Exhortations and encouragement

Seeking for the help of the Lord, I direct your prayer for attention to 1 Peter chapter 5. We'll read for our text the first seven verses. We continue with the epistles of Peter series number 21. Ministers and the church exhorted in this passage. From verse 1, the elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint but willingly. Not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, Neither as being lords over God's heritage, But being ensembles to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, He shall receive a crown of glory That fadeth not away.

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility. For God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.

1 Peter 5 and the first 7 verses. In the first verse, the apostle gives his qualifications to exhort as he does. The chapter begins, the elders which are among you I exhort, but then he speaks of himself in three specific things. First, that he was an elder, that is, a minister. Of course, he was also an apostle. The Church of God knows two officers, an elder and a deacon, a minister and a deacon. One that ministers the word and one that looks after the temporal financial affairs of the church. Deacons first appointed to look after the widows and to order those things so that the apostles, so that the ministers could give themselves unto prayer and the ministry of the word. And so we have a distinct position that the apostle is referring to here and distinguishing it from the rest of the church as well.

So he says that he is an elder. But secondly, that he was a witness of the sufferings of Christ. Peter, of course, and as an apostle, he was truly a witness, a first-hand witness of Christ's sufferings. He saw him upon the cross. He saw him after he had been scourged. He saw him in all his sufferings in the garden, even before he came to the judgment and the cross. And he gives witness to that. Really, every one of God's servants, they are not witnesses in that same way. But as called upon to preach Christ and him crucified, We witness according to the Word of God and according to that which we ourselves have received.

And this is where Peter gives the third qualification. He says, also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. In other words, those that are called by grace, those that are appointed to minister, they are partakers already of the glory that shall be revealed. The new birth begins eternal life here below. And we are partakers of eternal life. We are partakers of the glory of God's grace, of the blessings and fruits of his death, his sufferings, his resurrection. But that glory is not yet fully revealed.

But Peter, he gives these reasons. You know, it's a solemn thing if there are those over the Church of God, who do not know of the sufferings of Christ, have not seen them by revelation, they're not in a position in the Church appointed there by God, by God's calling, and by the Church appointing them to that position, and they're not personally regenerated men and quickened into eternal life. It is vital that this be so. It's a solemn thing when there are those in public office that have not been put there by God and evidenced by their ministry, by their conduct, that they do not have these three qualifications. But Peter, he sets this forth first.

And so, in one sense, First exhortation is to those the same as himself. So I want to look with the Lord's help at these three things that he covers. Three exhortations. First one is specific to a minister or an elder. The second is to the younger or the church understood as all others apart from the elder. and then the third in exhortation to all, the minister and the church alike.

But firstly he has a word to those in the same position as himself, and one cannot help feeling when we come to words like this and thinking of what we have had on our mind in going through these epistles. Peter's commission was to feed my sheep and feed my lambs, feed the people of God, It was also to strengthen the brethren. And so very much in this chapter, in the beginning of the chapter, he's directly addressing this in exhortation, but also in feeding the flock of God. So that's the first charge that he exhorts them to do.

You might think, how could it ever be possible that one be put in a position of an elder, should know something of the sufferings of Christ, and be a real partaker of glory, and not feed the church of God, or the flock of God which is among you. You know, solemnly, there can be a preaching, a setting forth of the word, that is not able to be fed upon. What I felt in looking at this, it doesn't just say, and this is where sometimes I take out some words and then you can understand it more. It doesn't just say, feed the flock of God taking the oversight thereof. It says, feed the flock of God which is among you.

And so the elder has a mindfulness of his own flock. The Apostle Paul, and I believe it is him, writing to the Hebrews, he speaks of them as having need of milk and not of strong meat. And so he's looking at, he knows his flock, and he's making an assessment what kind of food they need. And of course, Peter's charge was feed my sheep and feed my lambs. Well, if he has got a flock or if any elder has got a flock and they discern, they're first generation Christians. They are lambs, they are little ones.

He doesn't want to go into great theological depths and difficult things, but to set forth the word simply and plainly so that they can digest it. One word that was real help to me years ago when I first started my pastorate here some 28, 29 years ago. And a dear lady that she didn't actually live to see me start the pastorate. She was one of my members here. But she said, I like your ministry because you break up the word into small pieces so I can digest it. And I hadn't thought of that as being descriptive of my ministry, but I've never forgotten her word, and try to do that. Try to break up the word, do the work for the congregation, for the people, so that they are able to digest it. When our Lord worked the miracle and fed the multitudes, He break the loaves, and He gave it to the disciples to distribute. And the Lord, when he was teaching, taught them as they were able to bear it.

And so this is a similar thing, perhaps, like within a marriage situation, the duties of the husband are to his wife, and the wife is subject to her own husband, not someone else's husband. So the charge here, fleed the flock of God, It is specifically which is among you.

