“Biblical Leadership Principles” (1 Peter 5:1-14)

we're in first Peter five to day so you can turn to that passage if you'd like to do that let's start though with the first year of Jesus ministry at least the first year of Jesus public ministry in Matthew records in Matthew chapter 9 verses 35 through 38 of those years Jesus went through all the towns and villages teaching in their synagogues preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness and when he saw the crowds he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd and then he said to his disciples the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few asked the Lord of the harvest therefore to send out workers into his field the Heart of Jesus in that day was broken because he looked at the people in the villages and the towns that he was visiting people that he care deeply about and he saw that they were harassed and helpless and they were harassed and helpless because they didn't have leaders who cared about them they were like sheep jesus says without a shepherd and I think in some ways certainly to some degree Jesus heart is broken in similar ways today because there are many people who are his who don't have the kind of leaders who really care about them they're like sheep without a shepherd it's not all the responsibility of the leaders it's also partly the responsibility of the church across the United States and perhaps around the world because of the kind of leaders that we've chosen to follow because of the kind of leaders that we put in places of leadership Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the few pastors in the days leading up to World War two and during the days of world war ii when a few german pastors at least who stood against the nazi regime Bonhoeffer said predicted that the day would come when people would flock to preachers simply because they were excellent public speakers and I think he was right and I think we see evidence of that in the church across the world today the church has created celebrities of those who can speak well and those who can write powerfully and those who have charismatic personalities then I'm certainly not saying that we ought to deliberately speak poorly I think we ought to do the best with the gifts and the abilities that God has given to us but what I am saying is that as we look for leaders to follow if all's we're looking at is the way they can speak and the way they look on the outside their personality and and their gifts and not looking inside at the character of the people that we're putting in a leadership positions and we're not looking at their hearts then we're looking at the wrong kinds of things and in fact as we look at the way the church works around the country some of the the men who are the most powerful preachers have also caused some of the greatest damage in the church across the United States just last year one of the largest churches the United States there had about 15,000 people on any given Sunday was led by one of the most popular preachers in the world he was a best-selling author constantly speaking at conferences and conventions around the world that was a year ago today that church doesn't even exist it's not one of the largest churches in the United States it disbanded not because he stopped preaching good but because they discovered the the harsh characteristics and uncaring leadership style that he was using with his staff and other leaders in the church a few years ago I read about a pastor I believe it was in California who was a very popular and powerful preacher serving in a very large church and he was caught in adultery and and removed from his position as he should have been but he was scheduled to preach at a conference a few weeks later and the week after he was removed from his position the week after his adultery became public the conference leader called him and asked him if he was still going to come and preach because he said if you don't come and preach people won't come to the conference when Jesus saw the crowds get compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd often it seems the shepherds the church has chosen to follow fall into one of three categories they're celebrities the church is guilty of exalting personality above the message I'm not just talking about those who are on television or those are on the bestseller list sometimes even the local church has succumbed to that temptation in many ways and in many places or their dictators many churches are led by pastors who exercise control over what happens in the church sometimes an absolutely astounding extent I've read of pastors who require that their young people receive permission from them before they start to date and in other ways exercise absolute control over the congregation the Bible offers absolutely no precedent for one man ruling a congregation in fact John condemns the Ministry of one man who projected himself into that kind of place of preeminence in the church in third John John talks about a man whose name was Diotrephes who he described as someone who loves to be first there's no place in church leadership for those who love to be first or we've chosen leaders who are people pleasers Chuck Colson quoted an assistant to a renowned media preacher and he asked the assistant what he thought led to the popularity of the man that he worked for and this guy's assistant said their popularity was because they give people what they want to hear there's no place for giving people what we want to hear is what we want to hear will not be what God wants us to hear in the first four verses of Matthew or first Peter chapter 5 Peter is going to talk directly to leaders about the kind of characteristics that they ought to have in their in their own lives and he has some very very direct things to say to them he provides good advice for leaders he also provides good advice for us as we choose men to be leaders of our congregation he says to the elders among you I appeal as a fellow elder a witness of Christ's suffering and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care serving as overseers not because you must but because you're willing God wants you to be not greedy for money but eager to serve not lording it over those entrusted to you but being examples to the flock and when the chief Shepherd appears you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away so I want to point out three qualities to look for in leaders that we follow and the first one