Almost a year ago we began implementing a new shepherding system at FPC Kosciusko with the goal of helping the elders lead and care for the flock in a way that encourages mutual sharing of spiritual gifts and care for one another—in other words, developing a community of elder-led priests. The vision is for each adult Sunday School class to work together, under elder leadership, to identify and address needs. We must transform the “Why doesn’t somebody do something?” mentality into a “Why don’t we do something?” mentality, whether it involves outreach, enfolding prospects and new members, contact with members who are no longer attending and participating, or members with acute or chronic needs.

A year later I see that transformation taking place in some places, and I thank God. I also see areas where we still have our feet nailed to floor and are not moving toward each other and toward our community, and I ask the Lord to be merciful.

This transformation is ground war, not an air war. It involves ongoing effort and attentiveness. It involves elders and everyone else living sacrificially for our brothers and sisters, and not just out for ourselves (1 John 3:16). Take a moment to reflect on some of the people on your class roll: the elder-leader, a close friend, someone who hasn’t come to Sunday school or attended worship in a while, a difficult person you might usually try to avoid, or someone you just don’t know at all (and maybe don’t care to know!). With these people in mind, consider Christ’s grace and service to you. Consider the practical commands of Scripture. Think of ways you can serve these people in the coming weeks.

•    Be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10). We are united spiritually to each other through God our Father and our elder brother Jesus. Whom do you need to rally around as if they were “kin”?
•    Honor one another (Romans 12:10). Are you treating them as people of value and taking them seriously?
•    Accept one another (Romans 15:7). Whom do you tend to exclude? What non-essential, secondary convictions do you allow to get between you and another Christian? Who needs your acceptance right now?
•    Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). Where do you need to help shoulder someone else’s burden? How might that change the way you spend your time, talents and treasure?
•    Bear with one another (Ephesians 4:2). With whom do you get easily irritated? If Jesus is being patient with you, can you be patient with others?
•    Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32). Forgiveness is costly, but not forgiving is more costly (Matthew 18:21-35). If you are a beneficiary of God’s costly grace in Christ, can you practice costly grace toward others?

Finally, regularly pray for and express your appreciation and support to the elder(s) who serves you. Slap him on the back or write him a note or ask how you can pray for him. Such humble service is a mark of the Spirit’s work in you. May it be increasingly evident in all of us as we grow in grace.

J.I. Packer: “I’m a great believer in the importance of Trinitarian thinking in discipling. A lot of what has weakened discipling is the result of thinking of only one person of the godhead at any one time–think about the Holy Spirit and what he does; think about Jesus and his death on the cross for us; think of the Father and of his love and goodwill. But you’re not thinking, you see, of the three together: the divine team which works in the unity of a single program and plan, each person in the team fulfilling his part in our salvation, so that the gospel is much less ‘what a friend we have in Jesus,’ but ‘what a team of friends we have through Jesus’–it’s the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our discipling instruction will be infinitely strengthened if we present it that way. Sometimes people say, ‘I’ve never heard it put like that before.’ People will be deistic unless they are taught the Trinity.”

It were an easy thing to be a Christian, if religion stood only in a few outward works and duties. But to take the soul to task, and to deal roundly with our own hearts, and to let conscience have its full work, and to bring the soul into spiritual subjection unto God, this is not so easy a matter, because the soul out of self-love is loath to enter into itself, lest it should have other thoughts of itself than it would have.

The words speak of the depravity of the heart and the deceitfulness of sin. It’s no easy or pleasant task to think rightly about our lives. Many of us may enjoy analyzing our problems, but are we doing so in the light of God’s Word? Perhaps we are analyzing our lives in a self-serving, self-justifying way. We replay the mental DVD of wrongs committed against us. We sooth ourselves with arguments that hide the truth and shift the blame to others. None of us wants to acknowledge things about ourselves that we would rather deny. How do you learn to see straight when something inside is bending in the wrong direction? My old campus minister, Hal Farnsworth, is fond of asking people, “If you were deceiving yourself, would you know it?”

Join me in asking God to overthrow self-righteousness–yours and mine. Ask the Spirit to help you have “other thoughts of yourself” and to see clearly the grace of Christ Jesus coming to you in your sin and misery. Face up, and find mercy.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for those who serve him with faithfulness, zeal and joy, making glad tidings known to “other sheep.”

O what shall I do my Saviour to praise,
So faithful and true, so plenteous in grace;
So strong to deliver, so good to redeem,
The weakest believer that hangs upon him?

How happy the man whose heart is set free,
The people that can be joyful in thee!
Their joy is to walk in the light of thy face,
And still they are talking of Jesus’ grace.

Their daily delight shall be in thy name;
They shall, as their right, thy righteousness claim.
Thy righteousness wearing, and cleansed by thy blood,
Bold shall they appear in the presence of God.

For thou art their boast, their glory, and power;
And I also trust to see the glad hour;
My soul’s new creation, alive from the dead;
The day of salvation that lifts up my head.

Yes, Lord, I shall see the bliss of thy own;
Thy secret to me shall soon be made known;
For sorrow and sadness I joy shall receive,
And share in the gladness of all that believe.

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And are we yet alive,
And see each other?s face?
Glory and thanks to Jesus give
For His almighty grace!

Preserved by power divine
To full salvation here,
Again in Jesus’ praise we join
And in His sight appear.

What troubles have we seen,
What mighty conflicts past,
Fightings without, and fears within,
Since we assembled last!

Yet out of all the Lord
Hath brought us by His love;
And still He doth His help afford,
And hides our life above.

Then let us make our boast
Of His redeeming power,
Which saves us to the uttermost,
Till we can sin no more.

Let us take up the cross
Till we the crown obtain,
And gladly reckon all things loss
So we may Jesus gain.