Elders Shepherd the Flock

Having finished our nearly two-year-long investigation of Hebrews last Sunday, and having officer elections in two weeks, I want to spend a little time looking at what exactly elders do, anyway. Why has the congregation nominated an elder to serve alongside our existing elders? In order to answer this question, we would need to be able to say what elders are supposed to do. In the passage before us, the apostle Peter answers that elders are supposed to shepherd and oversee the flock. He describes that in just two verses, though. Most of the passage is taken up with the benefits and blessings that come to a flock that is being shepherded and overseen by the elders. He says that submitting to the elders will vanquish anxiety and Satanic attack, and that it will result in eternal perfection.

That's why we are electing another elder. That's why we have elders in the first place. We want to be like Jesus, and these men, cast in the same mold as the chief shepherd, lead us toward Him.