Transcript & Slides: Shepherding God's Flock (1 Peter 5:1-11)

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Shepherding God's Flock (1 Peter 5:1-11)
By David Feddes

Our Scripture today is from 1 Peter chapter 5, and we're going to be thinking about shepherding God's flock. One of the most common and most beautiful pictures of God in the Bible is the Good Shepherd: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). That picture of God as the Good Shepherd appears again in Isaiah 40, where he’s carrying the lambs in his arms, and in Ezekiel, where he’s blasting bad shepherds and promising to take over himself and be the Good Shepherd.

When you look at some of the people that God chose to be prominent among his people, you see that they were shepherds. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were people who cared for flocks. Moses was a boy who was taken from his parents and grew up in the palaces of Egypt, but then he spent forty years shepherding flocks in the wild as preparation to be the great leader and deliverer of God’s people. Moses was a shepherd for forty years with his father-in-law’s flocks.

David, who was destined to be the greatest of the kings of Israel, was a shepherd before he did any of the things that made him famous. He was a shepherd who wrote psalms of praise to God while he was tending the sheep. He killed a lion when he was just a teenager, when it attacked the flock. He killed a bear that was attacking the flock. So by the time he had to take on a giant named Goliath, he already had a little experience from being a shepherd—taking on a lion and a bear.

Of course, when Jesus himself came, he said, “I am the good shepherd; my sheep know me and they hear my voice, and they follow me. Nobody can take them out of my hands” (John 10:14, 27–28). So all through the Bible—whether it’s God himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, or the people he appointed to be shepherds of his people—he often let them be shepherds of sheep first. It seemed like good ministry training.

So we’re going to hear what the Bible says about shepherding God’s flock and how we, as God’s flock, also benefit from those whom God appoints as shepherds.

¹ To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: ² Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

⁵ In the same way, younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 

⁸ Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Peter appeals to the elders, and one of the most beautiful things about this appeal is simply that Peter says, “I appeal to you as a fellow elder.” The first thing he says is, we’re in this together. I’m a fellow elder. You’re like me, I’m like you, we’re doing the same kind of thing.

That is quite a contrast to some doctrines that later arose about Peter—that Peter was the universal bishop above all bishops, that he was the leader of the entire world church because, after all, he was the bishop in Rome, the eternal city. The reasoning went that if you’re heading the church in the eternal city, then you must be the most important of all the bishops. But does Peter say, “I am the vicar of Christ on earth, the supreme potentate over all bishops and elders because I’m in the most important city”? No. He does refer to the city he’s in a little bit later, but he calls it Babylon. He doesn’t say, “Rome is the eternal city, the best of them all, and because I am in Rome, I’m the best bishop of them all.” He says, “Rome is Babylon,” and, “I am a fellow elder.” He appeals as a fellow elder.

So he speaks first of all as a humble colleague. Later on he says, “Be an example to the flock,” and right here he’s being an example to the flock. Peter had the personality that would have made a great bully. He had a very forceful personality. He was one of those people who expressed himself very strongly and freely. He was bold by nature in a lot of ways. He would have made a bully if he had wanted to be one, but the Lord Jesus Christ shaped him in a very different way. So he humbly appeals as a colleague to his fellow elders and as an eyewitness.

Again, he could have said, “I am an eyewitness of Jesus Christ walking on water, and I walked on water too—at least for a few minutes. I witnessed his glorious transfiguration and saw the glory shining from him. I saw him raise Lazarus from the dead. I saw miracles like nobody else has ever seen.” And of course, all of that would have been true. But he says, “I am an eyewitness of the sufferings of Christ.”

You remember that theme that runs all through 1 Peter—suffering and glory. So he’s not just emphasizing the glory. First of all, he’s an eyewitness of how Jesus suffered. When you’re talking to elders and people who are going to lead the church in tough times, they need to be following a Savior who suffered. It’s important to realize that even though he says, “I am your fellow elder,” and speaks humbly, he is also an eyewitness. These New Testament apostles knew that they had been handpicked by Jesus for a special purpose—to be witnesses of all that he taught and did and to be witnesses of his resurrection, to be in the room with him and see the risen Christ. So although they didn’t pull rank on people very much, they were very clear about the fact that they were eyewitnesses, and that gave them a special calling and authority from God to tell what they had heard and seen.

