Shepherd the Flock Among You

In one paragraph

Pastor Carl opened 1 Peter 5:1-3 by sitting with six hard questions before he read a single verse, because he wanted the weight of the passage to land before the words did. The sermon was aimed at anyone leading anyone, not just the eight elders on the board, but parents, small-group leaders, Awana volunteers, anyone who has ever tried to shepherd another person in the way of faith. Before turning...

Read together

1. 1 Peter 5:1-3 the main passage preached, on elders shepherding the flock
2. Proverbs (unspecified verse) God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble
3. James (unspecified verse) God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, parallel to Peter
4. 1 Peter 3 (unspecified verses) six verses about wives, then a verse about husbands treating their wives well so prayers are not hindered
5. 1 Peter 3 (unspecified verses) to sum up: be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind hearted, humble, not returning evil for evil but giving a blessing
6. Colossians 3 (unspecified verses) closing benediction: clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness and love

Talk about it

1. Pastor Carl opened with a series of hard questions about why someone gets into leadership or ministry. Which of those questions hit closest to home for you, and why?
2. Peter calls himself a 'fellow elder' rather than the great apostle, and points to his own witness of Christ's sufferings before giving any instruction. What does that posture suggest about how authority and credibility are supposed to work among leaders in the church?
3. The passage says elders are to shepherd willingly and not under compulsion, not for sordid gain but eagerly. Where do you think the line is between healthy eagerness to serve and the kind of drivenness that can tip into control or self-promotion?
4. The painting of Luther preaching was described as showing Christ crucified standing between the preacher and the congregation, so that both were looking toward him rather than at each other. What does that image say to you about what Christian leadership is actually supposed to point toward?
5. The sermon closed with the call for all of us, not just elders, to clothe ourselves with humility toward one another, backed by the reminder that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. Where in your own relationships, family, friendships, church, do you find that hardest to live out?