SHEEP NEED LEADERSHIP
Acts 6:1-7, I Peter 5.1-6
S: Church Structure
C: Pastors
Th: A People with Purpose
Pr: THE ROLE OF PASTOR IS A MINISTRY OF SHEPHERDING AND LEADERSHIP.
?: How? How do we come to that conclusion?
KW: Matters
TS: We will find in our study of Scripture three matters that direct us in our understanding of the role of pastor.
Type: Propositional
The ____ matter is…
I. DEFINITION
II. ROLE
III. CONCERNS
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Let pastors be shepherds.
• Let pastors be equippers.
• Be careful not to distract pastors from these matters.
• Get on board spiritually.
Version: ESV
RMBC 05 March 06 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Pastor: sheep dog
On one particular Sunday, a certain pastor was giving a children’s message on the Twenty-third Psalm.
He told the children about sheep, that they weren’t smart and needed lots of guidance, and that a shepherd’s job was to stay close to the sheep, protect them from wild animals and keep them from wandering off and doing dumb things that would get them hurt or killed.
He pointed to the little children in the room and said that they were like sheep and needed to be guided and directed in their lives.
Then the pastor put his hands out to the side, palms up in a dramatic gesture, and with raised eyebrows said to the children, "If you are the sheep then who is the shepherd?" He was pretty obviously indicating himself.
A silence of a few seconds followed. Then a young boy said, "Jesus… Jesus is the shepherd."
The pastor, obviously caught by surprise, said to the boy, "Well, then, who am I?"
The little boy frowned thoughtfully and then said with a shrug, “I guess you must be a sheep dog.”
Well…
What is a pastor to do?
Have you ever wondered that?
I mean, after all…
Do they really work on more than Sunday?
This is a message about pastors.
And it is hard to write a sermon about pastoring without there being some kind of personal agenda, because this is really personal.
TRANSITION:
Today we are finishing a three-part series.
And…
1. We have been studying church structure.
We began this series because, this year, we had returned to the book of Acts.
As we came to chapter six, we found that the church was growing so much, it required some revamping structurally.
Needs were not being adequately met under the old system.
The apostles, in particular, needed help.
So, the development of deacons occurred.
In the first part of our series…
2. We have discovered that deacons have the ministry of service.
The apostles suggested that the church body find spiritual men that would be able to meet the needs of the poor.
But this was not the only need the apostles were going to have.
They could not be everywhere.
As the church grew, leaders were needed for each of these communities of new believers.
So, in the second part of our series…
3. We have discovered that elders have the ministry of leadership.
Wherever the church spread, the apostles appointed elders.
But it was not just the elders that did the appointing, but those that were also appointed, like Timothy and Titus.
The giving of these responsibilities assured the church of continuing leadership in successive generations.
We have studied the roles of deacon and elder.
Now we come to the third part of our series and the position that I fill before you – the role of pastor.
First, let me set the proposition for you, that…
4. THE ROLE OF PASTOR IS A MINISTRY OF SHEPHERDING AND LEADERSHIP.
The role of pastor is one of leadership.
But it does have an additional component to it.
It carries the responsibility of oversight and care of a specific people.
The pastor is a shepherd taking care of his sheep.
In regard to our series, though, a question is raised.
It is this.
5. QUESTION: Is the pastor an elder?
My answer to that is unequivocally – yes.
One of the points we made last week is that elders come in plural, and it is my understanding that pastors serve as members of that plurality.
Before we follow that line of thinking any further, let us understand where we are going in our study this morning.
For…
6. We will find in our study of Scripture three matters that direct us in our understanding of the role of pastor.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first matter is DEFINITION.
I have already alluded to this statement, but it is so important it bears repeating.
It is…
1. The pastor is a shepherd.
The Greek word for pastor is poimen.
Its meaning is simple.
It means shepherd.
And when it is used in reference to the leadership role, the metaphor continues for the church body.
If the pastor is a shepherd, the members that make up the church body are sheep.
With that being said, it is further understood that it is the basic nature of a shepherd to provide leadership.
And it is the basic nature of sheep to need leadership.
Now perhaps you are not quite comfortable with that metaphor.
I understand.
No one really wants to be compared to sheep, for they are not the most brilliant animal in God’s kingdom.
