50a) The Essence of Biblical Oversight

Introduction to the Work of Oversight in Pastoral Theology

0:02 Now, brethren, as we begin this new semester, I would urge you to turn to your abstract, if you have it with you. If not, please do so in reviewing today's lecture, just to remind you of where we are in the overall structure and progression of your entire course in pastoral theology. As you will remember, the semesters are located in the left-hand column, PT 1, 2, through PT 8. But the basic structure and divisions are marked out by that first indentation, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and over onto page 2 of the abstract, Part 4 and Part 5.

0:45 Well, as you know, Part 1 deals with the calling of the man of God to the pastoral office. Part 2, the life of the man of God in the pastoral office. And then that which we've been engaged in for several semesters, the preaching. The preaching ministry of the man of God in the pastoral office.

1:04 And now we begin in this semester, page 2 at the top of your abstract, Part 4, the work of oversight, government, and shepherding by the man of God in the pastoral office. And although only once in every four years do incoming students have the luxury of beginning with Unit 1 and progressing through to Unit 8, it is important, no matter where we've come into that structure, to understand where we are in the unfolding of that structure. Now, in what I regard as a classic exposition of the first epistle of Peter by John Brown, in expounding 1 Peter chapter 5, verses 1 to 4, John Brown asserts that the whole work of the eldership, especially those who labor in the word, can be subsumed under two major categories, namely, teaching and ruling, or, he gives the synonyms, instructing and superintending. And I do commend that section in John Brown's commentary to you for future reference, for he does, I believe, convincingly demonstrate that whatever does not pertain to teaching and ruling, instructing and superintending, does not pertain to the work of the eldership as it is defined in the scriptural.

2:31 Now, since both of these tasks are to be carried out in the context of eminent prayerfulness, the three major ministerial responsibilities that I've sought to identify in the entire course are those that you have in the abstract, the work of preaching, the work of oversight, and the labor of intercessory prayer on the part of the man of God. And units 1 and 2 are, in reality, the first and the second parts of the work of the eldership, the foundation upon which those other activities are implemented and exercised. Unless the man is truly called of God to his office, and is living a life that validates that office, then his preaching, his oversight, and even his attempts at prayer are all neutered with respect to any legitimate grounds to expect the blessing of God upon those people. Now, today, we begin our consideration of the work of oversight, government, and shepherding by the man of God in the pastoral office. And as we do, you will notice that we begin under part 4, unit 1, the biblical, and I want that changed in your abstract as it is in your notes, not the biblical description, that's rather pompous.

3:55 It should be a biblical description of the task. So if you...

4:00 If you change that in your abstract, the definite article, to an A, I would appreciate it. And that's the way it appears in your notes, page 121 and following. And this morning, we will focus all of our attention upon Roman numeral 1, a biblical description of the task in its essence, and then, God willing, next week, we address its governing disposition, and then begin to consider the biblical categories of the task, and just again, to help...

4:30 to help the new students in particular. Section 1 will address the tasks pertaining to the corporate life of the people of God. Section 2 awaits PT 8, those tasks pertaining to the individual needs of the people of God, and an entire semester is given to the whole subject of individual pastoral care or pastoral counseling. So with that introduction and overview, setting the framework, we begin now...

The Importance of a Biblical Description of Oversight

5:00 Now, this morning, as we take up the work of oversight, government, and shepherding by the man of God in the pastoral office, by addressing this vital issue of a biblical description of the task in its essence. And by way of introduction, I want to underscore the tremendous importance of this starting point. And you will see in your notes that I've stated three lines of thought, underscoring and highlighting, the importance of beginning at this point. And the first is to challenge and to expose any false notions which you may have imbibed along the way.

5:43 As with most of life's disciplines and activities, our background, the influences that have surrounded us through no choice of our own, and even those that surround us by our free choices within the orbit of God's absolute, sovereignty, and his all-encompassing providence, those influences have shaped and molded our thinking across a broad range of concerns. And this is nonetheless true with respect to what is it that a servant of God ought to do and be in relationship to the task of oversight, government, and shepherding of the people of God from his position. As a duly recognized shepherd among God's people. And I want in this lecture today to challenge and to expose any false notions which you may have imbibed along the way. And this is one of the fundamental purposes of Scripture, according to 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16, so that in having this as one of my concerns, we are not outside the lids of the Word of God, for you remember that Paul says to Timothy that the very Scriptures that were able to make him wise to salvation through faith in Christ

7:08 are God-breathed data, all Scripture is God-breathed, and is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction. And therefore, in bringing the Word of God to bear upon this matter of the essence of the task, of oversight, it is my concern to challenge and to expose, that is, to see the Word of God actively operating in us in this room this morning, reproving and correcting false notions with respect to this task. But then secondly, I have as my goal to impart a positive, exegetically based standard to which you may aspire. Here is the...

