What is Shepherding and Why Must Elders Do It?

(This is a summary of the third sermon in the six-part series, “God Gave Pastors and Teachers,” preached on June 22, 2008. The audio is available here.)

What is shepherding and why must elders do it?

When you read in Acts 20:28 that the elders are to shepherd the church of God, what images come to your mind?

What tasks that pastors or elders do constitute shepherding?

Since this is a serious biblical command, we had better understand it well.

To understand it well, we need to look at how the Bible uses the term

What is shepherding, biblically? (more…)

What are Elders and Why Do We Have Them?

(This is a summary of the second sermon in the six-part series, “God Gave Pastors and Teachers,” preached on June 15. The audio is available here.)

Why do we exist as a church?

The glory of God is our goal. This is the reason we exist.

We as a church are not able to glorify God in some ways:

  • We won’t create galaxies or planets
  • We won’t raise up kingdoms and bring them down

But what can we do, by His grace, through His power?

Basically there are three ways we glorify God:

1) We worship God corporately: proclaiming and singing and delighting in the glory of God

This gives God glory DIRECTLY

2) We proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who don’t know Him

  • Through Missions: Reaching ALL NATIONS with the Gospel of the glory of God
  • Through Evangelism: Reaching our neighbors with the Gospel of the glory of God

3) We build up the body of Christ

  • In knowledge
  • In love
  • In faith
  • In Christlikeness
  • In perseverance

We can summarize these three ways in short phrases: We glorify God through:

  • Expressing joy in Christ
  • Spreading joy in Christ
  • Deepening joy in Christ

Thus, elders exist to help the church fulfill the reason for its existence.

  • Through worship
  • Through outreach
  • Through edification

God gives pastors and teachers as gifts to the church, so that the church might become what He intends it to be. The growing, strengthening, thriving, worshiping bride of Christ. (more…)