NCMI

TRAINING MANUAL

PASTORAL STUDIES PART 2

By Leon and Pat Van Daele,

Adapted by Dr. Noel B. Woodbridge

This document may be duplicated whole, or in part, in any form (written, visual, electronic or audio) without express written permission, providing it is not used for commercial purposes.

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PREFACE TO THE COURSE

Pastoral Studies Two seeks to continue with the subject of shepherding the Flock of God with the same model in mind as that presented in Pastoral Studies One. We have to constantly keep before us what we understand to be the Biblical Model, in order to prevent some of the traditions of men, which are so prevalent, from corrupting it. Thus we review the following brief section on “THE BIBLICAL MODEL OF THE LOCAL CHURCH” in order to refresh the student’s mind on the matter.

Reflect on the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.

1. What principles does the Great Commission give us in regards to understanding the role of the local church?

2. What steps have you taken or can you take in order to fulfil those principles through your local church?

In Unit One of Pastoral Studies One we discussed the three Biblical characteristics of the local church as “apostolic – prophetic – pastoral”.

3. Give a brief description of each of these three characteristics.

4. Why are each of these characteristics important?

See my answers on the next page.

a. b. c.

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Answer to question 1: What principles does the Great Commission give us in regards to understanding the role of the local church?

Answer to question 2: What steps have you taken or can you take in order to

fulfil those principles through your local church? In Unit One of Pastoral Studies One we discussed the three Biblical characteristics of the local church as “apostolic – prophetic – pastoral”.

Answer to question 3: Give a brief description of each of these three characteristics.

Answer to question 4: Why are each of these characteristics important?

(1) “Go and make disciples of all nations” expresses the main purpose and core of the Great Commission. The following two dimensions of the commission are ways and methods of accomplishing it.

(2) “Baptising them” – to indicate a new direction in life.

(3) “Teaching them” – to follow Christ, i.e. to imitate His life and teachings.

This is a personal reflection question and has no definite answer.

(1) It is “apostolic” in that it embraces the “sending” heart of God, Who sent His Son, Who in turn sends His disciples to bring in the Kingdom of God in the nations (John 20:21, Matt. 28:18-20). It needs to relate to, and invite in, the ministry of apostolic teams (Eph. 4:11-12) who facilitate the “sending” and the “going”. The sending and the going must result in the planting of new churches, in order for the new converts in turn to be healed, trained and encouraged to obey everything He commanded. (2) It is “prophetic” in that it is able to discern the Will of God, receive revelation, see the future, prepare for it and eventually become the future.

(3) It is “pastoral” so that those who come in from the darkness of the world system can be cared for, healed, trained and matured so that they can effectively participate in the apostolic and the prophetic aspects of God’s people.

No church that neglects one or more of these three Biblical characteristics will fulfil the command of Jesus. The same can be said for any church that is preoccupied with any one of these three characteristics. A church that is preoccupied with the “sending” aspect will be full of evangelistic fervour leaving in its wake the broken and the bleeding with no means of healing. Nor can such a church be called apostolic, because a true apostolic church will invite apostolic ministry to come in and rectify the situation. A highly “prophetic” church tends to lack stability as it chases here and thereafter the latest vision. Many churches also become predominantly “pastoral”, caring for the sheep until all vision, direction and enthusiasm are lost. The absence of apostolic input in such a church will be evident in the lack of good foundations (Eph. 2:20).

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Pastoral Studies One followed the outline given us in the “GREAT SHEPHERD” passage in John 10. In this study we continue to follow the same outline and the leadership characteristics of the shepherd and the exercising of authority. It would be good for the student to review the last section of the previous course, where some of the differences between secular leaders and “Servant Leaders” were covered. It is the lack of understanding of these very differences that have resulted in leaders and people being offended, hurt and disillusioned and generally “burnt” as far as active Christianity is concerned. Too often elders have merely transferred the leadership skills gained and practised in the world to their leadership of God’s Flock. Those who have taken secular management skills have further compounded this problem and principles, “christianised” them, and used them for training the leaders of God’s people. All leaders of God’s flock should give themselves to learning about, understanding and applying the Biblical principles of leadership. Although a full treatment of this subject is covered in the ITCC Leadership Course, and is beyond the scope of this course, we have sought again to bring to the attention of the student the essential importance of it, and to hopefully inspire further research and study. It is with the above in mind that we put to paper this second course on the subject.

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UNIT ONE

THE SHEPHERD AS A COMMUNICATOR

“HE LEADS THEM OUT” (John 10:3)

Learning outcomes:

After completing this study unit you should be able to:

(1) Grasp the importance of good communication skills as a shepherd. (2) Recognise opportunities to express good leadership abilities. (3) Understand when good communication is essential within different

circumstances. (4) Use preparation skills to enhance your communication abilities.

1.1 IDENTIFYING THE SHEPHERD AS A LEADER IN COMMUNICATION 1.1.1 Communication is a Gift from God A few paragraphs on the subject of communication would be appropriate in the context of leadership. Good leaders are usually good communicators, and even though we may not operate as the leaders do in the world, the ability to communicate is a gift from God that should be celebrated and developed to the maximum by His leaders and especially by visionary elders. Many problems have arisen in the church through poor or inadequate communication. Many potentially good leaders have been severely hampered due to a lack in their communication skills. Many have not given the subject much attention, and with a bit of thought and practice could improve their ability to communicate and enhance their leadership.

Stop and reflect:

In what ways does your pastor or church leaders strive to enhance communication within the church? In what way do you strive to enhance communication within your church and

personal relationships?

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“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31

We have to think through what we are going to say to those who follow us. This is especially important in public such as in a worship service, motivating and imparting vision and goals, making announcements, giving instructions to groups, etc. Good leadership does not only require good preaching but good communication at every level. A leader who gets up and clearly and precisely states his message commands attention and his sheep will follow him. Where leaders mumble and hesitatingly try to give details that are vague and inaccurate they lose their people! Many preachers and others who make announcements during a meeting speak poorly, stumble over the words, and are vague about details, even asking others in the congregation or their wives about some of the details of which they are not certain. They will have lost the attention and support of every professional, self-motivated individual in the congregation and visitors who are looking in, expect to be properly informed! They convey the message that they do not know where they are going, so why should anyone care to follow them! “Knowing where you are going” and being able to communicate it in a clear and precise way is what draws people to follow a leader. The reader may be surprised that we have chosen such a seemingly unimportant example as the giving of announcements at a church meeting! This is a deliberate choice, because so often it is treated as less important, and is one area for which few adequately prepare. Often it is hurriedly and apologetically presented, and becomes most ineffective. Announcements are extremely important, and vitally linked to leadership. They are the instructions of what is going to take place. Most often it is not so much a matter of poor communication skills as it is a lack of proper preparation. We have to get all the facts beforehand, and unless we are highly gifted in the area of communicating, we need to think through how we are going to give them. 1.1.2 Communication is a Skill

It is important to take note that every public announcement or utterance by leaders is an important opportunity to express three things:

Good leadership - Every time he speaks in the presence of his people,

whether there be many or a few, is an opportunity to draw them after him. This statement may be misconstrued to be self-promotion. This can be if he ignores all that has been said about servant leadership!

Impart vision – Without the imparting of a vision, the congregation may

be lost, searching for something to grasp onto. Many shepherds wonder why they cannot get their sheep to follow.

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Encourage and motivate people to press on in the things of God - For those who are genuine shepherds, and carry the burden of leading the Flock of God, the task of motivating God’s people to lay down their lives and serve the purposes of God is a difficult one. Every opportunity to lead them that is bungled or lost slows the momentum down.

1.1.3 Communication is a Lesson

Every leader of God’s Flock ought to research the subject of Communication for a fuller understanding of it. Preparation is essential and good preparation before we attempt to communicate it is even more pertinent than ever when it comes to the following:

Vision – When we have to present matters of vision to the church, how we

present it is an essential factor in whether our people embrace the vision or not.

Discipline – When we have to deal with delicate matters publicly, such as

the discipline of individuals or matters on which we have to “rebuke” the entire church, it is important to be sensitive and Biblical.

Stop and reflect: Are you a good communicator? Are you one to shy away from confrontations or embrace them as seeing a need to develop closer relationships? Read and discuss Galatians 2:11-21. Here we find Paul rebuking Peter publicly. Would this be something you would agree with? Would you have handled this situation differently? Why or why not? Confronting someone is never pleasant, but the alternatives are even worse. “I don’t like conflict; besides, who am I to say anything?” Or, “I’ll just share with other church leaders how messed up and hypocritical Peter is acting.” When we say nothing, small problems grow into big ones. When we talk about others instead of to them, conflicts deepen and situations get out of hand. Confrontation about a

clear wrong needs to be forthright, honest, and bold.

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Changes – When we have to present future changes to people we must take into account that few want or like change, and yet it is part of walking with God. These may be changes of venues, times of meetings, multiplication of home groups, etc., the release of new elders or the planting of a new church; things that will affect the lives of our people.

Preparation for such announcements extends much further than just preparing the way we are going to present it. We now enter other areas of leadership such as decision-making and guidance, which will be covered later. We have to make sure that we have done our homework before we make such statements. Where we have not thought through matters, consulted the right people, and above all have made sure we have the will of God on the matter, we end up having to backtrack or make changes to changes! Where this happens too often it undermines our leadership potential. 1.2 IDENTIFYING THE SHEPHERD AS AN AUTHORITATIVE COMMUNICATOR 1.2.1 Communication must be a Demonstration of God’s Power We must do our best to speak well. As shepherds of the flock we do not pursue sophisticated forms of rhetoric. We take note of Paul’s words: “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” 1 Cor.2.4-5.

Stop and reflect:

We have to remember that the Holy Spirit is able to help us in this all-important matter and we need to seek His help and wisdom both as we prepare to speak and while we do so. He is able to prompt us to say certain things and to impart the wisdom of God to us. Read James 1:5, what does this verse tell us about communication? In reflection, have you experienced the wisdom of God in times you have not known what to say? How has that helped your confidence in times you feel inadequate?

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We do not seek to impress our sheep with our abilities and gifts. We want to encourage them to follow the Lord Jesus. We choose a vocabulary that is relevant to the masses. However, this is no reason to go the other way and be careless about the way we speak. There are leaders who mumble, swallow their words, speak too fast, drop their voices at the end of a sentence, do not pronounce their words properly and predominantly use everyday jargon and slang. This will make communication downfalls, becoming:

o Unacceptable o Ineffective o More open to misunderstanding

o More difficult to listen to

o More offensive to those who are educated

We are called to lead and communicate with the Family of God, which consists of a cross-section of humanity; a variety of ages, backgrounds, races, levels of education and maturity and increasingly cosmopolitan. We have to learn to communicate clearly to all of them. We cannot enjoy the luxury of a church that has a singular identity, such as older conservatives, or young singles, etc., and the vocabulary that is relevant to it. We have to be ready and prepared for God to bring people of other groups to us, and learn to be versatile and flexible. A little practice out in the fields, or in the garage may be in order, learning to correct some of the weaknesses, and learning to project the voice. A speech therapist may have some good advice here! A good idea is to ask someone to take a video of your public speaking, and then carefully watch it a few times with the above points in mind.

Stop: Consider the list of downfalls, how can you change them to reflect something positive? For example: Becoming culturally sensitive, rehearsing

Unacceptable language usage so that nothing is found to be culturally offensive.

Ineffective Open to misunderstanding More difficult to listen to Offensive to those

who are educated

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1.2.2 Communication must be Clear and Informative

Make sure you have successfully conveyed the message. Leadership involves communicating instructions and information to others. Do not assume because you have said it, that that does it! Experts in communicative skills tell us there are at least six stages in the process of communicating a message to another person. Things can go wrong in any of the six stages! Feedback is important. Check to make sure they have understood, especially in critical matters. Have things written down for clarity and later reference. There is also the added problem of having to repeat things. Many visionary elders have made the mistake of making one public statement and assuming that everyone has heard. The same experts mentioned above make statements that it takes three repetitions to get a third of the people to hear, and up to seventeen before everyone has heard! These statistics are not the main issue, but rather that we have made sure that we have communicated clearly. We repeat, effective communication is an essential element of good leadership, and inadequacies in this area will weaken the leader’s ability to lead his people. The Bible puts it very simply ... “if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 1 Corinthians 14:8 Try the Self-test on the next page.

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Self-test

1. Good leaders are usually good

2. Leaders who get up and and

state their message, command attention and their sheep will

them.

3. Every public announcement or utterance by leaders is an important opportunity to express three things. What are they?

4. Most often, giving announcements incorrectly is not so much a matter of poor communication skills but rather...

5. When is proper communication most important? 6. Confrontation about a clear wrong needs to be , , and .

a. b.

c.

a. b.

c.

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7. Why is it important to seek help from the Holy Spirit when preparing to speak?

8. Give some examples on how you could properly prepare yourself for speaking in front of people.

9. We do not seek to impress our sheep with our abilities and gifts, but rather we want to

10. Effective is an essential element of good

leadership. Now turn over the page and compare your responses to mine.

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Self-test

1. Good leaders are usually good

2. Leaders who get up and __clearly________ and _____precisely___ state their

message, command attention and their sheep will ____follow______c them.

3. Every public announcement or utterance by leaders is an important opportunity to express three things. What are they?

4. Most often, giving announcements incorrectly is not so much a matter of poor communication skills but rather...

5. When is proper communication most important?

a. Good leadership - Every time they speak in the presence of their people,

whether there be many or a few, is an opportunity to draw the congregation after them. This statement may be misconstrued to be self-promotion. This can be true if the leader ignores all that has been said about servant leadership! b. Impart vision – Without the imparting of a vision, the congregation may be lost, searching for something onto which they can grasp. Many shepherds wonder why they cannot get their sheep to follow. c. Encourage and motivate people to press on in the things of God -

For those who are genuine shepherds, and carry the burden of leading the Flock of God, the task of motivating God’s people to lay down their lives and serve the purposes of God is a difficult one. Every opportunity to lead them that is bungled or lost slows down the momentum.

a. Vision – When we have to present matters of vision to the church, how we present it is an essential factor as to whether our people embrace the vision or not. b. Discipline – When we have to deal with delicate matters publicly, such as

the discipline of individuals or matters on which we have to “rebuke” the entire church, it is important to be sensitive and Biblical. c. Changes – When we have to present future changes to people we must take into account that few want or like change, and yet it is part of walking with God. These may be changes of venues, times of meetings, multiplication of home groups, etc., the release of new elders or the planting

of a new church; things that will affect the lives of our people.

communicators

A lack of proper preparation.

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6. Confrontation about a clear wrong needs to be ,

, and .

7. Why is it important to seek help from the Holy Spirit when preparing to speak?

8. Give some examples on how you could properly prepare yourself for speaking in front of people.

9. We do not seek to impress our sheep with our abilities and gifts, but rather we want to

10. Effective is an essential element of good

leadership.

He is able to prompt us to say certain things and to impart the wisdom of God to us.

encourage them to follow the Lord Jesus

forthright

honest

bold

A little practice out in the fields, or in the garage may be in order, learning to correct some of the weaknesses, and learning to project the voice. A speech therapist may have some good advice here! A good idea is to ask someone to take a video of your public speaking, and then carefully watch it

a few times with the above points in mind.

communication

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UNIT TWO

AUTHORITATIVE SHEPHERDING

“...THEY FOLLOW HIM” (John 10:3) Learning Outcomes:

After completing this unit you should be able to:

(1) Distinguish between Divine Authority and Human Authority (2) Understand the fundamentals for submissive authority (3) Recognise the dangers of misusing authority (4) Discover the responsibility of the shepherd in authority (5) Recognise faults within the Flock

2.1 EXERCISING GODLY AUTHORITY

2.1.1 Knowing the Shepherd’s Authority

One may legitimately raise the question at this point; “Surely we are busy with pastoring and shepherding here, why then the emphasis on leadership and authority?” Pastoring has everything to do with leadership and authority. A lot of pastoring has been ineffective and unsuccessful because of inadequacies in this area. One cannot lead people without exercising authority. Regarding the shepherd of God’s Flock, Jesus clearly states that “He leads them out” John 10:3, and “they follow Him”. This is because of some very important characteristics of Biblical leadership; which are:

1. The kind of authority that is exercised. 2. The way in which it is exercised.

While leading the church, there are many areas where we have to exercise authority. For those who are visionary elders there are some specific areas such as leading the church to embrace vision and values and the regular proclamation of the Word of God. Godly authority is the only way to successfully challenge a congregation through preaching in order to lead it into the Fullness of Christ, Ephesians 4:13. The visionary elder also exercises authority in leading the eldership and leadership teams. There are the general areas for all elders and deacons in leading and directing folk; in delegation and oversight, where correction and discipline have to be exercised, in confronting people with their sin and when rebuke and exhortation are necessary.

Stop and reflect:

Read Ephesians 4:11-15. List why it is important for people within the congregation to have a proper shepherd authoritarian.

In what ways have you responded to the shepherd authority in your church?

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Matthew 18:18; 1 Timothy 5:17 Ephesians 5:22-24; 6:1 Romans 13:1

In light of the above, what changes would you like to see in your church, family, country, etc.? What steps will you take to move in this direction?

2.1.2 Submitting to the God’s Authority

We would like to encourage the student who is preparing for, or who is already leading and shepherding the Flock of God, to give very special attention to the subject of authority and submission. Most human problems, personally and corporately, in the world and the church are due to, or at least aggravated by failure in the areas of the exercising of Godly authority and submission to it. All of human life is related to matters of authority and submission. Authority begins with the supreme absolute authority of God. It exists for order, protection and to get things done. It is good, holy and righteous, and motivated by divine love. Answer the following:

Read the verses below and establish who has been given the authority. Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:22 We need to remember that the whole context of our relationship with God is one of Authority and Submission, and that sin is the result of rebellion against God’s Authority. 2.1.3 Letting go of what hinders True Submission History has shown that where authority has been properly exercised and people have submitted to it, order, safety and successful achievements have followed. The opposite, however, is by far the more abundant.

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First of all let us consider some facts about submission. Every shepherd and leader of God’s Flock has to reckon with the fact that “we all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way”, Isaiah 53:6. In spite of being redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, there is still a lot of our “own ways” left within the sheep, (and lest we forget, in leaders as well!) The human heart is basically rebellious and does not want to change and wants its own way. Some of the sheep have matured and are able to count themselves “dead to sin, and alive to God in Christ Jesus”. They “do not let sin reign in (their) mortal body”. The key issue as every leader soon discovers, the majority of the sheep are still growing and developing. They are the ones who react the most, and produce the most grief and stress in the lives of the shepherds. The rebellious inclination of the human nature is usually masked, and expresses itself in clever and devious ways. Successful leadership of God’s Flock depends to a large extent on how proficient the leaders are at identifying, reckoning with, preparing for, and taking pre-emptive steps to deal with the sinful human nature and its responses in the flock.

Let’s do a quick study on the Sinful Nature of Man: We know that the heart of man is deceitful and wicked, as Jeremiah 17:9-10 points out. Paul, the apostle, also talks a great deal about the sinful nature of man in comparison to the contrasting perfect nature of the re-born Man of God. The sinful nature of man begins with the first sin of Adam and the curse placed over man given by God for the sin that was committed. Read Jeremiah 17:9-10, Romans 5:19 and Philippians 2:5-8. Discuss very briefly what our sinful nature is and what our new nature under grace must be.

With which nature do you find yourself most familiar? Why?

