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Peter 5:1-3 KJV
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:
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight
thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready
mind;
Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to
the flock.
Peter
was nearing his final days in the earth. Knowing his time was short his focus
turned to those who would carry the torch of the faith into succeeding
generations. He urged them to feed their flocks:
Willingly
In
each case he gave the negative to help define the positive. No man should be
constrained to be a minister of the gospel, except for that constraint that
comes as a result of our love for the Lord. Ministry ought to be a willing
work. We do it out of desire.
Cheerfully
Not
for the sake of financial gain. This is not an occupation in the traditional
sense of the word. Of course we must feed our families and put a roof above
their heads. But no preacher is serving under the right state if mind if he
serves for money. Churches may help their pastor in this regard, not by keeping
him poor, but by being certain his material needs are provided so his mind may
be on the ministry.
Humbly
The
pastor is not a lord over God's people. He is not better than them, more holy
than them closer to God than them. He is called not to use the people of
God to create his own kingdom but to care for them with humility and to serve
as an example of devotion, love and long suffering in the life lived for
God.
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