The demands of the Christian life (and certainly pastoral
ministry) are supernatural in nature and personally trying when it comes to
dealing with people. They require the
grace of God and the on-going power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill God’s will (1
Corinthians 15:10; Galatians 5:16; Zechariah 4:6; Romans 8:4). This need can be clearly demonstrated by the
following story of a Sunday morning when a concerned mother knocked on her
son’s door to inform him that it was time to get up and go to church.
“I’m
not going to church this morning,” the son says.
“You
gotta get up and go to church,” says mother.
“No,
I’m not,” says the son.
“Yes,
you are,” says the mother.
“No,
I’m not. They don’t like me and I don’t
like them,” says the son.
“Give
me one good reason why I have to go,” says the son.
“I’ll
give you two,” says the mother. “Number
one, you’re 55 years old. And number
two, you’re the pastor!”
Pastors, can you relate?
Have you ever felt like staying in bed instead of assembling with the
saints? While a number of reasons may
factor into your feelings of reluctance, one problem that can contribute to
this is a failure on your part or the congregation to accurately define your
role or responsibilities as a pastor-teacher.
What scripturally is a pastor to do? In our past studies we have considered…
1.
The NEED for
Spiritual Leadership in the Church…
2.
The NAMES of
Spiritual Leadership in the Church…
3.
The BIBLICAL
QUALIFICATIONS for Spiritual Leadership in the Church…and
4. The RESPONSIBILITIES of Spiritual Leadership in the
Church.
The elders which are
among you I exhort, who am also an elder,
and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory
that shall be revealed: Feed the
flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by
constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage,
but being ensamples to the flock. And
when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that
fadeth not away. (1 Pet. 5:1-4)
In our last article we began
examining from the Scriptures what exactly is involved in “shepherding” God’s
flock. We noted that…
A. Shepherding
God’s flock involves PROVISION… as a pastor is to feed the flock of God the
very Word of God.
This is the great need of the hour in the
evangelical church in America. But in
reacting to the deplorable condition of the lack of Bible teaching in many
pulpits, some pastors have imbalanced to another extreme by perceiving the
teaching of the Word of God as their exclusive responsibility. They spend forty plus hours a week in their
ivory-tower study in order to emerge to preach on Sundays and Wednesday, only
to retreat back for the rest of the week.
They have little to no contact with the sheep, and are out of touch or
unavailable to minister to individuals needs.
Furthermore, this imbalance in doctrinal churches oftentimes leads to
some of the following extremes:
· knowing “doctrine” becomes an end in itself. (1 Corinthians 8:1-2)
· the pastor’s character qualifications (or lack
thereof) are downplayed in lieu of his teaching giftedness. (1 Timothy 3:1-7)
· An evangelistic vision to reach the lost is largely
missing. (Mark 16:15)
· there is little “body-life” among the saints and
instead it becomes largely a one-gift church.
(Ephesians 4:11-16)
· the pastor is unaccountable and largely untouchable
as the need for a plurality of elders (if there are qualified ones available)
or other spiritual leaders is downplayed or rejected, while the pastor’s
singular authority becomes paramount.
(1 Timothy 5:17)
· Greek and Hebrew are over-emphasized in his
academic style of teaching with little application or exhortation given. (2 Tim. 4:2)
Dear friends, the Word of God is not designed to scintillate your intellect or to satisfy your curiosity; it’s designed to transform your lives into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). The Spirit of God seeks to use the Word of God to focus you on the Son of God in order to do the will of God. Thus, the pastor’s teaching and preaching of the Scriptures are essential to accomplish His divine objectives in your life and church.
In our church’s pastoral training ministry, called the Grace Institute of Biblical Studies (G.I.B.S.), we teach our students to preach expositorily utilizing the C-A-P-S method. This is an acrostic for…
C – Clear (1 Corinthians 14:9) and Christ-focused
(Colossians 1:28)
A – Accurate (2 Timothy 2:15)
P – Practical (1 Timothy 4:13), Purposeful (Colossians 1:28), and Passionate
(Acts 20:24)
S – Simple (1 Corinthians 2:2) and Spirit-empowered
(Colossians 1:29)
Pastors, the issue is not, “Did you say it?” But, “Did they get it?” and “Was
Jesus Christ glorified?” Otherwise,
your teaching is like the golfer who never hits the green, let alone drops the
putt. (Golfing analogies for pastors
usually hit home.)
