Tag Archives: 1 Peter 5:1-4

Driscoll, Domineering, and Qualifications

16 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by in Ecclesiology, Elder, Leadership, Ministry

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Marc Driscoll recently submitted his tenure to review by a board of accountability. That board came back with this finding:

“Pastor Mark has, at times, been guilty of arrogance, responding to conflict with a quick temper and harsh speech, and leading the staff and elders in a domineering manner. While we believe Mark needs to continue to address these areas in his life, we do not believe him to be disqualified from pastoral ministry.”

Mr. Driscoll submitted a letter of recommendation which read in part:

“Specifically, I have confessed to past pride, anger and a domineering spirit. “

He then stated that he was not disqualified from ministry:Prior to and during this process there have been no charges of criminal activity, immorality or heresy, any of which could clearly be grounds for disqualification from pastoral ministry.”

The story and the entire resignation letter can be found here:http://www.worldmag.com/2014/10/mark_driscoll_resigns_as_pastor_of_mars_hill_church

Whatever one thinks of Mr. Driscoll, this statement of both board and himself are troubling. Pride, anger, a domineering spirit are specifically stated to be disqualification from pastoral work:

Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3:1-3: “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.” (ESV)

1 Timothy 3:12, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

Titus 1:7-8,”7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.”

Peter states a pastor must not be domineering (which is precisely what the board found and Driscoll admitted):

1 Peter 5:1–8 (ESV)

5 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Jesus also explains that the leader must be the most humble, not lording it over others:

Mark 10:41–45 (ESV)

41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Pride, anger, domineering are not minor errors but lie at the precise center of biblical leadership. Whatever the merits of the affair la Driscoll, I have no idea. But I do know that such men should know better than ignore such a plain directive and find that such things are “not” disqualifications.

A Teaching Outline of 1 Peter 5:1-4

03 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by in 1 Peter, Elders, Humility, Ministry

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Peter’s instruction to the elders of the churches.

A. An exhortation, v. 1.

1. Peter calls himself a “fellow elder” — even though he is the apostle Peter.

2. His qualifications: (a) he has witnessed the sufferings of Christ; (b) he hopes for glory.

B. The instruction to the elders, vv. 2-4

1. The general rule: Shepherd

a. It is God’s flock, not yours (cf. Acts 20:28).

b. He gives three pairs of contrasts which demonstrate the nature of the work

i. not compulsion, rather willingly

ii. not for gain (extracted from the flock), but eagerly

iii. not domineering (lording over), but rather by providing an example.

2. Look for a reward from Christ. (The elder’s orientation must be toward the return of Christ. 1 Peter 1:13).

C. Application and development

1. The danger for the elder is pride

a. It is God’s flock: implication, don’t think of it as your flock.

b. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd; elders are just undershepherds.

i. Example: One time someone called CBC and spoke to Jack. The caller insisted on speaking to The Pastor. Jack kept saying, “I’m a shepherd. If you want to speak to The Pastor, you’ll need to speak with Jesus.”

ii. Example: Mike P told him of his life as a shepherd growing up in Greece. His father was the shepherd of a flock which he loved and cared for. His father was the shepherd. But to help him in his work he had dogs who also took care of the sheep. The elder is in the end, a dog to help the shepherd.

c. The shepherd is warned to not lord over the flock. It is a butcher who drives the sheep about and demands from them. It is a shepherd who leads the sheep through dangerous places, walking ahead, driving off wolves, finding a place to rest. The example of the shepherd must thus be an example of humility.

2. The elder must shepherd God’s flock through suffering to glory.

a. That has been the theme of this letter.

b. Peter grounds his eldership in his witness of suffering and his hope for glory.

3. The elder must be remarkable for his humility.

a. Note that Peter warns the elder against

i. Thinking of the flock as the elder’s flock. The sheep belong to Jesus.

ii. His three warnings against exercising power over the flock. A three-fold warning means that this must not be overlooked. It also speaks to the constant danger of leadership.

b. 1 Peter 5:5, “all of you” are instructed to humble. Thus, the example of the elder must be in accord with the command.

c. 1 Peter 5:6, there is a universal command to humility.

d. The previous commands of entrusting oneself to God’s design, not taking personal revenge or control, blessing in the face of trials all flow from and require humility.

e. Accordingly, humility — a patient hope for the Lord’s rescue from present trials — is the great strength of elder’s shepherding. Implication: if an elder is not example of humility, then he is a usurper and enemy of the flock.

4. Consider the matter more broadly.

a. Jesus on leadership. Mark 9:33-37; 10:42-45.

b. The elder’s authority is one of instructing in the Scripture. 1 Tim. 1:3-2 Tim.4:2. The elder is a steward of Christ’s authority. 1 Cor. 4:1.

c. The distinguishing mark of an overseer is not merely a godly character, it is in particular, the use of Scripture in instruction. 1 Tim. 3:2 “able to teach”; Titus 1:9.

d. The respect due an elder is dependent wholly upon their example of a godly character & their ability to instruct others in Scripture. Hebrews 13:;7 & 17.