He says, “I’m also one who’s going to share in the glory to be revealed.” He doesn’t go into detail. He doesn’t say, “You know, Jesus said that I personally was going to sit on one of the twelve thrones ruling the tribes of Israel.” Jesus had said that to him, but Peter doesn’t mention it. He simply says, “You’re headed for a crown, I’m headed for a crown. I’m sharing in the glory to be revealed.”

So that’s how he appeals to the elders before he actually gets into saying what he’s going to say. I just want to remind you again, as I did at the beginning of our study of 1 Peter, what a man of God he was—how God had used him and humbled him in many ways, even having him tell about his mistakes. When you read about the apostles, you might say, “Those guys were kind of bunglers when they walked with Jesus,” but you have to admit they were very honest. When they had the chance a few decades later to tell the story of Jesus, they didn’t edit out the bad stuff that they themselves had done.

He appeals as a fellow elder, a witness, one who’s going to share in the glory, and he speaks to church leaders using three different words for them. He appeals to them as elders, as overseers, and as shepherds. An elder is a presbyteros, from which we get the word Presbyterian. Some might say, “The Presbyterians have it made because they have a truly biblical form of government—they have the presbyteria.” The Episcopal Church would say, “No, we do. We have the episkopos—the bishop, the overseer.” Sometimes different forms of church government skew toward one or another emphasis in these words. Others would say, “We are truly biblical because we have pastors,” and pastor is the good Latin word for shepherd, and we know that leaders ought to be shepherds.

The fact of the matter is that all three are used in this one passage. An elder is somebody who’s been around a little longer. In some ways, that’s not a great distinction—it’s someone more experienced, more of a veteran in the faith, and so they take on greater leadership responsibilities. An overseer is somebody who directs the church and is a guardian of the church, watching over the church’s doctrine and trying to safeguard the people from the things that would harm or destroy them. A shepherd leads people into green pastures and into the still waters of nourishment. A shepherd also defends and protects against enemies.

So those are three of the words that God uses for leaders in his church—words Peter uses in this passage. Paul uses the very same words in a speech he gives to the leaders of the church in Ephesus. Paul is on one of his journeys and doesn’t have time to visit Ephesus, so he stops by the beach, and the elders travel a number of miles to come and meet him there. He gives a charge to them, and as part of that he says to the elders, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock” (Acts 20:28–29).

So those three words—elders, overseers, shepherds—and another, the scary word, wolves.

Later in the passage, after Peter speaks to the shepherds, he says there’s a roaring lion out there. Paul says to the Ephesian elders there are wolves out there. So part of your job is helping people to be kept safe from the wolves. You have those three words in Paul and in Peter—elders, shepherds, overseers—and then he goes into what they ought to be like in their conduct and what a church leader really needs to know. Peter boils it down beautifully in just a few words. He shows what not to be and then what to be—the bad and the good.

He says, not because you must, but because you’re willing, as God wants you to be. A bad leader says, “Well, I have to do this. It’s a drag, but it’s a dirty job and somebody’s got to do it, I suppose. Maybe I can’t get employed doing anything else anyway.” There’s the “I have to,” and then there’s the “I want to.” The Bible says elsewhere that the one who desires to be an elder desires a noble task. It’s a great thing to want to serve God’s people in that way.

Another question is, what’s your motive? Is it greed or is it enthusiasm? “Not greedy for money, but eager to serve.” Remember Judas. Judas was one of the twelve called by Jesus, and he ultimately was the one who betrayed Jesus to death. But you remember what his particular sin was—he was greedy. He managed the money for the group of disciples and helped himself to some of it. After a while, he got into that habit of being greedy, and when the opportunity arose to sell Jesus, he sold him. He was greedy for money. When a pastor or a church leader gets greedy for money, we need to be aware of how close we’re getting to that Judas syndrome.

When you see pastors living fabulously wealthy lifestyles, when you hear them preaching messages that “Jesus wants to make others wealthy, and look how wealthy he made me,” you’d better ask a few hard questions about whether that’s leadership in the spirit of the Scriptures—whether that’s leadership like Peter describes. Are they greedy for money, or are they eager to serve others?

