Wild & Free (Part 2): Maturing Gifts Pastoring & Shepherding)

Wild & Free (Part 2): Pastoring/Shepherding

July 7th, 2024/Casey Middle School

Passage: Ephesians 4:11-13 CSB

“And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.”

Pray:

Pastoring/Shepherding Definition: The gift of pastoring is the God-given ability and calling to care for and nurture the spiritual well-being of others within the Christian community, providing guidance, protection, support, and care to help believers grow in their faith and relationship with Jesus Christ.

I want to start with the 30,000 ft. view, and work our way towards the practical ways this gift might be used in the context of the local church.

Main Points:

1. Pastoring/Shepherding Words Defined

   1. Pastoring/Shepherding Words Defined:
      1. ποιμήν (poimēn) - "Pastor" [noun]
         1. Definition: Refers to shepherds and is translated as "pastor" in Ephesians 4:11, where it is listed among the gifts Christ gave to equip the saints.
         2. Role: Out of the 18 times the word “poimēn” is mentioned in the New Testament, this is the only explicit reference to Christians as pastors, emphasizing the role of guiding and empowering the congregation.
         3. One primary responsibility of church leaders is empowerment. Not simply doing the work of ministry, but inviting, equipping, and empowering the body of Christ to serve the Lord using their gifts.
      2. ποιμαίνω (poimainō) - "To Shepherd" [verb]
         1. Definition: A verb meaning "to shepherd" or "to tend a flock," describing the actions of leading, feeding, and caring for the sheep.
            1. "A second time he asked him, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' 'Yes, Lord,' he said to him, 'You know that I love you.' 'Shepherd my sheep,' he told him." - John 21:16
         2. Role: Emphasizes the active duties of church leaders in caring for the congregation. Feeding them the true nourishment, which is the Word of God.
      3. ἀρχιποιμήν (archipoimēn) - "Chief Shepherd" [noun]
         1. Definition: Refers to Jesus as the supreme shepherd.
      4. The New Testament uses a variety of terms to describe the roles and responsibilities of Christians and church leaders, focusing on the imagery of shepherding.
         1. In short, someone with the spiritual gift of shepherding, leads, feeds, guides, and protects the flock.

2. Our Chief Shepherd Is Jesus

   1. “And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” - 1 Peter 5:4
   2. Jesus, our Chief Shepherd, provides unparalleled care, guidance, and protection. In John 10:11-18, He declares, "I am the Good Shepherd,"

   3. Jesus, the Good Shepherd

      1. Sacrificial Love: "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" - John 10:11.

         1. Unlike hired hands, Jesus willingly sacrifices Himself for our well-being. 2. Deep Relationship: "I know my own, and my own know me" - John 10:14.

         2. Jesus intimately knows and cares for His followers, offering a personal and transformative relationship.

            4. Life Apart from the Chief Shepherd

      2. Without Guidance: Sheep without a shepherd are "distressed and dejected" (Matthew 9:36 CSB). Living apart from Jesus leads to confusion, helplessness, and vulnerability to danger.

      3. Imperfect Shepherds: Earthly shepherds may try their best, and often stumble and fall, but only Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, provides unfailing care, guidance, and protection.

         5. Role of the Chief Shepherd

      4. Jesus fulfills all the essential roles of a shepherd, ensuring our spiritual growth and safety.

      5. Abundant Life: "I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance" (John 10:10). Jesus offers a rich, full life that begins now and continues into eternity.
         6. Rejecting, neglecting, or replacing Jesus leads to spiritual peril and leaves us vulnerable to the enemy's attacks. However, embracing Jesus as our Chief Shepherd brings abundant, eternal life.

3. Under-Shepherds: 3 distinct, but interconnected shepherding roles in church leadership

   1. In the New Testament, the roles of overseers, elders, and pastors are essential to the structure and leadership of the early church. These terms, though distinct, often overlap in their responsibilities and functions, illustrating a comprehensive approach to church governance and spiritual care.
   2. These titles and their functions differ dramatically amongst theologically conservative evangelicals and scholars, especially as it relates to church governance. That is why, it is with much generosity and humility, that I share my understanding of these passages and titles with you today.

