Elders are called to faithfully feed and care for God's flock, not out of obligation or for personal gain, but willingly and with a ready mind. The sermon emphasizes the threefold description of an elder as a presbyter, a proclaimer of Christ's sufferings, and a partaker of His glory, while also warning against the dangers of laziness, greed, and lording over God's people. It further directs elders to feed the flock fearlessly, freely, and fully, and concludes by reminding both elders and the congregation of the importance of honoring shepherds, humbling oneself under God's mighty hand, and resisting the devil.
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Last chapter of the first epistle of Peter. The first epistle of Peter and the last chapter. It's been a real joy in my heart for being with you over the past days for having had the privilege of ministering with John and the things of God to you. And the privilege of meeting you during the course of the day so frequently we talk one with another concerning the things of God. And again and again one has found that there has been deep on the hearts of so many of you a real burden for the fellowship from which you have come, a desire that God's name may be glorified amongst those that he has called you to labor with. And again and again questions have been put to one or statements have been made concerning the local fellowship and concerning the elders and those that make up the fellowship.
And I had on my heart just yesterday, and after very much prayer last night, and some little preparation, I found that I would like to share with you, especially maybe with those of us that would seek to feed and tear for the flock of God. I would like to share with you something of the Word of God concerning elders and their responsibility, concerning sheep, as well as shepherds, and their responsibility. The fifth chapter, the elders which are among you, I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God, which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not of constraint, but willingly, not of a filthy lucre, not of a ready mind, neither being roared over God's heritage, but being trampled to the flock.
And when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that paideth not away. Light rise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you, be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility, for God resisteth the proud, and giveeth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exhort you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he careeth for you. Be sober, be vigilant. because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, for in the midst, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren, that are in the world, but the God of all grace, who have called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that he hath suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you, to whom the glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen. Now the Lord will add his blessing, I'm sure, to the reading of his own precious work. I don't want just to look, for I haven't timed this morning, at the general context of this first letter that Peter wrote, for Fisher to remind you that its great theme is summed up in the sufferings and the glory both of Christ and the suffering and the glory of those that come to know him as Savior and grant him as Lord. But when we come to this last chapter... There are two tremendous truths, it seems to me, that are being fought before. First it is the truth of the shepherd, the elder, and when it is the truth, for they are always linked together in a holy rift, the responsibility of the shepherd, but also the sheep, and the responsibility of the sheep.
I remember years ago, a way of the little North Devon town of Ilebrook, listening from one of the songs at the annual conference. And during the course of my remarks, I had exalted, maybe with a little more fire than I've got now, so I was a wee bit younger, but nevertheless I'd exalted the elders to beat the sheep. And as we were walking up over the hill, a dear age brother, Mr. Stephen, walked by my side. He said, Brother Ford, could I ask you a question? And I knew I was bored. So the way, you know, we have an entirely different custom in our country, and... I remember, I remember so very, very well the first time I ever came to America and the first time I ever met.
In my country, at the close of the meeting, if anyone not gives up the funds to speak to you, you can rest assured you said something they haven't agreed with. But over here, as soon as the meeting is over, you come up to say thank you. A very nice thing. But the first time I was here, I saw almost the whole audience. That's terrible. You frightened a man today. You frightened a man today. But that's just by the way. Whatever is going up this year, Brother Sam. I wonder if I can argue with that. And a man who's been an elder and a good one for many long years. He said, Brother Sam, what do you do when the sheep don't want to defend? So it's all very well that they feed the sheep.
But the same verse here that say, feed the sheep, I'm going to suggest to you, say, sheep be willing to do that. So we'll consider it together this morning if we may. First of all, then, if I may, a word to the elder, to the shepherd. You will notice that you read with me carefully there's a threefold description, first, of an elder. And having given to us, as it were, the threefold description of an elder, then there's the threefold danger of an elder and having spoken of the threefold description and the threefold danger of an elder he shows us the threefold direction to an elder And then draws the matter of shepherds and elders to a close, by reminding us not only of their description and their danger, not only of giving them direction, but he draws it to a close by telling us of the pre-Paul Diadem of an elder.
First of all, then, let's have a look at the pre-Paul's description of an elder. You will notice that verse one says this of him, as Paul, as I'm sorry, Peter, dares to write, the elders... which are among you. The elders which are among you. Now, you will note this word, elder. It does not say the priests which are among you. It does not say, in effect, the elders that are over you. It says, the elders, not priests, elders which are among you. Now, the word elder is, as most of you are aware, the word that we always translate as to a presbyter.
