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Exhortations, these are exhortations, encouragement for shepherds, part three. I'd like to conclude this series, again, bring application to it today. There's much to be said, so let me say this, in bookstores, Christian bookstores, wherever you go, there's thousands, even online, you can find books, thousands upon thousands of books that are written about leadership, eldership, volumes upon volumes and heaps upon heaps about, even good books about eldership, written about how to be an effective leader, how to basically lead the church.
But let me say this, but none can match or even come close to what the word of God has to say about it. They cannot even compare with what God himself has to say about godly leadership and eldership here in the scriptures.
And here the apostle Peter sums up in just a few brief words, in just a few brief words by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit of how godly leadership looks like. And let me say, in how it does not look like.
He brings out the positive, he brings out the negative. And that's what I'd like for us to do today. We're going to look at positives, we're going to look at negatives, and we're going to look at the four points.
I've borrowed this and give credit to John MacArthur of the questions, but we're going to see those questions answered from the scriptures. So these are exhortations of how to lead the church, the body of Christ, the people of God.
And the key word is verse two, it's shepherd. Shepherd the flock of God. That's his exhortation, that's his point. So in saying that, turn with me please as we continue this wonderful study through the book of first Peter.
And we are now at chapter five, and we are coming to a conclusion. We're almost there, there's only 13 verses within this chapter. And I'm telling you, he's coming up with some very good practical application of everything he said up until this point.
So Lord willing, we're going to move on next week and look at verse five about the humility that goes along with the eldership and also to the Christian life as well. That's loaded, what scripture has to say about humility.
So hear the word of the living God, beginning at verse one. Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God.
And not for sordid gain, but with eagerness. Nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Let's bow in prayer. May God richly bless his word to the hearing of our ears and receiving of our hearts, thank you. Father, we do thank you and we bless you for your word. Our prayer is this, speak, Lord, speak, Lord.
For your servant hears, in Jesus' name, amen. Our key phrase again is found verse two. Everything that is said is about shepherding. Shepherd the flock of God among you. Shepherd the flock of God among you.
Shepherds during the time of the Old Testament often, but not always, most of the time, was the youngest, and even children. David began to shepherd as a young child. He was the youngest. Whatever his age, the shepherd's vocation was to protect his flock and to guide them to good pasture and to feed them, to have them fed.
And to feed them with healthy food, slow moving, but patient, easily accessible water, the water had to be still and clean. If fed grass of poor quality, the sheep would be malnutrished. If the water moved too quickly, the sheep would be too afraid to even drink the water.
I found out also that a lot of times when the sheep went astray, when a shepherd would return, and many times the shepherd would discipline the sheep, a lot of times he would break his leg to keep him from wandering.
Such love behind that. And so there's guidance, there's protection, and that is the duty of the shepherd. The flock of God, the sheep of God's pasture, was to be led tenderly and patiently with the care of the shepherd.
To safe location was extremely important as well, to keep the wolves from attacking the sheep. So the task of the shepherd was to lead and to guide and to protect and to keep his flock healthy. Throughout the Bible, we read of notable shepherds.
There's many that we could go to. I'm not going to go there, but I'm going to just name them. There's Abel, there's Abraham. Lot was even considered a shepherd. Isaac and Jacob and Laban and Jacob's 12 sons included Joseph, even shepherded some.
We're reading through the book of Numbers. We read of Moses was a shepherd, and we know David was a shepherd. There's also others we don't know a lot about, but they were found in Scripture. Meshach, king of Moab, Jordan, was a shepherd.
Duag was a shepherd. Amos was a shepherd. And the shepherds also that came to honor, we don't know their names, but there was a whole group of shepherds to honor and worship our Lord Jesus Christ during the most glorious birth when He was born.
And when God announced the birth of Jesus Christ to sweaty, uncouth outsiders out of the city into the fields, God came to the shepherds first to announce the birth of Jesus Christ, the chief shepherd, the great shepherd, the good shepherd.
And God was actually, I believe, saying something important about the kind of Messiah that He was sending. Humility, meek and mild. The shepherds were the nobodies that were the first to know the Messiah's wonderful and glorious birth.
They were nobodies. God always takes the weak things of the world to confound the wise, doesn't He? The birth of Jesus Christ was no doubt the most humbling birth of all time, ever in history. We know this, Mormon is just not a mere mortal man, even though Jesus was man, He was God in flesh.
God came in flesh. God, the Almighty, the One who made the worlds. It was humble. And it was to the humble nobodies that Jesus Christ desired to know about His birth. They were the first to know about it.
And here in our text, the Apostle Peter gives an exhortation to elders. Again, the plurality of elders, and I believe that's very important to every church. And if you notice, if you go back to, you don't have to go there, but if you look at the beginning of this chapter of this book, I'm sorry, he speaks, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to those who reside as aliens scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Pythia.
Think about all the elders in each of those locations. That's a lot of elders, isn't it? So it's just not one or two or even five or maybe ten elders, but many, many more. So they're scattered throughout.
So he's speaking to many, many elders here. So last Lord's Day, we looked at the first question before us. What are the issues in shepherding? What are the issues of shepherding? And that answer is given to us in verse 1 and part of 2, 2a, which says, therefore, I exhort the elders among you as your fellow elder.
