Elders: Shepherd the flock of God
Acts 20:28-38 28 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.
Some sources used being:
No barriers – women and pastoral leadership (symposium) with Dr Lynn Cohick, Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College in Chicago.
Women in the NT – a middle eastern cultural view Kenneth Bailey
Dr David Scholer, professor of NT at Fuller – Women in ministry
We’re doing a mini-series on elders – what it means to shepherd the flock of God, what that looks like, and the people that take up that role.
Acts 20:28-38 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.
Role of an elder – love feed lead (Peterson)
Care/Shepherd – 1 Peter 5:2-3 (NLT) 2 Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Acts 20:28-38 28 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock
Teach – An elder must be “an able teacher” (1 Tim. 3:2; see 5:17). He must hold “to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and refute those who contradict it” (Tit. 1:9). Jesus’ under-shepherds feed Jesus’ sheep with Jesus’ word. Eph 4:11 gifts to church pastors/teachers.
Lead – Just as shepherds lead their flocks, so elders lead local congregations. The biblical writers also call elders “overseers,” a title that highlights their role as leaders (Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 3:1; Tit. 1:5, 7). Hebrews instructs Christians to “obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account” (Heb. 13:17).
Model – Shepherd the church “Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.” (1 Pet. 5:3) Illustration – Joe Daniher Essendon’s best and fairest.
Pray – Acts 6 – appointment of deacons “word and prayer”…