EmmDev 2015-04-29 [Apostle's Creed] Church (8) Flock and under-shepherds

Church (8) Flock and under-shepherds

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. Acts20:28

The image of Shepherd and flock is a powerful theme in Scripture. Ps 23 and John 10 portray God as Shepherd, Good Shepherd and the one who provides, guides, accompanies and protects.

The image of the flock is that it should be protected, nurtured and that it should stay close to the shepherd. In the Old Testament the flock is often depicted as faithless and rebellious. It is often seen to be scattered by lions and captured by enemies because they have strayed or have chosen false shepherds who have looked to their own interests.

Here in Acts 20, Paul is saying farewell to some of the elders of the congregation in Ephesus. He is heading to Jerusalem where he knows he will be arrested and go to Rome. This is the last time he will see them. With "last words" urgency he leaves them with this charge: Lead the church but do it as shepherds of flock that belongs to the One who bought it at great cost.

As the church we are a flock - we need to be together, we need to be shepherded, we can't do it on our own and we belong to the Great Shepherd. This goes against the pride and independence of the current age. Modern humanism says that we should depend on no-one, that we should individualise and self-actualise. The Bible calls us a flock. We need each other and we need a shepherd.

We also need to lead responsibly. Anyone who feels called to lead should spend some time reading Ezekiel's denouncements of the hireling shepherds who misled Israel. (Eze 34 - It's incredibly scary reading!!) Paul calls the Ephesian elders to be shepherds of a flock that was bought at great price: The blood of God's Only Son.

Jesus is the only truly Good Shepherd. At best we are only under-shepherds. The flock is His - He laid down His life for us. He gave everything for us.

So three thoughts:

1. We're a flock. I need to be humble enough to admit that it's not all about me. I need to recognise that I need my fellow sheep and I need to be shepherded. I need to admit that I go astray. Often. And I need the Good Shepherd to rescue me and that I am safest in the flock.
2. When we are called to lead we should be extra humble. It's not our flock. People often ask me how things are going at my church. I have to keep saying: "It's not my church, it's His, I just work there!" I must follow the footsteps of the Good Shepherd.
3. We belong to a Shepherd who loves us and gave His life for us.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
(Isaiah 53:6)