Exhortations for Shepherds: Part 1

We're going to speak about exhortations for God's shepherds. Exhortations for the shepherds of God. This is going to be an introduction sermon, so I don't want us to rush through this by no means. We're going to take several words days and make this a series.

And the reason why is because it is so critical of what the Bible has to say about shepherds. Also, it speaks about God's sheep. But primarily, much is said about God's shepherds. The leadership, the officers, the elders, the deacons, those who lead, those leaders, and this is where judgment begins, amen?

And we're going to pick up that emphasis in just a few minutes. So, with saying that, please turn with me to 1 Peter 5. 1 Peter 5. I've got much to say today and a lot on my heart. And I covet your prayers this morning as we turn.

Ask God to help us in this series. Hear the word of the living God. I'm reading from the NASB translation this morning. And we've come to the last chapter of the book of 1 Peter. Hear the word of the living God.

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you as your farewell and 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. 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 stop right there. I think that's going to be enough for us to look at. This is going to take probably a good, maybe Lord willing, three Sundays.

But as God helps us. So may God richly bless the reading of His word from our ears to our hearts this morning. Let's pray. Our Father and our God, Lord, give us a fear, a trembling of Your word. And we take this soberly and take it very seriously.

And Lord, we recognize it's only by Your blessed Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of holiness, that can open our understanding and enlighten us, Lord, to the truths that You have for us in Your word.

So Lord, it's not by our intellect, by no means. Our faith is in Your wisdom, Your power, Your word. So Father, give us eyes to see and give us ears to hear what You have to say to Your people. Starting in this pulpit, Father.

Starting with Your leadership. Because this is where the judgment begins. So Father, have mercy upon us this morning. Help us as we study this together. And that we would only see Jesus. Help us, Father, to decrease and may You increase.

Speak, Lord. Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears. In Jesus' name. Amen. Well, I'm always, I don't want to say nervous, but I always tremble before God's word and I want to tremble more. But this chapter here really makes me tremble.

For reasons. And the reasons is, in 38 years since my conversion, I've preached quite often. And I've never ever preached, what you would say, a solo sermon on shepherding the flock of God. It reminds me when I was 16 years old.

Right before my conversion, I soloed a little Cessna 150 in Rome, Georgia, about three or four times around an airport. And there was a lot of prayer. I was 16 years old. I look back at that and I'm thinking, what was I doing?

My grandfather trained me. He was a pilot. A veteran World War II pilot. Hard to believe he was actually at that time 57 years old. And I'm going to be 57 this year. And I look back and there I was 16 years old.

And I'm thinking, where did time go?

And you know, you know what I mean.

Time flies, doesn't it? And it waits for no one. That shows you the brevity of life and how short time is. And it's sobering to think of eternity. But the reason I brought that up is I soloed and I was quite nervous.

But I was confident that God would help me and He did and I safely took off the plane and landed it. So I need your prayers to help me by God's help and grace to take this plane off and land this plane in God's help.

So I covet your prayers as your pastor. We pick up here in this chapter and we know that Peter is speaking to the persecuted church.

We know this.

Severe persecution was going on in Asia Minor at that time period. Much more severe than we know here in America. Third world countries would relate more to it. But in times of persecution and times of trials it is absolutely necessary as we would see it that God's people have adequate, solid spiritual leadership with integrity.

This is a must and it is a great need especially in our day in which we live and you know this as well there is lacking godly, God-fearing leadership within God's.

Church.

And I speak as this globally. And if judgment is to begin in God's house according to 1 Peter 4 17 because in the context when Peter says therefore that is exactly what he is referring to the therefore is speaking of 1 Peter 4 17.

And we looked at that last Lord's Day it was a heavy message but this one kind of.

Takes up.

The cart and goes right along with what is being said there that the house of God had better be in order or it will fall.

It will fall.

Unless the Lord builds the house. They that labor will labor in vain right? It has to be the Lord that has to do the building so the house will fall unless it is in order.

And.

God is God of order. He has a lot to say about leadership and by the way great will be the fall of it and Jesus spoke of that didn't he in the Sermon on the Mount in his conclusion about giving an analogy of the two houses one builds on the sand one builds on the rock.

We better make sure that our foundation is solid and that foundation must be Jesus Christ Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone and none other. And we are at the early stages of even just a few couple years, three years as Redeeming Grace Church and I am telling you folks we will not have a substantial house building up unless it is founded on Jesus Christ.

It is not founded on the preacher is it? It is not founded on myself it is not founded on you or me it is founded on the Lord Jesus Christ and that is what gives it stability. Well Peter has much to say about leadership.

