Of Sheep & Shepherds
Commercial currently airing that shows a lonely shepherd with a cell phone. As he makes a phone call, those he calls begin arriving in droves, until he surrounded by 100s of people.
Wonder how many real shepherds spend a lot of time on a cell phone? Lonely!
As Phillip Keller said in his book, “A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23”, to a great extent the Bible is couched in rural terminology, dealing with outdoor subjects and natural phenomena.
Today this is not the case. Many who read & study the scriptures come from an urban, man-made environment. City folk are unfamiliar with livestock, crops, land, fruit and wildlife.
Because of this we may miss some scriptural insight.
On t/other hand, using nature to tell of the Kingdom of God, is really the only way of being able to communicate to all people, for all times.
If Jesus strictly used the customs & urban lifestyle of His days, all those removed from his time by even a generation or two, would be lost.
Warren Wiersbe said this about sheep and shepherds:
A faithful shepherd not only protects his flock but he also leads them from pasture to pasture so they might be fed adequately. Shepherds would always search the new fields, before leading his sheep there.
He wanted nothing to harm his flock, so he checked for poisonous plants snakes, pits and dangerous animals.
Sometimes it would be necessary to seek out a wayward sheep & give it personal attention and so the shepherd must at times neglect the entire flock to tend to the needs of the one.
This indicates value.
If a sheep was too rebellious, the shepherd may have to discipline him in some way. If a sheep has a special need, t/shepherd may carry it in his arms, next to his heart. At the close of each day the faithful shepherd would examine each sheep to see if it needed special attention. He would anoint the bruises with healing oil & remove the briars from the wool. T/shepherd would know each of his sheep by name & understand the special traits of each one.
He concludes with this, it is not easy to be a shepherd of God’s people!
It is a task that never ends and that demands the supernatural power of God, if it is to be done correctly.
What about the sheep themselves, well since God calls us His sheep, think about these “sheep facts” and how they relate to us.
Sheep are animals who stay together. God’s people should be close.
Sheep are notoriously ignorant and tend to wander away, if they do not follow the shepherd. Aren’t we the same?
Sheep are defenseless, for the most part and need the protection of their
Shepherds. So too, t/church needs human leaders & Jesus Himself.
Sheep are very useful animals. Not only in their wool & milk, but also in reproduction - the flocks should increase in number.
It’s easy to see this parallel. We have abilities to offer & should produce other Christians, duplicating ourselves, in them.
My Grandfather was a shepherd during my childhood years. I marveled at how they responded to his voice, one call & they came running.
They knew he cared for them, providing their needs & they loved him.
I have mentioned before that I would imitate his voice with no success.
As I called, they would raise their heads nonchalantly as if to say, who do you think you are – because you sure aren’t our shepherd.
Sheep know their shepherds voice. If several shepherds brought their flocks, together, when 1 shepherd calls, his individual sheep come.
T/Bible tells about Jesus, the Chief Shepherd & it tells us of men, called elders, whose ministry is to shepherd the church.
Look at I Peter 5:1-4, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings & one who also will share in t/glory
to be revealed: be shepherds of Gods flock that is under your care serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”
Peter, addresses elders as a fellow-elder.
Peter doesn’t give orders as an apostle, but as 1 called to similar responsibility to theirs, he encourages and urges them in devotion to duty.
Verse 1 tells us of t/Great Shepherd and the suffering He endured. But it also states the prize that is to be revealed.
Some want this verse to denote t/suffering & glory of serving as an Elder, but this doesn’t fit. It’s all about Jesus, His suffering & His glory.
Yes, elders may deal with much suffering & much glory as they serve in this capacity, but it’s all based upon what Jesus has done, how He died on the cross & how He has risen & ascended to Heaven.
Now Jesus stated that just as He suffered, so we His followers will suffer 1 Peter was written at a time of intense persecution, so we’d naturally conclude that if Christians in general were being persecuted, then
the leaders of the church would face even greater risk.
When difficult trials came to the body of believers, they would look to their elders for encouragement and direction. That’s why it’s vital for elders to be strong in faith, so that when difficulty comes, & it
will, they will not only endure, but lead others who are struggling.
The word is defined as; shepherd, leader, pastor or elder. And Peter is clear about stating that t/church is God’s flock & not the elders’.
