The Church 9

First Baptist Church Leominster

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In respecting the

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Church of Jesus Christ, this is the ninth Lord's Day that we've given to this subject.

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For the last few weeks we've been addressing the nature of leadership within the local church, and the local

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Church of Jesus Christ is quite unique in this way. Although the polity of the

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New Testament local church is congregational in nature, nevertheless the

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Lord has established the office and role of elder to shepherd his church.

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The congregation elects men who will in turn lead the congregation, men to whom the members of the congregation are to submit.

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And so there's somewhat of a paradox here. And yet in a sense, of course, it's not the congregation that chooses these men, but rather the

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Lord calls and confirms these men through the congregation, leading the congregation as it chooses these men to shepherd his people.

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And so rather than the people themselves making decisions as to what they want personally, rather the people seek to discern the

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Lord's will so as to choose men whom the Lord would have lead his people. And that's an important principle that we all should keep in mind.

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Today I would like us to consider more fully and clearly the nature of the leadership that the elder is to exercise in the church.

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And in addition I would like us also to consider the manner in which members of the congregation are to regard and to respond to the church's leaders.

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And we want to trace through the measure what the Lord has revealed about these matters.

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And we want to go into the Old Testament first to do so. There's Old Testament background in which the

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Old Testament speaks about the shepherds that the Lord had given to Israel, spiritual shepherds, but they had failed to shepherd the people of God rightly.

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And then we'll consider the promise of God in the Old Testament that he would in the days of salvation call faithful shepherds to lead his people.

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And then of course in the New Testament we see this promise is fulfilled through the Lord Jesus in calling and equipping pastor -teachers to lead his people.

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So that's basically the approach that we're taking. So let's first consider the unfaithful shepherds in Old Testament Israel.

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Really the faithful shepherds that the Lord has placed in his churches may be contrasted with the shepherds that served

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Israel during the times of the Old Testament. And so we want to turn to the prophecy of Jeremiah to read of the failure of Israel's shepherds as well as the promise of God that he would give faithful shepherds to his people.

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And we could have gone to any number of passages but I thought Jeremiah 23 would be fitting.

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It's a rather long reading but I think it is all -encompassing and so we want to give we want to read the passage in its entirety.

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Jeremiah 23 1 through 24. Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture says the

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Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed my people you have scattered my flock driven them away and not attended to them.

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Behold I will attend to you for the evil of your doings says the Lord. But I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all country and they shall be fruitful and increase.

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And here it is I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed nor shall they be lacking says the

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Lord. Behold the days are coming says the Lord that I will raise to David a branch of righteousness.

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A king shall reign and prosper and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

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In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely. Now this is his name by which he will be called the

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Lord our righteousness. Therefore behold the days are coming says the

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Lord that they shall no longer say as the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt but as the

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Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.

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And they shall dwell in their own land. Now this is

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Jeremiah speaking. My heart within me is broken because of the prophets all my bones shake

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I am like a drunken man and like a man whom wine has overcome because of the

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Lord for the land is full of adulterers for because of a curse the land mourns the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up their course of life is evil and their might is not right for both prophet and priest are profane yes in my house

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I have found their wickedness says the Lord and therefore their way shall be to them like slippery ways in the darkness they shall be driven on and fall in them for I will bring disaster on them the year their punishment says the

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Lord and I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria that would be the northern capital of Israel they prophesied by bail and cause my people

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Israel to err and also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem of course the capital of the southern kingdom of Judah they committed adultery and walk in lies they also strengthen the hands of evildoers so that no one turns back from his wickedness all of them are like Sodom to me and her inhabitants like Gomorrah and therefore thus says the

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Lord of hosts concerning the prophets behold I will feed them with wormwood and make them drink the water of Gaul for from the prophets of Jerusalem profaneness has gone out into all the land thus says the

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Lord of hosts do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you they make you worthless they speak a vision of their own heart not from the mouth of the

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Lord they continually say to those who despise me the Lord has said you shall have peace and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart they say no evil shall come upon you for who has stood in the council of the

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Lord and has perceived and heard his word who has marked his word and heard it behold a whirlwind of the

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Lord has gone forth in fury a violent whirlwind and it will fall violently on the head of the wicked the anger of the