7:59 The latter part of 2 Timothy 3.16. God breathes Scripture being profitable not only for reproof and correction, but for training in righteousness. And therefore, to state it in human language, it is my concern to impart a positive, exegetically based standard to which you may aspire.

8:24 And this is critical, because 2 Timothy 2.5 says, A man is not crowned in the games, except he contends lawfully. And that's used to spur Timothy to ministerial fidelity. It's not enough that we run, and even run and complete the race.

8:42 We must keep the rules in the running of the race. Must keep to the course. And so Timothy is to be concerned that in his ministerial endeavors, that he is running according to the rules. Or take 1 Corinthians 4.1-5, where Paul... Paul uses the whole analogy of the servant of God as steward.

9:05 And it is required here among men, who are given a stewardship by men, above all else, they are to be faithful to the terms of that stewardship. Here, moreover, it's required in stewards that a man be found faithful, trustworthy, committed to the administration of the stewardship according to the standard, and rules and terms of the Lord of the house. They are not set by the steward. He is the administrator, not the legislator of the terms of the stewardship.

9:41 And then Paul goes on to elucidate and amplify that concept of stewardship as it will come to its full manifestation in the day of judgment. And so I am concerned to impart this positive, exegetically based standard to which you may aspire, but then thirdly, to equip you with what I've called a working acquaintance of that perspective that you will need to convey to your people. No little part of pastoral wisdom is by degrees imparting to your people a biblical mindset concerning God's delineation of your task. They bring the baggage of past experience, past association, of what they think the man of God in the pastoral office ought to be and do in the area of oversight, shepherding, and governing. Now some of those things may line up with the scriptures. But if they're children of this age, many of them will not line up with the scriptures. And if they expect less of you than God assigns to you, they're going to think you're overstepping your bounds.

10:57 If they expect more of you than God assigns to you, they're going to judge you to be a shirker and not being a faithful pastor to them. And you will face both of those extremes. You will have people that think being a real overseer and shepherd and spirit-anointed, compassionate governor will involve everything from tying their shoes in the morning to putting one and a half teaspoons of sugar in their coffee and be sure you stir it at least 50 times. If they find three grains on the bottom, you have failed.

11:28 And they expect from their pastors I'm using silly analogies but something akin to that that God himself has never laid upon you. On the other hand, some have a concept that your task is simply to generically give out these big globs of truth in the Bible and keep a nice big moat of a no-man's land of any in-your-face loving, personal confrontation in the application of the word of God. And when you step over that moat and you're in their backseat, in their backyard and under their nose lovingly with an open Bible they say, who said you should come here? Who gave you this right?

12:08 Well, you see, you need to be instructing your people as to what God says your function is to be as an overseer, a shepherd, and a governor amongst his people. And it is my concern that in addressing the biblical description of the task that I will not only under God's blessing challenge and expose false notions that you may have imbibed along the way impart a positive exegetically based standard to which you may aspire but to equip you with a working acquaintance of that perspective that you will, I trust, in time count it your privilege as well as your safety to impart unto your people. Now, in doing this and this is why it is an attempt at a biblical description of the task rather than the biblical description whenever one is trying to systematize and categorize elements of subjective judgment enter in and I'm not so foolish as to think that they've not entered in to my attempts to do this. But I have collated the major biblical materials according to my present light under these four basic categories and they are listed in your notes as shepherding, number one, caring for, number two, ruling, number three, and number four is governing. And somewhere along the way

Category 1: Shepherding (Poimaino)

13:34 I'm sorry, in proofing the notes I missed, I gave to Ann number four so we'll, well, I'll have you slip that into your notes and you come over to page 122 because I reworked this material for today and dictated over the phone yesterday and apparently in transcribing from her handwritten notes we slipped up on having that number four but it'll be clear where it fits. All right, first of all, then, a biblical description of the task in its essence must start with the concept of shepherding. And here we begin with our pivotal text, Acts chapter 20 and verse 28. You remember the setting Paul has gathered to him at Miletus, the elders of the church at Ephesus.

