image of male and female church members of all ages sitting in pews with their Bibles

The Pastor's Attitude Toward the People of God

In our current secular culture, it is easy to get pastoral attitudes toward church members from the world and not from Scripture. This can be especially true for men who become pastors without a church experience, or who have had a bad church experience. We can think of ministry as a profession based on performance and not a ministry based on relationships.

We need to have a high view of the church like the apostles. The Apostle Paul shares his attitude toward the church in Thessalonica by saying to them: “But we proved to be gentle among you. As a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children, in the same way we had a fond affection for you and were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. For you recall, brothers and sisters, our labor and hardship: it was by working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:7-9).

Similarly the Apostle Peter says of Christ’s church: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

Hence, Peter is most qualified to speak on how we should view the church.

The second attitude Peter addresses is that of the pastor’s attitude towards God’s people. Someone once said, “Ministry would be great if it wasn’t for people.” Unfortunately, many pastors grow to feel this way. They like the title and task but grow weary of the people of God. But without people, there would be no ministry. Peter helps us to view our congregants rightly and serve them well.

The Flock of God

The main exhortation of the paragraph is “Shepherd the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:2). Peter describes the people of God as a flock and the role of the elder as a shepherd and overseer. Our attitude towards God’s people shifts when we see them as God’s flock, not just a gathered crowd. The church is priceless. Her value is not in her size, demographic, maturity level, or activities—it’s in her identity. She’s Christ’s purchased possession and the temple of the Holy Spirit, jealously guarded by God (1 Peter 2:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17). May we treasure her as Christ does.

Peter also calls the elders to act as overseers of the flock (1 Peter 5:2; 1 Timothy 3:1). The elders must exercise great care in guarding the flock of God, as they are responsible for its welfare (Acts 20:28). We dare not be careless shepherds of something so valuable.

When I was in seminary, a fellow student said to me: “Alex, I will die for Christ, but I will not die for the church.” Peter corrects this attitude. He knew firsthand what it meant to shepherd the flock of God. Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. After each ”yes,” Jesus told Peter to take care of His flock (John 21:15-17). If we love Christ, we’ll love His church. God did not ask us to love study, preaching, writing, or debating. He asked us to love His flock, and His flock is not always easy to love. Yet the good shepherd is willing to lay down his life for the sheep (John 10:11-15).

The Charge of God

The apostle also uses another expression for the people of God which should affect our attitude towards them. Peter adds, “not yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge” (1 Peter 5:3). The expression, ”those allotted to your charge,” is from one word which means ”lot” as in casting lots (Acts 1:26). Hence, it means “a share,” “a part.” Our flocks are the portion of God’s larger church entrusted to our care.

The pastor is called a steward, one in charge of a God-given responsibility (1 Peter 5:2; Titus 1:7). The people of God under our care are God’s allotment to us. We are responsible for each of them. Our attitude towards the flock of God, our charge, should be like a father. We are to know our sheep by name (John 10:3-5) and be willing to carry them on our shoulders if need be (Luke 15:5). The church should never die on our watch. Thank the Lord for the sheep he has placed under your care.

The Privilege of Pastoral Ministry

Every pastor should look at ministry as a wonderful privilege. It’s not that we have to serve the church. It is more like we get to serve the church; we have this awesome privilege of being selected to love and care for the flock of God. I often remind our pastoral staff of this gracious privilege. Some of us even get paid to do it. The Apostle Paul’s attitude toward the church came from his realization of this gracious privilege (Colossians 1:24-25). His attitude towards God’s people became his motivation for life and ministry.

He says of God’s people, “For who is our hope, or joy or crown of pride, in the presence of the Lord Jesus at His coming? Or is it not indeed you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). To the Philippians he says, “Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, whom I long to see, my joy and crown” (Philippians 4:1). Not even trials and imprisonment could alter his love and devotion for the people of God. Let’s not focus only on our trials and difficulties but rather on the joyous privilege of serving Christ’s precious people.

©2024 Alex Montoya. Used with permission.

About The Author

Alex Montoya
Alex Montoya

Alex D. Montoya is the senior pastor at First Fundamental Bible Church in Whittier, Calif. He is the author of the book, Preaching with a Passion.

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