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Lord will not turn back until he is executed and perform the thoughts of his heart in the latter days you will understand it perfectly

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I have not sent these prophets yet they ran I have not spoken to them yet they prophesied but if they had stood in my counsel and cause my people to hear my words then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings am

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I a God near at hand says the Lord and not a God afar off can anyone hide himself in secret places so I shall not see him says the

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Lord do I not feel heaven and earth says the Lord Jeremiah this prophet served

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God's people in Judah in the last days of the national existence of the southern kingdom in the sixth century

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BC actually Jerusalem fell and was destroyed the temple burned in 586

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BC by the Babylonians Jeremiah saw all this he saw the decay yes he saw times a revival under King Josiah but he saw the decay and eventually he witnessed the judgment of God on Judah with the overthrow of Jerusalem and destruction the

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Babylonians capturing the people of God enslaving them and taking them into exile several deportations of his people as they were taken in chains out of the land at the onset of their 70 -year exile in Babylon as a punishment of God God judgment had fallen upon his people after centuries of God patiently waiting and enduring their defections and their rebellions the

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Lord had sent his prophets true prophets like Jeremiah who repeatedly and continually confronted the people with their sin and their need for repentance and their need to return to the

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Lord but as we read in our passage one of the great causes of the downgrade of the people was that false prophets had led the people wrongly and so the true prophets were rather few in number the false prophets were many in number and they had great influence and yet the

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Lord promised that he would cause a remnant of his people to return from the nations into which he had driven them he would cause their return and their restoration to their land it set forth as a second exodus he said no no longer will they talk about Israel and God brought them out of Egypt rather when

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God brings them out of the north country that would be Babylon and all the nations to which they had been scattered and so anticipated the return of a remnant of Jews and that was realized in the days of Nehemiah and Ezra and Zerubbabel 70 years after the initial deportation of people from Jerusalem but he promised this remnant that they would experience his salvation the

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Lord would secure their steadfastness toward him using one of the means that he would appoint he would even give them faithful shepherds who would lead them and teach them rightly let's work through several important matters of this passage and then we'll move into the

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New Testament first recognize the pastors of New Testament churches were foretold in the

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Old Testament scriptures not everybody would agree with this our dispensational friends would differ but I would advocate it very strongly again the

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Lord denounced the shepherds of his people woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter to the sheep of my pasture says the

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Lord and so the Lord will cause these shepherds to be destroyed nevertheless he says

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I'll set up shepherds over them who will feed them that is the remnant once they return and therefore the people fear no more nor be dismayed nor shall they be lacking and so the

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Lord announced denounced the shepherds of Israel who had not only failed to gather and feed the sheep of the

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Lord's pasture but they had actually destroyed and scattered the people they not only failed to do right but they did wrong they did evil in scattering the people yes it was the

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Lord himself who is judging his people by bringing the force of Babylon upon them but the cause of the failure and defection of the people was due to the unfaithful shepherds leading them please understand and this is important we should not equate exactly these

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Old Testament shepherds with New Testament shepherds that is New Testament elders in a local church for they're not exactly identical for these

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Old Testament shepherds were chiefly the kings of Israel the

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Lord had called these men to serve his people in a political sense as kings in a theocracy in national

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Israel of course national Israel in the land in that day was a manifestation of the kingdom of God for many centuries and we could enlarge this group of shepherds by also saying that priests and prophets in Israel were regarded as shepherds and this is reflected in the passage that we read in at least four verses where prophets and priests are also included in this denunciation of false shepherds although shepherds precisely and specifically were the kings of Israel and Judah who failed to lead the people properly but these prophets and priests also failed in their responsibility so in contrast to New Testament shepherds that is pastors of local churches who perform spiritual ministry among the

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Lord's people these really were political kings of the Old Testament but also prophets and priests who were to teach the people rightly the word of God but had failed to do so had failed to call the people to repent from their sin but though there are significant differences in the identity and nature of shepherds in Old Testament Israel and shepherds in New Testament Israel or churches there are some similarities the kings priests and prophets and failed to teach

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God's people rightly God promised however that he would raise up faithful shepherds to lead his people in the future and we would argue that those future shepherds are the elders or pastors of New Testament churches on which he is blessed in this age actually the association of kings with the work of shepherding was not unique to Israel I bought a book recently and it sets forth shepherding

