Today we look at another prophecy or prophecies
from the Old Testament. Focusing on the prophecies
of Jesus as a shepherd. Jesus as shepherd. We're
going to look first of all to Isaiah chapter
40 verses 9 through 11. And then John chapter
10 verses 1 through 18 for our text. And there
will be a number of other scriptures as well.
So first of all, let's look at Isaiah chapter
40, verses 9 through 11. O Zion, you who bring
good tidings, get up into the high mountain,
O Jerusalem. You who bring good tidings, lift
up your voice with strength. Lift it up. Be not
afraid. Say to the cities of Judah, behold your
God. Behold, the Lord God will come with a strong
hand and his arms shall rule for him. Behold,
his reward is with him and his work before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will
gather the lambs with his arm and carry them
in his bosom and gently lead those who are with
young. Let's turn now to the book of John. Chapter
10. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does
not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs
up some other way, the same is a thief and a
robber. But he who enters by the door is the
shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper
opens, and the sheep hear his voice. And he calls
his own sheep by name and leads them out. And
when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before
them, and the sheep follow him, for they know
his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a
stranger, but will flee from him, for they do
not know the voice of strangers. Jesus used this
illustration, but they did not understand the
things which he spoke to them. Then Jesus said
to them again, Most assuredly I say to you, I
am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before
me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did
not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters
by me, he will be saved and will go in and out
and find pasture. The thief does not come except
to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come
that they might have life and that they might
have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one
who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming
and leaves the sheep and flees. And the wolf
catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling
flees because he is a hireling and does not care
about the sheep. I am the good shepherd and I
know my sheep and am known by my own. As the
father knows me, even so I know the father and
I lay down my life. For the sheep and other sheep
I have, which are not of this fold, them also
I must bring, and they will hear my voice, and
there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore
my Father loves me, because I lay down my life,
that I may take it again. No one takes it from
me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power
to lay it down, and have power to take it again.
This command I have received from my father.
Let's pray. Father, we ask today that you would
illuminate these passages of scripture to us,
Lord. We pray that you would open our eyes that
we might see this great theme of how you are
our shepherd in the Bible. As we look at these
verses. and other passages as well. Please open
them up to us, Lord. Illuminate us, Lord. Grant
us light. Help us, Lord, to love you as our shepherd
and to walk in your ways. Please grant the unction
of your Holy Spirit as we preach your word today.
We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. One of the significant
metaphors in the Bible Now, despite the hatred
of Idaho cattlemen for sheep, many of them, or
what they call them as meadow maggots, sometimes
they're derisively called, there really are a
lot of similarities between people and sheep.
Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in Psalm
23, which we have just read in our responsive
reading. The Lord is my shepherd. Therefore,
I shall not want. I shall be led to green pastures
and still waters. And I am sustained by the great
shepherd who provides, protects, shelters, and
comforts me. Jesus also uses this metaphor extensively.
In the book of John chapter 10, which we just
read, as he said in verse 14, I am the good shepherd
and I know my sheep and am known by my own. But
today my main subject is not to expound on all
the ways that people are like sheep, but rather
that Jesus is the good shepherd. The one who
loves, who cares for, who tends and protects
and saves and even has given his life for the
sheep. Now, I also know that there's some people
in here who have sheep. So please don't take
offense by how Idaho cattlemen view them. We're
grateful for wool and all of the other good things
as well. But yet David says in Psalm 119 verse
176, he says, I have gone astray like a lost
sheep. Seek your servant, for I do not forget
your commandments. Isaiah testifies that all
we like sheep have gone astray. Because of our
many sheep -like tendencies, and that by our
very nature we go astray, apart from the paths
of righteousness, we need a shepherd. We need
a shepherd. Ezekiel declares the words of God,
saying, For thus says the Lord God, Indeed, I
myself will search for my sheep and seek them
out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the
day he is among his scattered sheep, so will
I seek out my sheep and deliver them from all
the places where they were scattered on a cloudy
and a dark day. And I will bring them out from
the peoples and gather them from the countries
and will bring them to their own land. I will
feed them on the mountains of Israel and the
valleys and in all the inhabited places of the
country. I will feed them in good pasture. fold
shall be in the high mountains of Israel there
they shall lie in a good fold and feed in rich
pasture on the mountains of Israel I will feed
my flock and will make them lie down says the
Lord God I will seek what was lost and bring
back what was driven away bind up the broken
and strengthen what was sick I will establish
one shepherd over them and he shall feed them
my servant David He shall feed them and be their
shepherd. This is from Ezekiel chapter 34 verses
11 through 16 and verse 23. So one of the ways
that God shepherds his people is through his
appointed under shepherds. That is men that God
gifts with the ability to lead and care for his
people. Now one can immediately ask how can fallen
men who needs to be shepherded. Shepherd others.
