Submission to God's will is the key to blessing, as exemplified by Christ's suffering and obedience. It highlights Christ's example of suffering for righteousness' sake, urging believers to follow His steps. It also draws parallels to submission within the home, referencing Sarah's obedience to Abraham as an example for wives, and emphasizes the role of elders as shepherds who feed and care for God's flock, not by constraint but willingly. The central lesson is that humility and submission to God's ordained order are essential for spiritual growth and fruitful living, leading to a crown of glory.
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I'd like to call your attention this afternoon to First Peter, Chapter Two. First Peter, Chapter Two. And we'll read beginning at the twenty-first verse. For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us. leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not but committed himself to him that judges righteously who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the trade that we being dead to sin should live under righteousness by whose stripes you were healed that ye wear a sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your soul.
Likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husband, that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation, a man or wife, of the wives, while they behold your chaste conversation, coupled with tears, whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair and the wearing of gold or putting on of apparel, But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God, the great Christ. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husband. Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, whose daughters he are as long as he do well, and I am not afraid with any amazement.
Likewise ye husbands dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as under the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. Then in the fifth chapter of First Peter, and we'll read from verse one. First Peter chapter five, verse one. The elders which are among you, I exhort, who am also an elder, and the witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof not by constraint, but willingly. Not for filthy, Lucre, but of a ready mind.
Neither is being lords over God's heritage, but being ensampled to the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that saitheth not away. Likewise, ye younger submit yourselves unto the elder, yea, all of you, be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists a proud, and give his grace to the humble. There has always been, and it's never been changed in the economy of God, there has always been one principle on which God has dealt with men. And it's this principle.
And it's repeated a number of times in the New Testament. Whosoever humbles himself shall be exalted, and he that exalteth himself shall be obeyed. The key way of blessing, as far as God is concerned, is submission to his will. And we have seen the consequences in the Word of God from the book of Genesis of stepping out of the will of God. That thought is planted in the human mind that elevates itself above God. You shall be as God. You will be in the driver's seat.
You don't need him. Act independently of him. You shall be as God, knowing good and evil. We're reading the word of God that we are going to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. That thought which exalts itself against the knowledge of God is to be brought into subjection to his will. Someone once asked the great Christian missionary, Hudson Taylor, Mr. Taylor, what is the greatest mission in the world? And his answer was this. The greatest mission in the world is submission.
And we all need to learn that by in our lives. Well, before we come to Christ, then after we come to Christ. Someone once said that there is only one way that anyone can influence anybody, and that's by example. I don't believe the theology of Albert Schweitzer, but he said example is not only the best way of influencing others, it is the only way. of influencing us. And so I want to think with you today of this fact, which we know by experience, which is often stated, that example is the best of each.
We see it preeminently in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. When those two on the road to Emmaus spoke of him, they said, he was a prophet that was mighty indeed and worked before God and all the people. He set an example by his deed And so his message carried weight with it. He spake as one having authority and not as a scribe. And the opening verse of Acts chapter one, Luke writes, Neopolis refers to all that Jesus began, and he's still continuing the work, praise his name, through his people today. He began both to do and teach.
But notice the order. He practiced and then he prayed. first of all, examine, and then teach. And the Lord Jesus has said to each of us, follow me. Even Paul didn't quite dare to say that. The Lord Jesus said it without any equivocation. Follow me. Paul said, follow me even as I follow Christ. And we can say that. Anyone who knows the Lord, we can say that. Follow me in the measure of in which I follow Christ. Paul refers, I believe Paul is the writer of Hebrews, you can believe what you want.
But anyway, he says, in Hebrews thirteen, concerning those elders, he says, Whose faith, Paul? Considering the end of their conversation, the goal of their conversation. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. I want to speak this afternoon on three examples. First of all, in relation to the world, an example of suffering. Secondly, in relation to the home, an example of subjection. And thirdly, in relation to the church, an example of shepherds. We read, first of all, from First Peter chapter two, where we read these words, Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his medicine.
Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is called to suffer. Writing to the Philippian believers in Philippians chapter one, the twenty-ninth verse, Paul said there are two things that have been given to every believer. It is given unto you in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, that's number one, but also to suffer for his sake. And you and I are called upon a path of suffering. In writing to Timothy, Paul states this, Without any apology, he says, all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. That doesn't mean that you're going to be put to the stake. But there is a reproach in this world for bearing the name of Christ.
And you and I should count it a privilege indeed that he has been pleased to put his name upon us. Even as in the early church, they rejoiced, the scripture says, because they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his great name's sake. Our Savior stated, you remember in his sermon in the Mount of Matthew chapter five, he says, Blessed are ye, most happy are ye, when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say, Oh man of evil against you, fall for him. What was that word? For my son. Blessed are ye, says when ye suffer for righteousness things. He went on to say, Great is your reward in heaven. And in the same epistle of Peter, Peter tells them, they says, Don't think it's strange.
you think it's an odd thing. Let's think it's not strange concerning the fiery trial which it's described you as though some strange thing happens. That's what's going to happen. Natural. If you're living for Christ in this world, you are going to be the subject, the butt of ridicule, because the world thinks of you as an oddball and you are all. You're like one, three, five, seven, and nine. You're one of those odd numbers. If you're a believer, you're going to be called upon to suffer reproach for Christ's strength in the world. Take it not strength. In fact, somebody said Christian belongs to the I-O-O-S.
You know what that is? The independent order of ourselves. You know the world doesn't think of you as a square. They think of you as a triangle. You know what a triangle is? That's a square with something this. They think there's something wrong. If you come to Christ and seek to live for you. And then Paul says, they think it's strange. Peter says that. They think it's strange that he run not with us to the same extent of life. One of the most convincing arguments that God has in this world is that when a believer comes to Christ, he starts on an entirely new course of life. And the world can't understand it.
I remember some years ago, driving down to Key West, that he's conducted a funeral. And there was a young lady with me. She was, I'd say, young, relatively. She was about thirty-eight. And she was going down to Uncle Spoon and I was to speak at this funeral. Very. And rounding a curve, nearing T. West, about eighteen miles from T. West, a car came and cut right across our path. We hit it. The car spun around two or three times. And miraculously, neither of us were killed. She had a couple of broken bones, and I had a scratch in my forehead. And I went on to Key West and conducted the funeral, and she went to the hospital. But some months later, the consequence of that, she really came to know the law.
And you know her husband, he was a nominal Catholic, never went to church. They'd never been in the church since the day they were married. But here was this girl, all she was going to dance with him and smoking and all the rest of it, you know. And now she's going to prayer meeting and the Bible study, and he couldn't understand it. And at first it infuriated him. And then it began to sit there. And after about six months, he started coming to hear the word of God. He was there. They think it's strange. What's happened? What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought since Jesus came into my heart.
But they think it's strange. He says, don't be surprised about this. They think it's strange that he run not with them. the same extent of rise. Peter comments on the Lord's words. You remember in Matthew chapter five when he says that we're not to suffer as an evildoer or as a murderer or as a busy body in other men's matters. But if any man suffers at risk, for Christ's sake, he says let him glorify God as a man. If God gives you the privilege, I'm sharing in something of the afflictions of the sufferings of Christ. Not the sufferings that he bore in Calvary. You can't share that, neither can I. But suffering for Christ's sake, as a result of his name being named upon you.
What a privilege that is. It is better if the will of God be so. Peter says that he suffered for well-doing than for evil-doing. And so we're called upon to suffer for his sake. And we're called upon to suffer for righteousness' sake. He says that he be reproached for the name of God. Happy are you for the spirit of glory and of God's rest of us. Now, we think of suffering as being something distasteful. We naturally retreat from it. But the apostle says that suffering yields joy. The Lord Jesus says it yields joy. Blessed are you. Most happy, that's what it means. When you're called upon to suffer for our Lord's greatness.
