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 of 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 here is 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 when

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? 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, in 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.

God is God of order. He has a lot to say about leadership.

And by the way, great will be the fall of it. Jesus spoke of that 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 do not 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. 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's 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's excellent. It's 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's appropriate. And of course it's the Holy Spirit of God that's leading him to write this, right?

He writes it and the Holy Spirit of God, he's 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's passing this down. So this is an introduction of our series here.

I'm just going to cover some points. We're going to just highlight, I'm going to highlight some things that stood out to me.

We're going to go to some Old Testament verses to kind of shed some light on what it 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's 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, and 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's humility. That's humility.

As Pastor John MacArthur preached a whole sermon on this and I highly recommend that you listen to it whenever you can.

It's called the first law of ministry. And the first law of ministry is always humility.

That's 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 introduction to the elders as he writes and charges them and exhorts them.

And he also says, I'm a witness. Peter saw firsthand 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'm 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'll be more things we're going to have to say about that after a while. But as we go through this concluding chapter,

I personally believe it's absolutely vital and I'm going to just highlight, I like to do this later on, more.

There's so much of what the gospels say about the life of Peter.

We know this, right? And it's encouraging. But I think it's 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. And again, Peter did not introduce himself in this letter as a head apostle, right?

Or a great spiritual leader. As someone that would want to sit on Moses' seat to be seen.

No. He simply says, I'm your fellow elder. I'm 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'd 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 betray 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 have been raised.

I don't even know if they were understanding what he was actually saying. But he was telling me I'm being raised from the dead after his crucifixion.

I will go ahead of you to Galilee. But Peter said to him, even though all my, 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 is, 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 off!

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 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 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 1 is saying. 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. 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 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, that 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 five 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 refer to this. Peter being one of them.

Notice in verse 1. Six days later, Jesus took with him

Peter and James and John. The same three. Those of the inner circle. Those were the three 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. And 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 them out. He says this. Lord, it is good for us to be here if you wish.

I will make three 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 singing and it's just a mountaintop 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 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 fell face down to the ground and were terrified. It's 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.

I believe I'm in the right location here. Yes.

2 Peter 1. 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.

That 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. That 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.

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 1st 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.

Caring 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 is 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. I always wondered about that text. But actually as 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 shepherded. 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 2

Timothy chapter 4. You know this wonderful chapter and 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 in 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 an 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. Beloved 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. Suffering is 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 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 makes me feel good. Accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.

And we'll turn away their ears from the truth. And we'll 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. 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 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. This is 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 of 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. For I am gracious declares the Lord. I am gracious.

First He gives us that's His character. God's character. He's gracious. And then

He says I will not be angry forever. And notice what He says in verse 13.

Only acknowledge your iniquity. Confess. Own up to it. Acknowledge your iniquity.

That you have transgressed against the Lord your God. And have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree.

And you have not obeyed my voice declares the Lord. Return oh faithless sons declares the

Lord. For I am a master to you. And I will take you one from a city and two from a family.

And I will bring you to Zion. And here's the verse that comes to my mind. And then I will give you shepherds after my own heart.

After my own heart. Who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.

May God give us shepherds after His own heart. Amen. Now there's another

Old Testament passage and I want to spend a little bit more time here. Not much time there. It's the book of Ezekiel.

Go with me to Ezekiel chapter 34. We're going to look more through this because this is,

I'm telling you, we could camp right here folks. This whole chapter deals with prophecies against shepherds of Israel.

And this is very sobering. And as I was studying this, I found myself on my face.

I'm serious. I was pleading to the Lord and said Lord help me. Help me not to be self -centered.

But help me to give to God's people. This whole chapter in Ezekiel speaks of the shepherds, the rulers in that day that were interested in themselves and folks in themselves only.

They were self -centered. And not in the welfare of the sheep of God's of the people of God.

They were neglected. The sheep of God's people were neglected of God's pasture. They were neglected.

And they were ruled over harshly. Isn't that what a hireling does?

He drives them. He's harsh over them. He's domineering over them. He lords over them.

That's what Peter used. And the sheep became scattered. God allowed them to be scattered.

And by the way, that in God's sovereignty, God was protecting His sheep. Isn't that amazing how God works in His sovereignty?

They're scattered but actually that scattering was a protection. I want you to see this.

So they were ruled over and even to this day folks, any leader in the church has not learned this lesson of servant.

Being a servant. But listen to God's word. Look at verse, let me begin verse 1.

Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, Son, a man prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, thus says the

Lord God, woe. Now, that woe, you know what that woe means. That's a curse.