is that leaders who serve from the heart and not out of duty Peter says verse 2 that we should choose leaders who serve not because they must but because they're willing I think the same point is made when Paul wrote to Timothy in 1st Timothy chapter 3 and told Timothy about the kind of men that were to be raised into the position of the eldership Paul says here is a trustworthy saying if anyone sets his heart on being an overseer he desires a noble task what Paul was saying to Timothy was he was a look for those who whose hearts were set on being leaders because God was calling them into that position they didn't accept a position because they felt some kind of duty to do so not because they had to but because God was working in their heart and they wanted to accept that kind of position now neither Peter nor Paul mean to say that there won't be any kind of a natural reluctance in a person who accepts the leadership responsibilities and I in fact I think there ought to be a natural reluctance in all of us before we accept any assignment from God a reluctance because we know our own weakness and we know our own inability to do the things that God is calling us to do at least to do them on our own but what Peter and Paul both do mean is that a leader should not view his task as a grim and unpleasant duty that rather the kind of leaders we want are those leaders who serve out of a sincere desire to serve the Lord and to contribute to the people that they're leading secondly Peter says we look for leaders who serve for what they can give not what they can get so Peter says the kind of leaders that we were to seek verse 2 are not greedy for money but eager to serve Jesus talked about the wrong kind of leader when he was talking about shepherds in John chapter chapter 10 in verse 12 he says the hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the Sheep so when he sees the wolf coming he abandons the sheep and runs away and then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters in the hired hand is somebody who's simply hired to do a job he's doing a job because of the money he makes doing the job but that's not the kind of leaders that we're to look for we're not to look for leaders who are simply doing their job for the money or for the power or for the prestige or even for the reward that they might get in the end from the Lord God is looking for those whose hearts are motivated by a desire to serve Him and a desire to serve those whom he's appointing to be leader over that's the kind of character quality that were to look for in the leaders that we see now this isn't saying that we ought not to pay our leaders some of the leaders of the church as far back as the days of the New Testament were paid in order to allow them to give their time in the leadership responsibilities to which they were called and so Paul spoke of those leaders in first Timothy chapter 5 and he said the elders who direct the affairs the church well are worthy of double honor which includes being paid for their services especially those whose work is preaching and teaching for the scripture says do not muzzle the ox while it's treading out the grain and the worker deserves his pay but though we can and should pay some of those who devote their time to the leadership responsibilities of the church and we ought to be generous in doing so we ought not to follow leaders who lead simply for what they can get but rather who lead because of what they have to give thirdly Peter says were to look for leaders who lead by example and not by domination again verse 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you but being examples to the flock the Apostles James and John came to Jesus along with their mother and they asked Jesus Jesus we want the places on your right and on your left when you enter into your kingdom the other apostles when they heard what James and John and their mother did they got pretty angry I think they got angry because they wanted the place on the right or the place on the left and they didn't think about asking Jesus before Peter before James and John did and Jesus uses that time as an opportunity to teach the Apostles about the difference between leadership in the world and leadership in his kingdom so Jesus said to them in Mark chapter 10 you know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and they're high officials exercise authority over them not so with you instead whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant whoever wants to be first must be slave of all Jesus was making a point similar to the point that Peter is making here in this text that the leadership that were to seek in the kingdom of God is not to be characterized by the wielding of authority rather the leadership that we ought to be looking for is leadership that leads by example the way they live their lives the church doesn't need leaders who are on power trips what we need our leaders who lead by example as servants to the rest of the body of Christ so there are really two kinds of leaders in today's church they're the kind of leaders that that God spoke about in the Book of Jeremiah when he said many Shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland it'll be a wasteland parched and desolate before me the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares those are the leaders over whom Jesus weeps they don't really care for the church they care only for themselves they don't seek the will of the Lord they seek instead their own way they don't look after the welfare of the people instead they look after their own welfare on the other hand our leaders like those that Peter talks about they really care about the people they lead they take responsibility for the church because they believe that's what God has called them to do they they serve not out of a sense of duty but out of a sense of desire they don't serve for what they can get they serve for what they can give and they don't dominate but they lead by example those are the kind of leaders those who are leaders in our church ought to be those the kind of leaders that we ought to seek and then having talked about leadership for just a few verses in this final chapter Peter moves on kinda to give some closing thoughts and challenges to the people to whom he is writing it's a message similar to the message with which he started this letter it's a message of hope it's a message of help it's a message of encouragement it's a message of of challenge it's a message from a