A Daily Walk

Guest (Male): Pastor John Randall makes the connection between usefulness in ministry and humility.

John Randall: By the way, folks, can I say to you this morning that if you desire to be used by the Lord in any capacity, it begins with humility? It begins with humility. The Bible says that God gives grace to the humble, but He does resist the proud.

Guest (Male): We are thankful to the Lord that we can share this time together with you. It is a real delight to open and study the Word of God each and every day. Now, you might make your way over to 1 Peter chapter 5, as we'll begin in just a moment. Today on A Daily Walk, we're going to take notice of the purpose of the pastor.

Whether you're a pastor, an elder, a leader in the church, this is valuable encouragement to receive here in 1 Peter. Now, we realize not everyone listening today fits that description, but there's something here for everyone to take in and apply. Here is Pastor John Randall.

John Randall: First Peter chapter 5, and we're going to look at the first four verses as we consider together the purpose of the pastor. Beginning in verse 1: "The elders who are among you, I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed. Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords 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 does not fade away."

The Bible uses several words to represent the followers of Jesus Christ. We are referred to as disciples. And the word disciple in the New Testament means a student or a learner. But a disciple is also a follower, someone who adheres to the teachings of another, making them his rule of life and conduct. And discipleship requires commitment. It was in John chapter 8 in verse 31 that Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings."

But the scriptures also refer to us as children of God, meaning that we have been born into God's family. We become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, which results in spiritual rebirth. In John chapter 1 in verse 12, John said, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in His name." But we are also referred to as the bride of Christ, Jesus being our bridegroom.

The imagery and the symbolism of marriage is applied to Jesus and the body of believers known as the church. And as the bride of Christ, we are waiting with anticipation for the day when we will be united with our bridegroom. And until that time, we remain faithful to Him, and we say with all the redeemed of the Lord, "Come, Lord Jesus." Paul said to the Ephesians in chapter 5 and verse 25, "Husbands, love your wives like Christ loves the church."

Yet one symbol and representation of the followers of Jesus Christ is that of the sheep of His pasture. In Psalm 100 and verse 3, it says, "Know that the Lord, He is God. It is He who made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture." Psalm 100, verse 3. Now, at first, you might think, "Oh, how cute. We're called sheep. That must be because we're so fluffy, because we're so lovable, cuddly, easy to manage." That is certainly the reason why we are called sheep.

However, if you dig a little deeper and you study sheep, you might find some very concerning facts. And this one makes sense why it is that we are called sheep. Sheep are wanderers. It's their nature. Even in the best and safest places that provide protection and water and food, sheep can be fence diggers. They get under the fence. They want to go somewhere else, and they eventually get eaten by predators. The prophet Isaiah declared this concerning us when he said, "All we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

Sheep are also defenseless. Sheep can become discontent, and they actually butt heads with other sheep. Did you know that? There's a lot of head-butting going on in the flock. Sheep are also very needy. In fact, the body of a sheep is composed of 70 percent water, which you probably knew already, but lack of water is sensed by thirst and you need an outside source to replenish it. So if thirsty, sheep become extremely restless and they will drink polluted waters and end up getting parasites.

But sheep can also become cast or cast down. And a cast sheep is an old English shepherd's term for a sheep that has turned over on its back and cannot get back up again by itself. And the reason for turning over: they have lied down and they've grown comfortable, and they can't get back up. They get fat, and they roll over. And if the sheep is cast, it will die if it doesn't get help and placed back on its feet. A sheep is helpless in that state when it is cast down and it is vulnerable to predators.

Lastly, sheep can be very, well, smelly. They need to be washed. They need to be cleansed from the dirt and filth that they can easily get into. Now, when you put all of those facts together, you come to realize one thing about sheep. Number one is there is the need for a shepherd. Throughout the Bible, we find that the Lord referred to those who would lead and care for His people as shepherds.

For example, in Jeremiah chapter 3, in verse 15, the prophet Jeremiah said on behalf of the Lord, "I will give you shepherds according to my heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding." When the nation of Israel was in bondage in Egypt, they needed a deliverer. Moses had been for 40 years of his life in the desert shuffling sheep around, not knowing that God was preparing him to go in and lead the people out of their bondage like a shepherd with a flock of sheep.

The first king of Israel, his name was Saul. He is introduced in 1 Samuel as a keeper of his father's donkeys. But when Saul rebelled, the Lord raised up another king, a shepherd, whose name was David. And in 2 Samuel chapter 5 in verse 2, it said concerning David, "You shall shepherd my people Israel and be ruler over Israel." When David wrote one of his most famous psalms, Psalm 23, he said, "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want."

