1 Timothy 3:1 shows us that elders are to be shepherds and servants who are called to do hard work. The work of an elder is sacrificial work. It is the hard job of protecting Christ's sheep from their enemies, both inside and outside the Church. An elder is called to labor in prayer, taking God's people to the Chief Shepherd and entrusting them to His care. There is also the work of feeding. Sheep depend on their shepherd for their food, so we should look for a man who is already on a diet of the Word and shares the living water with others.
We need to beware of false shepherds and look to the Lord Jesus as our true Shepherd. Sadly, some "pastors" would rather line their own pockets instead of doing the hard work to serve God's people. When looking for an elder, we need to look for a man who imitates Jesus in His earthly ministry. Even in His tiredness, Jesus still worked and served and loved the people. It took physical, spiritual, and emotional work. He worked out the plan of salvation for His sheep. We need to look for a man who does not desire to work for his own glory, but for the good of God's sheep, as an under-shepherd of Jesus. |
