Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. Acts 20:28 NIV
Whether we were created that way or it came as a result of the fall, God clearly likes to refer to us as sheep. It’s all over the Bible. Sheep are sometimes described as eating or resting, but more often they wander off, become weary and discontented, or are eaten by wolves. Baaahhhh!
In most references, the point of the story is to instruct or rebuke the shepherds. Jesus has been called the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4), the Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20), and the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls (1 Peter 2:25). Thank God we have a super-competent Shepherd in charge of the sheep.
I have served 6 different churches in some kind of pastoral role, 4 of them as senior pastor. Having never been raised in a church, the job was a bit of a mystery to me at first. I picked a few role models, read a book or two, and did the best I could. Thank God, the Bible gives a lot of advice on this subject. This passage in Acts 20 was the one I turned to the most.
The shepherd of the local flock works for the Chief Shepherd and will receive his reward from Him at His return. The job of a shepherd is basically threefold:
- Lead the flock. Under the direction of the Chief Shepherd, the local pastor gives direction to his flock. The spiritual climate, the seasons, and the health of the sheep guide the pastor in finding safe and healthy pasture where the sheep can multiply.
- Feed the Flock. The responsibility for providing a well-rounded spiritual diet rests with the local pastor. While we all have topics that we enjoy, as pastors we need to be sure that the diet is balanced. I love healing and the Holy Spirit, but I have to be sure that the flock is being instructed in the whole counsel of God.
- Protect the flock. Paul warned that wolves would arise from within and without to devour the sheep. The first goal of the wolf is to lead people away from a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and the basic truths of the gospel. Failing that, they seek to prevent them from growing into the role God created them to play. A complacent pew sitter poses no threat to the kingdom of darkness.
As sheep, we need to pray for our pastors. In the age of the Internet and artificial intelligence, this task has become much more difficult. The deception of the wolves comes into our lives through a variety of electronic sources. It’s impossible for the shepherd to know what we’ve been listening to in our homes, in our cars, or in the marketplace. He must equip us to know the difference between good food and poison.
Pray for our pastors to hear the voice of the Great Shepherd clearly, to discern the dangers around us accurately, and to feed us with the nutrients we need for our particular call and location. Let’s grow and flourish and make the church healthy again!
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
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