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God's people as a reflection of kingly authority in the ancient world and I was surprised to read just how extensive this was in the

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Middle East throughout history the fact is that too much of ancient history the nations of the world were largely pastoral in nature as one wrote pastoralism was a widely visible and significant sector of all near eastern societies from the very beginning of human civilization and so many different peoples associated their kings with being shepherds of their people this was true not just in Israel but it was also true in Mesopotamia Egypt Pharaoh was viewed as a shepherd of his people as well as among the ancient

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Greeks and not only did these people regard their kings as shepherds of their people but they also regarded their deity similar their gods were shepherds of their people in fact it was written in one ancient source of a god of the

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Mesopotamians who purportedly said that God is a shepherd of men seeking good pastures for mankind so this is a common theme a common idea in the ancient world one ancient

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Greek writer wrote of both a god and king he must be a lover of men for it would be strange for a shepherd to be a hater's sheep and ill disposed toward his own flock and that was within the

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Greek culture and so we see it was a common idea throughout the ancient world the

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Middle East of course we're most familiar with our Lord Jesus who asserted that he was a good shepherd he declared this in two places

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I am the good shepherd but in the Old Testament there are statements and numerous allusions to the

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Lord God the triune God being a shepherd of Israel and so the opening words of Psalm 80 for example

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David's prayer to God give ear O shepherd of Israel you who lead Joseph like a flock you who dwell between the cherubim shine forth and there

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God is presented as the king of Israel Israel being his sheep his flock perhaps it's in the prophets in which the

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Lord denouncing the unfaithful shepherds of Israel we see the Lord himself set forth as the true and good shepherd of Israel for example consider

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Ezekiel 34 verse 1 and following let's turn there and read Ezekiel 34 verses 1 and following Ezekiel wrote and the word of the

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Lord came to me saying son of man prophesy against the shepherds of Israel prophesy and say to them thus says the

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Lord God to the shepherds woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves should not the shepherds feed the flocks you eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool you slaughter the fatlings but you do not feed the flock the weak you've not strengthened nor have you healed those who were sick or bound up the broken or brought back what was driven away or sought what was lost but with force and cruelty you have ruled them so they were scattered because there was no shepherd and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered my sheep wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill yes my flock see there you have

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God as a shepherd describing his flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth and no one was seeking or searching for them therefore you shepherds hear the word of the

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Lord and this is Ezekiel 34 verse 7 now therefore you shepherds hear the word of the

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Lord as I live says the Lord God surely because my flock became a prey and my flock became food for every beast of the field because there was no shepherd nor did my shepherds search for my flock but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed my flock therefore shepherds hear the word of the

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Lord thus says the Lord God behold I am against the shepherds I will require my flock at their hand

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I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more for I will deliver my flock from their mouths that they may know no longer be food for them for thus says the

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Lord God indeed I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out see God himself is the shepherd of Israel as a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep so will

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I seek out my sheep and deliver them from all the places where they are scattered on a cloudy and dark day and I will bring them out from the people's and gather them from the country's same idea

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Jeremiah 23 God gathering his people as a shepherd goes out and get his lost sheep and brings them back to his land his flock bring them back to their own land and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel the valleys and all the inhabited places of the country and I will feed them in good pasture and their foals shall be on the high mountains of Israel and there they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel I'll feed my flock

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I'll make them lie down says the Lord God I'll seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick but I will destroy the fat and the strong and feed them in judgment as Ezekiel 34 1 to 16 nevertheless the

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Lord the true shepherd of Israel called men to shepherd his flock on his behalf and again the shepherds were chiefly the

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Kings that were raised up to rule Israel they were to serve Israel's as shepherd serves his sheep the

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Kings were to protect the Lord's flock they were to feed their people as well but again the priests and almost so the prophets were also regarded as shepherds and their responsibility to teach the people to live rightly before God they were to call the people back to the

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Lord and to the Lord's ways even as they strayed they were to care for and tend to the

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Lord's people on his behalf this was their duty as shepherds of Israel but the shepherds of Israel had failed in their duty so rather than gather they scattered the flock of God and so God declared to them he would get he would cast them out and scatter them for God himself would shepherd his people which we saw we read in Jeremiah 23 again one through three woe to the shepherds who destroyed scattered the sheep of my pasture you scattered my flock driven them away behold

