Jump Start # 3208

1 Peter 5:4 “And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

In our verse today, Peter identifies Jesus as the Chief Shepherd. Christ is the head. He is the cornerstone. He is the first and the last. All of those powerful terms illustrate that Jesus is the leader. He doesn’t not have a vice-president or a second in command. The will of Christ must be our will. What I want and how I feel about things must submit to what the Lord says. He is the Chief Shepherd.

Most of that is fairly straight forward and easy to understand. The difficulty that often surfaces in many congregations is the interaction of elders or shepherds among themselves. Sometimes there can be some maneuvering, much like horses on a race track, to get into what is believed to be the number one position. A head elder can surface and through pressure and intimidation, he actually runs the church. The other shepherds quietly become “yes men” to him. Unless the head elder wants something, every idea is shot down and dismissed. What is done is what he wants done. After a while, the other shepherds are fearful of opposing him, so they go along with things that they do not feel is right, but who dares challenge the head elder?

Understand, there is only ONE chief shepherd and that is Jesus. The role of a “head elder,” or, “senior shepherd,” is not Biblical. Sometimes it gradually happens, but it should not be allowed.

One becomes the head elder often because he has served the longest. It is thought of as a right of passage. The number of decades serving has made his vision, the only vision and his voice, the only voice. It is wonderful to have men capably serving a long time, but that does not mean they take over.

Other times, men who run their own companies or are executives where they work, carry that over into the eldership and feel that they can continue to do those things among fellow shepherds. What happens in the business world ought not to impact the way God wants the church to be led.

And, obviously, one becomes the head elder because he desires that. He wants to boss the others. He believes that only his ideas matter. And, because of that, his attitude and willingness to cooperate with others actually shows that he is not qualified and no longer has the qualities of a godly leader.

How are shepherds supposed to get along with each other? Some have been doing this for a long time. Others are new to this. Different personalities. Different visions. Different backgrounds. Putting all of that in a pot and stirring it about can make some tense and difficult meetings. Some get so discouraged that they quit. Younger men seeing all of this, quickly decide that they want no part in serving as a future shepherd. It’s not good for the church when shepherds don’t mix and gel together.

First, humility and respect for each other must fill the atmosphere. No one is better than any other among the shepherds. Equal is the key word. When new shepherds are appointed, they should not feel like junior elders or be afraid to speak up. The new ones are just as qualified as the seasoned ones are. Every shepherd ought to have a voice at the table and every one ought to be listened to with dignity, respect and love.

Second, the big picture must always be before us. Keeping Jesus  and His word at the forefront will help ideas, visions and decisions to remain Biblical and true. But, then remembering the people you serve will also help shepherds to remember the young sheep, the new sheep, the struggling sheep and the troubled sheep. Shepherding is about helping people. It’s about making the church stronger and better. The role of elders is not about power, positon or control. Those that do not understand that have no business being appointed in the leadership role.

Third, there are times when differences will take place. There may be discussions that get heated. Listening to one another, looking in the Scriptures and thinking things through is not only necessary but is essential. Sometimes a “come to Jesus” talk has to happen when one forgets what his role and purpose is. When there is transparency, respect and love among each other, the shepherds will leave a room as one voice. And, that is essential. Just as in parenting, if a child goes to mom and gets one answer, and the runs to dad and gets a different answer, he’ll quickly find out his favorite and use it to his advantage. However, when mom and dad are on the same page and say the same thing, the child will understand. The same works among the elders. If they are saying different things, the members will pick up on that and they will find the one that agrees with them. Therefore, to keep that from happening, things must be discussed, talked through, until all the shepherds are on the same page. One voice. One mind. One purpose.

Fourth, it might help to bring in an outside voice to help get all the shepherds on the same page. There are several wonderful brethren who truly understand Biblical shepherding. Set up a time for one of these men to come over on a Saturday and spend the day discussing the roles and ways shepherds can operate as God designed them. This doesn’t have to be a Gospel meeting with the whole church. Bring someone over just for one day, just to help the shepherds.

