What Is the Church? Part 4, The Flock of God
“shepherd the flock of God that is among you …” 1 Peter 5:2a
1 Peter 5:1–5 – What Is the Church?
Fourth Sunday in Epiphany – January 28, 2024 (am)
Introduction: Dead Metaphors
Certain phrases and sayings have a way of sticking around, even when their literal meaning has moved outside the realm of common experience. For example, people still say . . .
Roll up the window – though no rolling is involved
Hang up the phone – when they mean tap a touchscreen and put it back in your pocket
They sound like a broken record – when they’ve never actually heard what a broken record sounds like
Some of us are old enough to know the origin of these phrases and with some work, we could probably dig up an artifact that would refresh our memory of what they literally refer to. But for most of us, they point to experiences beyond our own personal knowledge, which is why they are known as dead metaphors. One source explains that, “A dead metaphor is a figure of speech which has lost the original imagery of its meaning by extensive, repetitive, and popular usage, or because it refers to an obsolete technology or forgotten custom.”[1]
It could be argued that the metaphor we’re studying this morning – that the church is the flock of God – is also dead metaphor. For many of us, when we hear that the Church is the flock of God we aren’t struck with a sudden insight into the nature of the church and we don’t immediately chuckle at the comparison because we just don’t know all that much about sheep & shepherding.
And of course, even as I say that, I know there is sure to be someone here who actually does have real time experience with raising sheep, though I’m unaware of anyone in our church for whom it is still a regular, daily part of your life here in the Western Suburbs of Chicago
But for most of us the closest we’ve come to a flock of sheep is driving down a rural interstate and seeing white dots roaming a field in the distance and the most experience we’ve had with a sheep is going to a petting zoo or putting on a wool sweater.
Which is why I’d like to begin today by attempting to resurrect our dead metaphor
1. Resurrecting a Dead Metaphor
First, by tracing the metaphor through Scripture. While shepherding and sheep may be lacking in our personal experience it is not lacking in Scripture. In fact, it is a prominent metaphor in Scripture, showing up in Genesis & Revelation and many places in between. And the better we understand this metaphor, the better we will be able to answer the question of our present series – What is the Church?
So join me as I trace out this theme in Scripture and don’t try to flip to all the passages, but perhaps jot them down for future reference.
We might begin by observing that the Bible frequently mentions the shepherding of sheep simply because it was written in a day when caring for livestock was a very common experience. And so, it should not be surprising that we encounter many stories that involve shepherding nor should it surprise us that there are many characters in Scripture for whom it was their profession.
Abel, the son of Adam & Eve, was a shepherd (Gen. 4:4)
As were the first patriarchs of Israel - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
Joseph & his brothers were shepherds
Moses was a shepherd in Midian
David was the youngest son of Jesse – left behind to Shepherd the flock
The woman in the Song of Solomon was a shepherdess
Even some of the prophets were shepherds, like Amos and Zechariah were known to shepherd flocks
While shepherding was likely a common experience for many people groups, it does seem that the shepherding of flocks played a special part in the identity of the people of God. For when Josephs brothers moved to Egypt – he told them to tell Pharoah that they were shepherds – “for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians” and it resulted in their being given the best land away from the Egyptians (Gen. 46:33-47:6). So also, as the Lord used Moses to teach the people how to worship him in an acceptable way, raising and sacrificing members of that flock was a key part of atoning for one’s sins. Then there is the fact that the best king of Israel, came not from the royal courts, or center of commerce, but from shepherding his flock. So it was a common identification marker, but especially among the people God chose for the revelation of himself.
Which may be why a shepherd’s relationships with his sheep became a metaphor for God’s relationship with his chosen people. The first person in Scripture to use this metaphor was the Patriarch Jacob, who, when blessing Joseph referred to God as the One, “. . . who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day” (Gen. 48:15). And in the years to come, others would follow Jacob’s lead:
Psalm 78 – Asaph – Describes God as the One who “. . . led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock” (Psa. 78:52)
Psalm 80:1 & Eccl. 12:11 – God is referred to as the “Shepherd of Israel”
Psalm 95:6 – his chosen people are called the “People of his pasture” and “the sheep of his hand”
Perhaps Most famously – in Psalm 23 – we hear David take up this theme as he expounds upon the nature of his relationship with the Lord, saying– “The Lord is my shepherd” (Ps. 23:1)
This metaphor takes on an added dimension when we see that God raises up individuals to lead his people whom he also calls shepherds These are people like . . .
