1 Peter 5:2-3 - God's People II

“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; (3) not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” Summer is fast approaching and my job description is quickly changing to project manager. I will attempt to finish these next couple of verses and that will probably be the end of 1 Peter until the fall. Doggone it! I was hoping to finish before the summer… Please be praying for the projects we’re working on: renovating the Chalet (85% done), Rec Hall bathrooms (80% done), renovating master bathrooms in the Ranch House (25% done), new entrance (50% done – just the road, we’ll make it pretty later), leach fields (40% done), building a new dumpster area behind the maintenance shed (0% done), new metal roofs for Cottonwood and the housekeeping shed (0% done), and then all the other random work that we need to do to get things ready for summer. Some of these we are doing on our own, others we have contractors working on – so it’s not just Nick, Becky, and me plugging away – thankfully. And yes, all these things will be finished by the time the guests arrive on May 29th – most will be finished before the summer staff arrives in the middle of May. Busy, busy, busy! Continuing with Peter’s instruction to the church elders, he hits three specific areas where leaders need to pay special attention: 1. As a leader, you are called to be a willing (not reluctant) servant of those in your care. People are needy. As a shepherd, the people under your care will often come to you to meet their myriad of needs. From the ridiculous to the heart rending, you will be confronted with needs that you will seldom have answers for. Peter calls us to step into that role willingly, not reluctantly. Why? Because Jesus was not reluctant to pour out His life, and we should follow His example. Your attitude in serving is just as important to God as the service itself… 2. He calls us to not be greedy for money, but eager to serve. Why do you do what you do? For the sake of Christ, or because of what you get out of it? Many people seek leadership because of the attention, admiration, and respect they will receive. While leaders often receive that sort of attention, it shouldn’t be your focus. You mind should be set on obeying God and loving Him by serving others. In Peter’s days (as in ours), church leaders were entitled to some amount payment for their service. Unfortunately, many high profile preachers (televangelists) are known solely for their emphasis on money; Peter would take issue with that message. Peter says not to be greedy for money, but to be greedy to serve. 3. Not to lord your leadership over those entrusted to you, but to be an example to the flock. God’s leadership is servant leadership, not lordship. We already have a Lord, His name is Jesus. God needs servant leaders who are willing to serve with the people. “With” is a critical word as a Christian leader. You must serve with the people to be an example to them. You must go where the people are: mopping the floors, cleaning the toilets, and doing the things that need to be done. A servant leader is not called to sit in an office where they never interact with God’s people. The leader is one of God’s people. Remember these points – they will serve you well at the ranch or wherever you might be. To sum up: - Don’t forget that you serve God’s people - Be a willing, not reluctant, servant - Don’t be greedy for what you can get out of serving - Be an example. That is a picture of a servant leader – may we all look more like that! Read Philippians 2:1-18 if you want a more complete picture of servant leadership.