WEBVTT 00:00:01.480 --> 00:00:03.580 Growing up, the pastor of our church was Sam 00:00:03.580 --> 00:00:07.459 Goetz, but almost nobody called him Brother Sam 00:00:07.459 --> 00:00:11.160 or Pastor Sam or Preacher Sam. Everybody called 00:00:11.160 --> 00:00:14.839 him Papa Sam. He wasn't related to most of us, 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:17.399 but somehow that didn't really matter. He was 00:00:17.399 --> 00:00:21.640 family. And when I think about why, I don't think 00:00:21.640 --> 00:00:24.760 first about his title or position. I think about 00:00:24.760 --> 00:00:28.239 his presence. He was there. He knew my family. 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:31.789 He knew our lives. He watched us grow up. He 00:00:31.789 --> 00:00:34.829 knew our strengths. He knew our struggles. He 00:00:34.829 --> 00:00:37.750 knew when things were going well and he knew 00:00:37.750 --> 00:00:40.990 when something was off. I remember him getting 00:00:40.990 --> 00:00:42.929 onto us around the communion table at church. 00:00:43.149 --> 00:00:45.390 I remember a church float trip where he gave 00:00:45.390 --> 00:00:48.409 a devotional and afterwards he talked about how 00:00:48.409 --> 00:00:52.289 big God really is and how easily we shrink him 00:00:52.289 --> 00:00:55.350 down into something small enough for our minds 00:00:55.350 --> 00:00:58.130 to manage. I still remember that conversation. 00:00:59.149 --> 00:01:02.270 And I remember Papa Sam cooking me what may have 00:01:02.270 --> 00:01:05.269 been the first steak of my life that was actually 00:01:05.269 --> 00:01:09.390 cooked like a steak and not transformed into, 00:01:09.609 --> 00:01:12.730 you know, a piece of shoe leather. That may have 00:01:12.730 --> 00:01:14.849 been one of the greatest acts of pastoral care. 00:01:16.290 --> 00:01:19.310 That's what life with Papa Sam was like. Faith 00:01:19.310 --> 00:01:22.569 wasn't confined to a sermon. He didn't talk about 00:01:22.569 --> 00:01:24.469 God because it was what he was supposed to do. 00:01:25.909 --> 00:01:28.269 God was just naturally part of the conversation. 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:33.280 Because God was what he actually loved. There 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:36.480 was a local man around Papa Sam's age he had 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:39.640 gotten to know over several years. They talked, 00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:43.120 built a friendship, shared life. And then one 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:47.140 day, standing at a gas pump at the local gas 00:01:47.140 --> 00:01:50.379 station down the road, Papa Sam asked him, Do 00:01:50.379 --> 00:01:53.819 you have a relationship with Jesus? That conversation 00:01:53.819 --> 00:01:57.370 eventually led to the man seeking Christ. Papa 00:01:57.370 --> 00:01:59.629 Sam didn't spend years pretending to care about 00:01:59.629 --> 00:02:01.629 somebody so he could eventually close the deal. 00:02:02.530 --> 00:02:06.170 He cared about him. He knew him. And because 00:02:06.170 --> 00:02:09.430 Christ mattered to Papa Sam, eventually the conversation 00:02:09.430 --> 00:02:13.389 went there. Papa Sam knew people because he took 00:02:13.389 --> 00:02:15.930 the time to know people. Not just their names. 00:02:16.349 --> 00:02:18.789 Not just whether they were at church on Sunday. 00:02:19.389 --> 00:02:21.889 Not just enough information to say hello in the 00:02:21.889 --> 00:02:25.770 hallway. He knew people. And when scripture calls 00:02:25.770 --> 00:02:29.330 church leaders shepherds, I think that's part 00:02:29.330 --> 00:02:32.389 of the picture we've got to recover. Because 00:02:32.389 --> 00:02:36.669 a shepherd cannot care for a flock well if he 00:02:36.669 --> 00:02:40.030 never knows them. Welcome to Grace in the Grind, 00:02:40.090 --> 00:02:41.689 brought to you by Arrow & Roots Coffee Company, 00:02:41.830 --> 00:02:44.569 where faith meets the everyday. Here we take 00:02:44.569 --> 00:02:46.689 time to notice God's presence in the middle of 00:02:46.689 --> 00:02:50.349 life's busiest moments, find encouragement, clarity. 00:02:51.069 --> 00:02:54.189 and a reminder of His grace right in the grime 00:02:54.189 --> 00:02:58.330 of daily life. So grab your mug, relax, and let's 00:02:58.330 --> 00:03:02.189 take a sip of this cup together. Last cup, we 00:03:02.189 --> 00:03:05.810 talked about the church as a family. Not a community 00:03:05.810 --> 00:03:09.169 we curate around people exactly like us, a household 00:03:09.169 --> 00:03:12.710 Christ places us into. We talked about bearing 00:03:12.710 --> 00:03:15.990 burdens, knowing one another, refusing to turn 00:03:15.990 --> 00:03:18.469 the church into a collection of affinity groups, 00:03:18.909 --> 00:03:22.110 where everyone only carries people who are already 00:03:22.110 --> 00:03:25.909 thinking and looking like them. And we talked 00:03:25.909 --> 00:03:29.250 about the responsibility all of us carry towards 00:03:29.250 --> 00:03:32.409 one another. But that raises an important question. 00:03:32.990 --> 00:03:36.569 If the whole body carries responsibility, does 00:03:36.569 --> 00:03:38.710 that mean nobody has a distinct responsibility 00:03:38.710 --> 00:03:42.569 to lead, to teach, to guard, to correct, to oversee? 00:03:43.270 --> 00:03:47.409 No. The New Testament is very clear. that Christ 00:03:47.409 --> 00:03:50.969 gives shepherds to his church. But we've got 00:03:50.969 --> 00:03:54.650 to understand what that means biblically. Because 00:03:54.650 --> 00:03:57.210 we've developed some strange pictures of pastoral 00:03:57.210 --> 00:04:00.349 leadership. Sometimes we reduce the pastor to 00:04:00.349 --> 00:04:03.210 an employee. He's the guy we hired to preach. 00:04:03.469 --> 00:04:05.849 Visit hospitals, counsel marriages, manage staff, 00:04:06.069 --> 00:04:08.069 balance the budget, oversee the building, make 00:04:08.069 --> 00:04:09.870 sure the grass is cut, keep everybody happy, 00:04:09.969 --> 00:04:12.849 and apparently know why the thermostat in the 00:04:12.849 --> 00:04:15.990 fellowship hall is always three degrees too hot. 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:20.779 Other times, we swing completely the other direction. 00:04:21.100 --> 00:04:24.100 The pastor becomes the man of God in a way that 00:04:24.100 --> 00:04:26.920 makes meaningful questions feel like rebellion. 00:04:27.160 --> 00:04:31.319 His vision becomes the church's vision. His preferences 00:04:31.319 --> 00:04:34.899 begin carrying biblical weight. And disagreement 00:04:34.899 --> 00:04:38.220 starts sounding dangerously close to disobedience 00:04:38.220 --> 00:04:43.019 to God. Neither picture fits scripture. Pastorial 00:04:43.019 --> 00:04:46.910 authority is real. It's weighty. It should be 00:04:46.910 --> 00:04:51.870 honored, but it is not ownership. Biblical authority 00:04:51.870 --> 00:04:56.589 is stewardship under Christ. And today, I want 00:04:56.589 --> 00:05:00.069 us to ask, what has Christ actually entrusted 00:05:00.069 --> 00:05:04.769 to elders, pastors, and overseers? What kind 00:05:04.769 --> 00:05:08.310 of men should they be? How should that authority 00:05:08.310 --> 00:05:12.069 function? And then, because this cannot become 00:05:12.069 --> 00:05:15.009 an episode where we sit back and grade our pastor. 00:05:15.579 --> 00:05:18.600 What kind of people do we need to become if we 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:23.639 actually want to be shepherded? 