Journal Readers,
Before you read any further, please take time to meditate a bit on these Scriptures. They have a story to tell in themselves. Listen and you may hear the voice of the Shepherd —
[note color=”#f0cdb7″]“He blessed Joseph, and said, …” … ‘The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, …
” … the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and may my name live on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.'” (Gen 48:15-16)
“Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!” (Psa 80:1)
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.“ (Psa 23:1)
“As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.“ (Eze 34:12)
“I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. …
“I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.“ (Joh 10:14-16)[/note]
To appreciate what these Scriptures are telling, we need to
Understand the Biblical Shepherd
What we think of as a shepherd and how the Bible portrays the shepherd is not always the same. Here is a bit of background information on Biblical shepherding. Take time to view these bits of information. It will help you appreciate more fully how the Lord God shepherds His people. (The following information comes largely from the ISBE.)
- The shepherd (ro’eh in Hebrew. Piomen in Greek) simply means ‘a feeder’. The shepherd was the sheep owner who generally took care of the flock himself but more often he delegated the work to his children. Because shepherding was personal to the family, the sheep would have good care. (Cf. Gen29:9; 1Sam16:19)
- Sheep are very interesting animal in that they require a shepherd. Where goats are noted for
hunting out feeding-grounds, but sheep are more helpless and have to be led to their food.(Cf. Num 27:16,17; Eze34:6-8) - Flocks would be watered once a day, usually at noon. The flocks were being led to watering places. In difficult times the shepherd would carry water provision with him. After drinking, the flock huddle together in the shade while the shepherd rested. (Gen 29:2,3)
- At the first sound of the shepherd’s call, which was usually a guttural sound that was hard to imitate, the flock would follow him off to new feeding-grounds. Even when two flocks were intermingled, the sheep never mistake their own master’s voice.
- The shepherd’s equipment was simple. His chief garment was a cloak that was sleeveless. It hung from his shoulders and became his pillow at night. The shepherd always carried a staff or club and sometimes a sling. He often had special dogs that helped protect the flock. (Job 30:1)
Now let’s talk about…
God’s Spiritual Overseers
There is lots to be gleaned from the before information concerning Biblical shepherding. One thing I want to emphasize, however, is how shepherding was a family business. The father often delegated shepherding to his children. Thus it is in the new covenant.
And so we have in the new covenant one of the primary roles in the gospel ministry, the role of the ‘office of overseer’, or more commonly known as the pastor. (Keep in mind that our English words pastor and shepherd, are the same word in Biblical Greek.)
Since I am a pastor by calling, I want to draw on my testimony about how I was called to be a shepherding-pastor. Some of the following comes from an earlier blog. It has been updated. I hope my story will encourage others who may feel a call to the ministry. Most pastors will identify with what I have to share.
It all begins with …
A Heart For the Lord
— To condense things a bit let me begin with my first call to pastor. (44 years ago.)
It was 1969. I was at a place of not knowing what else the Lord had for me. I had served several roles in the local church, was licensed by my denomination, and was doing a bit of preaching here and there.
Then it happened. I received a call from two brothers who wanted to come talk with me. They had come to ask me if I would consider pastoring their church. It was relatively a new work. .
It began there. I did a short term of pastoring the new work. But after a bit, I decided that I did not want to be a pastor. It was too hard. My ministry would have to take other routes.
What I didn’t realize was that a God-called shepherd had to be shaped for his calling. I needed much smoldering in the fire.
I returned to secular work. During this time a different church asked me to come preach for them. (Not as pastor. They already had a pastor.) And so I did.. I pretty much thought that was the end of things. Not so. The smelting process was still in place. .
A couple weeks later, I receive a call from a member of the church. “Brother Martin, we would like you to hold a revival for us..’ Wow, that caught me totally off guard. My response was simple, ‘Well, we will need to really pray about this.’
I had no intention of praying. I figured if I did not call them back, everything would just fade away. Not to be. A couple of days later, another call. ‘Brother Martin, we prayed. You are suppose to hold us a revival.’
The smelting pot is heating up.
That was the beginning of our evangelistic work. From that revival we began traveling and holding revivals in various churches.
We left the evangelist field in 1971. And here is where I need skip 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 and compelling, that Betty and I took our children out of school and headed north. All I knew was that, ‘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 share my testimony.
We left our children at my sisters. Across the highway was a church that I had held our first revival in. The lights were on. What I did not 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 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. The Holy Spirit was bearing witness to their pastor.
When I realized that they wanted me to be their pastor, the struggle began all over again. I did not want to pastor. My fear has always been, and remains so to this day, that I may hurt someone from the pulpit. The sacred desk has always been 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 Spirit of the Lord spoke to me and said, “I have given you the heart of a pastor.”
Did anything happen? Something happened in my heart. Instantly I knew. It was as real as when the Lord 
said, ‘Go home.’ From the moment God spoke to my spirit, I knew I was a pastor.
Is that the end of the story? Far from it. From that pastorate came a ministry I was to raise up, known as, ‘Christian Challenge International.’
In 1976, the Shepherd directed me to a new stewardship that has continued to this day. That was thirty-seven years ago. (Christian Challenge is still training disciples for service in God’s kingdom. We recently graduated our 50th School for Christian Workers.)
But that still isn’t the end of the story. Six years ago the Lord allowed me to leave the role of full time pastoring, and to take up the role of writing. I’ve written 700+ Biblical studies. (Among other things.)
I guess one of the great joys of my call as a pastor, is to see my oldest son, Nathan, take up the reins of his calling. Nathan has had his smeltering times, and the Lord has placed him as the lead teaching pastor of Christian Challenge.
But it goes back to the truth that shepherding is a family business. I’m speaking of the family of God.
And this brings me to the point of telling my story. It has nothing to do with the idea that I am the finished product in a call from the Lord. There is no finished product, until we all attain our goal in God’s heavenly kingdom. There is only a journey.
It needs to be understood that each person called to the ministry will walk a different path. The Lord shapes us for His purposes in our calling.
My story simply has to do with the call of being…
Set apart by God
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.
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.
Before the Lord puts anyone into a ministry role, He will 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 these words 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 under-shepherds 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
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.)
Now lets talk about how…
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.
It all begins with ….
A Look at the Heart
What should believers always beware of?
When it comes to a pastor, 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.
What then 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.
The key is in trusting the Lord. Jesus always assigns His believers to the flock of their attending.
Hope I’ve helped a bit. In the meantime, if you are wondering about your own call to service in the kingdom of God’s beloved Son, here is your guiding Scripture:
“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21)
Another admonishment for those who are uncertain about a pastoral call. My advice is simple –
I am speaking of the call to the ministry and not the call of salvation. Stay out of the ministry if you can. If you are able to do that, it is simply because you aren’t called. God does not take no for an answer. Just do what Peter said, in making your call and election sure.
I pray this study will reach into the heart of some of my readers.
Take time for this song by the Crabb Family, ‘The Shepherd’s Call.’
In Christ always,
Buddy
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