And it is indeed the fault of one who is this presbyter, this elder. And we look at him, a man of some years, a man of some experience, a man of some ability. And Peter writes to those that are presbyters, those that are elders, amongst you. You will notice that not only does he call them presbyters or elders, but he goes further and he dares to say of them that they are the proclaimers of Christ's separatism. For he lives himself with them, he says, to also have an elder and to witness a teleporter of the sufferings of Christ. Now those brethren that I'm speaking to today and sisters who seek over the younger sisters to have a watchful eye and care.
May I now suggest to you that the Lord is saying to each one of us, that we are those who shall be not over the people of God but among them. We shall be part of them. We shall be those that are mixing with them, those that are familiar with their needs. One of the great problems today is that those that get older, as they get older by the natural course of life, they find themselves unable to do what younger people can do, and they're asked to withdraw themselves. And yet there is a feeling that, as Peter dares to say, the elders that are among you, he's not only saying to elders, keep yourselves in touch with your blocks, but he's daring to say to younger folks, don't you ever, don't you ever place yourself in a position where you've withdrawn from elders?
For as I said the other day, and I could not emphasize it more, the more I read the Word of God than in my desire to be associated with a new testament church, this is essential. The boy read the Word of God, the boy realize that his elders are to be above them. The responsibility is not only for the elder being there, but for the younger and others being willing to have them there. Oh, let us with all our prayers, let us with all our being work, that there shall be no division among God's oath, but that as a family of God, young and older, we may present to the world and to angelic beings. The wonder of God, Judge, in Jesus Christ, the oneness of the Lord.
Many of you will notice that, as I have said, they are proclaimers of Christ's suffering. So I'm glad of it. That an elder is a man who is familiar with. An elder is a man who is continually meditating upon the great esteem of the Christian Church. That we preach Christ and him crucified. We preach Christ. And him, true to all, that we might ever find ourselves under the shadow of the cloud. What was it the poet said? Did he not remind us that thou sent her whole time and place? Thou'st cone of dawn? Thou count of grace?
Thou meeting place with earth and heaven? Thou lightening raw? Need thaw of rock rhythm? Thou offer where Christ died for me? My soul salutes. elder. Those of us that are elder, let us continually dwell under the shadow of the sufferings of the Christ. But then you will notice that an elder, as we look at this description of him, he's first of all a presbyter and elder. He is second a proclaimer of Christ's suffering, but he is also a partaker of Christ's glory. For a lover. A partaker of Christ's glory.
The elders which are among you I exhort, who also am an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. It's not this one. I wonder if I may ask you, just return with me a moment, please, to the eighth chapter of that lovely epistle for the Romans. Romans chapter eight. And I wonder if we could just read together. some glorious words. Oh, I know you know them, and I need scarcely ask you to turn to them. But I feel we must have the very Scripture brought before. And its children, that heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, it so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together.
I reckon that the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed. No, no. Enough. Aha, that's it. Not the glory that shall be revealed, but revealed enough. And while we look forward to that blessed day, when by grace we shall enter in fully to the glory. Let us never forget that the apostle could write to the church at Colossae, and say, Christ in you, the hope of glory. And that's not heaven, that's the hope of glory now. Never let us forget that we have been reminded in the age of Romans that whom he hath justified, that he hath also glorified.
Oh, that we might together experience something. of the glory. And my brother, who seeks in a fellowship to care for the flock, small as that fellowship may be, as weak as you may feel yourselves, oh, let us be those that seek who abides under the shadow of the cross. And yet to know something of the glory for the Christ who lives. Oh, lead me to the man that they've not decorated in any way. killed, outward, and mighty in that thrilled one's heart. Oh, lead me to the land of John, to all God's nature glorified, descending to the depths of the world, and for me conquered every God.
Oh, that you and I might be associated, my brother, my sister, with a Christ, as an elder, a pastor, is one who, indeed, is a proclaimer of the doctrines of Christ, and also one who, in a very real way, is a partaker of the glory that shall follow. But then would you notice that, having thought before of the description of an elder, he goes forward and he dares to tell us of the danger of an elder. And there's a threefold danger for every elder. And please, I am not being critical. I have labored amongst God's folk in enough countries to know this, that he who desires the office of a bishop will desire us a good work, work, work.