1 Peter 5, 1 00:05:23.639 --> 00:05:49.040 -4 says, but with eagerness, nor yet as lording 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:52.639 it over those allotted to your charge, but proving 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:56.019 to be examples to the flock. And when the chief 00:05:56.019 --> 00:05:59.199 shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:04.639 crown of glory. Notice the ownership, the flock 00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:08.680 of God, and Christ is the chief shepherd. That 00:06:08.680 --> 00:06:11.240 means every faithful pastor, every elder, every 00:06:11.240 --> 00:06:15.269 overseer serves under someone else. The congregation 00:06:15.269 --> 00:06:18.689 does not become his. The ministry does not become 00:06:18.689 --> 00:06:22.370 his. The people do not become his possession. 00:06:23.110 --> 00:06:26.649 He has real responsibility, but never ownership. 00:06:27.370 --> 00:06:29.689 And Peter knew something about that language 00:06:29.689 --> 00:06:33.329 personally. After Peter's failure, Jesus restored 00:06:33.329 --> 00:06:37.170 him with the repeated command, feed my sheep. 00:06:38.310 --> 00:06:43.089 Notice, not Peter's sheep, Christ's. The moment 00:06:43.089 --> 00:06:46.410 we forget, Who owns the flock? Authority gets 00:06:46.410 --> 00:06:50.290 distorted. A pastor begins to ask, what do I 00:06:50.290 --> 00:06:52.730 want to do with this church? What do I want it 00:06:52.730 --> 00:06:55.949 to become? Instead of what has Christ said his 00:06:55.949 --> 00:07:00.310 church should be? A shepherd is a steward. He 00:07:00.310 --> 00:07:03.230 does not get to redesign the owner's flock according 00:07:03.230 --> 00:07:06.610 to his own personal preference. He serves the 00:07:06.610 --> 00:07:11.009 chief shepherd. Now, depending on your church 00:07:11.009 --> 00:07:13.720 background, You've probably heard different terms. 00:07:13.959 --> 00:07:18.680 Pastor, elder, overseer, maybe bishop. And sometimes 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:21.399 we talk as though the New Testament is describing 00:07:21.399 --> 00:07:25.160 completely separate roles. But Acts chapter 20 00:07:25.160 --> 00:07:28.319 helps us. Paul calls the elders of the church 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:30.879 in Ephesus to meet him. While speaking to those 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:33.620 elders, he says the Holy Spirit has made them 00:07:33.620 --> 00:07:37.959 overseers. And he commands them to care for or 00:07:37.959 --> 00:07:41.569 shepherd the church of God. Within the same group, 00:07:41.689 --> 00:07:45.170 we see overlapping descriptions. Elder emphasizes 00:07:45.170 --> 00:07:49.110 maturity and recognized leadership. Overseer 00:07:49.110 --> 00:07:53.170 emphasizes watchfulness and responsibility. Shepherd 00:07:53.170 --> 00:07:56.250 emphasizes feeding, protecting, and leading, 00:07:56.449 --> 00:08:01.129 caring for the people. I'm not trying to settle 00:08:01.129 --> 00:08:05.149 every church polity debate today. Faithful churches 00:08:05.149 --> 00:08:08.149 sometimes use the terminology differently, but 00:08:08.149 --> 00:08:10.959 the picture is clear enough. These are not honorary 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:14.199 titles. They are not celebrity positions. And 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:16.180 they are not simply corporate job descriptions. 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:19.939 These are men entrusted to watch over Christ's 00:08:19.939 --> 00:08:24.180 people. Acts 20 says, Be on guard for yourselves 00:08:24.180 --> 00:08:28.259 and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit 00:08:28.259 --> 00:08:30.899 has made you overseers, to shepherd the church 00:08:30.899 --> 00:08:34.200 of God, which he purchased with his own blood. 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:37.659 I know that after my departure, savage wolves 00:08:37.659 --> 00:08:40.480 will come in among you. Not sparing the flock. 00:08:40.659 --> 00:08:43.519 And from among your own selves men will arise, 00:08:43.700 --> 00:08:46.679 speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples 00:08:46.679 --> 00:08:50.519 after them. Therefore, be on the alert, remembering 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:54.399 that night and day for a period of three years 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:57.240 I did not cease to admonish each one of you with 00:08:57.240 --> 00:09:01.519 tears. Notice the order. Before Paul tells these 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:04.840 men to watch the flock, he tells them to watch 00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:08.659 themselves. Paul starts with the shepherd's own 00:09:08.659 --> 00:09:13.259 soul before he ever gets to the sheep. Because 00:09:13.259 --> 00:09:16.220 one of the greatest dangers to a shepherd is 00:09:16.220 --> 00:09:19.840 not always something outside the church. Sometimes 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:24.960 it's pride, ambition, fear, the need to be needed, 00:09:25.080 --> 00:09:28.440 the temptation to soften truth because people 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:32.159 may leave, or the temptation to become harsh 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:35.799 because control feels easier than patient shepherding. 00:09:37.549 --> 00:09:40.370 Then Paul tells them to watch all the flock. 00:09:41.009 --> 00:09:46.129 And he tells them why. Wolves are coming, some 00:09:46.129 --> 00:09:50.090 from outside. And Paul warns that even among 00:09:50.090 --> 00:09:53.889 their own number, men may arise speaking twisted 00:09:53.889 --> 00:09:58.669 things to draw disciples after themselves. So 00:09:58.669 --> 00:10:01.769 shepherding is not only comforting herding sheep. 00:10:02.350 --> 00:10:06.029 It is guarding them, recognizing false teaching. 00:10:06.509 --> 00:10:09.730 Protecting people from voices that will pull 00:10:09.730 --> 00:10:12.950 them away from Christ. And Paul places the whole 00:10:12.950 --> 00:10:16.929 thing under this staggering truth. This is the 00:10:16.929 --> 00:10:20.669 church of God which he obtained with his own 00:10:20.669 --> 00:10:25.889 blood. The people entrusted to a shepherd are 00:10:25.889 --> 00:10:29.149 people Christ purchased at a measurable cost. 00:10:30.490 --> 00:10:35.490 That gives pastoral leadership its weight. And 00:10:35.490 --> 00:10:37.549 this is where Papa Sam keeps coming back to mind. 00:10:38.110 --> 00:10:41.250 He knew people. It wasn't simply because the 00:10:41.250 --> 00:10:44.230 church was small. Small churches can still be 00:10:44.230 --> 00:10:47.169 anonymous. You can have 40 people in a room who 00:10:47.169 --> 00:10:50.009 barely know each other. You can greet the same 00:10:50.009 --> 00:10:53.330 people every Sunday for 15 years and never get 00:10:53.330 --> 00:10:57.090 beyond. Good morning. How are you? Good. You? 00:10:57.289 --> 00:11:01.049 Good. And apparently, we just call that fellowship. 00:11:02.750 --> 00:11:05.240 Being greeted. It's not the same thing as being 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:10.120 known. Papa Sam listened. He asked. He stayed. 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:14.440 And over time, people trusted him enough to let 00:11:14.440 --> 00:11:18.500 him know what was actually happening. A shepherd 00:11:18.500 --> 00:11:22.659 may know. They've missed three Sundays. That's 00:11:22.659 --> 00:11:27.299 information. But why? Are they drifting? Hurting? 