14:25 Acts 20 and verse 17 explicitly states that fact and then beginning with verse 18 Paul reviews some of the leading features of his life and ministry among them over the course of some three plus years. Now in verse 28 he turns to these in whose presence he has reviewed the substance and spirit of his ministry among them and solemnly charges them with the pastoral responsibilities that will be theirs now that he will no longer have an active involvement in that assembly by hands-on apostolic slash pastoral interaction. Take heed unto yourselves. Pay constant, conscious, close attention unto yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops or overseers to feed, better rendered, to shepherd the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. As the apostle gives this solemn charge he commands them not only to pay close attention to themselves but to all of the flock of God with a view to shepherding the church of God which he purchased with his own blood. Now for our purposes

15:55 note that in the text the people of God are designated as the poinion. They are a flock of sheep. God likens them to sheep but sheep gathered in a corporate setting as a flock of sheep and the task of elders is that of poinion from the verb poinino to perform the functions of a shepherd to those who are likened to a flock of sheep and therefore the rendering feed is both inaccurate and too restrictive. For if we ask the question is the job of the shepherd done when he merely leads the sheep into green pastures and by waters of quietness the answer is obvious. From Psalm 23 and from a host of other passages John chapter 10 and the whole shepherd imagery found scattered throughout the Old Testament we know that the task of a shepherd is much broader and more important and far more comprehensive than merely providing adequate food for the sheep. So we must think in terms of shepherding the flock of God and further according to the text the work of shepherding is not performed from the position of an ordinary Christian but from the position

17:23 of authority or office. He is careful to underscore that they are to shepherd the flock of God within which God has made them with no imagery now overseers. He has made them episkopos. He has made them bishops.

17:43 The shepherding is that of a spirit constituted episkopos an overseer, a guardian or a superintendent one who looks over the flock of God. Now that this word is a technical word used as a synonym for elder is clear from the context and from the analogy of scripture. The context, verse 17 From Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus and called to him the presbyterus the elders and he says to these elders God has made you episkopos he has made you bishops and then from the analogy of scripture Philippians 1.1 where Paul addresses the church at Philippius where Paul addresses the church at Philippius the saints in Christ in general with the bishops and the deacons and then in Titus 1.5 and 7 where we have the most convincing passage that even forces Anglican commentators to acknowledge that the term presbyteros and the term episkopos are used interchangeably in apostolic literature. Now when we put these lines of thought together what do we get?

19:02 We have well I've sought to give the summary for you to save you pushing your pen at breakneck speed we have a charge which says that the task of a pastor is that of paying close attention to all the people of God under his care with a view to fulfilling the functions of a shepherd to them in the consciousness of his appointment to this task by the gracious and sovereign activity of the Holy Spirit. That to me is a distillation of what Paul is saying here as it relates to our concern of seeking a biblical description of our task as to its essence. What is the essence of it? As Paul left and as these men reflected upon the solemn charge what should they think about their task as they return from my leaders to Ephesus? They should be thinking we have this solemn responsibility to fulfill the functions of shepherds to the people of God who are likened to a flock of sheep and to do so conscious that in the gracious sovereign will and purpose of God we have been appointed to this task by the Holy Spirit. Take heed to the flock to shepherd that flock to shepherd that flock

20:30 in which the Spirit of God has made you overseers. Now the obvious parallel passage in thought and language is 1 Peter chapter 5. This is why I have not given a separate category to the concept of oversight because I believe in these two pivotal passages it is subsumed under the imagery of shepherding. So if you ask why did I not give a separate category there was a rationale for that.

21:02 And that is the rationale though I would not debate if someone wanted to make it a separate category. 1 Peter 5.1 The elders therefore among you I exhort who am a fellow elder note the dominance of the concept of elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed and here again most of the translations if they say tend the flock feed the flock it is the same as if they said tend the flock feed the flock it is the same as if they said feed the flock it is the same as if they said feed the flock it is the same as if they said feed the flock it is not adequate it should be shepherded perform the manifold tasks and responsibilities of a shepherd to the flock of God which is among you exercising the oversight. Here we have an aorist imperative again of pòimainō pòimanata shepherd thee and here we have our standard word for flock it is the pòimdi 초� to theou is the flock of God. See the parallel language with Acts 20 and verse 28. So when you have people coming up with their distinctive Pauline and Petrine theology, remember passages like this, where there is tremendous parallelism, even though the Spirit of God is using these different authors.

22:22 And so he picks up this very same language under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and though I know there is a question as to the variance with regard to the Episcopuntess verb from Bishop Episcopato, I think Lenski's comment is convincing in my judgment as I've rethought this matter through in preparation for the lecture. He writes some text omit Episcopuntess, but it is singularly appropriate, especially also for introducing all of the following adverbial modifiers. This participle introduces the other designation for elders, namely episcopoi, overseers. Overseeing is often taken to be an activity that is different from shepherding, poimonete, as if the latter were the preaching and teaching and the overseeing the practical management. Some sheep, that is congregations, even want to do the latter themselves, that is, govern themselves. The pastors only to conduct the services. Strange sheep.

