The "How To" of Pastoring, by Pastor William Noel

Nevertheless, this "freedom" has limits. If we are to remain faithful to the will of God, we must be obedient to His Word. This obedience necessitates that the conversation of our lives be held within the parameters of His commandments. In I Peter 5:1-5, the Apostle Peter gives directions on the "how to" of pastoring the church of God.

The word "feed" means to tend to as a shepherd would. Although some would have us believe that the pastor of the local church is unnecessary, this is untrue. The Almighty God has established order in the way His people are to worship Him, and this order is to be under the direction of a shepherd.

The role of the shepherd is one that we must conduct "up close and personal." I have heard that sheep are so familiar with their shepherd that they can distinguish his voice from another (John 10:12-16). To be effective shepherds, we must get out of our studies, and begin to spend time with the flock that is among us (I Peter 5:2).

Another responsibility of shepherding is the diet of our flock. The shepherd is responsible for leading his flock to and from pasture (Psalm 23:2). It is in the pasture that the sheep receive nourishment for their very existence and usefulness. So it is with the church of God. We, as pastors, should feed (nourish) our people in the bountiful pasture of God's Word. We are responsible to lead them to what they need to consume for their very existence, as children of God.

There are at least three metaphors that describe the nourishing aspect of the Bible. The first metaphor speaks of the Word as being milk (I Peter 2:2). The word "sincere" implies unadulterated or without wax. In Bible days, some potters would fill the cracks in the pots with wax so as to avoid losing the entire vessel. After filling the cracks, they would paint the vessel and sell it to an unwary buyer. However, when heat was applied to the flawed pots, the wax would melt, and expose the pot's true condition.

New babes in Christ desire the sincere (no wax) Word of God so that they may grow thereby. Perhaps the reason we cannot see growth in our converts is because the word we feed them is filled with wax! Instead of preaching, "thus saith the Lord," we preach something we heard on the radio, or read in a book. This ought not to be the case.

The second metaphor regarding the nourishing aspect of the Word is meat (John 4:1; I Corinthians 3:2; 10:3). Meat is the second stage of food in our Christian maturity. I'm afraid that many of our people are behaving like spiritual infants because we have been feeding them milk instead of meat (I Corinthians 3:2).

The third metaphor that speaks of the nourishing power of the Word is strong meat (Hebrews 5:12). This is reserved for those who are mature and seasoned in the faith. The longer a person lives, the more mature they should become. This is true in our natural life as well as in our spiritual life. Take a mental survey of your flock, how many of your people have been saved more than ten years? Fifteen years? Twenty years? These people should be feasting on the strong meat of the Word of God by now. The things that they learned as a new convert were sufficient back then. But now, they need to lay aside childish things (I Corinthians 13:11) and strive to know the excellency of the knowledge of God.

Any pastor will tell you that in order to be most effective one must be an overseer of the church. In Acts 20:28, Paul tells us that elders have been made overseers by the Holy Ghost. The word "overseer" comes from the Greek, epi, over and skopeo, to look or watch. This is where we get our English word "Bishop" (Philippians 1:1; I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:7; I Peter 2:25).

In taking the oversight, the Word of God tells that it might not be "by constraint, but willingly." A shepherd would often lead his flock to a pasture that was near a hillside. This availed him the opportunity to watch them while they grazed. He positioned himself close enough to see all of his flock (and their surroundings), but far enough away that he could detect any strays. If we are to "oversee" the flock of God that is among us, we must find that hillside which affords us a good view. Far too many pastors distance themselves from their people. This error allows the enemy to sneak in and steal away some of our fold. Other pastors become involved with certain members thus calling them to lose sight of the "strays."

In Genesis 39:4, we read the story of Joseph's promotion in Potiphar's house. The Bible tells us that "...Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had put into his hand." Joseph was a just man, however, he found grace (favor) in his master's sight. We see that Potiphar entrusted Joseph with all that he had (v. 4). Obviously Potiphar had faith in Joseph's ability to oversee the affairs of his house. This is applicable to the preacher as well. A pastor is simply a man who obeyed the call of His Master to enter the ministry. In this ministry, he too, can find grace in spite of his humanity. A pastor has been entrusted with the flock of God because God has faith in that pastor to oversee it, as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23).

The third "how to" of pastoring is simply being an ensample (example) to the flock. Recently, I have been studying the book of Hebrews. In this book the author constantly takes his readers back to the wilderness experiences of Israel. Israel serves as a type for the New Testament Christian, which is the antitype (I Corinthians 10:6,11).

So it is in the ministry. We who are called to shepherd the flock of God, are called to be ensamples to our people. They are to study and learn from our experiences as the "type" and then conduct their lives as the "antitype."

My wife is a seamstress. In watching her sew, I have learned that no matter what kind of pattern she uses, it is not good unless it is close to the fabric. It does not matter what kind of fabric she is using, she always pins the pattern before she begins to cut out (mold) the garment to be. So it is in the ministry. If we want our people to be molded into the proper garment, we must fulfill our role as the pattern (type, ensample). In sewing, a pattern does little good to the fabric until it is pinned in place. So it is in the ministry. Until a pastor allows himself to be the pattern for his people, he will continue to be frustrated with the behavior and growth of his people.

The Lord Jesus Christ has promised a special crown to the men of God who remain faithful to their calling. This crown is not just for those who serve in the position of a pastor, but to those who exhibit characteristics of pastoring. Earnestly pray that Christ would show you how to pastor your people.

"And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away" (I Peter 5:4).