The sermon by Trent Moody, titled 'The Blessing of Elders,' examines the role and significance of elders in the church as discussed in 1st Peter chapter 5. Elders are seen as a divine provision for the church, vital for its order and care. The Apostle Peter's exhortation underscores the importance of elders serving not by compulsion but willingly, eager to shepherd the flock of God. Peter's credentials as a fellow elder and witness to Christ's sufferings add authority to his message, which is aimed at ensuring that the church is cared for and protected from internal and external threats. The sermon also warns of the dangers posed by false leaders and emphasizes the need for vigilance. Elders are called to be examples to the flock, living lives that reflect Christ's teachings. The sermon concludes with an encouragement to elders, reminding them of the eternal reward awaiting them when the chief shepherd, Christ, appears, and the need for congregational support through prayer.

To what I want to speak to you all about, just how the Lord provides for His church. And this is found in 1st Peter chapter 5. So go ahead and turn there to 1st Peter chapter 5. That's not the title of the message but it sure does go right along with it. First Peter chapter 5 and we're going to just look at the first four verses of this chapter and that in no way indicates the length of the message as I'm sure you know.

First Peter chapter 5. Let's read. The Apostle Peter writes, 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." Let's ask the Lord's blessing upon this time.

Our Father, we thank you for the living Word of God. Lord, it is how you sanctify us and you cleanse us by the washing of the water of the Word and Lord we pray you will do it yet again. Lord we need washing. I think of Peter and how he said Lord not my feet only but also my head and and my hands everything. Lord we we need you we need you to wash over us and we thank you dear Lord for the Word of God.

We pray by your spirit now you would teach us and sanctify us through it Lord. We pray in Christ's name. Amen. So here we come to this passage in 1st Peter chapter 5 which really is specifically for Mike and Scott and myself. But no seriously it is for all of us because when I spoke and said that the Lord provides for his church, that's really what God is doing and what Peter is wanting this church, this scattered abroad church, this church who had moved from its normal location, these churches I should say, and God was going to provide for them.

And as we've seen, not only the provision through the persecution and the difficulties and the sufferings that they had experienced and would experience, but we also see here in this passage Peter's concern, but ultimately God's concern for his church and how that church is shepherded and cared for. In Peter's care and concern for these scattered believers who now had come to a most important point of concern. Peter wants them to understand and God wants them to understand that without any local church or with any local church there is something lacking if there are not elders involved in that work. And so Peter this really hits home for your situation as well as we will be praying for that, that God would raise up men of God to shepherd that flock of God. In Titus 1 5, Paul writes, "'For this reason I left you in Crete that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you.'" A church without elders to some degree is a church without full order that God wants it to have.

And so in his provision for the church, God raises up men, as you well know and as we can testify through the scriptures and look at different passages of scripture how God supplies the church with men of God who are gifted for the work of that ministry for the shepherding of the flock of God much like a flock of sheep without a shepherd is a church without pastors and without elders. And so God has therefore ordained that his church is not to be left to itself. It's not to be left to itself, but has called and gifted men to oversee and shepherd the flock." We've seen this also over in Ephesians chapter 4. We've read it numerous times in the last months through Scott's series on the church. I just want to look briefly at it again in Ephesians 4.

We read here about the giftings of God. It says in verse 9 of chapter 4 of Ephesians, now this he ascended what does it mean but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth. He who descended is also the one who ascended, far above all the heavens that he might fill all things. And he gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and pastors, and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." And so God gives the church this gift. And what that is, when a church has elders or shepherds and overseers, God is caring for the flock.

So when you consider eldership and when you consider the men that God raises up within your midst, you should look at that as the blessing of God upon a church. Not that men are perfect. No man is perfect, no elder is perfect, but that God is loving and caring for his church through elders. That is one of the ways in which he loves and cares for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, at the same time, not only is a church without shepherd, without a shepherd or elders in a dangerous situation, but a bad elder can almost be as perilous situation as no elder.

There are bad men who would creep in as the book of Acts tells us in chapter 20 and verse 28 through 31. Paul specifically deals with this situation and speaks when he's speaking to the elders. He says this, therefore take heed to yourself and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the Church of God which he purchased with his own blood for I know this that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock Also from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears." So as you can see the world is not a safe place and unfortunately the church is not always a safe place in that sense. That we must do what Paul said, therefore watch.

