Audio Transcript
We’re studying the Navigators Bible Studying Plan collectively once more this yr, and we simply wrapped up our first month of the brand new yr with readings that included Psalm 23:1–3 and Matthew 9:36 and Matthew 10:6. David, a listener, is placing these three texts collectively in asking you this query.
“Pastor John, hiya and thanks for this podcast. There appears to be a divine, sovereign shepherd who can provide all our wants. And but we nonetheless have want of human shepherds. So, how do these two tiers of shepherds work collectively? There’s a type of, ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not need.’ However I nonetheless need. I nonetheless want a human shepherd too. God is a enough, all-sovereign shepherd who is sufficient for me. And but he’s not sufficient for me. After all, I’m considering right here of the necessary function my pastor performs in my life. So, how do you place these two tiers of shepherds collectively?”
What number of methods can the diamond of God’s glory be turned in order that aspect after aspect of the diamond displays an increasing number of of his diversified knowledge and energy and goodness? What number of methods are you able to flip that diamond? In Ephesians 3:10, Paul says, “Via the church the manifold [the many-sided] knowledge of God [is] made recognized to the rulers and authorities within the heavenly locations.” So the best way God has arrange the church — its folks, its construction, its leaders, its gospel, its mission — is designed to show the diamond of God’s glory and reveal aspect after aspect after aspect of the knowledge of God.
Life Among the many Members
Christ was made the top of the church, and the top is the nice information and the nice provider, supplier — the nice protector. And so Christ might have dominated his church, his saints, straight, with no intervening influences (human or in any other case). He might talk straight to each particular person Christian and never have any leaders and never have any of these saints minister to one another in any means, lest they intrude upon the prerogative of the top. He might have finished it that means, in order that the church could be made up of little particular person factors of sunshine, remoted Godward mild, that don’t have any relationship with one another and don’t relate to any leaders in any respect.
“The way in which God has arrange the church is designed to show the diamond of God’s glory.”
He might have finished it that means. Why didn’t he do it that means? Effectively, simply on the premise of Ephesians 3:10, we’d say, “As a result of that means of ruling the church as the top — with no pastors, no shepherds, no leaders, no efficient affect horizontally among the many members — wouldn’t be the wisest approach to flip the diamond of God’s glory within the church to point out the many-sided knowledge of God.” That means of doing it might be faulty. It wouldn’t glorify the panorama of God’s glory within the church as a lot as the best way he really did do it.
Once we learn the Bible, we can’t escape the superb impression that God likes to do issues not directly by human brokers. It’s all over the place. He created a world and he created a church wherein the decisive issues regarding redemption occurred circuitously (from God) however not directly (from God by folks to folks). It’s all over the place. And due to this fact, I conclude that since God’s ardour is to amplify on the earth the many-faceted glory of his knowledge and beauty and energy, this manner of doing it — by human brokers, shepherds and sheep — reveals extra of his glory than if he did it straight and didn’t not directly do it by folks.
Sheep Shepherding Sheep
So, it’s not only a query of why there are human shepherds (Ephesians 4:11) when God is our shepherd (Psalm 23:1) and Christ is the nice shepherd (John 10:11). The query can also be, Why has he appointed that within the church? We’re all clergymen. All of the sheep are clergymen, like little mini-shepherds, and our salvation hangs in important measure on how we minister to one another, not simply from the shepherds. For instance:
- Hebrews 3:13: “Exhort each other on daily basis” in order that no one falls away.
- John 15:12: “Love each other.”
- Romans 15:14: “Instruct each other.”
- Galatians 5:13: “Serve each other.”
- Ephesians 4:32: “[Forgive] each other.”
- Ephesians 5:21: “[Submit] to 1 one other.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:15: “Do good to 1 one other.”
- Hebrews 10:24: “Fire up each other to like and good works.”
- James 5:16: “Confess your sins to 1 one other.”
Whoa. God is de facto into doing his work by sheep. All of these human actions from sheep to sheep are designed by the chief shepherd to perform shepherding functions of holiness and love and perseverance — and finally salvation.
God’s Individuals, God’s Energy, God’s Glory
Why did he set it up that means? The express reply turns up repeatedly within the Bible: when God’s folks by God’s energy do God’s horizontal and relational work, extra aspects of the diamond of God’s glory flip within the mild and replicate extra of him to the world. Jesus mentioned, for instance, “Let your good deeds [in other words, this horizontal ministry] be seen by others so that individuals will glorify your Father in heaven” (see Matthew 5:16). God will get extra glory when there’s horizontal ministry finished within the identify of God by the ability of God for the glory of God.
Paul mentioned, “[Receive] each other as Christ has [received] you, for the glory of God” (Romans 15:7). He mentioned, “[Forgive] each other, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). In different phrases, present by your relationships what sort of God you will have. Flip the diamond. Let one other aspect of the diamond be seen by the best way you forgive each other as God in Christ forgave you. Paul unpacked what he meant by “[putting] on the brand new self,” for instance, by saying it was created “after the picture of its creator” (Colossians 3:10). In different phrases, the purpose of changing into new folks in Christ as we relate to one another within the church is to point out extra about what our creator is like.
And Peter mentioned that the usage of non secular presents to 1 one other within the church is a stewarding of the various grace of God (1 Peter 4:10): the many-sided, many-colored — just like the diamond — grace of God. In different phrases, it’s a turning of the diamond in order that an increasing number of aspects of God’s grace will be seen and glorified as we minister to 1 one other with God-given presents.
Turning the Diamond
The identical factor will be mentioned now about why God has appointed human leaders (or shepherds or pastors or elders) within the church. After they do their work as they ought, as God’s phrase teaches them to do it, they do it “with pleasure” (Hebrews 13:17) — and they also present by the best way they do their main the preciousness of the one they serve. That’s what their pleasure does. They do it with humility (1 Timothy 3:6) — and present that they themselves are usually not the shepherd however solely comfortable under-shepherds. They do it by cherishing and preserving and defending sound doctrine (Titus 1:9) — and present the worth of the reality of the gospel. They usually do it worthy of imitation (Hebrews 13:7) — and everyone knows that the one one finally worthy of imitation is Jesus. And but he has appointed shepherds to be imitated as they imitate Christ.
That’s what turning the diamond means. And all of that is God’s design, as a result of when shepherds perform that means, extra aspects of God’s knowledge and beauty are seen within the church than if there have been no leaders.
And the identical factor is true not simply due to the best way the shepherds lead but additionally due to the best way the sheep observe. They’re presupposed to undergo the shepherds (Hebrews 13:17). And after they try this gladly, they present their contentment in Christ and what a superb Savior he’s and that they’re pleased with the best way God has designed the church and mirrored his knowledge. They usually be taught from shepherds as a result of the shepherds are appointed to be lecturers. And when the folks eat the meals that God offers by the shepherds and enjoyment of God’s phrase, it magnifies the knowledge of God. And when shepherds are loving their folks as Christ beloved the church, and the individuals are imitating that love, the fantastic thing about the neighborhood displays the knowledge and the grace of God.
So, it’s all in regards to the diamond. It’s all about the best way the aspects of the diamond are turned. That’s why God did it this manner.
I believe the reply all through the Bible for why God accomplishes his functions by human brokers is that, within the hundreds and hundreds of ways in which these brokers belief God and conform their lives to the nice shepherd and love one another, extra aspects of the fantastic thing about God’s knowledge and beauty and energy are proven than if he did it one other means.
