It is no accident that two of the heroes of the Old Testament, Moses and David, were first shepherds so that they would be prepared to shepherd the people of God. They were under-shepherds. That is, they did not own the sheep but they were accountable to the Chief Shepherd – the Lord Himself – for the sheep. Indeed, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).
One of the images on my website (in the teaching blog) is one of sheep. What the picture cannot tell you is that the shepherd was calling out their names and thus the sheep were coming. Jesus said, “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” (John 10:3-4). If you share the good news with your neighbor, your coworker, your family, and anyone else you encounter, then you are participating in the calling of sheep. The sheep that belong to Jesus will hear His voice and follow Him.
As His under-shepherds, the elders (myself included) of this church, need to know your names so that we can call you to follow where He is leading us as a church. We need your names on the membership roll. We are held accountable to God for the people on the roll. If you belong to Christ, then you need to belong to His body the church. The word membership is a metaphor – different body parts (like hands, for example) are called members. Being a member of a particular church is God’s idea.
A good under-shepherd of the Lord knows his sheep, not just their names. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). The elders (myself included) and the deacons of this church want to lead you to green pastures and still waters. We want to help provide for your needs. We want to know you even better than we already do – to know your struggles and concerns, to know your joys and triumphs. They will be in contact with you on a regular basis. I encourage you to “submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account” (Hebrews 13:17). If you are beginning to stray from Jesus in some way, be open and honest with them about it and they will encourage you and challenge you. If you have learned something that has made your faith grow stronger, share it with them so that they can rejoice with you. Tell them how they can pray for you and if you need anything else.
Take full advantage of the benefits of membership in the family of God.
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