Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
September 9, 2001 P.M.
Our Need For Shepherd Leadership
Reading - Acts 20.28-32
These series of lessons are being presented in light of our Eldership’s presentation and announcement this morning to appoint an additional Elder next month.
I believe that... One of the greatest needs in our world today is leadership.
Leadership in the home... Leadership in the church... And leadership in our communities and nations.
So... In this series of Sunday evening lessons... When we speak of leadership... We’re not just speaking of the church, but leadership in all three of these areas:... Home... Church... and Community.... You see...
-The crying need in our world today is for husbands and fathers to take the God given leadership role in our families.
-The future of the church at Bella Vista is dependant upon qualified, servant leaders.
-Our country will be great and be a better place to live or will fall into ruin depending upon who our leaders are.
Now we must know this, not only is mankind always in need of good leaders, God is constantly searching for such. Listen to these scriptures which attest to this fact.
I Samuel 13.14... Speaking of David... The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command.
Jeremiah 5.1... Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city.
Ezekiel 22.30... I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so that I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.
Acts 1. 21... Therefore it is necessary for us to choose one to take Judas’ place.
Acts 6.3... Brothers, choose seven men from among you... Men of good report... Who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.
There is no doubt that God is always seeking qualified leadership for His people.
The Old and New Testaments are filled with the consequences of both good and bad leadership.
-Adam and Eve failed because Adam did not take a proper leadership role in the first family.
-Noah, because of his leadership, saved himself and his family from the flood.
-Abraham’s leadership choices protected his family.
-Lot’s choices doomed his family.
-Joseph’s leadership qualities allowed him to rise to be second in all of Egypt, saving not only himself by the nation of Israel.
-Moses led 2 1/2 million people out of Egyptian bondage through forty years of wilderness wanderings.
-Joshua led the nation into the promised land of Canaan.
-We see the rise and fall of Israel over the next 1500 years, due to her leaders. She would move away from God and he would raise up a leader and they would prosper. Then due to poor leadership they would get into trouble again. These great leaders were known as judges, prophets and kings.
-The success of the New Testament church was based upon the leadership of the Apostles. Note that in Acts 1.15... Peter, by the Holy Spirit, indicated there was a need to replace Judas.
I believe this tells us that church leadership is a top priority in God’s eyes.
-In Acts 6... We come to the first recorded problem in the church of Christ. Notice if you will how this problem was solved... Through qualified leaders. And... as a result the church grew... prospered with many souls being converted as a direct result of proper leadership.
-In Acts 20 Paul challenges the Ephesian Elders to be proper Shepherd leadership within the church.
-In Ephesians chapters five and six... Paul gives instructions on leadership roles in the home and in business.
(1) Husbands love your wives.
(2) Wives be submissive to husbands.
(3) Children obey your parents.
(4) Fathers do not provoke your children to wrath.
(5) Slaves obey your masters.
(6) Masters treat your slaves with respect because they are also in God’s image.
-Timothy and Titus are given specific qualification for Elders and deacons within the New Testament church.
Is there any doubt that God is interested in leadership?... No doubt at all.
Is there any doubt that good leadership blesses mankind... at home... down at church and in the community?... No... Not at all.
You see... Our homes... The church... And our communities... Will be much better places to live when we have God ordained leaders serving as Husbands... Fathers... Elders... Deacons... Teachers... and Governmental Officials.
George Liddell has said it so well in this poem...
Give me a man of God - one man,
whose faith is master of his mind,
And I will right all wrongs
and bless the name of all mankind.
Give me a man of God - one man,
Whose tongue is touched with heaven’s fire,
and I will flame the darkest hearts
with high resolve and clean desire.
Give me a man of God - one man,
one mighty prophet of the Lord,
And I will give you peace on earth,
Brought with a prayer and not a sword.
Give me a man of God - one man,
True to the visions that he sees,
And I will build your broken shrines
and bring the nations to their knees
The question is this...
Will you be that man in the church here at Bella Vista?
Will you be that man in our community?
Will you be that man where your work?
Will you be that man in your own household?
Secondly, tonight... If God is searching for leaders... and He is. What kind of leaders is He looking for? Is there a Biblical model for leadership?... If so, what is it?
Of course the answer is yes.
There is a Biblical model. And that model is that of a shepherd.
God calls us all to play the role of a shepherd:
-As we live with our spouse,
-As we parent our children,
-As we teach and lead in the church,
-As we labor at our jobs,
-And serve in our communities.
This thought of EACH OF US BECOMING SHEPHERDS will be the key thought in the next four Sunday evening lessons.
The shepherd metaphor appears more than 500 times in scripture.
If we are to ever understand leadership... God’s way...
We must understand the concept of shepherding.
And that God desires SHEPHERDING SERVANT LEADERS.
For instance...
God is pictured as a shepherd.
David said... The Lord is my shepherd.
Isaiah wrote... He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40.11
We are spoken of as sheep of His pasture. Although, we all like sheep have gone astray, we still have a good shepherd who loves and leads us back to the fold.
Indeed... God is a shepherd.
Jesus is a shepherd.
In John 10... He says... I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.