pastor's heart what Peter was to people that he cared about and people who are living less than perfect lives in less than perfect situation but who wanted to follow God in that less than perfect kind of situation a lot like people like you and me and Peter was familiar with that kind of life because that's the kind of life he lived it was a less than perfect life in a less than perfect environment and so Peter lived a life in which even after he came to faith in Jesus Christ let Jesus down in some pretty significant ways and demonstrated his own weakness and failure and he also lived a life because of his faith in Jesus Christ that wasn't always pleasant he was thrown into prison on more than one occasion he suffered persecution in fact just a short time after he pins this letter he'll be put to death because of his proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ so he's living a less-than-perfect life in a less-than-perfect environment and so he closes with these words of advice beginning in verse 5 young men in the same way be submissive to those who are older all of you clothed yourselves with humility toward one another because God opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble so humble yourselves therefore under God's mighty hand that he may lift you up in due time cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you be self-controlled and alert your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour resist him standing firm in the face because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings and the God of all Grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ after you have suffered a little while will himself restore you and make you strong firm and steadfast to him be glory to me the power for ever and ever amen with the help of Silas whom I regard as a faithful brother I have written to you briefly encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God stand fast in it she who is in Babylon chosen together with you sends you her greetings and so does my son mark greet one another with a kiss of love peace to all of you who are in Christ so we'll close by looking at four pieces of advice helpful advice for those living imperfect lives from somebody who's been through it Peter he says first make humility the trademark of your life clothe yourselves with humility toward one another he says verse five for Jesus there was no more troubling time when he celebrated the Passover Feast then that final time that he celebrated the Passover on the day before he was to be crucified he knew what was happening and Jesus had to be experiencing tension during those days the Apostles surely recognized the tension in Jesus in those days between the triumphal entry and the Passover meal all the preparations had been made the lamb had been killed in the way that it was to be killed the other things for the Passover meal had been gathered the bitter herbs and and the spices and and the cups of wine and all the other ingredients that were a part of the special meal that every Jew celebrated every year and as the meal was being served Jesus got up from where he was reclining and took off his outer garment and wrapped a towel around his waist and then he went from one apostle to another apostle washing their feet that's the the picture that Peter has in mind as he says to those to whom he's writing clothe yourselves with humility toward one another literally Peter says wrap yourselves with humility just like Jesus wrapped himself with the towel and went from apostle to apostle washing their feet as Jesus wrapped himself with a humble towel and served those who were his followers so Peter says as we face life in a less than perfect world and as we are less than perfect in living this life in this less than perfect world wrap humility around yourself and live your life with that kind of an attitude the kind of attitude that Jesus had the manner in which he expressed humility was to keep his eyes focused on the people around him not focused inward on his own needs even in that most difficult week of his life but rather focused on the needs of the people around him and moving to meet those needs in whatever way was required even in the most humble way imaginable of wrapping a towel around his waist and stooping to wash the dirty feet of those who were his followers and so he says Peter says to you and me as we live our lives where we make mistakes and have failures life is less than perfect and where bad things happen to us because people treat us wrong and we live in a less than perfect world don't focus on the inside don't focus on your own needs don't focus on your own hurts instead look at the people around you and focus on them and wrap humility around your life Peter says trust your worries to God verse 7 cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you I mean all of us have things that we worry about you have things you're worried about I have things I'm worried about and being a Christian doesn't take away those worries in fact to some extent we have worries added to us when we embrace faith in Jesus Christ now we have a Lord that we need to please and and and they're extra sometimes hardships that come into our lives because of our faith in Jesus Christ I mean after Pentecost those who were Christians sometimes they lost their jobs their families turn against them they had worries after the death of Stephen the church was scattered away from Jerusalem and went around the world and they didn't have much to take with them and so they were relying on on God to provide for their needs as they scattered around the world and relying on other people to help them with provision and place and and God provided for those who are his I mean they were refugees and I know there's a struggle in our minds right now as we think about how we're to handle refugees but as we struggle with that question we ought always to keep in mind that we and our people have been refugees at times - Paul was beaten he was imprisoned he was stoned he was shipwrecked he went hungry all the apostles were threatened with death James was beheaded Paul was crucified Peter was crucified upside down all through church history Christians have had things to worry about just like the rest of the people in the world and our worries are easier to handle when we realize that God cares about what we're going through in fact literally Peter says in verse 7 it matters to him about you cast all your anxieties upon him because he