SHEPHERDING THE FLOCK OF GOD
Frank Buonomo
2005

Psalm 78: 70-73:
He chose David His servant
and took him from the sheep pens;
from tending the sheep He brought him
to be the shepherd of His people,
And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;
with skilled hands he led them.

The biblical image of a shepherd caring for his flock - standing long hours ensuring its safety, leading it to fresh pasture and clear water, seeking the lost wandering sheep, carrying the weak and wounded, and healing the wounded and sickly is precious and significant to our study of biblical leadership. The whole image of the Palestinian shepherd is characterized by intimacy, tenderness, concern, skill, hard work, long-suffering and love.

“A subtle blend of authority and care...as much toughness as tenderness...as much courage as comfort.”

Shepherd-Sheep relationship incredibly rich:
1. Bible uses it repeatedly to describe God and His loving care for his people (Psalm 23).
2. Also used to describe the work of those who lead God` s people (Ezek.34:1-16).

When Paul and Peter directly exhorted the elders to do their task of ministry, they both employed shepherding imagery. Paul reminded the Asian elders that the Holy Spirit had placed them in the flock as overseers for the purpose of shepherding the church of God ( Acts 20:28). Peter exhorts the elders to be all that shepherds should be to the flock (I Peter 5:2). We, then, must also view church elders to be primarily shepherds of the flock - Not corporate CEO` s, Not as a clearing house for random complaints and accusations against other members and leaders, and not as elevated custodians, but as loving, caring, nurturing shepherds that always proceed from an ethic of love, concern, and fairness FOR ALL THE FLOCK.

FOUR TASKS OF BIBLICAL ELDERS
As keepers of the flock of God, elders are charged with the task of protecting, feeding, leading, and caring for the spiritual well being of those entrusted to their care.

I. PROTECTING THE FLOCK:
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God...” (Acts20:18-20).
Vulnerability of Sheep: “It reminds me of the behavior of a band of sheep under attack from dogs, cougars, bears , or even wolves...Often in blind fear or stupid unawareness, they will stand rooted to the spot watching their companions being cut to shreds. The predator will pounce upon one then another of the flock tearing them with tooth and claw. Meanwhile, the other sheep may act as if they did not even hear or recognize the carnage going on around them. It is as if they are totally oblivious to the peril of their own precarious position.”

Guarding sheep from danger is clearly a significant aspect of the shepherding task. The same is true for church shepherds. They must continually guard the congregation from false teachers. Although the guarding ministry is a negative aspect of shepherding, it is indispensible to the flock` s survival. In order to accomplish this, shepherds need to be spiritually alert and men of courage.

Spiritual Alertness:
A good Palestinian shepherd is always on the alert to danger. He knows the predator well and understands the importance of acting wisely and decisively. So too, shepherds must be spiritually awake and highly sensitive to the subtle dangers of Satan` s attacks. It` s hard, however, to be alert and ready at all times. That is why Paul exhorts the Asian elders “to be alert” (Acts 20:31). He knows the natural tendency of shepherds to become spiritually lazy, undisciplined, prayerless, and weary. The OT prophets continually cried out against Israel` s shepherds because they failed to keep watch and be alert to protect the people from harm. Israel` s leaders are vividly depicted by Isaiah as “blind city watchmen” and “dumb dogs” :

Spiritual Alertness: “Blind Watchman...Dumb Dogs...”
All you beasts of the field
All you beasts in the forest,
Come to eat.
His watchmen are blind,
All of them know nothing.
All of them are dumb dogs unable to bark,
Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;
And the dogs are greedy, they are not satisfied,
And they are shepherds who have no understanding;
They have all turned to their own way,
Each one to his unjust gain, to the last one.
“Come” they say ,”Let us get wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink;
And tomorrow will be like today, only more so” (Isa. 56:9-12).

Modern Application: Who can calculate the damage done to the church over the past 2000 years because of inattentive, naive, power-seeking, theological dabbling shepherds? Many churches that once stood for sound, orthodox doctrine now reject every major tenet of the Christian faith and condone, even elevate, the most deplorable moral practices conceivable...How did this happen?...Local church leaders became naive, untaught, and prayerless. They became inattentive to Satan` s deceptive strategies. They became “blind watchmen and dumb dogs“...They became greedy for power and status and fell asleep on the job...
Shepherds must educate themselves to the cultural mores around them...They must be able to discern the times...And guide the flock to that which is noble and healthy for the nurture of the flock.

Courage of the Shepherd - (David before King Saul):
David said to Saul ,”Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.” But David replied, “Your servant has been keeping his father`s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defiled the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” - I Sam.17: 32-37.

COURAGE?
Courage such as David possessed is an essential leadership quality. Winston Churchill was once asked, “What is the most important quality for a national leader to possess?” His answer: “Courage.”...This is true not only of political leaders, but for church shepherds as well. To discipline sin in the church, especially the sin of prominent members- to confront internal strife - and to stand up to false teachers and divisive behavior is dangerous business. Without courage to fight for what's right, the local church would be washed away by every new doctrinal whim or by every outspoken, pushy, influential member's whim. The church simply can not flourish if a spirit of love and truth is absent. The elders are primarily responsible for creating and preserving that climate.

