Shepherds and Sheep

The Nazis were moving across Western Europe on their way toward Great Britain and Churchill had been given one of the most powerful leadership positions in the world.

He was responsible for an entire Nation of people (bigger than just England) and would be the one whose decisions in the midst of the 2nd great war would decide the fate of their nation and, potentially, the world.

A 2017 movie called “Darkest Hour” tells the story of him becoming Prime Minister and having to lead through either making a peace treaty with Germany or potentially losing the country if they were to attack and win.

Churchill was a great leader and it showed as he lead through one of the most challenging world events in history.

Leadership matters, and that is why Peter spends time writing about it.

In the middle of the chaos and struggles the people he is writing to are facing, Peter turns to “elders” (also translated pastors, shepherds, or overseers) to exhort (give the instruction) on how they are to lead.

Why this applies to you...

Because you are being lead and you must be informed on what that means.

God has called myself and Andy to serve His Church as Pastors.

You, through the Holy Spirit, have called us to lead this body

Our roles are defined by the Word of God and His calling on us.

Because you are called to lead in a variety of places (home, work, church…)

The principles here are not just applicable for church leadership.

What attitude should you possess? How should you lead others biblically?

Pastors are called to...

1) SHEPHERD

“Shepherd the flock of God”

Remember what Jesus told Peter in John 21, “Feed my sheep”

Peter is calling the pastor/elder/shepherds here to lean into the responsibility care for the people they are called to pastor.

That does mean to feed them and the food they need, the food we all need, is a healthy diet of the Word of God.

This is not just preaching from a stage, it is taking opportunities to teach, encourage, correct, direct, and counsel all through the Word of God.

And all this is to be done “among you”, mean pastors are not to be seen as separated from the body of Christ.

We are members of the church, not employees.

We have unique callings and giftedness, but that does not mean we are separated from the congregation

It also means that we are in need of ministry as much as we minister to others.

“Among you” also means that pastors are not perfect because we are just life you.

I mess up often.

I struggle with sin and struggle to trust Christ.

Some times my sermons hit me harder than the one listening as I realize I am heeding my own words.

But I am not called to shepherd from my strengths, I am called to shepherd from my weakness so that God will get the glory and not me.

2) LEAD

“Exercise oversight”

Pastors are to oversee the church.

1 Timothy 3 is addressed to overseers.

Acts 20 Paul is speaking to the elders in Ephesus and is instructing them to “care for the flock of God to which to have been made OVERSEERS”

Leadership and oversight does not mean control and power.

It means influence, authority, and conviction that is used to direct, correct, lead, and protect the body.

You will notice here, Acts 20, 1 Timothy 3, and other places that word translated elder, overseer, or shepherd is always plural.

That is why we have 2 pastors and not one.

It is also why this sermon is important, because my prayer is that God would raise up more pastors within EHBC to lead and shepherd this body.

This is not commonplace in our community, but the role of pastor/elder is not a profession, but a calling.

My prayer is that God would call some men among us to rise up to this vital role.

Pastors are to lead...

1) WILLINGLY

“Not under compulsion” really has in mind the motivation why we lead.

There is a dangerous tendency in ministry and in general to seek leadership as a way to gain prestige or power.

We want to be respected, appreciated, and/or accepted because of our position.

To lead willingly is to embrace the call God has for you or the position God has given you.

In regards to pastors, my friend Matt Haste wrote a book called “The Pastor’s Life” where he and his coauthor examine the lives and ministries of Puritan pastors (deeply Godly and pious pastors from the 18th and 19th Centuries.)

One such Pastor named Richard Baxter considered calling to be made of of 4 qualifications:

Conviction- meaning a passionate desire be used by God to minister to His people.

Competence- meaning an ability to preach the bible and make it plain and applicable to the people.

This is both the eagerness to study and learn, as well as the capability to communicate and teach.

Character- meaning the deeper part of the man. Really as we would see outlined in 1 Timothy 3. Who is he when no one is watching?

Confirmation- meaning the outward recognition that the man possesses the conviction, competence, and character necessary to be a pastor.

It has been said “If you can avoid entering the ministry, do so!”

That is not saying it is a bad gig, but that the calling to ministry must be a willingness, not a drudgery.

2) EAGERLY

“not for dishonest gain” is literally talking about doing ministry for the money.

I am not sure what Peter had experienced, but pastoral ministry is not the most lucrative avenue of life.

But there are lots of examples, even beyond the most egregious ones, of pastors being overly concerned about money.

But “dishonest gain” also covers pastor’s being more concerned about there own agendas or what they get out of ministry rather than the true purpose of ministry.

To be eager means “with enthusiasm, with energy and excitement.”

Peter is talking to pastors who are leading congregations that are getting beaten up and facing hardships.

The energy and enthusiasm we serve with cannot come from circumstances and approval.

Our energy must come from the greater purpose and the bigger mission otherwise we will be serving and leading for all the wrong reasons.

Burn out is a real and dangerous thing for pastors, and when we are seeking to be energized and driven by anything other than making Christ known and seeing His people grow up in the faith, we will be more susceptible to it.

3) CAREFULLY

“not lording it over those entrusted to you” has in mind our posture toward those we are called to lead.

I heard a pastor confess after a moral and leadership failure from his pastorate that he came to realize that he had treated the people God had called him to pastor as tools for his ministry rather than as brothers and sisters in Christ.

He didn’t care for those God had called him to and so he “lorded” over them for his own agenda.

Shepherds care for the flock and seek the good of the flock they are over.

The way we minster the Word, counsel, correct, discipline, direct, administer, and all else must be done with care and compassion for the one’s God has called us to lead.

“being examples to the flock” involves sensitivity to peoples’ needs, affection for people, authenticity of life, and enthusiastic affirmation, without deception, greed, flattery, or authoritarianism.

4) EXPECTANTLY

“you will receive the unfading crown of glory” is a promise Peter wants the pastors he is speaking to to know and embrace as the hope of their calling so that they can stay the course in what is a painful, hard, and often times, unrewarding calling.

This might sound wrong to encourage pastors (or anyone for that matter) to pursue reward as a motive for serving, but consider the words of John Piper

“We don’t pursue the reward at the expense of others, but in order to bring others into the reward. If you don't want this reward you dishonor Christ who offers it, and is it, and you don't love people because you don't have the reward to offer them.

James has sobering words for pastors

James 3:1 ESV

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

But with the high responsibility come also the promise of great reward.

Should we be motivated by such a reward?

Absolutely, as we understand by whom and for whom we were made.

In every area of leadership we are placed in there is a promise of reward.

Faithfulness in parenting

Faithfulness in work

faithfulness in serving the church

And where we are faithful in leadership others will be served and we will find the reward of our sacrifice.