Elder as a Shepherd, Part 2

In this part of the sermon: Martin argues that the primary task of the shepherd is to provide nourishment for the sheep, drawing from Psalm 23, Ezekiel 34, Revelation 7, and Jeremiah. He emphasizes that this…

Martin notes that sheep will only drink from quiet waters, not troubled ones, illustrating the need for peaceful, undisturbed spiritual nourishment provided by the shepherd.

We're told that sheep will not drink in troubled or disturbed waters, but only in quiet. And so here, the function of the great shepherd is to bring the sheep into good pasturage. And here, David says, he makes me to lie down in those pastures. He brings me to the pastures.

9:13 - 9:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second task is to maintain the place of each sheep within the flock, preventing scattering and ensuring corporate identity. Martin illustrates this from Ezekiel 34, John 10…

He paints a picture of false shepherds sitting back and feasting on the flesh of the sheep, unconcerned that the flock is scattered and vulnerable to predators, highlighting their neglect and self-interest.

have you ruled over them. And they were scattered because there was no shepherd. Oh, there were people who had the name of God. There were people who had the name of God. There were people who had the name of God. There were people who had the name of God. There were people who had the name of God. entitled shepherd but they were not shepherds indeed and the sheep were scattered because there were no true functioning shepherds and what happened when they were scattered they became vulnerable they became food to all the beast of the field and were scattered my sheep wandered through all the mou...

20:35 - 21:26 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second task is to maintain the place of each sheep within the flock, preventing scattering and ensuring corporate identity. Martin illustrates this from Ezekiel 34, John 10…

Martin uses the analogy of a hundred sheep in a hundred separate pens versus a true flock to emphasize that the church is a corporate body, not just individuals, and the shepherd ministers to them in their unity.

And we have a similar passage in Matthew 18, 12 to 14. So you see, one of the great functions of the great shepherd is not simply to provide food, as it were, on an individual basis. The whole concept of the church as a flock speaks of a corporate identity. A hundred sheep in a hundred separate pens, separated by a half a mile, would never be called a flock of sheep upon a mountain.

23:33 - 24:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Elders must be sensitive to the first steps of delinquency and bring tender admonition and reproof to bear upon people before they reach open sin.

Martin quotes Professor John Murray, who argues that an elder's tender solicitude and private admonitions can prevent the necessity of public church censure by addressing defection at early stages, underscoring the importance of proactive pastoral care.

Believe it or not, that's true. Because God is at least in some little measure touched our hearts with the spirit of a true shepherd. Listen to the sagacious words of the late and esteemed Professor John Murray speaking on this or writing on this very subject of the shepherd being responsible to maintain the place of each shepherd within the flock. If an elder watches over his charge with tender solicitude and love, he will in many cases prevent the necessity of public censure by the eldership of the shepherd.

30:33 - 31:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Elders must be sensitive to the first steps of delinquency and bring tender admonition and reproof to bear upon people before they reach open sin.

He compares a shepherd not waiting until a sheep reaches inaccessible precipices to an elder addressing delinquency before it becomes open sin, illustrating the need for timely intervention.

By the eldership as a court of the church, because his private instructions and admonitions will be corrective at the earlier stages of defection and deviation. How much of purity and peace would have been maintained in the church of Christ and will be maintained if elders are sensitive to the first steps of delinquency on the part of the people and bring the word of tender admonition and reproof to bear upon them, before they reach the by-paths of open and censurable sin? A shepherd, when he sees the sheep wandering, does not wait until it reaches the well-nigh inaccessible precipices. The el...

31:13 - 32:42 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third task is to protect the flock from its enemies, both external (wolves) and internal (perverse men). Psalm 23 and John 10 illustrate Christ's protective role, while Acts…

Martin explains the functional purpose of a shepherd's rod (breaking predators' backs) and staff (pulling sheep from danger), illustrating how Christ's rod and staff provide comfort and protection, and by extension, how elders use God's Word.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, the valley of deep darkness, whatever it is, it's a foreboding place that would naturally bring tremendous fear. He says, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. And when I look at the rod and staff of the shepherd and know that that rod has many a time broken the back of some predator, driven away some would-be devourer, and when I realize that that staff has many times gone around my neck or my rump to pull me back into the way, away from a precipice, away from some other danger, he said, I feel comforted. I feel safe.

34:11 - 34:55 Read in full sermon

Driving home: That great enemy was an avenging law, the unanswered claims of justice that would have devoured us and the Lord Jesus seeing those our enemies that could devour us said, I am prepared to step in between...

He contrasts a hireling, whose only concern is his paycheck and who flees from danger, with the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep, illustrating the difference between self-serving and self-sacrificial pastoral care.