I would also add, the closer the shepherds can get to one another the better. Go out to eat together with the wives and get to know each other better. Go to a ball game together. Do some things socially, without talking about matters that are in the church. Draw closer to each other. As you do this, the discussions and meetings will go much smoother.

As the church sees unity, respect and love among the leaders, it will be much easier for the members to follow that example. Just like home, the kids can tell when mom and dad are not getting along. It makes things stressful and tense. The same happens in the church. Do all that you can to build bridges and be the source of peace.

There is one Chief Shepherd, and that is Jesus.

Roger

Jump Start # 3190

1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeing someone to devour.”

Recently I was preaching in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. Great church. The area is rich in restoration history. I went through many old, old church buildings, talked to a lot of people and even tracked through a field filled with briars and thorns, taller than me just to find some old gravestones from long ago.

One evening during the meeting a children’s song, “I’ve been redeemed,” was led. It was new to me. The audience sang it well. I really liked the second verse of that song:

“Now the devil and me we disagree…now the devil and me we disagree…Now the devil and me we disagree…I hate him and he hates me…all my sins are washed away…I’ve been redeemed.”

That’s a powerful statement. It is so true. It’s something that we adults need to not only be singing, but to wrap our hearts around strongly.

First, we disagree with the devil. Whatever the devil calls good, is bad. Whatever the devil likes, we don’t. Whatever the devil wants, I don’t. There is nothing good attributed to the devil in the Bible. When he quoted Scriptures either he added words or he misapplied it.

The devil will work through friends and family. The devil will push his agenda through politicians. The devil will get culture on his side. But none of those things matter. We disagree. We disagree. We disagree.

Second, the devil hates me. The devil hates you. He has plans for you and it’s not nice. He’d love to see the tears coming down your eyes as he wrecks your marriage. He’d love to see your congregation split and divide or dwindle down so small that the doors have to close for good. He’d love to see you overwhelmed with sorrow, fear and worry. He thinks it’s a great day when you are discouraged. He wants you to get angry and say things that you shouldn’t. He’ll try to make you envious of others. He will fill your eyes with lust and materialism. He hates you. He wants you to walk away from Jesus. And, if you do, he won’t be there to comfort you. He won’t be there to be your friend. He is a thief. He comes to kill and steal.

There is no greater enemy in your life than the devil. He won’t leave you alone until you leave this planet. You can resist him and he’ll go away, but he always comes back. Always. He’ll attack you. He’ll scare you. He’ll bait you. He’ll confuse you. He’ll try compromise. He’ll use error. He’ll use fame and fortune. He doesn’t play by the rules and he doesn’t care that he breaks the rules. His destiny is set. There is no salvation for the devil. Hell bound he is and Hell bound he knows. He won’t be in charge of Hell, God is. He’ll be tormented forever in Hell.

The devil hates you.

Third, I hate the devil. You hate the devil. Think of all the carnage that this evil one has caused. Wars. Death. Destruction. Children seeing mom and dad divorce. A young person slipping into eternity because of drugs. A person headed off to prison for crimes that he committed. Violence in the streets. Angry mobs demanding things. Scandals. Corruption. Evil. Wickedness. None of these things come from Christ. These are the outcome from following Satan. No marriage has been made stronger because of the devil. No church is walking closer to the Lord because of the devil. There is a long, long trail of pain and sorrow that began in the garden and will end when the Lord comes. The holy and beautiful name of our Lord, blasphemed daily. Multitudes confused and led by counterfeit religion.

You and I have never know a time when Satan wasn’t around. We’ve never see the world without Satan. His ugliness has ruined everything good. Our world has always had a dark side to it as long as we have been here. Evil, wickedness and sin have been a part of our world for as long as we have been alive.

But a day is coming, oh, it’s coming. A day is coming when we are out of this place and we will enter the home of our Lord. Satan won’t be there. Nothing bad will be there. Nothing corrupt will be there. Perfection as we have never seen. Oh, won’t it be wonderful there!