Moses & Aaron – You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. (Psa. 77:20)
Joshua - “Let the LORD . . . appoint a man over the congregation . . . who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” (Num. 27:16-18)
Judges – In 1 Chronicles 17:6 the Judges are described as those God had “commanded to shepherd my people”
·David – And to David the LORD said, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.” (2 Sam. 5:1, cf. Ps. 78:70-72)
They are not THE shepherd, but are a type of “Undershepherd” – human leaders commissioned by God to lead his flock.
But as the storyline of Scripture unfolds, one thing we see is that none of these human shepherds were able to lead God’s people back into a right relationship with him. In fact, many of them were part of the problem. So we read in Ezekiel 34:2-6:
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; 6 they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
Such was the situation for much of Israel’s history. So what does God say He will do? Keep reading Ezekiel 34 .
Ezek. 34:22-24 I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.
God’s rescue will come through a future shepherd in the line of David who will perfectly care for God’s flock. Which is why our ears should start tingling at the beginning of the New Testament when the chief priests and scribes recite Micah 5:2 in response to Herod’s questioning which says,
“And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ (Mtt. 2:6). And why hope ought to rise up within us as Jesus says . . .
In John 10:14 I am the good shepherd. . . .
And in John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
It’s in passages such as these that Jesus knowingly takes up the metaphor of the good shepherd prophesied in Ezekiel 34. But to the picture of Ezekiel 34, Jesus adds the new revelation of what this shepherd must do to rescue God’s sheep when he says, John 10:11 . . . The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. And so Christ did – laying down his life on the Cross to rescue and gather God’s sheep back to Himself, just as God said he would in Ezekiel 34. And after doing so, Jesus rose from the dead, killing the power and fulfilling the punishment for the sin that leads His people astray. Which is why Jesus is identified in Hebrews 13:20 as the great shepherd of the sheep, brought from the dead by the God of peace.
Then following his resurrection, our Great Shepherd returned to Heaven, but before he did, he spoke to Peter, the author of our passage today, and here is what he said:
. . . "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16 He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. (John 21:15-17)
So Jesus commissions Peter to be an under-shepherd in service of the Chief Shepherd, to care for God’s flock, in the same way that Christ had when he was on earth. Which brings us to 1 Peter 5 where Peter turns his attention to the Elders in the church and exhorts them to shepherd the flock of God that is among them.
That is just a quick overview of how this metaphor is developed throughout Scripture. And it is necessary if we’re to understand what Peter means when he applies it to the church.
But have we resurrected it from the dead yet? Perhaps not, because while we’ve seen that this metaphor has a rich history, we’ve not talked yet about what shepherding a flock actually entails. We’re still not anywhere closer to understanding what shepherds actually do with sheep
Understanding Shepherding & Sheep
Where are we going to go to get enlightened on shepherding sheep? If it wasn’t clear earlier it is now that I’m not a reliable source on the subject but thankfully, we can still get a pretty good idea about what this metaphor is alluding to from the biblical text itself, by looking at what Scripture says sheep are like and the task of a shepherd in caring for them.
First, let’s consider what sheep are like
Zech. 10:2 . . . Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.
Sheep Wander when they don’t have a shepherd
Sheep Go Astray - Isa. 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way (cf. Ps. 119:176)
·Sheep Scatter – Ezek. 34:6 My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
Sheep Get Lost – Jer. 50:6 “My people have been lost sheep. . . . They have forgotten their fold.
When lost, Sheep are easy prey – Ezek. 34:8 . . . my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd,
To these we could add - Sheep are helpless, need to be fed, incapable of saving themselves
Are you starting to see a common theme? Sheep, left to themselves are never in a good place. Sheep without a shepherd, or with wicked shepherds, are doomed. So the common idea is that sheep need to be part of a flock that are under the watchful care of good shepherds . . . otherwise they get themselves into a whole host of problems.
In light of this, what does Scripture say is the job of a shepherd. First, a shepherd leads the sheep. Shepherds don’t drive their sheep from behind, they lead their sheep from the front. Sweetly evidenced by Jesus’ words in John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Second, he tenderly cares for the sheep. A picture of this in Is. 40:11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Third, he protects the sheep. So we see in Psa. 23:4 even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Fourth, he seeks out & rescues lost sheep. Which is why Jesus could ask in Luke 15 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” and expect immediate comprehension among his audience.
