I exhort the elders among you: Shepherd God’s flock among you, 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” 1 Peter 5:3 HCSB

The third way we are to shepherd God’s flock is not lording over them but to be an example to them. Christians don’t need fear to get submissive followers, but a positive example. The unjust rulers suppress their followers forcing obedience. But God allows us freedom to want to follow Him. The same should be true of us. This is why I ask twice a year if anyone wants to stop receiving my quiet time thoughts. I don’t want to make people annoyed because I send it out. With that I have had very few ask to drop out. 

We don’t lord over people, but we are the example. James and John wanted to sit at the right hand and left hand of Jesus when He came into His kingdom. Hear Jesus’ response: “But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” “We are able,” they said to Him. He told them, “You will indeed drink My cup. But to sit at My right and left is not Mine to give; instead, it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” When the 10 disciples heard this, they became indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and the men of high position exercise power over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life — a ransom for many.””

Matthew 20:22-28 HCSB

https://www.bible.com/72/mat.20.22-28.hcsb

To be an example to the flock we must be willing to be a servant. Any good leader will serve the one’s following them. 

“Let no one despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

1 Timothy 4:12 HCSB

https://www.bible.com/72/1ti.4.12.hcsb

Paul instructed his young disciple to be an example to those whom he was and would be leading in speech (what he said) in conduct (actions behind how he said it), in love (how he said it), in faith (belief what he said), and in purity (how he lived out what he said). 

Imagine what the Christian Church would look like if all believers would practice be the example for Christ in what we say, how we act it out, how we say it, how we believe it, and how we live it out daily we would see a church that was on fire for God and would love one another. Then we will see a mass flood of people coming to Jesus because we love Him and each other. But now we have people trying to push their own agendas into their church rather than submitting to Jesus and His agenda. 

We all have someone who is following us. It is our kids, our coworkers, our students or it may just be the one person who watches you from the back row of the pew to see how you are responding to challenges that life is throwing at you.

“Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

Matthew 28:18-20 HCSB

https://www.bible.com/72/mat.28.18-20.hcsb

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””

Acts 1:8 HCSB

https://www.bible.com/72/act.1.8.hcsb

We are to go make disciples because we will be a witness to what we are following and who is following us.

““Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are!”

Matthew 23:15 HCSB

https://www.bible.com/72/mat.23.15.hcsb

I tell you what we are following someone else will follow us into the same path and they will become a disciple to that which we are following. Our Pastor’s wife said one time, “that whatever you dabble in, your kids will dive into.” We are to train our children in the ways of the Lord, the best way to do that is to be an example of who we want them to become.