“He Shall Feed His Flock” 1 Peter 5:1-5

If you’re tracking with me in the current series titled “Authority” you know that we have linked the authority of Jesus and the authority of the Bible. In previous messages we have said that Jesus identifies and validates the authority of the Old Testament. He anticipates and authorizes the authority of the New Testament. We accept the authority of the Bible, God’s written word, on the basis of Jesus Christ’s authority. Jesus honors the final authority of God’s book so we do the same.

Last week, Easter Lord’s Day, we pointed to Jesus resurrection from the dead as the validation for his authority. His endless life is all the evidence we need to believe and bow down before his authority. We witnessed Him exercising that authority as He commands his church to make followers of Him among all the ethnic groups of the world. We underscored His promise that He would be with his church to the very end of this present age.

We traced the validity of this promise to Christ’s authority to send the Holy Spirit to remain with His people on earth in the church. We noted that the church has received the authoritative message of the gospel. Because of Christ’s universal authority, the gospel has universal application. It has power wherever it is proclaimed.

It would seem that with this strong authority foundation, the church would not need any other authorities. It would seem that Jesus would not need to provide leaders with authority in the church, but He does.

Today is May 1 and the beginning of a new fiscal year for Grace Baptist Church. We have new officers who start a new term. We will introduce them at the annual meeting. This morning I would like to focus on the leaders of our church called elders. They begin a new year as well. Allen Featherstone, Mark Taussig, Jerry Humes, Dave Huebner, Kurt Moldrup, Garland Lewis, and Larry Satzler will continue in this ministry. I also serve as an elder. This year two new elders begin their terms: Greg Bailey and Mike Christian. I invite any of these serving elders to stand. Thank you.

My message this morning seeks to help you as the people of Christ’s church understand the authority of an elder within a local congregation. Christ himself provides these leaders for your blessing. Understanding what they do and how to respond to them will increase that blessing. Turn in the New Testament to 1 Peter 5. As you find this chapter I want to convey a disclaimer. Some may conclude that what I am teaching this morning runs contrary to the constitution of this church. I make two responses.

First, I do not think this is necessarily the case. I do not see contradictions between the Bible and our documents. I do not dispute that there are ways in which our practice falls short of both the Bible and our documents. As we understand God’s Word better we will grow stronger in our obedience.

Second, if our documents do conflict with what I teach today, note that my intent is to teach what the Bible says. All corrections should appeal directly to Scripture. Our documents have to submit to the Bible’s authority.

Let me read 1 Peter 5:1-5 and then make three simple statements that I hope will help understand an elder’s authority.

1 Peter 5:1-5 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.”

The most appropriate way of introducing the subject of elders from this passage is to note the human author who wrote these words. This is Peter. Peter lived with Jesus as an apostle. As he mentions here, he witnessed all the ways Jesus suffered, not only on the cross but throughout his earthly pilgrimage.

Peter saw Jesus in his heavenly glory in an experience we call the transfiguration. This is likely what he refers to in verse 1 when he speaks of partaking in Jesus glory that is still to be revealed. Peter was commissioned by Jesus to help write the New Testament. Peter interacted with Jesus after his resurrection on several occasions.

On one of those occasions, Jesus told Peter three different times with slightly different wording, “Feed my sheep.” Jesus was preparing Peter to be a leader in the church. He would exercise authority among Christ’s people. Peter writes to leaders in local churches. These are real churches in real places with real people, some of whom are leaders called elders. These churches have sprouted over a large area defined by Peter in the greeting of the epistle. 1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

The circles on the map identify these Roman provinces. The area encompasses much of what today is Turkey.

What strikes me in chapter 5 is that Peter calls himself a fellow elder. He begins the book affirming his apostleship. That gives him unique authority as a writer of Scripture.

But when he describes leadership in the church, he identifies himself as just one among the elders. He’s writing to specifically to leaders like our elders here at Grace.

The first of three statements I highlight is:

1. Elders are Pastors The command that Peter gives the leaders in local churches appears at the very opening of verse 2, “Shepherd the flock of God.” The word pastor refers literally to someone who cares for sheep or acts as a shepherd. This is the same instruction that Paul gave to the elders at Ephesus when he visited them as recorded in Acts 20.

Acts 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for [shepherd, pastor] the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

It may surprise you that the title pastor, referring to an office in the church, appears only once in the New Testament (Ephesians 4:11). Here Paul is describing the kinds of people that God has given to the church for its blessing.

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds [or pastors] and teachers,

The alternate translation in the English Standard Version for “shepherds” is pastors. This is a noun but it comes from the same word group as the command “shepherd” in 1 Peter 5:2. Elders are pastors. This can be confusing because we have leaders in the church who have the title pastor. I am called Pastor Bob or Pastor Flack. It has been a convenient title for those who make their living serving as shepherds in a church, but all elders do pastoral work. Elders share authority in a local church. The New Testament bears this out. As an apostle, Paul took special care to establish leadership in the churches he planted.