Do you hate the devil? Some might say, ‘We shouldn’t hate anyone.” God hates. The devil certainly hates. And we ought to hate. We ought to hate things that are wrong. We ought to hate error. We ought to hate the father of lies. We ought to hate the devil.

And, maybe that’s the problem. We’ve never gotten to the point that we hate the devil. We dislike what he does. We wish he’d do better. But we just can’t put a stake in his heart and say, “Be gone, Satan!” Kindness, which is part of our character as disciples, doesn’t mean turning our eye to wrong and being nice to the one that wants to destroy you.

He is, as our verse says, a lion who is set on eating you for lunch. He wants to devour you. He doesn’t want to just scare you the other way. He doesn’t want to just lightly scratch you. Given the chance, he will destroy you. And, he doesn’t care who he hurts. He doesn’t care that people need you. He doesn’t care that you are trying so hard. He doesn’t care that you are a new Christian. He doesn’t care that he has already tempted today. If he can catch you off guard, he’ll pounce on you and destroy you.

I hate him and he hates me. That’s the one thing and the only thing that the devil and I agree upon.

Roger

Jump Start # 2469

1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

In our verse today, Peter pulls the cover back to identify our enemy. He tells us three things about Satan.

First, he is our adversary. He is our opponent. He is our enemy. Don’t try to compromise with Satan. Don’t try to be friends with Satan. He cannot be trusted. He is not good. Peter likens the devil to a lion, the king of the jungle. Powerful, fast, smart and dangerous—that’s lions and that’s Satan. He doesn’t care how hard you are trying. He doesn’t care that others are counting on you. He doesn’t care how difficult your journey is. He doesn’t care that you are weary, struggling and having a bad day. He doesn’t care that he has already chased you once today. He simply doesn’t care.

Second, Peter reveals Satan’s style. He prowls about. He is here and there. He is not stationary. He is not locked behind a cage, as lions are in the zoo. He’s not found only in Africa, as lions are. He’s everywhere. He’s at work before you get there. He’s waiting for you when you get home in the evening. He walks the hallways of the high school. He sits in the college classroom. He’s at the movie theatre, the ballgame, and even in the church building. He’s everywhere.

Third, Peter reveals Satan’s purpose. He wants to devour someone. Anyone. You. Me. All of us. He will feed you lies. He will use people to distract and confuse you. He will send encouragement and opportunity to do wrong. He has many tactics and weapons. He’ll use lust. He’ll throw some discouragement your way. He knows when you are alone. He knows when you are stressed. He wants to destroy you. When a lion devours an antelope, there’s not much left of Mr. Antelope. Satan will trash your marriage, your reputation, your health and even try to wreck the church. All of these are just ways of pulling the rug from under you so you will fall. He wants you to fail spiritually. Satan doesn’t go by the rules. Satan isn’t nice, fair, nor kind. He has no problem seeing your children hurt, scared and lost. He’ll throw in a good ole’ fashioned church fight to get people upset and mad at each other.

Satan knows you. He knows when you are alone. He knows when you are tired. He knows just the right buttons to push. He knows what tempts you the most. He will put things before your eyes. He will have you listening to thoughts that are tailored just for your temptation.

In many ways, what Peter is describing for us is a journey through lion country. There are no cages to keep the lions contained. There are no safety nets to protect us. This is not a theme park or an adventure. This is life. It’s dangerous. It’s treacherous. It’s full of eyes looking at you. The wrong step, the wrong path could lead to certain death. And, there is no getting around this. There is no just going home and shutting my door where I will be safe. This is the journey that we are on. How then can we pass through lion country safely?

First, we must keep our eyes open. Our verse says, “Be alert.” Don’t walk through life half asleep. Don’t be naïve. Pay attention. All around us are subtle messages, used to change our thinking and to lower our guards. In picture books made for little children, one can find evolutionary teachings. TV programs try to get us to accept that fornication is ok, same sex relationships are normal, and that drinking alcohol is harmless. Music pounds thoughts into our minds. Movies shape our attitudes. Even commercials can be ways to change our thinking. Popular religious books drip with false teaching. It’s there. Many do not see it. Be alert. All around you, Satan has dropped little traps to get you. Do you see them? Do you recognize them?

