The gate to the flock of God needs guarding as much as it ever has. At the same time, I think it is important to distinguish the unique role of Jesus as the Gate who provides access (salvation!) to the pasture of God – and the derivative role of under-shepherds who work with the Good Shepherd to offer protection to his flock.
As a pastor, I have a significant amount of gate-keeping power built into my role. If I neglect it, I leave sheep vulnerable to attack. I need to say no to some of the requests I receive. It is also possible to be overzealous in my gate-keeping. If I attempt to control the entry points to my congregation too rigidly, I may squelch the work of the Holy Spirit. To what extent does a guest speaker need to match my theology to receive an invitation? How mature does a church member need to be before invited to test their gifts in a particular ministry role? If I am too lax, significant damage can be done. If I guard the gate too tightly, it can lead to the impoverishment of the flock as I shut out God-given opportunities. Like most ministries, this one seems exercised best as part of a community of leaders who together discern the Holy Spirit’s leading.
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