Do you remember when Jesus had risen from t/dead & appeared on the seashore? Remember how he spoke with Peter that morning?
“Peter, do you love me?” “Feed my sheep, take care of the lambs.”
I imagine that as Peter wrote these words, He could vividly remember that morning & the conversation he had with Jesus.
He had been faithful to that call all his life, building God’s kingdom.
There will always be pivotal moments in life, where a situation, action, or event will dramatically influence the rest of your life.
That day on t/seashore had been one for Peter & years later he writes to elders & Christians with the event still fresh in his mind.
While he is addressing elders, t/qualities he urges apply to all Christians.
Reason “not because you must, but because you are willing”
This is God’s flock, bought with a great price. The sheep, defenseless, gentle, liable to stray, need a happy, peaceful, shepherd to care.
A great trust is placed into the hands of human shepherds who are to pattern their lives after t/Great Shepherd. What shepherd could have t/care of any part of God’s flock and treat it carelessly?
Peter’s words are sparing, but overflow with tender & serious meaning.
He speaks first of the reason elders serve, that there must be a desire.
Not because they must, or out of a sense of necessity or compulsion, but because they freely chose to do so, they willing do God’s will.
Not like drafted soldiers, but volunteers, not needing to be urged to every task, but as running to put their hands to it, delighted to do it.
Like a child who sees a mud puddle & almost instinctively runs & jumps in it, so a good elder, DESIRES to feed, tend, help, care for sheep.
An Elders’ service is done with ever new vigor, energy & enthusiasm, rather than as a routine undertaking.
This past week, 2 debates, candidates for president & vice-president.
Their job was to sell themselves, so that people will vote for them.
Eldering is not about visibility it’s not about sound-bites, it’s not about anything except humble service to God’s people.
While there must be a desire on the part of the elder candidate, it is not something to be grasped without much self-examination.
All Christians should have some reluctance to enter a leadership position because we know only too well our unworthiness & inadequacy.
I don’t believe that all Christian men are ready to be an elder, but I do believe that all Christian men should desire the position. WHY?
Because desire is always the first step toward attaining anything.
When you desire food, you eat, desire the affection of someone, do what pleases them, desire good grades, study and prepare for school.
Desire is what drives you to accomplish something & without desire, we would never achieve anything.
Men, I pray that God will stir your hearts and minds, convicting you to desire t/office of elder, because when you do, you’ll be motivated to grow in God’s Word, you’ll stretch your faith and then you will
feel adequate to serve in this position.
God is t/greatest example of a shepherd.
Psalm 23:1, “T/Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.”
All Christians have access to the Great Shepherd. The God who owns it all, and who supplies everything we need.
Now in Matthew, we see t/reason why Jesus became the Great Shepherd:
Matthew 9:36, “When He saw t/crowds He had compassion on them, cause they were harassed & helpless, like sheep w/out a shepherd.
Jesus saw our confusion & brought direction.
Jesus saw our spiritual helplessness & brought assistance.
Jesus saw our affliction & brought peace.
Jesus saw our aimless wandering & brought us guidance.
Men; let us serve with the compassion that Jesus demonstrated for man.
Secondly - there may be men who have a desire to serve, but they must first examine their motivation.
Motivation “not greedy for money, but eager to serve;”
Christian service is never done with a selfish motivation.
It is never done for material gain, but only for the delight of serving.
Many of us can state the names of men who became rich though their service to God, & in doing so brought shame to Christ’s name.
What is interesting is that in almost every case, their sin of greed & love of money always backfires.
What is tragic is that in almost every case, their sin of greed & love of money always bring dishonor & reproach to the Church.
Peter draws a clear distinction between a shepherd and a hired hand.
The hired hand works because he is paid for it, a shepherd does it because he loves the sheep and has a heart for them.
T/third comparison that Peter mentions is t/shepherds manner in service.
Manner “not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock”
Elders provide, protect, supervise, discipline, instruct and direct.
Lenski said, “Shepherd should not be little popes or petty tyrants.”
QUOTE - Power corrupts, and ultimate power corrupts ultimately.
Financial kingdoms like those of Jim Bakker & Robert Tilton have hurt the cause of Christ, yet the temptation of power and authority far outweigh the dangers of coveting or stealing.
