I, Forest R. Steenfott just recently did a study on First Peter five about the responsibilities of the pastor. I believe that the eleven verses are one piece speaking to the elder (pastor).
Apostle Peter to Pastors
Peter begins this chapter speaking directly to pastors,
“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. ” I Peter 5:1-10
I want to list these verses one through eleven in order as they appear in context and say a few words about each. These requirements give the pastor an awesome responsibility to God not the church. Why do I say that? It comes out of Hebrews 13: 7 as well as Hebrews 13:17
“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation,” Hebrews 13:7
“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” Hebrews 13:17
Remember Ephesians four that states the pastor is a gift from Christ, the Son of God.
FEED THE FLOCK OF GOD WHICH IS AMONG YOU,
The Pastor teacher opens the Word of God for the expressed reason of preaching doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. I believe that most sermons should be expository. For out of this will come a Christian World View that will affect our work place, our neighborhood and our society.
TAKING THE OVERSIGHT THEREOF, NOT BY CONSTRAINT, BUT WILLINGLY; NOT FOR FILTHY LUCRE, BUT OF A READY MIND;
Where there is a community of believers, to give vision and direction there must be a leader involved. There had to be a Moses to lead Israel out of captivity, a Joshua to take the land, a David as king of Israel. These were God picked leaders. The pastorate is a vocational position not a professional position, “not for filthy lucre,” (not to make money).
NEITHER AS BEING LORDS OVER GOD’S HERITAGE,
There is an example of this very thing in Third John 1: 9-10
“I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.” Third John 1: 9-10
Sometimes our separation within the walls of our denominations is a serious threat to our love for the brethren.
BUT BEING ENSAMPLES TO THE FLOCK.
I believe that this would be a reference to the time that the Lord washed the disciple’s feet. Whatever the pastor asks the church to do, he should do the same. If his desire for his people is for them to be witnesses or soul winners, then he should be a witness and soul winner not just during his preaching service.
AND WHEN THE CHIEF SHEPHERD SHALL APPEAR, YE SHALL RECEIVE A CROWN OF GLORY THAT FADETH NOT AWAY.
Apostle Paul spoke about this in the first three chapters of First Corinthians. He made a conclusion about the minister’s work, in chapter 3: 10-15
“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” First Corinthians 3:10-15
LIKEWISE, YE YOUNGER, SUBMIT YOURSELVES UNTO THE ELDER. YEA, ALL OF YOU BE SUBJECT ONE TO ANOTHER, AND BE CLOTHED WITH HUMILITY: FOR GOD RESISTETH THE PROUD, AND GIVETH GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.
I believe that this comes down to the fact that the preacher is to reproduce himself in the lives of others. Once again this is seen in Paul’s instruction to Second Timothy 2:1-4
“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” Second Timothy 2:1-4
Pride in one’s position makes for insecurity. We send missionaries out into the world fields to reproduce themselves in the natives, but not at home, “I may lose my job if I teach someone to preach better than I do.” I believe that all of the deacons should be taught to preach and teach the Word of God along with pastoral techniques.
HUMBLE YOURSELVES THEREFORE UNDER THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD, THAT HE MAY EXALT YOU IN DUE TIME:
You may have your own definition of worship, simply stated means to be prostrate before our sovereign God in submission. He alone is our resource for our life. This is hard for pastors in the position they hold. All eyes are upon him. He is the front and center stage. “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal? Says the Holy One” (Isaiah 40:25, NIV). This question rebukes wrong thoughts about God. “Your thoughts of God are too human,” said Luther to Erasmus. This is where most of us go astray. Our thoughts of God are not great enough, we fail to reckon with reality of His limitless wisdom and power. Because we ourselves are limited and weak, we imagine that at some points God is too, and find it hard to believe that He is not.”
CASTING ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM; FOR HE CARETH FOR YOU.
The man standing in the pulpit must have a humble heart.“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” First Corinthians 10: 12
The pastor with a humble heart depends solely on His God. The pastor must have an intimacy with God, which comes from his prayer life in the closet.
