What is an Elder? Is he different from a pastor? What is he supposed to do as he serves the church? These are all very important questions that Peter gives answers to in this passage.
Teaching Notes:
Shepherds of God’s Flock
1 Peter 5:1-4
Intro: Peter now is beginning to draw his letter to a close. He has all along been encouraging the persecuted believers to hold onto Christ and glorify God in the midst of their sufferings. But Peter knows that persecuted and afflicted believers need strong, godly, compassionate leaders to watch over their souls. So now, Peter directs the focus of his exhortation, not to the church at large, but to those whom God has called out to be its Shepherds. That’s why he begins with the word “Therefore.” Because of the persecution that is raging, because the sheep are suffering and need guidance, this is what the elders must do. They must show them by example how to live during these trying times. They must be the first ones willing to lay down their lives. They must watch over all the rest so that none defect and give up their faith.
When Peter writes about Elders, he gives us the Biblical qualifications. When Peter writes about them, He gives us the Biblical Roles and Duties. These verses are all about an exhortation. An exhortation is a message intended to urge someone to a course of action. It is a strong encouragement. Very simply, we are going to look at the One Exhorting, the Ones Exhorted, and the Exhortation.
1. The One Exhorting:
- Fellow Elder: How differently Peter refers to himself than how we have referred to him! I love his humility. He doesn’t refer to himself as the Prince of Apostles, or the Vicar of Christ on earth, or the Supreme Pontiff, or Your Holiness, or the Pope. He’s just a fellow elder. He understands and relates to these men. Peter knew the difficulties and responsibilities of being an Elder. He doesn’t command them, but instead exhorts them. He came alongside them as a brother to brothers. He doesn’t speak down to them as a superior to an inferior. He’s a great model for leaders in the church.
- He’s Both An Apostle and an Elder: An apostle was basically a church planter. Peter was local enough to be both. Paul could never have done that, because he was itinerant and temporary in any location. Peter, however, seemed to live in Jerusalem for years, and take periodic trips to outlying areas (Lydda, Joppa, Cesarea) to do the work of an apostle. Thus, a person could conceivably be a church planter and an elder today.
- Witness Of The Sufferings Of Christ: Peter was there in Gethsemane when Jesus’ soul was troubled to the point of death, and his sweat became like great drops of blood. He saw Him arrested by the officers, and probably was looking on at His crucifixion. Why does Peter mention this? Because He saw that Christ was faithful unto death. Afterwards God received Him to glory. That is a great incentive for these suffering believers to be faithful unto death as well.
- A Partaker Of The Glory That Is To Be Revealed: Just like Jesus, Peter would enjoy the glory of God if he is faithful unto death. But the Elders would too! Vs.4 – “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” In your sufferings, fix your mind on glory! 1:13.
2. The Ones Exhorted:
- Elders Among You: In the early church, there were Elders that were recognized by the rest of the body. The Church knew who the elders were. They had specific responsibilities (shepherd, exercise oversight), and specific people allotted to their charge. We might reason, “Why give anyone a title? It might tend to puff them up with pride?” But the apostles didn’t think that way. They appointed elders in every church (Acts 14:23). Also notice that it is in the Plural – Elders. We never read of the Elder or Pastor of a church in the NT. There are always a team of elders, overseers, or pastors working together to shepherd the flock. God never intended that a Church would be pastured by one man. There is balance, and strength in a team of men who must learn to humble themselves and defer to one another.
- Pastors and Overseers: These Elders were told to shepherd and exercise oversight. A shepherd is a pastor. One who exercises oversight is an overseer. This tells us that these 3 positions are held by the same person: Pastor, Elder, Overseer. The title of Elder identifies him as a spiritual mature man. The title of Overseer identifies what he does. The title of Pastor identifies how he does it – with a shepherd’s heart.
3. The Exhortation:
A. Shepherd the Flock: What is the responsibility of a shepherd to his sheep? He must feed, guide, and protect them. That’s what it means to pastor a church. He is responsible to feed, guide, and protect them. The shepherd to lead his flock from pasture to pasture so that they would be adequately fed. He would go before the flock and search out land so that there would be nothing to harm the flock. He would check for snakes, pits, poisonous plants and predators. He would seek out wayward sheep and give them personal attention. At the end of the day he would examine each sheep for bruises and apply healing oil. He knew each sheep by name and understood the special traits of each one. Pastors must know the sheep, protect the sheep, guide the sheep, and feed the sheep. How? Primarily by teaching them the Word of God, and by living among them an exemplary life. Pastors must protect the flock from false doctrine, heresy, and cults. They must feed them by giving them a steady diet of God’s Word and encouraging them to learn to feed themselves from God’s Word. They must guide them by showing them God’s will for their lives.
- Flock of God: Notice that he doesn’t say, “Shepherd your flock.” This is not any person’s flock. It is God’s! Why is this God’s flock? Because He purchased it with His own blood (Acts 20:28).
- Among You: Notice that the Elders are among the people. They do not live in an ivory tower somewhere, and make occasional trips to be with the Church, and then retreat again. They live out their lives among the flock. They are a sheep too! These are not religious lecturers who weekly pass along information about the Bible.
B. Exercising Oversight: This is how an Elder shepherds. He oversees. “Oversight” is watching over others. They are looking out for wounded and straying sheep. Also, they must make sure that the whole flock is moving in the right direction. Thus, they must set direction and vision for the Church, which they must receive from God through His Word.
- Not Under Compulsion: They are not to be coerced into this against their will. They must want to do this. 1Tim.3:1 says, “If any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.” “According to the will of God” is literally “according to God.” The elders are to exercise oversight as God does. God doesn’t care for and watch over us because He has to. He delights to do this. The motivation must come from within, not from without. If this is not true, shepherding will be an unpleasant task and a burden. You will do it negligently and grudgingly. It is a great mistake to appoint someone as an Elder, just because you need one, rather than because God has put a great desire in his heart to shepherd.
- Not for Sordid Gain: Compare Titus 1:7 and 1 Timothy 3:3. Peter is simply saying that Elders should not use their position in order to receive any kind of personal gain, whether that is money or more business contacts. Elders would have oversight over pooled monies and might be tempted to take some for themselves. An Elder must not be in it for money!
- Nor Yet As Lording It Over Those Allotted To Your Charge: Allotted to your charge implies that God has put certain people under the Elder’s care and he is responsible to watch over them (1Thess.5:12). Instead of lording it over, he leads by his own example. Instead of telling others what they must do, he shows them what to do. He witnesses to the lost, serves the saints, brings a word for the church at the meetings, shows hospitality, cultivates his own devotional life, loves his wife, conducts himself in his business dealings with integrity, brings up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord – all the while showing by his example how a Christian is to live. He doesn’t stand back and bark orders. He exhorts the Church to action, but goes before and seeks to model what he is exhorting. How would someone lord it over someone else? Perhaps by manipulating them through twisting Scripture, setting up laws and rules for them not found in the Word, or getting them to do what they don’t believe God wants them to do. Basically they are bossing others around rather than loving them and leading them through their own example.
Application: Our Church has been meeting regularly for about 16 months. We have never identified any Elders up to this point, but we should probably begin considering doing that. Tonight we have learned what their Biblical role is to be (shepherding, overseeing, leading). Before we can appoint Elders, we need to examine 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 to see if anyone in our Church meets the Biblical qualifications. We’ll save that for another time. But know this – if you are a faithful Elder, you have a great hope to look forward to – the unfading crown of glory when the Chief Shepherd appears (1 Peter 5:4)!
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