A Shepherd's Heart: What's In a name? (AKA How the name came about.)

Throughout scripture and History as we know it, names are significant. Whether a force for good or evil, you and I recall names. 

For years I've wanted to share the story of how the name and ministry of A Shepherd's Heart came about and this post is a brief retelling of just that. 

For as long as I can remember, even through hard times of depression and insecurity, I've always been what they call a "people person".  I've been wired to seek out and help meet the needs of others. 

Many years ago the calling on my life became clear and that calling had much to do with shepherding others as a pastor, lay person...shepherding in and out of the church meeting place. Shepherding people helping meet the spiritual and physical needs of others. 

As I read the Bible and started walking more seriously with Christ I learned that God wants shepherds to, as silly as it may sound as it should be a given, shepherd His flock and take it seriously.  It's not always a given today because many have missed or ignored what a call to shepherding is.

Another thing I recognized is that many staff pastors have a very tough job, put in long hours and often need pastoral care themselves however for various reasons, they weren't receiving it. I also recognized that many non-staff people were also hurting and need someone to reach out and care for them as Jesus modeled for us. 

What happens when songs are too high (and too loud)

The author makes some great points about what happens when worship songs are too high. Check out the article here: http://tinyurl.com/kfog9gs 

Something to think about if you are a worship leader or worship pastor. Would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. 

I have to interject that it does seem that today's worship songs are purposely high and loud and there's no in-between. Worship leaders, let me encourage you to shepherd your congregations by encouraging them to sing to their God via songs that are in a range that you don't have to be a "bird" to sing. ;-) 

Yes, the songs are just one mode of worship but an important one and a huge part of the weekly services so, shepherd them supporting their need and responsibility to worship The Lord in song and do so in a fashion the focus doesn't shift to things related to what the author says in the article. 

This isn't Chris Tomlin's congregation (or any other well known worshiper/worship leader for that matter) it's your congregation that God has given you responsibility over, so don't take that for granted. 

Also, the fallacy that seems to exist today that the music has be super loud in order to be good or to "lead people" in worship....it's wrong. Many churches are actually making ear plugs available to the congregation and I have to wonder...if people have to use ear plugs in order to "worship" is that really leading them in worship or does it detract from worship? 

For the ear plug utilizers, I'd say it must detract from their worship so I'd say, worship leaders, be mindful of the audio levels...if you turn it up...just make sure it's not up there too much as it does detract from what everyone is there to do and with both of these issues (too high and too loud) it can detract from you properly feeding the flock through your roll as worship leader/pastor/shepherd... food for though and prayerful consideration.

Praying the Lord uses all of you mightily and helps you strike the right balance in all these things.

Would love to hear your thought on these topic so please leave a comment to this blog post.

Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings,

rlk

The Journey Continues

It's been over a month since I was last able to post an entry and today I wanted to create a post in order to let you know about something exciting God is doing!

What's Going On?:

• God has opened up an exciting opportunity to serve at a new church plant in Hillsboro, Oregon which has been planted in partnership with the Northwest Independent Church Extension!
  
• The church is Antioch Bible Church and you can check out the web site @ http://abiblechurch.org.
  
• I've been offered a Pastoral Internship where I'll serving as the Executive Pastor intern and will be doing a variety of things in service to God!
  

Fifteen years ago I sensed God's calling on my life to serve Him and His people as a shepherd and now He is opening the door to serve Him in that capacity!

As a side note, I'll continue to work my full time job and serve / work part-time+ in the internship.

Next Steps:

• We're currently transitioning out of the church my family have called home for the last 8 years and will be serving at the new church every Sunday beginning in September.
  
• This summer we are currently serving at Antioch all but one Sunday a month and that one Sunday we are attending/serving at our old church home.
  
• On August 22, 2009 my wife and I will be going for an interview before the mission board and upon approval by the board we'll be accepted into the mission (I'll be a missionary pastor) and then we'll begin raising support as we will not and do not draw an income from Antioch Bible.
• I'll be one of three on the elder/pastoral team and we'll work closely together as a team to shepherd the flock at Antioch.
  

It's very humbling and such and honor to be serve The Lord and also knowing this is what He has "wired" me to do!