That's not a blessing. There's woes given to them. Shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves.

They've been feeding themselves. They haven't been feeding the flock of God. Should not the shepherds feed the flock?

That's God speaking. Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool?

Notice this, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. Those who are sickly, you have not strengthened.

The diseased, you have not healed. The broken, you have not bound up. The scattered, you have not brought back.

Nor have you sought for the lost. But with force, notice that, with force and with severity, you have dominated them.

God sees they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd. And they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered.

My flock wandered through all the mountains on every hill, high hill.

My flock was scattered all over the surface of the earth and there was no one to search or seek for them.

No one cared, but God cared. God cared. When leadership was not being godly and caring for God's people, they were looking out only for themselves, the leaders who cared all about their own belly and about their own selfish needs.

And then in verse 7, therefore you shepherds hear the word of the Lord as I live, declares the Lord God surely because my flock has become a prey, my flock has even become food for all of the beasts of the field for the lack of a shepherd.

And my shepherds did not search for my flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed my flock.

Therefore you shepherds hear the word of the Lord, thus says the Lord God. Behold, I am against the shepherds and I would demand my sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep.

So the shepherds would not feed themselves anymore. But I would deliver my flock from their mouth so that they would not be food for them.

Stop right there. Just for a second and just briefly mention something here.

You know it's sad that God has given warning here. He's telling them I'm going to remove them from you.

If you don't feed them, God says I'll take care of them. This is really a good word because we see a lot of hirelings and false shepherds today and God knows how to take care of His own.

These shepherds, these false shepherds, these hirelings, they were only concerned for their own self and you know, what do you see here?

You don't see servants being a faithful servant here. Faithful servant?

A hireling's not a faithful servant. All he cares about himself. The leaders they confused their service with means of gain.

That's what Peter was talking about. Means of gain. The Old King James says, point direct, filthy lucre.

They fell into laziness. They fell into loving, they loved money, sordid gain and they were just like Balaam.

False. This is false teachers, always motivated by money. Isn't that the truth?

Money motivates them. And by the way, they also use and abuse their power and position and their authority because they're in rank.

They're somebody now to rob people of their own wealth and take their money from them so they can live like kings.

Now, let me say this beloved, and I'll say this with all the love in me. Scripture is very clear that churches should pay their shepherds and take care of the shepherds.

That's in 1 Corinthians 9, 7 -14, that's in 1 Timothy 5, 17 and 18 and you find it in other places in the scriptures but let me say this, but having a desire for undeserved money to get more and more and more never ever should be a motive for ministers to serve.

You see this in 1 Timothy 6 as comes to mind.

Let me read it to you. Paul's talking to the leadership error and greed.

And he says, but godliness actually is a means of great gain. And he says, when accompanied by contentment.

We have brought nothing into this world so we cannot take anything out either. He's speaking about this to the church.

If we have food and covering with these we should be content but those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

And then he says, for the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith.

He's talking about the leaders in the church and have pierced themselves with many griefs.

And the positive to that, he says, but flee from these things. Run from these things.

You run from it. Man of God. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

Fight the good fight of faith and take hold of eternal life to which you were called. And you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

See what he's saying? Back to Ezekiel. Heraldings do this all in the name of God.

And I tell you, that makes me tremble. And you think of it, they do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and he was the one that said, foxes have holes and the birds have nests, but the son of man doesn't have a place to lay his head.

I'm telling you, God sees these things and God will judge rightly. That's why the scripture says, judgment vengeance is the

Lord's. We don't have to worry about it. God will take care of it. Notice in verse 11.

The Lord allowed the flock to be scattered first in order to prevent further damage. God knows how to protect

His people. God knows how to protect His people from false teachers. Now, we're talking about the false shepherds, the false heraldings, those that are in it for the money.

Commentator Yates says this, describes this situation quite well. I looked this up and a good commentator, and he said this.

A heart -rending picture is painted of unfaithful preachers of Ezekiel because they flock or scattered unattended.

They're hungry while selfish shepherds pamper themselves in lull and idleness and luxury without any thought of their responsibility.

They are careful to look out for their own food and clothing and comfort, but no one else is to be considered for a minute.

We see this, but there's something good here I want you to see. In verses 7 through 10,

God Himself is He is absolutely God is determined to rescue His sheep from false shepherds.

But all the time He has blessing in mind. God wants to bless His people so He will gather the sheep and take care of the individual needs.

And the greatest need of all is that beautiful and wonderful intimate relationship that God has with His sheep.

And it's a sweet blessed communion. Isn't that the most sweetest of all? That we know

Jesus in personal likeness and communion and to know

Him. Notice what He says. For thus says the Lord God.

