Love Your Church - Week 7 - Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6 — HONORING: FOLLOWING HUMBLE SHEPHERDS
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Scripture is clear-eyed about the reality of bad leadership: Paul tells the Romans to “watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them” (Romans 16:17). But Scripture is equally clear about faithful leadership and the call to honour it. Most pastoral qualifications are about character, not skills — pastors are called to do their work willingly, to live holy lives, and to be humble servant leaders like Jesus. John Stott modelled this beautifully. When asked what his ambition was, Stott replied simply, “To be more like Jesus.” His long-time secretary marvelled that “he emptied my office wastepaper basket every day for many, many years.” On finding a muddy pair of his colleague’s shoes, Stott cleaned them, explaining: “My dear René, Jesus told us to wash one another’s feet.”
First Peter 5 outlines what we should expect from a pastor under three headings: task, heart, and reward. The task is to shepherd the flock through careful and skillful oversight. Shepherding is a demanding job — it requires knowing the sheep individually, noticing the sick and the wandering, protecting the flock from danger. The heart: pastors should serve willingly and not under compulsion, eagerly and not for shameful gain, as examples and not domineering over those in their charge. The desire for power and control produces toxic church environments; Christian leadership is not lordship but the laying down of one’s life. The reward is not earthly applause but the unfading crown of glory when the Chief Shepherd appears. A plurality of elders is the New Testament norm — because all leaders are sinners, concentrating power in a single person carries real danger.
Hebrews 13:17 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.” That final clause is quietly important: when pastors lead with groaning — weighed down by complaints, drained by gossip, demoralized by cynicism — everyone suffers. You benefit directly from a healthy, joyful pastor. You contribute to that health or undermine it.
In concrete terms, members should respect faithful pastors by being attentive to their teaching and refusing to participate in rumors and backbiting. They should love their pastors with warm affection, imitate their faith and way of life, and be a joy to pastor rather than a burden. And above all, they should pray for their pastors. When someone asked C. H. Spurgeon what the secret to his effectiveness was, he said simply, “My people pray for me.”
Questions - HONORING Read 1 Peter 5 v 1-5
1. What dangers does Peter want his readers to avoid—both elders and other members of the church?
2. What is the purpose of elders and pastors seeking to lead in the way Peter instructs?
3. What is the purpose of church members being “subject to the elders”?
4. In what areas might people find it especially hard to submit to their elders? Have you had experiences of this kind of tension in church? What would humility, respect, and love look like in those situations?
5. In what ways are your elders and pastors a good example to you? How could you follow their example?
6. What might encourage each of your elders and pastors this week? How could you help them keep in mind Peter’s vision for leadership? What will you pray for them?
01/09/2026