1 peter 5:1-11

1Pe 5:1 I, who am an elder myself, appeal to the church elders among you. I am a witness of
Christ's sufferings, and I will share in the glory that will be revealed. I appeal to you
1Pe 5:2 to be shepherds of the flock that God gave you and to take care of it willingly, as God
wants you to, and not unwillingly. Do your work, not for mere pay, but from a real desire to
serve.
1Pe 5:3 Do not try to rule over those who have been put in your care, but be examples to the
flock.
1Pe 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the glorious crown which will
never lose its brightness.
1Pe 5:5 In the same way you younger people must submit yourselves to your elders. And all of
you must put on the apron of humility, to serve one another; for the scripture says, "God
resists the proud, but shows favor to the humble."
1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves, then, under God's mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own
good time.
1Pe 5:7 Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.
1Pe 5:8 Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking
for someone to devour.
1Pe 5:9 Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that other believers in all the
world are going through the same kind of sufferings.
1Pe 5:10 But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share
his eternal glory in union with Christ, will himself perfect you and give you firmness,
strength, and a sure foundation.
1Pe 5:11 To him be the power forever! Amen

T H E C O N G R E G AT I O N A L C O D E ( 1
PETER 5:1-11)
August 26, 2007 / Darryl Dash

I want to read you a couple of profiles that describe a person, and see which
one you like better.

The first description has words like these: considerate, good-natured, team-
player, thoughtful, dependable, good listener. Do you like the sound of this
person? Good. I don't want to brag, but this comes from a personality profile
done on me.

Contrast this with this second description: stubborn, inflexible, hesitant,

detached. How do you like the sound of this person? You may be surprised to
know that this is from the same personality profile, actually from the same
page, and it's also me, except under pressure, tension, stress, or fatigue. It's
like I have these two sides: considerate, good-natured, thoughtful - but on
the other hand stubborn, inflexible, detached. Same person, but different
circumstances. And it makes all the difference in the world.

We all have this. We have our best selves - the people that we aspire to be,
and maybe we succeed most of the time. Then we have the other side. I
heard a young girl talking about her father one day. Evidently he gets a little
grumpy at times. The word that she used for her father to describe wasn't
grumpy, but stressed. We are different people when we are under pressure,
tension, stress, or fatigue.

Maybe the same is true when it comes to churches.

I would like Richview to be known by words like these: bibl 1Sa mga
matatandang namumuno sa inyo, nananawagan ako bilang isa ring
matandang pinuno ng iglesya na tulad ninyo. Saksi ako sa mga paghihirap ni
Cristo at makakabahagi ako sa karangalang malapit nang ipahayag.
Nakikiusap ako sa inyo,2alagaan ninyo ang kawan ng Diyos na
ipinagkatiwala sa inyo. Alagaan ninyo ito nang maluwag sa loob at hindi
napipilitan lamang. Iyan ang nais ng Diyos. Gampanan ninyo ang inyong
tungkulin, hindi dahil sa kabayaran kundi dahil gusto ninyong
makapaglingkod, 3hindi bilang bghgfb

panginoon ng inyong nasasakupan, kundi maging halimbawa nila kayo. 4At

pagparito ng Pinunong Pastol ay tatanggap kayo ng maluwalhating koronang
di kukupas kailanman.

5At kayo namang mga kabataan, pasakop kayo sa mga pinuno ng iglesya.
Magpakumbab kayong lahat sapagkat nasusulat, Sinasaway ng Diyos ang
mapagmataas, ngunit kinaluluguran niya ang may mababang
kalooban. 6Kaya nga, pasakop kayo sa kapangyarihan ng Diyos at
dadakilain niya kayo pagdating ng takdang panahon. 7Ipagkatiwala ninyo sa
kanya ang inyong mga alalahanin sa buhay sapagkat siya ay
nagmamalasakit sa inyo.

8Maging handa kayo at magbantay. Ang diyablo, ang kaaway ninyo ay

parang leong umaatungal at aali-aligid na naghahanap ng masisila. 9Huwag
kayong matatakot sa kanya at magpakatatag kayo sa inyong
pananampalataya sa Diyos. Tulad ng alam ninyo, hindi lamang kayo ang
nagtitiis ng ganitong kahirapan, kundi pati ang inyong mga kapatid sa buong
daigdig. 10Pagkatapos ninyong magtiis sa loob ng maikling panahon, ang
Diyos, na siyang pinanggagalingan ng lahat ng pagpapala, ang siyang
magbibigay sa inyo ng kaganapan, katatagan, at lakas ng loob at isang
pundasyong di matitinag. Siya ang tumawag sa inyo upang makibahagi kayo
sa kanyang walang hanggang kaluwalhatian, kasama ni Cristo.11Sa kanya
ang kapangyarihan magpakailanman! Amen.

nical, loving, evangelistic, Christ-centered, people-focused. In our best

moments we are these things. But churches face stresses too, and under
stress it's possible for us to become like other words: grumpy, unloving,
inward, program-focused. It's almost like two different churches, but it's not.
It's Richview at our best and Richview under stress.