We watch the influence and the syncretism of the world coming in upon us and we also must watch for those who are ministers of Satan that describes themselves as ministers of light and ministers of righteousness and so that is what Peter is doing here. He's exhorting the elders But also he's exhorting the church This letter was written to the church so that the church would understand what overseers should be and what it means to be a shepherd and specifically he's speaking he says the elders who are among you I exhort so the world is not a safe place and the church is a place also that we must watch. There are attacks from without and there are attacks from within and therefore Peter gives this exhortation to the elders of these churches that are scattered abroad and all churches regarding and this church regarding the roles and the responsibilities of their overseers. So really the first point that I want to focus on is regarding the one who is giving this exhortation. It's important to consider who is giving it because I believe that we will see it carries weight with it.

This is the Apostle Peter. What are his credentials? He has called himself the fellow elder. The elders who are among you I exhort, who am a fellow elder and a witness." So his credentials as an elder are this. He states that because he is not willing to exhort them, except what he is willing to exhort himself.

He says, to the elders who are among you I exhort I who am a fellow elder. So kind of like what Mike spoke to us a few weeks ago, he said if this is not for any of you it is most certainly for me. What I am saying here regarding the elders of the church is preaching to myself. This is what God wants overseers to be. He wants them to do these things.

They are exhorted to do these things. So, Like every elder does before he preaches to the flock of God, he preaches to himself. As we dig into the Word of God and as we seek God's will before we preach, The message of the gospel and the message of God's Word deals with us most certainly. And any of you who have ever preached the gospel, who have ever stood to teach the Word of God, you know exactly what I'm talking about. God deals with His people and God deals with the people who are tasked in a good way with the leadership of the church and with preaching the gospel.

So before we preach to others we first preach to ourselves. Not only was he an elder but he says that he was a witness of the sufferings of Christ. He was, in this sense, an apostle. This means that he was with Christ, he saw and was with Christ through the ministry, but specifically regarding the sufferings of Christ, Peter, I believe, is testifying not only to his apostleship, but also to the fact of what motivated him in his apostleship and motivated him in his ministry. It gives credence to his exhortation to the other elders because he was there.

He saw the sufferings of Christ. He saw what happens when you follow Christ. He experienced what happens when you preach the gospel in the face of the enemy. How many times was Peter arrested and beaten and imprisoned for preaching the gospel? There is something that happens with the authority and with the influence of a man who comes to preach to you who has experienced the pain and suffering of the gospel.

It adds weight to his words and that is the weight that he wants to give to these elders here. He said, I'm not only a fellow elder but I'm a witness of the sufferings of Christ. I was there. I know what happens when you preach the gospel. I know what happens when you stand for truth and stand for the Word of God.

He suffered on behalf of Christ and his testimony means all the more because he was not just speaking from passion but from experience. He understood what it meant to give himself for the flock of God. Remember when Peter was walking there with Christ and Jesus looked at him and said, Peter do you love me? What did Jesus say back when Peter said, yes Lord you know that I love you? What did he say?

He said, tend my sheep, feed my lambs. From the very beginning of this calling of Peter, he understood that Christ was calling him to be a shepherd of the flock of God. It's so tender to think about that passage, tend my sheep. It's that whole, what's all involved within that shepherding and we'll look at that in just a few moments, but Peter is wanting these men to understand that God has called you to do something that is beyond yourself. He's wanting you to understand that Christ is the one who equips us and enables us to do the work of the ministry which in works for the edifying of the body of Christ, which then works towards what Scott spoke about today to the beautifying, making us without spot and without blemish and prepares us for the book of Revelation where we will be the church glorified and Christ would complete his work.

Not only that but he says also that he is a partaker of the glory that will be revealed. I find this very encouraging and also very interesting. He speaks of the glory that will be revealed but he says he is also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed. He has such confidence in the gospel, such confidence that God will do what he says he will do, such confidence in the equipping of the Holy Spirit of God and the giftings of God that he can say that he is also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed. It's just like what Paul speaks about, how he speaks about us being you know sanctified and justified and glorified in the past tense.

He sees it as if it is already done because when God does something it is as if it is already done. He who has begun a work in you will complete it unto the day of Christ Jesus. And so this should also motivate us as elders, but also the whole church of God, because of what God is doing in the church in giving the church elders. So Peter got a glimpse of this glory that was revealed on the Mount of Transfiguration when he saw Christ in his transformation. He also saw this I believe in the resurrected Christ and understood of the glory of Christ.