23:26 Both terms have the same meaning. The figurative, shepherd the flock, is explained by the literal overseeing. To oversee is to shepherd. To shepherd is to oversee.

23:39 And so Lenski subsumes, you see, the one under the other. And again, that may be a matter of human judgment so long as we recognize the pressure of these passages, one being the task under the image of a shepherd, the other being straightforward, no imagery. One is to be a looker, overseeing, an over, an inspector, an overseer of God's flock.

24:06 Then, of course, we have the text in Ephesians 4, 11 and 12, another pivotal text where the essence of the task is given to us under the imagery of shepherding in Ephesians chapter 4, verses 11 and 12.

Category 2: Caring For (Epimelesetai)

24:27 Speaking of the ascended Christ, he gave some to be apostles and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some, and you know the construction here is such that pastors and teachers is most likely meant to underscore that here we have one and the same office and function described under two different words, pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints unto works of service. The ascended Christ gives pastors slash teachers. He gives shepherds who shepherd by means of instruction. And so the rich imagery then of shepherding is bound up in the very concept of the pastoral office. And again, bringing them all together, we must begin, if we have not up till now, to think in terms of the rich breadth and comprehensive responsibilities of a shepherd to a flock of sheep, as we think of the essence of our task of oversight and government in the pastoral office. Then we have a second category, and that is what I've described as caring for. And I spent considerable time saying if I could come up with something better than this, and if you have a suggestion, I welcome it.

25:56 And that's not sarcastic. That's an honest, open-ended invitation. But I felt it was critical because I'm not a shepherder. I'm not a shepherder.

26:03 I'm not a shepherder. It is a concept that we find only in 1 Timothy 3, but I've given it a separate category because of where it is found. It's not an oblique reference. It's not a secondary reference.

26:14 It is found embedded in the very requirements, the explicit requirements for the pastoral office or for the eldership. And as you know, there are only two such categorically explicit passages. We can collate a number of principles from other passages, but here, in 1 Timothy 3, along with Titus 1, 5 to 9, we have the two inspired statements addressing explicitly the issue of the requirements and functions of the office of an elder, the function of the pastoral office. And here in 1 Timothy 3, we read, backing up to verse 4, one that rules well, a use of price to me, his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity. But if a man knows not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? So the whole task of this one whose requirements are being laid out is summarized in this terminology, taking care of the church of God.

27:25 How shall he of the church of God epimelesetai? How shall he take care? Third person, singular, future, indicative of epimelesetai. And the only other usage in the New Testament is found in Luke 10 and is very, very helpful in giving us an understanding of this aspect of the essence of the task of oversight and government in the house of God.

27:57 Luke chapter 10, in the familiar story of our Lord, whether parable or an actual description of something that happened, we don't know. Jesus simply says a certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and you remember the story. And along comes the Samaritan, shows compassion upon him, bound up his wounds, verse 34, set him on his own feast, brought him to an inn and took care of him. And on the morrow he took out two denarii and gave them to the host and said, take care.

28:34 Take care of him and whatsoever you spend more, I, when I come back again, will repay you. Take care of him. Now, what's that mean? Well, it means that when this poor battered fellow who had some first aid performed on him and maybe some CPR, I don't know what he needed, but whatever he needed to get him back on his donkey and get him patched up enough to take the rest of the journey, he gets him to the inn and the charge is given to take him back to the inn.

29:04 Take care of him. Now, notice, he is not given ten things involved in that. The assumption is that that innkeeper would be able to observe what the man needed and would seek to respond in appropriate ways to nurture him back to sound health. And that was a taking care of him.

29:28 Now, the apostle says that if a man does not know how to rule well his own house, to manage, to manage his own house, and the Spirit of God has moved him to use a different word, the proistomy family we're going to come to. And that's found in at least four instances with reference to pastoral function and oversight. But the Spirit of God has highlighted this word, which is much broader. He is to take care of that which is not his own.

29:57 It is not his church. And I hope we do not carelessly refer to so-and-so's church. Now, I don't want to be a stickler. There's a sense in which it's natural to identify certain assemblies with certain men given places of leadership.

30:11 And there's an innocent way of doing that. And the Bible does it. It says, Certain came from James. What they meant is from the church in Jerusalem.

30:19 So, don't get so fastidious that you jump down someone's throat when they say, Pastor so-and-so's church. Just back off. Loosen up a little bit. All right?