And yet it is so. God calls faithful men to know
him and to lead his people well, caring for them,
loving them, protecting them from savage wolves
that seek to tear and to destroy. And one of
the problems has been that not all appointed
men have done so. Some do not know how. Some
have not been equipped or fitted for their office.
Others, Jesus calls hirelings, like we read in
John 10 and verse 12. A hireling, he who is not
the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep,
sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and
flees. And the wolf catches the sheep and scatters
them. God deals with this several times in the
Old Testament, and it actually is what sets the
stage for the cry and the prophecy that there
needs to be a shepherd, a good shepherd. Again,
we go to Ezekiel 34, just before the great and
precious promises that I read. Hear these words.
And the word of God came to me, saying, Son of
man, prophesy against. the shepherds of Israel.
Prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord
God to the shepherds, Woe to the shepherds of
Israel who feed themselves. Should not the shepherds
feed the flocks? You eat the fat and clothe yourself
with the wool. You slaughter the fatlings, but
you do not feed the flock. The weak you have
not strengthened, nor have you healed those who
were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought
back what was driven away, nor sought what was
lost. But with force and cruelty you have ruled
them. So they were scattered. Because there was
no shepherd and they became food for all the
beasts of the field where they were scattered.
My sheep wandered through all the mountains and
on every high hill. Yes, my flock was scattered
over the whole face of the earth and no one was
seeking or searching for them. He then goes on
and he says, therefore, you shepherds hear the
word of the Lord. As I live, says the Lord God,
surely because my flock became a prey and my
flock became food for every beast of the field,
because there was no shepherd, nor did my shepherd
search for my flock. Therefore, O shepherds,
hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord
God, behold, I am against the shepherds and will
require my flock at their hand. I will cause
them to cease feeding the sheep and the shepherds
shall feed themselves no more. For I will deliver
my flock from their mouths that they may no longer
be food for them. Now I give all of this in the
introduction to show how great of a need we have
as the people of God for good shepherds and for
the chief shepherd. The chief shepherd. Jeremiah
also speaks of this, and I'm not going to read
it, but it's in Jeremiah chapter 23. He prophesies
a great woe to the shepherds who destroy and
scatter the sheep. Now, we have just looked at
the prophecies about Jesus being a prophet and
then a priest. and then also a king. And as king,
he rules over all, which means that all whom
Jesus calls are under his authority. And even
more so, those who are appointed to any position
of leadership must also be under his authority,
thus called under shepherds. Jesus was prophesied
to set things in order. To set them in order.
So to be that chief shepherd and pastor. That
one who will be established. And he will feed
his flock. And then his followers are called
to imitate him. And to love like he loved. Even
as Jesus himself said in John 13 verse 34. A
new commandment I give unto you. That you love
one another as I have loved you. that you also
love one another. Now we are going to look at
a few of the Old Testament passages that prophesy
this about Jesus and then see how he fulfilled
them. Our first one is what I've already read
from Isaiah chapter 40, verse 9 to 11, so I'm
not going to read it again. But in this passage
of Isaiah 9, Isaiah chapter 40. The coming one
is recognized, first of all, as God. The one
to come is God. He says, behold your God. And
this just shows again, it's one of the passages
of scripture in which we understand that Jesus,
the coming Messiah, the coming shepherd is God.
And then this one who comes is set to rule. But
his reign over his people is not like that of
a conqueror over vanquished subjects, but it's
rather like that of a shepherd, of a pastor.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd, providing
them with good and nourishing food that will
sustain and keep them, making them healthy and
strong. Let's unpack the word feed a little bit.
As Barnes says, the word translated to feed denotes
more than our word feed at present. It refers
to all the care of a shepherd over his flock.
