September 8, 2024
TEXT:  I Peter 5:1-11

PREAMBLE
We the membership of Summerville Baptist Church rest our faith for salvation in the
Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that the Grace of God with the guidance of the Holy Spirit
has allowed us to write this Constitution. We band together within the tenets of Baptist
distinctives as enumerated in our Declaration of Faith and Principles of Christian Belief.
The observance of these beliefs guides us in our worship, behavior, and Christian service.

Our Church Covenant

…. “Because we believe the Holy Spirit has made our Pastor overseer of our church we agree to
honor, esteem and love our Pastor, to pray for him fervently and daily, to submit to him in the
exercise of his office, to attend constantly upon his ministrations and to manifest a tender regard
for his reputation.”…

I. Believing the pastor is God’s man for His flock (vv. 1-4)
A. God’s shepherds need to be encouraged (v. 1)
B. God’s shepherds need to do God’s work (v. 2)
C. God’s shepherds need to set the pattern for living Biblically (vv. 3-4)
II. Respecting the pastor as God’s man for His flock (vv. 5-7)
A. Younger in age respecting him for his living of life longer (v. 5a; I Timothy 3:1-13)
B. Younger in faith respecting him for his years of growing in faith (v. 5; Hebrews 13:7)
C. Younger in responsibility respecting him for his accountability to God (v. 6; Hebrews 13:17, 24-25)
D. All of us respecting God together and with one another (vv. 6-7)
III. Supporting the pastor as God’s man for His flock (vv. 8-11)
A. Supporting your pastor in being a vigilant opposition to Satan (v. 8)
B. Supporting your pastor in being a growing Christian personally (v. 9)
C. Supporting your pastor in being a stabilizing help in the ministry (vv. 10-11)
1. Maturing to where suffering does not sideline you personally
2. Maturing to where you are grounded in your faith to help others grow
3. Maturing to where you are settled in faithfulness to the Lord with your pastor