When the prophet Isaiah prophesied about the future of the nation of Israel in relationship to her Messiah, in Isaiah chapter 40 verse 11, it said concerning him, "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs in his arms and carry them in his bosom and gently lead those who are with young." When you then come to the New Testament and you begin to observe and study the life and the ministry of Jesus, it says in Matthew chapter 9 in verse 36, "When Jesus saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd."

When Jesus was in the area of Tyre and Sidon, a coastal region in the extreme northwestern area of Galilee, he was approached by a Gentile woman who was in need of his assistance. And in his initial response before healing her demon-possessed daughter, he said in Matthew chapter 15, verse 24, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." There came a point when Jesus sent his disciples out to minister to the needs of the people, and he gave them specific instructions in Matthew chapter 10 in verse 6 when he said, "Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

There was a time during his teaching when Jesus talked about the parable of the one sheep that had gone astray. He left the 99 to pursue the one sheep, and when he found it, rejoiced and brought it back, a picture of the ministry of Jesus. In fact, during his ministry, Jesus made seven "I AM" statements. No doubt you're familiar with them. Jesus said, "I am the bread of life, the light of the world, the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth, and the life, I am the true vine."

But he also said in John chapter 10, verse 11, here's how he described himself: "I am the good shepherd." And found within the context of that chapter, we discover the love and care that Jesus had for the sheep, that he called and gathered and guided and fed and cherished and protected and preserved, and even laid down his life for the sheep. When the church came together in the book of Acts, it became obvious that there was a need for shepherds amongst the flock.

It was in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 as well as Romans chapter 12 where we read of different spiritual gifts that are bestowed upon believers within the church that they might use them to edify one another. But in Ephesians chapter 4, the apostle Paul cited that God has given gifted individuals to the church to minister. In Ephesians chapter 4, verse 11: "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ."

The Lord provided pastors—the word there is shepherds—in the church to equip and to edify the body of Christ. And that is accomplished through the teaching and preaching of God's Word. In order for sheep to be equipped, in order for them to be built up and to be edified, they are not to be entertained, but to be fed. My pastor used to always say to us that healthy sheep beget healthy sheep, and that the sheep will come to where the food is good, where they can be nourished by God's Word.

You see, the believers that Peter was writing to here, they were scattered. They were dispersed in every direction because of the severity of the persecution they were experiencing. They needed the care of faithful shepherds to thoroughly equip them and to build them up. And therefore, not only do we see here in this text this morning that there is the need for a shepherd, but we also see that Peter gives, secondly, an exhortation to the shepherds.

In verse 1, notice again: "The elders who are among you, I exhort, I am also a fellow elder, a witness of the suffering of Christ and a partaker of the glory that will be revealed." The first mention of the word elder in the New Testament is found there in Acts chapter 11 in verse 30. Now, often when we think of the word elder, we only think of it in the context of someone's age. They are elder, they are older, therefore respect your elders.

But in this context, the elder has less to do with age and more to do with one's spiritual character. The elders represented the leadership within the church, and the New Testament churches were organized under the leadership of elders and deacons. And the word elder and bishop are actually two words that are synonymous with one another, two words describing a different aspect of the same job.

Elder would refer to the maturity of the person in that position, and the word bishop refers to the responsibility of the office. The word pastor is also synonymous with these words, titles for the same office. In fact, Paul uses all three of these there in Acts chapter 20. But make note as Peter gives this exhortation to the elders that it is done with a sense of humility. He says, "I am also a fellow elder among you."

Peter didn't say, "I am the apostle Peter, if you didn't know. I was the one that Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to. I'm also the one that walked on water." He wasn't boasting. He said, "I am among you as a fellow elder." He was humble. There was a time in Peter's life when rather than being humble, he was proud. A time in his life when he denied the Lord Jesus three times. But Jesus never gave up on Peter.

After He had risen from the dead, He restored Peter publicly and called him into pastoral ministry. Do you remember that? John chapter 21, there on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?" And he responded, "Yes, Lord, You know that I love You." And He said, "Feed my lambs." He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?"

And he said, "Yes, Lord, You know that I love You." And He said to him, "Then tend my sheep." He said to him a third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?" Peter now grieved because he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, You know all things, You know that I love You." And Jesus said to him, "Then feed my sheep." Three times Peter had denied the Lord. Three times Jesus wanted to be certain that Peter loved Him.

And then Peter was commanded to feed the lambs, to tend the sheep, and to feed the sheep. At one time he was a fisherman; now he was called to be a shepherd. Peter had been humbled by the Lord. He had seen the sufferings of Christ. He had also gotten a glimpse of the glory of Christ there on the Mount of Transfiguration. He also saw the resurrected Savior. Peter had been forgiven, Peter had been restored, and he had been called.

And now he humbly says to the rest of the leaders in the church, "Hey listen, I'm among you as an elder." By the way, folks, can I say to you this morning that if you desire to be used by the Lord in any capacity, it begins with humility? It begins with humility. The Bible says that God gives grace to the humble, but He does resist the proud. The elders he exhorts, but then thirdly we see the role of the shepherd that is described here for us.