We don't want to fall apart do we? We want to stand on the rock and that is Jesus Christ and actually this explains why the apostle Peter wrote this special message to leaders in chapter 5 in order to encourage them and that is what he is doing.

There are exhortations he says. I exhort he is given an encouragement to do the work of the Lord in God's way and to do it faithfully.

Faithfully.

Thus when Peter has urged his readers to steadfastness and suffering he now turns to the officers the elders of the church of God to urge upon them faithfulness faithfulness and the discharge of their duties.

I was reading R .C. Sproul's commentary on this. I bought this at the G3 and it has been really a blessing. I have been reading Sproul and MacArthur and several other great commentaries along and this is what Sproul said about this particular text and the introduction.

To it. He says.

Quote judgment begins with us. Christians demonstrate a tendency at times to try to serve as judges of the world.

But God is the judge.

We are called to be vessels of his mercy even to those outside of the community of faith. If we do judge we must begin with ourselves for we bear a greater responsibility than those who are in the world as we are taught.

And he is speaking of what Jesus says in Luke 12 48 here. Everyone to whom much is given from him much will be required. We who enjoy being special recipients of the grace of God should have no room for a judgmental spirit quote he says there but for the grace of God go I says the old.

Adage and.

Speaking of one of his rivals Winston Churchill once said there but for the grace of God.

Goes God and he ends.

This introduction here by saying we live by grace and by grace alone. End quote. And I believe that is excellent. Well said. Of going into this wonderful chapter. 1 Peter chapter 5. Now as we come to this final chapter beloved of this wonderful book it contains exhortations and greetings.

This is the way he closes it out and that is appropriate. And of course it is the Holy Spirit of God that is leading him to write this. Right. He writes it and the Holy Spirit of God.

He is moved by the Holy Ghost.

God is moving him breathing upon him. We know that all scripture is inspired of God right. God breathes upon him and God has given him the wisdom to exhort the elders first of all.

So he.

Starts with leadership. He is passing this down.

So.

This is an introduction of our series. Here I am just going to cover some points. We are going to just highlight I am going to highlight some things that stood out to me. We are going to go to some Old Testament verses to kind of shed some light on what is said because I don't know about you.

When we go to the Old Testament that sheds so much light on what is being said to the context and I want to do that this morning. So first there is a word for the elders and by the way of the authority he is an apostle but he doesn't bring that title.

In here.

In this.

First.

Peter of chapter 5 he says this to his readers. That way he introduces himself. Therefore I exhort to the elders among you as your fellow elder. Your fellow elder. And then he says. And witness of the sufferings of Christ.

And then he goes on to say. And a partaker of the glory that is to be revealed I love that don't you fellow elder.

That is humility. That is humility.

As pastor.

John MacArthur preached a whole sermon on this and I highly recommend that you listen to it whenever you can. It is called the first law of ministry and the first law of ministry is always humility. That is where it begins and that needs to be exactly where it needs to stay the first law of ministry.

And the apostle Peter knows this. And what a far far far cry from claiming to be a supreme apostle a head apostle. He doesn't do that. Does he he doesn't introduce himself. I am the supreme apostle. I am the head apostle.

The apostle Peter. No. I am your fellow elder. I am your fellow elder. What a what a introduction to the elders as he writes and charges them and exhorts them. And he also says I am a witness. Peter saw first hand the chief shepherd himself Jesus Christ die and suffer and shed his precious blood on the cross of Calvary for the sheep of his pasture.

I am telling you. And this was branded in his memory. Folks this is in this chapter as he speaks about shepherds.

And sheep so we need to.

Keep that in mind this is in his memory and the memory that he has is the infinite tender.

Meek.

Love of Jesus Christ toward his church toward his sheep and it constrains him to care for the church the faithful as being an under shepherd. And there will be more things we are going to have to say about that after a while but as we go through this concluding chapter I personally believe it is absolutely vital and I am going to just highlight I like to do this later on more.

There is so much of what the gospels say about the life of Peter. We know this right and it is encouraging but I think it is absolutely vital as we look into 1 Peter 5 to bring out some of Peter's personal experiences that he had with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Again Peter did not introduce himself in this letter as a head apostle right or a great spiritual leader someone that would want to sit on Moses' seat to be seen. No he simply says I am your fellow elder.

So he mentions the fact that he had a personal witness of Christ's sufferings. What comes to mind. Go with me real. Quickly to Matthew. Matthew chapter 26. This is of his personal witness to the sufferings of Jesus.

