One of the biblical metaphors that mean the most to me as an elder in the congregation is that of being an “undershepherd”.
· John 10:11-13 HCSB "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (12) The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn't own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. (13) This happens because he is a hired man and doesn't care about the sheep.
I recognize that the flock does not belong to me, just as I recognize that my children do not ultimately belong to me. They are the Lord’s. I merely administer their care for a time. Nevertheless, I do work for the Lord and I have been given the tremendous responsibility of caring for His people!
· Ephesians 4:11 HCSB And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors (poimenas/shepherd) and teachers,
I dare not take it lightly for I will give an answer as to how I have stewarded what was assigned to me!
I believe that we live in an age that is characterized by compromise. I know that it has existed in previous ages but I feel that we especially struggle with it. We elders are under constant pressure to change the message; to weaken it; to water it down or to find some way to make the truth more appealing to Lowlanders. We are watching the “Emergent Church” and the proliferation of services more designed to put on an entertaining show and appeal to the flesh than to crucify it.
All those elders who, like Aaron before the clamoring crowd, go along with such wrong doing are “hired men” who care more about their comfort and popularity than they do about the health of the Lord’s flock.
A shepherd (poimenas in Greek) should not only feed the flock but tend to them. We are to guard the flock.[1]
· Acts 20:28 HCSB Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.
However, I note that the primary way that I am to do this is to be on guard for myself! This fits with:
· 1 Peter 5:1-3 HCSB Therefore, as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of the Messiah, and also a participant in the glory about to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you: (2) shepherd God's flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God's will; not for the money but eagerly; (3) not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
It also ties with the whole passage regarding judgment.
· Matthew 7:5 HCSB Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
If I am not willing to live by the same judgment that I am using to tend to God’s flock; to even cull out sick sheep or “wolves in sheep’s clothing” then I am a hypocrite and subject to Yahweh Shaphat’s judgment.
So I must balance tender care with vigilant superintendence. Note John 10:7. An elder who fails to enter the door is no shepherd but is a hireling. That door is categorically defined as the Lord Jesus (cp. John 1:1). If I compromise God’s word I have no respect for the true Shepherd and Door. If I damage God’s sheep because of an arrogant attitude instead of keeping in mind His willingness to die for the sheep, then I have no respect for the true Shepherd and Door.
Years ago I had a small group of people who carefully pointed out that our church was non-denominational and yet I was preaching hard on sound doctrine and speaking against the false doctrine in some of the denominations. At the time I was even (gasp!) naming public religious figures, showing their doctrinal beliefs by quoting them, and demonstrating how different this was from what the Bible had to say. They urged me to not preach these negative messages anymore and to tone down the discussion of sin and hell because “though your regular listeners may understand, visitors may not, will be offended and not return.”
I understand the need to be gentle with those who sin ignorantly. I know I need to tread delicately with those who are suffering from the consequences of years of sin. However, as any shepherd knows, the rod and staff must also be present for the sheep to be truly comforted. That rod may be used to fend off predatory wolves, but it is most often used to prod stubborn, willful and recalcitrant sheep back into the Way!
[1] Along with verse 17 I understand that this responsibility, though falling to some degree on every believer, weighs most heavily on the elders of the church.
· John 10:11-13 HCSB "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (12) The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn't own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. (13) This happens because he is a hired man and doesn't care about the sheep.
I recognize that the flock does not belong to me, just as I recognize that my children do not ultimately belong to me. They are the Lord’s. I merely administer their care for a time. Nevertheless, I do work for the Lord and I have been given the tremendous responsibility of caring for His people!
· Ephesians 4:11 HCSB And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors (poimenas/shepherd) and teachers,
I dare not take it lightly for I will give an answer as to how I have stewarded what was assigned to me!
I believe that we live in an age that is characterized by compromise. I know that it has existed in previous ages but I feel that we especially struggle with it. We elders are under constant pressure to change the message; to weaken it; to water it down or to find some way to make the truth more appealing to Lowlanders. We are watching the “Emergent Church” and the proliferation of services more designed to put on an entertaining show and appeal to the flesh than to crucify it.
All those elders who, like Aaron before the clamoring crowd, go along with such wrong doing are “hired men” who care more about their comfort and popularity than they do about the health of the Lord’s flock.
A shepherd (poimenas in Greek) should not only feed the flock but tend to them. We are to guard the flock.[1]
· Acts 20:28 HCSB Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.
However, I note that the primary way that I am to do this is to be on guard for myself! This fits with:
· 1 Peter 5:1-3 HCSB Therefore, as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of the Messiah, and also a participant in the glory about to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you: (2) shepherd God's flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God's will; not for the money but eagerly; (3) not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
It also ties with the whole passage regarding judgment.
· Matthew 7:5 HCSB Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
If I am not willing to live by the same judgment that I am using to tend to God’s flock; to even cull out sick sheep or “wolves in sheep’s clothing” then I am a hypocrite and subject to Yahweh Shaphat’s judgment.
So I must balance tender care with vigilant superintendence. Note John 10:7. An elder who fails to enter the door is no shepherd but is a hireling. That door is categorically defined as the Lord Jesus (cp. John 1:1). If I compromise God’s word I have no respect for the true Shepherd and Door. If I damage God’s sheep because of an arrogant attitude instead of keeping in mind His willingness to die for the sheep, then I have no respect for the true Shepherd and Door.
Years ago I had a small group of people who carefully pointed out that our church was non-denominational and yet I was preaching hard on sound doctrine and speaking against the false doctrine in some of the denominations. At the time I was even (gasp!) naming public religious figures, showing their doctrinal beliefs by quoting them, and demonstrating how different this was from what the Bible had to say. They urged me to not preach these negative messages anymore and to tone down the discussion of sin and hell because “though your regular listeners may understand, visitors may not, will be offended and not return.”
I understand the need to be gentle with those who sin ignorantly. I know I need to tread delicately with those who are suffering from the consequences of years of sin. However, as any shepherd knows, the rod and staff must also be present for the sheep to be truly comforted. That rod may be used to fend off predatory wolves, but it is most often used to prod stubborn, willful and recalcitrant sheep back into the Way!
[1] Along with verse 17 I understand that this responsibility, though falling to some degree on every believer, weighs most heavily on the elders of the church.
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