And this is what motivated Peter and should motivate us as elders in our labors and for all believers in the work that God has called us to. Let it be a motivation to you. But now to get right down to what the exhortation is. That's who was exhorting, that is whose credentials and who is this speaking to us as the Apostle Peter, an elder, a fellow elder, One who had witnessed the sufferings of Christ and one who would be a partaker of the glory that would be revealed. And this is his exhortation, shepherd the flock of God which is among you.

Shepherd the flock of God. It is the responsibility of shepherding. This is the exhortation to elders. Shepherd the flock of God which is among you. It literally means to feed the flock, but more it means to tend the flock and to rule the flock.

All of these things gather in there together, kind of like what Christ says, I mentioned before, what Christ said to Peter, tend my sheep. There is a work to do among my people. Tend them. Come in among them. It is a responsibility, and this is an imperative responsibility, to shepherd the flock of God.

And much is tied up within this command, and we see it back in Acts 20 again, 20 verse 28 through 30, as I mentioned before. Therefore take heed to yourselves, because remember he's speaking to elders, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock. This taking heed here is that same idea that we need to tend. You tend your garden, you tend yourself, and you tend the flock of God. Among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.

The weight of that statement is beyond what I can describe, which he has purchased with his blood. That speaks to me as an elder looking at the sheep of God, that you are purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and what tender care that you must be in need of. You are precious in the sight of God. You have been purchased by the blood of Christ and what care I as an overseer, one of the overseers, should tend this flock. It's overwhelming to think how much I fail in that.

You are precious in the sight of God. And I just want to stop and just say, would you please pray for your elders? Please pray for us. We need all the grace and the power of the Spirit to work in us, to keep us, and to tend us so that we can rightly tend you. We love you, we pray for you, we care for you, We're concerned for you.

And I just want to say on a personal note, anytime that we come to you and we speak to you about matters, please know I know these men. These men love you. And they are concerned for the flock of God. They want to see exactly worked out in you what Scott preached this morning and what we've read over and over and over again here in Ephesians chapter 4 that we've that we've quoted together as a congregation. That you would be built up until the whole body is joined together and the whole body is unified that we're not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.

That is the desire of your elders. I know these men. So just here in this one passage of Scripture we see in Acts chapter 20, not only this tender care of shepherding the flock of God, but also the dangers that are involved within that. We see that he says that these people... Let's go back to Acts chapter 20 real quick.

Acts chapter 20, he says, he says, for I know this that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock. Do you get the imagery? So imagine these people here Peter is specifically speaking to these churches and these believers had been scattered. They are part of the dispersion and now he says not only that but I know this that there will be salvage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock, seeking to scatter the flock of God to get some of you out on the fringes and on the edges so that you may be devoured. Do you know that you're under shepherds here, these men?

We watch for that. We are concerned for that. When we see someone on the fringes, we're praying about that because God has given us such a task and we know that the enemy would love to see you scattered. And then not only that but he says from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves. Just here in this one verse we see the responsibility of an elder including and serious consideration of our own spiritual state and the spiritual state of the flock of God which includes the oversight of the flock, feeding the flock, the very word of God and recognizing that it is a stewardship of God because it's whose flock, It's God's flock which he purchased with his own blood.

But also there is the guarding of the flock and the protecting of the flock. And if you were to take a survey of all of the New Testament, you would find many other responsibilities as well. It's a service also of oversight, not only a responsibility of shepherding but a service of oversight. Look at what he says, he says, shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion, but willingly." This oversight literally means to look upon. It's rendered looking carefully and looking diligently to exercise the oversight to visit and to care for.

The term shepherd there is a beautiful term and now this term oversight. It is this idea of looking over with care. And if you know these men as I know these men, I'm sure you've seen it, especially on Sundays, but throughout the week we're watching. We're looking over God's people. We're looking for someone that we need to talk to and someone we need to minister to.

We're looking for the cares and the concerns of the church. Maybe for those who are spiritually waning, we're looking for those who are hurting, so that we can tend to the flock of God with good oversight. Not only that, but it is, he says here, serving as overseers not by compulsion but willingly. It's a calling, not a coercion. We must be willing participants.

This is not a work that you could be compelled to do by force. Trust me, it would not go well. You will not last long in the ministry of the gospel if you're compelled to do it. No one excels at a work they are compelled to do. Have you ever tried that with your children?

Compelled them to do something that they really just don't want to do? It's hard to get excellent work out of that. But this is a faithful saying, if a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. The word desire there in 1st Peter 3 means to stretch oneself out in order to touch or to grasp something, to reach after or to desire something. This is something the Lord puts into the hearts of men to do.

