God’s Expectations for Your Shepherds
1 Peter 5:1-3
January 19, 2025
Tanner, I will share a job description for you that was shared with me (by my father!) on the Sunday I was installed as pastor at GBC; the privilege to be a pastor/elder is immeasurably great; and so are the responsibilities. You need to know the goal of being a pastor. Here then, is the model of the perfect pastor:
“The perfect pastor preaches exactly fifteen minutes. He condemns sin, but never embarrasses anyone. He works from 8 a.m. until midnight and is also the church janitor. He makes $60 a week, wears good clothes, drives a new car, and gives $50 a week to the poor. He is 28 years old and has been preaching for 25 years, and is wonderfully gentle and handsome. He loves to work with teenagers and spends countless hours with senior citizens. He makes fifteen calls daily on church families, shut-ins and hospital patients, and he is always in the office when needed. That’s the perfect pastor.”
Good luck with that set of expectations!
God has provided us with a much better set of descriptions of the elder/pastor’s duties and character. The Bible uses the analogy of a shepherd to guide us in our role (it’s even our title, “pastor” is “shepherd”). What does a (real-life) shepherd do?
- The shepherd protects the sheep (Num. 27:17; Is. 31:4)
- The shepherd leads the sheep (2 Sam. 5:2; Ps. 80:1)
- The shepherd is the master of the sheep (1 Kings 22:17)
- The shepherd provides for the sheep (Ps. 23:1)
- The shepherd nurtures and feeds the sheep (Ps. 28:9; Is. 40:11; Jer. 3:15; Jn. 21:15-18)
- The shepherd is compassionate toward the sheep (Mt. 9:36).
- Shepherds who don’t do these things are called unfaithful and are condemned (Is. 56:11; Jer. 10:21; 12:10; 23:1ff; Ezk. 34:2ff).
This pattern was used for King David to lead Israel (2 Sam. 5:2; Ps. 78:72), and it was used of the spiritual leaders of Israel (1 Chron. 17:6; Jer. 3:15). And it is the imagery He uses for those who will lead His church. How do you care for God’s people? How do you disciple and train and equip people to follow God? You care for them in the same way that a shepherd cares for his sheep.
This morning as we come to recognize the role that God has for Tanner Wiens among us and to install him as one of our elders and pastors, it is fitting to think about expectations. Everyone has expectations in most circumstances, but this morning we want to ask, “what are God’s expectations for Tanner (and the other elders)?” And by asking that question, we are also learning how we should think about these men as they care for us — and how can we pray for them as they carry out their roles?
This message is not just for Tanner (“what should you do as a pastor?”), but it is also for us as church members (“what has God provided for us and what can we expect from those who lead us spiritually?”).
At the end of the service, we will pray for Tanner by thanking God for him and asking God to equip him to serve us and lead us well. As we move towards that prayer, we want to look at one passage that will instruct us about the role of shepherds and elders. What are they and what do they do? The opening verses of 1 Peter 5 will guide us.
The apostle Peter may have been a fisherman by trade, but he was a shepherd by the appointment of Christ. Peter tells us about the spiritual care of God’s people through the role of shepherds. From him we learn:
God expects the elders of His church to be faithful shepherds of His church.
As we think about this shepherding role, we will see two aspects of the shepherd’s life; let’s consider their duty and their motives:
- God Expects His Shepherds to Fulfill Their Duties (vv. 1-2a)
- Shepherding is a divine responsibility
- Shepherding is a mutual responsibility
- Shepherding is a caring responsibility
- God Expects His Shepherds to Have Godly Motives (vv. 2b-3)
- A shepherd is a volunteer
- A shepherd is sacrificial
- A shepherd is exemplary
Download the rest of this sermon on 1 Peter 5:1-3.
The audio will be posted on the GBC website by Tuesday.
Words of Grace 