I like to just.

Highlight some things.

Here and.

This is very critical you know as well as I do that Matthew chapter 26 this is at the end of Jesus' ministry. You have the plot of the leaders of the Sanhedrin.

Caiaphas.

Plotting to kill Jesus to seize him by stealth and to kill him and to put him to death. So they've already had this in mind. And then we have the story the wonderful story of Mary anointing Jesus for burial.

Then we see Judas he agrees to portray our Lord. Then the Passover is prepared all in God's timing. Here because Jesus is the Passover lamb the Passover is celebrated and there we have the Lord's supper is.

Instituted and then.

As you read further there's a lot in this chapter. Peter's denial is predicted about Jesus himself and that's what I want to speak about briefly if you look at chapter 26 look at verse 30. After singing a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Then Jesus said to them.

You will all fall.

Away because of me this night for it is written I will strike down the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.

And.

Then he says but after I have been raised I don't even know if they were understanding what he was actually saying but he was talking about being raised from the dead after his crucifixion. I will go ahead of you to Galilee but Peter said to him even though all may fall away because of you I will never fall away.

You.

Sense pride here take heed. Least you think you stand you fall and notice what Jesus said in verse 34 Jesus said to him surely I say to you that this very night before a rooster crows you will deny me three times and Peter said to him almost like he's arguing with the Lord could you imagine the brazenness of this even if I have to die.

With you.

I will not deny you. And all the disciples said the same thing too. So here he's the head spokesman he's the head apostle and he's speaking for the rest of them and all the rest of them kind of agree right with him.

I'll stop right there on the comments there but let me bring out a few things. It's interesting how verse 36 reads. You don't see Jesus arguing with him.

He's not.

Jesus doesn't stop.

And say hold on.

This isn't.

Going to turn out the way you think it's going to turn out. No verse 36 just says this. Then Jesus came with him to a place called.

Gethsemane and said.

To his disciples sit here while I go over there and pray he doesn't waste his time because he knows he must spend time in prayer. To his father there's a greater.

There's a greater plan.

There's a greater command that the father had given him. And then it says in verse 37 he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee that's James and John and he began to be grieved and distressed.

And then he said to them my soul is deeply grieved to the point of death remain here and keep watch with me. And then it says he went a little further. I love that he went a little further. Here he comes.

This is a frequent meeting place in Gethsemane. Gethsemane means the oil press and Jesus and his disciples and this is a place that Jesus came.

Often. Gethsemane.

And he goes to pray. He fell on his face. And there these apostles.

Especially.

Get my words out here. Especially Peter James and John witnesses the sufferings of Jesus. He was grieved he was distressed.

He says.

As Jesus said my soul is deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and watch keep watch with me beloved. Let me say this. Jesus was grieved to the point here and it was not necessarily.

The anguish.

Of physical pain that he was about to approach. It was not just the physical sufferings it was actually the sufferings of the cross the deep grief the point of death of sorrow that Jesus would take within the next few hours and drink of the full cup of the divine fury of the wrath of God himself for our sins.

And that's what Jesus was grieved about to the point of death he would take. He would become he that knew no sin would become sin to be that sacrificial lamb offering to the father to offer up on a cross on a cross.

And this is exactly what 1 Peter 5 Peter says to the elders that he was a witness of the sufferings of Christ. And I really believe Peter's mind was going here to this point. So it's interesting also when Peter speaks about a witness he gives us the English word martyr.

That's where we get the word martyr. And we think of a martyr as one who gives his life he dies for Jesus Christ. And that's exactly right. And Peter did that as historically Jewish tradition.

Says that.

He was crucified upside down because he said he was not worthy to be crucified like his master he was a martyr. He was a true witness but he also was a witness in the sense that he was witnessing and he had seen and heard these things he gave witness.

I like.

I like what Acts 1 .8 says.

You shall be.

Talks about the filling of the Holy Ghost. You shall be filled with the Holy Ghost you shall be witnesses unto me. Jesus said witnesses unto me so it's unto the Lord first and foremost right before the face of God.

It's also interesting to read that 1 Peter 5 in the light of Peter's personal experiences with Jesus and actually 1 Peter 5 .1 takes us to Gethsemane and Calvary.

That's what he's thinking of.

But he also speaks about the glory that is to be revealed. The glory that is to be revealed. What does that remind you. The mount of transfiguration. The mount of transfiguration that is given to us in the account of Matthew 17.