It is not natural, It's supernatural in the sense that we would desire it. It's a God-given desire to shepherd the flock of God and to oversee it. It is also a work of eager engagement. We must be eager in the work and for the work. With every good thing there can always be a wrong motivation and here Peter warns these elders against dishonest gain.

There are some men out there who would seek this office because they may see some financial benefit for themselves but they are false elders. I'm sure that you've seen these men before in your past, maybe on TV or the internet or maybe in your former churches or in your life. These men abuse their roles for the benefit of themselves. Not like the Apostle Paul who says that he poured his life out as a drink offering. And he did it for the sake of the church.

Not for dishonest gain. In other words, we would do it even if there was no financial compensation because we are called to the work. A true shepherd is motivated out of the love that he has towards God and towards God's people. We see that there is a need among God's people that that a flock without a shepherd is just ripe for the scattering and so we desire to take a part of that work and it is a desire of the heart that God has put there and we look forward to doing the work as hard as it is. We love the people of God.

So I like to say elders are not paid to shepherd the flock they are paid so that they can shepherd the flock. It takes time, it takes effort, it takes diligence, it takes prayer. The pay frees up their time so that they are not burdened financially so as to be consumed with earning money for their own selves and for their own livelihoods, but rather can they can give themselves fully to the work of God. Too often when people think of their shepherds being paid they think of it as some way as paying an employee or someone who is punching the clock. And my friends, this should not be the case.

The shepherd's wages is not based upon hours worked, but rather God's people should consider it in terms of the spiritual benefit received. Think about how God has blessed this church with your elders and it's awkward for me to stand here and say that but I say that because God's Word speaks of elders as being the gift to the church. One of the gifts, It's not the greatest gift. Every one of you are gifted for the work of the ministry. So we ought to think of the work of the ministry as something that is a benefit to the church and a blessing to the church.

And I could go on into this and I'm not going to right now but Paul mentions this and speaks about this in 1 Corinthians 9 and he gives a defense of those who were questioning him and questioning his motives regarding receiving compensation for the work of the ministry. And he shows that it is not only lawful, but it is a benefit to the church. And he clearly shows that the heart of a shepherd is the heart to shepherd the flock and to oversee the flock and to love the flock and to do it willingly. Not for dishonest gain but there's an eagerness of the work, there is a willingness to put our hands to the plow, there's a willingness to study, there is a willingness to love, there's a willingness to pray for you and yes it sometimes confronts you and exhorts you but it's because we love you you see Paul says nevertheless we have not used this right but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. It is a right he calls it but yet it is something that he chose to lay aside for the benefit of the gospel.

And he did that why? Because he loved the flock of God. Not only that, but it is a life lived as an example. Notice what he says here. This one's rather convicting.

He says in verse 3, Nor is being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." There's much here involved in this, and I'll just kind of break it down real quickly. Nor as being lords over those. It's a temptation for an elder, for some elders more so than others, to lord over God's people. John MacArthur notes that the term lord here means to dominate someone or some situation. It implies leadership by manipulation and intimidation.

But notice what he says, those entrusted to you, those entrusted to you. And again I'll say it is overwhelming when I read this that the Lord Jesus Christ for Scott Brown for Mike Davenport and for myself that God says I have entrusted you with this oversight. It's overwhelming. You are precious in the sight of God. You've been purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He has entrusted that to mere men.

May God help us. Please pray for us. You know, praying for your elder is not without self-interest. When you pray for us it benefits you. It really does.

It benefits you tremendously. Elders are not called to lord over people but rather to be an example to the flock. Those entrusted to you but being examples to the flock. We are to live a life that is an example for all men to live but yet keeping in mind that no man is perfect and all men have their shortcomings. And I think of what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11, he says, imitate me just as I also imitate Christ.

And I believe what he meant by that is not only was he seeking to imitate Christ but he recognized the limitations of his flesh and he recognized that these people need to keep their eyes upon Christ and that's what we say to you if you see Christ-like behavior in us imitate that And when you don't see Christ-like behavior in us, don't imitate that. Look to Christ. He is, as we will see in just a moment, the chief shepherd. You see, the fearful thing that we see is that we are to be examples to all believers but especially elders are to be an example because they oversee the Church of God and accountability corresponds with responsibility. As James says, my brethren let not many of you become teachers knowing that they shall receive a stricter judgment.