John chapter 10, I am the good shepherd, verse 11, the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He that is a hireling, in other words, his relation to the sheep is only one of a job. The sheep exist, as far as he's concerned, only as a means to the end that he get a paycheck. He has no attachment in love or sense of accountability.

35:35 - 35:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Congregants should heed warnings about the influence of the world, false teaching, and not be careless, but ever watchful.

Martin describes a sheep blissfully unaware of a predator lurking nearby, enjoying its independence, to illustrate the danger faced by believers who stray from the flock and the shepherds' responsibility to protect them even when they are ignorant of the threat.

Titus 1 9 says they must hold to the faithful word that they may be able not only to exhort in the sound doctrine but to convict them to the gainsayer. Dear people, do you wonder why those of us who preach and teach publicly and admonish privately warn you of the influence of the world, expose false teaching, seek to plead with you not to be careless but ever be watchful? It's because there is laid upon us this awesome responsibility to protect you, Christ's flock, from every enemy that would seek to ravage you. And whether you're aware of the enemy or not, it makes no difference of his intent...

41:04 - 42:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Congregants should heed warnings about the influence of the world, false teaching, and not be careless, but ever watchful.

He uses the vivid image of false shepherds sitting around eating mutton while wolves devour the flock to indict negligent pastors who prioritize their own comfort over the safety of the sheep.

That's why the explicit duty of the servants of Christ is couched in such language as this, preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke with all longsuffering and teaching. Paul says, whom we warn, admonishing every man, teaching every man, that we may present every man perfect in Christ. Do you see now why we are committed to keeping our eyes open for any indications of false teaching? It is a horrible, horrible indictment upon those false shepherds that they sat around eating mutton while the wolves devoured the flock in Ezekiel 34, seven and eight. It is said of th...

42:59 - 44:25 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are in spiritual trouble, 'bleat' and let your shepherds know so they can attend to your wounds and distresses.

Martin describes Christ's tender care for His flock, addressing their fears, rebuking unbelief, and bearing with their distresses, providing an example for elders to minister to individual wounds and diseases.

bosom and will gently lead those that have their young you have one of the most tender images of this matter of the shepherd entering in not only to the wounds and diseases but to the peculiar distresses of his sheep isaiah 40 and verse 11 here's a you taken up with her little lamb preoccupied with its needs and its cares or it may speak of one that is about to deliver her lamb in either case the shepherd is conscious of that you about to deliver or the one who has just delivered and who has peculiar distractions and conscious of that he condescends to minister to its need he takes the lamb an...

46:36 - 48:00 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are in spiritual trouble, 'bleat' and let your shepherds know so they can attend to your wounds and distresses.

He shares the personal practice of elders standing at the doors after services, not for social custom, but to observe the sheep for signs of distress, illustrating their commitment to individual pastoral care.

very clearly in that post-resurrection ministry of the lord and after the descent of the holy spirit on pentecost and there are times when the lord jesus had to speak to them and bear with them but we see him in that full range of the shepherd ministering to the wounds diseases and distresses of his sheep and that's precisely the task that god lays upon us god lays upon us as his under shepherds to try to keep our eyes open for the signs of distress for spiritual sickness and disease and disorder this is why we seek to make ourselves available our standing at the door every service is not a ma...

48:00 - 49:30 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are in spiritual trouble, 'bleat' and let your shepherds know so they can attend to your wounds and distresses.

Martin uses the analogy of a sheep with a broken leg that bleats loudly for the shepherd to find it, urging congregants to make their spiritual needs known to the elders rather than suffering in silence.

going well to rejoice with you and to rejoice in their own hearts that you have all the appearance of a healthy sheep feeding well and growing fat inwardly that is on all the good things of god but then you see so often the eye is the window of the soul and if there's distress that's why we look you in the eye we're not suspicious of you we're not trying to do a job on you by looking into your eyeballs it's the concern of sheep a shepherd for their sheep because god has laid that responsibility upon us and you see god hasn't made us omniscient at least a sheep has sense enough if it breaks a l...

49:30 - 50:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not assume your shepherds are too busy to attend to your personal needs; make your needs known.

He distinguishes between minor irritations (a burr on the wool) that sheep can handle themselves and serious injuries (a broken leg) requiring the shepherd's intervention, advising against chronic dependence but encouraging seeking help for serious spiritual needs.

of gangrene and i said why did you wait and they said well you're so busy i said look did i tell you i was too busy to come well i don't i said yes you assumed but but you assume what is not true there's no one in this building that can say he ever sought to have the personal attention of a shepherd and made his need known who was told we've got no time for you dear sheep of christ don't come running every time you just get a burr on your fur on your on your wool some of that you can rub off on a bush you don't want a chronic dependence on your elders but if you need to be stitched up and spli...

50:55 - 52:15 Read in full sermon