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Jesus, the Great Shepherd, knew this only too well, as is indicated in the words ... “Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for He knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for He knew WHAT WAS IN a man”. John 2.24-25. This must not be misunderstood to mean that we hold everyone under suspicion and trust no one. We have to trust people to a certain extent and give them the benefit of the doubt or we will never win their trust as leaders. It is rather a matter of trusting folk while we live in the reality of knowing what could happen, and be ready for it. Successful shepherding can be somewhat described as the ability to win over the flock, and get them to respond positively to the challenges of the Word of God while dealing with them in such a way as to give no room for their sinful human natures. It is the skill involved in getting them to submit to truth in spite of the opposition they feel within! 2.2 RECOGNISING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE AUTHORITATIVE

SHEPHERD 2.2.1 The Power of Faithful Praying We have to make sure that we always operate with hearts full of faith if we are going to see people miraculously changed. We have to be assured of the truth that Jesus does change people, and in the end we will win! The constant struggle with the resistance offered by the human nature can slowly erode the faith of elders. One can lose sight of what the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word can accomplish. We need to refresh ourselves in the promises of God, and believe in His Love for the

Stop and reflect:

In what ways have you allowed the world to infiltrate your life? Can you say that you are “dead to sin”? What does that phrase mean to you? What does God’s word in Romans 6:11-12 and 8:12-13 say about how we are to put to death the deeds of the body?

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“I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth

will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”

Matt.16.17-19

individuals we are working with. We need to be regularly praying “Apostolic prayers” over our people, such as Ephesians 1.15-19, 3.14-19, etc. We have to exercise spiritual warfare on behalf of them, and continue with it where necessary until we have a breakthrough in the lives of our people. We should continually bear in mind what the Great Shepherd said about His church and His people. 2.2.2 The Problems with Abusing Authority

The first issue mentioned above, that of exercising proper authority, is just as important as the necessity for submission. Authority that is either lacking or abused will not be effective in eliciting submission from the flock to the Lordship of Christ. Many have assumed, that as long as they are presenting the truth, people should submit to it irrespective of how it is presented! Although, as far as the accountability of the people to obey the truth is concerned, there is truth in it. However, in practice it does not work that way. The truth presented in an authoritarian, legalistic fashion is the abuse of authority and will rather evoke rebellion, produce legalism, fear, condemnation and discouragement. Therefore, authority must be exercised in exhortation and in the preaching and teaching of the truth, it must be done in a Godly manner and consist of Godly authority itself rather than any substitutions or varieties invented by men. The problem in real life, however, is that few have seen and experienced Godly authority either in the home, from the state and sadly enough, seldom in the history of the church. Thus, as was mentioned in the previous course in the comparison of the “organic” and the “organisational”, authority is seen by most as a necessary evil, seldom appreciated, rather tolerated, held in suspicion, its motivation questioned and its enforcement dodged and evaded as far as possible!

Stop: Take a moment to and list some things you could pray for within your congregation and for yourself. Then pray for each item on that list that the Lord might work in

and through your lives to honour and benefit His kingdom.

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Most people have either experienced:

(1) Autocratic, authoritarian and dictatorial styles, where there has been unfairness and some people have got hurt and wounded while others have become rebellious.

(2) Democratic systems where manipulation is often used to gain control.

(3) Lack of, or abdication of authority by those who were responsible because of

human weakness, fear of men, or irresponsible attitudes. The general results of this kind of life experience is that when we find ourselves in the position of leading God’s people we are inclined to abuse, abdicate or devolve authority. 2.2.3 The Power of Using God’s Authority

We are unable to see the true spiritual value of good leadership and authority ourselves, and its essential nature for the health and maturity of the church. We then, most likely, will subconsciously convey this to the congregation without realising it, Matthew 12:34 “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks”. We then continue to perpetuate the very condition that is largely the result of sin and rebellion against God. Salvation and Christian maturity result in full reconciliation to God and the submission of the human will to His Authority and His Word. As leaders and shepherds of the Flock of God, it is our mandate to reverse the status quo. We need to teach people to celebrate and appreciate Godly Authority, both God’s Authority and that delegated to men, and embrace the great benefit of obedience and submission. It is therefore essential for the leaders of God’s people to begin with their own understanding and attitudes to leadership and Authority, trusting in the revelation of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to

Stop and reflect: Perhaps you have witnessed abusive authority. Identify and describe the outcomes of using an incorrect authoritative view.

What efforts will you make to have a balanced and proper view of authority?

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renew the human mind (Romans 12:2). This has to be done before we can successfully bring changes to the people we lead. 2.2.4 Obedience to the Will of God

It can be seen that the entire success of shepherding the Flock of God and leading them from immaturity to mature living and ministry depends on the degree to which they learn to submit to the Will of God and obey it. Most people, under good leadership, find it difficult to obey God. How much more difficult when authority is abused and abdicated. Many leaders have failed to renew their minds and exercise Godly authority. They have unwittingly perpetuated the old secular attitudes, and then in the end have been surprised to discover that they have a congregation of rebel Christians who react to, rebel against and criticise their leadership. The above state of affairs will undermine our confidence in our calling, in the authority God has delegated to us, and in His willingness to back our leadership and exercising of that Authority. We end up having a “bad feeling” about being a leader and having to exercise authority because we know people do not like being told what do! This usually is in the subconscious. 2.3 RESULTS OF MISUSED AND ABANDONED AUTHORITY 2.3.1 The Shepherd becomes the Sheep

We become apologetic in our preaching and leadership. Our approach becomes less pointed and challenging. Messages are watered down and disturbing truths made more acceptable. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is severely hindered, for He wants to lead, challenge, and bring conviction and repentance to the Bride of Christ, John 16.8. The call and challenge to the Flock to follow is weakened. The sheep only follow

Obedience is the key to a right relationship with God.

Stop and reflect:

God tells us to be obedient, not when it suits us but we are to be obedient in everything we do. Read John 14:21. What are some of the benefits of obeying God? What efforts will you make to obey God in the area of authoritative shepherding?

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when they want to! The Flock are given the idea that they are doing God and the leaders a great favour by submitting and obeying, when in fact they should be repenting and submitting because they are the ones in need and in trouble! They are the ones who are going to suffer the results of not obeying!

We abdicate our God-delegated authority and give in to the whims and fancies of the Flock. We back off when people criticise and react to the Divinely led challenges we may bring to them. We allow the flock to sway our thinking and cause us to dilute the truth. We tend to avoid confrontation. Character flaws and bad behaviour are left unchallenged. Leaders develop who have an abundance of knowledge but retain both a rebellious independent spirit and character flaws that offend the flock. Such leaders abound and are like the proverbial “loose canons” of the “tall ship” era, breaking loose in a storm and rolling around on the heaving decks smashing everything in their paths. We fail to discipline where necessary. Sin is rather covered than confronted and

dealt with. Like the “leaven” mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5:6-7, sin eventually contaminates the whole Flock. The end result is that the leaders find that they can no

Stop and reflect: Let’s check into the work and authority of the Holy Spirit within the Shepherd’s life. The Shepherd becomes set apart for the shepherding of the sheep but must have the anointing power and authoritative work of the Holy Spirit in his life. Read John 16:8-11. What are the three distinctive tasks of the Holy Spirit? 1. 2. 3. Without the working of the Holy Spirit in the Shepherd’s life, these tasks are not accomplished. In what way would you ensure the working of the Holy Spirit in your ministry? Write down, in full, a New Testament verse that substantiates your answers.

Crit+i+cism n. 1. the act or an instance of making an

unfavourable or severe judgement, comment, etc. 2. the analysis or evaluation of art or literature, etc.

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longer discipline or challenge the Flock because of the precedent already set, and the possible backlash of reaction. The leaders are intimidated into submission and the sheep eventually control the situation.

We become democratic in government. (A close study of Biblical church government will reveal that it is neither “autocratic” nor “democratic”.) Lack of confidence in our authority and leadership, and a desire to please the people may result in consulting too many sheep about matters that should be decided by the leadership. This action gives the God-delegated authority to the people who are not equipped, called or anointed to exercise it. This is often interpreted as a hand over of the authority. Later on they react when it becomes obvious that this should not be so. The problem here is that the elder has forgotten what he did earlier and cannot discern the true cause of such reaction. The reaction may also be expressed in ways that are not easily linked to the actual root cause. As we shall see later, there are decisions, however, that do need to be submitted to the flock, but never to get their “vote”. Such decisions would be in the category of buying buildings, releasing elders, etc. The manner in which such matters are presented to the people is of utmost importance, or the action is again interpreted as democratic giving the people the authority to decide. Furthermore, the fear of being seen by the Flock to be autocratic, authoritarian and legalistic may also encourage leaders to tend towards democracy. There is an added motivation to become democratic during the early years of a church’s history. At such a time, when there is usually only one elder with his wife, the temptation to consult the people is strong. On their own, the couple is often lacking experience and confidence, and need the affirmation of the Flock. This is dangerous, and precedents are set in place that later prove to be a problem. When other elders are added to the team and there are enough to consult among themselves, they may come to conclusions about matters that do not require presenting them to the congregation. The individuals who were previously consulted may then feel rejected

Stop and consider: A lady in your church has decided to call a “church meeting”. She has been a very diligent worker and volunteers for all the jobs that need doing within the church. You value her efforts and help as there is no one else giving the time. She is terribly upset with the way the church is run and has called the eldership and set the meeting for 2:00 p.m., all of this without your knowledge. As God’s

anointed how would you Biblically handle this situation?

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and snubbed. Where the earlier approach gave them a feeling of importance, they may turn to criticising the eldership and become divisive. The answer to the problem lies in a healthy relationship between the eldership couple and a trans-local team. They provide the forum for consultation and guidance, and add weight to the authority of the couple that lead the young church. 2.3.2 The Shepherd Becomes the Servant Where some of us as leaders are stronger, yet without having grasped principles of Biblical authority, we are inclined to resort to an authoritarian and autocratic style of leadership. It may be the style we have been accustomed to in secular life and leadership. Insecurity and fear of failure may add to the motivation to exercise authority in this manner. Rules and regulations are enforced. There is a play on the guilt of the Flock to manipulate them into obedience. The organic Life of God is stifled. “Legalism” is the inevitable result. Authority practised in such a manner is the direct violation of Jesus words to His disciples, which are:

“Jesus called them together and said, „You know that those who are regarded as 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, and who ever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,

and to give His life as a ransom for many.‟” Mark 10:42-45.

Again...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”, 1 Peter 5:1-3

Stop and reflect:

Consider the term “Servanthood”. What does it mean to be a servant? In what ways do you consider yourself a servant? Read Romans 12:1-3. Consider what is the most important characteristic of being a servant. In the light of the above, what changes do you need to make to your current

approach to shepherding?

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Avoid “lording over” the flock. Jesus has called us to serve. Reasons we may lord over the flock that we must be careful of are as follows: We may “Lord it” over others from our position or perceived “rank”. It is the dangers of assuming you have the right to exercise authority because of being a leader or elder without regard to whether you have gained the trust and the commitment of the people. One is inclined to take a “short cut” to leadership, by-passing the hard and patient work of building relationships with the flock, earning their trust and commitment by Godly shepherding. It is an immature approach that arises out of “organisational” type thinking, yet extremely common. (See the section on “organisational life versus organic life”.) It is the easiest source of authority to appeal to when one is threatened and insecure, but produces a negative harvest in the end. (There are times, however, when leaders have to exercise authority whether these things are in place or not. Such situations would include having to exercise public discipline over individuals who are rebellious and who are being divisive and hurting the rest of the body. One does not wait to gain their trust or commitment before exercising authority. It has to be done for the sake of the rest of the Flock). “Lording it” from position or rank often occurs where a spiritually immature elder has been brought in from outside the church to take over the leadership. This may take place because of some crisis that has caused the existing leader to have to step down or to leave. Such situations are unfortunate but do take place from time to time. First time church planters who have not had previous experience in leading the people of God also face this temptation, specially if the plant grows quickly and there is a reasonable group of people. The danger is to assume that one has their commitment simply because they are there and you are the pastor! We shall see later that the sheep follow the shepherd ... “because they know His voice” and “The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” John 10.4,10,11.

We should not underestimate the tremendous ease with which we can exploit the position God has put us in. That position is further strengthened by the loyalty and commitment people show us, the power we have because we are anointed and the way God blesses the people by means of the ministry He performs through us. It takes a lot of maturity and control not to abuse it, allowing our human nature to subtly exploit it. Our human weakness and immaturity may cause us to carelessly hurt and abuse people. Power is always an acid test for people. Many politicians, world leaders, managers, directors and police have failed that test. It is like the temptation many young men face when they find themselves behind the wheel of a powerful car for the first time. They are in command of power, and are often tempted to use it beyond the limits of their experience and ability.

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

John 15:13

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We may be tempted to “lord it” over others out of egotism, and an exaggerated sense of self-importance. When one finds oneself exercising authority over others, there is a strong temptation for the sinful human nature to assert itself, for it is inclined to want to be rebellious and become “king”. There is the danger of “lording it” out of ignorance and short sightedness like the disciples did when they wanted to call fire down from heaven on the Samaritans! They were unable to see the greater picture, Luke 9.52-55. There are times when we do not know all the facts, nor fully understand the situation and in that context “lay down the law” with insensitivity. Another form of “lording it” is to give commands instead of counsel, orders instead of training. It is far easier to play the “big boss” than to take the trouble to learn the skills to help and train folk to do the job. A disguised form of “lording it” over others can take place where we have to delegate work to others. There is the temptation to “lord it” out of our own superior ability and experience. Beware of the following:

(a) It is always difficult for the gifted and the fortunate to understand why others who are less gifted and less fortunate struggle with tasks that seem relatively simple and easy. There is a strong temptation for leaders to become critical and impatient, and to convey that to them by body language and tone of voice.

Stop and reflect: Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. What provisions does God make for us concerning temptation.

What promises does this verse offer in your life?

Stop and consider:

Let’s look at the disciples with Jesus in Luke 9:52-55. They are rejected because of their lack of compassion and ignorance. What does this situation tell us of God’s point of view? What adjustments can be made to your point of view after reading about the disciples?

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We have to resist the temptation, and find the Grace and patience to work with them. God has not called His leaders to demonstrate their superiority, but to lead and train each of His children to reach their full potential in Christ! Authority exercised with the Love of God will always honour the individual. (b) There is a temptation to take over a task we have already delegated to another without talking to them about it. This happens easily to those elders who have not learnt the skills of successful delegation. First time church planters and those who find themselves leading a church without previous experience are especially vulnerable to this problem. They often have had to do everything themselves in the early stages of growth. Eventually as the numbers increase and other leaders emerge they have to delegate tasks to others that they have been doing themselves. Being unaccustomed to depending on others and honouring delegated authority, they face the temptation to take over when those to whom the task is delegated are absent and fail in their responsibilities. There will be times when it has to be done, but it is the way these times are handled that matter.

(i) They need to make sure the person is not there, by looking for them. (ii)They need to find out what happened.

There may be a very good reason for their absence, or it may simply be that they have never learned to be responsible or accountable. If the matter is not addressed and they hear from others what happened an atmosphere of tension may be created. It is the task of the shepherd, not to dismiss them as unreliable people, but to “disciple” them to maturity in these areas of their lives.

(c) A similar situation arises when the person responsible is seen struggling or fumbling with the task. Again the temptation for capable leaders is to take over and do it them selves. There is a temptation to “show them up” and make them feel bad in the presence of others. That is dishonouring. It is the wrong technique and produces hurt and a feeling of being distrusted. The proper channel is to go to them privately, not in front of others. Take the time to teach them, or go over the operation with them. Analyse it and help them to improve their performance, appealing to such things as their accountability to their Lord, and also that they might be throwing away the opportunity they have to serve Him. Many folk do not appreciate the opportunities they have to serve the rest of the Body. A common attitude is, "well they don't pay me for this, so it is not that important”. Others think that they have been asked to do the job because the leader “is stuck” and has no one else to do it! They need to be taught that any service for the Lord and His Bride is important and will not be without reward.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in

my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward”

Mark 9:41.

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(d) Another temptation is to bypass someone in the chain of delegation. Where responsibility is delegated to individuals to oversee others, inexperience may tend to bypass the individual who has the oversight and liase with or give instructions to those under them. Again it is dishonouring both the delegated authority and the individual. This is especially important where additional elders come onto the eldership and are given responsibility for the oversight of others by the visionary elder. The visionary elder has to learn to honour the very chain of accountability he has brought into existence!

The above points may seem a small matter to the reader. The fact is that it is the failure in many of these smaller issues that cause leaders to offend and lose their people. The result is that churches experience an ongoing “turn over” of the congregation. We want to win them to Christ, help them develop and keep them, but not hold on to them or own them. The Self-test is on the next page.

Stop and reflect:

Consider these four temptations. In light of the Shepherd becoming a Servant. How would you rectify these wrongs? Critical and Impatient Taker over “Show them up” Bypass someone

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Self-test

1. What are two very important characteristics of Biblical leadership? 2. Authority begins with... 3. For what reason does God’s authority exist? 4. What marks a successful leader of God’s Flock? 5. What are the three most common styles of abusive authority? 6. What needs to be done before we can successfully bring changes to the people we lead?

a) b)

c)

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7. What are four results of misused and abandoned authority? 8. We must avoid “lording over” the flock because Jesus has called us to... 9. There is a temptation to lord over the people out of our own what? 10. It is the task of the shepherd not to dismiss people as unreliable, but to

them to maturity.

a. b. c. d.

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Self-test

1. What are two very important characteristics of Biblical leadership? 2. Authority begins with... 3. For what reason does God’s authority exist? 4. What marks a successful leader of God’s Flock? 5. What are the three most common styles of abusive authority? 6. What needs to be done before we can successfully bring changes to the people we lead?

a. The kind of authority that is exercised b. The way in which it is exercised

the supreme absolute authority of God

It exists for order, protection and to get things done.

Successful leadership of God’s Flock depends to a large extent on how proficient the leaders are at identifying, reckoning with, preparing for, and taking pre-emptive steps to deal with the sinful human nature and its responses in the flock

(a) Autocratic, authoritarian and dictatorial styles, where there has been

unfairness and some people have got hurt and wounded while others have become rebellious (b) Democratic systems where manipulation is often used to gain control

(c) Lack of, or abdication of authority by those who were responsible because

of human weakness, fear of men, or irresponsible attitudes.

Successful shepherding can be somewhat described as the ability to win over the flock, and get them to respond positively to the challenges of the Word of God while dealing with them in such a way as to give no room for their sinful human natures. It is the skill involved in getting them to submit to truth in spite of the opposition they feel within!

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7. What are four results of misused and abandoned authority? 8. We must avoid “lording over” the flock because Jesus has called us to... 9. There is a temptation to lord over the people out of our own what? 10. It is the task of the shepherd not to dismiss people as unreliable, but to

them to maturity.

a. Apologetic preaching and leadership b. Abdicate our God-delegated authority c. Democratic in government d. Tempted to consult the people

serve

superior ability and experience

disciple

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UNIT THREE

GODLY AUTHORITY WORKING WITHIN THE SHEPHERD

“He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.” Matthew 10:1

Learning Outcomes:

After completing this study unit you should be able to:

(1) Discover God’s authoritative power through truth, love and the Holy Spirit. (2) Understand the effectiveness of God’s authority. (3) Determine the covenant relationship of God developed within the shepherd. (4) Use the authoritative power of God’s Word in discipling. (5) Learn to identify arguments of false authority. (6) Identify the human nature as opposed to Divine authority. (7) Responsibilities of the shepherd while under God’s authority. (8) Gain an understanding of edification and language rules.