All that you and I might realize, my brother, my sister, that if an elder is doing his work, as God would have to do it, I didn't do it, it's work indeed. And I'm not being critical, but I must just consider with you for the word of God, for example. He says that there is a threefold danger for every elder. First of all, the danger of laziness. Second, the danger of Luca. And thirdly, the danger of loyalty. He says, first of all, here is the danger of laziness. He says, take the oversight not by constraint, but willingly. Or if it's not a fact that many a time, those of us that seek in some form measure, I call, I say those of us, but I am not an elder, of course, you would appreciate as an evangelist.
I have no association with a local fellowship. No mention of the gifts of the evangelist. There's no mention of the gifts of the evangelist. It's not that there's no mention of the gifts of the evangelist. It's not that there's no mention of the gospel of the evangelist. There's no mention of the evangelist there. That's what's going on in all this. And I will tell you, those that are not to critique the prayer in front of the manger for the Church of God, I think it's rather good to realize that we are called to do it willingly. How many times is it an act for, like the sit-back and austerity, for the sake of God and more until Christ? And we have to be constrained to get on with the work of God. how easy it is when they be having been accepted in our assembly as one that has to lead over the church of god to sit back and become somewhat lazy in the service of god and to say this must ever be the mark of an elder that he must willingly do his work willingly do his work what would you notice not only the danger and danger appears of laziness but the danger of the love of living For he goes further in verse two and says, That they preach the gospel must live by the gospel, I know.
But he dares to say in verse two, That he's a flock of God which is among you, hating the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, marked for our filthy loser, that have already marked. Oh, I expect some of you to sit back when you read words like those and say to yourself, of course, dear to me, you'll never get any loot across the assembly that I don't have to open. Oh, I won't get any of these. I'm always bored and did something. Well, that's true. That's true. That's true. That I have a feeling we must face here. It is a danger, as it is. It is a danger sometimes, even the affairs of God, than in the affairs of business, to use the things of God to thrive and improve our business.
need to be that. For I say no part, no further comment than that, that he's but the word of God. I am but the gospel of the preacher. So not only the love of laziness and the love of Luther, but the love of Lord is over God's people. Oh, heartless, first pray, neither acting, lords over God's parody, but being entompled to the cross. Oh, for those of us that are around, may as we teach him some measure of the care for the church. How do you think that for me, the time? Well, the Apostle Paul writes, he speaks this way. He speaks of ruining your whole life, for the church of God. All we rule out there is we care for the church.
And what goes on? And all blessed are those that have the privilege. So, in some measure, labor in the assemblies of God's grace. Mostly, local judges are drawn that we may not lord in over. Oh, when he writes to the letter to a new man, you remember, he comes in verses eight and nine. And this is how the apostle pleads with one. He somehow has become hard in his approach to other. He dares to say, yes, one must fight. Yet for love's sake, I rather the truth say, it is called the age of prisoner. all the love of each enshrined one in the care of one another.
He could be Lord it, he could write in faith, but he never did as it entailed. It entailed the aim of a preacher. Then it's a heavey, three-fold description of an elder, and the three-fold danger of an elder. He tells Jane to bring before us the three-fold direction of an elder. Choose the plot of God, let us defend this plot. Teed the plot. I suggest to you, first of all, he tells us that the plot must be said, fearlessly. He tells us that the plot of God must be said, freely. And he tells us the plot of God must be quite full.
Is that that right? Oh, look at it. I didn't put it there, please. I didn't write it. First of all, he says, heed the plot of God, fearlessly, not to sing by cheer or temper. that he dares to tell us that we must heed his carelessly, happen again to the glorious words of verse two, seeing the block of God which is among you, taking the oversight of God, not by the entrenchment willingly, not by forcing Luther, but of a ready mind. Go forward to feed that block of God. Oh, brethren, with no seal, hand for the fly, the speech of heaven. Now I know it is the most difficult thing.
to feed the God of God. No man can give what he has not got himself. Most of you are aware that my favorite child is the hundred and forty-fourth God. You know the lovely guard, speaking indeed of the elders, he dares to say that your gardeners may be full, apporting all manner of thought. Lord, brethren, sisters, it is not a fact that sometimes we want more of ours from the Lord. We become very familiar with certain portions of the Bible. We know the wondrous truths of the return of the Lord. We are familiar with the great truths of the offering. We know something of the glory of Matthew in deed of the minor or major of office.
But the whole of the word of God says here that there may be all manner of thought. Be the flock of God. All that you and our nation, to those that are in our fellowship. that food which not we think we are masters of and therefore give them, but give them that which we see they need. And I'm persuaded of this, and maybe some of you disagree with me, I would like you to do, I would like you to be right, but you know, I am persuaded of this, that Peter is not necessarily saying that that elder shall be the one that shall pass on the food. No, I know the qualifications of an elder is that he doesn't eat. So he's the prophet's law.