He's a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ. I believe that's important because he's speaking to suffering Christians that were being persecuted for righteousness sake. Jesus is our example.
He says, we are witnesses of the sufferings of Christ and a partaker of the glory that is to be revealed. Shepherd, shepherd the flock of God among you. So Peter exhorts the elders among the church and he does so in humility as a fellow elder.
I love that. Not a bigwig, the first pope. No, he does it as a fellow elder. In humility, he's a witness of the sufferings of Christ and a partaker of Christ's glory to come. That's important because if there's a cross, there's a crown.
And that's exactly the order in which he gives. This was the reason he exhorts qualified godly pastors to shepherd the flock of God. It basically expresses the priority and the duty of feeding the flock of God.
Guiding God's people in which the Lord has allotted to their charge. So, moving on. The second point, that's basically the first, is the answer to what are the issues. What are the issues? We looked at that, didn't we?
Well, let's go to the second point. The second is very obvious. And it's so obvious, it's almost so simple. A lot of us can overlook it, but it's very important. I love the obvious, don't you? But we don't need to miss the obvious.
Look at verse 2. Verse 2, shepherd the flock of God among you. Now, that pretty much tells us a lot. Shepherd the flock of God among you. The leaders within the church were experiencing the first waves of severe persecution.
It's always the leaders, God's shepherds, that get hit with the blows first. And I'm sure many of them were being persecuted just the same. They would have been imprisoned for the sake of the gospel, tortured for Jesus Christ and righteousness sake, and also even losing their lives.
Let me say this. The call to eldership, to be a pastor, a shepherd, is very simple. But yet, it's sad to say that many churches do not follow this, especially in our day. I would say that the very most important characteristic and duty to the shepherd is holiness.
He is to be holy. This is characteristics. And you can look at this in the qualifications in 1 Timothy chapter 3. He is to be above reproach. What's it talking about? He's to be holy, above reproach. That is his character.
That's his personal holiness. I believe that's the most important thing. Integrity.
Who he is.
Who he is. I like what Spurgeon said. And this has been asked to me many times. What is considered the call in your life? And I don't like to go to some kind of mystic vision or something like that. I don't believe in that.
I believe the most important thing is what Spurgeon says here. It's whatever call a man may pretend to have, if he has not been called to holiness, he certainly has not been called to the ministry. Now, place that in front of people today.
He must be called to holiness, holy living. He must be above reproach. And that call to holiness inwardly is also extended outwardly to lead God's people. To shepherd the flock of God among you. Outward to lead God's flock.
To exercise oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily. According to the will of God. What is the will of God? Even your sanctification. Even your sanctification. And he says, also not for sordid gain.
And we're going to look at that. But with eagerness. Call to the ministry, biblically speaking, does not, again, does not include a great vision. I remember when I was in Bible college, people came up to me.
I'm called to the ministry. And one particular guy just went on and on and on about visions he had of heaven. And I sat there and I thought, now, even at that time, I was Pentecostal, okay? And I was thinking, this guy is way out there.
And I almost felt intimidated. Like, well, you're almost making me think like I'm not called because I haven't seen some kind of dream or vision. You have mysticism, visions, and special revelations. No, we know better than that.
Well, rather, it's very practical, isn't it? It's very practical. And it involves factors. Like, number one, and I wrote this down. From my personal experience, number one, being faithful to the Lord and to His work and the mundane and everyday living.
Second, he's to be qualified biblically. Is the pastor shepherd biblically qualified according to the scriptures as we looked at in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1? Third, does the pastor have the graces, the characteristics of integrity, and also the gifts that are necessary to fulfill the ministry?
Fourth, are his life and doctrines sound? Does he adorn the gospel? Does he adorn the gospel? Does he love the Lord Jesus Christ? Is he desiring to be holy? Fifth, and must be most important, will he live, excuse me, will he live as an example before the flock of God?
Will he live as an example? That's important. And these things always placed before me is, is I am your pastor and servant. These are important questions, are they not? So the text really calls, clearly states, that elders had the most serious delegated stewardship.
And I like to think it's a stewardship because it's given to them. It's not something that they are running it themselves. It's not them.
It's a stewardship.
They are a servant, all under the head shepherd, the chief shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the way I like to see it through scriptures, and that's the only way that we could see it.
It is a stewardship.
And notice what he says, to shepherd, not their own flock. I've heard pastors say, this is my flock. Don't you dare bother it. Don't you, don't you take sheep from me. Hey, it's not your sheep, mister.
It is God's sheep. They are God's sheep. The sheep of his pasture. So any pastor that speaks in those ways, know that he's lording over them, right? They are to shepherd, the shepherds, the flock, I'm sorry, to shepherd the flock of God.
The shepherd, the flock of God.
It's not his.
How do we know this?
Acts 20, verse 28. And I like to say every, this scripture here should be hanging on the wall of every shepherd that pastors be on guard. Paul says, be on guard for yourselves. Number one, yourselves.
And for all the flock among which the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Only God makes men. And it is the Holy Spirit that has given this stewardship to them. Has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God, which he has purchased.
He has bought with his own blood. So it's a valuable, precious thing. The church has been purchased at a high cost and has been purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ. It's a valuable, valuable thing for shepherds to shepherd the flock of God.
