Flowers in a Dry Land

578.  "Flowers in a Dry Land"                  August 6, 2012
1 Peter 5-Part 1
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
1 Peter 5:4

LET IT GLOW

Yesterday, when my granddaughter and I went into the backyard so she could dig in the dirt (it had been a month because of the drought), we saw two wild flowers. There they stood in a foot of dry dirt as pretty as you please, amidst the yellow wilted grass, weeds, and dirt. Actually, I think those flowers were really weeds themselves. One was yellow, which farmers call a Bitter Weed, and the other is a blue Buttercup, to which I am allergic.( I picked a pretty bouquet once and broke out with bumps.) How in the world did those two get there, much less grow in such dry land? God did it. That's all I could say.
Well friends, today when I went outside to pick them, the flowers were gone. Grasshoppers must have eatten them. Only stems remained. The crown of their glory had faded away, but I will receive one that won't fade away. Want to check it out?


The MacArthur Bible Commentary has this to say about our key verse:

The Chief shepherd is our Lord Jesus Christ. When He appears at the Second coming, He will evaluate the ministry of pastors at the judgment seat of Christ.  (1 Cor. 3: 9-15; 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:9-10). The Greek word for "not fade away" is the name of a flower, the amaranth.
In the New Testament world, crowns were given as marks of victorious achievements. (as Olympians get medals) Believers are pormised crowns of glory, life (James 1:12), righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8), and rejoicing (1 Thess. 2:19), and all are imperishable (1 Cor. 9:25). All the crowns describe certain characteristics of eternal life.

God gives sherpherd leaders the responsibility to guard, protect, defend, and care for the spiritual welfare of His flock. A related benefit of a local church is that it also porvides the spiritual protection of godly leaders. We are told, Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. (Heb. 13:17 NLT) [Rick Warren]

Will my love for Jesus fade away? Will my faith in Jesus wilt?

LET IT GROW

Although Peter is writing to the elders of the church (pastors and deacons), couldn't these words apply to the rest of us, who hold postions of leadership, as director and teacher in the church? Peter includes himself as an elder of the church in verse 1; as an eyewittness of Christ's sufferings; as a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed (Transfiguration of Christ found in Matt. 17).
As a pastor/deacon/leader, he is to:

• feed the flock by teaching the Word of God; as green pastures are sought by the shepherd for his sheep to have nurishment to grow, so must there be in the Word for the Christian to grow spiritually and in faith;
• take the oversight, which means to look upon, inspect, look after, care for; as a shepherd tends his flock, so the effective pastor gets to know his people, their needs, and their problems so he can lead and help them.
•  do it willingly, not by constraint, which means by force; though he is called to this profession, he wants to do it and enjoys his work; it isn't by compulsion or with laziness that he serves;
• not do it for filthy lucre, (shameful gain)  but of a ready mind (eagerly); he must not be a lover of money nor devoted to pursuing money (Titus 1:7, 1 Tim. 3:3); he doesn't use his power and position to rob the people of their wealth; nor does he serve for what he can get out of it;
• be a good  example to the flock, not lord it over the people he serves; he is a submissive servant to the will of God.  (Wiersbe)

Is my serving pleasing Jesus or my flesh?
What a joy it will be when we place our crown at Jesus' feet (Rev. 4:10). We will acknowledge that all was done because of His grace and power (1 Cor. 15:10).

LET IT GO

Be a flower in a dry land-beauty that points others to Jesus.

Feed others the Word of God.

Care for those around me.

Show kindness because of love, not for money.