Pastors (Part A)

Leaders needed Israel. We read from judges people when they willingly give of themselves.

Bless the Lord, this is a good system all system susceptible to sinners but also the Holy Spirit have to be negative. Be very positive.

Church should be honored to have men who are called by God to do what he assigned them to do from this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first Peter, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of first Peter chapter 5 as he begins his message called pastor's we are in first Peter chapter 5 this morning.

If you have your Bibles. Please open to first Peter chapter 5 will take verses one through four. The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and 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.

When the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away pastors that's our subject this morning. It is handed to us from the text verses that we just read and Peter now turning his attention to the pastors in the hearing of the congregation custom in those days was that one apostle wrote a letter received by the church was read aloud the congregation I'm reminded of this section from Exodus chapter 18 God instructing Moses how to oversee the people of God. He said moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God and men of truth, hating covetousness in place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of 50s, and rulers of 10 and then this section right out of judges when leaders lead in Israel when the people willingly offer themselves.

Bless Yahweh. Those verses are supposed to mean something to we Christians. Unfortunately, I think they are often dismissed because of justice. Carlos.

That we all have words just somehow authority becomes irritating.

At some point when I hear because it's me and you should expect me to say something like that. Those of you who know me, but this is the way it is. We all have to fight it.

Find out where we belong in the presence of authority. What is our role read the book of Judges to see what happens when there is no leadership, no real leadership. What happens to a people without fixed authority that is righteous. Well we look at verse one, then go there we read 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 there at the beginning the elders who are among you I exhort the Greek word press Butera loss for elders when we get our English word Presbyterian and here he uses it for the pastors not always use that way in the New Testament, but here it is the pastors context makes it clear get some of that as we move forward, but it means those who are in the senior positions, it can be view can use it in the sense of an elder and older person, but the context dictates that these are those who are the matured overseers within the flock where it is used elsewhere. Also so person can be relatively young and leader in the church that would make them an elder. Not necessarily a pastor. All pastors are elders, but not all elders are pastors and I have to point out early on that I don't just go along with what everybody else is doing. I hope I don't. I like to try to think it through and find out what I believe and go with that and I don't agree with much of how other churches do it, though I don't fault them, or act as though I'm better than them, but died I don't I don't always agree with their interpretation if they would just get their act together, they would agree with me will know this plain and simple. Anyway, those who have been around without collapsing the been entrusted with various positions and again this section is to the pastors. Not all the elders up. Of course there is application to them, but Peter has them in mind in their official capacity, and we consider, for example. First Timothy five. Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine will find this word elders and overseers interchanged in its use by Luke and Paul and Peter. He will reference shortly. The chief Shepherd, the chief pastor, which subsumes that there are assistant or under rowers, assistant shepherds, which would be the pastors and will cover that to and on making all these problems and get moving forward. An elder is not necessarily a pastor but all pastors are elders.

That's foundational so in the New Testament.

The words Bishop elder overseer and pastor. As I mentioned used interchangeably to describe the manner shepherds the flock look up and asked 20 verse 17 verse 28. I was going to give you a few of them. Titus one. Verses five through nine, and here text first Peter five verses one through four is pastors.

The shepherds are responsible to lead the flock. I'll give you more scripture verses for those of you who will look it up after fact checked me, don't do it now, you miss the good stuff, especially the humor is what you come to church right hope not. First Timothy five or 17 speaks about the responsibility of pastors to leave Hebrews 13 717 and 24 is a slowdown pastor.

I say get a listener to it on the podcast later you'll get it preach and teach.

First Timothy 517 help the spiritual spiritually weak. First Thessalonians 512 to 14 ordained leaders first Timothy chapter 4 verse 14 to care for the local church as we have here in our section this morning in acts chapter 21 Paul called the elders and the pastors to Miletus from the city of Ephesus, where they were ministering. He says this to them. He says therefore take heed to yourselves and to the flock among you, which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, that is, the word Episcopal cost.

We get our English word Episcopalian from that word is applying it to the pastors. He says who is made you overseers, to Shepherd that that Greek word is pastor. Will we get our English word pastor to shepherd to feed to pastor the church of God which is which he purchased with his own blood. So the Lord addresses the pastors in Scripture in Revelation chapters 2 and three each church and there are seven of them that he addresses are addressed to the messengers of the church we translate the word their angel, angel, means the messenger is make any sense to write to the angel of the church was even spaded the Angels don't speak to the church.

