Will you please turn to the Gospel according to John, chapter 10? I would like to read a few verses, from verse 11 through verse 16.
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down His life for the sheep.
He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them:
He fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd; and I know Mine own, and Mine own know Me,
even as the Father knoweth Me, and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.
Welcome.
I was given the theme for this time together, and it is pastoral care in the body of Christ.
Now, I dare not say that I am going to teach. What I am trying to do is just to share with you, dear brothers and sisters, what the Lord has impressed upon my heart.
The more I meditated before the Lord, the more I was impressed with the importance of pastoral care in the body of Christ.
I think, in the past, probably this matter of pastoral care was not as publicly recognized as it should have been. Only in recent years do you find this matter being more and more appreciated and recognized.
Generally speaking, most people appreciate teaching, not pastoring. Teaching is more prominent; pastoring is more hidden.
And yet, we find in the Scripture that pastor and teacher are one. In other words, teaching without pastoring will lose much of its effectiveness. It is pastoring that makes teaching more personal, more experiential.
I do believe that the Lord wants us to recognize pastoring as much as teaching, because these two are inseparable. They are one.
Now, this word pastor, or shepherd, in the New Testament is the Greek word poimēn. It actually means a shepherd: tending the flock, not only feeding them, but really taking care of them in every way.
This is a word used in the Scripture, especially in the New Testament. First of all, it is used physically; that is, it refers to literal shepherds of sheep.
Like you find in Luke 2, when our Lord Jesus came into this world, there were shepherds. They were real shepherds, literally, and they were shepherding their flock.
Some people think that probably these were temple shepherds, shepherding sheep that were to be offered to God. It might very well be. But anyway, first of all, the word shepherd is used literally and physically, applying to those who shepherd sheep.
Secondly, you find that this word shepherd is used spiritually of our Lord Jesus. Our Lord Jesus is the Shepherd—not in a physical way, tending a few sheep in the wilderness, but in a spiritual way. He is shepherding people—us.
In John 10, the Lord said, “I am the good shepherd.” Why is He the good Shepherd? Because He lays down His life for His sheep. You cannot have a better Shepherd than that. He lays down His life for us.
Then you find, in Hebrews 13:20, that He is the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant. He is the great Shepherd because, through His blood, an eternal covenant—a new covenant—is brought into being between God and us.
Everything that pertains to our spiritual life is in that new covenant, and that covenant is brought into being through the blood of our Lord Jesus. He cannot be greater. He is the great Shepherd.
Thirdly, you find in 1 Peter 5:4 that He is the chief Shepherd. One day the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, and then He will reward those under-shepherds with a crown of everlasting glory.
He is the chief, and all the other shepherds are under-shepherds. So this word is applied to our Lord Jesus: He is the Shepherd.
Then, thirdly, you find that this word in the New Testament is also applied to certain people in the church.
In Ephesians 4:11, our Lord Jesus, after He ascended on high, gave gifts to men. He gave to the church some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.
Now, the word pastor there is the same Greek word, poimēn, meaning shepherd. In every other place it is translated into English as shepherd, but this is the only place where the same word is translated pastors. I do not know why. Probably it is just a matter of tradition.
But anyway, this is the only time you find the word shepherd translated pastor. So, pastor and shepherd are one and the same thing.
So far as this word is applied to God’s people, Ephesians 4:11 is the only place in the New Testament where you find “pastors and teachers.” As a matter of fact, pastors and teachers are one. They are not two different classes of people.
God gave to the church, for the perfecting of the saints, four classes of people:
So you see that pastors and teachers are actually one. Teachers are more public, and pastoral work is more private and personal, but actually they are one.
Now, in verb form, you find this word used twice in the New Testament. Once is in Acts 20:28. There the Apostle Paul, in his farewell words to the elders in the church at Ephesus, told them that the Holy Spirit had set them as overseers of the assembly of God, to shepherd the flock of God which He purchased with the blood of His own Son.
Here you find that the elders of the church in Ephesus were to shepherd the flock of God. That is the definition.
