To our friends in churches which are searching for a pastor: As you consider the selection of another pastor, could I suggest a little different perspective by way of the following 6 questions?
1.Which of the following is the best illustration of Christians in a church?
(a) citizens in a country
(b) shareholders in a corporation
(c) sheep in a flock
2.Which of the following are the best models for church leadership?
(a) dictators (e) chief executive officers
(b) kings (f) managers
(c) presidents (h) foremen
(d) prime ministers (i) shepherds
3.When a flock of sheep needs shepherds, who is responsible to select them?
(a) the lambs (d) the butchers
(b) the sheep (e) the wolves
(c) the shearers (f) the owner of the sheep
4.Would a wise sheep owner, who loves his sheep and has paid dearly to purchase them, ever leave a little flock of his sheep without shepherds to lead, guide, and protect them?
(a) YES -if a shepherd resigns, dies or moves and the owner can't find a replacement.
-if sheep won't follow their shepherds the owner gives up on them.
-most of the time the sheep have to appoint a "shepherd search committee" because the owner just plain failed to appoint another shepherd for them.
(b) NO -a wise, loving sheep owner NEVER leaves any of his flocks without shepherd care,
-but many shepherds, he has appointed, expect to hire someone to do the work the owner has given to them!
-Therefore sheep DO NOT SEE SHEPHERDS SHEPHERDING THE FLOCK. Thus they conclude (wrongly) that the owner has not appointed any. SO SHEEP ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY TO LOCATE AND APPOINT THEIR OWN SHEPHERDS!
5.Who knows best what qualifications are absolutely essential in shepherds, and what responsibilities they are to carry?
(a) the lambs (c) other shepherds
(b) the sheep (d) the owner of the sheep
6.Based on your answers above, how would you determine the qualifications and responsibilities which are required of shepherds of a flock of sheep in your community?
(a) survey the lambs to see what they want of a shepherd.
(b) survey the sheep to see what they want of a shepherd.
(c) survey other flocks to see what they expect of their shepherds.
(d) survey other shepherds to see what they expect of their peers.
(e) search "The Owner's Manual" to see what the owner of the sheep requires of his shepherds.
(If you chose a,b,c or d, remember, "Opinions are like noses -everybody has one!) If you chose e, then check out "The Owner's Manual." You may be surprised!
SOME SURPRISING FACTS YOU MAY DISCOVER IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL:
1.The Pastoral Search Committee DOES NOT ANY LONGER HAVE TO CARRY THE RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND A PASTOR!
2.The congregation DOES NOT NEED ANY MORE NAMES TO BE RECOMMENDED BY THE DENOMINATIONAL HEADQUARTERS!
3.The flock could be DELIVERED FROM THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PAYING A SALARY to one pastor and yet enjoy the ministry of two or more pastors!
4.The flock ALREADY HAS MORE PASTORS than it has ever recognized! Those who get to know scriptural qualifications of shepherds will recognize such very easily!
5.The Owner's Manual clearly identifies THE KIND OF MEN which God appoints as shepherds. THEY HAVE BEEN HERE ALL ALONG!
6.While we may search a long time in order to call one ordained man to minister to this flock, GOD HAS ALREADY CALLED AND ORDAINED EVERY BELIEVER to the ministry!
7.The responsibility of pastors is NOT TO MINISTER TO THE FLOCK! Rather, they are responsible TO EQUIP THE SAINTS FOR MINISTRY, SO THE WHOLE BODY WILL BE BUILT UP!
8.The leadership plan set out in the Owner's Manual is the perfect remedy for "burnout". IT REQUIRES EVERY MEMBER TO CO-OPERATE BY FULFILLING THE FUNCTION FOR WHICH EACH WAS DESIGNED! According to James Dobson (of Focus on the Family) and many others, PASTORAL BURNOUT HAS REACHED EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS IN NORTH AMERICA! Many church board members experience the same! (Try standing on one foot for just 10 minutes. That foot and leg will very quickly appreciate how most church leaders feel!)
9.The Owner's Manual DOES NOT GRANT ANY BELIEVER THE LUXURY OF "GOING TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY"! The spectator sport of "Going to church" is where 90% sit idly by and watch the 10% wear themselves out! CHRISTIANS DON'T "GO TO CHURCH" - WE ARE THE CHURCH! We are not called to be ministered to for an hour or two one day out of the week - WE ARE MEMBERS IN A BODY WHO ARE CALLED TO MINISTER TO EACH OTHER 7 DAYS A WEEK!
What is your unique ministry to others? What is mine? Our ministry is the function for which we have been equipped so the body will be blessed.