Second, resist the devil. This is what James tells us. Resist and he’ll flee. He’ll be back, but for the moment, he’ll leave you. Resist by standing with God. Resist by knowing your Bible. Resist by filling your mind and your day with good things. Resist by digging your heels in and saying, “No.” Everyone around you is saying, “Yes,” but you. You are different. You are going a different direction. You are saying, “No.” Put up a fight. Don’t be afraid to turn that TV off, because there is nothing decent on to watch. Don’t be afraid to be the only one at a conference who is not drinking alcohol. Don’t be afraid to be classified as old fashioned because you won’t flirt around with others you are not married to. Resist. Put up a fight.

Third, you find shelter in the Lord. Within this lion passage in Peter, we find, “casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you” (v. 7) and, God will “strengthen” you (v. 10). On your own, you won’t make it. Come up with your own plan, you’ll likely fail. But sticking close to God, following His way, filling your heart with His word, you’ll make it through. He cares for you. He wants you to make it safely. Talk to the Lord in prayer. Listen to the Lord as you read His word. Rather than keeping up with the world, try to keep up with the Lord. You’ll make it safely through lion country. Daniel was safe in the lion’s den because of the Lord. You will be safe in lion country because of the Lord.

Someday, we will be out of this place and Satan won’t bother us anymore. Where we are going, he is not allowed in. Where we are going, we will be safe.

Satan is with you, but so is the Lord. And, the Lord is greater than Satan. Stick with the Lord and you’ll be fine. Follow God and He’ll get you out of this crazy world.

Roger

Jump Start # 2215

1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert, your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

One of the features of our congregation’s website and Facebook page is a quote that is posted every day. We call these, “Quick Quotes.” One of our Quick Quotes this week said, “By yielding to temptation one may lose in a moment what it took him a lifetime to gain.” That fits well with our verse today. The devil is alive and well. He is on the hunt. He’s looking and too often we are not. Temptations can come quickly, in a moment, as the Quick Quote claimed. And, in that one brief moment, it can set back what it took years to build.

Consider one’s reputation. In one angry flare up, hateful words are said, and they are remembered. All the good that one has tried to establish by teaching the love of Christ, the bond that is shared among brethren, can collapse because of one angry moment. Certainly one can apologize. Differences can be mended through grace and forgiveness, but that one moment can sure undo what it took a long time to establish.

Consider one’s character. In a moment of lust, one can close his eyes to the trust others have in him, and destroy years of marriage, faithfulness and confidence that others had in him. That one moment could be all that it takes to end the marriage. That one moment could be all it takes to let others down and drive a deep wedge in his family.

Consider one’s career. In a moment of greed, a man is caught stealing from his company, or even the church. He loses his job. He is escorted off the company grounds. Police are involved. He may be facing jail time. He thought he could cook the books. He thought he could repay the money before anyone found out. He thought no one would notice. His departure down that dark road, has crashed his career. It took years for him to get where he is at and now no one will even look at his resume.

It’s easy to tear down. Just about anyone, given a sledgehammer, can knock a wall down. It takes a long time to build something right. In just a moment, all the good that has been done, can be lost. Unloving words. Quick actions that were not thought out. Unforgiving spirits. Years of sermons are washed away in a flood of tears because members forgot to act like Jesus. It just takes a moment to ruin what it took a long time to establish and build.

This tells us the nature of temptation. It’s instant and at the moment. It’s not thought out, planned nor are consequences considered. Temptation is about self. The man who surrenders to lust isn’t thinking about his marriage and his promises that he made to his wife. The person who belittles others isn’t thinking about turning the cheek nor giving someone a chance to explain himself. Temptation is swift. It’s selfish. It is destructive and it can take the rest of our lives to undue what it caused.