And then, what style do they have? “Not lording it over others but being examples to the flock.” Leadership by example is very different from leadership by bossiness and bullying. These orders are given by Peter to those who are leaders, but I also want to urge those of us who aren’t leading in an official position in the church to take this as guidance for what we’re looking for in a leader. Sometimes people are looking for someone who’s a celebrity, or who can really perform wonderfully on a platform. But what kind of example are they? How do they deal with ordinary people in day-to-day life?

Because some admired leaders—if you get just a little behind the scenes—their staff is bullied, and they always speak of themselves as the Lord’s anointed, whom nobody could ever possibly question. That’s a dictator style of leadership, not an example style of leadership. And that, of course, is not just a problem in the church. It can be a problem in a lot of different areas of life, where somebody is a bully who dictates everything to others rather than leading by example.

Some of you may have read The Chronicles of Narnia, and in The Magician’s Nephew, Uncle Andrew is an unscrupulous man. He gets a box that an old lady gives him, and he promises her that he will destroy that box. Inside are some magic rings that cause a lot of trouble. He says, “Well, I promised that I would, and I didn’t.” His nephew says, “That’s a terrible thing to do—you broke your promise!” Uncle Andrew replies, “Oh, I forgot—you’re a little boy. For little boys, promises are a good idea. Rules of that sort, however excellent they may be for little boys and servants and women—even people in general—can’t possibly be expected to apply to profound students and great thinkers and sages. Men like me who possess hidden wisdom are freed from common rules. Ours, my boy, is a high and lonely destiny.”

He thinks he’s great, and he really isn’t, but he thinks he is. “Ours is a high and lonely destiny.” Later on, Digory runs into the woman who becomes the White Witch, Queen Jadis. She has used the deplorable word to destroy her sister and the entire kingdom of Charn, so she’s the only one left alive. Digory says, “You killed everybody! What a horrible thing to do!” She replies, “Oh, I had forgotten—you’re only a common boy. How should you understand reasons of state? You must learn, child, that what would be wrong for you or for any of the common people is not wrong in a great queen such as I. The weight of the world is on our shoulders. We must be freed from all rules. Ours is a high and lonely destiny.”

That’s how people with power sometimes conduct themselves—the rules are for the little people. “I will make rules for the little people that they shall all wear masks, and then I will dine in the three-hundred-dollar-a-plate place without one, with a crowd of people. I will make rules that everybody else will lock down, and I will jet wherever I please to my vacation homes. I will make rules that everybody shall cut down on their evil carbon emissions, and then I will fly on my private jet to collect the award for being so environmentally conscious.” That’s how political leaders sometimes conduct themselves.

And if only it were just political leaders—but church leaders too. Some deliver a fabulous sermon, are great communicators, look really good, and then go out and do the opposite of what they preach. “Ours is a high and lonely destiny.” Well, Peter says, lead by example. If you’re going to be a leader in God’s church, you don’t boss other people around and then do the opposite—you lead by example.

Peter’s not the only one who teaches that way. The apostle Paul says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). He tells Timothy, “Set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). He says to Titus, “Set them an example by doing what is good” (Titus 2:7). We need to lead by example.

Peter himself must have remembered when Jesus called him. When Jesus first called him, he called Peter from being a fisherman and said, “I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Later on, after Peter had failed and denied Jesus, the Lord again lifted him up. But the first thing he had to ask Peter was, “Do you love me?” Three times—“Do you love me?” Because if you’re going to be a leader, you don’t do it because you’ve got to or because you’ve got the position—you do it out of love, out of eagerness to serve the Lord and his people. Three times, “Do you love me?” and three times he says to take care of his flock, feed my sheep, watch over my lambs (John 21:15–17).

He calls Peter to be a shepherd who loves the Good Shepherd. And yet, even after that, Peter still isn’t perfect. As soon as Jesus has said, “Feed my sheep” three times, Peter sees John over there and says, “What about him?” That’s kind of how we operate, isn’t it? “But what about him?” Jesus says, “Maybe I’ll let him live till I return—what’s that to you? You follow me.” That’s the punchline: “You follow me.” If you want to lead other people, follow me. If you want to shepherd other people, follow the Good Shepherd. Set the example that the Good Shepherd sets.