Pastors, elders. This is a sacred duty. A sacred duty indeed. Stewardship. Stewardship. The shepherd God's flock. Commentator Linsky says of this verse,.
Quote,.
The word flock brings to mind all the shepherd imagery found in scriptures. The shepherd, cheap, gentle, defenseless, liable to stray, needing a shepherd, happy, peaceful under his care, pitiful when lost, scattered, etc.
This is God's flock. This is God's flock. That was bought at a great price. Acts 20, 28. That is exceedingly precious in his sight. A great trust has placed into the hands of human shepherds who are to pattern after Yahweh, the shepherd.
Psalm 23, 1. In Christ, the arch shepherd. In verse 4,. What shepherd could have the care of any part of God's flock that treat it carelessly? And then he says,. And that ends the quote. I'm sorry. So now, Peter's words are sparing, but flow with tender and serious meaning, do they not?
Now, the third question is how? Now, we'll spend most of my time right here because the how gets down to the nitty gritty. This is really the meat of what is being said.
How?
How is shepherding to be done? How is shepherding to be done? Wow, we can camp here for a long time, but look with me to verse 2 and 3. He answers this. Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily according to the will of God, and not for assorted gain, but with eagerness, and yet not, nor, I'm sorry, nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
That is God's answer to how to shepherd the flock of God. Now, let's break this down. This is very important. How shepherding is to be done, and it basically, we see both positives and negatives to this answer, right?
We do.
There's positives and negatives. First, we see shepherd the flock of God, exercising oversight, exercising oversight. This actually translates to the original Greek language into a single word, episkopos, episkopos.
I hope I pronounced that right, which in the Greek means to have scope over, to look upon. The noun is episkopos, episkopos, which I probably mistranslated that, but which actually means bishop or overseer.
That's an overseer, which is to oversee the flock of God. It's not his flock, it's the Lord's. So he oversees it, right? This is the first positive answer for shepherds, and that is to watch over the sheep, their condition spiritually, and is to see that they're fed, that they're led, they're guarded well in the name of the Lord Jesus, and they're into his care.
He's going to give an account for this. Every shepherd, whether it be good or bad, or whatever he does, how he does it, he is to give an account, and that, beloved, is very serious. It makes me tremble to think of that, but I think it's a great privilege, but also at the same time, I tremble because it's a great, great responsibility that goes with it.
The second positive way that elders exercise oversight is by proving to be examples. He must prove to be examples to the flock. Shepherds are to become involved in the lives of the flock, and I thank God for those great opportunities of being involved in each of your lives.
It's a wonderful privilege, and I'm blessed to be among you. And all shepherds is to be involved in the life of God's people, in which they are to care for, and to establish a godly pattern, by the way, to be Christ-like.
He's to be that example. That's why he needs to watch his life, and watch it closely, even though there are times, you know, even shepherds, we will sin at times. We're not perfect, right? Because we're human beings, but we don't practice that sinning, or whatever it may be, and it goes into the qualifications.
You must be temperate. You must be self-controlled. You must be patient. You must not be given to whine. Just look at the qualifications there, but above reproach is the umbrella that covers all that.
He follows Christ, and they follow him as he follows Christ. The best example is a living example, I heard say once, and I love that. The best example is a living example. We are living epistles, right?
And especially the shepherd. He is to be that living epistle, and to be Christ-like before he is held at a high standard, rightly so. Biblical spiritual oversight as a godly leader,.
A shepherd,.
Involves three things. Now, I want to mention these three things here, and this speaks of the perils. The perils that are inherent to avoid. These are temptations that the shepherds are to avoid, and I want to go into this, and he's avoided like the plague.
And this is something I always keep before me, because especially here in the Word of God, but in shepherding the flock of God. The first one is this. The first danger, and I briefly touched on this earlier, but I want to look a little bit more into it today.
Peter mentions in shepherding is under compulsion, under compulsion, rather than as eager, willing servant leaders who minister voluntarily. Now, what does that mean under compulsion? The point here is really what he's making is that the shepherd, the servant leader, is to be diligent in what he is doing as a leader.
He is to shepherd the flock of God to be an example. He's to be diligent rather than lazy. He is to be involved.
And he also needs,.
And I love this, he needs to be heart motivated, not just with mind, knowledge motivated. He is to have, of course, the tools necessary to shepherd, but there's no where in the scripture says you've got to have a PhD.
Don't get me wrong. I think the most important thing is having the qualifications to the scriptures. Yes, he must have the tools and the gifts that are necessary, but let's not, never ever put the gifts above the graces.
The graces always go first and the gifts follow them, always. And to be diligent, heart motivated, rather than forced to be faithful. In other words,.
He must desire, he must have the desire.
To be that pastor, that leader, godly example, passionate about the privilege and the duty rather than indifference and being apathetic toward it, in other words. And if he's apathetic about it, he's not going to love what he's doing.
He'd be forced to do it and he'd be thinking, oh, why am I doing this and all this? Look, I think it's a wonderful privilege to be a pastor. It's a privilege until the Lord Jesus Christ. I count it a wonderful, and actually, I'm totally unworthy.
Any shepherd would feel this way because of who Jesus is. And then he calls someone to the ministry and the ministry means, I never will forget a pastor straightened me up about ministry.
He said,.
