Acts 20:28 (Shepherd)
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE CHURCH TODAY? (Part 2/4)
“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).
Where have all the shepherds gone?
In a day and age where countless souls are wandering aimlessly in their faith journey, shepherds are needed more than ever to pastor the flock God has entrusted them. The only problem is far too many men in leadership positions today do not understand HOW to shepherd and little is being done to address the issue.
Keep in mind, a true shepherd is someone who knows the sheep of his flock intimately. He dwells where they dwell, guiding, nurturing, and protecting them with great vigilance to ensure their safety at all times. He also cares for them physically, mending their ailments as needed and grooming them periodically for optimal health.
Shepherding is an exhaustive 24/7/365 job which requires incredible devotion, selflessness, personal responsibility, and accountability. One simply cannot “take a day off” for fear of losing even a single lamb to predators, or leaving his flock malnourished and susceptible to disease.
Rather, a shepherd’s focus must always be fixed upon tracking what immediately lies ahead, for dangers abound in the wilderness where sheep graze unknowingly without a care in the world, and what potential peril awaits on the horizon if he’s not attentive.
GOOD SHEPHERD:
Considering who a shepherd is and the roles and responsibilities he maintains over his flock, is it any surprise Jesus refers to Himself in John’s Gospel as the “Good Shepherd,” willing to sacrifice His own life to protect His wayward sheep?
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep” (John 10:11–13).
What makes a shepherd truly great is his willingness to get down in the trenches with his sheep, live among them, and literally risk his life protecting the flock from danger. Therefore, we must ask ourselves, “Who or what is my primary focus in ministry if I’m called to shepherd others?”
“A Good Shepherd is not known by how gently he pets the sheep. A Good Shepherd is known by how well he protects them and feeds them.”
In many ways, function has become the primary focus of most church ministries, hence why we have teaching pastors, worship pastors, youth pastors, children’s pastors, small group pastors, community outreach pastors, etc. As a result, we’ve compartmentalized the church based on function so leaders can specifically plan, strategize, implement, and measure their results.
Granted, there is nothing inherently wrong with goalsetting and building a plan of action within ministry areas, but we must stop and reconcile where PEOPLE fit into our ministry focus. In other words, are they simply a necessary means to an end (i.e. volunteers or attendees) to help us achieve our ministry goals and measure success, or are they our primary ministry focus at all times?
“Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds” (Proverbs 27:23).
Moreover, if the common denominator in most ministry titles is “pastor,” which takes greater precedence in a pastor’s mind when he reflects upon his ministerial duty to shepherd the flock: His function (i.e. teaching, worship, outreach, missions, etc.) or his primary role (pastor)?
MODEL FOR SUCCESS:
Keep in mind, we are always ministering TO people or WITH people. However, shepherding is universally required for both. As leaders, we’re obligated by God to oversee the flock within our care, but shepherding begins with setting an example and modeling righteous/sacrificial behavior in our lives, first and foremost.
“Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:2–7).
Paul’s instruction to Timothy lays a proper foundation for the character qualities needed to be a pastor, but true shepherding requires a man apply himself to care for the needs of others according to God’s Word no matter the cost.
Granted, the only way a pastor can meet the needs of his flock is by taking time to personally get to know each individual sheep better—their strengths and weaknesses, tendencies and preferences, regardless of inconvenience or personal affinity. Understanding a flock takes time, though, so a shepherd must be patient and guide his sheep and lambs with wisdom and discernment so his flock knows it can trust him.
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14–15).
Jesus modeled what shepherding looks like for us. He went out into the community and met people where they were at. He did not call people to meet Him at the synagogue to hear Him preach. Rather, He brought the message to the people and dined in the homes of sinners to build a personal relationship with them, so they knew His care and concern were truly genuine.
However, Jesus also called a spade a spade and did not water down or apologize for the convicting truth of Scripture. Rather, He spoke truth in love and called people to repentance for their sins so they could be united eternally with God the Father in heaven.
Therefore, we are called to emulate His example by teaching Scripture in its entirety, rather than picking and choosing which parts we believe are culturally relevant. For true love is not telling people what they want to hear, but what they need to hear to survive in this world.
