1Peter 5:1-4
Not Just A Job
In this chapter, Peter was starting to wind things down. He had a
few final words for or about everyone. Like he did in chapters 2 and
3, he will divide them into groups.
\\#1\\ Peter speaks about himself.
\\#1-4\\ Peter speaks to the leaders.
\\#5\\ Peter speaks to the followers.
\\#5-10\\ Peter speaks to everyone.
Let’s see how far we can get tonight.
I. \\#1Peter 5:1\\ Peter spoke about himself.
A. Peter has not spoken much about himself in this letter.
B. \\#1Peter 1:1\\ About all he told us was that he was an
apostle.
C. Now, he will tell us three more things:
1. Peter was an elder.
a. Peter’s desire was to speak to the elders that would
read this letter, to challenge and instruct them.
b. He began by reminding them that he too was an elder.
c. His thought was to remind them that he knew something
of what an elder was to be.
d. What is an elder?
(1) Elder is an older person.
(a) The thought was that a person should gain
some wisdom the longer they live.
(b) We know that is not always the case.
(c) I have met some very wise young people and
some very foolish old people; but unless a
person is determined to waste his life, most
do gain some wisdom as they age.
(d) That is one of the reasons the Bible teaches
us to respect and honor older people.
(e) If nothing else, they have displayed enough
wisdom to live to the age they are and
should be respected for it.
(2) But an elder was also a leader.
(a) Moses’ father-in-law gave Moses the good
counsel to appoint others to help lead the
children of Israel back in the Old
Testament.
(b) \\#Num 11:16-17\\ Moses had the people
select 70 men with some age on them and a
testimony of righteousness.
i. God poured the Holy Ghost on that
seventy and they became the known as
the "elders" of Israel.
ii. God was pleased to allow that Jewish
title to come into the church.
iii. The world elders is used 19 times
in New Testament church settings
and while the way elders work in
the church may be different, the
concept is still the same.
iv. Those along with what Peter tells us in
this text makes it clear that elders
are church leaders.
(3) However, elders are not God-called leaders in
the church. They are man selected.
(a) The New Testament elders were selected by
the disciples.
Acts 14:23 And when they (Paul and Barnabas
\\#14\\) had ordained them elders in every
church, and had prayed with fasting, they
commended them to the Lord, on whom they
believed.
(b) Paul also told Timothy to seek out and to
ordain men to the office of elders.
Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete,
that thou shouldest set in order the things that
are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as
I had appointed thee:
(c) Why did Paul and Barnabas select and ordain
elders and not pastors? Because pastors
and bishops could only be called by God
while elders were to be selected and
trained by men.
i. That means that the office of elder is a
link in the chain of authority in the
church.
ii. Elders would be UNDER the authority of
the men who selected and trainned
them--not OVER them.
(4) The church does not hand a man a Bible and call
him pastor.
(a) Pastoring is a gift given by God.
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and
some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers;
(b) Thus the pastor is directly accountable to
the God who called Him.
(c) Elders, on the other hand, are responsible
to the men or the OFFICE of the men who
called them (i.e. Apostles, pastors, etc.).
(d) While every believer is commanded to study
and to share the Word of God, God calls
some to pastor the flock.
(e) Those that God calls, God gifts.
(f) If a man is called by God to pastor, God
gives to him some gifts or abilities.
(g) Such as:
i. A better ability to understand the
Scriptures
ii. A better ability to explain the
Scriptures
iii. A love for the Scriptures
iv. Some leadership skills
v. Some caring skills
vi. Some holy and spiritual desires
(h) Elders would be selected not because of
their gifts but because of their nature
(godly) and their devotion to God.
i. A love for God
ii. Basic wisdom
iii. Teachable
iv. Some basic Bible instruction
v. And about a thousand other qualities,
but they are not God called.
vi. But they are all MAN selected.
(5) In the New Testament church, the elders were not
THE authority but they were the pool from which
the other authorities were drawn.
(a) Pastor or bishops would be elders.
(b) Deacons would be elders.
(c) Evangelists would be elders.
(d) And some men who were never called by God
to fulfill those offices would have
remained elders.
e. Someone might ask, "Who are our elders at GPBC?"
(1) I believe we have a similar group of men
functioning in this position in our church,
although we do not call them elders.
(2) Each month, all of the men who are members of
the church, both young and old, are encouraged
to attend the Men’s Meeting.