00:11:27.860 --> 00:11:32.779 Working? Ashamed? Are they sick? Caring for someone? 00:11:33.639 --> 00:11:37.120 walking through marital problems? Are they avoiding 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:41.559 correction? Or did a toddler declare war on the 00:11:41.559 --> 00:11:43.460 entire household at 2 o 'clock Sunday morning? 00:11:44.200 --> 00:11:48.080 Yeah, some of us have been there. Same visible 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:52.700 result, very different situations. Good shepherding 00:11:52.700 --> 00:11:56.519 gets close enough to ask. Knowing someone's story 00:11:56.519 --> 00:12:00.080 doesn't change what Scripture says. It changes 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:03.730 how wisely and compassionately you help them 00:12:03.730 --> 00:12:07.110 walk toward it. Relational knowledge is part 00:12:07.110 --> 00:12:09.870 of shepherding, but it is not the whole job. 00:12:10.809 --> 00:12:14.210 Shepherds are also called to teach truth, guard 00:12:14.210 --> 00:12:17.289 against error, lead by example, equip the saints, 00:12:17.309 --> 00:12:21.090 and watch over souls. And when scripture tells 00:12:21.090 --> 00:12:24.129 us what kind of men should carry that responsibility, 00:12:24.509 --> 00:12:28.330 the emphasis is striking. Paul does not begin 00:12:28.330 --> 00:12:31.230 with platform skills. He begins with character. 00:12:32.269 --> 00:12:35.289 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 give us the clearest 00:12:35.289 --> 00:12:38.389 qualification list for elders, and listen to 00:12:38.389 --> 00:12:41.669 the kind of things Paul emphasizes. Above reproach, 00:12:41.669 --> 00:12:45.070 self -controlled, respectable, hospitable, gentle, 00:12:45.330 --> 00:12:48.330 not quarrelsome, not greedy, faithful in his 00:12:48.330 --> 00:12:51.649 household, and able to teach. You might expect 00:12:51.649 --> 00:12:54.409 qualifications like dynamic speaker, visionary 00:12:54.409 --> 00:12:58.809 leader, great fundraiser, strong executive presence. 00:12:59.549 --> 00:13:03.409 can launch three campuses before lunch. Paul 00:13:03.409 --> 00:13:06.870 seems to have forgotten those. Instead, he gives 00:13:06.870 --> 00:13:10.190 us things like above reproach, faithful in their 00:13:10.190 --> 00:13:14.389 marriage, self -controlled, respectable, hospitable, 00:13:14.610 --> 00:13:18.090 gentle, not violent, not quarrelsome, not greedy, 00:13:18.370 --> 00:13:23.909 mature, having a good reputation, managing his 00:13:23.909 --> 00:13:27.549 household faithfully. And then all those character 00:13:27.549 --> 00:13:31.279 qualifications? One ministry ability stands out. 00:13:31.940 --> 00:13:35.419 Able to teach. Look at what Paul emphasizes. 00:13:36.100 --> 00:13:39.039 The qualifications are mostly about observable 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:42.240 character, not platform ability. The question 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:44.940 is not primarily, can this man run an organization? 00:13:45.879 --> 00:13:49.960 It is, has the gospel visibly shaped this man's 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:54.480 ordinary life? How does he treat his wife? How 00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:56.919 does he handle anger? How does he handle money? 00:13:57.769 --> 00:14:01.230 How does he treat people in his home? Is he hospitable? 00:14:01.629 --> 00:14:05.649 Is he controlled by his appetites? Does he argue 00:14:05.649 --> 00:14:09.509 constantly? What kind of reputation has his life 00:14:09.509 --> 00:14:13.649 built over time? The qualifications for an elder 00:14:13.649 --> 00:14:17.649 are mostly observable Christianity, not platform 00:14:17.649 --> 00:14:21.950 Christianity, not resume Christianity. Ordinary 00:14:21.950 --> 00:14:25.070 Christianity lived consistently enough that the 00:14:25.070 --> 00:14:27.980 church can say, We have watched this man follow 00:14:27.980 --> 00:14:32.940 Jesus. Now, above reproach does not mean sinless. 00:14:33.399 --> 00:14:36.259 If perfection were the standard, there would 00:14:36.259 --> 00:14:40.059 be no elders. It means there is not a settled, 00:14:40.100 --> 00:14:42.960 credible pattern of disqualifying behavior defining 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:48.080 the man's life. When he sins, he repents. When 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:51.820 he is wrong, he can be corrected. His life does 00:14:51.820 --> 00:14:54.860 not contradict the message he is called to teach. 00:14:56.360 --> 00:14:59.379 Charisma can draw a crowd. It cannot qualify 00:14:59.379 --> 00:15:02.980 an elder. Giftedness can put a man in front of 00:15:02.980 --> 00:15:06.200 people long before character makes him safe to 00:15:06.200 --> 00:15:10.080 lead them. Scripture puts character before competency, 00:15:10.220 --> 00:15:13.960 though. Titus 1 gives us another qualification 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:18.000 that deserves attention. Holding fast the faithful 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:20.460 word which is in accordance with the teaching, 00:15:20.620 --> 00:15:24.480 so that he will be able both to exhort and sound 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:29.059 doctrine. and refute those who contradict. A 00:15:29.059 --> 00:15:31.100 shepherd does not lead primarily by personality, 00:15:31.259 --> 00:15:33.840 or instinct, or charisma, or personal vision. 00:15:34.360 --> 00:15:38.320 He is bound to the Word. He teaches what Christ 00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:42.279 has said. He corrects with what Christ has said. 00:15:42.659 --> 00:15:45.740 He guards the flock with what Christ has said. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:49.399 Pastoral authority is never independent of Scripture. 00:15:50.120 --> 00:15:53.799 It is delegated by Christ and bound by Christ's 00:15:53.799 --> 00:15:57.820 Word. A pastor's opinion does not become authoritative 00:15:57.820 --> 00:16:01.440 simply because he holds office. His responsibility 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:04.299 is to faithfully bring Christ's word to Christ's 00:16:04.299 --> 00:16:08.500 people. And that protects both shepherd and flock. 00:16:09.179 --> 00:16:11.779 It protects the flock from a leader who wants 00:16:11.779 --> 00:16:14.700 to turn preference into law. And it protects 00:16:14.700 --> 00:16:17.519 the shepherd from believing he has to invent 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:21.679 something new every week. His job is not to be 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:24.779 endlessly original. His job is to be faithfully 00:16:24.779 --> 00:16:29.460 feeding the flock. My friend Tim taught me another 00:16:29.460 --> 00:16:32.460 side of shepherding. Tim walked with me through 00:16:32.460 --> 00:16:35.240 some of the hardest seasons of my life. He also 00:16:35.240 --> 00:16:38.080 walked through some of the biggest joys. He watched 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:42.000 Christy and me go from friends to dating to husband 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:45.860 and wife. And Tim corrected me more than once, 00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:49.399 especially when I drifted towards legalism. There 00:16:49.399 --> 00:16:51.360 were times when we were evaluating potential 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:55.259 volunteers at I had a ministry and I wanted details, 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:58.399 past history, problems, reasons to be cautious, 00:16:58.440 --> 00:17:02.059 and caution itself isn't wrong. But sometimes 00:17:02.059 --> 00:17:04.579 I was judging people as though I had achieved 00:17:04.579 --> 00:17:07.839 my own spiritual maturity entirely through flawless 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:11.380 decision making. Tim saw people differently. 