to you. The rest is my fault.” No one in the church has any reason to boast. This marks the Christian interaction as one of humility.
And Peter closes with a quote from Proverbs 3. He says that God opposes the proud. This is a sharp warning. We must avoid pride. The Christian must put to death any thought that we are better than anyone else outside of the grace of God. We are all sinners damned to Hell, but God. And here is the joy, God gives grace to humble. So humble yourselves before God and kill pride.
Conclusion:
This honestly is a passage that stretches me as a preacher. It is hard to preach where you as the preacher are the primary subject of the text. But this is what the elders and I are supposed to be. I am to take this to heart. The elders are to take this to heart. We are to shepherd this church well. And we are to be a joy to follow as you are to be a joy to lead.
Visualization:
Elders and pastors are to shepherd God’s sheep righteously. We are to obey Christ as our Lord as we guard, govern, and guide His sheep. And the church is be responsive to this and marked by humility.
Application:
The application of this text primarily lies on the shoulders of myself and the elders. We are to always be evaluating if we are leading this church in obedience to Christ.
And I know that I am still fairly fresh in the pastorate here at Ramsey, but this has been my goal and will always be my goal. And I know I can speak for the elders when I say, this is our goal. Our goal is to shepherd you as a church well. We long for this church to grow closer to Christ. We long to lead well.
And I have seen that commitment in the other elders. The decision to leave the RCA and join the ARC was a choice you made as a church, guided by the elders, in an attempt to remain faithful to Christ. You spend two years without a pastor, a chief elder. Yet you weathered that. And I commend you all on this. The elders making many difficult choices and the congregation aiding these men. This church has been through many changes. And changes are hard. But whatever changes come, we are committed as a church to remain faithful to Christ. And I would encourage you all to thank the elders. Be grateful God has given us leadership with this commitment to be faithful to the Word of God.
We as a church follow the Word of God. We are committed to Christ and His Word. This is who we are. May we continue to be a church marked by leaders who are committed to guide you in following the Word. And may we be marked as people who are humble before God.
Appeal:
That is my prayer. Humility and obedience in leadership and congregation. As changes come, may they be lead by and in submission to the Word.
Let’s pray.
Closing Prayer:
Offering:
Offertory Prayer:
Benediction:
Hebrews 13:20–21“20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”