30:27 But, but, having said that, let's try to be more biblical so that we don't leave room for a wrong association between any human instrument and whose church it really is. And here in the 1 Timothy 3 passage, the question is asked, if a man knows not how to rule his own house, it's interesting that it's called his own house, where God's put him as the leader and governor in that house. But it doesn't say how shall he take care of his ecclesiastical house, but it's the church of God. But he's to take care of it.

31:01 It's God's church by purchase, by sovereign electing love, and by redemptive accomplishment, and by the dynamics of the application of redemption in every sense. It's God's church. But to care of it is put in the hands of fallible men. The very same man who's ruling over his own house is to take care of God's church.

31:24 He's to take care of the church in all the breadth of the significance of epimoleoma. In all the light that we can receive from its other usage in the New Testament, of what that innkeeper was to do in caring for that one left in his charge. Taking care. And if that concept begins to filter down into the very depths of our souls, then there's a very real sense in which you've got a 24-hour day job.

31:58 You never are out of uniform.

32:01 Now, yes, you've got to learn how to relax. I've already covered that stuff for you who started in Unit 1. There must be legitimate diversions. The Lord himself says come apart and rest a while.

32:12 Yes, all of that is fully understandable. But if you recognize the church of God is putting your care, you can't be content that the bills are paid and there's no squabbles and everything's just rocking along fine. There is that constant pressure upon your spirit and upon your spiritual eyesight seeking to have broad, wide, peripheral vision to be seen sensitive to all that is going on within God's house, the care of which he has placed in your hand. Now, in doing so, he hasn't taken it out of his own.

32:49 It's still his church. Ephesians 5 says, Christ, the ascended Christ, is the one who continues to nourish and cherish his church. So it doesn't replace him. But we come into the whole area of the means by which Christ nourishes and cherishes his church and no little part of that means to him.

Category 3: Ruling (Proistemi)

33:09 What he means is those whom Christ places as his gifts within his church to take care of it. Then the third category is that of ruling. And here again I struggled. What's the difference between hegeomai and proistemi?

33:27 And you look up the synonym finders and you do your word studies and at the end of the day the time is coming when you've got to call Ann and say here are the notes for tomorrow and so I've made a decision between ruling trying to capture the essence of the family of the proistemi family and governing of the family of hegeomai. So we have in 1 Thessalonians 5.12 this description of those who are put in spiritual leadership in the church. But we beseech you brethren to know them that labor among you and from what posture do they labor and are over you in the Lord. We're in the proistemi family. They are over you in the Lord and from that posture they admonish you. They bring firm pointed verbal exposures of your sin and your failures.

34:30 That's not all they do but they do that. They are over you in the Lord and in that position they admonish you and you are to esteem them exceeding highly in love for their work's sake. But the people of God at Thessalonica when the apostle writes and says know them that are over you in the Lord they would immediately know who those men were. That they were able to identify them by face by name because they had been marked out by the office conferred in a proper way under the guidance and blessing of the Holy Spirit.

35:12 1st Timothy 5.17 The elders that rule well we're in the proistini family again the elders that rule well are worthy of double honor especially those who labor labor unto toil and hardship unto a sore back as we were reminded in the previous hour where we had the noun form of this verb those who labor in the word and in teaching there is again the concept of ruling the elders that rule well Paul does not conceive of an eldership divorced from the concept of ruling and then in Romans 12.8 where this may not be an explicit reference to elders but most exegetes believe that it is and I am unembarrassed to take my posture with them having dealt with the fact that there are diversities of gifts and we are to soberly assess our God-given gifts now the exhortation is coming to the manner in which those gifts are to be exercised verse 8 he that exhorts to his exhortation he that gives let him do it liberally he that rules with diligence and whether this is someone who rules from office or has some other sphere of rule one thing is clear

36:41 that there are those in the church who do rule and they are to do so not with embarrassment because they happen to live in an anti-authoritarian age they are to do it with diligence not with arrogance not with carnal hard-heartedness and as we shall see God willing when we get into the matter of the disposition certainly not with Gentile-like lordliness pata curieo not lording it down upon the but he does say rule with diligence are we to spudazzo do our utmost to show ourselves approved unto God workmen who not be ashamed handling aright the word of truth are we to preach with diligence yes we're to rule with diligence the same zeal and passion that goes into our preaching is to go into our governing we're not to think that our task is done if we simply are preaching with diligence we are to do we are to rule with diligence as well and then first timothy three four because of the close analogy between taking care and ruling one's house the one being the proving ground for the other it is right that we should at least let the shadow of domestic rule be cast over our understanding of the essence of the task being one of rule thinking in terms

