Jesus Pastors His Sheep
Jesus is your shepherd you shall not want,Jesus makes you lie down in green pastures ...(Psalm 23)
Jesus says: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." "... and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." Jn 10:11,16
False Shepherds
If another shepherd appears to pastor the flock who is not Jesus then he is a false shepherd and should not be followed.
All Brothers
Let us encourage each other as brothers not by Lording it over each other for Jesus: "...made himself of no reputation and took on the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of Man" (Phil 2:7)
First Shall be Last
Now if our Pastor Jesus had no reputation then what should we be like? Even Paul made it clear which position an apostle would be "For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all" (1 Cor 4:9)
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Jesus Pastors His SheepPosted by Correy Tuesday, May 23, 2006
After reading many creeds and belief statements
I decided to stick to my own
5 Comments:
The Lord has called some to be pastors or shepherds of His flock, and given them clear instuctions about what to do.
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
Ephesians 4:11-13
The Bible also tells us how to respond to teachers and pastors.
"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you."
Hebrews 13:17
and also Romans:13:1-3, Acts 15:22, Acts 20:27-28 and 1 Peter 5:1-5.
Being a pstor is not something to be entered into lightly as "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."
James 3:1
Some men and/or women are gifted by God to be teachers or pastors, if this is the case then Romans 12:3-8 is very clear that we should support them in those roles.
Ultimately the test of a pastor is the Word of God and if they stick to it in Spirit and in Truth. Those of us in the congregations, when ever a Pastor speaks, should receive "the message with great eagerness and [examine] the Scriptures every day to see if what [was] said was true."
- Acts 17:11
MDM
You used one verse with the word Pastor in it from Eph then the other verses you used to make Pastors into the rulers of the church that we are all to submit to.
"some to be prophets, some to be evangelists..." Eph 4
Prophets come well before pastors yet you never make the prophets out to be popes instead you use the pastors for this is what man has done.
Obviously: Eph 4 is talking about the gifts of the brothers. Feeding the flock on a personal one on one level is a gift not a position or ranking. The men who do this in my life have never been paid or given homage for this but they can't help lifting me up in Jesus.
The men who feed you with the words written in Red by coming to your house regularly and encouraging you one on one about Jesus. They are really the pastor talked about in Eph 4. They don't get paid for this nor do they give themselves titles or are called titles for their boast is in their Chief Pastor Jesus who made himself of no reputation.
s shepherd is someone who both cares for the flock and leads them.
A pastor is a shepherd of the portion of the flock under his care and he also leads them.
This leadership is to help protect the congregation (flock) and also to help prepare them for the good works the Lord has designated for them.
A church leader is not wicked as you might suggest. Sure there are SOME who are abusing their positions and pursuing things of this word rather than God but that is a small number compared to all the pastors of all the churhes throughout the body of Christ.
The Bible is very clear that we are to humble ourselves and submit to authority (since all authority is placed there by GOd), including the authority in the church, which are the church elders, and the pastoral teams.
Where the authority of pastors has been most strikingly out of corect proportion, as far as I can see, is within the Catholic Church and with the Pope. The Pope is considered infallable and thus his words are as scripture. This is incorrect.
SOLA SCRIPTURA, our theological understandings must come from Scripture alone and not another man's interpretation of scripture, or a churches tradition. There should stil be men and women who teach from God's word however, as this too is a gifting from the Holy Spirit, just as there are others who are Gifted with being carers/ shepherds/ stewards/ pastors of the body of Christ.
This is why we of the congregation are called to be like the bereans and to examine the scriptures to be watchful of pastors who might lead us astray. Pastors are human and are fallable, just as any other christian. This does not mean that all pastors are wicked though. Pastors have a right to lead as generally they have done more rigorous study of God's word and spend full time searching Him out as opposed to most christians who have other jobs or professions. A true pastor is not simply a leader who 'lords it over' the congregation, but is in the likeness of Christ a servant of them.
There needs to be leadership in the church, but as John Wesley stated in the 18th century, "The Church is to be judged by the Scriptures, not the Scriptures by the Church."
MDM
" Feeding the flock on a personal one on one level is a gift not a position or ranking."
I agree.
You should, however, note that a sheppherd, unless he is very unsuccessful, will never only have one sheep. A sheppherd has a flock under his care or a sheep herd.
MDM
You really make it seem so easy together with your presentation however I to find this matter to be actually one thing which I
feel I might never understand. It kind of feels too complicated and extremely wide for me.
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