Grant, don't get into the ministry. You think you're getting into it for all the glory.
And he said,.
That's not what it's about. He said, it's about the glory of God. And by the way, ministry for you is minus. That's what ministry is, minus. I never have forgotten that. And that's right. That's the first law of ministry.
That pastor, like John the Baptist, must decrease so that Jesus may increase. That is always first and foremost. So you must have a heart for God. You must have a heart for the God's people. You must have a heart and a love for the kingdom of God and his people.
The shepherd, God's people with his own, with eagerness. That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm looking for. There's an old saying, and this is a motto among leaders. Aspire to inspire before you expire.
Let me say that again. Aspire to inspire before you expire. I like that. And we should think of that motto for Jesus Christ and doing that for the work of the Lord and for Christ. Paul said it. Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 9 .16, if I preach the gospel, if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion.
And then he says this, for woe is me.
You know what he means by woe?
Damnation is on me.
If I do not preach the gospel of God. I'm cursed if I do not preach the gospel. I'm under compulsion if I do not preach the gospel. Woe is me. That's how he defined the ministry. He defined proper compulsion to the ministry in 2 Corinthians 5 .11 and 14.
Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men. Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men. There's the fear of the Lord which is grounded. We're grounded in that to persuade men. Persuasiveness. But the love of Christ compels me.
The fear of the Lord persuades me, but the love of Christ compels me. I love that. Motivates me. In other words, Paul's saying that's what drives me.
It's God's love.
The fear of God, well, that's the reason why we persuade people. All men. But it's the love of Christ that motivates, compels. This is zealous. We need to be zealous according to the will of God just as the Lord wills even the unjust suffering that perfects His saints.
And He says that. So those who shepherd the flock of God should have no doubt whatsoever about their diligence and seriousness of the ministry in which they should fulfill that ministry of caring for the precious souls in which is allotted to them.
And that accountability will be one day revealed on Judgment Day. Now, that's the first temptation is to avoid is to be in the ministry under the wrong reason. For the wrong reason. The second temptation to avoid, and this is a big one, the second peril for shepherds to avoid is the temptation to be motivated by money, by money and material benefits.
How many preachers today is in the ministry for the money for what they can get out of it? For personal gain. That's what Scripture says. Notice, not for sordid gain. Not for sordid gain. King James says it strongly, for filthy lucre.
Filthy lucre. Acts 20, 33 through 35. I read it last week, but let me look at it again. Apostle Paul gives the right attitude of the ministry here.
He says,.
I have coveted no one silver or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands minister to my own needs and to the men who were with me, to the men that were with me, and everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner, you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.
That's a good motive, isn't it? And he gives the right attitude. Stress this point that the basic scriptural qualification for elder makes it crystal clear that he is to characterize a selfless servant he is to wash feet, he is to be a servant, not an overlording dictator.
Not an overlording dictator committed to, the real shepherd should be committed to sacrifice and not preoccupied with money. He should not be in it for the money. Filthy lucre, the love of money. And it's obvious as you look around, sadly to say, you see a lot of pastors that has fallen prey of this.
They get in it just for the money. And they say they're not in it for the money, but they say it's need, but not greed, but obviously their life says something else. The love of money. What is scripture saying?
God has a commentary to say about this. If you look at 1 Timothy chapter 6, you can go with me there. 1 Timothy chapter 6, look at verse 6 through 10. Verse 6 through 10. Paul is giving warning to those who are motivated by the love of money, by the way.
And I think this speaks to shepherds right at the top of the list. Listen to what he says, but godliness in verse 6, but godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. Contentment.
For we have brought nothing into this world, into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. For if we have food and covering with these, we shall be content. Jesus mentioned this. Then he goes on to say, but those who want to get rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires, and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money, the love of it, money in and of itself is not evil, it's the love of it. It's the heart. But he says, the love of it is the root of all sorts of evil. And some by longing for it have wandered away from faith, from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Let me say this, allow what Bodhi Bachman said. It's not that the things unnecessary are sinful. He says, the problem is that the things we should control over the things we should not allow the things, the material things to control us.
Because I know many people that's been blessed with money and they give and they give and give again. And God blesses them because they understand it's the stewardship. God sovereignly gives them that.
So, but what's the issue here is, is the word, it's all found in the word content.
There's a discontent.
There's a heart problem. And greed takes a hold. And he wants more and more and more at the expense of the sheep. That's what we're talking about, about shepherds here. And that's why Paul says that people that desire to be rich, they fall into temptation and snare of the devil.
If they can't handle their paycheck and the money, how can they handle the souls that God gives them? So, this temptation pierces themselves with many griefs, beloved. That's what the word of God says.
That's God's commentary on discontentment. Discontentment. We need to be content because he says contentment. Godliness with contentment is great gain.
Amen?
So, the Christian, this is for all Christians, not only shepherds, but shepherds as well, because he's an example. And he gives warning. But he goes on. So, Peter, back to Peter. He's talking about sordid gain.
Sordid gain to watch out for. He's to be an example. Beware of sordid gain.
By the way, this text does not say that shepherds are not to be properly compensated. We know better than that. Jesus says a laborer is worthy of his hire. And he is to be rewarded with honor. Scripture even says double honor.
