Desire to Pleas Christ Alone

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR

4/24/2012 9:45:20 AM

My Worship Time                                                         Focus:  Desire to please Christ Along

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                      Reference:  1Peter 5:4

            Message of the verse:  4  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”  (NASB)  “4  And then, when the Chief Shepherd reveals himself, you will receive that crown of glory which cannot fade.”  (Phillips)

            We have been looking at 1 Peter 5 for some time and in Warren Wiersbe commentary on the book of 1 Peter he has entitled chapter eleven “How To Be A Good Shepherd,” and this chapter covers the first four verses of 1Peter 5.  We will be looking at the last main point from this chapter which he calls “A Desire to Please Christ Alone.”

            A Desire to Please Christ Along:  (v. 4):  “And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”  (ESV)

            Warren Wiersbe entitles his commentary on 1 Peter “Be Hopeful,” and what can be more hopeful than the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is what is mentioned in the verse we are looking at. 

            The main job of a faithful Shepherd is to please the Lord Jesus Christ.  Dr. Wiersbe writes about a man who commented in the following way to him:  “It must be hard to keep all these people happy,’ a visitor said to me after a church service. I replied with a smile, ‘I try to please the Lord, and I let Him take care of the rest.’”

            We know that Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who died for the sheep, “"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.’” (John 10:11) We know that He is the Great Shepherd and He lives for the sheep, “20  Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21  equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”  (Hebrews 13:20-21)  there is one more thing we know that is seen from 1Peter 5:4 and that is that Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd who comes for His sheep. 

            James said in his letter “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”  One of the qualifications of an Elder is that he is able to teach, he should have the gift of teaching, but is seems that James is speaking of people who have a desire to teach others, but they do not have the gift of teaching and therefore will not fulfill the position of teaching the way that it should be fulfilled for they will be doing it in their own effort, and not like an elder who has the gift and calling from the Lord. 

            We see here in verse four of 1Peter 5 that the Chief Shepherd will come and give to those faithful Elders, or Pastors and unfading crown of glory.  He will not give this to the one who has not been gifted for this position, but to those whom He has called and to those whom He has called who are faithful.  We know that Peter was writing about hope in times of tribulation, and it is hopeful for a local church to have a faithful Pastor during these hard times.

            Dr. Wiersbe writes of a faithful Pastor:  “One summer day, I stood amid the ruins of a church near Anwoth in Scotland.  The building at one time seated perhaps 150 people.  By modern standards, it would not have been a successful church.  But the man who pastured that flock was the saintly Samuel Rutherford, whose Letters of Samuel Rutherford is a spiritual classic.  His ministry continues, though today his church building is in ruins.  The Chief Shepherd has rewarded him for his faithful labors, which included a great deal of persecution and physical suffering.”

            During the time of Peter’s life there were Olympic games and the winner of certain events would win a crown which would have leaves or flowers or both on it, and this crown would quickly fade away.  The crown that will be given to faithful pastors will never fade away for it will be an unfading crown of glory.

            There are many “pastors” today and probably down through the church age that are working for their own crowns.  We see in today’s world pastors who are trying to build crystal cathedrals or drive big cars and have their own airplanes to get around in, and people fall for this and support their “ministries.”  Peter is not writing about those kinds of pastors but pastors who are called by the Lord and are faithful to the Lord and these will receive the unfading crown of glory to which they will be able to place it at the feet of Jesus.  “The twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying.”  (Rev. 4:10)  The twenty-four elders represent the Church age.

            Dr. Wiersbe concludes his commentary from this section with these important words:  “Everything in the local church rises or falls with leadership.  No matter how large or small a fellowship might be, the leaders must be Christians, each with a vital personal relationship with Christ, a loving concern for their people, and a real desire to please Jesus Christ.

            “We lead by serving, and we serve by suffering.

            “This is the way Jesus did it, and this is the only way that truly glorifies Him.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am happy that most of my Christian life I have been serving the Lord under Pastors that are like the ones that Peter is writing about.

4/24/2012 10:41:23 AM

 

Take the Oversight (1Peter 5:2)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR

4/18/2012 11:08:27 AM

My Worship Time                                                                     Focus:  Take the oversight

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                      Reference:  1Peter 5:2

            Message of the verse:  “2  shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; (NASB)  “2  shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; (ESV)”

            I will be looking at the second sub-point under the main point “A Loving Concern for God’s Sheep (1Peter 5:2-3) in today’s SD.  After working mostly in the OT and taking as much as a paragraph to a chapter in one SD it is a bit different going back to the NT and taking a verse or a part of a verse in one SD.