Now, I don't know if you do it, but I find it very difficult to do what James tells me. He says, how at all joy would you fall as a diver's trial? He said, boy, oh, boy, this is great. All the trials and afflictions would come upon me. Praise the Lord. So that's what he says, how at all joy is when you fall in the diver's trial, knowing that the trial of your faith, the work of faith, is God's work in your life. He worked it up, both to will and to do. Now there's this message. Peter prayed in the opening of his epistle, that the testimony of your faith might be found in the praise and honor and glory and the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, ye love.
God gives to you and to me the privilege of suffering for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul testifies concerning his own experience that God purposed that he should be an example of suffering to those that thereafter should believe on his name. Whenever I read the record in Second Corinthians concerning the suffering that all endure, I deal with you as a Christian. See what he says in Second Corinthians chapter eleven concerning what he endured for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. He says in verse twenty three.
Are they menaces of Christ? I seek as a fool. I am more. In labored more abundance. In stripes above measure. He said he couldn't even count the whippings he'd received. In prisons more frequent. In deaths off. Of the Jews five times I received thy forty stripes they won. Christ was I beaten with wrath. Once was I sown. Christ I suffered shipwreck. A night in the day I have been in the deep. In journeying golf and in perils of waters. perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among all brethren, in weariness and painfully, in washings often in hunger and thirst, in fastings often in cold and nakedness.
Beside those thing that without is cometh upon me, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches, who is weak, and I am not weak, who is offended? And I burn not. If I must need both, I will boast of the things which concern mine in purpose. Suffer for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul pray that I may know him and the fellowship of his suffering. That I might know suffering of the suffering that he endured. Revile. And yet he reviled not again.
When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges righteousness, sufferings of Christ. What a privilege it is he has given to us, that we may know the fellowship of his sufferings. I've only heard Sidlow back to speak once in my life. I have his books, one of his books in all. But I remember he was in Manafort, and we happened to have a free night some years ago. And I talked my dad into going with me, and he went down to hear it. And if you think that we'd rather know long what it's crazy is, listen to this.
They had about thirty minutes, I'd get the preliminaries, and then he'd free. He preached for an hour and forty-five minutes. I enjoyed every minute of that. In his text, Philippians three and verse ten. I may know him, but now I took a bit of help. He made some formable unto his death. He told this story. It took about twenty-five minutes to tell it. That would have made a sermon to most people, but he told the story of a man by the name of Charles Alexander, who was a singer who joined with Ruben Flory, the Billy Graham of his day, I suppose.
He came to New York. And there was a man in New York who was at the mission in New York, a man who had a sort of a limp on his leg and had been a very ungodly man that was brought to Christ, and he was the head of the rescue mission there in New York City. And Charles Alexander said, you know, I'm going to be singing here in New York, singing among the people, the down and outers. And he says, I really want to have a sense. of the need of these people. And he said, I wonder if you would take me down there to see these folks. And to see the condition of them, actually.
He went down there with him. And he said his heart was all torn up as he saw these people in the recklessness and the sin of all distinctions. And he said, as he was saying goodbye to this Sam Hadley, this old veteran who was working there among these people, He said goodbye to him, and he walked off a distance of about a hundred or a hundred fifty-two, and he became aware that the old man had stopped walking. He had a sort of a clippity flop about the way he walked because some leg didn't follow him. So he stopped. Charles Alexander stopped, and he turned around, and he saw Sam Hadley, and he was leaning against the folks, and he thought maybe he was sick.
So he said, I'm going to go back and see if I can help him, and he... walked back and when he got within a few pages of him, he was aware that Sam had a little bit of his prayer. And Charles Alexander looked, and he looked at the old man, and the keys were rolling down his feet. And he was in prayer for the city of New York, and for the down and out of his room and his way. Then he said, that's the thought of Christ himself. You know, we live in a world in great use. And the Bible promise is, if we go forth weeping, bearing preciously, doubtless we shall come rejoicing, bringing our peace.
And then we have an example of subjective. It said in I Peter chapter three and verse six that Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord. I like the sound of that. I've even suggested to my wife that she could start calling me Lord Elliot, that she hadn't started doing that yet. It has a nice ring to it. It has a nice ring to it. Special. I heard about one fellow went home and told his wife that she was the king of the castle, but she crowned him.