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I will attend to you for the evil of your doing says the Lord but I will gather the remnant of my flock he's the good shepherd you say out of all the countries where I've driven them and bring them back to their foals and they should be fruitful and increase again this theme really is found throughout the prophets but it may be seen quite clearly in Isaiah 40 here we have the promise of salvation again couched in terms of the returning exiles to the land to whom the servant of the

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Lord would be sent the servant of the Lord of course being a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ but here

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God himself reveals himself as a shepherd who would save his sheep so Isaiah 40 verse 9 to 11

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O Zion you who bring good tidings get up into the high mountain O Jerusalem you who bring good tidings lift up your voice with strength lift it up and be not afraid say to the cities of Judah behold your

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God behold the Lord God shall come with a strong hand and his arm shall rule for them and behold his reward is with them and has worked before him and here it is he will feed his flock like a shepherd he will gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and gently lead those who are with young and so the

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Lord denounced these false shepherds evil shepherds he declared he himself would be a good shepherd who would gather his sheep the

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Lord also pronounced that he would raise up a king for them the son of David the promised

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Messiah and this promised Messiah would shepherd his sheep again we saw this in Jeremiah 23 that we read verses 5 through 6 here again we see clearly

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God's promise of setting up his flock and it would be realized he was raising up the promised son of David and this is how we know that this is realized in this church age because this describes the person and work of our

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Lord Jesus behold the days are coming says the Lord I will raise to David a branch of righteousness we didn't have time to go into the birth narratives where Jesus is described as the branch a king shall reign and prosper and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth in his day

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Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely now this is his name by which he will be called the

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Lord our righteousness and that's not a prophecy of the Lord Jesus in a future thousand year

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Jewish millennium on earth it's a prophecy of the coming of the Lord Jesus when he came into the world and he was a good shepherd and he became our righteousness through his life and his death upon the cross and so this has been realized is being realized through the coming of the

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Lord Jesus whereas the shepherds of Israel had failed miserably to fulfill their responsibilities

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God raised up this promised son of David Jesus Christ to save his people he is the king over his people who saves them from their sin he is their righteousness this speaks of the gift of righteousness that God imputes to his people through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone whereas they were guilty and under the wrath of God for their sins having no righteousness of their own

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God himself would provide a righteousness for them through their

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Davidic king the promised Messiah Jesus Christ and so the salvation that the

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Lord brings to his people is likened to a second exodus just as the

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Lord saved Israel out of Egypt he led his people through the wilderness to the promised land so the coming

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Messiah would bring back a remnant of his people from their exile even the nations into which the Lord scattered them he would secure them onto himself and enable them to dwell in peace and safety and therefore behold the days are coming says the

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Lord they'll no longer say as the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt but as the

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Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and for all the countries where I've driven them and they should dwell in their own land and this is what

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God has done and is doing and will do in history he caused the return of exiles throughout the nations even as he is escorting them back to their own land and when we work through this book of consolation some time ago in Isaiah 40 particularly through Isaiah 55 we're able to show that that return from exile was not just simply speaking about physical

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Jews returning from Babylon to the literal physical land but rather it's a return from exile throughout all the nations and it was taking place back then and it's still taking place today

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God is calling us to salvation from all the nations and we're returning to Zion we're returning by the

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Lord and he's leading us through the wilderness of this world even on this pilgrimage this journey back to our homeland which is

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Zion the New Jerusalem and a new heavens and a new earth so the

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Lord is escorting us on to our own land that he has prepared for us and so although the language is couched in terms that the

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Old Testament Israelites would understand and value as New Testament Christians we understand this promised land to which the

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Lord is bringing his people is ultimately a new heavens and a new earth and that city whose maker and builder is

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God a city built without hands that one day will be the dwelling place of all the people of God thank the

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Lord for that let's consider next the

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Lord promised in the Old Testament scriptures that he would raise up faithful shepherds to lead his people we've already read some of these the

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Lord promised to provide faithful shepherds to lead his people it was declared in our passage I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed nor shall they be lacking says the

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Lord and again this is found elsewhere back in Jeremiah 3 14 and 15 where Jeremiah called out for the

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Lord to Jeremiah called out return O backsliding children for I am married to you