   3. Titles:

      1. Overseers (ἐπίσκοπος, episkopos)
         1. Definition: Leaders responsible for oversight, governance, and ensuring doctrinal integrity.
         2. Passage: 1 Timothy 3:1-2 - "This saying is trustworthy: 'If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.' An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach."
         3. Role: Overseers encompass both elders and pastors, providing broad oversight of the church. In soft complementarianism, this office of overseer is reserved for male leadership in the church.
      2. Elders (πρεσβύτερος, presbyteros)
         1. Definition: Mature, respected leaders who provide spiritual guidance, teaching, and shepherding.
         2. Passage: 1 Timothy 5:17 - "The elders who are good leaders are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching."
         3. Role: One well along in his years. :) Elders are called to shepherd, focusing on spiritual leadership and care. The title of “elder” can be used in several passages as synonymous with overseer. (Acts 20, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5)
      3. Pastors (ποιμήν, poimēn)
         1. Definition: Shepherds who provide care, guidance, and teaching to the congregation.
         2. Passage: Ephesians 4:11 - "And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers."
         3. Role: As I understand it, pastors work under the oversight of overseers/elders, focusing on the day-to-day pastoral care and spiritual nourishment of the church members. In soft complementarianism, both men and women are affirmed in shepherding leadership roles within the church, but might vary on the use of titles and responsibilities.
         4. All three unique roles play an essential part in making sure the church is led in the right direction, fed by the Word of God, protected from wolves and false teachers, and guided towards obedience to the Word and Spirit of God.
         5. Since this is not a message on women in ministry, complementarianism vs. egalitarianism, nor on church governance, I’m going to keep this simple and give you the Cliff Notes version of our beliefs on this topic since it relates to the text.
         6. Complementarianism maintains that men and women, while equal in value, have distinct roles that are designed to complement and support one another within the family and the church. - Again, not the focus of this message, but just wanted to help bring clarity to what might seem like a confusing word for some.
         7. At Pinewood we are soft complementarian, we affirm men and women in pastoral roles, but reserve the role of overseer/elder for men only. As Lead Pastor, I serve on the pastoral team here at Pinewood, I also serve as an overseer on our board, submitting to my pastors and overseers. Most importantly, all of our pastors submit to our Chief Shepherd, Jesus, who is the Head Pastor of this church.

4. 5 Fold Ministry vs. A.P.E.S.T. Gifts

   1. Poimēn falls into the 5 fold ministry gifts.

   2. Ephesians 4:11 outlines the APEST gifts within the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. These roles are essential for equipping the saints for ministry and building up the body of Christ.

      1. Both men and women from all walks of life in the Bible have served in these capacities, demonstrating that these ministries are not limited by gender, age, demographic, or socio-economic status.

         3. These gifts are both roles and unique responsibilities within the church. Less of an emphasis on the titles and hierarchy, but more so emphasizing the giver, their job description and the end goal.

      2. “And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.” - Ephesians 4:11-13 CSB

         4. At Pinewood, we give titles to the levels of responsibility, maturity, and leadership, to serve the body, not to serve the title. I’ve also heard this referenced as a “title”wave, put too much emphasis on the titles and everyone drowns.

      3. I like to think of it this way, a title is given to you as a public representation of what you are already doing faithfully, joyfully, and humbly. Spiritual Gifts are given by God, titles are practical means by which we collectively affirm that the God given gift is active and present in someone’s life.

      4. Apostles: 25 named
      5. Prophets: 11 named
      6. Evangelists: 1 named
      7. Pastors: 0 explicitly named (Timothy and Titus often considered)
      8. Teachers: 5 named
      9. Total = 42 people given the titles in total! But so many more with the gift!

      10. So in the grand scheme of people in the NT that had these gifts and served in these roles, the list feels small, but there are many that had the attributes of these gifts and used these gifts to serve and empower the body of Christ.