You're going to have Brother Eddie Schwartz with you, I understand, Nick. It's trying to be, I believe, up at Eddieville. I remember some years ago I was in Greensboro, North Carolina. Ed learned it with Eddie and another brother's now with the Lord. And Eddie said with a very straight face that he could do, if you know him. He said, you know, I had a talk with my wife the other night. I said, well, what happened? He said, well, I told her that. I said, now I want you to get this straight. He said, This is my house. He says, and this is my bed, and that's my broom you're hitting me with, and I'm going to come out from under this bed when I get good and ready.
Well, there's a man in the thorn. Well, I sort of tickled me. Well, because that's where... called Abraham law. Our brother was referring and reading from Genesis chapter three today, and you might have noticed that in Genesis chapter three what God said to Eve was this. Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over this. Did you notice the way First Peter chapter three is introduced when it comes to this?
example of rejection in the home, it begins with the example of Christ's rejection. The one who thought it not robbery of equal with God, yet he made himself of no reputation and took upon himself the form of the slave and being found in France as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient. The one who had never known anything except a command, he took the place of rejection. And it introduced with these words, like what? Like what? Why? Like Christ did. He took the price of subjectivity. And he came here to suffer and took that for us. And he's left you an example. That's what it's saying here to the wife. Likewise be wise be a subjection to your own husband, that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the manner of lust of the law.
You know, the leading teacher of Abraham's wife, the one whom Sarah called the Lord, was this. Obedience. If you could write over Abraham's wife, the great characteristic it was the obedience of faith. In fact, the word of God says that as many as our faith are, the spiritual descendants are children of Abraham. Abraham obeys God. He is called three times in the word of God the friend of God. And the Lord Jesus defines what friendship is for us in John chapter fifteen and verse sixteen where he says this, Ye are my friends if.
Remember that? Ye are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. That's the test of friendship across. Are we obedient to his word? This is the love of God that we read our body. No, it doesn't say it. This is the love of God that we come to prayer with. Let me pray that. This is the love of God that we give out track, that we witness. No. This is the love of God that we keep His command. You are my friends here. That's what the Lord Jesus said. And Abraham is called the president. The Bible tells us that when Abraham was called to her of the Chaldees, go out where he didn't even know where he was going he said he obeyed he obeyed what an example of obedience he set for his wife and it's not very difficult to follow the good lead of another he set her an example that she should follow in his death you know in genesis chapter eight when the god speaks to abraham he says i know him that he will command his children after him to walk in the way of the Lord.
And the person who is best fit to command a home is the man who knows how to obey God. Because the same scripture that says, the head of the woman is the man that says this, the head of every man is bright, and you can never rule your home or life until you are subjected to the will of the Lord be with God. Until you've acknowledged the Lord. as your Lord is stated. He is your Lord whether you acknowledge it or not. Remember Peter speaks in his epistle of those, the second epistle of those who deny the Lord the Lord. He bought them whether they acknowledge it or not. If you only come into the good of his knowledge, then you acknowledge it as your Lord says.
It is not that what the scripture says in Romans chapter chapter chapter. If thou shalt be found with thy mouth Jesus and your Lord, and believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth under righteousness and with the mouth the flesh is made under salvation. There is no better way to command your wife than to obey God for yourself. Now Sarah's example had a tremendous impact on her son because he stayed in the land, we know. But Rebecca, by her scheming and setting aside her husband as a head, what damage she did to Jacob.
And he saw as well. Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him, acknowledging him as Lord, recognized the position that God had given to him at his own. Not that he was the Lord and over his wife. Scripture says that he was to give honor unto his wife, but under the weak of us. But that was his position. nevertheless the position which should be filled by a man in the fear of God brother was saying to me some time ago you know and you hear it that deal about woman's lip today you know that first of all there was Adam's wrist then there was the devil's fist and there was woman's lip well I don't know but I mean that was his theory but you know one interesting thing that I thought about in in connection with that.