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I will take you one from a city two from a family I will bring you to Zion and I will give you shepherds according to my heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding so there's the promise in the

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Old Testament that the Lord would give shepherds to his people who he redeems through the branch the son of David who is our righteousness quite clear isn't it beautifully portrayed you know the early

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Christians for a number of decades had no New Testament and those early apostles in those early churches their pastors they stood and preach the

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Word of God which was the Hebrew scriptures and they preach from passages like this telling

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Christians that they are experiencing this blessing promise long ago we have a more clearly set forth for us of course in our

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New Testaments well let's consider next that the Lord gives authority and responsibility to the elders or pastors of New Testament churches first the

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Lord commissions elders to teach the Word of God to the local church of Jesus Christ teaching the

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Word of God to the people of God was a major emphasis of our Lord's earthly ministry although he healed many people of their infirmities delivered many people from oppression his chief calling during his earthly ministry was to proclaim the

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Word of God to the people this is an emphasis in Mark's gospel by the way mark 138

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Jesus said let us go into the next town that I may preach there also because for this purpose

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I have come forth and that's an emphasis by the way in Mark's gospel we read our

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Lord Jesus gave instruction to Peter that he was to feed the people of God with the words of God upon his resurrection of course when he restored

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Peter after Peter's defection after they breakfast beside the Sea of Galilee Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon son of Jonah do you love me more than these

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I don't know what the these were more than these fish I don't think so probably more than these apostles because earlier

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Peter said hey they might betray you not me basically saying I love you more than they do and now the

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Lord Jesus is asking Peter you love me more than these Peter said Lord you know

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I love you and so the response of the Lord feed my lambs he said to him a second time

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Simon son of Jonah do you love me he said to him yes Lord you know I love you tend my sheep he said to him a third time

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Simon son of Jonah do you love me Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time do you love me and he said to him

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Lord you know all things you know that I love you Jesus said to him feed my sheep and that's what shepherds do don't they they feed the sheep the people of God with the word of God of course

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Paul commissioned Timothy in this way I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead at the appearing in his kingdom preach the word be ready in season out of season convince rebuke exhort with all long -suffering and teaching elders are to teach the word of God of the people that's their principal responsibility but it's not their only responsibility for secondly the

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Lord commissioned elders to rule over that is to govern and lead the local church of Jesus Christ just as the shepherds of the

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Old Testament rule the people of God so their New Testament counterparts are to be the leaders of their people but whereas the shepherds of Israel failed their charge the

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Lord calls redeemed men and commissions them to shepherd his people he gives them a heart to know him and a heart to care for the well -being of his people as the

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Lord promised I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them they shall fear no more nor be dismayed nor shall they be lacking says the

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Lord the Lord calls people calls men to serve in this capacity

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Paul gave instruction to the elders of the church at Ephesus regarding their responsibility therefore take heed yourselves and do all the flock among which the

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Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood and then of course it was

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Peter himself who I think is the fullest description and explanation of leadership of elders where he himself identified himself as an elder

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Peter 5 .1 the elders who are among you I exhort I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed shepherd the flock the flock of God which is among you serving as overseers or bishops not by compulsion or willingly not for dishonest gain but eagerly nor as being lords over those entrusted to you you know we're not popes that's sinful to have that kind of exercise that kind of unquestioned authority but being examples to the flock and when the chief shepherd appears you will receive the crown of glory that does not feed away and likewise you younger people submit yourselves to your elders yes all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility for God resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble and so here

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Peter set forth the nature of pastoral leadership in this exhortation to elders elders are to lead primarily through example even as they teach the people the word of God they are to oversee the flock watching over and watching out for the well -being of the people of God on behalf of the

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Lord the chief shepherd as he's described here in this passage these elders are commissioned by him to serve his people on his behalf and they are accountable to him and one day they must give an account to him of their service to his people and this way of course you have the shepherds of the

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New Testament era decidedly different than the unfaithful shepherds of the Old Testament the

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Lord Jesus told his disciples very clearly and we've emphasized this this is so important the kings of the

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Gentiles exercise lordship over them and those who exercise authority of them are called benefactors sarcasm there on the part of the