Never forget that you're always being an example. I tell my children this often times, children you're being an example. You can be a good one or you can be a bad one but you are being an example and it's much like that in our lives as well. We're always influencing someone just again it's amazing the mirrors here of what Scott spoke about this morning. There are these influences that all the time, your life is like that.

Any parent can testify to that with their children. Your life is an example to your children, whether for good or for ill. And as elders, it is the same. We should all realize this. And then lastly, this, the reward of elders.

It's interesting that he puts this here but in verse four he says, and when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. The chief shepherd, I love that term, he is my shepherd, and he is your shepherd. And we as elders are under shepherds. We are not the chief shepherds. We follow the same shepherd as you.

He is the chief shepherd. There is only one who rules the church and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. And to him we all submit. There is no true under shepherd who does not oversee according to the commands of the chief shepherd. It is illegitimate rule if we go outside the authority that Christ has laid out in his word.

He is our chief and we follow him. There's no doubt here that Peter is encouraging these elders and also the church when he says, and when the chief shepherd appears, he is coming back. The Lord Jesus Christ will appear and when he appears there will be an accounting and there will be rewards and he says here specifically and I believe that he says this I'm gonna read something to you from Calvin I think he really hits it regarding this reward of the crown of glory It is interesting that this is one of the other crowns mentioned in the Scriptures. There's a crown of life, a crown of righteousness, a crown of rejoicing, and this crown, the crown of glory. And crowns in this time frame were used for those as marks of victorious achievements and often were a wreath of some sort.

We know that the games that they had, they would give them wreaths which would soon fade away. But Notice what he says, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. An interesting little tidbit here is that this word will not fade away is the name of a beautiful flowering plant, Amaranth. Have you ever looked up the Amaranth? It's a beautiful thing, Google it sometime, it's a beautiful flowering plant and even a grain and it's edible, but it is said regarding this plant, it is so called the Amaranth because it means will not fade away because it says that it never withers or fades and when plucked off it revives if you moisten it with water.

That's where this word is said to come from. Such an encouragement, why such encouragement for shepherds? Why would he tell us this? Why would he lay this out for elders and says and I want you to know when the chief shepherd appears you will receive the crown of glory, which will not fade away. Calvin says this, innumerable hindrances which are sufficient to discourage the most prudent overseer.

They have often to do with ungrateful men from whom they receive an unworthy reward. Long and great labors are often in vain. Sometimes Satan prevails in his wicked devices. Lest then the faithful servant of Christ should be broken down, there is for him one and only one remedy to turn his eyes to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus it will be that he who seems to derive no encouragement from men in this world will audaciously go on in his labors knowing that a great reward is prepared for him by the Lord.

God is all about encouraging his people to live for him. He is encouraging you, I hope this morning through this passage of Scripture to tell you that you have been purchased with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is encouraging you this morning to let you know that God cares for the flock of God. As I said at the very beginning, God provides for His church and Part of the way he does that is through bringing elders into a church to oversee and tend the flock of God. And part of the encouragement that God gives elders is this, He wants us to realize that there's a day coming when the chief shepherd will appear.

And when he appears, there will be a crown of glory that will not fade away. This is not a crown of something that we're going to boast about but it's something as an encouragement and it should be an encouragement to all of us when the chief shepherd appears. That's the greatest glory there is. It's not about the crown. It's about the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ that when he returns we will be like him.

And I don't know about you but that encourages me to endure in the work and in the labors and the work of the ministry because not only are we involved in the work of the ministry because not only are we involved in the work of the ministry, but you are as well. So my encouragement to you is to continue to labor for the Lord Jesus Christ and in the gospel in whatever means God has laid before you, and in whatever calling that God has placed before you. And one last thing, please pray for your elders. We need it. And we love you.

Let's pray. Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for this word. We thank you God that you provide for your church. Lord, you don't leave anything neglected. Lord, you provide giftings and men to lead the flock of God and tend the flock of God and we are thankful for that.

I'm thankful for my elders that you have put in my life. These men are a blessing to me. They helped me and I'm thankful for them. I pray Lord that you would bless this church. Lord no matter what comes our way, no matter what savage wolves would try to do, Lord that you would enable us and equip us to guard the flock of God to tend the flock of God to love the flock of God to feed the flock of God Lord give us the holy unction to preach the Word of God without fear of man but only the fear of the Lord and Lord we pray that you would bless your people and edify them this day we ask it in Christ's name amen