00:17:12.059 --> 00:17:15.380 He would remind me where he was when he started 00:17:15.380 --> 00:17:19.700 volunteering. Then he'd turn it back on me. How 00:17:19.700 --> 00:17:21.859 would you have judged yourself when you started? 00:17:23.109 --> 00:17:25.910 That question hit because I was evaluating somebody 00:17:25.910 --> 00:17:29.509 else's past as though I didn't have one. I could 00:17:29.509 --> 00:17:32.410 look at their sin with tremendous clarity while 00:17:32.410 --> 00:17:35.609 viewing mine through the soft -focused lens of 00:17:35.609 --> 00:17:39.589 grace. Tim pointed me back towards Christ without 00:17:39.589 --> 00:17:44.230 pretending he was the standard. He could correct 00:17:44.230 --> 00:17:47.970 me because he knew his own need for grace. He 00:17:47.970 --> 00:17:51.390 wasn't excusing sin. He wasn't lowering the standard. 00:17:51.880 --> 00:17:54.880 He was reminding me that every one of us stands 00:17:54.880 --> 00:17:59.700 where we stand because Christ is merciful. That's 00:17:59.700 --> 00:18:03.640 shepherding. Another thing about Tim, he always 00:18:03.640 --> 00:18:07.299 seemed to have time for people. Except that's 00:18:07.299 --> 00:18:10.339 not really true. He didn't always have time. 00:18:10.819 --> 00:18:14.180 He made time. There was real work happening. 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:17.720 We were remodeling different buildings and doing 00:18:17.720 --> 00:18:20.240 different projects. Rental groups were there 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:23.059 and had to... be taken care of. We had to prepare 00:18:23.059 --> 00:18:24.920 for them coming in. We had to clean up after 00:18:24.920 --> 00:18:27.640 they left. Projects needed to be done all the 00:18:27.640 --> 00:18:31.119 time. But somehow, the project became part of 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:34.099 the relationship. You might be carrying lumber, 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:37.079 painting a room, getting something ready for 00:18:37.079 --> 00:18:40.339 the next group. And while all of that was happening, 00:18:40.500 --> 00:18:45.380 conversation would go somewhere deep. Sometimes 00:18:45.380 --> 00:18:47.880 the lesson had nothing to do with whatever I 00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:50.710 thought I needed to talk about. It just happened 00:18:50.710 --> 00:18:53.910 because we were doing life together. Some of 00:18:53.910 --> 00:18:56.609 the deepest discipleship doesn't happen across 00:18:56.609 --> 00:19:02.150 a pastor's desk or in a formal meeting. It happens 00:19:02.150 --> 00:19:05.210 while two people are eating dinner or carrying 00:19:05.210 --> 00:19:10.190 lumber. We disagreed too. Some doctrinal things. 00:19:10.970 --> 00:19:13.809 Organizational decisions. Some of the things 00:19:13.809 --> 00:19:17.579 that a late teen or 20 -year -old believes are 00:19:17.579 --> 00:19:19.720 absolutely essential to whether Christianity 00:19:19.720 --> 00:19:24.380 survives the week. Now, we didn't agree on everything. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:28.599 Tim didn't force me to. He continued to love 00:19:28.599 --> 00:19:31.299 people. And that's what preserved the relationship. 00:19:33.059 --> 00:19:35.900 And this is where I have to implicate myself. 00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:40.039 Because I've managed to fall into both ditches. 00:19:40.779 --> 00:19:44.720 When I was younger, I could be very direct. I 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:46.660 know. That's a surprise to a lot of people that 00:19:46.660 --> 00:19:50.819 know me. Other people may have selected different 00:19:50.819 --> 00:19:54.599 adjectives, though. I loved people. I really 00:19:54.599 --> 00:19:57.779 did. I wanted them to make wise choices. I wanted 00:19:57.779 --> 00:20:00.460 them to follow Christ. And somewhere along the 00:20:00.460 --> 00:20:03.180 way, I developed this strange assumption that 00:20:03.180 --> 00:20:06.480 if I loved somebody enough, that apparently meant 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:10.059 I knew what decisions they should make. Sometimes 00:20:10.059 --> 00:20:12.460 I tried to control people because I genuinely 00:20:12.460 --> 00:20:16.220 wanted something good for them. The motive could 00:20:16.220 --> 00:20:20.000 be sincere. The method was still not healthy. 00:20:20.660 --> 00:20:23.359 And looking back, there were situations where 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:26.759 the decision I wanted somebody else to make would 00:20:26.759 --> 00:20:28.920 have been way worse than the decision they made. 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:32.819 Because I didn't have all the information. Love 00:20:32.819 --> 00:20:37.380 did not make me omniscient. Then, there were 00:20:37.380 --> 00:20:41.160 times I went too far the other direction. I discipled 00:20:41.160 --> 00:20:43.519 a young man who was making some dating decisions 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:46.940 I had... concerns about. A lot of the relationships 00:20:46.940 --> 00:20:49.019 seemed to be built primarily around physical 00:20:49.019 --> 00:20:52.819 attraction. I knew him. There was enough trust 00:20:52.819 --> 00:20:55.539 that I could have said something. And I didn't. 00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:59.319 I hoped he would figure it out. And if I'm being 00:20:59.319 --> 00:21:02.319 honest, I wanted to avoid an awkward conversation. 00:21:03.980 --> 00:21:06.099 Later, there was a child born outside of marriage 00:21:06.099 --> 00:21:09.279 and ultimately a split home. And I want to be 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:11.869 very careful here. I'm not saying that if I'd 00:21:11.869 --> 00:21:15.069 spoken, everything would have changed. I don't 00:21:15.069 --> 00:21:17.430 get to imagine myself into that kind of control 00:21:17.430 --> 00:21:22.009 either. But I did learn something. I had trust. 00:21:22.710 --> 00:21:26.269 I had some wisdom that might have helped. And 00:21:26.269 --> 00:21:30.509 discomfort kept me silent. Then naturally, I 00:21:30.509 --> 00:21:33.529 overcorrected for a while. I became too forceful, 00:21:33.549 --> 00:21:37.130 too harsh, too certain. And over time, by God's 00:21:37.130 --> 00:21:39.519 grace, I've been learning something closer to 00:21:39.519 --> 00:21:42.539 biblical balance. That doesn't mean I always 00:21:42.539 --> 00:21:45.819 get it right. But silence is not always grace. 00:21:46.599 --> 00:21:50.019 Control is not always shepherding. Love sometimes 00:21:50.019 --> 00:21:54.220 speaks. But love doesn't pretend to be the Holy 00:21:54.220 --> 00:21:58.079 Spirit. A shepherd can warn, teach, correct, 00:21:58.339 --> 00:22:02.980 open scripture, plead, walk beside someone. But 00:22:02.980 --> 00:22:07.420 Christ is the Lord, not your pastor. and definitely 00:22:07.420 --> 00:22:12.420 not me. 1 Peter 5 says elders exercise oversight. 00:22:12.839 --> 00:22:16.200 So let's not weaken that. Biblical leaders have 00:22:16.200 --> 00:22:19.980 real authority. Hebrews 13 says they keep watch 00:22:19.980 --> 00:22:22.460 over souls as those who will give an account. 