“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. John 10:2 AMP

5. The good Pastor/Minister cares about his flock. He/she is well acquainted with his flock. He gives them godly private and public instruction and counsel. He/she is there to help and to serve.

a. The good Pastor/Minister leads his flock and always points them toward Jesus.

John 10:3 AMP – The watchman opens the door for this man, and the sheep listen to his voice and heed it; and he calls his own sheep by name and brings (leads) them out.

John 10:9 AMP – I am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out [freely], and will find pasture.

b. The good Pastor/Minister prays for and intercedes for his flock to grow in the Lord, to know Him better, and to know who they are in Christ.

Ephesians 1:15-16 AMP – For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints (the people of God), 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.

c. The good Pastor/Minister is a giver in every way. He sincerely preaches the truth. He is not manipulative. He puts his flock before himself and makes their spiritual well-being a priority. He gives his time and attention. He is not greedy and he does not covet any of the flocks’ possessions; neither is he a burden to them. He only loves, serves, encourages, warns, exhorts, encourages, protects and watches over the flock.

Acts 20:26-35 NIV – Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

1 Thessalonians 2:4-13 NIV – On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed — God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. 13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

d. The good Pastor/Minister sets a godly example for the flock and watches over their souls.

Hebrews 13:7 AMP – Remember your leaders and superiors in authority [for it was they] who brought to you the Word of God. Observe attentively and consider their manner of living (the outcome of their well-spent lives) and imitate their faith (their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider and Bestower of eternal salvation through Christ, and their leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness).

Hebrews 13:17 AMP – Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them [continually recognizing their authority over you], for they are constantly keeping watch over your souls and guarding your spiritual welfare, as men who will have to render an account [of their trust]. [Do your part to] let them do this with gladness and not with sighing and groaning, for that would not be profitable to you [either].