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Series: Called to Commit “The Church and Its Ministers” 1 Peter 5:1-5 Today we continue in the second week of our sermon series “Called to Commit.” Throughout this series we are looking at the importance of the church and our commitment to it. Last week I asked you to consider two questions: 1) Are you committed to Christ? 2) Are you committed to His church? Many have a difficult time defining or describing a church. Some identify a church by their location or meeting place. Others identify a church by their noted behavior or works in a community. Some identify a church by their specific beliefs or creeds. There are many ways that a person may define or describe a church, but according to Scripture, a “church” is simply “an assembly of called out ones.” In other words, the church is not a building, but a body of people who have been called out from darkness into light, out of sin into salvation. The church is made up of all those who have believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. There are, however, two components of this church. First, there is the Larger Church. Some call this is the universal church because it is comprised of every person from every generation from every nation who have believed in Jesus Christ for salvation. As a believer, at salvation you became a part of the Larger Church simply through faith in Christ. The Larger Church is not visible to us. Yes, we can meet members of this Larger Church as we meet believers here and there, but we can’t see them all because we can’t be in all places at all times. Additionally, many of these believers have already died and are in heaven with the Lord. The second component is a local church. The local church is described as a local body of believers that covenant together in mission, discipleship, and fellowship. The local church can be clearly seen and identified through our mutual commitment to the Lord and to one another. There are many who don’t understand the importance of both components. In fact, some even argue that they see no point in committing to a local church because they are already a part of the Larger Church. However, many of the commands, instructions, and exhortations that God gives to believers have a direct correlation to the local church. HB Charles, Jr. said it well, “You are not on a biblical path to spiritual growth if you are not a participating member of a local church.” Unfortunately for many, we have allowed our cultural trends to even affect the way that we view the church. Our culture has become so self-focused that it is easy to live our lives only doing the things that we prefer or want to do. Burger King introduced the motto years ago, “Have it your way.” The slogan was catchy and effective and became a catalyst for us having our way in just about everything. When Netflix began years ago, you would make some selections in a catalogue and you would wait a few days to receive your movie, but you didn’t know which of your selections would actually arrive. My how things have changed. Today, you can go the menu on your tv or your computer and instantly select from thousands of options. Whatever you want, you can get it. We go to Amazon to select items for purchase. We not only find what we are looking for, but we see it in a 100 models, colors, and accessories. In other words, they are communicating, “You can have what you want.” I told you at Christmas time about a music app I installed on my phone. I was amazed at how I could literally pick any song from any artist and set up my own 2 playlist, my own exact order, etc. It was how I wanted it to be. While that is great for a music app or a television service, sadly, for many Christians, we have begun to approach the church in the same way. We look at the church as if it exists for our pleasure, our preferences, and our wants. However, I believe we see from God’s Word that the church exists for the glory of One and only One – the Lord Jesus Christ. We are His Church. So, how should we respond to His church? How should we respond to the local church? I believe we should respond in the same way that He did. He committed Himself and gave Himself completely up for her. Through this series and through His Word I believe that God is calling us to do the same. Show Text You may be wondering this morning why we are studying this topic. Perhaps you aren’t called to be a pastor, perhaps it is of little interest to you today, or perhaps you just don’t see the importance. However, I think it is vitally important to understand that Christ’s commitment to the church wasn’t a stand-alone action. His example was calling us to do the same, and we see that first in the calling of the ministers who serve the local church. God has a plan for the church which begins with Christ as the head, but next God points us to the role of the pastors. This is important for the purpose of accountability. As pastors we need to be reminded of our calling and we must regularly examine our lives to make sure that we aren’t disqualified from the task. This is also important so that we have Biblical