It means, the word feed means to tend, to guard,
to govern, to provide pasture, to defend from
danger as a shepherd does his flock. It is often
applied in the scriptures to God represented
as the tender shepherd and especially to the
Redeemer, Jesus Christ. This coming shepherd
will be very careful, Isaiah says, with the little
ones, the lambs, even gathering them with his
arm and carrying them in his bosom. This means
also taking great care of the pregnant ewes.
And this is all a most beautiful and descriptive...
passage and picture showing the tender care of
the shepherd who is to come and how he loves
his people even the little ones and the pregnant
ones and them all he cares for them just like
The shepherds in the Middle East who moved their
large flocks from place to place, and they had
to move them often because the amount of sheep
would quickly decimate the pasturage that was
there. So often they had to move them sometimes
even twice a day, where they would graze, lay
down, and then have rest, and then move on to
another place. then graze again. And of course,
that can be very stressful for little lambs as
they're just getting on their feet. And it can
also be stressful for those who are pregnant.
And so this whole imagery that is given to us
is that Jesus cares for the little ones, for
the young ones, for the weak ones, for those
who are trouble making it. He cares for each
one. Jesus loves and cares for the lambs. Make
sure that they're not pushed too hard, loving
the weakest and the most feeble of his people.
The next prophecy we want to look at is in Ezekiel
chapter 34, three verses, verses 22 to 24. Ezekiel
34 is describing the abuse of the false shepherds.
And then he goes on to say in verse 22, therefore,
I will save my flock. and they shall no longer
be a prey, and I will judge between sheep and
sheep. I will establish one shepherd over them,
and he shall feed them, my servant David. He
shall feed them and be their shepherd, and I
the Lord will be their God, and my servant David
a prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.
So now Ezekiel is writing this prophecy. He's
referring to the fact that This one is coming,
he's going to establish this, and it's going
to be his servant David. So remember now that
Ezekiel is prophesying around, roughly around
400 years after the reign of David. So of whom
is he speaking? We must understand that Ezekiel's
references to my servant David are referring
to none other than The Messiah. He is the one
to come. He would be of the line of David. That
is the greater David. Remember the angel Gabriel's
declaration to Mary? He will be great, will be
called the son of the highest, and the Lord God
will give him what? The throne of his father
David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob
forever, and of his kingdom there will be no
end. So it's very clear that we understand this
is a prophecy of Christ. as a shepherd, and he
shall feed them. Now, all the realities that
I just spoke of from the passage in Isaiah are
also fitting here, but this one, this passage,
also ties him being a shepherd to his reign.
That is, his reign as a king or a prince. And
even so, Christ shall reign in this way. Now
we also know from Psalm 2 and many others that
Christ also rules with a rod of iron. He will
smash like those who rebel against him, like
they shall be dashed to pieces like a potter's
vessel, you know, like clay pots, so they can
be smashed. So as we look at this, and Christ
as king and shepherd, we must differentiate between
the rod of iron that God... that Jesus wields,
and the shepherd's staff that he holds. Both
are true, but he does not use his rod of iron
against his beloved sheep. He uses his staff
and leads them as a shepherd. To those who rebel,
he uses his rod to crush, to smash, and to destroy.
The shepherd, however, goes after the wolf, the
bear, or the lion who comes to destroy his flock.
And in that, he uses a rod. He chases them away.
He seeks to kill them, to destroy them. The wolf,
the bear, the lion, the predator. But to those
who are his people, he loves them. He draws them
near. He protects them. And this is our Lord
Jesus Christ. He is the righteous king, the anointed
prince, the son and the Lord of David. The third
prophecy is from the book of Micah, chapter five,
verses two through five, the beginning part.
This is one more. The scripture prophesies of
the location of his birth. He begins, but you,
Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among
the thousands of Judah, yet out of you, shall
come forth to me the one to be a ruler in Israel,
whose going forth are from of old, from everlasting.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
that she who is in labor has given birth. Then
the remnant of his brethren shall return to the
children of Israel. and he shall stand and feed
his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the
majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And
they shall abide, for now he shall be great to
the ends of the earth, and this one shall. Now
the word shepherd is not in here, but the actions
of a shepherd are. And so this is also speaking
of Jesus, how he will stand and feed his flock
in the strength of the Lord. Now, but this passage
also shows the global reach of the shepherd to
come. He would be a ruler who would be born in
Bethlehem, but his shepherding reign would be
to the ends of the earth. All the way over the
globe. Not just to a small country in the heart
of the Middle East. But rather that his blessings
would flow. As Isaiah puts it in joy to the world.