3.1 THE STRONGEST OF ALL AUTHORITIES 3.1.1 Guidelines for Effectively Utilising God’s Authority One may conclude that Godly authority is very neutral and weak. The truth is that Godly authority is the strongest of all authorities, and in the end is the most effective, even when it is delegated to and exercised by man, it is strong but “different”. It is a miraculous combination of the “King” and the “Servant”. Although it

is strong, it is often exercised in the midst of human weakness. For the shepherds of God’s Flock to whom it is delegated, it should never be exercised for the purpose of personal goals, profits or agendas, but only to please the King and to do His will. It is anointed. God’s authority is backed by the truth and by the Lord of the Church, it is motivated and empowered by the love of God, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:22, and as such has the welfare of the people as a priority. It never seeks to exalt the one who exercises it, but only brings glory to the Supreme Authority. Where it is exercised properly people need to be taught to identify it, appreciate it and invite it into their lives. That is how it should operate. It should be appreciated, honoured and invited by those who are under it into their lives. It should not have to be enforced unless it has to exercise discipline where necessary. (The matter of discipline will be discussed later.)

What is authority? In Greek the word exousia (ex-oo-see’-ah), is used to indicate influence: authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, and strength. The Collins English Dictionary defines authority as the power or right to control, judge, or prohibit the actions of others.

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We must not let the image of the “gentle shepherd” disguise the strength and effectiveness of Godly authority. The word for “shepherd” in the original Greek of the New Testament is “poimein” and the verb “to shepherd” is “poimaino”. It is also used to denote the following:

To feed, to tend a flock, keep sheep, to nourish, to cherish one’s body, to serve the body, to supply the requisites for the soul’s need.

It is also used to denote:

“To rule, govern” The strength of this word is especially seen in the context of judgement, “Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule (poimaino) them with an iron sceptre.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty”, Revelation 19:15

Stop and consider: God has ALL authority, influence, power and liberty to control, judge and prohibit our actions. What might your response be toward Him in your role as a church shepherd? What might your response be toward your Flock as God has given you His authority? Answer the following: What is your response toward “worldly” authority?

Read Romans 13:1-7. In light of this scripture, how are we to recognise authority?

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There is a strong authoritative aspect to shepherding. This is not a basis, however, for authoritarian “lording” over people. The shepherd exercises authority with the Love of God, which tempers every action, every decision, the manner in which things are done and said, and brings healing, restoration, life and growth to those who recognise it, invite it into their lives and submit to it. Paul writes “…not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm”, 2 Corinthians 1:24. 3.1.2 Life under the Divine Authority of God For those of us called to exercise this God-given authority, the following points are essential.

1. We must continually remember that we exercise this God-given authority whilst we are under Divine Authority ourselves. We should be those who have “entered by the Gates”, very acutely aware that we have been called by the Lord Jesus Christ, and live and operate under His watchful eye as to how we tend His sheep. God, not men, calls true shepherds, and we should not be self appointed ones… who come in “some other way”. We must see His people as He sees them. Our goal is to one day present the Bride to the Groom, not build our kingdom!

2. We must trust God fully for our calling and the authority that He has delegated to us to fulfil it. When our authority is questioned and challenged it is not the time to resort to self-defence or employ some of the previously mentioned worldly methods and techniques to assert it. 3. We exercise authority whilst remembering the purpose of authority, not to assert ourselves, nor build our kingdoms, but to bring about order, protection and the achievement of the purposes of God.

Stop and consider: God vindicates His leaders. In Numbers 16-17, Korah and his followers rise up to challenge Moses’ authority. Study these passages. What principles concerning God’s anointed authority can you find? Read 2 Corinthians 10:8, what does Paul indicate concerning God’s authority?

How does this change your outlook on the position of the shepherd?

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4. We exercise authority in the context of the Covenant with God and with those we lead. We are eternally bound into those two relationships, and can never get out of them. There are eternal implications to the way we lead and exercise authority over people. They may leave our church but they will not leave the Kingdom of God. We need to remember that we will meet again, if not here on earth then in the very presence of the Master to whom we are accountable! It seems at times that leaders have the erroneous idea that when people leave their churches because they have been offended and hurt by their ungodly behaviour and leadership, that it is something like offended workers resigning and leaving a commercial we cannot leave “business unfinished”. We have to do all we can to put things in order, even at a later date once we have had revelation and can see where we have been wrong. We need to apologise and ask forgiveness of those we have abused.

The Covenant relationship is essentially one of Love. Here is the key difference between secular leadership and the shepherds of God. The Love of God must be the motive and the influencing force in all exercising of Godly authority. We have to give ourselves as leaders to embracing the Love of God for ourselves, making sure He has “poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us”, Romans 5:5. We need to rest in that love,

receive it and let it flow through us to others as we work at loving them “deeply from the heart...” 1 Peter 1:22. Such a context is the only safe one

for any leader in his own weakness and frailty, to safely exercise the authority God has delegated to him. Outside of that, we cannot trust ourselves

The shepherds of God and His sheep are in Covenant with each other and with God by virtue of being born again into the Kingdom. It is a spiritual relationship that has to be worked out in practice. As we shall see later a relationship of trust and understanding has to be established between elders and people. Jesus said that the Good Shepherd... “Calls the sheep by name ... I know my sheep, and my sheep know me... “John 10:3,14. It is this intimate relationship that forms a bridge over which the weight of Godly authority must be conveyed from leader to people. Having earned the trust of the sheep, ... they follow because they know His voice...”

One has to build strong bridges of friendship with the people in order to bring across the weight of confrontation and challenge. One cannot bring ten tons of confrontation, rebuke and challenge across a two-ton bridge. The bridge of relationship will be destroyed. The relationships form the framework for the acceptance of that authority into the lives of the people, “Faithful are the

COVENANT. The Heb. means primarily “a cutting” with

reference to the custom of cutting or dividing animals in two and passing

between the parts in ratifying a covenant. Gen. 15; Jer. 34:18, 19. In the New

Testament the corresponding word is (), which

is frequently translated testament in the Authorized Version. It has the Biblical

meaning of a compact or agreement between two parties.

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wounds of a friend...”, Proverbs 27:6. Such a setting for the exercising of authority is a far cry from the organisational structures of the world, and hardly finds an equivalent that begins to approach it.

3.1.3 Under the Divine Authority of God’s Word

It is a fact of life that men and women are continually quoting or appealing to various authorities either directly or by implication to back their opinions, statements, values, and to justify their behaviour and actions. A simple statement such as “ you cannot do that” implies some authority behind it. It could be the authority of a parent, teacher, coach, etc. The speaker may not necessarily quote the source of the authority like “I am your father and I am telling you, you cannot do that!” It is by implication that it is understood. Another aspect of this phenomenon is that often authorities are appealed to by implication when neither the one speaking nor the hearer consciously identifies the authority implied, nor questions it! An example would be “we have never done it like that before!” It may simply be the expression of an opinion. It may be a statement of resistance to change, appealing to some authority by implication, such as the authority of tradition, custom, culture or what people are accustomed to (implying the authority of their own wills and preferences). The reason this phenomena is important to the leaders of God’s people is that as we seek to lead people into truth and Christian maturity we are in fact confronting their wills, values, ideas, opinions and human natures with the Word and the will of God. All ministry of the Word in preaching and discipling is a matter of confronting all the opposing authorities with the Authority of God and His Word.

Stop and reflect:

Building relationships is a vital part of a shepherd’s ministry. In what ways could you build relationships with your Flock while still maintaining a proper God-given authority? Remember Christ tells us to “love our neighbour”. True neighbour-love, Jesus taught, operates quite independently of any lovableness. It is evoked by need, not merit, and does not look for returns (Luke. 6:32ff.; 14:12ff.). It has no group limits either. And in all these ways it mirrors the love of God (John 3:16; 13:34; Luke 15:11ff.; cf. Galatians 2:20; 1 John 4:7ff.). How can you be a beacon of God’s love to your church?

“Discipling” in this course refers to Matthew 28:19, where we are instructed to “matheteuo”, people of all nations. In the original Greek this refers to instructing and training and not the heavy dominating control of individuals

that has been the case in some “discipleship movements”.

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From the above it can be seen why we are giving the matter of exercising Godly authority so much attention in this course! The shepherd leading the sheep is a matter of authority and submission, and, as has already been mentioned much of the failure of Christian leaders has been partly, if not fully due to their ignorance of Godly authority and its abuse. The rebellious inclination of the human nature is usually masked, and expresses itself in clever ways. Successful leadership of God’s Flock depends to a large extent on how proficient the leaders are at identifying, reckoning with, preparing for, and taking pre-emptive steps to deal with the sinful human nature and its responses in the flock to their leadership. It is important for leaders to understand what is, in fact, going on, and to identify the substitute authorities to which people appeal in their reactions, and to help them to realise what they are in fact doing and why they should submit to the authority of their Lord and Saviour. Every shepherd has to learn to identify these arguments and the various authorities behind them. Here are some examples:

a) authority of reason “That does not make sense to me” or “I do not believe that” or “I do not see it like that” all appeals to the authority of reason. The problem with this authority is that it is unreliable. Reason has been affected by sin. Great minds disagree on many issues. History has proved great intellectuals have been wrong in their assumptions and conclusions. b) respective authority “We don’t do it like that in our culture/country/family/church.” This respective authority that men have attached to culture, country, family tradition and denominational or local church traditions and policy has unfortunately been proved unreliable by history. Every one of them stands guilty of mistakes, bad values, and traditions that have been irrelevant and a hindrance to the welfare of individuals. c) authority of the will of man “The Lord has not convicted me yet”, “I don’t need that in my life”, “Why should I change?”, “I am not ready for that yet”. This is the toughest authority of all to confront and very difficult to bring round to submit to Christ. In the face of such difficulty, we must not forget the encouraging truth however;

Stop and reflect: Take a moment and think of “substitute authorities” you have come to depend on in your life, what changes would you attempt to make in your life to make God and His Word the ultimate authority in your life?

Stop and reflect: Take a moment and think of “substitute authorities” you have come to depend on in your life, what changes would you attempt in your life to make God and His Word the ultimate authority? Consider the words of the psalmist who wrote Psalm 119:9-11. He knew the importance of God’s Word, where would you rate the importance of Scripture in

your life?

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that it is the Holy Spirit Who has to do the miraculous work of conviction and revelation that enables people to “see” themselves and where they are. Even then many still dig in their heels and resist.

It is the struggle with the human natures of people that constitutes the greatest source of tension, stress, emotional and spiritual fatigue in the pastoral ministry. Jesus is referred to as a “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” Isaiah 53:3. One could legitimately raise the question as to whether that referred only to the Cross, or did it also include His experience as He looked upon the masses, taught and preached to them, resisted their attacks and criticisms, and watched many of their responses, most of which must have been grievous and disappointing. In confronting these human responses in our preaching, rebuking, exhorting and discipling some leaders have fallen into the same trap as those who resist them, that of appealing to their own ideas, opinions, arguments and powers of reason, instead of appealing to the Mighty Authority of the Word of God. We need to make known to people what the Word of God says, and commend them to it as Paul did in Acts 20:32 “I COMMIT YOU TO GOD AND TO THE WORD OF HIS GRACE, which

can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified”.

Stop and reflect:

Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-6. What is Paul’s emphasis in these verses concerning fleshly reason and worldly imaginations that oppose God? In light of these verses, what steps will you make to ensure nothing exalts itself above

God in your life?

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may

be thoroughly equipped for every good work” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

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3.1.4 Under the Authority of the Lordship of Christ

In addition to appealing to the Authority of the Word, we also appeal to the authority of the Lordship of Christ as we work with people. After all, He is Lord over their lives and their own Lord. In the end it is to Him that they have to give account for their lives and behaviour. This is a very powerful appeal. In discipling people we tell them what the Lord and His Word requires of them. Often they do not obey or they procrastinate. They then come back to us with their problems and we discover they have not done what we told them to do. At this point many a pastor has felt frustration and a sense of rejection. They have rejected his instructions and he may be inclined to take it personally. A tension then arises between pastor and individual that spoils the relationship and can cause the individual to back away and avoid further discipling. Thus the whole process is blocked and little is achieved. The answer to the problem is for the pastor to remember that they are not rejecting him, the pastor; they are rejecting God’s Word and the Lordship of Christ over their lives. As leaders we must remain objective, and instead of allowing tension between those we help and ourselves, we should commend them to the Lordship of Christ and His Word. In other words, lovingly point out to them that it is not what you are demanding or saying, it is what their Lord is demanding and saying in His Word! They have a problem with Him and His Word not with you! This approach can be used again and again, especially when people want pastors to carry their problems without wanting to make changes to avoid those problems. We remind them of what their Lord says about it, and that it is the only way to solve the problem. See how Paul does it as he writes to the Christians at Thessalonica: “Now we ask you and urge

you IN THE LORD JESUS to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus” 1 Thessalonians

4:1-2.

Stop and reflect: Read Luke 18:18-30. It is not so much Jesus Himself that the young man did not like but His words, the proposal that was offered to the young man. People are willing to abide by the rules they know they can handle but when the Lord digs deeper into our lives we discover just how committed we are. Reflect for a moment on the church family, in what ways do they reflect the young ruler? Reflect for a moment on Jesus’ words in verses 29-30 to Peter. Jesus requires a great deal from those who will follow Him. Discuss your willingness to follow

Christ. What have you “given up” in regards to following Christ?

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3.2 PRACTICALLY UTILISING THE STRONGEST AUTHORITY 3.2.1 Appealing to the Conscience. Deep in the souls of men and women is the conscience, that part of the human makeup that is aware of the existence of God, and somehow, whether consciously or subconsciously, there is also an awareness of having to do with Him. If it has not been “seared” or hardened beyond repentance, we have an opportunity to appeal to it, to awaken it and seek, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to bring repentance. Again we see Paul using this approach, “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to EVERY MAN'S CONSCIENCE in the sight of God” 2 Corinthians 4:2. We do not force the

will of people. They must learn to follow out of a genuine heart, not out of being forced into some system of legalism. Godly Authority appeals to such expressions as:

“What about your accountability to your Lord who saved you?” “What about His love for you?” “What about His wonderful plans for your life?” “Do you want to be robbed of that?” “What about the opportunity God has given you?” “Do you want to throw that away?"

3.2.2 Benefiting the Flock Every leader should bear in mind that Godly authority is always exercised for the benefit of the Flock, not for the benefit of the leaders. The people need to be made aware of this by teaching them about authority and submission. They also need to

sense it in the way it is being exercised over them.

Stop and reflect: Consider for a moment 2 Corinthians 13:7-10. Paul is a man that greatly personifies the model church elder, what method does he take to insure his heart motive is toward the Flock of God and not selfish gain. What methods will you take to ensure you are looking out for the best interest of the Flock?

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3.2.3 Fatherly Love Elders exercise authority over the people “as fathers”, not as employers or police officers, with a view to helping them to succeed, without pettiness or legalism, with room for failures, with patience for growth and development. “I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children”, 1 Corinthians 4:14 (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:11). “...But we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us”, 1Thessalonians 2:7-9.

The Love of God operating in and through the leaders of God’s flock should enable them to exercise authority with meekness and gentleness ... “By the meekness and GENTLENESS of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away!” 2 Corinthians 10:1. “And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be KIND to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth” 2 Timothy 2:24-25. These characteristics of meekness, or humility and repentance mark Godly Authority as distinctive from that of the world. They are readily discernible by the Flock and do not imply weakness. One can be extremely firm yet gentle and humble. Moses is one of our best examples of this (Numbers 12:3) and yet he was a man of strong authority as we see it being exercised in the episode of the “golden calf” in Exodus 32:20 ... “And he took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water, and made the sons of Israel drink it”. 3.2.4 Clarifying God’s Word

When exercising Godly Authority we do not force our views on others, but rather make clear to them what the Word of God says. There is the temptation when we are in a position of acceptance by the Flock who follow us, respect us, and look up to us, that we take the liberty of being careless about emphasising and enforcing our views and opinion as if they were in fact clearly stated in the Word of God. We cannot make mandatory what the Word of God does not! This has been one of the devastating aspects of much of religion and legalistic Christianity. Eschatology is a case in point. The Word of God does not clearly give us the complete chronological sequence of all end time events. Yet there have been many who have enforced their particular views on others to the extent that factions and feuds have resulted among the people. We have to respect the views of the people as well, in so far as they do not contradict the Truth, nor are used in a divisive or rebellious manner. Paul appeals to the Corinthians to think and judge for themselves, “I speak to sensible people; judge FOR YOURSELVES what I say”, 1 Corinthians 10:15.

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3.2.5 Gentle Authority Godly Authority does not bully the weak. There are always folk who are timid and weak. They are the ones who will say “yes” and obey just to avoid confrontation. To be a leader one must be strong, assertive, and able to stand up against resistance. Without humility and gentleness however, it is an easy matter to bully the weak, manipulate them and take advantage over them. They may offer no resistance, but get deeply hurt, and eventually just leave quietly without ever letting the leader know why. This is a tragic reality. Many of the weak and gentle folk are very valuable to the family of God and all are the objects of His love. He loves every one of them, and does not take kindly to leaders who are arrogant and insensitive, “steam rolling” the weak in their efforts to get things going. Although God is the Supreme Ruler, and is the One “ Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, or with the breadth of His hand marked off the heavens” ...and the One... “Who has held the

dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance... Yet in the very same passage in the previous verse we also see His transcendent Majesty combined with great gentleness and sensitivity, “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, 12.

At times God allows His leaders to find themselves in a state of weakness so that they can be a bit more subjective and better able to minister to the weak with gentleness and understanding. Our authority must be seen to come from God bearing the marks of His character, and not of ourselves; “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” 1 Corinthians 9:22.

Stop and reflect:

Take into consideration Matthew 12:36,37. We are accountable for our words, preaching, and teaching. What efforts would you make to ensure consistency to

the Word of God in your church?

LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

Psalm 39:4

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3.2.6 Frailty and Vulnerability Leaders have to be conscious of their own vulnerability when exercising Godly Authority. It is often said of Christians, “God isn’t finished with them yet!” The same applies to leaders. They too are in the process of spiritual growth and maturity. There are “blind spots” present, and degrees and areas of inexperience and ignorance. History has proved that even the great heroes of the Faith have made mistakes in their judgement and decision-making. It is an awesome responsibility for shepherds to be accountable to God for leading His sheep when there are still so many sheep characteristics still present in the shepherds. In our decisions and judgements concerning situations and people we have to remember the words of Jesus ... "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”, Matthew 7:1. We will have to live by the rules and

standards we set before others, so let us be careful that what we require of others is first Biblical, and then where there are options, our requirements must be reasonable for the relevant context and circumstances. Because of the awareness of their own limits, Godly leaders are prepared to apologise, confess their mistakes when necessary and ask forgiveness. It is a sign of them being under authority themselves. It will help to earn the respect of the people and strengthen the trust they have in their leader. Furthermore, we have to understand that not everyone will accept our leadership and invite our authority into their lives! There were many who did not accept Paul the apostle either. 3.2.7 Using Language that Edifies Godly Authority must be exercised with a careful choice of language. Communication is a vital part of good leadership and the exercise of effective authority. The leaders of God’s people however, need to give attention more than would be considered necessary by those in the world. We have to demonstrate the Character of God in the way we communicate. There must be humility, sensitivity and tactfulness with the submissive attitude required of all of God’s leaders and followers alike ... “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ”, Ephesians 5:21. Here is a mystery for those without the revelation of God; that one can lead with strong authority in a submissive manner! It is the awareness of our own vulnerability that enables the leader to lead carefully, sensitively, and well aware that the people he leads are also led by the Spirit of God, and may at times see things that he may not. The right thing said in a careless and hurtful manner can be counter-productive and undermine the very authority we seek to exercise; “The tongue has the power of life and death”, Prov.18.21 We need to be careful not to offend unnecessarily, aware of those who are hurting, aware of the discouraged and the weak.

