06-21-2020 – Shepherding Responsibly

Bible Text: 1Thessalonians 5:12-13 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1 Thessalonians | June 21, 2020

Shepherding Responsibly
Read 1Thessalonians 5:11-13…
“11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. 12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”

In verse 11 Paul commends the believers in Thessalonica for encouraging one another and for building one another up.  Now in verse 12, Paul makes a request of the believers, concerning how they are to think about those who have the responsibility to lead them:

– To appreciate their diligent labor among them.
– To hold them in high regard, because of their work.

Paul asks the believers

(1Thessalonians 5:12)
“12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction,”

to show appreciation for those who have been given the responsibility to care for, teach, and look out for them. The Greek word oida, used here, is translated appreciate [meaning to personally know and respectfully value] the work these leaders are doing in the church.

Paul also asks

(1Thessalonians 5:13)
“13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”

that the believers esteem these men highly, i.e., that they think about these leaders in high regard, not because of some innate goodness, but because “of their work,” which Paul stated in verse 12 as being “in the Lord.”

It was the Apostles of Christ who brought the Word of God to both Jews and Gentiles, beginning with the Day of Pentecost, when all the believers were gathered together in Jerusalem, and the first local congregation was formed

(see Acts 2:42-47).
“42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their [meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

The Apostles were called and commissioned by Christ Himself to act on behalf of God and to proclaim the very Word of God with power

(see 1Thessalonians 1:5).
“5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

As the church grew and local assemblies were formed, it was the Apostles (as agents of God) who set apart leaders to care for, oversee, and build up those who belonged to God and were part of the body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-12,
“And He gave some as apostles… and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”

There are some special terms used in the New Testament to identify and characterize those men who would be ordained by God to watch over and care for the family of God, the Church, the Body of Christ: Elder [presbuteros, pres-boo’- ter-os] is spiritually mature, an example to others: Who the man is. Overseer [episkopos, e-pe’-skop-os] has oversight of and manages the church: What the man does.. Shepherd/Pastor [poimen, poy-mane’] caring for the sheep, i.e., feeding/teaching: How the man serves.

The Pastor is not a different person from the overseer or elder. These are different ways to identify the same man, e.g., two passages use all three terms.

Acts 20:17,
[Paul] “sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church”.

Acts 20:28
“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.”

1Peter 5:1-3,
“Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, 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.”

This man [pastor, elder, overseer] is called to watch over the flock of God and is a steward and caretaker of what belongs to God.

These men [pastor-elder-overseers] are to set an example by their own lives. This is why very specific qualifications are given in

1Timothy 3:1-7;
“It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

Titus 1:6-9..
“6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”

for men who will serve in this way; and there is special mention made in

1Timothy 5:17,
“17 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”

concerning their ability to teach, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.”

There are some very distinct responsibilities laid out in Scripture for Pastor- Elder-Overseer:

Preach & Teach God’s Word

[1Timothy 3:2;
“2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,”

2Timothy 4:1-4;
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

Titus 1:9]
“9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”

Appoint other elders

[2Timothy 2:2;
“2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Titus 1:5;
“5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,”

Acts 14:23]
“23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

Direct the affairs of the church

[1Thessalonians 4:1-2;
“Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.”

1Thessalonians 5:12;
“12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction,”

1Timothy 5:17;
“17 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”

Hebrews 13:7,
“7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”

Hebrews 13:17]
“”17 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.

Oversee the finances of the church

[Acts 4:32-35;
“32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 34 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.”

Acts 11:29-30]
“29 And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. 30 And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.”

Determine and manage church government

[Acts 15:6,
“6 The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.”

Acts 15:19-20;
“19 Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.”

Acts 16:4-5]
“4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.”

Guard, protect, lead and feed the church

[Acts 20:28-31;
“28 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. 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.”

1Peter 5:1-4]
“Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

Now, in reference to the church in Thessalonica, remember, this was a young church [6-12 months old], and it was very unlikely that there were many (if any) mature believers, at that time; and yet, Paul had evidently identified (with the Holy Spirit’s leading) some men he had set apart

(1Thessalonians 5:12)
“who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord, and give you instruction.”

Paul’s appointees were no doubt in Paul’s training program in order to be able to teach other new believers in Thessalonica (like themselves), the Word of God, in order to nurture and mature them.

