The Shepherd’s Example (7)
Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart… 1 Peter 1.22
A shepherd has three tools for his work: prayer, the Word of God, and his personal example. Compromise on any of these and your ministry will begin to flounder.
This is especially the case, according to Charles Spurgeon, with the example shepherds set before the people they are called to serve, and even more so, in their private lives, when only the Lord can see.
Spurgeon wrote, “Even in your recreations, remember that you are ministers. When you are off the parade you are still officers in the army of Christ, and as such demean yourselves. But if the lesser things must be looked after, how careful should you be in the great matters of morality, honesty, and integrity! Here the minister must not fail. His private life must ever keep good tune with his ministry, or his day will soon set with him, and the sooner he retires the better, for his continuance in his office will only dishonour the cause of God and ruin himself” (Lectures to My Students)
Obviously, Spurgeon was urgent that a shepherd’s personal life must be kept in order—deeply spiritual, full of grace and moral purity, constant in integrity and the pursuit of holiness. We don’t hear much talk about such matters in our day, but they have not ceased to be important. Indeed, if anything, they are more important in our day, when so much skepticism has arisen concerning the reality of the Gospel and the integrity of those who proclaim it.
Being disciples and making disciples
Dr. Mike McQueen sharpens our focus on making disciples in our weekly conversations. Too many churches are working to make new church members, while too few are working to make disciples of the members God has given them. Listen in to this week’s conversation by clicking the link or the audio bar at the top of this edition of Pastor to Pastor.
Resources for Shepherds
Men, if you’ve never read Augustine’s On Christian Doctrine, you should. This is the first treatment on hermeneutics in church history, and Augustine consistently keeps the focus on where it should be—learning to love God and our neighbors. I’ll be happy to send you a free PDF of Augustine’s book, if you’ll write to me at [email protected] and request it. And I hope some of you will join us this fall for our Christian Classics for Discipleship study of Books 1 and 2 of this great work. For dates and more information, click here.
It’s almost a new month. How about adding to your devotions—perhaps in the evening—a walk through the ministry of St. Patrick? You can follow and learn from his life first-hand, as we use Patrick’s two extant documents in our Patrick: A Devotional History. Read, meditate, pray, even sing a psalm for the next 30 days. Download your free copy here and share it with a friend or two. Read and share together in this journey through the early days of the Celtic Revival.
Men, have you ever thought you might like to know more about The Fellowship of Ailbe? Who we are and what we do? Click the “About” tab on our home page. Watch the brief video there and read about our purpose and projects. If you’re interested in thinking about Membership in The Fellowship, simply drop me a line at [email protected].
From the Celtic Revival
Brendan of Clonfert (fl. ca. 560 AD):
And Brendan said to them: “Do not vex and rack your limbs. Is not God our Pilot and our Shipman? Let Him bring us to whatever place He will.”
– The Life of Brendan of Clonfert
God, it turns out, was beginning to pilot Brendan and his crew back to Ireland. Why? Was this the end of Brendan’s adventure? Would he never visit The Promised Land of the Saints? Will we? Click here to read the rest of last Thursday’s installment in Brendan’s journey
Follow Brendan’s adventure of faith—which, while certainly historical, is in many ways a parable for every believer’s journey in the Lord. Add our twice-weekly Crosfigell teaching letter to your subscriptions.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this issue of Pastor to Pastor helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” turns to consider the unique “currency” of the divine economy. In our Read Moore podcast this week, we begin a new series on our book, Such a Great Salvation. Our Crosfigell series on Brendan of Clonfert finds him heading back to Ireland, confused and disappointed—but faithful. Finally, in our daily Scriptorium series we begin a slow walk through the book of Ephesians. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
Support for Pastor to Pastor comes from our faithful and generous God, who moves our readers to share financially in our work. If this article was helpful, please give Him thanks and praise.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
