“Do You Love Me? Feed My Lambs.”

John 21 serves almost as a post script to the great gospel. Christ’s atoning death and resurrection have already been recorded, and the evangelistic purpose of the book has been summarized in John 20:30-31. Rather than ending with a typical record of the Great Commission, however, John instead records for us a beautiful scene on the seaside during which Christ appears to the disciples, feeds them, and instructs them.

The text climaxes in the pointed yet gracious reinstatement of Peter in verses 15-17. It has often been observed that just as Peter denied Christ three times, Jesus questioned his love three times and commended him to ministry three times. There’s a gentle reproof in the reminder of Peter’s unfaithfulness and boasting: “Do you love me? Are you still claiming greater fidelity than these, your fellow disciples?” (Mark 14:29) Ouch. But there’s also great grace: “Peter, I’ll still use you. Feed my sheep.”

Beyond Jesus’ message of grace to Peter and Peter’s desperate appeal to Christ’s knowledge that his love, though imperfect, was sincere, John’s text contains some great lessons for pastoral ministry and the centrality of the local church.

Jesus gives a doxological motive to pastoral ministry. Our Lord unmistakably connects our love for Himself with our care for His church, insisting three times that our love for Him is evidenced chiefly by love for His sheep. Peter had tried to show His love for Jesus on his own terms: in boastful promises to fight to the death, in an audacious rebuke, in ambitious jousting with the other disciples for position, and even in hacking off a servant’s ear in a show of ill-advised aggression. His attempts to show his love were terribly flawed, as are so many of ours. Christ simplified things for him and for us. “Love Me? Feed my lambs.” This is instructive from both angles:

• Our love for Christ must show itself in care for His flock.
• Our care for Christ’s flock must be rooted in our love for Christ.

I delight to think on Jesus’ esteem for and protection of His church. To care for Christ’s sheep is to worship Christ, just as to oppress them is to persecute Christ (Acts 9:4). “Love me by loving mine.” What a great word even for those who aren’t called to be shepherds.

Jesus describes the doctrinal focus of pastoral ministry. Shepherds are commanded to care for His sheep in two specific ways—to “feed” and “tend” them. The verb Christ uses in the first and third commands (the Greek word bosko, vv. 15 and 17) is a general term for feeding. The undershepherd is a dietician. We nourish the church by giving out the Word, not our own opinions. And our ministry, though evangelistic, is focused primarily on caring for the church of Christ—sheep.

The second verb Christ uses (the Greek word poimaino, v. 16) is the term we more commonly associate with pastoring, or even translate as pastor. It still speaks of nourishment, but it includes other aspects of pastoral ministry as well. Diligent study and sound hermeneutics are necessary. However, preparing a biblically accurate sermon can become a mere “craft.” We can be perfectionistic about proper exposition while thinking little of the sheep we’re actually feeding. We’re preaching to needy people, for whom we should be praying and of whom we should be thinking as we study. And they need more than food. They need protection. They need leadership. They need encouragement. They need pastoral attention. Shepherds should smell like sheep.

Finally, Jesus highlights the gentle nature of pastoral ministry. There’s a tenderness required in pastoral ministry. (Notice the gentle characteristics required of elders in such passages as 1 Timothy 3:3 and 2 Timothy 2:24-26, for example.) Thus, Christ uses a diminutive term for His flock, especially in verse 15: “Feed my little lambs.” Peter was impulsive. He was a tough guy. But he needed to learn to nurture sheep rather than run over them. It’s a lesson he not only learned, but passed on in 1 Peter 5:1-4. Ministry is a tender thing, even for tough guys. Even when sheep are confused or in need of correction. And again, giving them gentle pastoral attention is worship.

The elders with whom I pastor Tri-County Bible Church meditated together on these great truths over the weekend. It was a rich time. By God’s grace, we hope to make John 21:15-17 a defining text for our ministry in this local assembly. Might we show our great love for our Lord by loving and caring for His flock. And might you do the same in your local church!

