One of the great metaphors in the bible of the relationship of Christ and his church is that of Shepherd and flock. So it is no surprise that leaders in the church would be called shepherds (of course under-shepherds). And they are called to serve faithfully and with the loving heart of Christ. And the church, the people of God are to respond to Christ and his leaders with a willing, happy submission.

I am a little uncomfortable - Self-serving. “What did you learn at church today? Our pastor told us we should obey him.” What we actually have here is a text that lays out the mutual responsibilities between a pastor or leaders and the congregation. The responsibilities of the congregation are explicit. The responsibilities of the leaders are implied, but I think also clear. 

This text answers THREE questions for us regarding these mutual responsibilities:

1. What is the goal of leadership?
2. How should leaders pursue this goal in leadership?
3. What should your response be?

What is the goal of leadership?

The goal of leadership is for those being led to benefit and profit or receive an advantage from those leading. The pastor must work for the good of his people - for their profit. If you own a business and you had no interest in profit, you would be out of business really quick. The pastor who does not care to bless and greatly profit the people under his care needs to get out of the pastorate immediately! Verse 17 urges the church to:

Let [the leaders lead] with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage (profit) to you.

It’s clear the point is the benefit of the soul. And specifically for the perseverance of the soul in faith to the end. My aim as a pastor is to help you come to faith and keep faith in the Lord Jesus Christ all the way to the end. Remember Hebrews 10:39, “We are not of the those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.” The aim of Hebrews is summed up in this verse. The book of Hebrews is about perseverance! It is not about how to get the most out of life. Rather the emphasis is about not drifting, but continuing to the end in faith. We see this emphasized several times in Hebrews:

Hebrews 2:1; Hebrews 3:6,14; Hebrews 4:1,11; Hebrews 6:11-12; Hebrews 10:35-39 (already read); Hebrews 12:1-2

It’s everywhere! Persevere to the end! Leaders after Christ’s heart have a passion to profit people with strength for the endurance race. Therefore, leaders must not look for external conformity to a tradition - a man made tradition rather than the formation of the soul. Pastors and leaders must not be power hungry, looking to build their empire caring little for the eternal souls that have been entrusted to them. Pastors must not merely care to make life better now, not realizing that these souls will live forever in heaven in the glorious presence of God or in torments of hell under his wrath. Like the bartenders serving drinks and the pianist playing while the Titanic sank who wanted to give a little happiness before the people sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

The goal of pastoral ministry must be the eternal profit of souls. That’s what we long for - that you’d be happy in Christ forever! May we be faithful and grow in faithfulness to this end. The Puritans were often referred to as “physicians of the soul” because they saw their work as heart work. Paul compares his ministry to a woman giving labor in Galatians 4:19

My little children, for whom I am in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!

Perhaps the primary way pastors are called to labor for the benefit of their people is through preaching and teaching. Through the ministry of the word of God. Listen to the Lord speaking through the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 3:15 and listen to the heart of God for his people and what he will supply to them: 

And I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

After his resurrection, Jesus sought out Peter and asked him three times, “Peter, do you love me.” And when Peter affirmed his love for Jesus, he gave a command: Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep. Christ loves his church and he wants the pastors to be men after his own heart who will labor to profit his people in many ways, but primarily through the ministry of the word of God. 

How should leaders pursue this goal? 

How should the leader go about pursuing this goal of doing the most good, being the greatest blessing to the people he serves? I see three answers to this question: with joy, with watchfulness, and with reverence.

1) With JOY - leaders must seek the good of their people with joy (v. 17)

Let them do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Joyless leaders do not benefit their people. Groaning leaders are of no advantage to their people. We must seek to be filled with the joy of the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit. George Mueller - “his first and greatest duty was to get himself happy in Christ at the beginning of each day.” Paul was a joyful minister! I so want to grow in this and be more like him! Listen to what Paul says:

Philippians 1:4, 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20

Leaders must pursue the good of their people with joy! Because a joyless leader is of no advantage to them.

