Who Shepherds?
by Keith Watson
Note: This is the final post in a series on shepherding. You can find the first two posts here and here.
While there are countless articles and books defining “shepherding” for the church, R.C. Sproul summarized shepherding as Leading, Feeding, and Caring for a congregation (What Does It Mean to Be a Shepherd Over the Flock? RC Sproul). Using Sproul’s summary words we might say that shepherding is leading the congregation in and through the Christian life, feeding them all they need in order to thrive in the Christian life, and caring for them in the hurts and mishaps of life in a fallen world. In each of these, a good shepherd points his/her flock to the same place, the person and work of Jesus – the gospel. We lead people to see and understand the gospel and how it changes our lives. We feed people a healthy diet of the gospel to constantly remind them of who Jesus is and what he has done for them. And when there is sin and sorrow, it is ultimately the gospel that renews our hope. So it is then, that shepherds shepherd the congregation in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Often, church leaders view shepherding as something that happens when there is death, loss, or great need for someone in the church. Shepherding is not an event; it is the ongoing leading, feeding, and caring for a congregation. Shepherding takes place daily as we live our lives with others. Shepherding happens weekly as we gather for worship and celebration as a church. Shepherding is taking place as our MCs discuss sermons and life in light of the gospel. While shepherding is a task assigned to and expected of Lead Pastors, elders, deacons, and staff, it is much more.
In training for Saturate, Abe Meysenburg connects the need for daily shepherding to Hebrews 3. The writer of Hebrews warns,
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Daily, believers are in danger of wandering from God and especially wandering from the gospel. The writer tells us that what protects us from wandering is the daily encouragement we should receive from one another – “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today.” This encouragement, in the context of Hebrews 3 is rooted in the beautiful news of the gospel. Remembering who Jesus is and what he has done for us, particularly in and through his life, death, and resurrection helps to keep us from wandering. More than simply applying the gospel to a problem, sin, or sorrow, which is very beneficial, the writer is encouraging his readers to lead, feed, and care for one another, to shepherd one another, daily in the gospel.
It would seem that the writer of Hebrews has a greater sheperding team in mind than the Lead Pastor or the deacons and elders. The writer points calls on the whole body of believers to shepherd one another! The Apostle Paul would agree. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul wrote:
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ephesians 4
Paul is saying that God has given the local church shepherds - Lead Pastors, elders, deacons, and church staff, not to do all of the shepherding, but to equip the members of the church to shepherd one another! Paul says that when the family is equipped and shepherding one another, the church builds itself up in love. A healthy, thriving church is possible when the body is leading one another in the gospel, feeding one another the gospel, and caring for one another in the gospel.
Who shepherds?
We all shepherd. We are meant to shepherd one another daily as a family. At New City, the primary place for shepherding takes place in our Missional Communities and DNA Groups, where our identity as family is most clearly lived out. In these relationships we lead one another in and through the Christian life, feeding one another what we need in order to thrive in the Christian life, and we care for one another in the hurts and mishaps of life in a fallen world. In each of these, as good shepherds, we point one another to the same place, the person and work of Jesus – the gospel.