            The pastors job in the church is different than others who are a part of the local church in that he is among them and also over them and this can be a problem if it is not understood by all of the sheep in the flock.  Some of the sheep may look at the shepherd as just one of them, but he has been called to a leader over them, and some may want to put him on a pedestal and make him a “super saint.”  We have to remember that the Lord Jesus is the head of the Church and in His great wisdom He has put the pastor (elder, bishop, or shepherd) over the local church.  It is His design.  Going back to when the Church began we see that the Lord Jesus Christ while on earth trained twelve men and chose them to be His apostles.  Christ then died for the Church leaving these twelve men to carry on His new ministry, the Church.  The Church was built upon the Lord and then the Apostles, and then we see that after local churches were started that these apostles would go into these local churches to appoint elders or pastors to lead over the church.  It is God’s design to speak through these elders or pastors to convey His message to them so that they can grow up in the Lord and be able to go and tell others about the Lord and how they can be saved from their sins by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ into their lives.  If one looks back at how the Lord started with the twelve men He chose then they might not believe that through these twelve men the Roman world was turned upside down.  How can we explain this?  It was the plan of God and we surely see His attribute of wisdom in all of this.  I also see that it is a “God Thing” that caused all of this to happen, for when one looks at the true church today and how it functions, and who is being used to do the will of God one can only give glory to the Lord.  If the church is running in the way that the Lord has designed it to run then it will bring glory to the Lord and part of the process is the Holy Spirit of God speaking to the Pastors that He has chosen to shepherd the local flocks by teaching and preaching and leading the flock.

            Peter mentions sins that the shepherd can surely be tempted by and the first sin we will call laziness.  Dr. Wiersbe points out that he knew a man who was a pastor who played golf most every day and then on Saturday he would listen to other pastor’s sermons and preach them to his flock on Sunday.  He then adds “He seems to be getting away with it, but what will he say when he meets the Chief Shepherd?”

            A Pastor has to have a pastor’s heart, and that means that he loves the sheep and serves them because he wants to, and not because he has to.  A lazy shepherd does not have a pastor’s heart.

            The next sin Peter mentions is covetousness and a Pastor must not serve the Lord to get rich, but again because he loves the sheep.  This is one of the qualifications that Paul writes to Timothy about in explaining the qualifications of a Pastor in 1Timithoy 3:3.  There are times when a pastor has to have a “Tent making” ministry like Paul had, but it is better when the flock can fully support the shepherd so that he has more time to fulfill his ministry among the sheep.

            Dr. Wiersbe writes the following in explaining the words “ready mind.”  “It is the same word that Paul used in Romans 1:15—‘I am so eager to preach the Gospel’ (NIV).  It means a willingness to serve because of a readiness and an eagerness within the heart.  This is the difference between a true shepherd and a hireling:  a hireling works because he is paid for it, but a shepherd works because he love the sheep and has a heart devoted to them.”  He then suggests reading Acts 20:17-38 to see this in action.

            Be an example to the flock (v. 3): “3  nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”  (NASB)  “3  not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.” (ESV) “ 3  You should aim not at being dictators but examples of Christian living in the eyes of the flock committed to your charge.” (Phillips)  “3  Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.” (NLT)

            Whenever I read this passage I think of two different animals.  I think of cattle and sheep and I remember watching many “cowboy” movies where there are cattle drives as part of the movie.  The cowboys would have to get behind the cattle on their horses and drive them in order to make the get to where they wanted them to go.  Sheep are different for they have to be led, led beside still waters because they will not drink fast rushing water for they are afraid of it.  Sheep are not smart and on occasions they will follow the wrong sheep and get themselves into a lot of trouble that they can’t get out of.  When sheep are about to be killed for their meat the place where this takes place will put a sheep in front of them and lead them to the place where they are to be killed.  They call this sheep the “Judas” sheep.  I suppose that there are a lot of these kind of “sheep” who are in the pulpits of churches around the world today leading their fellow sheep to an eternity in hell.

            The shepherd is to be a good example to his flock and follow his good examples.  I can think that a good shepherd will study the Word of God in order to have the Holy Spirit speak to his heart in order to equip the saints to do the work and will of the Lord and this is a good example to follow.  Visiting the sick and lonely is something good shepherds do and set an example for others to follow.  A good shepherd will tithe from his income showing a good example for others to follow. 

