1 Peter 5:1-5
“And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
- Reward / Crown
Peter reminds us that our responsibilities come with a reward. “And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.” Notice that Peter doesn’t say if He appears, but when. We are also told here that Jesus is the Great Shepherd, which means I serve as an under-shepherd. Christ is the CEO he calls the shots and pastors should be serving in submission to the Savior. The reward that comes at the return is the “crown of glory” Its the victor’s crown which is a symbol of special honor. It was the only prize ancient Olympic runners received and was therefore cherished as a great treasure. But we have to face reality, its groaning now and glory later. Today there are a lot of people looking for a title, they want the position but not the perspiration, they want the title but not the trials. But you don’t get the crown without the cross. If you want to be a pastor then you better be prepared for the pain, because people will hurt your heart. That’s where you better know that you are called by God. Because if you base it on your circumstances instead of your call you will crumble and instead of being a shepherd you will become a statistic.
- Response / Congregation
While there are only a few who serve as elders/pastors every Christian is called to be a contributor. We are saved to serve Pastors play a key part but what is everyone else to do? Verse 5 gives the response: you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. See here is where most sheep struggle, because you are called to submit to those who shepherd you. The word, “submit” means to “place under in an orderly fashion” its a military term describing troop divisions arranged under the authority of the leader. It’s an attitude of respect and recognition of rank. And it’s in the aorist tense meaning it is a command to fall into line under God-appointed leadership and to do it now. So why do we struggle to submit, two major reasons, fear and our flesh. We are afraid we will be taken advantage of. But let me ask you this if your pastor is modeling the message, feeding and leading you in love not lording it over you then why would you fear that and fight it in your flesh? My job isn’t to tell you to submit it’s to serve, yours is to submit and comes from the Savior. Why do we need to submit, because submission opens the door to service. Peter tells us to dress ourselves in humility. It’s the picture of a slave putting on an apron before tackling his tasks. Our model for this is the Master, Jesus who took a towel and girded Himself and then washed his disciples dirty feet. The world tells us to dress for success to put on your best, but the Word tells us to dress for service. It’s not about looking good it’s about loving God’s people. Do you have a heart of humility, when was the last time you worn an apron?
Moments in the life of a Pastor 