Why We Serve, Part 2

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight… not for shameful gain, but eagerly…”

(1 Peter 5:1-2 ESV)

As we look around at our society, and as we read the news, we’re confronted with the reality of “celebrity” pastors. They have massive congregations. They have huge book deals. And they bring home incredible salaries.

Some of these men live in absolute luxury. They reside in the biggest of mansions. Some of them own private jets. And, when we see this, it sickens us. It fills us with disgust.

After Jesus’ arrest, and as he was on trial, Peter was asked three times if he was one of his disciples. And three times Peter denied it. Fearing that he might suffer the same fate as Jesus, Peter disowned him.

After the resurrection, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him. And, three times, Peter professed his love for Jesus. Jesus then called on Peter to tend and feed his sheep.

In the above passage, Peter calls upon elders (pastors) to do the same. He calls on them to shepherd the flock of God that's among them. He calls us to tend and feed Jesus’ sheep.

However, they are to do so not for selfish gain. And, as much as we hate to admit it, this can become a motivation for our service. We can begin doing so that we might profit from it.

This is not an argument against paying pastors. Scripture says, in fact, that those who preach are deserving of their wages (1 Timothy 5:17-18). And, although he would take no pay, Paul insisted that this was a right in 1 Corinthians 9. The Bible is clear that pastors should be treated fairly.

Yet, a pastor’s service should not to be motivated by enriching himself. It should not simply be a job that he does in order to get ahead in life. He should willingly and eagerly carry out the call Christ has given him.

Even though this passage is addressed to pastors, I believe the same mindset is to govern all who serve in the church. As we seek to minister to one another, and as we reach out to those outside of the church, it’s not to be done in a self-serving way. It’s not to be motivated by greed.

There are those in business who use the church as their customer base. Their motive, in being part of the church, is merely to bring in clientele. There are those who market their business as “Christian” that they might profit from the church. And there are those who abuse the trust placed in them by their fellow believers to take advantage of them.

There are many examples that come to mind.  However, Peter is clear that greed is not to drive our behavior. It’s never to motivate our service. We are to care for the flock of God willingly and eagerly.