CHURCH SESSION AND CONGREGATION (EZEKIEL 34:1-10)

From the Board of Elders

Dear Members in Christ,

Church Session and Congregation (Ezekiel 34:1-10)

“… and I will require my flock at their hand…” Ezekiel 34:10

Today we elect and witness the new Church Session for 2021-2023. It is a historical moment as within the Session of 10 members, God willing, there will be 5 new faces comprising of 3 Deacons and 2 Deaconesses. A new Elder, an immediate past Deacon, will also be elected, God willing, into the Session. They represent the 3^rd generation of leaders for CJBPF.

The leadership of the Church is the Session which constitutes the Board of Elders, Deacons and Deaconesses. Much responsibility and work are expected as the Session leads the Congregation in the Word and the work of the Lord. Leadership comes with responsibility and accountability. Duty given to the leadership is their duty to God.

In the Old Testament period, the nation of Israel was the national witness for God. The Jews were to worship the one living and true God and to serve no idols as a testimony of them being God’s chosen people. God gave them kings and priests to lead and teach them the way to live righteously and obey Him. By obeying, God will bless and prosper them. If they are to disobey, God’s judgement and wrath will be upon them. God is a loving, merciful and longsuffering God. He even sent prophets to warn the leaders and His people when they disobeyed and strayed away from Him. The prophets reminded them of their responsibility and accountability.

As a welcoming message to the incoming Session, Ezekiel 34:1-10 will serve as a warning, as well as conveying a God fearing message to ensure that the leaders take full responsibility for the oversight of God’s flock. The Session, collectively function as a shepherd, is to feed, raise, care, protect and defend the flock. The shepherd is also to seek for the sheep that wanders or strays away, or the sheep that starves in wanting the right doctrine, or having been confused or being misled by wrong doctrines. The work of the shepherd is also to heal and restore the problematic and injured sheep in life and/or doctrines. Thus, the Session, holding the office of the shepherd, functions as a caring and responsible shepherd. In so doing both the shepherd and flock will prosper, and God will be pleased, for God is the Chief Shepherd.

Let us learn a lesson from the prophet Ezekiel in Chapter 34:1-10. Ezekiel was raised by God during the period of the Babylonian captivity which lasted 70 years from 606 to 536 BC. God used Ezekiel to explain the action of God in causing Israel’s captivity. By God’s punishment, the Israelites learnt who God is - for God is God.    

God’s indictment against the unworthy shepherds:

Responsibility for the captivity of Israel was laid directly to the shepherds (leaders) of that day. They were the greedy and cruel kings and priests who abandoned, exploited and led the people astray.   

Vs 3-5:  Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

The leaders were comfortable and lack nothing. They ruled the people with an iron fist! They were selfish, greedy, negligent and insensitive. They neglected their responsibilities. The flock was not fed nor tended for. Those that were sick were not cared for, rehabilitated nor restored. There was no effort to seek nor bring back those that were driven away or gone astray. The leaders were negligent, indifferent and irresponsible in performing their task.

As leaders, do you know the members’ needs? Are the members being fed with the right spiritual food? Are they impoverished and starving? Are they broken in spirit, disheartened or spiritually sick or wounded that they are not even cared for or counselled? Are they being spiritually misled that we know not? Are we doing our duty to feed the flock with spiritual food that they are healthy and strong? Do we know the challenges and issues as well as the temptations and trials faced by the flock? Do we? We need to know those who are burdened and lost in order to restore and bring them back to the Lord.

Vs 5-6: And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

Yes, if the leadership is negligent, asleep and slumbering when they are to care for the flock, this will be a disaster. The flock under their care may be impoverished, wandered away and scattered. Yet the leadership knows not nor show concern. No one seeks nor bring them back. Do the leaders fall into this category? God forbid!

Vs 7-10:  Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

God holds the shepherds responsible and accountable for the welfare and wellbeing of His flock. God was against the shepherds, as they were behaving as though they were not the shepherds, because they cared not for the flock. The flock was neglected and became prey to the predators (false and corrupted teachings) of the land. The shepherds must answer for their dereliction and failure of divine duty. God will Himself take over and care for the flock. Shepherds who are not faithful will be rebuked and punished. God will raise up shepherds who are faithful. God indeed punished the whole nation of Israel by sending them into captivity for the failure of both the leaders and the people for not obeying God as they continued in idolatry.

Moving Forward:

No leaders are indispensable to God. Leaders are to take the roles of the shepherd seriously, diligently, fervently, lovingly, effectively and responsibly. Not doing so would earn the rebuke and wrath of God. 

To the Session, know your flock (i.e. congregation). Be worthy Shepherd appointed by God to serve His flock. Feed, raise, protect and defend the flock. Pray and care for them. God will hold the leaders responsible and accountable (cf. Hebrews 13:17).

To the flock, please pray for the Session for they have the oversight and duty to ensure your spiritual life, wellbeing and witness for the Lord. The flock must also know God, love and obey and keep His commandments (cf. John 14:15).

May the Lord strengthen both the Session and flock alike. May CJBPF not incur the rebuke and wrath of God but be established and prosper in His work for many years to come. To God be the glory. Amen.

In Christ,
Eld. Choe Tong Seng