A Shepherd’s Philosophy

Many things have crossed my mind as to the content of the first post on this new blog, and what will hopefully be a continuing ministry to the body of Christ at Colonial Bible Church, as well as in the world of the blogosphere. At the outset my goal, broadly defined as it may be, is the same as the goal for my pastoral ministry. It is the age-old mandate of the Scripture to pastors in every church, in every age: Feed, Lead, and Defend. To whatever end this may be possible through a writing ministry for God’s people, these are my goals. As it stands in my mind this morning, these goals unpack themselves in the following ways. I pray that they are true of my ministry, and not simply confined to the wishful thinking of a detached and hypothetical form of electronic media.

1) Feeding

Many people have asked me “why” another church plant? And particularly, “why” another church in Midland, Texas? After all isn’t Midland at the center of the spiritual world? The answers to the questions are a resounding “because and no!” The “because” part of the answer is related to the dearth of sound feeding. Throughout the history of the church one defining mark of a church’s validity has always been based on the faithful ministry of the exposition of Scripture. I have not observed this in very many places in our town, as “spiritual” as it may be. Through the pulpit of Colonial Bible Church, and subsequently this blog, I want to be faithful to the age-old task of unpacking, unfolding, and unleashing the power of every verse, every line, and every word of the Scripture upon the lives of the hearer/reader. John MacArthur has likened the Scripture to a caged tiger. “Let it out”, he says, and the Word of God will do Its Own work. (For more on this, be sure to catch the morning sermon on April 15 from Mark 4:26-29!) We must feed! When people are malnourished physically, they first decay and then die! May I say there are many decaying people on the verge of falling into the next step if they are not revived with spiritual nourishment. I want to feed people in every way and in every arena that I possibly can. That is my highest priority!! What good is anything else if they die of starvation? I will by God’s grace use this and every opportunity to expound upon the source of our life and hope, the Scriptures.

2) Leading

After feeding, or alongside it, I should say, comes the task of leading. A shepherd is one of our Lord’s favorite Titles, and also most frequent examples of what true spiritual and ecclesiastical leadership is to be. It is not that the shepherd simply throws the food into the fold and “let come what may”. No, the shepherd must get into the fold and feed those who are to weak to eat, get out in front to show the way to those charging ahead, correct those whose thinking/blindness have led them the wrong way, nurse the wounded back to health, etc. Through this blog I want to lead. I want to encourage, exhort, correct, befriend, inspire, nurse. In short I want to use this “staff & rod” to shepherd!

3) Defending

Paul exhorts the Ephesian shepherds in Acts 20:28 to, “be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock.” Why? Because, “savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;” (v. 29). So a third aspect of the philosophy and goal of this blog is to defend. The church had been pillaged, looted, and burned today because many so called shepherds are guilty of dereliction of duty, and have left the gates wide open for whatever and whoever wants to come in and harm the sheep. Thanks to the broad majority of “evangelical pastors”, the “wolves” of this world are suffering from widespread obesity, fat on the souls of precious sheep who are given to our charge to defend. I want to be a shepherd who destroys the wolves (i.e. false teachers, the divisive, etc.) with the “Sword of the Spirit” in one hand, while nursing and feeding the sheep with the other. Do we really imagine that there can be another way? At times it will be necessary to expose, dismantle, and depose of certain people, trends, and ideas that are harming the people of God. As politically incorrect as this may be in the church today to defend, God never intended for shepherds to be politically correct, only faithful. May it never be that any wolf will ever succeed in harming our sheep, regardless of how hard and often they may try!

These things comprise the essence of my heart for ministry. May God be glorified in everything that is done through this outlet to further these goals and philosophy! May God raise up a church of men who will join me in this vision of ministry! Lest we should ever grow weary or disillusioned in our task, let the words to the following hymn remind and call us to action:

Rise up O men of God,
Be done with lesser things
Give heart and mind and soul and strength
To serve the King of Kings!

May it be! May it be!