The Shepherd and the Flock

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 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. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” I Peter 5:1-4

 The “elder” was and is the pastor of a local Church. Among the spiritual gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation is the gift of pastor-teacher. This man is the one who studies God’s Word and disseminates it to the congregation. He is a teacher, expositor and the human authority in that local body. He is not the final authority, because that position belongs to the Word itself. Therefore, if the pastor is teaching something that contradicts the written Word of God, he is wrong. The pastor’s most important priority must be to study and accurately teach the Word of God. All other pastoral duties spring from the studying and teaching of the Word. That is his position and responsibility above all else, because without his godly leadership the sheep will be scattered and confused. Because of this priority, there must be others in the local church who will do ministry among the believers as well as helping to evangelize the lost in the area. We are to learn accurate doctrine under the leadership of our pastor and then take that knowledge and apply it to our own souls and share it with the community. We are to take the truths we learn and use them to serve within the congregation and throughout our surroundings.

If a pastor is spending most of his time visiting the sick, attending local events, and counseling baby believers, he is taking that time and attention away from his studies. If he doesn’t have enough time to study properly, he will not be thoroughly prepared to deliver God's message and teach his people when they gather to worship and learn. When a believer in a local church realizes that he doesn’t quite understand the doctrine or how to apply it, instead of expecting the pastor to tutor him, he should seek the guidance of a more mature believer under that pastor’s authority and he should make sure he is in attendance when the pastor is teaching the congregation. If one regularly attends Bible class and worship services that the pastor is teaching, and if he pays attention to what is being taught, and if he prays for the Holy Spirit’s help in comprehending the doctrines and making personal application, he WILL grow in grace and knowledge. I believe in taking notes as the pastor teaches. This helps with your concentration on what he is saying, and you have a permanent record when you need to refresh your memory of that teaching, or look up references for your own private study.

This office was of great importance to Peter, both for himself and for the fellow pastors whom he wished to encourage. He and the other original apostles had evangelized and trained many of these men, who now were pastors of local churches. His advice: keep your priorities straight. SHEPHERD THE FLOCK OF GOD! That is your job. God gave you that job. You are an overseer of the people of God. Your willing attitude will be your best asset, not your grudging sense of duty. Not for money, as some cultists do, but because you are driven to teach the Word, joyfully, to those who are willing to learn. You are a pastor, a shepherd, a teacher; not a dictator. You are their guide, not their ruler. The pastor is not of any higher rank than any other believer, he just has a highly visible gift and a position of great responsibility. He should lead by example, not by decree. Peter did not ever claim superiority over the brethren.

The pastors have a specific reward awaiting them for faithful service: the unfading crown of glory, awarded to them by the Chief Shepherd Himself—Jesus Christ, at the judgment seat evaluation of all believers.

Humility should be practiced by all believers. We who are not pastors should exercise our spiritual gifts under the leadership of the pastor. That’s the way the Church works. We are an organism, a universal body, the head of which is Jesus Christ. We will accomplish nothing of value unless we understand and submit to the system of authority God has ordained within the body. We, as individual believers do not have to be recognized or applauded or admired. Our gifts may be of the low profile variety, but they are not any less important. It takes all of the body parts to function as a whole. Kidneys are not visible, but we cannot survive physically without them. We don’t even have to know what our particular gift is; if we are faithfully submitting to the authoritative teaching of the pastor and making our lives available for the service of the Church, the gift is functioning.

Whatever gift we have, whatever position we serve in the Church, pride is not an asset. It is always a hindrance to the work of "God, who opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." What is humility? It is grace-orientation. Kindness and generosity to one another. Love of the brethren. Willingness to learn. Patience. Respecting the pastor and the other members. Realizing that my gift is one of support, not of leadership. That is a wonderful gift to have, because the leadership always needs our support, and always appreciates it. The congregation does, too.