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bible passage.
“Then we your people, the flock of your pasture, will give thanks
to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your
praise.” (Psalm 79:13 New Revised Standard Version)
As we at St. John’s begin our shepherd/sheep,
pastor/teacher/congregation journey, I feel moved to share with you a
view of the biblical concept of the shepherd/sheep relationship.
There has been much teaching on the role of the pastor and his
relationship to those God has placed in the local congregation under his
authority. There has been much hurt caused by imbalanced teaching; as
well as improper, or abusive methods of leadership. Throughout the
Bible, God’s people are referred to as "sheep" (Psalm 79:13, 100:3) and
sheep have need of a shepherd to both feed and tend to their needs. It
is important that we are careful to avoid the extreme measures that
advocate "lording" over every aspect of the lives of the congregation
instead of leading the sheep. But we must also be careful not to miss
the fullness of God’s purpose for His church by failing to submit to a
local church body and pastor.
What is a shepherd?
The word "shepherd" is used in both the Old and New Testament.
It means "one who tends herds or flocks" (not merely one who
feeds them). Both the Hebrew and Greek words, translated as
"shepherd", are also translated "pastor".
Is Jesus the only shepherd?
Jesus is spoken of as the "Chief Shepherd (John 10:11, 14;
Hebrews 13:20; I Peter 5:4, 2:25).
Jeremiah prophesied that the Lord would set up shepherds over His people
(Jeremiah 23:3-4).
Pastors or shepherds were given to the Church as a gift (Ephesians
4:11).
What are the duties of a shepherd?
We can tell by the indictment of the Lord against the Old Testament
shepherd,
what the Lord expects (Ezekiel 34:2-4).
Feed the flock
Strengthen the diseased
Heal the sick
Bind up the broken
Bring back those who were driven away
Seek for the lost
Not rule with force or cruelty
In Jeremiah 3:16, Jeremiah prophesied that His (God’s) shepherds
would…..
The New Testament scriptures tell us:
He calls his sheep by name, leads them, and goes before them. (John
10:3,4)
He will lay down his life for his sheep. (John 10:11-13)
Is on guard for himself and his sheep against the wolves and will give
account for them. (Acts 20:28, 29; Hebrews 13:17)
He will take oversight of his flock, willingly and not motivated by
greed. (I Peter 5:2)
He will provide an *example for his flock. (I Peter 5:3)
Note: The word "example" in
this verse means—an image stricken into a coin by a blow.
He will help equip the saints for the work of the ministry. (Ephesians
4:7-13)
What value does God place on His sheep?
Luke 15 depicts the parable of "The Lost Sheep". We see that God
considered one lost sheep worth leaving the ninety-nine. He will search
it out until found.
Jesus looked upon the people of his day with compassion, for he saw them
as sheep without a shepherd. Though he is the Chief Shepherd, when he
ascended, the pastor/shepherd was a gift to the Church. (Matthew 9:36;
Ephesians 4:13)
The Word of God commands His people to submit to and to obey those that
have rule over us because they watch over our souls. (Hebrews 13:17; I
Corinthians 16:15, 16)
Six "Musts" for sheep:
Must know the voice of the shepherd.
Must follow the shepherd
Must eat what the shepherd feeds
Must heed the warnings of the shepherd.
Must bear fruit
Must allow the shepherd to shear them.
Five kinds of sheep:
SOLITARY— they stay away from the rest of the flock. They think
the rest of the flock is too immature for them. They are usually always
sick.
HERMIT— they stay away from the rest of the flock to avoid
shearing. They refuse to be clipped by the shepherd. They won’t allow
the Holy Spirit to prune them. Their wool grows over their eyes and they
can’t protect themselves. Their wool weighs them down and they can’t
rise. The wolves come in and devour them. They influence others.
WANDERING— never content with things the way they are. Whatever
God is doing, it is never fast enough, big enough, or good enough to
suit them. They always talk about the way it "used to be". They bring
discontentment to other sheep and they produce "like kind".
JUDAS—they lead others to the slaughter. They are usually
blinded and deceived by their own stubbornness. They take an opposite
stand on what the shepherd is trying to establish. They slander the
shepherd. They carry tales abroad. They are unsavory, wild, and have
no love for the flock.
CONTENTED—innocent - they trust the shepherd. They are mild,
tenderhearted and gracious. Patient - they stick with the flock and
don’t run every time things don’t go their way. They are useful,
industrious and get involved. They obey and are submissive.
Are all those in the flock His sheep?
Matthew 7:15-20 tells us there are wolves who wear sheep’s clothing.
They put on the appearance of sheep. We can tell or identify them by
their fruit. Some will separate themselves before the coming of the
Lord, (I John 2:19), while others will not be separated until the Lord
returns (Matthew 13:30). There will be those who arise from within the
flock, who will speak perverse things, to draw away disciples unto
themselves (Acts 20:30). We are warned that there will be those who will
be deceived and fall away (I Timothy 4:1).
The Scriptures indicate that the pastor or shepherd is not only
responsible for preaching, but also is to care for and nurture the lives
of those God has placed in his congregation. The sheep in return must
respond both to Jesus, the Chief Shepherd and the pastor God has joined
them with.
Yours in Service,
Pastor Don Morgan
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John's U C C
