COUNSEL YOUR FLOCK

One of the surest signs of the blessing of God upon His people is the gift of spiritual shepherds who faithfully care for His flock, writes Paul Tautges. Sadly, pastors today have become business professionals who are no longer content to shepherd their flocks by teaching the Word of God and caring for their souls, but instead farm their people out to psychological counselors, who are incapable of meeting the real needs of people. Here is an urgent appeal for teaching shepherds to return to authentic biblical ministry: to be tenacious in their study and preaching of the whole counsel of God, and tender in their application of its demands to the lives of God s sheep through the personal and pastoral ministry of counseling. In his companion book, Counsel One Another, Paul defended the role of every believer in the discipleship process; here he concentrates on the specific ministry of pastors and elders, particularly their role in leading God s flock to spiritual maturity and equipping it for effective service. He reminds ministers that they have a privileged responsibility to function as undershepherds for Christ, the Chief Shepherd, but those who are faithful will receive an eternal reward.