(3) The purpose of that meeting is to give counsel
and to help steer the church.
(4) Together, we attempt to discern God’s will and
bring actions to the church to approve.
(5) When the time comes that the church needs another
pastor, that group of men or a portion of that
group will continue to direct the church until
a new pastor is selected; at which time, I pray
they will support his leadership as they have
supported mine.
2. Peter was "a witness of the sufferings of Christ."
a. This is one thing that very few would be able to say.
b. Peter was there for the entire ministry of Jesus and
even through much of the Jewish trial.
c. He was a witness of Christ’s sufferings.
3. Peter will be "a partaker of the glory that shall be
revealed."
a. That Peter was an elder was a fact.
b. That Peter was a witness to the sufferings of Christ
was history.
c. That Peter was to be a partaker of the glory that
shall be revealed was faith.
(1) Peter had learned to deal with the baggage of his
sinful past and looked forward the glory that
lay ahead.
(2) We cannot undo our pasts but we can bath it in
the blood of Jesus Christ and focus on the glory
that God promised to the vile wretches of sin
that do so.
II. Peter spoke to the leaders, the elders \\#1Peter 5:1-4\\
A. It is interesting that Peter did not direct any of his
comments to the pastors or bishops of that region.
1. I take that to mean that Peter wanted to talk to all the
leaders in that region.
2. Remember, all elders were not pastors but all pastors
were elders.
3. Paul had ordained elders in every city \\#Acts 14:23\\ but
not pastors.
a. Why?
b. By using the term elders, Peter was addressing all of
the leaders the church had.
(1) Just be clear, while every elder might not be a
pastor, every pastor would be an elder.
(2) Every pastors would at least have the moral
qualifications and the basic Bible knowledge of
an elder.
(3) So every pastor would be an elder.
B. In that time of persecution, Peter was encouraging the elders
to do what they had been trained to do.
1. \\#2\\ Feed the flock
a. An elder may or may not have the gifts of pastoring;
but whatever he knew, he was to share it with the
flock.
b. The flock needed encouragement, instruction, and even
rebuke and these men were to give it.
2. "taking the oversight"
a. The elders were to lead. That is what their primary
service was.
b. Some do not think that there is to be authority in the
church. They are wrong.
(1) The one time in human history when God did not
appoint authority, he had to destroy the whole
world with a flood.
(2) Since then, God has given laws and laws require
authority to be carried out.
c. A church is no different. It has to have men who are
willing to lead.
d. There are some prerequisites to leading a church.
(1) You have to go where God wants to go.
(2) You have to know where God wants to go.
(3) You have to know how God wants you to get there.
(a) For Christians, it is not just a matter of
where God wants us to end up.
(b) It is also a matter of how God wants us to
get there.
(c) All Christians are to travel the "glory
road." If God doesn’t get the glory from
it, we won’t go that way.
e. Sadly, many in the church think they know these
things, but they don’t. That is why elders are a
group. In a group, the more spiritual and wise
elders should rise to the top.
3. Guided by the Lord.
1Peter 5:2 …not by constraint, but willingly;
not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
a. This responsibility should not have to be forced on
Christian men. Neither should they have to be paid.
b. Christian men should see the need of their Savior and
His church.
(1) If you cannot, something is either wrong with
your eyes or your church.
(2) I am the pastor of the Green Pond Baptist Church
and because of my time and labor here, I have
earned some respect from you, of which I am
very grateful. But do not think that I run this
church. I am but one influence in this work,
and it is the duty of every Christian to see
the importance—the necessity—of a Bible-
preaching church and to stand united to make
the Green Pond Baptist Church strong, healthy,
and holy.
c. Elders, grab the reigns and guide this church to be
more like Christ.
4. \\#4\\ But not as dictators.
1Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over God’s
heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
a. From the very beginning, Jesus taught His followers
that God’s leaders were not to be dictators but
examples.
b. The longer I am saved, the more I see God want’s us
to choose the path we walk, not be forced or shamed
down it.
We will stop with noticing the reward that God promises to the
elders who serve well:
1Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall
appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that
fadeth not away.
Peter did not write just to pastors but to the elders so this reward
is not just to the pastors, but to all the men who will stand up to
lead God’s church as it ought to be lead. I don’t know about you,
but I believe I’d like to have one of those.
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