Then again, this is mentioned in 1 Peter 5:1-2. Peter, writing to his fellow elders and witnesses of the sufferings of the Lord, said that they were to shepherd the flock, exercising oversight over the flock of God.
Actually, it means: be shepherds. Take upon yourself the character of a shepherd in your relationship with the flock of God.
So, brothers and sisters, if this word is not applied to physical, literal shepherds, then it either applies to our Lord Jesus as the Shepherd, or it may apply to two different kinds of people in the church.
One is shepherds, or pastors and teachers, as one class of people God has given to the church for the perfecting of the saints. They are in the area of the work of God. Perhaps we may call them workers. They are called by God to perfect the saints.
On the other hand, in the area of the church itself, God has placed shepherding upon the elders of the church.
These are two kinds of people who are to shepherd the flock of God. One class belongs to the work, as in Ephesians 4; the other class belongs to the church, as in 1 Peter 5. Both are to do the work of shepherding the flock of God.
But strangely, you have in the Scripture Paul the apostle, Peter the apostle, and Philip the evangelist. But nowhere in the New Testament can you find Timothy the pastor, or Apollos the teacher. You do not have it.
And you know, the Scripture is silent where man is most vocal. I am afraid that is always the case.
Here you find that pastor is a function. Pastor is either a person, as in Ephesians 4—pastors and teachers—or it is a function. One of the main functions of the elders is pastoring.
It is never a title. But unfortunately, today it is more a title than anything else.
But, dear brothers and sisters, this does not mean that pastoral care is limited to pastors and teachers in the work of God, or to elders in the church of God. Pastoral care may be officially committed to these people, but it is not limited to them.
As a matter of fact, pastoral care is a function for all the members of the body of Christ. Being members one of another in the body of Christ involves a certain measure of pastoral care.
How can one member not care for another member? If we are in the body of Christ, if we are members one of another, there is no way for us not to care for one another.
It is something built within us. We have to bear one another’s burdens. We have to care for one another. We have to be concerned for one another, because in doing that, actually we are caring for ourselves. We belong to the same body.
The strong are to take care of the weak. The old are to take care of the young. The more mature, the more spiritual, are to take care of the less spiritual.
Every brother and sister, in a sense, has this function, in a smaller or larger degree, in the area of pastoral care or shepherding.
In Galatians 6, we are told that if anyone among you is at fault, those who are spiritual are to restore such a one in a spirit of meekness.
In other words, if a person is more spiritual, then he has to take care of those who are less spiritual. Immediately following, Paul says that we have to bear one another’s burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ. It is the law of love.
Now, in the body, the law is love. If the law is love, how can you not be concerned with one another? How can you not bear one another’s burden? We have to do that.
So, in a very general way, may we say that every brother and every sister is, and should be, involved in this matter of pastoral care in the body of Christ?
If we leave pastoral care just to the pastors and teachers and to the elders, you will find that they will work themselves to death, and yet they will not be able to take care of everybody.
This is something we need to emphasize. It is true that God gives to the church some shepherds and teachers. This is their work, their commission, and they should do it faithfully.
It is also true that the elders in the church are supposed to take care of the flock. This is their responsibility, and they should do it. But it does not mean that because they are doing it, all the other people do not need to do anything.
I think this is really a great weakness in the church today. We thank God for pastors and teachers; the church needs such persons. We thank God for elders who will shepherd the flock.
But, brothers and sisters, if we really know the heart of God, I believe that everyone should have some measure of pastoral care in the body of Christ. If this is done, then you will find that the body can really grow.
It is a good thing, especially for those more advanced in the Lord—those with more years and more experience in the Lord. Even if you do not have an official position in the church, it is a good thing for all who are somewhat more advanced in the Lord to bear one or two brothers or sisters in their hearts.
Everyone should have someone upon his or her heart. Just as we used to tell people that every believer should have one or two unbelievers in his or her heart, so they may pray for them and pursue them until they come to the Lord.
This is evangelism. Every brother and sister should have one or two—or, if you are able, more—but at least one. After one is saved, immediately you should take up another one. This is the way to see the gospel being preached.