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3.3 SHEPHERD AUTHORITY IN TEACHING GOD’S WORD 3.3.1 The Call to Preach God’s Word

This section on exercising Godly Authority would not be complete without including the area of preaching the word of God. One of the areas in which Godly Authority is most active is that of the preaching ministry. Much of what has been covered in this section applies equally to preaching the Word of God. Those called to preach the Word of God find themselves in a place of authority delegated to them by God's call to preach, and in turn affirmed by the people who come to hear them and follow them. Authority provides a potential to have power over the lives of people. The rebellious inclination of our sinful natures seeks power and control. IItt iiss aann eeaassyy mmaatttteerr ttoo aabbuussee tthhaatt aauutthhoorriittyy wwiitthh ddrraassttiicc rreessuullttss. History is full of examples of such abuse. We have to be extremely careful of this danger. We begin to exploit our position without even realising it. Some of the following points cover the subtle ways in which we do this:

1. Become lleeggaalliissttiicc iinn oouurr pprreeaacchhiinngg out of a desire to try and force people into doing what makes us and our church look good, i.e. manipulating them by selecting certain Biblical laws and forcing them upon the people. Most people struggle with guilty consciences anyway, and it is easy to exploit the situation for our own benefit. We cannot go beyond Scripture. Our responsibility is to help people to walk in genuine liberty, repentance, forgiveness and peace.

2. Using the preaching opportunity to mmaakkee ppeeooppllee ffeeeell ccoonnddeemmnneedd aabboouutt

tthhaatt wwhhiicchh iiss uunnrreeaassoonnaabbllee. This is closely linked to that above. There is also the problem of making unreasonable demands on people to attend the functions of a "hyperactive" church. Many elders fall into the false idea that we grow the church by activity, and end up with a programme that becomes destructive and counter-productive. When our people begin to find it a burden, their attendance becomes erratic. We are then tempted to put

Stop and reflect: Consider for a moment James 3:1-12 and Colossians 3:16,17. These passages speak a great deal on the words we speak. Identify and explain the ways in which our tongue is an “unruly evil, full of deadly poison”. How does Colossians help us in the effort of bridling our tongues? How does this affect your outlook on church edification?

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pressure on them by making insinuations and comments at convenient moments during preaching, especially if the subject we preach lends itself to it. We have to be careful that we do not make mandatory what the Bible does not.

3. Attacking others or exposing their weakness or sin in order to pprreesseerrvvee

oorr ddeeffeenndd oonnee''ss rreeppuuttaattiioonn.. This is another powerful temptation in the face of criticism and slander, which inevitably will confront every preacher. The preacher must be secure in his/her calling in God, and confident in His ability to protect, affirm and avenge if necessary. Consider the example of this in Numbers 16-17 where Moses' authority was challenged by the people, and vindicated by God.

4. Using the preaching opportunity to ""ggeett aatt ppeeooppllee"" in an indirect manner, avoiding the unpleasantness of having to confront them personally. There is an old joke about the "pulpit being six feet above contradiction!", referring of course to the physical height of the traditional pulpits of bygone days. The point must be taken however, that it is an opportunity for the preacher to say things without much of a chance of being contradicted or resisted publicly. It is a cowardly action. We have to develop the boldness and diplomacy to confront people on a personal level, face to face, in a loving and Godly way to bring repentance and correction (Matthew 18:15).

5. Preachers abuse their authority when they carelessly and arrogantly "Paint everyone with the same brush" as the saying goes. In the context of the ongoing pastoral ministry, one becomes aware of a particular area that needs to be addressed. It can be a matter that requires correction, and/or teaching. As shepherds that carry the burden of the people on our hearts, the problem can fill our vision. A careless and immature approach may give the impression that we consider everyone in the congregation either as guilty, needing correction, or totally ignorant of the relevant truth. Congregations are usually made up of a spectrum of people, from the unbelieving to the veterans of the faith. Those to whom the matter does not directly apply may feel offended to think that they are being labelled with the others.

6. Those who may react quietly and move out of fellowship, eventually leaving the local congregation, do not appreciate this immature approach of the preacher. Alternatively they may suddenly overreact to some other insignificant matter, which is nothing, but the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. In both instances the preacher may not know why the reaction takes place. The answer is to choose our words carefully, and qualify our statements in such a way as to show that we are aware of where people may be. During our preparation we need to give thought to the possible makeup of the congregation to whom we will be preaching, and how best to address them.

7. Becoming territorial, divisive, and threatened by the presence and

success of other churches and preachers. Here the temptation is to abuse one’s authority and use it to protect oneself and keep the people by implying or highlighting the bad points of others. There will always be weaknesses, mistakes, and failures in every church and leader, including our own. Every genuine Christian church is on the same side - we do not

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“shoot our own soldiers in the back”. It is when we try to self-preserve that we fall into this trap.

Preaching is a difficult test of spiritual maturity and the exercising of authority. It is a test often failed by many a preacher. It usually exposes mixed motives, a desire to obey and serve God, as well as to exploit the opportunity for our own benefit. Yes, you guessed it...it is THAT time again. Turn over for the next Self-test.

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Self-test 1. What is authority? 2. What is the word “shepherd” used to denote? 3. We must remember that it is who puts us in the 4. Define the “covenant relationship” of the Shepherd to the Flock. 5. Why does one have to build strong bridges of friendship with the people? 6. All ministry of the Word in preaching and discipling is a matter of opposing authorities with the

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7. Identify each argument and the various authorities behind them: 8. Godly authority is always exercised for what? 9. The Love of God operating in and through the leaders of God’s Flock should enable them to exercise authority with and 10. Preaching is a difficult test of and the

a) authority of reason - b) respective authority -

c) authority of the will of man -

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Self-test 1. What is authority? 2. What is the word “shepherd” used to denote? 3. We must remember that it is who puts us in the 4. Define the “covenant relationship” of the Shepherd to the Flock. 5. Why does one have to build strong bridges of friendship with the people? 6. All ministry of the Word in preaching and discipling is a matter of opposing authorities with the

In Greek the word exousia (ex-oo-see’-ah), is used to indicate influence: authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength. The Collins English Dictionary defines authority as the power or right to control, judge, or prohibit the actions of others.

To feed, to tend a flock, keep sheep, to nourish, to cherish one’s body, to serve the body, to supply the requisites for the soul’s need.

God

position of leadership

The Covenant relationship is essentially one of Love. Here is the key difference between secular leadership and the shepherds of God. The Love of God must be the motive and the influencing force in all exercising of Godly authority. We have to give ourselves as leaders to embracing the Love of God for ourselves, making sure He has “poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us”, Romans 5:5. We need to rest in that love, receive it and let it flow through us to others as we work at loving them “deeply from the heart...” 1 Peter 1:22. Such a context is the only safe one for any leader in his own weakness and frailty, to safely exercise the authority God has delegated to him. Outside of that, we cannot trust ourselves.

One has to build strong bridges of friendship with the people in order to bring across the weight of confrontation and challenge. One cannot bring ten tons of confrontation, rebuke and challenge across a two-ton bridge. The bridge of relationship will be destroyed. The relationships form the framework for the acceptance of that authority into the lives of the

people, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend...” Proverbs 27:6. Such a setting for the exercising of authority is a far cry from the organisational structures of the world, and hardly finds an equivalent that begins to approach it.

Authority of God and His word

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7. Identify each argument and the various authorities behind them: 8. Godly authority is always exercised for what? 9. The Love of God operating in and through the leaders of God’s Flock should enable them to exercise authority with and 10. Preaching is a difficult test of and the

a) authority of reason “That does not make sense to me” or “I do not believe that” or “I do not see it like that” all appeals to the authority of reason. The problem with this authority is that it is unreliable. Reason has been affected by sin. Great minds disagree on many issues. History has proved great intellectuals have been wrong in their assumptions and conclusions. b) respective authority “We don’t do it like that in our culture/country/family/church.” This respective authority that men have attached to culture, country, family tradition and denominational or local church traditions and policy has unfortunately been proved unreliable by history. Every one of them stands guilty of mistakes, bad values, and traditions that have been irrelevant and a hindrance to the welfare of individuals. c) authority of the will of man “The Lord has not convicted me yet”, “I don’t need that in my life”, “Why should I change?”, “I am not ready for that yet”. This is the toughest authority of all to confront and very difficult to bring round to submit to Christ. In the face of such difficulty, we must not forget the encouraging truth however; that it is the Holy Spirit Who has to do the miraculous work of conviction and revelation that enables people to “see” themselves and where they are. Even then many still dig in their heels and resist.

For the benefit of the Flock

gentleness meekness

spiritual maturity

exercising of authority

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Assignment One

PART ONE 1.1 Proper communication skills are vitally important in the shepherd-flock

ministry. As shepherds we are called to impart vision, discipline and inspiration. Preparation is essential and good preparation before we attempt to communicate the message is even more pertinent than ever. You have been asked to preach at a neighbouring church. Knowing the importance of communication, write a sermon that will bring vision, discipline, and inspiration to that local church.

[Approximately 500 words in total]

PART TWO 1.2 Prepare a 4 – 5 minute speech on the advantages of Effective

Pastoral Communication for a group of young up-and-coming pastors attending a conference at your church.

1.2.1 Include a discussion on the results of ineffective communication. 1.2.2 Include an outline that could be displayed on an overhead

transparency for the pastors. 1.2.3 Include at least three (3) Scriptural references.

[Approximately 300 words in total]

PART THREE 1.3 As shepherds we are exhorted to use the known authority that God has

given us for His ministry. Do a comprehensive study on the shepherd’s God-ordained authority. Include responsibilities and proper uses of such authority by the shepherd. Begin with the following Scripture passages, Matthew 18:18; 28:18; Ephesians 1:22; 5:22-24; and 1 Timothy 5:17. Then add some that you have researched.

1.3.1 Briefly discuss the Scriptural basis of the submission of the shepherd in light of utilising God’s ordained authority.

1.3.2 Include possible results in respect to abusive authority.

[Approximately 500 words in total]

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UNIT FOUR

GODLY AUTHORITY IN CONFRONTATION AND DISCIPLINE

Learning Outcomes:

After completing this study unit you should be able to:

(1) Understand the reasons for confrontation. (2) Discover areas in which confrontation is necessary. (3) Learn to deal with the sinful human nature of man. (4) Understand how to confront and deal with those who have sinned against you

personally and/or the local body. (5) Learn to use confrontation in terms of discipline.

4.1 AVOIDING CONFRONTATION AND THE RESULTS 4.1.1 Unavoidable Confrontation We now come to a matter related to the exercising of Godly authority, that of confrontation. It is an inevitable result of Godly authority, meeting the resistance of the sinful human nature. We have already mentioned that the shepherd of God’s Flock cannot avoid confrontation with individuals and even at times with larger groups within the congregation. It is part and parcel of the ministry of shepherding. It cannot be avoided if we are to fulfil our mandate from God.

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tthhoossee tthhiinnggss tthhaatt aarree ooppppoosseedd ttoo,, oorr vvooiidd ooff,, tthhee ttrruutthh..

22.. TThhee ccoonnffrroonnttiinngg ooff aarreeaass ooff wweeaakknneessss,, ssuucchh aass llaacckk ooff ddiisscciipplliinnee,,

ccoommmmiittmmeenntt,, bbaadd hhaabbiittss,, cchhaarraacctteerr wweeaakknneesssseess aanndd ffllaawwss wwhhiicchh aarree

pprreesseenntt iinn tthhee lliivveess ooff tthhoossee wwee aarree lleeaaddiinngg,, ttrraaiinniinngg aanndd ddiisscciipplliinngg..

33.. TThhee ccoonnffrroonnttiinngg ooff ssiinn iinn tthhee lliivveess ooff tthhoossee iinnddiivviidduuaallss wwhhoo ccoommee

ttoo uuss ffoorr hheellpp aanndd gguuiiddaannccee wwiitthh tthheeiirr pprroobblleemmss iinn tthhee pprroocceessss ooff

ddiisscciipplliinngg tthheemm.. IInn tthhiiss ccaassee,, bbyy ““ssiinn”” wwee rreeffeerr ttoo aallll tthhaatt ddooeess nnoott lliinnee

uupp wwiitthh GGoodd’’ss ttrruutthh aanndd pprriinncciipplleess,, aanndd wwhhiicchh iiss rroobbbbiinngg HHiiss ppeeooppllee ooff

tthhee qquuaalliittyy ooff lliiffee aanndd ffrruuiittffuullnneessss tthhaatt HHee ddeessiirreess ffoorr tthheemm.. ((JJoohhnn

1100..1100,, 1166..))

44.. CCoonnffrroonnttiinngg ssiinn iinn tthhee lliivveess ooff tthhoossee wwhhoo hhaavvee nnoott aasskkeedd ffoorr

hheellpp,, bbuutt ffoorr wwhhoomm wwee aass lleeaaddeerrss aarree aaccccoouunnttaabbllee ffoorr,, aass tthhee sshheeeepp

GGoodd hhaass eennttrruusstteedd ttoo oouurr ccaarree.. VVeerryy oofftteenn tthheeyy ddoo nnoott lliikkee tthhee

pprroobblleemmss tthheeyy aarree ssttrruugggglliinngg wwiitthh bbuutt aallssoo ddoo nnoott wwaanntt ttoo ffaaccee uupp ttoo

tthhee ssiinn tthhaatt pprroodduucceess tthheemm.. TThhaatt iiss tthhee ssiinnffuull hhuummaann nnaattuurree tthhaatt

sshheepphheerrddss ccoonnttiinnuuaallllyy hhaavvee ttoo ttaakkee iinnttoo aaccccoouunntt!! IIff wwee ddoo nnoott ccoonnffrroonntt

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aanndd ddeeaall wwiitthh tthhoossee iissssuueess wwee wwiillll wweeaarr oouurrsseellvveess oouutt,, aanndd aallllooww tthheemm

ttoo bbeeccoommee oovveerr--ddeeppeennddeenntt oonn oouurr ““lliisstteenniinngg eeaarrss””.. WWee aarree

rreessppoonnssiibbllee ffoorr tthheeiirr ggrroowwtthh aanndd ddeevveellooppmmeenntt aanndd aarree oobblliiggeedd ttoo

aaddddrreessss tthhiinnggss tthhaatt wwee kknnooww aarree hhiinnddeerriinngg tthheeiirr ggrroowwtthh aanndd mmaattuurriittyy..

55.. CCoonnffrroonnttiinngg tthhoossee wwhhoo hhaavvee ssiinnnneedd aaggaaiinnsstt uuss ppeerrssoonnaallllyy,, iinn tteerrmmss

ooff MMaatttthheeww 1188::1155..

66.. CCoonnffrroonnttiinngg tthhoossee wwhhoo hhaavvee ssiinnnneedd aaggaaiinnsstt tthhee rreesstt ooff tthhee llooccaall

bbooddyy ooff CChhrriisstt,, wwhheerree wwee aass lleeaaddeerrss aarree rreessppoonnssiibbllee ffoorr ddeeaalliinngg wwiitthh

iitt..

77.. CCoonnffrroonnttaattiioonn iinn tteerrmmss ooff ddiisscciipplliinnee,, wwhheerree ffoollkk wwiillll hhaavvee rreessiisstteedd

tthhee ppeerrssoonnaall aapppprrooaacchh ooff MMaatttthheeww 1188::1155,, rreeqquuiirriinngg ppuubblliicc

ccoonnffrroonnttaattiioonn aanndd ddiisscciipplliinnee..

A common tendency for leaders is to avoid confrontation. It is a strong tendency because of the possibility of conflict, rejection, criticism and people leaving the congregation because they do not want to submit or repent. Another reason for avoiding confrontation is weariness. Elders who have been in ministry for some time, and who are weary of the pressure and stress of working with people, cannot face the inevitable added emotional stress of confrontation. Where leaders are inclined to avoid confrontation they may resort to some of the following techniques:

Stop and reflect: Read 2 Timothy 4:1,2, cross-reference with Matthew 18:15-20 and 1 Corinthians 5:1-8. In light of scripture, why is confrontation necessary? How have you seen confrontation and rebuke used in your church?

What would you do to change or admonition this scriptural principle?

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They will seek to “get at” the individual through the preaching ministry (discussed earlier).

The Problem: Many will not even realise that it is directed at them resulting in added frustration for the preacher. Those who do pick it up usually do not respond positively, but rather react to being “targeted from the pulpit” in front of others. Some will see the preacher as cowardly in not having the courage to confront on a face-to-face basis. Another negative effect of this approach is that because of the focus the preacher has chosen, i.e., to target the individual/s he is trying to confront in this manner, he becomes unaware of others in the congregation who are sensitive, submissive and who take the preacher very seriously. They often take to heart what actually does not apply to them. They tend to pick up the harsh spirit with which the preacher brings it across and end up opening an opportunity for Satan to condemn.

Somehow they will attempt to “drop hints” in the presence of the individual hoping that they will pick it up.

The Problem: Some do not catch the hint. Others take offence and criticise the leader for his cowardice. A more indirect method is to drop the hints to people who are close to the targeted individual hoping that they will convey it to them. This approach is even more dangerous because those who are supposed to convey the hint to the individual are usually friends of such a person, and may side with them against the leader. (Leaders have to continuously reckon with the ever-present sinful human nature, and its rebellious tendencies.)

Trying to get someone else to do it for them

The Problem:

The confrontation of individuals in the local church is the responsibility of the elders, not of anyone else on the outside that may be invited in for ministry, such as other preachers, prophets, apostles or members of apostolic teams. No apostolic team should ever take either the side of the people or that of the elders, but always the side of the truth. When invited to arbitrate, the local people will be inclined to regard it as unwelcome “interference”.

Stop and reflect: What solutions can you come up with to all these problems resulting from improper

leadership skills? Go to God’s Word to back up your decisions.

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4.1.2 Results of Avoiding Confrontation Probably the most common way of dealing with the problem is not dealing with it at all and avoiding confrontation! It seems to be the easiest in the short term, but in the long run it breeds a harvest that is devastating, and continues to multiply. In the following paragraphs we attempt to outline some of the unfortunate results of taking this route.

1. When failing to confront individuals we leave them in trouble, immaturity and covert rebellion. Where this multiplies we eventually have a congregation of immature people who are unable to rise to the level of becoming “part of the solution” and part of the team who actively help others and serve the purposes of God. They remain “part of the problem”, dependent on the shepherds to continually help them with their problems. The pastoral load becomes unbearable and unproductive for the shepherds. The growth of the church is stifled as shepherds are robbed of time and energy they could be giving to others and creative leadership. The congregation will also have a potential for major reaction to the leadership when they attempt to bring change and direction. The end result can quite easily be a sick and contaminated local church of people who are vulnerable to satanic attack and control.

2. When failing to confront leaders, and especially emerging leaders, the

results are even more devastating in the long term, affecting a much wider circle of people. Because of the reluctance of their teachers and mentors to confront them, many well-educated and gifted church leaders escaped the training of their characters. It is always more difficult to confront a leader or potential leader. They are usually stronger, more assertive, and more likely to argue and resist! Other leaders simply have not had the kind of relationships with their teachers and trainers that allow this kind of direct and intimate confrontation. Most church relationships have been far more “functional” and activity orientated than “Covenantal”, friendship-based with commitment and trust. Pastoral Studies One covered the extremely important matter of the “character of leaders”. Leaders with serious character flaws and weaknesses often cause more harm than good, and can leave a trail of devastation, broken relationships and hurting people. Many find themselves at the end of such a trail of failures, bitterness, disillusionment and criticism. The absence of committed people to whom they have been able to submit, and who have had enough courage to confront them resulted in their inability to recognise their own character flaws and weaknesses. They therefore conclude that their failure is the fault of everyone else except themselves. It is also extremely difficult to confront such leaders at later stages in their lives. An aggravating factor is that knowledge and gifting without humility (which comes as a result of good character training) produces arrogance and conceit, which in turn blinds the individual to their own problems and weaknesses; “...Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up”, 1 Corinthians 8:1.