There is more I could share but want to keep this brief and just give you a "heads-up" regarding what God is doing and also ask for your prayers that God will bless this endeavor as I seek to humbly serve Him and that I'll be able to raise enough support to cover what my meager full-time pay is lacking so I can take better care of my family. Please also pray that God helps me be wise in balancing my time especially as I work many hours between both my full-time job and in serving at Antioch while trying to also keep my family a priority and making adequate time to serve and lead them as well. Thank you for your prayers!

Thanks for stopping by and if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Humbly,
rlk

Shepherding the Flock

Hello,

In reflecting on the Biblical role of a shepherd it seems that we live in a day where many have started to "professionalize" ministry. What I mean is that they have begun to take on more of a business model where someone is hired, (usually a specialist) for a job role and the calling God has on a Pastor’s life and the Biblical role of pastoring is de-emphasized.

Obviously you want to call someone who is gifted in certain gifts and talents however what the difference is today is that people are abandoning the call and role of a pastor and in its place they see it as just a job and not a calling. They are running the church and their "job" like a business and people just seem to be a consumer of "the goods" they provide each week. Because of this there are many pastors who have abandoned the Biblical mandate of a pastor. In place of this mandate they stick to their ministry box/role/title only and do nothing to really fulfill their shepherd role in shepherding God's people. Furthermore they are more concerned about marketing instead of communicating God's Word and the Good News of Jesus Christ.

It’s not that they aren’t doing some good things and it’s not that pastors shouldn’t be professional and yes, it is important to fulfill the role they were hired for but ultimately it's vital that they don't limit themselves based on that job and instead fulfill the call of a pastor in whatever role they fill. There is a difference of being professional in conduct and the professionalization of the church, the operation of the church, and "job functions" of the pastors and staff.

Pastors who are abandoning the call are missing the joy, the fruits, the blessing of genuinely fulfilling the role of a pastor/shepherd and dare I say the people in their congregations are being cheated as well.

I also have observed over the years that some who are called to pastor are at times putting the responsibility of shepherding solely onto the flock. Yes, we should in essence shepherd and care for each other but again, this is not in place of the shepherds call and responsibility who should be leading the flock and be a living example for The Body.

In the simplest way, see what Jesus said to Peter:

John 21:15-17 (Bold emphasis mine)

"So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He *said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He *said to him, "Tend My lambs." He *said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He *said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He *said to him, "Shepherd My sheep." He *said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus *said to him, "Tend My sheep."

The Lord used Peter, imperfect, sometimes hot-headed, Jesus-denying-Peter to establish the early church and through these verses The Lord provides a clear understanding of His expectations of and call on an under-shepherd.

If a pastor is not shepherding the people God has entrusted them with, if they really don't care to do so or they don't care to build relationships with the people in their flock, if they only stick to “the job”, then they have disqualified themselves as a pastor and have no business calling themselves a pastor according to the Biblical definition and mandate of a pastor. Some may disagree but they need to look no further than the scriptures - God's definition of pastor to see the truth.

In fact, if they really want to revolutionize "their" ministry they should not simply follow the popular trends or fly-by-night fads, not that we can't glean some things from these, rather, they should get back to The Word, the ultimate authority and use this to shepherd the flock.

People are hungry for the true Word of God and it takes a true man of God, a true minister of the Lord, a man of The Word to shepherd His flock.

Below is an article that I thought was very good in outlining a lot about the role of a pastor.

Let’s pray that our Shepherds will fulfill God's Biblical mandate as fulfill their call to be a Pastor.

In Christ,

rlk


Shepherd the Flock
Monday, Apr 27, 2009
(By John MacArthur)


Original Post: http://www.shepherdsfellowship.org/pulpit/posts.aspx?ID=4188


What is the pastor’s responsibility, besides preaching and studying?


The answer to your question lies in the title you used—pastor. That title is rich with meaning and sets out the chief responsibilities of a godly minister.


One of Jesus’ favorite metaphors for spiritual leadership, one He often used to describe Himself, was that of a shepherd—a person who tends God’s flock. A shepherd leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects—responsibilities that belong to every church leader. In fact, the word pastor means shepherd.