00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:26.359 That's heavy. But Peter immediately places a 00:22:26.359 --> 00:22:29.099 boundary around that authority, not domineering 00:22:29.099 --> 00:22:32.119 over those in your charge, but being examples 00:22:32.119 --> 00:22:36.049 to the flock. Biblical authority is not Do this 00:22:36.049 --> 00:22:40.069 because I said so. It is not God put me in charge, 00:22:40.230 --> 00:22:44.190 so questioning me means questioning God. But 00:22:44.190 --> 00:22:47.150 it is also not leadership is basically ceremonial 00:22:47.150 --> 00:22:49.490 and everyone does whatever seems right to them. 00:22:50.529 --> 00:22:53.789 Neither extreme is biblical. Shepherds lead. 00:22:53.930 --> 00:22:58.130 They teach. Shepherds guard and correct. Shepherds 00:22:58.130 --> 00:23:01.150 sometimes have to make hard decisions. But they 00:23:01.150 --> 00:23:05.819 do all of it under Christ and his word. Their 00:23:05.819 --> 00:23:10.579 lives should support what they teach. The shepherd 00:23:10.579 --> 00:23:14.819 does not stand outside the path and shout directions. 00:23:15.460 --> 00:23:20.160 He walks it first. I worked with a pastor who 00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:23.359 often corrected me sharply when I was around 00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:27.619 20. I was working at a ministry, and for a video, 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:30.960 I decided it would be a fantastic idea to jump 00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:32.960 off the roof of a pool shed into the swimming 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:37.059 pool. 20 -year -old decision -making at its finest. 00:23:38.359 --> 00:23:41.680 I thought it was fun. The kids thought it was 00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:44.940 fun. Nothing bad happened. So in my mind, no 00:23:44.940 --> 00:23:48.500 harm, no foul. Pastor Pick saw something I didn't. 00:23:49.160 --> 00:23:53.160 If anything had gone slightly wrong, it could 00:23:53.160 --> 00:23:56.859 have been devastating for the ministry. And I 00:23:56.859 --> 00:23:59.480 was openly breaking a rule in front of kids who 00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:02.619 were watching me as an example. At the time, 00:24:03.069 --> 00:24:07.750 I thought he was overreacting. Now, I was wrong. 00:24:08.490 --> 00:24:11.650 Part of being shepherded is learning that someone 00:24:11.650 --> 00:24:15.549 correcting you may see farther than you do. That 00:24:15.549 --> 00:24:19.450 doesn't make them automatically right. But your 00:24:19.450 --> 00:24:21.710 irritation doesn't make them automatically wrong 00:24:21.710 --> 00:24:25.890 either. So how should we respond to pastoral 00:24:25.890 --> 00:24:32.049 correction? With humility and discernment. I 00:24:32.049 --> 00:24:33.990 don't want my first response to be defensive. 00:24:34.549 --> 00:24:38.269 I want to listen. I want to leave room for the 00:24:38.269 --> 00:24:41.269 possibility that somebody sees something in me 00:24:41.269 --> 00:24:44.490 that I don't see. Especially if I have watched 00:24:44.490 --> 00:24:47.210 that person live with integrity, display wisdom, 00:24:47.390 --> 00:24:50.089 handle scripture faithfully, and use truth to 00:24:50.089 --> 00:24:53.289 reconcile rather than punish or control. But 00:24:53.289 --> 00:24:55.670 no pastor's words become scripture because he 00:24:55.670 --> 00:25:00.450 has a title. So the posture I want is... receive 00:25:00.450 --> 00:25:05.130 correction humbly, test it biblically. Not, can 00:25:05.130 --> 00:25:07.410 I find one verse online that lets me ignore him. 00:25:07.950 --> 00:25:10.849 That's not discernment. That's theological shopping. 00:25:11.529 --> 00:25:14.690 I mean, genuinely opening the word and asking, 00:25:14.869 --> 00:25:18.029 is this consistent with what Christ has said? 00:25:18.730 --> 00:25:22.390 A faithful shepherd should want that, because 00:25:22.390 --> 00:25:24.630 his authority does not compete with Scripture. 00:25:24.950 --> 00:25:29.599 It depends on Scripture. Ephesians 4 tells us, 00:25:54.990 --> 00:25:57.650 As a result, we are no longer to be children 00:25:57.650 --> 00:26:00.710 tossed here and there by waves and carried about 00:26:00.710 --> 00:26:04.630 by every wind doctrine, by the trickery of men, 00:26:04.789 --> 00:26:09.670 by craftiness and deceitful scheming. Notice 00:26:09.670 --> 00:26:13.210 the direction. Leaders do not replace the ministry 00:26:13.210 --> 00:26:16.210 of the saints. They prepare the saints to minister. 00:26:16.490 --> 00:26:20.609 And Paul gives us the goal. Maturity. Stability. 00:26:20.990 --> 00:26:23.750 A church no longer tossed around by every new 00:26:23.750 --> 00:26:28.170 teaching. A body growing up into Christ, every 00:26:28.170 --> 00:26:30.750 part working properly, each member contributing 00:26:30.750 --> 00:26:35.210 to the growth of the body. So one measure of 00:26:35.210 --> 00:26:38.630 a faithful shepherding is not simply how much 00:26:38.630 --> 00:26:41.829 ministry did the pastor accomplish. A better 00:26:41.829 --> 00:26:46.009 question, are the people becoming capable of 00:26:46.009 --> 00:26:49.309 faithfully ministering to one another? If every 00:26:49.309 --> 00:26:52.210 prayer request needs the pastor, every hospital 00:26:52.210 --> 00:26:55.940 visit, it needs to be the pastor. Every discipleship 00:26:55.940 --> 00:26:59.160 conversation goes to the pastor. Every conflict 00:26:59.160 --> 00:27:03.180 needs the pastor. We may have created a very 00:27:03.180 --> 00:27:06.740 busy pastor. We've not created a mature church. 00:27:07.859 --> 00:27:11.519 The goal is maturity in Christ. Leaders equip. 00:27:11.799 --> 00:27:16.619 The saints minister. The body grows. There's 00:27:16.619 --> 00:27:18.599 another pattern in the New Testament we need 00:27:18.599 --> 00:27:21.359 to notice, though. Again and again, Scripture 00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:26.930 speaks of elders in a plural sense. Acts 14 speaks 00:27:26.930 --> 00:27:30.369 of elders being appointed in every church. Paul 00:27:30.369 --> 00:27:34.950 calls the elders of Ephesus. Titus is told to 00:27:34.950 --> 00:27:38.869 appoint elders. The repeated pattern points towards 00:27:38.869 --> 00:27:41.809 multiple qualified elders sharing responsibility 00:27:41.809 --> 00:27:45.910 for a local church. Now, I want to handle that 00:27:45.910 --> 00:27:49.430 carefully. Titus is not ammunition to beat up 00:27:49.430 --> 00:27:52.390 churches that currently have one pastor or are 00:27:52.390 --> 00:27:54.750 honestly working towards a healthier leadership 00:27:54.750 --> 00:27:58.150 system. Biblically qualified shepherds cannot 00:27:58.150 --> 00:28:01.369 be microwaved. You cannot order mature elders 00:28:01.369 --> 00:28:04.450 online and have them delivered by Tuesday. And 00:28:04.450 --> 00:28:07.049 for a small extra fee, we can have that over 00:28:07.049 --> 00:28:10.250 to you in three hours or less. Character takes 00:28:10.250 --> 00:28:14.390 time. Discipleship takes time. Trust takes time. 00:28:15.069 --> 00:28:19.009 And there's wisdom in that pattern. No one man 00:28:19.009 --> 00:28:22.500 sees every blind spot. No one man has every gift. 00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:25.819 No one man has ultimate relational capacity. 00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:31.119 Plurality does not remove leadership. It places 00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:34.200 leadership among multiple qualified men who can 00:28:34.200 --> 00:28:37.220 share responsibility and hold one another accountable. 