Borrowing Brains: Decentralized Ministry

I’ve spoken quite a bit lately about my burden for (a) decentralized leadership and (b) every member ministry. Both are core values at Tri-County Bible Church, which I’m privileged to pastor. The concept is thoroughly biblical. However, sometimes there’s a “disconnect” between what we believe to be right and what actually takes place. Sometimes the implementation of a right philosophy is challenging. So…

Whether you’re a pastor or not, please help the other readers of MTC by chiming in: What are some practical things churches, pastors, and members can do to encourage decentralized leadership and every member ministry? What hinders these things?

Please explain, and be as specific as possible. Looking forward to reading your thoughts. Thanks!

More on Decentralized Leadership

This blog is nothing if not eclectic. Sometimes I fear that truly important things may get lost amidst the discussion of favorite music, funny videos, and such.

In case it was “lost in the shuffle,” I don’t know that I’ve made many posts more important to healthy churches than one I made several weeks ago, “Pastor, Get Out of the Way.” Thankfully, it’s sparked a number of conversations among young guys that are hungry for an intentionally biblical philosophy of ministry—”why we do what we do.” Outside of getting the gospel right, what could be more important than understanding our pastoral responsibilities?

For those interested in pursuing the topic further, this very brief and fairly informal description of biblical offices from TCBC may be of help: Office Definitions (pdf). It’s a pregnant statement that would be worth unpacking in time, but it’s a start. And, of course, Mark Dever’s Nine Marks of a Healthy Church and The Deliberate Church are must-reads. I’d also recommend Alexander Strauch’s Biblical Eldership and The New Testament Deacon, along with Bill Hull’s The Disciple Making Pastor, which was tremendously influential on the “every member ministry” and “decentralized leadership” burdens of TCBC.

Give the office synopsis a read. Think about it.  Improve upon it. Respond here if you’d like. But implement it, by God’s grace—especially if you’re getting ready to plant a church! It’s more than a matter of church polity. It’s a biblical strategy that has implications for all of church life.

(Thoughts?)

Pastor, Get Out of the Way

I love preaching. Love it. In my ministerial duties there’s probably only one thing I find more invigorating than preaching: sitting under the preaching of men I’ve been privileged to pastor. Of course, that requires that I get out of the way, which I’m glad to do. There’s a reason for that. More than one, in fact.

First, my job description from Ephesians 4:11-12 is not to do the ministry or be the ministry. It’s to equip for ministry—to preach and train and pray for two of the core values of TCBC: every member ministry and decentralized leadership. The ministry mustn’t rise and fall with me. For example, the relationships in the church shouldn’t be like a wagon wheel in which all the spokes are connected to the pastor-hub. Instead, church relationships should be like a spiderweb, moving in every possible direction, thereby making every member both important and expendable—including the pastor. The only indispensable one is also the only preeminent one: Jesus Christ.

Second, my goal from 2 Timothy 2:2 is to teach faithful men who will be able to teach others also. That’s happening at TCBC in a mind-numbing way, by God’s grace. For example, during the last 8 days, there have been 11 formal teaching opportunities at TCBC—in corporate worship, a men’s retreat, midweek prayer meetings, and large classes. I’ve taught only twice during that time. That’s it. Joe Tyrpak, the excellent assistant pastor here, whose fingerprints are all over our philosophy and its execution, has taught only twice, too. The other seven opportunities were shared by 5 other men, all of whom did a stellar job. What’s more, many others could have stepped up and brought the Word as effectively if asked. Still another is long gone, having left TCBC last year to be the assistant pastor of a sister church.

What does this shared preaching look like week to week and month to month? Good question. Here’s how we do it:

Polity: Plurality of Elders Does Not Necessitate Elder Rule

The following is the first in a series of posts that will address the important matter of church polity. My intent isn’t to “whack” those who disagree with my understanding of church polity, but to provide what I hope will be a perspective that is clarifying and edifying.

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One of the reasons why the biblical norm of a plurality of elders in the local church is often rejected is that it is criticized as anti-congregational (as in this message by Dr. Chuck Phelps, much of which I agree with). It is supposed by some that elders “rule” the church with ultimate authority whereas Scripture teaches congregational government—that a church can either have a plurality of elders or be congregational. It isn’t so.