“Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
“’But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.’” (1Sa 13:13-14)
Journal,
In this study I want to deal primarily with the calling and role of a pastor.
Let’s begin with the earliest believers. It is important to understand that the first Christians were Jewish. Over time the Christian Jews were forced out of the synagogue. However, some synagogues became totally Christian. These synagogues were spoken of as ‘ha Notzri,’ or, ‘of the Nazareen.’ (This is a Talmudic note.)
Notice that when Paul writes the churches he never addresses his letters to an apostle, a prophet, or an evangelist. He directs his letters to the saints in a certain area. At times he calls attention to the leadership of the local churches.
Philippians 1:1 begins with,
“Paul and Timothy, bond- servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons.”
The reason for including the overseers and deacons is because each Christian gathering was to act as a distinct flock. The flocks were semi-autonomous of the others. Each flock needed their own God-appointed, seasoned leaders or overseers. (The head was always Christ.)
The Ancient Synagogue
I believe the synagogue came into place under the guidance of the Lord. When it came time to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, the synagogues were scattered throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. The synagogues were almost always the first to hear the gospel message. It was by way of the synagogues that Christianity found its message spreading.
Here is an excellent example:
“Now when they had traveled through Amphilolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul’s custom,
he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying,
“‘This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.’ And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.” (Act17:1-4)
The synagogue had two primary ministry roles, the elders and what we call deacons, or in Hebrew 'chazzan'. The number needed for these offices depended on the size of the synagogue. The elders had the general oversight. The ruling elder was the chief overseer.
With this in mind let’s listen to Paul:
“It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.” (1Ti3:1)
The apostle then outlines the qualifications to serve in this office. How an overseer was actually set in office is left unsaid, but we can be sure that it was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and by recognition of the congregation. (Early on it was the apostles or their representatives that set aside elders in the churches they had established.)
The Overseers
As a Hebrew man, Paul drew on his rich heritage. He knew what an overseer was in the Hebrew culture. And this is where we need to define the Greek and Hebrew words for a better understanding of the Biblical overseer. (Keep in mind that the term ‘overseer’ is simply our English translation of a Greek term. The KJV uses ‘bishop.’)
Where Paul says ‘office of overseer’ this is only one word in Greek, the word ‘episkope‘. The ‘episkope’ carries two interrelated thoughts. It speaks of (divine) visitation. It also carries a meaning of overseeing, attending to, or to look after.
As for its common usage it spoke of an official set aside by appointment who had oversight of public works, that is, a superintendent. Episkope has its roots in another word which means a ‘watchman.’
In the Greek OT, we find the term ‘episkope’, used in 2 Kings 11:18:
“All the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces thoroughly, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed OFFICERS (episkope) over the house of the Lord.”
In the New Testament the terms elder, overseer, pastor and shepherd are closely linked and are sometimes seen together. An example is Acts 20:28, where Paul addresses the elders of Ephesus:
“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
A Watchman by Calling
Elders are to be ‘guards’ (watchmen), shepherds, and overseers. But they are made overseers by the Holy Spirit. And what they oversee is a flock. The Greek term for shepherd and pastor is the same. A pastor is a shepherd. A shepherd is a pastor. That is his calling. He is to tend sheep. Sheep do not tend themselves. They are tended by a shepherd.
Since I am a pastor by calling, I want to draw a bit on my personal testimony. I think most other pastors will relate to what I have to share, at least in one way or another.
A Heart From God
— My first pastorate was in 1969. After six months of pastoring I quit. I decided right then that I did not want to be a pastor. My ministry would have to take other routes. What I didn’t realize was a God-called shepherd has to be shaped for his calling. Believe me, I was not yet in good shape. Still needed much smoldering in the fire. (Felt like I was pastoring goats. I was probably the hardest head in the bunch. — Grin —.)
Skipping across a bit of history, in 1974 a strange thing happened. We are at home. I’m playing my guitar and singing to the Lord. In a moment of time the Holy Spirit moves over me, and I hear, ‘Go home.’ Home was Central Louisiana. We were then living in South Louisiana.
It was so real that Betty and I took our children out of school and headed north. I did not know what the Lord wanted. I just knew the ‘go home’ was not to be ignored. In my mind I thought perhaps the Lord wanted me to go to a number of churches I had evangelized and tell my testimony.
We left our children at my sisters. Across the highway was a church that I had held a revival in. The lights were on but it was not a church night. What I didn’t know was that they had lost their pastor and had gathered to seek the Lord.
Betty and I walked in the door and sat in the back, totally unaware of what was going on. An elder who knew me said, “Brother Martin, welcome. Would you like to share something with the congregation.”
I still did not know what was going on, so I stood and said, “Brother, I don’t know why the Lord sent me, but I am here.” Things got real quiet. It was a moment of divine
visitation. Then I heard weeping in the congregation. The Holy Spirit was bearing witness to their pastor.
