1. Shepherds of God's flock

Peter addressed this charge to the elders, leaders in the church. A leader in the Christian fellowship is a shepherd. A shepherd should not be a hireling. His motives must be pure. He is a shepherd because God wants him to be, not because he receives some material or human benefit. He must accept God's calling and serve God's people willingly . A shepherd should not lord it over others nor should he be full of personal ambition. Rather, he must lead by example. Shepherds must feed God's flock with the word of God; he must protect them.

2. The Chief Shepherd will appear

The Chief Shepherd is Jesus. All shepherds must first be good sheep of Jesus. Shepherds must receive Jesus' grace and forgiveness. Their hope must be in the crown of glory he will give them. They must learn shepherdship from Jesus.

Application: Lord, help me to follow Jesus closely until he enables me to be a shepherd.
One Word: Be shepherds of God's flock