          5. Examples of Men and Women Who Functioned in the Fivefold Giftings (most are never given the title)

      11. Apostle

          1. Peter: (Acts 2:14-41)
          2. Paul: (Romans 1:1)

          3. Junia: (Romans 16:7; whether this verse calls her an apostle is debated) 2. Prophet

          4. Agabus: (Acts 11:27-28; Acts 21:10-11)

          5. Anna: (Luke 2:36-38)

          6. Philip’s Four Daughters: (Acts 21:8-9) 3. Evangelist

          7. Philip: (Acts 8:5-40; Acts 21:8)

          8. The Samaritan Woman: (John 4:28-30, 39) 4. Shepherd

          9. Timothy: (1 Timothy 1:3)

          10. Titus: (Titus 1:5)
          11. Phoebe: (Romans 16:1-2)

          12. Lydia: (Acts 16:14-15 and Acts 16:40). 5. Teacher

          13. Apollos: (Acts 18:24-28)

          14. Paul: (1 Timothy 2:7)
          15. Priscilla: (Acts 18:26)
              6. The New Testament provides numerous examples of both men and women serving in the local church using these gifts. These individuals played crucial roles in spreading the gospel, leading the church, and building up the body of Christ. Their examples demonstrate the diverse ways God equips and calls His people for ministry!

5. Small Group/Crews Ministry in the Bible

   1. If you are a crew facilitator, then you are shepherding a group of people! It may not be a team, or may not be a department in the church, but you are making a huge contribution to caring for the spiritual health and nourishment of the body… and we need you! And we also need more of you!

   2. Individuals like Priscilla and Aquila, Philemon, Lydia, Nympha, Mary, and Gaius played crucial roles in hosting and leading these gatherings, providing spaces for worship, fellowship, prayer, and teaching.

      1. Their hospitality and leadership were vital to the spread and growth of Christianity in its formative years. Talk about being in a Crew, I want to join Priscilla and Aquila’s crew for sure!

         3. I want to come back to the definition that we mentioned earlier…

      2. Pastoring/Shepherding Definition: The gift of pastoring is the God-given ability and calling to care for and nurture the spiritual well-being of others within the Christian community, providing guidance, protection, support, and care to help believers grow in their faith and relationship with Jesus Christ.

         4. Maybe you’ve never thought of yourself as having pastoral leadership on your life, or a gift to shepherd people, but I believe there are several in the room this morning that feel a stirring in your spirit.

      3. You sense that God may be leading you to step out in faith and start a crew! Or maybe, some of you are feeling called to pastoral leadership in the church to be an elder, overseer, or Lead Pastor.

      4. 1 Timothy 3:1 says “This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.” If you are a young man in the room and say “that’s me”, here’s my advice, start now making disciples and stay faithful. If someone tells me they want to be a lead pastor, elder, or overseer in a church, but they won’t disciple people, empower people to serve, or lead a crew, then I’m confused on what you really are looking for in that position one day. Start now, start small, and stay faithful.
         5. Maybe you’re a woman who has felt like you could never step into the spiritual gift of pastoral care or Poimēn, I want to invite you to step into that gift God has given you boldly! You are a leader and God has gifted you for such a time as this.

Closing:

Invitation:

If you want to make a decision to follow Jesus. Then join me and everyone else in the building as we pray out loud together. It’s not the prayer that saves you, but your faith, making Jesus Lord of your life. We don’t let anyone go on the journey alone. If you have faith in Jesus, then let’s join together as we pray…

Prayer of Salvation:

Jesus, I acknowledge that I need you

I confess that I have sinned against you

I believe that God raised you from the dead

And right now, by faith, I say “Jesus is Lord”

Thank you for forgiving me

By your grace I am saved

And by your power I am set free

Conclusion:

If you prayed that prayer for the first time then Scripture says “anyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge them before my Father”. I’m going to ask that if you prayed that prayer for the first time would you lift your hand and let me know so that I can celebrate with you.

1. God is so proud of you.

2. The angels are rejoicing.

3. And we believe God has a purpose for your life.

Would you let us know that you made a decision so that we can follow up with you and help you on your next steps?