But we need to also know how we translate that. So, there's a balance. There has to be wisdom. A laborer is worthy of his hire, of his wages. It's basically, what is it saying then? It's saying that he's given warning of the wrong motives in the ministry.
What I'm referring to is people that get into the ministry for the wrong motives. They want to get out of it. They use people and abuse people rather than serving them and loving them and being there for their souls.
I'm telling you, that's going to be a serious accountability when the judgment day comes. And it makes me tremble for myself. But when all these false teachers are going to stand before Jesus Christ, the chief shepherd, and God knows their hearts, and he can search the reins of their hearts, and then it's going to be laid bare because the fire is going to be laid to them, and then everything's going to be opened up.
Nothing gets by God, folks. He knows their motives. He knows our motives. He knows my motives. He knows why.
Everything.
Let me say this. It's basically, again, saying about the Romans seeking wealth and material things for the sheep's sake. Taking and robbing from them. But they're robbing from God. Speaks of this, that true shepherds, after God's own heart, would never do this.
They would never use God's people for their sordid gain. The sheep's money, or to steal from them, or rob from them, that's so dishonest. It's fraudulent. Like the false prophets of old. Jesus called them hirelings.
He called them hirelings or hired hands. John 10 verse 12. Jesus says, he who is a hired hand, hireling in the ministry, basically, what he's speaking of for the love of money, for himself, for what he gets out of for himself, not for God or for the flock of God.
He's a hired hand.
And he says, and not a shepherd who is, Jesus says, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, flees. The wolf snatches them and scatters them. And the hireling flees because he's a hireling.
In other words, he don't care. Jesus says, and he's not concerned about the sheep. He's not concerned about the sheep. He's a hireling. And he performs his duties only because of the good times. But when the bad times come, it's a different story.
When imminent danger comes, he goes away. Well, you see many false teachers like this. It reminds me like the false prophet of Balaam. They only serve God for what they can get out of it. That's Balaam.
Look at Jeremiah 23. Jeremiah 23. You know, the Old Testament, I love looking at the prophets because they throw so much light on the apostles and everything that is said in the scriptures. Stay with me in the Old Testament.
We've got several scriptures I'd like for you to see. Notice what he says. Woe, in verse 1, woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture. This is God speaking now, declares the Lord.
Therefore, thus says the Lord God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who are attending my people. You have scattered my flock and driven them away and you have not attended to them. Behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds, declares the Lord.
And then he says, then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture and they will be fruitful and multiply. And I love verse 4.
And I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend to them and they will not be afraid any longer nor be terrified nor will any be missing, declares the Lord. And then there's a prophecy again.
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for the David a righteous branch and he will reign as king, as act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. He's talking about Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep.
He's going to be the shepherd that you want to look at. Behold, the Lamb of God. But notice the warnings. MacArthur says, such despicable behavior of false prophets is typical of charlatans and heretics who masquerade as the servants of God to make themselves rich and their victims destitute.
Do we see this today?
It's everywhere.
It's so sad.
It breaks my heart.
It's sad.
What does God himself again have to say? Now, as we're in the Old Testament, I want to give you some scriptures from the Old Testament of what God himself says about false prophets that steal from God and steal from God's people.
Look at Isaiah 56, 11. Listen, you'd think that sometimes, you know, people think, boy, pastors really lay it down hard, but you listen to the Word of God about false teachers.
Oh, my.
Isaiah 56, 11. Listen to what God says. And the dogs, He calls them dogs, are greedy. They are never satisfied, never satisfied. And they are shepherds. Did you see that? They are shepherds who have no understanding.
And they have all turned to their own way, each one to his own, I'm sorry, to his unjust gain without exception. That's God. Go back to Jeremiah. Look at chapter 6, verse 13. Jeremiah 6, 13. For from the least of them to the greatest of them, from the least of them to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain.
And from the prophet to the priest, everyone deals falsely. From the prophet to the priest. See, there's nothing new under the sun. This was happening in Isaiah. Isaiah's day and in Jeremiah's day. Then, jump just a couple of pages to Jeremiah 8, 10.
It's almost word for word identical, but just a little different. He says, therefore, I will give their wives to others. And what he's saying there is basically a judgment. God's going to give a judgment.
And there are fields to new owners. You're going to lose it. Because, because from the least even to the greatest, everyone is greedy for gain. From the prophet even to the priest, everyone practices deceit.
Deceit.
Now, go to Micah. Micah, chapter 3, verse 11. Listen to this. Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe. Her priests teach for pay.
Her priests teach for pay.
And her prophets divine for money. And listen to what they say. Yet, they lean on the Lord saying. Listen to the hypocrisy here. Is the Lord not in our midst? How many times do you hear false teachers say that?
Catastrophe will not come upon us. We're in it for these are the good times. God wants you to be wealthy and healthy and wise and prosper all the time. No suffering is going to come. What does the Word of God has to say about that?
Go with me to chapter 2 of Peter. Let's jump way ahead in the New Testament now. Look at verse 3. This is just one verse. He goes on and on about it. We'll look at that later on, Lord willing. But he speaks about false prophets.
False prophets. In their greed, verse 3. In their greed, they will exploit you with false words. Their judgment from long ago is not idle. And their destruction is not asleep. In other words, judgment day is coming.