Behold, in verse 11 Behold I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out. It's like Jesus is referred to this in Luke chapter 15.

As the shepherd as the picture is given that the shepherd goes after the sheep. And notice what He says in verse 12.

As the shepherd cares for His herd in the day and He is among His scattered sheep. So I want you to pay attention to the

I wills that God speaks here. So I will care for my sheep and I and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.

I will bring them out of the peoples from the peoples and gather them from my countries and bring them to their own land.

I will feed them on the mountains of Israel by the streams and all the inhabited places of the land.

I will feed them in the good pasture and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel and they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel.

Look at verse 15. And I will feed my flock and I will lead them to rest declares the

Lord God. I will seek the broken and strengthen the sick but the fat of the strong and I will destroy and I will feed them with judgment.

Let me stop right there. This is so beautiful. It goes on even to verse 23 and 24 speaks as a prophecy of Jesus Christ and I will set over them one shepherd.

That's Jesus. He's the great shepherd. One shepherd. My servant. David he will feed them and will feed them himself and be their shepherd and I the

Lord will be their God and my servant David will be prince among them. I the

Lord have spoken. I'm telling you God knows how to take care of his own and he has the great shepherd of the sheep to look after him.

Evangelist D .L. Moody pointed this out in an outline of a sermon that he preached.

I love Moody because he was so simple, full of the Holy Ghost that he brings attention to the

I wills of God. I couldn't help compare of Isaiah. I think it's Isaiah 19 maybe

I'm not sure. Is it? Yeah about Satan and Lucifer and Lucifer makes those declarations in heaven and he says

I will come up against the most high. I will sit in the heaven. All the self -centeredness but God speaks of I wills here of taking care of his people.

The Lord God on behalf of his sheep, the shepherd and the sheep and this is what

Moody outlined. Listen to this in verse 11 I will search them and seek them out.

Verse 12 I will deliver them. Verse 13 I will bring them out. Verse 13

I will gather them together. Verse 13 I will bring them in. Verse 14

I will feed them. Verse 15 I will cause them to lie down. Verse 16 I will bind up the broken.

Verse 16 I will strengthen the sick. I will deliver. I will bring them out.

I will gather them together. I will. God when God says that he knows he will do it.

Hallelujah. Think of this and Moody said this there are good many lean sheep in God's fold but none in his pasture.

Hallelujah. And then you have 17 -24 the

Lord God also will save his true sheep from the false shepherds that are self centered and cruel.

And then that wonderful prophecy in verse 23 and 24. Notice if you go back to 1

Peter 5 verse 3 Peter says this about lording it over those allotted to your charge.

Lording it over to those that's what he's speaking about those in Ezekiel and that's why I went to Ezekiel 34 because Peter speaks about those that were lording, that were dominating implying leadership that was abusing their authority in the name of God in the ministry to manipulate and to intimidate

God's people. I'm telling you God's going to make sure that these people give an account and it makes me tremble and that's why

James says there should not be many leaders in the church. Now if you desire to be a pastor you desire a good thing but James basically says you need to be careful because I'm telling you much more responsibility is going to come to you on judgment day.

Much is given much will be required. Peter warns against laziness of the ministry he warns against dishonest finances assorted gain filthy lucre in the ministry and also he warns here about lording over those that God has allotted to your charge.

You're responsible pastor. Abuse of authority. We see too much of this today.

It's diametrically opposed to what Jesus our Lord taught. Jesus taught the opposite. Jesus taught the first law of ministry humility.

Go quickly to Luke 22 my time is running out but go with me to Luke 22.

I want you to see this. Now the disciples argued over who would be the greatest.

The disciples were talking about who's going to be the greatest. How that must aggrieve

Jesus our Lord that they were talking about this. Disciples arguing over who is going to be the greatest in the kingdom of God.

Look at verse 24 chapter 22 and there arose also a dispute a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be the greatest.

And he said to them notice the wisdom of Jesus here as a loving godly shepherd the kings of the gentiles lorded over them and those who have authority over them who are called benefactors.

But it is not this way with you but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest and the leader like the servant for who is greater the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves?

Is it not the one who reclines at the table? And then he gives us the answer but I am among you as the one who serves.

Do you see this? Let me touch on a few things here. Benefactors.

That word benefactors. Now this argument just came up I believe right after Jesus washed their feet.

Jesus speaks about the kingdom of God and Jesus actually taught them about true humility but they just went right over their head.

Jesus even washed their feet. Imagine the son of God himself stooping to wash your feet.