Go to Matthew 17. Go back a few pages. Let's read this. I'm just going to read 5 verses. There's so much that can be said here. Now he's speaking about him.

Being a witness.

Of the sufferings of Christ but he was also a witness of the glory that shall be revealed. This glory was.

Bursting out of Jesus.

And he witnessed it and the apostles referred to this Peter being one of them. Notice in.

Verse 1.

6 days later Jesus took with him Peter and James and John the same 3 those of the inner circle those were the 3 that was really watching and they were right there at the feet of Jesus witnessing all that he had to reveal to them and his brother John his brother and led them up on a high mountain by themselves and he was transfigured before them.

And the scripture.

Says in his face shone like the sun just like in revelation folks. His garments became as white as light.

The.

Glory was literally bursting out of him. And behold Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him. Peter said to Jesus. And now Peter kind of gets carried away here. Once again he gets in the flesh.

Right. Who can we say you know about this. You know he's the apostle. And he gets in the flesh. How many times do we get in the flesh. The Lord has to straighten us out. But notice how the Lord straightens him out.

He says this Lord it is good for us to be here if you wish. I will make 3 tabernacles here one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.

He gets all carried away.

With the Old Testament prophets they're literally seeing and it's just.

A mountain.

Top experience. Right. And then in verse 5 it says while he was still speaking he was still saying this.

A bright cloud.

This is actually the glory of God the Father that overshadowed them. And then behold a voice.

Out of the.

Cloud said this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him I don't know about you. If I heard the audible voice of God come out of a bright cloud like that I'd be terrified. And that's exactly that was his reaction in verse 6.

When the disciples heard this they felled face down to the ground and were terrified. Literally what the scripture.

Says.

And Jesus came to them and touched them now don't you love this. The tenderness of Jesus. He touched them and said get up and do not be afraid and lifting up their eyes I love this don't you. They saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

That's what the church needs to see. Nothing but Jesus himself alone. No glory to any preacher.

No glory to any great.

Spokesman no glory to anybody only to Jesus Christ and him alone. I love this. And of course they came down from the mountain and right back into the valley where real ministry really takes place but this was a witness of the glory that is to be revealed.

Peter speaks about that. Right. And he also speaks about it in 2 Peter. Go with me quickly to 2 Peter and we're heading that direction. We'll be looking at this Lord willing later on. But if you notice in 2 Peter chapter 1 look at verse 15.

Verse 15. I believe I'm in the right location here.

Yes 2.

18 and I will also be diligent that at the time of any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind for we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but we were eyewitnesses we he's speaking of James he's speaking of John and himself that we were eyewitnesses of his majesty for when he received honor and glory from God the Father such an utterance.

As this was made to.

Him by the majestic glory and notice. Peter is referring to this that rebuke was to him this is my beloved son with whom I'm well pleased and we ourselves heard this utterance and made from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

So he makes reference to.

That in.

2 Peter. But the main emphasis that Peter is speaking of back in our text especially in verse 2 of chapter 5 is on the shepherd and the sheep. It certainly brings to mind as brother Keith brought out today John chapter 10.

You read that whole chapter you see the good shepherd the sheep of God's pasture. It certainly brings to our mind that wonderful chapter doesn't it. And Psalm 23 as well our Lord's admonition to Peter and John as well.

John chapter 21 verse 15 through 17 don't have to turn there. But where Jesus is given a series of questions I think this is very important to restore him back. After he denied the Lord three times he asked Peter a very probing question do you love me.

Do you love me. I want to just paraphrase this. After they had finished breakfast they had breakfast. So we know it's in the morning Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon son of John do you love me. More than these.

That's the first one. More than these. And you know I never thought of this. What is he referring to. The these. More than these. Well if you look at the context of that in that chapter he's referring to his job his profession as a fisherman.

How do we know this. Because Peter went right back to fishing.

We know.

That right and.

So.

Jesus is.

Point blank getting right down to his loves. What do you really love. Do you really love me. Peter and Peter responds and said to him yes Lord you know that I love you you know it.

Jesus.

Said to him. And we know he says this three times you know feed my sheep feed me but the first one I love he says tend to my lambs tend to my lambs. Now let's look at that. Here is a pastoral word tend tend tend to them which conveys the idea of being completely devoted to the Lord's supper.

I'm sorry to the Lord's service as an under shepherd who truly cares for his flock and that is spoken about in our text in first Peter 5. It's a beautiful word isn't it.

Tend tend to.

Tend a pastoral word tend being tender.

Tender.