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WHAT DOES THE OWNER OF THE SHEEP HAVE TO SAY ABOUT
-SHEPHERDS' QUALIFICATIONS?
-SHEPHERDS' RESPONSIBILITIES?
-SHEPHERDS' MOTIVATION AND BENEFIT PACKAGE?
-SHEPHERDS' OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS?
(Note: In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for shepherd is translated as "herdsman", "keeper of sheep", "pastor" and "shepherd".
In the N.T. also, a number of words designate shepherds: "bishops" or "overseers", "elders" or "presbyters", and "pastors" or "shepherds".)
1.SHEPHERDS' QUALIFICATIONS: I Tim.3:1-7 & Titus 1:5-9
A.IN CHARACTER (in their relationships with people) Shepherds must be:
-blameless This does NOT mean they are to be PERFECT! Rather that no one can rightfully accuse them of wrongdoing which has not been confessed and made right!
-vigilant
-of good behaviour
-given to hospitality
-patient
-just
-holy
B.IN CONTROL (restraint of fleshly lusts) Shepherds must be:
-not given to wine
-no strikers
-not greedy of filthy lucre (money)
-not brawlers
-not covetous
-not accused of riot or unruly
-not self-willed
-not soon angry
-temperate
C.IN COMMENDATION (reputation with unsaved ones in the community)
A shepherd must:
-have a good report of them which are without lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
D.IN ABILITY (only three are required) Shepherds must be:
-apt to teach, holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught that he may be
-able by sound doctrine to exhort and
-able to convince the gainsayers (those who contradict sound doctrine.)
GOD DOES NOT REQUIRE SHEPHERDS TO BE PUBLIC SPEAKERS OR PREACHERS! BUT THEY MUST BE MEN WHO SMELL LIKE SHEEP BECAUSE THEY SPEND TIME WITH SHEEP. Just like the Good Shepherd, they feed their flock like a shepherd, they gather the lambs in their arms, and carry them on their shoulders and gently lead those that are with young. Is.40:11
(One of the best books I've ever read about pastors is called, "THEY SMELL LIKE SHEEP".)
E.IN MARITAL STATUS a shepherd must be:
-the husband of one wife. (A single man could not be given to hospitality to women of the flock, nor could an unmarried man be experienced and tested in the ruling of his own children!)
F.IN EXPERIENCE a shepherd must be:
-one that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity for if a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he know how to take care of the house of God?
G.IN MATURITY a shepherd must
-not be a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
H.IN LOCATION shepherds are ALWAYS HOMEGROWN and NEVER IMPORTED!
-as churches were established at Lystra, Iconium and Antioch elders were ordained IN EVERY CHURCH. Acts 14:23
-as churches were established on the island of Crete Paul commanded Titus to ordain elders IN EVERY CITY. Titus 1:5
Thus all New Testament pastors, shepherds, elders, overseers were well known by the flocks which they served. Thus no New Testament church had to search outside of their own community for shepherds.
This is precisely the reason why you will search your Bible in vain to find any evidence of a "pastoral search committee".
The Owner does not seem concerned at all whether shepherds have much education, musical talent, administrative ability etc. In short, God places His emphasis...
- not on WHAT A MAN CAN DO but rather on WHAT KIND OF MAN HE IS,
- not on QUALITY OF PERFORMANCE but on QUALITY OF THE PERSON!
II.SHEPHERDS' RESPONSIBILITIES: (Jer.10:21; 23:1-4; Ezek.34:1-24; Zech.10:2; 11:15-17; Mk.6:34; Acts 20:28-35; Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 13:7,17; I Peter 5:1-4.)
A.PREVENTATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES:
-to seek the Lord,
-to visit the flock,
-to "feed" the sheep (The word in scripture for "feeding" sheep has nothing to do with "preparing meals", "bottle feeding" or "spoon feeding"! Shepherds are incapable of producing either grass or milk on which sheep feed! The word "feed" is simply "to tend as a shepherd". Shepherds must KNOW THE PASTURE AND BE ABLE TO LEAD SHEEP TO IT. They are not intended to be chefs or bakers for those who won't prepare their own food!)
You can tell how mature sheep are BY THEIR EATING HABITS. Little lambs are dependent on the ewes for milk. But mature sheep are able to feed themselves as well as the young that they bear. (What do your Bible study habits say about your own spiritual maturity?)
