Shepherding the Church

We are all aware that Scripture compares a pastor’s relationship to the church with a shepherd’s relationship to a flock of sheep. In fact, the word pastor literally means shepherd.

A shepherd obviously carries a heavy responsibility. While his specific tasks might easily number into a dozen or more, all of them could be summarized by two words: feeding and leading.

The shepherd must care for, give food to, and provide medicine for his flock. This is feeding. He must also protect them from danger, keep them together, and direct them in the proper way. This is leading.

Feeding

Feeding God’s flock is a mandate given to pastors numerous times throughout Scripture. In Acts 20:28 the apostle Paul told the elders of Ephesus, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for [poimaino, literally shepherd or feed] the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”

Peter gives a similar command in 1 Peter 5:1-2. “So I exhort the elders among you . . . 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.”

Feeding is such an awesome responsibility that Jesus told Peter three times to feed His sheep (John 21:15-17). The implication of this passage is that feeding God’s flock is a direct way of loving the Lord Himself.

How are the sheep to be fed? With the food which has been provided by the Chief Shepherd Himself. Pastors are not given authority without accountability. They are under-shepherds who are in service to the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

How are the sheep to be fed? With the food which has been provided by the Chief Shepherd Himself. Pastors are not given authority without accountability. They are under-shepherds who are in service to the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. And the Chief Shepherd has already provided “all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Pet. 1:3). That knowledge is given to us through Scripture. The shepherd must feed the flock with the Word.

Leading

Leading is the second task of the shepherd. This involves not just providing the Word of God but also directing in the ways of God.

Leadership comes first through our personal example. Our teaching of the Word must be matched by our application of it. That is why Peter says that elders should shepherd “not [by] domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:3). Scripture needs to be both interpreted by the shepherd and incarnated in the shepherd. The Word must be mouthed and the Word must be modeled.

Scripture needs to be both interpreted by the shepherd and incarnated in the shepherd. The Word must be mouthed and the Word must be modeled.

The flock must also be protected against predators, or false teachers who creep in with poisonous and deceptive teaching. They must be directed toward greater avenues of growth and usefulness for their Master. And they must be gently rebuked and corrected when they stray into the dangerous bypaths of worldliness and sin.

Responsibilities of Sheep: Eating and Following

Such is the awesome task of the shepherd. What, then, of the flock? Have they any responsibilities? Yes, and they correspond wonderfully with those of the shepherd. They must eat and follow.

While the shepherd needs to provide balanced, nutritious, well-prepared meals, it will all go to waste if the sheep don’t eat.

The sheep must also follow their leaders, provided the leaders are directing them according to the Chief Shepherd’s Word. This is not slavish obedience to a dictator, because the shepherds are not to be “lords over God’s heritage” (1 Pet. 5:3).

But the sheep are to obey their leaders, provided the leaders are directing them according to the Word of the Chief Shepherd. Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them.” The motive follows, “for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

When a flock of believers is persuaded that their pastor has their best interest in mind, they will not find submission to be arduous. Instead, the relationship will be one of mutual love and joy, with reverence to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Master in everything.