00:28:38.059 --> 00:28:41.359 The kind of shepherd I want caring for Christy 00:28:41.359 --> 00:28:44.700 and our boys is a man who loves God more than 00:28:44.700 --> 00:28:48.869 he loves himself. A man who refuses to neglect 00:28:48.869 --> 00:28:51.630 his own household that God has entrusted to him 00:28:51.630 --> 00:28:56.890 in the name of caring for the church. A man who 00:28:56.890 --> 00:28:59.869 models healthy boundaries without becoming inaccessible. 00:29:00.509 --> 00:29:03.490 A man with appropriate openness and vulnerability 00:29:03.490 --> 00:29:08.009 among the flock. And a man who is actively raising 00:29:08.009 --> 00:29:11.789 up other men. Not threatened by them. Not afraid 00:29:11.789 --> 00:29:15.009 one of them might eventually replace him. Training 00:29:15.009 --> 00:29:18.319 them. Trusting them. giving responsibility away. 00:29:19.140 --> 00:29:21.859 A faithful shepherd should not spend his ministry 00:29:21.859 --> 00:29:24.940 trying to become irreplaceable. He should be 00:29:24.940 --> 00:29:27.880 preparing the flock to remain faithfully shepherded 00:29:27.880 --> 00:29:32.940 when he's gone. I want a church to deeply grieve 00:29:32.940 --> 00:29:36.680 a faithful pastor when he dies. But I don't want 00:29:36.680 --> 00:29:40.440 the church to collapse. The loss should be real. 00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:44.640 The shepherding should continue. That isn't minimizing 00:29:44.640 --> 00:29:47.849 his ministry. That's evidence his ministry worked. 00:29:49.509 --> 00:29:52.329 Sometimes churches need to bring pastors or elders 00:29:52.329 --> 00:29:54.829 in from outside. There's nothing inherently wrong 00:29:54.829 --> 00:29:57.950 with that. God moves people. Churches enter different 00:29:57.950 --> 00:30:01.049 seasons. Sometimes the right man genuinely comes 00:30:01.049 --> 00:30:04.410 from somewhere else. But a healthy church should 00:30:04.410 --> 00:30:06.730 also be producing mature believers from within. 00:30:07.329 --> 00:30:10.609 And over time, some of those men should increasingly 00:30:10.609 --> 00:30:14.670 display the character, ability, and calling Scripture 00:30:14.670 --> 00:30:18.250 requires for shepherding. If a church can exist 00:30:18.250 --> 00:30:21.569 for decades, produce hundreds or thousands of 00:30:21.569 --> 00:30:24.390 attenders, and almost never produce men capable 00:30:24.390 --> 00:30:28.269 of carrying real spiritual responsibility, then 00:30:28.269 --> 00:30:31.250 at some point we should examine what our discipleship 00:30:31.250 --> 00:30:35.470 is producing. The goal is not to build a staffing 00:30:35.470 --> 00:30:39.690 pipeline. The goal is maturity. But mature disciples 00:30:39.690 --> 00:30:43.079 should eventually produce people capable of carrying 00:30:43.079 --> 00:30:48.880 real spiritual weight. And I want to turn this 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:51.740 around for just a minute, because pastors receive 00:30:51.740 --> 00:30:56.319 plenty of criticism. Some deserved. Some, based 00:30:56.319 --> 00:30:59.839 on about 20 % of the information, though. Pastors 00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:02.240 often know things the congregation doesn't know. 00:31:02.799 --> 00:31:04.940 They know the marriage that's barely holding 00:31:04.940 --> 00:31:07.180 together, the child in crisis, health issues 00:31:07.180 --> 00:31:09.799 that aren't public yet, addictions, conflict 00:31:09.799 --> 00:31:12.470 between two families. The details of situations, 00:31:12.710 --> 00:31:17.029 they are not free to repeat. Sometimes a decision 00:31:17.029 --> 00:31:20.690 gets made about something going on in the congregation 00:31:20.690 --> 00:31:24.390 and the congregation thinks, what in the world 00:31:24.390 --> 00:31:28.390 is this guy doing? Then later, more information 00:31:28.390 --> 00:31:31.970 comes out and suddenly it makes sense. Sometimes 00:31:31.970 --> 00:31:34.609 that information never comes out though. And 00:31:34.609 --> 00:31:37.509 yes, sometimes the pastor simply makes the wrong 00:31:37.509 --> 00:31:40.819 decision. We cannot use confidentiality as an 00:31:40.819 --> 00:31:43.500 automatic excuse for every leadership choice. 00:31:44.279 --> 00:31:46.960 But we should have enough humility to recognize 00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:51.180 I may not know the whole story. And then, on 00:31:51.180 --> 00:31:53.579 top of those hidden burdens, look at everything 00:31:53.579 --> 00:31:57.180 else we expect many pastors to carry. They need 00:31:57.180 --> 00:31:59.880 to be preaching, counseling, they're over the 00:31:59.880 --> 00:32:02.980 staff, budget, programs, hospital visits, maintenance, 00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:06.480 volunteer problems, conflict, and somehow keeping 00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:10.630 everybody happy. That should be easy. Jesus preached 00:32:10.630 --> 00:32:12.809 perfect sermons and people still wanted to kill 00:32:12.809 --> 00:32:16.950 him. In a lot of churches, nearly everything 00:32:16.950 --> 00:32:21.049 slowly ends up on one man's shoulders. And that's 00:32:21.049 --> 00:32:24.609 not biblical. The shepherd carries a distinct 00:32:24.609 --> 00:32:28.150 responsibility. He does not carry every responsibility. 00:32:30.029 --> 00:32:33.369 There are people around Christi and me right 00:32:33.369 --> 00:32:36.910 now who are in the closest circles of our lives. 00:32:37.579 --> 00:32:40.940 We talk weekly or more. They know the small stuff, 00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:44.059 the big stuff, the daily struggles, the wins, 00:32:44.279 --> 00:32:47.539 the things we're praying through. They hear enough 00:32:47.539 --> 00:32:50.839 regular life that they can often tell when something's 00:32:50.839 --> 00:32:54.259 off. Ideally, having a shepherd in that closest 00:32:54.259 --> 00:32:58.240 circle is a tremendous gift. But that isn't always 00:32:58.240 --> 00:33:01.420 possible. And I don't think every elder has to 00:33:01.420 --> 00:33:04.400 be the closest friend of every member for biblical 00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:08.079 shepherding to happen. If genuine discipleship 00:33:08.079 --> 00:33:11.000 is taking place under healthy shepherding, care 00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:13.900 multiplies. People know people. Mature believers 00:33:13.900 --> 00:33:17.660 walk with others. Burden bearing happens throughout 00:33:17.660 --> 00:33:21.440 the body. But that only works if the relationships 00:33:21.440 --> 00:33:25.299 are real. Passive church relationships are incredibly 00:33:25.299 --> 00:33:28.359 common. You can sit near someone every Sunday, 00:33:28.480 --> 00:33:31.220 serve beside them, know their coffee order, and 00:33:31.220 --> 00:33:36.079 know almost nothing about their soul. may be 00:33:36.079 --> 00:33:38.799 the one step outside of the innermost circle 00:33:38.799 --> 00:33:42.259 you have. But there still has to be enough connection 00:33:42.259 --> 00:33:45.359 to know something of the person's actual life. 00:33:46.160 --> 00:33:48.779 And shepherds need to help cultivate a church 00:33:48.779 --> 00:33:51.460 where meaningful discipleship happens throughout 00:33:51.460 --> 00:33:55.559 the body. Otherwise, everything eventually bottlenecks 00:33:55.559 --> 00:34:01.200 at the same few men. Hebrews 13 .17 says, Obey 00:34:01.200 --> 00:34:04.759 your leaders and submit to them. for they keep 00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:06.799 