-to take heed to themselves and to the flock,
-to watch and guard against wolves who enter in among the flock,
-to labour with their own hands to meet their own necessities and to support the weak among the flock,
-to perfect or equip the saints for the ministry so the body will be edified or built up and ALL members go on to maturity in Christ,
-to "rule over" the flock by speaking the Word of God and then modelling it by example so the sheep can follow. "Ruling" of sheep, in scripture, is NEVER "laying down the law" but rather setting a godly example to be followed,
B.RESTORATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES:
-to strengthen diseased sheep,
-to heal sick sheep,
-to bind up broken sheep,
-to bring back sheep who were driven away,
-to seek lost sheep,
-to search for sheep who have wandered,
C.STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITY:
-to give account to the Owner for all the sheep entrusted to them.
D.CO-OPERATIVE RESPONSIBILITY: New Testament shepherding is never done by one! It is always a plural and co-operative enterprise!
-at Bethlehem, SHEPHERDS (plural) watched their FLOCK (singular) by night. Luke 2:8
-at Lystra, Iconium and Antioch there were ELDERS in every church Acts 14:23
-at Jerusalem the church was guided by ELDERS Acts 15:4,6,22
-Paul called the ELDERS of the church at Ephesus whom the Holy Spirit had appointed OVERSEERS over the flock.Acts 20:17,28
-addressing the church at Philippi, Paul wrote, "to the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi with the BISHOPS (OVERSEERS) and DEACONS". Phil.1:1
Thus, God never intended that the responsibility for shepherdingany flock of His should ever fall on the shoulders of ONE MAN!
III.SHEPHERDS' MOTIVATION AND BENEFIT PACKAGE:
In scripture, faithful shepherds work for:
A. PRESENT REWARDS:
-more sheep (Gen.30:31,32; John 10:16) and
-the joy of seeing them walk in truth (III John 4)
B. FUTURE REWARDS:
-a bride (Gen.29:17-20) (The church is being prepared as a bride for Christ. Eph.5:25,26)
-a crown (I Pet.5:4) (David served faithfully in the pasture until called to the palace. IISam.7:8)
FAITHFUL SHEPHERDS TAKE THE OVERSIGHT OF SHEEP WILLINGLY, NOT
FOR MONEY. I Pet.5:2 UNFAITHFUL SHEPHERDS FEED THEMSELVES BUT
NOT THE FLOCK. THEY EAT THE FAT, CLOTHE THEMSELVES WITH WOOL,
AND KILL THE SHEEP THAT ARE FED! Ezek.34:1-3
IV.SHEPHERDS' OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS: (Against which they must always
be on guard.)
A.THE WORLD: The physical influence which Egypt had on the Israelites is a picture of the spiritual influence which the world has upon the church:
(a)Israel was enslaved in Egyptian bondage. We were enslaved in worldly bondage. Gal.4:3
(b)Israelites' appetites were defiled by their Egyptian diet. (They despised the manna from heaven, the milk and honey of Canaan but still longed for the fish, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, onions and garlic of Egypt. Num.11:4-6)
How many Christians have little or no appetite for daily prayer, Bible study, and communion with God but are addicted to soaps, sports, fleshly novels, or pornography?)
-The first lesson which Joseph taught his brothers after they moved to Egypt was that EVERY SHEPHERD IS AN ABOMINATION TO THE EGYPTIANS! (Gen.46:34)
So too, every Christian man who devotes himself to serving the people of God as a shepherd will find that he will be despised by the world! "Why waste your life on a bunch of sheep?!!" So a shepherd must be a man who, with the Apostle Paul,... glories only "in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world."Gal.6:14
B. THE FLESH: Since "the works of the flesh are...these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like" (Gal.5:19-21) this is precisely the reason why God requires the qualifications which He does of shepherds:
-"blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre, patient, not a brawler, and must have a good report of them which are without." I Tim.3:2-7
While Samson was a man of great strength, his downfall came because he was a man who never learned to curb and control his own appetites! For this very reason, shepherds must be men who, BEFORE THEY TAKE HEED TO THE FLOCK HAVE FIRST LEARNED TO TAKE HEED TO THEMSELVES! Acts 20:28
C.THE DEVIL: Since the enemy always works by deceit as an "undercover agent" he most often attacks the people of GodFROM WITHIN! That was the reason for Paul's warning to the Ephesian elders: "After my departing shall GRIEVOUS WOLVES ENTER IN AMONG YOU, NOT SPARING THE FLOCK. ALSO OF YOUR OWN SELVES SHALL MEN ARISE, SPEAKING PERVERSE THINGS, TO DRAW AWAY DISCIPLES AFTER THEM." Acts 20:29,30
This is the reason why a shepherd MUST BE A MAN WHO HOLDS FAST THE FAITHFUL WORD AS HE HAS 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...WHOSE MOUTHS MUST BE STOPPED, WHO SUBVERT WHOLE HOUSES, TEACHING THINGS WHICH THEY OUGHT NOT, FOR FILTHY LUCRE'S SAKE...WHEREFORE REBUKE THEM SHARPLY, THAT THEY MAY BE SOUND IN THE FAITH." Titus 1:9-13
WHERE TO FROM HERE?
