For The Profit Of All Shephards

Waterford Church of Christ

Wednesday Evening Class

David E. Parks

June 1997

Text: Ephesians 4:9-16

Introduction:

Have you ever noticed that most churches are not growing like they once did?
Have you ever noticed that most churches are unable to sustain an attendance of over 200 for an extended period of time?
There are several reasons for this, the most important of which is the failure of those of us in leadership to lead according to the Biblical model

Discussion

The importance of the subject.
1. Comments from a well-known elder.
  "The churches of Christ are not growing today the way we were just a few years ago . . .. It should be evident that there is a bottleneck somewhere. Every bottleneck that I have ever seen was right at the top of the bottle. That is the way it is with the church. The greatest bottleneck hindering growth in the churches of Christ is in the eldership. The error of an authoritarian leadership style in the eldership is the greatest single problem that must be overcome to get the church of Christ growing once again the way we can and should be growing."
2. Whose fault is this — ours (not the elders)!
  1. Of the three biblical terms, what do we call these men almost exclusively? Elders.
  2. We publicly pray, "Lord Bless our elders and help them make wise decisions."
  3. We pray before the contribution, "Lord help our elders to spend this money wisely"
  4. When was the last time you heard someone pray publicly for our shepherds and their ministry to the flock?
  5. When we are sick we want the preacher to visit and pray for us. If we have restored the New Testament pattern in the area of leadership, how do we reconcile this with James 5:14?
Terminology :
1. Elders or Presbyters: Acts 14:23; I Tim. 5:1,17; Tit. 1:5; I Pet. 5:1.
  1. Elder is the equivalent of "Presbyter" which is an anglicized form of the Greek word presbuteros (presbuteroV.)
  2. The literal meaning of this term is one with chin whiskers. It indicates age, experience or wisdom. This is the general (non-technical meaning).
  3. The secondary (technical) meaning refers to a body of men with decision making, policy making and executive functions.
    1. in the Old Testament (Deut. 25:7; Lev. 5:14; Prov. 31:23).
    2. In the N T passages such as I Timothy 5:17 and Acts 11:27-30.
2. Bishops or Overseers: Acts 20:28; Phil. 1:1; I Tim. 3:1; Tit. 1:7.
  1. "Overseer" is from the Anglo-Saxon. Greek work is EPISKOPOS (episkopoV). Our English word Episcopal comes from the word. "Bishop" is from the Latin.
  2. "An overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by other are done rightly."
  3. "The use of the term 'overseer' in the New Testament church suggests an administrative leadership role. The overseers of local congregations need to determine the aims, goals and objectives to be achieved in specific programs of work. They need to determine the general policy guidelines within which people will work. Then they need to turn over the day-to-day decision-making to deacons, ministers, and others working under their oversight".
3. Pastor or Shepherd: Acts 20: 28; Eph. 4:11; I Pet. 2:25; 5:1-2.
  1. Shepherd" is from the Greek POIMEIN (poimein). "Pastor" is from the Anglo-Saxon.
  2. Most Protestants mistakenly believe that a Pastor is a local preacher and an Evangelist is a traveling preacher. Add to this confusion the fact that few people realize that the word means a shepherd. For these reasons it is probably preferable to use the word Shepherd instead of the old English term Pastor.
  3. The word shepherd found in the noun form in: Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:1-2
  4. It is found in the verb form in Acts 20:28.
    1. NOTE: KJV's us of "feed" instead of shepherd for the Greek word POIMEIN is not an ideal translation because a first century shepherd did much more than feed.
  5. In New Testament times, shepherding was the work that brought them into closest contact with members.
  6. The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were:
    - lead the sheep to pasture
    - know the sheep by name
    - watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep
    - defend the sheep from attackers
    - heal the wounded and sick sheep
    - find and save lost or trapped sheep
    - love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust.