expectations. As a pastor of 17 years, I have seen people leave a church over some interesting things. The pastor(s) are the most common target for such actions: “He preaches too long, he didn’t visit me in the hospital, he didn’t approve of my new relationship, he didn’t take my call while he was on vacation, he wasn’t practical enough, he was too deep, he wasn’t vulnerable enough, he’s too polished in his speaking, he didn’t write a note on my birthday, he didn’t comment on my Facebook post, etc.” Of course, you can imagine that there were deeper heart issues in each case, but there is a significant problem with each of these things. Nowhere in Scripture does it say that a pastor is called by God to do any of these things. In each case, people had an expectation based upon their own unbiblical understanding or their own selfish desires. Finally, this is important because we need a Biblical understanding of the role of a pastor. This will help each of us to know our part in the body and encourage us to walk in love and unity together. It is also helpful because God will call some of you away. How do you know what to look for in a church or a pastor when you move to your new place? Should you go with your gut or with what the Bible says? What does God say is important in a pastor? From our text I want us to see five main truths about the pastor: I. The Calling of a Pastor (vs. 1-2a) It is important for us to understand Who a minister gets his calling from and what he is called. It is common for a church to look at its pastor as if they are the ones who called him to serve. There are also times that someone grows up within a ministry and feels led to serve the Lord as a pastor. That person is ministered to, mentored, and perhaps even ordained. It is easy for a church, and at times even a leader, to feel that they have called an individual into ministry. However, this is a great disservice to the Lord. It is only God who calls out His servants to become a minister of the Gospel. A minister may be influenced and impacted by the faithful ministry of a leader, he may be affirmed and appointed by the congregation, but his calling is from God and God alone. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 says it simply, “ For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not 3 many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.” In other words, a man’s calling is from God and it isn’t based upon our ability or knowledge, but simply only the will of God. We must understand that it is God who calls a man to serve as a pastor, but we must also understand what He calls him. God gives him a specific term, “elder.” The word implies a sense of spiritual maturity. The word “elder” is also synonymous with other key words such as “bishop” and “overseer”. In fact, the words are used interchangeably to describe the same role or office within a local church. In each case, the term is used in reference to one who leads. It is God who calls a minister for the purpose of leading within the local church. So, what does this mean and what does this look like?

A. His Position Yes, the calling of a pastor is one of leadership, but the image and illustration that God gives us is very different than what most think of when they think of leadership. Most think of a boss, an authoritarian, maybe even a dictator, someone who calls the shots. That is not at all what God has in mind. God’s plan for the leader within the church is that he is to be a shepherd. In fact, we get the name “pastor” from the Latin word for “shepherd.” The first recipients of Peter’s letter were well acquainted with sheep and with flocks. They understood clearly what Peter meant with this illustration, but we miss much of this in our culture today. There is much that we can learn from this image. I grew up having sheep and still to this day in the little field out behind our house, we have a few sheep. Being a shepherd is a constant work. Being a shepherd means being a leader. Sheep are natural followers. I can literally walk into our field and call for our sheep. Once I enter the pin, they will literally follow me everywhere I go. As a shepherd, I must be careful how I lead them. There is something important, though, that must be noted. You can never lead sheep by force or by quick action. In fact, if you step sternly towards them, they will back up and resist. At times, they will even stiffen their neck and refuse to follow. If you keep moving by force, the ram will get ready for a fight. Also, you can’t move too fast. When you do, you scare them. They end up scattering and running all over the place. If you want to lead a sheep, you humble yourself, speak gently, you get low, you feed them, and you lead them calmly. **ILL: When I was in middle school, I remember once getting a cantankerous ram. The farmer we bought him from said, “You will never tame him.” My dad didn’t argue, because he knew he had a plan. When he arrived, my dad told me exactly what to do. He told me to only give him food from my hand. He snorted and refused. I separated all of the other sheep and took a bucket of feed over and fed all the sheep. Every day, I went out. I would get down low below his face. I would speak in a soft tone, and I would offer food from my hand. This went on for over a week. He would get closer and closer and then at the last minute turn away, until one day he finally came to my hand and literally ate out of my hand. I continued daily going to him to offer feed by my hand. In time, he developed such a bond to me that he would literally follow me all over the field. When I was working, he wouldn’t even leave me to go eat grass. In a similar manner a shepherd is 4