A couple of years after I arrived here, I started to discover the rhythms of our
church's life. I began to discover that there are times that we shut down and
that life is pretty relaxed around here. I also began to discover that there are
other times - usually characterized by a budget crunch, busyness, or some
stressful situation that we were facing - that we aren't who we aspire to be.

We're not the first people to face this problem. The passage that we're
looking at this morning was written to churches under incredible stress. The
stress came from the fact that the people around them were intolerant of
their faith in Christ, and this put pressure on them at work and in their
marriages and with their friends. They also faced the danger of having this
stress affect the way that they functioned as they came together to be the
church. Peter writes about this problem, and he sandwiches his instructions
in between two passages on suffering. That's no accident. How we relate to
each other is going to be affected by the situation we face.

So how should we respond when we're a stressed-out church?

It's interesting that Peter doesn't say to not be stressed. He doesn't say to
light a candle or get a back massage or do aromatherapy to de-stress as a
church. No matter what they did, they were going to continue to face stress,
because their outside environment wasn't going to change.

I imagine there are times that we can look each other and say - in love -
"Let's take a deep breath here." But there are going to be other times that
we can't do anything about the fact that our church is under stress.
Sometimes that is the reality that we face, and there won't be much we can
do about the stress itself.

But there is something that we can do about how we respond in a time of

stress. 1 Peter 5 gives us a congregational code, and it's all about our
responsibilities to each other within the church, especially in a time of stress.

What is a congregational code? In Peter's day, they had something called a

household code. In the Greek and Roman worlds, household codes outlined
the way that the house should run. Instructions were usually given to the
head of the house, the father, to rule over the household wisely. His wife,
children and slaves were subject to him until his death.

Peter takes this household code and does something that the Greeks and the
Romans didn't do. He applies it to the congregation, as if we are not just a
collection of individuals but an actual household, connected by family ties
despite all of our differences. This was unheard of. And Peter doesn't just
write to the head of the churches saying that they have to rule over the
church-households with a firm hand. Instead, he writes to the whole church
and outlines responsibilities for all. He touches on areas that are especially
appropriate when a church is under stress.

Let's look at the congregational code, or how to be function as members of

God's family within the church when we're under stress. He addresses three
groups of people: leaders, followers, and then everybody.

F I R S T: L E A D E R S A R E T O S E R V E .
Peter writes to "elders" in verse 1 as a "fellow elder", and in verse 2 he uses
the word "shepherd" which is where we get the word pastor, and he talks
about them "watching over" the church in verse 2.. Churches back then were
based on similar leadership patterns based as Jewish synagogues and local
ruling councils and in city government in the Greco-Roman world. So he's
talking to the leaders of the churches.

To be a church leader in those days was a courageous act. They lived in

perilous times, and serving as a leader meant that you were risking your
position in society, even becoming vulnerable to the same fate as Jesus.
Remember that the codes in those days usually told the people in charge to
take control and rule over the household. You can imagine that especially in
a time of stress and pressure, leaders would have faced the temptation to
become authoritarian and controlling.

But Peter says a couple of important things to the church leaders.

He first tells them what kind of leaders they are supposed to be:

not reluctant, but willing leaders

not greedy, but eager to serve

not domineering, but a role model

In other words, leaders aren't to serve reluctantly as if they're doing

everybody a favor. They shouldn't be motivated by a desire to get, but an
eagerness to give. And they shouldn't see themselves as bosses but as
examples. They're not kings; they're to be servants, even - especially - when
the church is under stress.

Gilbert Bilezikian writes, "Leadership is a servant ministry." Although the

pecking order is "an inescapable reality of daily life" in which people take
their rank based on "birth, race, gender, fortune, and influence," the church
is different. To be a leader in the church isn't "about the pride of who comes
first," but "the humility of the one who comes in last." In the place of imperial
leadership, we have the image of servanthood. We not only have the image,
we actually have the example of Jesus, who took a basin and towel and
washed his disciple's feet as a symbol of what he was about to do in dying
for us. It's about a completely different attitude on the part of those who lead
the church.

What could this look like? One pastor writes this:

I am pastored by my congregation. My struggles are often out in the open

for everyone to see. I can be honest about my failures...I don't feel the
pressure to "perform" for two reasons. First, "success" and "failure" are
common property. We all share a responsibility for what happens...Second,
ministry is not an event that occurs on a Sunday. It is a lifestyle of word-
centered activity. Success is not judged by a sermon or service. It is judged in
terms of growing Christians and gospel opportunities. (Total Church)

He goes on to say that this type of leadership feels scary, but "we should
embrace this fragility because it forces us to trust God's sovereign grace."

And, if they serve this way, Peter says, then "when the Chief Shepherd
appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away" (1
Peter 5:4). Their victory is assured. It depends not on their own efforts, but
on the appearing of Christ. This is what leadership in the church is all about.