There's a need, there's an exhortation, but what is the job description? What are they supposed to be doing? And Peter makes it clear what pastors are supposed to be doing. So I am listening as I'm preaching to myself. Here's what he says: "Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain eagerly, not as being lords over those entrusted to you but examples to the flock."

In his pastoral letters, 1 Timothy and also in Titus, we find actually the qualifications given for those who desire to serve in the area of pastoral ministry. The qualifications. And you can read over them—I frequent them personally. And those qualifications include a desire to lead, also personal integrity, capability, family leadership, spiritual maturity, and a good reputation to those outside of the church. These are the qualifications that were set for men to serve in this capacity as pastors and overseers in the body of Christ.

But once you've been called to the ministry, once you've met those qualifications, the role of the shepherd is just that: to shepherd. Oftentimes I've been asked—even this last week when we were at a conference out in Menifee—by younger men, "How did you know that you were called to be a shepherd among God's people, called to be a pastor?" And of course, there is a story to that. But suffice it to say, God makes it clear.

God has ways of confirming your calling, and it comes to the point where you realize there's nothing else that I would rather do with my life than what I am doing. Charles Spurgeon used to say in his book, Lectures to My Students, if you can find something else to do and you'd be content to do it, then you should do it. Because if you're called, you won't want to do anything else with your life. So here you are to shepherd, and that includes tending, oversight, protection, leading, encouraging, discipling, guarding, guiding, feeding.

And Peter uses this exhortation and describes this role in the imperative tense, meaning simply that: do it now, don't delay. There's an urgency in his command. The sheep that are among you, those whom the Lord has entrusted to your care, the local assembly of believers that you are entrusted with. The role of the shepherd, the job of the pastor, it's actually a serious one. It's not something that you should take lightly.

In fact, Paul when he was making his final journey to Jerusalem, he stopped there in a place called Miletus and he called for all of the elders, the Ephesian elders who were overseeing the works of the ministry in that area, and he gave them a final exhortation. And this is what he said in Acts chapter 20 concerning the seriousness of this service. He said, "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock."

That always hits hard. The people that have been purchased by the blood of Jesus, the bride of Christ, how do you handle His bride? It's a very serious role that one should take seriously. When it comes to being a shepherd of the flock, Peter tells us several things about the role. First of all, make note of this: serve the flock. That's the first thing: serve the flock. Serving as overseers. The pastor, the shepherd, is not called to be a CEO of a corporation, not a celebrity, but a servant.

That is the role. It's the role of a servant. The sheep do not exist for the shepherd; shepherds exist to minister and serve the sheep. And they are to serve in whatever capacity the Lord puts in front of them. Nothing is beneath them. In fact, when the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians about being an overseer and how he would want them to consider him, 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 1, this is what he said: "Let a man so consider us as servants of Christ."

That's what we are: servants. And the word that he uses for servant is an interesting word. It's actually the Greek word where we get the English word "under-rower." Under-rower. And it's a picture of these large vessels that would go across the Mediterranean. And to get from one place to the other, the way in which they were propelled is there were people underneath in the lower decks rowing the ship. They were unseen, they were sweating, they were down below, and they had one mission: to get the passengers to where they needed to be.

Paul said if you're going to observe us, if you want to think about us, that's how we see ourselves. We're just servants rowing to the cadence of the King to get people to their final destination. We are here to serve. So we are to serve as overseers. That is the first thing that must be understood. We're here to serve people.

Guest (Male): Pastor John Randall with the role of the shepherd: to serve like Jesus. We also covered the need for a shepherd and heard an exhortation to the shepherd, too, today on A Daily Walk. It's part of our study in 1 Peter. Now, I'd imagine some of you would like to hear this message again. Maybe you joined us late. Go online to adailywalk.org and have a listen when it's most convenient, or listen wherever you get your podcasts and at oneplace.com.

Another way to listen to Pastor John's teachings is through our mobile app. Just do a search for Calvary South OC. Ever feel like you're just an ordinary guy or gal, nothing special, and wonder if God can use you? Today, we'd like to offer you a great book from John MacArthur called Twelve Ordinary Men. You'll discover how God used ordinary men as His disciples to change the world. The good news is He can do the same thing through you and me.

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Well, we say it often around here at A Daily Walk because it's true: we want to hear from you. It lets us know where the ministry is having an impact, and we also love praying for our listeners. Write to Pastor John by email today at adailywalk@gmail.com. That's adailywalk@gmail.com. Well, our time together sure goes by quickly, doesn't it? We'll pick up where we left off in our Through the Bible study next time. This has been A Daily Walk with Pastor John Randall, where you'll never have to walk alone.

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