Not thinking I'm going to preach on this and this and this, but not thinking of one's own flock. And so, this is the first exhortation that he has to elders like himself. The second is taking the oversight thereof. and especially in a spiritual sense. We are used to in our churches, if we have a church that has not got a minister, has not got a pastor, and perhaps not a minister in their membership, then another minister from a surrounding church or a pastor, he takes the oversight. he would chair the church meetings before it came past to hear a minister had the oversight of this church. And he attended all of the meetings, though not a member of this church, but to chair the meetings and to see all was done in decency and in order. But here it is speaking of one's own church, one's own pastorate, where one is ministering And it's having the oversight. If you like, he's looking over like a shepherd. We'd be looking over the flock. And he sees this one, he's going astray into the ditch. And he sees another one, he's limping. And another one's got fly or something. Where there needs attention, where there needs the word. And he's actually looking and being responsible for the spiritual welfare and good of the flock.

Then this is broken up into some three points. And it is put in this way, not by constraint, but willingly. not by constraint, but willingly. Of how we can apply this in two ways. Firstly, how he himself takes the oversight. He's not told, look, you must do your calling, your job, and look, these ones need attention, you pay attention to do that, All the time got to be propped up, exhorted, and constrained to do it. But the word here is not by constraint, but willingly. Just willingly taking the oversight, without being pushed and forced into it. But it can be put, I believe, the other way around. as to how he exercises the oversight. Exercise it not by constraint, not by forcing or pushing people and those that are here to do certain things or do certain ways, but do it so that they are willing to do it, willing to walk, in the way that he would direct them in. A very different approach than taking the oversight, and I believe that follows on later when it speaks of as being lords over God's heritage. But then still thinking of the oversight, There is the contrast put not for filthy lucre, that's for money's sake, but of a ready mind.

That's not just doing it because it's his job, or that because he's being paid or gets the money for it, but really is ready to serve and to be where the Lord would have him to be. and whether it is a ministry with reward or not. I mean, some even in a secular calling, they will do the absolute minimum to get their pay. They won't go the second mile. They won't do those things that they think they're not going to be rewarded or paid for. It's very different where one is seeing the need and addressing that need, irrespective of the money or what is paid.

And this is what the apostle is directing to here, as taking the oversight. Then he says, not as being lords over God's heritage, in the margin, It reads, or overruling, God's servants have only as much authority as the word of God. We have not the authority to dictate what happens in the families of those attending, or how they shall act, or what they shall do. but have the authority to bring the Word of God, explaining it, setting it forth, and making a people then willing to follow and obey that Word of God. It's a reminder that the Church of God, the people of God, are God's heritage. It's that which comes from his sufferings, his death, that which comes to him as his portion forever, a people that he's purchased, a people that shall be with him in heaven.

And those of us elders, we must remember this people. They are not ours, they're the Lord's. We have not purchased them, he has. We have not. come into this position to be as a lord over them, but they have the lord to be their lord and their saviour.

And so very much through these exhortations, and especially as taking the oversight, there's a pointing as to how we are not to be and how we are to be. not just once, but three times. I know I've often mentioned this in scripture, the Lord often gives two ways. As examples of God's people, he'll do like a picture of Cain and then a picture of Abel, how one worshipped, how the other worshipped. So you get a contrast and you get a picture of what is right and what is wrong. And so with these exhortations here, he puts the two ways, the right way and the wrong way, or the wrong way and a right way, taking the oversight, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of ready mind, not as lords over God's heritage, but in samples to the flock. And what a high standard that that is.

Man can undo, we can undo by our lives what our preaching is. How do we live? What is our conversation? What is our charity, our love? What is our spirit? Do we come under that our Lord reproved the apostles with? Ye know not what spirit ye are of. What about our faith? Those like Stephen, strong in faith. What about purity? Peter often is speaking of holiness and of purity. are recommending the doctrines and teachings that we preach by our own life, our conduct, our words, our persons. It's a very searching word, a word that, being a public figure, Our very life is under, you might say, the microscope and seen and known and read of all men, not just in the church, but those without. And that's why it says of an elder that he must be of good report of them that are without. So that even those that understand not the things of God will be forced to say, as they said of Daniel, seeking to find something against him, that the only thing that they could find was that concerning his God.

And so these exhortations here, they're very specific to the elders which are among you. Peter writing to the churches, to the people of God, And there among them are elders. But then secondly, there's an exhortation to the younger. And I believe this is pointing not just to younger, it should be so, that those who are younger, literally younger, are mindful of those that are older, being long in the way, and to respect that. Of course, we have many like Timothy that was a young man, those like some of the pastors we know, and many over the years who started pastorate in their 20s, and they have been ministering to people that have been much older than themselves. But they should, for their office sake, and for the position that God has put them in, be highly esteemed for that and exercise their position as an elder. So when it speaks of to the younger, I believe it is to all other or to the church, all of those to whom he is ministering or taking the oversight of, those that he is exercising the position that he is in over.