Now that we’ve taken shepherding 101, let’s remember that the church is described as a flock
What does this mean? How does it inform our understanding of who we are to be? Let’s look now at 1 Peter 5 to answer those questions.
2. The Responsibility of a Shepherd (vv. 1-4)
Peter begins our passage by exhorting or urging the elders of the church to “shepherd the flock of God”
In doing so, he is addressing not just the senior citizens in the community, but the leadership of the church. Clear from the usage of Elder, Overseer, Shepherd/Pastor in Scripture. Clear from the context. Peter does so as a fellow Elder - This identification invites the Elders of the local church to see themselves as serving alongside Peter in stewarding Christ’s commission to feed his sheep
When Peter exhorts the Elders to “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight.” He is clearly communicating that being an Elder is more than just a position, it’s a responsibility. A responsibility that is defined both by an understanding of shepherding & sheep as well as how this metaphor has been used throughout Scripture
So our understanding of it must draw upon everything we learned in the first point. From passages like Psalm 23 to Ezekiel 34 to John 10 to John 21. When we do, we see that it is the call for Elders lean into the metaphor and understand what leadership looks like among God’s People. To see that the humans who leader in the people of God are to do so like a shepherd leads his sheep, with tender care, courageously protecting them from harm, going after those who stray and by feeding them well with the Word of God.
To the responsibility of shepherding, Elders must add the realization that it is not their flock they are shepherding but God’s so Peter says – shepherd the flock of God that is among you and in a similar passage in Acts – Paul reminds the Ephesian Elders they are shepherding the flock that God obtained with his own blood. So shepherding the flock is a matter of stewardship: Caring for what ultimately belongs to another, and that other is God. Which is why, later on in our passage, Christ is referred to as the Chief Shepherd, and why it is not uncommon for Elders to refer to themselves as undershepherds.
As undershepherds, Elders must understand that the task of shepherding is to be carried out after the pattern and example of the Good Shepherd – Jesus Christ – the shepherd who perfectly lead and taught and served and sought out and rescued and healed his sheep – and he did so ultimately by laying down his life for them. So Christ ought to be both the example and the ultimate aim for all church Elders. Their job is to lead like Christ and to point their flock to Christ
As Peter calls church Elders to this task, he warns them to not fall into three potential pitfalls. First, he warns them to shepherd – not under compulsion, but willingly. Thus, Elders ought to want to shepherd the sheep. One clear indication that someone is called to be an Elder is that they desire to do so. Points to the fact that this is not just a duty to be fulfilled, it is a calling. A sobering calling for sure, but one that is done joyfully, out of a love for the Chief Shepherd and a desire to see the flock flourish.
Second, he warns Elders to not shepherd for shameful gain. This is the warning against the temptation towards greed. A warning to not use the office to line one’s own pockets, to further one’s business connections, or even to take advantage of the flock’s faithful tithe’s and offerings.
Finally, he warns the Elders to not domineer over the flock. To not rule with an iron fist. To not beat them into shape with harsh words. Rather, Shepherds are to lead by example. Yes, Elders should teach often, and correct those going astray, and even rebuke at times, when a strong word is needed. But they must shepherd with the knowledge that they too are sheep. Knowing that who they are is the result of Christ’s tender care and the example of his life. So they also ought to lead in tenderness & by example
I’ve been an Elder at Grace Church for a few years now, I’ve gotten more used to the rhythms of communication, I’ve adjusted my schedule to fit the patterns of our regular meetings, I’ve learned how we interact as a team and how we make decisions, I’ve even picked up on where various guys tend to sit around the table and found my own spotand I’ve almost figured out in what order we pray as we open our meetings (Todd & Paul first, Kipp & Daryle last, a bit of a free for all in the middle there) but I’m well aware that I, and I’m sure the others would agree, so we, still have so much to learn about shepherding.
Because shepherding is about so much more than going to meetings and making decisions and working efficiently as a team. It’s about leading by example, pursuing holiness, waking up each day with this people on our hearts, bringing you before the Lord, and considering who needs our attention most and in what way, and laboring to preach the Word day in and day out.So pray for us, as Elders. We need your prayers as we seek to follow Christ and lead you to Christ in exemplary ways.
