(052) The Gospel of John XIX: A Few Good Shepherds
The Gospel of John XIX:
A Few Good Shepherds
John 10:11-13
November 16, 2008
Prep:
· Trinity sermon Jn 12, Phil 11, p. 4
· NAC commentary on 1 Timothy 3:1-7
· My Bylaws
· Driscoll sermon
· Elder passages and Acts 20:17, Heb. 13:7ff
intro: our government
As we have announced Peter and Cecil, I’ll first give a synopsis of the leadership of The Gathering before beginning the sermon.
· Please text in your questions.
First: This is not the only Biblical model; there are many ways to lead churches that glorifies God and spreads the Gospel.
TGCC is an elder-led church. That means that we are led by a plurality of pastors:
Plurality: Not one pastor, but several. As the Lead Pastor, I do not run the church, rather “the first among equals.” Together we lead the church. I only have one vote, like the rest.
· I’m in the process of changing from “me” to “we.”
· My specific responsibilities include being the main teacher, overseeing the daily operations, and being a catalyst.
Pastors: This church is not run by businessmen, but by pastors, who are guide, feed, care for, and protect the flock.
· Biblically, “elder” and “pastor” are nearly synonymous and we use the terms interchangeably.
The fact that we are pastors means that our skills and passion are narrow, so we need help. This is where deacons come in, which is a ministry that has been hibernating, but Peter’s first job is to resurrect it.
Under-shepherds
This sermon is going to be on the requirements and responsibilities of being a pastor/elder.
· All of this stuff is vital because most problems in a church spring from leadership failures.
Usually I preach about what you are supposed to do, but this is about what Micah, Cecil, and I am supposed to do, so I’ll preach to myself and you are off the hook.
· I’m also giving you the standards by which we are judged, so you can know if your pastors are living as they should.
· And it might be the God may call one or two of you to this.
This is also a call to deaconship: Perhaps you will feel called to come along side the elders to help run the church.
· The qualifications are similar.
· Peter is fully qualified for either, but choosing deaconship demonstrates a servant’s heart and the nobility of deaconship.
We are the sheep
When I began this sermon, it actually started another sermon in our series on John and I was struck by its relevance to eldership, and the timing was perfect.
John 10:11-13 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 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. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
They are helpless, defenseless, prone to straying, and dirty animals. They require constant oversight, leading, rescue, and cleaning or they will die.
· They require a patient, wise, firm, yet kind shepherd.
When we speak of being a pastor, this is our example: not being hired hands but pouring out our lives for the church. Jesus is not just our example, but he continues to be the Good Shepherd.
· The role of pastors is to be under-shepherd under him.
· The word “pastor” is actually from the Latin “pastorem,” which means “shepherd.”
When Jesus returned to heaven, he did not leave us shepherd-less, rather he trained the 12 disciples to be “under-shepherds,” who would care for his flock.
Jesus’ words to Apostle Peter are instructive to the disciples’ purpose: When he restored him, his instructions were “feed my sheep.” In the early church, he was the chief under-shepherd.
· In his epistles, we see him changed from harsh to gentle, and he gives great instruction to pastors – we’ll finish there.
The List
First, I want to look at the qualifications for being a pastor, found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. These are the things that are expected of every elder.
· While some may do better at some of these than others, we all have to have each one to some degree.
Since I am also speaking to potential deacons, you should know that in vv. 8-13 Paul gives the qualifications for deacons, which is a similar list, and for the sake of time, I have combined them.
· I have broken this up to clarify the pieces.
1 Timothy 3:1-7 ESV 1 Timothy 3:1 ¶ The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task...
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach (D: must be dignified): This is the catchall. Even if something is not on the list, this covers it.
It means blameless. Not perfect (Paul was “chief of sinners”), but without any skeletons in the closet. An elder should not have any secrets, which is one of the reasons for examination.
The husband of one wife (D: same): “One woman man: Doesn’t mean never divorced, but devoted to his wife. A man’s relationship to his wife is a key indicator.
Complete and absolute sexual fidelity (body, mind, eyes, and emotions) is non-negotiable.
· The devil’s three most powerful weapons against pastors are money, sex, and power – all are listed in these passages.
Sober-minded: Level headed, not rash, we do not have the luxury of kneejerk reactions
Self-controlled: Able to control actions, words, and attitudes. He must be the master of these things, not the other way around.
Respectable: Be an example: A pastor must be someone that we would want our sons to be like and our daughters to marry.
Hospitable: One who is in the habit of sharing his house with others.
Able to teach: Vital to train you and protect you.