Those then that is in his turn, like Peter, is exhorting. He's exhorting them. He is fulfilling the offers of an elder. And there's just one thing that is exhorted here, and that is, submit yourselves unto the elder. Unto the one that has been spoken of first. Really a very simple thing, isn't it? If that elder is discharging his office correctly, then to gain the benefit and blessing and help, all that needs to be done is to be submissive unto the elder. What he teaches, what he guides, what he exhorts, how he leads, how he directs, to be submissive and to submit unto the elder. Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.

But then we have a third exhortation, our third point, which is to all. So he's gathering together the elders and all of the church, one another. And in this way, he gives mainly three words of advice. Firstly, to be subject one to another, subject one to another. Even the elder, subject to the church, to those that he ministers to, to be in a position where we each esteeming other better than ourselves. God is taking very care that through the Holy Spirit, through Peter here, We don't have a situation where one or two brethren are lording it right over the rest of the church and the people of God. And so he puts it in these overarching terms. All of you be subject one to another. And then the second one is humility. Be clothed with humility.

And in this he addressed in more particulars, giving a reason, God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God. that he may exalt you in due time. God is working in the church. He is ordering those that are for the good and blessing of the people of God. He's also working in Providence with his hand in their lives, in their tribulations, in their afflictions, in what they're going through, in the path that Peter sets forth his humility.

Again, cannot we think back? Why is Peter so emphasizing this? Cannot we hear him saying, though all men forsake thee, yet will not I? Where was his humility there? So much pride, and yet the Lord humbled his pride, allowed him to deny his Lord those three times to be put into Satan's sick and to be in a position that really humbled him.

And I believe this will be so, especially with us in the ministry, but with all the people of God. There are some things that we think of in our lives, some things other people may know, others they may never know. But whenever we think of something where we have deceived, where we walked the wrong way, where we've acted in a way that we're utterly ashamed of, and whenever we think of that, it fills us with shame, and it humbles us because it's a reminder of what we actually are. Sometimes we might think, awful, a real blessing, a grace of humility. But the way the Lord gives humility is a painful way for his people. The apostle Paul, he says, I'm not meet to be an apostle because I persecuted the church of God.

And all the time, though he knew the Lord had forgiven him, he couldn't forget what he did to the Church of God. He says, forgetting those things that behind, looking forward to that which is before. I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He wasn't going to let those things behind hinder him in his walk in going forward. But those things that were behind were used by God. to really humble him.

And the same with Peter here. Never forgetting, he denied his Lord those three times. And in effect, when her Lord met with him and three times asked him, lovest thou me? Or lovest thou me more than these? The Lord was really emphasizing this and pressing a sore point.

Peter, these are things that you should be mindful of and to humble you and to bring you low. And so if you and I have those things, they're not things that, and Satan will try and say, well, because you've done this or that, you can't be one of God's children. But look upon it in this way. God has given us those things in the past, whether in unregeneracy or even after we've been called by grace, that the thought of them pains our heart. The psalmist says, remember not against me the sins of my youth. Those things even from years and years ago, they come up and they humble us because we have those things that we cannot escape what we are and what we've done and how we've acted. So don't think sometimes that These blessings are just given and suddenly a person is a humble person. They are made humble by God's dealings with them and causing them to remember, contemplate and think on the way that they have walked.

This is where the Lord dealt with in Deuteronomy chapter 8. Thou shalt remember, he says to Israel of old, all the way that the Lord thy God led thee these 40 years in the wilderness to humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou would serve the Lord or not. And certainly in looking back over what the children of Israel did in the wilderness, there's nothing there for them to be proud of. And yet they were the Lord's people and the Lord brought them safely into that promised land as well.

And with this humility though, there is a promise of being exalted in due time, where we have the hand of God upon us We might have discouragements, afflictions, tribulations, troubles in the church, troubles in the family, and feel the hand of God upon us. And the encouragement here is to humble ourselves unto that. What's the opposite? To fight against God. To say, God, I didn't believe. I didn't deserve this. I'm a better person. You shouldn't bring this upon me. Instead of being humbled under it, there's a replying to God.

Instead of bowing under it, there's a shaking our fist at him, that the promise here is humble under this mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. I believe that's how dear Job walked, and the Lord exalted him in due time. But it was a hard path that he walked. In the Lord's time, he was lifted up. And may we be helped to discern what the Lord is using for ourselves, to humble us. May we seek that grace from his hand to bow and to be submissive, to have low thoughts of ourselves, small thoughts of ourselves. John Baptist says, I must decrease, he must increase. But then there's a third thing that he exhorts with, and that is to cast all our care on the Lord.

Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. All your care, the care of our souls, the care of our providential things, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her. All will care, not some of your care, but all of it.

How do we cast it? But in prayer, bring it before the Lord in prayer. telling him of those things that are a burden to us, a care, a worry, things that are put in our lot, that which is too hard for us to manage. Whether we like King Jehoshaphat, and the enemy coming, and he says, neither know we what to do. Jehoshaphat, you're the king, you should know what to do. No, he said, neither know I what to do, but our eyes are upon thee.

And he cast it upon the Lord. Hezekiah has a letter from Sennacherib, and he comes and he spreads the letter before the Lord. He casts it upon the Lord. Daniel, he has the captain of the guard coming to destroy all the princes and wise men in Babylon, because they could not tell the king the dream that he had forgotten. But Daniel, he requests of the king time and uses that time to go to his brethren, make it known to them and to cast that care. upon the Lord, bring it to the Lord in prayer. And the Lord answered and showed the dream that the king had forgotten.

Casting all your care in the Psalms we read, cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain you. And you can rend that word burden as a gift. The gift, the thing that God has given you that is a burden, that is a care, we are to cast that upon the Lord. That is what we are to pray about. That is what we are to seek him about, not something else, but that very thing that he's given you.

The cause that is too hard for you, says Moses, bring it unto me and I will hear it. And the Lord says that with his people. There will be causes too hard for us. There'll be cares that are our cares. There'll be burdens that we discern are given to us in God's providence. And these things are to be cast upon the Lord in prayer. And that verse in the Psalms, and he shall sustain you. That is not taking away the burden, but giving us that grace and help to sustain it and walk through it.

Our lives sometimes seems to be a continuum, casting our care upon the Lord. But we have at the end of this passage, a beautiful assurance, for he careth for you. How easy we could Take it and say, Lord, how is it that thou dost care for me when I have all of this care and I have all these troubles and have all these afflictions? How is it that you care for me?

He cares enough to bring us to prayer and to give us things to take to him so that he does them for us and so that he appears for us, ordered by the Lord. And you know, the Lord cares for the souls of his people. There's the beginning of this, the oversight especially, is a spiritual oversight. And the Lord's spiritual oversight and care of his people, not letting them get into error, get into a by-path meadow, or to follow some other way.

You think of how careful the Holy Spirit was through Paul, to write to the Galatians, the Galatians who received the gospel, but then someone else had come in and they preached, unless you are circumcised, you cannot be saved. Paul says, that's not a gospel. That's another gospel, not even a gospel. If you are circumcised, then you're debted to fill the whole law. You're not saved by grace anymore. And he tells them, that that is a wrong path that they're walking in.

And so especially with the Lord's care in giving his servants to identify and to notice those things that are gradually taking the strength of the church, hardening them, deadening them to the things of God or the ways of the Lord. He careth for you.

I believe there's some of the most comforting times that I've had is when I've discerned. The Lord has known my deceitful heart and what I've been secretly going after and planning, and He's ordered providence and He's stopped up my way. He's shown me my deceits, opened my eyes to see the path I was going, and stopped me in the tracks.

Those times, I still remember the first time the Lord dealt with me in that way. Because up to that time, I'd noticed providential helps, answers to prayer, kindness in that way. But then to have a trial of from beginning to end, could not see any providential blessing, whether health, strength, monetary, or increase in natural things. But I discerned there was teaching for my soul in it. I still remember that realization. Lord, Thou carest more for my soul than Thou dost care for my body.

Those are blessed times when we realise that in those all things that work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to His purpose, is spiritual blessing out of temporal evil. Those things that the Lord brings and use us to teach us for eternity and for our souls.

May we be helped to heed the exhortations in this passage here. Those of us in the ministry, those elders, to heed the exhortations to us. Those who are younger, to think of the exhortations to the elders and to submit and help them to fulfill their offers and to do what we should do, encouraging us in it.

I think of how they said to Ezra when he had to deal with the matter of the marrying of strange wives after they'd come back from Babylon, the whole congregation said, arise and do it. This matter belongeth unto thee, arise and do it, and we will be with thee.

What an encouragement. And what it was said, too, when Joshua took over from Moses, the people were exhorted to encourage him and to strengthen him. Those that were in authority, leadership authority, needed the encouragement and help of those that they were ministering too, they were but men. And so then there's the exaltation to all, minister and church alike, humility, subject one to another, and casting all upon the Lord.

May the Lord bless us with his word here this evening and heeding these exaltations. It's a practical part of God's word. It relates to how we live and how we act one with another, that ye doers of the word, not hearers only, could be said over this portion of the word. May the Lord add his blessing. Amen.

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