In the same way, in the body of Christ, we are speaking about pastoral care. We should encourage brothers and sisters to be before the Lord and to have at least one person upon their hearts.
Really pray for that person. Really look after that person. Sometimes that person is absent; then visit that person, call that person, pursue that person, and bear that person in your heart.
In doing that, you find not only that person will be helped, but you will be greatly strengthened. This is the way pastoral care should be taken up in the church of God.
We do not want to limit pastoral care to only these two classes of people. Thank God for them; we appreciate them. But they alone are not able to take care of the flock of God. More brothers and sisters should be encouraged in this area.
Now, why is pastoral care so essential in the body of Christ? I think this is really evident. It is because the Bible calls us believers sheep.
It is a good term. When you think of sheep, they are innocent and meek. Everybody loves a lamb. But that is only one side; there is another side.
Of all domesticated animals, there is none more dumb, more ignorant, than sheep. God’s people are sheep. That is what the Bible says.
Sometimes we think of God’s people only partially, in a good way—and we should. They are lovely, so innocent. But there is another side. Sheep are really too dumb, too ignorant.
They cannot distinguish between what is nutritious and what is poisonous. If you just let the sheep go, they will eat anything. They do not know whether a grass or herb is poisonous or good for them. They cannot distinguish.
Among the people of God, unfortunately, the more you are among God’s people, forgive me for saying it, the more you begin to realize how dumb they can be.
Sometimes you almost want to give up. You think they should know, but they do not.
Now, do you blame them? Well, that is what they are. You cannot blame them. They are sheep. They need shepherds.
They need people who can help them find the pastures, keep them from that which is poisonous, and enable them to absorb that which is nutritious. Sheep need shepherds. You cannot simply let them go by themselves.
Sheep are not only ignorant, but if a sheep gets lost, it will never find its way back. They do not have horse sense. They are not like dogs, or even cats.
If a sheep gets lost, you have to go and find it. That sheep will never be able to get back. That is why sheep need shepherds.
Remember, God’s people are sheep. If they get lost, you cannot wait at home until they come back. They will never come back. You have to go and find them.
And not only that, but sheep are defenseless. If they get into a thorn bush, they are not able to get out of it. They cannot extricate themselves.
They are absolutely defenseless before wolves, bears, or lions. They are the most defenseless animals. Goats have some horns, but sheep have none. They are not able to defend themselves; they need to be protected.
If you really know sheep, it almost seems as if the shepherd has to take care of everything for them. Remember, these sheep are God’s people. That is what you are dealing with.
We need to know what we are taking care of. Oftentimes we expect too much of our brothers and sisters. Oftentimes we get discouraged. Oftentimes we blame them.
But we who are shepherding the flock have to understand the sheep. We are dealing with God’s people, who are sheep. They are so lovely, and yet you have to take care of them.
That is why pastoral care in the body of Christ is so essential.
Among God’s people, you find extremes, and extremes are natural. We are all naturally extremists. None of us is balanced until the Lord balances us.
Some people go to one extreme and say, “Well, I do not need anybody, any pastoral care. Just the Lord and I—that is all.” It seems as if they do not belong to the flock. They are the flock: one sheep, the flock.
That is one extreme. Then you find people go to the other extreme. Because God’s people are sheep and need to be taken care of, they say, “All right, let us organize. Let us plan. Let us arrange.”
So artificially, people are arranged to be shepherds over others. Some sheep are put under some shepherds, and some shepherds are put under other shepherds, and so on and so forth.
Then the shepherd begins to feel, “Well, these sheep are ignorant. They cannot do anything, so I will do everything for them. All you need to do is listen to me.” That is another extreme.
We need to strike the balance. On the one hand, we do see the need for pastoral care in the body of Christ. It is a tremendous need.
We pray that God will raise up many people who are able to function in this way, because much teaching is lost without pastoral care.
Some people appreciate teaching. Someone stands before them and teaches, and they remember it. But teaching is general. Unless there is pastoral care, most of the teaching will be lost.
