Pastors: Leading As Shepherds

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.”

As the shepherd feeds the flock, he has a responsibility to guard them from the attacks of wolves, to guard them from those who would harm them. Wolves come in many forms today. There are those who would have you to believe in wrong plans of salvation. God’s plan is that you recognize your sinfulness before Him and repent, placing your faith and trust in Him. The wolves of this world would have you to believe that your good works have to outweigh the bad, that you have to be good enough, or work enough, or do something to keep what God has given you, but it’s all a lie! If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you need to know that your sin separates you from God, and He cannot accept you in your sinful condition. But Jesus died on Calvary’s cross to pay your sin debt. He was sacrificed for you, and now nothing stands between you and a relationship with God except your decision. Would you confess Christ and trust Him to save you?

Wolves come in the form of many other false teachings. Those teachings may concern fundamental Bible doctrines, or they may concern the spirit of the age in which we live. Regardless of the form they take, the shepherd must guard the flock from them, and he does this by teaching them the perfect Word of God. All of this has to do with perfecting the saints, maturing them, seeing that a complete adjustment is made in your character and in your conduct. As this occurs, then you become equipped for the next thing found in Ephesians 4:12.

For the work of the ministry

Simply put, God gives men to His churches to train and equip the members of those churches to do the work of the ministry; in other words: Christian service.

“By teaching, preaching, training and by example the pastor / shepherd is to equip church members for God’s service. Pastors are to ready Christians for action and to make them useful in the kingdom’s service. It is not the pastor’s job to meet every need of the congregation. It is their job to see that every need is met.”

Did you notice the subtle difference there? It isn’t my job to meet every need of our church. It is however my job to make sure that every need is being met, and the biblical way to do that is for saints who are being aligned with God to do the work as they are taught and trained.

One time a deacon told the other deacons in his church, “Men, we must help our pastor to do his work.” The man had the right spirit, but the wrong idea. You see, it is not my work. It is not any pastor’s work. It is God’s work. The work is His, the church is His, and we are His. You don’t help me do my work. You have been invited to join God in doing His work.

So, as the shepherd labors for the perfecting of the saints, they become engaged in the work of the ministry, a third reason comes about.