Shepherds (pastor appreciation)
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Introduction
Today we are appreciating Pastor Chuck and Sister Sherry
Are we able to hold pastors accountable? - YES
How are we supposed to judge pastors if they are doing right or not?
What are pastors for? What is the purpose of their office?
Today I want to look t 1 Peter 5:1-4 and give a biblical portrait of pastoral ministry and tell you what it means for you.
You need to know what the bible says a pastor IS.
You need to know what a pastor is FOR.
TITLE: SHEPHERDS, THE GOOD, THE BAD, and THE GLORY
1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,
2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;
3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
A few observations about what we just read:
A few observations about what we just read:
There are elders assigned to the church.
The church is organized.
Peter calls himself a fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ and a fellow partaker of glory.
The Elder is a shepherd who oversees.
Elder, Pastor, Bishop, etc. are used interchangeably.
The only two offices that are very clearly distinct is pastor and deacon.
Pastors teach and deacons serve.
Shepherd and sheep imagery is used.
The church is sheep, the pastor is a sheep who is a shepherd, and Christ is the chief shepherd.
1. Shepherds are given to help in suffering.
1. Shepherds are given to help in suffering.
The context of our passage is not a pastoral letter, but a general church letter which for a brief moment focuses on Pastoral ministry.
Peter has been talking about suffering (4:12-19) and will pick that back up immediately after this instruction.
Why would he do that?
God has given pastors to the church for the betterment and aide of the church.
To lead in Crisis. - Chuck leads well in a Crisis, you’ve seen that with the way he lead during the flood.
To lead in suffering. - He has been there for you in moments of suffering.
To point to Christ.
God has given us to be with you in times of sorrow, joy, crisis, pain, hospitalizations, death.
Pastors comfort with the comfort that we have been given from God.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
YOU NEED A PASTOR AND A CHURCH.
You cannot be part of the body of Christ and not BE apart of the BODY
You cannot say you love God and hate the church.
You cannot CHURCH by yourself
You cannot pastor yourself.
YOU NEED:
FELLOWSHIP, YOU NEED A PASTOR, YOU NEED ACCOUNTABILITY, YOU NEED CORPORATE WORSHIP, YOU NEED THE WORD PREACHED TO YOU.
2. Shepherds are to shepherd God’s flock.
2. Shepherds are to shepherd God’s flock.
Notice this is GOD’S flock, not Chucks flock. (Not Matt’s or Chuck’s people, GOD’s People)
Notice the duties of the shepherd are to the flock among them.
The shepherd/pastor is not to neglect the flock in order to reach the lost. (He can still reach the lost, but not to the determent of the sheep).
When the focus of the church becomes about the world, the pastor and the church have both lost their way.
Our services are not all about the lost. (although they can be)
If Chuck preached a “salvation” message every Sunday, you would never grow in Christ. Making my “joy complete”
The shepherd image comes from Jesus Christ himself.
11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
We also find this shepherd imagery in the Psalms, such as Psalm 23, it also appears in the Prophets in Jeremiah 23, Ezekiel 34, and Isaiah 40:11.
Shepherds shepherding responsibilities: (These are all in relation to growth and health of the flock OR the discipleship of the people of God)
Feed the flock.
Feed the flock.
This is the primary responsibility of the pastor.
1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.
7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,
8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled,
9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
17 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
Care for the flock.
Care for the flock.
Pastors care for you by watching over your soul.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
Equip the flock.
Equip the flock.
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
Protect the flock.
Protect the flock.
From yourself
28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
From false teaching.
9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.
From Divisions
17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.
When a pastor neglects these roles to peruse other responsibilities that popular Christianity tells us we must, then I am not being a biblical pastor.
3. Shepherds are to oversee the flock.
3. Shepherds are to oversee the flock.
Bad Shepherds
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?
3 “You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock.
4 “Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.
They do not feed the sheep. (2)
They slaughter the sheep (3)
They do not strengthen (4)
They do not heal (4)
They do not bring the scattered back (4)
They do not seek out the lost (4)
But they use force and severity to dominate the sheep. (4)
Bad pastors abuse their role and abuse the body of Christ
Are we able to hold pastors accountable? - YES
This is the type of shepherd Peter is telling Pastors to NOT be. These are the type of shepherds that leave people “church hurt.”
How are we supposed to judge pastors if they are doing right or not?
NOT under compulsion (v. 2)
Doing their duty out of a HAVE TO mentality
Under compulsion means that they are not called
Pastors who are operating in their office under compulsion have to be begged to do their duty.
What are pastors for? What is the purpose of their office?
NOT for sordid gain (v. 2)
These are the pastors that take up second and third offerings because the first was not enough.
These are the pastors that shame people.
These are wolves in sheep clothing.
NOT lording over (v. 3)
25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.
26 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,
27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave;
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
The office of pastoral ministry is first a SERVANT.
Not ruling over with an iron fist. but with love.
Not using the gift as a platform to bully others.
Not using the office of pastor as a way to take advantage of others (females).
What do we do if we have a bad pastor?
19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.
20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.
Shepherds ARE to oversee:
Voluntarily, according to the will of God
Purposely OR willingly
Not everyone is called to do this.
“Do not do it, if you are not called” - best advice I’ve ever heard.
With Eagerness
You need to know what the bible says a pastor IS.
4. Shepherds are examples to the flock.
4. Shepherds are examples to the flock.
You need to know what a pastor is FOR.
Pastors are called to a higher standard, but so is the CHURCH.
You are not allowed to live like the World and hold me to a high standard which you yourself are also not seeking.
You don’t get to be compulsory seeking every position in the church.
You must follow your own calling.
You don't get to be money hungry.
1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,
2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;
3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
You are not allowed to be money hungry and hold your pastor to the standard of poverty.
You don't get to lord over others either.
God opposes bullies.
It is the role of the Pastor to be an example and a protector.
Sometimes I have to discipline and rebuke to protect the flock.
Where do i fix my hope and set my eyes UNDER this GREAT weight of pastoral ministry??
5. Shepherds answer to the Chief Shepherd when He appears in glory.
5. Shepherds answer to the Chief Shepherd when He appears in glory.
The Chief Shepherd is coming.
11 Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.
Evil Shepherds will answer to Him.
21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.
Good Shepherds (and the people) will receive the unfading crowns of Glory.
4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
I PUT MY HOPE IN THE COMING CHIEF SHEPHERD
16 “They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat;
17 for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
CONCLUSION