to provide patient, persevering, gentle leadership, not moving by force but by gently leading the sheep forward. We will see many other applications of this in a moment but for now simply understand that the role of a pastor is to be a shepherd. In that illustration my father was the chief shepherd. He bought the ram and gave me the instruction. I simply obeyed what he said and followed his instructions. In the same way, the pastor today is simply an “under-shepherd” serving under the calling and the authority of the Chief Shepherd – Jesus Himself. He is the One who bought the sheep, brought him into His flock, and nourishes him. However, the pastor is called to be the Chief Shepherd’s hands and feet in the way the sheep are led and fed. B. His Placement To those who argue that commitment to a local church is not important, I encourage you to pay close attention to these two simple but powerful words in verse 2. If God’s calling to commit was simply in reference to the Larger Church, God would have simply said, “Pastors, shepherd My flock.” This would have been clear enough. He would have been saying, “Take care of My people whom I have saved and made a part of My family.” However, I am thankful that isn’t what He said. Why? Because such a task would have been impossible. How can anyone, apart from Christ, minister to every believer from every nation at any given moment? Sure, there are some ministers who have national audiences and far reaching influence, but none can or does minister to the entire larger flock of God. It is impossible. Can you imagine the burden and responsibility that would be for every pastor-shepherd to give an account for how he ministered to people that he never even met or knew? God gave clarity and restrictions to whom the pastor is responsible for shepherding. He said, “Shepherd the flock of God among you.” In other words, the pastor is responsible for those who have been placed in his care. It is describing those believers who have been uniquely identified through calling and commitment to be a part of the local household of God where the shepherd serves. Here lies one of the major causes of the conflict with wrong expectations and understandings, that many believe the pastor is responsible for those who have never truly committed and identified with a particular flock. The calling of a shepherd is to feed and care for the flock where God has placed him and called him to serve. II. The Conviction of a Pastor (vs. 2b) As you can imagine, a pastor should have many convictions. There are some things that he must never waver on. Here we see what his conviction must be concerning the calling and the role. A. His Responsibility The responsibility is quite clear. The shepherd is to “exercise oversight.” An overseer is “one who looks over something or someone(s)”. The idea here is that he is to be a “manager” of who and what God entrusts to his care. This is the exact application that God gives when listing the requirements of a pastor in 1 Timothy 3:4-5. He said, “He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take 5 care of the church of God?).” Do you see the application? The action of a manager is to “take care of” what has been entrusted to you. God’s requirement is that a pastor must be able to manage his own household well or else he will not be able to manage the church well. The picture is one of oversight. This is clearly the responsibility of every pastor. Again, we see this illustrated in the image of a shepherd. If a shepherd is doing his job well, there is much to oversee. He must keep watch over the fields to make sure that there is plenty to eat. He must pay attention to their water source, making sure it isn’t too hot or too cold. He must look over their environment, making sure that the soil isn’t too wet and likely to harbor disease. He must pay close attention to the sheep, watching for any sign of foot-rot, any cast sheep missing from the group, any sign of disease that can quickly spread throughout the flock, or anything that might lead the sheep to oppose each other. Then, he must continually check the perimeters, taking note of any predators and identifying ways in which they might attack, seeking for ways to guard the flock from harm. Just as children need the oversight of a parent and sheep need the oversight of a shepherd, so, too, does the church need the oversight of a Godly, caring pastor. Warren Wiersbe summarized it well, “It is not an easy thing to be a faithful shepherd of God’s sheep! It is a task that never ends and that demands the supernatural power of God