Verse 25 benefactors. You know it's actually heathen rulers lords over their people like champions.

Jesus says but that's not the way it is with you. But the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, the leader like a servant.

And that is reference to him washing feet by the way. Jesus modeled this perfectly and then he gives them two questions for who is greater the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves?

Is it not the one who reclines at the table? No. But I am among you as the one who serves.

There's the answer. Humility. Humility. Oh how we need this in leadership beloved.

Now what does Peter have to say about this? Peter says a great deal about it and my time is gone and I'm going to close with this.

I got much much more to say. I was going to go to Acts chapter 20. We can pick up there next

Lord's Day. But let me close and give you this thought right here okay? And this is so critical.

It's humility. It's to humble. How many times in scripture that God speaks about humble yourself.

Humble yourself. Humble yourselves. Blessed are the what? Poor in spirit.

You must be bankrupt. You must be broken. You must be you must come to God broken and Peter says this.

If you go back and read what Peter says in context and he's exhorting the elders and all of you.

All of you. He says yes first the elders but all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.

For God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. Takes us right to John 13 doesn't it?

How Jesus washed their feet on the upper room where Jesus put on the towel he washed the young's the disciples feet.

Their dirty feet. And Peter says you clothe yourselves with humility. You put it on like you put your clothes on today.

First law of ministry. Humility humility. Every elder including myself every one of God's people humility, humility.

Clothe yourselves with humility. Literally you know what that means? In the literal translation it means to tie something on oneself like a knot in a bow.

You tie it like I tied my tie this morning and I knotted it up.

That's the way humility should be. I should be tying it up like a knot putting it on.

This term was used as a slave putting on an apron over his clothes in order to keep his clothes clean.

Humility. Meekness. Meekness is not weakness.

It's not weakness. Meekness is strength under control folks. Like a powerful horse.

That horse has great power. But if you notice a horse can keep that power under control.

Lowliness of heart. Lowliness of mind speaks up in Philippians chapter 2. Jesus said

I am meek and lowly of heart. And he says come unto me the attitude that Jesus demonstrated.

Meekness to serve and to get his hands dirty. Never will forget years ago when

I was one of the Christian missionary alliances an old missionary came up to me and I was talking to him and this man served

I'm telling you he served on the mission field for over 60 years. And I thought man what a what a great man.

I asked him I said can you give me some wisdom as a young pastor. You know what he told me?

He said pastor David he said we are all ditch diggers for the

Lord Jesus Christ. He said I'm still a ditch digger. He said that's all we are.

We dig ditches for Jesus. This is a veteran missionary for over 60 years on the mission field.

You would think oh I got experience I got credentials. Let me tell you all about it. No. He said

I am a ditch digger and that's the way we should view it. Digging ditches for Jesus Christ.

It's all worth it. God doesn't miss nothing right? Like as we saw in Ezekiel.

Well this is pretty much an overview of exhortations of shepherds. This will be part one. We can pick up with this

Lord willing next week. As we go into this series and I praise

God for this opportunity to preach the word of God to myself and to you.

And this. Because this is what we need to hear. We need to hear what

God has to say about His sheep. The sheep of His pasture. And His shepherds.

The great shepherd of the sheep. Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father we thank

You and we bow before You. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The great shepherd of the sheep.

Father we thank You that You make it so clear so simple for us. Such powerful words.

Lord Your words alone have the power to give us life. To renew us.

To restore us. To sanctify us. To cleanse us.

Like Your word says in Psalms. Your words are pure words Father. As silver tried in a furnace on the earth.

Refined seven times. And then the psalmist says, Oh Lord, You will keep them.

You will keep them. You will preserve Him from this generation forever. Lord You know how to keep

Your people. You know how to preserve them. Father we thank You that Jesus Himself even looked upon the people as a shepherd.

And as they saw as He looked at them they were like sheep. Going straight.

They were wandering away like sheep wander. They didn't know where to go. And Jesus You came to lead them and show them the way.

Lord we thank You. Lord we thank You for Jesus. The great shepherd of the sheep who cares. Who tends to His sheep.

Lord give us shepherds in Your church Lord that will serve starting with myself right here

Father to serve and to care and to be faithful and to tend to Your people.

Because one day Lord You're coming back as it already has been said on that great and glorious day when the chief shepherd shall appear in glory.

And then we're going to see Jesus face to face. Help us oh Lord to be ready. And be prepared for that great and glorious day as is promised in scripture.

Our blessed hope and we thank You. Thank You for the blood that was shed that the great shepherd of the sheep shed

His precious blood to purchase us. To purchase His people. Lord we thank