But that is the point God wants us to understand about ourselves.
He has made no mistake in providing this metaphor.
For, can you imagine sheep saying to a shepherd, “Hey, we don’t need you.”
“Look, we are all equals here.”
“You can join us if you like, but we can do this ourselves.”
That would be a bit absurd, wouldn’t it?
And God wants us to understand that as well.
It is in our very nature to need leadership and care.
It is the way we are made.
As sheep, we need a shepherd.
We need what a shepherd does – guide, feed, protect and rescue.
Now, having understood that pastors are shepherds, let us also note that…
2. Pastors are equal to elders (I Peter 5.1-3).
Not superior…
Not inferior…
But equals.
Note how Peter describes this…
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight…
What I think is interesting about this text is that Peter, who is an apostle, also considers himself an elder.
At the same time, he calls on elders to shepherd the flock, establishing the equality of the role of elder and pastor.
Putting this together, we get the understanding that pastors and elders together (remember the plurality issue – elders come in plural) give oversight and direction to the church.
From a practical point of view, I believe that even when there is a plurality of leadership, there needs to be a leader of the leaders.
It seems to me that the pastor plays that role.
Given that he has the responsibility of shepherding, that oversight will also include the other elders.
The pastor gives direction to the leadership.
Now, problems can occur if a pastor (or any elder for that matter) views this as a matter of power.
We will all have problems if that happens.
It is not to be about power.
It is about position.
Granted, there are pastors that have abused their position and exercised power, and shamed the name of Christ.
But because it is done wrong by some, it does not mean that the position and role should be lessened (it is a temptation to do so).
Let’s move to the next issue before us, because it will clear up some of what we have just spoken about…
II. The second matter is ROLE.
1. The pastor’s primary ministry is the Word and prayer (Acts 6.4).
“… But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
As I have noted in previous weeks, the apostles’ desire to keep to their priorities of the Word and prayer, is a desire that passes down to the elders, and more specifically, pastors.
It should be our desire that the pastor is man of the Word of God; that He is growing in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
This should be our desire as a church body.
It should be our expectation.
And it should be observed in the pastor’s humble expertise.
We should also want our pastor to be a man of prayer.
It should be our desire that the pastor be man that is intimately connected to God.
He is seeking God out.
He is setting time aside to not only talk to God, but even more importantly, to listen to Him.
Along with this, there is another aspect to the pastor’s role…
2. The pastor’s goal is to equip people for ministry (Ephesians 4.11-13).
[11] And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, [12] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…
It should be the heart of a pastor to take their flock to the next level.
In other words, he wants to equip them for service, in order that the community of believers might be more effective in growing the kingdom of God.
To do that, the pastor promotes spiritual maturity, because it is within the community, God desires to change and transform us.
Yet, when we resist the change God wants to do in us, we will continue to look and act like the same old bunch.
If you want to depress your pastor, don’t grow in your faith.
If you want to see him burnout, continue to lack knowledge of the Word of God.
If you want to completely frustrate him, even to the point of breakdown, don’t look to apply anything that you do know.
ILL Personal
This week, I had someone in my office, a young woman, whose marriage had ended in divorce. It was a hurtful, heartbreaking situation.
And what was more heartbreaking, they are both Christians.
It was weak faith. It was immature faith. It was biblical knowledge unapplied.
My heart breaks for them, for the loss they are both suffering. And Satan dances with glee.
3. Pastors get to wear a lot of hats.
It has been suggested that the pastor of a church must be…
…an office manager
…educator
…salesperson
…theologian
…children’s worker
…psychologist
…fund raiser
…vocational counselor
…wedding consultant
…funeral director
…master of ceremonies
…circus clown
…healer of souls
…referee
…and the list could go on.
As you can tell from the list, there are a lot of hats.
But when the hats keep the pastor from doing the main thing he is called to do, they become distractions.
Which brings us to…
III. The third matter is CONCERNS.
ILL Respect
When Thomas Miller was ordained a minister in the Anglican Church, the congregation he had been serving held a dinner in his honor. He overheard one of the newer members ask a lifelong member, "What should I call Tom now?"
"When you speak to him," the elder member explained, "call him ’Reverend Mr. Miller,’ and when you talk about him, call him ’the Reverend Mr. Miller.’"