You know, today you hear a good deal about the modern world. And, you know, you'll see these advertisements on TV and it'll say something like this. You've come a long way, baby. You know. You know, you've really advanced. And they say, let's go modern. That old stuff, that's no good. You know what he said? Let's go ancient. That's what he says to us. Don't go, Maher. He says, let's go, ancient. If you want an example to follow, he says, now I want to take you back two thousand years and take a good look at Sarah. Let's go, ancient. He says, the holy women who trusted in God. That's the kind of woman. What kind of woman do you want to be? Do you want to be like the holy woman? Like Sarah?
He says, this is the way to go. Recognize that God has an order for your home and be submissive to that order. The key to blessing. Now God never commands anything in his word in order to make this miserable, but everything is to make of his enjoy. And he made him. He's the manufacturer that either has made him and not of yourself. And he knows, well, and best makes his own work because he originated. There's no aim. It says the holy women who trusted in God, because they didn't spend all their time adorning themselves physically. But it says the ornaments which they... exhibited in their life was the ornament of a meek and a quiet spirit, which is my sighted God is very strong.
Who do you want to look beautiful? God or man? The cosmetics of this world will make you beautiful to men. Perhaps. But the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit will make you beautiful to God and beautiful to Godly men as women. The holy women. You know the Bible speaks of silly women. And it speaks of saintly or holy women. What kind of woman do you want to be? Silly or saint. Take your faith. He's describing what was written.
The example of the subject. And then in... In I Peter chapter five, he gives us an example of jeopardy. He says that the shepherd is not to be a Lord of a God's charity. He's not the Lord of the Lord of them, though he has a position above them, but being encampled to the flock. You know, I'm sure that Peter, as he sends these lines, he must have thought, back to the Lord's words to him in John chapter twenty one Peter is taking the face of exaltation he said you know it won't be the number one he said you know after all he's number one on the hit parade it is I be not afraid you know go all to deny it yet will not up those were his words you'll love me more than thee mine Fine way you had assured.
Denying you those with her. You love him? He times over the Lord asked him. You know, we know there's different words in the Greek that are used, but each time Peter assures the Lord that you love him. Feed my lamb, feed my sheep, pet my sheep. They asked a shepherd some years ago when someone was admiring the beautiful sheep he had, he said, My, there are beautiful sheep in your house. So what do you attribute to? And he said, I took good care of the land. I took good care of the house. You know, beautiful sheep developed in the land.
Old Brother Gibbs used to often say, Boys will be boys. Wrong. Boys will be men. Don't be that. Boys will be that. Why are we doing it? It was the last one. Lead my land. And our importance to the work of elders are among the people of God. The Apostle Paul felt that so key. He was saying his last farewell to Ephesus. He told him on that occasion, I know that you're not going to see my face anymore. It was his farewell message. And who did he want to see?
He yelled and called him. And he reminded them how he had labored among them for three years, warning them night and day with tears, how he labored from house to house publicly and showed them by his example. How they're so laboring, they ought to help the weak. He reminded them of the words of the Lord Jesus who is more blessed than he has said to the Lord. You don't live your life just for yourself. Live it in service to others. Live for others while on earth you dwell. Live for others the good news of hell. If your life be wasted. great will be your shame. Then for others it's Jesus. He saves us. He reminds them of this. He called for these elders. He warned them of what was coming.
And the appeals of that. He warned them of the danger. I know that after my departure shall grieve as wolves come in, not sparing the flock. He reminded them that of their own selves shall arise men speaking perverse things. And so he'll draw a disciple of that. He warned them of all these things. And then he commended them to God and to the Word of His Word. He didn't commend God to them. He commended them to God. He wasn't counting on them. He was counting on God to do a work in that. Like Paul says in Precious, Precious Thessalonians chapter three. He doesn't say, I have confidence in you touching the Lord. But he says, I have confidence in the Lord touching you. He which has begun his good work in it. And you will complete it in the day of Jesus. I love those lines written by...
Augustus Taubway, that the eyes of the end shall it do it. He wasn't on his own strength. He was counting on the perseverance of the faith. Feed the flock of God. It's interesting that the word that is used here for flock is a diminutive. It is five times over in the New Testament that way. It's the same word. Unfortunately, the way it's translated this way here is the flock of God simply. It's the same word that you use in Luke chapter twelve and verse thirty two when the Lord Jesus said, Fear not, little one. That's the word. That's the word that you use. Little one. Just one word. So that's what it means.