Not a drunkard (D: not addicted to much wine): Drinking is okay, drunkenness is not.
Not violent but gentle: Power under control.
Not quarrelsome: The verbal equivalent of “not violent.” This is a sign of humility – not needing to be right.
· This does not mean “not disagreeing,” Cecil is great at “Disagree, then commit.”
Not a lover of money (D: not greedy for dishonest gain): For the love of money is the root of many evils. We have an obligation to be good stewards of your offering. Many have stolen from God’s money.
He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? (D: same): Does not mean a perfect family (God’s first kids rebelled), but the state of a man’s home is a clear indicator of his life – his family knows what kind of man he really is.
· This does not mean that our kids are on public display.
He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.: Better start pastoring a couple years late than early. A pastor needs to be health or else your faith won’t survive.
· Pride is already the main sin of pastors.
About age: I became a pastor at the age of 25, but due to the size of the church, it was not a ruling position, in some ways more like a deacon. I am inclined to think that 30 is a bare minimum for being an elder, though there may be exceptions.
Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.:
1) Outsiders may know something we don’t.
2) If a pastor has an unsavory reputation with the unsaved, he and the entire church, and the Gospel will fall into disgrace.
Ä From talking about the qualifications for eldership, we turn to what Peter said about how to shepherd.
Instructions for shepherding
1 Peter 5:1-5 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: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,
This is the overarching command: Shepherd, overseeing. This means to guide, lead, help, disciple, protect from threats inside and out.
· It does not mean “do everything,” rather we equip you.
not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;
Elders must want to pastor. A similar same term is used in reference to being a cheerful giver. All of our pastors should be happy to be pastors.
· We should feel that it is a privilege and one of our highest joys to serve you.
There is a joke among pastors that ministry would be great if it weren’t for all the people. I hate that joke, because it is indicative of being annoyed by the flock.
· Like sheep, the congregation can be obstinate and frustrating, but a pastor has to genuinely like, not just love, his flock.
I don’t just love you, I like you. It is my privilege to serve you. There are times I fail, when I let personal frustrations cloud my view, because every family has its fights, but I am honored to serve each and every one of you.
· I had to learn this the hard way by not liking some people (e.g. Lorraine Snyder).
not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
· I have already talked about not stealing.
This also means that pastoring is never a job. I’d do it for free if I could, and Micah, Marc, and all the others have.
· Peter heard Jesus speak of the hired hands, and he doesn’t want us to be hired hands.
The hired hand is happy to shepherd when the work is easy and pay good, but he takes off when things get tough or dangerous.
· The true test of pastor is when the job is no longer fun.
· You need to be able to trust the leadership.
Eagerly – Not going nowhere
Because of having lost several elders, and a constant bleed of people, I know some of the original congregation is a little gun shy of trusting a new pastor to stay. I don’t blame them.
· God as my witnesses, I hope to retire from this church.
· Unless he makes it exceedingly clear, I am not going anywhere.
Someone recently suggested a bigger church that needed a pastor to me, and that held NO appeal. This is my family, my community, my calling. This promise has proven in time, so watch.
Ä Remember “money, sex, and power”? Speaking of power:
3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
God did not give us this responsibility to feed our own ego, a common pit fall of pastors. As Jesus said in Matthew:
Matthew 20:25-28 ESV 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Do as I do
What is so striking is what Peter contrasts to domineering: Being an example. A pastor cannot say “Do as I say,” nor “Do as I say, not as I do,” but “Do as I do.”
· A pastor must strive to be an example in all that he does.
Sometimes the example will be in screwing up and repenting.
4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Peter does not promise a reward his side of heaven. A pastor may do his best and serve well, but to no avail. He cannot put his hope in this age, otherwise he will be discouraged.
· I am filled with hope for the church and am excited, but I know that there will be tough seasons.
· A pastors final hope and greatest joy is not to see lives changed (though that is great), it is hearing “Well done.”
Now your turn...
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."
Submission is not a popular idea. We equate it with domineering and groveling. It is based on the headship of Christ, and like Christ, we are called to be the greater servants.
Submission does not mean that you grovel or mindlessly follow, for you will stand before God for your beliefs.
But it means that you respect the authority God has given us. It means giving us the benefit of the doubt. It means praying for us and sharing your concerns with us (not others!).
· But you do not have the option of trying to rally a rebellion!
Hebrews 13:17 17 ¶ Obey your leaders and submit to them, 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.
Q & A
closing/Application:
· To close, look at the character of Peter and Cecil, and if you have any concerns, talk to Micah, Marc, or I.
· Pray for us as the leaders of the church.
· Consider if God is calling you to eldership or deaconship.