And you parents at home. Why, you know that comes occasion, when if your children are unable to eat, if something is wrong, you do not necessarily yourself. They will understand what's at meal. If you go to get some food, someone else may have prepared. If you can count on it. And I've been told these past days as we have been listening indeed to the watch of the mayor and the opportunities of faith that can be used in the different countries. This would never take the place of an elder teaching. There are some times when sometimes you pour in others for help. You achieve the block of God. You are a healer. Then you'll notice not only teaching the illiterate, but teaching freely. I suggest again, as we look at the front, he's daring to say not considering our payment.
sharing to pray feed it freely, not for Georgie Luka. I want to say a word here, because I can. You see, I know many of you, that I am the same German. But I have often heard, not necessarily here, though I have heard some little talk along this line. I've often heard folks say, well, you know, we would like to invite one or so and so, but we're such a small assembly. Therefore he couldn't take his minister to receive. Now I've been many years teaching the gospel. Thirty years or so ago I trusted Christ, and three years after I trusted the Savior, I notified what I was doing that fully I might give myself to the ministry of the gospel.
And in many countries it's been my joy to observe the law. And I want to say this, that I have now hundreds of brethren that have given themselves to the service of God in the church. I have never yet met one of them. Now, I've spoken to hundreds of them. I've never yet met one of them, who have asked to go to a small meeting because of the consideration of being unable to meet with his needs. That brother would say no. Now, I've never met one. And when I hear brethren speak of them, I don't know I should rise up in protest, generally speaking the little meeting who says, no one comes where we are, and they will ask everyone to come where they are. And I have been for a few small millions.
I have a feeling that there is only a God, and you find someone who comes home, and it would not be the fault of anything but a desire to be. But this is in my experience of God's peace. And I can only say one on a time. People not only fearlessly and freely, but closely as encounters to the God. Oh, but those that are out of us may be in harmful to the flock, but the younger and the older and the taller get. And when we speak of younger, think I'm not speaking of younger in age. I'm speaking of younger in just in experience. You know, I meet some young folks that are older than the things of God, and I meet some old folks that are children and the things of God. I meet some folks that just trust in Christ.
They need the safety of the enemy. They just trust in Christ. They're well people at the church of God. I've met young men, and since he had spoken to the Savior when they were seven or eight or nine, have been raised in the things of God, and in some measure our elders in the things of God. So when I speak to these of young men, I'm not speaking necessarily of young folk of age. I'm speaking more of young folk in Christian history. And he dares to say, or feed them faithfully. He had gone to his feet, and no death besides I am concerned, that when I was tossed and puttied, it was what my brethren were, not what my brethren say, that effectively must have all. And then he goes further, and having given the threefold direction, he reminds us of this threefold dialogue.
He says, those of you that are elders, don't forget that, first of all, there is the promise of the crown of life for your faithfulness and revelation, pray. There is the promise of the crown of righteousness for your fighting. I applaud a good fight. Boy, like that one, please. I like that. I don't know much about many things, so I know a little bit about fighting. And I do know this. But when the Apostle sees you, he says, I thought a good one. Some people imagine Satan is standing up and letting someone hit you. That's slaughter, that's not Satan. Satan's giving him one down there. That's not too bad. And it's a good point that the devil may come and sometimes strike us.
But isn't it good to give him one down? Yeah. Oh, he dares to say, I thought under the crown of righteousness. If there is a crown in deeds of life for our faithfulness, there's a kind of righteousness for our fathers. And here he says to say, There's a crown of glory for our thinking. For if we tease the flock of God, we're fine and therefore, when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory. Oh, blessed be his name, and it plays another way. So here, then, Peter has something to say to Elder. I trust I have passed it on in some way to the matter.
Oh, I have a great love for those that care. I know their problems. I know they frequently have their credit eyes. I know how difficult it can be. I know how quickly the evil one comes and suggests that we sit there and we do nothing. My brethren, my brethren, may I say this to you. Let's go on. Let's go on. They're the God in heaven. And Christ the head of the church. He will take you where you are. But have you spoken indeed at the supper? No, it seems to me he speaks of the sheep. And go on for a pride. Likewise in young law.