When I realized that they wanted me to be their pastor the struggle began. My fear has always been, and remains so to this day, that I may hurt someone from the pulpit. The sacred desk will always be an awesome place to me.
But out of obedience, Betty and I began traveling 120 miles each way, every weekend to pastor this little country church. The struggle remained in place. Then it happened. Sitting on the platform, which is something I hate to do, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “I have given you the heart of a pastor.”
Did anything happen? It happened instantly. It was as real as when the Lord said, ‘Go home.’ That very moment God spoke to my spirit, I knew then I was a pastor. That was my calling.
Set apart by God
And that is my point. A true Biblical pastor is set apart by the Holy Spirit to be an overseer, a watchman, and a feeder (shepherd) of a flock that is assigned to him. Yet the flock belongs to the Lord. And God is very careful about who He calls as an overseer. Why so? Because the church has been purchased by His own blood. And a pastor must be very careful in how he tends the flock.
Tested and Tried
It needs to be understood that before the Lord puts anyone into any kind of ministry role, He is going to test that person to see if they will be faithful. Above all, He wants to know how that person will relate to His sheep. The apostle speaks to this:
“I thank Jesus Christ our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor…” (Cf.1Ti1:12,13)
Later Paul says,
“But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.” (1Th2:7)
I share these particular Scriptures because I want you to see the true heart of one of God’s true shepherds. We see this again when Paul instructs young Timothy on his pastoring role. The apostle says,
“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been help captive by him to do his will.” (2Ti2:24-26)
Gentleness is the Watchword of a Shepherd
Keep the afore ideas in view — gentleness, watchman, guardian, feeder, tenderness, not quarrelsome, kind to all, able to teach, and patient when wronged.
All these ideas are incorporated into what a true Biblical pastor is to show. Why is this? Because these are the spiritual traits in the Great Shepherd. They are communicated to each of His undershepherds by the Holy Spirit.
James adds to this in telling us that the wisdom that comes from above, that is, wisdom from the Holy Spirit, is not arrogant, but it is pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, and without hypocrisy. (Cf. James 3:13-18)
Hear this Old Testament prophecy about the coming of the Lord Jesus:
“Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with his arm ruling before Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him. LIKE A SHEPHERD HE WILL TEND HIS FLOCK, IN HIS ARM HE WILL GATHER THE LAMBS AND CARRY THEM IN HIS BOSOM; HE WILL GENTLY LEAD THE NURSING EWES.” (Isa40:10,11 – Caps for emphasis only.)
Is there a more tender scene than this? A true under-shepherd will have the heart of Jesus, be tender towards God’s people, and yet vigilant against the enemy. (This links to the lamb-lion nature of Christ.)
God Assigns His Sheep to Shepherds
Peter said,
“Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.” (1Pe 5:1-3)
As for where you should assemble, we must leave that to the Lord. Some groups can be discounted up front. Even when home groups sound like a good thing, there are cautions to be taken. Some groups begin out of a root of bitterness.
Bitterness especially in leadership has a way of defiling the group. Make sure the home group is not simply being reactive against other Christian groups. Yet keep in mind that a great many churches had their beginnings in a home setting.
So — Can you know where you belong? I believe you can. As a long-time pastor I can just about tell every time if a family is being assigned to our ministry. It is a thing of witness. And the family will know soon enough. If our church is the flock of their assignment, they will not be able to stay away. They may wander a bit, but they’ll come home in time.
Look at the Heart
Beware of the charlatan whose heart is full of greed. Beware of that so-called pastor who is a manipulator of the flock to his own end. Especially beware of the man who is into self-worship. His heart is filled with pride. He does not preach Christ. He preaches himself.
So now — What should we look for in a true pastor? Certainly we should not look for perfection. Even the best of pastors is yet a man. He will have frailties. We should look for his heart. After all, should we not expect the Lord to give us a pastor who has the heart of a shepherd.
This shepherding principle is found in what God said to Israel, about their return to the Lord. He said,
“Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.” (Jer3:15)
Where can we find such shepherds? I believe they are out there by the hundreds of thousands. These watchmen on the wall are true shepherds. They care for their flocks. They are not after money or fame.
They are not oppressive or domineering or overpowering or condemning or controlling. They can even rebuke in love. Yet they tenderly care for those assigned to them as a mother cares for her little ones.
Trust the Lord
I realize that I haven’t provided an answer for everyone. That isn’t my job. All of God’s people have the Holy Spirit to guide them into the realities of the Lord. The key will always be in one word – trust.
The study is open. Feel free to make a contribution.
Please take time to listen to this song. The Lord wants to speak to your heart. “I Just Want to be Where You Are.”
In Christ always,
Buddy
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