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:1–2).
LEADERSHIP:
It is an incredible honor, blessing, and privilege to be entrusted by God to shepherd the spiritual growth of His flock. No pastor, teacher, small group leader, etc., should ever take that responsibility for granted because God expects leaders to model application of His Word so the flock has a righteous example to emulate.
That means who we are privately must mirror who we are publicly as we live out saving faith in surrender, obedience, and submission to God’s authority. For good shepherds yield to the Father’s command and prove they too can follow instruction with teachable hearts, being both hearers and doers of the Word.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:22–25).
Unfortunately, too many spiritual leaders have essentially abandoned their flock because they did not know how to effectively lead, they succumbed to laziness and allowed their sheep to drift away, or the enemy attacked them and caused them to save their own life instead.
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered”’” (Matthew 26:31).
That is why it is imperative the local church invests substantial time, energy, and resources providing discipleship opportunities to deepen the spiritual roots of believers, so they are not “conformed to the pattern of this world” (Romans 12:2), and leadership training to teach those ordained by God the skills necessary to shepherd others as Jesus modeled.
APPLICATION:
Shepherding is not an overly complicated process. It simply requires caring enough about people to get in the trenches with them, learn who they are, do life together, set an authentic, Godly example, and guide them in their knowledge, understanding and application of Scripture.
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
For example, a leader over a men’s discipleship group should take time to ask personal questions and discipline his mind to remember details about each member of his group and their respective families to personalize discussion, prayer, and how he can serve them practically.
In addition, he should frequently follow up with each man via text, phone, in-person, etc., to cultivate a personal relationship, which requires he step out of his comfort zone and help meet practical needs while also learning how he can pray for his brothers in Christ.
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16).
It’s all about building trust and meeting each member where he’s at in his spiritual journey, but also taking the lead in group discussion by modeling what personal vulnerability is expected for true growth to occur. In other words, a leader must be willing to humble himself, confess his sins publicly, and share his deepest struggles to establish a safe zone for others to join him in the trenches.
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).
“Leadership training cannot be done on a mass scale. It requires patient, careful instruction and prayerful, personal guidance over a considerable time. Disciples are not manufactured wholesale. They are produced only one by one, because someone has taken the pains to disciple, to instruct and enlighten, to nurture and train one that is younger.”
It also means taking time to pour blessing into each man’s heart by helping him recognize how God is changing him. For the enemy would have us believe we haven’t changed a bit, which requires a shepherd identify spiritual markers in the individual lives of his flock and help them see how far they’ve come from where they once used to be.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24–25).
BOTTOM-LINE:
Above all else, true shepherding requires a man sacrificially put the needs of his flock before himself, which is how a husband and father is called to lead his wife and children to ensure they are physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually protected and cared for to the best of his abilities.
Without question, spiritual leadership is not for the faint of heart, but God expects every man in one way or another to be a shepherd. Therefore, the local church must do everything in its power to properly equip, train, and disciple men with the tools needed to become Godly shepherds in the home and community at large.
“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; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:2–4).
For the health of the church universal depends on men, especially, having proper knowledge and understanding of what Godly shepherding looks like and how to remain devout and committed to his leadership role, regardless of how wayward the sheep are or what the enemy throws our way.
Consequently, there may come a time when we are called to leave the ninety-nine (not take the flock with us) and go after the one, because every soul is precious in God’s eyes and He has entrusted us to love our fellow brother like Christ loves His bride, the church, and guide him back into the protection of the flock.
“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:12–14).
Therefore, if we are to fulfill our calling, we must love as Jesus loved and serve as Jesus served, for a shepherd will lay down his life if he must because his sheep are the true focus of His ministry to the glory of God the Father.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12–13).
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE CHURCH TODAY?
Part 1 of 4 (Church Focus) - CLICK HERE
Part 2 of 4 (Shepherding) - CLICK HERE
Part 3 of 4 (Discipleship) - CLICK HERE
Part 4 of 4 (Lost People) - CLICK HERE
