The apostle Paul, like Jesus before him, did much to recruit, train and release teams of leaders who would shepherd the flock of God. He knew that the only way for the new and fast-growing New Testament Christian communities to be protected and to prosper spiritually was to find faithful people who would reproduce other faithful people as pastors. It was to one of these groups, the team of elders from Ephesus, that the apostle Paul gave significant teaching on what it means to be ‘shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood’, as Acts 20:28 says.
Even in the face of strong opposition, Paul saw many people coming to faith in Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit in Ephesus. A powerful church had been established and a team of faithful leaders had emerged to carry on the great work Paul had started. Not expecting to see these leaders again, in Acts 20:17-38 Paul gave some final instructions about what they will need to do as pastors for the good of the church flock and passed the baton of pastoral responsibility for the church over to them.
His teaching is every bit as relevant for church pastors today as it was then, whether you are a pastor employed full time by the church or a lay pastor of a small cell group. We see some key points on what he says it means to be a pastor:
1. Pastors need to be examples to the flock (Acts 20:17-19, 33-35)
2. Pastors need to teach the flock (Acts 20:20-27)
3. Pastors need to guard the flock (Acts 20:28-31, 36-38)
a. By standing your ground
b. By speaking clearly to the disciples you are responsible for
c. You must be prepared to rescue the sheep whatever the cost (John 10:15)
Apply
Do you know Jesus as your Shepherd? Are you living as the best example to others? Pastors, as good shepherds, need to lead the flock by walking themselves in the right paths. Paul wanted to make it clear that he had always tried to be the best example so that the flock of God could follow him (Acts 20:17-19,33-35). In summary Paul wanted to show the people of God what is involved to live fully for God. It means to have:
• To know the people and be known by the people
• To be humble
• To have a soft heart; a pastor who never sheds tears is probably not one
• To keep going in times of great testing and opposition
• To live to give, not to receive
• To work hard
• To help people in need
Paul reminded these leaders that he had always been a sincere leader not a self-seeking one. He was interested in what was best for the flock, not himself. That’s what he wanted the Ephesian pastors to also be. And that’s what everyone in any position of pastoral oversight should seek to be: genuine examples of godly living.
Are you daily reading and being fed by the Word of God? Do you teach the Word of God faithfully to those you are responsible for? To feed the sheep, people must be taught the Word of God (Acts 20:20-27). Every Christian and every church needs to be rooted and grounded in the truths of the Scriptures. Paul notes several characteristics of his teaching, which we also should follow. We should:
• Teach without hesitation: or fear or favour
• Teach everything that can help people
• Teach how all people must turn to God in repentance
• Teach the need for coming to faith in Jesus Christ
• Teach about the kingdom of God
• Teach all the Bible: the challenges as well as the blessings
• Teach in public meetings and from house to house: big groups and small groups
We too should not hesitate to teach and preach like this.
Will you accept the call of being a pastor and become a faithful shepherd who will guard the flock? Paul, having faced many attacks himself, wants the shepherds of Ephesus to wise up and wake up to the many attacks on the people of God that will come after he is gone (Acts 20:28-31). He wants them fully prepared to guard the Christian community from every attack. He wants them to guard against those who have been in the church who will arise and lie and distort to get disciples to follow them. They will be like savage wolves thinking only of themselves with no care for the trouble they cause to the flock. At such times the true pastors must be on full alert to protect the people of God. So how can good pastors and teams of faithful pastoral leaders look after the flock and particular individuals who are vulnerable to being picked off in times of attack? By standing your ground. Don’t run away from the challenge. Don’t be manipulated or intimidated. When it seems like a wolf or a whole pack of wolves are after your disciples or children, face them down. It’s the sign of a true shepherd. Only the false shepherd, who is concerned about what’s in it for him, cuts and runs. You must also speak clearly to the disciples you are responsible for (John 10:4). Your voice must be familiar to your disciples. You must speak words of direction and correction so consistently that your sheep listen to your voice and not the voice of other people with their own dark agendas. You must give clear teaching, encouragement and counsel to your disciples individually and as a group. And you must be prepared to rescue the sheep whatever the cost. The good shepherd pays a price for the sheep. He or she lays down their life for the sheep (John 10:15). You must wrestle in prayer for every disciple and church flock under attack. You must not be prepared to let Satan and his agents to take your sheep away.