38:10 of domestic rule one

38:42 the competence in the other and so I place it into this category so that we might think in terms of the task with the shadows of effective domestic rule cutting as it were the angles of our perspective on how this is to be done and here on page two of your notes I've noted that the same word is used with reference to the exercise of good domestic rule this involves among other things if a man is ruling well his own house what does into that effective rule awareness of the wide spectrum of needs he's got to be dwelling with his wife according to knowledge seeking to nourish and cherish her in all the peculiarity of who she is so I have very little sympathy with books that say women this women that and trying to help men to understand I am married to women generically I'm married to a specific woman specifically with all of her specific chemistry and God says I'm to dwell with her according to knowledge not big generic sweeps from Smalley or somebody else but born out of an empathetic prayerful commitment to try to get behind her eyeballs and look at life as she looks at under her skin to feel as she feels and into her soul to receive the impressions she does effective domestic rule involves that task of 1 Peter 3 7 think of what it involves with each

40:11 of the children knowing each child in all the uniqueness we who are parents of more than one child at times shake our heads and say how in the world did such different creatures come out of the same melting pot I know this kid was in my wife's womb and I know I'm the father but how in the world my sperm and her egg could create such two diverse creatures or three or four I'm one of ten second oldest and so all those differences ruling well one's own house means the ability to see the difference in the children to be aware of those differences to relate to them in the light of those differences you've got one child with just a stern look and they're a ball of mush at your feet broken another one you feel you come right to the borders of child abuse before you can get them to cry and break their will ruling well his own house that's just the first thing awareness of the wide spectrum of needs then secondly understanding how best to meet the needs scripturally a man who's ruling well his own house is not just saying well I'm aware of these needs now let me see how in the world should I go about he's going to God for the wisdom of God found in scripture to bring the wisdom of God to bear upon how he attempts to meet those needs

41:38 his wife his children the economic structure of the household specific steps to implement the means it's one thing for a man to have biblical means now how do I implement them yes I see that I need to give exhortation and encouragement and the rod of correction to this child but now how am I going to do that what are the steps by which I'll implement those means providing stability in crisis situations a man who rules well his own house knows how to steady the ship in a storm and if he can't steady the ship he knows how to huddle all the sailors around them and comfort them that all is going to be well they ain't going down to Davy Jones locker some of us thank God they've been we have parents that were able to keep the household stable through depression through the second world war through difficulties some of which some of you have not faced and I don't I don't regret that I faced them and that I had parents and particularly a father who whatever his shortcomings were just his presence was there as a steadying influence ruling well in the midst of crisis situations anticipation of future needs does any man I don't rule his house well who lives off the end of his nose who doesn't see beyond grocery money for this week who doesn't anticipate a large payment coming up on a mortgage insurance whatever no ruling well his own house involves anticipation of future

43:07 needs definite goals for the household where are we going as a family we're just treading water doing what comes naturally biblical means to attain the goals well I've just laid out a few of the things that's ruling well one's own house now

Category 4: Governing (Hegeomai)

43:55 So with ruling and also with taking I'm sorry taking care but also then of ruling with a rule that is an extension of the principles put in place most ordinarily for anyone going into the pastoral office put in place and proven in the domestic sphere but then number four you should have a four now that says governing and then A B and C alright as you had ruling A B C D now number four is governing just above Hebrews 13 7 and we look then at these three texts in Hebrews 13 and since we've taken our hour let's take our break now and then we'll come back and root around in these three texts in Hebrews that are tremendously rich and helpful and then I want to drive home what I've put under that final catch all summary and conclusion and then we should have maybe a good 15-20 minutes for a discussion and interaction prior to the conclusion of the hour but let's take our break now yes that helps to underscore a biblical description of our task of oversight in its essence having looked at the shepherding family subsumed under that oversight and then caring for ruling now we come to the three verses in Hebrews 13 in which the emphasis falls upon

45:24 governing Hebrews 13 7 17 and 24 and in these passages the common verb is hegeomai and it means literally to rule or to govern several usages in a secular sense are clearly set before us in Matthew 2 and verse 6 and you Bethlehem land of Judah are in no wise least among the princes of Judah for out of you shall come forth a governor Judah will have a governor now note who shall be shepherd of my people Israel the governor who shall be shepherd so he shepherds in his position as governor and that's not a purely secular usage speaking of our Lord but then in Acts 7 and verse 10 Acts 7 and verse 10 back to verse 9 and the patriarchs moved with jealousy against Joseph sold him into Egypt and God was with him and delivered him out of all of his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt and made him that is Joseph governor over Egypt and all his house and when we think of the position in which God put Joseph and the