            I personally do not want to follow a Pastor who gives me the impression that I am to do what he says and not do what he does.  I desire to follow a pastor who does the things that bring honor and glory to the Lord and so teaches me to do those things.

            Lording it over the flock is like driving cattle and not leading sheep.

4/18/2012 12:23:22 PM

Learning from the Master (1 Peter 5:1)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR

4/4/2012 8:55:40 AM

My Worship Time                                                         Focus:  Learning from the Master

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                      Reference:  1Peter 5:1

            Message of the verses:  As I read over the words that Dr. Wiersbe wrote in his commentary on the introduction to his eleventh chapter on the book of 1Peter I come away with a better understand of this very important section of Peter’s first book.  I have mentioned on many occasions that Warren Wiersbe puts the cookies on a shelf where you can reach them and he certainly did in this section.  He entitles this eleventh chapter of his commentary on 1Peter, which is called “Be Hopeful,” “How To Be A Good Shepherd,” and it covers the first four verses of 1Peter.  If his writings cover only four verses in a chapter of God’s Word, then there must be a lot of important things in those four verses, and the fact that Peter is writing about “Pastors” or “Shepherds” is a very important thing for all believers to learn about for most of us who are believes in Jesus Christ will be setting under the teaching of a Pastor and so we must know what God expects us to know about the Pastor’s role in the church.  Peter was an “Elder” and this is the same word as “Bishop.”  Elder refers to the maturity of the officer, and bishop to the responsibility of the office.  The word Pastor (and this word means shepherd) is another title for this same office as seen in Ephesians 4:11, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.”  Dr. Wiersbe writes “The elders were appointed to office (Acts 14:23), where the verb ‘ordain’ means ‘to appoint by the raising of hands’).  Apparently each congregation had the privilege of voting on qualified men.” 

            We have just been through the forth chapter of 1Peter and in that we learned that Peter was encouraging his readers to stand firm in the face of persecution, which would be coming in full force in about a year from the time that Peter wrote his first letter.  I am not saying that Peter knew about the timing of this difficult persecution, but he knew that persecution was happening to some extent to those who named the name of Jesus Christ.  Peter knew how important it was for his readers to have a qualified Pastor leading them for if judgment was to begin in God’s house then God’s house had better be in good order.  Having a qualified Pastor who was learning and growing in the Lord was essential if they were to get through this persecution in a way that would bring honor to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Dr. Wiersbe writes “Peter was concerned that the leadership in the local churches be at its best.  When the fiery trial would come, the believers in the assemblies would look to their elder for encouragement and direction.  What are the personal qualities that make for a successful pastor?”

            A Vital Personal Experience with Christ (1Peter 5:1):  “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed.”

            We see in this verse that Peter calls himself a “fellow elder” and does not identify himself as an apostle here, but does say that he was a witness of the sufferings of Christ.  That word witness, according to Dr. Wiersbe, give us our English word “martyr.”  We usually think of the word martyr as one who has given his life for the cause of Jesus Christ, which is something that Peter did, but “basically, a ‘martyr’ is a witness who tells what he has seen and heard.”

            The next five paragraphs in this SD are from the pen of Warren Wiersbe, and I believe that it is important for setting the background for this important subject of the qualifications of a Pastor.

            “It is interesting to read 1 Peter 5 in the light of Peter’s personal experiences with Christ.  First Peter 5:1 takes us to Gethsemane and Calvary.  ‘The glory that shall be revealed’ reminds us of Peter’s experience with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-5; 2 Peter 1:15-18).  The emphasis in 1Peter 5:2 on the shepherd and the sheep certainly brings to mind John 10 and our Lord’s admonition to Peter in John 21:15-17.

            “The warning in 1 Peter 5:3 about ‘lording it over’ the saints reminds us of Christ’s lesson about true greatness in Luke 22:24-30, as well as the other times that He taught His disciples about humility and service.  The phrase in 1 Peter 5:5, ‘Be clothed with humility,’ takes us back to the Upper Room where Jesus put on the towel and washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17).

            “The warning about Satan in 1 Peter 5:8 parallels our Lord’s warning to Peter that Satan was going to ‘sift’ him and the other Apostles (Luke 22:31).  Peter did not heed that warning, and he ended up denying his Lord three times.

            “It is interesting to note that the verb ‘make you perfect’ (1 Peter 5:10) is translated ‘mending their nets’ in Matthew 4:21, the account of the call of the four fishermen into the Lord’s service.