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Identifying, training and releasing leaders in the church are essential for the ongoing life and work of bringing the Kingdom of God to the world. It is equally essential in order to sustain the growth of the local church. A pastor and his wife may be able to care for eighty people, but as the group grows beyond that mark his ministry becomes less creative and more crises-orientated. Therefore it is of utmost importance for shepherds to produce more shepherds, as well as other leaders. Developing and correcting characters of emerging leaders is a matter of discipleship, and constitutes a major responsibility of the visionary elder and his wife, and in larger churches also of the support elders and wives. This is always in partnership with the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of such emerging leaders. When it comes to producing leaders, we simply have to operate on a different level from that of maturing Christians. There is far less room for leaving areas in their lives to be corrected by the natural courses of events. Emerging leaders need to be instructed about the urgency and seriousness of what God is doing with them! They are not doing us a favour by allowing us to confront and disciple them! We are doing them a favour and a vital service by helping them to prepare for what the Holy Spirit is planning to do with them! If they are not well trained and prepared for the task, they are the ones who will struggle, suffer and possibly fail in the end. They will also lose out on the blessing and reward that the Master has planned for them! It is absolutely essential to get this across to them! It will make it easier for them to brace themselves and to cope with the confrontation that is inevitable. We have to confront sin, bad habits, immature attitudes, lack of discipline, inadequate and erroneous values and ideas, and character issues, as early as possible in the course of training our leaders. 4.1.3 Public Confrontations Failing to confront and discipline publicly where it is necessary produces a harvest of insecurity in the Flock, sets a precedent for others to tolerate sin in their own lives and can unleash a backlash of reaction against the leadership. A word of caution here is that the opposite extreme can be equally damaging to individuals and the Flock,

Stop and reflect:

There is no denying the fact that David was the greatest leader of Israel, but he too had his flaws. His downfall was committing adultery with Bathsheba and having her husband Uriah murdered. Read 2 Samuel 11, & 12. What methods did God use in correcting David’s mistake? Perhaps God decided to send you as the messenger to a great leader in your

church. How would you go about carrying out God’s message?

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i.e., dealing with things on a public level that are not necessary. We are only to confront and discipline publicly what is public and will affect the Flock and the ministry. Here again we have different categories of public confrontation and discipline:

1. Where leaders or their spouses have fallen into sin, which requires that they should step down from leadership. Such sin would be that which disqualifies them from leadership in terms of the Biblical requirements for leaders (1 Timothy 3, Titus 2). There is an erroneous idea that if the Flock does not know the sin then it is unnecessary to deal with it publicly, and that it is better dealt with privately. This idea is very comforting to the one who should deal with it publicly and would very much like to avoid having to do it. We have to consider the long-term results of following such an idea. We must remember that:

a) No sin remains hidden forever. There comes a time when it is revealed. At that point it becomes a weapon in Satan’s hands. He will even keep it hidden until the leader has reached a place of wide influence and success, and then expose it at the most strategic time to affect leaders. The sheep are often devastated, discouraged, disillusioned, and have lost all confidence and trust in the leader.

b) A precedent is set for the future. It becomes difficult to discipline other leaders who fall, compounding the matter and making it increasingly more difficult with each successive case. Satan knows this and an avalanche of sin and corruption can be released, finally destroying the entire local church.

At times elders resort to asking the fallen leader to step down quietly without any public statement. This too may seem an easy way out, but it puts the fallen leader in a position of advantage over the eldership. Such leaders are very rarely able to deal with the deep hurt and rejection they feel, in spite of the fact that it is the sin of the sin of their spouses that has initiated the whole thing in the first place. The uninformed congregation cannot understand what has happened, and usually prefer to ask the fallen leader for the reason. The response is rarely honest and fair and some question or suspicion is usually cast around the action of the eldership in asking them to step down. As we have already emphasised, most people still struggle with elements of the rebellious sinful human nature that will naturally identify with the fallen leader in opposition to the authority exercised by the elders. A hot spot of rebellious people can then emerge in the congregation. In the end the elder who tried to avoid confrontation and discipline has a much bigger problem than in the first place. This scenario is especially pertinent in the case where the fallen leader is not repentant, feels the action is unjust, and goes about sowing seeds of discontentment and division amongst the people. It is important to note that although we have referred to leaders, the above would also apply to those who have a high visibility profile in the ministry of the church, and who may not necessarily fall into the category of leader.

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The most common examples are folk who are involved in leading worship, ushering, singers, and musicians, etc. A serious mistake is sometimes made when these people fall into sin or persist in unacceptable behaviour or lifestyles. It is to conclude that because they are not leaders as such one does not need to ask them to step down from ministry. The fact is that although they are not leaders, the public view of them is that they must be the kind of people who meet the standards of the church in order to be given such a public task. When they are not disciplined, therefore, the message that is given to the public is that their sin is not serious and quite acceptable to the eldership. This is a dangerous message. Such conclusions are seldom expressed and they simply become conscious or subconscious reasons used by Satan to motivate folk to compromise their own standards. The tragedy is that these results are not often identified by the eldership as being related to their failure to confront and discipline. Such seeds produce a harvest, and elders may very well find themselves frustrated and grieved over the sinful lives their people are living and blame them for it, while they in fact have contributed to situation.

2. Where individuals are causing trouble, division, or danger to the rest of the flock, and are unwilling to repent and submit to a personal approach by the elders, they are in need of public confrontation. Such individuals can turn the tables against the eldership and cause division in the Flock if they are not publicly disciplined.

4.2 GUIDELINES FOR GODLY CONFRONTATION 4.2.1 Deciding what is Urgent and what is Important There are many instances where it becomes obvious to shepherds, as they watch over the Flock of God, that there are things in the lives of the sheep that need attention. Some of these are serious, others less serious, some are longstanding

Stop and reflect:

God has given us some good examples to follow for good leadership. Consider what Paul says to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12. He exhorts Timothy, even though he is young, to be an example to his congregation. Identify each of the six areas in which we are to be examples and explain what each involves.

What efforts do you need to make in order to be an example in the area of faith?

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from childhood, or from pre-conversion times, others are recent and indications of backsliding, being led astray or seduction. Certain cases require urgent attention because they will affect others, such as husbands and wives, children or the rest of the Body. Others are not so urgent and can be left for a while, until an opportunity arises to address the matter appropriately. Yet others can be left to be dealt with eventually by the school of experience, the influence of the rest of the body, and the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Not everything has to be confronted! Some things cannot be attended to because of stubborn and unteachable attitudes. Those in the last category cause much pain and grief for shepherds, and, as in the parable of the prodigal son, they often have to simply stand by and watch the individuals squander their energies, resources, and often their relationships until they come to feeding the pigs, come to their senses and begin the journey back home, (Luke 15:11-31). For some this is the only way! Successful confrontation that will lead to repentance and changed lives is a highly skilled operation that is best learned by practice. The following will help in the process of developing the necessary skills:

1. We must always remember that we do not confront for the sake of confrontation, to stop, check, punish, expose or teach people a lesson! The purpose must always be redemptive. Confrontation should be the product of the love of God in the heart of the shepherd, to lovingly bring the individual to repentance, maturity and fruitfulness in Christ. As we shall see later, where it has to be done on a public level, the love of God in the hearts of shepherds “always protects”, 1 Corinthians 13:7. The original Greek word here means to “deck, thatch, to cover, to protect or keep by covering, to preserve.”

2. We have to bear in mind the severe implications confrontation can

bring about, when we consider whether to confront or not. Elders confront with authority delegated to them by the Lord and Head of the church. They exercise that authority on His behalf. When sin is confronted in a Godly manner, individuals have to make a choice to either repent or rebel. If they refuse to repent they then find themselves not only continuing to sin, but, in addition, they have rejected the authority of the elders, and the shepherd God has given to them for their good. They are then in a worse position than before the confrontation. There are other things that result, such as a change of attitude towards the shepherd/s, to the rest of the flock, and towards God and His Word. Submissive attitudes give way to rebellious and critical ones. They may engage in a new

“And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct in the

hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the

devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” 2 Timothy 2:24-26

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pursuit, that of trying to justify their rebellion. They may do this by looking for faults in others (which are always present if we look for them) and criticise them personally or publicly. They have in fact aligned themselves with the enemy of truth, Satan, and opened themselves up to him who will lead them into increasing deception. They become “locked” into their own path of rebellion. It is a tragic set of circumstances that may develop and all because a loving, caring shepherd confronted them on that which he could see was robbing them of the full blessing and fruitfulness of God in their lives!

It can be seen therefore, that we have to carefully consider whether to confront or not, (where there is a choice in the matter). It is a difficult decision to make, considering the implications of avoiding confrontation. It is also important whether the individual is going to repent or not. It is futile to confront an individual who is in rebellion. We can do the following to encourage repentance:

a) Godly confrontation is never clinical and purely objective. When a shepherd has to get up in front of the rest of the Flock, and discipline an individual, explain why a leader has been asked to step down, warn the Flock about troublesome individuals, or at worst have to

Stop and consider:

Let’s take a look into an aspect of the sinful nature that would hold us back from our full potential. Consider our pride, it is usually the number one hindrance in our servant ministry to God. There are six types of pride of which we should be aware. Read each of the verses and define in your own words each type of pride: Spiritual Pride Luke 18:9-14 Intellectual Pride 1 Corinthians 8:1,2 Material Pride 1 Timothy 3:3; Deuteronomy 8:18

Social Pride Isaiah 14:12-15; Philippians 2:3 Physical Pride 1 Timothy 4:7,8

Pride in our Humility Proverbs 16:5; Colossians 2:18-23

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ask a person to leave the Flock, he does it out of grief and sorrow! That individual is part of the Body, the Body of which the shepherd himself is a part, that part that is hurting, wounded, in trouble and/or rebellious... “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26. There is no room in these matters for elders to allow the arrogant, self-righteous expressions of the sinful human nature. If they do they will convey the attitude to the Flock of “coming down” on this “rebellious sinner”, judging him/her, and in certain cases getting “rid” of them. In such situations, we as leaders must convey the spirit of Covenant love and relationships. We love individuals who are in trouble, and we exhort the Flock to do so too, even where there is rebellion and they are enemies of the Flock! By this we do not mean that we condone the sin, but rather as Jesus did, love the sinner.

b) We are careful to warn the Flock that it is not a time for them to feel better because they are not guilty, which is the usual response of the human heart when others fail! In the case where a person is asked to leave the Flock, we would rather take the approach that ... “if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.” So the rest of the Flock is exhorted to stand by, to encourage, and to pray for those who are being disciplined, with a hope of restoring them to wholeness in Christ.

c) Furthermore, we need also to remind the Flock to... “Watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ”, (Galatians 6:1-2). The way public discipline is carried out, and the spirit that is conveyed to the local body by the elders, will either encourage the principles of the Kingdom of God to operate, or feed the sinful natures of the Flock. If it is done right it will bring security to the Flock, who very often react like children; wanting to resist authority, and yet feel secure and loved when it is exercised in a Godly manner. The right approach will also minimise the inclination of the Flock to gossip, speculate and embellish the whole event, making it far worse.

d) The elder/s will carefully consider what is said publicly, and how much of the details to reveal. The aim is to confront the matter sufficiently and at the same time to protect the individual and their loved ones from unnecessary criticism, embarrassment and the idea that it is not serious when it is. A way must be found to let the Flock know the severity of the matter without disclosing details that will pander to the sinful nature of man which usually “delights in evil”, rather than “rejoices with the truth”, (1 Corinthians 13:6). This is especially critical in cases where sexual misconduct is involved. Where elders refrain from giving all the details, a good approach is to ask the people to trust them and their judgement in the matter, and not to try and speculate about the details that have not been revealed. When public confrontation and discipline is carried out in this manner, positive effects among the people are set in motion.

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There is an awareness of the severity of sin and its effects. The inclination to carelessness and sin is checked. The Flock is more inclined to examine themselves than gloat over their self-righteousness.

3. We will never be successful without the help of the Holy Spirit who is the One who brings revelation, conviction, repentance and eventually helps the individuals to renew their minds, change their values, standards, behaviour patterns and lifestyles. The whole operation of confronting individuals must be carried out in harmony with, depending upon, and in partnership with the Holy Spirit. Confrontation is carried out having reminded ourselves that we are operating out of the Authority delegated to us by God, and that He backs us in so far as we exercise it in a Godly manner. We must ask for and expect an anointing of the Holy Spirit when we speak to individuals. They should not only be aware that they are being confronted by a person, but also by the very presence of God. This can only take place if we are confronting in a Godly manner. When it comes to public discipline, elders need to remember the powerful words of Matthew 18:18-19 “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”

Stop and consider:

We have emphasised the chief quality needed by the Shepherd must be a love for the Flock. Let’s take a quick look at the characteristics of Godly love. Read 1 Corinthians 13. Indicate the difference between what love is and what loves does. Too often pastors are concerned with having the gifts of the Spirit rather than the attitude in which to use them. Paul says we should pursue love. In what ways can you make that practical?

How are your gifts inferior to that of love?

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4. In confronting individuals we always follow the steps given to us by the Head of the church in Matthew 18:15-19, first to confront the individual on a personal basis, and, if unsuccessful, with two or three others as witnesses. Finally, if necessary, we are to confront on a public level. In stating the above it may appear that we are stating the obvious and becoming unnecessarily basic. Is this not a truth that every Christian should know? The fact is that in practice there is an alarming degree of violation of these principles by both sheep and shepherds alike! Confrontation is always difficult and delicate. Satan knows this and is on hand to tempt individuals in the heat of the emotions and offences to take other routes, usually to talk to others about it first! To violate the clear commands of Jesus is to bungle and complicate the process and open doors for both Satan and sinful natures to take advantage. Simple straightforward confrontation can “blow up” out of all proportion and eventually even split a church. Both elders and people will do well to adhere to Biblical steps. These steps apply to everyone, both individuals and leaders, but where it comes to the involvement of others and finally the church, the elders must become involved because of their responsibility to “oversee” the Flock.

Stop and reflect: Read Matthew 18:15-19. The setting of these verses fits into the context of church discipline. What steps are indicated by the Head (Christ) of the church in confronting individuals? 1. 2. 3. How would you deter an attitude of hate or anger from the confronted individual toward the pastor or congregation?

What steps would you take to ensure a restored loving relationship?

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5. Where possible we seek to confront at the right time. Where the circumstances do not demand immediate confrontation, such as in the case of public discipline, or where the sin affects or endangers others, more time can be taken by shepherds to confront at a time when people have been prepared. This would especially apply to the confronting of areas in the lives of those we are discipling as leaders, and also situations where folk have sinned against us. Redemption and restoration are our aim. Where there are no repentances, confrontation will usually be counter-productive. The individuals will resist, respond in any or all of the following ways:

become defensive

make excuses

talk their way out of it

become angry

offensive

counter-attack

pass the whole issue off as a misunderstanding

perhaps even admit they have sinned, just to get out of the pressure of confrontation

There are three things that should be considered here:

a) By serious prayer for the individuals we may be able to prepare their hearts beforehand through the working of the Holy Spirit. They then will be more receptive and able to repent. We may even discover that revelation and conviction have taken place in their hearts and they come to us for help on the matter. We should teach everyone to bathe the matter in prayer before confronting those who have sinned against the individual. For one thing it will help the one who wishes to confront to calm down, deal with feelings, hurt and desires for revenge. Things will be seen in a better perspective and the one confronting will be able to operate more fully under the influence of the Holy Spirit and out of the love of God.

b) We must not be impatient, but wait for a good time to confront. If we have prayed over the situation and prepared our hearts properly, we can depend on the Holy Spirit to guide and open up the opportunity to confront. In cases where we are seeking to bring about confrontation in order to disciple people, considerable time may pass before they are ready and an appropriate moment arises. We do not, however, use this approach as a disguised way of avoiding confrontation! In some cases we will have to work at strengthening the relationship with the individual first, so that the “bridge” will be strong enough to bring the weight of the particular confrontation across without breaking it!

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One has to bear in mind that after all is said and done correctly; there is the possibility that the individual may still not respond positively and become increasingly defensive and even more rebellious than before. Where it is in the context of discipling that we are working we may have to leave it there and keep praying for revelation and conviction which may very well come. In such cases the confrontation may have initiated an awareness of the problem, which develops into conviction and repentance. There is also another phenomenon that at times takes place when folk resist, deny and talk their way out of the confrontation, leaving one with no basis to press the issue home. Denial is not always fruitless. They quietly begin to make the changes without ever verbally accepting the challenge. It is, of course, not the best, because it is the evidence of pride, which cannot allow the individual to accept that they are less than perfect! Yet there is little one can do about it, other than to rejoice in the changes that are taking place.

c) An extremely important point is to make sure we have the true facts, and, as far as possible, all the facts, before we confront folk. We need to think and pray through the details and establish whether we really do have sufficient to confront someone on or not. At times, as elders, others will come to us and express their concerns about a person. Where they are the objects of the sin we must encourage them to go to the other person first and confront him/her on a personal basis. Where the folk who come to us are not directly involved but simply expressing concern about the individual, we have to establish whether this is genuine concern or motivated by other things, like attempting to discredit the other person to gain favour with us. It is a delicate thing to confront someone on the basis of what others have told us! It is best to establish the truth for us first. We may have to wait and observe, asking the Holy Spirit to expose the situation so that we can see for ourselves, and then confront the individual on the basis of our own observation and not on the information of others. The Holy Spirit desires to expose sin for the right reasons and to the right people who will deal with it in a Godly manner. As elders entrusted with the care of the flock we can expect Him to help us if our motives are pure. He has a way of creating a set of circumstances in which individuals are forced to betray themselves in our presence. We then are able to get a concrete case to present to them. This approach is especially effective in the context of discipling, where we note areas of sin and inadequacies in the lives of others. As we pray for them and wait, the Holy Spirit orchestrates a “good example” which exposes the matter and which we are able to use when we confront them. To confront someone without having established the truth is counter-productive and

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undermines the confidence and trust they may have in us. People are quick to capitalise on any incorrect information, even if they are guilty. In their desire to justify themselves they see the opportunity and seize on it. It gives them a way out of repenting of sin and bad behaviour.

Where we operate on the information given to us by other, we should have genuine witnesses with us: the very people who have expressed their concerns should be witnesses of the facts.

4.3 CONFRONTATION THAT REQUIRES SKILL AND DIPLOMACY 4.3.1 Setting Proper Foundations

A proper foundation must be set for the confrontation. We have to remind the person of why we are talking to them about the matter. The usual experiences that people have had when authorities have confronted them have not been good. The worldly ways of responding is generally to resist, make excuses, blame others or circumstances, and justify their position. They would have a natural inclination to take the same route. We have to help them to realise that this context is different; that it is because they have committed themselves to us to oversee and to help them reach their full potential in Christ. Thus, in spite of how difficult and unpleasant it is for us, we are nevertheless obligated out of our accountability to God to raise the issue. They must be reassured of our love for them and our desire to help them. At times we may have to tell them that it is always difficult to receive correction, but that the result is always worth it (if they handle it correctly of course).

Stop and reflect:

Read 1 Samuel 15. King Saul is a good example of one who dodges confrontation. Although he acknowledged his sin, the account goes on to prove that there was no real repentance in his heart. How would you counsel King Saul? Give a brief outline of the discussion you would have and the solution you

would propose.