So again, those of you who are elders and leaders in this church in various ways, take to heart what Peter says to his fellow elders, and all of us take to heart what to look for in leaders—who deserves to be followed and who doesn’t.

Then he says that when the Chief Shepherd appears, you’ll receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. If you were having a little bit of reluctance, just keep in mind what rewards God has for those who have served him faithfully, often as leaders. Earlier, Peter uses the same kind of language. He says to all of us, “You were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25). Jesus is the Shepherd. Jesus is the Overseer, the Bishop. He’s the Pastor and the Bishop. And when the Chief Pastor, the Chief Shepherd, appears, that’s when the rewards get handed out.

Never forget who’s the main Shepherd, the main Bishop. What a comfort that is—that if you’re called to shepherd at all, you’re under him. You’re an under-shepherd. He’s the Chief Shepherd. He’s enabling you the whole way, he’s directing you the whole way, and he’s evaluating you. Remember that we all answer to Jesus Christ for the leadership entrusted to us. And not only do we answer to him, but Peter gives the more positive part of it: we’re rewarded by him with a crown of glory that can’t fade away. So serve him. Serve him faithfully. Serve him well.

Then he speaks to everybody, not just to those who’ve been appointed to positions of leadership: “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders” (1 Peter 5:5). That sometimes needs saying because when you’re young, you’re kind of cursed with having all those know-nothing older people around who don’t understand what it’s like to be young. They were never young; they never experienced anything that you’ve been through. This is a first-time adventure that nobody in the history of the world has ever gone through until today’s youth came along—or maybe not.

I’m being a little sarcastic, but Peter is saying that younger people are often tempted to do their own thing, go their own way. But when God has appointed leaders and elders, pay close attention to them because they have some life experience. Their faith has been tested a few times. They’ve been through more challenges to their faith, and they’re still believers—they’re still walking with the Lord. They’re worth listening to.

Then he tells all of us—not just younger people listening to their elders, but all of us—“Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5). “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). There are two kinds of humbling going on here. One is, be humble toward one another; the other is, be humble under God’s mighty hand.

Being humble toward one another means counting others wiser than ourselves, more worthy of serving than ourselves—not looking down on them, but clothing ourselves with humility toward others. I’ll take an example of the kind of thing that people nowadays have gotten a little haughty about. On the whole mask thing, some people say, “If you don’t wear a mask, that’s a sign of a lack of faith and that you’re an enemy of freedom.” Others say, “I wear a mask; that means I listen to science and love people and care about them. You don’t listen to science, you don’t know anything about it, and you don’t care about people.” So you have people on one side or the other getting really virtuous about what they’re doing and then looking down on what somebody else is doing.

Rather than saying, “Somebody else may have very good reasons why they’ve made their choice, and I may have my own reasons for mine,” whether you clothe yourself with a mask or not, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. This kind of season is a wonderful time to learn humility toward others who are making a variety of choices in different circumstances. It’s very unwise to jump to the conclusion that the path I’ve chosen is because I’m a superior life form and they’re a bunch of dunderheads.

There is precedent for that—but it’s not a very good one. Jesus told the story of a man who was very pleased with himself. He wasn’t humble toward other people, and he wasn’t humble toward God. He was a Pharisee, and he went to the temple and said, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men. I am superior, and I’m so thankful to you for my excellent superiority—especially that I’m not like that miserable tax collector over there. What a lowlife! I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all I earn. Aren’t I wonderful?”

Then there was the tax collector, who had a bad reputation for cheating and not being a very good person. He didn’t even go near the front of the temple. He stood off at a distance and wouldn’t even look up. He said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Jesus said, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:9–14).

So humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand, so that he may lift you up in due time. The moment we start looking down on others, it’s a sign that we haven’t been looking up very much at all—to God. Because once you start looking up at God, you don’t have room to be bragging or feeling superior about anybody else. When you’re in God’s presence, you realize how much you need grace—and since you need grace, you put on humility toward others and humble yourself under God’s mighty hand so that he can lift you up in due season.