The elder member then turned and saw the newly ordained minister there, and yelled, "Hey, Tom, take this garbage out to the dumpster, would you?"
Well, sometimes respect doesn’t come just with a title.
But I will tell you…
1. Pastors thrive on trust and respect (I Thessalonians 5.12-13; Hebrews 13.17)
Note these Scriptures…
[12] We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, [13] and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.
[17] Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
It takes a lot of emotional energy to pastor during these days.
There is a lot of pressure to perform.
When you add in criticism, especially criticism that is in the wrong spirit, it can be very paralyzing.
But we should do everything we can to demonstrate trust and respect.
It is our responsibility to express love.
It is our responsibility to pray.
It is our responsibility to encourage.
For the point is…is that it should be a joy to serve, not a burden.
The second concern is that…
2. Pastors as CEOs are a recent phenomena, and cause them (pastors) to lose sight of their primary role.
Churches that grow larger search for ways to structure themselves, and as a result, often mimic business models.
As a result, they want the pastor to be the leader of leaders, but more than that.
They want him to give vision, manage and administrate, even if those tasks contradict one another.
It has been my conclusion that our structure lends itself to a CEO model, since there are technically no elders.
We have deacons, that act as a hybrid, as we have noted before.
But we essentially have a one elder system – the senior pastor.
So, there is an expectation that this one person has a handle on everything that goes on at Randall.
Now, you may say, “no, we don’t expect that.”
But my experience is that when it is something that concerns you, you expect me to have some knowledge about it.
I am never surprised by that.
It is the design of the structure.
Increasingly, over the last two months, I have become convinced that we need to move away from this line of thinking.
Because as a church grows larger, expectations are greater.
And when a large church begins to decrease, the expectations are even far greater.
It is why there is a lot of burnout in ministry, and more than most professions.
It is my belief that we want pastors actively doing three things above all others…
…ministry of the Word
…prayer
…discipleship (equipping).
I have a particular weakness.
I recognize it in myself.
I have seen it grow since I began in ministry 25 years ago.
When people come to me for help and advice, I will almost always say “yes.”
No matter how much time it will take, I will somehow try to fit it in.
But when I say “yes” too many times, my schedule fills up with too many things to do, and it becomes overwhelming.
Not only that, these matters I say “yes” to may be good, but they almost always steal time from the ministry of the Word and prayer.
You see…
3. Pastors can be duped into being people-pleasers.
God is continually striking at my heart with this issue (especially this week).
Who am I trying to please?
Am I too interested in everyone liking me?
I can tell you this…
God is not pleased when I choose to please people over Him.
The pastor’s first loyalty has to be God.
Every pastor, every elder, and every deacon should have pleasing God as their priority.
It should be that we want to serve in His pleasure, not our own.
APPLICATION:
The application today is rather personal, and I want to share some of my heart…
1. I want to be a shepherd.
It says in…
I Timothy 3:1
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
It is a noble task.
I would also call it a heart-wrenching calling.
I would say I was compelled.
In 25 years, there have been times I have been tempted to give up.
I have been very close to leaving the ministry.
But I always have stayed because God’s call on my life has been so clear to me.
There are lots of titles for a pastor.
When a pastor is ordained, they put “reverend” in front of his name.
And there is good reason, for the word reverend gives the sense of sacredness, of being set apart.
But I admit, I have never been too crazy about the title.
I have never thought it was a title that described me well.
(I have always thought “irreverend” might be better.)
Sometimes, pastors are called preachers.
It, too, is a good word.
It speaks of one that proclaims the good news.
But in our culture, it has a kind of country, red-neck type of feel, and that is not who I am either.
Sometimes, we are called CEOs.
It happens more often than you might think.
I really take no pleasure in that.
But I do take pride in being called pastor.
It best describes what is on my heart.
And…
2. I desire to be a disciple-maker.
If you have been around me very much, you know that I have been greatly affected by the Great Commission and the command to make disciples.
Matthew 28:19-20
“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 all that I have commanded you.”
It is consistently on my heart to take people where they are in their relationship with God, and move them further…
When I get to sit down, talk about the Bible, and give counsel from what it says, I am in my glory.