So likewise ye, except
ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known
what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. (1
Corinthians 14:9)
B. Shepherding
God’s flock involves PROTECTION… as a pastor must carefully guard and watch
over the flock of God for those dangerous predators that would harm them
spiritually.
Take heed therefore unto
yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own
blood. (Acts 20:28)
In the apostle Paul’s message to the
Ephesian elders assembled at Miletus (Acts 20:17), he pours out his perspective
on pastoral ministry. It is important
to observe that pastoral ministry begins with “taking heed to yourselves”
(20:28a). A pastor/elder must pay close
attention to his own walk with the Lord and his own abiding in Christ (John
15). Unchecked sin, ministerial
hypocrisy, pedestal pride, marital disharmony, etc. will have damaging and
devastating effects on a pastor’s ministry.
The key to effective horizontal service to others is always a believer’s
vertical dependence on and fellowship with the Lord. Paul reminded Timothy to…
Take heed unto thyself,
and unto the doctrine;
continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that
hear thee. (1 Timothy 4:16)
Pastors, we must be careful to be spiritual
Marys, and not just serving Marthas.
Otherwise, we will fail to sit at our Lord’s feet by way of personal
fellowship and spiritual growth (Luke 10:38-42).
Steve Waterhouse adds that “take heed to
yourselves” also has practical ramifications towards one’s fellow-elders.
Acts
20:28 gives existing elders "police” powers in a church to keep outsiders
or even one of their own number from destroying the whole church. Because
leaders are a special target for lies and slander, charges against them must
not be entertained without a sufficient basis (2 or 3 witnesses, see 1 Tim.
5:19). However, those who are guilty must be rebuked and/or removed. Elders are
expected by the Lord to have a prior allegiance to Him so that if necessary
they can and will discipline a friend. Those who do not meet the qualifications
of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 may not serve as elders unless and until their lives
are put back in order.[1]
Verse 28 also indicates a plurality of spiritual leaders (“take heed to yourselves”) exercising oversight among the flock. Waterhouse succinctly clarifies…
The
Bible gives a uniform precedent for a plurality of elders. This does not mean
quality must be sacrificed for quantity. Under a typical Baptist system, the
pastor is regarded as the only elder. For churches where only one man qualifies
(I Tim. 3; Titus 1), only one man should be considered an elder. However, the
Biblical example of a plurality of elders is an ideal and should be followed when
a church does possess a sufficient number of men who meet the qualifications
(see Acts 14:23; 15:2, 6, 22; 20:17, 28; Phil. 1:1; I Thess.5:12; 1 Tim. 5:17;
Titus 1:5; James 5:14).[2]
Rejecting
personal favoritism and partiality, pastors must also be careful to take heed “to
all the flock.” The spiritual
well-being of every member of your church needs to be considered. While pastors are the leaders in their role
in the church, they must be servants in heart and mental posture, ministering
for Jesus Christ to the benefit of the assembly. Our Lord clearly taught,
Ye know that the princes
of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise
authority upon them. But it shall not
be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your
minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew
20:25-28)
One of the ways in which pastors serve the
needs of God’s flock entrusted to their care is through guarding against
dangerous predators that would harm them spiritually. This is extremely needed because of the defenseless nature of
sheep.
When God uses the analogy of
sheep to describe believers in Christ, one aspect of this description
accentuates their vulnerability and gullibility to false
teachers. Sheep are very helpless
creatures. They have no horns to butt
invaders with like goats. They have no
claws to rip predators with like mountain lions. They possess no putrid gasses to emit like skunks. Sheep are basically unable to protect
themselves. This is why the Chief
Shepherd uses pastors as one of His instruments of spiritual protection. But what are the spiritual threats to guard
against and where do they come from?
For I know this, that
after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not
sparing the flock. (Acts
20:29)
First of all, there is the external
threat of false teachers (“grievous
wolves”) who would infiltrate the
local church (“enter in among you”) with serious consequences if
unchecked (“not sparing the flock”).