The word has the idea of constantly feeding constantly nourishing constantly caring constantly loving care and love and nourishing the sheep. You take care of my sheep. Jesus is saying you take care.

Of them.

And you know a lot of people doesn't get this but there's another text I think it's right before or it could be after. I think it's after. I'm not sure you can look. It says Jesus breathed on them he breathed on them and he says receive you the Holy Ghost.

And I always wondered about that text but actually studying that I recall.

Jesus was.

Actually.

Almost giving them the authority as apostles to almost passing the baton as Jesus is the good shepherd the chief shepherd he's the head shepherd he's the great shepherd of the sheep and he's passing that baton and that responsibility to the apostles.

You tend to my sheep you take care of them you see to it that they are fed the word of God they are cared for they are.

Shepherds serve them.

Serve them. And by the way this is a reminder that the primary duty of the messenger of the Lord Jesus Christ is to preach the word.

Of God.

Is not this lacking today in the church today now. There's stories and myths and fables and Paul the apostle says this to young Timothy in 2nd Timothy chapter 4. You know this wonderful chapter I would call this this is a very important all of it's important right.

But you're looking at the last will and testament of the apostle.

Paul.

Paul charges young Timothy in chapter 4. He charges them. This is what he says. I solemnly charge you and notice the charge in the presence of God in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to be to judge the living and the dead speaks a lot about the coming of the Lord doesn't it.

He's going to be the judge of the living and the dead and by his appearing and his kingdom. And then this is what he says you to do Timothy.

Preach the word.

Preach the word be ready in season and out of season. And then he says this reprove rebuke exhort with great patience in other words with long suffering great patience.

So.

The leader must be patient.

He.

Is to reprove rebuke exhort all in love with great patience. He never does it out of just a ill will or anger or hot temper but he's to do it for the good of the sheep and also with instruction. And then he says this for the time will come notice that it might come it will come.

We're here.

We're here right here. Listen to this. The time will come when they will not endure. Sound doctrine.

Do we see this today.

People do not want to hear about the judgment to come. They don't want to hear about the wrath of God. They don't want to hear about repentance. They don't want to hear about hell the reality of hell.

They don't want to hear about the sufferings of Christ and the sufferings of God's people. This is a reality. You read the word of God's sufferings all through this book. They don't want to hear about the doctrine of eternal security or the doctrine of eternal salvation.

They don't want to hear about the coming of Jesus Christ. I'm telling you folks we're here. Sound doctrine the full counsel of God. They will not endure. Sound doctrine but what is it they want to hear.

He tells us they want to have their ears tickled. A true preacher like Ravenhill says a true man of God that's called is not commissioned to scratch those ears but wanting to have their ears tickled. Do we see this today.

People want to hear what they want to hear from motivational speakers. Tell me what you I don't care if they get and wave a bible. That's that's. That's one of the gimmicks of a false teacher. That's sheep's clothing.

And yet behind the scene these false teachers are hirelings. And they're making billions of dollars off God's people robbing them. They're going to answer to God folks and God's the judge. But listen to this.

They're wanting to have their ears tickled. They will accumulate for themselves for themselves. They love these preachers. Tell me what I want to what makes me feel good.

Accumulate.

For themselves teachers and coordinates to their own desires and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. Are we there folks. We are there. We are. Seeing this in proportion.

Great proportions. Charles Spurgeon said this in his day quote. Time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep the church will have clowns entertaining the goats. God help us. God have mercy on us.

When I read this and the soberness of this and we see in the opposite it honestly makes me want to fall on my face and just cry.

I mean that.

Beloved sadly say we are living in that day we're witnessing this. It's a judgment. It's a judgment from God. May God have mercy on us. But back to 1 Peter 5 1 he speaks to elders pastors bishops presbyters they should be faithful shepherds.

Faithful shepherds after the heart of God. That reminds me of a wonderful go with me to Jeremiah chapter 3. We're going to go to the Old Testament. Now I'll look at Jeremiah chapter 3. Just touch on this real quickly.

Supposedly what's going to happen in the millennium. But that's debatable right. As we already studied about the millennium people have so many different interpretations about the millennium. But regardless of the interpretation of that notice what the word of God says in verse 11 chapter 3.

And the Lord said to me faithless Israel have proved herself more righteous than treacherous.

Judah.

Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say and notice what the Lord says. He tells them to say this return. Return that's another word in the Old Testament means repent. You turn from your wicked ways.

That's conversion. You turn from it. Turn faithless Israel. Faithless Israel declares the Lord I will not look upon you in anger. Notice how gracious God is.