2Timothy 3:16-17,
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

But these men placed in positions of leadership in the church in Thessalonica weren’t apostles, and most likely weren’t well schooled in the Old Testament Scriptures, as this was a Greek city in a Greek culture..

So they would have been using Paul’s writings and teachings, along with other available writings and/or teachings from other Apostles. As you can imagine, it was perhaps hard for these new believers (as appointed leaders) in the church in Thessalonica, to gain the respect of other new believers in the church.

No wonder Paul says in

1Thessalonians 5:13
“Live in peace with one another,”

that the believers should “esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” The work of these appointees was to teach the Word of God as it had been given to them by the Apostles; and so, these ‘young in the faith’ leaders were to be regarded with respect because of the job they had been given

(1Thessalonians 5:12),
“to have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction.”

Their job was the ministry of the Word of God

(Ephesians 4:12),
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”

And so, Paul urges the believers to respect, love and to regard highly these men who, although young in the faith themselves, are serving the church (let me just say here, that if Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit selected men to serve; they were no doubt more mature in their understanding of the Scriptures than the majority of the new believers in Thessalonica); and therefore, Paul is basically exhorting the believers to not make the task of these men more difficult than it already is, by not showing them the proper respect.

Hebrews 13:7,
“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”

Hebrews 13:17,
“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.”

Paul is basically saying to the Thessalonians, “don’t give these guys a hard time, help them help you. I put them in these positions of leadership to serve you, because I couldn’t be there myself. If you disrespect them, you are disrespecting me. Don’t critique them for being young in the faith, you are all young in the faith; but God has ordained that these men will serve, in order to nurture and lead you as God intends for them to.”

In a sense, Paul is saying, “if you aren’t able to show them respect for what they do in the Lord’s service, because of some pet peeve, personal bias, or an improper evaluation of them that you may have, shame on you; instead, what you ought to consider is this: Do these men love the Lord? Do they delight in God’s Word? Are they diligent in handling God’s Word with reverence and urgency? Do they show love and care for the flock of God? Do they have a heart for the downtrodden, the broken hearted, for orphans and widows and castaways?

In the last part of

1Thessalonians 5:13
Paul says, “Live in peace with one another,” i.e., Paul is saying, live in peace with your brothers and sisters in Christ, with those who serve over you [like these men chosen to lead the church there], with those who serve alongside you [most everyone else in the church], and with those who may serve under you [perhaps a subordinate or slave].

To the Christians in Rome Paul wrote

(Romans 12:18),
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”

The point is, we all need to make it our purpose and practice to be peace makers and peace maintainers, for Jesus said,

Matthew 5:9,
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Having repented of sin and believed in Christ as Lord, August 1, 1978, I began actively serving the Lord as I was growing in my knowledge of God and understanding of His Word, and in 1986 I stepped into my first pulpit in Mariposa, CA, as Pastor Mike, and I can say without any regrets, it is an awesome privilege to labor among God’s people as a pastor-elder-overseer: preaching, teaching, discipling, and counseling with God’s Word; sharing the Good News of salvation with the lost, while protecting God’s people from false teachers and false doctrines, by rebuking and refuting all that is contrary and/or opposed to the character and nature and revelation of God in Christ, bringing all such things under the sovereign authority and judgement of God’s Eternal Word.

I am so very thankful to God to have been allowed the privilege of serving here at the First Baptist Church in Waldport for the past fourteen years, what a glorious adventure it has been, and I look forward to whatever number of years the Lord has ordained for me to continue serving here, in this relationship with you all.

If you belong to God through Christ, you have the blessed assurance of salvation and eternal life; if you don’t know or you are unsure, why not consider accepting God’s precious gift to you right now

(Romans 3:23;
“23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 6:23;
“23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 5:8;
“8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 8:1;
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 10:9-10,
“9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Romans 10:13)?
“13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

Forgiveness for all your sins (past, present, future) and eternal life in order to enjoy the new heavens and hew earth, where there will be no more crying, or pain, or death, or darkness; this is the free gift of God, made effectual in and through the sacrificial death and sovereign resurrection of God’s One and Only Son, who is both Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: Crucified, Resurrected, and Coming Again to take us to be with Him forever!
Pastor Mike
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