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4.3.2 Tone and Structure We should choose our language carefully. We are to restore “gently” according to Galatians 6:1, 2, yet with the firmness of Godly authority. Rather than a head-on accusation, it is far better to say things like “As I have watched you...I have become concerned about...and can see that it is robbing you of what your Lord has in store for you...can I help you in any way?” This is especially relevant where the confrontations are not so much a matter of sin but of discipleship, where we are seeking to help people to grow up and mature spiritually. Where we have to address things of which we are not absolutely certain of the facts, a safe approach could be one of “What you are doing/saying/not doing etc., appears to me as...can you help me understand what is the truth here...” Remember, we are trying to get them to own up or confess and repent out of their own free will, not out of pressure because they have been found out. (The exception here is when the circumstances require that we have to bring discipline whether the person is ready for it or not because of the implications of what they have done or are doing.) 4.3.3 Be Careful of Pettiness Out of our frustration, disappointments, and at times grief, which we experience in working with individuals, there is a temptation to become too sensitive and “petty”. We have to ask ourselves “what is the fundamental issue?” There may be many other smaller matters that are secondary. If we address all the matters at the same time, the confrontational “load” becomes too heavy for the relational “bridge”, and we destroy it and any further opportunity to help the individual. Elders have to always remember that although they are called and anointed by God, have delegated authority in positions of leadership, the sheep still have to be won over before they will follow! We operate in a different context from that of worldly organisation, where the incentives to obey and submit are money, position, recognition, promotion or fear. Where God’s leaders use any of these incentives, they are resorting to “shortcuts” that bypass the genuine work o the Holy Spirit and the Word. The outcome is hypocrisy and legalism; an outward show without corresponding inner life. We seek to bring about the Life of God in the lives of people, where the true motivation is out of genuine love for the Lord Jesus Christ. Before we confront, another good question to ask is “How important is this issue?” We have already mentioned that there are many things in the lives of the sheep that may be corrected by the natural course of Christian living, and the exposure to the ministry of the Word and the Spirit by God’s people.

Brethren, if a man is caught in any sin, you who are spiritual restore such a one

in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:1, 2

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4.3.4 Clarify any Misunderstandings

There is emotional turmoil that many experience when confronted. There is the sudden realisation that they have been found out, or that there are weaknesses or inadequacies in their lives. This releases a torrent of thoughts in their minds. They grasp at ways to try to get out of situation, or somehow explain it away. They may be distracted by the inward turmoil and not hear everything you say. It is common for them to get a confused and inaccurate picture of what you are seeking to get across. Ask them if they understand what you have said. Perhaps even get them to repeat it to you. 4.3.5 Follow up is Essential

We must remember that Satan is always present to harass, detract, and hinder when we wish to move forward in God. He will capitalise on any misunderstandings and wrong impressions the person may have been left with in spite of making every effort to communicate clearly. We often hear what we want to hear, or what we expect to hear. Emotions of hurt, disappointment, embarrassment, failure, etc. can warp and twist the truth and cloud personal perspective. The work of Satan will add to it and his condemnation can destroy them. A common impression many are left with is that they have lost credibility with the leaders of the church, who will subsequently look down on them and reject them, (that is because it is their usual experience in the world). It is essential that we plan to call on the individual soon after the event, such as the following day to express our love and support, clarify any misunderstandings, and let them know we have not rejected them, and that there is no change in our attitude to them.

Stop and reflect: Read Colossians 3:13,14. Discuss the importance of forgiveness in the lives of both the shepherd and the Flock. Give supporting references for your viewpoint. How would you counsel an individual member who has had to be publicly

disciplined and now refuses to forgive you as the shepherd?

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tthhee ddiisscciipplliinneedd ppeerrssoonn//ss..

WWhheerree lleeaaddeerrss aanndd wwoorrkkeerrss hhaavvee bbeeeenn aasskkeedd ttoo sstteepp ddoowwnn ffrroomm tthheeiirr ppoossiittiioonnss,, wwee

sshhoouulldd bbee ccaarreeffuull ttoo mmaakkee nnoo pprroommiisseess ooff rreessttoorraattiioonn.. IItt iiss ffaarr bbeetttteerr ttoo wwaaiitt aanndd sseeee iiff

rreeppeennttaannccee iiss ggeennuuiinnee.. MMaannyy hhaavvee ssuubbmmiitttteedd,, sstteeppppeedd ddoowwnn aanndd ccooooppeerraatteedd oonnllyy

bbeeccaauussee tthheeyy hhaavvee bbeeeenn ccaauugghhtt,, aanndd wwaanntt ttoo ggeett bbaacckk iinnttoo tthheeiirr ppoossiittiioonnss.. OOnnccee

rreessttoorreedd tthheeyy hhaavvee ffaalllleenn aaggaaiinn.. TThhee sseeccoonndd ttiimmee aarroouunndd iiss ffaarr mmoorree ddiiffffiiccuulltt ttoo ddeeaall

wwiitthh.. TThheeyy aarree uussuuaallllyy hhaarrddeerr ooff hheeaarrtt aanndd mmoorree ddeecceeiivveedd tthhaann bbeeffoorree.. WWhheerree

iinnddiivviidduuaallss rreeffuussee ttoo rreeppeenntt wwhheenn ccoonnffrroonntteedd bbyy GGooddllyy lleeaaddeerrss iinn aa rriigghhtteeoouuss mmaannnneerr,,

tthheeyy sseeeemm ttoo rreeggrreessss aass tthheeyy cchhoooossee ttoo ggoo tthhee wwaayy ooff ssiinn aanndd rreebbeelllliioonn.. TThhiiss mmaayy nnoott

bbee iimmmmeeddiiaatteellyy eevviiddeenntt.. IInn ffaacctt tthheeiirr oouuttwwaarrdd bbeehhaavviioouurr mmaayy eevveenn aappppeeaarr ttoo bbee

iimmpprroovviinngg,, wwhhiillee iinn ffaacctt iinnwwaarrddllyy tthheeyy aarree hhaarrddeenniinngg tthheeiirr hheeaarrttss aanndd eennttrreenncchhiinngg

tthheemmsseellvveess iinn rreebbeelllliioonn.. TThhee oouuttwwaarrdd iimmpprroovveemmeenntt iiss uussuuaallllyy iinn oorrddeerr ttoo ssaattiissffyy tthhee

eexxppeeccttaattiioonnss ooff tthhoossee wwhhoossee ddiisscciipplliinnee tthheeyy aarree uunnddeerr,, wwiitthh aa hhooppee ooff bbeeiinngg rreessttoorreedd

ttoo tthheeiirr ppoossiittiioonnss aanndd mmiinniissttrryy ooppppoorrttuunniittiieess.. IItt iiss tthheerreeffoorree iimmppoorrttaanntt ttoo bbee pprraayyiinngg ffoorr

ssuucchh iinnddiivviidduuaallss.. FFiirrssttllyy ffoorr aa ffuullll wwoorrkk ooff rreeppeennttaannccee iinn tthheeiirr lliivveess.. SSeeccoonnddllyy,, iiff tthheeyy

aarree hhaarrddeenniinngg tthheemmsseellvveess,, tthhaatt tthhee HHoollyy SSppiirriitt wwiillll sseett aa sscceennee wwhheerree tthheeyy wwiillll

““oovveerrppllaayy tthheeiirr hhaannddss”” aanndd bbeettrraayy tthhee ttrruuee aattttiittuuddeess ooff tthheeiirr hheeaarrttss bbeeffoorree wwee mmaakkee tthhee

mmiissttaakkee ooff bbeeiinngg ddeecceeiivveedd iinnttoo rreessttoorriinngg tthheemm ttoo mmiinniissttrryy..

OOnnggooiinngg ccaarree aanndd ppaassttoorraall oovveerrssiigghhtt sshhoouulldd bbee ggiivveenn ttoo ssuucchh iinnddiivviidduuaallss,, rreegguullaarrllyy

mmeeeettiinngg wwiitthh aann eellddeerr aanndd hhiiss wwiiffee ttoo mmoonniittoorr tthheeiirr pprrooggrreessss,, aanndd hheellpp tthheemm wwiitthh tthhee

pprroobblleemm aarreeaass ooff tthheeiirr lliivveess..

CCoonnffrroonnttaattiioonn iiss oonnee ooff tthhee mmoosstt eemmoottiioonnaallllyy ttaaxxiinngg aanndd ddrraaiinniinngg aarreeaass ooff ppaassttoorraall

mmiinniissttrryy.. WWee ccaannnnoott hhaannddllee iitt iinn aa cclliinniiccaall ffaasshhiioonn ssuucchh aass aa mmaannaaggeerr oorr ffoorreemmaann ccaann..

TThheerree aarree eetteerrnnaall iimmpplliiccaattiioonnss iinnvvoollvveedd.. IItt iiss tthhee BBrriiddee ooff CChhrriisstt wwiitthh wwhhoomm wwee aarree

ddeeaalliinngg.. WWee hhaavvee ttoo bbeeaarr tthhiiss iinn mmiinndd aanndd mmaakkee pprroovviissiioonn ttoo bbee rreeffrreesshheedd iinn GGoodd.. TThhee

pprroobblleemm iiss tthhaatt iinn aa cchhuurrcchh tthheerree aarree sseeaassoonnss wwhheerree mmuucchh ccoonnffrroonnttaattiioonn iiss rreeqquuiirreedd..

WWee hhaavvee ttoo bbee ccaarreeffuull hhooww wwee hhaannddllee tthheessee ttiimmeess aanndd ccoonnsseerrvvee oouurr eemmoottiioonnaall

eenneerrggiieess..

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44..44..22 SSuuppppoorrttiinngg IInnddiivviidduuaallss nnoott iinn AAggrreeeemmeenntt

BBeeffoorree wwee lleeaavvee mmaatttteerrss ooff aauutthhoorriittyy,, ssuubbmmiissssiioonn aanndd ccoonnffrroonnttaattiioonn,, wwee nneeeedd ttoo

ccoonnssiiddeerr oonnee mmoorree ddiiffffiiccuulltt ssiittuuaattiioonn tthhaatt eemmeerrggeess iinn tthhee lliiffee ooff tthhee cchhuurrcchh,, nnaammeellyy

wwhheenn tthhee eellddeerrss ddoo nnoott ffeeeell tthheeyy ccaann ggiivvee tthheeiirr ffuullll bbaacckkiinngg aanndd ssuuppppoorrtt ttoo iinnddiivviidduuaallss

iinn ddeecciissiioonnss tthheeyy hhaavvee mmaaddee.. WWee aarree nnoott ttaallkkiinngg aabboouutt bbllaacckk aanndd wwhhiittee iissssuueess

ccoonncceerrnniinngg ttrruutthh aanndd eerrrroorr,, bbuutt ccoonncceerrnniinngg ootthheerr mmaatttteerrss wwhheerree tthheerree aarree qquueessttiioonnss

ccoonncceerrnniinngg tthheeiirr ddeecciissiioonnss.. TThheessee wwoouulldd iinncclluuddee ssuucchh ddeecciissiioonnss mmaaddee bbyy iinnddiivviidduuaallss

ttoo ggeett iinnvvoollvveedd iinn qquueessttiioonnaabbllee mmiinniissttrriieess,, llaauunncchhiinngg tthheeiirr oowwnn mmiinniissttrriieess,, rreellooccaattiinngg ttoo

ootthheerr aarreeaass,, ccoouunnttrriieess,, eettcc..,, wwaannttiinngg ttoo ggoo oouutt aanndd ppllaanntt tthheeiirr oowwnn cchhuurrcchheess eettcc..

TThheessee aarree ddiiffffiiccuulltt aarreeaass ttoo ddeeaall wwiitthh,, eessppeecciiaallllyy wwhheenn tthhee eellddeerrss hhaavvee qquueessttiioonnss aanndd

rreesseerrvvaattiioonnss aabboouutt ssuucchh tthhiinnggss aass tthhee wwiissddoomm ooff tthhee ddeecciissiioonn,, tthhee ccaappaabbiilliittiieess ooff tthhee

iinnddiivviidduuaallss oorr tthhee ttiimmiinngg ooff tthhee eevveenntt oorr tthhee DDiivviinnee GGuuiiddaannccee tthheeyy sseeeemm ttoo hhaavvee

rreecceeiivveedd.. TThhee llaasstt ooff tthheessee ccoommpplliiccaatteess tthhee mmaatttteerr eevveenn mmoorree.. WWhheenn ppeeooppllee aarree

aaddaammaanntt tthhaatt tthheeyy hhaavvee ““hheeaarrdd ffrroomm tthhee LLoorrdd”” iitt iiss aa ddiiffffiiccuulltt aarreeaa ttoo qquueessttiioonn.. TThheeyy

ccaann bbee aasskkeedd ttoo ggiivvee aann aaccccoouunntt ooff hhooww tthhee LLoorrdd ssppookkee ttoo tthheemm.. IItt mmaayy rreevveeaall

iinnaaddeeqquuaacciieess iinn tthheeiirr uunnddeerrssttaannddiinngg aanndd iinntteerrpprreettaattiioonn.. HHoowweevveerr mmaannyy sseeeemm ttoo bbee

aabbllee ttoo ggiivvee ggoooodd aaccccoouunnttss ooff tthheeiirr gguuiiddaannccee.. AAnn aaddddeedd pprroobblleemm iiss wwhheenn tthheeyy qquuoottee

hhaallff aa ddoozzeenn ddiiffffeerreenntt ppeerrssoonnaall pprroopphheecciieess ttoo ssuuppppoorrtt tthheeiirr ddeecciissiioonn.. TThhee BBiibbllee

ddiissttiinnccttllyy iinnssttrruuccttss uuss nnoott ttoo ddeessppiissee pprroopphheecciieess ((11 TThheessssaalloonniiaannss 55::2200)) nnoorr ttrreeaatt tthheemm

lliigghhttllyy,, bbuutt iitt aallssoo iinnssttrruuccttss uuss ttoo bbee ccaarreeffuull ttoo jjuuddggee pprroopphheeccyy ((11 CCoorriinntthhiiaannss1144:: 2299))

aanndd wweeiigghh ccaarreeffuullllyy wwhhaatt iiss ssaaiidd,, bbeeccaauussee wwee kknnooww tthhaatt ““wwee kknnooww iinn ppaarrtt aanndd wwee

pprroopphheessyy iinn ppaarrtt......”” 11 CCoorriinntthhiiaannss 1133::99.. TThheerree iiss aa tteennddeennccyy ttoo aattttaacchh ffaarr ttoooo ggrreeaatt

aann aauutthhoorriittyy ttoo ppeerrssoonnaall pprroopphheecciieess,, eessppeecciiaallllyy wwhheenn tthheeyy ssuuppppoorrtt oouurr ddrreeaammss.. IInn

aaddddiittiioonn ttoo aallll tthhiiss,, tthheerree iiss aallssoo tthhee ppoossssiibbiilliittyy tthhaatt eellddeerrss aarree wwrroonngg iinn tthheeiirr

ppeerrcceeppttiioonnss aanndd ccoonncclluussiioonnss,, oorr tthhaatt tthheeyy aarree jjuusstt uunnaabbllee ttoo sseeee tthhee hhiiddddeenn ppootteennttiiaall

iinn aa ppeerrssoonn,, aanndd aallssoo jjuusstt wwhhaatt GGoodd iiss ppllaannnniinngg ttoo ddoo wwiitthh aann iinnddiivviidduuaall.. TThheerree hhaavvee

bbeeeenn ssoommee rreeaall ssuurrpprriisseess ffoorr eellddeerrss wwhhoo hhaavvee bbeeeenn tthhoorroouugghhllyy ccoonnvviinncceedd tthhaatt tthheeyy

aarree rriigghhtt iinn tthheeiirr jjuuddggeemmeennttss!!

TThhiiss wwhhoollee qquueessttiioonn iiss eessppeecciiaallllyy rreelleevvaanntt wwhheerree tthhee ccaappaabbiilliittiieess,, lleevveell ooff mmaattuurriittyy,, aanndd

eexxppeerriieennccee ooff tthhee iinnddiivviidduuaallss ccoonncceerrnneedd,, sseeeemm iinnaaddeeqquuaattee ffoorr tthhaatt wwhhiicchh tthheeyy wwiisshh ttoo

ddoo.. TThhee rreessuulltt iiss aa ““ggrreeyy aarreeaa”” wwhheerree tthheerree aarree nnoo aabbssoolluutteess.. AAss sshheepphheerrddss aanndd

Stop and reflect:

Prayer is a vital aspect in restoration. Consider James 5:16. What does praying produce in the life of an individual who has confessed his/her sin? Why is this important?

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lleeaaddeerrss ooff GGoodd’’ss FFlloocckk wwee hhaavvee ttoo bbee ccaarreeffuull tthhaatt wwee ddoo nnoott sseeeekk ttoo ccoonnttrrooll tthhee lliivveess

ooff tthhee ppeeooppllee ssiimmppllyy bbeeccaauussee wwee tthhiinnkk wwee aarree rriigghhtt.. WWee wwoouulldd tthheenn ffaallll iinnttoo tthhee

ddaannggeerr ooff ““lloorrddiinngg iitt”” oovveerr tthhee FFlloocckk.. WWee mmuusstt nneevveerr bbrriinngg tthheemm iinnttoo bboonnddaaggee bbuutt aallwwaayyss hheellpp tthheemm ttoo rreemmaaiinn ffrreeee iinn CChhrriisstt..

IInn ssuucchh ssiittuuaattiioonn tthhee EEllddeerrss wwoouulldd bbee wwiissee ttoo ccoonnssiiddeerr tthhee ffoolllloowwiinngg::

11.. CClleeaarrllyy ccoommmmuunniiccaattee ttoo tthhee iinnddiivviidduuaall//ss hhooww tthheeyy ffeeeell wwiitthhoouutt aappoollooggyy

oorr iinn aannyy wwaayy ttrryyiinngg ttoo mmaakkee iitt ssoouunndd lleessss sseerriioouuss.. TThhiiss mmaayy sseeeemm ttoo bbee

ssttaattiinngg tthhee oobbvviioouuss;; hhoowweevveerr,, tthheerree hhaavvee bbeeeenn mmaannyy iinnssttaanncceess wwhheerree

mmiissuunnddeerrssttaannddiinnggss hhaavvee aarriisseenn bbeettwweeeenn eellddeerrss aanndd ppeeooppllee,, wwhhiicchh llaatteerr rreessuulltt

iinn tthhee iinnddiivviidduuaallss bbllaammiinngg tthhee eellddeerrss ffoorr tthheeiirr oowwnn ffaaiilluurreess aanndd hhaarrddsshhiippss..

WWhheerree tthheeyy hhaavvee mmaaddee mmiissttaakkeess tthheeyy uussuuaallllyy llooookk ffoorr ssoommeeoonnee eellssee ttoo bbllaammee..

IIff tthhee eellddeerrss hhaavvee nnoott ccoommmmuunniiccaatteedd tthheeiirr rreelluuccttaannccee ffoorrcceeffuullllyy eennoouugghh,, tthhee

iinnddiivviidduuaallss,, iinn tthheeiirr ddeessiirree ttoo hhaavvee tthhee ssuuppppoorrtt ooff tthhee eellddeerrss,, aanndd cchhoooossiinngg ttoo

hheeaarr oonnllyy wwhhaatt tthheeyy wwaanntt ttoo hheeaarr,, eerrrroonneeoouussllyy ccoonncclluuddee tthhaatt tthheeyy ddoo hhaavvee tthhee

ssuuppppoorrtt ooff tthhee eellddeerrss..