The pastor must be a man of a private prayer life. I have read the biographies of Jonathan Edwards and A. W. Tozer. These men spent hours before God. Sometime on their faces.
BE SOBER, BE VIGILAN; BECAUSE YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL, AS A ROARING LION, WALKETH ABOUT, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR:
Satan will attack those counting the most for Jesus Christ. This is why it is so critical for the pastor to have a prayer life with his God. I have seen so much more of sexual immorality and steeling on the part of pastors in the last twenty years than I have ever seen before. Even the church should keep the pastor in prayer. I have a very dear friend of a man whose wife had sex with a pastor of a large church in my area. This was devastating to the church.
WHOM RESIST STEADFAST IN THE FAITH, KNOWLEDGE THAT THE SAME AFFLICTIONS ARE ACCOMPLISHED IN YOUR BRETHREN THAT ARE IN THE WORLD.
This will give the pastor an assurance that he will
“know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren”
(Romans 8: 28-29).
BUT THE GOD OF ALL GRACE, WHO HATH CALLED US UNTO HIS ETERNAL GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS, AFTER THAT YE HAVE SUFFERED A WHILE, MAKE YOU PERFECT, STABLISH, STRENGTHEN, SETTLE YOU. TO HIM BE GLORY AND DOMINION FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN.
I believe that the best expression of the awesome responsibility of the pastor’s work in the Body of Christ is found in Scofield’s note on Titus 1: 5.
C. I. Scofield, D.D., Bible Note on Titus 1: 5
“ It is not at all a question of the presence in the assembly of persons having the qualifications of elders, made overseers by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28); that such persons were in the churches of Crete is assumed. The question is altogether one of the appointment of such persons. These churches were not destitute of elders, but were at fault in having failed to duly appoint them. There is a progress of doctrine in respect to the appointing of elders.
Elder (Gk. <presbuteros>) and overseer (Gk. <episkopos>) designate the same office (cp. v. 7; Acts 20:17; cp. v. 28), the former referring to the man, the latter to a function of the office. The eldership in the apostolic churches was usually plural; there is no instance of only one elder in a local church. The functions of the elders are: to rule (1 Tim 3:4 - 5; 5:17); to teach (1 Tim 5:17); to guard the body of revealed truth from perversion and error (Titus 1:9); and to oversee the church as a shepherd his flock (John 21:16; Acts 20:28; Heb 13:17; 1 Pet 5:2). Elders are made or set in the churches by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28), but great stress is laid in the N.T. upon their due appointment (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). In Titus and 1 Timothy the qualifications of an elder become part of the Scriptures for the guidance of the churches themselves in such appointments (1 Tim 3:1 - 7).
<Elders:> vv. 5,7; James 5:14. (Acts 11:30; Titus 1:5, note)
The function of the elders (pastors) are
(1) to rule:
“He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)” First Timothy 5: 17 “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” First Timothy 3: 4 – 5
There are two verses in Hebrews that reflects this matter of leadership. Consider
“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” And 17 “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Hebrews 13: 7
(2) to teach:
“The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” First Timothy 5: 17
This matter of teaching goes back to:
“It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4: 11 – 12
The knowledge of the Scriptures along with its Theology is a must so that the saints know how to be saints. Also remember that the saints have the gifts from the Holy Spirit. Pastor, they are to be utilized for the growth of the church.
(3) to guard the body of revealed truth from perversion and error:
“He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”
Titus 1: 9
This is a must to be accomplished in today’s church. Error breeds like a cancer. It can affect the whole body. Paul was exhorting his elders and churches many times over the issue of heresy in the Body of Christ. Almost the entire chapter of First Timothy speaks to this problem. I do want to bring forth two verses that cover the issue of doctrine:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The Word of God is for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. Second Timothy 3: 16 – 17
(4) to oversee the church as a shepherd his flock:
“Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’"
John 21: 16
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Acts 20: 28
“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Hebrews 13: 17
“Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”
First Peter 5: 2 – 3
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3: 20 – 21).