Jesus Christ spoke of these false teachers
when He warned:
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
they are ravening wolves. (Matthew 7:15)
Finally,
my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed
is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
Beware of dogs, beware of evil
workers, beware of the concision. (Philippians 3:1-2)
But I fear, lest by any
means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should
be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have
not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received,
or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with
him. For I suppose I was not a whit
behind the very chiefest apostles. (2 Cor. 11:3-5)
For such are false
apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of
Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of
light. Therefore it is no great thing
if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose
end shall be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
Holding fast the
faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine
both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers,
specially they of the circumcision:
Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things
which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. (Titus 1:9-11)
Beware lest any man
spoil you through philosophy and
vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and
not after Christ. (Colossians 2:8)
But evil men and
seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
(2
Timothy 3:13)
But there were false
prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,
even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction. And many shall follow
their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken
of. And through covetousness shall
they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a
long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. (2 Pt.
2:1-3)
Paul approached the plague of false teachers
from the standpoint of WHEN they come to your church, not IF they will
arrive. Thus, pastors need to be on the
spiritual alert to guard the flock from false teachers who will seek to
infiltrate the assembly. And there are
many false teachings that knock on your church doors today such as…
·
Lordship Salvation
·
Covenant Theology
·
One-Naturism
·
Christian Demonization
·
Pre-wrath Rapturism
·
Cultural Hermeneutics
·
“Christian” Psychobabble
·
Progressive Dispensationalism
·
Evolution
·
Charismatic Confusion
·
Signs and Wonders Hysteria,
etc.
No wonder Jude 3 instructs us…
Beloved, when I gave all
diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to
write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the
faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 3)
Before the ink used to write
the New Testament was dried, there were already vicious attacks on the biblical
doctrines of…
·
the person of Jesus Christ (1 John 4:1-2).
·
the person of the Holy
Spirit (2 Cor. 11:4).
·
the Gospel of grace (Galatians
1:6-9).
· the future resurrection of the body
(1 Cor. 15:12).
·
the believer’s liberty from the
Law for justification, eternal security, and sanctification (Galatians).
·
the Christian’s position and
completeness in Christ by means of legalism, mysticism, and asceticism
(Colossians 2).
·
the future return of Christ (2
Peter 3:3-4).
Pastors, we cannot
afford to get the spiritual yawns and fail to discern the “Prayer of Jabez”
kind of false teaching3 that pastors must guard the flock
against. We must be spiritual sentinels
that sound forth the alarm when needed.
Otherwise, we are simply fattening the sheep for the slaughter. Yet, there is an even greater potential
threat of spiritual danger from right within your assembly. Paul goes on to warn the Ephesian elders,
Also of your own
selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples
after them. (Acts 20:30)
From among the
spiritual leaders of your own local church (“of your own selves”) will
problem people surface (“will men arise”) who will preach perverted
doctrine or slander biblical authority (“speaking perverse things”) to
seduce followers (“disciples”) after them. This plague is heart-breaking for the pastor (unless it is him
doing it) and creates serious division among the sheep – to Satan’s delight and
to the hindrance of the testimony of Jesus Christ in the community.
What do these two
threats require of faithful pastors?
3 To read an article addressing this false
teaching, check out the article in our September/October 2001 issue of the GFJ
titled: “Jabez’s Prayer – The
Protestant Rosary?”
Therefore watch, and remember, that
by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day
with tears. (Acts 20:31)
1.
Pastors must constantly
(present tense) be on the spiritual alert (“watch”). This is a must (imperative mood).
2.
Pastors must passionately (“with
tears”) warn (“warn”) the flock of these pending dangers from without and within.
Pastors, in a day in
which God’s sheep do not seem to know the difference between green grass and
Astroturf, these admonitions must be heard and heeded. The faithful shepherd must not only feed the
flock the Word of God, but he must stay alert to the latest false teaching
coming down the turnpike in order to warn believers in Christ. Yes, some people will call you “critical,”
“judgmental,” and “unloving.”
Yet, others will call you “blessed” as you “speak the truth in love”
(Ephesians 4:15). But don’t ever forget
that you must both preach God’s Word and guard its purity. Remember that TRUTH CANNOT BE PERPETUATED
BY COMPROMISE and COMPROMISE CANNOT BE AVOIDED WITHOUT VIGILANCE AND
SEPARATION.
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding
profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning
the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:20-21) ¢ (p. 40)