Day 5 – 1 Peter 5

Take a Moment to Read 1 Peter 5

Who’s in charge?

Is the pastor in charge? Is the board in charge? Or the board chair? Is there a Chief Executive Officer? When Jesus ascended into heaven, these are the kinds of things that had to be addressed. And he gave the disciples the authority to do so (Matthew 28:19-20). The primary purpose of that authority was for making disciples.  It’s clear from the book of Acts though that the disciples knew that extended to the organizing of the church.

The church though is unlike any other organization. Its head was and is the resurrected Christ. Its leaders are leaders who are committed to serving like Jesus. Serving is a blessing, not an obligation so church leaders should serve eagerly and with joy. There are passages in the Bible caution church leaders about taking on the leadership mantle too quickly or without thought. It’s not easy to serve. It’s much easier to lead other organizations where the leaders lead from a position of power, not service.

Peter knows that a church under pressure needs leaders who are committed to caring for the people. He tells the leaders reading his letter to “be shepherds of God’s flock under your care” (1 Peter 5:2). Church leaders need to guard their hearts being very careful about wrong motives. In the Old Testament, the shepherds of Israel were criticized for taking advantage of the people under their care. The shepherds often took advantage of the people and even led them away from God. You’ve heard the phrase, “power corrupts” and it’s often true. Elders, therefore, must never think of their position in terms of power. Rather, they are shepherds who protect and care for the other believers in a local church. They are servants modeling Jesus who was the ultimate servant.

Peter also tells young men and everyone else to embrace attitudes of humility. The hardest thing about humility is as soon as we start talking about it, we risk the opposite. When one says, “I am humble,” others wonder if there is a hint of pride. Humility is an attitude of the heart, not an articulation of the mouth. Humility says from the heart, “I want to serve, I want to submit, I want to think of others first.” Humility entrusts one’s status to God letting God promote the person instead of the person promote the person.

Be Aware

Peter warns his readers that they have an enemy who is deceptive. He hides in places where he can’t be seen. He is like the lion, close the ground, hidden in the grass, waiting to pounce on some prey. Most of us can imagine the scene from a National Geographic show.

We need to be aware of the enemy’s traps, ready to resist him. James told his readers to “resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). He even told us how to resist the enemy: submit to God.

Wow! It appears that humility and submission are actually protection against Satan. We need to remember that he often attacks by getting us to distrust God (Remember Adam and Eve). He wants us to doubt God and wonder if God really cares. He wants us to question God’s character. This was probably a common temptation for Peter’s readers because he reminds them to stand firm, to be faithful, and to remember that believers everywhere suffer for their faith.

God is watching. He cares. He loves you very much. There isn’t a single tear that he doesn’t see. He is aware of every ounce of suffering you go through. Hebrews 11 tells us that all of the waiting and suffering of God’s faithful people throughout history is known and accounted for. The author of Hebrew says of God’s people who waited, who trusted God, who often endured persecution, “the world was not worthy of them.” The same thing is true for God’s faithful today. You can trust God today! You can know that he loves you more than you can imagine! You can know that he sees your daily acts of faith and trust and remembers them all. You can also know that even when you fail and come to him in humility confessing your sins, that he is happy to forgive you!

God is good! He is your helper! Trust Him.

Application:

Pastors and other church leaders are always trying to model Jesus. Yes, decisions have to be made and there is some level of authority in these positions, but they are always positions of service to and for the body of Christ. All Christians, are called to a life of humility and service. While we are in this world, there is the temptation to promote ourselves and our own welfare. The devil actually uses these temptations against us just like he did when he tempted Adam and Eve in the garden. Our best defense is Christlike humility, faith in God, and prayer.

1. Please pray for the church pastors and elders. Pray that they would exemplify Christlike humility and service.
2. What does humility look like for you? What are the barriers or challenges to humility in your own life?
3. Consider Peter’s caution regarding our enemy the devil. What does resisting him look like for you?

 

Take some time to pray!

 

Consider writing down a key verse or verses from today on an index card or small piece of paper and carry it with you today. Look at it as often as you can as a reminder of what we learned today.

 

Possible Verses: 1 Peter 5:6-7; 1 Peter 5:8-9; 1 Peter 5:10-11