Acts 14:23 And when [the missionary team] had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

In James 5:14, the one who is sick is to call for the elders (plural) in the church (singular). The elders are to gather and pray for healing.

Every church has more than one elder. Even here in 1 Peter we learn of elders (plural) among you (in each local church). A New Testament church is not run by a single pastor with a board of assistants. The elders are a brotherhood of pastors serving and leading in the church. In verse 4 Peter refers to Jesus as the Chief Shepherd or Lead Pastor. The Lord is the true Senior Pastor of the church. Elders respond to and are rewarded by Jesus Himself. Their authority flows from His authority. And what do they do? The second statement further defines the elders role?

2. Pastors are Shepherds. Elders are Pastors and Pastors are Shepherds and Shepherds have three basic responsibilities.

a. Providing Good Food Elders are to teach God’s word. As Paul trained the elders at Ephesus he held up his own example for them to imitate in the church.

Acts 20:27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Paul described the qualifications for an elder to Titus.

Titus 1:9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

Hebrews does not use the term elder but does describe what a church leader is to do.

Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come and feed his flock like a shepherd. His plan for doing that employs elders as under-shepherds.

b. Protecting God’s People Elders are also responsible for protecting God’s people. Paul warned the elders at Ephesus, Acts 20:29-31 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. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.

We noted that Titus 1:9 requires that an elder be able both to give sound instruction and to rebuke those who contradict it. Here in 1 Peter 5 it is noteworthy that in the paragraph following his exhortation to elders, Peter gives the whole church a warning about Satan’s prowling like a devouring lion. Elders provide and protect.

c. Pointing in Godly Paths Their third essential responsibility is pointing in godly paths. Shepherds guide. In Psalm 23, the Lord as my shepherd leads in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake (Psalm 23:3). In Old Testament Israel, Moses prayed for a successor who would serve as a shepherd to the people before Joshua is yet identified.

Numbers 27:16-17 “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation 17 who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.”

Ultimately, I believe Moses was praying for Jesus in this prayer. In the immediate sense Moses is praying for Joshua, but ultimately he is praying for the coming Messiah. This prayer is answered today by Jesus, who having come, sends elders among his people. Peter emphasizes that an elder’s guidance comes primarily through his example (3). Paul describes pastoral counseling when he instructs leaders in a church to “admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all” (1 Thess 5:14).

This last responsibility leads us to a third statement about elders in the local church.

3. Shepherds are Leaders It is clear that shepherds serve the people of God. But this might lead some to think that they have only responsibility and not authority. But Peter says that elders are to exercise oversight (2). They serve as supervisors in the church.

In the list of elder qualifications in 1 Timothy Paul includes,

1 Timothy 3:4-5 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? The word for “manage” here means to rule and direct. An elder serves in the church like a father serves his family. He is head of the family who leads with confidence and compassion. Paul told the elders at Ephesus that the Holy Spirit had made them overseers among the flock (Acts 20:28). Caring and ruling go together for an elder.

1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

Peter commands the younger ones of the congregation to submit to the elders. Elders definitely have recognized authority in the congregation.

In a later message we will study the authority of the church as a whole. We will examine the privileges and responsibilities of belonging to a local congregation. I suspect someone now is asking, “What is the relationship between the congregation’s authority and an elder’s authority?” My preliminary answer is that the congregation examines and affirms an elder and then submits to his authority as he exercises it as part of the team of elders in a congregation.

Peter’s final word of the paragraph is a call to humility. Pride turns shepherds into wolves and sheep into rebels. A church suffers when she includes either. Humility is the fruit of the gospel. Jesus goes to the cross in a supreme act of servant leadership. He submits to God’s law in order to share God’s love with us. The first step in God’s will that everyone must take is to submit to Christ and believe the gospel. If you’ve not done that then come to Him now.

Christ calls us to reflect the humility of the gospel in the way we receive elders. I urge you to get to know these men as your shepherds. Pray for them. Thank them for their leadership. Approach them humbly when you have a question or concern. Invite an elder to your care group or other small group. Express submission to their leadership. Pray over him at your meeting.

Encourage younger men who demonstrate the potential for future service as an elder. Learn the qualifications for an elder and carefully examine a man before nominating him for the office. These practical steps will encourage humility in our congregation and her leaders.

Karen Jobes comments on 1 Peter 5:5,

True humility, as opposed to a contrived, self-degrading humiliation, flows from recognizing one’s complete dependence on God and is expressed by the acceptance of one’s role and position in God’s economy. With such humility one is freed from attempts to gain more power or prestige. Instead, humility expresses itself in the willingness to serve others even beyond one’s self-interest.1

May God nurture such a spirit in our elders and our response to them.

1 Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament (309). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.