It takes a long time to establish a great career. Once it’s ruined, there simply may not be enough time left in one’s life to overcome that. A lawyer who is debarred. A doctor who loses his license. A teacher who is fired for sexual misconduct with a student. A preacher who is fired for having an affair. The moments of temptation passes quickly, but the damage remains. Some may never recover. Some must move. Some must find other things to do. Some will have that label with them as long as they live.

Those ruined by temptation realize that simply saying you are sorry isn’t enough. It’s not enough to save a marriage. It’s not enough to save a career. It’s not enough to regain trust with others. Hollywood and the world of sports has painted this unrealistic image of high profile people saying horrendous things and after being called on the carpet, they offer a simple apology and all is expected to be fine. It might be in their world, but for most of us, the consequences that follow may take years and years to recover from.

Is it any wonder that Peter pushes two major warnings at the front side of our verse. First, be of sober spirit. We know what sober means. In most context it means not influenced by alcohol. We’d say, “He’s thinking straight.” Or, “He has his head on straight.” Under the influence of alcohol, a person becomes more daring. They do not drive well. Their vision, mind and judgment is impaired. That’s why alcohol and fornication fit so well together. Thinking straight a person wouldn’t toss their reputation, career, or family for a fling with a co-worker. But impair their thinking, toss in the moment of temptation, and everything changes. “I just wasn’t thinking,” becomes the anthem of those who are not sober in spirit. Peter is not talking about alcohol. He’s talking about life. Life isn’t one big joke. Get serious. What are you thinking? Why are you flirting with someone you are married to? Just having a little fun? Be sober. What are you thinking when you are changing prices and stealing from the company? Be sober.

Peter’s other warning is “be on the alert.” Satan’s there. He’s at work before you got there today. He’s already setting up shop for the day. His briefcase is open and he’s looking at various ways he can tempt you today. A little lie here. A little lust there. A little greed. A little gossip. A little dishonesty. He’ll take those temptations and sprinkle some selfishness on top to make it appealing to you. He knows just what flavor you like. And, there before you know it, is temptation. He’ll remind you that you deserve it. He’ll tell you that you are not getting the attention, praise that you ought to have. He’ll stroke that ego. He’ll fill your mind to the point that you can’t see anything but temptation. Then, he will provide an opportunity. Here’s your chance. And, as our Quick Quote says, “in a moment, you lose what it took a life time to gain.” Peter’s words are be on the alert. Keep your eyes open.

This past summer my wife and I went to a foreign city. We were warned about pick pockets. We were told how they use children and how they often work in pairs. My eyes were open. I was watching everyone and was very careful about what I did. We were on the alert. We had no problems. This is what Peter is telling his audience. Keep your eyes open. Satan is out there. We are traveling through lion country. It’s dangerous. Satan will use people. Satan will use your situation. Satan will use TV, movies and even brethren, to trip you and cause you to sin. He’ll use more than one form of temptation. He’ll work late at night as well as early in the morning. As you leave work today, Satan’s already setting up things at home. When you go on a vacation, Satan has already moved into your hotel before you arrive. He’s everywhere. There is no place, even the church building, where Satan doesn’t have a key and cannot get in. He’ll use discouragement if he can’t get you with lust. He’ll confuse you with tough situations if he can’t move you by greed. He’ll try to get you to compromise. He’ll do all that he can to get you to lift your foot off the spiritual accelerator. He’ll throw things at you to get you mad. He’ll try to get you mad at brethren. He’ll try to get you mad at your family. Satan knows what helps us spiritually. He’ll try to put some distance between us and those things.

And, to all of this, Peter says, Be alert. Don’t be a dummy who walks right into the open arms of sin. Don’t be so gullible and blind that you do not see the dangers. He’s out to get you. When he does it won’t be pretty. The lion tears flesh apart. The lion kills. And Satan will kill all that is dear to your heart. He doesn’t care.

What can we do? We can’t kill this lion. We are not told to go lion hunting. Be on the alert. Be sober. James adds, “resist.” Resist the devil and he will flee from you. That’s the solutions. That’s the hope.

It’s time to wake up and realize that the lion has his eyes on you. “By yielding to temptation one may lose in a moment what it took him a lifetime to gain.”

