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Job Of A Shepherd. Acts 20:28. Job Of A Shepherd. God is a God of order – I Cor. 14:33, 40 God has set forth order within the world and the church – I Cor. 11:3 Christ is also the head of the church – Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18
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Job Of A Shepherd Acts 20:28
Job Of A Shepherd • God is a God of order – I Cor. 14:33, 40 • God has set forth order within the world and the church – I Cor. 11:3 • Christ is also the head of the church – Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18 • God had a plan of leadership for His church – Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5
Job Of A Shepherd • The wisdom of God placed these leaders within His church • These weren’t just any men, but men who met certain qualifications (I Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9) • God chose men to shepherd His flock, but what do these shepherds do?
Job Of A Shepherd • 1. To Be An Overseer • “…among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers” (Acts 20:28) • The elders have the duty of overseeing the flock at the localcongregation • Overseer – inspectors, superintendent, officer in general charge
Job Of A Shepherd • 1. To Be An Overseer • Deacons – servants; Evangelist – preacher; Elders – overseers • Heb. 13:17 – “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account.” • They oversee the spiritual!
Job Of A Shepherd • 2. To Provide Order and Structure • God is a God of order and therefore must have order in His church • Titus 1:5 – “…that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you”
Job Of A Shepherd • 2. To Provide Order and Structure • In any working organization there must be structure and a hierarchy • This is another reason why there are qualifications for elders • Those who are at the top of the order making spiritual decisions shouldn’t be just anyone
Job Of A Shepherd • 3. To Feed The Flock • Acts 20:28 – “…to feed the church of God…” (KJV) • Elders are a part of the work of feeding or teaching the congregation • I Tim. 3:2 – “able to teach”
Job Of A Shepherd • 3. To Feed The Flock • Heb. 13:7 – “…who have spoken the word of God to you” • Titus 1:9 – “…that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict” • They must be involved in feeding the flock
Job Of A Shepherd • 4. To Be An Example • It’s important for an elder to set a good example among all • I Tim. 3:7 – “Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside…” • All the qualifications point to setting a good example
Job Of A Shepherd • 4. To Be An Example • Heb. 13:7 – “…whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct” • We can look to our elders as an example of how we should live and speak in our spiritual walk
Job Of A Shepherd • 5. To Stand Up To FalseTeaching • Elders must be able to recognize false teaching, but also have the courage to stand against it • Titus 1:9-13 • It’s another reason why they must be able to teach
Job Of A Shepherd • 5. To Stand Up To False Teaching • Acts 20:28-31 • Paul warns them about men who rise up to speak perverse (misleading) things • Elders must be watchful for this, but willing to speak out against it
Job Of A Shepherd • The job of a shepherd is not an easy one • That’s why we should “obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account” (Heb. 13:17) • “Let them do so with joy and not with grief…”