Unto Him Be Glory in the Church

by Pastor Matt Black

02 October 2005
Lord's Day morning

1 Peter 5:1-11, Ephesians 3:21

 

Introduction:  Our text this morning comes from the book of 1 Peter 5:1-11 and Ephesians 3:21.  This morning as we consider the Lord’s will for the direction of this church, I want to bring to you a message concerning the Glory of Christ.  The message is titled “Unto Him Be Glory in the Church.”  Unto Christ Jesus the Lord be glory in this assembly.  We will see that Tabernacle Baptist Church is the Lord’s church, and His glory is the ultimate purpose and plan this church.  We are going to take an in-depth look at how Christ’s glory can be magnified in and through this church.  The points that we will look at this morning are as follows.  We will see that:

I.                   The Glory of Christ must be seen in the Pastor (vv. 1-4)

II.                 The Glory of Christ must be seen in the People  (vv. 5-9)

III.              The Glory of Christ must be seen in the Plan of God (vv. 10-11)

 

Let us stand together and read our text in the book of 1 Peter 5:1-11.  We will also read from Ephesians 3:20-21.

 

I Peter 5:1-11

          [PASTOR]

1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:1 SUCCEED

2 Feed2 FEED the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight3 LEAD thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples4 PRECEDE to the flock.

4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory5 ACCEDE that fadeth not away.

 

[PEOPLE]

5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility 1 POOR IN SPIRIT: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7 Casting all your care upon him 2 PRAYERFUL; for he careth for you.

8 Be sober 3 PURPOSEFUL, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

 

[PLAN OF GOD]

10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us1 OUR SOVEREIGN ELECTION unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered2 OUR SUFFERING a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.3 OUR SANCTIFICATION

11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.4 HIS SUPREMACY Amen.

 

And then in Ephesians 3:20-21, we read:

Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

 

Introduction:  Have you ever seen a diamond?  When Jill and I were engaged, I think she must have looked at that diamond about a hundred times a day.  She would catch just the right glimpse of the lighting in it, and it really was astounding. 

Diamonds are truly magnificent.  What makes a diamond so precious is its beauty.  It not only reflects the white light that enters it, but it acts as a prism and turns the light into a rainbow of color.  The church of Christ is like a diamond.  There are hundreds and thousands of different sides and angles with in it.  Each of us reflects the glory of God in Christ so that when the white hot light of Christ and His Word enter into the church as a whole, it is multiplied and magnified into a breathtaking burst of spectacular color  

 

In our text in 1 Peter 5:11, we read, “To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.  That is our ultimate goal.  Let us now turn to our text. 

 

Peter was “a witness of the sufferings of Christ,” that is, he was an apostle.  The apostles were often called witnesses because they walked with Christ and were witnesses of life and death.  Peter is also called an “elder.”  One of the Baptist distinctives is that the government of our churches is maintained by two offices: Pastors and Deacons.  As Peter begins his exhortation to the church—he first turns to the office of the Pastor.

 

Transition: And so first, we must realize that if we want the glory of Christ to be magnified, than His glory must first be seen in the Pastor.  And by the way, everything that we see here concerning the Pastor really ought to be applied to ANY teacher or leader in the church!  That means if God calls you or has already called you to be an elder (which is another word for pastor or preacher), or if He has called you to be a  leader, or a deacon, or a missionary, or a servant, or a Sunday School teacher, than you ought to listen to what I am about to say.

 

I.  The Glory of Christ must be seen in THE PASTOR (vv. 1-4)

1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a “partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.”

 

A.     The Pastor is to SUCCEED “A partaker of the glory that shall be revealed” (v.1).

The Pastor must be a “partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.”  Peter was making an allusion to the powerful experience he had with the Lord when Christ for just a moment peeled back the robe of His humanity, and the Shekinah glory of His blinding divine presence was revealed.   Peter was saying, “You know that one day we will see Christ in all His glory?  Well, I as an elder have experienced it already.”