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Lord Jesus but not so among you on the contrary he was great he was greatest among you let him be as the younger he who governs as he who serves for who is greater he who sits at the table or he who serves is it not he who sits at the table and yet I but I am among you as the one who serves here we see the

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Christian view of authority is decidedly different than how the fallen world uses human authority

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Jesus said he was greatest among you let him be as a younger he who governs as he serves all authority which we have as Christians whether you be a husband and employer father or an elder is to be employed in serving others authority is never to be used to gain dominance or control over others that is self -serving self -exalting that's sin we're to be servants using the authority with which we've been entrusted to serve others ministering to their practical needs needs as well as their spiritual needs providing instruction exhortation encouragement sometimes rebuke and correction if needed again we see our

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Lord's example of exercising authority who is greater he who sits at the table or he who serves it's not he who is it not he who sits at the table yet I'm among you as one who serves and the

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Lord Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth even now and what is he using all that authority to do he's serving you and me and he's serving his father he is never once acted to serve himself and that is the model for spiritual authority again whether you be the head of your home your family or the head of your business or the leader in the church we're servants well not only are we to govern or to lead the church but thirdly the

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Lord commissions elders to protect the local Church of Jesus Christ teach govern protect all gathered the elders at the church at Ephesus he was kind of in a hurry to get your

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Jerusalem Ephesus used to be a port city but the bay had filled in the ship couldn't really come in right to the dock that was there from ancient

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Ephesus so they sailed into the port of Miletus which is about 20 miles south of Ephesus which itself now is far from the seaside but there

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Paul met with the elders from Ephesus and he spoke to them and instructed them very clearly on how to watch over the people of God and so we read of this in Acts 20

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I won't read the entire passage because of the time but he told them to take heed to yourselves and to all the flock to protect the flock watching for themselves among which the

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Holy Spirit has made you oversee seers to shepherd the Church of God which he purchased with his own blood and then he gave the reason for this for I know this after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock and also among yourselves men will rise up as in the church elders become corrupted speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves and therefore watch and remember that for three years

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I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears that's what the shepherds of Israel had failed to do shepherds of the

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New Testament church are to do this it's the elders responsibility to teach the church govern the church protect the church they are to be on constant watch as a shepherd constantly watches out over his flock guarding his charge from any and all that would harm them the elders are to guard the people of God from forces outside the church and from dangerous men within the church who may arise within the church and the

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Lord charged them with this responsibility what is protecting the church entail here's a good summary protecting the flock include seeking the lost strange sheep a critical aspect of shepherding many church shepherds totally neglect moreover protecting the flock involved disciplining sin admonishing improper behavior and attitudes and stopping bitter infighting although the

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New Testament emphasizes the elders role in protecting against doctrinal error the elders cannot neglect seeking the lost and correcting sinful behavior and that's difficult but the

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Lord calls and equips these men in his churches to protect his people in a manner in which they are for the most part the people it is are unable to protect themselves shaper vulnerable creatures and by nature they're rather weak in their ability to defend themselves and the

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Lord has entrusted and I would argue equipped elders to do for his people that which they cannot do very well for themselves although they might think they can here's a good depiction of the weakness and vulnerability of the

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Lord's people protecting the flock is vitally important because sheep are defenseless animals they are utterly helpless in the face of wolves bears lions jackals or robbers

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Philip Keller writing from his wealth of experience as a shepherd and agricultural worker in East Africa and Canada explains how unaware and vulnerable sheep are to danger even inevitable death it reminds me of the behavior of a band of sheep under attack from dogs cougars bears or even wolves often blind and fear stupid unawareness they stand rooted to the spot watching their companions being cut to shreds the predator will pounce upon one then another of the flock raking and tearing them with tooth and claw and meanwhile the other sheep may act as if they did not even hear or recognize a carnage going on around them it's as though they were totally oblivious to the peril of their own precarious position well the

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Lord has called elders and commissioned them to be guardians of his people in any and all matters that would threaten their spiritual being lastly and we want to close with this and we want to close our series with this the people of God are to submit to the leadership of their shepherds and I express this with my most humility and persuasion receive it in the spirit

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I'm giving it we read of this in several places Hebrews 3 7 we read believers are to follow the example of those who have led the people of God those who have taught them the

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Word of God remember those who rule over you who have spoken the Word of God to you whose faith follow considering the outcome of their conduct now these leaders were probably not living at this time but he's calling their attention to former leaders who had formally taught them the