As far as the curse is found. This also shows
how shepherds need to be strong. And have much
endurance. We see this here in how that he would
be a shepherd who will stand and feed his flock
in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of
the name of the Lord his God. His strength will
be enough. Why is this? Because he does this,
he leads and he feeds in the strength and the
majesty of the Lord. He is able to do this. Remember
how Hebrews describes Jesus in chapter 7 and
verse 24 saying, Therefore he is able to save
to the uttermost those who come to God. So dear
brother and sister, do not think that there is
anything too hard for him or that you are beyond
the scope and the reach of his mercy and his
grace. He is able, he has the ability to lead
and to shepherd you. I tell you, he is able to
succor. He is able to sustain you through the
greatest trials. Do not shortchange him because,
He comes in the strength of the Lord and in the
majesty of his name. I tell you, you can trust
him. You can cast your care upon him for he cares
for you. He is the great shepherd of the sheep.
Let's move now to point number two and consider
the New Testament fulfillments of these prophecies.
Obviously, one of the greatest ones is the one
that I already read in John chapter 10, verses
1 through 18. So let's speak a little more about
this passage. The fulfillment begins with Jesus
himself. He proclaims in this passage that he
is the good shepherd. But he is also the door
of the sheepfold. And he is the shepherd who
enters in. Three times in this passage, he makes
this assertion. I am the good shepherd. And thus,
he fulfills all of the passages that we have
just read. Now, let me explain this a little
more. A sheepfold is an enclosure where the sheep
were collected by night to defend them from robbers
and predators. And Jesus is the door to that
sheepfold. He says this several times. And how
is this? Well, in John 14, which is a little
later, Jesus says these astounding words. I am
the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me. And this is
the same. He's enlarging on this fact that he's
the door to the sheepfold. Now, the flock in
the sheepfold is the church of God. That is his
people. Initially, this was mostly the Jews.
But in Christ, that flock has become throughout
the whole world, Jew and Gentile. Jesus refers
to this in chapter 10, verse 16. And other sheep
I have, he says, which are not of this fold,
them also I must bring, and they will hear my
voice, and there will be one flock. and one shepherd,
Jew and Gentile together, in the fold, in the
sheepfold of Jesus Christ, in the church of Christ,
and they will all be saved. Together they will
be united. There are not many ways to God. All
must come through Jesus Christ. He says again,
verse 9, I am the door. If anyone enters by me,
he will be saved. and will go in and out and
find pasture. How then is Jesus the good shepherd?
Jesus answers this by saying, verse 11, I am
the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his
life for the sheep. Jesus is that good shepherd
because he was willing to give his life in the
defense and the protection of his flock. which
consists indeed of guarding against predators
and hirelings, but even more, he gave his life
so that his people might be saved from the wrath
of God against sin. He protected his people by
giving his own life as an atonement for sin,
thus saving and sanctifying them. Truly, he is
the good shepherd. He protects from the predators,
but in the same way, he gave his life for an
atonement. Jesus, as the good shepherd who guards
his sheep, speaks then of two men, two types
of men, who create problems. One is the thief
and the robber. That is those who come to steal,
to kill, and to destroy. This is the enemy who
comes from without as a frontal assault upon
God's people. We think, for example, of some
of the notable ones in history, of Nero roaring
against the people of God, burning them, killing
them. We think of Chairman Mao in China destroying
them by the millions. We think of Stalin and
Lenin and all that they perpetrated in the Soviet
Empire against the people of God. We think of
even right now as it's happening to our dear
beloved brothers and sisters in Nigeria where
the Muslim hordes keep coming against them and
persecuting them, stealing children, kidnapping
them, where they're gone from their parents forever,
where they're burning down church houses and
they're doing everything they can to destroy.
This is the thief, it's the robber, and we call
it out as such. It is wrong, and they must be
called to repentance and to the justice of God.
Thieves and robbers, they are a frontal assault
against God's people. We think of this as a lion
coming to devour or a wolf that rips and tears
and to destroy. Now sheep might readily identify
these and flee from them, although the scripture
does also speak of wolves who come by stealth
and deception by being in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they're ravening wolves. Jesus speaks
of that in Matthew 7, verse 15. The other type
of people that Jesus talks about is the hireling.
