Peter’s words here are invaluable for our understanding of church leadership.

1 Peter 5:1-4 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 me just begin by saying that I love the word of God. There are so many things that man would make so complicated, but the word of the Lord clears things up for us so quickly and easily. Church government and church leadership can certainly be a contentious issue, but Peter here offers some infinitely wise instructions for us to obey.

First, we notice that elders are spoken of in the plural, as they usually are in the New Testament. The great thing about a plurality of elders is that it is a great method of accountability and humility. Rather than one individual leading and teaching the church, a number of men exist as a God-designed safety net against those abuses of power so often heard of concerning singular “senior pastors.” There is also the truth of the proverb that there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors. Many Baptist churches do not follow this elder model technically, but I think there are many churches - like ours - where the deacons are essentially elders and they are sought out for wisdom, leadership, and teaching from time to time. The main idea and warning for us here is the needed humility of the leaders and the seeking of accountability among one another.

Second, it is quite interesting that Peter so clearly mentions the desire of the overseer to shepherd. This is to be obeyed “willingly,” “eagerly,” and “not by compulsion.” What is this eagerness of which Peter Speaks? I think that it is directly related to the sufferings and glory of Christ that Peter also mentions here. I know that as an overseer, one of my primary motivations is the cross. Yes, there are a lot of times to rejoice with and be encouraged by the flock, but there are also a lot of difficult times. It is in these difficult times that one finds where his true motivations lie. If an overseer is motivated by greed, compulsion, or people, then when money, or the human motivation are no longer there, then the motivation to shepherd is gone. The motivation must be what Peter knew it to be from that morning on the beach, “Peter do you love me? Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Shepherd my sheep.” Christ must motivate the overseer if the overseer is to love as Christ loves. I am humbled by this, and I think this is exactly what Peter intends. The weight of glory I’ve been given is so great that I can’t help but feed His sheep.

Third, and lastly, I love how Peter brings up the manner in which the sheep - or the church - is to be dealt with. We are not to be “lords” over the church of God, but to lead by example. I’ve been in so many churches where I hear the pastor say “we are going to do this and we are going to do that,” in a coercive manner that does not allow the church moral freedom. What I mean by this is that an overseer cannot force morality upon the people God has given him. There are many conclusions that pastors and overseers come to from studying the word of God, but when these conclusions are shared from the pulpit many people will not immediately agree or desire to obey. What is the overseer to do? Well, it is clear from this text that we cannot act as “lords” or force anything upon anyone. If the church comes to obedience it will be a willing and free obedience, not a coerced or forced obedience. Therefore as an overseer I offer many insights, ideas, and suggestions from the word of God, but no commands. The word of God has the commands, I do not command them by any authority vested in me. I plead with people in love to believe the gospel, but it is not my place to be a lord over anyone. Unfortunately, some churches I’ve been in have been pastored with the theme that it is the pastor’s way or else. The terrible thing about those churches is that they have become microcosms of the pastor more than communities following Christ. I pray that I would be able to get out of the way enough so that Christ is made great. I pray that I would oversee and shepherd in such a way that people are led by the Chief Shepherd.