Little one. Or does the Father's good one give you the gift? And what gives value to the flock of Christ is not a flock of God, but who it belongs to. It's a flock of God. And, you know, as we look at those who have been bought and paid for by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, they should be valuable to us because they are valuable to him. And Paul said to those Ephesian elders, he said, Be the flock of God which he has purchased with his own name. That's what puts the evaluation. As I look at that brother or sister in Christ, the Word of God warns me not to stumble left because it says, Why that word for whom Christ died?
You don't want to stumble it. You want to help them on the journey. Fear not. Little one. It is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kitchen. Now, someone has said that elders are not necessary for the being of an assembly, but they are necessary for the well-being of an assembly. And the Scripture tells us what should be true of an elder. He should be blamed. He should have a good report of those that are without. It says he should be the husband of one wife. He has believing children. He sets a godly example, his own home. God has said, is it where? Do you want to be an elder in the church of God? Then he says, I'm going to give you a test of ground, a proving ground, your own home.
And if you can function there and see your children draw to know the Lord Jesus Christ, you and your wife setting a godly example, then you can be fit to be an elder among the people of God. The home is the test. What a wonderful presence it is to have a home in this world, to have a wife or a husband that knows and loves the Lord, seeking to live for him and to have children who have come to a saving knowledge of Christ. And I'm sure that everyone who knows Christ can say with the Apostle John, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk it through. And what an example a believing home can be.
And it's a challenge that God lays upon each of us who are parents. It says that this one should be asked to teach, not necessarily in a public way. It doesn't have to be a public preacher, but he should know the Word of God and be able to use it privately if not publicly. Feed the flock of God. And this tells me if I'm going to feed the flock of God, then I must feed for myself. I must eat that. If I'm going to be one who can feed others, to remind myself that it is the flock of God. And it says that I'm not to take oversight, not by refrain, not by... Maybe you'll love those cantankerous sheep, because sometimes they are cantankers.
I heard a brother P. West Day some years ago. He said you have to be a Christian to get along with some of them. Sometimes they're cantankers. Mr. Gibbs used to say, to dwell above with the saints we love. That will be great in glory, but to live below with the saints we know. That's a different story. But the Lord did not ask, the Lord did not ask, do you love my sheep? He said, do you love me? And if we love him, it's everyone that loveth him that begateth him also that has begotten of him. You could say all you want, but if you don't have a love for the people of God, then you have no love for Christ.
Because if you love him, you love all who are in the back. Well, there are many things that you don't like. Many things that you don't like in yourself. But we love. Because his price tag is up. Lord and faithful. God. Feed the flock of God. The church. Which he has purchased. With his own blood. Not fleecing the block. But feeding the block. It's interesting in the Bible. You never read of any of the shepherds. The true shepherds. I know they did it. But it never says so. You never read of David sheared the sheep. that I know of. You never read of Jacob shearing the sheep.
You never read of Joseph shearing the sheep. You never read of Moses shearing the sheep. You read of Peter the sheep. You read of Nabal, whose name means the fool, he was shearing the sheep. You read of Laban, the uncle of Jacob, that he sheared the sheep. No, the true shepherd doesn't shears. You see, I'd like you to just read what a shepherd shouldn't be in Ezekiel chapter thirty-four, what shouldn't characterize him. Ezekiel thirty-four. Jeremiah, lamentation. Ezekiel the way it goes. Thirty-four.
This is what God says in Ezekiel thirty-four, verse two. Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves. Should not the shepherds feed the flock? eat the fat and he clothed you with the wool he killed them that are fed but he feed not the flock the disease have ye not strengthened neither have ye healed that which was sick neither have ye bound up that which was broken neither have ye brought again that which was driven away neither have ye sought that which was lost but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them they were scattered because there is no shepherd and they became meat to all the beasts of the field when they were scattered My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill, yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and not did search or seek after them.