 

The pastor is one who must partake of the glory of Christ!  He must SUCCEED in his personal walk with God. 

  • Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5:24)
  • Noah walked with God (Genesis 6:9)
  • Any man that wants to lead God’s church must SUCCEED in his own walk with God!!

 

The Lord’s people will rarely ascend to heights that the pastor has not scaled first.  It is utterly vital that the pastor have a living dynamic loving walk with God, a man of fervent prayer.  The pastor must be one who knows how to touch heaven and to cling to the Lord.

 

    • He must succeed in devotion (Transfiguration) “a partaker of the glory”

The pastor must partake in the glory of prayer! He must say with the apostles:

·         Acts 6:4  But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

A pastor must know what it is to fast and pray!  To have power in preaching, he must constantly be before the Throne of Grace.  He must succeed with in devotion with his family.  He must hold that old-time family altar.  He must pray with his wife, pray with his children, pray with his brethren in Christ.  He must be a man of continual prayer!

 

    • He must succeed in doctrine (take heed to the doctrine)

                                                              i.            1 Timothy 4:16  Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

                                                             ii.            I Timothy 4:13  Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

                                                           iii.            Titus 2:1  But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

 

There are some pastors who would rather DISECT the Bible rather than DIGEST the Bible.  If the pastor does not “taste and see that the Lord is good” he will have nothing but dry bones to give to others! 

 

  • Psalm 34:8  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
  • Psalm 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

 

This means that a pastor must succeed in knowing Christ and have CONVICTION and not just CUMULATIVE KNOWLEDGE.  The Bible is not a text book, but a book about the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.  The pastor succeeds in Bible study because he has a PASSION and CONVICTION that what he is reading is the Truth of God!!

 

    • He must succeed in doing God’s will

The pastor must succeed in putting the Word of God into practice!  It’s easy to defend what you believe.  It’s a whole ‘nother story to live what you believe!  The pastor if he is to preach powerfully, must live out the principles of God’s Word before he preaches them!

 

  • 1 John 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

 

In doing God’s will the pastor desperately needs to be conscious of the power of God to change people.  Pastors do not change people—God changes people!

 

B.           The Pastor is to FEED “Feed the flock of God” (v.2).

2 Feed2 FEED the flock of God which is among you,

    • Acts 20:27 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

 

    • John 21:15, So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

 

      1. Preaching must be God-centered.  Rich, expository, practical preaching! 

The pastor must read, study, and grapple with the Scriptures so that he can adequately feed the people of God.  The man of God must be so God-centered that he preaches out of the overflow, and the message focuses on the Person and Plan of God in the world.  People DO NOT need entertainment in the pulpit; they need FOOD.

 

      1. Preaching must emphasize the Grand Plan of God

Paul said to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:27, “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”  The sheep need a BALANCED diet of the whole counsel of God.

 

      1. Preaching must Guard the Sheep.

Today, many who call themselves pastors could care less about real line upon line preaching.  They are like the watchmen of Isaiah.  The term bishop, which means “overseer” is from the same word as is above “taking the oversight.”   This comes right out of the Old Testament.  Paul’s Hebrew mind was thinking of the word “watchman” in the Hebrew.  Listen to what Isaiah said about the pastors of his day--

·         Isaiah 56:10-11 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. 11  Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

Do you hear what God calls pastors who do not feed their sheep?  They think that the pulpit is for entertainment and self-help!  They do not preach doctrine, but avoid it.  The Lord says they are “blind, all ignorant, all dumb dogs that cannot bark, they are greedy dogs, they are shepherds that cannot understand.”  A man may have a church of 30,000 over at the Compaq Center in Houston, but if he will not feed the sheep, he is a false teacher.  If a pastor gives the sheep nothing but sugar when what they really need is sustenance, avoid that man!  He is blind and ignorant.

 

But look at God’s promise in Jeremiah…

·         Jeremiah 3:15  And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

 

C.          The Pastor is to LEAD “Taking the oversight thereof”

Verse 2 “…taking the oversight3 LEAD thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind”

·         Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

The word “oversight” is the same word as the “bishop.”  The word “bishop” is another way to refer to the office of a pastor and it means someone who is a watchman, someone who is taking the oversight and vision of the church.