So, we do see the need for pastoral care in the body of Christ, but we need to be careful lest we go to the other extreme and make it a human institution. We institutionalize the shepherding.
I think there is one basic principle in the Scripture that we need to understand concerning pastoral care in the body of Christ. It is very simple, and it is in John 10:16.
The Lord said, “One flock, one shepherd.” That is the basic principle of pastoral care in the body of Christ: one flock, one Shepherd.
There is only one flock. The Lord said that He had other sheep not of this fold. When He was speaking, of course, He referred to Judaism.
Judaism, as a religion, was like a fold. There were people in Judaism, and the Lord had some sheep from that fold. Yet He said that there were other sheep not of that fold, and He must bring them also. This refers to the Gentiles.
Out of the Jews and out of the Gentiles, out of Judaism and out of heathenism, God brings His people into one flock. There may be many folds, but there is only one flock.
At the time of the Lord, there were only two folds: Judaism and heathenism. Today we have many, many more folds. But remember, there is only one flock.
Why is this important? Because it is so easy to consider those who are under your care as your flock. You often hear people say, “My flock.” Now, whose flock? Theirs, or the Lord’s?
These sheep do not belong to you. They belong to the Lord. The Lord has purchased them with His precious blood. They are His property; they are not your possession.
As in 1 Peter 5, Peter exhorts the elders who shepherd the flock not to think that the sheep are their private possessions, and not to lord it over them as though they belonged to them.
No, they are the Lord’s property. If we can recognize that all the sheep belong to the Lord, and that all the sheep are one flock, then we will not have many flocks.
We may have many folds, unfortunately, but there is only one flock. This shows us that we who are the Lord’s are one. We cannot be divided.
The oneness of the body of Christ is expressed again in the one flock. This is a basic understanding we have to have: there is only one flock, and this flock belongs to the Lord. It does not belong to us.
God may give us the burden to take care of them, but never look at them as though they belong to us as our own personal, private property.
One flock, and then one Shepherd. How many shepherds are there? One Shepherd. This one Shepherd is none other than the Lord Himself.
God does give to the church some shepherds, some pastors, and God does raise up elders to shepherd the flock. God does give us a burden for one another. Yet we must remember that in spite of all this, there is only one Shepherd.
Now, how can that be? It simply means that when you are shepherding, it is not you who are shepherding. It is the one Shepherd shepherding within you and through you.
Put it another way: there is no one who can shepherd anybody else. Souls are too precious to the Lord to be committed to anybody else.
Brothers and sisters, I hope you can see this. Souls are so precious. God will not commit a soul to another person, lest you destroy it.
He paid such a price for that soul. He has such hope for that soul. He has destined that soul to such glory. Do you think He will commit any soul to anybody else? No. One Shepherd.
It is true that He uses people in this work of shepherding. But we must always remember that when we are doing shepherding, it is not we who shepherd; it is the Lord who shepherds.
If we remember this, it will keep us away from many errors, mistakes, and tragedies that happen in the church today.
You dare not do anything on your own. You have to be before the Lord and see whether it is the Lord who is doing it.
In spiritual things, this principle is basic. It is not only in shepherding; it is in teaching and in every matter concerning the work of God, spiritual things, and souls. God reserves the right to Himself.
Because of this, brothers and sisters, how we need the working of the cross in our lives.
The tragedy in shepherding is that you begin to think the flock is yours, and you begin to shepherd them according to your own thoughts. Perhaps your thoughts are the best, but they are yours. That is where all the tragedies happen.
How we need to do it with fear and trembling. How we need the cross to work in our lives, that we dare not touch anybody with the hand of the flesh.
When the Lord, the one Shepherd, is able to shepherd through you, then you will find the sheep are blessed. One flock, one Shepherd: this is the basic principle of pastoral care in the body of Christ.
Of course, in this matter of shepherding, one thing is very important, and that is relationship.
A relationship must be developed between the shepherd and the sheep, between the one who is pastoring and the one receiving care. You have to build up a relationship.
In John 10, the Lord said that He is the Shepherd, and He knows His sheep by name.