watch over your souls as those who will give 00:34:06.799 --> 00:34:10.840 an account. Let them do this with joy and not 00:34:10.840 --> 00:34:14.219 with grief, for this would be unprofitable for 00:34:14.219 --> 00:34:18.380 you. The shepherd answers to Christ for how he 00:34:18.380 --> 00:34:21.360 leads, for how he teaches, for how he guards, 00:34:21.599 --> 00:34:24.340 for how he cares for people entrusted to him. 00:34:25.619 --> 00:34:28.579 But Hebrews does not treat shepherding as a one 00:34:28.579 --> 00:34:31.840 -way inspection of a leader. The congregation 00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:34.860 is also told to respond to faithful leadership 00:34:34.860 --> 00:34:37.860 in a way that does not make the work needlessly 00:34:37.860 --> 00:34:41.159 burdensome. The passage places responsibility 00:34:41.159 --> 00:34:46.340 on both sides. The shepherd cannot say, you answer 00:34:46.340 --> 00:34:51.039 to me. He answers to Christ. And the members 00:34:51.039 --> 00:34:54.000 cannot say, nobody has the right to speak into 00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:57.199 my life. Christ actually gave shepherds to his 00:34:57.199 --> 00:35:00.920 church. The shepherd answers to Christ. For how 00:35:00.920 --> 00:35:04.480 he leads. The members answer to Christ for how 00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:09.039 he responds to faithful leadership. So biblical 00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:12.840 submission is not blind obedience. And biblical 00:35:12.840 --> 00:35:17.039 leadership is not ultimate authority. Both shepherd 00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:21.900 and sheep remain under Christ. And here's where 00:35:21.900 --> 00:35:24.559 it gets uncomfortable for me. I know what kind 00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:27.159 of shepherd I want. I want him to know scripture. 00:35:27.519 --> 00:35:31.090 I want integrity. I want courage. I want grace. 00:35:31.269 --> 00:35:33.949 I want him to care about my wife and boys. And 00:35:33.949 --> 00:35:37.510 I want him to know enough of our life to recognize 00:35:37.510 --> 00:35:40.670 when something isn't right. But if I want that 00:35:40.670 --> 00:35:43.769 kind of shepherd, I have to ask whether I'm willing 00:35:43.769 --> 00:35:46.630 to be that kind of church member. I have to receive 00:35:46.630 --> 00:35:49.730 correction. I have to build relationships beyond 00:35:49.730 --> 00:35:53.429 hello in the lobby. I have to be present with 00:35:53.429 --> 00:35:55.570 the body, not merely present at the service. 00:35:56.369 --> 00:35:58.610 I have to be willing to serve where I'm needed. 00:35:59.280 --> 00:36:02.980 even when it's not naturally comfortable. And 00:36:02.980 --> 00:36:05.559 I have to allow people enough access to my life 00:36:05.559 --> 00:36:09.780 for meaningful shepherding to even happen. A 00:36:09.780 --> 00:36:12.460 pastor cannot shepherd the version of me I carefully 00:36:12.460 --> 00:36:16.739 stage for 75 minutes on Sunday morning. And I 00:36:16.739 --> 00:36:21.039 still have work to do here. I like to strategize. 00:36:21.159 --> 00:36:24.639 I like to reason things through in my head before 00:36:24.639 --> 00:36:27.019 I have a conversation. Sometimes that's wise. 00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:30.599 Other times... I build an entire explanation 00:36:30.599 --> 00:36:33.559 for somebody else's motives without ever asking 00:36:33.559 --> 00:36:36.860 them a single question. Then I get upset over 00:36:36.860 --> 00:36:39.880 something they never meant. Or I assume everything 00:36:39.880 --> 00:36:42.440 is fine when a conversation should have happened. 00:36:42.960 --> 00:36:45.340 I'm trying to become quicker to have the conversation. 00:36:45.960 --> 00:36:50.199 Slower to assume. More gracious. Less convinced 00:36:50.199 --> 00:36:52.760 that every conclusion in my head arrived directly 00:36:52.760 --> 00:36:57.719 from God. Being shepherded takes humility. Because 00:36:57.719 --> 00:37:00.739 sometimes the conversation I need most is the 00:37:00.739 --> 00:37:04.940 one I'd rather avoid. When I think about Papa 00:37:04.940 --> 00:37:08.159 Sam and Tim, they were different men. Different 00:37:08.159 --> 00:37:10.860 approaches, different personalities, different 00:37:10.860 --> 00:37:14.940 ministry settings. But the common thread is easy 00:37:14.940 --> 00:37:18.880 to see now. They genuinely loved God, and they 00:37:18.880 --> 00:37:22.119 genuinely loved his people. That's why their 00:37:22.119 --> 00:37:25.619 words matter to me. Not because they were perfect. 00:37:25.820 --> 00:37:29.610 They weren't. Neither am I. Neither is your pastor. 00:37:29.949 --> 00:37:32.789 There's only one perfect shepherd. That's Jesus. 00:37:34.090 --> 00:37:36.289 Faithful human shepherds keep pointing beyond 00:37:36.289 --> 00:37:39.550 themselves towards him. They don't need the flock 00:37:39.550 --> 00:37:42.469 orbiting their personality. They want the flock 00:37:42.469 --> 00:37:45.869 knowing Christ. They don't use correction to 00:37:45.869 --> 00:37:50.110 flex authority. They use truth to restore. They 00:37:50.110 --> 00:37:53.190 don't see people as the problems to manage. They 00:37:53.190 --> 00:37:56.800 remember those people belong to Christ. So I 00:37:56.800 --> 00:38:00.360 think we need to ask two sets of questions. First, 00:38:00.559 --> 00:38:04.639 about our shepherds. Not, do I like his preaching 00:38:04.639 --> 00:38:07.559 style? Not, does he run the programs I want? 00:38:08.400 --> 00:38:12.099 Better questions. Does he love Christ? Does his 00:38:12.099 --> 00:38:14.400 life align with the character Scripture requires? 00:38:15.059 --> 00:38:18.139 Does he handle Scripture faithfully? Does he 00:38:18.139 --> 00:38:21.260 lead by example rather than domination? Does 00:38:21.260 --> 00:38:24.420 he equip others? Does he receive correction himself? 00:38:25.519 --> 00:38:28.780 Does his ministry keep pointing beyond him towards 00:38:28.780 --> 00:38:33.360 Jesus? Those are legitimate questions. But then, 00:38:33.420 --> 00:38:37.639 turn them around. Am I willing to be known? Am 00:38:37.639 --> 00:38:41.039 I willing to receive biblical correction? Am 00:38:41.039 --> 00:38:43.260 I building genuine relationships in the body? 00:38:43.820 --> 00:38:46.679 Am I carrying burdens instead of expecting staff 00:38:46.679 --> 00:38:51.000 to carry them all? Am I using my gifts? Am I 00:38:51.000 --> 00:38:54.679 discipling anyone? Am I submitting my opinions? 00:38:59.789 --> 00:39:04.510 I want shepherds who know the flock. That means 00:39:04.510 --> 00:39:07.710 I have to let myself be known. I want shepherds 00:39:07.710 --> 00:39:11.429 who tell me the truth. That means I need to become 00:39:11.429 --> 00:39:15.690 someone who can receive correction. I want shepherds 00:39:15.690 --> 00:39:18.170 who equip the saints instead of doing everything 00:39:18.170 --> 00:39:21.789 themselves. That means I have to stop expecting 00:39:21.789 --> 00:39:25.429 them to do everything. I want shepherds who build 00:39:25.429 --> 00:39:29.130 relationships beyond Sunday morning. That means 00:39:29.130 --> 00:39:31.469 I need to build relationships beyond Sunday morning 00:39:31.469 --> 00:39:35.349 too. Biblical shepherding is not something leaders 00:39:35.349 --> 00:39:39.250 perform while members sit in the stands or out 00:39:39.250 --> 00:39:44.050 in the pews and grade them. It is part of the 00:39:44.050 --> 00:39:48.989 whole body submitting together to Christ. And 00:39:48.989 --> 00:39:52.900 if you're a pastor or elder listening, I hope 00:39:52.900 --> 00:39:55.139 you don't hear this as one more impossible list. 00:39:56.380 --> 00:39:58.519 You already know the conversations you wish had 00:39:58.519 --> 00:40:01.320 gone differently. The people you wish you knew 00:40:01.320 --> 00:40:04.000 better. The call you forgot to return. The family 00:40:04.000 --> 00:40:06.599 situation you don't know how to fix. The decision 00:40:06.599 --> 00:40:10.059 everybody has an opinion on. The sermon that 00:40:10.059 --> 00:40:13.179 didn't land the way you'd hoped. Brother, you 00:40:13.179 --> 00:40:15.619 are not the chief shepherd. And that is great 00:40:15.619 --> 00:40:19.000 news. You don't have to save the flock. Jesus 00:40:19.000 --> 00:40:21.360 already did that. You don't have to be omniscient. 