These types of things are my passion.
Finally…
3. I believe that if we are focused together spiritually, we will be effective in winning people to Christ.
No church is perfect.
I think we all realize it.
For if it was, our attendance in it would destroy that perfection rather quickly.
But I am burdened that we do not have unity of heart.
If you feel that the church lacks purpose and vision, I can tell you where it is found.
It is at God’s heart.
This means then we must move humbly toward God’s heart (and there is a certain and absolute emphasis on the humility aspect).
If we will not humble ourselves, we will fail.
But, when we understand what concerns Him, what concerns us is set aside.
What I like and what you like are secondary.
I believe God has brought us to a strategic time in our church family.
I believe the deacons will have decisions in front of them, even this week, that will change the course of Randall.
I believe our meetings the next four Sunday nights will give us all a sense of what God is up to and what He desires to accomplish through us, and so I encourage your participation in them.
SCRIPTURE:
Acts 6:1-7
[1] Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. [2] And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. [3] Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. [4] But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." [5] And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. [6] These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. [7] And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Ephesians 4:11-13
[11] And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, [12] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…
I Thessalonians 5:12-13
[12] We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, [13] and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.
Heb 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
I Peter 5:1-3
[1] So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: [2] shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; [3] not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
COMMUNION:
Luke 23:26-46
As they led him off, they made Simon, a man from Cyrene who happened to be coming in from the countryside, carry the cross behind Jesus. 27 A huge crowd of people followed, along with women weeping and carrying on. 28 At one point Jesus turned to the women and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. 29 The time is coming when they’ll say, ’Lucky the women who never conceived! Lucky the wombs that never gave birth! Lucky the breasts that never gave milk!’ 30 Then they’ll start calling to the mountains, ’Fall down on us!’ calling to the hills, ’Cover us up!’ 31 If people do these things to a live, green tree, can you imagine what they’ll do with deadwood?"
32 Two others, both criminals, were taken along with him for execution.
33 When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right, the other on his left.
34 Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing."
Dividing up his clothes, they threw dice for them. 35 The people stood there staring at Jesus, and the ringleaders made faces, taunting, "He saved others. Let’s see him save himself! The Messiah of God — ha! The Chosen — ha!"
36 The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him, making a game of it. They toasted him with sour wine: 37 "So you’re King of the Jews! Save yourself!"
38 Printed over him was a sign: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 One of the criminals hanging alongside cursed him: "Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!"
40 But the other one made him shut up: "Have you no fear of God? You’re getting the same as him. 41 We deserve this, but not him — he did nothing to deserve this."
42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom."
43 He said, "Don’t worry, I will. Today you will join me in paradise."
44 By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours — 45 a total blackout. The Temple curtain split right down the middle. 46 Jesus called loudly, "Father, I place my life in your hands!" Then he breathed his last.
THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
Romans 5:6-11
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Those of us that know Jesus are invited to share in the elements of the table.
You do not have to be a member of this church to partake, but we do ask that you have a relationship with Jesus.
If you do not know Jesus, that is, you have not received Him as your Savior and Lord, you do not trust Him with your life, that is, you have not been changed by the message, just let the elements pass by.
Please wait until the time comes when you do have that personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.
We practice “communion” because we are to remember the death of the Lord Jesus.
We take the bread to remind us that it was by the body of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died in our place.
He became our substitute.
Being led in prayer by ____, let us take a moment and thank Him for being our sacrifice.
(Prayer)
The apostle Paul writes, "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
We take the cup to remind us that it was by the blood of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died for our sins.
He became our sacrifice.
It is here we rejoice in the forgiveness we have received.
____ will now come and lead us in prayer.
Again, the apostle Paul writes, "In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
1 Cor 15:57-58
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
RESOURCES:
“What Is Your Job, Pastor?” Rev! Jan/Feb 2006, pp. 57-64.
SermonCentral:
Brownworth, Russell The Pastor’s Heart
Chau, Dana Let the Pastor Move Over
Duncan, Jason What Sheep Owe Their Shepherds
Hays, Mike Shepherds of the Soul
Higgins, Kevin Pastors: God Called and Church Called
Getz, Gene A. Elders and Leaders: God’s Plan for Leading the Church. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2003.