22.. HHaavviinngg cclleeaarrllyy aanndd ffoorrcceeffuullllyy ccoommmmuunniiccaatteedd tthhee aabboovvee,, eellddeerrss tthheenn nneeeedd ttoo

rreeaassssuurree tthhee iinnddiivviidduuaallss tthhaatt::

aa)) TThheeyy ddoo nnoott wwiisshh ttoo ddoommiinnaattee oorr ccoonnttrrooll tthheemm,, aanndd tthhaatt tthheeyy ccaannnnoott

ssttoopp tthheemm ddooiinngg wwhhaatt tthheeyy bbeelliieevvee ttoo bbee tthhee WWiillll ooff GGoodd..

bb)) TThheeyy wwiillll nnoott rreejjeecctt tthheemm iiff tthheeyy ggoo aahheeaadd wwiitthh tthheeiirr ppllaannss,, bbuutt wwiillll

lloovvee tthheemm aallll tthhee ssaammee wwhheetthheerr tthheeyy aarree rriigghhtt oorr wwrroonngg.. IIff aallll ggooeess

wwrroonngg tthhee ddoooorrss aarree ooppeenn ffoorr tthheemm ttoo ccoommee bbaacckk.. IIff tthheeyy aarree

ssuucccceessssffuull tthhee eellddeerrss wwiillll rreejjooiiccee wwiitthh tthheemm iinn tthheeiirr ssuucccceessss iinn GGoodd..

33.. TTwwoo iimmppoorrttaanntt tthhiinnggss,, hhoowweevveerr,, mmuusstt bbee mmaaddee cclleeaarr ttoo tthheemm::

aa)) IInn tthhee ccaassee ooff eellddeerrss,, ddeeaaccoonnss aanndd wwoorrkkeerrss wwhhoo ggoo oouutt ffrroomm tthhee

cchhuurrcchh uunnddeerr ssuucchh ccoonnddiittiioonnss,, iiff tthheeyy ffaaiill tthheeyy ccaannnnoott eexxppeecctt ttoo

rreettuurrnn ttoo tthheeiirr pprreevviioouuss ppoossiittiioonnss aanndd mmiinniissttrriieess.. TTiimmee wwiillll hhaavvee

ppaasssseedd aanndd ccoonnddiittiioonnss cchhaannggeedd.. TThheeyy wwiillll hhaavvee ttoo rreettuurrnn aanndd bbee

ccoonntteenntt ttoo lleett tthhee HHoollyy SSppiirriitt ccaauussee tthheemm ttoo eemmeerrggee aaggaaiinn aanndd bbee

aappppooiinntteedd ttoo tthhee wwoorrkk HHee hhaass cchhoosseenn ffoorr tthheemm,, aanndd tthhiiss mmaayy wweellll bbee

ddiiffffeerreenntt ffrroomm wwhhaatt tthheeyy ddiidd pprreevviioouussllyy..

bb)) HHeellpp iinnddiivviidduuaallss ttoo uunnddeerrssttaanndd tthhee ddiiffffeerreennccee bbeettwweeeenn lloovvee,,

aacccceeppttaannccee aanndd ssuuppppoorrtt ffoorr tthheemm aass iinnddiivviidduuaallss aanndd tthhee

eennddoorrsseemmeenntt aanndd ssuuppppoorrtt ffoorr wwhhaatt tthheeyy aarree ppllaannnniinngg ttoo ddoo!! AA

ccaarrrryy--oovveerr ffrroomm tthhee wwaayy tthhiinnggss wwoorrkk iinn tthhee oorrggaanniissaattiioonnss ooff tthhee wwoorrlldd

iiss tthhaatt iiff yyoouu ddoonn’’tt ddoo what the authorities want, and especially if you do the opposite you are usually rejected as a person. In addition what you do is also rejected! The minds of many Christians, that have not been renewed, come to the same conclusion concerning the authorities of the church. They expect to be rejected when they disagree with those in leadership. We have to help them to understand the difference in the Covenant Family of God where the individual is loved and accepted because they are created in the image and likeness of God, and are part of the family of God, and not on the erroneous, worldly basis of what they do. They have to be

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helped to understand that they can be loved, supported and accepted even when what they do is not accepted or supported. It is a difficult truth to grasp and understand but it is essential for spiritual health and maturity. It also applies to other areas of disagreements among believers. Christian maturity and love can love, honour and accept those with whom it fully disagrees!

44.. TThhee sshheepphheerrddss ooff GGoodd’’ss FFlloocckk hhaavvee ttoo uunnddeerrssttaanndd tthhee ddeelliiccaattee bbaallaannccee

bbeettwweeeenn::

aa)) TThhee ssuubbmmiissssiioonn aanndd aaccccoouunnttaabbiilliittyy ooff tthhee sshheeeepp ttoo tthheemm aass tthhoossee iinn

aauutthhoorriittyy

bb)) TThheeiirr oobbeeddiieennccee ttoo tthhee WWoorrdd ooff GGoodd aanndd tthhee HHoollyy SSppiirriitt..

TThheerree hhaass ttoo bbee fflleexxiibbiilliittyy aanndd aaccccoouunnttaabbiilliittyy.. AAnn hhoonnoouurreedd aappoossttoolliicc ffiigguurree ppuutt

iitt ssoommeetthhiinngg lliikkee tthhiiss,, tthhaatt bbaallaannccee ““...like a kite, must be free to catch the Spirit breeze, and fly, but needs the rope of accountability, or it will fly all over the place and crash.”

BBootthh sshheepphheerrddss aanndd sshheeeepp ccaann bbee wwrroonngg iinn tthheeiirr jjuuddggeemmeenntt aanndd iinntteerrpprreettaattiioonn

ooff tthhee WWiillll ooff GGoodd.. TThheerree hhaass ttoo bbee aann aawwaarreenneessss ooff tthhiiss ttrruutthh aanndd aa ssuubbmmiissssiivvee

aattttiittuuddee oonn tthhee ppaarrtt ooff bbootthh ppaarrttiieess.. UUllttiimmaatteellyy iitt iiss nnoott aa mmaatttteerr ooff wwhhoo iiss pprroovveedd

rriigghhtt oorr wwrroonngg iinn tthhee eenndd,, bbuutt tthhaatt tthhee ppuurrppoosseess ooff GGoodd aarree wwoorrkkeedd oouutt,, tthhaatt

eevveerryyoonnee rreeaacchheess tthheeiirr ffuullll ppootteennttiiaall iinn GGoodd,, aanndd tthhaatt HHiiss KKiinnggddoomm hhaass ccoommee

aanndd HHiiss WWiillll hhaass bbeeeenn ddoonnee.. Let’s try the Self-test on the next page.

Stop and reflect: We have such a classic example in the Bible of a “sharp disagreement” between Paul and Barnabas that caused them to go different ways. We never read though, of any negative things being said or written by one about the other. Rather Paul refers to him in terms of a friend and co-worker (1 Corinthians 9:6, Galatians 2:9). Read Acts 15:36-41. Explain the importance of Paul beginning his missionary journey with the commitment of the brethren. Have you attempted to venture out on your own, yet faced opposition from your elders or pastor? What are your convictions concerning their covering over you? Support your answer with full scriptural backing.

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Self-test 1. What is “general confronting”? 2. What are some reasons leaders use to avoid confrontation? 3. What is the most common way of dealing with the problem at hand? 4. It is more difficult to confront a 5. What must we remember if we fail to confront leaders who have fallen into sin? 6. We do not confront for the sake of confrontation, to stop, check, punish, expose or teach people a lesson but it must always be for what purpose?

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7. Successful confrontation depends entirely upon the help of the Holy Spirit because one of His functions is to... 8. It is important to remember when supporting individuals that have made their own decisions contrary to that of the eldership, that one should reassure them of what two things? Compare with my answers on the next page.

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Self-test 1. What is “general confrontation”? 2. What are some reasons leaders use to avoid confrontation? 3. What is the most common way of dealing with the problem at hand? 4. It is more difficult to confront a 5. What must we remember if we fail to confront leaders who have fallen into sin? 6. We do not confront for the sake of confrontation, to stop, check, punish, expose or teach people a lesson but it must always be for what purpose?

preaching and teaching

Possibility of conflict, rejection, criticism and people leaving the congregation because they do not want to submit or repent.

Weariness of pressures and stress.

Not dealing with it at all and avoiding confrontation

leader or potential leader

We must remember that: a) No sin remains hidden forever. There comes a time when it is revealed. At that point

it becomes a weapon in Satan’s hands. He will even keep it hidden until the leader has reached a place of wide influence and success, and then expose it at the most strategic time to affect leaders. The sheep are often devastated, discouraged, disillusioned, and have lost all confidence and trust in the leader.

b) A precedent is set for the future. It becomes difficult to discipline other leaders who fall, compounding the matter and making it increasingly more difficult with each successive case. Satan knows this and an avalanche of sin and corruption can be released, finally destroying the entire local church.

The purpose must always be redemptive.

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7. Successful confrontation depends entirely upon the help of the Holy Spirit because one of His functions is to... 8. It is important to remember when supporting individuals that have made their own decisions contrary to that of the eldership, that one should reassure them of what two things?

a) tthheeyy ddoo nnoott wwiisshh ttoo ddoommiinnaattee oorr ccoonnttrrooll tthheemm,, aanndd tthhaatt tthheeyy ccaannnnoott ssttoopp

tthheemm ddooiinngg wwhhaatt tthheeyy bbeelliieevvee ttoo bbee tthhee WWiillll ooff GGoodd.. b) tthheeyy wwiillll nnoott rreejjeecctt tthheemm iiff tthheeyy ggoo aahheeaadd wwiitthh tthheeiirr ppllaannss,, bbuutt wwiillll lloovvee

tthheemm aallll tthhee ssaammee wwhheetthheerr tthheeyy aarree rriigghhtt oorr wwrroonngg.. IIff aallll ggooeess wwrroonngg tthhee

ddoooorrss aarree ooppeenn ffoorr tthheemm ttoo ccoommee bbaacckk.. IIff tthheeyy aarree ssuucccceessssffuull tthhee eellddeerrss

wwiillll rreejjooiiccee wwiitthh tthheemm iinn tthheeiirr ssuucccceessss iinn GGoodd..

bring revelation, conviction, repentance, and eventually helps the individuals to renew their minds, change their values, standards, behaviour patterns and lifestyle.

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UNIT FIVE

CALLING YOUR SHEEP BY NAME

“He calls His own sheep by name... I know My sheep... and My sheep know me...His sheep follow Him because they know His voice”

John 10:3; 14:4

Learning Outcomes:

After completing this study unit you should be able to:

(1) Distinguish between proper and improper relationships. (2) Expound on the Covenantal relationship. (3) Learn to build good and healthy friendships.

5.1 SHEPHERD-FLOCK RELATIONSHIPS 5.1.1 Relationship within the Covenant of God

Relationships that operate through the love of God are within the covenant of God, (1 Corinthians 13:4-8; Galatians 5:22,23). They are foreign and contrary to the sinful nature in man. Bringing the Flock of God fully into a covenantal relationship must be the goal of shepherds. The relationship between the shepherds and sheep, and among the sheep themselves, should always be Covenantal. These relationships are the most powerful means of uniting and holding people together. They are the only ones that have stood the test of time. History teaches us that in times of great persecution of the church it has always been the believers who have understood the nature of Covenant relationships and practised them, who have stood firmly together. Others who were held by functional relationships (organisational and religious) have fallen apart. It was the one major difference that Jesus declared as that characteristic that would identify His true disciples in the eyes of the world. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35. Covenant relationships ensure unity of heart, forgiveness, emotional and physical healings, growth, cooperation, and the fulfilment of the purposes of God. The shepherds have to lead the way in teaching, and practising Covenant relationships. It is a difficult task, only possible with the help of the Holy Spirit who is the Helper. It must be one of the high priority goals for shepherds. Unfortunately, there are other things like numerical growth, finance, ministry, etc. that are the highest priorities in the minds of shepherds. Without genuine Covenant relationships in the church all other achievements are in jeopardy. This is not usually apparent in the early stages of the life of the church. It usually manifests itself when problems and disagreements arise, causing splits and factions within the leadership and the congregation.

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Attitudes and values carried over from the organisations of the world can influence shepherds to violate Covenantal principles of relationship and accountability. Employers and managers are able to remain objective and treat their people in a “clinical” manner. Their people are in many ways expendable. The business comes first and money is the tool used to control them. Shepherds anointed and appointed by God to care for His sheep can never allow themselves the convenience of such attitudes. The sheep are “given” to the shepherd to care for them as if they are his own. In that sense he “owns” them..., “He calls his OWN SHEEP...”. He bears the consequences of all that happens in their lives. If they are lost, he feels that loss as his own. He is accountable to the “Great Shepherd of the Sheep”, (Hebrews 13:20), who is going to ask him... ”where are my sheep?” That fact changes everything for the shepherd! The Lord Jesus, the great model for all shepherds, implied this in prayer to His Father concerning the believers He was about to leave on earth... “Those You GAVE ME out of the world...” John 17:6. The shepherd cannot neglect them or abandon them. The shepherd and his wife therefore, have to get to know their sheep individually, “He calls his own sheep BY NAME” and their sheep have to get to know them. This may appear to be stating the obvious. In practice this is not always as easy as it sounds. When churches are small in number it is quite natural for this to happen. As the numbers grow, pressures begin to increase on the visionary couple. Increased demands on their lives make it difficult. Added responsibilities of running the church affairs, meeting the crisis demands of hurting and wounded sheep, and training leadership, pressurised the couple into becoming more activity- and ministry-

Stop and reflect: Read John 13:34-35. Why do you think it was so important for Jesus to emphasize this new commandment to love one another? Support your answer with at least two Biblical references.

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them;

for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

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orientated and less relational. It is a problem faced by every couple that do their work well. 5.1.2 Building Healthy Relationships

The sheep, too, have to get to know the shepherd in order for healthy relationships to be built. These are essential for the sheep to trust the leaders sufficiently to follow them when they lead the church into change and new projects. It is also vitally important for discipling the sheep. They will not come to the elders for help, nor will they share their hearts with those whom they do not know and cannot trust. Many sheep continue to struggle with personal problems because they do not have sufficient confidence and trust in their pastors to go to them. A good relationship is necessary before people will approach the shepherd for help in very personal matters such as marital and sexual problems. Furthermore, as we have already considered in matters, of confrontation, one cannot bring “ten tons” of confrontation across a relationship bridge that can only sustain “two tons”! The bridge will break and destroy any further possibility of helping the individual. “Getting to know” each other requires contact, communication, vulnerability and interaction between shepherds and people. Shepherds who do not have contact with their sheep, and who keep themselves “above” and aloof from the people will be unable to build such Covenant relationships. Where the family of God does not have good relationships with each other and with their leaders, shepherds will begin to resort to other things to hold it together, such as employing worldly techniques to keep their people. Building good relationships demands time, energy and sacrifice. There are no short-cuts. The following are some guidelines :

1. Shepherds have to get into the homes of the people in order to get closer to them, get to know them, build friendships, to see how they live and to pick up areas that need attention. There are, however, difficulties in seeking to live up to such an ideal.

2. Shepherds need to look for opportunities to get close to their people;

visiting them at their place of work where convenient, making use of odd moments, such as meeting them in the street or after a meeting, to talk to them, show interest, listen to their hearts, build relationships and give encouragement.

3. The people should have easy access to shepherds for help, advice and

ministry. Again there are problems involved and we will discuss this latter. 4. Even though it may not always be possible to spend enough time with

people for them to get to know shepherds, there are other ways in which this can be done. Shepherds can get closer to their people and make themselves more approachable by walking in reality and honesty and being open and vulnerable. Without disclosing all the details of their private lives, they can use appropriate opportunities to share their hearts and their lives with their people. This can also be done in a natural way while preaching. However it must be emphasised that this channel should never be used to

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subtly boast or to impress people with how busy the elder is, how he is suffering, or for throwing out hints to get his needs met!

5. Shepherds have to learn to be impartial, and by means of the Love of the Spirit, to love the unlovely. One cannot choose the kind of people you want in your church (although some pastors do, to their own loss in the end) any more than you can choose your brothers and sisters. God determines who is born into a family, and also who is born into a local family of believers, even if one may find some of them repugnant. He should also be the One Who decides who is brought in among them. Shepherds have to accept, love and care for those whom the Great Shepherd gives to them. Shepherds represent the Great Shepherd, and His love is impartial and genuine. The elder has to be a friend to every one of his sheep. He must “call his sheep by name”, and they must “know His voice.”

5.1.3 Good and Natural Relationships

On the other hand, there are always people in a church with whom an elder and/or his wife find a natural affinity. There is almost an instant understanding, and friendship flows easily. There are many different factors involved. One must realise, however, that many of these factors may be mundane, materialistic and part of human nature. At first, giving in to this phenomenon may seem easier than to deal with loving the unlovely. However it is not necessarily so and has its own problems. Where elders can find grace to love the repugnant, in the long term these relationships are often easier to maintain and keep in balance. Elders have to be wise and careful of natural friendships. There is a degree of loneliness that often accompanies elders (especially visionary elders). One’s own need for fellowship can tempt one to indulge oneself in these friendships. Loneliness in such cases has to do with one’s calling and responsibility. There are many things that a visionary elder and his wife have to carry on their own and which they cannot share with others. Indulging without care in these easy relationships for one’s own benefit may result in:

Stop and consider: Impartiality is a very important topic. We know that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34,35; Galatians 2:6). Why is this important to you personally? Also, why must this be very important in your ministry as a shepherd? Support your answer with two Biblical references.

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1. The friends may take advantage of the relationship and make unnecessary demands on the eldership couple burdening them excessively.

2. The friends exploiting the relationship to their advantage, enjoying the

prestige factor, boasting about it to others, or subtly letting others know about it, causing envy and criticism.

3. A time may come when the elder has to confront the friend on matters of

sin or correction. An immature person will react more intensively at such a time and feel violated because of the friendship.

4. The elder may find it difficult and be reluctant to confront those in whose

friendship he indulges.

5. One is naturally drawn to those whose company you enjoy, and elders may find themselves giving disproportionate time and attention to what is reasonable for the people concerned. Elders may find themselves always talking to their friends in public, before or after meetings, and conveying a partial attitude to others who will feel jealous and neglected. This happens very easily with devastating effects.

6. Where such “natural relationships” tend to develop with one or more of the

elders, the parties concerned have to be extremely careful to remain impartial and build relationships with all the others. This is especially true if the affinity is between the visionary and one of the support elders. Satan is looking for such opportunities to bring tensions, misunderstandings and division. Disunity in the leadership is his main target. On the other hand, we must also remember the delight of the Lord of the church in, and His blessing on, those who unconditionally develop and work at Covenant Relationships.

7. Needles to say, and yet extremely important, is the danger posed by such a natural affinity felt by an elder or his wife for someone of the opposite sex! Those who feel they are so spiritual that they are “above” any such temptation had better read the Bible again, both in its examples of the failure of the great men, such as David and Solomon, and in its warnings. Pastors face a dangerous occupational hazard.

5.1.4 Close and Personal Friends

What is the answer? Do elders have to avoid close friendships with their people when the church is based on friendship with each other and with the Lord Jesus? Even He

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren

to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133:1

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had some special friends! Elders can and should have personal friends with discretion and wisdom. The following guidelines will help:

1. Elders and their wives must choose personal friends carefully. They must be resourceful and helpful; mature people who understand the nature of pastoral ministry and leadership. They must be people who will not take advantage of the relationship in any of the afore-mentioned ways and who will be careful in public not to be seen to be “special” to the elder or his wife. Although Jesus was a friend to everyone, He nevertheless had a one-to-one friend in John, and then in ever-widening circles friendships of a lesser degrees of intimacy with the three, the twelve, the seventy, the hundred-and-twenty and the five hundred. Let us not imagine that we can do better!