For blips or cells unto the elder. May all of you be subject one to another. All of you be subject to it, one to another. I suggest to you that if there is a threefold description in deeds of the elder, here we have three great truths concerning not the shepherd, but the sheep. First of all, the sheep are exhorted to honor the shepherd. They are exhorted to humble themselves, and they are exhorted to hinder Satan. That's a good thing. First of all, we are exhorted to honor the shepherd. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the old. All that we might aid, those that watch over us, those that care for us, and we may be those that, as we change that some and observe their example, and listen to them in a time, those sometimes we feel, or if only they would tell us a little more.
You often hear, folks, don't you? I often hear folks say, ah, yes, but you know, it's just... It's so simple all the men have to say. We want them to meet Peter. Well, it might have to be finished. That's essential. But I do remember the time, though, when first I was converted. And I went along to the meeting and the picture used to say, twice, what is two? Just go back up. Oh, isn't that lovely? Oh, if he said twice, twice one is two now, I say. Hey, I'm out of a infant class. But there are still others in the fellowship that have come into the entrance card. There are still others just being born again. And they need to know that twice one is two.
I might have even got after them a five-time family. But they are still in their first place. And so never let us forget. Because our young folks at me, those that have just been taught into the children, into the house of God, say I need to be fed and leave the ministry as a little simpler for them. Maybe there are those that have been a long way on the journey, and so you older, you younger folks. May I suggest you don't forget that there are those that have been on the road a good time and need a little more than twice one. You see that we together, how essential it is to be together, and how quickly we get to appreciate one another's needs. But I've never very much contributed to this particular point of how to...
always being accused of preaching above both heads. I remember my good friend St. Catherine once said, I might preach above their heads, but they only preach where their heads ought to be. And there we are. You know, it's good sometimes to get our heads where they ought to be. They ought to be. But, you know, don't go too far above. Just try it so they want to get a little bit more out and to get there. But nevertheless, that goes in the... Let's honor our several. Our attitude and ambition and activity is changed when we become a Christian. Oh, that we might first be those that honor our shepherds. And then will you notice not only honor our shepherds but humble ourselves. Be clothed with humility.
For God was just that the proud that he gave a grace unto the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God. You know, I never read this verse. Some of you have heard me tell this story before, but I never read this verse without remembering the ministry that I heard when I was first converted. I don't know if I'd been saved a couple of years, and it was never given as ministry, but by its reminiscuity, it stayed with me all my life. We had in our fellowship a dear elder and a friend of Gary, who used to be a petty officer in the Navy. And when he got converted, all he did was to transfer the deck of the ship. for the chapel meeting place.
Look. But I tell you, you didn't say a word that was out of place or you were told us, look. But as young folk we left it, because we knew where we should with it. Well, we knew where we should be. We always had a crowd of young folks, young men, and our meeting, and we always got to pray, you know. And on Monday at our prayer meeting, we all knew the gang praying. When suddenly one of the young lads, and I go ahead, Mr. of his name, I remember him so well. He abazors in that land, he said, Lord, make me humble. Suddenly, from the other side of the prayer room, I heard Mr. Tengelly in a real petty officer's voice say, Lord, don't answer it, Lord. And you know, I open my eyes and look.
And the prayer meeting was over, and the hazard didn't carry on, asked John. And I watched his deal for a penny, and he got up from his name. And he walked across the prayer room, and he put his arms around the land, so on. And with all the love of an elder, and he was that, it's big and tough, and rough, a man as he was, with all the love of an elder, he said, John, don't play like that. Bible says, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. If you ask God to humble you, he may take on you a burden so great that the whole church will weep to see you pass through what God places on you. Just pray like that.
Humble yourself, laddie. Humble yourself. No, it wasn't a sermon. It was never preached in a ministry meeting. How many times has God said to me over the years? Hundreds of times, oh, I'd humble you. Oh, let's humble ourselves. Why, Miss Finney, not only are we called to honor our shepherds and humble ourselves, but hinder Satan. Be sober, for as eight, is insolence because your adversary the devil is a roaring lion. Walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Paul is a roaring lion. For if the scripture speaks of him sometimes coming, he keeps trading.
So I often think of the loveless story, don't you, of David as he went to fight the lion and the bear. And I don't know if there are anything more to it than a lion and a bear and a tiger at the point. When a lion points, it says, Yeah, I don't like you. But when a bear points, it comes off on its hind legs and it's all over its arms, and it says, Oh, I love you. Sometimes it's the toying of the lion and sometimes the hug of the bear, but the end is disgusting. Blessed are. There was a David that could play the lion in the bear. Thank God that we resist the devil. Be a flea-hopper. Or may we be those who honor our shepherd.
Those who humble ourselves. Those who keep it in all our activity to hinder Satan. It's all for work. And it's just a guy. But it ain't.