Peter wrote these words to elders who would have been familiar with sheep and shepherding:

I exhort the elders among you . . . shepherd the flock of God . . . exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:1-4)

To give you a more complete picture of your pastor’s role, here’s a look at the nature of sheep, the task of shepherds, and how they compare to the pastor’s role among the church. Note the principles of church leadership it contains—they determine what should fill a pastor’s schedule.


Shepherds Are Rescuers

A sheep can be totally lost within a few miles of its home. With no sense of direction and no instinct for finding the fold, a lost sheep usually will walk around in a state of confusion, unrest, and even panic. It needs a shepherd to bring it home.


And so when Jesus saw the crowds, lost, spiritually disoriented, and confused, He likened them to sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). The prophet Isaiah described lost people as those who, like sheep, have gone astray—each one turning to his own way (Isaiah 53:6).


Like lost sheep, lost people need a rescuer—a shepherd—to lead them to the safety of the fold. A pastor does that by pointing the lost toward Jesus, the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11).


Shepherds Are Feeders

Sheep spend most of their lives eating and drinking, but they are indiscriminate about their diet. They don’t know the difference between poisonous and non-poisonous plants. Therefore the shepherd must carefully guard their diet and provide them with pasture rich with nutrients.


In His encounter with him described in John 21, Jesus drove home to Peter the importance of feeding the sheep. Twice in His command to Peter, Jesus used the Greek term bosko, which means “I feed” (vv. 15, 17).

The pastor’s goal is not to please the sheep, but to feed them—not to tickle their ears, but to nourish their souls. He is not to offer merely light snacks of spiritual milk, but the substantial meat of biblical truth. Those who fail to feed the flock are unfit to be shepherds (cf. Jeremiah 23:1–4; Ezekiel 34:2–10).


Shepherds Are Leaders

Peter challenged his fellow elders to “shepherd the flock of God among you” by “exercising oversight” (1 Peter 5:2). God entrusted them with the authority and responsibility of leading the flock. Pastors are accountable for how they lead, and the flock for how they follow (Hebrews 13:17).


Besides teaching, the pastor exercises oversight of the flock by the example of his life. Being a pastor requires getting in among the sheep. It is not leadership from above so much as leadership from within. An effective pastor does not herd his sheep from the rear but leads them from the front. They see him and imitate his actions.

The most important asset of spiritual leadership is the power of an exemplary life. First Timothy 4:16 instructs a church leader to, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”


Shepherds Are Protectors

Sheep are almost entirely defenseless—they can’t kick, scratch, bite, jump, or run. When attacked by a predator, they huddle together rather than running away. That makes them easy prey. Sheep need a protective shepherd in order to survive.


Christians need similar protection from error and those who spread it. Pastors guard their spiritual sheep from going astray and defend them against the savage wolves that would ravage them. Paul admonished the pastors at Ephesus to stay alert and to protect the churches under their care:

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. (Acts 20:28-30)

Shepherds Are Comforters

Sheep lack a self-preservation instinct. They are so humble and meek that if you mistreat them, they are easily crushed in spirit and can simply give up and die. The shepherd must know his sheep’s individual temperaments and take care not to inflict excessive stress. Accordingly, a faithful pastor adjusts his counsel to fit the need of the person to whom he ministers. He must “admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with all” (1 Thessalonians 5:14).


The Good Shepherd and His Undershepherds

Jesus is the perfect example of a loving shepherd. He epitomizes everything that a spiritual leader should be. Peter called Him the “Chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4). He is our great Rescuer, Leader, Guardian, Protector, and Comforter.


Church leaders are undershepherds who guard the flock under the Chief Shepherd’s watchful eye (Acts 20:28). Theirs is a full-time responsibility because they minister to people who, like sheep, often are vulnerable, defenseless, undiscerning, and prone to stray.


Shepherding the flock of God is an enormous task, but to faithful pastors it brings the rich reward of the unfading crown of glory, which will be awarded by the Chief Shepherd Himself at His appearing (1 Peter 5:4).


If your pastor is faithfully carrying out the duties required in his job title, remember to follow this admonition of Scripture:

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. (Hebrews 13:17)