“not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”
~ 1 Peter 5:3
Hi James and Ellen,
Who is your favorite Bible character? Even though your grandpaa has a personality style per a personality inventory called ‘Performax’ or ‘DISC’ like Paul, your grandpaa identifies more with guys like Caleb, Nehemiah, Elisha and Peter. Your grandpaa likes Caleb because Caleb was one hundred percent committed to doing whatever his leader asked him to do. Caleb was committed to being a strong second guy to whoever his leader was versus conveying that he thought that he should be the guy to lead. Caleb was a consummate risk taker who put his fellow tribal clan guys and gals and his family before his own personal desires. Your grandpaa likes Nehemiah because Nehemiah was committed to giving one hundred percent of his time and energy to a cause that no one else was willing to tackle. Even though Nehemiah had a relatively secure job as a winetaster in a palace of a king, Nehemiah was willing to put his life on the line for the sake of the guys and gals in his people group so that they might live safely in the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah employed strategic planning, available resources and an intense focus to complete a task in a minimum amount of time. Your grandpaa likes Elisha more than any other character in the Bible. Your grandpaa likes Elisha because Elisha was committed to never letting the impossible stop him from resolving a situation through the ‘double portion’ of faith that he had in God. Your grandpaa likes Peter because Peter was one hundred percent committed to express what was on his mind. Peter – who probably was Jesus’ most vocal disciple, was always communicating back to Jesus what he and the other eleven disciples were hearing and learning from Jesus. Peter grew up near the Sea of Galilee – where he fished for a living. Your grandpaa likes pulling a Caleb. Your grandpaa really values the nearly eight years that he worked in and managed finance offices. Your grandpaa started out as an assistant manager in the Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania Liberty Loan office. Your grandpaa a couple of years later accepted a request to transfer to Springfield, Massachusetts to be the manager of the Springfield Liberty Loan office. Your grandpaa fifteen months later decided to do what he had been wanting to do for a number of years and that was to relocate back to South Dakota. Your grandmaa, grandpaa and dad moved to Sioux Falls where your grandpaa was an assistant manager in the Sioux Falls Beneficial Finance office. Your grandpaa a couple of years later accepted a request to transfer to Aberdeen, South Dakota to be the manager of the Aberdeen Beneficial Finance office. Having worked for years in the secular community has helped your grandpaa to be able to pull a Nehemiah. Your grandpaa has pulled an Elisha often during the years that he and your grandmaa have been missionaries Your grandpaa grew up on a farm that has about a 300 acre lake located a quarter of a mile from the front door of the house where your grandpaa grew up. Your grandpaa inherited his liking for fishing from his dad – who could catch crappies in only inches of water. As good as Peter may have been at fishing, Peter may have been even better at blurting out what he was thinking. Your grandpaa often finds himself pulling a Peter.
Your grandpaa really likes writing. There is no record of Caleb or Elisha having scribed something. Nehemiah kept a diary which became one of the Old Testament books – which is the Nehemiah Book. Peter wrote two letters. Your grandpaa believes that Peter had help – either from Silas or Mark, to write his two letters. Peter’s two letters are 1 and 2 Peter. Peter sent his first letter to the elders of the Christ-follower communities of guys and gals that were scattered throughout Asia Minor. 1 Peter 5 concludes Peter’s first letter. Peter – from having been one of the twelve apostles or disciples that Jesus arbitrarily chose to mentor, could speak from what he heard and learned from the Master Mentor. Peter often heard his Teacher using a metaphor of Him being the Shepherd and the guys, gals and kids who followed him being the flock of sheep who needed Him as their Shepherd. Peter applied this same metaphor to the elders who he was sending this letter telling these guys that they as shepherds have a responsibility for the guys and gals who are in their Christ-follower communities because these guys and gals are God’s sheep. Peter – in verse 3, tells the elders who are receiving his letter his expectations of how they should act as an overseer of a fellowship of Christ-follower guys and gals, “not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” Peter was aware of the difficulties and sufferings that the Asia Minor elders had gone through and were experiencing. Peter made sure in this letter that these elders did not forget the sufferings – which he himself had personally witnessed, that Jesus had to endure. Peter assured the elders that in the end – after the sufferings that they would still have to endure, that it would be worth the effort – as they will receive as a reward a crown of glory for just hanging in there. Peter also told the Asia Minor church elders that they needed to remain self-controlled and alert by helping the guys and gals who they were responsible for to be always aware of the enemy of darkness who constantly prowls around like a lion to devour guys, gals and kids by getting them to compromise their ideals.
Your grandpaa a couple of year ago read a book written by Larry Huntsperger that he titled The Fisherman. The book was written as a biography of Peter. Your grandpaa thinks that when you get older that you would enjoy having your dad or ma read you this book. Peter’s life story is about a fisherman who was searching for . . . so when Jesus told Peter to follow Him as one of His disciples, Peter’s heart had been prepared. A letter that Peter wrote and sent years later conveys a guy who has been discipled who is passing on proactively learned insights to other guys.
1 Peter 5 (640)