1Peter Chapter 5
Shepherd the Flock:
Those in leadership, teachers and pastors are told to serve them that they have been entrusted. Elders are to serve all God’s people with a willingness out of love for God and not out of a duty that must be performed. It should not be for the prestige or the status of being a minister over the people, nor for dishonest gain, or just for the paycheckwhich we have seen in many situations.
1 Peter5:1-4 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. NKJ
Jesus as the Chief Shepherd and God as our Father and King, is the spiritual awareness and likeness that we must rise. Jesus’ example muststand above our natural sympathies or kinships, it is by His standard thatGod will be exalted and His kingdom ways and principles will be elevated above all else. It is an ambassador’s lifestyle that speaks to others about their country, and it is how they live out their nation or kingdom laws that makes them different. Our actions are the loudest and best representation as ambassadors of God, especially to those who are still being taught in this fallen world system.
Our words do not have to be loud or boisterous but the way we live and walk before our families and friends can quietly portray to our communities a godly lifestyle, as a representative of the kingdom of God that we are demonstrating and embodying.
Submit to God – Resist the Devil:
1 Peter 5:5-6 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but give grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, NKJ
The name Christian is a label the world gave to the followers of Christ in the early church but now the world has used this label to skew, twist or change the image of how the true followers of Christ are viewed. Many people label themselves as Christians but choose to live like the world. They are self-centered and self-focus living in fear. Their only concern is about themselves, while refusing to help or assist others. Unlike the true followers of Christ who are willing to share with others believing in God’s provision.
God has called us children who are born-again into the family of God. He is the Almighty God, El Shaddai, the Inexhaustible One, the One who pours out boundlessly and whose source is unlimited and everlasting. God gave us a position not a label. We are children of the Most-High King and we are in His family and we are to look like our Father. Though labels may change but God as our Father and our being born-again and part ofHis family will not change. Just as children in the natural take some resemblance or likeness of their parents, so do we as we grow more knowledgeable through the Spirit, into the image of Christ, the Son of God.
1 Peter 5:7-9 Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (KJV)
The enemy is looking for someone who will give him permission to come into their lives and to devour them. We give him permission by the choices we make in disobedience to God. The lion’s roar is so loud and intimidating that its prey may become fearful. God did not give us a spirit of fear, but His Spirit of power, love and a sound mind. God tells us how to resist the devil, by submitting to the truth of His word. It is a one-step process when we submit to God we also are resisting the devil and he will flee. Most of us do not take the time to know God’s word, so we do not know how to submit to it. This is how the devil gets permission to come into our lives because of our lack of knowledge concerning God’s word. When the enemy roars like a lion, some become afraid, panic and can be paralyzed by fear. Instead, we should trust and have faith in God’s word and casting those fears, concerns and anxieties on God in prayer.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. NKJ
Unfortunately, we are living in a fallen world system with an enemy who hates the true and living God and all who are created in His image. The Bible says Satan is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Satan is the enemy, it is not our neighbor, coworker, boss or those of a different race or culture. It is Satan who plants seeds of hate, pride and tempts us to forsake the care of a person’s souls for the sake of money or material things, he is our enemy. Satan comes and plants lies and deceptions to cause disunity and cultivate hate among the brethren. He wants to destroy the very thing we are created to be, an image bearer of God’s love.
1 Peter 5:10 -11 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Many may say they want to know Jesus, to walk like Him and be in fellowship with Him, but may not realization what that really means. As true followers of Christ we must be willing to take on the hardships of life and endure these situations, as we display God’s love toward others. This is part of the fellowship of His suffering. As Christ followers we must change our perspective, the way we evaluate the things that are happening to us and around us. We must change the way we view life and our expectations in life in light of God’s love for us and others.
Every child is born with a pure heart but it can be twisted by life experiences and by the things they are taught. The most important responsibility of every parent and adult is to train and teach children that are entrusted to them, who they are in Christ, as an Image bearer of God. Their purpose is to be the love of God in the earth and to show His love to a lost and deprived world.
It is easier to destroy a young life of royalty before he has matured into a crown prince, than it is to destroy the one who knows his purpose and is committed to his true destiny. For this purpose, Satan has attacked the lives and minds of children and those responsible for their instruction. To have people preoccupied with the things of this world rather than the training and protection of their children.
Satan is not all knowing, but he has been observing mankind from the beginning. The enemy has seen the whole human race tendencies, bents, propensities and appetite, so he tries to use those things to lure and tempthumanity into his snares. That is why we must control our bodies so as not to give the enemy an avenue to come, trap or entangle us into evil and depravity.
It is our adversary who comes to wreak havoc over our lives, causing death and destruction but God has provided a way of escape through us living according to His word. The world has cultivated a pattern of over indulgences, which seeks to fulfill every whim or desire without restraint. This leads to an undisciplined life that seldom tells the body, no to its extravagances and excesses. But God tells us to seek first His kingdom and righteous living and all our needs will be met.
As followers of Christ, we should exercise our will and minds and say no to our body’s cravings and appetites. We do this so that we may run this race and win against the temptations of this world. No one can run a marathon on the first try. It takes discipline, training and continued practice to run this race. Just as living a life under control is a practiced skill, it is not achieved overnight.
Humility is simply recognizing that we were created by God for His purpose and by allowing God to be all sufficient in all we do. Jesus displayed this when He became the Son of Man, being in submission to God the Father by taking on the body of a man, giving God honor and the glory that was due Him through obedience.
The constant and relentless theme of Jesus’ teaching was that His life’s work was to do the will of the Father. The Almighty God and Creator could use Him and work through Him to redeem mankind. Jesus emptied Himself and resigned Himself of His own will and power, so that God could do all He wanted to do in and through Him. Jesus lived a life relinquished of self in absolute submission and dependence on The Father to do His will and not His own.
Jesus understood He had lost nothing by submitting all to God and by humbling Himself before men. Jesus knew His Father and that God would highly exalt those who humble themselves before Him. This is a spiritual principle, those who will exalt themselves God will bring down and those who humble themselves God will exalt. Jesus submitted Himself to every railing, beating and even the death of the cross all while trusting God to be faithful to His promise. Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God on high. God honors those who trust Him.
Proverb11:2 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.
Proverb 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. NKJ
The humility Jesus displayed is a state of mind and a disposition of the soul. It is one that deliberately denies self and dies to prideful exaltation, while knowing that The Almighty God Jehovah is engineering and orchestrating every detail of our lives. This humility does not question the Creator or ask, “What have You done? Why am I here? Why have You made me this way? Humility recognizes the Potter’s authority to fashion the clay into whatever is needful and without question.
Isaiah 53:4- Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. NKJ
Some things we experience are for the glory of God. Our ability to walk through the hard challenges of life in love and in meekness may be the very thing God uses to help someone else to make it through life challenges. Just as Jesus experienced, railing and ridicule against Himself, it was not because of anything He did, but for our benefit. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and we can have peace because of His chastisement. This is humility, Jesus is our standard and not our experiences or the sayings of this world.
1 Peter5:12-14 By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. She who is in Babylon, elect` together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Peter closes with a reminder that we should greet one another in the spirit of God’s love for us. And to all who are in Christ, walk in peace, with yourself and others.
Integrity- People of God 