Your evaluation of the above will determine the course you choose:
(a)If you conclude that this approach to church leadership has no merit, you must continue with the current approach or come up with a better one. How then will you decide what kind of leadership the church, of which you are a part, should seek?
(b)If you conclude that this is the way that God designed New Testament Churches to function BUT YOU ARE NOT PREPARED FOR SUCH RADICAL ADJUSTMENTS AT THIS TIME... you must continue with the current approach and all its' built in difficulties which continue to plague the search committee and the pastor who may eventually be "called". Do you now have a clearer picture in your mind of the kind of man you seek, than you had before?
(c)If you are convinced that the scriptures provide the only reliable guide for recognizing godly church leadership AND YOU TREMBLE TO THINK OF TURNING IN ANY OTHER DIRECTION...If you have a deep desire for God to SHOW HIMSELF STRONG ON BEHALF OF THIS FLOCK...
If you are willing for such men ALREADY AMONG YOURSELVES to function as God intended shepherds to function...
(Can you recognize 2 or more men AMONG YOURSELVES, well-known by the flock, who meet God's scriptural qualifications for "elders", "pastors", "overseers"?)
If you as believers in this church are willing to be equipped by such shepherds for THE WORK OF MINISTRY WHICH IS TO BE SHARED BY EVERY MEMBER...
The path which lies ahead of you WILL NOT BE WITHOUT ITS' DIFFICULTIES, BUT WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE BLESSING OF GOD:
"Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE, AND TO HEARKEN THAN THE FAT OF RAMS." I Sam.15:22,23
"Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: Where is the house that ye build unto me? And where is the place of my rest? For all those things have mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: BUT TO THIS MAN WILL I LOOK, EVEN TO HIM THAT IS POOR AND OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT, AND TREMBLETH AT MY WORD." Isaiah 66:1,2
"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, TO SHOW HIMSELF STRONG IN THE BEHALF OF THEM WHOSE HEART IS PERFECT TOWARD HIM." II Chronicles 16:9
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him...But be ye DOERS OF THE WORD AND NOT HEARERS ONLY deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. BUT WHOSO LOOKETH INTO THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY, AND CONTINUETH THEREIN, HE BEING NOT A FORGETFUL HEARER, BUT A DOER OF THE WORK, THIS MAN SHALL BE BLESSED IN HIS DEED." James 1:5,22-25
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THREE KINDS OF BIBLICAL NEW COVENANT CHURCHES:
The essence of the new covenant is RELATIONSHIPS between God and His people and RELATIONSHIPS among the people of God. In a world that is littered with broken relationships, we are called to demonstrate the love of Christ in a loveless world. God has designed that right relationships be demonstrated to principalities and powers in heavenly places and to a lost world through "churches" - "called out companies" of the redeemed! God has designed three kinds of churches through which to make known His manifold wisdom:
1.Across the entire planet, God is calling out one church, "the church which is Christ's Body".
2.In every city or community, God has one church which includes every child of God in that community. He calls it "the church of God".
3.Scattered across every community are homes of believers which are to be beacon lights of hope to next door neighbors and the folks down the block. Maybe it is God's desire that there be a "church in your house"!!!
Scriptural churches are never defined in scripture by ACTIVITIES (although believers and churches are instructed and commanded to DO many things.) Rather, scriptural churches are defined by RELATIONSHIPS to God and to other believers.
THESE CHURCHES MAY BE CLEARLY DISTINGUISHED BY THE FOLLOWING :
1. THEIR SCRIPTURAL SUMMARY STATEMENTS:I believe that every scriptural doctrine is stated in the very words of scripture and contains the word or expression by which the doctrine is known. It will be one complete sentence and also the most comprehensive statement of that doctrine found in scripture. On this basis, the summary statements in scripture for the doctrines of "the church which is His Body", "the church of God" and "the church in thy house" are as follows: (It is interesting that the largest church , The Body, has the longest summary statement while the smallest church, the church in thy house, has the shortest!)
A. The church which is His (Christ's) Body:
Colossians 1:21-29And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily
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