Then Peter says—actually, it’s a continuation of the sentence—“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time, casting all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6–7). In our translations it’s sometimes broken off as a separate sentence or a separate idea, but it’s really one continuing thought. Did you know that part of humbling yourself is casting your cares on him, and that worry is actually a form of pride?

When you’re a worrywart and you’re panicking about what might happen, the real problem is that you’re feeling like you’ve got to run your life, that you have to handle whatever comes at you. And if God is a factor, you’re worried that he’s going to send something into your life that you don’t like. That’s pride—when you say, “I would like to manage my own life, and I’m not confident at all that God is going to send things into my life that are actually for my well-being and for my good.”

In the book of Ruth, Naomi goes through some terrible things—the loss of her husband, the loss of her two sons—just heartbreaking, heart-shattering things. She says, “The Lord’s hand is against me.” But by the end of the story, you find out that the Lord has actually planned some things and brings good things into her life. She ends up with a beloved grandchild, and then at the end of the story—oh, by the way—King David came from that story.

We have our little picture of how things go, and we say, “The Lord’s hand has gone out against me. Everything is a ruin. Don’t call me Naomi—beautiful or sweet—anymore. Call me Mara, bitter. It’s a wreck.” And God says, “I have a great king in mind. I also have some pretty good plans for your life still in store.” So listen to that story—what God finally brought about out of such a heart-rending situation—and realize, this is the way the whole Bible is written. This is the way Peter writes. It’s suffering and glory. If God appoints the sufferings, he has a purpose in those too.

So, casting your cares on him—you can cast your cares on him because he cares for you and he has a mighty hand. Sometimes you feel crushed by that mighty hand when it sends suffering or tough times into your life, but it is the mighty hand of one who cares for you. So cast your cares on him. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22). Peter is just quoting from that psalm.

Sometimes worry is kind of a barometer of how our prayer life has been doing lately. Sometimes a lack of prayer leads to an increase in worry. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7). That’s how you cast your cares on him—by bringing your requests to him. Don’t forget to give him thanks while you’re bringing the requests. As you do that, the peace of God replaces those anxieties, worries, and cares.

When we know brothers and sisters who are going through excruciating times, let’s raise up our prayers for them and take part of their burden on ourselves, bringing them to the Lord and praying for them too. Because the casting of cares is supremely the work of prayer and of loving one another. “Cast your cares on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Now, does that mean that if you cast your cares and the peace of God that surpasses understanding comes into your life, then it’s nap time, party time—it’s time to just enjoy life because it’s God’s problem now and I’ve got it made in the shade? Well, not quite. The very next thing after “Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you” is not “because there’s no more trouble.” The very next thing is “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Boy, that really relieves my worries—prowling around like a roaring lion wanting to eat me up! That makes me feel a whole lot better. But we just have to follow the whole line of thought that Peter has. The first thing he says is, you’ve got to be self-controlled or sober and alert.

When you read the book of Judges, you find this mighty man Samson. He has stupendous strength from God, and whenever the Holy Spirit comes upon him, he can defeat and destroy the enemies of Israel. But he has a fondness for Philistine women. He likes to hang out with them. He likes to party with the enemy. He first gets a marriage arranged with a Philistine woman who betrays him. Then you read about him going to a Philistine prostitute in a Philistine city, and in the middle of the night the Philistines try to kill him. But he manages to get out of the city, rip the gates away, and carry them thirty miles to another place—because he’s Samson. He can do whatever he wants. He can hang out with Philistine women. If they come after him, he’ll just rip the city gate off and cart it away and let them fetch it from thirty miles away.

Then he finds Delilah. Oh, what a lovely woman. He’s really fond of her. She keeps badgering him about the source of his strength, bugging him and trying to wheedle it out of him. Finally, he tells her—but then it’s nap time. He takes a little nap while she soothes him on her lap. Then she cuts off all his hair, and the Philistines come and gouge out Samson’s eyes.