Roger

Jump Start # 629

1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Peter’s warnings here do not age nor grow obsolete. Be sober…be alert—be careful. Peter likens Satan to a hungry lion who is on the prowl. A sleeping lion is dangerous, but not a huge threat. A dead lion is no threat at all. But a prowling lion—look out. Peter uses two words for Satan.

First, “adversary.” This is the word that would describe the opponent in a lawsuit. He is your adversary. He is trying to win. He is trying to defeat you. It is not a win-win situation. Someone will lose. Satan wants it to be you. He is your adversary—your opponent. He is against you. He is against what you believe. He is against what you are trying to accomplish. He is against where you want to go. He is against you.

The other word Peter uses here is “devil.” This is often used as his name. He is called “Devil” because that’s what he is. Devil means to accuse or slander. Together, adversary and devil, these words bring the idea of someone who is against us and falsely accuses or challenges us.

The devil doesn’t play fair. He doesn’t go by the rules. Much like a crooked attorney who wants to win his case, he may misuse, misapply, and speak things that aren’t true to twist things in your mind. You have to be sharp. You have to be ready. You must be sober and alert as Peter puts it.

The lion is to be feared. Few, if any can out run a lion. Few can kill a lion. David did. Daniel was thrown into a den of lions. The young prophet was killed by a lion when he disobeyed God. The lion has a strategy. He knows what to do. He’s smart. He’s fast. He’s cunning. He’s able to hide where few see him.

The nature shows help us understand lions. Rarely do they leap in the middle of a herd. The antelopes would scatter and the lion would fall in the dust. Instead, he waits. He’s patient. He looks for the one lone antelope. The one that is careless and wanders from the pack. He watches for the young or the old—those he can kill quickly. He watches. He waits. When the careless antelope wanders too far from the herd and too close to danger, the lion springs into action. Within seconds he is on the antelope and quickly brings it down and kills it. By the time the antelope saw the lion, it was too late. He panicked in fear. He was too far from safety to be helped. He became the lion’s lunch because he was not alert nor was he careful.

Peter doesn’t want that to happen spiritually. It can and it does. Too close to the edge of wrong. Hanging out with people who take us away from Christ. Tired. Lonely. Feeling neglected or cheated. The lion waits. He watches. He attacked Jesus in the wilderness when the Lord was alone and hungry. He sits by your computer monitor waiting. He’s in the back seat of your car watching. He’s under your bed. He’s in the closet. He’s in the backyard. He’s in your i-phone. He’s at work. There is no place that you can escape to that he’s not there. He’s waiting for you on vacation. He’s already checked into the hotel room on your business trip. He’s sitting in the church building. He’s there. He’s waiting. He’s watching. He takes no vacations. He observes no holidays. He never retires. He is always there. Waiting and watching you.

He knows your greatest weapon is the word of God. Jesus used that. It worked. He knows if he can separate you from that word then he has a chance. Too tired to read the Bible today? The lion sees that. Too stressed for the Bible. He’s watching. Too worried. Too busy. He waits. It won’t be long. He’s getting closer and you don’t see it. He’s getting your scent. He’s about ready to spring upon you.

Alert and sober—those are Peter’s words. Do you see why? The watchful eye scans for the lion. The sober spirit pays attention. He notices movement in the tall grass. He sees birds suddenly fly away. Danger is near. To Bible class goes the sober and alert. To worship services are the sober and alert. Before the day begins, the sober goes to God in prayer. Before the day ends the alert spends a few moments with the word of God. Stronger and stronger the sober and alert becomes. Watching. Ready. Alert. Careful. The lion is near and the alert knows it. The lion has been spotted and the sober is ready.

Some have said, “I never saw this coming…” They must have been asleep at the wheel. Others proclaim, “How did this happen?” Could it be that they were not alert? The lion will eat. He always does. Will it be you?

Sober and alert—simple words. Both contain five letters. Both mean survival. Both mean a tomorrow when there is a lion in the area.

Roger