Holy Behavior for a Dynamic Church
Intro:
1. This final section deals with relationships between members of the church.
2. Remember, the Lord commands the development of holiness - (I Pet 1:15-16).
3. We can even miss God’s grace by not developing holiness. Heb 12:14-15 - Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
2. The church’s purpose is to nourish, build up & encourage one another. It is also to reach out to the world!
3. When times are tough, the solidarity of the Body of Christ is what keeps each of us strong in our faith.
4. What does the Lord want in our church member relationships?
I Peter 5:1-11
I. v1-4 - Holy Behavior for the Church Leaders
A. Who were the elders?
1. Jewish background.
a. Moses chose elders to help him with administration (Num 11:16-30).
b. Every Jewish city had elders who sat at the city gate administering justice (Deut 25:7).
c. Elders formed part of the Sanhedrin & were the rulers of the local synagogues.
2. Elders in the church.
a. They were appointed in every church & city (Acts 14:23; Tit 1:5).
b. The elders & the apostles were the chief authority in the churches (Act 15:2; 16:4).
c. Jam 5:14 tells us that the sick should call on them for anointing & prayer.
d. They were the primary teachers of the church & some of them got paid for doing it
- v2; I Tim 5:17.
B. What are the elders supposed to do?
1. v2 - Be shepherds.
a. Be shepherds (ποιμαίνω) = act as a sheep tender, supervise the feeding, watering & shel- tering of the flock.
b. ILL: “Simon . . . Do you love me?” (Jn 21:15-17)
c. To the Ephesians elders Paul said, 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. - Act 20:28.
2. v2 - Be overseers.
a. Oversee (ἐπισκοπέω) = take the oversight, look upon, care for. We get our word Episcopal (Overseer) from this word.
b. Heb 12:15 - See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
3. v3 - Be examples.
a. Be Examples (τύπος)= a stamp which produces a mark or impression, printer’s type.
b. So elders are the type or stamp, a model to imitate & a pattern to follow. They are to be the model of Christian character & behavior.
c. In I Pet 3:21 baptism is the anti-type or the image produced by type or a stamp. (Noah’s flood was the stamp!)
d. Lord Jesus said, I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
- Jn 13:15.
e. Paul said (KJV) , Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ - I Cor 11:1.
f. II Thess 3:9 - We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.
g. I Tim 4:12 - Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
h. Tit 2:7 - In everything set them an example by doing what is good.
i. I Pet 2:21 - To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
C. v2b-3 - What are the temptations for an elder.
1. To serve out of duty because no one else will.
2. To work for the pay check instead of for the Lord.
3. To have the authority of leadership of the church go to his head.
II. v5-11 - Holy Behavior for the Saints (That’s You!)
A. v5 - Follow the leaders!
1. Be Submissive (ὑποτάσσω) = to arrange your plans under an authority.
2. This is the same word used in the submission passages of Eph 5:21-24 - Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
B. v5b-6 - Be humble.
1. Clothe yourselves with humility (ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐγκομβώσασθε) = lit. wear a humble attitude like you would your clothes.
2. It’s to the humble that God gives His grace (undeserved favor).
3. It’s only by grace that you have been saved, not because of your good life (Eph 2:8-9).
C. v7 - Don’t be a worry wart!
1. Cast (ἐπιρρίπτω) = lit. throw something onto something.
2. Where do you cast it?
a. God is all powerful & can do anything.
b. He loves you enough to go to the cross for you. Then He tells you to give Him all your worries! Do it!
D. v8 - Be mentally focused & alert.
1. Self-control (νήφω) = abstain from wine, be sober, so keep your mind clear.
2. Alert (γρηγορέω) = to keep awake. This is the Bible’s favorite term concerning the 2nd Coming.
3. So - it’s important to be in control of your thinking always. Stay away from substances which could destroy your brain (alcohol, drugs, etc.).
E. v8b-9 - Resist the devil.
1. Spiritual warfare is not something to take lightly. The devil wants to devour you!
2. Jam 4:7 - Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
F. v9 - Be solid in your faith. How?
1. Stay in the word daily.
2. Pray habitually.
3. Trust the Lord with more & more of your life.
We really need one another in the church. Continue to encourage one another & to build one another up in their faith.
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