Samson was not exactly Mr. Sober and Alert. Because he had God’s power, he thought he was bulletproof. He could flirt with the enemy, do whatever he wanted, and all would be well. But when there’s a lion on the prowl, it’s not nap time. 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 faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (1 Peter 5:8–9).

Satan is not this cute little guy with a pitchfork that you see in pictures. When the Bible speaks of him, he’s a roaring lion. When it speaks of his servants, they’re ravenous wolves. When it speaks of Satan elsewhere, he’s a dragon with seven heads—terrible and mighty. We are up against a terrible enemy, and so we need to know the schemes of this enemy and resist him, standing firm in the faith.

How does he attack? Well, here are some of the main ways that the lion attacks. One is temptation—to entice you, to lure you, to try to get you to do something wrong because it will feel so good, because it will bring you pleasure, because you will like it. He did that with Eve, telling her that the forbidden fruit was going to be great and wonderful for her. Temptation is one of the devil’s methods of saying, “It’s going to be more pleasurable to do it my way than God’s way.”

Closely related to that is deception. He lies. He’s “a liar and the father of lies,” says Jesus (John 8:44). He lies and wants you to get away from believing what’s real and what’s true. So not only does he send in false doctrines and false teachings, but sometimes he puts false beliefs into your own head—false beliefs about yourself, or suspicious, false beliefs about God: that God is not looking out for you, that he doesn’t care about you, that you’re worthless and God has no interest in you, or that you’re so good you don’t need to repent. The lies are all over the map. He’ll send whatever lie he needs to get you off the path.

Sometimes he’ll just give you an allergy to the Bible. You just don’t feel like reading it today. You’re not going to do that Bible reading plan. You’re not going to memorize any Scripture. You’ve got better things to do.

Many of us literally spend probably ten times—maybe more—ten times as much time watching TV commercials (not just TV, but commercials) as we do on Bible memory. You know the jingles of the commercials because you’ve watched them a gazillion times, but you don’t know the Bible verses because you didn’t spend any time with them. You might think, “Well, that’s just one of those time-management things.” No. There is a roaring lion looking for somebody to devour, and he wants a whole bunch of stuff rattling around in your head that is not from the Word of God.

Another method that he uses is accusation. The name Satan means “the opponent” or “the accuser.” He will accuse you. First he’ll tempt you into sin—telling you it’s going to feel good and there’s nothing wrong with it—and as soon as he gets you, then he’ll accuse you and tell you how rotten you are, how worthless you are, how you could never be accepted by God or used by God again. So he uses accusations to bring you down, to discourage you, and to divide people against each other—to see the worst in others, to think the worst of your husband or wife, to suspect what a friend might be up to, and to assume they must have bad motives and you know why they did that.

A lot of the thoughts that come into your mind that are negative about somebody else are not just your own thoughts. You need to be aware of that. That’s part of the devil going around like a roaring lion, trying to divide people in the church from one another by giving them bad thoughts about each other, trying to divide husband and wife, trying to divide parents and children—by sending thoughts into your head that make you suspicious of others. Accusation is one of his methods.

So is intimidation—and that’s probably the one Peter is referring to most directly in this passage. He wants to scare you. He threatens. He frightens. He wants to make you afraid to follow God, afraid of the opinions of others, afraid of physical attacks and harm, afraid of being demoted or losing your job in some situations, afraid of losing your well-being or even your life. Satan will use all of these methods. We know from the Scriptures that sometimes he even uses possession, where he gains control of people so that they can’t even consciously control their own faculties anymore, and he or one of his demons dominates or controls a person’s feelings, thoughts, and very life.

So we have an enemy. We have that lion. How do we resist him, standing firm in the faith? When it comes to temptation, the best way to resist temptation is to treasure Christ more than you treasure anything that Satan is dangling in front of you. It’s not just to say, “I’ve got to work harder at obeying,” although obedience is indeed the answer to temptation. But to really obey, you need to truly prize, treasure, cherish, and savor the Lord Jesus Christ.

To deal with deception, you need to believe the Bible and know what it says. There is no other way. There is no other way to know and distinguish what is true from what is a lie except to know the truth. So be in the Scriptures—or you’re just ripe pickings for the devil’s deceptions. That’s one of the problems behind the sad state of the church today and the moral decay of society in recent years: people just plain don’t know the Scriptures.

