SO JUST WHAT IS THE WORK OF THE PASTOR/TEACHER
- Our Lord's favorite metaphor for spiritual leadership, a figure He often used to describe Himself, was that of a shepherd--one who tends God's flock. Every church leader is a shepherd. The word pastor itself even means "shepherd." It is appropriate imagery. A shepherd leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects. Those are responsibilities of every churchman.
- Under the plan God has ordained for the church, leadership is a position of humble, loving service. Church leadership is ministry, not management. Those whom God designates leaders are called not to be governing monarchs, but humble slaves; not slick celebrities, but laboring servants. Those who would lead God's people must above all exemplify sacrifice, devotion, submission, and lowliness.
- Shepherding a spiritual flock is not so simple. It takes more than a wandering bumpkin to be a spiritual shepherd. The standards are high, the requirements hard to satisfy. Not everyone can meet the qualifications, and of those who do, few seem to excel at the task. Spiritual shepherdology demands a godly, gifted, multi-skilled man of integrity. Yet he must maintain the perspective and demeanor of a boy shepherd.
John MacArthur, Jr.