00:40:21.690 --> 00:40:24.230 You can't be. You don't have to make yourself 00:40:24.230 --> 00:40:27.409 indispensable. You shouldn't. You are called 00:40:27.409 --> 00:40:30.590 to be faithful. Teach the word. Guard the flock. 00:40:30.849 --> 00:40:33.469 Lead with character. Equip the saints. Repent 00:40:33.469 --> 00:40:37.269 when you're wrong. Ask for help. Raise up others. 00:40:37.469 --> 00:40:40.150 And keep following the chief shepherd yourself. 00:40:41.190 --> 00:40:44.750 And for the rest of us, our pastors need grace 00:40:44.750 --> 00:40:48.349 too. Not blind loyalty. Not immunity from accountability. 00:40:49.519 --> 00:40:52.039 We'll go a little deeper into that in the extra 00:40:52.039 --> 00:40:54.300 shot, especially the question of who shepherds 00:40:54.300 --> 00:40:57.440 the shepherds. But faithful shepherds should 00:40:57.440 --> 00:40:59.880 not have to destroy themselves trying to satisfy 00:40:59.880 --> 00:41:04.059 expectations Christ never placed on them. Pray 00:41:04.059 --> 00:41:07.159 for them. Encourage them. Serve beside them. 00:41:07.219 --> 00:41:10.599 Let them be human. And when they faithfully point 00:41:10.599 --> 00:41:15.440 you towards Christ, follow. There's one more 00:41:15.440 --> 00:41:17.559 question underneath everything we've talked about 00:41:17.559 --> 00:41:20.750 today. If shepherds are called to watch over 00:41:20.750 --> 00:41:24.690 the flock, who watches over the shepherds? Because 00:41:24.690 --> 00:41:28.050 pastors and elders are still men. They have blind 00:41:28.050 --> 00:41:31.469 spots. They still need correction. They still 00:41:31.469 --> 00:41:34.710 need brothers close enough to say, slow down. 00:41:35.110 --> 00:41:38.969 You're wrong. You need help. You need to repent. 00:41:39.730 --> 00:41:42.269 And scripture actually gives us surprisingly 00:41:42.269 --> 00:41:46.210 balanced picture of this. It protects elders 00:41:46.210 --> 00:41:49.139 from reckless accusations. without making elders 00:41:49.139 --> 00:41:53.400 untouchable. It repeatedly shows us plural shepherds 00:41:53.400 --> 00:41:56.400 rather than isolated personalities carrying spiritual 00:41:56.400 --> 00:42:00.099 oversight alone. And it reminds us that every 00:42:00.099 --> 00:42:02.920 shepherd is still a sheep under the chief shepherd. 00:42:03.559 --> 00:42:06.860 So in the extra shot, we're going to ask, who 00:42:06.860 --> 00:42:10.059 shepherds the shepherds? We'll look at some of 00:42:10.059 --> 00:42:12.219 the normal ways churches answer that question, 00:42:12.320 --> 00:42:15.440 from boards and deacons to congregational votes 00:42:15.440 --> 00:42:17.769 and denominational structures. and then bring 00:42:17.769 --> 00:42:21.170 those systems back under Scripture. It's not 00:42:21.170 --> 00:42:24.929 an attack on pastors. It's not to pretend every 00:42:24.929 --> 00:42:27.510 church has to organize every practical detail 00:42:27.510 --> 00:42:31.590 exactly the same way, but to ask whether the 00:42:31.590 --> 00:42:34.309 accountability we call biblical actually reflects 00:42:34.309 --> 00:42:37.869 the church Scripture describes. Because Scripture 00:42:37.869 --> 00:42:41.329 does not make pastors easy targets, and Scripture 00:42:41.329 --> 00:42:45.469 does not make pastors untouchable either. When 00:42:45.469 --> 00:42:48.579 I think back on Papa Sam, I don't first remember 00:42:48.579 --> 00:42:51.360 a sermon outline. I remember a man who was there. 00:42:51.940 --> 00:42:54.980 A man who knew us. Who talked with us, corrected 00:42:54.980 --> 00:42:57.860 us, laughed with us, ate with us, walked through 00:42:57.860 --> 00:43:01.099 life with us. A man whose love for God naturally 00:43:01.099 --> 00:43:04.059 spilled into his love for people. And when I 00:43:04.059 --> 00:43:07.059 think about Tim, I remember the same thing in 00:43:07.059 --> 00:43:12.500 a different form. Time. Grace. Correction. Conversation. 00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:16.869 Presence. A willingness to walk beside me rather 00:43:16.869 --> 00:43:20.309 than simply tell me where to go. That's the kind 00:43:20.309 --> 00:43:23.650 of shepherding I want for Christ's church. Men 00:43:23.650 --> 00:43:26.789 who know his word. Men of character before charisma. 00:43:27.250 --> 00:43:30.550 Men who lead without domineering. Men courageous 00:43:30.550 --> 00:43:33.570 enough to correct and humble enough to be corrected. 00:43:34.329 --> 00:43:37.409 Men who know the flock. Men who equip others. 00:43:37.710 --> 00:43:41.949 Men who genuinely love God and genuinely love 00:43:41.949 --> 00:43:45.929 his people. And may God make the rest of us the 00:43:45.929 --> 00:43:48.190 kind of people who are willing to be shepherded, 00:43:48.289 --> 00:43:52.510 known, corrected, equipped, sent, and loved. 00:43:53.409 --> 00:43:56.070 Because the flock does not belong to the pastor. 00:43:56.809 --> 00:44:00.010 It does not belong to the elders. It does not 00:44:00.010 --> 00:44:02.969 belong to the congregation. The flock belongs 00:44:02.969 --> 00:44:06.710 to the chief shepherd. And every one of us serves 00:44:06.710 --> 00:44:10.789 under him. Thanks for pulling up a chair with 00:44:10.789 --> 00:44:13.699 me for this cup of Grace in the Grind. If this 00:44:13.699 --> 00:44:17.280 episode challenged you, resist the urge to immediately 00:44:17.280 --> 00:44:19.980 send it to your pastor with a highlighted list 00:44:19.980 --> 00:44:23.340 of everything you need to improve. Maybe start 00:44:23.340 --> 00:44:26.460 with your side of the relationship. Pray for 00:44:26.460 --> 00:44:29.860 your shepherds. Encourage them. Ask where you 00:44:29.860 --> 00:44:33.039 can serve. Ask yourself whether you're actually 00:44:33.039 --> 00:44:36.199 allowing yourself to be known, corrected, and 00:44:36.199 --> 00:44:38.780 equipped within the body Christ has placed you 00:44:38.780 --> 00:44:41.860 in. If Grace on the Ground is helping you think 00:44:41.860 --> 00:44:44.219 more carefully about scripture and about the 00:44:44.219 --> 00:44:46.800 church Jesus loves, share this episode with somebody 00:44:46.800 --> 00:44:49.699 who can wrestle through this with you. Follow 00:44:49.699 --> 00:44:52.179 and subscribe wherever you listen. And if you 00:44:52.179 --> 00:44:54.820 have a moment, leave a review. It really does 00:44:54.820 --> 00:44:57.619 help people find this and enter the conversation. 00:44:58.480 --> 00:45:00.219 And if you'd like to support the show directly, 00:45:00.340 --> 00:45:02.079 grab a bag of coffee from Aaron Roots Coffee 00:45:02.079 --> 00:45:05.300 Company through the link in the show notes. Then 00:45:05.300 --> 00:45:07.860 come back for the extra shot. Who shepherds the 00:45:07.860 --> 00:45:10.590 shepherds? Until next time. Keep your coffee 00:45:10.590 --> 00:45:11.909 strong and your fight stronger.