Payday someday. They're going to stand before the King of kings and Lord of lords. The judge of judges. Now, go to the book of Jude. You're going to hear some strong words now. Jude even lays it down even harder.
Look at verse 11 through 13. Woe to them. You know what the woe means?
Judgment.
Damnation to them. For they have gone the way of Cain. They're religious. The way of Cain. Rebellious. Religious. And for pay, they have given themselves. For pay, they have given themselves up to the heir of Balaam.
Speaks of Balaam. And perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are the ones who have hidden reefs in your love feast. When they feast with you without fear. There's no fear.
Listen to this.
Like shepherds caring only for themselves. This is what he says they are. And basically what he's saying here.
They're hypocrites.
They're hypocrites. They pretend to be something that they're not. Clouds without water carried along by winds. Autumn trees without fruit.
Twice dead.
Plucked up by the roots.
Uprooted.
Wild waves of the sea churning up their own shameful deeds like dirty foam. Wandering stars. Wandering stars for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever. In other words, judgment is for them.
And you go back to verse 4 of Jude. Notice what he says. These are the false shepherds. The teachers. The false teachers that's come in. He says for certain persons. Speaking of false teachers and shepherds.
Have crept in unnoticed. They're unnoticed. Those who were long before marked out for this condemnation. Ungodly persons who turn the grace of God into licentiousness. And deny our only master in the Lord Jesus Christ.
You hear that? They have a form of godliness. But they deny the power thereof. They pretend to be something that they're not. They pretend to be shepherds. And because they just have the gift to preach. That doesn't mean that they're called of God.
Remember what I said earlier. They must be called to holiness. Where is this today? God help us. We need to have godly men.
Who fear God.
And love God. And love souls. The word of God is so clear.
Isn't it?
Well these are the false teachers. Who love themselves. They love money. And not Jesus Christ. They pretend to be something that they're not. On the surface. Outwardly. They look like whited sepulchres.
But on the inside. They're full of dead men's bones. Like Jesus said.
Jesus basically said.
They're full of.
What he's saying when he says that.
On outward.
They all look clean. But on the inside.
They're full of deadness.
And decay.
And stench.
Jesus was very graphic about that. Their intentions were to lead God's people astray. That's apostates. Satan's counterfeits folks.
The church is full of them.
We need a revival folks.
And by the way.
They're not getting by. These people stealth their way into church. Oh I tell you what. There's coming a judgment day one day. But true shepherds will not do this. They eagerly love and rejoice the privilege to serve God in the flock.
It's a personal. It's a privilege. Personal privilege for God. I like what David Livingston. I came across this quote. And I shared it with Brother Keith. But I sent it to him. I want to share it with you.
The great missionary David Livingston in Africa. Somebody came up to him. And he said people quote. And he says this is him. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa.
He says it is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. That's the right perspective isn't it? He saw himself as a servant of the Lord. Caring, compassionate, loving, heart motive. Well we see the perils to avoid as a shepherd.
Under compulsion would avoid laziness. To avoid temptation of the love of money. Third the shepherd can. And this is a big one. Can be tempted by the desire. Sinful desire to dominate over others. Lording it over others that God has allotted.
Domineering, abusing their authority. By the way I like what MacArthur says. The only authority in the church is the word of God. By the way the pastors are to be held accountable to the church.
To be Bereans.
To check every preacher what he says is according to the word of God. And if it's not throw it out. Even the Apostle Paul made himself accountable. Well what person comes to your mind? Brother Keith knows where I'm going here probably.
What person comes to your mind in the New Testament that was lording it over people? His name was Deotrephes. Deotrephes was a perfect example. That abused the authority that was given to him. He was intimidating.
He was an intimidating leader within the church. This is a very serious perversion of overseer's office isn't it? He perverted it. And it characterizes actually if you read it. It really characterizes someone that needs the Lord.
He's unregenerate. Because look at the way he's acting. A regenerate godly person is first humble. He's patient. He's gracious. He's not going to dominate and lord and be a tyrant over God's people. Brother Keith you and I talked about this.
Goats have to be pushed and forced. Sheep are to be led. And then 3 John, 3 John look at 9, verse 9 through 10. 9 and 10 tells us the Apostle John says I wrote something to the church. Now we don't know what happened here about what he wrote.
He wrote a letter to the church and it came up missing or something or deatrophies might have gotten rid of it. We don't know. I think that's the case. We can assume on that but the Apostle Paul sends a letter and it comes up missing.
Now that's what John is saying. I wrote something to the church. But deatrophies. Who loves to have the preeminence. Who loves to be first. Who loves to be the big shot on top of the king of the mountain.
I remember when I was a kid another friend of mine introduced the king of the mountain. We was on top of this huge hill. And he said you ever played king of the mountain? I said no I never played king of the mountain.
I said how you play? And he pushed me off the hill and I came rolling down and here he was like this. And I thought that's deatrophies. He wants to be the king of the hill. And here I was rolling down the mountain.
That was humbling. And I thought well the first thing as a child. Don't hold this against me in my unregenerate days. But I really got angry. I climbed up that mountain as fast as I could to try to get him.
But anyway. Knocked me off the mountain. I'm still getting knocked off the mountain. That's okay. God keep me humble. Deatrophies. Who loves to be preeminent. Does not accept what we say. Notice what John is saying.
