Follow Me!

Those who shepherd must know God’s Word. The word pastor literally means “shepherd.” A pastor’s role is to feed the flock the food of the Word. That’s why all pastors/elders need to be men skilled in handling Scripture. They are men who, when you meet with them, make God’s Word more clear to you.

A shepherd’s first priority is to feed the sheep. Jesus didn’t tell Peter to build his church. In fact, Jesus says that he would take care of building the church (Matt 16:18). Peter was to feed the sheep. A shepherd’s number-one duty is the ministry of the Word.

Shepherds must be motivated by love for God. Jesus asked Peter if he loved him. Then in response to Peter’s declaration of love, Jesus said, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). Love for God must motivate those who lead the church. If anything else becomes the motivating factor, then they open themselves up to serious dangers. Doctrinal aberration, personal agendas, soapbox issues, confused priorities, and personal kingdom building are all the result of loving something else more than God.

Sheep meet together to feed on God’s Word. We gather corporately to feast on the Word of God. Consuming his Word causes us to grow, mature, and obtain the strength to go out and serve God.

Sheep should be growing. If you are being fed the Word of God by a shepherd, you should see effects from that diet. A baby eats and becomes an adult. An adult eats and gets stronger. Are you eating the food of God’s Word? It’s possible to come to dinner every week and have the food spread before you but not consume any. If you stop eating, there will be noticeable signs. Over time your appetite will start to falter; you’ll no longer crave the food you once loved. Over time your strength will fail; you’ll lack the energy and vitality you once had.

Peter could minister the gospel of grace to others because he had experienced it. When Jesus restored Peter, Peter gained firsthand knowledge of the mercy of Christ. You can’t effectively teach people about God’s mercy unless you’ve experienced it yourself. Ministry that flows from a need to compensate for guilt is destructive. If we try to help others to earn or keep God’s favor, we will do far more harm than good. Effective ministry is from one imperfect, broken sinner to another imperfect, broken sinner. As recipients of God’s mercy, we remind one another of the grace found in Jesus Christ, we walk arm in arm to Jesus for healing, and we feast together on the good food of the Word of God.

Where did Jesus go? He went to the cross. It should come as no surprise to us that following a crucified Savior may mean there is a cross for us. That’s what Jesus was telling Peter (vv. 18-19). A time was coming when he would be bound, taken against his wishes, and killed. We need to be prepared to suffer for the sake of the gospel. Not all of us will suffer in the same way, but if we are faithful to follow Christ, there will be suffering of some type. The only way we can prepare for suffering is by learning to view it from God’s perspective. That’s tough: we’ve all heard false perspectives on suffering that cloud our ability to see suffering through God’s eyes. This passage clears up our vision by debunking three common myths about suffering.

As an old man Peter would be carried where he didn’t want to go (v. 18). Writing to suffering Christians, Peter cautioned them not to be surprised at their “fiery ordeal” (1 Pet 4:12). If suffering were easy or light, would Peter have described it with those words? Only pseudo-spirituality pretends suffering is easy. The gospel doesn’t minimize suffering; it helps us see its ultimate purpose and gives us strength to endure.

When Peter heard about his own suffering, his first response was, “What about [John]?” (v. 21). That’s what we often do when suffering comes. We look at those who don’t appear to be suffering and ask, “What about them?” We do that because we look at suffering through the lens of legalism: “Because of my sin, I have to suffer some, but I shouldn’t have to go through more than that guy. Look at his sin.” We often act as if we only receive the suffering we deserve and that we really don’t deserve for it to last long. “So take it away, Lord, and give it to someone else.” We say suffering isn’t fair, but when we think clearly, we don’t want fair. Fair is eternal suffering in hell. God may have you suffer greatly but give little suffering to a brother or sister. The difference doesn’t depend on you; it depends of God’s gracious, sovereign plan.

Of all the myths about suffering, this one is most prevalent and most dangerous. The logic goes like this: suffering is the result of sin. God doesn’t sin. Therefore, suffering is outside of God’s control. That logic will not hold up under the scrutiny of Scripture. Even here it fails. What would happen to John was determined by what Jesus’s will for John was (v. 22). So that means what would happen to Peter—suffering and death—was determined by Jesus’s will for Peter. God has a purpose for your suffering. Your suffering is not meaningless. It is not random. It is God’s will for you. We may not understand the full scope of his purposes in sending suffering, but we should never doubt that he does have a purpose. Listen to an older and wiser Peter as he instructs the sheep:

Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed. . . .

So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good. (1 Pet 4:12-13, 19)

Peter did entrust his soul to a faithful Creator. History records that Jesus’s prophecy came true, and Peter was martyred for his faith when he was an old man. That means that for more than thirty years he faithfully followed Christ, aware that he was going to die the painful death of a martyr. In his example we see someone whose commitment was not to his own comfort but to the cross of Christ.

The Christian life is in one sense difficult, but in another sense it is simple. It is difficult because we are sinners who live in a cursed world, but it is simple because Jesus boils down the Christian life to two words: “Follow me.” That’s it—follow Christ. Sometimes he will lead us to the mountaintop and sometimes through the valley. Will we follow him?

At my house we’ve been reading John Bunyan’s classic allegory on the Christian life, Pilgrim’s Progress, together as a family. The story is about Christian, who leaves the City of Destruction to journey to the Celestial City. As he journeys, he faces many difficult situations: the Slough of Despond, the Valley of Humiliation, the Giant Despair, Doubting Castle. He suffers at the hands of the wicked prince’s servants and watches his traveling companion, Faithful, get killed by the mob in Vanity Fair. Each character and situation brings to life truths from Scripture. But the greatest thing about Pilgrim’s Progress is its simplicity. Each morning as we read the next chapter around the breakfast table, I’m reminded the question I will face that day is, Will I follow Christ? Will I stay on the King’s path that leads to the Celestial City? Some days I will be tempted to turn back to the City of Destruction. Some days I’ll be sidetracked at Doubting Castle. There may also be some day when I’ll be attacked by the citizens of Vanity Fair. But, like Christian, I need to continue to travel the King’s path where my confidence is in Christ’s sovereignty, not my strength. My comfort is in his mercy, not my morality. My concern is for fellow pilgrims, not my own plans. And by his grace, my commitment is to his cross, not my comfort.