During World War II, a shepherd was a pilot who guided another pilot whose plane was partially disabled back to the base or carrier by flying alongside him to maintain visual contact.
Paul told the Ephesian leaders that God had made them Elders and overseers they were to shepherd by leading and protecting the flock from the wolves (false teachers) (Acts 20:23-29).
Do all three of these terms apply to the same position (Acts 20:17,28)? Yes.
What the shepherds are NOT.
1. They are not just an advisory committee for the preacher.
  1. Elders should not, in hiring the preacher, "turn the church over to him."
  2. The preacher has been given certain responsibilities by God — to be discussed in the next lesson — which are more than enough to consume all his available time.
2. They are not a secret "Star Chamber" where Christians bring secret charges against others.
  1. The Bible says we must go to the individual first (Mat. 18: 15-17).
  2. There are some that never have anything to say to the elders unless they are upset about something.
  3. The Elders have enough to carry without having to carry everyone's gripes
3. They are not financial bean counters.
  1. Although they are responsible for the finances of the congregation. Just signing checks doesn't meet this criterion.
  2. Shepherds should set forth the priorities and criteria under which the money is spent and make certain that their parameters are followed.
4. They are not puppets
  1. A Shepherd is not to be a puppet of the preacher.
    1. There have been cases where preachers have manipulated the process of elder selection to guarantee that men they felt he could manipulate would become elders.
  2. A shepherd is not to be the puppet of his wife.
    1. Situations have arisen in churches which people have known that if they wanted something done or changed all they had to do was go to a certain elder's wife.
  3. He is not to be the puppet of any individual or group. He is to shepherd the Flock (Acts 20:28).
5. Elders are not Lords (1 Peter 5:3).
  1. There is only "One Lord" (Ephesians 4:5).
The work of elders (plural).
1. Elders are to "Take heed unto" themselves (Acts 20:28).
  1. To be proper examples (I Pet. 5:3).
    1. In prayer, church, giving, hospitality, Bible reading, visiting sick and weak, and in everything else that is required of other Christians (Acts 1:1).
    2. They must be sound in the faith so that they can protect the seep from wolves — (Titus 1:9-11).
    3. An elder should so live that he could ask the congregation to "be as I am when I follow Jesus." I Cor. 11:1.
2. Bishops have the oversight of the church (I Pet. 5:2-3; Acts 20:28).
  1. All are to be under the oversight of the eldership including the preacher and the individual elders.
  2. The word bishop indicates they are to see that the work of the Lord gets done. If they try to do the work themselves they are not doing the work of a Bishop.
3. Shepherds are to take heed unto the flock to shepherd it (Acts 20:28).
4. On the back of the last page list the responsibilities of a shepherd and the sheep (Ezekiel 34; John 10; Acts 20; 1 Peter 5)
5. Elders are to "rule well." (I Tim. 5:17).
  1. THE AUTHORITY IS IN THE ELDERSHIP NOT THE ELDER.
  2. Cf. Acts 11:29-30; 15:4; 20:17,28; Phil. 1:1; James 5:14)
6. Shepherds are to administer discipline (I Thess. 5:12).
7. Watch for souls committed to their care (Heb. 13:17).
8. it becomes obvious from these scriptures that an elder's work consists of far more than meeting once a month to make decision. Elders are not just a replacement for business meetings they are shepherds.
Duties of the church to the Elders.
1. Respect them
  1. We should honor them for their works sake (I Thess. 5:12-13).
  2. We are NOT to heed unfounded accusations against them (I Tim. 5:19).
  3. Not to rebuke them harshly (I Tim. 5:1).
  4. Assist them in their work.
  5. We cannot have a proper regard for Christ and an improper regard for those who he has ordained to oversee his work.
  6. Obey them.
    1. They are over us in the Lord (I Thess. 5:12).
    2. They are rulers who deserve obedience (Heb. 13:17).
2. Trust them.
3. Pray for them.
4. Encourage them.

Conclusion:

If a congregation is going to prosper in the sight of the Lord, the shepherds and the members must work together in peace and love — each one doing his part for the profit of all. We must all endeavor to keep "the bond of peace in the unity of the spirit."