It is not an official relationship. It is a real relationship. The Lord knows every sheep by name.
Name here does not mean merely an appellation; it means identification. In other words, the Lord knows everyone—not superficially, but really.
It is very striking when you read the Bible. You find that names in the Bible are wonderful. For instance, Jacob: that name is representative of that person.
Then he was transformed into Israel: another identification, a new identification, because he had become a new person in the Lord.
Names are very wonderful in the Bible. Unfortunately, today names almost mean nothing; they do not represent or identify the person. But in the old days, they did.
A name could express the hope of the parents when they gave it, or something they saw in that person. Sometimes a name was given when the grace of God came upon a person and transformed him. Name is identification.
The Lord knows every sheep by name. If He has one hundred sheep, He has one hundred names for one hundred sheep. He has a name for every one of us.
It may not be the name you have, but He has a name for you, and that name truly identifies you. Your name today may not identify you, but the Lord calls you by name, and that name identifies you.
He knows exactly who you are, where you are, and exactly what His grace can bring you to—what He is to accomplish in you and how He is to be glorified in you. He knows.
That is the name. The Shepherd, our Lord, knows every name.
Therefore, anyone who is going to be involved in some measure of pastoral care must first establish a relationship.
You cannot just counsel someone whom you do not know. Some people have a pet doctrine or a pet counseling method, and whoever comes receives the same word. It is as though it were medicine for every disease—a cure-all.
It does not work that way spiritually. Everyone is different. Every sheep is different. You have to know each one before you are able really to help.
Otherwise, your help is superficial, because you do not really know them. So, first of all, whoever does pastoral work has to know the sheep by name.
It takes time. It is patient work. But you have to do it.
In Proverbs 27:23, it says that you must be well acquainted with the condition of your flocks and give careful attention to your herds. You have to know them. A relationship has to be established.
Then, out of relationship, trust must develop—a mutual trust.
You cannot care for anyone who does not trust you. And you cannot care for anyone whom you do not trust.
If you have already given up that person, you will no longer take care of that person. You think he is good for nothing and will never improve. There must be a mutual trust.
This mutual trust is beautiful. Gradually, it develops.
David said in Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” We are all familiar with that. But when David said, “The Lord is my shepherd,” he meant, “I put myself under His care. I trust Him.”
If a sheep does not trust the shepherd, the shepherd cannot do anything. The sheep will not listen to the voice of the shepherd; it will go its own way.
So, out of relationship, a mutual trust has to be there for pastoral care to be effective.
We will go into this more tomorrow, as to what pastoral care really is. But to conclude, I would like to illustrate it.
When we think of pastoral care, I think there is one person in the Old Testament who stands out: Moses.
For the first forty years, Moses was brought up in the palace in Egypt. He was trained to be a king.
By his training, he was qualified to be the king of Egypt. But somehow he felt in his heart for his own brethren. The seed was there. In other words, he felt a calling toward his brethren.
He was concerned about their condition. So when he was forty, he went out to see their condition. You know the story: how he killed an Egyptian, and the next day tried to make peace between two Hebrews.
He was mighty in words and deeds. That was his training; he was trained to be king. But it did not work.
To rule over Egypt was all right, but to shepherd God’s people, he was not qualified.
God took him away to the wilderness for forty years to keep some sheep. You know why? Because God’s idea is not kingly shepherding, but shepherdly kingship.
In forty years, Moses was trained and qualified to be king, but he was not a shepherd. His hand was too heavy. He was too eloquent. He was too confident of himself.
God took him away for another forty years in the wilderness, where he tended some sheep.
After forty years, God created in him a shepherd’s heart. He learned a lot during those forty years. He learned of God. He learned of himself. He learned of the sheep.
When he was in Egypt, he did not know God, he did not know himself, and he did not know the children of Israel. He thought the children of Israel surely should appreciate what he was doing; they should know. But they did not. They were sheep.
He did not know himself, and surely he did not know God enough. So, during another forty years, God allowed him to go through a most humbling and humiliating experience.