All men in church leadership must guard against the quest for power at all cost. I believe humility is t/greatest characteristic of an elder.
How else could it be, when Jesus, our Lord & Master set the example of humility by becoming a man & dying on the cross for our sins.
What did Jesus say, “I didn’t come to be served, but to serve!”
And so the great characteristic of the shepherd is his selfless care and his sacrificial love for the sheep, just like an elder cares for the church.
The condemning words of Jesus’ to His followers who wanted to have a position of honor must be remembered by all, especially elders.
If you want to be first - be last. If you want to be great - be a servant.
That equation doesn’t make sense to world, but its t/only thing that work
The imitation theme is strong in Bible, God said, be holy, as I am holy.
Jesus asked His followers to be like Him, even Paul said, be like me, as I am like Christ.
Elders, be models, showing yourself as patterns to be copied by t/flock.
T/attitude of an elder to t/church, is like God’s attitude toward man.
Must lead by example, not trying to drive by domineering self-assertion.
Throughout this section of scripture, Peter opposes the lack of desire, greed and power and encourages volunteer service, unselfish devotion and living an exemplary life.
Isn’t that what Jesus, the good shepherd has already done for all of us?
We can examine t/characteristics & qualifications of t/function of elder, but the bottom line is this, BE LIKE JESUS!
The mental picture that I have is from the parable of the lost sheep.
The shepherd has 100 sheep, all of them important to him
So much so, that when 1 is lost, he leaves all the other 99 to seek for it.
When he finds t/sheep, he rejoices, carefully picks it up, laying it across his shoulders, carrying it back to the fold.
John 10:11-15, “I am t/good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. T/hired hand is not t/shepherd who owns T/sheep, so when he sees t/wolf coming, he abandons t/sheep and runs away. Then t/wolf attacks t/flock & scatters it. T/man runs away because he is a hired hand & cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep & my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay - down my life for the sheep.”
The Good shepherd loves me and has died for me! I am safe indeed. By dying, He leads me past death and the grave. He gives me life; life more abundant.
There has been a battle, the fight was hard and the shepherd has tasted death for the sheep, so that the sheep may die no more.
They are coming to the sheepfold where Shepherd & sheep alike shall die no more. He marches past the door, t/shepherd with the cross.
Finally, Peter mentions the prize.
Reward - crown of glory that will never fade away
In t/world of that day a crown was t/reward for victorious achievement.
If we honor Jesus with our lives, we’re not just getting a nice crown to wear, but a share in eternal life. That is our reward.
Revelation 7:17, “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Jesus is the Good Shepherd who died for the sheep.
Jesus is the Great Shepherd who lives for the sheep.
Jesus is t/Chief Shepherd who is coming again for His sheep, to reward all those who have been faithful to Him.
Are you ready to meet the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ?
Can you honestly say today, that you are His sheep?
Christians serve the Lord for all kinds of reasons.
Some work to ease the guilt of past mistakes, some work to keep from dealing with life’s difficulties, some work to produce in themselves a good feeling, some work to hear the applause of men, some work
to produce personal empires.
Each of these motivations will produce some productivity, but in each case, it will be limited in scope and longevity.
The only motivation that will produce lasting results is this; loving the Lord Jesus with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and loving God’s people as you love yourself.
If we as God’s children will live our life with this motivation, then we will hear t/Chief Shepherd’s voice say, well done faithful servant.
Take comfort from these words found in
Psalm 23, “T/LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod & your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in t/presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness & love will follow me all the days of
my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
Since others raised sheep, my grandfather had to be able to identify his sheep. He did that with a plastic tag that was put on the sheep ear.
It identified which sheep were his own.
Years ago, before the tagging system, the shepherd would take a sheep, lay it’s ear on a stump & with a knife, carve or cut his symbol.
The process would produce physical pain for the sheep & emotion pain for the shepherd, because he knew the pain that he was causing.
Yet it was necessary, so that t/shepherd could easily identify his sheep.
Jesus, the Chief Shepherd has endured the physical pain of the cross, taking the pain upon Himself so that we might belong to Him
Yet it is also vital for us to be marked as belonging to Christ.
When people see you, is it evident that you belong to Jesus?
Is there confusion about your ownership, because the mark is not clear.
Let us live so that all will identify us as Christians.