            “In other words, Peter wrote these words, inspired by the Spirit of God, out of his own personal experience with Jesus Christ.  He had a vital and growing relationship with Christ, and this made it possible for him to minister effectively to God’s people.”

            The Apostle Paul wrote the following to Timothy to admonish him to continue to grow in his Christian walk with the Lord, “15  Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.”  (1Timothy 4:15)  Progress means in the original “pioneer advance.”  This show us that Elders must continue to look at new territories of study, they are not to teach the same thing week after week.  In order to do this they must be in tuned with God and His Word.

            At the end of his commentary on this verse Dr. Wiersbe writes “If I have any counsel for God’s shepherds today, it is this:  cultivate a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, and share what He gives you with your people.  That way, you will grow, and they will grow with you.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  A couple of week ago I began to take the Spiritual Diaries that I have written since 2001 and begin to put them into individual books according to the books of the Bible that I have studied.  I went to put my commentaries on 1Peter into book form and found out that I was missing the end of chapter four and all of chapter five so I then decided to complete these missing entries so that I could complete that commentary.  My plan for these SD that are put into book form is to give them to my children and grandchildren so that perhaps they too will begin a serious study of the Word of God.

            I believe that it was surely in the will of God for me to again study the book of 1Peter, especially this portion.  Our Pastor is going over this wonderful book and so I can receive a double blessing from studying it with him and on my own.

4/4/2012 10:14:30 AM

Commit Yourself to God (1 Peter 4:19)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR

4/3/2012 9:52:07 AM

My Worship Time                                                                     Focus:  Commit yourself to God

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                      Reference:  1Peter 4:19

            Message of the verse:  “19  Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”  (NASB-95)

            Commit Yourself to God (1Peter 4:19):  “19  So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.”  (NLT)  “19  Therefore these who suffer according to God’s will can safely commit their souls to their faithful Creator, and go on doing all the good they can.” (Philips) 19  For this reason let those who by the purpose of God undergo punishment, keep on in well-doing and put their souls into the safe hands of their Maker.”  (BBE)  “19  Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” (ESV)

            In the Philips paraphrase version of the Bible, which is seen above, the word “commit” is used, while the NASB says “entrust” and so does the ESV.  This word can be used as a banking term where one puts their funds into a bank and receives interest for those funds.  In the same way we as believers when we suffer for the cause of Christ can put ourselves into God’s bank and we will always receive eternal dividends on our investment.

            In the US we have the FDIC that is suppose to bring us great comfort when we deposit our funds into a US bank, for if the bank goes under the funds are insured.  However when we belong to God who loves us, who has purchased us, and who lives in us and promised to one day take us to heaven we can totally put our faith and trust in Him, and we can commit our lives to Him even though we suffer for the cause of Christ, for we know that God is faithful.

            Dr. Wiersbe writes “this commitment is not a single action but a constant attitude.  ‘Be constantly committing’ is the force of the admonition.  How do we do this?  ‘By means of well doing.’ As we return good for evil and do good even though we suffer for it, we are committing ourselves to God so that He can care for us.  This commitment involves every area of our lives and every hour of our lives.” 

            It may sound strange to some that Peter calls God “a faithful Creator” and not a faithful Judge, which of course He is.  Peter knew that it was the Creator who provided food and clothing to those persecuted Christians, and it was the faithful Creator who protects them in times of danger. 

            Dr. Wiersbe finishes his commentary with the following paragraph:  “Before God pours out His wrath on this evil world, a ‘fiery trial’ will come to God’s church, to unite and purify it, that it might be a strong witness to the lost.  There is nothing for us to fear if we are suffering in the will of God.  Our faithful Father-Creator will victoriously see us through!”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  When Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi he told them in verse 4:11b that he had learned to be content and we can see from his second letter to the Corinthian church in chapter eleven that it was through persecution that he had learned to be content.  This is what Peter is telling his readers who were about to go through some difficult persecutions because it would be about a year after his readers received this letter that Rome would burn and Nero would blame it on the Christians and so the persecution would begin and it would be very difficult.  There is a story in the 32^nd chapter of Jeremiah which helps us to understand how our faith should not waver even when persecution comes.  Jeremiah was in prison and the Babylonians were attacking Jerusalem, about to destroy it, when his cousin comes to sell him a piece of property and because it was of the Lord Jeremiah bought the property because God told him that the children of Israel would return and build houses once again.  It took faith to do this and it takes great faith to endure persecution, but God is in control and one day He will judge all who have caused the troubles in the world.

4/3/2012 3:24:05 PM