What an invite. Remember those who are your guides, the Apostle whose faith followed, considering the end of their conversation, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, the day and forever, It says that the elder is to command by his example whose faith follows. But it says in verse five, ye younger submit yourselves unto the elder. That's the key to blessing. The power of example. The example of suffering, first of all. First of all, our Lord Jesus Christ, example of suffering. And you and I, we could set an example by suffering.
Somebody said to me once, most of us don't mind suffering silently. Like the Lord Jesus did, as long as everybody knows about it. Suffered silence. When he was reviled, he reviled not again. You know, Paul speaks of the advantages of suffering for Christ's sake. He said as a result of his suffering while he was in prison, many waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold to preach to God. The product. of suffering. Paul and Silas were in prison and they're singing and praising God, even though suffering in the body, what's the result?
There's a great earthquake. And the church at Philippi found it as a result. The fruit of suffering. The Lord Jesus is less as an example. Suffering. And then there's a wonderful promise. And by the way, I don't know of a word. This may surprise you. I don't know anywhere in the New Testament. where the wife is told to obey her husband. And don't cite that example in Titus chapter two where it says that the older women are to teach the younger women to obey their husband. There's not a specific place where a wife is told to obey her husband. Children are told to obey, but the word that is used in connection with wives is the word that means to submit, to put yourself under.
She's not an inferior to her husband. Even as Christ is not inferior to God, but he took a place of subjective. It's a military term that means to put yourself under. Just like when you go in the service, the captain of the regiment, or whatever, he may be your intellectual inferior, but if you're a private, you take a place of subjective. And God's order for the home is simply that. And God said, there's a wonderful blessing here. Perhaps there's some woman here today whose husband is not saved and you're concerned for him. Now, it doesn't tell you to go and nag him to death and pest him all the time with the gospel message. He closes ears, perhaps, to what you want to say to him.
It says that God will bless your home if you'll do this. Why be in subjection to your own husband? That, if any obey not the word, they also may, without the word, without your nagging, without your preaching to him, be one by the manner of life of the Lord. God says, if you take the place that I've outlined for you in your home, I'll bless your home. Not by trying to lord it over your husband, because you have something that he doesn't have, as though he's inferior, because you have the gospel and he doesn't. Take a place of subjection in your home. It's the key to blessing. And then you have the example of shepherding, the Lord Jesus.
And we have it in connection with the elders. If you want to be a good shepherd, then two things should characterize you. That characterize the Lord Jesus. At least two things, perhaps many more. But two things that I can think of. It says as a good shepherd, he gives his life for the sheep. Are you prepared to give your life for Christ's sheep? That's what it's going to cost. That's what it cost him. It's a good shepherd. But there's a reward connected with it. It says, and when the chief shepherd shall appear. He shall receive a crown of glory that faded not away. How that should challenge those in each local assembly to stick to be a shepherd for Christ.
That's the first thing. And the second thing, that is true of every shepherd or should be, and it was true of the Lord Jesus, it's this. He says, I know my sheep. And I'm known of mine. Do you know the sheep? Do you know the sheep? The Lord Jesus knows his sheep. And those who are seeking to serve as shepherds should know sheep of goats, should know their problems, should know their burdens, and be by God's grace to help. The key to all blessing, I repeat, the key to all blessing is submission. The younger in the assembly, being submitted to the elderly, that's the key to blessing. And of all the children being subjected to their parents, that's the key to blessing.
They put you on the right track. The wife in the home being in subjection to her husband. The key to all blessings is submission. And so I end as I began with a statement from Hudson Perry. The greatest mission in the world is submission. May God help us to be submissive to his will in every area of our life and know his way. Shall we close in the word of prayer? Our Father, we're thankful for thy precious word. We're thankful for the Lord Jesus, who has left us an example that we should follow his steps.
In every area of light, when we look away to him, we see him as he takes the place that is rightfully ours, but in lowly grace he took it. And so left us an example. And we pray that each one here, young and old alike, may know what it is to be submissive to thy will and to prove what is that good and acceptable will of God by presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto thee. Let thy word to us, we pray, and use it to the praise and honor and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. For to his name we pray, giving that.