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Word of God but had since died these Christians witness firsthand these leaders were deserving of emulation and imitation and we read in Paul's writing to Philippians brethren join in following my example and note those who so walk as you have for us a pattern in other words

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Paul says find men who are like me and follow them you want to be a good man follow good man want to be a wise man follow a wise man when the writer speaks of these rulers and the outcome of their conduct again he may be speaking of the good witness they had manifested in the way they died then we read in verse 8

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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever this is within the context of the statement we just read whereas those leaders are now gone and can be recalled with fondness of memory and their lives recollected for an example to follow

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Jesus Christ in contrast is yet the same and can be dependent on now and forever they can be remembered

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Jesus Christ can be looked to and relied upon even now and then press even 1317 the direct command for the people of God to obey their spiritual rulers obey those who rule over you and be submissive why for they watch for your souls as they as those who must give account

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I don't know if that's saying frankly whether I'm gonna have to give an account of my life and my work

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I think that's a truism but it not might not be stated here what might be stating is that stated is that obey them who have rule over for you because they're going to give an account of you before the

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Lord on that day how do you think I would assess you how do you think one of the other elders would assess your life your spiritual life what kind of report would we give that may be what was being conveyed again

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Hebrews 13 7 spoke of lit past leaders who had died in the faith but this is a reference to present leaders submit to them be submissive and remember submission is not simply obeying an authority when you agree with him submission many times involves deferring to a leader's judgment even though you may disagree with him ask any wife in here that seeks to be a

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Christian why she can tell you what submission is not because she agrees all the time with her husband and to struggle for them and although this idea of submission may result in the abuse of power and does and irresponsible submission to arrogant and self -serving leaders it does happen sadly it happened in ancient

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Israel didn't it nevertheless it's a principle that stands this should be one's attitude in response to one spiritual leader if indeed this leader is truly concerned for my soul and he claims it he's demonstrated it he's never given any indication otherwise

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I will then defer to his judgment why for I am equally aware of my ability to deceive myself even as I am able to have another deceive me he has concern for my soul he has a measure of experience in this

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I trust the Lord is guiding him call him and given him to me as my servant to guide me and help me and so I will obey him and it's wonderful when an elder encounters that kind of spirit among his people spiritual leaders again will one day render an account of the

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Lord will give an account of their own life and service and the

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Lord promises to reward them they watch out for your souls submission is a great duty of Christians and it's for everyone to not just non -elders but elders need to submit to to the

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Word of God and to the congregation of the Lord I would argue ultimately and submission is a great difficulty one wrote we'll close with this submission is always difficult our hearts are stubborn prideful and rebellious yet we're called to submit even in trying and disagreeable situations

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I was a second man an associate pastor for a number of years back in the 70s and for a period of time

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I the pastor who was a friend of mine I was serving under him and for him and and he wasn't all that he should have been

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I wasn't all that I should be I'm sure but I tell you what I learned what it was to have to submit to somebody who wasn't necessarily pure in his actions right in his motives and I have been sympathetic with Christian wives ever since that day because I was in a similar kind of role children must submit nevertheless to imperfect parents wives to difficult husbands employees to demanding employers as the congregation is required to submit to and obey its elders even if the elders have weaknesses and faults indeed most elders are quite imperfect so those who are disobedient can always find reason to revolt of course the things we consider to be the elders misjudgments or errors may well be our own errors so we should not be too hasty or disregard the judgment of those

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God has chosen to provide for our spiritual care well may the Lord help us to be merciful and gracious in our church in these matters may the

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Lord impart grace to the elders to serve our congregation rightly and may he give grace to our congregation to submit to the elders according to the will of God and in the will of God and by the way

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I might assert is that there's never a time when we would not invite any question and one -on -one even a challenge from any church member and it's always legitimate to ask the question pastor where did you get that in the

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Word of God for ultimately we are all subject to the Word of God are we not me too and our church too and so may the

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Lord help and guide our church to function biblically properly in its government as we seek to live before him walk closely with him and serve him faithfully amen our father we thank you for your word we thank you for the clear instruction given and the many examples that we have we pray that you would help us

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Lord to be faithful in these matters and we pray our God that you would watch over our church and help our elders