2) With WATCHFULNESS - leaders must seek the good of their people with care of watchfulness (v. 17)

[Leaders] are keeping watch over your souls

Keeping watch. It means to be alert. It literally means to be sleepless or stay awake. What do leaders/pastors need to stay alert for? I’ll mention a couple  things: give guidance and defend. To guide - a faithful pastor is careful to guide, sometimes with a strong hand those who are getting off track. Think of the exhortations and still warnings in the book of Hebrews aimed at those who are drifting, neglecting the faith, in danger of shrinking back. 

And then of course, a pastor is called to defend and protect the people he shepherds. Like a devoted shepherd, he knows the warning signs of lurking wolves and is ready to defend his own. Listen to the instruction Paul gives to the elders at Ephesus just before he left them in Acts 20:28-29:

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained through his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert

The leader seeks to do the church he serves the most good by watching over their souls. 

3) With REVERENCE - leaders must seek the good of their people with reverence (v. 17)

[They are watching over your souls] as those who will have to give an account

Leaders are to pursue the good of their people with joy no doubt. But it is not a trivial or flippant joy. It is serious. The pastor’s work is serious. They watch over souls “as those who will have to give an account”. Each of us will give account for our own lives before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ. 

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or bad. 

But this says that leaders will also give an account for those they lead. The word account comes from the Greek word (logos), and the idea conveyed here is that leaders will have to answer for the people they were called to lead. Pastors are given a charge to care for souls and will answer to the Lord of the church. The human soul that lives forever is invaluable. Spurgeon said, “the soul is a thing worth 10,000 worlds.” I will give an account to the Lord of the Church for the souls I have been charged with caring for. That is serious. 

This is the responsibility of leaders (pastors and elders) to the church. And I pray to God we are found faithful in this and grow in this more and more. Well, what should the church’s response be to leaders? 

How should you respond?

1) Sincere SUBMISSION 

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are watching over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. 

Obey your leaders and submit to them. I think when the author says “and submit to them”, he is helping us understand the kind of obedience called for. The word translated “submit” is only used here in the NT and it means to “make room for or give way to, not resist, to place yourself under the care of.” I think what this means is that you should have a heart bent toward trusting and following the leadership of the church. There should be a inclination in your heart toward the directives, and initiatives. If a vision is set forth, there should be support and a eagerness to work with your leaders in seeing the vision fulfilled. And all of this willingly, happily. 

Of course this is not demanding unqualified support. Every pastor, the best of them, is fallible. Submission to faithful pastors and leaders is done out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21). What is really striking though, is the aim of your submission and it is two-fold. The goal of your submission is the joy of your pastor and your advantage (connection in verse 17 - “let them do this with joy… advantage”). So your obedience and submission to the elders here at RLC is for your good, and is it to be done out of reverence for Christ.

Let me give you two examples. 1) When you hear the word preaching (word opened, explained, exalted over, and applied), take it to heart and be an active doer and not a forgetful hearer. 2) When a new ministry idea or discipleship strategy (some initiatives or vision) is laid out, if it seems faithful to the Great Shepherd, our Head Jesus Christ, have a heart that says, “I’m in! Tell me what to do. How can I help?” Out of reverence for Christ, submit to your leaders. 

2) Passionate PRAYER (verses 18-19)

Pray for us… I urge you the more earnestly to do this…

Please pray for us! Please pray for wisdom and help and effectiveness. Paul is not bashful in asking for prayer in his letters (end of Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians). Listen to what Spurgeon said about the power of the church’s prayer for their pastor:

What can we do without your prayers? They link us with the omnipotence of God. Like the lightning rod, they pierce the clouds and bring down the mighty and mysterious power from on high. The Lord give me a dozen persistent pleaders and lovers of souls, and by his grace we will shake all London from end-to-end. 

Pray for us! Pray for our joy. Pray that we would be faithful to watch and pray. Pray that we would be serious in this mighty and wonderful work. Pray for our preaching and the ministry of God’s word - powerful and transformative in your lives, families, and the lives of more people. I will just say, pray for our families. I don’t want to embarrass him, but a dear brother in the church tells me often, “I’m praying for you and your family.” And I know he is and it is deeply encouraging! Pray for our ministry in serving you! There is an old saying from long ago: “If you pray me full, I’ll preach you full.” Deal? Amen. 

Jesus, the Great Shepherd wants his church - this church - to be richly blessed. He has said, “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Let’s both work toward that end! Amen? Amen!