II. FEEDING THE FLOCK:
Centrality of teaching in NT church...
Jesus preeminently a teacher...
He instructed His first “undershepherds “ to teach His disciples to obey everything Jesus passed on to them...(Matt. 28:18-20)....
Early church devoted themselves to apostles teachings...(Acts 2:42)
Paul exhorted Timothy to give priority to the “public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching...) I Tim.4:13.
Order of gifts-Teaching 3rd following only apostles & prophets(ICor.12:28).
Jesus said to Peter, “If you love me Peter, feed my Sheep.”

“Able To Teach...”
Unlike modern concepts of a “board of elders,” all NT elders are required to be “able to teach” (I Timothy 3:2). In his list of qualifications for the eldership, Paul states that elders “must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1: 9).

Illustration: WHY?
The importance of feeding sheep is evidenced by the fact that sheep are nearly incapable of feeding and watering themselves properly. Without a shepherd, sheep would quickly be without pasture and water, and would soon waste away...Everything depends on the proper feeding of the sheep. Unless wisely fed, they become emaciated and sick, and the wealth invested in them is squandered. When Ezekiel presents a picture of the bad shepherd, the first stroke of his brush is, “He does not feed the flock.” God's shepherds feed their flock the full counsel of God: A balanced diet that includes some things they have to eat, because it` s good for them, even if they don` t want to eat it. Likewise, the flock of God matures, grows, and is protected by the Word of God. Good shepherds protect, guide, lead, nourish, comfort, educate, and heal the flock by teaching and preaching the Word. Indeed, many pastoral needs of people are met through the teaching and preaching of God` s Word...The faithful shepherd of God, who claims to love God, feeds his sheep.

III. LEADING THE FLOCK:
In Biblical language, shepherds lead the flock or govern the people with integrity of heart and skillful hands...

“overseer”- to supervise...manage...exercise oversight...

Shepherds as Leaders:
“Sheep are not independent travelers. They must have a human conductor. They can not start out in the morning in search of pasture and then come home at evening time. They have, apparently, no sense of direction. The greenest pasture may be only a few miles away, but sheep left to themselves can not find it...” (Keller).

Sheep must be led to fresh water , new pasture, and relief from dangerous summer heat. This often means traveling rugged roads and narrow paths through dangerous ravines...The sheep must also be made to rest. At evening, they must be brought into the fold. Thus, shepherds must know how and where to lead their flock. They must also use limited land and water supplies wisely, constantly planning for future needs and anticipating potential problems.

Likewise, NT shepherds must be able to discern the times and know the dangers of the culture around them. They must be able to direct or lead the people to that which is spiritually beneficial and wholesome...They must lead the flock away from dangerous people, ideas, doctrines, and attitudes that might endanger the spiritual well-being of the church.

Leading The Flock Of God Requires People Management Skills:
A healthy, growing flock of sheep doesn't just appear. It is the result of the shepherd` s skillful use of sheep and resources. He knows sheep and is skillful in caring for them. Likewise, a good elder, knows his flock. He knows how sensitive they are. He knows their needs, troubles, weaknesses, and shortcomings. He knows how they can hurt one another. He knows how stubborn they can be...He knows that they must be slowly and patiently led. He knows when to be tough and when to be gentle. He knows people` s needs and what must be done to meet those needs. He knows how to accurately assess the health and direction of the congregation.

Shepherding the Flock Is Hard Work:

Jacob's description of his life as a shepherd:
“By day the heat consumed me,
and by night the frost,
and my sheep fled from my eyes” (Gen. 31:40)

Not only does leading and managing the flock demand skill and knowledge, it requires lots of hard work. Shepherding is hard and often uncomfortable work. Sheep don` t take vacations from eating and drinking, nor do their predators vanish. Because a good shepherd must work hard, a self-seeking shepherd is, according to the biblical writers, a “bad shepherd” (Ezek.34:2,8). And idle, lazy shepherd is a disgrace and danger to the flock (Nahum 3:18; Zechariah 11:17). Shepherding God's flock requires a life of devoted work. That is why Paul exhorts believers to highly honor and love those who work hard at caring for the flock (I Thess. 5:12; I Tim. 5:17).

IV. CARING FOR THE PRACTICAL NEEDS OF THE FLOCK:
Shepherds also bear primary responsibility for the practical care of the congregation's many and diverse needs. For example, James instructs sick members of the flock to call on the elders of the church:
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14).

As shepherds of the flock, the elders must be available to meet whatever needs the sheep have. This means VISITING THE SICK, COMFORTING THE BEREAVED, STRENGTHENING THE WEAK, PRAYING FOR ALL THE SHEEP, VISITING NEW MEMBERS, PROVIDING COUNSEL FOR COUPLES WHO ARE ENGAGED TO MARRY, TO MARRIED COUPLES, and to THE DIVORCED...Managing the day-to-day details of the inner life of the congregation.

Secret of this care is LOVE... “Love is the crowning jewel of the shepherd...”
All the care, all the work, all the watchfulness, all the skill, all the concern, all the self-sacrifice are born of his love - The love of one who loves the sheep, loves his work, and loves his role as a shepherd...
Nothing ministers to people's deepest needs more than genuine Christian love.

There is no compensation for a lack of love and compassion on the part of the elders. Without love, the eldership is an empty shell. Without love. the eldership is a “ noisy gong,” a “clanging cymbal,” a “spiritual zero” (I Cor.13:1-2).