Today we will focus on 1 Peter 5:1-11

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: (1)

…shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; (2)

…not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (3-4)

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (5)

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (6-7)

Be sober-minded; be watchful Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (8)

Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. (9)

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (10-11)

On the surface this appears to be a relatively short and simple passage…

shepherds (elders) and the sheep (body of believers). A passage clarifying the church structure and the roles of the shepherds (elders) and the sheep (body of believers).

However there is much more going on in the passage than meets the eye.

This passage does center on a focused group of people…

Sheep (local body of believers) Believers (universal) Shepherds (elders) Sheep (local body of believers) Believers (universal)

shepherds & the sheep and the global body of believers. The passage does highlight a number of straightforward topics relating to both the shepherds & the sheep and the global body of believers.

Leadership Submission Humility Spiritual Warfare Suffering

Each of these groups of people and each of these topics are very important.

However, it could be easily overlooked that there is a very significant thread woven thought-out the entire passage.

This thread is actually the glue or cement which holds all of the arguments Peter is making together!

The section we are studying is only 11 verses long… however this thread is mentioned in 4 verses…

And this thread is mentioned in relationship to each group of people and in relationship to each topic.

What is this thread?

…as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed… (1)

…you will receive the unfading crown of glory… (4)

…so that at the proper time he may exalt you… (6)

…who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you… (10)

promised future reward of receiving and partaking in This thread is the promised future reward of receiving and partaking in the glory of God.

This thread is the promised future reward of having your faith validated before the judge and your obedience's vindicated before your enemies.

This thread becomes the reason and the motivator as to why elders should shepherd in a certain kind of way…

Because they are promised that; their shepherding unto the will of God will be rewarded with the coronation of God’s own glory!

This thread becomes the reason and the motivator as to why the church should humbly submit in a certain kind of way…

Because they are promised that; their humble submission unto the structure & design of God will result in their eternal exaltation!

This thread becomes the reason and the motivator as to why believers should stand strong against the devil and also be willing to suffer for the Lord…

Because they are promised that; their strong stand and their suffering will result in their eternal glorification and restoration.

calls to action… that is; things that we are supposed to get doing? Why did we take all this time to talk about this thread when the passage is full of directives & calls to action… that is; things that we are supposed to get doing?

Shepherd the flock (2) Exercise oversight (2) Do not domineer (3) Be an example (4)

Suffer a little while (10) Humble yourselves (6) Be sober-minded (8) Resist the devil (9) Suffer a little while (10)

Why didn’t we just jump into describing what it means to; shepherd the flock, be sober-minded and resist the devil?

Correct action, flows from correct thinking.

Many Christians may be frustrated with their lack of follow through in obedience and with their progress in sanctification.

And as a result, many Christians are always looking for a new method or a new technique in applying the word of God...

However, what is really needed is a new mentality towards God!

is a true and lasting motive What is really needed is a true and lasting motive for obedience!

What is missing is a correct understanding of the benefits of obedience!

Peter understands this! Peter understands that believers will struggle in their obedience to God, especially in the midst of hardship, if they are simply obeying out of duty & obligation or for ‘God’s benefit’ alone.

He must remember that he will be given a crown of glory! Peter knows that if the elder is going to shepherd with mercy in the midst of difficulty… He must remember that he will be given a crown of glory!

sober-minded with urgency… Peter knows that if the believer is going to submit to leadership with humility and be sober-minded with urgency… He/she must believe that God will exalt over them in eternity.

He/she must believe that God will grant them a share in his glory. Peter knows that if the believer is going resist the devil fervently and be willing to suffer unjustly… He/she must believe that God will grant them a share in his glory.

To the elder who is struggling to lead in a gracious way…

To the elder who is having difficulty because of their domineering ways….

Remember daily, that God will give you an incredible eternal reward in the form of a crown of glory. A crown that will never be taken away, a crown that will never rust or rot or depreciate.

To the believer who is struggling to submit to authority…

To the believer who is having difficulty in humbling themselves….

Remember daily, that the God of the universe promises to exalt over you because of your humble submission to his will and his structure.

To the believer who is struggling to resist the temptations that Satan is hurling at you…

To the believer who is having difficulty persevering under intense trials and tribulations…

Remember daily, that the God of the universe promises to restore you and to reward all good done in his name and punish all evil done against you.

Application

we must motivate ourselves with proper motivations for obedience. #1 If we are going to have regular success in the process of personal spiritual growth… we must motivate ourselves with proper motivations for obedience.

#2 The most productive motivation for obeying the Lord is reminding ourselves of what God has promised to do and be for those who obey.

#3 We must remind ourselves daily & momentarily, especially when faced with any kind of temptation or hardship, of how God promises to reward the faithful believer.

#4 To elders and other leaders; Before making a decision on a particular matter, make sure that you put yourselves in the place of the people who it affects the most.

#5 To elders and other leaders; Take time to build genuine and lasting relationship with those whom you are leading. Sheep are more willing to follow a shepherd that they know loves them.

#6 To believers in a local body; It is much easier to submit to leadership when you know them personally. Take time to invest in your relationship with your leaders. Get to know who they are.

#7 To believers in a local body; Rather than focusing on the weaknesses that you don’t appreciate in a certain leader…make a practice of trying to learn from their strengths.

pray to the Lord, and cast all #8 To believers in a local body; When you face various difficulties concerning your leaders, or you are up against discouragement in life… pray to the Lord, and cast all of your concerns on him!

#9 To those battling Satan; Hidden within every temptation is a well crafted lie which says ‘Obeying God is not as fulfilling or rewarding as this act of disobedience’ …the sooner you identify the lie, the better your chances are.

#10 To those battling Satan; Do not resist him alone. Fight the battle for faith in the context of community. We are stronger against the enemy when we are battling together. Find someone who is serious in resisting Satan alongside of you.

#11 To those facing suffering; Remind yourself that everyone will face some form of suffering and everyone will eventually die… how much better it is then to suffer for righteousness sake than for self & sin.

#12 To the universal church; Remind yourself that Christ is coming soon and we will all stand before God… and in that day we will all wish we had obeyed more closely, submitted more gladly & suffered more willingly. In that day we will all say “It was worth it!”