In a few weeks, we have the opportunity as members to choose those who

will lead the church. You've already chosen me, and it goes without saying
that I need your prayers to be this kind of leader.

As we select new leaders next month, we are looking for people who will lead
in this way. That's probably why the Bible puts so much emphasis on their
lives and doctrine. Leaders are to serve. As we select leaders, I'm going to
ask you to evaluate them based on their ability to provide spiritual
leadership for our church, not because they have reached the top of the
pecking order, but because they are people of character who have servant's
hearts.

Leaders are to serve.

S E C O N D LY , P E T E R S A Y S , E V E R Y O N E E L S E I S
T O S U B M I T.
Here's where it gets even harder. Verse 5 says: "In the same way, you who
are younger [in other words, those of you who aren't elders], submit
yourselves to your elders."

You'll notice that this section is a lot briefer compared to the previous
section, but it's just as hard. It doesn't mean being a doormat. It's essentially
a call to respect your leaders. On one level, this should be obvious. It may be
obvious, but it's not easy. It may be even harder than it was back then. We
live in a day in which the prevailing attitude is that leaders can't be trusted
with power, and that nobody is going to tell me what to do. That attitude can
easily carry over to the church as well.

I have a friend who pastors a congregation composed of a lot of people who

belong to a generation that is not known for submitting to leadership. I asked
him how that works at his church. He replied and said that he tends to see it
as a fear that has come from the abuse of leadership. It's a fear of getting
hurt. Our whole democratic system is built on checks and balances so that
leaders can't lead without having safeguards in place.

But he keeps reminding his people that Scripture does not make concession
for it, rather it calls us back to the gospel - to forgive when hurt, to repent
when you hurt someone, and reconcile as brothers and sisters knowing
leaders will give an account to God, so they submit to him.

"Our people need to trust God," he said, "who is placing leaders over the
church. That is why character is the main thing in scripture about leaders.
They are trustworthy men and women who lead. It can be abused of course
but it is a good thing to submit."

Twenty years ago somebody wrote:

It seems rather strange that very few books on leadership have chapters on
followership. As a matter of fact, followership is not even in the abridged
dictionary. There seems to be a curious assumption that while leaders need
special instruction for exercising their role, followers need no such
instruction. (C. Peter Wagner, Leading Your Church to Growth)

1 Thessalonians 5:13 tells us to "Hold [leaders] in the highest regard in love

because of their work." I know this is far from easy, and it goes against every
cultural trend. But we're not called to follow cultural trends of distrust. We're
to be an alternate community in which leaders serve and followers respect.

I know that this will get challenged almost every week especially when the
church is under stress. Leaders serve, not rule. Everybody else submits,
instead of distrusting.

Peter has one more instruction:

T H I R D , E V E RYO N E - L E A D E R S A N D
FOLLOWE RS TOGETHER - BE HUMBLE AND
FA I T H F U L .
We get to the heart of the passage now. Peter says in verse 5, "All of you,
clothe yourselves with humility toward one another." And then in verse 6,
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift
you up in due time." And then in verse 8, "Be alert and of sober mind." In
other words, don't let the stresses that your church is under stop you from
really humbling yourselves before each other and staying firm no matter
what is going on out there.

Why? A few reasons. Because if we humble ourselves, then God himself will
exalt us. If we don't humble ourselves and instead waver in our faith, then
Satan just may find the opportunity he's been looking for to devour us.
Because when we suffer, we're in solidarity with all God's people who have
suffered. And finally, because despite the stresses, God is completing his
work in us. Verse 10 says, "And the God of all grace, who called you to his
eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself
restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." We know how it will
turn out in the end.

This all reminds me of a story that's been in the news lately. Last year,
insurgents in Afghanistan opened fire on a Canadian base around 2:00 early
one morning. A siren sounded, and small arms fire was heard throughout the
camp. Soldiers were woken and went out on patrol to rout the attackers - all
soldiers, except for one.

Corporal Paul Billard, a stretcher-bearer, stayed in bed. Other soldiers tried to

coax him from his covers, but Corporal Billard wouldn't budge. He refused to
put on his helmet and flak jacket, and only got out of bed once to go to the
washroom with a pistol. When his fellow soldiers banged on a locker to try to
get him out of bed, Billard replied, "I'm immune to that. I'm going to sleep."

Corporal Billard has been sentenced to twenty-one nights. The military judge
said to him, "You displayed a total lack of discipline and lack of respect by
refusing to report to your assigned duty. I find your conduct reprehensible.
You let your comrades down in a time of danger."
If we really understand that there's a battle going on out there, and if we
really understand what Christ has done for us - not only in setting an
example for us as a servant who washed his disciple's feet, but who paid the
ultimate price so that we could be part of a community that is transformed
by what he did at the cross - then we'll stay wide awake. We'll never doze off
into leadership that isn't about service, followership that isn't about
submission, and church that isn't about humility. Stay humble and faithful
despite the stress, Peter says, and God will take care of the rest.

If we are what we should be, we shall never be without a friend as long as there is a God.