46:53 tremendous influence and responsibility he had from that position we get some idea of the richness of the concept of governor and in the noun form of this word Matthew 10 and verse 18 Matthew 10 and verse 18 where the Lord is sending out the 12 and telling them what they will face as they go forth in obedience to his commission when they deliver you up do not be anxious how you shall speak verse 18 and you shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake brought before governors the noun form of the same word similar use in Matthew 27 2 and in first Peter 2 in verse 14 now with that general familiarity with the emphasis within this word notice first of all from Hebrews 13 7 that the means for this governing is the word of God as I said these three usages in Hebrews 13 contain a mini theology of the work of oversight and government in the house of God for here in verse 7 the means by which we govern the standard by which we govern is clearly delineated for us remember them that

48:23 had the rule over you men that spoke unto you the word of God now the setting in which they did it was of course an exemplary life considering the issue of their life imitate their faith but for our purposes as we're seeking to define and describe the essence of the task it is a task of governing but it is a government that is to be executed by means of speaking the word of God whether publicly or privately it is the word of God that is the standard the framework for the exercise of that government and then in Hebrews 13 24 it's clear that the context is mutual good will here the writer to Hebrews says salute or warmly greet all them that have the rule over you and all the saints so the greeting that would be expressive of good will to all the saints is to be present in the hearts of the people toward those that rule over them that's explicit implicit is that those who rule over them will receive and reciprocate that greeting that the context of that rule is not intimidation on the part of those who rule nor is it distance and fear and withdrawal on the part of those who are being governed but there is

49:52 mutual good will within the framework of that government and then Hebrews 13 17 brings us into the heart of two vital aspects of that rule obey them that have the rule over you and submit for they watch in behalf of your souls as they that shall give an account that they may do this with joy and not with grief for this were unprofitable for you now frankly this verse as far as I'm concerned breaks the back of this over fastidious concern that we in any way give the impression that we are ruling as we rule what are the people of God called to do they are called to obey and to submit two of the strongest words that address the whole concept of one who is under authority rendering a proper response to the person in authority obey and submit that's the task of God's people but now note the nature and ultimate issue of this governing is they are watching for the souls of those God govern for they watch in behalf of your souls that government has as its focal point of concern the well being of the souls governed

51:21 they are not looked upon as a stepping stone for a man to parade himself to somehow give vent to twisted psychological and emotional elements in his constitution where he's got to boss some people around no they are called to obey and submit to men who are watching on behalf of their souls their rule to which they are to submit has as its very focal point the well being of the never dying souls of those who are being governed or ruled over and then they are to watch with a profound sense of their accountability to God for they watch in behalf of your souls as they that shall give accountability speaking in terms of the ideal they watch in the consciousness that they are going to give an account for this stewardship and he says your obedience and submission will make the difference between their giving this account with joy or with grief and if they do it with grief it will not negate their reward it will be unprofitable for you if they are faithful they will receive the reward for their faithfulness first corinthians four and verse five but if you do not render to them what you are to render to them you will be the ones who suffer but

52:51 for our purposes as we think of the essence of the task assigned to us we must not only think in terms of the shepherding concept the taking care the ruling but here the governing as well a government

Summary and Conclusion: Disposition Enhances, Not Redefines, the Task

53:10 souls of those governed and has as the pressure upon our own spirits that we have this accountability to God for the task that is laid upon us in summary surely these concepts of watching for the souls of men entrusted to our care are not exhausted by engaging in the most biblical accurate well structured passionate spirit anointed preaching rather these spurts other disciplines of oversight and care are necessarily involved and it is against the backdrop of this broader spectrum of God appointed pastoral activity that church members here are called upon to obey and to submit to those who rule over them two present imperatives by the way now what do we say by way of summary and conclusion as we take in hand together this weight subject of the essential elements of effective pastoral oversight the text we've examined today must be dominant in our thinking as we consider the essence of the task and I trust that the text we've gone over today brethren that focus on the shepherding imagery the caring for the household of God the ruling and the governing will be text that you memorize that you pray in that you ask God to write upon the tables of your heart

54:40 then as we take up the next major division of our study namely the disposition with which the task is to be discharged remember that nothing in the scriptures regarding the disposition is calculated to dilute to negate or to redefine the task itself now it's taken me years to really come to grips with the this element and to be able I hope to state it with some degree of clarity we've looked at the essence of the task shepherding taking care of ruling and governing we've not touched upon only obliquely and and inferentially the disposition in the heart of the one shepherding taking care of ruling governing God willing the Lord sparing us next week will take up the disposition and there is a rich deposit in the word of God that highlights very specific things that must characterize the disposition with which we discharge the task however none of those things was intended by God to dilute to negate or to redefine the task itself and one of the great tragedies in our day is that people are bringing forward the biblical material that is that point