His eloquence was gone. His might was gone. He was no longer confident of himself. But he began to know God, he began to know himself, and he began to know the sheep.
Then God sent him back. For forty years, brothers and sisters, if you read Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, what you see in Moses is a shepherd.
On the one hand, he was most capable. But on the other hand, you find a shepherd’s heart there. This came out again and again.
He led the people to Mount Sinai, and he went up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments. The children of Israel, on the plain, built a golden calf and worshiped it. They broke the law of God.
Moses came down and saw that the people had gone astray so quickly. He had to deal quite drastically with them. He burned the golden calf, scattered it upon the water, and made the people drink of it. In other words, they had to drink their own thing.
Then he stood at the gate of the camp and called, “Who is on the Lord’s side?” The Levites came. They repented and joined him.
They had to go into the camp and slay those who persisted in rebellion, whether brother or neighbor. It was dealt with drastically.
But then Moses went to God and pleaded with Him, “Forgive them; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book.” Now, that is a shepherd’s heart.
He was very strong before the people because he stood for God. But he was so humble and lowly before God because he identified himself with the sheep, with the people. That is shepherding.
If you read on, you find this happening again and again. In Numbers 11, after they left Mount Sinai and began their journey toward the promised land, they tempted the Lord many times and refused to believe Him.
They did not want to go into the promised land; they wanted to go back to Egypt. At that time God said, “I will destroy these people and make you a great nation.”
What did Moses do? He pleaded with God and said, “God, this is Your people. You have brought them out with a mighty hand, and everybody knew about it.”
“If You destroy them, people will say that You were not able to bring them in, and therefore You destroyed them. Where will be Your honor?” And God listened to him.
Oh, brothers and sisters, look at the children of Israel. They were really sheep: perverse, stubborn, without understanding, rebellious. A tiny little thing, and they rebelled.
They blamed Moses. They murmured against him. They wanted to stone him. They forgot what he had done for them.
If God was provoked, surely Moses was more than provoked. But God said, “Carry them in your arms.” Moses said, “I did not bring them out.” But God said, “Carry them in your arms.”
And Moses did. He was the meekest of all men.
Brothers and sisters, this is an example of pastoral care in the body of Christ.
Do not think that pastoral care is something glorious. It is easy to give birth, but to bring that soul to maturity is the hardest thing to do.
But thank God, because the Lord is the Shepherd, He shares His heart with His people and wants His people to join with Him in the work of shepherding.
But always remember: one flock, one Shepherd.
Dear Heavenly Father, we do praise and thank Thee because Thou dost show us that Thy Son, our Lord Jesus, is the Shepherd: the good Shepherd, the great Shepherd, the chief Shepherd.
And Lord, we do thank Thee that Thou hast put this burden upon Thy people in the body of Christ to join with Thee, to be vessels in Thy hand for this pastoral care, because Thou dost care for Thy sheep.
O Father, we ask that Thou wilt give us this shepherd’s heart. We pray that Christ the Shepherd may so fill us that we may be able to do this work of shepherding among Thy people.
Lord, do not allow us to be so bold as to think that we can do it. Lord, we pray that we may give ourselves to Thee, not for our sake, but for Thy sake.
Lord, we are willing to be used by Thee in this way. Raise up more brothers and sisters who are able to care for Thy people.
Thy people are like sheep without a shepherd—scattered and harassed. O Lord, Thy heart must be hurt, crying out. Do let us hear Thy cry.
Lord, even though this is a most unappreciated and difficult function, yet, Lord, it is Thy will. If it pleases Thee, Lord, we are willing.
Here we offer ourselves to Thee and pray that we will consider it a great honor if Thou shouldst put this burden upon us. But, Lord, do not allow us to be presumptuous.
Lord, keep us very humble before Thee. And Lord, who is competent? Our competency comes from Thee.
So we commit ourselves and commit this whole matter of pastoral care in the body of Christ into Thy hands. We pray that, in this very short time we are together, Thou wilt bring us into the reality of pastoral care.
May Thy body be built up to the praise of Thy glory, in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.