cares for you it matters to him about you doesn't mean you'll take it all away he doesn't you know that and I know that too but it does mean that God sees that God cares that God is keeping track and that God will use it in our lives to accomplish good things in us and good things in the lives of the people around us and eventually eternally he will make it all right we can throw our worries on God's strong shoulders we don't need to carry our worries alone God offers to carry them for us King Hezekiah was king in Jerusalem and he received a threatening letter from Sennacherib who was king of Assyria Sennacherib and the army of Assyria was preparing to attack Jerusalem and the people of Judah do you remember what Hezekiah did with the letter that he received from Sennacherib Hezekiah took the letter this threatening letter to the temple and he laid it before the altar and he got on his knees and appealed to God Hezekiah cast his anxieties upon God because he knew God cared and another time Jehoshaphat was king in Jerusalem in the Moabites of the amma writes were gathering to attack and Jehoshaphat lifts his eyes to heaven and he says we don't know what to do never felt that way we don't know what to do and then he says but our eyes are on you cast his anxieties upon God because he knew God cared and God saw Jesus knows what we need he knows we need food and shelter and clothing and water and all the other things that we need he talks about that in Matthew chapter six and then he concludes that section and he says God knows and God cares enough to help and so we don't need to be consumed by worry but instead he says seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all those things will be given to you cast your worries on God thirdly Peter says be alert to real dangers verse eight be controlled self-controlled and alert because your enemy the devil rouser prowls around like a roaring lion there are those who say that God will take care of us that we don't need to do anything just sit back and relax and God will take care of us and Peter says if that's your idea that you've missed the point rather instead of focusing on the cares of the world we should focus on the attitudes the actions that will prepare us to meet the spiritual battles that are going on around us and that are going on in our own lives Peters advice is for us to be spiritually vigilant because we have a real enemy who is really at work really trying to hurt our lives the devil who is prowling around trying to devour us and so he says these self-controlled literally don't become intoxicated keep control of your mind that should be the characteristic of our life he says be alert stay awake don't be lulled to sleep especially when everything is going well in your life that's an easy time to be lulled to sleep but he says don't be lulled to sleep be vigilant looking for the ways the devil is ready to attack your life Paul wrote to the Corinthians saying if you think you are standing firm take heed be alert lest you fall Peter says resist the devil stand against him recognize his weapons recognize his efforts determined that you will not give in as James says resist the devil and he will flee from you and then Peter says remember God's promises about the future verse 10 the God of all Grace who called you in his eternal glory in Christ after you have suffered a little while will himself restore you and make you strong firm and steadfast the promise of God is that he will make it all right this this life may not I'd say will not be all that we want it to be this life may include suffering even suffering that comes to us because of our faith but the promise of God is that eternally and eventually he will make all things right it is a promise of restoration that God will fill in those places that are lacking he will supply what is missing in our lives our failures and our imperfections will be repaired we will be rendered full and complete and perfect as we stand before him it is a promise of strength we will be made strong and solid as granite we will emerge from this life that is less than perfect we will emerge from this life that is sometimes filled with difficulties as toughened steel the promise of God is that he will make us stable always secure in him it's the promise of firmness no weaknesses no struggles no temptations all of our weaknesses turned into strength that's the promise of eternity it is a promise of steadfastness will be fixed upon a strong foundation driven to the bedrock of faith into the solid rock who is jesus himself right now I know life isn't always great you and I experienced difficulties we have relationships struggle we face powerful temptations and sometimes press often we give in to those temptations we have worries about ourselves about those that we care about it was that way in Peters life it was that that way in the lives of the people to whom Peter wrote and it remains that way today coming to Christ doesn't take away all those problems in fact it adds extra problems to the ones that we already have and so Peters advice to those who are living in perfect lives in an imperfect world faced life with the right attitude toward other people rap humility around yourself let that be the trademark characteristic of your life face life with the right attitude toward what you worry about not keeping hold of it yourself but casting it on the strong shoulders of God faced life with the right attitude towards its dangers recognize there is a real enemy who is really out to get you and stand firm against him and face life with the right attitude toward the future remember that God promises that one day he will make all things right let's pray father God we thank you for these encouragement and challenges that come from Peter who experienced the same kinds of things that we experienced he experienced his own weaknesses and his own failures he experiences the hardship of life in this world he experienced the difficulties of a life of faith and so help us to to hear the experience of Peter and the experienced advice that he brings to us lord help us to walk in humility to cast our anxieties upon you to be alert

Channel: Suburban Christian Church

Views: 33,311

Rating: 4.7941175 out of 5

Keywords: SCC, SUBURBAN, CHRISTIAN, CHURCH, ONLINE, SERMON, VIDEO, JESUS, CHRIST, SAVIOR, GOD, CREATOR, BIBLE, STUDY, @suburban_church, #sermon, #videosermon

Id: 4zMMXl3auyI

Length: 32min 55sec (1975 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 23 2015