December 18, 2011
Morning Service

I Peter 5

 

Review:

 

            We come to the end of Peter’s first letter to the churches in modern day Turkey.  I’ll remind again that this is where the seven churches of Revelation are located.  Peter has in this letter told them:

1. Of the hope of the future.
2. How to handle the trials that they will be going through.
3. Encourages them to walk a holy life with God, and for a witness to the world.
4. To love one another.
5. To desire the sincere milk of the Word.
6. To offer up spiritual sacrifices.
7. To abstain from fleshly lusts.
8. To live a life of submission to authority.  Whether it be at work, to the government, or at home.
9. He told us to follow the example of Christ in our submission to sufferings.

 

We begin chapter five with instructions to the older men of the church:

Elders shepherd the flock:

1Pe 5:1-14 KJVR  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: 

• When Peter uses the word elder, he is referring to age, not office.  Some fellowships of the Lord’s church have made this an office in their congregations, but it certainly wasn’t at this time.
• When he uses the word elder again, he is referring to a presbyter.

Presbytery  An assembly of elders with authority.

1Ti 4:13-14 KJVR  Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.  (14)  Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

• The Deacons you have chosen to serve, and represent you would be a presbytery.
• And a witness of the sufferings of Christ.  According to the Apostle Paul this was one of the qualifications in being an Apostle.  That is to have seen the Lord Jesus. 

1Co 9:1 KJVR  Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

So Peter may have been using these ideas of authority to let them know he had the right to exhort them to the things that he would.

• And Peter is saying I will be a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.  Just as he had already told them of this glory in the first part of this letter.

 

(2)  Feed the flock of God which is among you,

• Feed them what?  The Word of God.  He has already encouraged them to desire the sincere milk of the Word.  So the admonition is, you older men of the church teach the Word to the flock.

 

NOW NOTICE THE WORDS OF INSTRUCTIONS:

taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;  (3)  Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. 

• Take the offices of Pastor, and Deacons willingly.  If it seems a burden to you don’t do it.  Or if you can’t give the office the time it requires, don’t accept it.  To accept either of these callings it requires a life of dedication, and servitude from the heart, willingly.
• Not for filthy lucre sake.  Don’t accept these leadership positions in the church for excessive monetary gains.  The Bible teaches that the flock should take care of it’s Pastor, or Minister if needed.  I want to go to I Cor. 9 here in a moment.  Paul clarifies these points a little more clearly.
• Then Peter says of a ready mind.  Accept the office from the heart, with the wonderful challenge it produces.
• Neither as being LORDS over God’s heritage.  There are no big I’s, and little you, in the church.  It’s a matter of accepting the leadership positions in the church from the heart, or being the part of the flock that get’s fed by the Pastor, or Minister.  No one any more important than the other.
• Peter has already told them, 1Pe 2:9 KJVR  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: ALL OF THEM.

And Peter is talking to the church.  All of them, older, and younger, men, and women.  We all have our own gifts according to Paul, distributed by God, to whom He chooses.  None any more important than the other.  Every part of the church body is needed for the total functioning of the body, the Church.

• Then Peter tells the leadership to be examples to the flock.

Now listen to Paul in I Cor. 9.

As for support, and not filthy lucre:  1Co 9:6-14 KJVR  Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?  (7)  Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?  (8)  Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?  (9)  For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?  (10)  Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.  (11)  If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?  (12)  If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.  (13)  Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?  (14)  Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

Preaching willingly, and from the heart:

1Co 9:16-17 KJVR  For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!  (17)  For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

 

PETER SAYS, AND THEN BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE THIS;

(4)  And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 

• That was to the elders, now for the younger people.

Instructions for the younger.

(5)  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. 

• It’s not hard to catch the Spirit in which this has been written.  One of humility, and love.

(6)  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:  (7)  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.  (8)  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  (9)  Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 

• God will do the exalting, or the bringing down.
• Peter teaches us to cast all our cares, and problems upon God, who can do something about them.
• Then Peter warns us of battle that we all have daily with satan.  He is real, and he goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, or defeat.  Peter says resist him, and the world has already given into him.

BENEDICTION:

(10)  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.  (11)  To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

(12)  By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.  (13)  The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Mark my son.  (14)  Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

IF WE HAD BEEN IN THE CHURCH THAT RECEIVED THIS LETTER, WE WOULD HAVE READ IT ALL AT ONE TIME.  THIS IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD STILL DO IN OUR BIBLE STUDY TIME.  II PETER HAS ONLY THREE CHAPTERS, IT WOULD BE EASY TO SIT, AND READ ALL THREE CHAPTERS AT ONCE.

 

TAKE TIME TO STUDY THE SCRITURES, AND TO DESIRE THE SINCERE MILK OF THE WORD.