What we say. The apostles. Here's a man that's not only lording over and abusing authority in his church. He cannot receive authority himself. He's not submissive to authority.
Then he says this.
For this reason if I come. If I come I will call attention to his deeds. Which he does. Unjustly accusing us with wicked words.
Listen to that.
Slander. And is not satisfied with this. He himself does not receive the brethren. Either he forbids those who desire to do so. And puts them out of the church.
He excommunicates them.
He loves to do this.
Because he's king of the mountain.
Right?
Verse 11. Beloved do not imitate what is evil. See John is saying this is evil.
What this man's doing is evil.
But what is good. So now we could preach a whole series on deatrophies.
Lord willing we may do so in the future. I believe God gives us that. But because we see it so often in the church. But this man was definitely an abuser of authority. He abused his authority. Don't we see this today?
Unqualified men pretending externally. That has unquenchable desire for power and authority.
To be the big shot.
To sit on the seat of Moses like Jesus did. God help us. People like this are lifted up in pride. And are very deceived. They're blind leaders of the blind. Basically to make this short and sweet. Look at the little points.
The points here of deatrophies. The four things here. Four things that come to us through the scriptures. First of all he was guilty of unjust accusation. What does that mean? He had a serious problem with accepting authority.
Unjust accusation. He did not accept the authority with God. That means he's got a problem with authority with God.
And men.
And the apostles. And that's why John says I'm going to come deal with him because of his deeds. Jesus said, what about the words of your mouth? What comes forth out of your mouth comes from the heart.
And he said what comes out of that mouth shows you everything what's in that heart. So slander was coming out of this man's heart. Out of his mouth and it was in his heart. Deatrophies had a serious heart problem folks.
With wicked words.
Third.
Notice the third thing. He does not receive the brethren. He slandered the apostles but deliberately defiled the others within the church. He loved to excommunicate people. He wanted to be the bigwig.
Don't we see this? And haven't we related to it? God help us. Fourth. He puts them out of the church.
Again.
That's. He had the habit of excommunicating people because he wanted to be the big shot. He abused his authority. And he did this in the name of God. That's why the apostle says I'm going to come and deal with this.
I'd love to have been a fly on the wall to hear that meeting. Sadly and tragically we see this too much in our day, aren't we? Men who are abusing authority. They have no idea what it means to wash feet.
Jesus himself washed feet.
Amen.
How much. Well no one's any better than Jesus. And he stooped down. God in the flesh washed feet. That convicts me every time. Well, God knows how to separate the tares from the wheat.
He's going to do it because one day he's going to purify his church and persecution is going to come. And that's what it says in first Peter four, 17, 18. For the time for the judgment to begin for the time has come for the judgment to begin at the household of God.
And if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome? The envy to those who do not obey the gospel of God. So the shepherd, the true shepherd now is to avoid these temptations. He's to avoid them because they are temptations.
These men don't automatically fall. They get into the ministry and then it comes to them. Then they fall prey to it. Just like marriage. Everybody intends to marry good and right first, but something happens down the line.
Sin, unforgiveness, bitterness, pride, arrogance. You could go on and on with all the sins and the corruption. That's why we need to stay in the word of God and watch and pray that we enter not into temptation.
Beware of haughtiness, lording over. Shepherds are to beware of being a, having a deatrophy spirit. We are rather to be humble, lowly servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not going around trying to control God's sheep and trying to micromanage.
Every one of them. God help. But the shepherd is to be a godly leader.
He's to be a humble servant serving in love for Christ and being compelled by Christ in gentleness and lowliness and humility. Just like Jesus. And Peter says, this is allotted to your charge, allotted to your charge.
My time's almost gone. Jesus speaks a lot about this in Matthew 18. Please read that in your devotional time. I had that to go to. But the words of Jesus talks very serious about, about offending a brother.
Very quickly, the fourth point Peter brings out. Why should shepherds serve? Why should shepherds serve? And he tells us. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
The text says, the chief shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ will come and appear. He will appear. He's coming back. He's the good shepherd in John 10. He's the great shepherd of the sheep and Hebrews. He's the chief shepherd in Peter.
And this is Jesus himself. Now, speaks of the coming of Jesus. Revelation 1 7. I mentioned this earlier. Behold, he's coming with clouds and every eye will see him. Even those who pierce him and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him.
So, so it is to be.
Revelation 3 11.
Listen to this. I am coming quickly.
Hold fast what you have so that no one would take your crown. Revelation 2 10. Do not fear for what you are about to suffer. Jesus knew. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you in a prison so that you will be tested.
You will be, you will have tribulation for 10 days. It's only for a season, right? Be faithful unto death and you will receive the crown of life. Revelation 22 7. Behold, I'm coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds or keeps the words of this prophecy of this book.
Revelation 22 12. Behold, I'm coming quickly. My reward is with me to render every man according to what he has done.
Wow.
Jesus keeps an account of everything. Speaking about the deeds, the deeds. Revelation 22 20. He who testifies to these things says, yes, I'm coming quickly.
Come, Lord Jesus. Well, he's coming back. Scripture says a lot and he's going to make he's going to appear. That means make manifest. He's going to come personally. And there's unfading crown of glory.
James speaks of the crown of life. The crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him, to those who love him. Paul wrote and second Timothy in the future, there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will award me on that day.