The pastors are ordained as the mouthpiece of God when it comes to preaching to the assembly, the pastors of the gatekeepers so they are held accountable and they are told in that passage. Make sure you keep the gate or you lose your life from me. Very serious charge in America church government structure and corporate influence. The outgrowth of these democratic processes have been taken on unfortunately by churches and so churches often conduct business by vote or according to principles of business and I don't think that that is biblical.

I don't find the apostle Paul putting anything to a vote. I don't find him following the laws of business.

I find him led by the spirit of God, nor the way and I think that is the way that it is supposed to be.

I think it is a good way. If you have a good pastor. It will work better if you have a bad pastor than everything begins to fall apart. What really makes a bad pastor is one who will not uphold and standby word of God as the word of God and because again, Luke and Paul use this these words from the Greek overseer elder pastor interchangeably to the office of the pastor is why I come to the conclusions that I come to Israel's government was structured very similar way that you had the priest spiritual leaders. Eventually you had the Kings with the civil leaders.

But the priest had the Levites who assisted them in their work as the Kings had the tribal leaders who assisted them use leadership is essential when leaders lead in Israel. As we read from judges people when they willingly give of themselves. Bless the Lord, this is a good system all system susceptible to sinners but also to the Holy Spirit doesn't have to be negative to be very positive. Church should be honored to have men who are called by God to do what he has assigned them to do.

I we were singing. When the Saints go marching in, you know that part of when the Saints are gathered around the throne that part not stand out to you and make you say yes, that is going to happen to me. I am going to be around that throne and everything about my life in this world is concerned with getting others there to that is the role. What other reason have we to be like Christ. Christ was come here to seek and to save that which was lost. To destroy the work of the devil. He tells us that right out. I can't wait to be gathered around that throne. But until then his business to take care of. Like it or not. Peter says I who am a fellow elder says I'm a pastor to I'm one of you. I understand this so much for Rome's claim that Peter was the first pope, Peter would've rebuked that thought the far cry from saying I am the supreme pontiff nodded what he saying I'm one of you I minister to the flock like one of you.

I'm no better than you have my assignment. I have the authority that goes with it. He says in a witness of the sufferings of Kwok Christ of cross use qualified for this because Christ worked invested in this man, Peter was Derek disseminate you know about the Lord's intense prayer than facing the arrest, he saw him arrested and mishandled, he saw from afar, the crucifixion of the Lord.

He says eyewitnesses sufferings when when those early Saints spoke of the sufferings of Christ. They met the cross of Christ. While they all ran and forsook him, he trickled back he says and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed.

He saw the glory of Christ John in his gospel in the first chapter he speaks about this glory. First, John's gospel chapter 1 verse 14 and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. Peter saw that he watched him heal people watched him walk on water, raise the dead.

Saw him transfigured the glory of God upon him.

Incidentally, those who believe in soul sleep that transfiguration. When Elijah and Moses.

Moses of there did they wake up from their nap.

I just a passing thought I should not going on that trip. Some of you like some people believe you go to sleep. Just a sleeping when you die in the Bible I believe rejects that anyway he had been to the empty tomb saw the proof he saw the risen Christ.

He wants to materialize in the upper room and he watched him ascend into glory on the Mount of olives, so he when he says partaker of the glory of Christ. He had experience these things, and he also knew that eternal life was granted to him and that he would be forever with the Lord.

Verse two now. Sorry says pastor the flock of God.

That is the Greek word by my you know we it means to shepherd to feed as a shepherd is translated shepherd the flock of God. It is a correct translation, but in our language.

Today we lose sight of the word pastor means to shepherd. That's what it means it's from the Latin shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion, but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly I don't care who you are. If you disagree with the assembly of the saints, and the structure of leadership and you distribute Scripture.

There a lot of people that claim Christ and in him and haw about this is probably good. They don't go 10 churches because they would just be creative of a situation where they would have to be dealt with and I don't know of any pastor that likes to draw the rod and have to use it.

But this shepherd the flock of God, is it not an echo of the Lord's commission to Peter himself pastor the flock, feed them, tend them shepherd them take care of them. No matter what they do.

Back to you well is the same charge to the people in the pew. You are to uphold Christianity to preach Christ to make yourself available in love even to your enemies. No matter what they do to you. Peter's ordination was on this day. John chapter 121 verses 15 to 17 we all know this. If you been around the Scripture you know it, but maybe it's new to you.

Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of Jonah, do you love me more than these he said to him. Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, feed my lambs. Now Peter probably thought that was the end that okay to that but it did not stop there.

He said him again a second time, Simon son of Jonah, do you love me, he said him yes Lord you know that I love you.

He said to him, tend my sheep said to him 1/3 time.

Simon son of Jonah, do you love me Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time.

Do you love me and he said to him, Lord, you know all things you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, feed my sheep, you Pastor you cannot witness effectively. If you don't love the Lord if he is not your passion through thick and thin as we would say feed my lambs give the new converts nourishment so they can grow tend my sheep take care of the spiritual needs of God's people.

According to the Scripture and uphold it to attend to something to watch over it to make sure it is as best you can, functioning as best it can under your trust and trusted hand feed my sheep give pastoral application from God's word. What is it me that when he says, teaching them to observe all things go out and baptize in the name of the father the son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe this accountability.

Unfortunately, many think that grace is permission to allow sin to be sin on checked were not accountable to anyone because we have grace. Unfortunately, there are those that behave this way. Hebrews chapter 13 remember those who rule over you talking about spiritual matters not not in your private lives dictating to you where you should work with car. You should have who you should marry that it's called that type of behavior shepherding it is nonbiblical it is to be rejected, but in the house of God, these men will over the house of God, as did the rulers of the synagogues in the Jewish system of belief ruled over the synagogue.

He says they rule over you have spoken the word of God to you whose faith, follow considering the outcome of their conduct that we know is not talking about being a tyrant over them peers going to say that it was we read when we stood we read, not as lords over them, but certainly leaders amongst them, and so again. Hebrews 13 seven spoken the word of God to you. The role of the shepherd. These metaphors are not supposed to be wasted. The metaphor for the flock is descriptive, the metaphor for the leader of the flock is the shepherd. We are supposed to be very mindful of these things. Find out what they mean and then work them not just sit down and have a Bible study and get up and behave as though we did not have the Bible study. These things are supposed to produce results in our lives as I'm standing up here speaking to you would supposed to do something not just give you some naptime. Okay see this is why we need a laugh track here. Some of you are sleeping through that one, so writing to Christians in local assemblies business there is the universal church. We agree that there Christians all over the world. Most of them we will not meet in this life will have to wait to a gathered around the throne, but then there is the local assembly.

Every bit of the body of Christ, and that is to the application.

Peter is is is talking about is he singles out these under shepherds the flock of God in the midst of persecution they were still the flock of God. God did not desert them. Remember first Peter is written to Christians who are in the persecution of Nero is not fully escalated, yet it does not seem from the writings of Peter but we know from history.

It is going to Proverbs 27 verse 23 be diligent to know the state of your flocks. Attend to your herds has to be attention given to the flock by the shepherd or else things will begin to break down tear be torn down and that is never good shepherds rod is an emblem of protection from predators, foreign and domestic in the church and out heresies to try to creep in from outside trouble that tries to rise up from the inside my office I have a illustration of a shepherd there with a rod in his hand, which I think should be an M-16 but but that's okay artist to get things wrong and the wolves were on the you know in the background and the llamas by his legs and and so that is served to remind the shepherd he is there not bearing the rod in vain Christians, many tend to believe that shepherd should have no rod of correction. The problem with them and that view is that they disagree with Christ they disagree with God with you ever see the shepherds take the rod out and administer church discipline.

You probably won't like it. Just remember, they don't like it either an alternative many times. First Timothy chapter 5. Those who are sending rebuke in the presence of all that the rest may fear. We tend not to do this today for several reasons. Lawsuits is one of what we are trying to humiliate anyone. And yet if they insist, if they keep pushing. Maybe they will find themselves exposing away that they would've been better to avoid. First Corinthians 4, Paul writes what you want. Shall I come to you with the rod or in love in a spirit of gentleness. We need to get these things in our head because as Americans was so into freedom. That's good.

The body of Christ as a whole know the thing and you do not and I do not know how to automatically fit into this body of Christ.

I have to be taught. I think most people like to learn but a lot of us don't like to be taught going to have to put your pride down to make progress with the Lord, because God resists the proud, I don't want God resisting me is no contest. It's not like a tug-of-war and I might come out of Tom, it's you lost me. I wasn't even ready do it again doesn't work that way when it is critical to understand. He says shepherd the flock of God is God's flock.

Never the pastor's flock move.

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