If you look at some of the surveys, you’ll find that the unbelievers of fifty years ago knew the content of the Bible better than professing believers do today. People don’t even know what the Bible says. So if you want to defeat deception, you need to know the truth of God.

For accusation—when the devil is bringing accusations against you—you need to know the grace of God, the forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ and his precious blood. That’s how you deal with his accusations against you personally when they’re troubling you. And that’s also how you deal with the bad thoughts that come to you against others—with grace.

You say, “In the first place, this might be an accusation of Satan against them that isn’t even true. Maybe I have suspicions I shouldn’t have. But even if what I think is true, I need to deal with them graciously, as God has dealt with me. I need to be a forgiving person.” So you pray, “Lord, help me to be a person of forgiveness and grace, rather than one who is constantly accusing,” because if you’re constantly accusing, you’re just joining in with Satan’s methods.

With intimidation, there’s no nice way to say it—you endure attacks. You go through it. Instead of trying to avoid suffering at every turn, you say, “Part of following Jesus is suffering, insults, and attacks.” So rather than being scared of it, plan on it and live accordingly.

And when it comes to being possessed by the devil—you can’t be possessed by the devil if you are possessed by the Holy Spirit. You cannot be filled and dominated by the devil if you are filled and dominated by the Holy Spirit of God. If a Christian is feeling at least some level of demonic oppression, the main answer is to be filled more fully with the Holy Spirit—to call upon God’s help and the power of the Holy Spirit to set you free, because the Holy Spirit is mightier than the prince of this world.

So, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9). That’s a very brief sketch. Again, I’ve written a book on spiritual warfare, and that certainly is not the last word on the whole matter either. But this is a real battle we’re in. At the same time, “Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you,” knowing that the devil is on the prowl—but that the devil can’t defeat you when you resist him, standing firm in the faith. You’re not the only one. People all around the world go through the same kind of suffering, says Peter, so you need to be standing firm where you are.

In Pilgrim’s Progress, the pilgrim Christian leaves the City of Destruction. Christian loses his terrible burden of sin and is set free. But then he still has a path to walk to get to heaven, and it’s sometimes a very hard path. He makes some serious mistakes and sins, yet he keeps going. At one point, he reaches the Palace Beautiful and sees it in the distance. It’s not heaven yet, but it’s a place of refreshment. Between the Palace Beautiful and him, though, are these terrible lions.

John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, says the lions were chained, but Christian didn’t see the chains. He knew of some others who had gotten near the Palace Beautiful but turned around because the lions were there—they chickened out and went back to the City of Destruction. But the porter at the gate of the palace says, “Don’t fear them. The lions are chained. Just keep to the middle of the path. If you get off the path, then you’ll be in trouble. But if you stick to the middle, you can go right between those lions and into the palace for refreshment.”

And so it turns out to be. The lions are there to show who doesn’t have real faith and also to prove and test the real faith of those who do have it. There’s a lot of true biblical teaching in that little picture—that God sends troubles, and those troubles sometimes sort out the real believers from those who aren’t. For those who are real believers, those troubles make them even stronger in their faith as they keep on going.

Another person whom the pilgrim runs into is called Apollyon, which means “the destroyer.” It’s a name for the devil in Revelation. Christian runs into Apollyon at one point, and Apollyon says, “Where do you come from?” Christian says, “I was born in the City of Destruction.” Apollyon says, “That’s my city. You belong to me.” Christian replies, “No, I belong now to the King of princes. I follow him.” Apollyon says, “I hate him and oppose everything he stands for. You belong to me. I’ll double your wages.” Christian says, “I think I’ve had enough of your wages. I know how you pay.” Then they fight, and Christian stands firm—fiercely resisting Apollyon—and finally overcomes him.

What does the Bible say? “Resist him, standing firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9). He may be a terrible monster. He may be very powerful. But when you resist him, standing firm in the faith, then he can’t overcome you. The main danger is not that the devil is too powerful for you; the main danger is that you won’t resist him. I’ll repeat that one more time: your main danger is not that the devil is too powerful for you; your main danger is that you won’t resist him.

“Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” Here the apostle Peter sounds a lot like his fellow apostle James. Peter says, “The God of all grace will establish you.” James says, “He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:6–8, 10).

James was addressing quite a different situation than Peter, but his words are almost exactly the same: come near to God, resist the devil, and you can send him packing. He will run. That’s why you can say, “Cast all your cares on God.” There’s a devil out there, he’s like a roaring lion—but you can cast that care on God too, and resist him, and he will have to flee from you.

 “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 the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10–11). That says it all. If you want all of 1 Peter in nutshell, this is it.

The God of all grace—what a way to describe God. He’s got a mighty hand. He cares for you. He’s the God of all grace: the God of the grace of forgiveness, the God who helps you in time of need, the God of all grace.

He called you. What did he call you to? “To his eternal glory in Christ.” Christ brought life and immortality to light through the gospel—to live forever, to reign with him, to shine with him, to be his precious ones.

“After you have suffered a little while.” Or as Paul says, “Our light and momentary sufferings are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Paul and Peter say the same thing: there’s this eternal glory in Christ and this little while of suffering.

And the promise. At the beginning, Peter said: you’re God’s elect, you’re God’s chosen, and he is in charge of it all. “Through faith you are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5). You’re chosen and you’re shielded. And here, at the end, again he says: he will restore you, he will make you strong, he will make you firm, he will make you steadfast. That’s why you don’t have to fear. He’s got the power. He’s got the mighty hand. He cares for you. He’s the God of all grace. What else is there to say but “Amen”?

Prayer

We thank you, God of all grace, that you love us. We thank you that you are the great Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. We thank you that you appoint others to be under-shepherds. And we thank you, Lord, for faithful men in this church who’ve been elders and deacons, and for faithful women who’ve mentored and helped many. Thank you, Lord, for those who are older women in the faith, showing the way to younger women.

We pray, Lord, that all of us together may clothe ourselves with humility toward one another, building each other up, and that we may cast our cares on you, that we may resist the devil and triumph by your grace, and live, Lord, always with confidence in your restoring power. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Shepherding God's Flock (1 Peter 5:1-11)
By David Feddes
Slide Contents

¹ To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: ² Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

⁵ In the same way, younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 

⁸ Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Peter’s appeal

¹ To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:

• Fellow elder: humble colleague

• Eyewitness: firsthand knowledge

• Sharer of glory: headed for throne 

Church leader

• Elder (Greek: presbuteros)

• Overseer (episkopos)

• Shepherd (pastor in Latin)

Church leader

Paul told Ephesian elders, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. (Acts 20:28-29)

Church leader

Elders… ² be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

Leader contrasts

                              Bad                                          Good                      

Attitude          “I have to.”                            “I want to”

Greed             Greed                                    Enthusiasm  

Dictator          Dictator                                 Example

Uncle Andrew

Rules of that sort, however excellent they may be for little boys—and servants—and women—and even people in general, can’t possibly be expected to apply to profound students and great thinkers and sages... Men like me, who possess hidden wisdom, are freed from common rules... Ours, my boy, is a high and lonely destiny.”

Queen Jadis

I had forgotten that you are only a common boy. How should you understand reasons of the State? You must learn, child, that what would be wrong for you or for any of the common people is not wrong in a great Queen such as I. The weight of the world is on our shoulders. We must be freed from all rules. Ours is a high and lonely destiny.

Lead by example

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. (1 Cor 11:1)

Set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)

In everything set them an example by doing what is good. (Titus 2:7)

Chief Shepherd

You were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (2:25)

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. (5:4)

Humble yourselves

⁵ In the same way, younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
 

Cast cares

Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you. (5:7)

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you. (Psalm 55:22)

Do not be anxious about anything, but… present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)

Resist the enemy

⁸ Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Enemy attacks

• Temptation: entice, lure

• Deception: lie, allergy to Bible

• Accusation: discourage, divide

• Intimidation: threaten, frighten

• Possession: dominate, control

Resist, firm in faith

• Temptation: treasure Christ

• Deception:   believe Bible

• Accusation: embrace grace

• Intimidation: endure attacks

• Possession: welcome Spirit

God of grace

¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.