Let Not the Two Be Separated

This past Sunday was a particularly difficult one for me. I had been dealing all week with a bad eye infection, and it was looking like a “game-time decision” as to whether or not I would be safe to preach and to be around others. Following my doctor’s advice, I decided to go ahead and preach, though I would have to avoid close interactions, hugs, or handshakes. The only way I could follow those instructions was simply to come into the service at the last minute as the music started and to have our worship leader offer the closing prayer as I slipped out to go to my office to avoid such contact. I even explained my actions to the congregation, particularly for the sake of our guests, to let them know how much out-of-routine that is for me and how I hoped the guests would return the following Sunday so that I could meet and greet them as I long to do. As I snuck out during the closing prayer and went to my office, God brought several thoughts to my heart about my experience that day. The overarching thought was this: for a local church pastor, you cannot separate preaching to a people from the shepherding of a people. Here are a couple of reasons why:

Shepherding the people helps you to know the people

The only way you can know the sheep you shepherd is to be with them. Even in the 15 minutes prior to the service, or the 30+ minutes after, you can learn a lot about the people you lead. If you touch them, speak to them, and, perhaps most importantly, listen to them, you will get to know them better. As you get to know the sheep better, you better understand how to lead them according to God’s Word. All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable. However, there are times when certain Scriptures will best speak to or address that particular flock’s immediate needs. You have to be with the people to understand clearly what spiritual food they need at the moment.

Shepherding the people helps the people know you

You have likely been in a situation where you heard a great preacher deliver a great message, only to talk to them after the service and receive a short, distant, or cold response. The message he preached was spot-on, but he then demonstrated that while he might love to preach, he might not have as great a love for God’s sheep. By spending time interacting personally with God’s people—again, talking with them and listening to them—you give them a chance to see and hear that, above all, you love God and love His people. When they know this first, they will be better prepared to receive even hard things from God’s Word from you because they have already experienced the heart from which that message flows.

If a pastor can be satisfied slipping into a service late and slipping out early to avoid personal interaction with the sheep to whom he will be preaching, maybe he needs to be doing something else. Let us never seek to separate preaching to God’s people from the shepherding of God’s people. I know I am very much looking forward to next Sunday where I can visit with and love on God’s people, even as I will then have the responsibility to bring the good food of God’s Word to them. May God use those who seek to know His sheep well and love His sheep sincerely to then feed His sheep faithfully for their good and His glory.