The image of the flock is often used in the Bible, and it is a very instructive one (see Ps. 23; 100; Isa. 40:11; Luke 15:4–6; John 10; Acts 20:28; Heb. 13:20–21; 1 Peter 2:25; Rev. 7:17). We were once stray sheep, wandering toward ruin, but the Good Shepherd found us and restored us to the fold.
Sheep are clean animals, unlike dogs and pigs (2 Peter 2:20–22). Sheep tend to flock together, and God’s people need to be together. Sheep are notoriously ignorant and prone to wander away if they do not follow the shepherd. Sheep are defenseless, for the most part, and need their shepherd to protect them (Ps. 23:4).
Sheep are very useful animals. Jewish shepherds tended their sheep, not for the meat (which would have been costly) but for the wool, milk, and lambs. God’s people should be useful to Him and certainly ought to “reproduce” themselves by bringing others to Christ. Sheep were used for the sacrifices, and we ought to be “living sacrifices,” doing the will of God (Rom. 12:1–2).
Peter reminded the shepherd-elders of their Godgiven responsibilities.
Feed the flock of God (v. 2). The word feed means “shepherd, care for.” The shepherd had many tasks to perform in caring for the flock. He had to protect the sheep from thieves and marauders, and the pastor must protect God’s people from those who want to spoil the flock (Acts 20:28–35). Sometimes the sheep do not like it when their shepherd rebukes or warns them, but this ministry is for their own good.
A faithful shepherd not only protected his flock, but he also led them from pasture to pasture so that they might be adequately fed. The shepherd always went before the flock and searched out the land so that there would be nothing there to harm his flock. He would check for snakes, pits, poisonous plants, and dangerous animals. How important it is for pastors to lead their people into the green pastures of the Word of God so that they might feed themselves and grow.
Sometimes it was necessary for a shepherd to seek out a wayward sheep and give it personal attention. Some pastors today are interested only in the crowds; they have no time for individuals. Jesus preached to great multitudes, but He took time to chat with Nicodemus (John 3), the woman at the well (John 4), and others who had spiritual needs. Paul ministered to people personally in Thessalonica (1 Thess. 2:11) and loved them dearly.
If a sheep is too rebellious, the shepherd may have to discipline him in some way. If a sheep has a special need, the shepherd might carry it in his arms, next to his heart. At the close of each day, the faithful shepherd would examine each sheep to see if it needed special attention. He would anoint the bruises with healing oil and remove the briars from the wool. A good shepherd would know each of his sheep by name and would understand the special traits of each one.
It is not an easy thing to be a faithful shepherd of God’s sheep! It is a task that never ends and that demands the supernatural power of God if it is to be done correctly. What makes it even more challenging is the fact that the flock is not the shepherd’s; it is God’s. I sometimes hear pastors say, “Well, at my church …,” and I know what they mean; but strictly speaking, it is God’s flock, purchased by the precious blood of His Son (Acts 20:28). We pastors must be careful how we minister to God’s sheep, because one day we will have to give an account of our ministry. But the sheep will also one day give an account of how they have obeyed their spiritual leaders (Heb. 13:17), so both shepherds and sheep have a great responsibility to each other.
Take the oversight (v. 2). The word bishop means “overseer, one who looks over for the purpose of leading.” You will notice that the shepherd is both “among” and “over,” and this can create problems if the sheep do not understand. Because he is one of the sheep, the pastor is “among” the members of the flock. But because he is called to be a leader, the pastor is “over” the flock. Some people try to emphasize the “among” relationship and refuse to follow the authority of the shepherd. Others want to put the pastor on a pedestal and make him a “super saint” who never mixes with the people.
The effective pastor needs both relationships. He must be “among” his people so that he can get to know them, their needs and problems, and he needs to be “over” his people so he can lead them and help them solve their problems. There must be no conflict between pastoring and preaching, because they are both ministries of a faithful Shepherd. The preacher needs to be a pastor so he can apply the Word to the needs of the people. The pastor needs to be a preacher so that he can have authority when he shares in their daily needs and problems. The pastor is not a religious lecturer who weekly passes along information about the Bible. He is a shepherd who knows his people and seeks to help them through the Word.
Being the spiritual leader of a flock has its dangers, and Peter pointed out some of the sins that the elders must avoid. The first was laziness—“not by constraint but willingly.” His ministry must not be a job that he has to perform. He should do God’s will from his heart (Eph. 6:6). Dr. George W. Truett was pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas for nearly fifty years. Often he was asked to accept other positions, and he refused, saying, “I have sought and found a pastor’s heart.” When a man has a pastor’s heart, he loves the sheep and serves them because he wants to, not because he has to.
If a man has no conscience, the ministry is a good place to be lazy. Church members rarely ask what their pastor is doing with his time, and he can “borrow” sermons from other preachers and use them as his own. I met one pastor who spent most of his week on the golf course; then on Saturday he listened to tapes of other preachers and used their sermons on Sunday. He seems to be getting away with it, but what will he say when he meets the Chief Shepherd?
Next to laziness, the shepherd must beware of covetousness—“not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind.” It is perfectly proper for the church to pay the pastor (1 Cor. 9; 1 Tim. 5:17–18), and they ought to be as fair and generous as possible. But making money must not be the main motive for his ministry. Paul stressed this in his qualifications for an elder: “not greedy of filthy lucre” (1 Tim. 3:3); “not given to filthy lucre” (Titus 1:7). He must not be a lover of money nor devote himself to pursuing money.
Because of family or church situations, some pastors have to engage in outside employment. Paul was a tentmaker, so there is no disgrace in “moonlighting.” But, as soon as possible, the members of the church ought to relieve their pastor of outside employment so he can devote himself fully to the ministry of the Word. Pastors need to beware of getting involved in moneymaking schemes that detour them from their ministry. “No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer” (2 Tim. 2: niv).
The phrase “a ready mind” means “an eager mind.” It is the same word Paul used in Romans 1:15—“I am so eager to preach the gospel” (niv). It means a willingness to serve because of a readiness and an eagerness within the heart. This is the difference between a true shepherd and a hireling: a hireling works because he is paid for it, but a shepherd works because he loves the sheep and has a heart devoted to them. Read Acts 20:17–38 for a description of the heart and ministry of a true shepherd.
Be an example to the flock (v. 3). The contrast is between dictatorship and leadership. You cannot drive sheep; you must go before them and lead them. It has been well said that the church needs leaders who serve and servants who lead. A Christian leader said to me, “The trouble today is that we have too many celebrities and not enough servants.”
It is by being an example that the shepherd solves the tension between being “among” the sheep and “over” the sheep. People are willing to follow a leader who practices what he preaches and gives them a good example to imitate. I know of a church that was constantly having financial problems, and no one could understand why. After the pastor left, it was discovered that he had not himself contributed to the work of the church but had preached sermons telling others to contribute. We cannot lead people where we have not been ourselves.
Peter was not changing the image when he called the church “God’s heritage.” The people of God are certainly His priceless possession (Deut. 32:9; Ps. 33:12). This word means “to be chosen by lot,” as the dividing up of land (Num. 26:55). Each elder has his own flock to care for, but the sheep all belong to the one flock of which Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd. The Lord assigns His workers to the places of His choosing, and we must all be submissive to Him. There is no competition in the work of God when you are serving in the will of God. Therefore, nobody has to act important and “lord it over” God’s people. Pastors are to be “overseers” and not “overlords.”