But not only to me, but also all those who love his appearing, who loves. That's the key right there.
Loving God. Loving God.
Crown of rejoicing is spoken of. Well, I need to bring this to an end. It really comes down to this. And I love the old hymn. We never sing it. It's not hardly been heard of it. Tozer spoke of it to support.
I long to know often cause anxious thought. Do I love the Lord or no? Am I his or am I not? You know, the Lord Jesus really put a tight line on this. And he said, love's final test is really our obedience to his commandments.
Our Lord Jesus drew a line plain and tight. One side he said, these are the ones that keeps his commands. These are the ones that love me. On this side, these are the ones that do not keep my sayings and they don't love me.
That's that plain and simple. John 14, 15, if you love me, Jesus says you will keep my commandments. That's Jesus. If you love me, keep my commands, obedience to his commandments. John 14, 21, he who has my commands keeps them as one who loves me.
And he who loves me will be loved to my father. And I will love him and manifest myself to him. And then Judas, not Iscariot. This is another disciple said to him, Lord, what, what then has happened that you are going to disclose, manifest yourself to us and not to the world?
What a question. In other words, he's asking how, how can this be? Jesus gives the disciple a powerful but simple answer. Jesus said, if anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my father will love him.
And I and we will come to him and make our abode, our home with him. And he who does not love me does not keep my words. And the word which you hear is not mine, but the father's who sent me. You know what that means?
Obedience, simple obedience to the word of God. That's how we show our love to Christ. We obey his words. Wow, that's loaded, isn't it? That convicts me all over. Now, let me, there's so much more I want to say here, but let me give you a story.
And you've heard, I might have mentioned this wonderful story before and it's true. It's about Psalm 23. It says this, years ago, great, a great actor, Richard Burton, was given a grand reception in his childhood parish while replying to a complimentary speeches in the parish auditorium.
He asked if there was anything they specifically wanted to hear from him. And after a minute's of pause, his old pastor asked him if he could recite the Good Shepherd Psalm, Psalm 23, Psalm 23, which he had taught Richard Burton in his Sunday school class.
Strange look came over the actor's face and he paused for a moment. And then he said, I will, under one condition, that after I've recited it, you, my pastor and teacher will do the same. And the pastor said, I said, the old retired pastor in the wheelchair, I'm not an actor, but if you wish to do so, I will, I will recite it after you do.
Impressively, the actor began the Psalm. His voice and innotation were absolutely perfect. He held the audience spellbound. He said it perfectly. And as he finished, a great burst of applause. People rose up and applauded him.
Broke from the audience like a wave. And as it died away, the old pastor rose from his wheelchair, bent, broken, began to recite this wonderful Psalm. His voice was feeble, shivering, broken, and his tone was faultless.
But when he finished, there was not a dry eye in the room. There was no applause. You could hear a pin drop. The actor rose with his voice quivering. He said, ladies and gentlemen, I've reached your eyes and your ears.
My old pastor reached your heart.
That's the difference. That's the difference.
The difference is, and this is what he said, the actor, I know the Psalm, but the pastor, he knows the shepherd.
He knows the shepherd.
Doesn't the Psalm say, the Lord is my shepherd.
He's my personal shepherd.
That's all that's going to matter on judgment day. Is he your shepherd?
Is he your savior? Is he your Lord? Do you love him?
Do you desire to please him and to walk with him and be closer to him? Oh, I love that story. It's a personal relationship. All we desire to hear Jesus say, well done, good, faithful servant. You know, in the original it says slave.
Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with few things and I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord.
That's what we want to hear.
That is everything. That is our goal in life. May we strive with all of our heart by God's grace to love him. I as a shepherd and a sheep as well. Because every shepherd needs a shepherd. The great shepherd, the chief shepherd, the good shepherd is Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory.
Let's pray. Our Father and our God, these are the days on earth that we just desire for Jesus to come back. Lord, that's our yearning. That's our desire with all that's going on, Lord. Lord, I believe as you said, this is the beginning of sorrows.
But Lord, our desire is even so come Lord Jesus. Lord, you also told us in your word that all who have this hope, this blessed hope in us purifies themselves just as you appear. Father, we ask that you purify us, cleanse us, wash us, I pray.
Prepare us, prepare us for times that are about to come upon us. Prepare us in your perfect love and your personal care as the great shepherd of the sheep, as your children. Lord, enlarge our small little hearts, increase our desire to more of holiness and godliness and fear of you and our hatred to sin within us, oh God.
Help us to love righteousness and to hate iniquity. Lord, we know the time is short. And Lord, our time on this earth is short. So Father, may we look at eternity. May we behold the Lamb of God. That's all that matters.
Father, the more we see our own personal sin, the Lord, it increases our desire to be with you and to come home with you. Lord, you are a great exceeding reward. Help us, I pray. Blessed Lord, in this old passing world, it's only a smidgen, a small grain sand compared to the eternal bliss that awaits us in heaven.
Help us to have our sights clear and live by faith and to obey you and by your grace. And Lord, to please you to the end for your glory and to do your will. Lord, that's our prayer. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done. So Lord, I just pray. Father, we pray, come Lord Jesus. Come, even so. Keep us in your grace, we pray, because all authority is yours. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.
Praise God.