 

A pastor must take the oversight—he must set the tone and vision of the church.  He leads in several ways…

    • The Pastor Leads as a Servant. “Not as being lords over God’s heritage”

The Pastor is NOT a PROFESSIONAL!  He is another brother!

                                                              i.            Matthew 22:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

He is to be a humble and meek servant—not a flashy professional!  Humility and meekness are the strength of leadership.  It is a proper understanding of position that translates into a right heart in the exercise of leadership.  The pastor is not a lord—but a fellow brother.  He serves under the Great Shepherd of the sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He does not exalt himself, but he preaches and exalts the King of kings and Lord of lords!!  He bows his knee before Christ each day.

 

    • The Pastor Leads as a Spiritual Pulse. “a ready mind”

He must maintain a sense of the spiritual pulse of the church.  He must prayerfully discern the will of God and like Moses of old, communicate to the church when we have “compassed this mountain long enough” (Deut. 2:3).

 

    • The Pastor Leads as a Steward “willingly.”  He is going to give an account, and so he must work hard!  The truth of the matter is that ministry is hard work.  There is not a place in ministry for the under motivated and the lazy.  Much of the energy resident in any local church is in part the result of the leadership dynamic of its pastor.

 

  1. The Pastor is to PRECEDE “being an ensample”

3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples4 PRECEDE to the flock.

An ensample is an example.  An example is a prototype, a mold to be duplicated. 

                                                              i.            I Timothy 4:12-13 be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  13  Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

 

  1. The Pastor is to ACCEDE “when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory”

4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory5 ACCEDE that fadeth not away.

 

The pastor will, like everyone else, accede before the throne of God on Judgment Day.  We will all give an account.  And so, his motive for all he does is first,

    • To PRESENT himself (give an account, “when the chief Shepherd shall appear”)

And then,

    • To PLEASE his Lord (“ye shall receive a crown”)

 

II.  The Glory of Christ must be seen in THE PEOPLE

 

  1. Called to be docile, humble (POOR IN SPIRIT) v.5-6 God resisteth the proud. 

Perhaps you are cast down today.  God has brought you to the end of yourself.  Amen!  That is a good place to be.

 

    • Matthew 5:3-12 “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

 

    • Psalm 34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

                                                              i.      God resists the PROUD!

If you are a Christian you are commanded to live a life of repentance and humility.  You want access to God?  Humble yourself.  The Spirit of God and the Word of God can pierce your heart so strongly that it divides “soul and spirit” and cuts through the “thoughts and intents of the heart.”  God knows what you are holding back in your pride.    Perhaps you are here, and you are dealing with the issue of humbling yourself.  It’s hard to humble yourself; your pride won’t let you, but God will never use you until you will.  The Bible says He actually stands against you if you are proud—He is resisting you.  Won’t you humble yourself today once and for all? 

 

                                                             ii.      God lifts up those who are POWERLESS.

Clothe yourself with humility. Cast yourself down at His feet and He will lift you up!  Remind youself that without Christ you can do NOTHING!!  Let the Lord lift you up today!

 

  1. Called to be dependent (PRAYERFUL) v.7 Casting all your care upon Him for He careth for you

Illustration: Perhaps there is a wall of care between you and the Lord today.  Perhaps you’ve been building.  Worry and the cares of this world are crowding out your joy for the Lord!  You are not thinking on Christ, but on circumstances.  Anxiety can lead to one of two places.  It can lead to paralyzing fear, or it can lead to the precious Face of God—the throne of grace!

    • Philippians 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

 

  1. Called to be discerning, awake (PURPOSEFUL) v.8 Be sober, be vigilant…

Have you been sleepwalking in your Christian life?  Awake!

    • Ephesians 5:14-17 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

 

Transition: We see the responsibilities for the Pastor and for the Lord’s people.  But how can we carry this out?  How can the pastor be what he ought to be?  How can you accomplish for God what you ought to accomplish?  It seems quite impossible! 

