Summary: Being a shepherd is no small undertaking. God expects much from them and is not shy about removing them when they do not perform to His expectations.

“Woe to You Shepherds”

By: Joe Mack Cherry

I. Introduction

A. Much discussion about the passage amongst the scholars.

1. Many believe this is a Messianic Prophecy referring to the first coming of Christ and the establishment of His Kingdom.

a. FF Bruce says, “ It is a Messianic prediction in the fullest sense.”

b. If this was a true prophecy, I believe it had dual purpose.

• Coming of Christ

• Ousting of the evil, lazy, overseers of Israel from a spiritual standpoint.

2. Some believe that it only refers to the rulers and judges up to the day Christ came to earth.

a. Many of the Kings that led the children of Israel were evil.

b. Most every king that held the Israelites in bondage was evil.

c. Those of this persuasion seem to emphatically recuse the Israelites that shepherded the people during that

time.

d. There are several examples of priests bowing to evil.

• Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu were killed for offering up “strange” fire in regard to the burning of animals

sacrifices.

• In I Sam., Eli’s sons Hophni and Phineas were taking more meat from the sacrifices than the priestly

allocation God allowed. They also slept with women who were dedicated for the caretaking duties of the

Tabernacle.

3. There is a third interpretation offered that seems most reasonable to me.

a. Adam Clark writes, “The prophet is commanded to declare the dreadful judgments of God against the

covetous shepherds of Israel, who feed themselves and not their flocks; by which emblem the priests and the Levites are intended, who in Ezekial’s time were corrupt, and the chief cause of Israel’s apostacy and ruin.”

b. He also regards this passage as a Messianic prophecy.

c. If this refers to future renunciation of evil shepherds, these evil shepherds most assuredly would be the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Herodians who were erroneously leading the Jews when Christ came to earth.

B. Question

1. Why the controversy?

a. One scholar said that No one wants to be accused of neglecting the flock.

b. We must remember that commentators are human and not divine. Could it be that

some of these commentators were also leaders and guilty of the sins spelled out in this 34th Chapter of Ezekial?

c. It’s a lot easier to point out governmental flaws than it is to accept that the flock may be suffering from lack of leadership of which some of us are a part.

2. Will God intervene on behalf of the flock, if they are not being led properly? Yes!

3. Vs 10 – “I will take the shepherd away from the flock and tend to them myself…”

4. God gave us the Good Shepherd in Jesus Christ. John 10:27-28-“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…”

II. Body

A. Vs 1-2

1. Feed my Flock read vs 2

a. As we will see in the following verses, there is a lot more to feeding the flock than just “spiritual” food;

however, this is the number one responsibility of a leader/shepherd.

b. There are many areas in which a flock needs nurturing and leaders must be willing to go at any time. In a sense, they are “spiritual” doctors who take an oath to God to tend to His flock.

2. Leaders must realize that God is forever watching and taking notice of how leaders carry out their duties. They are under constant scrutiny due to their position.

3. Some may think that God is being harder on leaders than He is on the congregation. Leaders will fail at times like all of us and God forgives them when they ask however:

a. Jas. 3:1 – “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment.”

b. I am probably repeating myself but anyone who takes on the role of a leader is responsible for more than himself and his family. He has a flock to consider and a flock is more than just his family.

c. We see that it is no small thing to take on a leadership position.

B. Vs 3

1. These shepherds were feasting on the sacrifices of the people.

a. Like Eli’s sons were in I Sam. 2

b. Leviticus explicitly lays out the way priests were to take their portion of the offering.

c. They were to die on the same day which they did in a battle with the Philistines. I Sam 4.

2. They were shearing the sacrifices and making fine clothes for themselves.

3. Both offences without regard for those of the flock who were in need.

4. Remind you of any other people in the Bible? Pharisees

C. Vs 4

1. The weak you have not strengthened. The flock as a whole or individually can become vulnerable at times.

a. Shepherds must protect their flock just as David did.

b. He fought the lions and the bears to save his sheep.

c. Sometimes you have to get in the fight whether you want to or not.

2. The sick you have not healed. When is the last time you took time to pray directly for someone?

3. Bound up the broken. When is the last time you were a shoulder to cry on?

4. Sought out the lost. I’m not talking about some who gets mad and leaves a congregation: I mean having a true love and concern for someone who may not be family or a friend.

III. Application

A. Qualifications vs Job Description

1. Every good church of Christ person knows where to find the qualifications required of an elder.

a. I Tim 3:1-7

b. Tit. 1:5-9

c. Some view or interpret these in different ways and sometime people bend them to suit their own agenda.

B. Do your job

1. Trevor’s 6-8 football coach used this phrase often with offensive line.

a. When one of the kids would miss a blocking assignment he’d yell at the top of his lungs, “Do your job!”

b. I wonder if some days God wants to yell at our leaders and us to, “DO YOUR JOB!”

c. Just because a Church leadership position is voluntarily accepted, that doesn’t mean that the full gambit of responsibilities isn’t in his job description.

2. Leaders have responsibilities

a. Acts 20:28 – Paul calls the elders at Ephesus to come to Miletus and says, “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock that the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His blood.

b. It is imperative that leaders remember that they are servants of the Most High God. Mt. 26:20 – Jesus came into this world to serve, not be served.

c. Jesus Christ is the perfect example of leadership in action.

d. No one should take the job just for the title.

e. No one should take the job for a power rush or notoriety.

f. No one should the job as part of a resume building exercise.

3. To what lengths will a Good Shepherd go?

a. Jesus says, “A good shepherd will lay down his life for his sheep.” Jo 10:11

b. In our lifetime we have not had to worry about persecution, but if we did, would our leaders (ourselves) be willing to do this like many of the 1st century leaders had to do. This is a hard pill to swallow today.

c. John was the only apostle that died of old age. The rest were martyrs for the cause: they died spreading the gospel in hostile environments.

d. Leaders need to show that type of passion for the flock.

4. The Hireling

a. Leaders have no option to go halfway at their job.

b. If they do not embrace the responsibilities with enthusiasm then they are displaying the characteristics of a hireling.

c. Jo 10:12 - runs at the first sight of trouble.

d. More concerned with themselves and their families than they are the flock.

5. Leaders must be among the flock

a. To be a true leader one, simply, cannot sit back and observe only.

b. Simply pointing a finger at something does not constitute true engagement and neither does voicing an opinion.

c. Churches have programs, it is the responsibility of the leadership support them all, not just the one’s of their choosing.

• Many times, their time is not their own. As Jesus said to Mary, I must be about My Father’s business.

• We all have things in life that hinder us from attending functions.

• Missing a function should be the exception, not normal behavior.

d. True leaders understand what they have signed up for and live their lives in the appropriate manner.

6. Leaders are discerners, not judges.

a. Leaders are not God’s and must stay within their jurisdiction.

b. Leader should love selflessly without having an agenda with those of the flock.

c. Some do not look at their sins (past) the way that they look at others.

d. I truly believe there are those in churches that qualify for leadership positions that are spurned by those who sit in leadership positions with the very same past or worse.

7. God will take away the flock from leaders who do not properly lead. Ezek.34:10-12

C. God wants what you promised as a leader.

1. There will be no excuses when one stands before God.

2. Deut. 23:21 – “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, God will certainly demand it of you, and you will be guilty of sin.”

D. In our own ways, we are all leaders.

1. I hope tonight that I have shed some light on what it entails to be a “true shepherd of the flock.

2. A lot of people disqualify themselves, not because of sin, but because they do not want the responsibility. That’s ok!

3. Part of being a leader is having a desire to do so.

4. We should all strive to have the qualities of a leader, title or not.