if it is to be done correctly.” The shepherd has a unique relationship and responsibility in the body, which is often difficult to understand and put in its proper place. In fact, it can create many problems if there isn’t a healthy perspective. The pastor is both “among” the sheep and “over” the sheep at the same time. The pastor is “among” the sheep in the sense that he, too, is a sheep. He, too, believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and was made a part of the flock of God. Because he is “among” the sheep, he needs the same grace and mercies of God. He, too, lives in a fallen world. He, too, has his own areas of weakness. He, too, needs the nurture and care of the Chief Shepherd. He is just like everyone else in the church – putting his pants on one leg at a time. Some may try to put him on a pedestal and make him a hero, but he is among the sheep and not worthy of such a place of exaltation. That place should only be reserved for Christ. So, being among the sheep, the pastor does life with the sheep. He cares for them, rubs shoulders with them, aims to know them, etc. This is vital to the health of the church. However, at the same time, God has called the pastor to be “over” them. This doesn’t mean that the pastor has all power and authority, but simply that he has a calling from God to oversee and manage the flock. He is to be “over” the sheep so that he might serve them, take care of them, protect them, at times warn and rebuke them, but always point them to the Chief Shepherd. Without recognizing his calling to “oversee” them, the church will dismiss his authority, deny God’s plan, and eventually lean upon their own wisdom and understanding. Today, there are many churches literally at dead- ends because of this very fact. To dismiss the oversight of the pastor-shepherd is to reject God’s design for the church. That pastor must be both “among” and “over” at the same time. Is this easy? No! Is it uncomfortable at times? Yes! But is this the calling? Absolutely! B. His Ruler 6

How does a shepherd fulfill this responsibility? How does he serve when it is difficult to do so? How does he keep serving when the sheep can at times be stubborn and not want to follow? How does he keep the oversight when the enemy is so persistent in his attacks? How does he keep on going when he is tired and weary? How does he keep serving when the sheep keep straying and going their own way? He does so by recognizing and remembering WHO he is really serving. The shepherd is to serve “according to the will of God.” In other words, the ministry isn’t to be viewed as a job that must be performed, but rather an opportunity that we get to partake in. We shouldn’t view the ministry as a burden, “Well, I guess I have to do this.” We should look at God’s will and with an eagerness set out to do what God has called us to do. **ILL: Here at Crosslink we have several among us who are modeling this well. We have three men in our church family who have served as evangelists and pastors. Today, that isn’t their specific role in ministry, but they are still faithfully serving the Lord. Why? Because they understand God’s heart for the local church, and they are committed to doing His will. To them, it was not about the title, the position, or the job. It was about the Lord, and today their lives are still modeling that for us to see. I take my calling seriously as a pastor, but please understand that I was serving the Lord long before I became a pastor, and should the day come that I am no longer a pastor, I will continue serving the Lord. Why? Because it is not a burden. It is a blessing to join the Lord and fulfill His will of serving Him in the church. When the pastor serves according to the will of God he is not swayed by the loudest voice, the greatest pressure, the disgruntled member, the biggest giver, the cultural trend, the popular movement, or whatever else we can come up with. The pastor who serves according to the will of God has his focus on both the Chief Shepherd and the sheep so that he might effectively lead the sheep in the way that the Chief Shepherd would have them to go. III. The Character of a Pastor (vs. 2c-3) This may sound appealing to some. Somebody might hear this and say, “Well, I want to be a leader.” I told you last week that in my recreational soccer teams, the kids usually argue over who gets to be the leader. You may struggle with some of that today. However, God has a word of warning and word of instruction. He says that those who minister are not to do so for “sordid gain.” Another translation would be “for filthy money.” Please understand that God is not saying that you shouldn’t take care of your pastors. In fact, 1 Timothy 5:17 says, “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,’ and ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’ ” You should take care of your pastors, and I am thankful at Crosslink that we do just that. In 1 Peter 5, God is saying that we aren’t to serve for our selfish motives. We aren’t to minister and lead because of what we can get out of it. It’s not about what we get, but what we can offer in service to the