 

  • “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). 

 

  • “Truly with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).

 

And so we must see,

 

III.  The Glory of Christ must be seen in THE PLAN OF GOD

It is God and God alone that will carry out this plan!  God is bigger than you—he is bigger than the pastor—He is bigger than this church—He is bigger than all the churches together—He’s bigger than this world—He’s bigger than this universe—and He’s bigger than all created things. 

·         John 1:3  “All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.”

·         Colossians 1:16-18  “For by Him [Christ] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:17  And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.”

 

Explanation: And so it is no surprise that when Peter wants to encourage himself and his people in the Lord, He turns to the subject of God’s plan in Sovereign Election.

 

  1. God’s Plan in our Sovereign Election v10 “the God of all grace who has called us” 

 

TRUTH: God’s plans are bigger than YOUR PLANS!!

 

·         Proverbs 16:9  A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

 

Illustration: Have you ever seen a baby born?  What a miracle!  You may have thought you had planned that baby, but it wasn’t you who planned your children.  No, God made everything that is wonderous about a baby.  It is so tiny, so intricate—unlike the greatest, most delicate piece of art man could ever make.  David said:

    • Psalm 139:14 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

 

In the same way, God says to us, as He said to Jeremiah the prophet:

    • Jeremiah 1:7 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

 

    • Romans 8:28 describes us as “the called according to His purpose.” 
    • Romans 8:30-31 “whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

 

  1. God’s Plan in our Suffering v10 “after that ye have suffered a little while”

·         Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Suffering has meaning in your life.  There is nothing worse than if you think you are suffering for no purpose.  You are suffering so that God may try you, and so that you may know the sufferings of Christ.

·         Romans 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

TRUTH: God’s plan is bigger than YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES!!

 

 

  1. God’s Plan in our Sanctification v10 “make you perfect, stablish, settle, strengthen you”

In God’s plan it is He who “works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure!”  Every detail of life is an opportunity to be sanctified.  Every experience both good and especially the bad, is a sanctifying experience. 

TRUTH: God’s plan is bigger than YOUR ABILITY!!

 

  1. God’s Plan in His Supremacy v11 “To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen”

 

The promise of Psalm 101:1 (from David) is quoted six times throughout the New Testament. 

·         Psalm 110:1  The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

 

Speaking of Christ as the Cornerstone that the builders (Israel) rejected:

·         Matthew 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

 

TRUTH: God’s plan is bigger than YOU because it’s NOT ABOUT YOU—it’s about HIM!!

 

Appeal:  Let us all bow our heads and hearts before the Lord. 

 

Now is the time in the service that we have the invitation.  What is an invitation for?  It is an appeal to respond to what we have just heard.  The Bible says (in Nehemiah) that Ezra read from the book of the Law, and there was a great response.  It says “all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.” 

 

I have not given the Gospel presentation today, but if you are here without Christ, He calls to you today.  Listen to His voice!   “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. You have a heavy burden on you today—you have the burden of sin. 

 

Why should you spend your life with such a weight of sin on you, when Christ is ready shelter you, the Scripture says as “a hen shelters her chickens under her wings,” Christ is ready to take you in.  And if you are simply willing; you would not have to live a life of fear and distress, but you would have the comfort of Christ.

 

If you have need of Christ, you are among friends.  You come, and Bro. Mike Larsen will be standing at the front ready to take your hand and show you how you may turn to Christ today.

 

If you are a Christian you are commanded to live a life of repentance.  The Spirit of God and the Word of God can pierce your heart so strongly.  Perhaps you are here, and you are dealing with the issue of humbling yourself.  It’s hard to humble yourself, but God will never use you until you will.  The Bible says He actually stands against you if you are proud—He is resisting you.  Won’t you humble yourself today once and for all? 

 

Bro. Gary Johnson is going to come and lead us in hymn number _____ “The Church’s One Foundation.”