3. The Response of the Sheep (v. 5a)
In verse 5, Peter turns his attention to a group he calls “the younger” – a word I believe he is using to speak to the rest of the congregation, to those who are not Elders. While that point is somewhat debated, the exhortation he gives to them – to be subject to the elders - is one that is expected of the whole church in other passages such as Hebrews 13:17 which says: Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
As we saw earlier, sheep are portrayed in Scripture as being prone to wander, to go astray, to get lost, and become easy prey and this condition is magnified when they are without a shepherd
So what does this metaphor teach us about how we are to behave in the church? Sheep ought to join a flock.
First, Christ’s flock - 1Pet. 2:25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
But also, A Local Flock – under a local shepherd. So v. 2 says, “Shepherd the flock of God among you” And v. 3 says, “Not domineering over those under your charge” Who is that? Certainly those who follow Christ evidenced by their baptism. But as people come and go from the church community, it is most specifically those who have joined themselves to the church through membership. Christians should not be a flockless sheep – that is a dangerous place to be. Christians ought to bind themselves to a flock, bringing themselves under the care of the shepherds, and we believe that is best done by becoming a church member.
Once in that flock – sheep ought to submit to their shepherds. Now it’s always a bit uncomfortable for Elders to preach on their own authority, so perhaps it would help to be reminded. This is not calling for unquestioning obedience. Nor is it saying Elders above the law. Don’t forget everything we said in point #3!
Instead, the call to submission is a call to follow your Elders as they follow Christ. You might even say – in so far as they follow Christ. Not because they are perfect – though they should be qualified according the standards found in 1 Timothy & Titus. But because our proclivity as sheep – when separated from shepherding care – is to wander, to stray, to leave the God we love. And it is God’s design to place imperfect human shepherds over his sheep to keep them from doing so. And to have a plurality of Elders so that they can also shepherd one another. So sheep ought to trust and submit to their Elders as a way of trusting and submitting to God & his design for the church
This is not easy – not easy for shepherds nor for sheep – so Peter commends a posture that will help us along the way – the posture in the pasture ought to be one of humility.
4. The Posture in the Pasture (v. 5b)
Peter concludes this paragraph by saying, “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””
So Shepherds ought to lead with humility
This past year I was reading a book on church leadership by Paul Tripp and one of the ideas he used repeatedly throughout the book was that as a leader who still has sin living inside you, “you will need to be rescued from you” I found it to be a helpful reminder that Shepherds must be humble. And in addressing the topic of humility, Tripp goes on to say that being a humble shepherd means
“you love serving more than you crave leading. It means owning your inability rather than boasting in your abilities. It means always being committed to listen and learn. . . . It’s about fearing the power of position rather than craving it. It’s about being more motivated to serve than to be seen. . . . [It’s] about firing your inner lawyer and opening yourself up to the ongoing power of transforming grace.” (Lead by PDT, pg. 24-25)
That Elders need humility is contained also in Paul’s word to the Elders in Ephesus when he says, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock.” (Acts 20:28) Good shepherding begins with realizing that none of us are the Good Shepherd – only Christ fills that role – and until He calls us home. We will shepherd imperfectly. We will need to be rescued from ourselves. We will need to pay just as much attention to ourselves as we do to the flock we’ve been called to oversee.
So also, it takes humility to be a sheep, To say – I need to join a flock and submit to shepherds in order to save me from myself, To recognize that choosing to do Christianity alone and on my own terms away from the shepherding care of a local church is dangerous. It’s dangerous because, left to myself, even with the best of intentions, I know I will wander from the God I love, continue in sinful living to which I am blind. So don’t live outside God’s design for the church – submit yourself to the shepherding care of an Elder board – and follow them as they follow Christ, believe that God, in His grace, will use His own appointed methods to bring His own sheep to Himself and to their Heavenly home.
Conclusion
And we know that he is able to do this because Jesus Christ, who is the Good Shepherd, understands what it is like to be a sheep. For Christ became a sheep – that is a human – in order to lead us back to God. And while on earth – he took up the position of a sacrificial lamb – in order to die for us and atone for our sin. As Isaiah wrote, “All we like sheep have gone astray . . . and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa. 53:6). And having now been raised to life by God, He is seated on His heavenly throne. And as Revelation 7:17 says – “the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” And so may we follow him – until that day comes – for that is what it means to be the church.
[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_metaphor
NEXT SUNDAY: What Is the Church? Part 5: The Temple of God, Wes Karsten