That is, one who appears to be like the children
of God and identifies with them, but he does
so under false or wrong motivations. This is
one who might do it for the money or for the
prestige or maybe for the love of authority,
but he is not vested. He does not own the sheep,
nor does he have a shepherd's heart and motivation.
And what happens when danger comes? He flees.
He abandons the sheep. At the time of danger,
he does not risk his life or reputation in the
care for the flock of God. This is why the Apostle
Peter so earnestly and strongly exhorts. the
elders to whom he is writing in chapter 5 and
verse 1 of 1 Peter, he says, the elders who are
among you, I exhort, I who am a fellow elder
and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and
also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed,
shepherd the flock of God which is among you.
serving as overseers not by compulsion but willingly
and not for dishonest gain but eagerly not as
being lords 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 does not fade away. Peter's call to all
elders everywhere at all times is to love the
people of God. It is to feed them, to care for
them, to not drive people away, and not to do
it by compulsion, but willingly, not to do it
for dishonest gain, but eagerly, and to not act
as a lord. That is to be a lord over those who
are entrusted to their king. but lead by example,
lead by example. This is his exhortation. We
follow Jesus as that shepherd. And we also see
that in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 20, Jesus
here is called the great shepherd. It's a wonderful
benediction. He says, now may the God of peace
who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead,
that great shepherd of the sheep, Through the
blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete
in every good work to do his will, working in
you what is well -pleasing in his sight through
Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.
Amen. It is this chief shepherd, Jesus, who brings
to maturity and brings us to the finish line.
He will make you perfect. He will make you complete.
And he will equip you so that you may do his
will and those things which are pleasing to him.
It should be your goal to grow in Christ, to
be mature, and to think about how you may please
him. And as we submit to this great shepherd,
to the one who cares for us, we then will be
able to go through the trials of life knowing
that he cares for us. We can trust him with our
lives, with our temptations, with the trials
that come our way, knowing that the testing of
our faith produces patience. He is the good and
chief shepherd, the great one. Then there's 1
Peter 2 verse 25. Here Jesus is shown to be the
shepherd and the overseer. Of your souls. I'm
not going to comment much on this. I'll just
read it. bore our own sins in his body on the
tree, that we, having died to sin, might live
for righteousness, by whose stripes you were
healed. For you were like sheep going astray,
but have now returned to the shepherd and the
overseer of your souls. Jesus shepherds your
souls and keeps you. And then Revelation 7 and
verse 17 speaks again of the lamb, those whose
robes were made white in the blood of the lamb.
And what happens there? The lamb who is in the
midst of the throne, he says, will shepherd them
and lead them to living fountains of waters and
God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.
How fitting then is it? That Jesus, the chief
shepherd, would first be announced to shepherds
on the hillside. They would be the first to run
to him and to come and bow down and to worship
him in a manger as a newborn. Well, how do we
apply this, brothers and sisters? What do we
take away from all of this? let's consider a
few things. The first one is a great theme of
this time of this season is comfort and joy.
Comfort and joy. Comfort and joy. And all of
this about Jesus as our shepherd is a great comfort
in times of distress and difficulty and danger.
We have great comfort because we know he cares
for us. Even in the hardships of life as we understand
that in God's providence he is shepherding us
and caring for us in these difficult circumstances.
And this should give us great comfort. Maybe
we need comfort because of a great loss. And
we can look to him and he will shepherd us through
this great loss. Whatever it is, whatever difficulty
or trial or temptation. Jesus will comfort us
through his word and spirit. So we have great
comfort, but we also have great joy because of
Christ as our shepherd, because of all that he
has done, because he did come. He did make atonement
for our sins. He did come to live a godly life.
He is now seated at the right hand of the Father.
What is he doing? Well, he's ruling, he's reigning,
but he's also making intercession for us. He's
making intercession for us. Now to those who
have had bad experiences, perhaps with your father,
or maybe with abusive so -called shepherds, or
perhaps you have been ravaged by wolves, I invite
you. Come to the chief shepherd. Cast your care,
your hurts, your difficulties, all of the things,
the baggage that comes with the hurts. Come to
him. Cast your care on him and learn of him.
He says, he invites you. He calls to you. Matthew
chapter 11, verse 28. Come to me, all you who
labor and are heavy laden. And I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you. And learn of me.