56:09 to the disposition and manner in which the task is to be performed but they bring forward that material in such a way that it is either greatly diluting absolutely negating or totally redefining the task itself and brethren I urge you to pray that God will help you to see that distinction everything said about the disposition and the manner in which we carry out the task is meant to enhance and augment and to make more Christ like and more effective the task as defined in these passages not to dilute not to negate not to redefine now let me illustrate so crucial is this distinction as I sat at my desk yesterday and said Lord help me to come up with some illustration preferably one from the Bible and as my mind was working and ruminating I said well you dummy it's so obvious God takes the clue from household administration and says that's the proving ground for ecclesiastical administration well isn't that the key and I said yeah that is we turn to Ephesians 6 4 for the essence of the task of a father what's the essence of his task well it's clear and you fathers

57:37 do not provoke your children to wrath but nurture them there's the essence of our task to nurture our children everything that makes them them we're to nurture them the means chastening and admonition now when we come to the matter of the disposition the manner well we have a hint here one element is we're to do it in such a way that we do not unnecessarily provoke them to anger in the parallel passage that we do not administer our nurturing by chastening and admonition in such a way as to dispirit them that they be not discouraged then when we start bringing all the other biblical materials to bear like as a father pities his children we're to do it in a pitiable disposition we're to do it in the disposition that our children know that we delight to give them good gifts if you who are evil know how we start bringing this rich theology from genesis to revelation about the manner in which we are to nurture but all of that is meant to enhance our commitment to do the essential task which is to nurture and none of the other qualifying directives are meant to undermine a hands on aggressive positive commitment committed active dad

59:06 now do you see the parallel God says we're to shepherd the shepherd ain't some dude lying down on the hillside with his head propped up on his arm just looking the scene over once in a while and taking a nap saying the last thing I want to do is to have any on let you get the impression that I'm telling these sheep where to go and that I'm beating away wolves and well you better have the attitude that says the last thing anyone coming on this scene should think is that I'm anything other than someone who has the care and the well being the health of these sheep under my constant conscious active endeavors you see and you carry that through to all the other images taking care in such a way I don't want anyone to get

60:03 people so I'm just going to be this laid back sort of facilitator I'm going to be this little unseen catalytic element that once in a while puts my ideas in the pot and suggests here or there and tries to guide the ship as it moves along under the pressure of the stream of corporate consensus or some other nonsense no no all of the qualifying elements in scripture are there not to

60:33 find the task itself and I hope that analogy from the essence of the parental task and all of its qualifications will be helpful as you work this through so that in any given assembly we ought to be able to sing to the praise of God that song of rejoicing that they sang when God brought that great deliverance as recorded in the book of Judges and we read in chapter five and verses one and two then sang Gebra and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day saying for that the leaders took the lead in Israel for that the people offered themselves willingly bless ye Jehovah and when in the congregation you have that reality there is cause to bless Jehovah and for those of you that are present in our annual meeting just this past Wednesday I hope this was

61:31 to lead a people by the word of God who are ready to follow not mindlessly not out of blind superstition not out of idolatrous affection no but within the principles of the word of God it's a beautiful thing when leaders lead and followers follow and Paul could say that's what made the joy bells ring in his heart when he had a report of the Colossians he says there in Colossians chapter 2 that which brought joy to his heart even though he had to batter away some of this pagan influence that was seeking to infiltrate the church he says in verse 5 of chapter 2 though I'm absent in the flesh I'm with you in the spirit joying and beholding your order your toxis a military term privates are where they belong and the generals are where they

62:31 and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ there's the internal principle of spiritual life steadfast faith in the Lord Jesus there is the expression of it at an ecclesiastical level their order as a church and he rejoices in it and may God grant that as the Lord spares you men and spares any one of us and gives us the privilege of serving him in the place of leadership in his church that it would indeed be a situation where we can take up the song of Deborah and rejoice and bless our God that the leaders are taking the lead and that the people are following that leadership together under the Lordship of Christ and under the blessing of the Holy Spirit well that's what I wanted to say to you today on the matter of the identification of the task description of the task in its essence and as I've already indicated God willing next week we'll take up the second major division and that is in its governing disposition and there we'll take up all if not all but many of these leading lines of biblical material that do condition the manner in which we are to carry out the task meant to enhance it buttress it not to negate dilute or to neutralize