e. Elders who fail to make disciples after Christ [by (a) providing a example of godliness and humility; (b) instructing faithfully in the Scripture] after called savage wolves. They are not blessings but dangers to the flock. Acts 20:29-31a. Note that merely holding an office does not mean the man is rightly an elder. (See, e.g., Hosea 8:4a, “they made kings, but not through me”.) You are nowhere commanded to be subject to ungodly men. Consider the example of a wife’s submission. The husband has no plenary control of a wife, but only a charge to care for her. A wife is to submit only “as is fitting in the Lord” (Col. 4:18).

f. The OT example of the priest. The priest had the duty of instructing the people in God’s law. Leviticus 10:11. In Hosea 4:4-6 & Malachi 2:1-9 God condemns priests for failing to provide instruction to the people. See, ESV study Bible notes on Hosea 4: The priests had the responsibility of teaching the people God’s laws (cf. Lev. 10:11; Mal. 2:6–7), but they had failed miserably, and as a result, the people lacked knowledge of God’s laws and his ways. Therefore God says, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. But he puts the blame squarely on the priests: because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. On “knowledge,” see notes on Hos. 2:8 and 4:1–2. The statements have the air of a judicial decision and sentence. The kind of knowledge the priests had rejected is further specified: since you have forgotten the law of your God. The consequences of this neglect of God’s Word would be seen in the lives of what was most precious to the priests: I also will forget your children (cf. 2:4). The future tense still may indicate a warning, hinting that repentance might avert this judgment. But the great privilege of knowing God was in danger of being forfeited, even for the next generation.

g. There is a special warning for those who are teachers. James 3:1

God’s Flock and Its Shepherds

25 Tuesday Feb 2014

Posted by in 1 Peter, F.B. Meyer, Ministry, Preaching

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Outline of F.B. Meyer’s sermon on 1 Peter 5:1-4, “God’s Flock and Its Shepherds”:

God’s Flock and Its Shepherds

1 Peter 5:1-4

The elders therefore among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according unto God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away.

 

First, there is only flock, however many may be the folds:

Wherever God’s people gathered, there was part of his flock. The flock itself was scattered throughout the whole world, and according to our Master’s prayer was one, even as it is to-day. For though there are many folds, there is but one flock (John 10:16)

Though some of the sheep are being led by the living fountains of waters beyond the river ; and others are treading the stony defiles of this side — yet it is the same flock, bought at the same time, marked with the same initials, belonging to the same Owner. And wherever any believers gather, there is a portion of the one flock, and its officers, teachers, and spiritual guides are just shepherds, pastors.

 

184-185.

Suffering qualifies one as a shepherd in this flock:

This is the one qualification for tending the flock of God: not to have received a learned education ; not to be able to talk glibly or eloquently of spiritual things ; not to have been in the imaginary line of apostolic succession— a man may lay claim to all these things, and yet not be competent to feed the flock of God. We must behold, each for himself, the sufferings of Christ, not necessarily with the eye of the flesh, but with the eye of the soul; not with the curious glance of the fickle crowd, but with the fixed loving gaze, which finds in them cleansing for sins and balm for wounds.

 

And to see those sufferings is not only a qualification for shepherdship, but for glory. As surely as a man beholds those sufferings sympathetically and believingly, so surely shall he behold the glory yet to be revealed. The one is the prelude to the other. No cross, no crown. But where there is the true cross, crown there must be. It may seem to tarry long. The heart may turn sick at the long delay. But that glory which shines now and again as we climb the Transfiguration Mount shall ere long make a perpetual heaven for us when it is revealed.

185-186.

The Shepherd’s Care:

The shepherd must feed the flock:

It is not enough to preach to the flock once or twice each week. There must be personal supervision; watching for souls as by those who must give account ; seeking them if they go astray; tracking them to the precipice down which they have fallen; and never resting till the straying sheep is brought again to the fold. All this is included in the word; and we need to do all. This if we are to tend the flock of God.

186.

The work must be done from Spirit-wrought love:

There must be the love which is akin to the love of the Chief Shepherd Himself. A love which can endure without return or thanks; which can grow where there is scarcely any soil; and which clings to the least lovely and thankful. That love is only shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

186-187.

For the work, the shepherd will give an account to The Shepherd:

The sphere and people of our ministry should be taken straight from the hands of the Chief Shepherd. We are only accountable to Him. Our work must be done to please Him, and at his direction. We must consult Him about all our plans. We must take his directions as to what part of the green pastures our portion of the flock is to be led into, and by what waters it shall rest. If anything goes wrong we must consider that it should be instantly reported to Him, as the fret and care and burden of direction must certainly be his. If we make mistakes, and the flock suffer through our ignorance, the brunt of the loss must fall on Him. There is no one so interested in the pastor’s charge as the Chief Pastor is. He shares all the anxieties, hardships, watchings, and perils of the work. Not to please the flock, not to attract the applause of men, not to gain name and fame, but to do the will of the Chief Shepherd, must be the aim of each true servant of Christ.

187.

What if the local shepherd fails, will the sheep be lost?

Surely, in this conception of the Chief Shepherd there is comfort for those who constitute the flock. When the under-shepherd fails, the Chief Shepherd may be expected to step in to supply his vacated place, or to do his neglected work. Do not grumble to man, but take your complaints to headquarters. And if He does not replace the worthless under-shepherd by another. He will undertake the office of caring for you with his own hands ; and you shall cry, ” The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” He will see the work done, or do it Himself.

188.