In Luke 15 Jesus says... He leaves the ninety and nine and finds the one gone astray, places it on his shoulders and takes it home.
Peter... As he instructs church leaders... calls Jesus the chief shepherd.
Some Great men of God have been shepherds...
-Abraham was a shepherd.
-David was known as the shepherd king... A man after God’s own heart.
-Prophets and priests were known as both good and bad shepherds.
Listen to Jeremiah 50.6, My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.
And to Ezekiel 34.2,4-5, The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel... (Leaders of Israel)... Prophesy and say to them: `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel... (Leaders of Israel)... Who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?
As an apostle, Peter was a shepherd.
Jesus told him to... Feed my sheep... Tend my lambs.
Jesus was saying, Peter... adopt my spiritual leadership style that of shepherding.
Now let’s bring this idea home.
Both Peter and Paul admonish us to adopt this shepherding style in the church.
-Listen to Paul... As he pleads with the Elders at Ephesus in Acts 20... Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
-Listen to Peter as he admonishes Elders in general... I Peter 5.2-4... Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
Church... This SHEPHERDING MODEL is God’s model... But we have distorted... and destroyed this model.... Today we have some serious problems...
-In our homes...
-In the church...
-And in our communities...
Because we have not followed God’s model for leadership.
Note with me some distortions of God’s LEADERSHIP MODEL...
First we have the wrong idea that a leader is to be a policeman... and Judge.
We think that our appointment as a leader gives us the authority to...
-Demand...
-Coerce...
-Force...
People to think like we want them to think and behave like we want them to behave... And if they don’t we will punish them appropriately.
Jesus addressed this distortion of Biblical leadership in Matthew 20.25-26 when he said... You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.
Church... Listen to me... a husband... Father... Elder.... Employer... or Governmental Official... who must assert his authority... doesn’t have much authority.
Something is seriously wrong when we try to get others to do things by saying.. You must do it because I say so!... Because I am in authority over you.
God’s idea of leadership is not that of a policeman and or judge.
Second... God’s leaders are not cowboys.
There is a difference between cowboys and shepherds.
Shepherds lead... Cowboys drive.
Cowboys force the herd to go where they want them to go using horses... whips... prods.
Not so with a shepherd.... shepherds lead... shepherds go ahead of the sheep.
Men... As the good shepherd Jesus does not ask us to go where he’s never gone.
If any man come after Me... He must deny self... Take up his cross... and follow me.
Paul admonishes us to... Follow him as he follows Christ.
As husbands, fathers, church and community leaders, let us BECOME just that...
-Leaders... not drivers.
-EXAMPLES... not commanders.
-Shepherds... not cowboys.
Thirdly... There is the hired hand concept of leadership.
As the good shepherd... Jesus said...
-I am not a hireling.
-I am not a hired hand.
Jesus goes on to say... The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
-A hired hand does not own the sheep... So he is lax in their care
-He is paid for his services... So it is frequently a part-time job... A fair weather affair.
Not so in God’s concept of leadership.
This is the problem in our homes and churches... Leaders who see their leadership role as a part-time affair.
These family members are ours... God has given them to us to... Keep... Protect... Nourish... Guide... Lead... and Care for in the church.
Fathers... Elders... Teachers... Deacons who see their job as a part-time hireling affair are not... and can never be... Genuine shepherds from God’s perspective..
You see... until we see...
-Our family...
-This church...
-This community of believers...
As OUR very own... We will never be a very effective leader.
No... You are not hearing me say that Elders... Preachers... Teachers... Deacons are not to be paid.
I am saying if it is for money that we do the job... the task... We are not God’s kind of leader.
Then... There is the western world’s concept of CEO... Boss... Manager.
Elders... Husbands... Fathers... Deacons... Youth Directors.... Teachers are not to sit in boardrooms and make decisions and decrees and then come out and announce them to the people.
Jesus said... Sheep do not follow a stranger. A shepherd is one who knows the sheep and they know him.
-They know his love...
-They have been beneficiaries of his care...
-They know of his concern...
-They know his voice...
And they follow because... They know he has their best interests at heart.
Judas’ replacement was to be chosen as one who knew Jesus... Who had followed Jesus from His baptism until His ascension.
God has provided us with a model for his leadership style... It is that of a shepherd.
When we follow His leadership role in nurturing and leading... I believe...
-We will heal our families...
-We will see churches grow...
-And we will have a good reputation in our communities.
Next Sunday evening, we’ll look at the work of a shepherd from Psalm 23.
Are you a child of God?
Have you allowed Jesus to be the Shepherd of your life?
Tonight... Allow Him to add you to His flock by Faith... Repentance... Confession... and New Testament baptism.... Immersion in water for the forgiveness of your sins.
Let Him lead you to everlasting life.
Perhaps as sheep of His pasture... Some of us have gone astray...
-Perhaps we haven’t been the husband or father we should have been and need to make this right with our family.
-Perhaps we have not served as we should as a leader in the church and need to start tonight to follow God’s model of genuine shepherding.
-Maybe we have some ugly sin we need to confess and ask the prayers of the church family for God to help us overcome.
However this lesson has spoken to you... Come to Jesus as we stand and sing this invitation song.
Will you come!!
