SHEPHERDING THE FLOCK OF GOD

Two weeks ago our elders communicated with our church family that we are making a commitment to a more organized and better effort in shepherding the people of God at Patterson Park. In our worship services on Sunday, January 22, we began a short series of sermons on the subject of Shepherding God’s Flock. In the final chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus told Peter to shepherd his flock; feed my sheep. In Paul’s final words to the Ephesian elders, he spoke of his own example to them and admonished them to: Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood (Acts 20:28).
What I want you to notice in that statement is not so much the responsibility of the elders, though we will talk about that, but the reference to whom the elders are to care: the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Though we probably know the facts about the death of Christ, his blood that was shed for our sins, the fact that our redemption from sin was accomplished at the cross, I think we sometimes still lose sight of the fact that we are so treasured by God, so loved by him, so precious to him, that he bought us and made us his very own by the price of the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us. By virtue of Christ’s death on the cross for our sins and our faith in him as our only Savior, we are the church of God. We belong to him. He obtained us with his blood.
Patterson Park Church is not our church, though we often refer to the church we attend as our church. The church does not belong to us, though many of us have supported the church financially. The church does not belong to the leadership, though we in leadership carry a responsibility for the well-being of the church. We are the church of God and so treasured by him that he obtained us by the blood of his Son.
Scripture describes those who belong to Christ the following ways: God’s chosen people; the bride and the body of Christ; a people for his own possession; members of the household of God; a dwelling place for God by his Spirit.
Therefore, the role of Christ’s under-shepherds is incredibly important. We are called to care for, feed, nurture, and lead those whom Christ has obtained by his blood. It is a weighty and sobering responsibility. As our Shepherd, everything God does in our lives reveals his loyalty to us and how deeply he cares for us and for our spiritual well-being. Consequently, the goals and roles of shepherds ought to be the same; to work toward the spiritual well-being of those God has entrusted us to serve.
Our elders look forward to a renewed effort to serving the people of God at Patterson Park Church as Christ’s under-shepherds.