Lord. Sadly, there have been many ministers whose ministry became about their name and their fame. They became glory hogs, wanting to get the glory for any good that was done. They wanted to be seen, praised, applauded, etc. If you feel led to ministry for your own sake, for your name, for your platform, I beg you for the Lord’s sake and for your own, stop now. If the ministry that you are 7 pursuing isn’t for the Lord and for His glory you will do much more harm than good, and it will eventually come crashing down anyway. If what we are doing is truly for the Lord, there will be an eagerness about our service. The word used for “eagerness” here is the same word that Paul used in Romans 1:15 saying, “So, for my part, I am eager to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome.” Paul was willing to do whatever it took to get the Gospel to Rome, even if that meant going as a prisoner. Why? Because he was eager to give his all to and for the Lord. It wasn’t about him, but about Jesus. This should always be true in the life of a pastor. Yes, we are to be “over” the sheep, but the goal is not our position or authority, but rather our example. Notice verse 3, we are over, but we not to be “lording over.” This is the exact expression that Jesus used in Luke 22:25b-26. The disciples were debating about who was regarded as the greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.” His point was clear, a leader is called to set the example through humble service. The character and the example of a pastor is clearly outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. In summary though, the character and example of the pastor should be such that he can say the same as the Apostle Paul, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1. IV. The Commitment of a Pastor A pastor of local church has three primary responsibilities in taking care of the sheep. We see each of them implied in the image of a shepherd. They are simple, yet their impact is profound. A. Feed the Flock Matthew 4:4b, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ” The key to good health in the church is always seen by our appetite for and application of the Word of God. B. Lead the Flock 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” Where do we find our direction? How do we know which way to go? The way the pastor leads the flock is by the Word of God. C. Guard the Flock Acts 20:28-31a, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert.” Again, how do we destroy false doctrine, overcome division, reject our sinful temptations? We are protected and made victorious through the Word of God. Crosslink, I surrendered my life to the Lord many years ago in October 1996. I committed to Him then that I would serve Him all the days of my life. He is the One who called me and one day I 8 will give an account to Him of how I did that. But, Crosslink, I want you to know as your pastor that as of February 2, 2016, I knew that God was calling me to serve this local church. From the very first day I was here, my commitment to you until the day that God calls me home or calls me away, is that by God’s grace, with His help, and for His glory alone, is to feed, lead, and guard the church through the ministry of His Word. I am not perfect and I will not be, and we may at times disagree on secondary things, but by God’s grace I will do all that I can to exalt Jesus and to serve you well by pointing you to Him. V. The Care for a Pastor I will not spend much time here, but I don’t think I can close this passage without calling you to action. The Bible gives much instruction to the pastor concerning the church, but God also gives much instruction to the church concerning the pastor. There are four main actions to highlight. You can look up the verses and read them this week. What should your response be to the pastors who shepherd you? A. Regard Them (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)

B. Pray for Them (Ephesians 6:18-20)

C. Submit to Them (Hebrews 13:17)

D. Support Them in the Work (Ephesians 4:11-16)

I close today with the same questions I asked last week, “Are you committed to Christ? Are you committed to His church?” There may be some of you today who sense deeply that God is calling you to serve as a pastor, a missionary, a leader in the church. If so, don’t doubt it and don’t resist it. Just say, “Yes.” There may be others of you who today sense that God is calling you to grow in one of these four steps of “Care” that I have just mentioned. Others of you may feel lost and can’t identify with this message at all. Perhaps you came here looking for help, for good news, because you are struggling. There are things in your life that are chaotic, and you know deep down there are things in your life that aren’t pleasing to God. If that describes you, I want you to know that Jesus can satisfy your soul today. He can save you, forgive you, change you, and make you a part of His family today. Just like a shepherd gently and graciously takes care of his sheep, Jesus can take care of you, as long as you are willing to come to Him and trust Him. I invite you to do so today!