2. Elders and their wives will have to be wise about the number of personal

friends they can have in the local church. Friendships have to be “serviced” and require time and energy. The higher one gets to the top of the leadership ladder the more careful one must be about setting the “relationship parameters”. Like an arrow, the faster it has to fly the sharper and narrower the parameters of the arrow head and point must be.” They may have to prayerfully narrow down the number of relationships in order to cope with the calling of God on their lives. Neglecting the setting of such parameters, may result in an arrow with a blunt flat head that cannot fly and will become unstable and without direction.

3. Elders and wives will have to be wise about the amount of time they

spend with such personal friends. Because of the nature of the pastoral ministry, elders can never expect to be able to spend the kind of time with their friends as those who are not called to such a ministry. All effective leaders experience degrees of loneliness that their followers do not. There is sacrifice involved, but which is very little in the light of the ultimate sacrifice paid by the Saviour Himself. These are matters that elders have to settle at the outset when they respond to the call of God on their lives.

4. A far easier solution is to seek resourceful friends outside the local

church who are in similar callings and understand the pastoral ministry and its pressures. Most of the above dangers will then be avoided.

Try the Self-test on the next page.

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Self-test

1. What must be the goal of every shepherd? 2. Because of Jesus’ words in John 17:6, the shepherd must be careful of what? 3. In order for healthy relationship to be built, what must be the responsibility of the sheep? 4. Building good relationships demands , and . 5. Elders need to be careful, using wisdom and discretion in finding and maintaining personal friends. Briefly list four guidelines they should maintain. Compare your answers with mine on the next page.

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Self-test

1. What must be the goal of every shepherd? 2. Because of Jesus’ words in John 17:6, the shepherd must be careful of what? 3. In order for a healthy relationship to be built, what must be the responsibility of the sheep? 4. Building good relationships demands , and . 5. Elders need to be careful, using wisdom and discretion in finding and maintaining personal friends. Briefly list four guidelines they should maintain.

Bringing the Flock of God fully into a covenantal relationship.

Neglecting or abandoning the sheep

The sheep have to get to know the shepherd.

time

sacrifice

energy

(a) Elders and their wives must choose personal friends carefully. (b) Elders and wives will have to be wise about the number of personal

friends. (c) Elders and wives will have to be wise about the amount of time they spend

with such personal friends.

(d) A far easier solution is to seek resourceful friends outside the local church.

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UNIT SIX

TAKING CARE OF THE SHEEP

“My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth,

and no one was seeking or searching for them.” Ezekiel 34:6

Learning Outcomes:

After completing this study unit you should be able to:

(1) Know the proper methods of shepherding (2) Understand the Biblical, spiritual and physical needs of the sheep (3) Understand the caring responsibility of the shepherd (4) Comprehend the possible results of inconsistent shepherding

6.1 RESULTS OF POOR SHEPHERDING 6.1.1 Failing to Properly Pastor the Sheep

Godly shepherding brings about wonderful results. The prophet Ezekiel is instructed by Jehovah to prophesy against the shepherds of Israel and expose their failure and corruption. We learn as much from the “negatives” of Scripture as we do from the “positives”. Ezekiel 34:5 tells us, “...so they were scattered...”. Many of God’s people have been scattered because His shepherds have failed to pastor them but rather have hurt

and abused the sheep. They have been used and offended until they have withdrawn from the fellowship of the Body. In a sense, they are “lost” to the local church. They are lost in a world that isolates, rejects, discourages and depresses them into a condition of hopelessness and disillusionment.

Stop and reflect: Read Ezekiel 34. From this chapter we have a clear account of what the Great Shepherd requires of the shepherds of His sheep. What is the heart of God toward His people?

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6.1.2 Failing to Properly Protect the Sheep As we move toward the climax of history and find ourselves in the period of the “last days”, Jesus warns us that there would be many false prophets and false christs, some with amazing supernatural powers. They will “appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible...”, (Matthew 24:24). Those who are lost and isolated from the protection and covering of the local church are vulnerable to such individuals and movements, Ezekiel says “...they became food for wild animals”. There are also the direct attacks and temptations of the forces of evil that are aimed at destroying such people by the war on their minds and the trappings of a worldly society. There are the dangers within the world i.e., error and cults, however there are also the dangers that come through those who build their own church kingdoms and dishonour the Bride of Christ in their self-seeking empires. The scattered get caught up by their own needs and go through the whole process of being hurt again!

How are you reflecting God’s heart desire through your ministry? What efforts do you need to make in order to change or maintain this attitude?

Stop and answer:

Read Acts 20:28-30. Who is holding the overseers of God’s Flock responsible to feed and shepherd the sheep? Why must the overseers be on guard? What is going to be able to “build up” the Flock of God? How would you instruct your Flock in the last days? What provisions would you make for both yourself and the Flock to guard against

the false teachers and false prophets?

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6.1.3 Failing to Properly Guide the Sheep

“My sheep wandered over all the mountains and every high hill”, Ezekiel 34:6. It is a total violation of the purpose of God for His people, and a violation of all Jesus died for, that they should be “wandering” without direction, protection and purpose. “Mountains” are dangerous, and usually wild terrain. The world and its systems are full of danger. God’s people need to anchor themselves and take refuge among the family of believers. They need instruction, warning, and the ministering of the Word. They need the Spirit of God working in and through the lives of others, especially through anointed elders whom the Lord has appointed to lead and guide them. God clearly emphasises how essential Godly shepherds are to the welfare of the Flock by His words, “they were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.” Ezekiel 34:6 6.2 EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT MUST BE DONE 6.2.1 The Sheep must be Gathered

Again, we turn to Ezekiel 34 where we have an outline of what shepherds should be doing to meet the expectations of the One who calls and appoints them. May we repeat that to be called a shepherd of the Flock of God is a high and wonderful privilege and deserves the very best of our dedication, devotion and sacrifice. It can never be a hobby, a sideline, or a conditional occupation. It calls for the best we have to offer and for our lives to be laid down sacrificially.

Stop and reflect:

Read Luke 15. Here we see the compassionate and caring heart of the Father for His “lost sheep”. What does the extensive searching, in both the parable of the Lost Sheep and Lost coin, tell us about God’s “missionary mandate”? Perhaps the Father’s reaction to the return of his “Lost Son” is unrealistic, give your

view. How does this parable help us in our desire for Godly shepherding?

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Consider the following:

1. Firstly, the sheep need to be gathered and “knit” into a local Covenant family where they are able to belong.

2. Secondly, they need to be accepted, loved, forgiven, healed, encouraged and inspired.

3. Thirdly, they need an environment that is conducive to development and growth.

4. Lastly, they need to be taught the whole counsel of God and trained to serve and minister His grace to others.

One of the prime results of the pastoral anointing is that of gathering people. This is not stated directly in so many words, but is clear by implication. Visionary elders must birth this all important characteristic in the minds of the sheep as they seek to identify potential support elders. It may appear to be stating the obvious, but in practice other qualities such as charisma and communicative skills often overshadow this basic and essential requirement for a pastor. Small group leadership is a basic way of testing individuals for this anointing. Those with a calling and anointing to shepherd will soon gather and grow the group, and even have to hand it over for the help and care of others. It is wise to allow sufficient time for this process to be repeated several times to make sure it is a genuine anointing. Groups can grow because of other reasons too. It is also helpful for those who are seeking to ascertain the nature of their calling and anointing to honestly face the truth about whether they are able to gather people or not. The same danger of being deceived by having the gift of communication and a charismatic personality apply to individuals who think they are anointed for pastoring. An example of this kind of deception was a couple who thought they were called for eldership and were given a home group to look after. The numbers steadily dwindled down until there were only three left. At this point the couple came to the visionary elder and said they felt that the time had now come for them to be released as full-time elders!

Stop and consider: What does one do to gather the Flock? Read Jeremiah 31:1-4. What dynamic shepherding principles can you find from this Scripture?

What can be defined as the key to gathering sheep for the church?

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There is no one simple means of gathering sheep. Concerning the true shepherd, Jesus said that the sheep “follow Him because they know His voice...” John 10:4.

“Knowing his voice” refers to a level of trust the shepherd has earned by the way he has cared for and led the sheep. He has called them on many occasions and they have found it safe to follow him. They may be attracted to a charismatic character who entertains them, but they will not follow him when he seeks to lead them to move forward with God. The true shepherd not only attracts people but draws them after him by means of his genuine pastoral care.

They have seen him “lay down his life for the sheep”, John 10:11. They follow because he feeds them, leading them into green pastures. They follow because he brings them into the forgiveness, healing and the freedom of God’s grace. They experience fulfilment, usefulness, and the very life of God.

6.2.2 The Sheep must be Cared for and Fed

“... should not shepherds take care of the flock?” Ezekiel 34:2. Taking care of,

feeding, and tending are all words bound up in the same Hebrew word used in this passage. These aspects are interwoven, one cannot take place without the other. An important point here is made in the preceding words, “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves!” There is a vicarious element in caring for God’s people. Sacrifice, inconvenience and pain cannot be avoided. One has to lay their life down for the sheep. One cannot be self-centred and convenience-seeking while seeking to care for God’s people. However, that does not mean that shepherds are to let people take advantage of them or abuse them. They do not lay down their lives primarily for the sheep, they lay down their lives for the Great Shepherd who said that it was necessary in order to follow Him (Matthew 16.24). They do not only serve the people, they serve the Master by serving the people. 6.3 HOW TO CARE FOR THE SHEEP 6.3.1 Watch the Sheep The shepherd would lead his sheep to a good pasture and then find a vantage point such as a slight rise, or a rock from which he would watch over them. He would watch for trouble, a wild animal stalking the sheep, or a thief sneaking up on the flock to

What is lovingkindness? In the New Testament, the Greek word translated as “grace” best represents the idea of God’s kindness or lovingkindness. Kindness is not an apathetic response to sin, but a deliberate act to bring the sinner back to God (Hosea 2:14–23; Romans 2:4). Those whom God loves with this love he will draw into covenant and communion with Himself, by the influences of His Spirit upon their souls; He will draw them with lovingkindness, with the cords of a man and bands of love, Hosea 11:4 “...I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.” The drawing with lovingkindness has a great deal to do with the doing of devoted deeds of love in order to show one’s great love for another.

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steal. He would also keep a look out for a sheep or lamb wandering too close to the cliff edge, and his trained eye would pick out the one that was sick and withdrawing from the rest. “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account”, Hebrews 13:17.

Having to give an account for them makes all the difference in the way we watch over them! This truth is not just a theoretical one but one that is written on the heart of the true shepherd by the Holy Spirit as He calls and anoints him. One cannot get away from it; no one should approach the people of God in a clinical manner. They must be caring and compassionate toward the Bride of our Lord! The true shepherd who watches over his people will be looking for the following:

1. Shepherds watch for signs of bondage and hurt that prevent growth;

areas that require deliverance and inner healing. 2. Shepherds watch over the Flock for spiritual growth and development.

They identify areas that need discipling or perhaps even confrontation. 3. Shepherds watch for signs of their sheep going through seasons of

hardship, trouble and suffering to stand by, help, pray, and encourage. 4. Shepherds watch for signs of backsliding, offence and withdrawal from

others, then go after them and minister to them 5. Shepherds watch for signs of sin in the lives of their people and lovingly

confront, seeking to bring them to repentance. 6. Shepherds watch for signs of anointing and calling, test them, give

opportunities for practice, train and release people into effective ministry. 7. Shepherds watch for signs of the attack of the enemy on their people

and come to their rescue. 6.3.2 Visit the Sheep

Train yourself to think “visitation”. You will be surprised at the moments you will find which you can use to visit, often in between other demands, for example, when you have been to see someone and you have been able to resolve the issues more quickly than you expected, leaving time over that is not allocated to anything. You may then be able to call on someone on the way and turn the futile effort into a profitable one. Visits do not have to be long, drawn out events that take up hours. We must learn the skills to maximise the time spent with folk. People love having their shepherds in their homes, and if it is up to them, they will keep us there for hours! However, we cannot go to the other extreme where a visit is just an official call with no warmth or personal touch.

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6.3.3 Fed the Sheep

There is only one kind of food that really satisfies the Flock of God, and that is the anointed Word of God. Just as it is with sheep, feeding the flock is an essential key to their health, protection and unity. We may be able to entertain them and keep them for a while with all kinds of hype and gimmicks, but in the end the sheep go where they can feed on the Word of God. One of the questions a pastor must ask himself when his people begin to leave and go to other churches is “Am I feeding the Flock on the fresh anointed Word of God that is relevant for this hour and for their life situations?” We cannot resort to theories, ideas, philosophies, opinions and platitudes to feed and build up God’s people. It is the powerful truth and the absolutes of the Word that provide the anchors of society and the human heart. Feeding the flock requires the elder to be full of the Word himself, so that he may be able to “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction”. 2 Timothy 4:2. There are many opportunities to feed the sheep on the Word in the daily life of

the church; times of crisis, confrontation, discipling, discussion, questions, teaching and preaching. The elder must be ready at all times and be able to share the Truth in an appropriate manner. There is no place for legalistic “Bible bashing” of people with insensitive applications of the Word.

Stop and reflect: There is a great ministry of encouragement needed within the Flock of God. Read Romans 12:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9; 2:15; Hebrews 3:13; 10:25. How would you use these verses to encourage the assembling of your congregation? Give and example of some of the greatest needs that you find within your local church?

Using scripture, how would you begin to alleviate some of these needs?

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged

sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”

Hebrews 4:12.

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The preaching ministry constitutes the greater part of feeding the flock. Sheep are nourished by the Word of God that is:

constantly appealing to as the final authority for faith and conduct

Holy Spirit selected

enlightened by divine revelation

prophetic in its application to the lives and circumstances of people

touching the hearts of the people

imparting courage and vision

positive and up-building, even when dealing with negatives

relevant to where they are in their walk of life

6.3.4 Protect the Sheep from Wolves The “wolves” refer to both men and the forces of evil. We have already considered the lament of Jehovah over His precious sheep in Ezekiel 34, “... they became food for wild animals” verse 5. He declares that it is because the shepherds failed to care for the sheep and protect them. This is a serious matter and a huge responsibility for the elders.

Elders are to protect the flock, in the following ways:

Bring them into spiritual freedom and maturity, Ephesians 4:12,14.

Train them to discern good and evil, Hebrews 5:14, while warning and instructing them concerning the “devil’s schemes” Ephesians 6:11.

Train them to be competent in spiritual warfare so that they can fight the battles themselves, Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 10:4.

Cover them through the protection of God’s structure of Authority, Acts 20:28. Angelic hosts cannot protect those who have placed themselves outside God’s protective covering by their pride and rebellion, 1 Peter 5:5-8; James 4:7; Psalm 91.

Take an aggressive stand against the enemy and his forces on behalf of the Flock of God.

Stop and reflect:

Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-6. Paul here talks about spiritual warfare. How does this

Scripture aid us in our battle?

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6.3.5 Fight for the Sheep

Elders need to teach these things to their people in order to help them stay under their protective covering.

Elders must adopt a continuous attitude held against the enemy on behalf of the Flock and get it into their hearts. It is the attitude of the shepherd that he is aware of the continual possibility of danger, and is ever ready to deal with it. People are often weak and compromising on matters of holiness. Many are unable to enter into warfare and many have not even come to the place where the forces of evil are a reality to them.

They must also have a readiness to react at any sign of the enemy’s attack on any or all of the Flock. The shepherd must be competent in matters of spiritual warfare, and able to take a stand against the enemy without hesitation.

A strong approach toward intercession on behalf of the flock offered up to the Head of the Church, is very important. Jesus, the Great Shepherd, gave us the example in His prayer to the Father, “While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled”, John 17:12.

Taking a strong stand against the enemy, in the presence of the Flock, is necessary at times, it brings a sense of security to the people and lets the enemy know that the Flock is protected.

We realise that there are different views on spiritual warfare. The main issue here is not the particular view held by elders, as much as to be active and apply their brand of warfare to protect the Flock.

Try this LAST Self-test on the next page.

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Self-test

1. Why are God’s people scattered?

2. What does Jesus warn us about regarding the last days?

3. What is a total violation of the purpose of God for His people?

4. What are the four principles that need to be considered in regards to gathering God’s sheep?

5. What does “knowing his voice” refer to?

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6. Why does the Flock follow its shepherd?

7. What does the true shepherd, who watches over his people, look for?

8. What is the only kind of food that really satisfies the Flock of God?

9. In what ways are elders expected to protect their Flock?

Compare your answers with mine on the next page.

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Self-test

1. Why are God’s people scattered?

2. What does Jesus warn us about regarding the last days?

3. What is a total violation of the purpose of God for His people?

4. What are the four principles that need to be considered in regards to gathering God’s sheep?

5. What does “knowing his voice” refer to?

6. Why do the sheep follow its shepherd?

They are scattered because His shepherds have failed to pastor the Flock but rather have hurt and abused the sheep.

Jesus warns us concerning false prophets and false

christs who have amazing supernatural powers.

It is a total violation of the purpose of God for His people to be “wandering” without direction, protection and purpose.

1. Firstly, the sheep need to be gathered and “knit” into a local Covenant family where they are able to belong. 2. Secondly, they need to be accepted, loved, forgiven, healed, encouraged and inspired. 3. Thirdly, they need an environment that is conducive to development and growth. 4. Lastly, they need to be taught the whole counsel of God and trained to serve and minister His grace to others.

“Knowing his voice” refers to a level of trust the shepherd has earned by the way he has cared for and led the sheep.

They follow because he feeds them, leading them into green pastures. They follow because he brings them into the forgiveness, healing and the freedom of God’s grace. They experience fulfilment, usefulness, and the very life of God.

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7. What does the true shepherd, who watches over his people, look for?

8. What is the only kind of food that really satisfies the Flock of God?

9. In what ways are elders expected to protect their Flock?

1. Shepherds watch for signs of bondage and hurt that prevent growth; areas that require deliverance and inner healing. 2. Shepherds watch over the Flock for spiritual growth and development. They identify areas that need discipling or perhaps even confrontation. 3. Shepherds watch for signs of their sheep going through seasons of hardship, trouble and suffering to stand by, help, pray, and encourage. 4. Shepherds watch for signs of backsliding, offence and withdrawal from others, then go after them and minister to them 5. Shepherds watch for signs of sin in the lives of their people and lovingly confront, seeking to bring them to repentance. 6. Shepherds watch for signs of anointing and calling, test them, give opportunities for practice, train and release people into effective ministry. 7. Shepherds watch for signs of the attack of the enemy on their people and come to their rescue.

The anointed Word of God.

Bring them into spiritual freedom and maturity, Ephesians 4:12,14. Train them to discern good and evil, Hebrews 5:14, while warning and instructing them concerning the “devil’s schemes” Ephesians 6:11. Train them to be competent in spiritual warfare so that they can fight the battles themselves, Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 10:4. Cover them through the protection of God’s structure of Authority, Acts 20:28. Angelic hosts cannot protect those who have

placed themselves outside God’s protective covering by their pride and rebellion, 1 Peter 5:5-8; James 4:7; Psalm 91.

Take an aggressive stand against the enemy and his forces on behalf of the Flock of God.

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Assignment Two

PART ONE 2.1 By definition, discipline, is primarily, “a rebuking or calling to

soundness of mind, or to self-control” as in 2 Timothy 1:7. In an essay give Scriptural reference to God’s discipline within our lives. Discuss the importance of God’s discipline over the shepherd’s life in comparison to that of the shepherd’s discipline over the sheep.

[Approximately 750 words]

PART TWO

2.2 Through Jesus’ disciplined lifestyle we who were sinners were

brought into favour with God through His blood (Hebrews 5:7-11). Because of this we too ought to live a pure and holy lifestyle in obedience to Him. As a shepherd, discuss the benefits of a disciplined lifestyle in light of Hebrews 12:3-11. Cross reference to expand, explore and explain God’s blessings.

[Approximately 750 words]

1W.E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Vine’s complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997,

c1996.