For I am gentle. And lowly in heart. And you
will find rest. For your souls. For my yoke is
easy. And my burden is light. This is Jesus invitation.
Number three, how do we apply this? We also must
learn the attributes of a shepherd and imitate
Christ. We practice them in whatever sphere and
calling that we are given as parents or as civil
magistrates or as pastors and overseers or elders.
As parents, you are a father or a mother. You
have been given children. God has given you those
children. And as parents, you are called to shepherd
your children. Learn of Jesus and see how he
shepherds. And then apply that to the shepherding
of your children. Welcome the little ones. Do
not tie heavy burdens on them. Your burden, remember
Jesus, how my burden is light, my yoke is easy,
and so, but yet we guide our children, we love
them, we pick them up when they're weak and they're
tired. We care for them, we love them, we provide
for them, we protect them. We do all that we
can to ensure their growth and their stability,
knowing that they belong to Christ. We shepherd
them. Study and learn how to shepherd them well.
to bring them up in the training and the admonition
of the Lord, not by either being lazy or by being
a harsh taskmaster. Teach them God's word, for
these are the lambs. This is to parents. Civil
magistrates also are to be foster fathers to
Christ's church, seeking their good and welfare.
They should not persecute or hinder the church,
but rather protect them. They should promote
good and know what evil is. We read that in Romans
13 this morning. They're to punish the evil and
they're to protect the good. And in order for
that to happen, they need to understand their
calling before God and understand the standards
of truth and the standards of God for their role.
They should punish evil appropriately. And in
this way, They are also a type of shepherd. I
love how the Westminster Confession in the American
Revision writes of this in chapter 23. Civil
magistrates may not assume to themselves the
administration of the word and sacraments or
the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven
or in the least interfere in matters of faith.
Yet, as nursing fathers, it is the duty of civil
magistrates to protect the church of our common
Lord without giving the preference to any denomination
of Christians above the rest. In such a manner,
that all ecclesiastical persons whatever shall
enjoy the full, the free, and the unquestioned
liberty of discharging every part of their sacred
functions without violence or danger. And as
Jesus Christ has appointed a regular government
to discipline in his church, no law of any commonwealth
should interfere with or hinder the due exercise
thereof among the voluntary members of any denomination
of Christians according to their own profession.
It is the duty of civil magistrates to protect
the person and good name of all their people
in such an effectual manner so that no person
should be suffered upon pretense of religion
or of infidelity to offer any indignity, violence,
abuse, or injury to any person whatsoever and
to take order. that all religious assemblies
be held without molestation or disturbance. This
is the role of the civil magistrate as a shepherd
to care for those who are in them so that there
would be great freedom. And then we also look
for pastor shepherds in the congregation. Now,
this certainly applies to the office of elder
or overseer or pastor. And it applies to us.
As we lead in the congregation, we are to lead
well. We are to be faithful. This is why Peter's...
those words that I read out of 1 Peter 5 are
so urgent to us and they should burn in our hearts
that we do not act as a lord or throw our weight
around or act as a tyrant, but rather that we
lead by example and live faithful lives, but
nonetheless that we lead. But it does not only
refer to the office of pastor, but I just encourage
everyone as they seek to bless others, that they
bless them, they lead in the ways of God, they
impart the knowledge that you have to others,
and they prepare for life. Who might you be able
to bless or to minister to? Who might you as
a person of God be able to share with others?
Perhaps your mother and your children are already
gone and so you're able to share with the younger
women tips of how you were able to bless others
or to bring your children up or mistakes that
you've made and you're able to share that. Perhaps
we have a wonderful marriage and we can share
with others who are going through it. difficult
time about how to work through times of great
difficulty you might have great examples that
you can share we should take on a shepherding
mindset where we love each other and we look
out for each other and we care for one another
it applies not only to those who are overseers
but really to all be strong and faithful members
of christ church bear with the weak and strengthen
them And men, lead your families as a good shepherd.
Give them the word of God. Teach them. Even as
Ephesians 6 commands you, do not drive your children
away with, I forget exactly how it puts it, but
with anger. You don't want to create in them
anger, but rather you nourish them, you build
them up in the faith. To us all then, I say,
Submit to Christ as the chief shepherd. Submit
to him. Be willing to be led by him and trust
your life to him above all else. In the name
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen. Let's pray.